Pannal and festive season

Hey anyone remember Herman Munster/ Well that is who my poor husband looks like. He has two rows of stitches across his forehead. Two black eyes, stitches on his neck and a cauliflower ear. I am out and about he is not. Hopefully he will be ok for Christmas when everyone comes up. All fifteen of us here. Be a tight squeeze but great fun.
I met Howard West today. He writes the column on Pannal for the Harrogate Advertiser. Only clubs and societies mind as that is all that is required now. My great friend Malcolm Neesam does not write for the paper anymore as his articles very much appreciated by the newspaper buying public but not by the newspaper decided he was being too restricted in what he was being told to say so has left exactly as I did. Shame. Wonder if through this policy there will be a newspaper in a few years time. Now back to Howard. I had not met him before so invited him round for coffee. Made a cake and he brought some lovely biscuits so we were set up for a long chat which we did. Can't say we set the world (Pannal) to rights but we tried.
Carols around the tree on Pannal Green on Monday. I hope to be there and hopefully Bas too. A nice start to Christmas. I will take this opportunity to wish everyone in the village a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Health (I don't do prosperous) New Year. Enjoy the relative peace as in 2016 building will start on the old Dunlopillo site and Pannal will never be the same again. On a happier note Fifty years we have lived here. My parents lived at Oatlands so there is not much I do not know about the history of the area and all the changes that have taken place. Looking back what am I proud of apart from my lovely husband and four lovely children and our grandchildren. It was being Chairman of The Harrogate Society and also Chairman of the Friends of the Valley Gardens in 1984 when there was every danger of the Sun Pavilion and the Colonnades being knocked down to provide a car park. Yes this is true. So I gathered together Geoffrey Smith, James Herriot (Alf White) and David Bellamy all personalities I knew a fantastic treasurer and right hand man Stephen Barnes and we did it. We saved the buildings. Nearer home Spacey Houses farm and outbuildings. English Heritage listed them for me as they said they were one of the most complete set of ancient (1600s) buildings they had seen. I am now trying my best with the old Police Training site which was Pannal Ash College and before that Southern College built in 1840. I have everything to do with the old school, trophies, school magazines, photographs, paintings and even school blazers and caps. I am also in touch with the headmasters daughter who lives in Eastbourne and is in her eighties. Unfortunately I could not save Ancient Spacey Houses Hotel and we went on holiday to South Africa and they demolished it in my absence. Such a dreadful shame.
See you all in the New Year. Be good!!!!!!

New shop in Pannal

The Co-op open its shop at Pannal Station last week. It replaces The Harwood public house. Is this a good thing or not? The Harwood was very hit and miss. When it opened at the old Station house (railway ticket office and house built about 1848) in 1980 as Platform One it was a success then a duff landlord and it was taken over and renamed The Harwood. Was used by the village under Clive the landlord and they had a golf team and a darts team. Clive then left and it was never much good after that, so inevitably it was sold but not as another pub the co-op purchased it. Pannal now after over 100 years (Spacey Houses Hotel demolished) is publess. Burn Bridge has The Black Swan and long may that continue. We, as a family, will use the co-op as it is open from 7am to 11pm but still continue to use Steve at Crimple Fresh in the Post Office as his fruit and veg very good and he sells produce the coop does not.
Heavy vehicles still coming through Pannal. Completely ignoring the weight restrictions and probably following their satnavs. These are the ones that use us as a short cut then there are others that miss Pannal Business Park and turn at Rosedale and go up the village again.
Now it is not only the children that love school holidays we in Main Street love them as well. Gone is the school traffic, gone are the pushy parents that park across drives and when tackled say I am taking my child to school.
Hey ho Christmas is coming, Santa too. We have our lights up, lit trees at all the windows and I shall open a window on Christmas morning and send the little lad that is passing to get the biggest turkey for Tiny Tim. There will be 15 of us staying here. A tight squeeze but great fun. So I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2015.

Away from Pannal then bck

Now this will teach me. I was in Otley passing Lloyds Chemists and saw in their window come in and have your blood pressure checked. So in I went had it taken and dispenser said it is a bit high I should go and see your doctor. I had an appointment re the stitches out from face so mentioned it. Yep a bit high one reading ok the other. Just to make sure doctor said we shall fit you with a blood pressure monitor nurse will ring you when one is available. Nurse rings 7am to go in I said I am not up at 6am to come in so no. She said we come in at 7am. I said you are paid to do so I am not. Anyway compromise 9am. So fighting with the school traffic, and having to defrost the car, I went (still a bit early if I am honest these winter mornings). Fitted up. Home for coffee. The band on my arm tightened every ten minutes. aaaggghhh. I rang and said is this right. Told relax your arm. Did not work. Take it off at bed time. It was such a nuisance I nearly went to bed at 3.30pm. Anyway persevered took it back next morning again fighting school traffic and defrosting the car once more. Week later heard nothing, phoned and was told nurse will ring you. Nothing then comes the letter your test results have been lost or was the wording mislaid?  I am making arrangements for you to have the test over again. Now I have to go through that once (I hope) more. Told them it was a shambles. So now awaiting call from nurses or maybe a policeman for my remark. I lesson to be learnt here but perhaps it is all for the best. Also notice I have not named and shamed.