Happy New Year Pannal

I had and I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. All the family came here and I fed 15 of us for a week. Favourites like the Desperate Dan pie, large roast ham, potato scones and of course the turkey with turkey soup etc. I make a large Christmas cake, Christmas pud also large, 5 scone loaves,Ginormus trifle and of course the Clootie Dumpling. I believe I am conned into all this as the family say Oh but Mum you do it so well.
My bedroom is the biggest so I had in my room the two youngest grandchildren Bethany aged 7 and Daniel age 4. The first morning I woke up with two faces (very near my face) staring at me. Fortunately that did not continue every morning. Just after Christmas I went down to Cheltenham and then onto Bristol to stay with Richard and family and James and family., My other two children Susan and family in the Peak District and Michael and family in the Lake District. Really great for us all to be together. We have a family holiday every year - brilliant get together.

The workmen have descended on Pannal. Church Lane traffic lights and road dug up for a long way. Now is it a gas leak top of Main Street? More traffic lights. Now have a number of vans with flashing light a large spotlight and a large digger. This has been going on since yesterday afternoon.

Cyclists are now asking for a route through the Crimple Valley from behind St Robert's Church to Almsford Bank and they would like street lights to light their way. Why they cannot make a cycle path on the A61 up to Almsford Bank is beyond me. The pavement is very little used by pedestrians so that would be ideal.

A friend of mine who used to live on Crimple Meadows son came to visit Pannal after many years away and reported back to his Mum the traffic was awful cars parked everywhere.He is right. A couple of weeks ago I could not see to come out of my drive as there were large vans and cars parked all the way up and also on the other side of the road from me. I really did not know what to do as I could not see round them. Then I lady came over and said I can see you are having trouble I will guide you out. That was so kind.

Our book A Souvenir Guide to the Valley Gardens is doing very well and we have sold 1000 since October so we are going to have another run. Talking of books I have hundreds of slides of Pannal - Turn of the 20th century photos right through to now which I could use in another book. As I said my first two are out of print so I think another one is called for. Looks like Pannal Golf Course will not see me for a little while. I am doing a talk with slides Wednesday 15th January in St Robert's Church for Pannal Wives. This one is on Pannal but I have another talk in March of the Valley Gardens. I only do talks from October until end of March as golf and my gardens calls and of course walking.

Because I was away in Cheltenham and Bristol the cats Marble and Tigs are not speaking to me. They have taken (can't spell umbrage - ha -so let say they are very annoyed with me)