Pannal and Neighbourhood Plan

 As a result of my writing about wanting to save Crimple Valley from housing and wanting to turn it into a Country Park similar to the ones Harrogate has for Harrogate I was asked to join a group dealing with the Neighbourhood Plan (Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council) Well not to be a Councillor as I do not want to do that but I am happy to help in securing Country Park status for Crimple Valley. Has anyone else volunteered to join this group?  I have lived here nearly sixty years and I and older resident have seen Pannal go from a village to what it is now and what is that? I hate to think of it as a suburb of Harrogate but in the past fifty years we have had in our little village just over 379 houses built and that is not including the ones being built on the old Dunlopillo site. In my latest book I mention all the business's Pannal had and what Pannal and Burn Bridge were like from the 1800s onwards. My book is at the publishers now and it will be on sale next Spring virus permitting. 

When Pannal Village Society, of which I was on committee, decided to create a little patio by St Robert's Church I said I would look after it. I planted a little garden under the new Notice Boards also by PVS and St Robert's Church and I have looked after it ever since. Ever since has been since 2006 (where has the time gone) I weed and clear leaves and this year has been particularly arduous as I believe HBC are not going to clear the leaves from our roads and footpaths so therefore many more come onto the patio. I catch up on the local gossip and also see what goes on round the church car park. I have been surprised at the number of paid dog walkers who drive up in their vans with names on the side and Harrogate also written. I must make it clear that i am not pointing the finger at them as i am sure they are very responsible but I am hearing about dog mess (tied up in bags) being left. I have also seen it as i walk that area. One very kind lady has been picking it up and desposing of it and one other lady walking her dog picks up rubbish that she finds discarded. True Pannal and Burn Bridge heroes, I also did the Information Board there. I supplied the information and it was put together by a gentleman from Spofforth whose business was supplying these board in the villages around. 

I am not going to mention the virus as we are all dealing with it in our own way and I think we have all been brilliant. Many of us have not seen our children for months. Never in our wildest dreams this time last New Year when we all wished each other a Happy New Year what 2020 would turn out to be like. For once we shall all be glad when it is 2021 and the hope is there that we shall sometime in that year be back to normal. That is our fervent prayer and being of Scottish birth I do know what Nichols Sturgeon means when she says she is scunnered. We all are.