Pannal Christmas Bah! Humbug - Oh no.

 The run up to Christmas is turning into a pain for us in Main Street Pannal.  Unannounced came the men to lay fibre optics for talk talk I had just cleaned my car and they covered it in muck as they dug up the pavement. They put traffic lights three sets on our bit of Main Street. They put up bollards and cones. One day I could not get out at all as there was an enormous lorry parked right by my drive had to go and find a workman to move it and the barriers. Nobody on Main Street could see the lights are they were not facing us so we just had to guess, No accidents so far. Everything left in situ at the weekend so I moved the cones and the barriers as they had filled in the holes they dug but not removed anything. Think a lot of swearing went on and not only from me

For the past three weeks there have been enormous lorries carrying very heavy machinery going up and down Station Road and Main Street. They are completely disregarding the weight limit signs as presumably they are lorries from and to development sites. I would reckon by about March we shall have to have the roads repaired. Dilemma is who pays for the damage NYCC (us) or could it be charged to the developers as they are disregarding signs saying they should not be there. 

Ok rant over. It is great to see the Christmas lights on these dark days. Wasn't it bad in the fog. I witnessed this and I had reports from readers to say at 3.30 pm Yes it was foggy but in the fog there were dark patches. When driving one drove in to what looked like night and then it lightened again. Very strange. It happened to me on Leeds Road and Leadhall Lane and other people too. 

A couple of weeks ago did we think we would be in another covid situation? We were ll so happily looking forward to a normal Christmas but now what? I feel another rant coming on re unvaccinated people who are in hospital and asking for the vaccine only to be told you are too late. I read yesterday that most of the beds in hospital are being taken up by unvaccinated people. WE hopefully will get through all of this and endeavour to make this Christmas brilliant with our families around us. So everyone have a lovely lovely Christmas and pray that the New Year brings also peace and happiness. 

ps still a few copies of my latest book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories in Pannal Post Office. Villagers are telling me they are buying them as Christmas presents. So don't leave it too late. 

Pannal and Harrogate

 Harrogate looks amazing this year. I went into town yesterday and there were little log cabins in Cambridge Street and around selling all sots of Christmas goodies. I hope they do well. Then we have the big Helter Skelter by the Monument and down in Crescent Gardens a Carousel and Big wheel and the little train that runs passengers up and down between them. The Sun Colonnade in the Valley Gardens all lit up. Do hope our local ships do well too. Hopefully all my family will be here for Christmas and they will certainly want to see the place they were all born looking so festive. 

My book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories selling well in Pannal Post Office and I have had orders through email from Newcastle, Lancashire and Otley. Amazing how they knew about it but very gratifying.It is also at Castlegate Book Shop in Knaresborough and Nanci Downey has helped by mentioning me in her column in the Harrogate Advertiser.

I did a talk to some visitors yesterday and I inadvertently called Boris Doris which brought down the house and they said oh that will be his name from now on for us.

So glad the "pot hole" has been repaired just outside the hairdressers on Station Road as it was a nasty one and I hit it and then had to pay for springs on my car to be repaired. Think that was the last straw and I am so careful going over speed bumps too. I have told you before about one of my little cats both about 16 having cataracts. Well a friends daughter when told said do dogs get cataracts or is it just cats. Clever never thought of that. Also I told an acquaintance about Marble and I said the vet was so good. She tested her for everything and said we can't cure the cataracts but she knows her way around the house and garden so just lt her wander. I said the vet was so brilliant I am thinking for myself of changing from my doctor to the vet and she said "Can you do that?"

Pannal Green looks good again and the two big conifers have lovely lights on them and the other lights on the big trees have been repaired after the storm damage when Pannal Green had a large tree blown down. All those years ago when I was on the committee of the Pannal Village Society I said at one of the meting that it would be lovely to light up Pannal Green with fairy lights as it was a dark area and also it would be good to have a large conifer tree planted to also be decorated. Well thanks to villagers both aims were achieved and the gardeners who planted the conifer planted two in case one did not take but they both have and are both decorated. Carols on the Green to take place on Monday 13th at 6pm and afterwards for refreshments at Pannal School. 

Well I wish you all a very happy and Health Christmas and New Year as we have to unfortunately learn to live with this plague and we will. 

We are made of strong "stuff" and as they say when we have freezing weather with snow Southerners don't go out, Stay in. Keep Warm. Northerns put your big coat on. 

Pannal and email address

 If anyone wants to contact me use my email address annesmith.pannal@yahoo.co.uk

Comments do not seem to be working. I will answer any of your queries. Very happy to.

My latest book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories gives a lot of information re our lovely villages. 

On sale at Pannal Post Office. 

Pannal and Beyond

Saturday we all woke up to snow. I was going down to Bletchley Park with Michael and Susan (oldest son and daughter) and picking Susan up on the way. We set off and only got as far as the Follifoot Road when a tree came down and blocked the road. Fortunately did not fall on us. Had to turn back for a different route. Took the MI and had snow all the way and beyond, We were heading to stay at Milton Keynes. Much maligned place. Where we stayed we were in a park surrounded by green fields and a lovely lake. No snow when we arrived and we got to Bletchley Park in sunshine and it was very pleasant standing outside listening to our guide. We would recommend it as it is so interesting. Lovely house and all the huts had so much information in  them. A statue of Alan Turing at the entrance.A brilliant brilliant man who sadly took his own life. Ten thousand people worked there at one time breaking codes and having signed the Official Secrets Act were sworn to secrecy.I also had to sign this when i worked for the MOD. Pannal and Burn Bridge's connection with Bletchley Park was we had two ladies who lived here and they had worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. I wanted to tell their stories and approached them. They incidentally did not know of each others existence and they only lived round the corner from one another. Neither of them wanted any publicity and said they had signed the OSA. I said it is ok you can talk about what you did .You have been allowed to from 1974 but no they would not divulge their secrets.

When Leadhall Lane was closed for road works the traffic increased through Pannal . I and many others hoped that when it reopened we would not have so much traffic but that is a forlorn hope. I remember when Main Street was a tiny street. Then it was widened and cars at times bomb down it well over the speed limit. We in the past have had our front wall knocked down. One time the bus, when we had a bus service, came down Rosedale and knocked the lamp post down onto our drive which hit the wall Fortunately we were on holiday. Another time a car came out of Rosedale too fast and hit our wall and then a cyclist did the same and summer salted into our garden. 

Remember the black cat that I cannot find the owner well I have now been landed with it. I have had to find another bed for it to sleep in. I am a soft touch and I just hope it does not tell its friends I am. Mu own two cats not all that chuffed.

My book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories selling well so if you want a copy for yourself or for Christmas presents do not leave it too late. Selling at Pannal Post Office.