The sun shone and it was calm and warm as I did my talk on Pannal as I have known it for sixty years. I was a humorous talk and the Chapter House at St Robert's Church was full and everyone enjoyed it. I gave the talk to members of Harrogate Civic Society. Some of whom had never been to our lovely village. I enjoy these slide show talks and thanks to Kevin Hale who put my slides on USB and also enhanced some of these, and sorted out the Chapter House seating and refreshments there were no problems and it all went off well. I am doing a walk round Pannal on Friday September 13 starting at 11am for Heritage Week. Everyone can come just turn up at 11am and off we will go. Must keep the flag flying for Pannal and tell people what we have and how much I love living here. A different Pannal to what it was sixty years ago. We were all young with young families and our children all went to Pannal Primary School. I think we still hold the record for all four children starting there when they were nearly five and continuing there until they left to attend Harrogate Grammar School. I remember someone in the Education Department correcting me when I said Harrogate Grammar School and saying you mean Otley Road Comprehensive and I said don't think that name will ever stick just you wait and see and I was proved correct HGS it is. Now what has happened is nearly all our children have left the village to make their life in different parts of the country and we have all stayed in the same houses. It was so lovely they all played together and all met up after breakfast in the rec saying what time back for lunch Mum? Back they came then off for the afternoon to their dens, the quarry or back to the rec for unfinished business. Some went fishing in the River Crimple or riding their bikes. A lovely happy time and I think they must have been the last children to have the freedom they had wandering the village in the summer and sledging at All Saints in the winter. As everyone says Oh Happy Days.
We were all delivered a letter last week telling us that Main Street was going to have Footway Slurry Seal Works done starting 29th July and what we should do with our cars!! It was from North Yorkshire Council 1 April 2023. Now was this a joke? Then the barriers, cones and traffic lights were delivered and roads closed off. I rang the number they said to ring on the letter and give three words Customer Service Centre I did so and ended up talking to a poor bloke in Skipton who did not know what it was all about. I told him about the letter and he said ring this number and speak to Highways. I did and they verified it was all real even 1st April 2023 and yes they were coming on Monday. I said you do know the Gas Company is coming later on and is going to dig up the footpaths to get at the gas pipe and she said we know. Then later on the same day the men came back put the barriers, road signs, cones and lights on trucks and drove off. So your guess is as good as mine about what is going to happen on Monday 29th. Presume 1st April 2023 was the date North Yorkshire Council took over from Harrogate Borough Council but what a stupid thing to put on their letter.
Tigs still following me around. Did you know Tigs is short for Tiger. I did not know that, as that was her name when we rescued her. one of my grandchildren had a book called Tigs the Cat so that is how I found out.
