Happy New Year Pannal

 2020 gone and at the moment 2021 not a lot better but we have hope. I had a lovely Christmas with part of my family. There are so many of us that it was only part but it was great.Met the new puppy. James kids have been going on for a couple of years about having a dog so at last they have. Little spaniel called Skye who like all baby animals is a sweetie. Well probably not all babies, spiders for example. We have some snow here and my Bristol grandchildren are watching out of the window for snow but in vain. Other grandchildren have more snow than we have and they are amazingly happy building snowmen and sledging. Mum's and Dad's too.

Not a lot has been going on here but I have had many people saying my idea of Crimple Valley as a Country Park is a winner. There has not been one unfavourable voice. Now all we need is the powers that be to agree also. Back in the old days there were philanthropists who gave land for all sorts of reasons but mainly to preserve it for future generations. Unfortunately I cannot do the same but Harrogate Borough Council could and what a worthy cause. The people of Pannal are being hemmed in with all the development we need the open space we have left. 

Now what do we do do we take all the lights down on Twelfth Night or do we leave them up as they do in Iceland as the evenings are so dark and they bring cheer and with this virus we all need cheer. The media do are not doing much to cheer us up just portraying doom and gloom. 

The cats are in and why do cats always pinch the chair you normally sit on. There are chairs all round but no they must have yours and are very indignant when they are, for the tenth time, unceremoniously shoved off. 

Well Happy New Year and let's all do what little kids do stand still with their eyes all screwed up and really really wish for something. Our wish is to be back to normality. Did it work I sincerely hope so. 

Addition to Save Crimple Valley Part 2

 Preserve Crimple Valley also very much agree with Crimple Valley Country Park. Hopefully if we all work together we can achieve this. I made the very first Tree Preservation Order for Harrogate and it was TPO No 1 Pannal 1969. Let the Crimple Valley Country Park be our biggest achievement. 

Pannal and the Crimple Valley Part 2

 Since I wrote in my blog that I wanted the Crimple Valley to be a Country Park in keeping with Bilton which has Knox Country Park and Jennyfield which has Killinghall Country Park the idea seems to have taken off. I emailed our Councillors both HBC and NYCC. I also wrote to Our MP Andrew Jones who sent a very encouraging letter to me saying "This particular year has highlighted the importance of green spaces for many people across the country and I would like to see green areas protected.In the first instance I have contacted Mr 

Wallace Sampson OBE Chief Executive, Harrogate Borough Council to bring the matter to his attention and ask if Harrogate Borough Council, as land owners, would be in favour of the land being designated as a Country Park". 

Harrogate Borough Council have an appalling record in regards to the Crimple Valley. The land this side of the A61 Leeds Road they wanted to put a gypsy site there. Was this a red herring as their next plan was to build houses. Was this so that they thought the gullible people of Pannal would say oh well that is better than a gypsy site but they were wrong we are not gullible we are astute and knew what they were up to and their plan was defeated. Unfortunately the land the other side of the A61 Leeds Road we have lost to light industry. Goodness me I have lived here so long and been involved in local politics by being Chairman of the Harrogate Civic Society and attending all the council meetings and watching what happens. One time I was nearly thrown out of the Chamber for objecting forcefully to their plan to demolish the Sun Pavilion in the Valley Gardens and build a car park. I formed the Friends of the Valley Gardens and we won.

I have stated to all concerned we re not asking for money so don't come up with the excuse "we are cash strapped" I am just wanting the Crimple Valley to be designated as a Country Park as I feel that if the footpath was to be upgraded Pannal would find the money.We have enough development going on in the village for the developers to help.  Sandy Bank Quarry is safe "for the moment" as I had a SINC put on it but I am keeping my eye on it as "you never know".

I have been joined by our MP, a leading Barrister, Save Crimple Valley and a lady from Burn Bridge called Ethne Bartup who all think this should happen: Crimple Valley be designated a Country Park. In the spring it is a delight with all the wild flowers and the May blossom on the bushes. It was even more of a delight before it was ploughed up as there was a mass of wild flowers with lots of purple orchids. Which in some parts of Yorkshire is treasured. 

Have I written this blog as a rant or with sadness. The latter I think but also with optimism as this can be achieved. 

I would like to wish you all a Christmas as good as you can make it. It will certainly be different but we all have hope for 2021. My book on Pannal and Burn Bridge Past and Present will be out. Spring will come the daffodils will be out, the sun will be warmer.WE HAVE HOPE. 

Pannal and the Crimple Valley

 I am receiving phone calls from people agreeing with me over my idea to turn the Crimple Valley into a Country Park. I even have some Councillors saying it is a good idea. As I said Harrogate (and technically we are Harrogate but I think of Pannal being Pannal) has The Stray, the Nidd Gorge. Killinghall Country Park and Knox Country Park and we were here before Harrogate and HBC has seen to it that we have had a number of houses built around us. We have lost a lot of green spaces so I truly believe we need the Crimple Valley (from behind St Robert's Church to All Saints Court to the A61 Leeds Road protected because believe you me HBC who own the land, being purchased from William Bentley of Pannal Hall in 1962, would dearly love to sell the land for development - lots of houses. All I want is a commitment from the said HBC to say yes and if we need to make the footpaths better we will raise the money to do so but I stress it should be left more or less as it is. Now what about the proposed cycle path up Humphrey Bank Almsford Bank to newcomers. I had heard that the company asked to make the cycle path want to pull out. 

Good that Mill Lane is walkable again but that part near the Burn Bridge end is susceptible to land slides and the we are now seeing a lot of very wet weather. Hopefully it will not happen in the near future.

Who would have thought this time last year that we would have Covid 19 and we would all have had two lockdowns and some places would be in Tier 3. I have two children and their children in Tier 3 and two children their children and me in Tier 2 but for how long as Boris is letting everyone have a free for all for 5 days. Will we be in lockdown in January who knows? Boris has said three families can meet up I have four families. 

Remember Ken Walker our lovely butcher. Ken has had a fall and broken his hip and is in hospital in Leeds. He is 90 so we all wish him well.

The cats are in and Tigs has to be shoved bodily off my chair and she then sits and gives me the evil eye .Little Marble is a numpty and sits/lies in the stupidest of places.

Pannal and Police Training College

Many years ago I was asked to write a history of the Memorial Library at the old Southern College which had a name change to Pannal Ash College now better known now as the Police Training College. Then when plans were afoot for the police to leave I was contacted by their Secretary Margaret Hart, whom I knew, and her boss Terry and asked if I would like any of the memorabilia that was stored there relating to Southern College. If I did not want it no one else did and it would end up in a skip. So my husband and I went up and took it all.. So I now possess all the history of both Colleges, silver cups, school uniforms (a couple) photographs and paintings .I got in touch with the Headmaster -  Walter S. Hill's daughter in Eastbourne and asked her if she wanted the large photo I had of her father and various other ones and she said no. I remained in touch with her for years. Her daughter in Canada phoned me to tell me Shirley had died. I told her about a small stained glass window at the College and she now has a copy of it in her home .Knowing what was going to happen to the buildings, because developers do not care, I applied and had the Memorial Library and the Headmaster's house listed. So they will not be demolished. I have written about the history of both the College and the Police Training College in my latest book on Pannal and Burn Bridge. Gosh it is so interesting being a historian, I love what I do. I trained as a journalist and worked for Celtic Football and the MOD. 

Now we have in Main Street Northern Gas once more looking for the elusive gas leak. They have been a few times on the same spot then across the road where they took part of the boundary wall down.  Now a friend who knew someone from Northern Gas said unless everyone complains they will just repair, what is needed are new pipes. You will have seen what is going on and it is quite dangerous to those of us who drive. The traffic lights take ages to change and I was coming down Church Lane today and I got through the lights but the car behind me jumped them and came right behind me. I always signal my intention to come into my drive but I do know the numpty drivers there are so watch in my rear mirror. Good job I did as they (man and woman) thought I was turning down Rosedale which is on the right and I had my left indicator on and tried to undertake me. This is not an isolated occurrence as one time I got out the car and said to the man in an open topped car what are you doing I indicated left I am not going to turn right and he said yeh but your a woman arn't you..Later on I was talking to my neighbours who have the problem outside their drive when a car came round the corner and very close to us who were standing (social distance apart) on her drive.I We all on Main Street have these problems and it will only get worse with the number of houses being built and house owners using Pannal as a short cut.

I started this blog on a different subject and look where it ended in a rant. So I am going now before it gets any worse. 

Marble and Tigs are now in so winter must be coming and I must make sure I have shut the lounge door as Tigs will make a rush for any bed. Marble doesn't she is a lady and not a thug like Tigs.  

 

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. 

Pannal Country Park and,,,

Well my idea of a Country Park seems to be kicking off. No one has said oh no that's not a good idea. Not that that would have made any difference to me as all I have achieved in regards to Pannal I have done on my own but it is nice to know I am not on my own this time .I was thinking about my list of achievements re Pannal and I remembered more.  I contacted Peter Fisher who was Conservation Officer at HBC and between us we walked round Pannal and did the Conservation Area about 1984. I had also contacted Peter re Boundary Stones as Bas and I walked all round and found about 51 of them. This was started because Pannal has the first one KF (Knaresborough Forest) 1767 and we mapped them. Then a lovely one I asked at a meeting if anyone thought it a good idea to have two "Christmas" trees planted on Pannal Green to be lit up. Anonymously (well to the general public but I knew who they were) donation to buy the trees and another donor provided the money for the lights also money from PVS and we were away. Then the tragedy three lads from Pannal Green Joe Wilson whom I knew and two brothers were killed in a car crash. As they were Yasmin's paper boys Yasmin and I got together and with donations from customers we bought three seats with plaques on Pannal Green and also there was enough money to provide blue and white lights on the cherry trees as the boys had been Leeds United supporters. Then I decided to replace the stocks and put them on Pannal Green the wood was provided by Frank and Jenny Hird with money from Cllr Cliff Trotter. There used to be stocks in Pannal, every village had them for wrong doers, They had worn out so we replaced them. 

Before we went in to lockdown my eldest son Michael came over and I took him a walk up to Whinney Lane to see the devastation and he said thanks for that mum, our childhood has now been spoiled as we (brothers and sister) used to cycle all round here and it was all green fields. I agree it is awful too many houses and all packed close together and it looks like they have diverted a footpath to build more houses. This is why we need the keep the green fields we have around us. Especially with this awful virus we need to be able to walk over the fields without the fear of them being destroyed. The writing was on the wall for the land the other side of the Leeds Road when HBC let that garage and car showroom etc be built. Way back in the 1970s I with others objected all to no avail .Now we shall just have to wait and see what is proposed for those green fields. Will what is proposed hide the Crimple Viaduct? Up until June/July this year it was possible to walk to the viaduct and going left be underneath it. A place where we picnicked and played in the stream but no longer now all fenced in.

So let's hope sense will prevail and we can protect our Crimple Valley and it will be designated a Country Park. When one looks around Harrogate has Country Parks. Pannal has nothing only the recreation ground. Let's fight for the Crimple Valley Country Park.