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. 

Pannal and Sun Colonnade Valley Gardens

 Yes did get somewhere with the Sun Colonnade in the Valley Gardens. HBC now know it is there and hopefully it will be treated as the important building that it is. Hopefully the Sun Parlours will be restored and the Colonnade be used for a commercial purpose in keeping with the Valley Gardens. I am sure we all have ides of its use plant and garden based. As a founder of the Friends of the Valley Gardens I have a keen interest in both the Sun Pavilion and the Sun Parlours. I remember running through them as a child and I also remember that there was a big ship in a case in one of the Sun Parlours, My Dad was in the Royal Navy so that is probably why I remember it but unfortunately I cannot find anyone who also remembers the model ship in the glass case. Have you seen the fairy light that are now on the Colonnade roof which will be cleaned and tidied up. It looks lovely. 

I am afraid we are stuck with the Dunlopillo building two storeys higher. Wonder if the Pannal Post Office will move into the light industry site behind this edifice. There was talk of that but we shall just have to wait and see. I have had calls from young people who used to live here when they were young. Now married with children and have come back to see where they had lived. Some hardly recognised Pannal. Fields where they had played and fished now all housing (Crimple Meadows) They said thank goodness the quarry and fields (Sandybank Quarry and Crimple Valley) are still there. I took some Harrogate Civic Society members a walk round Pannal and did say to come back in the spring and see all the bluebells and wild garlic flowers in the Quarry. It is a sight to behold.

Must mention if you go to Pannal Post Office to buy a copy of my book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories if it is not on the shelf to the right of the door as you enter they are up by the magazines and papers at the rear of the shop. I am trying to keep them at the front as well but just in case they are not you know where to find them.Only telling you this because someone rang me the other day and said "your book is not at the Post Office"

I still have the black cat coming in for food and sleeping in Marbles bed. Poor Marble has been out all night but now there are three beds in the utility room so peace once more reigns. They have accepted the black cat. It never comes near me so I do not know whether it is feral or just a scared stray. 

Pannal and Burn Bridge Book

 My book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories has been greeted very well by those that have read it. It is for sale price £10 at Pannal Post Office. People are saying they are buying it for family/friends as a Christmas present. So there's an idea. Don't leave it too late to buy.  To send in the UK it costs £3.30p to post. 

I have met so may lovely people that have said how much they have enjoyed my book. This is the part I like as I do enjoy talking to villagers. 

Think I am getting somewhere with Harrogate Borough Council over the Colonnade in the Valley Gardens. We must not lose it through their lack of care. 

Wonder what will now be built at Dunlopillo as "light industry". I and a number of people would have liked to have seen a Premier Inn or a Travel Lodge there. Our families come for holidays and Christmas with us and there are a number of grandchildren now and it would have been a place for some of the family to spend the day with us but use it to sleep. What a dreadful pity we lost Spacey Houses Hotel. I tried so hard to save it but Punch Taverns the owners sent the workmen in in the early hours to take the roof off thus destroying the Hotel. Just look what we have in its place. Pannal is slowly and systematically being destroyed from the village that we knew. In fact not only Pannal but Harrogate and surrounds. I knew a family that lived in Pannal and moved south as husband got transferred and their son came back on a visit last week and said to me I shall tell Mum and Dad not to go back ever. This is is not what they will want to remember. Says it all. 

Cats Marble and Tigs have nothing to say on the matter. 

Pannal and Harrogate Borough Council

I see in the latest Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council Newsletter that at long last they are agreeing with what I have been saying for fifty of the fifty six years I have lived here. In their words HBC has  "downer" on Pannal and Burn Bridge. Many years ago their Director of Technical Services Ken Corri said to me that it was his ambition to have Pannal the same as Bilton re massive development. His wish is coming true. I especially liked their plan to have gypsies/travellers on the Crimple Valley land behind St Robert's Church. The gypsies/travellers did not want to be there so was this a red herring so that when it was announced no there won't be gypsies but there could be houses there people would think well that is better than gypsy/travellers. HBC misjudged Pannal and Burn Bridge people we are not daft.The Crimple Valley is precious to us soon it will be all we have if this insane house building carries on. This Council is killing Harrogate. I was in town and I overheard two ladies outside Primark one said "I have always wanted to come to Harrogate but now I am here I don't know why I did" So very sad. HBC wanted to do away with the name Spacey Houses but I heard of their plans and shoved my oar in. So Spacey Houses name remains. Be interesting to see where the Invisible Mann is. 

I am off this afternoon to rattle a few cages as when I as Chairman of The Friends of the Valley Gardens saved the Sun Pavilion and Colonnades from being demolished the Council of the day said when they had finished refurbishing the Sun Pavilion they would refurbish the Sun Colonnade and Sun Parlours and that was in 1998.Just think refurbished and re-roofed what an asset that will be to everyone the Town's coffers and us as it could be used in the run up to Christmas for Fairs etc and all the year round for various exhibitions. So wish me luck in dealing with Harrogate Borough Council. 

My book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories is selling well and everyone likes it so I am very chuffed as I did enjoy writing it. I have no copies of my other books A History of Pannal, Postcards from Pannal and A Centenary History of Pannal Golf Club 1906-2006. I have had a few emails and phone calls asking if I still have any. This is my last book on the Pannal that I have loved for fifty six years. Will I continue to keep loving it I do hope so in spite of Big Brother Harrogate Borough Council. 

Pannal Launch

 At last I am able to write this blog. It has been a very busy time since the Launch of my book. Pity the weather was not better but you did come and support me and I thank you. Also supporting were Howard West Chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council who opened and closed the launch. Malcolm Neesam whom I have known since we were young together spoke and our MP Andrew Jones came to support me as well as all the lovely villagers. Dorothy Little a friend came and looked after the sales and we had a great time catching up with everyone. Many of whom we had not seen since we were hit with the dreadful Covid. Copies of the book are being sold at Pannal Post Office and they are selling well. Do buy one as it is all about our villages and I have really loved writing it.  I am very pleased with the many comments on how they really enjoyed the book. I am very flattered and pleased. The Harrogate Advertiser, this week, wrote a flattering article and I also thank them. After the launch I said to Dorothy are you doing anything or shall we go and have lunch at Crimple. No she was not so we did and had a lovely lunch and chat. 

I have been contacted by a gentleman who is very interested re my idea of  Crimple Valley Country Park which I proposed and also wrote about in the book. Harrogate Borough Council, who own the land, are also aware of my proposal and I hope to rattle a few cages with this proposal. I have never forgiven them for proposing that part of our lovely Crimple Valley from behind St Robert's Church up to the A61 Leeds Road be made into a gypsy site. Or was, as many of us suspected a red herring. A the gypsies or travelers did not want to be there when asked and B was this a ploy by HBC so that we would say when they put forward a proposal for housing "well that is better than a travelers site". This land although owned by HBC being purchased from Bill Bentley of Pannal Hall in 1961 must be kept for the people of Pannal as we are having so much building in our village that we shall need all the green spaces we have. Hope we never ever lose the Crimple Valley and have to all walk around the recreation ground being all the green space we have left. We have lost the Valley on the other side of the Leeds Road sold by Lord Harwood in the 1950s and also purchased by HBC, who at the time said it was to protect the land between Harrogate and Pannal and keep them separate, to light industry.  

Dunlopillo proposal for flat up from 26 to 48 with two storeys higher. The poor cottages opposite will lose some of the sunlight and from the car park at Pannal Golf Club not a hill or green field will be able to be seen. We were all hoping the old Dunlopillo offices when demolished in its place would be houses in keeping with the area.Answer: fat chance of that. Intriguing to know what the firm who owns the car park to the front of old Dunlopillo offices will do.  

Now with all the lovely comments I received about the book do Marble and Tigs care - not a jot.