Pannal Heritage and Update

We have all seen the massive building that is going up on the old Dunlopillo site and I cannot say that anyone I have spoken to says it is lovely. Although we would not know as we have never seen a photo of what the finished product will be like. I was speaking to a gentleman and he said there will be 38 flats and there is talk of an underground car park. Now that must be at the rear of the building as the frontage I found out years ago belongs to a Solicitors firm in Halifax. Now whether they have sold it I do not know. Now are we the only village round and about that has a building of this height? To think we were all hoping that there would be pretty houses where the monster is. Fat chance of that ever happening. 

Notice that Crimple Hall has its late weekend music "wish" granted. Will that be ok we shall have to wait and see. Interesting that our local Councillor and the Parish Council and a number of residents objected to no avail.

It will be Heritage Week starting Sunday 10th September when there will be a number of places and buildings open to the public. I am doing a walk and talk round Pannal on Friday 15th September at 2pm. I shall be in St Robert's car park ready and waiting so I do hope you will join me. I was asked to give the talk a name and I suggested A Village Walk with the Village Idiot. The organiser said he was quite taken with my suggestion but could I suggest another title. I have. I enjoy doing these walk and talks as I meet so many very interesting people. Let us all hope for a dry day as we do not want a trudge round in the rain . I shall be in the car park come what may ready for 2pm

An update on my daughter Susan. She is coming along well and she was so very lucky. If she had not been wearing a rucksack it could have been so much worse as the cows came round a hill behind her and she did not stand a chance. She would have had substantial damage to her spine but the rucksack saved her from spinal injuries. The hospital did scans and x-ray and said no bones were broken she was just battered and badly bruised and managed to crawl out of the field to the nearest house to get help. Susan said the man and woman were very kind and helped her and even came the next day to make sure she was ok. We were all meeting up in Bristol to go to The Wave (Christmas presents) but alas poor Susan will have to go at another time. They have extended her ticket when they heard what had happened. Now if you are wondering did I go the answer to that is no. Would have loved to have gone as it looked great fun and my youngest grandchild Daniel aged seven loved it. At the moment I am suffering from sciatica which comes and goes so no chance of me holding on to a surf board. Everyone loved it and are eager to go again.So another trip in the offing. 

My cats were very pleased to see me back. Well Tigs was, she made such a fuss and followed me around and on two occasions I nearly fell over her. Poor Marble is blind and she did know I was not there but as they were getting fed by be lovely kind neighbour she was ok. 

Pannal daughters terrible accident

 We were all set to have a wonderful holiday. all the family. We were all meeting up in Bristol to go to The Wave. Christmas present for us all. We received a terrible phone call. My daughter Susan was in Lindisfarne and coming to Bristol from there. She was crossing a public footpath through a field when cows she had not seen, as they were behind a hill, galloped up behind her and knocked her over and trampled on her. She was badly hurt but managed to somehow escape out of the field and crawl to a nearby house and just said help me please. The couple at the house did and she went to hospital. She was amazingly lucky not to have been killed. Her rucksack saved her from spinal injuries and very fortunately she had no broken bones but was covered in bruises and in pain. She was very brave but very shaken. Still not right but getting there. You can imagine the state we were all in hearing the news. This is not a one off occurrence as cow attacks are frequent. Susan was taken by complete surprise and could no nothing to defend herself. Made us all wonder if it is because cows do not have human company. Some are milked in the field no one touching them as they are automatically fed and milked now. They see humans as strange or are a threat to them. What a horrible shock for everyone involved. 

Crimple p/a for music into the early hours. There has been a number of objections as the music will be heard by a number of houses.So we shall wait and see what NYC do and hopeful the right decision will be made. Anyone ever had three appliances break down on the same day? Washing machine, cooker and fridge. I have replaced washing machine. New cooker being delivered tomorrow. Fridge will have to wait as it works a bit. 

Not a cheerful blog this time. Nor a long one as I am/was a bit shaken over Susan's accident and what might have been. 

Pannal Mystery

 I have all the papers, books and photographs belonging to Pannal Ash College formerly Southern College established in 1870. Taken over by the Police Training College.  When the Police announced they were leaving their Secretary Margaret Hart asked me if I would have what they had accumulated from Pannal Ash College. I did so and I have them dating back to 1920. Over the years I have had various enquiries relating to "old boys" that attended the college and I have been able to answer all their queries.

Dr Christopher Klinger from Devon came across my blog and emailed me to see if I had any information on Pannal Ash College and in particular his grandfather who attended the college as a 13 year old boy in 1935. It was a very sad story as his parents who were living in Poland wanted him educated at the College. He came over and was a pupil there until just before the Second World War. Germany marched into Poland his parents "disappeared", There was no more money for his education so he had to leave aged 17. Poor George - not his Polish name - but what he was called in the College. His parents gone so George emigrated to Australia where he had a new life, married and had children. His grandson asked me if I could trace him.

I looked through all my papers and found him. Dr Chris Klinger his lovely wife Charm and his fourteen year old son Asoka came to see me and I had a delightful surprise awaiting. I gave them the magazines he was mentioned in and to great excitement a photograph of George was found. I also presented them with the school plaque that George would have seen every day at the College. A very joyful visit as they had not expected that I would find so much. A lovely visit made so much happier. I gave them directions to what is left of the buildings. I had the Memorial Chapel opened by Lord Harewood in 1927 listed in 2014 and also the Headmaster's House. The land is being developed for housing but it lies empty on Yew Tree Lane. 

I was delighted to meet this lovely family, not forgetting their lovely gentle dog and I am so pleased I have so much memorabilia and saved it from being destroyed. A unique record of a long forgotten College.       

I am a journalist, historian, author and don't know what it is called but I have many queries from relatives of  people who lived in Pannal and are now deceased.  When I can traced them I am always pleased to help their relatives. 

I have two of my grandchildren (twins) coming up to stay with me tomorrow so that will be fun. So Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Leeds, Bradford and Otley here we come. 

Not only am I fed up with the rain. Today and last Thursday I got soaked playing golf, Tigs and Marble are too. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Pannal notes found

 Last blog I said I had lost my notes. Well they are found so I thought I would include them.

There was the very sad news that Conor Shutt grandson of Allan and June and Martin's son has died. I knew him as a little boy and he used to come on the walks round Pannal that I did with Pannal School. After a walk some of the children would recognise me even in Harrogate and tell their parents. Very kindly the parents would say their children enjoyed the walks and some children even insisted their parents go on the walk and they would tell them what they had been told. Needless to say don't think Conor ever finished a walk. Think we got as far as Mill Lane before he was sent (accompanied) back to school. He was a wild little boy. 

Leading on from this Pannal has been chosen to be in the Heritage Walks nationwide which is in September.I have been asked to lead the walk which I am happy to do to let people know about Pannal. It is strange sometimes on the walks someone will say I pass Pannal quite often going along the Leeds Road and I have often wondered what was down there. 

You will have seen the bungalow next door to me has been sold. It sold in a week and the asking price was over £500,000 and there were two lots of people after it. So |I will be having new neighbours. Shirley Holberry who was a lovely neighbour is now at Hampden House and enjoying her time there. I am the longest householder here having moved in 1966 with just Susan who was born when we lived at 2 Maltkiln Cottages, Kirkby Overblow, and Dusty our dog. Over the years came Michael, James and Richard all born in Pannal and all attended Pannal Primary School and then Harrogate Grammar School,another dog and four cats.  We have lovely neighbours and best wishes to Mary Barr who had a fall and is now in hospital. Hopefully out soon and home. 

Ok that's it until next time. 

. 

Summer in Pannal

 At last we have summer. How long it will last we do not know but it is lovely to have the sun and warmth. I think my arms have grown longer. Knuckles not yet trailing on the ground due to the fact that I have been watering the plants back and front. I have a lot of plants and a lot of wildlife. Bees, butterflies all be it the white cabbage ones, some blackbirds nesting. I shall soon be like Miss Haversham from Great Expectations as the plants grow over and round me. Crimple Valley looked so beautiful with all the buttercups and mayflower. It is one of my favourite places and we are so lucky to have it on our doorstep.

Now I do not know what happens in the summer but I have a lot of inquiries about relatives that used to live in Pannal in years gone by. Do I know where they lived etc. I normally have the answer as I have a lot of historical papers. I have dealt with a number of these inquiries  and only once have I had some horrible people. They were Americans and were sent to see me by a villager as they said they were related to the Bentley family at Pannal Hall. They came and as it was a lovely day we were in the garden. I made them some coffee and cake and they sat down. I looked up my records and found they were related to the other Bentley family in Pannal. They were amazingly annoyed and just got up and walked out the gate. They had taken photographs of Pannal Hall and I bet they returned to America and said that this was their ancestral home. Who was to contradict them eh!

I am getting back to normal. Notice I said normal as you my readers are nice people. When I told my "friends" my blood test was normal  they ALL said yes your blood test may be but you never have been!! I would like to say thank you for Alan's kind comments. I still have not got my sense of smell back nor my walking many miles ability as my sense of balance is not good but I am getting there. When I first got Covid my oldest son Michael came over and Susan had said to him take a photograph of mum and send it to me. He did and she came up the next day. So I must have looked really poorly. Have not seen the photo nor do I want to. 

I make notes of what I am going to write in my blog.. Well I did but I have lost it. Had to leave there and rescue my little blind cat as a magpie was going for her. A worry as I cannot be there all the time. Would Tigs go to her rescue no she would probably join the magpie.

Pannal Update

 Bit of an update. Still not right but getting there. Long Covid is not good. I am out and about but still not 100% and still not golfing. Just doing reasonable walks. One of my very favourite places is the Crimple Valley. I can spend nearly all day wandering round it. It is so pretty at the moment. The buttercups are amazing. So lovely to see them and the hawthorn in bloom. Area was all churned up years ago when the cows were on there then the sheep when it was a working farm. We came to live here in 1965 after living in Kirkby Overblow and have always loved Pannal. Our four children were all born here. Well no, Susan was born when we lived at Kirkby |Overblow. Wonder if we still hold the record at Pannal School of all four children attending Pannal School from when they started until they left and all attended Harrogate Grammar School or as we were informed by the Education Authority Otley Road Comprehensive!!!

Walking across Pannal Green I was reminded that I made an appeal when I was part of Pannal and Burn Bridge Village Society for a "Christmas" tree and wouldn't it be lovely to have lights. Both appeals were granted and we now have the lovely display at Christmas. Lights were added on the trees at the entrance to Pannal Green when the three boys from Pannal Green were tragically killed together with another innocent car driver..These lights were given when Yasmin past owner of Harrogate News contacted me as the boys delivered papers and their customers donated the money. Still thinking about Pannal as I walked I am most proud of all I have achieved for Pannal - The very first Tree Preservation Order, in the whole district, TPO 1 Pannal 1969, the saving of Spacey Houses Farm buildings (unfortunately could not save Spacey Houses Public House as the owners were "smart" and took the roof off in the early hours of the morning before I could have it listed. Saving of Dr Kellner's house The Horst on Westminster Drive. He was headmaster of Horst College now called Fieldhurst on the Leeds Road at the top of Pannal.. Writing the very first book ever written on Pannal then writing three more. Not finished yet as I would like to have a Country Park in the Crimple Valley. Do you know that before the housing came on the Dunlopillo site we had over 400 houses built starting in the mid 1960s. We were Pannal Village I like to think we still are. Also in the 1960s there were so many different types of birds Pied wagtail, thrush, starlings,many blackbirds and sparrows, goldfinch, tree creepers, woodpeckers and without fail every spring for about fifteen years we heard the cuckoo in Sandybank Quarry. Now we have predominately rooks and magpies and mentioning magpies. My poor little blind cat was lying full stretch in the sunshine in the garden when a magpie landed on her and pecked her. I was in the garden and saw this happening. She got such a fright and not only her I may add.   

Pannal and Me

 Here I am. I have had Covid and it knocked me for six. I was so ill and very very dizzy and it lasted nearly a month. My lovely children came and looked after me and I am  recovering but feeling quite weak. I will not burden you with all the side effects just say I am hopefully on the mend. No golf as yet first the rain and then me..

Where is summer as some days are quite cold especially when there is a wind. Noticed that a big tree has fallen down on Church Lane. Was that the wind or the extreme wet weather? All the plants in the garden have shot up and one blessing is that they are now so high and so close together that the weeds do not have space to grow. So I shall have a wildlife garden. Suits me.

I did not miss the Coronation as I saw it on tv. Such a shame that Pannal's Event on Crimple Meadows was a wash out due to the recreation ground being flooded. The organisers did well on the switch to Pannal Green and St Robert's car park. After the rain on Coronation day the Coronation Event on Pannal Green and car park turned out to be a beautiful warm sunny day. I had a very slow walk down but could not stay long so came back as I felt weak. It certainly looked very busy and I hope they did well under very difficult circumstances. The Coronation went well. We do know how to put on "a good show".King Charles looked very nervous. In fact they both did and I could not toast them as I could not taste anything. No beer, no Prosecco. Will I make up for it oh I do hope so.

I have managed to stagger out and feed the cats and were they sympathetic - not a jot.