Just Pannal Village

 I have looked after the patio area beside St Robert's Church where the information Board, that I gave all the information for, is. I have looked after this little area for so many years and I have many chats with people that pass ranging from where does the path behind that Church go to or is there anywhere I can get some coffee? I have even helped a lady who was picking up dog poo from the fields. She was just tidying up as she thought is disgraceful that some people were not picking up after their dogs.I even had a man and woman sit on the seat eating their lunch and just lifted their feet for me to sweep up. They were not there when I started I must just say they came later. 

Now with all the rain and high winds we have had I have not been tidying up but yesterday calm and sunny day off I went down to do so. Now my gardening jacket is black with yellow bits and there I was sweeping up leaves, and there was a lot of them, then this gentleman walking past said to me " about time you did that and are you going all the way along the pavements they are a disgrace".he then walk on.  He obviously thought I was a road sweeper. Did make me smile but today when I went down to clear the little flower beds I wore a bright red jacket and no I was not mistaken for the postman. 

I am still hoping that we shall have a Country Park to honour the Queen. The part I want is one entrance through Sandy Bank Quarry onto the Crimple Valley across the fields and up towards Stone Rings and All Saints. My request has now gone to NYCC who take over in April from HBC. Funny I never looked to see if it was April the 1st.  I am not easily deterred as I had a battle to fight when I was Chairman of the Harrogate Society and formed Friends of the Valley Gardens to fight to save the Sun Pavilion and Colonnades from demolition and I won. So watch this space. I shall with the help of David Wilby KC give it our best shot.  

I have now recovered from falling off the ladder and back to normal. Well as my friends say as normal as I will ever be and I do not think that is a compliment. 

A gentleman- in a magazine I was reading - got in touch with me to say he was putting in the book he was writing about what teachers wrote on school reports what I had written on my report - Empty vessels make the most sound - which I thought for years was a compliment. 

My poor little nearly blind cat Marble follows me wherever I go and I have to be very careful she does not get under my feet as she has a tendency to do. Vet said she is fine and as she has been in the garden and in the house for about fifteen years she knows her way around. Cannot say Tigs looks out for her she does not and will steal her food if I am not looking. .

Frozen Pannal

 I am probably mad as I went out to do some tidying up in the garden. Did manage a bit mainly leaves as ground very very hard. Worst part is how frozen the cars are in the morning. I had an extremely early appointment so I defrosted the windscreens and came back in to get ready. Then I had to defrost all over again as it had frozen up in the short time I was in the house.  We have had no snow and I say as yet s we have had snow at half term in February before this. I have lived here well over fifty years and have seen all weathers. Very heavy snow and we had to take sledges down to get the bread order in the shop on the bridge. Much easier than carrying bags. My eldest son and his wife skied into Harrogate one year and my youngest son and his wife used their canoe up at All Saints Court instead of a sledge and were awarded a voucher for the most unusual mode of transport on the slope. There was an extremely heavy fall of snow one year in April and the tents used for the Spring Flower Show which used to be held in the Valley Gardens collapsed because of the weight of the snow. Fortunately there were empty at the time. 

Well the last of my books  on Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories only a few now in the Post Office. I have kept a few but not many. I enjoyed writing this my fourth book on this area. The others being A History of Pannal, Postcards from Pannal and A Centenary History of Pannal Golf  Club. When I think of what was not here when we came to live here. We lived in Kirkby Overblow and our daughter Susan was born there and was just months old when we came to live in Pannal. I have detailed all the shops and businesses in my book. There were no houses at Dunlopillo as the factory was going strong making latex foam. Incidentally my husband's great great grandfather John Smith was Curator of Kew Gardens 1864-66 during the period when the first rubber seedlings were grown at Kew. He sent one of the young Kew gardeners to Ceylon with the seedlings were they formed the basis of the first of the great rubber plantations. GG Grandfather was mentioned in a book by Vikky Baum called the Weeping Woods.

There was no Pannal Green, no Crimple Meadows. The land (Crimple Meadows) belonged to Mr Bentley of Pannal Hall and we used to picnic there, fish in the Crimple and pick teasle.  Pannal Primary School was on Woodcock Hill. no Rosedale or Rosedale Close no through road to Burn Bridge, one had to go up Woodcock Hill. No Woodcock Close there was a lovely barn in the fields there now the recreation grounds. Land behind St Roberts Church  - Crimple Meadows - was a working Farm. No Walton Park. 

Not wishing our lives away but it will be nice to have some warm weather. Back to playing golf and walking.Cats are not all that happy, Spending a lot of time sleeping on chairs and they take great exception to being put out of the lounge at night. 

Pannal and Christmas

 The Trees look lovely on Pannal Green. Quite a long time ago when I was on the committee of Pannal Village Society at one of the public meetings I proposed the idea of having lights on the trees on Pannal Green. I was contacted by two wonderful people one who said I will buy two conifer trees to be planted on the Green and the other said I will pay for lights. So this was done. Then more lights were payed for by the lovely people who had the newspaper round and employed the boys who were killed in a tragic car accident. The money had been raised by customers. There was also very sad as a poor gentleman who was killed in the accident was in another car. Harrogate Borough Council has taken on the task now.

Now does anyone remember the massive Coca Cola lorry that came down Main Street. IT WAS BRILLIANT JUST LIKE ONE SEES ON TV ADVERTS. WE WERE ALL OUT CHEERING. I BELIEVE THE DRIVER HAD LOST HIS WAY BUT WHO CARES IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR |PANNAL. 

My idea of a Country Park in honour of Her Majesty our late lamented Queen has taken off. I strongly feel that we must protect the Crimple Valley from development and what better idea than the status of a Country Park for all to use. I have the backing of Andrew Jones MP, Wallace Sampson Chief Executive, Richard Cooper Head HBC, and now Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council so we are all working together to make this happen. I had a SINC put on Sandy Bank Quarry to protect it and it will be incorporated into the Country Park, I am lucky to have the help of David Wilby KC who lives across the road from me and is a legal expert on matters that could be relating to this venture. What do the residents of Pannal Village think? Use comments to let me know or any other means we must protect our green spaces for us and more importantly our children and grandchildren too be able to use. 

Also I read in the Neighbourhood Plan by Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council put forward to Harrogate Borough Council the idea for the introduction pf time limited parking restrictions on Main Street from Pannal Green north to Spring Lane covering school drop off and pick up times. Now this was news to the residents of Main Street as no one had been asked their opinion on the matter. What for instance happens if residents have family or visitors and their cars are parked on Main Street before and during drop off and pick up times?? Sorry I do not know the answer to this and I have asked. Main Street residents are watching with interest. Incidentally drop off times lasts from 8,40am to 8.55am and pick up times 2.55pm to 3.30pm.

In my last blog I mentioned how my son's brand new electric car that was parked on Main Street was "keyed" all along the side. It cost £1000 to fix.

i decided to go up into the loft and on the way back down I thought I was on the bottom rung of the ladder I was not and twisted my knee and banged it on the metal side. It was agony and I could not walk at all for a couple of days. Had an x-ray and have another appointment as I can now walk but not long distances and I cannot golf. 2My children said for God sake why did you go up to the loft?" No answer to that I just did.

My cats are in and do not want to go out. The weather is cold but it is December. All I need to do now is wish you a Very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year and lets all make the most of it with our loved ones. Who would have thought five years ago Britain would be in the state it is in now but over the festive season lets enjoy ourselves and forget.

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Pannal Warning

 Have heard of a few cases where cars in Pannal have been targeted.Mostly silly nonsense like cakes smeared on the bonnet or drinks poured over the car  One car was keyed..Now it was our cars targeted. One car sheer vandalism the other stupidity.  Unfortunately my middle sons car  was keyed rather badly and he was told it would take £1000 to repair. My car had a bread roll stuffed down the windscreen wipers. Both cars were on the road over night as the drive was being used by workmen.  Fortunately most of us here have cameras on our drives and James incident has been passed to the police. 

So all I can say is be careful. 

Not only Pannal

 Up until these last couple of days the weather has been lovely and it is November. Not all that many years ago we had heavy snow in November and Halloween was always cold. I hate the early dark nights and always look forward to Spring as we all do. 

 I went up into our loft and on the way back down I twisted my knee. Hard to walk and it is very painful. I have two lovely lads doing the double glazing  and when I carried the tray in with their tea I looked just like Julie Walters as the waitress in the Victoria Wood sketch Two Soups.

Saw what happened re Pannal Mill Dam and all the mud and chemicals from the Dunlopillo factory being left.I thought the Dam was "owned" by the Pannal Mill Dam Association.Mr Bentley of Pannal Hall owned the Mill Cottage so did he own the Dam? He sold it in the late 1950s to Mr and Mrs Wardle who sold Mill Cottage and they now live in Ripon. The house deeds perhaps says who owned the dam.

I was reading Harrogate Borough Council's News Letter and they state THAT EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT NEW HOUSES ARE NEEDED ACROSS THE HARROGATE DISTRICT. Be interesting to see that evidence. 4000 houses across and around The Squinting Cat what happens to Pannal when they all decide that they work in York, Bradford, Leeds etc and the best and quickest way to reach the A61 is via Pannal village. Most of the long standing members who live in Pannal still call it a village and it certainly was when we came to live here in the very early 1960s. We had so many shops (detailed in my book Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories). Now does it ever strike you that we had for a time two hospitals The General and The District. The General was demolished.HOW FAR SIGHTED WAS THAT? Now we have one hospital and Harrogate and  Pannal are so much bigger and will be even more so and there is only the one hospital. All these houses planned and where is the infrastructure? Harrogate District cannot cope. The schools will not be able to cope nor will the roads. In our area 4000 houses means ? well I think we can work out how many cars that will bring we cannot all be riding a bike and that cycle route being muted is farcical

Many years ago I was asked by both the Conservatives and the Liberals ( on the same day funny enough)to be a Councillor but I thought then and now that to be a Councillor one has to tow the party line and that would not suit me at all. 

David Wilby KC and I are still working on the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in the Crimple Valley and we have the backing of our MP Robert Banks and Pannal Councillor John Mann as well as some Councillors at HBC.

I do not have many books of Pannal and Burn Bridge Their Stories left, so if you want any they are being sold for £5 (I have made my initial cost so I have reduced them) at Pannal Post Office. These are the last - about 30 - so when they are gone they are gone. Their will be no more. All my other books are sold out but occasionally they come up on Amazon at a much higher price than they originally were so I am told.

My little cat Marble is now blind. We Sarah Gordon and I think she is about 17 years old. Sarah was Marble's original Mum and she named her. Marvle managews to get around and the vet says she knows where she lives so she will be fine. Tigs is about 16 had a Dad who could not keep her and he named her too. I am their adopted Mum but I have had them since they were kittens.They said I must tell you it is going to get colder so they have now decided to come into the house.  

 

My little cat Marble is now blind. She is we think (we being Sarah Gordon and me as Sarah was Marbvle's original Mum. 

 

Chaos in Pannal

 My neighbour last week counted 300 cars up and down Main Street (mainly down). This was between the hours of 7.45am and 9am and they were not sticking to the 20 mph speed limit. I also saw them car after car after car but she counted them. Heaven help Pannal Village when those 4000 houses are built on the fields beyond The Squinting Cat. These are not cars coming to Pannal Village they are cutting across the A61 in both directions and using us as a rat run. Another strange thing is that cars turn off the A61 Leeds Road and go down Leadhall Lane and then through Pannal and rejoin the A61 Leeds Road further up. Why? 

Then last week as I was backing out of my drive to go to the Golf Club when a cyclist overtook me on the inside just as I was straightening up and yesterday I was just about to turn into my drive after coming down Church Lane a black car overtook me on the inside. I saw something black and stopped and thank goodness I did so. These drivers are idiots I live opposite Rosedale and I am indicating left to turn in to my house where I have lived for over 56 years and a number of them say, like the one whom I got out of the car to speak to and said "cant you see I am indicating left to go down my drive I was not indicating to go right down Rosedale" and he said  "well your a woman and |I thought you were going down Rosedale". No answer to that one eh!   First time this has happened to me (and happened twice in a week) but it has happened to my neighbours. We all say we are just waiting for an accident to happen sooner rather than later. It is quite frightening the speed the cars travel at down Church Lane and then Main Street. 

We are still working on the Queen Elizabeth 11 Country Park in memory of a great Queen and I will keep you informed. 

Today was the most rain we have had for weeks. The gardens needed it but it can stop now. Tuesday was so lovely that I wore shorts to golf but they are now washed and put away. I am a summer person and I hate the dark nights. Marble and Tigs not all that chuffed either. They are about 17 years old and every year it comes as a surprise to them. Some people seem to have cats that are so clever. I am not one of them.                                                                                                       

Pannal and a Country Park for the Queen

 Having written my last two blogs about our Queen and how she has been part of our lives for most of our lives I thought it would be a lovely idea to honour this gracious lady by having a Country Park - The Queen Elizabeth 11 Country Park in Pannal. An honour for Pannal and for Harrogate. My idea was originally to honour her Platinum Jubilee but there was not enough time to do this.

There is land owned by Harrogate Borough Council which is suitable. It is The Crimple Valley a Special Landscape Area and borders the A61 Leeds Road then down to behind St Robert's Church and up to All Saint's Court encompassing Sandybank Quarry. In 1778 this land was retained by King George 111 and the Monarch Queen Elizabeth 11 retained the mineral rights. I asked the Duchy of Lancaster if this land had been enfranchised but have not heard as yet. It was sold to Mr Bentley of Pannal Hall who sold it to Harrogate Borough Council in 1963 who promised to leave it untouched as a lung between Harrogate and Pannal. Some of this land is leased to a farmer to grow wheat and I have no objection to that as it is a large area. 

I approached Andrew Jones our MP and I have his backing as well as "no objection" from Wallace Sampson OBE Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council, Richard Cooper Leader of the Council and John Mann our local Councillor.

The Harrogate Advertiser published my plan last week and I have had only favourable comments from people. There are obstacles to overcome but nothing major. I am also most fortunate to have as my legal advisor David Wilby KC of Pannal. So let's see what becomes of this idea and I will keep you all posted. 

Marble and Tigs are now staring at me through the window and saying it is raining so I shall have to go and let them in.