2009 June | Yorkshire - God's Own County

Yorkshire Cottage Holidays

morley-mansions

Yorkshire folk are not shy and retiring when it comes to extolling the virtues of ‘God’s Own County’ and we encourage visitors to share some of our passion. But there is more to a stay in Yorkshire for your holidays, than a quick drive around ‘The Dales’. Here are 3 different ideas to consider.

Industrial Heritage
South Yorkshire has a heritage based on steel and coal and whilst the sites and sights are rapidly disappearing there is still a lot of recent history to investigate. Kelham Island Museum and Abbeydale hamlet are worth a visit (not to mention the great camera pub The Kelham Island Tavern). There is also Wortley Top Forge with Working Water Wheels, Stationary Steam Engines, Large Mill Engine & Free Guided Tours. You do not have to stay in a small cottage there are good bed and breakfasts and former mill owners mansions to consider as well.

Cottages by The Sea
Well not quite by the sea because I would recommend the cliffs on the East Coast at locations such as Staithes, Flamborough Head, Robin Hoods Bay or inland at Hinderwell. These are great bases to explore the walking on moor or coastal paths. You could try the Lyke Wake Walk or better still settle for learning the Lyke Wake Dirge

more verses from Lyke Wake org.

TV Nostalgia Holidays
What is your TV programme of choice? Do you want to stay in Darrowby with the vet or Emmerdale with the need for a vet. Is it Aidensfield that gets your heart beating or a trip to the Royal to get your heart restarted? I would suggest you base yourself in a Market Town and experience the local hospitality and hostelries. Richmond, Thirsk, Pickering, Malton or Otley are all places I would consider as a base. Perhaps it is Last of the Summer Wine and Holmfirth that will float your boat but whatever you fancy give Yorkshire a break this year.

Bradford Architecture New Vic Gaumont Odeon

political-mess

How many good buildings has Bradford got that it can allow this great 1930′s edifice to fall down around the politicians ears?

Well there was Swan Arcade, Busbys, two Victorian Railway Stations, Kirkgate and Rawson Markets but emphasis is on the ‘was’. I guess the ‘Penny Bank’ at North Parade / Manor Row is threatened and even the modern Yorkshire Building Society premises up Westgate and the City Centre police station are desolate.
Mills are virtually wiped out with an occasional white elephant housing conversion scheme or arsonists testing ground.

Meanwhile the great vision from out political elite is a moat around City Hall (sorry I mean a Park with a Mirror Pool). Not to mention the hole in the City Centre designed as Forster House by John Paulson. Come back Paulson even you can’t do as badly!

Returning to the Gaumont there is a full and interesting history by Colin Sutton ‘Bradford – New Victoria/Gaumont/Odeon’
It is not too late ‘Save our Heritage Buildings’.

mill-closure2 Mill on Thornton Road 2009

Jolly Boating Weather

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes - (0 Comments)

I put the registration number of this canal barge into a search engine and this is what I discovered ‘Length 15.25 metres (50 feet ) – Beam 1.99 metres (6 feet 6 inches ) – Draft 0.92 metres (3 feet ) Metal hull power of 60.’ Then as is the way with searches I discovered one place of its berth – ‘The Sheffield and South Yorkshire New Junction Canal connects not only the Aire and Calder Main Line with the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Canal, but also Sheffield with the River Trent via the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation. Construction was authorised in 1891 to increase the scope of the coal trade carried in “Tom Puddings”. Work started in 1896 and it was opened in 1905.’ This is courtesy of Jim Shead who has a great deal more information and history on his site

Barge spotting is a more leisurely pastime than plane or train spotting as the speed tends to be steady enough for even the slowest to catch the details. Since the river banks and canal sides are not thronged with young kids with pen and paper recording the numbers it isn’t catching on just yet. One thing that did impress me was the Sat Nav on this barge and it brought to mind the stories of lorries being sent down totally unsuitable roads, so expect to see a barge in a puddle near you next time it rains – that will boost barge spotting.

transport

Goole Search Engine

Posted by tejvan in Wit and Humour - (1 Comments)

The small Yorkshire town of Goole has announced bold plans to take on internet giant Google, with its own brand new, Yorkshire based search engine.

Goole is better known for its pictoresque skyline (feature above) and the famous semi – professional football team Goole United – currently playing in the UniBond League 1st Division South. Goole is situated 50km inline on the River Ouse.

Goole are confident that despite tough competition they can brake into the lucrative search engine market and deliver fast, efficient search results which give a higher weighting to whippets, cask ale and Geoffrey Boycott.

The new search engine has been supported by the Yorkshire Independence movement who see it as a bold strike against international multinationals and a return to community based business.

Bat ‘at Ilkley for Cricket

Posted by brian in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes - (0 Comments)

ilkley-moor-bat-at

Where else in Yorkshire should cricket be played if not under the Cow and Calf rocks and Ilkley Moor. Well in the Airedale -Wharfedale senior league you can be traveling to any number of grounds in West and North Yorkshire including North Leeds, Beckwithshaw, Otley, Collingham, Silsden, Guiseley, Steeton, Harden, Colton, Illingworth, Tong Park Esholt , Knaresborough,Upper Wharfedale, Addingham, Menston or Skipton. There are three divisions in the senior league with Ilkley languishing in the third at the moment. Still as the County team are proving it is ‘not the winning that counts but the taking part’. more info

The Nidderdale and District Amateur league has a catchment area from Wensley, through Coverdale to Kettlewell, from there following the course of the River Wharfe to Bolton Abbey continuing with the course of the River Wharfe (including Arthington) to the point where it meets the A64 at Tadcaster. From Tadcaster, the route of the A64 to the point where it meets the A1237. The route of the A 1237 to the point where it meets the A19. The route of the A19 to a point level with Thornton le Beans. An imaginary line drawn East to West from the point level with Thornton le Beans to a point immediately North of Wensley. Here is a name check on some of the teams you could meet on this tour of Nidderdale district Alne. Arthington, Birstwith, Bishop Monkton, Bishop Thornton, Blubberhouses, Bolton Abbey, Boroughbridge, Burnt Yates, Burton Leonard, Dacre Banks, Darley, Dishforth, Galphay and Winksley, Glasshouses, Goldsborough, Hampsthwaite, Killinghall, Kirkby Malzeard, Knaresborough Forest, Lofthouse, Markington, Marton-cum-Grafton, Masham, Newby Hall, North Stainley, Ouseburn, Pannal, Pateley Bridge, Ripley, Ripon, South Kilvington,Studley Royal, Thornton Watlass and West Tanfield

What used to be the big daddy of league cricket has been taken over by sponsorship and is now called ‘OXBRIDGE YORKSHIRE ECB COUNTY PREMIER LEAGUE‘ named after the ball used and sold by Kippax sport. Mmm money aint everything particularly in sport. Teams include; Barnsley, Castleford, Doncaster Town, Driffield Town, Harrogate , Hull & YPI, Rotherham Town, Scarborough, Sheffield Collegiate and United, York and Yorkshire CCC Academy.

An apology to all the other leagues and village teams that haven’t got a mention in this edited gazetteer of Yorkshire cricket; may be next time if there is sufficient interest.

Wilfred Pickles Have a Go

Posted by brian in Wit and Humour | Yorkshire Arts & Music | Yorkshire Folk - (1 Comments)

You can get snippets of Wilfred Pickles as an actor on youtube or watch a full comedy series with Jimmy Jewel from Barnsley on this boxed DVD of More Northern Comedy.

According to wikipedia Wilfred Pickles was a proud Yorkshireman, (aren’t we all) ‘born in Halifax and having been selected by the BBC as an announcer for its North Region radio service, went on to be an occasional newsreader on the National service during World War II. He was the first newsreader to speak in a regional accent rather than the “BBC English” of the period, and caused some comment with his farewell catchphrase “… and to all in the North, good neet”.’

One of his books ‘The Wifred Pickles Gay Street Book’ with Enid Blyton and the Biggles author Captain W.E. Johns, et al. wouldn’t pass the politically correct brigade in current publishing. In the early post war years Wilfred Pickles was as close to a modern day Celebrity as you could get. Wireless was a great medium for developing catch phrases and Wilfred had his fair share including “Give him the money, Mabel”, “How do, How are yer?”, “Give ‘em the money, Barney!” (Barney Colehan) and “Are yer courting?”

The title song to his radio show ‘Have a Go’ will be remembered by the many who attended or listened to the show over it’s 21 years. They never visited the same place twice and had over 1500 outstanding invitations to visit when the show finished.

Theme and words by Jack Jordan

Mabel, Wilfred’s wife took over ‘at the table’ and Violet Carson (Ena Sharples of Coronation Street) played the piano. The original prize money was 1 pound 18/6, awarded in increments of 2/6, 5/-, 10/- and 1 guinea.

The autobiography of Mabel Pickles by Mabel Myerscough Pickles is still available in some book shops.

Whale Meet Again

Posted by brian in Food and Drink | Villages, Towns and Cities | Yorkshire Business and Money - (0 Comments)

whale

Whitby’s historical past is revealed in by the Abbey and the monuments that dominate Whitby’s east and west headlands above the harbour. For 84 years Whitby’s fishermen were engaged in whaling. The whale jaw bone arch on the West Cliff, pictured above, was presented to Whitby by Norway in 1963 (probably for having stopped Whaling and leaving it to Norwegians and the Japanese).

Whitby Whalers were doughty folk between 1757 and 1837 (when the last boat was sold). There is a full history ship by ship on Whitby Lad website.

Whitby Coastal Cruises now arrange whale watching trips and they claim ‘Minke whales are the main sightings but we have also seen humpback whales and an occasional pilot whale. Whales have been here for 1000’s of years, all that is new is that we are now taking the public out to see them.’

If you don’t mind queuing for Fish & Chips one of Whitby’s busiest restaurants is the Magpie Cafe but there are many excellent chippies around that offer great value for money. The ‘Whitby Whaler’ is now the eponymous name of fish and chip shops in Pudsey, Blubberhouses (why not) and other parts of the county. Poorpunsandbadbusinessnamesareus.com

Wallace Arnold Coach Holidays

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire Business and Money | Yorkshire Trips and Places - (1 Comments)

Do you collect ‘Nobbies’, in the red livery of Norbert Dentressangle or ‘Stobbies’, in the green livery of Eddie Stobart on long road Journeys? It can keep me and children amused for miles and miles spotting and counting the lorries. What a shame that we can’t also collect ‘Wallies’ in the distinctive yellow coaching livery. Wallace Arnold has succumbed to corporate rebranding since 2007 by the new owners Shearings Holidays.

History of Wallace Arnold

Founded in 1912 by Wallace Cunningham and Arnold Crowe the holiday coach tour business developed until it merged in 1926 with an established charabanc operator R Barr (Leeds) Ltd. From 1930 Wallace Arnold ran daily coach services to Blackpool and even started its European tours to Germany. Such coach travel was still expensive and somewhat exclusive until it opened up after the Second World War. By 1948 Wallace Arnold had offices in 10 northern towns and must have run millions of people on mystery tours or trips to the seaside.
In 1959 the company expanded by buying the Kippax & District bus company and brought in double decker buses. By the end of the 1970′s coach holidays were loosing customers to cheap air package holidays and Wallace Arnold tried various diversifications including a venture with P&O called Coach & Cruise. With the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 many more European tours were put into the brochures and good quality coaches were operated.
So bearing this and lots of happy memories in mind perhaps it would not be appropriate to be calling out ‘there is a Wally’.

Dates for your Diary
August 2nd 2009 is the 41st Trans-Pennine Run for pre December 1989 buses and coaches from Birch Services, M62, Middleton to The Stray, Harrogate (no part of the route is on motorway).
Vintage bus tours August 2009 most Saturdays and Sundays at Vintage Hire Baildon
You can see more replica models of Wallace Arnold coaches by clicking on the photograph above.

Wonga or Provident

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire Business and Money - (0 Comments)

Wonga.com a new phenomenon in the personal finance world is set to challenge Yorkshire based Provident Financial Services, ‘The Provi’. Yorkshire folk are canny with money and I can’t believe we will be sucked in by a new company offering loans that advertise interest rates of 2,689%. One way they explain the annualised interest rates are to show a short loan of 5 days at the rate is 3253% – so that’s OK then.

Provident on the other hand advertise a rate of 254.5% about 10 times the going rate on an expensive credit card but needs must when the devil drives. The old proverb ‘neither a borrower or lender be’ had been forgotten prior to the latest financial crisis but at Wonga’s interest rates even I might be tempted to be a lender ( not really).

Provident History
In 1880 Provident was founded in the West Riding by Joshua Waddilove an insurance agent. The company intended to help some working class families who struggled to pay for essential items such as furniture, clothes and shoes. Repayments were collected in small weekly installments. By the time Joshua died in 1920 Provident Clothing and Supply Co Ltd had grown into a nationwide business with over 5,000 agents operating from a head office in Bradford.
The company also operates Vanquis Bank now based in London. In 1962 the company became a public listed company and the business model is now rolled out internationally through International Personal Finance plc. and Provident Finance plc is still a FTSE 250 listed stock. According to wikipedia the ‘Company’s biggest business is (still) lending to people in their homes via a network of doorstep agents. Out of an estimated 2.5 million people who borrow from Home Collected Credit providers, 1.5 million place their business with Provident Financial…’

Credit Unions

The Association of Credit Unions list 17 Yorkshire based organisations that may have financial products that could suit certain borrowers at far cheaper rates than home or internet collected credit.
If your bank manager isn’t of the listening kind try talking to Citizens Advice Bureau for free advice. There are over 150 recorded under Yorkshire on the above web site or your local library would be willing to help find one.

Skipton Gala & Pies

Posted by brian in Food and Drink | Our Yorkshire | Villages, Towns and Cities - (0 Comments)

skipton-002

Skipton Gala Food
If you want Steak & Kidney Pie, Chips and Mushy Peas you will find it on the blackboards at the Dales Cottage Cafe behind Rackhams or more correctly on the plates inside.
Skipton and Settle based butcher Drake & Macefield’s traditional pork pie, ‘which has galloped away with a glut of awards in meat industry competitions’ will be available in Gala format on 13th June 2009. (My Uncle was a welder for British Rail in Skipton he used to put the top on Pork Pies.)
Copper Dragon Burgers are a temptingly on offer from the local brewery bar bistro. Washed down with Golden Pippin or Black Gold they are what your left arm is for whilst your right arm is busy.

Visitors Exercise
canal-trail
The Gala will be at Aireville Park from 1.00pm just at the left end of the map. In addition to the canal side walks Skipton is the base for many more good walks and forays.
An alternative to walking is to (Indian War) dance at the gala to ‘Custer’s Last Band’. The Lone Ranger will have his faithful side kick ‘Tonto’ jogging around the park throughout the Gala as he likes to keep his Injun’ running.