2009 July | Yorkshire - God's Own County

Yorkshire Roads Top Ten Problems

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire - (0 Comments)

cobblers

Just a year ago the Yorkshire Post was reporting that ‘More than two-thirds (68%) of AA members using the region’s roads believed they have got worse over the past 10 years’. Seven thousand members reckoned road surfaces were much worse and I don’t think anything has improved.

Top Ten Complaints

Speed bumps that are poorly maintained and damage your tyres.
Road works that last too long and are badly organised.
Street furniture that is badly placed, badly maintained or badly in need of replacement. (eg the traffic light control panel above)
Pot holes ( and I do not mean caves like Ingelton …. Mmmm I’m not so sure now).
Utility road works that haven’t been reinstated correctly. ( some drivers swerve to avoid the patch work on roads).
Excess road markings in some areas and worn out markings where needed. (I have got my cats eyes on this one).
Minor infringements that are not policed, no lights on skips left at the side of roads, double parking causing obstructions, abuse of bus lanes etc.
Increase in the number of road closures to help construction when planning would keep them open.
Standing water and poor drainage during our summer rain (and in winter snow come to that).
Corrugated and badly surfaced roads, loose chippings and unintended skid pans.

The modern equivalent of the Cone Hot Line is Fix my Street. com where you can put in your postcode and leave a complaint.

Take a lump of Tarmac into your pub and have a stiff drink plus one for the road.

Band Of Hope to Salvation Army Band

sally bash

The Band of Hope started in 1847 when Ann Jane Carlile was invited to Leeds to speak at some children’s meetings. She was convinced that children suffered because of the ready availability of ‘strong drink’. Hope UK still works as a childrens charity ‘enabling children to make drug free choices’. ‘First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you’ Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald.

After exposure to the Band of Hope William Booth and his wife Catherine opened The Christian Revival Society renamed in 1878 The Salvation Army. There are many icons associated with The Salvation Army including The Citadels, The War Cry, the Red Shield and the slogan “Blood and Fire”. (Representing the Blood which was shed by Jesus for our sins and the Fire of the Holy Spirit).

The good works of the Salvation Army include;

3,000,000 meals served every year at community and residential centres
79,000 prisoners visited each year in 134 prisons
3,200 homeless people given food and shelter every night in 57 centres
709 local church and community centres
636 elderly people accommodated every night in 17 residential centres
300 youth clubs providing a caring environment for young people
120 drop-in centres offering support and help for people in need
70 day centres for elderly and disabled people
50 nurseries and playgroups
30 Red Shield support centres for military personnel in the UK, Germany and the Falkland Islands
10 people reunited every working day with their families through the Family Tracing Service

Perhaps the most obvious icon is the Salvation Army Band that is one of the activities that supports the necessary fund raising activities.

Why there are Ghosts at Clifford Tower

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire History and Heritage | Yorkshire Trips and Places - (1 Comments)

The original wooden castle keep was destroyed by fire in 1069 by locals unhappy with William the Conqueror but it was rebuilt again also in wood.

A more bloody event took place 100 years later. According to the inscription on a commemorative tablet:-
‘On the night of Friday 16 March 1190 some 150 Jews and Jewesses of York having sought protection in the Royal Castle on this site from a mob incited by Richard Malebisse and others chose to die at each other’s hands rather than renounce their faith.’ As the few survivors exited the keep the following day they were set upon and killed by the besiegers and angry mob that they had feared. The protection the Jews had had from Henry ll was dramatically diminished under Richard l for whom they had to contribute ransom money.

In the thirteenth century the keep was rebuilt in stone and later became known as Clifford’s Tower after Roger de Clifford, who was executed by Edward II for treason in 1322. Clifford was reputedly hanged in chains from the walls of the tower until dead.

If you take one of the several ghost walks available then you will be regaled by further tales of the walls running red with blood on certain anniversaries. Charred wooden beams have been recovered from deep in the ground as evidence of the early death by fire and this also contributes to the ghost tellers tales. For 5 more ghost tales read Ghosts of York

Dent Dale near Sedburgh

Posted by brian in Books & Literary Work | Yorkshire Dales - (1 Comments)

Cowgill and particularly The Sportsmans Inn was a favourite watering hole for our family when the children were young. I was able to drink and the kids could dabble and fall in the Cowgill rivulet.

Nearby is St John the Evangelist church enroute to the railway station for Dent which serves all the villages around. The church has connections to Adam Sedgwick, the father of modern geology, who came from a local family of Vicars. Cambridge University still maintains a museum in his name the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science but the monument most people will know is the vaguely pyramidal stone on the cobble streets of Dent engraved Adam Sedgwick 1785- 1873.
Returning to the tribulations of the Cowgill Chapel there is an account by Adam Sedgwick of Orthological skulduggery (scanned in by Google) entitled ‘A Memorial by the Trustees of Cowgill Chapel By Adam Sedgwick, Cowgill Chapel (Yorkshire) 1868. The curate of the new church attempted to change the name of the local hamlet from Kirthwaite to Kirkthwaite without informing the trustees of which Adam Sedgwick was one. Since the Sedgwick family were already bemoaning the change of name of Coegill to Cowgill they put up a robust fight resulting in an ecclesiastical court battle. From the foundation stone laying in 1837 until the final protest in 1866 the story hints at empire building and parochial politics that could still be relevant today. With added appendicies about Climate History and Dialects of Dent it makes a fascinating read to see what exercised the bright minds of the time.

(more…)

South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival

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

New Picture

If you want to stretch those leg muscles on a bike or long walk then the South Pennines may be the place to go. If you prefer to ride in style on horseback then you could do worse than try the Mary Townley Loop on your trusty steed. Fresh air and the right to roam should not cost us but these events are put on ‘for our benefit’ by our taxes so take full advantage.

Funding for this Pennine Extravagnsa

‘Leader’ (see the green boxy logo) is a European community-led approach to rural development, focusing on basic services for communities, culture and heritage, village development, and renewal. It is funded Europe wide by the European Union to the tune of 5,046 million euros over the last 5 years and is managed by Yorkshire Forward in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Further funding of £1.97 million is coming from the National Lottery for ‘The South Pennines Watershed Landscape’ project led by Pennine Prospects, a regeneration partnership.
‘ This part of the South Pennines runs up through the backbone of northern England, separating the major conurbations East Lancashire and West Yorkshire and consists of wide sweeping moorlands rich in wet bog, cotton grass, heathland and pastures with key habitats for wildlife, such as the rare ‘Twite’ which is also known locally as the ‘Pennine Finch’.’
It also receives the enthusiastic backing of the charity Pennine Heritage and 7 local authorities .

Do not let our extravagant quangos spoil a good walk get out and about in the South Pennines this September

quangos

Royal Harrogate for the Weekend

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire Trips and Places - (0 Comments)

Royal Hall

The Royal Hall in Harrogate has been restored to its Edwardian glory and is a great venue for musical entertainment. I was amused by the traditional usherettes with little torches that showed us to our seats at a Saw Doctors concert last month, sitting is not what this audience had in mind. The circular venue makes for an intimate attmosphere and I was left disappointed when a show featuring The Troggs and The Move was canceled due to ill health (it made me a bit sick too).

There are free open days on the 5th August and 3rd of September and I am sure the bars and cafeteria will be open so if you are in the area pop in for a look around, it is well worthwhile.

royal-bath

For a full history of the Turkish bath read more on Victoria Baths better still visit the Steam Room ‘where high humidity, made gently fragrant with cleansing eucalyptus, opens pores, penetrates the respiratory system and eases tense muscles’ before taking a bracing dip in the Plunge Pool. Towel down with the supplied towels and work your way through three Hot Rooms, the Tepidarium (warm), the Calidarium (hot), and the Laconium (cor blimey).

harrogate-pump-room

The Royal Pump room can round off your visit to harrogate with a sip of Sulphur spring water but I would content myself with a visit around the museum. You can also discover Harrogate’s connection to Russian royalty or learn more about Egyptian monarchs.

Illuminating Religion in Yorkshire

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire History and Heritage - (0 Comments)

multifaith

The spotlight or more accurately the streetlight was on this picture of the Mosque at Drewton Street Bradford. No matter where I stood for the photograph one or more lights were always in the picture. The oldest mosque in Britain is in Liverpool on the ground floor of a 19th century grade II-listed building established in 1889 by Henry William Quilliam who converted to Islam after visiting Morocco. Al-Madina Jamia Mosque at 31 Brudenell Grove Leeds LS6 1HR is one of the historic mosques in Leeds, built in the 1970s by Leeds Muslim Council with the assistance of the whole Muslim community of Leeds it has recently been refurbished. There are many multi-faith trips and visits to Temples, Mosques, Synagogues and Churches.

The Gurdwara is the centre of worship for the Sikh faith and there is a 360° view of the central Sheffield Temple on the BBC site. The GNNSJ Leeds Gurdwara was established in December 1986 when the Ringtons Tea Factory was purchased and converted to our Gurdwara. On the 5th January 1987 the first Sri Akhand Paath in the Gurdwara was held celebrating our Guru Gobind Singh.

Hindus worship at Radha Krishna Temple, Middlesbrough studying the Vedic scriptures which describe that prior to 3000 BC knowledge was passed down by word of mouth, a great sage Vyasadeva compiled a series of literatures in Sanskrit. The Mahabharata describes the history of India 5000 years ago and its 100,000 verses make it the longest poem ever written. At that time Hindus believe Lord Krishna was present on the earth.

The Synod of the Church of England has been meeting this weekend to discuss the disproportionately large number of expensive bishops now employed when compared to the deminishing numbers of stipendiary parish clergy. I would have more sympathy if there was clear moral leadership from the Bishops but they claim they are needed to ‘manage’ the Church – ho hum sounds too much like our politicians.

God dosen’t believe in Atheists.

Dalby Forest North Yokshire Moors

Posted by brian in Our Yorkshire | Yorkshire Trips and Places - (0 Comments)

Walk or cycle amongst the 8000 of God’s Own Acres of woodland in Dalby Forest just north of Pickering A169 or on the A170 Thornton Le Dale road towards Whitby. There are 55 miles of cycle trails starting from the cycle hire facility in Dalby Courtyard or bring your own, it will be cheaper. Look out for the cycle skills area at Dixon’s Hollow.

The forest is divided by a number of valleys creating a ‘Rigg and Dale’ landscape whilst to the north the forest sits on the upland plateau. This can be seen from the 9 mile Dalby drive but walking lets you see far more. Although comprising mostly pines and spruces there are many broadleaf trees such as oak, beech, ash, alder and hazel both in the valleys and on the ‘Riggs’. It is a working forest for the Forestry Commission so watch out for ‘heavy plant crossing’. For wild life the forest is home for birds such as ‘the Crossbill and that elusive summer visitor the Nightjar. Roe deer abound and badgers, the symbol of the forest, are a very common but nocturnal resident.’

Evidence of early settlers is to be found in earthworks and burial mounds. These must be amongst the first Yorkshire men and women to work the land as there is evidence of rabbit breeding. If this isn’t enough for the children there is an activity centre and adventure play areas at Sneverton and Adderstone Field.

The Friends of Dalby Forest issue the following warning but do not let it put you off visiting a great forest in North Yorkshire
‘Biters, Stingers & Poisoners

Adders are the only common snakes on the North York Moors. They are unlikely to be encountered on any of our guided events this year. They have a nasty bite if provoked but form an important part of our environment and should be respected rather than feared.

Midges and mosquitoes – Many people find midges and mosquitoes annoying. They can be a nuisance, especially on still, summer evenings. If they bother you use a proprietary insect repellent.

Ticks – These are small relatives of the spider family. They live by sucking the blood of other animals including man. In some areas they carry a nasty infection known as Lyme disease. Ticks are not a problem on most of our walks, however if you are walking amongst vegetation especially off paths and wish to avoid any chance of being bitten wear long trousers tucked into socks.

Plants and Fungi – Some plants and fungi are harmful if swallowed and some people react to skin contact with certain plants. Our plant and fungus experts do not encourage picking and eating. Simply cleaning the hands after handling these things should be enough to keep both adults and children safe.’

If it is too cold to garden visit the forest in February.

Farmers Rural Enterprise

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

Sutton Bank

Economic times are hard and Yorkshire farmers are a major force for the economic good of Yorkshire and the country. Perhaps that is why there are several support schemes to encourage enterprise, diversification, environment, efficiency and even retail therapy in our rural areas. To get the full picture you need to talk to a lot of quangos including Yorkshire Forward, Business Link, Local Authorities and there associated brands like the Airedale Partnership.

Rural Enterprise Programme REIP

Grants for rural businesses start at £25,000. The percentage of funding available will generally range between 30% and 40% of the total project cost and is dependent on the type of activity being funded. The upper limit for funding varies depending on the type of activity proposed. According to Yorkshire Forward ‘Activity under the following areas can be supported:

Rural business growth—through innovative farm diversifications; rural micro-business creation and development; and investment in the tourism ‘product’. Additionally, land-based businesses will be supported through the development of collaborative ventures.
Investment in supply chains and added value—within the food and forestry primary processing sectors, including innovation and collaboration within the supply chain and on farm renewable energy and resource efficiency.’

Farm Resource Efficiency Programme FREP

The funding will help farmers to buy capital equipment which will benefit both their business and the environment. The following technologies are eligible:

Renewable power—such as small-scale wind turbines (eg 500w-25Kw) and foundations; and hydro-electric, photovoltaic and grid connections
Renewable heat—such as heat-recovery systems; biomass boilers; solar-heat and ground-source heat pumps
Rainwater harvesting/water-recycling systems—including fixed pumps, UV filtration systems, piping, and storage tanks
Manure management—including solid/liquid separator systems such as rotary screens, roller presses, screw presses/augers and nutrient testing kits
Technical fees associated with the commissioning of the above systems would also be eligible.

Applications for grant investment should be for a minimum of £1,500 and a maximum of £25,000 based on 40% of the overall cost.

Rural Business Support Programme RBSP

Grants of up to £25,000 are available through the programme; the minimum grant amount is £2,000 although this will be looked at on a case by case basis. Funding will cover 70% of eligible technical training costs related to the proposal. Training costs should not exceed 50% of the grant total and must be no more than £3,500 per individual. Plus grant investment at 40% towards eligible capital/revenue costs.

Grants for Business Investment GBI

For large industrial projects in the right post code areas larger support may be available. Grant requests below £250,000 will be appraised within the GBI team, between £250,000 and £2m will be appraised at the Regional Industrial Development Board and requests over £2m will be appraised centrally by BIS in London.

20 mph Speed Zones in Yorkshire

Posted by tejvan in Villages, Towns and Cities - (0 Comments)

20 mph speed limit - Pateley Bridge

This section of Pately Bridge is restricted to a 20mph zone.

20 mph zones are becoming increasingly popular with local residents because statistics seem to suggest 20mph zones are effective in reducing fatalaties. It also makes for a more pleasing environment with parents happier to let children play on the roads.