March 1, 2010

Tea Rooms to Visit on the Yorkshire Tea Council Trail

Filed under: Food and Drink, Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Trips and Places — Tags: dayout, tea — brian @ 4:21 am

In 1919 Frederick Belmont opened his first Bettys Café Tea Rooms in the fashionable spa town of Harrogate. It seems like I was queuing from that date as the people snaked around the corner last weekend. There are six Bettys Café Tea Rooms to explore: the spa town of Harrogate has two branches one in the town centre and a second at the RHS garden at Harlow Carr. York has one in the square opposite St Helen’s and Little Bettys is just around the corner in Stonegate. You can also also find Bettys in the market towns of Northallerton and Ilkley.

The above logo from the Tea Guild has an Afternoon tea group that may interest those who like to pause in welcoming surroundings with a good cup of tea and a bite to eat. The Yorkshire locations include:

De Vere Oulton Hall – West Yorkshire

The George Hotel – Huddersfield

Swinton Park – North Yorkshire

Bagden Hall – West Yorkshire

Grinkle Park – North Yorkshire

Other Tea Council locations include Elizabeth Botham & Sons, plus Bullivant both of York and The Black Swan Hotel, Market Place, Helmsley. The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire has been named as the winner of The Tea Guild’s prestigious Top Tea Place 2009 Award but that is not the Bradford Yorkshire where I have still to discover a true tea room but see Shipley’s earlier story.

The UK Tea Council’s “incognito” Tea Guild inspectors have taken tea in tearooms and country and city hotels across Britain, to find the finest tea experience. The anonymous judges award points in fifteen different categories which include the variety and excellence of the teas offered, efficiency and knowledge of service, décor, hygiene and cleanliness, ambience, presentation skills and most importantly the choice and quality of teas served. That seems like a fine job to have I wonder how much you have to pay them to go eating and drinking Teas?

Just a note on the Tockwith Tea Party where Betty’s of Fat Rascal fame sought to stop Fat Betty’s Cheese Nibbles from being made and sold. I understand the Cheese nibbles won but crumbs what a fuss.

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February 27, 2010

Lassie the Literary Wonder Dog

Filed under: Books & Literary Work, Our Yorkshire — brian @ 3:55 am

Eric Knight the author and creator of Lassie was born on 10 April 1897, in Menston Yorkshire the son of a Quakers family.

Lassie first appeared in a magazine story published by Evening Post and was subsequently expanded into as novel. Lassie Come-Home appeared in 1940 and was filmed by MGM in 1943 with Roddy McDowall in the role of Joe Carraclough and canine actor Pal in the role of Lassie.
The Plot
‘Set in Depression-era Yorkshire, England, Mr. and Mrs. Carraclough are hit by hard times and forced to sell their collie, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling, who has always admired her. Young Joe Carraclough grows despondent at the loss of his companion. Lassie will have nothing to do with the Duke, however, and finds ways to escape her kennels and return to Joe. The Duke finally carries Lassie to his home hundreds of miles distant in Scotland. There, his granddaughter Priscilla senses the dog’s unhappiness and arranges her escape. Lassie then sets off for a long trek to her Yorkshire home and the boy who loves her. She faces many perils along the way—dog catchers and a violent storm—but also meets kind people who offer her aid and comfort. At the end, when Joe has given up hope of ever seeing his dog again, the weary Lassie returns to her favorite resting place in the schoolyard at home. There, Lassie is joyfully reunited with the boy she loves.’ with acknowledgment to wikipedia

The success of the novel and film generated more films and eventually several television series, cementing Lassie’s icon status. The Son of Lassie, who was inevitably named Laddie, was set as Joe starts RAF training at the start of World War II.

Other Works
His first novel was Song on Your Bugles (1936) about the working class in Northern England.
As “Richard Hallas,” he wrote the hardboiled genre novel “You Play The Black and The Red Comes Up”
“This Above All” is considered one of the significant novels of The Second World War.
Knight’s last published work was “The Flying Yorkshireman” about an otherwise undistinguished man from Yorkshire named Sam Small, whose sojourns are reflected in a series of short stories with ethnocentric and eccentric observations of life around him.

Eric Knight Died at the age of 49 in 1943 in an air crash.

Post Script
Greg Christie the biographer of Eric Knight will give the De Grey lecture at York St Johns University on 20 March 2010 at 3.00 pm. He is also trying to get a blue plaque in Menston in memory of Eric Knight.

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February 21, 2010

Yorkshire’s Sweet Tooth

Filed under: Food and Drink, Our Yorkshire — Tags: business, nostalgia — brian @ 5:23 am

Liquorice

Pomfret is an early name for Pontefract and as most Yorkshire children know, Pontefract is the heart of Yorkshires liquorice making. Around the time of the Battle of Hastings, French monks arrived in Pontefract with liquorice plants for medicinal and stomach purposes and locals created a cottage industry that led to such treats as ‘Yorkshire Pennies’ ‘Catherine Wheels’, Pomfret cakes, Bootlaces and other sweetmeats made from chewy black liquorice.
Pomfret cakes or Pontefract cakes were first created when sugar was added to the liquorice stock and an image of the Norman castle stamped into the round black sweet that was created. The castle has a morbid history Richard II was imprisoned and probably murdered, in Pontefract Castle in 1400. In 1648 to March 1649 Oliver Cromwells New Model Army was engaged in the successful siege of Pontefract Castle that led to its ruination. ‘Pomfret, Pomfret! O thou bloody prison’ as Shakespeare put it in his play Richard III.

Fast forward to the 1840’s when a Sheffield business Bassett and Lodge started a confectionery business that eventually created ‘Liquorice Allsorts’. The Allsorts mix apocryphally was created by a clumsy salesman who spilt a tray of various liquorice creams and sweets in a pattern that appealed to the customer. In 1918 they started to manufacture jelly products called ‘Peace Babies’ which we all now know and love as Jelly Babies. In the 1920’s as a logo the company created “Bertie Bassett,” a human like figure made up of liquorice allsorts. On the strength of the liquorice products such as Ju-Jubes and the Allsorts, Bassett’s bought other brands that included Victory V Lozenges, Zubes, Sherbet Fountains and Beech Nut. I fondly remember the beech nut chewing gum machines which vended an extra packet every 3rd or 4th purchase, what fun it seemed to be getting something for nothing.
Mint based products from Bassett’s included Mint Imperials, Murray Mints and Clarnico Mint Creams.

Needlers started making boiled sweets in Hull in 1886. One of their key innovations was to start selling sweets in clear glass jars rather than the bottle-green glass that had been used previously. All sweets and chocolates were unwrapped and Needles were producing over 2000 tons a year by the early 1920’s but in 1928 they invested in a wrapping machine.
By the 1970’s the chocolate business was loosing money and unfortunately had to be closed but investment in the sugar based lines led to the introduction of the Sensation’ range of vacuum packed mints and fruit pastilles. Needlers bought Batgers Ltd the makers of Jersey Toffee and moved production to Hull.

Thorntons first Chocolate Kabin opened in Sheffield in 1911 aiming to be the best sweetshop in town. Easter and the production of special and named Easter eggs became an important part of business for Thorntons. Then special toffee was created in 1925 and production required larger premises in Penistone Road Sheffield. The chocolate business developed by focusing on quality and learning from contenetal manufacturers particularly in Holland and Belgium. The business floated on the stock market but unfortunately the business moved downmarket into Derbyshire. There is still likely to be a Thorntons Kabin near you (based on my post code I found 6 shops within 10 miles).

See an earlier report on Maxons boiled sweets. All this and still no mention of Rowntrees, Macintoshes, Terrys, Yorkshire Mixtures or even Farrah’s Original Harrogate Toffee. If you have a favourite Yorkshire sweet that I have missed send us a comment below.
Thanks to Maurice Baren ‘How it All Began in Yorkshire’ and The Oldest Sweet Shop in England at Pateley Bridge.

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February 19, 2010

Ten Top North Riding Churches

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire History and Heritage — Tags: churches, trips — brian @ 10:28 am

Easby Church St Agatha in the precinct of the Abbey is an early English church with a long low slate roof. The remarkable porch leads to fine wall paintings and decorations surviving from the 13th century.

Pickering St Peter and St Paul is said to be over restored but contains material from all periods of medieval architecture. The beautiful soaring spire of St Peter and St Paul’s leads the way to this magnificent church which is otherwise hidden by the cluster of cottages and shops that nestle around it. The murals are quite a treasure.

St Michael Coxwold has an octagonal tower and relics from each century from the 15th century glass to the 20th century south window. Read more

Thirsk’s St. Mary’s Church was built between 1420 and 1480 and is a magnificent mediaeval perpendicular building. Often called the cathedral of North Yorkshire because of its outstanding Perpendicular Gothic architecture. A two storeyed porch, very fine roof, 17th century murals and tracerier doors are worth exploring.

St Gregory is well sited in Kirkdale, a church from the 13th century whilst the sun dial’s Old English inscriptions tell us that St Gregory’s was bought by Orm Gamelson when it was in ruins and he had it rebuilt during the period when Tostig was Earl of Northumbria, 1055-1065.

Lastingham St Mary’s was founded c.654 as a Celtic monastery by St Cedd of Lindisfarne, as a place of prayer and hospitality. The crypt is dated from 1078 and the days of a Benedictine monastery. More details on the shrine of St Cedd

Wensley’s Holy Trinity church dates from the mid C13 and was built on the foundations of an earlier C8 Saxon church. It consists of an aisled nave with north and south porches, chancel, vestry and three-stage west tower. The church contains a number of furnishings brought from Easby Abbey after the dissolution, including a screen forming the Scrope family pew, choir pews and a reliquary. Set in a beautiful rural location in the small village of Wensley, with a large churchyard on the north bank of the river Ure it is a focal point for visitors.

St Mary Whitby is the parish church of this fishing village and seaside town. ‘St. Mary’s is a delightful hodge-podge of many eras. The oldest parts, primarily the tower and basic structure, are Norman and date from around 1110.’ It can be explored after a climb up 199 steps from the town and is located with the Abbey.
‘The church has never been entirely stripped or rebuilt, but various extensions, modifications and furnishings were added over the centuries. The interior is mostly 18th-century and contains one of the most complete sets of pre-Victorian furnishings in England.’

Scarborough, South Cliff has two gems: St Martin’s, the parish church, which has loads of pre-Raphaelite connections, and St Andrew’s United Reformed Church, which was largely financed by West Riding and Midlands manufacturers, especially Titus Salt of Saltaire.’ according to comments by Patricia McNaughton but for my top selection I am going for St Mary’s in the grounds of Scarborough castle. It contains a collection of eighteenth century brasses but is best known as thwe resting place of Anne Bronte in the graveyard.

St Lambert in Burneston is entirely perpendicular in style with battlements, pinnacles, clerestory and large windows. There are some intersting pews dating back to 1627. Named for a seventh century bishop of Maastrict.

I hope some churches in this list inspire some people to visit these locations as a tourist or attend as a worshiper. There are numerous other splendid buildings and interiors that deserve to be included. If you have a favourite or come across a good church let us know or comment on our selection below.

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February 16, 2010

Quilts, Quilting & Quilters

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes — Tags: hobbies, trips — brian @ 7:24 am

Quilters Guild
‘In 1990 The Guild embarked on the `British Heritage Quilt Project` to document items of patchwork and quilting dated prior to 1960, resulting in the publication of `Quilt Treasures` in 1995. In June 2001 we opened a small Resource Centre in our previous offices in Dean Clough, Halifax and this provided a stepping stone to our current home in York which opened just seven years later in June 2008′

Quilt Museum and Gallery – St Anthony’s Hall, York is the national headquarters of The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles and its extensive collection of quilts and quilt related artefacts.
The Quilt Museum and Gallery is Britain’s only museum dedicated exclusively to quilting and textile arts based in historic St Anthony’s Hall, York. The hall was originally built as the headquarters of a religious guild in the 15th century, and has had a colourful past – as a workhouse for the poor, a hospital, prison, and a school and archive. The beautiful medieval spaces have been restored and adapted to accommodate the Museum and its wide range of displays and activities. It is not cheap to visit but members of the guild get special deals and there are regular exhibitions. The current exhibition is ironically called ‘The Celtic Fringe’ (I wondered when the Fringe would come to York).

Also linking to our Yorkshire theme there is an opportunity to visit an exhibition ‘Inlaid Patchwork in Europe from 1500 to the Present’. at Leeds City Art Gallery. 26th August – 31st October 2010. Something of an advance warning, this exhibition is coming to Leeds from the State Museum of Berlin, via Austria, and includes an example from 1766 loaned by the Sevenoaks Museum in Kent.
For a full and fascinating review of the exhibition by a British Quilt History List member who has visited the exhibition, read more on Textile Hunter blog

Other sites of Interest
Quilting at the Victoria and Albert museum has its own blog with good photographs.
Quaker Tapestry museum Kendal
Rag Rugs and Ragging in Yorkshire

Quilt history an American site where quilting is very popular.

Quilt Styles Old and New

Quilts made of a solid piece of fabric as the top layer are referred to as Whole Cloth Quilts. The three layers of top, batting and backing were quilted together, and the quilting itself became the decoration.
Trapunto is the technique of slipping extra stuffing into certain areas of a quilt to bring out the quilting in that area.
Broderie perse refers to the applique of cut out motifs from printed fabric onto a solid background. This form of quilt making has been done since the 18th century.
Medallion quilts are made around a center. The central area is surrounded by two or more borders. Although some borders were solid, many were pieced or appliqued.
The latter years of the nineteenth century the best know quilt style was the Crazy Quilt made of abstract shapes sewn together.
To promote excellence in the art and status of quilt making and, through education, to extend knowledge and understanding of its heritage.
Quick scrappy quilts are usually made from many different bits of fabric or leftovers.
Nine patch is based on a pattern of square block designs three units by three.
Log Cabin patterns have a narrow strips around a central square often sown on to a foundation cloth of paper or fabric.
Four patch is a block 4 by 4 or multiples of 4 in rows

This is the 11th book by Kaffe Fasset who settled in England in 1964. He has exhibited at the V&A museum in London and is highly regarded for his knitting, patchwork and needlepoint books.
Click on book covers to purchase them from Amazon.

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February 13, 2010

Winter Photography in Wharfedale

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes — Tags: hobbies — brian @ 2:23 am

Otley Camera Club were not involved with this photograph of their local golf course but they have a very active Otley and District Photographic Society and web site Regular meetings take place at Prince Henry’s and the main event is the annual exhibition that will be held in the Courthouse, Otley from September 11th 2010.

Photography is a hobby that is available to virtually anyone and has a wide following. Below are a few comments and tips on photography in the snow but rather than read about it try it for yourself. Digital, slide or print film the winter issues are similar.

‘Snowy landscapes are among the trickiest situations to photograph with digital cameras. The exposure and white balance settings can easily be fooled by the bright lighting conditions.

Whether the sky is overcast or the sun is shining, special care must be taken to avoid messing up the colours completely. The very bright snow acts as a second light source by reflecting sunlight shining on the ground. Some cameras offer a Snow or Winter setting, and this feature can be very helpful. It usually corrects the Auto white balance calculation of the camera and lowers the exposure value to avoid over-exposing the image.

The Snow mode is usually efficient and delivers more than acceptable results. However, it is not perfect, and not always available depending on the brand and model digital camera. Moreover, using this mode usually means the photographer loses control over aperture and shutter speed, limiting creativity. Luckily, there are ways to take beautiful snow pictures even without the help of a preset scene mode.

If the day is cloudy as often happens in winter, the white balance is easy to set. The Cloudy setting generally available on most cameras works well in this situation and produces accurate colours.

The exposure often needs correction, however, and lowering the EV compensation by -0.7 or -1 is a good rule of thumb. To be on the safe side, using Center-weighted or even Spot metering is a good way to reduce the risks over-exposing your images, as long as the center of the frame is bright.’ According to our friends at Digicam

Tips for Photographing in snow.
1. When snow is falling, use a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the snowflakes. This is more efficient if there is a light source in your image.
2. Use the flash to fix the movement of the snowflakes. This will improve images that could otherwise look dull or blurred. Flash also lights up dark areas.
3. If you have access to a strobe lamp, use it with a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the snowflakes in sequence and create very interesting effects.
4. Shoot during the Golden Hours, when the sun is low on the horizon, to capture the texture and shape of the snow on what would otherwise look like a uniform field of white.
5. A trick for good composition is to include a single coloured subject in an otherwise monochrome snow landscape. This can produce very effective results.
6. Avoid shooting in sepia or black-and-white as it is easy, with these settings, to loose what little contrast your image has.
7. Remember to protect your camera from the cold.
8. Winter’s spare landscapes make great subjects, especially when punctuated with contrasting shapes, such as trees, buildings, animals, or equipment.
9. Contrast strong color against white snow for a striking image.
10. Create close-ups or capture winter’s patterns, textures, and colours.

Some of the above tips were provided by Hewlett Packard the producers of printers and scanners

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February 10, 2010

Ladies Days At Yorkshire Racecourses

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes — brian @ 4:38 pm

If you have an eye for a good horse then go to one of Yorkshires premier Racecourses this summer on Ladies day. Below is a list of special event when the Ladies can dress up (to loose money if you bet on horses like this one).

Ladies Days 2010

Course Day Date

Wetherby Thursday 20th May

Thirsk Tuesday 15th June

Ripon Thursday 17th June

Redcar Saturday 19th June

Pontefract Wednesday 4th August

Beverley Wednesday 11th August

Catterick Friday eve 13th August

York Thursday 19th August

Doncaster Thursday 9th September

Racecourse Enclosures

Members, County or Premier enclosures are top of the range areas in price and dress code and often viewing.
The Grandstand and the Paddock are where to find the heart of the action, traditionally called Tattersalls.
The less expensive Course Enclosure is not as formal but it is just as easy to loose your money with the bookmakers here.

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February 5, 2010

Days Out for Kids to age 92

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Trips and Places — Tags: dayout, trips — brian @ 1:39 pm

With Half Term and Easter just around the corner you may want some ideas where to take the kids or grandchildren for a day out. This is just a short selection of Yorkshire based attractions and I would add the Royal Armouries in Leeds and the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Jorvik Viking Centre is a York based time travel experience that is worth queuing for ‘Whether it has been five or fifteen years or even your first time to visit JORVIK, the JORVIK Viking Centre has something new for everyone’ ‘Vikings were warriors. More precisely, Viking is the name by which the Scandinavian sea-borne raiders of the early medieval period are now commonly known.’ Dig around in York there is a wealth of interesting historical activities you can get the children involved with.

The Magna Science Adventure Centre at Rotherham ‘Leap, twist and climb your way around mind-blowing structures and gravity defying activities at one of Europe’s largest outdoor play areas or Spray, squirt, mist and drench…and more importantly get very, very wet at one of the UK’s largest outdoor water play areas.’ If that sounds like the fun your children will enjoy then Magna may work for you.

The Deep ‘The worlds only Submarium’ in Hull is a winner of many awards which include gold award for The Green Tourism Business Scheme and silver for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2009 and it should have got another award for inventing a new word so it can claim to be ‘the worlds only’. With attractions such as Slime, Coral Realm, Kingdom of Ice and a Twilight zone there is something for everyone including the 3500 fish. The Deep in Hull you will find fun and an education about our seas.

Eureka moments come only occasionally when you get to my age but kids up to age 10 experience them at every twist and turn of this Halifax museum. ‘Everything at Eureka! has been designed to inspire children to find out about themselves and the world around them through 100s of hands-on exhibits’.

National Coal Mining Museum (NCM) at Overton near Wakefield explores mining through the centuries. Don a hard hat and descend into a mine then visit the pit ponies to find out what they did for the mining effort. Admission is free!

York Castle Museum ‘is one of Britain’s leading museums of everyday life. It shows how people used to live by displaying thousands of household objects. It is best known for its recreated Victorian street, which combines real shop fittings and stock with modern sound and light effects, to evoke an atmosphere of Victorian Britain. Prison buildings are explored in York Castle Prison, where visitors come face to face with ex-prisoners including highwayman Dick Turpin, who was hanged in 1739 for horse stealing.’ Tickets do allow you to revisit during the next 12 months if you can’t take it all in at one visit.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is South Yorkshires newest attraction of 45 acres of walkthrough including Lemur Woods and Wallaby walkabout. Ideal for environmentally friendly children who want to see a range of animals including the most endangered the Painted Hunting Dog. May only open at weekends until summer but check here.

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February 4, 2010

Art in York at New School House Gallery

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Arts & Music, Yorkshire Trips and Places — brian @ 4:21 am

‘Crunchtime 2010′ is an event depicting International Artists’ Responses to Global Issues running in York until 6th February 2010. Sorry it is crunchtime if you want to visit the various venues where events are taking place, as you have only a few days left. There is a seminar at the Guildhall at 5pm this evening and talks, debates and screenings tomorrow and Saturday.

My visit to the event introduced me too the New School House Gallery in Peasholme Green near St Cuthberts and the Quilt Museum.

‘Housed in a grade II former schoolhouse, the gallery is showcasing work in contemporary ceramics, glass, wood and metal, textiles and jewellery by both established and up-and-coming makers. It will also exhibit paintings, prints, mixed-media work, sculpture and installations by artists from the UK and abroad.’ read more on the New School House Gallery website. This new venture is planning a series of themed Exhibitions starting on 11th February with Home , then 1 April – 22 May with Reclaim followed by Navigation, 53º North and Open in August. If that isn’t enough reason to visit the gallery it is located in The Secret Garden’ . After a mind broadening trip you can have coffee and cakes at Le Langhe delicatessen.

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February 3, 2010

Greetings Cards a Yorkshire Industry Making Millions

Filed under: Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Business and Money — brian @ 11:45 am

What is in the water in Yorkshire that makes us the center of the UK greeting card industry?

Unfortunately old companies like W.N. Sharpe’s of Bradford have been gobbled up long ago by American giant Hallmark but the operation still continues in Bradford and Castleford. ‘Hallmark founder Joyce Hall was born the youngest of 3 sons to the poor but religious Hall family in Nebraska. J.C.Hall was a hard worker and in 1910 he boarded a train to Kansas City as a young man with a vision – this is when the Hallmark story really began. Based at the YMCA, he started selling postcards via a mail order business, which developed to become the world leader in greeting cards. In 1958 Hallmark set up in Bradford and grew by a series of acquisitions.’ ‘Classic Cards, Bradford: The History of W.N. Sharpe Ltd’; is available as a pamphlet from the Bradford Historical and Antiquarian Society. Now a days Hallmark is seen on satellite TV with a host of programmes shown on it’s own channel.
This seasons Valentine’s Day cards are on display at Hallmark.

Down the road in Dewsbury Hallmark’s largest international competitor operates.
‘For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation has been a manufacturer and retailer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships’. So runs the corporate blurb that can only come from an American company better known to us in the UK as the owner of Carlton Cards. They also own Care Bears and Holly Hobby on whose web site I have just enjoyed playing kids games

Today’s financial press reports that Wakefield based greeting card company Card Factory has been put up for sale but with the deal likely to go to a private equity firm this could mean more investment and the circa 4500 jobs should be safe. In addition to generating sales in excess of £150,000,000 the staff and company donated £1m to its corporate charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Collinsons have been established for over 100 years and now operate from Shipley in the West Riding. ‘ Focusing on Wedding stationery and Christmas cards, Collisons offers a wide choice to both the Wedding and the Christmas card market. Many of our Christmas cards are Charity based.’

History of Greeting Cards according to Wikipedia

The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls. By the early 1400s, handmade paper greeting cards were being exchanged in Europe. The Germans are known to have printed New Year’s greetings from woodcuts as early as 1400, and handmade paper Valentines were being exchanged in various parts of Europe in the early to mid-1400s, with the oldest Valentine in existence being in the British Museum.[2]

By the 1850s, the greeting card had been transformed from a relatively expensive, handmade and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable means of personal communication, due largely to advances in printing and mechanization. read more

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