South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival

Riverside Walkers

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

Riverside Walkers by tj.blackwell CC BY-NC 2.0

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Dalby Forest North Yokshire Moors

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.

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Farmers Rural Enterprise

Sutton Bank
photo credit Sutton Bank by alh1 CC BY-ND 2.0

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.

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Yelp for Yorkshire

Yelp is another web directory created by social networkers. Yelp claims to be ‘the fun and easy way to find and talk about great (and not so great) local businesses’ but it is not so great when it comes to Yorkshire!
A stockbroker was recommending Yelp as the next great thing but I can’t see it myself. It may have been better calling it Yuck!

Yorkie

I tried using the search facility on Yelp (you know what I was looking for) here is the response:

‘We’ve found multiple locations matching your search ‘Yorkshire’.
Did you mean:

    Yorkshire, VA, USA
    Yorkshire, Ross Township, MI, USA
    Yorkshire, North Port, FL, USA

Americans really have no idea!

On a second search I was offered Yorkshire NJ apparently a place near Sardinia!

I am not the only disenchanted yelper. Users at YorkieTalk.com Forums Community – the community for Yorkshire Terriers have been receiving messages from people who are clearly TROLLS!

Why keep a dog and bark yourself. Make no bones about it the Yelp offering is too Woof.
Yorkie

Image Credits
Yorkie by asmit421 CC BY-NC 2.0
Yorkie by homard.net CC BY 2.0

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Who Are You Looking at?

Ram in the Yorkshire Dales

Ram in the Yorkshire Dales

This picture is taken from Embsay moor. Straight ahead is the direction of the lower wharfe Valley and Bolton Abbey. To the right is Skipton

Ram in the Yorkshire Dales

This is in the direction of Barden and Burnsall

Continue reading

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Yorkshire, The World, Milky Way, Universe No Post Code

When you were at school did you give your address as number X, some street, Your Town, Yorkshire, England, Europe, The World, The Milky Way, The Universe or something equivalent.
Did you get a reply even with no post code?
Did you get replies to chain letters when you put your address at the bottom of a list and sent it to friends or you would break the chain?

Fun filled facts from Eric Idle in a song he wrote for the Monty Python team.
It nearly puts God’s Own County in context.

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From Hull and Halifax and Hell

The traditional song of a Dalesman forced to flee to industrial towns the ‘three ridings round’.


The Dalesman’s Litany – Tim Hart & Maddy Prior

Maddy Prior is one of folk music’s heroes and still tours with The Carnival Band in a pre Christmas show featuring carols and seasonal music. Well worth looking out for a performance in Hull, Halifax or other local venues.
Maddy with Tim Hart and Ashley Hutchings were original members of the highly successful folk-rock band Steeleye Span. Sadly Tim Hart Died at the age of 61 in 2009.

The Dalesman’s Litany is a poem written around 1900. It is one of the best known works of Frederick William Moorman.
Moorman was a professor of English at Leeds University and compiled several books of traditional Yorkshire stories and poems and scholarly works such as The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Sadly Moorman drowned in 1920 at the age of 46. He was succeeded at Leeds by J. R. R. Tolkien. Much of his poetry is available on Poetry Cat including A Song Of the Yorkshire Dales.

The Dalesman’s Litany

It’s hard when fowks can’t finnd their wark
Wheer they’ve bin bred an’ born;
When I were young I awlus thowt
I’d bide ‘mong t’ roots an’ corn.
But I’ve bin forced to work i’ towns,
So here’s my litany:
Frae Hull, an’ Halifax, an’ Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!

When I were courtin’ Mary Ann,
T’ owd squire, he says one day:
“I’ve got no bield for wedded fowks;
Choose, wilt ta wed or stay?”
I couldn’t gie up t’ lass I loved,
To t’ town we had to flee:
Frae Hull, an’ Halifax, an’ Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!

I’ve wrowt i’ Leeds an’ Huthersfel’,
An’ addled honest brass;
I’ Bradforth, Keighley, Rotherham,
I’ve kept my barns an’ lass.
I’ve travelled all three Ridin’s round,
And once I went to sea:
Frae forges, mills, an’ coalin’ boats,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!

I’ve walked at neet through Sheffield loans,
‘T were same as bein’ i’ Hell:
Furnaces thrast out tongues o’ fire,
An’ roared like t’ wind on t’ fell.
I’ve sammed up coals i’ Barnsley pits,
Wi’ muck up to my knee:
Frae Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!

I’ve seen grey fog creep ower Leeds Brig
As thick as bastile soup;
I’ve lived wheer fowks were stowed away
Like rabbits in a coop.
I’ve watched snow float down Bradforth Beck
As black as ebiny:
Frae Hunslet, Holbeck, Wibsey Slack,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!

But now, when all wer childer’s fligged,
To t’ coontry we’ve coom back.
There’s fotty mile o’ heathery moor
Twix’ us an’ t’ coal-pit slack.
And when I sit ower t’ fire at neet,
I laugh an’ shout wi’ glee:
Frae Bradforth, Leeds, an Huthersfel’,
Frae Hull, an’ Halifax, an’ Hell,
T’ gooid Lord’s delivered me!

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Independence from America Day Yorkshire Demo

Some folk think we are in the pocket of the United States of America when it comes to military strategy, intelligence gathering and surveillance. Tell that to Gary McKinnon’s extraditors.

Menwith Hill Radomes

Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will hold their Annual ‘Independence from America’ demonstration appropriately on 4th July.
The Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases will hold its demonstration outside the main entrance to NSA Menwith Hill, near Harrogate.There will be various speakers and music provided by the band Monkey Wrenchers, Roy Bailey and Daftasadrum amongst others.

Menwith Hill Day of Action 2011 068

The American’s ‘Independence Day’ is known as “the Fourth of July” celebrating the publication of ‘the declaration of independence’ from Great Britain in 1776.

Link to Yorkshire CND Independence from America web site

Photo Credits
Menwith Hill Radomes by tj.blackwell CC BY-NC 2.0 ‘Menwith Hill Radomes
It’s a shame I didn’t have more time to stop to shoot from a better angle and sort out the exposure values for this image, but it was in my interest not to annoy the patrolling police any further after the friendly little ‘stop n search’ interview we had earlier.
The moorland surveillance base (near Harrogate, Yorkshire) is guarded by UK Ministry of Defence Police who are paid for and under the operational control of the Americans and is enclosed by an alarmed security fence topped with razor wire and with CCTV cameras mounted at regular intervals along it.’
Menwith Hill Day of Action 2011 068 by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament CC BY 2.0
81 keep space for peace by Vertigogen CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ‘Menwith Hill US Spy Base’

81 keep space for peace

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Motors and Flags

Flags and motors are a bit like rainbows! You see one and then there is another right behind.
That is no longer true of buses in the dales, you see one and then a week later lo and behold there is another if you are lucky.

Getting tired

The British formula 1 triumvirate would like to see more flags like these.

Chitty

This Jowett car made in Idle only just escaped needing a man with a flag walking in front.
Seriously the exceptionally well engineered Jowett Javellins were very fast cars of their time.

Jubilee Menston

Are your spirits flagging after all the Jubilee excitement. I thought not!

Mr Herriott's Motor

Mr Herriot’s Motor is stood on flags at the Thirsk James Herriot museum.

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Yorkshire to Win Gold Medals

Yorkshire Gold is one of the many Yorkshire Forward quangos that will be concerned about their future with the demise of the RDA’s. (Regional development agency and putative regional assembly orchestrator under labour and John Prescott.)

The ‘business club’s’ aim is to help local companies win contracts including ‘Crossrail, the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and London Heathrow Terminal expansion’ but I am not impressed as most of the opportunities on the web site are past there sell by date (like Yorkshire Forward).

One interesting opportunity was to license Cycling and Wheeeled products for the Olympics but you had to know about Locog and what the acronym means. On your bike!
Oh that gives me a private enterprise idea read Cycling in the Hills of Yorkshire and Cycling Info.

Another quango organisation Competefor also offers tendering opportunities meant ‘To ensure the transparency and availability of London 2012 opportunities maximising the number and diversity of businesses contributing to the London 2012 programme, and create a legacy of increased capacity and expertise.’

All this was brought to you by Yorkshire Forward and ‘Solutions for Business funded by Government’ what a great strap line/name that is!

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