God's Own County

Do You Want to Know More About York History?

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Hortoris

We all learn in different ways and with our senses used in differing proportions.
There may be more than a grain of truth in Edgar Allan Poe saying….“Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear.” but that would be an indictment of our teachers, lecturers and parents from whom we pick up so much.

York has taken the experiential route to letting visitors get to know more about it’s history. The top attraction at Yorvik Viking centre is a major experience of hands on learning. The approach to archeology and the history of churches in York is also helping further the cause.
I have been on the ‘walk and talk tours’ of York to ‘learn’ about the ghosts and you do pick things up by osmosis even if the ghosts are just that ‘ghostly’. A better tour is the open topped bus with a bit of commentary linked to what you are looking at.
Museums have moved on during the last 20 years and the profession of curating has grown in stature. The use of audio technology, links to the exhibits via graphics and panels adds to the fun and knowhow being demonstrated.

When all is said and done you can also pick up a book that helps you delve deeper into the history of a subject. Start with an open mind and consider who is writing and for what purpose. The books selected below are not primarily for entertainment, as ‘orrible ‘istories would be, but are based on years of research, experience and learned study.

The History of York: From Earliest Times to the Year 2000 by Patrick Nuttgens

The history of ‘Medieval York’ by Gareth Dean

Roman York (Revealing History) by Patrick Ottaway

In Summary if You Want to Know More About York History

Look and listen with an inquiring mind and think about the context of what you are learning.
Experience York through your own visit and customise a trip that suits you. You learn more when experience is appropriate and you are in a positive frame of mind.
I guess Edgar Alan Poe was thinking about politicians and the media when he could have said believe nothing that you hear even if it is on TV.

Posted in Books Club & Literary Work, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Comments Off

Thorp Perrow for Trees & Bark

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Hortoris

Botanical tree gardens seem to thrive in North Yorkshire where we have the Kew Arboretum at Castle Howard and a replanted arboretum at Burton Constable. However one of the best Arboreta in Europe is Thorp Perrow, just a few miles from Bedale and the A1. Thorp Perrow for me is better than Westonbirt in Gloucestershire for variety, layout and the availability of information. I bought a catalogue for less than £4 listing and positioning 2400 different tree species together with maps and location within the arboretum, common names and origin of many of the other 15,000 trees.

Trees from the 16th and 17th Centuries include the impressively named ‘Catherine Parr Oak’ whilst a young oak was planted for George V’s Jubilee. There is an old saying about oaks living for 900 years, ‘300 years a growing, 300 years a staying and 300 years a dying.’ The Pinetum was planted around 1850’s during the ownership of Lady Augusta Milbank. Most of the more recent development took place during the life of the then owner Colonel Sir Leonard Roper 1895-1977.

In keeping with the traditions of a botanic garden there are several National Plant Collections (NCCPG) including Ash, Lime, Walnut, Laburnum and Cotinus . The range of hydrangeas exceeds 60 varieties and is worth a visit on their own.
There is a Bark Park that I missed and must go back to see, Holly Glades, Autumn bays and Acer glades that look brilliant in the late summer sunshine.

Return to See Bark Park

I first visited in 2009 and have revisited in 2012. Not surprisingly the lay our and content is virtually the same. Most trees are three year older but when you are already a champion tree that will not say much.
The Bark park area is developing nicely and there are some great barks to see on trees in other areas. Next time I will come in winter when the bark will really stand out.
I will also be able to see more lables and relate them to the comprehensive catalogue.

Added Features at Thorp Perrow

There is a large range of activities throughout the year many based on the Falconry where birds are flown 3 times a day. There are mammals to amuse the children including Meercats and Wallabies (those well known Yorkshire inhabitants) and wooden red Squirrels.
The tearoom at the entrance/exit provides good bacon butties and I trust there is no connection to the near by pet Cemetery with stones commemorating long dead pets from 1800.
Lakes, Islands, bog gardens, wood sculptures and a small flower garden all seem to move with the times and new plantings and features are added each year. In 2012 the small nursery looks like it might fold. It certainly needs reinventing.

For details of entry visit Thorpperrow.com. If you are a member of the RHS entrance is free during September and at certain other times of the year.

Posted in Our Yorkshire, Yorkshire Trips and Places | Tagged gardens | 1 Comment

Yorkshire Fireworks Supplier and Price Review

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Hortoris

The Guido Fawkes pub in York is a good place to start our quick review of Yorkshire fireworks.
Without the gunpowder plot of 1605 it is doubtful Yorkshire would have taken up the top spot of ornamental firework production during Victorian times nor top wholesalers now.

Review of Yorkshire Firework Suppliers

Standard Fireworks started making and supplying fireworks in 1891. The fireworks and ingredients were imported from China or made by outworkers like local coal miners supplementing their income. Then in 1910 a factory was built at Crosland Hill Huddersfield and although manufacture has long since been transferred to China it is still the admin HQ for Yorkshires Standard fireworks.
Black Cat fireworks are now part of the same group as Standard Fireworks but have their admin base at Lawkholme lane Keighley. Both brands are owned by the Chinese firecracker business Li & Fung company.

It now costs a lot to see your money go up in smoke but that cost or pleasure is generally shared by at the larger displays with bigger audiences.
Around our home bonfires of childhood, a rip rap or rocket in a milk bottle probably also seemed a costly part of a family’s November budget.

I was stimulated to write this page after receiving some direct mail from Jimmy’s Fireworks at Tankersley and Epic Fireworks. It is good to see a Yorkshire business thriving, as they must be to afford a large 16 page highly glossy catalogue posted to an unsolicited address. Still it gets them this mention and a web link. They claim to be the largest wholesaler of Fireworks in the country.

Review of Firework Prices

In the brochure, Penny bangers have now been replaced by 50 shot ‘Nuclear Weapons’ only £64.95!. And Rockets are still available in packs of 38 for £84 Mmmmm
Selection boxes like Vendetta can cost £595 for 11 fireworks or the Ultimate for £2000 which has 80 fireworks delivered to your door. (I would expect an Exocet for that money). I was looking for the little kids version of snow storms, roman candle and volcanoes without avail until I spotted a 36 firework pack for £44.95 that included a good old Standard fireworks selection box called ‘Cliff Hanger’ (but I will be kept in suspense to see what that contains.)

For local bonfires rather than formal displays I like the historically named packs called Guido’s, Cateby’s Revenge, Plotters Party, Treason and the simple Plot Night. Getting down to basics ‘Penny for the Guy’ is a better priced option for £44.95 with a free Chinese Flying Lantern to set fire to your local woods.

I think I will stick to Indoor Fireworks which came up first on this list of fireworks you can buy from amazon. Obviously the price of rocket packs and other products ascends but I remember Christmas time with simple yet different indoor fireworks to let off around the dining room table. For less than £7, compared to the prices above, I think they will be better value for a tight Yorkshireman.
Indoor fireworks have their own genre and nomenclature and types include blazing bengals, snakes alive, flash gordon, sizzling strobes, ice fountains, fun snaps, puff the magic dragon, disco inferno and indoor sparklers.

Photo Credits

New Years Eve Fireworks by robynejay CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Firefalls by Chip_2904 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Heworth York

Posted in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes | Comments Off

Visit Yorkshire’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Hortoris

We would probably all agree that the whole of Yorkshire is an area of outstanding natural beauty but some areas are more outstanding than others!
We have the three National Parks covering the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and parts of The Peak District National Park all with outstanding scenery and an abundance of visual delight. Not to take away from these national parks we also have precious landscapes with distinctive character and natural beauty in three further areas. These are designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB’s for short.

Since the ‘National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949’ there have been 33 English AONB’s created three of which are all or partially in Yorkshire. They are areas deemed to be so outstanding that it is in the nation’s interest to safeguard them and that is what AONB status seeks to do.

Howardian Hills

The hills are formed on Jurassic limestone that gives the landscape its character and irregular 600 foot ridges. They are set between York and Pickering as a southern extension of the rocks of the North York Moors.
In addition to the green agricultural plains there is a rich tapestry of wooded hills and valleys, pastures and rolling farmland with dramatic views.

Nidderdale

Head for the high moorland on the edge of Great Whernside and the source of the river Nidd then down to Pateley Bridge. Follow the river course through lush green meadow via Brimham Rocks and the sights down to Knaresborough. There is lots to do see and visit in Nidderdale including Studley Royal and the picturesque ruins of Fountains Abbey.

Forest of Bowland

Parts of the riding of North Yorkshire lies within it’s boundaries and you can start a tour from Slaidburn or Settle to visit the important heather moorland and bog.
A large part of the site is also specially protected as a site of special scientific interest. It is home to many insect species and the birds who feed in the area.
The predominantly Lancastrian rivers of Ribble, Hodder, Wyre and Lune pass through the Trough of Bowland.

I hope this gives you the incentive to visit or revisit these AONB’s. Some of the villages and sites are well worth exploring for a day or a on a more protracted leisurely and peaceful stay.

Posted in Yorkshire Trips and Places | Comments Off

Sorry for These Adverts I Wanted Ben Shaws Pop

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Hortoris

– Best of 1980’s TV adverts

I was searching for an old remembered advert for Ben Shaws lemonade and came across this modern selection. Sorry to foist it on regular readers (thanks Mum). I know how you love being interrupted by jingles, inane actors and boring repetitive voices posing as adverts.

Back to Ben Shaws and the 1960’s jingle I remember (or not), it went something like ‘Pops tops the quality Ben Shaws’. It promoted the pop delivered by truck that was also available in our local chip shop. Yellow lemonade, American cream soda and dandelion and burdock were just some of the flavours to be consumed on a hot afternoon (where have they all gone, the afternoons not the pop).

Another distant memory is of a local distribution depot that may have been for Huddersfield business Ben Shaws or another brand. It was on Highfield Road at Five Lane Ends, Idle. It was my best bob-a-job site as they not only paid but gave me a free drink after sweeping the yard.

Welsh Corona was another brand of pop delivered to your house and they had a slogan “Every bubble’s passed its FIZZical!”. You returned the bottles when you got the next delivery.
With Ben Shaws pop you paid a deposit which was refunded at the shop. You could augment your pocket money by 4d if you were lucky.

Posted in Food and Drink & Yorkshire Products | Comments Off

Top Bridges Over the River Wharfe

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Hortoris

Little bridges over the gills that feed the early reaches of the river Wharfe can be found at Cray and Yockenthwaite. Crook Gill and Cray Gill have individual bridges and where they meet there is another bridge called Stubbing Bridge.
Yockenthwaite is on the old packhorse route from Wensleydale to Ribblesdale and has a bronze age stone circle near by.
Our first serious bridge over the Wharfe is at Hubberholme. It connects the church, (where JB Priestley’s ashes were placed), to the George Inn and is on the old drover road from Lancaster to Newcastle.

Getting greedy or functional, further down stream we have seven bridges in the parish of Linton. The best view comes from on top of the otherwise ugly Tin bridge but the best looking bridge is probably Lile Emily’s bridge. Clapper bridge, Grassington bridge and Redmaynes bridge are all worth seeking out.
Grassington bridge is a survivor of the 1673 great floods.

Near the Duke of Devonshires ‘pub’ there is the old Skipton to Harrogate bridge now by-passed.

Read more about Barden and Burnsall bridges on our previous page

Walking from Addingham to Beamsley there is a grand suspension footbridge show at the top of the page.

Ilkley Old bridge was built in 1678 to replace previous bridges including roman versions that were washed away in the 1673 floods. The new bridge and the suspension bridge that leads to Middleton woods have less architectural interest.

Otley has a paper works on the east side of the bridge that takes travellers from the town up towards Pateley Bridge. The river is dammed and the result is a park area where children feed the many birds on the river. There is a great deal of traffic over the bridge and it can cause queues back into the traffic lights in town but don’t let that put you off visiting Otley.

The next crossing of the Wharfe is at Pool where regular flooding used to take place. Built as part of the main road from bradfpord to Harrogate this is the bridge with the most traffic crossing the Wharfe until you get to Harewood.

Posted in Yorkshire History and Heritage | Comments Off

Hurry, York Art Gallery Closes Until 2015

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Hortoris

York has lots to offer the resident, day trippers or tourists. It is easy to take facilities for granted and not make use of them when they are free and available particularly when there is so much choice.
Beware one such choice will be lost when York Art Gallery in Exhibition Square closes at the end of 2012 for a major redevelopment.

Hurry Down to Art & Music

The last major exhibition will be ‘Art & Music’ the display that brings together the humanities of visual art and it’s historic relationships to the symbolism of music.
See Bridget Riley, LS Lowry and contemporary works before the enforced shut down.
The Art Gallery is free to visit and is part of the York Museums Trust. The Trust is an independent charitable trust which manages York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and Gardens, York Art Gallery and York St Mary’s.
The Friends of York Art Gallery have around 600 members, and are keen to increase this number. They say ‘You’ll find our membership subscription simple and great value for money!’

Redevelopments Can Take Longer Than Anticipated

York has a tradition of reinventing spaces and bringing them into modern, current day use.
On a project that will last until at least Easter 2015 refurbishment and redevelopment will take place after the gallery closes at 2pm on 31st December 2012.
The Little Gallery is currently explaining the plans that include opening up hidden spaces and increasing display areas.This involves creating a new first-floor gallery in the space above the Main Gallery and expanding into the rooms next door.
The City Archives will be moving to new premises in Explore at the City Library.
Two of the new galleries will showcase the internationally significant collections of British studio ceramics.
The garden space at the back of the gallery is likely to become the new entrance as efforts are focused on making the new facility even more visitor friendly.

You do not need an excuse to visit York but if you wish to see the Art Gallery in it’s current pomp then hurry on down soon.
See our other articles on ‘Contemporary Art from New School House Gallery York’ and ‘Quilts Museum and Gallery for Quilters’.

Posted in Yorkshire Arts & Music | Comments Off

Wainhouse Tower Dye-Works Chimney

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Hortoris

Contrary to popular belief Wainhouse tower was not intended to be a folly. It was originally designed as a chimney for the local dye works in 1873. By 1912 it had become a folly and was purchased via a ‘shilling fund’ organised by the Halifax Courier and donated to Halifax Corporation.

A landowning activist Sir Henry Edwards supported the new West Riding Smoke Prevention Society and their campaign against Washer Lane dye works that was owned by John Edward Wainhouse. Soon after starting the chimney Wainhouse sold the dye works but retained his interest in the chimney. The design was modified to include the octagon, corona and final pinnacle which have given rise to other names for the tower including Wainhouse’s Folly and Octagon Towers.

The tower is 250 feet high and is said to have cost £15,000. A staircase of 400 steps winds round and round between the chimney bricks and the the outer casing. Every now and then there are window slits and two viewing platforms.
Great views of the surrounding Calder valley, Kings Cross, Blackstone Edge, Castle Hill and Sowerby bridge can be seen from this vantage point.
During the Second World War Wainhouse Tower was used as an observation post but never functioned for its original purpose as a chimney. Never the less it was the basis of a major falling out of the two main parties John Edward Wainhouse and Sir Henry Edwards of Pye Nest estate.

Credits
Wainhouse Tower and rooftop by Tim Green aka atoach CC BY 2.0
Wainhouse Tower by sk8geek CC BY-SA 2.0
It is inexpensive to visit but opening times to climb the tower are very restricted see link

Posted in Yorkshire History and Heritage | Comments Off

Printers Still In Business

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Hortoris

Thank goodness that there are many British and Yorkshire printing companies still in business.
The digital age of texting, tweeting, poking and what have you is all very well but I like ink on paper. (Is it OK to say Kindling?).

Leeds Sports Centre Print

I do not usually go to the sports centre for my fix of ink on paper. However at Fridays badminton game I was like an amorous shellfish and pulled a muscle.
After an early shower and waiting for my fit opponents, I lurked around reception reading the usual flyers for local attraction, theater programmes, visitor attractions and the like. Then I discovered a printers delight, enough bumph for an ink sniffers orgy:
Free large format magazines were available in addition to the local free newspaper.
‘Sport’ a 62 page weekly seems sensible fodder for a sports centre.
‘Shortlist’ for film, cars, news, tech etc seems a bit too lifestyle for for the fit and energetic but wait until you see the other magazines.
Thirdly was ‘Freestyle’ with 90% glossy adverts and ‘Stylist’ a chunky 76 pages on The Art Project as the main theme for this weeks issue.
Last and probably least but most costly was a 16 page, smaller, 8″ square brochure printed for Leeds Council. Entitled ‘Taking the lead’ it is a summary of the strategy for sport and recreation in Leeds 2006 to 2012.
Only just in time could be a new mantra for local authorities as six and two thirds of the seven year period covered has already been and gone.

Sunday Newspaper Print

My experience with free magazines got me on edge counting the weekend papers. The Sunday paper had 6 newsprint sections, two gash supplements and two glossy magazines.
That excludes the free loose inserts advertising shirts, furniture, bodyline classes and Sky.
I would be remiss in not thanking the lady who delivered a 328 page Ikea catalogue to me in the garden on Saturday. Unlike newsprint it wont turn into compost but you can’t have everything.

Think of the environment and resist the urge to print out this article!
Spare a thought for printers who work at printing not printers that sit on a desk next to a computer and squirt ink around. This alternative printer has 3 parts, the case, the jammed paper tray and the blinking red light.

Posted in Our Yorkshire | Comments Off

Recycle Wheelie Bins

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Hortoris

I urge you to recycle your Wheelie Bin before they take over our back streets. They meet weekly down your street or on local corners then scatter to the four winds when you want them back home. I think they must be breeding but you don’t often see the small ones together with these 440 ‘s above.

Even if you brand them, with a house number for example, they never seem to come home. There is one way to get your wheelie bin back, if you cover it in a camouflage plastic green scene or piece of ‘artwork’, then it will always return to embarrass you.

According to today’s Daily Telegraph ‘Under new Big Joke council rules, every adult in a household as opposed to just one would be fined £110. This would mean in theory a student flat containing five over-18s could be hit with a £550 fine. Families with grown up children still living at home could also face the increased fines.

The new penalties cover offences such as putting a bin out too early or taking it in too late, leaving extra sacks of rubbish and over-filling. ‘

Binmen refuse to empty wheelie bin containing apples

Cor’ I bet that gave the gardener the pip – which jobs worth de-cidered to make that decision?

A dustman goes into a Chinese takeaway and says to the owner, “Where’s yer bin?”
“I been Ripon.”
Realising the Chinese chap has misunderstood, the binman smiles and says “No mate, where’s ya dust bin?”
“I dust bin in Ripon I told you” says the Chinaman.
“No, no, where’s yer wheelie bin?”
“I weally bin in Ripon.”

Posted in Wit and Humour | Comments Off