Pip’s Patch

There was no sign of a “three line whip” at the February meeting of the YDNPA’s planning committee as there had been in December 2018

But committee members did find they had a much longer agenda as they had to consider – for the interests of consistency – all the applications for the conversion of barns and traditional buildings.

The February meeting was also memorable for other reasons what with around 35 members of the public being squeezed into the room and members trying to work out what were “undesignated heritage assets” and the fad for hot tubs.

There was also Ruth Annison’s warning that the Authority might be reported to the Secretary of State over parking on the old railway track bed in Wensleydale.

One of the arguments against West Burton  CofE school  (pictured above) leaving the BAWB Federation of Schools has been that small classes do not provide a good educational environment for children. David Pointon gives an educational consultant’s view on this.

Even the county council has highlighted the breakdown in the relationship between the BAWB Board of Governors and the majority of the parents who have children at West Burton school.

Frank Knowle’s amazing exhibition of his black and white photographs taken during the 1950s will remain on show at Tennants Garden Rooms until February 17th.

The Remembrance Poppies which have been such a special feature of Bainbridge since 2014 have now been taken down. I have posted the story about those poppies – and one remembering Pte Thomas Spence of Walden.

The post Remembering a father and a great uncle not only tells the remarkable story of how Major Donald Rose MC had gone with the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps to Gallipoli in WW1 and gained a commission with the Essex Regiment, but also the sad love story of a Durham Pal, Sgt Ernest Moore.

In Aysgarth another special event has come to an end. Christmas just won’t be the same without the children’s Nativity at Aysgarth Chapel. A big thank you to Jean Cockburn and Rona Trowell for all they have done over the years to help make this such a memorable part of our village life – and to all the children who have taken part.

For over 20 years the Association of Rural Communities has campaigned for the importance of farmers and landowners to the dales landscape to be recognised – and for the YDNPA to properly recognise the socio-economic needs of those living and working in the National Park.

So the posts about farmers and the cost of the National Park boundary extension are important landmarks, especially the former. That is mainly a report from the Association’s AGM – and its chairman’s acknowledgement of the benefits of the agri-environmental scheme in Wensleydale.

For photographs of the Festival of Remembrance at Aysgarth church  in November 2018 go to Aysgarth Festival of Remembrance.

I missed a few YDNPA planning committee meetings in 2018 including that in August because David and I were in the midst of a truly memorable summer.

First there was our wedding at Countersett Meeting House on Saturday July 21. That made history as it was the first wedding at that Meeting House since 1841.

Then we chartered The Albion for our wedding blessing – and were told later that it was probably the first time the wherry  had been involved in such an event.

Do see my posts about our Quaker wedding (Parts One and Two) and the wedding blessing.

A very big thank you to all our family and friends who helped to make these two occasions so special for us.