Bishopdale now has a new brightly lit ‘village’ – just at the time when the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Dark Skies Festival is about to start (on February 14). See New ‘village’ in Bishopdale.
Two Richmondshire families have joined forces to provide many homeless people in nearby towns and cities with useful gifts that will help them over Christmas and into the New Year. See Homeless but not alone and the update.
For over 20 years the Association of Rural Communities has been emphasising the important role that farmers play in managing the beautiful countryside of the Dales. So it was delighted to hear members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority also emphasising that at the Full Authority meeting on September 24.
This was emphasised even more at the Authority’s planning meeting on November 12 when members warned that the future of farming in the Dales was at stake. My report is a long one because I feel the debate was so important.
Farmers like the Harrisons of Thornton Rust take a great deal of pride in maintaining their farms to the highest standard and that was so obvious on Saturday September 21 at the opening of their ice cream parlour at Hard Banks Barn near Aysgarth.
The ice cream parlour proved to be a very special experience for not only has the traditional agricultural building been so well converted and sits so well within the undulating countryside but the interior is airy, cheerful and truly to be savoured!
The chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority did not specifically reply to the statement by Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council presented by its chairman, Jill McMullon, at the Full Authority meeting on September 24. Like the Association of Rural Communities the parish council was concerned about the derogatory remarks made about John Blackie at the July planning committee meeting when he could not defend himself as he was in hospital. John was definitely not in a position that day to take part in a ‘fairly robust discussion’ or to ‘take as good as he gave’. See YDNPA and John Blackie.
With each passing month I seem to miss David’s support more and more. There is an obituary about him with links to other posts including that about his volunteer work in The Gambia.
Our wedding at Countersett Meeting House on Saturday July 21 2018 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. And now my thanks to those who have been so supportive as I grieve the loss of a very special man. I am so grateful we did have 14 years together.