At Aysgarth Church we will soon begin a great series of concerts – thanks to the Wensleydale Concert Series (see above), the Swaledale Festival and the Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCo). VaCo will get us off to a good start on Friday 14th April when the talented, young musicians will perform a delightfully varied selection of chamber orchestra music. For a complete list of concerts at Aysgarth Church plus one at Wensley Church click here.
Yorebridge Sport and Fitness Centre
I have benefitted considerably from regularly going to the gym at the Yorebridge Sport and Fitness Centre at Askrigg. There is a coffee morning at the centre from 10am to 12.30pm on Saturday 22nd April when visitors can have a look round the gym and facilities. The tennis courts and the soft play area for children will be open plus a fitness session with Kirsten Civil.
YDNPA planning meetings
I think the photographs that planning officers show at YDNPA planning meetings are worth someone writing a university thesis about how they are used to uphold just one view of an application. At the March meeting it was the lack of meaningful photos which caught the attention of some members.
The presentation about the glamping extension to Aysgarth Lodges Holidays at Westholme between Aysgarth and West Burton was especially short of photos which actually showed the site. Instead the officer just had a photo of a green field and some trees in the background. The message was clear- you can’t see the site. But you can see the lodges and their lights from the other side of Bishopdale.
Many years ago the late Tom Knowles told a story about the view from the other side of that dale. He and his wife, Margaret, started the camping and caravanning site at Westholme. An application he made regarding that site was turned down by the planning department and he appealed. A planning officer took the appeal inspector to the south side of the dale, climbed on top of a dry stone wall and said triumphantly: ‘ You can see the caravans from here….’ To which the appeal inspector replied that he had just proved they could not be easily seen and so did not have a negative impact on the landscape.
That cannot be said about the luxury lodges now at Westholme especially during the autumn and winter. The lights from the lodges do have a negative impact upon the dark skies partly because the YDNPA did not ensure that planning conditions were not adhered to.
Another bank to close:
Life in rural areas such as the Yorkshire Dales becomes even more difficult due to more and more banks closing. This time it is Barclays Bank at Leyburn – and a local councillor wants help to check the number of regular users that has been provided by Barclays.
Stories from the past:
One of my most interesting jobs each year is to edit ‘Now Then’ the annual magazine of the Friends of the Dales Countryside Museum at Hawes.
Last year I was particularly fascinated by the memoir of Doug Grainger, the Hawes bootmaker who, when 20 years old, was an RAF balloon operator over the front lines during World War I. Right: Doug in a balloon basket. Photo copyright The Norah Worth Collection at the Dales Countryside Museum.
I’ve been collecting stories from the past from the Hawes Parish Magazines of 1896 (Street Criers of London) and also from The Church Monthly dating back to 1892 owned by St Andrew’s Church, Aysgarth, as well as those from the Heritage Event held at that church in 2009. The stories include these from 1894: how to care for horses and a ride on a railway engine; how lighthouses were powered with paraffin lanterns and using steamer horse-drawn fire engines. When rushing to a fire these days those on board the fire engine no longer have to yell ‘Fire! Fire!’ as they did in the 1890s. Nor do they have to harness horses before they could head out to a fire.
From the Heritage Event there is A Mothering Sunday story about a man who I believe remembered his mother in a most unusual way at Aysgarth church; and the Doctor’s Window.
From The Church Monthly is Children’s Playtime in early 1890s and the first two of the Rev Wood’s articles covering his natural history rambles in January and March 1892 plus some local information about Aysgarth parish at that time. The Rev Wood’s nature rambles are included in Nightingale Duet.
And there is the story about the Telegraph Messenger boys of the 1890s. In that article it was stated: ‘If on any given day the electric telegraph suddenly came to an end, business would speedily become disorganised.’ The delivery of those messages depended upon boys aged 13 to 16 working nine hour days!
Visit Penhill Benefice website for details of services at in mid Wensleydale.
Personal memories:
There have been some special moments recently – such as meeting with my friend, Carolyn Murray, and hearing all about her work with Immanuel Kindergarten in Yei. In October 2021 she went to Windsor Castle to be presented with the MBE by the Princess Royal.
Fundraising is ongoing for the Kennel Field south of Thornton Rust which was such a special place for my late husband, David Pointon.
I own the copyright to all my articles and photographs on this website. Other material is clearly attributed.