God's Own County

Frizinghall and It’s Mucky Railway Station

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Hortoris

Frizinghall is now a suburb of Bradford but boasts it’s own railway station on the Ilkley and Skipton lines.

The station strikes me as unique for a suburban station. The west bound platform shown in the photo is well west of the eastern platform. In fact you have to cross a busy road via flights of steps and meander down the road to swap over from one platform to the other.

The steps at both sides are very steep.

Litter is a major problem at the station.
Fly tippers use the area for no good reason.
Travelers using the station drop litter and mustn’t be proud of their local area as this picture shows.
The railway company can’t be bothered to clean up! Shame on them!
The local council has paths and by-ways passing the station that are in a dirty state. Time they did some enforcement and cleaning-up.

Bill Bryson, author and president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England have published a guide on complaining about litter.
Bryson attacked rail companies for awarding millions of pounds in bonuses to senior executives while failing to spend money to protect the environment see more in the Guardian
Network rail blame the public saying ‘railways are a prime target for litter and illegally dumped rubbish by members of the public. When members of the public throw their litter on to the tracks or leave it at the stations or dump household & building waste on our land, it causes us health & safety problems. For example, litter attracts rats to the railway. Rats like to chew on signal cables as well as rubbish and this can lead to signal failures, delays & even accidents’.

Not far from the station is a pub to slake your thirst, the Black Swan known as the ‘Mucky Duck’.
The muck sticks around the station so lets hope someone gets their act together.
We should all Keep Britain Tidy. For those criminals who do not do so, the council or landowners including rail companies should clean up their act.

Posted in Transport and Travel | 1 Comment

Rainbow Yorkshire Memories

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Hortoris

Rainbows being fired from Leeds landmarks

Rainbows still being fired from Leeds landmarks

Rainbow Over Wakefield

Piecehall Halifax

Utley Rainbows

Bradford Half Moon Rainbow

Rainbow – The Keep – Scarborough Castle

Sources Creative Commons Flickr
1&2 Richard Child
3. Rofanator
4. Bob the lomond
5. Jonsatticuk
6. Timsnell,
7. Cats 2007

Posted in Our Yorkshire | 1 Comment

Birth of The Great Yorkshire Show

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Hortoris

Black Swan York

As Queen Victoria ascended the throne, British agriculture was entering a renaissance period. The landed gentry were investing heavily in what was becomming a growth industry. The great and good of Yorkshire were not to be out done as they met in The Black Swan York in October 1837. This event led to the formation of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s objectives were to arrange, at varying venues, ‘an annual meeting for the exhibition of farming stock, implements, etc, and for the promotion of agriculture’. (164 years later how do you think they are doing?)
The society’s first president and an active livestock breeder was Earl Spencer formerly Viscount Althorp (the titles sound familiar from somewhere). He was the Queens cousin and the show has enjoyed significant Royal patronage over the years. On Earl Spenser’s retirement it was said ‘he thereafter kept company with the creatures he most respected – his shorthorns, his sheep and the farming community’.
Other leading figures and families joined the Society including the Lane Fox’s of Bramhope Park and George Hudson Alderman of Your and Railway magnate.

Belted Galloways at the Show

The first show in 1838 was held at the Barrack Yard of the 5th Dragoon in York. It was so popular that scuffles broke out to gain entry and soldiers and police had to restore order. As a result of this show the societies membership grew to 800.
It was always intended that the show would move around the county and 1839 was held in Leeds followed by Northallerton and Hull then back to York in 1842.
1843 saw the show acclaimed for the first time as The Great Yorkshire Show.
For 1848 the Yorkshire Agricultural Society joined with the Royal Agricultural Society as a one-off extravaganza in Bootham Stray York. This large area was laid out with railway tracks reaching directly into the show ground. Prince Albert’s attendance drew massive crowds and the implement displays were one of the defining features.

Pontefract held the show once in 1860, Ripon in 1855 and by agreement the show moved annual between the North Riding, the Northern half of the West Riding, the East Riding and the Southern half of the West Riding.
In 1874 Sheffield hosted one of the best attended shows attracting 64,111 paying visitors but during the 1870’s there was a slump in agriculture and bad weather saw the Driffield show of 1875 only attract 27,149 attendees.
Bradford, not what I thought of as the heart of agriculture, held the show in 1901 and 1914 where the highest attendance was achieved until it was exceeded in 1956.

Halifax Agricultural Show

Sources
Richard Sunderland, on Flickr
Belted Galloways by Jeheme
‘Great Yorkshire a Celebration of 150 Shows ED. David Joy.

Continue reading →

Posted in Yorkshire History and Heritage | Comments Off

Flowers of Yorkshire

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Hortoris

A white Rose – no surprise there then!

An opium poppy? I don’t think so!

Another white Rose – it could become a habit, no it should become a habit.

Spring brings my crocus in to focus.

Nearly missed the white Rose.

A rose that hasn’t been taken as a county emblem as yet. They would need to fight a war over it first.

A bit of a white lie to call these white roses when the are no’but buds in a vase.

Posted in Our Yorkshire | Comments Off

Yorkshire Teaology

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Hortoris

I am a fervent masher of tea although I have a brew in a mug on occasion.
‘Make us a mash’ is an invocation to perform wonders by pouring hot water onto tea leaves and leaving it to mingle until it turns to nectar.

For a horse, a mash is a warm mix of grain or bran and to brewers of beer a mash makes a wort from warm water and malted barley.

No sooner have we resolved to mash instead of brew our Yorkshire Tea when along came a learned article that recommends ‘steeping’ your tea. Steep it too long and it becomes stewed but you never stew your, tea or do you?

Teaology

Brew is top of the naming charts even if it is a tramps brew in the drinking mug.
Most tea leaves will produce a decent cup if you steep them all in boiling water. Properly called letting it mash.
‘Many of the finer teas will do much better at lower temperatures. Green and white teas, for example, are more delicate and you get more flavour if you brew in slightly cooler water.
These steeping times are only approximate, and you should adjust them depending on your own personal tea taste.

Black tea – Black from Ceylon, India or Kenya is the most robust of the tea varieties and can be brewed in truly boiling water, usually steeped for 4-6 minutes.

Oolong tea – As to be expected, oolong tea falls between green and black. The best temperature is around 190F. But oolong should be steeped longer than black tea, for around 5-8 minutes.

Green tea – You will need to be more gentle with your green teas. The water temperature should be around 150-160F and only steeped for 2-4 minutes.’ In my local Chinese the the steeping goes on until the tea has all been drunk or has gone too cold to sup.Read more from Ask.com

Most average teas are brewed for 4-5 minutes to bring out the best flavours, any longer the tea over-brews and becomes bitter and stewed.

So that is settled ( or not) – let’s have a cup of char.

Teaology 2

The Daily Mash ( and that is for real) reported in 2008;
‘Strong tea is to be reclassified as a category B drug’.

Since tea was downgraded in 2004 there has been widespread concern about the increase in stronger varieties including Purple Haze, Tetley Red Bush and the infamous ‘skonk’.

Rejecting claims that the Home Secretary had been influenced by the Daily Mail‘s Campaign for Weak Tea, Ms Smith added: “Our police forces are all too familiar with the consequences of tea that has been left to stew for too long.”

Smith also unveiled a new Home Office guide to drug terminology in a bid to keep vulnerable young people fully informed. The latest terms include:
Skonk: Tea that has been left to stew in the pot for more than half an hour and then served with just a tiny drop of milk ………..

Also good reading whilst drinking on International brands like Yorkshire Tea

Posted in Food and Drink & Yorkshire Products | 6 Comments

Skipton Boating

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Hortoris

The weather is getting better, I promise, so now is a good time to start thinking about messing about on boats. The Leeds Liverpool Canal and Skipton boats in particular.

Boating From Skipton

Pennine Cruisers offer a 30 minute accompanied canal trip up the historic Springs Branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal to see Skipton Castle from a different angle.

Day Boats can be hired following a brief instruction session. Best to learn how to steer, stop and pass other boats even if you plan giving locks a miss.

A short break, holiday or extended holiday on board one of Pennine Cruisers’ narrowboats can take you on some of the 2000 miles of approved UK canals.

You do not need to rough it on a narrow boat. Sorrel is Snaygills newly built luxury 2 – 4 berth boat. ‘The layout includes full central heating by radiators for the cooler days, a DVD player with LCD TV, radio and CD player with USB input at the front, dinette which converts to a double bed, a well equipped galley with gas cooker having grill, oven and hob with four burners and extractor fan. The bathroom includes a Mira shower, bath and flush toilet. The rear comprises internally sprung mattresses which can be kept as singles or positioned to create a permanent double bed’. Hello sailor that sounds like luxury to me.

Canal life is addictive so first of all via the Boat Shop and chandlery but save the alcohol for the waterside pubs you will want to tie up to to tie one on. Don’t drink and float your boat!

According to Shire Cruisers ‘In Skipton, there is a highly romantic castle, a busy market and an endless variety of shops. Within easy reach is Bingley 5 Rise Locks, one of the Seven Wonders of the waterways; a visitor attraction in its own right, if you go through the flight you will find yourself a living part of the exhibit, under rapid-fire instruction from Barry, its famous lock keeper.’ Boating holidays

Even if you pick a bad day weather-wise you can be sure of a warm welcome in Skipton. If it is reaally wet there are good pubs, fish & chips and cafes

In the canal basin is a super bronze statue of local lad Fred Trueman. Now there was a man who provided a warm welcome particularly to the Aussies!

Posted in Yorkshire Trips and Places | 1 Comment

Snape Near Bedale Some Interesting Facts

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Hortoris

As the sign says ‘Everyone is Welcome’ in Snape. It is a fine village with a couple of pubs, a local castle and a nearby arboretum. Better than saying ‘Everyone is welcome to Snape’

Around ‘1250 a manor house was built in Snape by Ralph FitzRanulph of Middleham. It would most probably have been a single roomed wooden structure incorporating a great hall. Ralph’s eldest daughter, Mary “the Lady of Middleham”, married Robert de Neville of Raby Castle and Snape stayed with Neville family until the late 16th century. It is possible that the original site of the manor house was across the road from the present castle, surrounded by small houses. Snape village as it is now was probably not developed until the early 15th century when the new Snape Castle was built.

The village has many historical connections, The site of a Roman Villa, a connection of the mother and wife of Richard III at Snape Castle, the residence of Catherine Parr and her husband John Nevill, 3rd Baron Latymer before marrying Henry VIII and involvement in the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536. Prior to the mid 19th century Snape was a centre for the woolcombing trade.’ Read more from the Snape Local History society before you visit.

This monument in the form of a cross was erected as a tribute to Lady Augusta Millbank of nearby Thorp Perrow, who died in 1874.

The Fox and Hounds is a good watering hole in nearby Carthorpe. The Castle Arms Inn is probably early eighteenth century. In this grade 2 listed building you can get refreshment that is very up to the minute.

Posted in Our Yorkshire | Comments Off

Pool in Wharfedale & Arthington

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Hortoris

The river Wharfe in Spring looking from Castley to Pool In Wharfedale

Crossing the Lower Wharfe since the doomsday book times in 1086 has been no mean feat despite fords at Knots Ford and probably Pool where the bridge now stands. Pool bridge was built in 1793 and widened in 1815 and it seems there have been road works there ever since. The volume of water after rain in the dales is massive and has led to flooding many times in near by Castley. Over the years the volume of water must be staggering. This water has been the core of industry at Pool in Wharfedale since the reformation. The original wool mill dated 1673 was swept away with Pool Low Fulling Mill and two bridges. Paper mills (that use lots of water) were built in the 18th century and this trade has been carried on by the Whiteley family and others ever since. A Flour mill was also operated along side the river but the village was located 200 yards away for fear of flooding.

Arthington
A mile to the east of Pool in Wharfedale on the south side of Wharfedale lies Arthington where records of the Priory go back to 1271 and the then prioress, Sara. Other Cluniac nuns in charge included Maud de Kesewik died 1299, Agnes de Pontefract 1302, Isabella de Berghby 1311 (demoted after leaving from the priory without permission), Sibil Plesyngton 1437, Marjorie Craven 1463, Alice Hall 1496 and Elizabeth Hall 1532. The Priory was surrendered in 1540 to Thomas Cranmer. more history
Staircase Lane running from Bramhope through Arthington to Pool is the place of a ghost story based on a wager with a member of the Dyneley family. Whilst galloping his horse down the staircase he was thrown and killed. The ghostly hooves can still be heard today!

Pool
The roads of Old Pool Bank and Pool Bank up to the Dyneley Arms have been the cause of many over-heated car engines and traffic jams as vehicles climbed out of the valley up to Yeadon Airport. These are the main roads between Bradford and Harrogate with other Wharfe crossings at Otley and Harewood. In the village near St Wilfrids church there was a blacksmith and wooden stocks whilst in Arthington there were kilns and forges. There are a couple of pubs, an active village hall and local cricket and football teams.

One of the big annual events approaching Christmas time is the visit of Santa Clause helped by gnomes from Otley Lions on the sleigh.

Posted in Villages, Towns and Cities, Yorkshire Dales | 2 Comments

Heather and Gorse In Yorkshire

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Hortoris

The North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire’s great moorlands are beautiful landscapes. They teem with flowering heather at the height of summer.
Bounded by Saltburn , Middlesbrough, Stokesley, Thirsk, Malton and finally back to the sea at Scarborough, check out the wonders of North York Moors National Park.

Ideal for walking or roaming, the moors have 1400 miles of paths and tracks to explore. Too many waymarks and signs can be intrusive so Park authorities claim to ‘try to use them sparingly, especially on open moorland where posts can spoil the very quality of remoteness and isolation which visitors cherish.’

The Ordnance Survey Explorer maps for North Yorkshire Moor areas are updated every 3 years including new bridleways. path diversions and field boundaries; SHEET OL26 covers the western half of the National Park and SHEET OL27 the eastern half.

Gorse tends to grow in dry scrubby soil and we do not have as many of those conditions in Yorkshire. However there are many spots where you can see this wild shrub in flower during winter.
Gorse often features on the slopping edge of moorland and roadside locations near our many reservoirs.
There is also a cliff top patch at Primrose Valley to scratch and spear the unwary who venture too close to the Gorse.

Heather looks good in garden situations and is a very popular form of ground cover.
This patch was spotted at Golden Acre Park near Leeds. They have a large heather collection and special area on the Bramhope side of the garden.
Other features at Golden Acre include Limestone and Sandstone Rock Gardens, Heather, Bog and Late Season borders but is most famous locally for the large pond and wild fowl that children love to feed.

Download North Yorkshire National Park Brochure pdf
Read more about Gorse

Posted in Our Yorkshire | 1 Comment

Yorkshire Pudding International Cuisine

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Hortoris

Over the top and out of the tin – very light!

A squeeze to get it on to the plate.

‘First Attempt’ but needs to keep practicing- what have you been eating until now Rhiannon?

‘The best Yorkshire pudding ever’ – Where did this title come from? France obviously. A Yorkshire sounding chef Jean-François Chénier, Mmmm tasty.

Done to a fine turn by Oriental fortune cookie.

Toad in The Hole is cheating but Su-Lin’s dish looked so good it was worth including.

Sources Flickr creative Commons
1.SkyFireXII
2.jonarcher
3.Phil_Parker
4. rhiannonstone
5.Jean-François Chénier
6.bizkit@tw,
7.su-lin,
More photos to get your saliva glands working overtime

You can’t have too many Yorkshire Puddings

Posted in Food and Drink & Yorkshire Products | Comments Off