Yorkshire has more miles of Dry Stone Wall than any other county and these walls are an outstanding feature of the Dales. It is quite a craft to build such a wall and the techniques have been passed down for generations. This is just a superficial guide to whet your dry stone appetite.
The way dry stone walling works is to make the weight of the outside lean inward to the core structure of the wall, each stone is carefully selected jig-saw like to create a near flush contact area between each stone to prevent slipping or wobble. Walls are usually 5-7 feet high and traditional measures are used such as a Rood (quarter of an acre or 40 perches) which equals a furlongs times a rod which is itself a quarter of a chain or 22 yards. (There will be a test at the end).
Gather and sort the stone by size in a type that complements and harmonises with the landscape such as limestone, grit stone or sandstone. Make foundations level and about a yard wide. Large stones go at the bottom butting against each other. All other stones must make contact with others and have the weight back into the wall and the face facing (Mmmm). With each layer of stone fill in void spaces with smaller stones to ‘bind’ the wall. The wall should taper like a flat topped ‘ A’, this slope is called the batter. ‘Throughs’ are the large heavy stones laid across the wall at intervals for extra strength. Topping stones as the name suggests are the icing on the cake also called coping, cap or comb stones. Cheeks or Heads are the end stones. A Cripple hole is a rectangular opening at the base of a wall built to permit the passage of sheep. Also known as a hogg hole, lonky or lunky hole, sheep run, sheep smoose, smout hole, thawl or thirl hole. Smoot hole is to allow Rabbits and Hare to move through or even small streams.
Dry stone walls and traditional Yorkshire Dales meadows
Dry Stone walls Buckden
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The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain is registered as a charity and offers training and has several branches in Yorkshire.
The Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild recently featured an arch bridge and an article from the Yorkshire Post on their web site.
Photo credit middle the wet or snowy ‘dry stone wall by lynnepet’ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
We are not a war like race but Yorkshire folk have long stood up for what is right. Sometimes it has been necessary to stand inside a castle to repel t’other side and here is a selection of Yorkshire Castles. All are worth a visit and repay a bit of study of their history.
Scarborough Castle
The headland was a signaling station from the 4th century and used by Romans as part of their coastal defences.
The unauthorised castle was built by William le Gross in the 12th century and rebuilt by Henry III.
George Fox the founder of the Quakers was imprisoned in the castle in 1665.
The castle was in use until bombed by the Germans during World War I.
Skipton Castle
This was a fortified house and is in a good state of repair. The open sections date from 12th century.
From the 14th century the Clifford family took up residence. After it was seiged and damaged during the civil war Lady Anne Clifford restored the castle.
There are a large number of doors leading from the courtyard and children like to play in the area.
The church of Holy Trinity has a slab giving the Clifford genealogy and this is also worth a visit.
Richmond Castle
The castle is the oldest stone built castle in England which is maintained and owned by English heritage.
The remains are of a Norman castle the building of which commenced 1071 overlooking the river Swale.
The keep was added to the castle in the 12th centurywith walls of an amazing eleven feet thick.
The castle keep rises to a height of over 100 feet and can be seen from many local vantage points.
During World War I the detention cells were used to house conscientious objectors.
Middleham Castle
Built to replace a motte and bailey castle formerly on William’s Hill, Middleham castle was built in 12th century. A chaple was added in the 13th century with other additions through to 15th century.
Richard III was based at the castle when it was used as part of the government for Northern England.
Pickering Castle
Visit Pickering via the North Yoork Moors Steam railway to start your historic trip.
The castle was started in the 11th century and wooden palisades were replaced during the 1220’s
The 15th century gatehouse is now a ruin but the Diate Hill and Rosamund’s towers can be seen with a postern gate to the inner bailey.
St Peter & St Paul church provides a historical backdrop to the castle and Pickering.
Bolton Castle
Started in 1379 Bolton Castle near Hawes in Wensleydale was a more comfortable castle than earlier designs. It is now one of the best UK examples of 14th century architecture in a secular building.
Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Bolton in 1568.
Photo Credits
Scarborough Castle by Ingy The Wingy Scarborough Castle by Ingy The Wingy CC BY-ND 2.0
Skipton, Grassington & Pateley Bridge by dvdbramhall CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Richmond Castle by Ambersky235 CC BY-ND 2.0
Middleham Castle by rofanatorCC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Conisbrough Castle by James.Stringer CC BY-NC 2.0
Pickering Castle by James.Stringer CC BY-NC 2.0
Bolton Castle by davesag CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Masham is really for beer not sweets but in the corner of the market square is a shop to treasure. Not only because they offer Licourice sweets from New Zealand, Holland and Pontefract but because they seem to be going the extra mile in the provision of treats for the sweet-toothed amongst us. ‘Yorkshire Mixture’ is another favourite a Northern Classic of boiled sweets in an assortment of different shapes and flavours including Pear Drops, Fruit Rock & Fishes and mint rock.
I do not want to drive you away from this web site by if you want to look inside the digital sweetshop of Bah Humbug then click here.
With winter and flu nearly upon us why not stock up with some winter warmers like Coltsfoot Rock, Paynes Original Army & Navy Tablets or real Cough Candy. Too say nothing of Aniseed Balls and the retro range including ABC Candy Letters, Dip Dabs, Double Dips, Shrimps, Anglo Bubbly, Black Jacks, Refreshers and Lover Hearts .
Maxons Humbug Suppliers to the World
Maxons of Sheffield is one of the few remaining traditional sweet manufacturers in England specialising in boiled sugar and flavoured sherbet. Maxons continues as a privately owned, independent, manufacturing company under the direction the original Pitchfork family. Henry Dixon Ltd. had existed since the late nineteenth century and had acquired a significant reputation and history in the area. Following the end of sweet rationing in 1953, both the wholesale and manufacturing began to expand and, in 1958, they all merged.
The traditional brands, as supplied to Bah Humbug, of Maxons, Dixons, and Jesmona account for the majority of production. Traditional products like Pineapple chunks, Pear Drops and Yorkshire Mixture are made along side Black Bullets, Sherbert Fruits and Humbugs.
Twixt Appletreewick and Bolton Abbey is Barden Tower the former residence of Lord Henry Clifford. Built in the 15th century it has suffered several periods of decay and decline and is the ruin you now see. Nearby is Barden Bridge a 17th Century Arch bridge that is designated an ancient monument. There is some parking and plenty of interesting walks near by including access to the Dales Way that follows the northern bank of the river Wharfe up stream from the nearby Strid cottage. Over looked by the ruin is the old Priest’s House which housed the ‘Clifford’s’ private Chaplain. This is now a popular restaurant with a bunk barn for walkers or diners.
Henry Clifford was the eldest son of John ‘The Butcher’ Clifford who was know for his hatred of the Yorkists. Following his fathers death at the battle of Towton, Henry was hidden for 24 years until after the battle of Bosworth and now thirty-one years old, he was restored to his estates and titles by Henry VII who knighted him. Henry assisted the Earl of Surrey and fought at Flodden in 1513, he was one of the principal leaders with a large retinue and even brought home to Skipton Castle some Scottish ordnance.
Having spent his childhood and early years with a shepherd family he had little education and used Barden Tower as a place to learn and study.
Having regained his property and position, he immediately began to repair his castles and improve his education. He quickly learnt to write his own name; and, to facilitate his studies, built Barden Tower, near Bolton Priory, that he might place himself under the tuition of some learned monks there, and apply himself to astronomy, and other favourite sciences of the period.
Sheffield steel for 21/- with a silver plated handle – What Luxury for shavers in this 1913 advertisement from The Durham-Duplex Razor Co Ltd of Sheffield. A guinea would have gone a long way in 1913.
Durham Duplex still manufacture millions of blades every month in Sheffield the UK’s cradle of engineering excellence. They ‘stock the worlds most comprehensive range of standard designs to suit all your cutting, slitting, trimming, slicing, and scraping needs.’ 14,000 lines and that is a lot of cutting capability. Started at the end of king Edward Vll reign in 1910 they will be celebrating 100 years production in this cut throat business next year.
They recently acted as the Industrial Sponsor for Myers Grove School for the Master Cutler’s “Made in Sheffield” Innovation Competition . The pupils worked on a design then at Kelham Island they demonstrated the results to a panel including the Master Cutler.
Early razors made of horn, flint or stone with bone handles have been excavated from Neolithic caves. The ancient razors from the Late Stone Age slowly evolved, and by 3000 B.C. hieroglyphics and tomb excavations show that the people of Mesopotamia were shaving with finely honed obsidian blades. Rolls Razors developed safety razors in the the post war years which are collected by those interested in ‘Barberiana’, the term given to collectible items that have to do with shaving.
Cut throat razors can still be bought from example at Executive Shaving a Yorkshire business that recently set up new premises in Plymouth.
After the business soft soap I also came across a 1920’s advert for Erasmic Shaving Sticks that have no special links to Yorkshire.
The Bradford League produced some great cricketers and employed others like Sir Leary Constantine. The top star on many peoples list would be Jim Laker 1922-86 who was born in Frizinghall and attended Salt’s school. Jim played at Roberts Park for Saltaire Cricket Club from the age of 16.
Like many Yorkshire lads Jim Laker nursed ambitions to play for ‘Gods Own County’ but after an invitation to perform in the nets at Headingley Jim slipped through Yorkshires fingers when they turned him down. Obviously disappointed but recognising his need to improve Jim focused on developing his spin bowling.
In 1946 Jim Laker signed on special registration for Surrey where he was to enjoy a successful career. Even though on occasion Yorkshire would have like to tempt him back Jim remained loyal to his second county.
Jim Laker Playing for England and MCC
During a test trial for England against the Rest of the World in 1950 Jim recorded the most remarkable bowling figures of 8 wickets for 2 runs in 14 overs. Fittingly this was at a Yorkshire ground, Park Avenue back in Jim’s own home town.
1956 was Jim Lakers year and ‘Lakers Match’ was the test match that made Jim a national hero. Selected to plat against Australia at Old Trafford Jim bowled his socks off and the Aussie out. Over the two innings Jim took 19 wickets for just 90 runs!
Jim played 46 times for England or the MCC side between 1946-1959. He took 193 wickets at an average of 21.24 and scored 676 runs in 63 innings.
It’s Kennington Oval on Saturday 15 August 1953. Hassett (left) won the toss and decided to bat first. The series was in the balance and, for that reason, six days had been allotted to this, the final test. But they were not needed. The match was finished in mid-afternoon on the fourth day with an easy victory for England. The Ashes had been won.’
The England team including three Yorkshiremen was Len Hutton, Bill Edrich, Peter May, Denis Compton, Tom Graveney, Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Jim Laker, Tony Lock, Fred Trueman and Alec Bedser.
So Jim Laker gave Yorkshire ‘the slip’ or more accurately Yorkshire slipped when they allowed Jim to develop his talent at Surrey. After retiring Jim made a short comeback playing for Essex. Jim Laker then developed ‘new spin’ as a journalist and commentator for radio and television.
Slipless in Settle
Slipless In Settle: A Slow Turn Around Northern Cricket by Harry Pearson is a book on Yorkshire village and League cricket that will give you a wry smile or three. At times tender then bawdy, Pearson’s prose is none the less as steady and measured as a glob of gravy running down the side of a Yorkshire pudding. For anyone wishing to sample ‘cricket with the crusts on’.
‘Slipless in Settle is well worth the detour’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Packed with comic tales to delight the cricket aficionado and non-fan alike’ Daily Mirror
We would recommend this to every sports lover if we were still in business’ Yorkshire Sports 1900 – 1981 (t’pink un.)
Photo Credits
Saltaire Cricket by dmx_leeds CC BY-NC 2.0
Lindsay Hassett and Len Hutton by pandrcutts CC BY 2.0
Global warming in a year when the overall world temperature has again gone down continues to excite the many pressure groups with and without vested interests.
‘Crystal balls’ is the Sunday Telegraph quote of the week.If you use one be prepared to eat ground glass.
“A good forecaster is not smarter than everyone else, he merely has his ignorance better organised.”
‘It is said there are two types of forecasts … lucky or wrong!’
The weather forecasters have been getting crossed wires this summer but that isn’t news, I guess. The day I took this photograph of these power cables crossing the moor near Bolton Abbey it was supposed to be cloudy and rainy. Well those sort of clouds I can put up with!
If you are interested in Local weather stations there are 3 in Yorkshire at Ribblehead, Upper Wharfedale and Lower Wharfedale under the brand ‘my local weather’. Their interesting little web site complements the data gathering and shows real time wind direction and strength together with barometric pressure and a host of other features. This is the link for Lower Wharefdale
There are other weather monitoring web sites with data from Yorkshire and elsewhere. Try weather monitoring for Melton East Yorkshire, Hatfield South Yorkshire and Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire amongst others plus sites in the larger cities. Select your locality and compare how you are doing against other areas North Featherstone for example has gone 5 days without rain and the temperature as I write is 15.2°C. (Sorry they don’t do temperature in Fahrenheit and I don’t know how the rest of Featherstone are getting on for weather)
Posted inOur Yorkshire|Comments Off on Weather Forecast – Forecasters will get it Wrong
Celebrate all that was great about British All in Wrestling. ‘Nine and a Half Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling of the 1970s and early ’80s’ by Luke Haines is an affectionate homage to the old wrestlers profiled below.
The free 1978 calender includes pictures of Klondyke Kate, Adrian Street, Marc ‘Rollerball’ Rocco and Catweazle as well as all your star favourites. (Sorry it included Dickie Davis instead of Kent Walton.)
Top Yorkshire attractions, Big Daddy and ‘orrible Bradfordian Les Kellett feature in ‘Big Daddy Got a Casio VL Tone’ but musically I go for ‘I am Catweazle’ and ‘Haystacks’ in Heaven’.
Still you already know my ‘dubious’ tastes in music.
Credits
Thanks for the photograph and Walton like commentary repeated below ‘TV Shows We Used To Watch – 1970s – Wrestling by brizzle born and bred’ CC BY-NC 2.0
“Turn back the clock to the 1970’s when Saturday afternoon meant one thing and that was Wrestling.
Wrestling – a mainstay of the World of Sport schedule from 1955 until it ended. Many of the wrestlers featured became household names in the UK and the greatest rivalry was between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks
Tag team action was from the man in the big black pants (and hair to match) Mick McManus and Steve Logan versus Kendo and Gorgeous George and the late Pat Roach who went onto star in 4 series of TV’s Auf Weidersehen Pet and Leon Arris (the great late actor Brian Glover) plus Jackie Pallo the pony tailed hero the girls loved to hate.
Kent Walton, the former wrestling commentator on World of Sport who died aged 86, was instantly recognisable from his husky welcome at 4 o’clock each Saturday afternoon: “Greetings, grapple fans.”
A smoker who cultivated a mid-Atlantic drawl, Walton hosted the wrestling for all of the 33 years that it appeared, sandwiched between the half-time and full-time football scores; at the end of the allotted time, he would sign off: “Have a good week. . .till next week.” When the ITV schedulers finally dropped the sport in 1988, he announced that his lips had been dented by so much time at the microphone.
Walton’s understated, factual commentary described wrestlers from George Kidd (his favourite), Jackie Pallo and Mick McManus to the less athletic Big Daddy (“Ea-sy, ea-sy”) and Giant Haystacks. Walton hotly refuted allegations that the bouts were fixed, and would put into practice on saloon-bar doubters some of the wrestling moves he had learned. In its televised heyday, wrestling attracted as many as 12 million viewers. They included the Queen, whose interest in the sport was mentioned in Richard Crossman’s diaries; and Margaret Thatcher, who asked Big Daddy for six signed photographs, and found him useful for conversation in Africa, where he was a household name. The Duke of Edinburgh was said to be captivated by Johnny Kwango’s head-butting technique, and Frank Sinatra told Giant Haystacks that British wrestlers were the best entertainers in the world.
Shirley Crabtree, Jr, better known as Big Daddy (14 November 1930 – 2 December 1997) was a British professional wrestler famous for his record-breaking 64 inch chest. Known for wearing his various Big Daddy leotards, Crabtree’s original one was emblazoned with just a large “D” and was fashioned by his wife Eunice from their chintz sofa.
Shirley Crabtree’s brother Brian was a wrestling referee and his nephew Eorl Crabtree is an England international rugby league footballer.
Crabtree died of a stroke in December 1997 in Halifax General Hospital. He was survived by his second wife of 31 years, Eunice and six children.
Giant Haystacks
Martin Ruane (October 10, 1946 – November 29, 1998) was an English professional wrestler of Irish descent. Best known by his ring name, Giant Haystacks, he wrestled in such places as England, the United States, Canada, India, and Zimbabwe. Ruane was known for his massive physical size, standing 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall and weighing 48 stone (670 lb; 300 kg) at his heaviest.
Martin Ruane was born in London, England to parents originally from County Mayo in Ireland. When he was 3, in 1949, Ruane and his family moved north from London to Salford, which remained his home. He worked as a labourer and as a nightclub bouncer before a friend suggested he take up professional wrestling as a career. He died of cancer on Sunday, November 29, 1998 at the age of 52.
Kendo Nagasaki
Kendo Nagasaki is a professional wrestling stage name, used as a gimmick of that of a Japanese Samurai warrior with a mysterious past and even supernatural powers of hypnosis. The name derives from the modern martial art of Japanese fencing (Kendo), and Nagasaki is the name of a city on the south-western coast of Kyūshū, site of the second use of the atomic bomb.
The original and most well known use of the gimmick is by the legendary British wrestler Kendo Nagasaki who made his name in ITV’s World of Sport. This version of the Nagasaki character dates back to November 1964.[
A true enigma of the British wrestling scene, the man known as Kendo Nagasaki was a part of the industry for nearly 40 years and, in that time, cultivated a legend that endures to this day. Hidden behind a red mask lined with white stripes to simulate the imposing visage of the headgear worn in a formal kendo match and maintaining a stony silence, Kendo Nagasaki was an intimidating sight to behold both in and out of the ring. This combined with a genuine understanding of the theatrical aspect of professional wrestling and a certain degree of athleticism made him an effective performer and a superb villain.
Mick McManus
Mick McManus (born Michael Matthews on 11 January 1928 in New Cross, London England), is a former English professional wrestler. He is credited as being one of the most famous heel European wrestlers of all time and often went by the nicknames “The Man You Love to Hate”, and “Rugged South London Tough Guy”.
McManus very much set the standard for wrestlers such as Mark Rocco and Kendo Nagasaki who chose to bend the rules as far as they could go without being disqualified, much to the fury of the crowd. He was also well known for using short range forearm jabs in matches. He became famous for his trademark black trunks and cropped black hair and for his catchphrase “Not the ears, not the ears”.
McManus had many appearances on ITV’s World of Sport. During his televised matches, which spanned more than 20 years, McManus would lose only twice in a Championship match: once by disqualification against Peter Preston, and then again in his final years when he lost his title to youngster Mal Sanders (at which time McManus was well over 50-years-old).
One infamous televised match he lost was to the controversial parody wrestler “Catweazle” (Gary Cooper), due to two submissions caused by the latter tickling him whilst pinned. Such was McManus’s fury at the manner he lost that he refused to wrestle Cooper again, but agreed to relent for his final televised bout.
Les Kellet
Yorkshireman Les Kellet was born in Bradford in 1915. After completing an engineering apprenticeship and travelling the world as a merchant seaman Les returned to Bradford following the Second World war and established himself as one of the most successful and popular British wrestlers of all time. His wrestling trainer, Len Pickard, and promoter George de Relwyskow Snr., are the two men credited with cajoling the reluctant Kellet to follow a professional career
“Bomber” Pat Roach
Pat Roach was born in Birmingham in 1937 and by the age of 22 had gained a black belt in Judo. From this impressive achievement the 6’5 tall near 20 stone giant went into the rings of Great Britain becoming an instant hit due to his size and skill. Even though Pat was one of the largest athletes in the ring he was able to match holds with some of the smaller and more technical men of the era, this combined with his immense size made him a devastating opponent for anyone.
Mike Marino
Mike Marino was one of the most beloved Professional Wrestlers to ever to put on a pair of wrestling boots, he was loved in equal measure by both the fans and the wrestlers alike.”
See World Of Sport – Big Daddy V Giant Haystacks ( 1981 )
Where else in Yorkshire should cricket be played if not under the Cow and Calf rocks and Ilkley Moor. Well in the Airedale -Wharfedale senior league you can be traveling to any number of grounds in West and North Yorkshire including North Leeds, Beckwithshaw, Otley, Collingham, Silsden, Guiseley, Steeton, Harden, Colton, Illingworth, Tong Park Esholt , Knaresborough,Upper Wharfedale, Addingham, Menston or Skipton. There are three divisions in the senior league with Ilkley languishing in the third at the moment. Still as the County team are proving it is ‘not the winning that counts but the taking part’. more info
The Nidderdale and District Amateur league has a catchment area from Wensley, through Coverdale to Kettlewell, from there following the course of the River Wharfe to Bolton Abbey continuing with the course of the River Wharfe (including Arthington) to the point where it meets the A64 at Tadcaster. From Tadcaster, the route of the A64 to the point where it meets the A1237. The route of the A 1237 to the point where it meets the A19. The route of the A19 to a point level with Thornton le Beans. An imaginary line drawn East to West from the point level with Thornton le Beans to a point immediately North of Wensley. Here is a name check on some of the teams you could meet on this tour of Nidderdale districtAlne. Arthington, Birstwith, Bishop Monkton, Bishop Thornton, Blubberhouses, Bolton Abbey, Boroughbridge, Burnt Yates, Burton Leonard, Dacre Banks, Darley, Dishforth, Galphay and Winksley, Glasshouses, Goldsborough, Hampsthwaite, Killinghall, Kirkby Malzeard, Knaresborough Forest, Lofthouse, Markington, Marton-cum-Grafton, Masham, Newby Hall, North Stainley, Ouseburn, Pannal, Pateley Bridge, Ripley, Ripon, South Kilvington,Studley Royal, Thornton Watlass and West Tanfield
What used to be the big daddy of league cricket has been taken over by sponsorship and is now called ‘Solly Sports YORKSHIRE ECB COUNTY PREMIER LEAGUE‘ named after the ball used and sold by Kippax sport. Mmm money aint everything particularly in sport. Teams include; Barnsley, Castleford, Doncaster Town, Driffield Town, Harrogate , Hull & YPI, Rotherham Town, Scarborough, Sheffield Collegiate and United, York and Yorkshire CCC Academy.
An apology to all the other leagues and village teams that haven’t got a mention in this edited gazetteer of Yorkshire cricket; may be next time if there is sufficient interest.
Read Slipless In Settle: A Slow Turn Around Northern Cricket by Harry Pearson is a book on Yorkshire village and League cricket that will give you a wry smile or three.
See a report on Jim Laker the Bradford League cricketer made international star!
Photo Credit
Cricket in Ilkley by reinholdbehringer CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Click on book to buy from Amazon.
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