Open day in Pateley Bridge gives people chance to learn about local rivers

The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is hosting an open day in Pateley Bridge this weekend to give local people an insight into its work.

The environmental charity protects local rivers, including the Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe and Ouse, by carrying out educational projects and engaging with communities.

The open day will tell people about its work in areas such as water sampling, flood management and controlling non-native species, as well as highlighting the importance of healthy river environments.

A representative of Nidd Action Group, which is campaigning to clean-up the Nidd, will be among a number of guest speakers.

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There will also be two guided walks along the Nidd, a lunch time poster session and a session in the Rivers4U mobile classroom where people can enjoy learn about the river and life within it further.

Soup, coffee and cake will be on offer during the lunch session.

Dr Marie Taylor, chief executive of the trust, said:

“People are now far more aware of the quality of Yorkshire’s rivers and yet many are probably less aware of the extent of the trust’s endeavours and our partnership achievements in monitoring and improving our waterways.

“The open day is a great opportunity to explore the breadth of our work, learn about what we have delivered with others, and discover how to support these activities.”

The event will take place on Saturday, September 16, from 11am – 3.30pm.

It will be held at the Riverside Scout Hut in Pateley Bridge and is free to attend.

Stunning rainbow over Nidderdale this morning

Nidderdale is known for its fantastic views, which were made even more beautiful this morning when a full rainbow appeared in the sky.

Reader Joyce Liggins captured the optical phenomenon at about 9.30am from her bedroom in Pateley Bridge.

It shows the view looking towards Greenhow Hill — a sight Joyce is familiar with having lived on the same street all her life.

Joyce, who took the photo on an iPad, said:

“If I see something that looks nice, I take a photo of it.”

We love receiving your photos. Don’t forget you can send in your images to letter@thestrayferret.co.uk to be featured in our photo of the week on Sunday.

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Ethical dilemmas to be discussed in Pateley Bridge

Sex, death, war and artificial intelligence will be discussed in a series of monthly Food for Thought talks by a leading theologian in Pateley Bridge.

Dr Peter Vardy, who has written extensively on religion and ethics and was vice-principal of Heythrop Jesuit College in London, from 1998 to 2011, will lead the events at St Cuthbert’s Church.

For more than 30 years he has run conferences for GCSE and A level students in this country and overseas.

Dr Vardy, whose first talk will take place next month, said:

“The aim of this initiative is to engage those attending with contemporary issues, but also to explain different approaches particularly to Christian understandings of ethical dilemmas.”

Everyone from within the parish and beyond is welcome to attend the Food for Thought events.

The Vicar of St Cuthbert’s, Revd Darryl Hall, said:

“Our mission action plan inspires us to grow confident Christians, devoted to growing deeply as disciples.

“We have a dedicated team looking after the youth ministry in the parish and also a team looking after adult discipleship – which is where Food for Thought first came from as a confirmation course during Lent.

“It proved to be so popular that we ran a second series before taking a break for the summer.

“We are very fortunate that Dr Peter Vardy kindly offered to run a monthly series on Christian ethics from September to February.”

Starting on September 6 with the subject of ‘how to make ethical decisions’, the 45-minute talks will start at 7pm followed by 15 minutes for questions. Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm.

The other subjects to be covered are:

To find out more and to help with managing numbers, attendees are asked to email darryl.hall@leeds.anglican.org

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Nidd Art Trail in full swing as local artists begin to open their doors

Local artists, craftspeople and photographers are opening their doors to the public this weekend to showcase work as part of NiddArt Trail.

The trail, run by community organisation Nidderdale Art Trail, aims to highlight both the artistic talent on offer throughout the district, as well as keep community spirit alive.

It originated as Nidd Art Fest, which ran from 1997 to 2008, and has been known as NiddArt Trail since 2009.

Venues in upper and lower Nidderdale, Pateley Bridge, Bewerley, Knaresborough and surrounding villages will house the works of both professional artists, such as Claire Baxter Gallery and JOT’s Gallery, as well as amateur groups such as Pateley Bridge Art Club, which will hold its summer exhibition in St Cuthbert’s School, and Lofthouse Art Group.

A number of community venues will also host featured works, including Summerbridge Methodist Church and Sawley Village Hall.

St Paul’s Art Group will have a variety of mediums on display, including photography and crafts, with some on sale to the public. The work will be held in St Paul’s United Reformed Church, Harrogate, on 26 and 27 August. Refreshments will also be available.

Poetry readings will also take place at Darley Methodist Church as part of the trail. Reverend Alastair Ferneley of Dacre and Alan Jordan, Lay Pastor in the Methodist Church, will be reciting their own poetry on Saturday, August 19, and Saturday, August 26.

Paintings, pottery and photographs curated by local artists will all be housed in St Andrew’s Church, in Blubberhouses, on 19 and 20 August, as well as 26 – 28 August too.

Treasurer Charles Mellor said:

“It’s very much a community event and is made from a mix of talent and community effort.

“There is quite a spectrum of activity this year.”

Some pieces will be available to buy from both the professional and amateur artists, however many choose to simply be involved in the trail.

“I think people just really enjoy being a part of it.

“Many of the groups and venues involved become very enthusiastic about the trail.”

The participating venues are free to attend and will be open at various times from Friday, August 18 to Monday, August 28.

The trail has been available to view online from August 1.

Find a full breakdown of the participating artists and venues, as well as their opening times, here.

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Reservoir monument restored and returned to Nidderdale Museum

A stone monument built in 1913 depicting Angram reservoir has been restored and donated to Nidderdale Museum.

The reservoir was one of three built in the Nidderdale area between 1896 and 1936 by Bradford Corporation Waterworks Department.

The company also built a railway to transport people and equipment from Pateley Bridge to the three reservoirs – Gouthwaite, Angram and Scar House. 

Stonemason Robert Drummond, who was part of a team of stonemasons employed to build the reservoir, created the monument of Angram, which weighs over a ton.

It stood outside the Bradford Corporation Waterworks Office, moving several times before resting in the private garden of one of Mr Drummond’s descendants.

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In 2021, the monument was offered as a donation to the museum by members of the family, and it was accepted.

Stonemasons HA Green & Son from Ripon dismantled it and transported it to their workshop, where the monument underwent a restoration, sponsored by Yorkshire Water’s Beyond Nature Initiative.

On Friday, it was unveiled outside Nidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge to serve as a reminder of the history of the dams in the area.

Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum Society said: 

“We are delighted that Yorkshire Water agreed that the monument should come back to Nidderdale and be displayed so that everyone can learn more about the reservoirs and its history.”

The Lord Mayor of Bradford was in Pateley Bridge last Friday to unveil the model (pictured below).

Pictured are (left to right): Joyce Dixon, granddaughter of the stonemason; Sue Welch, chairman of Nidderdale Museum; Cllr Gerry Barker, Lord Mayor of Bradford; Jean Barker, Lady Mayoress of Bradford; Cllr David Ireton, chairman of North Yorkshire Council; Andy Shaw, head of water production for Yorkshire Water

The story of Angram

More than a thousand workers were involved in the construction work, with most of them living on site.  During the work at Angram and Scar House the accommodation built was much better than most in the local villages, with electric power, communal buildings, a school and a cinema.

Many stonemasons were employed to build the reservoirs, and one of them, Robert Drummond, created this scale model of Angram during his spare time, working with his son Duncan.

It was finished in 1913 six years before the reservoir opened.

The aqueduct built to transport the water from the reservoirs to the water filtration plant at Chellow Heights near Bradford was a major feat of engineering, transporting the water underground for over 30 miles purely by gravity.

There is no pumping involved. The system is still in operation today, providing water to the Bradford area.

Nidderdale Museum, in the Old Workhouse, Pateley Bridge is a volunteer-run independent museum with 12 rooms full of items and information from the past 200 years of Nidderdale life.

It is open from 1.30pm to 4.30pm daily except Mondays over summer.

 

Investigation continues into Pateley Bridge petrol station attempted arson

Investigations are ongoing into an attempted arson at a petrol station in Pateley Bridge, police have said.

The incident happened between 1.45am and 2.45am on Sunday, May 14, at the Dales Market Corner petrol station in the town.

According to North Yorkshire Police, two men walked onto the forecourt, placed a backpack in the area and set it alight. The backpack then self-extinguished.

Two men were arrested in connection with the attempted arson following the incident.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson, while a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and criminal damage.

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Both have since been released on conditional bail and no charges have been issued.

A police spokesperson said today that an investigation into the attempted arson is ongoing.

Jill Cowling, detective inspector from Harrogate CID, said previously:

“We’re treating this incident as deliberate, and enquiries are continuing.  Thankfully no one was injured, but we will be increasing police activity in the area to provide additional reassurance to the public.

“As part of the ongoing police investigation I’m now appealing for people to come forward about any suspicious activity at the location on the night of Saturday 13 and in the early hours of Sunday 14 May 2023.”

Nidderdale Showground: new cash-only parking system announced

New parking arrangements have been announced for Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge.

NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, said in a statement today it had severed ties with a private company and brought the car park management in-house.

It hopes this will end a turbulent period since it ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park last year.

However, neither a date for the new system nor the amount that will be charged, is yet known. Parking is currently free following the breakdown of the arrangement with the private firm.

For many years, the car park was one of three covered by the annual £12 Pateley Bridge parking permit.

The decision to switch to a private company led to some people unaware of the change being fined £60 by automatic number plate recognition cameras.

The society said in a statement today:

“Following a series of challenging months, during which both our society and car park patrons endured a nightmare experience under the management of an external company, we are pleased to announce that we have severed ties with them and terminated their contract.

“Moving forward, we have decided to bring the car park management entirely in-house, ensuring greater control and accountability.

“In the near future, we will be installing a new pay station, featuring a simple cash-only system. With this new setup, tickets will no longer be issued, streamlining the process for visitors.”

The statement said all proceeds generated will continue to be allocated towards the maintenance of the car park and the show field. It added:

“Additionally, we are committed to implementing a comprehensive camera system to monitor the car park and pay station.

“This measure aims to address issues such as vandalism and persistent abuses of the facilities. By adopting this down-to-earth and hassle-free approach, we aim to create a safer and more secure environment for everyone.”

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Nidd Plus could run services from axed Pateley Bridge children’s centre

A Nidderdale councillor has called for a children’s centre that is closing in Pateley Bridge to be repurposed by community organisation Nidd Plus.

Nidderdale Children’s Centre, based at St Cuthbert’s Primary School in the town, is one of five Sure Start centres North Yorkshire Council will close following a public consultation over spring.

The centre opened in opened September 2010 and was backed by £590,715 of taxpayers’ money but it did not reopen after the pandemic.

The council estimates it will save £13,400 a year in running costs by closing the building and North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive met yesterday to rubber-stamp a report that recommended the five closures.

Nidderdale Children’s Centre was based at St Cuthbert’s school.

However, during the meeting Andrew Murday, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale, intervened to tell councillors Nidd Plus has a plan to use the space for “multi-generational” support services.

Nidd Plus currently has a hub in the town which includes a small library, a desk for council and police matters and a tourist information point.

It also provides transport for residents so they can attend support centres outside of Nidderdale.

Cllr Murday said:

“The centre at St Cuthbert’s school is a very large room. I visited it last week. It’s not been used at the moment and nor will the school find any use for it in the future. There’s a facility there that could be used.”

The councillor said if Nidd Plus were to take over the space it could offer a much larger library for residents and it would also be able to offer some support services in the town without the need for residents to travel long distances.

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He added:

“We have the support of Nidd Plus to develop the centre. At the current time the library facility is tiny but this room and building offers opportunities to expand those services.

“Nidd Plus is providing transport for all sorts of people to go as far as Harrogate to access day centres. If we’re allowed to use this centre it would be a great opportunity to provide a daily multi-generational service. I commend Nidd Plus for bringing forward a plan to use this in a way that would benefit our community throughout Nidderdale.”

In response, the council’s corporate director of children and young people’s service,  Stuart Carlton, said the council would be “more than happy” to speak with Nidd Plus about the building’s future.

Michael Harrison, the Conservative executive councillor for health and adult services, said the closure of the children’s centre “shouldn’t prevent costed plans coming forward” about the future of the building.

Cllr Harrison added:

“I know from personal experience what a good community anchor organisation Nidd Plus are.

“I know the decision today doesn’t stop plans coming forward. They have to be robust but there’s nothing stopping them coming forward.”

Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate quit after ‘chicken policy disagreement’

The Yorkshire Party candidate to be North Yorkshire mayor next year quit the party after a disagreement over a policy to hand out free chickens.

Keith Tordoff, who is from Pateley Bridge, pledged in an interview to give three chickens to 20,000 households in North Yorkshire.

But the policy had not been discussed in detail with the Yorkshire Party and thus Mr Tordoff will now seek election as an independent candidate.

He announced his resignation from the party this week.

Other disagreements included the Yorkshire Party’s website ‘not being up to date’ and there not being enough volunteers.

Mr Tordoff said:

 “They don’t like stories like the chicken story.

“They really tried to clamp down and said that shouldn’t have been released.

“I’ve been contacted by one of the largest egg producers in the country saying they want to offer help.

“It stimulated the imagination of people but the Yorkshire Party leadership didn’t think it was appropriate and would make the party look a bit foolish or silly.”

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Mr Tordoff also said he recorded a promotional song based on the lyric in Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing ‘your chicks for free’.

He said:

“They didn’t want me to release that.

“It’s not going to diminish anything but unfortunately they couldn’t quite see through it.

“I don’t think they quite have the drive, the vision, the imagination, or my appeal to people to work on projects.”

Although he wished the Yorkshire Party the best, Mr Todoff said its leadership “went over the top” on their crackdown of his policy.

He said:

“They couldn’t grasp it.”

Yorkshire Party co-leader Bob Buxton said: 

“Keith is used to being independent.

“He came up with the chicken story and that perhaps took away the emphasis from more substantial policies.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad policy but I would have liked to have fleshed it out a bit more.

“He’s very autonomous.

“It was all very polite but he felt and we felt it was best to part ways.”

The party will field a different candidate following the by-election in Selby and Ainsty triggered by Boris Johnson ally Nigel Adams.

Pateley Bridge man resigns as Yorkshire Party mayoral candidate

A Pateley Bridge man who was selected to stand for the Yorkshire Party for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has resigned from the party.

Keith Tordoff announced his candidacy for the role just over a week ago.

However, in a statement, he said he had decided to resign from the Yorkshire Party “with immediate effect” in order to stand as an independent.

Mr Tordoff, a former police officer, detective and specialist fraud investigator who owns Tordoff Gallery in Pateley Bridge, said the move would allow for “freedom and flexibility” in his campaign.

His statement said:

“The freedom and flexibility of being an independent candidate allows for Keith to appeal to all sections of society and members of all political parties as well as deliver on all relevant issues affecting the people who live, work or visit North Yorkshire.”

The move comes after Mr Tordoff, 67, released a list of pledges last week, which included giving 2,000 households three chickens each.

He said this would save 100 tonnes of food waste each month and improve the health of poorer households.

Mr Tordoff also said his priorities would be to make North Yorkshire an economic powerhouse; improve transport links and connectivity, especially for rural communities; making North Yorkshire a safer place to live, work and visit and to make North Yorkshire a world leader in sustainability.

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The 67-year-old, who was born and raised in Leeds, was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to business and the community.

Mr Tordoff has also previously stood as an independent candidate in both 2021 North Yorkshire Police, Fire Crime Commissioner elections, finishing in third place.

Zoe Metcalfe, the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner who lives in Aldborough, has announced she hopes to be selected by the Conservatives in the mayoral election.