hillam news
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Hillam News June 2011 Hillam News June 2011 village magazineTRANSCRIPT
1
Editor for this issue - Rob Preston
HILLAM NEWS is financed solely by advertising revenue and the generosity of contributors, photocopiers
and distributors. The Editor is solely responsible for the paper’s contents. If you have a view you would like
published, or if you wish to advertise, phone David Atkinson on 684577 or email at [email protected].
The voice of Hillam village, North Yorkshire. Delivered free to all residents. Volume 23, Issue 3. June—July 2011
Uncontrolled development - find out how Hillam residents brought a halt to a road across a field off Hillam Common Lane Local history - second Monk Fryston Revealed event to be held in St Wilfrid’s Church on Friday 24th June Village Fete - this year’s Village Fete for Hillam and Monk Fryston will be held on Sunday 26th June
Signpost to Hillam - Falkland Islands’ connection with Hillam Antisocial behaviour at the Post
Office - your Postmistress explains
Community Association - approval given for two projects costing
over £70,000
Parish Council - meeting minutes and
feedback from survey
Arson at the Cross Keys? - Police investigating: see details in crime report Rural news - food miles and local milk
Wind farm - latest on the 22 Megawatt
Valley wind farms
Birding - from Red Kites to Kingfishers
and Corncrakes: observations from
Graham Todd
Also in this issue…
Grand opening of new cricket pavilion
NEW PAVILION GRAND OPENING
SUNDAY 24TH JULY
FROM 12 NOON ONWARDS
At the ground in Stocking Lane, Hillam
MC FOR THE DAY IS LOOK NORTH’S
JOHN CUNDY
PAVILION TO BE OPENED BY
MP NIGEL ADAMS
T20 CRICKET (TBC)
STALLS AND CRICKET TEAS
BARLBY BROWN COW BREWERY
SPONSORS’ MARQUEE
HOG ROAST
BOUNCY CASTLE AND GAMES
Volunteers needed – please contact:
Hon Secretary Kate Vaks, 3 Keswick Lane,
Bardsey, West Yorkshire, LS17 9AG
Tel 07747 045060
his promises to be a great day for the
cricket club after all the hard work in
funding and building the new pavilion.
It will be opened on 24th July by Nigel Adams MP
and hopefully there will be a few famous sporting
faces around from Yorkshire CCC and Leeds Utd.
T
2
UNDER SURVEILLANCE
“
Swift action by Hillam
residents has brought a halt to a
road being built across yet
another field near to the village.
Just before Easter a JCB was seen
preparing the way for a road across a field
on Hillam Common Lane. Several
villagers, including Councillor John
Mackman, wrote to Selby District Council
expressing concern, and Planning
Enforcement paid a visit almost
immediately. Work has stopped, pending
further investigation and clarification.
The field in question is about 1 km from
the village along Hillam Common Lane,
by the edge of Pighill Nook Lane. A short
distance further along there is another
field where a similar road was constructed
without planning permission, and
following the rejection of a retrospective
planning application and subsequent
appeal, the owner has been instructed to
remove the road.
These two cases show that Selby is getting
tough on illegal and uncontrolled
development, which over the last twenty
years has led to random developments in
fields around the village, many of them in
green belt. The process is always very
similar. The field is used for grazing by
ponies or other livestock on a small scale
– some might call it hobby farming. The
next step is to put up a shed, usually at the
far end of the field, which then needs a
road. A serious farmer would minimise
the waste of land by putting any structures
close to the field entrance.
Next is the arrival of the caravan – used
initially to provide facilities to make a cup
of tea and give shelter on site for the
owner. Then follows another shed, maybe
the back from a lorry or an old shipping
container. Whatever it is, you can
guarantee that it won’t be an attractive
structure. At some point water will be laid
on and maybe a connection will be made
for electricity.
To complete the first stage of the process
the owners then move onto the site with a
larger caravan, and eventually start the
process of applying for planning
permission. As we all know, the final
house construction stage can itself take
many years. Meanwhile the village is
saddled with an eyesore, which can easily
be such for fifteen years or more. This is a
long game, and once it is started it does
appear to run an almost standard course.
The next field which is a candidate is out
towards Burton Salmon. As we reported in
the last Hillam News, it failed to sell at
auction – but has since been sold by
private treaty. Watch this space.
Ethel Shaw 1922 to 2011
Ethel Shaw of Hillam knew sign language because of her
parents’ deafness. She was born in Featherstone, but grew up
in Hillam and went to school locally.
During the Second World War, she worked in munitions –
at Hazlewood Castle. Then she worked at Gateforth TB
Hospital for many years.
Ethel was well known in Chapel Street, where she lived, and
was buried in Monk Fryston Cemetery after a service in St
Wilfrid’s conducted by John Hetherington.
The collection was shared between St Wilfrid’s and Hearing
Dogs for Deaf People.
Hillam road building scrutinised Selby getting tough on illegal and uncontrolled development
Some might call it hobby farming
3
VILLAGE NEWS
Hillam Lights100 Club
The winners of the 100 Club March draw are as follows:
1st (£20) - Julie Taylor (no 74)
2nd (£10) - Pauline Styles (no 27)
3rd (£5) - Shirley and Neil Sutcliffe (no 35)
The winners of the 100 Club April draw are as follows:
1st - Carl Naylor (no 7)
2nd - Mr S G Timson (no 29)
3rd - Darren and Lisa Iliffe (no 20)
BURTON SALMON METHODIST CHURCH
Minister: Rev Wayne Grewcock, tel 519496
Church Steward: Peter Wadsworth, tel 676188
Sunday Worship 10.30 am, followed by coffee
Sunday Club 10-11 am, for children aged 3+ years:
Sandra Sargent, tel 679541
Coffee Mornings: Thursdays 10.30-11.30 am
Everyone welcome for a friendly chat
Congratulations to Charlotte Wells and Jason Thompson, who
were married on 20th March at Hazlewood Castle, near Tadcaster.
After honeymooning in Thailand, they are now settled in a
cottage in Hillam Square.
Hillam international
Information about Hillam has been accessible through our village
website and Wikipedia for several years now, so we are used to
the fact that people around the world know about our village.
To add to our fame, courtesy of Ian Wright’s recent deployment
there, we now have a marker on the totem pole in the Falkland
Islands. This locally significant tourist attraction has developed
over recent years, mainly through the contributions of servicemen
and tourists.
Are you interested in local history?
The second Monk Fryston Revealed event will be held in
St Wilfrid’s Church on Friday 24th June. Doors will open at
7 pm and the presentation commences at 7.30 pm.
Tickets which cost £3.50 (including refreshments) are
available from the Post Office, the Church, Monk Fryston
Time Team members, or Ray on 01977 682084.
Local archaeologist Simon Tomson will present an illustrated
talk on monastic and feudal life in the 14th century. There will
be new displays showing discoveries about our village made
by Monk Fryston Time Team over the past year.
Simon Tomson will lead an Introduction to Archaeology
course, which the Time Team is running over the next year. It
will include topics such as interpretation of aerial photography,
test pit digging, above ground archaeology, field walking and
finds identification.
Village Fete - 26th June
Make a note in your diary of this year’s Village Fete for Hillam
and Monk Fryston. It is to be held on Sunday 26th June, free
admission.
Full details will be posted around the villages nearer the time.
Come along and support your local community.
4
POSTMISTRESS’S PERSPECTIVES AND PERCEPTIONS
It was with both shock and
disappointment that I viewed
our security cameras recently
to see some of our more
valuable stock being
shoplifted.
Shock because, being new to and
relatively naive about retail work, it’s not
something that you ever expect to see
happening, particularly to a business that
you yourself work seven days per week
so hard to maintain and develop (with an
average working week of some ninety
hours or more). Disappointment because
it’s certainly not something that one
expects to see in a comparatively affluent
and traditionally low-crime area, and in
a village where I have friends and
extended family, and happy childhood
memories of what now seems a much
more innocent age.
I am told to ‘expect’ this sort of thing to
happen regularly in a retail grocery
business. Indeed it may well have
happened before and gone unnoticed.
Perhaps we should expect that it will
happen, but do we have to accept it also?
The amount of distress for all concerned,
the amount of police time and money
spent on this one incident, is out of all
proportion to the value and worth of the
item taken. Let’s hope that any further
thefts are few and far between.
On this note, I need also to mention what
have been growing concerns over the
behaviour of a few young people when in
and outside the shop. As a mother of a
teenage boy, I am all too familiar with
teenage high spirits, pranks and
sometimes lack of thought about the
effect of actions on others. We have
therefore so far been as understanding as
possible over the actions and attitudes of
particular groups of youngsters.
It is when those actions become overtly
challenging in terms of type of
behaviours, type of verbal retorts when
told that behaviour is unacceptable, and in
terms of deliberate repetitiveness of said
unacceptable behaviours, that we have
been forced to take action. One of those
actions is, unfortunately, to request that
youngsters arriving in groups enter the
shop in groups of two only, make their
purchases and leave. (This rule came into
being following the shoplifting incident
when there were so many people in the
shop together that it was difficult for staff
to notice the said offence taking place.)
I am of course writing this from the
perspective of one whose shop also forms
part of my family home as well as a
treatment base for my independent speech
and language therapy practice, and of
course is first and foremost a village
service – with young families coming and
going all the time. I therefore expect
behaviour and language used to be at a
socially acceptable level and that others
respect my home, property and privacy.
Perceptions of some young customers
appear to be that the shop is some sort of
‘public property’ or to treat it as though it
is an anonymous inner-city type property
where therefore ‘anything goes’.
Hopefully I am not alone in feeling that
this attitude requires change as soon as
possible?
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank our valued customers for their
ongoing support. Their company and
regular visits to the shop do make our
work very enjoyable.
Now we have new flooring and lighting
in place in the shop, our next job is to find
space to house a much more extensive
range of deli items. Other news is that
plans for the B&B have now been passed,
and hopefully work on that will begin as
soon as we can find a builder!
Faye Coles
5
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
May 31st, June 14th, June 28th & fortnightly
Major developments at
the Community Centre
At its meeting on 18th May 2011 the
Community Association gave approval to two
projects costing over £70,000.
The Committee accepted a tender from a local builder for the
long-awaited Community Centre extension, which will
provide not only additional floor space in the Centre but also
improved kitchen and storage facilities, as well as
improvements to the ladies’ toilets. It is anticipated that work
will commence on the extension at the beginning of July,
with the internal works being undertaken during the school
summer holidays.
In addition, the Committee agreed to accept a tender for the
upgrading of the children’s play area, which will include the
replacement of some equipment, the provision of new exciting
play features and the erection of fencing around the play area
to enhance safety.
Tony Hudson, who has been involved with the Community
Association for over forty years, said:
“The decision to proceed with the extension and improvement
of the Centre is a dream come true – over the years many
Community Association members have worked tirelessly to
raise funds in order to extend the Centre and provide
improved facilities. I’m sure that the enhancement of the play
area will be well appreciated, not only by the children who
will use it but also by their parents.”
Monk Fryston Time Team, two years on
Our members have been extremely busy. We have set up the
Monk Fryston Tribal Pages on the Internet. We have continued
to gather information on the development of local transport
systems and land ownership. We have enjoyed healthy debates
about the origins and the routes of the A162 and the A63, which
we still have to resolve. One of the joys of our society is an
open-minded and inquisitive approach to discovery and the
developing of understanding.
During the year we have interspersed meetings with visits to the
Towton Battlefield and guided tours of St Wilfrid’s and Selby
Abbey towers. Lesley Lambert told us about the Princes in the
Tower, and we combined our Christmas Social with an illustrated
talk from Eric Houlder on Coaching Days in Yorkshire.
Cornerstone of our monthly meetings is ‘Show and Tell’, when
members bring forward items of general interest. We have no
rules about what can be presented and as a result get lots of
pleasant and interesting surprises.
We have a solid method of storing and retrieving information,
courtesy of Julian Driver who has set up our ‘Drop Box’. We are
becoming more confident in placing items on the system to share
with others. We are thinking about producing a newsletter,
creating a DVD and running an ‘Introduction to Archaeology’
course. A busy and interesting time lies ahead.
Having a drink and a natter has turned individuals with an interest
in history into a group of friends who are happy to support each
other in research and rediscovery of Monk Fryston’s history. New
members are always welcome.
Edited extracts from chairman Ray Newton’s annual report
Recycling at the
Community Centre
Income from the recycling bins
at the Community Centre over
the last year was £688.
This is a valuable source of income for
Community Association funds.
A big thank-you to all who bring
their recyclable items to the banks.
6
Matters arising:
Responses re the article in Hillam News
deferred to next meeting.
Chair welcomed NYCC affordable housing
representative to explain rationale behind
local affordable housing schemes. NYCC
partners including PCs were approached to
establish whether affordable housing
required. Proposition is for PC to
investigate whether there is need for small
no of properties to be built in the village,
for both sale and rent, to accommodate
people who have a connection with the
village. Scheme would be developed and
managed by a housing association. PC
decided to take no action at this time.
Two residents have expressed interest in
the casual vacancy on the PC. This has to
be deferred until outcome of May elections
is known.
Finances:
Current a/c £367.35
High interest a/c £2,752.96
Cheques drawn
B Wright £36.00 - printing
MH Walton £2,700.00 - salary
MH Walton £88.05 - admin expenses
Came and Co £680.01 - insurance
£3,500 to be transferred from the high
interest a/c.
Correspondence in:
D Lorriman - re organising of a gritting
team of volunteers for winter months.
Stuart Twidale - re funding for the war
memorial.
Tony Hudson / CA - thanking PC for grass
cutting 2012.
CA - thanking PC for the £500 donation
towards the new roundabout.
MH Walton - invoices for salary claim
and expenses.
B Wright - leaflet printing costs.
NYCC - confirmation of Public Bridleway
Order for Dunce Mire Rd.
Mrs B Hurrion, Miss J Scott - concerns
about the future housing development in
the village.
Correspondence out:
NYCC Highways - requesting one drain
gully clearance and general inspection
through village.
Barclays Bank - 3 new mandates.
Planning matters:
SDC - advising of rescheduling of
planning appeal to 31st May: T Masser,
Lowfield Rd.
SDC - notification of appeal decision re
access hard-core roadway Honey Pot Field.
Appeal dismissed.
Mrs Batty - application to prune beech tree
at High Gables. No objection raised.
Environment:
Wind farms – E.ON have applied for a
wind speed mast at Byram.
Showpeople’s site - Cllr Wright briefly
summarised the report commissioned
by MF PC.
SDC will remove fly-tipped conifer tree
prunings on Lowfield Lane.
Footpaths Officer made aware of damaged
dyke-side fencing bordering footpath on
Betteras Hill Rd.
Site allocation consultation was discussed:
the overall views of residents indicate
that they do not wish any further
development to take place in the village.
Hillam PC will not join with MF PC in
a response. A document stating Hillam
PC’s understanding of the situation will
be printed and distributed throughout
the village.
Reports:
Burial Committee. Working party at the
cemetery had cleared the area. The Chair
thanked those who had taken part, and
advised a further working group day to be
arranged. New contractor to refurbish the
gates is to be appointed.
CA. Cllr Robertson advised the bonfire
raised a profit of £845 for the CA.
Planning permission for the proposed
extension works has been received.
CEF. Next meeting 11th May. Awaiting
minutes of previous meeting.
Next PC meeting Wednesday 4th May.
Précis of PC Minutes for the Meeting April 2011
7
Précis of PC Minutes for the Meeting May 2011
Matters arising:
Subject to PC member agreement, Cllrs
Robertson and Sheppard eligible for
consideration for co-option to the PC
June when the three existing vacant
positions to be discussed.
Finances:
Current a/c £78.35
High interest a/c £8,400.46
Cheques drawn:
CA £72.00 - hall hire
MH Walton £180.00 - April salary
B Wright £36.00 - printing
Clerk now paid monthly.
VAT returns for the year £140.92 now
credited to current a/c.
Correspondence in:
Report of faulty street lamp; contractor
advised.
HM Revenue - re VAT.
Came and Co - confirming receipt of
insurance premium.
SDC - precept remittance advice
£5,647.50, credited to high interest a/c.
SDC - acknowledging concerns of PC
re alleged unauthorised development of a
roadway in a field off Hillam Common
Lane.
Tony Hudson / CA - re financial support
from PC. Discussed under Environment.
Correspondence out:
A McMillan, SDC - re SADP planning
proposal.
Yorkshire Water - re hydrant repairs on
Betteras Hill Rd.
HM Revenue - VAT reclaim £140.92.
Planning:
No applications or notices of decision.
Environment:
Wind farms - no significant
developments.
Show people’s site application - no
update info.
Cllr Lorriman reported removal by SDC
of fly-tipped conifers on Lowfield Lane.
Cllr Tuddenham suggested the potential
for more imaginative use of land owned
by the village. With this in mind, current
PC members to be made aware of which
land this is.
Cllr Collinson reported that the field
opposite the brick pond on Betteras Hill
Rd through which the public footpath
passes is to be used for hay. Dogs should
be kept on leads and not allowed to roam
freely.
The letter from Tony Hudson on behalf
of the CA will be responded to orally by
Cllrs Wright and Robertson.
Reports:
CA. Three tenders received for the
prospective works at the Centre.
CEF. Meeting deferred until 24th May.
Sherburn High School is proposing to
close the swimming pool facility.
Sherburn PC is seeking support to keep
it open.
Date and time of next meeting:
Next meeting Wednesday 1st June at
7.30 pm, preceded at 7.15 pm by the
AGM, when the election of officers will
take place.
8
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL?
In response to an article in
the January issue of Hillam
News, the Parish Council
invited debate, in the March
issue and through the
Neighbourhood Watch
system, about the role of the
Parish Council in relation
to the Community
Association. We thank you
for your involvement.
Here are the four personal replies
we received.
1. The Community Association
initiates, finances and supports many
facilities and activities which hugely
enrich diverse elements of village life.
These voluntary group’s efforts should be
lauded, applauded and judiciously and
specifically financially supported by the
Parish Council. Their accounts are audited
and open to public scrutiny. All these
factors justify and validate financial
support from the Parish Council.
2. One of the roles of the PC is to support
responsible groups which promote
community endeavours; both the PC and
the CA are run by volunteers; both bodies
have residents’ interests at heart; both
need community funding; can there be any
dichotomy? The most efficient procedure
is surely to increase the parish precept by
a small amount, which the CA can use as
it sees fit for villagers’ benefit.
3. a. I am in favour of a small increase in
the precept to support this facility. I
understand the annual core running costs
are approximately £7,500. Shared or even
a grant towards this by the two Parish
Councils would surely only amount to a
moderate increase in parish rates.
b. The present Management Group of
volunteers works diligently and always in
the best interest of the village community.
However to ensure the Association
continues it is necessary for the Parish
Councils to take part in the day-to-day
running of affairs. I would suggest a
structure of:
2 Monk Fryston Parish Councillors
2 Hillam Parish Councillors
Up to 16 other members
Total 20
Possibly the School could appoint a
member, also the Church. I would stress
the attendees from the Parish Councils and
other groups would be expected to be full
members of the Community Association
and take active part in the running.
As happens at the moment, all persons on
the Management Group would retire
annually and they could offer themselves
for re-election, but all positions would be
advertised locally.
c. If members of the Parish Councils are
also active members of the Community
Association, the possibility of misuse of
public funds should not arise.
d. It is part of the Parish Councils’
responsibility to promote village
development.
Put simply, 100% of any money raised for
the Community Association by adding to
the parish precept will be spent on this
community. No waste, no service charges,
no pay to public officials.
4. RE: Allocation of Parish Council
funds.
We are replying to your invitation to make
suggestions on the above topic. We feel
that the earmarked £500 potential
contribution should indeed be given to the
Community Association to help maintain
facilities within the Community Centre
and the surrounding play area. Since the
current government is supporting local
groups as part of the Big Society to
undertake local functions, this would seem
to be a reasonable allocation of funds in
line with current policy. It is not fair to
expect a voluntary group to constantly
work financially unaided to supply and
maintain facilities which are part of the
Parish Council responsibilities and which
enrich the quality of village life. Beyond
the Community Centre there are no other
facilities of this kind, both for the youth
and the wider community including the
elderly, who may not have the scope to
travel and otherwise could become very
isolated. It provides a focal point and
meeting place to build the community.
And in response to the query we
also received: This isn’t a view – really a query I have
had – which might aid my understanding
of how the PC / Community Association
works, and hence my view.
Who made the decision to spend money
(whose money I don’t know – another
question) on picnic tables on the green?
We respond: The picnic tables were bought by Monk
Fryston Parish Council using S106
money. This is raised from developers
through conditional planning agreements.
The money is designated to enhance
provision within the community.
9
“
High visibility policing in Hillam
We have recently increased patrols
in Hillam and Monk Fryston.
We have concentrated on evening
patrols, and some residents may
have seen us.
There have been high visibility foot patrols and also mobile
patrols of the area. We are running an operation where we
check suspicious vehicles seen in the village at unusual times of
the day and in the evening. This will hopefully have deterred
criminals entering our villages and committing crime.
Recently a known offender has been convicted and sent to
prison for six weeks for a number of offences that were
committed in the Sherburn area. There may be a link with crime
in surrounding villages. Investigations continue into other
crimes committed in Hillam and Monk Fryston.
Suspected arson at the Cross Keys
Police are currently investigating a suspected arson at the
Cross Keys public house in Hillam. The fire occurred at
approximately 23.30 hrs on Sunday 15th May 2011.
Police are appealing for witnesses to contact Selby CID office
on 01904 669659.
NEIGHBOURHOOD CRIME REPORT
Beware calls from “PC Technical Support”
I have received a telephone call from a foreign-sounding man
who says his name is Gary from PC Technical Support,
informing me that there is a problem with my broadband, and that
he has a team of Microsoft engineers who will sort the problem
out. Failure to act will mean that my computer will be open to
receive viruses via my broadband connection.
He wanted me to turn on my computer so he could tell me how to
hand over control to the “Microsoft” engineers, who would do the
necessary before handing me back control. I had already heard of
this possible scam two days previously from a Hillam resident.
I asked Gary for a Microsoft telephone number so that I could
verify his company’s authenticity. He gave me the number 02030
049300, which he said would connect me direct to him. At this
point, having got as much information out of Gary as I could, I
ended the call.
The other person in Hillam, an elderly lady, was kept talking for
about 30 minutes by, presumably, Gary and she became very
confused. He also wanted to get control of her computer.
Fortunately the lady cut him off before any harm was done.
If you receive a call from Gary or others purporting to be from
PC Technical Support, either get as much detail as you can or
terminate the call straight away.
Helping the police with their enquiries
Sherburn Police Station front office reopened in September
2010 and is staffed purely by volunteers.
We are looking for new volunteers so that our hours can be
extended. Anyone interested please contact Nigel Drayton on
07775 947660.
Sherburn-in-Elmet Police Station current opening times
Monday 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Tuesday 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Wednesday 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Thursday 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Friday 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Yet another burglary, this time at the Church Hall late on a
Friday afternoon, when a mobile phone and cash raised by the
Playschool for Red Nose Day were stolen.
I have lived in Hillam all my life and have never seen a period of
criminal activity like that taking place in the two villages at the
moment. Crimes are being committed in daylight under our very
noses, and yet no one sees anything suspicious. The police are
doing what they can by increasing patrols, etc, but it is really up
to us to be vigilant and watch out for suspicious characters and
activities, and not be shy about reporting to the police.
I have received a report of a burglary which took place in
Betteras Hill Road whilst the owner was visiting relatives.
Valuable sentimental jewellery items were stolen, and the police
have been informed. Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the
evening of 1st April in the Betteras Hill Road area, please contact
the police on 0845 6060247.
Tony Hudson
Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Dion Wood Police Community Support Officer
This will hopefully have deterred criminals entering our
villages and committing crime.
Burglary at the Church Hall
10
RURAL FOOD AND DRINK
It’s a farm shop in all but name – just no
chickens wandering about – and it is at
Allerton Bywater near Castleford.
To get there, go along Fairburn Ings, past the former
swan-feeding point, turn left at the traffic lights towards
Castleford and then right at the next lights.
Samuel Valentine’s Urban Food Hall is in an old pub on the
left, set in a housing development which owes a lot to Prince
Charles and Poundbury.
All the farm shop favourites are on sale: Curry Cuisine,
Womersley dressings, Fentiman’s ginger beer and beer from
York Brewery. (There are no Bracken Hill products, but you
can get them at Monk Fryston Stores.) Cheese is sold under
the brand Cryer and Stott, which features at most farmers’
markets and at Monk Fryston Hall.
There is a café which kicks off the day with breakfast, but for
us the highlight was the butchery whose rib eye steak beats the
expensive but excellent Donald Russell’s of Inverurie. That’s
something which can’t be said of other local farm shops.
Even if the joint you want is not on display, you can ask for it.
Worth a mention also are the beef pies and the chilli-flavoured
pork pies.
The Urban Food Hall is a ‘must visit’ and it is worth noting
that they have to try harder than farm shops. This is because
shops situated on farms do not have to pay business rates.
The Urban Farm Shop Food miles and local milk
At the last Hillam News meeting we had a discussion about
milk and the difference between the milk bought in a
supermarket and that delivered by a local milkman. We are
lucky in Hillam to still have a local delivery service, and even
luckier that the milk is actually produced within a few miles of
the village.
The two local producers are Parkins at Hambleton, who have
300 head of dairy cattle, and Hickmans. Milk produced by
Parkins is also available in the Post Office.
The question we had was, “Why did milk from the supermarket
seem to keep longer than that from the local milkman?” Several
of us thought this was the case. The great benefit of having such
a local producer is that you can go and ask them. A visit was
made and we found out that the milk on the farm travelled no
more than a few metres between milking and processing. The
milk is processed immediately, and so we know that the milk in
a supermarket cannot possibly be as fresh when it goes onto the
shelves. In the future more supermarket milk is expected to be
imported, for which a bulk processing plant is being built near
to Dover. This milk will travel even further and need to keep
even longer.
The farmer was surprised by our observation, but said he would
investigate, which he did by asking a contact in the company
who supplies the machines that are used to pasteurise the milk.
The answer was that supermarkets insist on a long shelf life,
and in order to provide this the machine used is modified.
More filtering is done by increasing the number of plates in
the machine.
This may explain why the milk from supermarkets also has a
different taste.
11
CONVOY REPORT – APRIL 2011 After several months of preparation, including the collection of
over 40 tonnes of items that would constitute a really useful
delivery to the institutions and organisations which support the
sick, disabled and very needy people in Belarus, we were almost
ready for the April convoy. The loading days had been well
attended by never less than fifteen volunteers, and the sterling
work of Alan and Chris Judd in preparing the warehouse meant
that this massive task of stuffing the two large trailers went with
the usual speed and efficiency.
Departure date was finally agreed as Friday April 1st. We drove
the four trucks to Monk Fryston Primary School, and 180 pupils
were there to give us a super send-off. They presented us with a
symbolic gift of 180 pencils and a message for a similar school
in Belarus.
The journey across Europe was uneventful until we reached the
Polish customs. The queue of trucks waiting to cross out of
Poland was over 25 kms in length. We cleared customs into
Belarus on the Monday at 4 pm. The convoy split, with Bob and
Aidan taking their vehicle to the Zhlobyn customs, a drive of
several hours, where final clearance is needed before
discharging the load at the Rogachev Association, which assists
the families of disabled children. Bryan and Tony Parkin
travelled on to Kalinkovichi, again to local customs, with their
aid for the Kalinkovichi social services. Paul, Chris and Mike
continued on to Gomel, arriving at 1 am Tuesday, and as the
local customs were closed we parked in the hotel compound.
Over twenty disabled and handicapped youngsters were
enjoying a day at the Mayflower Centre, with lots of activities.
Their stay there provides their hard-pressed parents with some
respite and rest – which is one of the major aims of the Centre.
Then it was on to the school at Grabovka, where the gym was to
be used as a customs-registered store for not only the Telyashi
part-load on the small truck, but also the 15 tonne load on the
final truck for the Education Department. We visited the school
and the classrooms and presented the pencils from our Monk
Fryston Primary School – job done!
On the Friday, with just the small truck still to complete,
carrying 1200 kgs of aid for the Diabetic Association, Paul and
Aidan were once again delayed at customs, and their work
unloading took them until 3 pm. The team had been taken by the
Education Department firstly to Gomel district diagnostic and
assessment centre. The director is Stevlana Izophatova, who
came to the UK with our charity previously, to visit a similar
centre for the disabled and special needs children here. The
place was indeed very special and the children appeared to be
very well cared for. Barbara and David Cox, who were on
holiday in Belarus, had joined us for the day. Then it was on to
Telyashi kindergarten. We started to support this kindergarten
several years ago, and David and Barbara have continued to
support them since.
They brought dressing up clothes for the children and it was a
great sight to see the kids obviously delighted with their new
apparel as they paraded up and down and sang for us. We had a
meal at the kindergarten, and afterwards we had the opportunity
to visit two of the families in their homes. Just as we were
leaving for Gomel, Paul and Aidan arrived and went to the
Centre for some well earned refreshments.
Saturday was rest and relaxation, buying Russian dolls and
vodka, visiting friends, and packing and preparing for the
journey home. We still managed a very productive joint meeting
with two Belarusian charities, namely ‘White Dove’ and the
‘Coordination Centre’, represented by their directors Victoria
and Valentina.
Three days later, and we were in Europort after another
uneventful if long return journey, looking forward very much to
the pint or two on the ferry, and most of all to the food that did
not disappoint.
The genuine appreciation of the receivers for the aid and our
efforts was just reward, and their thanks are passed on to the
team in the UK who have given so much of their time as usual.
Thanks to David Campey for his overall support and the
splendid warehouse facilities he provides to us, and to Paul
Campey who keeps our small fleet of vehicles ‘on the road’.
Many thanks also to our interpreters in Belarus, our office in
Gomel, our sponsors in the UK and the donors of aid - many of
whom are individuals or small groups of friends who provide
some great items such as knitted garments and bedding.
I recognised one of the boxes from Copmanthorpe near York,
and called the customs man over. When I started to open the box
he said, “Neit”, but it was too late and I showed him the
contents. He just said, “Beautiful!” I wonder how much he
understood of the English language – maybe he understood
some of Aidan’s jokes!
We are also very grateful to major companies such as Ikea and
Proctor and Gamble for their support in supplying key items of
aid. These have been much appreciated and are in full use in
Belarus, to the benefit of the disabled and their needy
families. Job done once again.
Check out the photographs on our website:
www.chernobyl-children.org.uk
Mike Allison
Aid Coordinator
12
GARDENING - POTTING ON
No need to rush
You have to admire the resilience of plants. Most of my
agapanthus in the garden are now through, one of my
phormiums is showing growth, and I even dug up a dahlia
which was sprouting from the tuber and is now in a pot and
growing. There is a long list of tenderish shrubs and trees in my
garden which looked very dead, but are now beginning to sprout
a fuzz of green shoots from the trunk or base or branches. I will
wait a few months to see how they perform. A shrub can
sometimes be cut back very hard and reshaped as it grows, but
a tree which had developed a good shape by pruning over the
years is a different matter. If the regrowth is ugly, it may be
better to harden the heart and take out the tree. Only time and
instinct will tell. There is no need to rush the decision.
Soil full of seeds If your garden, like mine, is covered by a haze of self-seeded
blue forget-me-nots, now is the time to remove them. If you
don’t, they will become unsightly with mildew, set thousands of
plants for you to weed out later, squash any delicate perennials
trying to come through, and provide a perfect hiding place for
slugs and snails. Don’t worry that you won’t have any next year:
the soil will be full of seeds.
More plants for our gardens It was when I took some interesting baby seedling plants to a
friend whose garden I was visiting and she exclaimed,
“Oh, you’re a seedy person,” that I realised how much I enjoy
growing things from seed. She is a ‘splitting’ person, whose
nursery bed has rows of lovely plants which she has divided
from plants in her garden. This has the added benefit of
rejuvenating the parent plant in the garden as well as providing
new ones. Others are ‘cuttings’ people, who can never prune
anything without sticking some bits into a pot to see if they take.
All of us are propagators, making more plants for our gardens.
Overwinter tender plants The best bit about being a seedy person is that it all takes place
in the comfort of my greenhouse. This year for my birthday I
had a heated propagating mat, which can be used to overwinter
tender plants without heating the whole greenhouse, germinate
seeds in the early part of the year, and root cuttings of plants like
penstemon, verbena and pelargoniums in late summer. We have
all been caught out this winter with our penstemons, which we
used to take cuttings of as matter of course a few years ago!
A thrill There is such a thrill
when the seeds come
through. Seeds of
essential vegetables,
sweetcorn, beans,
courgettes and tomatoes.
Seeds of annuals which I
love for generous
summer colour, cosmos,
sweet peas, ageratum,
orlaya. And some seeds
from nice plants in my
garden which I want
more of, different every
year - this year
molospermum and digitalis cariensis - a charming dwarf
foxglove which has delighted me for several seasons. Some
years I grow trees from Chilterns’ seed catalogue and I have
eucalyptus, acers, pinus patula, sorbus, hawthorn and roses
flourishing in the garden, all grown from seed.
The most delightful job Pricking out the seedlings into pots is the most delightful job in
the world. I stand at my potting table snug while the morning
is cold or it is windy or raining, and tuck the tiny roots into cosy
compost with the promise of a beautiful plant to come. They
grow and need watering and feeding, pleasant excuses for
pottering in the greenhouse on a chilly morning. They get bigger
and I must decide where they are to go, but as they are so lovely
and fragile, too dainty for the hurly-burly of the garden, I will
pot them on so I can keep looking after them. Hardening them
off, the ritual of trays of plants in and out of the greenhouse,
is next.
Now it is mid-May, frost is unlikely and I have hundreds of
plants - the next logical step is to plant them out, but it is
difficult for me to let them go. Perhaps I’ll pot them on.
Susan FergusonSusan FergusonSusan FergusonSusan Ferguson
13
Message from the Rector
I hope you all enjoyed your extra bank holiday last month and
opened a bottle or two to celebrate the marriage of Prince
William and Kate Middleton. Marriage season is certainly in the
air and St Wilfrid’s is well booked for the coming months.
Every so often, in my job, you get one of those special requests
to do a marriage that is a little different. One such request came
my way some time ago when a couple asked me if I’d conduct
their wedding – he was a pilot in the RAF and she was a doctor.
I get many requests for weddings and they’re all special in their
own way, but this one was a little different, in that it was to take
place in the chapel of Edinburgh Castle. This was to be my first
– and only – wedding conducted in “Bonnie Scotland”.
I met with the couple several times before the wedding to talk
about their plans. Apart from the practical concerns relating to
the wedding day itself, the fuss about photographers, what
colour the bridesmaids’ dresses would be – making sure that
they didn’t clash with the flowers, etc, etc, etc, there was the
more important area of the content of the service, and also their
future beyond the service – the marvellous adventure that we
called married life.
One of the best ways I’ve found to do this preparation is to ask
couples two questions. The first about the vows and the
promises in the marriage service – were the bride and groom
going to be using the same vows to each other, or – and you
always had to drop your voice discreetly at this point – was she
going to promise to ‘obey him’. Often that would get things
going and they would talk about their expectations of each other
and of married life. But if it’s all too well-meaning and vague,
then you try the second question – you ask them where they’re
going to spend their first Christmas together. It doesn’t really
matter what they say, but you’ve got to watch who answers and
also the face the other one pulls.
You see, when you take the step of marriage, then you’ve got to
learn to think in terms of two people. The textbook answers are
dead easy: marriage is about commitment, about holding
together through good times and bad, about children and family
and all of that – it’s just the putting it all into practice that gets
most people into trouble. Up there with the big problems, like
where are we going to live, is our relationship strong enough,
how are we going to raise our children, are the little questions,
like who’s going to clean the loo, and when will you learn that
towels live in the cupboard and should not be allowed to live
migratory nomadic lives on the bathroom floor.
If we work at the smaller problems we’ve at least got a chance
of getting to grips with the bigger ones. The really interesting
thing is that the same is true of all the difficult questions of life.
God, love, peace, justice and freedom are great ideas. It’s when
they’re actually going to change people’s lives that we need to
pay attention to detail. Jesus was clear that the setting for the
struggle with the great questions was ordinary daily life. The
stories and parables that he told stayed within reach of people.
The widow who found a lost coin, the shepherd who found a
lost sheep, the man whose guests wouldn’t come to the party.
So remember, if we’re ever going to have our heads anywhere
near the clouds, we’re going to have to keep our feet firmly on
the ground.
Blessings
John
ST WILFRID’S CHURCH
Services at St Wilfrid’s
1st Sunday of each month
8am Holy Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
9.30am Parish Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford
11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
11am Sunday Club in St Wilfrid’s Church Hall (ages 2-8)
2nd
Sunday of each month 9.30am Family Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford
11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
6pm Evensong at St Mary’s, South Milford
3rd Sunday of each month
8am Holy Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
9.30am Parish Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford
11am Family Service at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
4th Sunday of each month
9.30am Family Service at St Mary’s, South Milford
11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston
6pm Holy Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford
Further details about St Wilfrid’s on our website
www.stwilfridandstmary.org.uk
MARRIAGES
St Wilfrid’s Church is the most beautiful building in which
to have your marriage service, situated directly over the
road from Monk Fryston Hall which hosts many wedding
receptions during the course of the year. Due to changes in
marriage legislation it has become easier in recent years to
marry at a church other than your local parish church,
and if you would like to explore a marriage service in
St Wilfrid’s, or simply require further information about
getting married in church, please give me a call
at the Rectory on 680788.
BAPTISMS
Sometimes life passes so quickly that we occasionally never
get the things done that we wish we had done. I have met
several people over the past couple of years who were never
baptised as children and somehow felt that it was too late.
It is never too late for anyone to explore the possibility of
baptism as an adult, or even as an older child, and if you
would like to do so, please give me a call
at the Rectory on 680788.
John
14
Spring cleaning
Booksellers around the country
with obscure historical records, the
Internet, intrepid surfing by local
historians – these elements
married together are helping to
develop local historical
knowledge. They are also
providing information for us to
set within both the wider context
and local knowledge, and also to
clarify local records unearthed in
cupboard clear-outs.
Whilst Internet browsing in 2010,
Graham Todd spotted and bought a
document relating to Monk Fryston
charities. What a treasure trove it turned
out to be.
He shared the information with Hillam
Historians and Monk Fryston Time Team.
Some of the gems it contains are records
concerning the collection of funds for the
relief of the needy of our parish.
Time moved on; in 2011 Tony Hudson
was having a clear-out.
Wandering back from the Post Office,
Betty Wright passed by his drive whilst
Tony was talking to Ray Newton. Tony
offered to the Hillam Historians for their
archives a compact bankbook-sized log
which detailed annual payments of small
amounts to various villagers during most
years from 1957 to 1986.
Ray, having read and thoroughly absorbed
the above-mentioned charities document,
was instantly able to give us a probable
background story.
In the nineteenth century there was a
requirement for the parish councils to be
responsible for the needy within their
bounds. From 1826 it was the duty of the
Poor Law Commissioners to ensure that
they were doing their job in distributing,
“doling out”, the available funds to the
poor. The Charity Commissioners’ Inquiry
report for Monk Fryston Parish 1895
confirmed that £25 per year was available
to be doled out to the poor.
It stated that:
“These doles are regularly collected, and
distributed at the church on Christmas
Day, by the churchwardens and overseers,
amongst the poorest people of the
township of Monk Fryston.”
The available funds were themselves the
result of bequests, often of many years’
standing. The main ones which provided
for the poor of the three townships which
together constituted the “ancient parish”
of Monk Fryston, Hillam and Burton
Salmon were all land-related.
The income from Rhodes’s Poor’s Land
was the rental from an area of three
roods or thereabouts in Hillam purchased
with a £10 bequest from Elizabeth Rhodes
in 1741.
Similarly, a share of the income from
Strode’s Poor’s Land in Lumby was the
result of a bequest in 1717.
Turner’s Dole in 1896 was earning ten
shillings (50p) a year for the poor of
Burton Salmon.
Quite when the responsibilities officially
fell from the shoulders of the parish
councils we don’t know, but the practice
continued. Invested funds from previous
years’ charitable donations allowed small
payments to be made even until the late
twentieth century.
You will be very welcome at the next
meeting of Hillam Historians: Wednesday
27th July, 7.30 pm. Come and join us at
Hillam Nurseries. Further details from
Jenny Hoare, 683332 or
Phone
01977 685534
Consultation Welcome – Initial Discussion Free
David (Dai) Jones Dip. Arch. RIBA
Architect Fletton House
The Square
HILLAM
North Yorkshire
LS25 5HE
HILLAM HISTORIANS www.hillam-village.co.uk
Dunce Mire Lane
Everyone will be familiar with Dunce Mire Lane.
However, followers of the Parish Council’s tribulations and
also TomTom sat nav users might have wondered what the
strange combination of words means.
Place names of the West Riding of Yorkshire by A H Smith
states that the word ‘mire’ or ‘myrr’ means marsh, whilst
‘dunce’ probably comes from dun or duns, meaning dark.
Maspin Moor is translated as ‘fen on the boundary’, obvious
really when you know it is on the way to Gateforth.
Stocking Lane is rather disappointingly a clearing of tree
stumps. Whilst Austfield Lane is ‘east field’ and Fair Field
is what it says, Smith suggests that Betteras Hill is named after
a lady called Beatrice, who once owned it.
15
OUT AND ABOUT
BOARDING KENNELS
AND
CATTERY
Common Lane,
South Milford,
Leeds, LS25 5BX
Come and see our spacious
purpose-built accommodation
“YOUR PET’S HOLIDAY
HOME”
Phone Kathryn Beal
on 01977 685404
Open 9 am - 6 pm daily
VISITORS WELCOME
Remember the Community Centre is available to hire
for private gatherings and parties (contact Becky on 689230).
If it’s chairs, tables, marquees, gazebos or even crockery
you want to borrow, give Kath Ratcliffe a call on 683590.
Zumba is the latest fitness craze sweeping the UK – but what is it?
It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired,
calorie-burning dance fitness party. You are working out really
hard (you glow, ladies!) but, having so much fun, it can’t help
but put you into a great mood.
Sometimes great ideas are born from accidents. Its creator,
‘Beto’ Perez, was a fitness instructor in Florida. On one
particular day, he forgot his aerobics music. Facing his class
with no music to work out to, he dashed to his car and grabbed
his favourite tape. This happened to be Latino music, including
salsa and morengue. Improvising, he created a new kind of
dance fitness, one that let the music move you rather than
counting reps over the music. Energy electrified the room;
people couldn’t stop smiling. His class loved it. And Zumba
was born.
Reports from those who have taken part in Zumba classes
confirm that it is a really great workout. Everyone enjoys it and
you meet a whole bunch of new friends who are laughing and
smiling. Give it a go at the Church Hall. It’s on Thursday nights
from 6.45 to 7.30 pm.
Christ is risen indeed
Well before dawn on Easter Sunday, over fifty worshippers
gathered outside St Wilfrid’s to celebrate the Resurrection and
renew their baptism vows. They clustered initially around a
brazier and, carefully clutching candles, moved into the church.
A late Easter meant that a candlelit vigil needed to be very early,
half an hour before the time advertised in Hillam News. The
service was based on a sixth century Christian rite, with
Victorian hymns. The undoubted highlight was the solo chanting
of Cantor Andy Brown from Hillam.
After the service John Hetherington proposed a champagne toast
before bacon butties and Weetabix in the church hall.
A cut above those at rest
On Saturday 2nd April the tranquillity of Monk Fryston
Cemetery was disturbed by an “army” of volunteers, actually
eleven stalwarts from the combined parishes.
They tackled many years of growth of ivy, elderberry and laurel
which were threatening the stability of the lovely stone walls
surrounding this peaceful place. The result was two large piles of
vegetation (now removed) and many aching limbs.
A big thank-you to all concerned.
On the same day Hillam Cricket Club volunteers were hard at
work on the new pavilion, and Burton Salmon cricketers were
making good damage following off-season break-ins. And the
day before, a team was seen working hard in St Wilfrid’s
churchyard under the command of the Rev John.
Stuart Wroe
16
MONK FRYSTON HALL - ON YOUR DOORSTEP
Garden tools
Grow your own vegetables
Barbecues and patio furniture
Garden Route Gourmet BEST QUALITY READY MEALS
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR
VISIT
www.gardenroutegourmet.co.uk
Or call Robert on 07717 354112
NEW SPRING MENUS
Individual meals, complete dinner parties, delivered buffets
We are so lucky to have Monk Fryston
Hall on our doorstep
here is nothing to beat the view from the dining room of
Monk Fryston Hall on a bright spring morning, even if
yours is the only table in for lunch. You can see the
terrace, and the view to the south is much better now
that the new owners have removed the undergrowth. We were
not really alone as there was an ‘eightieth’ in the ballroom and
the bar lunch area was busy.
If we had restricted ourselves to a main course from the à la
carte, the bill would have compared favourably with a bar lunch
at the Chequers, Ledsham. But of course we were tempted by
chicken liver parfait and pavlova. We had heard that the chef
was excellent – and the main course, noisettes of lamb, was a
credit to the kitchen. Deliciously rare, and with enough fat to
enhance the taste, it was the highlight of the meal.
We enjoyed the company of the staff, whom we knew well from
various cricket and fundraising dinners and weddings attended at
the Hall. Most will agree that Monk Fryston Hall is an important
part of our community and to the management’s credit remains
accessible to local people.
In the evening and at weekends there is usually a number of
local young waiters and waitresses at the Hall. Several have
gone on to forge careers in catering.
Prior to being a hotel the building was the home of the
Hemsworth family who, as anyone who has been to St Wilfrid’s
will know, played an important part in church life during the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Mary, widow of
Benjamin Hemsworth junior, died in 1940 and ownership passed
to a nephew, who was killed in the Second World War.
At the postwar auction, when most of Monk Fryston’s farms
passed into private ownership, S W Tinsdale bought the Hall and
opened it as a hotel. He also established, in quick succession,
the Owl Country Club at Hambleton and Rogerthorpe Manor,
Badsworth – all different but still thriving today.
From 1954 to 2006 the Hall was owned by the Duke of Rutland.
The present owner is Mr M Hogarth, owner of the Cave Castle
Hotel, Brough. Mr Tinsdale’s grandson is a local farmer, who
produces 50% of the fresh carrots sold in ASDA supermarkets.
THEATRE LUNCH AT
MONK FRYSTON HALL Performed by the Library Theatre Touring Company
Sunday 12th
June 2011
Weekend Break by John Godber
Martin is staying in the Lake District to write his Hollywood
blockbuster with all the peace and quiet he could hope for, except that he has invited his parents along for a cosy weekend!
When Len and Joan turn up, it’s raining, cold and they’re
falling apart - with a pill for every complaint.
The stresses and strains of family life are played out with
bittersweet humour, and some unexpected revelations make it
a weekend never to forget. A superb example of Godber’s
unique, incisive humour! 2-Course Luncheon, Coffee and the Theatre Presentation
£22.00 per person (1.45 pm - 5.45 pm approx)
T
17
WIND FARM UPDATE JUNE 2011
Updates on the 22 x Megawatt Valley wind farms Byram (9) - Consultation about the test mast completed.
Next step will be publication of the Planning Officer’s
recommendation and a decision. Application for the 9-turbine
wind farm 2 km south of Hillam could follow any time.
Cleek Hall (5) - Consultation about additional information
completed. Awaiting Planning Officer’s report and Planning
meeting. The 60-metre test mast is visible from Selby bypass.
Woodlane (14) and Bishopwood (7) - No new information.
Planning Officer’s report could be published at any time, with 5
days’ notice of the corresponding Selby Planning meeting.
Darrington Quarries / Cridling Stubbs (8) - Similar to
Woodlane, but it will be decided by N Yorks County Council.
Hook Moor (5) - A new Public Inquiry expected in August.
Spaldington (12) - The Public Inquiry into the two wind farms, 2 km apart, with the village of Spaldington between them,
started on 24 May and is expected to run for two or three weeks.
These two proposals show that wind farm developers are
prepared to put large turbines right up to and all around our
villages. The Wind Farm Wars series (BBC 2, Friday 7 pm)
shows very clearly that they have no respect whatsoever for the
environment or for people living in villages.
Keadby (34) - The wind farm near the M18 is approved, but
not yet built. It will have 34 turbines, each 125 metres high.
Even before construction has started the wind farm has been sold
by the developer to Scottish and Southern Energy. The price is
not known but SSE made £1.3bn profits last year.
More information - including link to the Australian
radio interview: Please visit the news pages on the website. Any search with Woodlane and wind farm will find the site.
www.stopwoodlanewindfarm.co.uk
The greenest Government ever CO2 to be cut by 50% by the year 2025 In Australia there is a political row about a carbon tax. It has
made the TV news, chat shows and phone-ins. Their Prime
Minister is questioned and ridiculed about it. The central
argument is the effect that a large carbon tax would have on
their economy versus the predicted benefit from reducing CO2. The odd thing is that we already have a carbon tax, but people
have not yet realised. The rates are now set to rise as the
Government starts to use it to achieve the objectives of reducing
CO2 by 50% before 2025. We might not be aware of the carbon
tax but the Australians are and interviewed one of our “experts”.
The result was staggering - the national expert on carbon market
and climate change was unable to say how much the tax would
cost and unable to say what it would achieve. CO2 is not just about producing electricity. Every time we get
in our cars we are responsible for CO2 emissions; every time
we put the central heating on we produce some more. Worst of
all, we go on foreign holidays: the plane injects large quantities
of greenhouse gas into the upper atmosphere. Producing meat
and dairy products is responsible for yet more greenhouse gas. We can expect everything that produces CO2 to become far
more expensive as the tax ripples through the system. Now, I don’t disagree with an objective to reduce CO2
emissions. However if we are going to do it we should do it in
the most cost-effective way. In Selby District we are
exceptionally lucky in that we can make a huge contribution to
CO2 reductions without building hundreds of wind turbines. One project to burn wood pellets alongside coal at Drax will
save an estimated 900,000 tons of CO2 per year. It will also
bring jobs to the area - growing and processing wood and
biomass. In comparison, the 14 turbines proposed at Woodlane
claim to save 40,000 tons of CO2 per year. The actual savings of CO2 claimed by wind farms are
questionable. The power produced might be free of CO2, but if
a power station is held on standby to cope with wind speed
variation this needs to be taken into account. This is well
illustrated by Government figures for the whole of the UK. Last
year 14% more onshore wind farm capacity was built, and the
result was 7% less wind power than in the previous year, due to
variations in wind strength from year to year. Even worse, the
total CO2 production in the UK actually rose 3.8%. So much for the theory that adding more wind turbines will
achieve the target for CO2 reduction. The only guarantee there
is about wind farms is that they industrialise the countryside.
18
THE BIRDING COLUMN
It is now the middle of May, one of the
most exciting months for birders. It seems
ages ago that we lost our Whooper Swans,
the last having departed in April. Howard
Ferguson tells me he has had a Cuckoo in
his garden, but unfortunately the male of
his resident breeding pair of Moorhens
was killed by a Sparrowhawk! Rob
Preston had sightings of Kingfisher at the
brick ponds in early May. After a
three-week spell on Tiree, we have
returned to find that our tame pair of
Blackbirds is still around, as I found the
female in the hall after leaving the front
door open when I went to the garage.
Obviously our son Alex has been feeding
her dates whilst we have been away.
Since late March I have been actively
involved with the Yorkshire Red Kite
Group, monitoring nests and locating new
breeding pairs of Red Kites, so this has
taken up an awful lot of my time, and my
opportunities for local exploration have
been rather limited. However, I did
manage to record the dates when I saw my
first summer migrants, with my first
Chiffchaff in oak woods near Micklefield
on 19th March, the first Willow Warblers
and Blackcaps on 8th April, and the
Swallows returning to Rose Lea on 17th
April.
During the course of my voluntary work
for the Kite Group, I come into contact
with a variety of people and receive
emails from those who have seen Red
Kites in our area. Yesterday, a lady
emailed me to tell me about a pair of kites
that had been seen flying around the cattle
market in Selby lately, which is
particularly intriguing, as I don’t know of
any pairs within the Selby area. So, if
anyone has seen any large rufous birds of
prey, significantly bigger than a buzzard,
with angled wings, a light grey head and
deeply forked red tail, then please contact
me via the editor.
This spring, taking full advantage of the
extra hours available to me since
retirement, I revisited one of my all-time
favourite haunts on the moors beyond
Hebden Bridge, where I found Ring
Ouzels behind the Pack Horse pub at
Widdop. I hadn’t seen them there for
many years, and had assumed that this pair
had succumbed to whatever global
pressure is putting this species under
threat – but it was so easy this year, and I
guess my problem in previous years was
just one of timing, as you need to be there
in the second week of April for the best
chance of seeing this beautiful bird. The
male is superficially like a Blackbird from
the back view, but when it turns around
you see it has a large brilliant white
crescent on its breast. A six-mile tramp up
through Hardcastle Crags, a steep-sided
valley populated by a variety of enormous
beeches and oaks, just starting to come
into leaf, then onto the moorland; it
seemed so fresh and full of life,
particularly after the harsh winter we have
just experienced. The stream that rushes
down from Hardcastle is always good for
Dippers and Grey Wagtail, and it didn’t
disappoint, with great photographic
opportunities at every bend.
As I mentioned above, Jenny and I have
been up in Tiree for the last three weeks.
In the whole of this period I spent just one
day indoors, and that was only because of
the bad weather. I have “birded” non-stop,
sometimes on my bike, but mainly on
foot, looking for and trying to photograph
Corncrakes, a particularly elusive species.
I think in the ten years of going to Tiree I
have seen Corncrakes only about three
times, and it has always been a fleeting
glimpse of a small and skulking “brown
job”, scuttling into an iris bed. On this
occasion it was so different, as our timing
was intended to coincide with the arrival
of this summer migrant, when the birds
are at their most vociferous, and when the
vegetation is short. After spending most of
the first and second weeks in the west of
the island, where the population of
Corncrakes is the highest, and having no
luck at all, I decided to look at the local
pair, which is in a marsh, and just a
hundred yards down the track from the
house. Why I hadn’t looked at these
before I just don’t know, but in the last
week I’ve managed to take some really
great video footage of the birds singing,
and also some pretty good stills, by just
taking an evening stroll with my camera.
What with Great Northern divers, a
Golden Eagle and otters as well, “my cup
runneth over”, and I am now completely
“birded out”. Never mind, after a complete
rest at home, doing nothing, ignoring the
by now rampant weeds, I should be fully
recuperated, with binoculars at the
ready……
Graham Todd
THE BIRDING COLUMN
Red Kite - Milvus Milvus
19
MONK FRYSTON SCHOOL REPORT
An innovative dad at Monk Fryston Primary School has come up with an idea to improve communications between parents and teachers.
Brent Thurrell decided that in the age of social networking technology, letters in children's book bags were no longer the best way for messages to get through. The school has now signed up to the Scholabo site, which Brent founded, so parents can pick up reminders, newsletters and school news via the Internet. "I came up with the idea for Scholabo to scratch my own itch," he said. "Like many busy parents, I was struggling keeping on top of the letters coming home from school - when they actually made it home - and then trying to figure out what was important to me and my child." He added: "I spotted an opportunity to create a private social network that securely connects the school to its parent community to provide information in the way that today's parents want to consume it." Using the website is also good news for the school's carbon footprint and finances, with the average primary school estimated to use 60,000 sheets of A4 paper
every year for communicating with parents. Head teacher Carole Middleton agrees the scheme will lead to "significant financial savings". She added: "It's about time that schools make a clear break from the paper-based past and begin to embrace new methods of communications that are becoming commonplace in other walks of life today. In the age of the Internet and social networking, there's a real argument for rethinking the way schools should communicate with parents." Carole explained: "In the majority of schools, there's still an over-reliance upon letters in book bags to get information home to parents, which as a communication mechanism is fraught with issues such as loss, damage, destruction and information overload, not to mention the environmental impact of all the paper being used." Scholabo is being taken up by other schools in the region and is gaining momentum in schools on both a national and an international scale. Call 0844 2413226 for further information.
MONK FRYSTON Pre-SCHOOL
We welcome children from two years to school age*
We provide lots of different activities including:
Toys, Songs, Rhymes, Stories, Painting, Modelling,
Sand and Water Play, Cutting and Glueing, Playdough,
Puzzles and much more…!
Monday to Friday 9:00 – 12:00 am
Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 – 3:00 pm
Contact Jayne Wood 681050 Church Hall, Monk Fryston
We are OFSTED Inspected and LEA funded and we
follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum
*places are offered subject to availability
Green scheme casts its web
Reprinted from Selby Times 19th May
20
BROADBAND HILLAM
Should I change my broadband supplier?
What is a MAC number? Might I lose the
Internet altogether if I try to transfer to
another provider? These are questions
which have occupied us all. People, me
included, are nervous about changing
broadband supplier, despite being
bombarded from all sides with best-buy
recommendations.
And another thing: when is high speed
broadband coming to Hillam?
Two issues ago the Hillam Nerd invited
Hillam News readers to vote for high
speed broadband in a process called the
Race to Infinity. Sorry, but this was little
more than a BT stunt, and after
nationwide voting just four exchanges
were added to BT’s list for super fast
broadband – and not surprisingly South
Milford is not one of them.
South Milford exchange supplies
broadband by means of an Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and it is
possible to connect via any number of
suppliers – from BT to Orange to Virgin
and Sky. Two (Sky and TalkTalk) have
put their own Local Loop Unbundling
(LLU) into South Milford, so theoretically
they should give a better and faster
service. There is no cable nearer than
Harrogate, so forget that one.
ADSL allows data to be transmitted over
regular copper lines at frequencies higher
than those which are used for voice calls,
and at the same time. ADSL works best
when you live less than five kilometres
from the exchange.
My own experience is probably typical.
I was an Orange customer – having
originally signed up with Freeserve,
I found myself sold on to Wanadoo and
then Orange. The service was OK until
broadband failed, with the telephone
continuing to work. I called Orange in
India, but they would not talk to me until
I stopped using someone else’s wifi router
(Belkin). BT, also in India, refused to talk
because my Internet supplier was Orange
and my telephone still worked. Then a bit
of luck: the phone went off as well. BT
turned out and within half a day I was
called, from the entrance to Mill Close,
by a repair man. He had tweaked
something in the BT box there and I was
back in business.
I determined to leave Orange and return to
BT, despite Which recommendations. For
peace of mind I got a dongle, so I could
stay on the net if my line failed altogether.
Changeover day arrived. The postman
delivered a parcel from BT. I plugged in
the router, switched on my computer and,
hey presto, I was back on line with BT.
I have the added benefit of BT FON,
which allows me to log in at lots of wifi
hotspots all over the country – and it
really works.
Another householder, also with Orange,
chose TalkTalk. Again his telephone
worked, but not the Internet. Neighbours
remained fully connected. TalkTalk
prevaricated, and then at last agreed to
send an engineer. No one arrived, despite
a day taken off work to rendezvous with
him. This customer eventually cancelled
TalkTalk and, despite the service never
working, was charged £90.00. That
remains to be resolved. He transferred to
BT. The phone worked fine, but Internet
was still intermittent. BT sent an engineer
who renewed some wiring and now
everything works fine.
Hillam News would like to hear of others’
experience and broadband
recommendations. Have you had better
service from TalkTalk, and what is Sky
like? There is no date for the roll-out of
high speed broadband in our area but if
anyone sees a fibre-optic cable heading for
that box near Mill Close, shout out at the
top of your voice.
Don’t forget, Hillam News is on the
Internet at:
http://www.hillam-village.co.uk, and
http://www.issuu.com/hillamnews, via
http://pc.monkfryston.net, and also on
Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
home.php#!/pages/Hillam-
News/160742057308841.
The Hillam NerdThe Hillam NerdThe Hillam NerdThe Hillam Nerd
Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test ---- what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive?
21
READER’S LETTER
Re proposed showpeople’s quarters
on Lowfield Road
It has been belatedly brought to my
attention that the applicant has
suggested moving the bus stop at the
end of Green Lane, to Lowfield Road.
The bus stop at the end of Green Lane
is there for the use of the current
residents and is the only way to get
both to the village and beyond
without use of a car. Obviously this
also applies to anyone wanting to get
to Green Lane. My husband and I
now live alone but our family and
friends can and do use the bus service
when they visit us. We also can use
our bus passes to shop in Selby,
Sherburn or Leeds.
Some years ago, I foolishly thought
I would walk to the village for milk.
The road was not as busy as now but
I could walk only a few yards on the
road when I had to jump onto the
grass verge. There is no footpath and
the grass verge is not only on a slope
but also cut with drains. This was
quite difficult in good weather but
certainly impossible in rain, snow, fog
or in the darkness. It would be just as
difficult to walk to Lowfield Road to
catch a bus and therefore the idea has
no consideration for the current users
of the bus service.
I would therefore like to object to this
further proposal (moving the bus
stop) and hope that we who live and
work on Green Lane will not have our
usage jeopardised.
Yours faithfully
Lynn Ingledew
Green Lane Farm, Monk Fryston
22
anchester United have secured their 19th title, and in
doing so have taken the mantle off their archrivals
Liverpool to become the club that has won the most
titles. It really is a terrific achievement, given they
were only on title number 8 when Sir Alex Ferguson took over
the running of the club in the late ’80s. It also puts their progress
into some perspective when you consider Ryan Giggs has now
lifted 12 titles in his time at Old Trafford. At the time of writing
there is still the Champions’ League final to be played and it will
be interesting to see whether they can match and defeat the
all-conquering Barcelona side who have swept all before them so
far this season.
One thing is for sure however – that the Red Devils won’t have
things all their own way domestically next season, not least
because their near neighbours have now lifted the ‘monkey off
their back’ by winning their first trophy in 35 years when they
picked up the FA Cup. If Manchester City continue to spend in
the summer and make one or two top-class signings, they will
surely be a lot closer to winning the title than they managed to be
this year. Chelsea will be as keen as ever to reclaim the title they
won in 2010, whilst a resurgent Liverpool will also push Arsenal
and Tottenham for a place in the top four. After years where you
could say that it will be either Manchester United or Chelsea who
win the title, next season looks to be one of the most open for a
long time.
The Rugby Union season has come to a
conclusion with the inevitable relegation
of our local team Leeds Carnegie.
I mentioned in a previous column that the
team have probably deserved their final position, given the
negative style of play which they have adopted for most of the
season, but it was equally hard not to feel some sympathy for the
team in their last game when they scored three tries in the first
30 minutes (away from home to European Cup finalists
Northampton) yet still managed to pluck defeat from the jaws of
victory. I stand by my comments that the club should look to
move their home games around Yorkshire in order to attract a
wider fan base but, to be honest, they could find the next year
very demanding, trying to get back to the top tier from a league
which looks increasingly competitive.
Much has been made of the rush to secure tickets for the Olympic
Games in 2012, with the initial ballot for events closing in late
April. Personally I was astonished at the cost of attending the
blue-riband events such as the 100 metres final and some of the
swimming finals. I am not sure if there’s a better way to have
handled the ticket allocation but there’s little doubt that a number
of people (including yours truly!) will be tested financially if they
secure tickets for some of these events. It was an easy process to
select the events you wish to see, not least because the money is
taken only once your allocation has been confirmed. I guess I
will be like many others in that if I get ALL of the tickets I have
requested, then not only will I be busy next summer, I will also
be visiting the events via the bankruptcy courts…!
Yours in sport
Doug Hought
SPORT-IN-NEWS
M
23
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BITS AND BOBS
Hillam News needs you!
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News. It is always a pleasure to receive articles.
We are fortunate to live in a village with so
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News comprises articles written by people
living in the village. If you have a contribution which you think will
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send it in. If you feel you would like to be part of this
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Hillam News, please contact Bev Jackson by
email at [email protected].
ZUMBA Latin-inspired dance fitness workout
St Wilfrid’s Church Hall
Every Thursday, 6:45-7:30 pm, £3
For more details contact Hannah Howcroft
(Qualified Fitness Instructor)
07707 929393
Walking on Air Foot Care In the comfort of your own home
Amanda Hornshaw Foot Health Practitioner Dip CFHP, MPS Pract
Corns/callus removed, nail cutting, verrucas
and general foot care
Home visits only
Phone: 07740 090368
Fully insured and CRB checked
Look out for Hooked ’N’ Cooked
Fish and chips in the Community Centre
car park on alternate Tuesdays
May 31st, June 14th, June 28th then fortnightly
3:30 pm until 7:30 pm
About Hillam News The Hillam News is a free newspaper produced
by volunteers. We make reasonable
endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the
content but we do not guarantee the accuracy
of nor endorse the opinions of third-party
contributions including adverts. We publish
our material in good faith and strive to
comment fairly. If we make a mistake we are
willing to correct it when it is pointed out to
us. Because the paper is free we do not permit
copying for gain but we are happy to grant
permission for reproduction.
24
CLUBS & GROUPS
To amend or to add to the information below, please phone Jenny Hoare (683332)
CLUB OR GROUP LOCATION DAY & TIME CONTACT
Monk Fryston & Hillam Community Association
Community Centre Bi-monthly 3rd Wed 7.30pm
Booking: Becky Gatenby 689230 Secretary: Tony Hudson 682693
Church Hall booking Paddy Twidale 07766 097520
Ringtree Lights Committee Cross Keys Occasional Karen Merry 685694
Monk Fryston & South Milford Mothers’ Union
Church Hall Apr-Sep: 3rd Tue 7.30pm Oct-Mar: 3rd Wed 2pm
Paddy Twidale 07766 097520
Women with Interests Usually at Community Centre 3rd Thurs 7.30pm Kath Ratcliffe 683590
Community Association Luncheon Club (for anyone over 70)
Community Centre: for catering purposes, please book your place
1st Wed from 11.30am
Kath Ratcliffe 683590
St Wilfrid’s & St Mary’s Youth Fellowship
Variable 2nd & 4th Sat (term time)
Ages 8-11: 6.30-8pm Ages 12-16: 7.30-9pm
Alison Holmes 682450
S Milford Youth Club SM Church Hall Wed 7-9pm Jean Gibson 682751
Breakfast & After-School Clubs Community Centre & Hambleton Play Safe Club
7.30am-6.30pm Rachael Peacock 01757 229910
MF Pre-school Church Hall Mon-Fri 9-12am Tue & Thur 12.30-3pm
Jayne Wood 681050 (Playschool hours only)
Little Monkeys (Mothers & Toddlers)
Community Centre Tue 9.30-11.15am (term time)
Sarah Force 07879 452293
Rainbows (girls 5-7) Church Hall Friday Becky Gatenby 689230
S Milford Guides 682506, Hambleton Guides 01757 705535, Sherburn Cubs and Scouts 07913 158839
Air Cadets (ages 13-21) RAF Church Fenton Mon & Fri 7-9pm 01937 557340
Chernobyl Children’s Project (UK), MF Group Paula Spencer 682506
MF, Hillam & Burton Salmon Defibrillator Group
Crown Inn Occasional Tues 7.30pm
John Colton 671172
Hillam & MF Cricket Club www.hmfcc.co.uk Kate Vaks 07747 045060
Burton Salmon Cricket Club John Nesbitt 684444
Monk Fryston United FC Stocking Lane Steve Tope 07970 868288
Innter Crown FC Lowfield Road Lee Hammerton 07774 048913
Castleford & Dist Society of Anglers Hillam Pond, Betteras Hill Road D Malanczac 557715
St Wilfrid’s Parish Walks Variable 4th Sat 10.15am Stuart Twidale 07766 097520
Hillam Running Club Ringtree Various Lisa Sage 689206
Circuit Training (children & adults) MF School Mon & Thur 8-9pm Pat Birch 680580
Dancing (ages 3 to adult) Church Hall Tue 4-7.30, Wed 4-6.30pm Lucie Fox 01757 228841
Dancing for Tots Community Centre Thur 10-11am Claire Collins 07936 766420
Zumba fitness workout Church Hall Thur 6.45-7.30pm Hannah Howcroft 07707 929393
Pilates Community Centre Mon 9.30-10.30am (term time)
Beverley Fletcher 01937 530079
Hillam Historians Hillam Nurseries Bi-monthly 4th Wed 7.30pm Jenny Hoare 683332
MF Art Club Church Hall Mon 1-4pm Jean Dearn 682611
University of the Third Age, Sherburn and Villages branch
Various groups, locations and times detailed at: www.sherburnu3a.co.uk
Lorna Pope 683514
Local evening & daytime classes Adult Learning Service, Selby & Sherburn 0845 3006686
Sherburn Library Has a list of local societies covering a wide area 0845 0349443
1st Hillam & MF Brownies Church Hall Fri 6.30-7.30pm Marie Parkin 680363