A COLLEAGUE out reporting on Skipton Horse Trials recently had her first ever taste of 'spectator rage', and very surprised she was too, it having never happened before. Having positioned herself carefully not to be in the way of the competitors and their fast moving horses, and within sight, so as not to surprise them, she was taking a picture of a coloured horse and its rider successfully clearing a wall, when an angry voice behind her shouted at her to get out of the way. Despite her repeated apologies, theman remained pretty angry and took off at a run to the next obstacle, clearly wanting to film the rider, for whom he must have been waiting for some time. So, by way of an apology, here is the picture my colleague took, which is not half bad, considering.

A FERRET may not have been amongst the sights one would normally expect to see at Armed Forces Day in Skipton - but there it was, mingling with the Lancashire Militia, and very smart it looked too, with its fetching leather harness. The day, as exciting as it was, was a little different than planned. The Spitfire fly-past was replaced with a Hurricane, and there was no firing range, or climbing wall. There was also no hog-roast, but it does sound as if the cannons provided plenty of loud entertainment.

A BANGERS, beer and barbecue evening will be held next month at foodie and visitor destination, Country Harvest, near Ingleton. Guests will get to watch a sausage making demonstration by local butcher, George Taylor, before getting the chance to make their own. They will also be able to sample beers from the Old School Brewery, Warton, and all in the grounds which look over Ingleborough. In the event of bad weather the barbecue will still go ahead but guests will eat inside the coffee shop. The evening is being held as part of Ingleton’s Overground Underground Festival, which will feature a variety of events throughout the year celebrating the beauty and diversity of the Ingleborough Dales. Tickets for the event, on August 18, are £15, with the evening kicking off at 6.30pm. Tickets from Country Harvest, or by telephone 015242 42223. Anyone booking before the end of the month will receive a ten per cent discount.

SKIPTON Soroptimists joined with all the other Soroptimist clubs in Yorkshire to celebrate their 80th Birthday Anniversary with a cream tea at Hazlewood Castle, need Leeds. Entertainment included a talk on the infamous women connected with the castle, and then some homespun vocal entertainment by members who had written their own words to some familiar traditional tunes, which all led to a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Pictured in the centre of Yorkshire presidents is Jan Taylor. Prospective new members should contact the secretary by email on siskiptonsecretary@gmail.com.

A COLLEAGUE of mine told me how the European Union count in Skipton Town Hall, resembled no other in the 40-odd years he has covered both general and local election counts. The atmosphere, he said, was palpably low key, there didn't seem to be that sense of surprised anticipation. The hall is usually packed with opposition troops. This time there were just a scattering opposition factions. But what made the event more interesting was the ability to watch how the count slowly evolved. With just two piles of ballot papers - stay and remain - on each of ten counting tables, it was possible to see how each side was progressing. And from the start it was close. He told me that as the count drew to a close he had a gut feeling that the "out"faction was going to snatch victory. And of course they did by a hair's breadth 2,031 votes, the Brexit camp polling 18,961.

MOST Skipton people will know Tinker, the homeless man who has made the town centre his home. He tells me that Sheep Day last weekend was his second while living in the town, and he has never been happier. Tinker, who will be 63 this year, is originally from Redcar, and first visited Skipton in the 1970s. When he first settled in Skipton, he lived in a tent in a farmer's field near Embsay, but moved into the town centre to the shelter of shop door fronts when the bad weather moved in. He helps out on the market stalls, has lots of friends and has currently grown his beard, so he can have it shaved off for charity. "I just love living in Skipton," he tells me. "I've never been happier, but I will be glad when I get this beard off, it keeps waking me up in the night, because its so itchy."

SCRAPPY-DOO and Lexi are two dogs in urgent need of new homes. Lexi is a cross-bred three year old bitch who is in desperate need of a permanent or foster home. She gets very excited when meeting new people and bounces all over them and needs an understanding owner who will teach her how to behave. She also needs to be the only pet in the household, and with older children, over 12 years old. She is neutered, vaccinated and chipped. Meanwhile, Scrappy-Doo is a cuddly and energetic young dog who also needs to be the only pet in the household with older children. He too can get over-excited, can be quite vocal and needs a firm and confident owner. For more information about the two dogs, and others in need of homes, contact Aireworth Dogs in Need on Facebook, by email on aireworthdogsinneed@gmailcom, or by telephone on 07551 891117.

PARENTS to be, or recent parents who have had babies at Airedale Hospital are being invited to a special event to help re-design the hospital's midwifery service. The Community Midwifery team is asking people who have used, or will be using, the service, either at the hospital, or in the community, to an event at Keighley Civic Centre tomorrow. The event, which is taking place from 10am to 3pm, will look at people’s experiences and expectations of a midwifery service and use them to make changes to and build upon the existing service. “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to get involved in shaping their midwifery service”, explains Clare Luby, Community Midwife Manager. “Whether you’ve had a baby at Airedale in the past few years, are planning to give birth here or have experience of other midwifery services, we’d love to hear from you. Bringing a child into the world is such a special and exciting time, and we want to make sure mums-to-be get the best service possible from our midwives, both in the community in the run up to the birth and on Airedale Hospital’s labour ward. By sharing your experiences, explaining what you think works well and what can be improved, we can create a gold-standard service for our community.” Lunch and refreshments will be provided at the event. To book, a place, telephone Clare on 01535 292213.