MY walking colleague on one of her regular walks to the top of Pendle Hill was able to get a fairly close up view of the giant poppies that were created to mark the start of Colne Commemorates 1918 celebrations, just before they were dismantled. Going up the way she did, from the road to Sabden, she didn’t actually see the poppies, which were made out of ‘horticultural fleece’, until she sat down close to the pinnacle, and was able to see the white tubes laid out beneath her (pictured). The y were created by artist Philippe Handford and consisted of three giant poppies covering an area of 168 metres (550ft) by 91 metres (300ft). My colleague tells me she tweeted a picture of the poppies and was contacted by a councillor in South Craven to tell her they could be seen from Cowling - perhaps it might be a nice idea to create a permanent piece of land art on the hill - something along the lines of the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset. A chalk Pendle witch perhaps?

SKIPTON and Settle libraries are today one of several North Yorkshire libraries celebrating the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service, which also coincides with this week’s Health Information Week. Both will be holding birthday teas - so why not go along for a cup of tea and a cake, and pick up a book at the same time.

GARGRAVE based charity, Friends of the Dales, is offering a free guided walk on Saturday, July 14, to explore some hidden corners of Westmorland, especially the magnificent display of wildflowers currently on display in the wide roadside verges around Orton (orchids near Orton, picture by Kyle Blue). Kyle Blue, one of the charity trustees, says “Many of the lanes were at one time drover’s roads and consequently the verges can be over 20ft wide. The flora often represents the numerous species which used to grow in the neighbouring hay meadows most of which are now long lost. The importance of the verges has been recognised by most having protected status and some being designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.” Interestingly, Cumbria County Council has adopted a policy where cutting of the verges is delayed to allow the flowers to set seed. Cut grass is then collected to encourage re-growth of rarer species. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is setting up a monitoring programme and local volunteers have been recruited to carry out surveys.” The five mile walk will be led by Kyle and will include input from Sir Martin Holdgate, who will share his knowledge of Sunbiggin Tarn. It will set off from Raisbeck at 11am, walkers should be properly attired, with stout boots, well behaved dogs, on leads, welcome. To reserve a place, contact Ann Shadrake on 01756 749400 or email ann.shadrake@friendsofthedales.org.uk

MEANWHILE, another free guided walk organised by Friends of the Dales from Threshfield, attracted a very healthy number of 22 walkers (pictured). Gordon and Amanda Aherne, members of the charity tell me it was an:

“Excellent walk and leader. Good food, good company, good weather. What more could you ask for?”, Praise indeed.

50 YEARS ago, in July, 1968, the Craven Herald reported on a Mrs E Throup and her rather splendid garden in Bradley. A stream ran through Mrs Throup’s garden, and it had been dammed by Mrs Throup, and her sons, to create a lovely water garden. Most interesting of all, was apparently while all the work was taking place, Mrs Throup came across a metal object in the bed of the stream that was believed to be a cannon ball. The Herald reported the cannon ball had most likely been fired by one of Cromwell’s men. Mrs Throup told the paper she intended to donate it to Craven Museum.

ANOTHER event that caught my eye in the July 1968 edition of the Craven Herald was a sheep shearing event held in Grassington Square. Upper Wharfedale Young Farmers organised the competition to raise money for the Grassington Chamber of Trade’s ‘re-cobble the town square’ fund - ingenious.

CHARITY, the British Red Cross is asking people to help it raise money by taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on Saturday, July 21. It wants 250 people to climb Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, and has a few places yet to fill. Senior community fundraiser for the British Red Cross in Yorkshire, Helen Whale, said: “It’s a fantastic day and all of our Red Cross walkers are so supportive of one another, as we all take on the challenge together. The scenery is truly awe-inspiring and to top it all off, there’s a unique medal, a certificate and that all-important cup of tea waiting for you at the bottom once you’ve finished.”

Entry costs £10. The Red Cross’ expert fundraisers will help and support every walker to reach their £100 sponsorship target, meaning that no one needs to worry about raising the money alone. For more information visit: redcross.org.uk/Y3P or contact Helen Whale on 0113 201 5256 or hwhale@redcross.org.uk.

CLEAN Air Day, which took place recently, may well have passed most people by, but not Carrs Windows, in Gargrave, which took the opportunity to highlight the importance of a well ventilated home.. Its director, Marc Carr (pictured) said; “While much of Yorkshire, particularly the Craven District, is lucky to have large open spaces, lots of countryside and a spread-out population we also have rainy days and cold weather so people do spend time indoors and might not know how important it is to keep their homes ventilated. We felt that as a windows company it was important to spread the message.”

WHAT with all the excitement of the World Cup being played out in Russia, Skipton Tesco’s football team recently played out its on mini-championships, by challenging Ilkley Tesco to a match (Skipton Tesco community champion Dean Majors pictured with the team). Not sure what the score was, Dean is keeping a tight-lipped silence on the matter.