A Craven Diary

AKA also seized the opportunity to collect donations of dog food and treats for the Craven and Upper Wharfedale branch of the RSPCA.Jan Turner, AKA director, said: “We’ve had a lot of fun today in our High Corn Mill offices meeting each other’s furry friends. Its been an easy and novel way of supporting a very worthwhile local charity too.” Pictured, from left is: Jo Jenkinson with Sam, Victoria Benn with Belle, Jan Turner with Rosie, Jessica Alexander with Gem and Lisa Artis with Louie.

FOLLOWING a recent feature in our pages on the wonderful Skipton Castle Woods, a reader has been in touch with his fascinating memories of the ancient woodland, a short distance from the High Street. David tells me that he can recall walking there in the mid 1940s, even though according to the Woodlands Trust, which now manages the woodland, it was only opened up to the public in 1971. David tells me: “Following afternoon Sunday School we often went for a walk through the woods. Up Chapel Hill passed the tar tank at the saw mill, over the bridge of the sandy goit sluice, then up to the dam and the waterfall. The choice then was either back down Springs canal or over the railway bridge onto Embsay Road. The bridge went over the quarry line which went under the Embsay Road junction. “

He adds: “Grandad who lived on Otley Street used to take us to look at the bats under the bridge.” Happy days indeed David, who asks if anyone else remembers walking through the woods in the 40s.

THE Innocents -which is being described as the new Stranger Things, a US sci-fi horror series which became a global hit - has recently started on Netflix, and much of it was filmed in and around Skipton. It follows the fortunes of runaway teens, June and Harry, who find themselves caught up in a confusing new world - and not just by being in London, but because of June’s shape shifting abilities. The series stars Guy Pearce, who after starting off in Neighbours in the 1980s has since become a major star. Filming of scenes took place in October last year, with scenes filmed in and around Swadford Street and in Newmarket Street, as well as in Bradford, and in Norway.

THOMAS The Baker, which has a store in Skipton High Street, has chosen to support Kidney Research UK as its charity of the year. The company has a personal link to the charity though its quality assurance manager, Chris Chapman, who received a kidney transplant in 2009. The family business, which has 30 stores across Yorkshire, will raise funds through a variety of activities, including producing special cakes and biscuits, selling merchandise and sponsored activities such as walks and quizzes.

Beccy Boyle, community fundraiser at Kidney Research UK, said: “It’s a real honour to have been chosen as Thomas the Baker’s charity of the year. Thousands of kidney patients go through the kind of journey that Chris has experienced, and some are not so lucky. The support of Thomas’ staff and customers will make a huge difference to these patients, their families and the future of research.”

A LOT of young girls, and their mothers it seems, are donating their hair to the excellent charity, the Little Princess Trust, which uses donated hair to make wigs for children who have lost their own hair for some medical reason. Well done to nine year old Embsay girls, Adélie Tuck and Blossom Oddy,(pictured) who both recently had over 8 inches of hair cut off and donated to the charity.

IT may be a good three months until Christmas, but Country Harvest at Ingleton, has already opened its festive shop. Always a firm favourite, the shop opened on the first day of September, and will be open seven days a week from now until Christmas. So, if you’re shot of baubles, or ideas on how to decorate your house, get yourself to Ingleton, and start looking forward to Christmas. Ho, ho, ho...

FOR anyone wanting to help the people hit by the catastrophic flooding in the Indian state of Kerala, Skipton Building Society has set up a dedicated Kerala Flooding Appeal charity account where people can donate money over the counter at anyof its branches or can call the society’s Skipton Direct on 0345 850 1722.Nearly 400 people have died and thousands remain stranded by the worst flooding in the state for decades. Reports say that more than one million people have been displaced, many of them taking shelter in thousands of relief camps across the state. Stacey Stothard, senior corporate communications manager at the building society, said: “Reports across the UK media have highlighted the tragic consequences of the terrible flooding in Kerala and it is difficult to image the actual scale of the tragedy in which hundreds of people have lost their lives.We want to help make it a bit easier for anyone else wishing to support this appeal to donate money.”

IT MAY - or may not - have passed your notice that last Saturday was national Ginger Cat Appreciation Day. The RSPCA says over the last three years, it has had more than 1,600 ginger or ginger and white cats come into its care - of which, 291 were female and 1,344 were males. This is all down to genes - the gene that determines whether a cat is ginger lies in the X chromosome, and a female cat needs two copies of the ginger gene in order to be ginger, while male cats need just the one. This means, that ginger toms outnumber ginger females by four to one. Sam Watson, RSPCA’s cat welfare expert said: “As part of Ginger Cat Appreciation Day the RSPCA is urging people to consider adopting a rescue ginger instead of buying one. These cats and their striking colouring are very special and even more so is the less common female ginger cat. Anyone interested in adopting a ginger cat, or indeed any other colour of cat, should visit the RSPCA’s Find a Pet website where there are lots of lovely ginger cats waiting for their forever homes.

VISITORS can expect new cheeses to taste during this month’s Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival as well as enjoying cheesy-themed events at many venues that are getting involved for the first time. The Yorkshire Dales National Park has finalised the week-long programme which runs from September 15 to September 23 and includes a celebration of the county’s fine local food. Several new cheeses are expected to be launched including Stonebeck farmhouse cheese that visitors can try for the first time during the open weekend at Low Riggs Farm in Nidderdale at the beginning of the festival.

New events and venues include Wine by Slow Food Kitchen in Skipton with their Cheese Lover’s Night, the Riverbank café at Burnsall which is serving up a special rarebit dish for the occasion, Town End Farm Shop at Airton near Malham which is lining up cheese and charcuterie tastings, while the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey is putting on a special six-course tasting menu during the festival.

More information including the booking details for individual events on the website: yorkshiredales.org.uk/cheese-festival.