Every effort is being made to ensure the Tour de France is a resounding success. And, to help the crowds spur on competitors as they pass through Craven in July, CheerSing is offering free workshops to help communities along the Grand Départ route devise, lead and perform their own songs, cheers and chants. The workshops are led by Leeds-based singer, composer and educator Louise Gibbs, pictured. “There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people hoping to cheer along the cyclists and we’d love people to get involved in our project and create an inspiring wave of sound to motivate competitors as they speed by,” says Louise. “Anyone who likes the sound of making a lot of noise, having fun and learning some new vocal skills along the way should get down to one of our free workshops.” Each workshop lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, is open to all ages and requires no previous experience or skill. Local workshops will take place at Grassington’s Octagon Theatre on Sunday, Addingham Memorial Hall next Saturday, May 3, and Ermysted’s Grmmar School, Skipton, on Saturday, May 17. All start at 2pm. And, a further session will be held as part of Grassington Festival and will take place at Grassington Town Hall on Saturday, June 14, with a taster at noon and the workshop at 2pm. For more information, visit cheersing.co.uk or festival.yorkshire.com/events/cheer-sing or call Vanessa Bridge on 07711 969223.

Rylstone WI members have been busy. They have knitted almost 90 little Tour de France jumpers, which will be used as bunting when the famous cycle race visits Harrogate in July. The ladies – some of them novice knitters – had responded to a request for help which came from Harrogate Borough Council.

Charles Frost was mortified when arriving by the bus at Kirkby Lonsdale, he found he had left his camera behind outside Ingleton Community Centre. In hope rather than expectation, he jumped on the next bus back and, on getting off, was approached by three lads in their early teens. “Excuse me, have you lost your camera?” asked one of them. It turned out the schoolboys had found it and put it through the letter box at the community centre. Charles was so surprised at their honesty, he now believes he failed to thank them enough. “I just had £4 in loose change in my pocket, which was all I could offer them. I’m eternally grateful to these boys, the camera has 500 pictures on it. I live in Manchester. I think probably if I’d have left it behind there, I would have been saying ‘bye-bye’ to it,” saidCharles. He would like to thank the boys again for their honesty and, if their parents agree, they can contact him on 07961 572960.

Settle’s Circus of Food is hoping to create community orchards. With the help of local people, it is planting 400 trees – hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and elder – around Settle, Giggleswick, Langcliffe. The idea is that the sites will be accessible to the public, who will then be able to “harvest” the fruit. The group is planning to produce a map/trail of where the trees are located. For more information, visit circusoffood.co.uk It seems that apologies are in order. Last week, we carried a letter and picture about apparent flytipping near Waltonwrays on Carleton Road, Skipton. However, I am told the bags of rubbish were awaiting collection by Craven District Council and were the results of a clean-up event organised by Skipton Angling Association. Members spent two hours removing discarded items from the banks of the River Aire upsteam of Carleton Stone Bridge. As well as the rubbish seen on the photograph, the public-spirited volunteers “collected” three toilets, a shopping trolley, traffic cones, clothes and shoes. So thank you to all those involved and hopefully their efforts will prick the consciences of the littering “offenders”.

Keen needlewoman Karen Wilson decided Settle’s Townhead Surgery needed brightening up. So, as a thank you for the care given to her husband prior to his death in 1986, she has spent 12 months creating images of the Three Peaks – Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside – using cross-stitch. Karen, who has been registered at the surgery since the 1970s, said: “I will never forget the care and support the surgery provided when my husband was ill.” Karen is no stranger to creating works of art – due to her passion for the movies and cricket, her cross-stitch creations currently hang in the houses of Hollywood stars and Yorkshire cricketers! Dr Bill Hall, senior partner at the surgery, said: “The pictures are fabulous and many patients have commented how wonderful they are. They are a great addition to the waiting room and will give us tremendous pleasure for many years to come.”

Once again the Craven Lodge of Freemasons showed its generosity by donating 50 Easter eggs and bunnies to the children’s ward at Airedale Hospital. The annual event – now in its fifth year – is co-ordinated by Worshipful Brother Adrian Lilley and, this year, he was accompanied by Senior Warden Brother David Clough when he visited the ward on Good Friday to hand over the eggs. “It was great to see the children smile when they received their egg,” they said. They are pictured with Hector Mitchell and his mum Tracy.