Neighbourhood news from around Craven

Church news: On Saturday, there will be a coffee morning and raffle at Wood View Guest House from 10.30am to noon by kind permission of Sue and David Dewhurst. On Sunday, there will be morning prayer at 9.30am and Holy Communion at 6.30pm.

Austwick Entertains: An enjoyable evening was had by a full house at the Austwick Entertains event. Acts included the Confederation School Orchestra, the Parish Church Choir, the Jukebox Junkies, plus children and adults singing and playing various instruments, with a grand finale of Alastair Lothian on his bagpipes playing a tribute to Robbie Burns, ending with Auld Lang Syne. Just under £700 was raised which will go towards a new boiler and windows. Thanks go to all those who helped to make it such a successful event, especially the performers.

Barnoldswick History Society: In spite of snow and ice, there was a good attendance at the society’s January meeting to hear John Read give an illustrated talk on the Stirling bomber in World War Two. Originally built at Rochester but then at places away from the south-east, the Stirling entered RAF service in 1941. Mr Read showed photos not only of the various adjustments made to the fighting capacity of the plane during its active service but also of the complex instrument panels operated by the crew. The Stirling had the disadvantage of a flying ceiling of only 15,000ft, making it an easy target for enemy fighters. Posthumous awards of the Victoria Cross were made to two Stirling pilots following raids on Turin in 1942 and 1943. Towards the end of 1943, when the larger Halifax and Lancaster bombers were in service, the Stirling was used for second line duties and, after the war, as a passenger plane for military personnel.

Bentham Historical Society: Sir John Kerr, chairman of the Ewecross Historical Society, welcomed guest speaker Oliver Wilkinson to the meeting in the Methodist Church. He spoke about British prisoners of war in World War One with special reference to his great grandfather William Wilkinson. One of his slides was of William’s family outside the Brown Cow hotel in Bentham, now the Coach House, where he was tenant. William later ran the picture house. He went to war in 1917 and fought at the battle of Kemmel Hill. Stan Wilkinson, William’s grandson, continued with the account of his capture and life as a prisoner of war, having to work on roads and rail lines, before being sent to Crossen camp. After several months there and suffering from illness brought on by malnutrition, he arrived back on a hospital ship in December 1918 to Scotland and recovered at Whalley. He lived to be 100. Oliver told of life in other PoW camps and of the ingenuity of prisoners to obtain food and keep themselves occupied. The chairman thanked the speakers. In February Stephen Constantine will speak on St Helena and the End of the British Empire Bolton Abbey Priory Church: The services this Sunday are 8am Communion (said), 10.30am Sung Eucharist and 4.30pm Evening Prayer. Each Wednesday, there is a communion service at 10am. All services are BCP.

Concert series: A schedule of the Priory concert series is now available. If you would like one, ring 01756 710586.

Bradley Liz Zieboll, 01535 636369 Coffee morning: Everyone is welcome at the Methodist Church coffee morning on Saturday. It will take place in the church hall between 10am and 11.30am and includes home baking.

Pilates: A new Pilates class is starting at the village hall. It is aimed at beginner/intermediate level and will take place between 11.30am and 12.30pm on a Monday. The cost is £45 for a six-week block.

Fitness class: Liv Life Fitness has started a new health and fitness class at 6.30pm on a Wednesday in the village hall. For more information, call 07813 342187.

Film Club: The next film in the Family Favourites series will be The Princess Bride (PG), showing at 6pm on Wednesday in the school hall. Admission is free and children under 16 should be accompanied. Refreshments will be available.

School news: Class two went on a walk around the village last week, followed by a visit to Snaygill Boats. They were then treated to a boat ride back to Bradley. Class three were winners of Walk to School, with 100 per cent of pupils either walking or parking and striding to school.

Burnsall Ed Williams, 01756 720335 Challenge final: Skyreholme and Burnsall will meet in the final of the Inter Village University Challenge tomorrow. It will be staged at the Red Lion, at 7pm and will be followed by sandwiches and chips and, at 8pm, by the Wales vs England rugby international.

Carleton Raymond Bone, 01756 790587 Panto fun: Carleton Theatre Group is preparing to perform Pinocchio at the village hall from Wednesday, February 18 to Saturday, February 21. Tickets are on sale from the Swan pub, at £6 for adults and £4 for children. Performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets can be reserved by email on carletoncommunity@gmail.com Clapham Rory-Joe Daniels, 015242 51135 Coffee morning: There will be a coffee morning to raise money for Take Heart - The Yorkshire Heart Centre - on Wednesday, February 19, at Clapham Village Hall. The event runs from10am to noon and there will be cakes, biscuits and drinks for purchase along with a raffle.

Coniston Cold Young Farmers: Last Tuesday Coniston Cold Young Farmers met at the Richard Tottie Memorial Hall. Alan Poxon, of Gargrave, gave a talk and demonstration on the history and art of kites and kite flying. Members found the subject very entertaining. A vote of thanks was given by Gemma Darwin.

St Peter’s: On Sunday, the church will hold a Holy Communion at 9.30am.

Cononley Joan Nicholson, 01535 630872 St John’s: On Sunday, St John’s Church will hold a service of Holy Communion at 11am when the preacher will be Kevin Wood. On Monday, Toddlers Praise will be from 2pm to 3.15pm. Assistance for prams and pushchairs at the steps will be available. Tea and biscuits will be served by Eileen and Freda. On Tuesday at 12.30pm, the Mothers’ Union annual meeting will take place at Margaret Hall’s home.

Soul disco: A Northern Soul DJ will be spinning records at the village institute on Saturday, February 28. There will be a fully-lit dance floor, a soul food supper and a pay bar. All proceeds will go towards the upkeep and running of the institute. The event starts at 7.30pm and tickets, costing £10, are available from Cononley Post Office. The price includes supper.

Draughton Jane Markham, 01756 711305 St Augustine’s: On Sunday, a Morning Prayer service will be held at St Augustine’s at 9.30am.

Earby David Hartley, 01282 842617 St Peter’s: The 10.30am service on Sunday will be led by Tony Gildea and Barry Jackson. From 1.30pm on Monday, there will be a gentle exercise class followed by refreshments. All are welcome. There is no set charge, but donations are invited. The next church buffet lunch will be on Shrove Tuesday, February 17, between noon and 2pm and this will include pancakes.

Churches Together: Thanks go to all who helped to make the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service such a success. A total of £157.94 was collected for Churches Together funds. All are reminded of the Churches Together annual general meeting which takes place on Thursday, February 19, at the New Road Community Centre, starting with a meal at 6.30pm. The speaker will be the chief executive of Pendleside Hospice. The joint Lenten Meetings will commence Tuesday, February 17, with refreshments at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. As usual lay folk from the various churches will lead these meetings.

Gardeners Society: Earby and District Gardeners Society will meet at the New Road Community Centre on Tuesday at 7.30pm. David Hartley will give a talk, Animal Magic, and will bring live animals. The talk is suitable for children - so bring the whole family. The society will hold its 28th annual spring bulb show on Saturday, March 21, from 11am to 1pm. Soup and sandwiches will be available and all are welcome to view the exhibits and enjoy some vibrant spring colours. New exhibitors are especially welcome and schedules are available from Dorothy Bullock on 842134.

Eldroth Church news: Eldroth Church will hold its annual general meeting at Blythes Garth on Monday at 7.30pm.

Embsay-with-Eastby Andrew Wilson, 01756 790197 Embsay churches: On Sunday, the Methodist service at 10.30am will be led by Rachel Coombes. Every Tuesday morning in the Methodist Church Hall, people can enjoy a variety of table-top games or bring your knitting and enjoy the fellowship. St Mary’s Church will hold a Parish Communion at 9.30am on Sunday and a Holy Communion at 10.30am on Tuesday. Also, on Tuesday, the church will be open between 2pm and 4pm for tea, coffee and cakes. On Friday between 1.45pm and 3.15pm, Smiley Faces will take place in the church. This is for pre-school children and their parents, grandparents and carers.

Methodist Guild: The Guild meets today at 2pm. The speaker will be Trevor Kent whose subject will be Energy.

Men’s Pie Lunch: The men’s pie lunch will not take place this month due to insufficient numbers of people committing to attend.

Sunday brunch: The pre-school playgroup will hold a Sunday Brunch in the village hall between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Sunday. The brunch menu will include bacon butties, hot-dogs and home made cakes. There will also be some stalls and plenty of activities for children. All proceeds will go towards the Embsay-with-Eastby Pre-School Playgroup.

Women’s Institute: The WI will meet in the village hall on Tuesday at 7.30pm when the talk will be about the Yorkshire Ambulance Service. Visitors are welcome for a £3 admission fee.

Stay and Play: Embsay Children’s Centre now has a coffee, stay and play group for the under threes every Friday from 9am to 11am. It is free of charge (but donations are always welcome for the Martin House Children’s Hospice) and is a great way to entertain the little ones when it is wet and cold outside. The group would welcome any interesting materials, boxes or bottle caps etc. for its modelling using junk materials. There is a box just inside the door if you don’t have time to drop in with them.

Farnhill and Kildwick Joyce Wood, 01535 635880 St Andrew’s Church: On Sunday, there will be a service of Holy Communion at 8.15am in the parish rooms and at 10am in the church. Each Wednesday there is a service of Holy Communion at 9.30am in the parish rooms. Next Saturday, February 14, there will be a coffee morning from 10am to noon in the parish rooms in aid of Jigsaw Kids Ministry in Manila and the Church Mission Society.

Village Pump: The Village Pump - the over 50s group - will meet in the lower hall at Farnhill Methodist Church on Wednesday from 2pm to 3.30pm. Visitors and new members are welcome.

Coffee morning: Kildwick School is holding a Fairtrade coffee morning today from 9.15am to 10.45am. All villagers and friends are invited.

Summer fair: Kildwick and Farnhill are hoping to build on the success of previous years by making the 2015 summer fair even better. To do this, the organisers need your help. The planning committee meets periodically from February to the day of the fair which this year is to be held on June 27. If you are able to help, in any way, then please attend the next meeting at 7.30pm on Monday in the parish rooms. If you would like to assist but cannot attend then contact Chris Brigham on 01535 630523. Typical ways in which you could be of assistance are: making a few phone calls, collecting donated items and prizes, providing temporary storage and assisting with a stall for a couple of hours on the day. It really does not take a lot of commitment and could make a lot of difference.

Bingo evening: Kildwick and Farnhill Institute will hold a bingo night on Friday, February 20, at 7pm. The price for entry is £5 per book of five games. Tea, coffee and squash will be provided or, if you prefer alcoholic drinks, you can bring your own.

History Group: The next meeting of Farnhill and Kildwick History Group will take place on Monday, February 16, at 7pm, at Kildwick and Farnhill Institute. There will be a talk about The Kildwick Rail Crash of 1875. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Gargrave Sally Jennings, 01756 748098 Pilates: For one week only, tomorrow’s Pilates class in the village hall annexe will commence at 10.30am.

Soup luncheon: The NSPCC soup luncheon will take place in the village hall on Saturday between 11.30am and 2pm. The entrance fee is £7.50 at the door and this will include soup, cheese and biscuits, homemade cake and tea or coffee. There will also be a raffle.

St Andrew’s: On Sunday, the church will hold a BCP Holy Communion at 8am, followed by Morning Prayer at at 10.45am.

Community Café: The next Horton Community Cafe event will take place between 2pm and 4.30pm on Monday in the village hall annexe. All are welcome to attend and there will be a range of daytime activities, informal learning opportunities and support in a café-style atmosphere.

Women’s Institute: The WI will meet on Wednesday from 7.30pm in the village hall annexe. The speaker is Martin Lunn who will talk everybody for A Ramble thro’ the Galaxy.

Hot pot dance: Gargrave Village Hall welcomes one of the UK’s most popular concert organists, Elizabeth Harrison from Chipping, to entertain at a supper dance next Friday, February 13. The event also includes a hot pot supper and will start at 8pm. Tickets are £6.50 on the door. Please call Joyce Harrison 01254 830267 to reserve your hot pot.

Panto time: The Gargrave Village Hall Pantomime Group will put on four entertaining performances between February 19 and 21. This year’s playwright is 17-year-old Ruth Garrett, who has written a pantomime about a theatre group putting on a play. There will be all the old favourite corny jokes, evil laughing villains and heroes who save the day.

Giggleswick Gill O’Donnell, 01729 825639 Richard Whiteley Theatre: On February 23, there will be a return visit by Paper Birds theatre with its new show Broke. The show shares real life stories about poverty and debt in the UK and looks at both national and individual debt. On February 26, the Gigg lectures series continues with a talk by Dr Paul Whittaker OBE on the subject of Music to the Ear. Profoundly deaf since the age of eight, Dr Whittaker is an organist and pianist and since 1988 has run a charity to help deaf people access music and the performing arts. On February 27, the theatre in conjunction with Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company will stage A Cartoon History of Here - an interactive cartoon and poetry performance with renowned poet Ian McMillan and acclaimed cartoonist Tony Husband. For tickets, contact 01729 893180.

Gisburn Young Farmers: This week’s meeting was held at The Matrix Super Bowl at Skipton. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the night, with some playing snooker and others taking part in a game of ten-pin bowling. Next week’s meeting will take place at Burnley Cinema.

Grassington Sheila Denby, 01756 752605 Coffee morning: Grassington Primary School PTA will stage a coffee morning in Church House on Saturday from 9.30am. Any contribution for the raffle or cake stall would be greatly appreciated.

Zumba class: Zumba classes are held in Church House on Fridays from 10am to 11am.

Prize bingo: A family prize bingo night will be held in the town hall next Friday, February 13, from 6pm to 7pm. Tickets cost £5 for adults and £2 for children. This will be followed by cash bingo for the over 18s from 7.30pm to 9pm. Refreshments will be on sale and any profits will go to hall funds.

Panto fun: Grassington Pantoloons will present their annual pantomime, Red Riding Hoodie, in the town hall on Friday and Saturday, February 20 and 21, and the following Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28. Tickets are available from the Hub on 752222 and cost £7 (£5 for concessions) in advance or £8 (£5 concessions) on the door.

Friendship Club: Jonathon Metcalf will talk about Fire Cover to Grassington Friendship Club today. Next Thursday, Ed and Brenda Williams will talk about Indo-China. The club meets in Church House from 2.15pm.

Bloom AGM: Grassington in Bloom group will hold its annual general meeting in Church House on Tuesday from 7.30pm.

Garden talk: Garden Flowers and Butterflies is the title of Don Alred’s address to Grassington and District Horticultural Society tonight. The meeting will take place in the town hall’s Octagon Theatre at 7.30pm.

WAGS group: Grassington WAGS group is holding a foot spa session – and is inviting people to share the experience. The Aloe Vera demonstration will take place in the coffee lounge of Grassington Congregational Church on Tuesday afternoon. Those taking part are asked to bring their own bowl and towels.

Hebden Victoria Benn, 01756 751795 Annual meeting: Hebden Village Institute will hold its annual general meeting in the institute on Monday, February 16, at 7pm. Please note this is a change of date from the previously advertised day.

Hellifield Ken Leak, 01729 850845 Coffee morning: Last week’s coffee morning in the institute raised £152 for Sense, the charity for the deaf and blind. This Saturday’s coffee morning will be a fundraiser for the Mothers’ Union. It will start at 10am and will include stalls, raffle and refreshments.

Age Concern: Age Concern is changing the format of its meetings. In future they will be held on Fridays at the Boars Head Hotel, Long Preston, and will include lunch. Meetings will start at 11.45am with lunch served at noon. New members are welcome and the numbers attending should be given to Ellen Toome by the Wednesday morning prior to the meeting. She can be contacted on 01729 850864.

Methodist Guild: The Methodist Guild will meet at the Chapel on Haw Grove at 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Flower Club: North Craven Flower Club meet in the institute next Thursday, February 12, from 7.30pm. The meeting will be entitled Surprise Surprise and new members are welcome.

Book Club: The Book Club meets at the Social Club next Thursday, February 12, from 8pm. The book for discussion will be Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant. The club welcomes new members.

Station Tearooms: A video night will be held in the Station Tearooms tomorrow. Ted Parker will host the evening, which starts at 7.30pm.

St Aidan’s: St Aidan’s will hold a service to welcome the Area Bishop of Ripon on Sunday. The service will include music from Taize in France. Please come along and meet Bishop James Bell from 6.30pm. There is a collection basket at the back of the church for packaged goods, which are donated to the Skipton Foodbank.

Treasure hunt: There will be a gala treasure hunt on Saturday, February 28, which will be followed by a barbecue and family disco at the institute. The entry fee will be £5 per team. with food extra. Contact Heather on 01729 850845 for more details.

60s night: Next Friday, February 13, there will be an evening of 60s themed entertainment in the village institute. Tickets are £7.50 for adults and £5 for under 16s. The price includes a buffet supper, but bring your drink. Sixties dress is optional. Doors open at 7.15pm.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale Caroline Thompson, 01756 749235 Whist and dominoes: A whist drive was held at Golden Lion. Results were: ladies - 1 S Sutcliffe, 2 M Wellock, 3 J Welch; gents - 1 H Jackson, 2 M Davies, 3 S Hogg. A domino drive was also held to raise money for Cancer Research. Results were: under 16s - 1 Emily Palmer, 2 Victoria Johnson; adults - 1 Gary Middleton, 2 Peter Shackleton. A total of £81.50 was raised. The next domino drive will be on Friday, February 20, and once again, proceeds will go to charity.

Church news: On Sunday - the second before Lent - there will be a 9am service at St Oswald’s, Horton, for the combined parishes of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Stainforth and Langcliffe. Next Sunday, February 15, there will be a Holy Communion at St Peter’s Church, Stainforth, at 10.30am. An Ash Wednesday service will take place at St Peter’s on February 18 at 7.30pm. A service of common worship will be held on February 22 - the first Sunday of Lent - at 10.30am at St Oswald’s Church.

Ingleton Sue Brown, 015242 41835 Women’s Institute: Ingleborough WI held its presentation meal at Ireby Farm Cafe, where members looked out at the snow-covered woodland. After a delicious meal, president Sue Brown presented the Mildred Bryson Cup for most points in the WI Show to Susan Ellis. Susan also won the Emily Brown Cup for most points for knitting and embroidery. The Dellar Procter cup for most points in pot plants went to Mauricia Aldred - who was also runner-up in monthly competitions - and Connie Tooby received the Joyce Kneill cup for most points in produce. Doreen Wells was awarded the cup for most points in the monthly competition. The institute raised £680.62 at its recent jumble sale. Former members are invited to the institute’s 93rd birthday party in Ingleborough Community Centre on Monday, March 9, at 7.30pm.

Folk fundraiser: This year’s Ingleton folk festival fundraising weekend will take place on Friday, February 27, and Saturday, February 28. On the Friday, from about 7pm, there will be an open session in the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Main Street. All are welcome and there is no admission charge. On the Saturday, two Hiring Fairs will take place. The first one is from noon to 6pm in the Wheatsheaf Hotel and the second one is in the Ex-Servicemen’s Club from 7pm to midnight. Again, there is free admission.

Kelbrook St Mary’s: On Sunday, the church will hold a communion service at 11am. All are welcome.

Lawkland Young Farmers: Young Farmers met at Austwick Parish Hall for hedging and walling practice. Thanks go to Mrs J Huck for judging. Results were: junior girls - 1 Georgia Mason-Thornton, 2 Abbie Richards, 3 Mollie Taylor; junior boys - 1 James Mason-Thornton, 2 Charlie Metcalfe, 3 Angus Ogden. Next week’s meeting is Valentine card making at Austwick Parish Hall at 7.30pm Long Preston Heather Thomas-Smith, 01729 840113 Coffee morning: Long Preston Methodist Chapel invites everyone to a coffee morning in the village hall on Saturday. It will run from 10am to 11.30am and will include a cake stall.

Lothersdale Young Farmers: Lothersdale Young Farmers visited Richard Horsfield’s farm at Foulridge where they held a very successful “reasons” night. They learnt how to correctly judge beef and dairy, breeding sheep and butchers lambs. For more information about the club, contact 07809 744790.

Discussion Group: Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group will meet at the Tempest Arms, Elslack, on Wednesday at 8pm. The speaker will be Gordon Witherford from HSBC.

Rathmell Elaine Illingworth, 01729 840087 Thursday Club: The Thursday Club will meet for lunch in the Reading Rooms at 12.30pm today. The meal will be followed by an introduction to reflexology.

Settle Gill O’Donnell, 01729 825639 Kwezana link: Settle Primary School governor Gillian Gape has been in touch from Kwezana where she is visiting. She said the pupils in Kwezana were really impressed by the photo stories which Settle youngsters had created and were working hard to send replies. They had used a microphone for the first time and part of the story is in Xhosa, which is their first language. They are also creating a photo story about a day at Kwezana School which Mrs Gape plans to bring it back with her. At present it is summer in Kwezana and most days are very hot - about 35 degrees - and so pupils have to conserve water. The garden tap, which is the school’s only source of water, has now dried up and water has to be fetched from a rainwater tank nearby, which creates a lot of additional work. The water situation caused an exchange of views on why it was important not to be wasteful with water - and one suggestion from Settle pupils that they take fewer baths was met with great amusement. During the week Mrs Gape explained that there had been a heavy storm which flooded many roads.

Table top sale: The Scouts are organising a table top sale at the drill hall on Saturday. The event is to raise funds towards improving accessibility to the hall. Anyone wishing to book a stall should contact 07454 346509.

Charity dance: The next charity dance will be at St Mary and St Michael Parish Hall on Saturday from 8pm to 11.30pm. All proceeds will go to Settle Swimming Pool. If possible please contact the organisers by tomorrow to let them know if you intend to attend. They can be contacted via 01729 823259 or 824038.

Music at Poppies: There are two musical events lined up for February at Poppies Tea Rooms. The first, on Saturday, sees the return of local group The Moonbeams, who have just launched their new album Watching Wildlife. The second, on February 28, is the debut of singer/songwriter Becky Mills at Poppies. For details, contact 07932 182293.

Guided walk: The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle line are running a 13-mile moderately strenuous walk on Saturday. This will be a circular route around Kirkby Stephen departing at 10.34am. For further details contact walksinfo@settle-carlisle.com.

Victoria Hall: Tomorrow, Talking Stock Productions presents Le Grand Return by Alan Stockdill. The play is set in 1994 as the 50th anniversary of D-Day looms.D-Day veteran Tommy is determined to break out of his nursing home and rejoin his old comrades on the Normandy beaches. Please note that this event is free with donations on exit to be split between Age UK and Victoria Hall. Next Thursday, February 12, Tim Labrum returns to invite you to travel Around The World in 80 Images. The journey takes the viewer through a number of countries. Tim aims to inspire and inform those who see the world as a place of discovery and of diversity to be explored, as well as illustrating the effects of globalism and the impact this has had on various countries and cultures. Complimentary tea and coffee will be served at the interval with all proceeds being split between Victoria Hall and local charities. For details and tickets, contact 01729 825718.

St John’s Church: A special morning service is planned on Sunday when the church congregation will be joined by some very talented visitors. The service, at 10.30am, will be led by Rev Stephen Normanton and will include performances by Huddersfield Community Gospel Choir. The session will be chiefly a service of music and praise and is open to everyone. The church would be delighted if members of the local community came along to listen and join in singing and to stay for coffee afterwards.

Parish Church: A warm welcome is offered at a number of events in Settle Parish Church this month. On Shrove Tuesday, February 17, the Giggleswick and Settle branch of the Mothers’ Union will be selling pancakes from 10am to 2pm. There will be a range of traditional and exotic fillings on offer and all proceeds will go to the Mothers’ Union Make a Mother’s Day project. This year’s annual snowdrop weekend will take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 21 and 22. Come along and view the carpet of snowdrops in the churchyard and enjoy cakes and refreshments in the church. Doors will be open between 11am and 3pm daily and all proceeds to the Aspire and Renew appeal. Every Tuesday, the church serves tea and coffee from 10am with light lunches and home-made soups on sale from noon to 2pm. There is a free wi-fi zone in the church and a friendly atmosphere. All proceeds go to church funds.

Merry Go Round: Settle Rotary’s annual Merry Go Round meal will take place on Friday, February 20. The event will commence at 7pm in the dining hall at Giggleswick School before groups disperse to enjoy a three-course meal, with each course taking place at a different hostelry. Tickets cost £18.50 and groups of up to eight can be accommodated. The funds raised from this event will be shared between Victoria Hall, Settle Swimming Pool and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Tickets are available from Settle Rotary Club members or from David Blackburne on 01729 822445.

Big breakfast: The next Big Breakfast event will take place on Saturday, February 21, at 8.30am in St Mary and St Michael Church Hall, Tillman Close, Settle. The speaker will be Joy Orwell who will talk on the story of Threads of Hope, a Christian outreach to the Maasai, from the perspective of her own recent short-term mission trip to Kenya. Participants are asked to book their places by Thursday, February 19, by contacting 01729 825285. Coffee and tea are available from 8.15am with the breakfast and talk over by 9.30am. The cost is £3 and all are welcome.

Silsden Linda Berry, 01535 654643 Coffee and cakes: The Methodist Church will hold its monthly Coffee, Cakes and Camaraderie on Saturday from 9.30am to 11.30am. As usual, it will provide an excellent opportunity to stock up your book cupboard, browse the bric-a-brac, buy a birthday card and enjoy a slice of homemade cake or a bacon sandwich.

Civic Society: The next meeting of the Civic Society will take place in the Methodist Church tonight when Mick Roe will give an illustrated talk entitled 10,000 Acres of Sky. The doors will open at 7pm and the talk starts at 7.30pm. It will be followed by refreshments.

Skipton Holy Trinity: Prayers for Holy Trinity will take place tomorrow at noon. On Sunday, services will follow the usual pattern, with Holy Communion at 8am, Parish Communion at 9.45am and Evensong at 5pm. The regular weekly diary of services and activities, open to everyone, includes Morning Prayer at 9am, although it is advisable to check daily details on the church gate noticeboard. Toddle into Church, arranged for babies to five year olds and their parents or carers takes place on Tuesdays from 2pm to 3.15pm and mid-week Holy Communion is said at 10.45am on Wednesdays. The Refectory café is open for coffee, cake and refreshments.

Naturalists: Last week, Craven Naturalists’ and Scientific Association welcomed Richard Hargreaves, who gave an illustrated talk entitled Trekking through Flowers in the Balkans. He described two walks through the Balkans Peace Park area which covers the borders between Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro. In addition to showing the wide variety of flowers encountered, he also showed their habitat and described the background of the Peace Park and the efforts to help the local people form a sustainable tourist industry, based mainly on walking and cycling. The teaching of English to the locals and the upgrading of accommodation should help to make the area more welcoming for visitors. The Peace Park has a website: balkanspeacepark.org. The next meeting on Monday is an illustrated talk by Stuart James on Madagascar. It takes place in the Swadford Centre at 7.30pm and visitors are welcome for a fee of £2. For more details, ring 01535 642180.

Gardeners’ Club: Skipton Gardeners’ Club first presentation of a new season was given by Margaret Wooler, a club member, from Carleton. Her subject, of which she is an expert, was Colour Throughout the Year. Tips on how to create thrilling combinations of plants were generously supplied. Margaret’s garden will be open for charity in June and August. The next meeting is in the Soroptimist Rooms on Wednesday, February 18, at 7.30pm when Pippa Chapman, of Those Plant People, will give a talk on Organic Gardening. All are welcome. Annual membership is £5 and admission to meetings is £1.50.

Advanced Motorists: Skipton and Craven Advanced Motorists group held its monthly meeting at the Three Links Club last Tuesday. The meeting was an Any Questions evening, hosted by the group training officer Frank Parkin. A number of interesting questions on driving and road safety had been sent in by members and these resulted in a lively discussion. Frank also gave members details of the new Mature Driver Assessment which the IAM has introduced to help older drivers keep driving for longer. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 24, when a local magistrate will stage a mock trial. Details are available from the secretary on 07553 965227 or iam-skipton.org.uk International Club: Robert Bolton will be guest speaker at the next meeting of the International Club on Tuesday at 7.30pm in the Soroptimists Rooms, Otley Street. The title of his talk is The Story of Diamonds. Visitors are welcome.

Camera Club: Last Tuesday’s meeting was a members’ affair with David Ward showing a variety of mainly local pictures including landscapes and some excellent wildlife shots. In complete contrast, Russell Threadgold gave members a tour of Venice including the main tourist attractions as well as little backwaters. The second open digital competition resulted in tie between Russell Threadgold and Mike Breeze. Russell also took second place with Mike in third.

Retired Men’s Forum: Dr Chris Wright spoke about the life and times of Kit Calvert, the founder of the Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes. After leaving school at 12 years old, he rose to become a respected Dalesman and was awarded an MBE in 1977. He died aged 80, in 1984. The talk ended with the voice of Kit Calvert, speaking about Christmas during the First World War. Next week, Alun Pugh will talk about Salt and Saltaire.

Women’s Institute: Skipton with Stirton and Thorlby WI held its first meeting of the year. Dot Drummond gave a talk entitled Seventy Years of Embroidery. She spoke about Hilda Brassington, who was born in 1908. The eldest daughter of the family, she was not allowed to follow her ambition to be a nurse, but, instead, had to stay at home and look after the family. Fortunately she had time to pursue her interest in embroidery and over the years produced a wide variety of work. Members were privileged to view many beautiful examples by this talented lady. Dot inherited all the materials, threads and drawers full of completed work and she delights in showing them to groups. The competition for a piece of embroidery was won by Kate Pattison. The next meeting is on Tuesday, February 17, when Martin Lumb will talk about Women Astronomers. Visitors are welcome.

Steeton Flower Club: More members than anticipated braved the elements of cold and snowy January weather to spend an enjoyable evening producing many varied arrangements depicting very seasonable “Winter” designs. The club’s next gathering is the annual general meeting at the New Inn, Cononley, on Thursday, February 26. Please meet at 6.30pm with the dinner to follow at approximately 7.30pm. For more information, ring 01535 634656.

Sutton-in-Craven Tosside Whist and dominoes: There were six tables in play at the whist and domino drive held at the community hall. MCs were T Robinson and P Metcalfe. Winners were: whist, ladies - B Peel, D Hogg; gents - G Parker, A Taylor; low P Parrott; dominoes - J Stainton, F Taylor, V Giles, D Knight, low H Wolfenden; raffle - R Taylor, S Walker, D Knight, N Taylor, H Lofthouse, D Robinson and T Robinson. The next drive is on Saturday, February 21, at 7.30pm.

Upper Wharfedale Sheila Denby, 01756 752605 Valentine’s dinner: A three-course dinner followed by dancing to Tim Boothman’s band will be held in Kettlewell Village Hall next Saturday, February 14, from 7.30pm. All age groups are welcome. Tickets cost £15 and are available from Sue Nelson on 760887. Proceeds will go to St Mary’s Church, Kettlewell.

Parish council: The parish council of Buckden, Hubberholme and Langstrothdale will meet in Buckden Village Institute on Monday at 8pm.

Mobile library: The mobile library van will be in Upper Wharfedale this Wednesday and again on Wednesday, February 25. It will be in Buckden car park from 10.30am to 12.30pm and Kettlewell car park from 2pm to 4pm.

Whist drives: A whist drive will be held in Buckden Village Institute on Wednesday, February 18. Doors will open at 6.30pm, with the first hand at 7pm.

First class service: Steph Roe, of Buckden, thanks everyone who supported her Christmas card delivery service in the Upper Dale. She raised £165.50 which will be split evenly between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.

School news: Kettlewell Primary School worked hard with their fundraising last term. Blue bags raised £135, bringing the school’s total for the year to £321, the Children in Need effort raised £31 and the Christmas fair was an outstanding success, raising more than £400. On Wednesday and Thursday, pupils will take part in a performance of the Wizard of Oz at Upper Wharfedale School, Threshfield. The children have been learning a song and dance routine.

Wigglesworth Community centre: Last Wednesday’s whist and domino winners were: R Eden, J Oddie, P Metcalf, T Taylor, P Oddie F Taylor, B Garnett, D Hogg, E Turner, S Hogg, M Wright and S Hogg. Saturday’s winners were: R Eden, T Taylor, H Wolfenden, S Walker, M Berry, J Sagar, E Turner, D Hogg, B Peel, H Jackson, B Garnett and M Davis. Tickets are selling well for Old Herbacious, on Friday, March 6.