A Craven diary - villages compete to be 'best village in Yorkshire'

The Skipton based magazine put out the call to villages across the county for the competition in association with Skipton Building Society.

And, its aim is to celebrate rural Yorkshire and to support, encourage and promote its rural communities.

Judges, including Emmerdale actor Claire King, Yorkshire shepherdess and writer, Amanda Owen, ITV weatherman, Jon Mitchell, and poet and broadcaster, Ian McMillan, will now take a closer look at the shortlist of 15 before choosing a winner.

The winning village, to be announced towards the end of the month, will be the one best displaying enterprise, initiative and community spirit, as well as how it is cared for by its residents.

And, not only will it receive the accolade of ‘Yorkshire Village of the Year, 2019’ it will also receive a cheque for £1,000 to spend on a community project.

Adrian Braddy, editor of The Dalesman, said: “Yorkshire is home to more than 1,500 rural villages, each with its own charm, character and identity. These often-ignored communities deserve more attention as they are the lifeblood of our countryside. Of course, a village is nothing without its residents. These small communities only remain vibrant, attractive places thanks to the energy, resourcefulness and spirit demonstrated by those who live and work there.”

In Langcliffe, (pictured above ) three years ago, villagers clubbed together and bought a piece of land which has become the community garden, where bees prosper.

WOULD you like to raise a guide dog puppy in your own home for a year? The Guide Dogs charity is appealing for volunteers to look after puppies and give them basic training and socialisation before thy can become a life-line to someone with sight loss.

The charity says the role of a puppy walker is quite varied, but mainly consists of regular walking and exercise, toilet training and teaching them good behaviour in family settings.

Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old, but it is perfectly fine for younger children and other pets to be in the same household. Volunteers need to be prepared to provide full time care and education for the puppy until it is around a year to 14 months old when it will be taken away to start its formal training to become a guide dog.

Guide Dogs says it will support those taking on the responsibility all times as well as providing food and paying for all veterinary costs.

Volunteer Co-ordinator for Guide Dogs in Leeds, Ruth Wood, explained, “To become a puppy walker you need to have the time to be able to introduce the puppy to all aspects of everyday life - cars, buses, trains and crowds - all the things that the pup may encounter as a fully fledged guide dog. With the support of Guide Dogs, our volunteers say that they find it extremely rewarding to raise a dog who will one day bring independence to a blind or partially sighted person. Lots of people say that they could never give the pup up after a year, but knowing what a difference the dog will make to a person with sight loss always helps! We also hope you will give a home to another pup! ”

If you think you could do this, visit the website: guideddogs.org.uk/volunteer for more information or e-mail: guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk

SKIPTON’S High Corn Mill on Chapel Hill is celebrating a second successful coffee morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support.

The pop-up coffee morning, (pictured with Davina Consoli) held on the top floor of the historic mill, raised £108.49 for the charity, which has been organising the annual nationwide World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event for 28 years.

Andrew Mear, owner of the mill, said: “It’s great to see all the different businesses within the mill coming together to support such a great cause and make it a success for the second year running. We were also delighted to have members of the public come along to enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.”

THANKS to Simon Winstanley, who while on a recent visit to Skipton to visit friends spotted this blue bin (pictured above ) which identifies as a green bin.

WE are all waiting to find out just what is going to happen to the Rackhams store in Skipton’s High Street, what is for sure, the last owner Mike Ashley, of Sports Direct, who bought the ailing House of Fraser chain, is emptying the store very quickly. Before it was Rackhams, the store was a branch of Brown Muff and Company. Established by Elizabeth Brown at Market Street, Bradford in 1814, it grew into what was to become known as one of the best shops in the area. Mrs Brown started off selling just clothes, but by 1822, she also had a book shop and a public library. Brown Muff and Co opened its Skipton branch in 1962. The following year, it said the welcome it had received had ‘proved to be more than words’ and that already it had been ‘made part of the Skipton scene’. In 1963 it was busy working on its shopfront, something it was to become well known for. The business was sold to House of Fraser in the 1970s, and Brown Muff and Co was transferred into the Rackhams division of House of Fraser in 1978.

50 years ago, in October, 1969, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government confirmed a clearance order in Cross Hills. The order empowered the Skipton Rural District Council to compulsory acquire 18 houses between Main Street and Park Road. The order had been the subject of a public inquiry when representations were made on behalf of several owners. The primary reason for the order was the clearance of unfit dwellings, and the inspector, who acknowledged the council had identified the area for car parking, said that not only were the dwellings unfit for human habitation, but they fell considerably below the minimum standards.

ALSO 50 years ago, a man was remanded in custody for allegedly attempting to buy a dress ring with a stolen credit card from Brown Muff and Co (now Rackhams) in Skipton High Street. The court was told the shop manager had been called over and an off duty police officer who had been in the store at the time had overheard the conversation and had recognised the man. The credit card had been stolen from Bradford.

A 100 years ago, in October, 1919, a serious accident took place at the Raygill Limestone Quarry in Lothersdale. A man was severely injured while trying to blast rock. Straight after he had fired the fuse, the powder had exploded, giving him no time to get away, and hurling him into the base of the quarry, along with all the blasted rock. He sustained serious head injuries and was taken by ambulance to Bradford. The week before another man had had his leg crushed by falling rock. The Craven Herald pointed out considering the nature of the work in the quarries, such serious incidents were very uncommon.

ALSO in Lothersdale, 100 years ago, the annual sheep fair was held, but a shadow of its former self. It had once been one of the chief events in the area, attended by farmers from surrounding districts. But, business was very slow and there was a very limited number of buyers and sellers. The poor turnout was blamed on a railway strike and other ‘abnormal conditions’.