‘COUNTY lines’ criminal behaviour meant something a whole lot different 75 years ago in post war 1946, so it seems, when eggs and not hard drugs, were what was causing the police to set up roadblocks on the borders.

The Craven Herald reported in May, 1946, on the strange case of eggs being intercepted in the country districts. Hundreds of dozens of eggs destined for the black market were being intercepted by police and returned to legitimate trade channels., reported the paper.

“In their campaign to prevent racketeering at a time when egg production is high, the police are stopping vehicles which carry suspicious loads and are checking the origin and destination.

“Officers are keeping a close watch for large scale, under -the -counter transactions and hoping that their net will catch the big dealers in the black market. They are not so much concerned with the visitor who manages to buy two or three eggs for his family in the town."

THERE has been a lot said about visitors to the Dales and to Craven of late who have left their rubbish behind, with councillors pointing out it is far from a new problem. Indeed, the Craven Herald was reporting on it in the same May edition of 1946, just after the Easter holidays, and did not pull its punches.

Every year, the paper said it repeated its request for visitors not to ‘despoil’ the countryside. ‘

“It is hoped that only by a constant hammering home of the injunction to be tidy that rural good manners on the part of the townsfolk will be achieved,” it lectured.

“After all it is largely because of bad manners in our towns that the litter nuisance exists. More people than ever before are visiting the country and as they have been used to throwing their garbage in the gutter during six days of the week on the seventh or at holiday times they continue to discard their litter in the same way. Hence, it is often possible to recognise our beauty spots by the amount of rubbish deposited there. “ Well, that was telling them to get back to their dirty, litter strewn towns and leave the countryside for those with the good manners.

NOW, I’m not sure if the starling that builds its nest in our guttering every year knows it was Curlew Action Day on April 21, but it spent a lot of time perfecting its imitation of the bird’s melancholic call.

Working at home, as I have been now for more than a year, and writing about the day of action to highlight the plight of the wading bird, that is in massive decline just about everywhere apart from Craven, I kept hearing the distinctive sound, coming from the back garden, which was odd, seeing as we don’t back onto moorland.

It was in fact the starling, perched on the guttering, and doing a perfect rendition of the call of the curlew.

Interestingly, I asked someone who’d know, and although she had heard starlings imitate several other birds, and even electronic noises, she had never heard of one doing a curlew before - clearly, my starling is very talented.

WITH the easing of coronavirus restrictions earlier this month, I was off on extra long walk, which saw me walking through Malham and on to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Malham itself was very busy, but what I was not expecting was the strong smell of cannabis on the path heading towards the cove steps, which prompted 20 year old son to comment it smelt like Amsterdam. Then, on the steps themselves, which as anyone who has climbed them, are not a stroll in the park, two teenage lads passed me by, while passing a joint between them. It didn’t seem to affect their climbing, they reached the top much quicker than me, but I did wonder how they would cope with the limestone pavement at the top.

RAIL enthusiasts should be interested in a collection of iconic poster prints that has just been launched by the London North East Railway (LNER).

The launch is in celebration of the new Azuma fleet and features seven original illustrated posters of Azuma trains on the LNER route, in stations and at landmark locations from the historic launch dates.

The A3 poster collection features iconic locations such as Leeds, York, Harrogate, Edinburgh Waverley and Lincoln.

Kate McFerran, LNER director of communications, said: “The LNER Azuma poster collection gives those in our communities and who are enthusiastic about the iconic LNER fleet a chance to own a piece of railway history.

“These commemorative posters were hugely popular and much requested when we launched our Azuma services and we’re excited to give enthusiasts the chance to add them to their collection

“The original LNER was well known for its evocative posters and great publicity, so it is wonderful that we can continue this tradition with the release of the Azuma launch collection of posters.”

The seven poster collection can be purchased as a full set, for £49.99, or as individuals, for £9.99. To find out more, visit:lnermerchandise.co.uk.

A TELEVISION production company is on the look out for people in Craven who would like to transform their homes while taking part in a new programme. Pi Productions says the prime time interior decoration series, Home Style, will feature 12 stories of people across the country who have exciting, bold and colourful ideas to decorate a new property, or give their current home the ‘wow factor’.

They will be helped by a top interior designer who will help ‘bring their ideas together, empower them to do an amazing transformation of their home and get the most out of their decoration budget.’

The series is intended to inspire viewers to transform their own homes with colourful and exciting interiors.

If you are interested, email: casting@piproductions.tv

STAFF at Skipton Tesco joined thousands of colleagues across the country last weekend to raise funds for life-saving research.

Tesco nationwide ‘turned pink’ as it marked its 20th year of partnership with Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life - a series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events - which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer.

Money raised through Race for Life events funds world-class research to help beat 200 types of the disease – including bowel cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancer, children’s cancers and leukaemia.

Across three days, a wide range of fundraising activities marked the 20th anniversary including workers wearing pink and fundraising in store, point of sale donation points being present around the store, as well as inviting volunteers from Cancer Research UK to select stores to help fundraise.

50 YEARS ago, in May, 1971, an action group was set up to ensure the retention of the three Skipton secondary schools in their then form, following local government reorganisation. They were Ermysted’s Grammar School, Skipton Girls High School and Aireville Secondary Modern.