Egg Cups

Close your eyes and imagine Ilkley Moor five thousand years ago. Then as now rain poured down and wind howled. Breakfast, such as it was, may have been the odd egg or two from some native bird and maybe their equivalent of our toast soldiers. With one exception, hard boiled eggs have a tendency to roll off wind blown rocks. Fed up with the latter some enterprising individual began carving a hollow in a nearby rock and when fellow tribes folk saw how useful they were, did the same. Thus the first purpose built egg cups came into being. Depending on how large the family unit dictated the number of hollows. Alternatively those rocks with a great number of ‘cups’ could have been their equivalent of our B&B or communal table. All well and good you say but what about the rings? Simple. Where do you think they put the toast?

Parvo Virus

THE TURDS OF ILKLEY


This is a tale of simple folk who believe the earth is flat especially where their ‘Super-Pooch’ squats and craps.

For many hundred years leather workers used fallout from the canine species to soften leather. Some products worn by Royalty and the nobility started life at the bottom of a bucket. At least parts did. Kid gloves prized by aristocratic ladies owed their softness and colour to dog Turds. It is fair to assume the majority of Victorian ladies knew nothing of the intricacies which went into producing their kid gloves. Nor what tanners used to make leather soft and supple. It is also a fair bet, if they did find out, sales of smelling salts would skyrocket.

In days of yore, men and boys were employed to collect that which Wharfedale has in ever increasing amounts. Dog shh it, to put it bluntly! Victorian tanneries put it to good use in softening leather, some of which became kid gloves worn by Victorian ladies in great number. Strange how, in an era of organic farming and recycling, no one has found another use for the mountains of leather softener which threatens to engulf parts of Britain.

Those who can’t remember the past should have taken more interest in their history lessons. Possibly the problems we have today would not be in evidence to such extremes. Alternatively, owners not wishing to soil their hands or reputations could always resort to using large corks. For their animals, that is! Considering this Government’s wish to help rural communities, the plight of the above town is ripe for exploitation, on a grand scale.

Dogs - Annual Charges - 1823

For every Greyhound kept by any person, whether his property or not, £1. For every other species of dog, where more than one is kept, 14 shillings. And any person who shall inhabit any dwelling-house, assessed to any of the duties on inhabited houses, or on windows or lights, and shall keep one dog and no more, not being of the above description, 8 shillings for such dog. But this duty is not to extend to dogs not six months old: the proof of which lies with the owner, on appeal to the commissioners. Persons compounding for their hounds, to be charged £36.

Given the charges are over 180 years ago present day owners are getting off very lightly. Maybe if owners paid modern equivalents to the above rates, we wouldn’t have the problems in our parks, open spaces and footpaths. But not many can remember 1823.

While I cannot condone the recent siege of East Holmes Field by lawless itinerants, one has to remember they were not the only visitors to the area these past weeks. Recent hot weather brought hundreds of grockles to the town and, no doubt, some came with their dogs. They as much as the former could have brought Parvo Virus to Ilkley. Also quoted in Ilkley Gazette, ‘...the virus can exist in large quantities of canine fæces, and is capable of surviving in the soil for months, through extreme hot or cold weather.....’
We only have to think back to when Foot and Mouth was prevalent and where dog walkers took their animals instead of the moors. Was it coincidence the virus struck when East Holmes Field was besieged or was it home grown? It’s all too easy to find scapegoats irrespective of who they are.

If a gramme of fæces contains enough Parvo Virus to contaminate 1 million dogs, think what could be lying around on Ilkley Moor.

All thanks to irresponsible dog owners.

Scapegoats

Might I suggest before folk start the annual slagging off of visitors to these parts, you take yourselves down the south bank of the Wharfe, between Ben Rhydding stepping stones and Beanlands Island. For as many years as there have been houses backing onto the river residents thereabouts have tipped their garden rubbish onto the river banks. Strange is it not the Council amongst others have found it very difficult to admit this happens. Preferring to find visiting scapegoats across the river.

At the other end of town another group of residents tip garden rubbish amongst other things on the river bank beside Water Lane. Water Lane being the Ilkley end of the Dales Way. While admitting they tipped rubbish one had the effrontery to suggest the wooden bench, known to generations as Lover’s Seat, should be moved to the other side of the river. Why? Because someone may sit on it and spoil her view. Oh dear, what a shame. Perhaps a visit from the enforcement officers might make her and her neighbours think again.

There are piles of x Cupressocyparis leylandii cut some ten years ago and left in woodland near the path from Curly Hill to Stubham and Coppy Woods. No doubt the perpetrator of this offence thought it would rot down and no-one would notice. Everyone walking that footpath can’t fail to notice. Where ever urban man resides in Ilkley a pile of refuse is not far away. If carless pensioners can find ways of moving their garden waist to Golden Butts I’m damn sure those in overpriced egg boxes can do the same. Perhaps if certain residents set a good example by taking their rubbish to the council tip, visitors to these parts could be encouraged to do the same. But while ever the opposite is the case we cannot expect them to do otherwise.

Caution in the Dales and Vales

Following a number of near fatal road accidents authorities have issued the following statement. All motorists visiting the Yorkshire Dales are warned to be on the look out for Erinaceus europaeus giganteum.

The animal lurks on the edges of secluded woodland, beside roads and has been observed in farm gateways and the occasional lay-by in narrow lanes. It is difficult to distinguish from heaps of garden rubbish left by locals and visitors.

Erinaceus sits in wait then rushes out to squash innocent, unsuspecting motor cars.

DO NOT APPROACH THIS ANIMAL

Save Our Stones

For too long stones across the River Wharfe at Burley in Wharfedale, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, have been termed stepping stones. They are NOT stepping stones and never have been. That they provide a means of crossing the river at low water does not make them stepping stones.

The same could be said for other lumps of rock which find themselves across rivers. I have provided a link to the Save Our Stones website. Please read it and support their cause to stop a beautiful part of our valley beinf ruioned by a few for the majority.

Brilliant News

An ammendmant has made our lives much easier when visiting the coast.
Click on the the title of this blog for more information.

Speaking in Circles!

See Gwithian Beach Landowners.

These include:

English Nature (G.O.) - has a statutory responsibility to look after the S.S.S.I.

Cornwall County Council (G.O.) - looks after the rights of way and control of mineral development.

Penwith District Council (G.O.) – local planning and some of the parking.

The National Trust (N.G.O.) – owns land and manages the northern, Godrevy Towans, area of the dunes.

Cornwall Wild life Trust (N.G.O.) – manages part of the area as a nature reserve.

We have found that it is hoped that in the future the dunes will be recognised as a HERITAGE COAST, this would enable this stretch of coastline to have some sort of overall management plan and coordination. At the present time it has not got this status because all the tourist and recreational developments, as well as the sand extraction facilities.