Rising Dawn

BBC NEWS | England | North Yorkshire | Post workers banned from village

People living in a remote hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales have criticised the Royal Mail over a decision to stop delivering their post.

On the basis of this story it could also be concluded that any postman delivering mail, especially if he or she is riding a bike, is undertaking a hazardous job. Given the Royal Mail’s recent track record it wouldn’t surprise me if they came up with a risk assessment that deemed that most deliveries had to stop and we’ll all be trecking down to the local sorting office to collect our mail.

As it is they’ve made it almost impossible to get a parcel or ’signed for’ letter redilvered. If you call the number on the card they leave, a recorded message tells you that the quickest way to have your item redelivered is to collect it from the sorting office!!  In what way is that a redelivery? Following that option the caller is given a string of other options, the very last of which is the offer to speak to a real person. When I last selected that option a message said “We are not able to answer your call at this time but the quickest way to have your item redelivered is to collect ot from the address on the card.” 

So you read it here first. The Royal Mail is looking at ways of not delivering your mail because the quickest way to get your item to you is for you to collect it ……. They’ll say that it’s to speed up deliveries and to give their customers the best possible service.

Tornado

Historic loco in action for first time From The Northern Echo
THE first new steam locomotive in Britain for almost half a century chugged into action this morning.

I remember this project being launched and thought it was a long shot to build a mainline steam loco from scratch. At that time they said it would cost £1million.

Today Tornado was unveiled to the press. So far it’s cost closer to £3million.

I heard about it today on Up All Night on 5Live when I couldn’t sleep at 4am! It has to be tested before it comes to York for painting in the LNER livery. Can’t wait to see it in action.

Out on the hills again. This week we’re on the North York Moors between Hutton le Hole and Lastingham. This is sheep country and to prove it here’s a ewe and her lambs at Spaunton where we’ve stopped for coffee ( from the flask).

Spaunton Village Signpost

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The Puncture Repair Kit

This is my son, Matthew’s, band recorded in a live session on Breakthrough Radio in Norwich. 

Their next gig is at:

Sign from above for city club (From York Press)

A CHURCH has used the renaming of a refurbished York nightclub to put out its own message.

A poster outside St Edward’s Church on Tadcaster Road declares: “SALVATION… more than a nightclub.”

But the marketing people behind Club Salvation – formerly Nexus – in George Hudson Street reckon God moves in mysterious ways.

Following my earlier rant about Salvation - the club - placing a promotion outside The Salvation Army it’s good to see another York church getting in on the act. But it’s one of those eternal dilemmas. At what point are you just creating more promotion for the event you object to. Two sayings come to mind. Imitation is flattery and All publicity is good publicity. 

The fact still remains Salvation is not found in a Night Club.

I devised this route from familiar paths on the map although we have never walked the entire circuit as one walk before. It has been an enjoyable day. Now after about nine miles we’re back in Pateley Bridge and soon we’ll be home in York enjoying our tea.

This the river that gives the dale it’s name. Peaty and deep at this stage. This weir creates a diversion for water to feed the fish farm and a lake we’d just passed near Glasshouses.
From Brimham Rocks we’d descended on a familiar track to Low Laithe and then along the riverbank to Glasshouses and ultimately to Pateley Bridge.
Joan spotted this red toadstool in the undergrowth at the side of the path.

I’ve been coming here for years. These rocks carved put of the daleside by wind and ice are twisted into a moonscape that’s both fun and stunning.
They sell ice cream here too - so we watch the view licking our vanilla cornets and remind ourselves of visits made with our children over the years. “Do you remember being stung in your mouth?” I did and always will. The little National Trust shop wouldn’t let me have anti histamine cream from their first aid kit because it was only for external use only. I said I’d risk it and the sting in my mouth seemed to be dealt with by a generous layer of cream on my gum.  Or perhaps it was the beer I’d just comsumed at the same Fell Beck pub we’d visited today that eased the pain. Who knows.

We made a short detour at Fell Beck House because the footpath wasn’t clearly marked. Incidentaly there are several peacocks in this area. They call to each other with loud screeches unfamiliar in this part of the world.
We arrived at the Half Moon in Fell Beck a couple of minutes after two. They had officially stopped serving food but came up with a plate full of beef sandwiches and we ate them outside.
The Half Moon has several holiday rooms around a small yard - you might call them chalets. The barman told us that two of them are let permanently to people who came short term and have never moved out.
After a good pint of Black Sheep we set off for Brimham Rocks, visible on the skyline from here.

We’re about half way to Fellbeck walking along the Nidderdale Way. Destination, The Half Moon. Let’s just hope we make it before they stop serving food.