New House Erected in Cottingley Without Planning Permission

The headline in the local Bingley paper could read "New house erected in Cottingley without planning permission", however there is a catch to this eye grabbing headline. The "House" in question happens to be a play house!

It had been arranged that the house would be delivered on Sunday around 13.00 hrs. Sure enoungh a low loader arrived a little early.

There was a team of builders all ready to collect the building from the lorry.....

 and transport it to the building site,

where they set to erecting the house.......

 In no time at all the walls were up, and now all that was needed was the roof!

Half of the roof fitted!

Theatre Tickets for Pantomime Secured!

We spent part of the day in Harrogate on Friday.

The objective of the visit was to purcahese the Pantomime tickets for this years pantomime, which is an unusual choice - not a recognised, traditional pantomime but, "Beauty and the Beast"

Having had a look on the Harrogate Theatre website I found the following interview about the panto........

In our 111th year of running pantomime, for the first time ever, we bring you Beauty & The Beast, a tale as old as time. But how difficult has it been to re-create one of the most well-known and beloved fairy tales of all-time? We asked David Bown and Phil Lowe, the writing team behind the panto, to tell us more about the creative process and different ideas behind the show.

As a graduate of the University of London, David has been an actor, writer, and director of theatre and television across the UK and in America. He is the Chief Executive of Harrogate Theatre and is co-writing Beauty & The Beast with Phil Lowe, who is also directing the show. David has co-written the previous two pantomimes in Harrogate (Aladdin and Dick Whittington). David had previous pantomime writing experience before he came to Harrogate, and his first panto was Aladdin in 2009. His inspiration for writing panto at Harrogate was both his greatest annoyances and celebrations in life. He also said that he and his creative team bounced off each other for ideas and he has a good writing relationship with Phil.

Being a classic love story, Beauty & The Beast is not a typical rags-to-riches pantomime, with

the story being more emotional and heartfelt than David’s other Harrogate Theatre panto credits. “With Beauty & The Beast, you have to concentrate on the emotional side as well as the comedy” says David. This is true, as other typical “pantos” don’t have the same amount of emphasis in the story in relation to love. Very often the love interest of the main character is much less developed and perceived as being very two-dimensional and simple. David maintains that in Beauty & The Beast, Belle and The Beast are on equal footing, and therefore both need similar amounts of character development and planning to fully fulfil the roles and create the feeling of romantic tensions between the two.

Phil began his working life as an assistant vet, with a small theatre job as a driver on the side. He was eventually offered a six-month contract as a technician and worked for the theatre for 5 years. He then worked on the crew and eventually became assistant director for 2 years before being offered to direct the panto by David. Beauty & The Beast will be Phil’s 5th panto at Harrogate Theatre, and he is relishing the challenge of co-writing and directing it. He draws inspiration from classic, old-school comedy, in particular that of Morecambe and Wise. He again feels that people today only laugh at shock comedy, whereas acts like Morecambe and Wise blend intelligent, thoughtful comedy aimed at adults, and more obvious, physical humour, primarily aimed at children. From these ideals you get an all-encompassing, family-oriented feel to the show, which is exactly what panto is about.

Phil feels that Beauty & The Beast, not being a panto done before at Harrogate Theatre, gives a modern message to the audience. Beauty & The Beast is not about finding treasure or the fountain of youth, or anything of that kind, but it is a story about two people falling in love. Phil is looking forward to directing and writing a panto which isn’t “traditional” in a conventional sense. “Beauty” was made popular in the 90’s by Disney, which is unlike other pantos done at Harrogate, as most are stories like Mother Goose or Jack and the Beanstalk. Phil says that it is a good thing to move away from the “wealth = happiness” mindset, and “Beauty” is a prime example that looks and wealth aren’t everything, and all that matters is what you are like on the inside.

Tim Stedman will be playing his usual "Silly Billy" part.

Tim Stedman

We will be attending the Friday 13th January evening performance commencing at 7.00 pm!

Bentley daughters, son-in-laws and grandchildren book the date in your diary now!!!!

Lindisfarne - Holy Island

On our way to visit Holy Island we usually stop off at "The Barn at Beal" where you can be guaranteed a first rate snack or meal. If it is sunny you can sit outside and admire the vista of Holy Island on the horizon, or look southwards and see Bamburgh Castle

Dot & Ruby sitting outside "The Barn at Beal" 

 

The view from "The Barn at Beal" - Holy Island and Castle to the left and Bamburgh Castle to the right.

It must be round about forty years ago that Dot and I discovered Holy Island (or Lindisfarne). For the first ten or so of those years we used to always stay on the island in a small bungalow at the side of the water tower.

We have probably visited Holy Island at least once every year in those forty years, but as the years have rolled on, we have changed from using Holy Island as a base to explore the surrounding Northumbrian coastline and countryside, and the Borders Region.

After about fifteen years of staying on Holy Island, we decided to spread our wings, and the Isle of Arran became an addition to our holiday destinations. However, the pull of Holy Island was not to be neglected, and we still always make some time to continue and visit (if not stay on) the island.

Four years ago we had an addition to the family in the shape of a much loved chocolate Labrador, which necessitated finding self catering accommodation which would allow dogs.

There seemed to be nowhere on Holy Island which took dogs, so we took a wonderful self catering cottage at Waren Mill, which is just a couple of miles north of Bamburgh. We have still continued to visit Holy Island.

This year our Waren Mill cottage had been booked for the weekend at the end of the week we had planned to stay, so it necessitated a search for somewhere else to stay for the last night of our holiday. On the Internet I came across an advert for the Crown and Anchor which is situated in the village square on Holy Island, and lo and behold, they had a room where you could take your dog! So I hastily booked our last nights stay there!

The Crown & Anchor, in the Village Square.

The Crown & Anchor - our bedroom was above the door, with great views of the Priory, Parish Church and the Harbour and Castle!

The Priory and Parish Church 

The Herring Curing Houses, and Castle in the distance

I've said it before, (and I'll no doubt say it again!) you really can't capture Holy Island just with visual images. Like the photos of the sunset on Budle Bay, Holy Island is a mixture of ever changing light and shade, fascinating  views, an aura of peace, tranquility and sanctity, an atmosphere and a hundred and one intangible things. You have to go there and experience it to be able to appreciate it.

So let's take a look around the village......

There are four or five obvious visitor attractions on the island.

1. Lindisfarne Priory

St Aidan founded the first monastery here in AD 635, but St Cuthbert, Prior of Lindisfarne, is the most celebrated of the priory's holy men. After many missionary journeys, and ten years as a hermit on lonely Farne Island, he reluctantly became bishop before retiring to die on Farne in 687. Buried in the priory, his remains were transferred to a pilgrim shrine there after 11 years, and found still undecayed - regarded as a sure sign of sanctity.

From the end of the 8th century, the isolated island with its rich monastery was easy prey for Viking raiders. So in 875 the monks left, carrying Cuthbert's remains, which after long wanderings through northern England were enshrined in Durham Cathedral in 1104, where they still rest. Only after that time did Benedictine Durham monks re-establish a priory on Lindisfarne.


The evocative ruins of the richly decorated priory church they began in c. 1150 still stand, with its fine west front, characteristic round arches and famous 'rainbow arch' - a vault-rib of the now-vanished crossing tower. Extensive remains of the monastic living quarters also survive. The small community lived quietly on Holy Island until the suppression of the monastery in by Henry VIII in 1537.

 The West Front of the Priory, with Lindisfarne Castle across the harbour

Lindisfarne Priory - the Rainbow Arch.

Statue of St Aidan designed and carved by an island resident Miss Kathleen Ophir Parbury, situated to the north side of the priory.

2. Lindisfrane Priory Museum

When we first used to come to Holy Island this was a small room in a shed! English Heritage have built a superb new building which houses some excellent displays covering the Priory, Celtic Crosses and stone work, and the religious history of the area.

The entrance to the Lindisfarne Priory Museum

Statue of St Aidan in the Museum

A monk & his assistant at work in the Scriptorium on the world famous Lindisfarne Gospels, The originals are kept in the British Museum.

 

A Celtic Cross

A Celtic Cross Shaft

3. The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin Holy Island

Located in the south west corner of the village, the Anglican church of St Mary the Virgin is reputed to stand on the site of the original monastery founded by St Aidan in 635 AD. Parts of the structure date back to the 7th century, several hundred years before the appearance of the Priory.

Holy Island Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin - south side

 Holy Island Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin - East End

Holy Island Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin - West End

 West Window in memory of Mr Edward & Miss Gladys de Stein (former owners of Lindisfarne Castle)

 West Window - the Haggerston Window

 West Window in memory of Miss Kathleen Ophir Parbury who designed & Carved the statue of St Aidan outside the church

Carpet with Lindisfarne Gospel designs in the Fisherman's chapel

 

 

 The Font Cover

 The St Peter's Aisle -the Fisherman's Chapel

 Windows in St Peter's Chapel

 East End - Altar, Reredos and Windows

Sanctuary Carpet with Celtic designs from the Lindisfarne Gospels sewn by island ladies

Reredos with Celtic Saints

4. The Gospel Garden

Situated in Marygate, opposite the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre, the Gospel Garden was based on a design from the 7th Century Lindisfarne Gospels. It was entered into the Chelsea Flower Sow in2003 and won the coveted Silver Medal.

Head of Parks & Gardens at Newcastle City Council, Stan Timmins (Who designed the garden) felt it should live on after the Chelsea Flower Show, so it was recreated on Holy Island.

5. The Lindisfarne Heritage Centre

This is a fairly recent project situated opposite the Gospel Garden in Marygate. It contains an electronic facsimile of the Lindisfarne Gospels and a history of the island and its villagers. There is also a section on natural history too.

The Lindisfarne Heritage Centre

6. Lindisfarne Castle

The castle is at the northern end of the harbour, perched high on Beblowe Crag, and is well worth a look round. It was purchased by Edward Hudson, the owner of Country Life Magazine, and he commissioned Sir Edwin Lutyens to carry out work so that it could be lived in. Gertrude Jekyll was also commissioned to recreate a garden about 200 yards from the rear of the castle. It later passed into the hands of the merchant banker Edward de Stein, and he lived in it with his spinster sister, Miss Gladys de Stein. It was eventually purchased by the National Trust, and is open for viewing.

 The Castle from the harbour

 The castle perched high on Beblowe Crag

The Castle through a hole in the wall of Fort Regent

7. The Lindisfarne Mead Factory & Shop

From time immemorial the monks of Lindisfarne have been associated with the manufacture of a honey based drink called mead, so it not too surprising to find a mead factory & shop on Holy Island.

 The Mead Factory Sign

The Mead Factory & Shop

Around the Village.........



Holy Island Post Office - at the top of Marygate

 Looking up Marygate

 Looking down Marygate

Looking along Fiddlers Green

 Fiddlers Green

St Cuthbert's Methodist Church on Fiddlers Green

Cottage in Village Square

Rosella Cottage

Junction of Marygate and Crossgates

Village Stores in Fenkle Street

A novel use for a pulpit in Pilgrim's Coffee House

 Coffee at Pilgrim's Coffee House

Birds washing in the garden barrel at Pilgrim's Coffee House

The Heugh is a high point on the island, and out to sea you can see Bamburgh Castle on the coastline and Ross Bank Sands Navigation Towers. Whilst looking inland you see the Priory, and Parish Church.

Dot & Ruby on the Heugh

Bamburgh Castle viewed from the Heugh

 Ross Bank Sands Navigation Towers (on the mainland)

The Parish Church, the Priory, and the white building, which is the Crown and Anchor (where we stayed)

Before a metalled road was built, the only way on to the island when the tide had receded was across the Pilgrim's Way, which is marked by posts.