1

Editor for this issue - Rob Preston

HILLAM NEWS is financed solely by advertising revenue and the generosity of contributors, photocopiers

and distributors. The Editor is solely responsible for the paper’s contents. If you have a view you would like

published, or if you wish to advertise, phone David Atkinson on 684577 or email at dsa99uk@yahoo.co.uk.

The voice of Hillam village, North Yorkshire. Delivered free to all residents. Volume 23, Issue 3. June—July 2011

Uncontrolled development - find out how Hillam residents brought a halt to a road across a field off Hillam Common Lane Local history - second Monk Fryston Revealed event to be held in St Wilfrid’s Church on Friday 24th June Village Fete - this year’s Village Fete for Hillam and Monk Fryston will be held on Sunday 26th June

Signpost to Hillam - Falkland Islands’ connection with Hillam Antisocial behaviour at the Post

Office - your Postmistress explains

Community Association - approval given for two projects costing

over £70,000

Parish Council - meeting minutes and

feedback from survey

Arson at the Cross Keys? - Police investigating: see details in crime report Rural news - food miles and local milk

Wind farm - latest on the 22 Megawatt

Valley wind farms

Birding - from Red Kites to Kingfishers

and Corncrakes: observations from

Graham Todd

Also in this issue…

Grand opening of new cricket pavilion

NEW PAVILION GRAND OPENING

SUNDAY 24TH JULY

FROM 12 NOON ONWARDS

At the ground in Stocking Lane, Hillam

MC FOR THE DAY IS LOOK NORTH’S

JOHN CUNDY

PAVILION TO BE OPENED BY

MP NIGEL ADAMS

T20 CRICKET (TBC)

STALLS AND CRICKET TEAS

BARLBY BROWN COW BREWERY

SPONSORS’ MARQUEE

HOG ROAST

BOUNCY CASTLE AND GAMES

Volunteers needed – please contact:

Hon Secretary Kate Vaks, 3 Keswick Lane,

Bardsey, West Yorkshire, LS17 9AG

Tel 07747 045060

his promises to be a great day for the

cricket club after all the hard work in

funding and building the new pavilion.

It will be opened on 24th July by Nigel Adams MP

and hopefully there will be a few famous sporting

faces around from Yorkshire CCC and Leeds Utd.

T

2

UNDER SURVEILLANCE

“

Swift action by Hillam

residents has brought a halt to a

road being built across yet

another field near to the village.

Just before Easter a JCB was seen

preparing the way for a road across a field

on Hillam Common Lane. Several

villagers, including Councillor John

Mackman, wrote to Selby District Council

expressing concern, and Planning

Enforcement paid a visit almost

immediately. Work has stopped, pending

further investigation and clarification.

The field in question is about 1 km from

the village along Hillam Common Lane,

by the edge of Pighill Nook Lane. A short

distance further along there is another

field where a similar road was constructed

without planning permission, and

following the rejection of a retrospective

planning application and subsequent

appeal, the owner has been instructed to

remove the road.

These two cases show that Selby is getting

tough on illegal and uncontrolled

development, which over the last twenty

years has led to random developments in

fields around the village, many of them in

green belt. The process is always very

similar. The field is used for grazing by

ponies or other livestock on a small scale

– some might call it hobby farming. The

next step is to put up a shed, usually at the

far end of the field, which then needs a

road. A serious farmer would minimise

the waste of land by putting any structures

close to the field entrance.

Next is the arrival of the caravan – used

initially to provide facilities to make a cup

of tea and give shelter on site for the

owner. Then follows another shed, maybe

the back from a lorry or an old shipping

container. Whatever it is, you can

guarantee that it won’t be an attractive

structure. At some point water will be laid

on and maybe a connection will be made

for electricity.

To complete the first stage of the process

the owners then move onto the site with a

larger caravan, and eventually start the

process of applying for planning

permission. As we all know, the final

house construction stage can itself take

many years. Meanwhile the village is

saddled with an eyesore, which can easily

be such for fifteen years or more. This is a

long game, and once it is started it does

appear to run an almost standard course.

The next field which is a candidate is out

towards Burton Salmon. As we reported in

the last Hillam News, it failed to sell at

auction – but has since been sold by

private treaty. Watch this space.

Ethel Shaw 1922 to 2011

Ethel Shaw of Hillam knew sign language because of her

parents’ deafness. She was born in Featherstone, but grew up

in Hillam and went to school locally.

During the Second World War, she worked in munitions –

at Hazlewood Castle. Then she worked at Gateforth TB

Hospital for many years.

Ethel was well known in Chapel Street, where she lived, and

was buried in Monk Fryston Cemetery after a service in St

Wilfrid’s conducted by John Hetherington.

The collection was shared between St Wilfrid’s and Hearing

Dogs for Deaf People.

Hillam road building scrutinised Selby getting tough on illegal and uncontrolled development

Some might call it hobby farming

3

VILLAGE NEWS

Hillam Lights100 Club

The winners of the 100 Club March draw are as follows:

1st (£20) - Julie Taylor (no 74)

2nd (£10) - Pauline Styles (no 27)

3rd (£5) - Shirley and Neil Sutcliffe (no 35)

The winners of the 100 Club April draw are as follows:

1st - Carl Naylor (no 7)

2nd - Mr S G Timson (no 29)

3rd - Darren and Lisa Iliffe (no 20)

BURTON SALMON METHODIST CHURCH

Minister: Rev Wayne Grewcock, tel 519496

Church Steward: Peter Wadsworth, tel 676188

Sunday Worship 10.30 am, followed by coffee

Sunday Club 10-11 am, for children aged 3+ years:

Sandra Sargent, tel 679541

Coffee Mornings: Thursdays 10.30-11.30 am

Everyone welcome for a friendly chat

Congratulations to Charlotte Wells and Jason Thompson, who

were married on 20th March at Hazlewood Castle, near Tadcaster.

After honeymooning in Thailand, they are now settled in a

cottage in Hillam Square.

Hillam international

Information about Hillam has been accessible through our village

website and Wikipedia for several years now, so we are used to

the fact that people around the world know about our village.

To add to our fame, courtesy of Ian Wright’s recent deployment

there, we now have a marker on the totem pole in the Falkland

Islands. This locally significant tourist attraction has developed

over recent years, mainly through the contributions of servicemen

and tourists.

Are you interested in local history?

The second Monk Fryston Revealed event will be held in

St Wilfrid’s Church on Friday 24th June. Doors will open at

7 pm and the presentation commences at 7.30 pm.

Tickets which cost £3.50 (including refreshments) are

available from the Post Office, the Church, Monk Fryston

Time Team members, or Ray on 01977 682084.

Local archaeologist Simon Tomson will present an illustrated

talk on monastic and feudal life in the 14th century. There will

be new displays showing discoveries about our village made

by Monk Fryston Time Team over the past year.

Simon Tomson will lead an Introduction to Archaeology

course, which the Time Team is running over the next year. It

will include topics such as interpretation of aerial photography,

test pit digging, above ground archaeology, field walking and

finds identification.

Village Fete - 26th June

Make a note in your diary of this year’s Village Fete for Hillam

and Monk Fryston. It is to be held on Sunday 26th June, free

admission.

Full details will be posted around the villages nearer the time.

Come along and support your local community.

4

POSTMISTRESS’S PERSPECTIVES AND PERCEPTIONS

It was with both shock and

disappointment that I viewed

our security cameras recently

to see some of our more

valuable stock being

shoplifted.

Shock because, being new to and

relatively naive about retail work, it’s not

something that you ever expect to see

happening, particularly to a business that

you yourself work seven days per week

so hard to maintain and develop (with an

average working week of some ninety

hours or more). Disappointment because

it’s certainly not something that one

expects to see in a comparatively affluent

and traditionally low-crime area, and in

a village where I have friends and

extended family, and happy childhood

memories of what now seems a much

more innocent age.

I am told to ‘expect’ this sort of thing to

happen regularly in a retail grocery

business. Indeed it may well have

happened before and gone unnoticed.

Perhaps we should expect that it will

happen, but do we have to accept it also?

The amount of distress for all concerned,

the amount of police time and money

spent on this one incident, is out of all

proportion to the value and worth of the

item taken. Let’s hope that any further

thefts are few and far between.

On this note, I need also to mention what

have been growing concerns over the

behaviour of a few young people when in

and outside the shop. As a mother of a

teenage boy, I am all too familiar with

teenage high spirits, pranks and

sometimes lack of thought about the

effect of actions on others. We have

therefore so far been as understanding as

possible over the actions and attitudes of

particular groups of youngsters.

It is when those actions become overtly

challenging in terms of type of

behaviours, type of verbal retorts when

told that behaviour is unacceptable, and in

terms of deliberate repetitiveness of said

unacceptable behaviours, that we have

been forced to take action. One of those

actions is, unfortunately, to request that

youngsters arriving in groups enter the

shop in groups of two only, make their

purchases and leave. (This rule came into

being following the shoplifting incident

when there were so many people in the

shop together that it was difficult for staff

to notice the said offence taking place.)

I am of course writing this from the

perspective of one whose shop also forms

part of my family home as well as a

treatment base for my independent speech

and language therapy practice, and of

course is first and foremost a village

service – with young families coming and

going all the time. I therefore expect

behaviour and language used to be at a

socially acceptable level and that others

respect my home, property and privacy.

Perceptions of some young customers

appear to be that the shop is some sort of

‘public property’ or to treat it as though it

is an anonymous inner-city type property

where therefore ‘anything goes’.

Hopefully I am not alone in feeling that

this attitude requires change as soon as

possible?

I would like to take this opportunity to

thank our valued customers for their

ongoing support. Their company and

regular visits to the shop do make our

work very enjoyable.

Now we have new flooring and lighting

in place in the shop, our next job is to find

space to house a much more extensive

range of deli items. Other news is that

plans for the B&B have now been passed,

and hopefully work on that will begin as

soon as we can find a builder!

Faye Coles

5

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

May 31st, June 14th, June 28th & fortnightly

Major developments at

the Community Centre

At its meeting on 18th May 2011 the

Community Association gave approval to two

projects costing over £70,000.

The Committee accepted a tender from a local builder for the

long-awaited Community Centre extension, which will

provide not only additional floor space in the Centre but also

improved kitchen and storage facilities, as well as

improvements to the ladies’ toilets. It is anticipated that work

will commence on the extension at the beginning of July,

with the internal works being undertaken during the school

summer holidays.

In addition, the Committee agreed to accept a tender for the

upgrading of the children’s play area, which will include the

replacement of some equipment, the provision of new exciting

play features and the erection of fencing around the play area

to enhance safety.

Tony Hudson, who has been involved with the Community

Association for over forty years, said:

“The decision to proceed with the extension and improvement

of the Centre is a dream come true – over the years many

Community Association members have worked tirelessly to

raise funds in order to extend the Centre and provide

improved facilities. I’m sure that the enhancement of the play

area will be well appreciated, not only by the children who

will use it but also by their parents.”

Monk Fryston Time Team, two years on

Our members have been extremely busy. We have set up the

Monk Fryston Tribal Pages on the Internet. We have continued

to gather information on the development of local transport

systems and land ownership. We have enjoyed healthy debates

about the origins and the routes of the A162 and the A63, which

we still have to resolve. One of the joys of our society is an

open-minded and inquisitive approach to discovery and the

developing of understanding.

During the year we have interspersed meetings with visits to the

Towton Battlefield and guided tours of St Wilfrid’s and Selby

Abbey towers. Lesley Lambert told us about the Princes in the

Tower, and we combined our Christmas Social with an illustrated

talk from Eric Houlder on Coaching Days in Yorkshire.

Cornerstone of our monthly meetings is ‘Show and Tell’, when

members bring forward items of general interest. We have no

rules about what can be presented and as a result get lots of

pleasant and interesting surprises.

We have a solid method of storing and retrieving information,

courtesy of Julian Driver who has set up our ‘Drop Box’. We are

becoming more confident in placing items on the system to share

with others. We are thinking about producing a newsletter,

creating a DVD and running an ‘Introduction to Archaeology’

course. A busy and interesting time lies ahead.

Having a drink and a natter has turned individuals with an interest

in history into a group of friends who are happy to support each

other in research and rediscovery of Monk Fryston’s history. New

members are always welcome.

Edited extracts from chairman Ray Newton’s annual report

Recycling at the

Community Centre

Income from the recycling bins

at the Community Centre over

the last year was £688.

This is a valuable source of income for

Community Association funds.

A big thank-you to all who bring

their recyclable items to the banks.

6

Matters arising:

Responses re the article in Hillam News

deferred to next meeting.

Chair welcomed NYCC affordable housing

representative to explain rationale behind

local affordable housing schemes. NYCC

partners including PCs were approached to

establish whether affordable housing

required. Proposition is for PC to

investigate whether there is need for small

no of properties to be built in the village,

for both sale and rent, to accommodate

people who have a connection with the

village. Scheme would be developed and

managed by a housing association. PC

decided to take no action at this time.

Two residents have expressed interest in

the casual vacancy on the PC. This has to

be deferred until outcome of May elections

is known.

Finances:

Current a/c £367.35

High interest a/c £2,752.96

Cheques drawn

B Wright £36.00 - printing

MH Walton £2,700.00 - salary

MH Walton £88.05 - admin expenses

Came and Co £680.01 - insurance

£3,500 to be transferred from the high

interest a/c.

Correspondence in:

D Lorriman - re organising of a gritting

team of volunteers for winter months.

Stuart Twidale - re funding for the war

memorial.

Tony Hudson / CA - thanking PC for grass

cutting 2012.

CA - thanking PC for the £500 donation

towards the new roundabout.

MH Walton - invoices for salary claim

and expenses.

B Wright - leaflet printing costs.

NYCC - confirmation of Public Bridleway

Order for Dunce Mire Rd.

Mrs B Hurrion, Miss J Scott - concerns

about the future housing development in

the village.

Correspondence out:

NYCC Highways - requesting one drain

gully clearance and general inspection

through village.

Barclays Bank - 3 new mandates.

Planning matters:

SDC - advising of rescheduling of

planning appeal to 31st May: T Masser,

Lowfield Rd.

SDC - notification of appeal decision re

access hard-core roadway Honey Pot Field.

Appeal dismissed.

Mrs Batty - application to prune beech tree

at High Gables. No objection raised.

Environment:

Wind farms – E.ON have applied for a

wind speed mast at Byram.

Showpeople’s site - Cllr Wright briefly

summarised the report commissioned

by MF PC.

SDC will remove fly-tipped conifer tree

prunings on Lowfield Lane.

Footpaths Officer made aware of damaged

dyke-side fencing bordering footpath on

Betteras Hill Rd.

Site allocation consultation was discussed:

the overall views of residents indicate

that they do not wish any further

development to take place in the village.

Hillam PC will not join with MF PC in

a response. A document stating Hillam

PC’s understanding of the situation will

be printed and distributed throughout

the village.

Reports:

Burial Committee. Working party at the

cemetery had cleared the area. The Chair

thanked those who had taken part, and

advised a further working group day to be

arranged. New contractor to refurbish the

gates is to be appointed.

CA. Cllr Robertson advised the bonfire

raised a profit of £845 for the CA.

Planning permission for the proposed

extension works has been received.

CEF. Next meeting 11th May. Awaiting

minutes of previous meeting.

Next PC meeting Wednesday 4th May.

Précis of PC Minutes for the Meeting April 2011

7

Précis of PC Minutes for the Meeting May 2011

Matters arising:

Subject to PC member agreement, Cllrs

Robertson and Sheppard eligible for

consideration for co-option to the PC

June when the three existing vacant

positions to be discussed.

Finances:

Current a/c £78.35

High interest a/c £8,400.46

Cheques drawn:

CA £72.00 - hall hire

MH Walton £180.00 - April salary

B Wright £36.00 - printing

Clerk now paid monthly.

VAT returns for the year £140.92 now

credited to current a/c.

Correspondence in:

Report of faulty street lamp; contractor

advised.

HM Revenue - re VAT.

Came and Co - confirming receipt of

insurance premium.

SDC - precept remittance advice

£5,647.50, credited to high interest a/c.

SDC - acknowledging concerns of PC

re alleged unauthorised development of a

roadway in a field off Hillam Common

Lane.

Tony Hudson / CA - re financial support

from PC. Discussed under Environment.

Correspondence out:

A McMillan, SDC - re SADP planning

proposal.

Yorkshire Water - re hydrant repairs on

Betteras Hill Rd.

HM Revenue - VAT reclaim £140.92.

Planning:

No applications or notices of decision.

Environment:

Wind farms - no significant

developments.

Show people’s site application - no

update info.

Cllr Lorriman reported removal by SDC

of fly-tipped conifers on Lowfield Lane.

Cllr Tuddenham suggested the potential

for more imaginative use of land owned

by the village. With this in mind, current

PC members to be made aware of which

land this is.

Cllr Collinson reported that the field

opposite the brick pond on Betteras Hill

Rd through which the public footpath

passes is to be used for hay. Dogs should

be kept on leads and not allowed to roam

freely.

The letter from Tony Hudson on behalf

of the CA will be responded to orally by

Cllrs Wright and Robertson.

Reports:

CA. Three tenders received for the

prospective works at the Centre.

CEF. Meeting deferred until 24th May.

Sherburn High School is proposing to

close the swimming pool facility.

Sherburn PC is seeking support to keep

it open.

Date and time of next meeting:

Next meeting Wednesday 1st June at

7.30 pm, preceded at 7.15 pm by the

AGM, when the election of officers will

take place.

8

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR PARISH COUNCIL?

In response to an article in

the January issue of Hillam

News, the Parish Council

invited debate, in the March

issue and through the

Neighbourhood Watch

system, about the role of the

Parish Council in relation

to the Community

Association. We thank you

for your involvement.

Here are the four personal replies

we received.

1. The Community Association

initiates, finances and supports many

facilities and activities which hugely

enrich diverse elements of village life.

These voluntary group’s efforts should be

lauded, applauded and judiciously and

specifically financially supported by the

Parish Council. Their accounts are audited

and open to public scrutiny. All these

factors justify and validate financial

support from the Parish Council.

2. One of the roles of the PC is to support

responsible groups which promote

community endeavours; both the PC and

the CA are run by volunteers; both bodies

have residents’ interests at heart; both

need community funding; can there be any

dichotomy? The most efficient procedure

is surely to increase the parish precept by

a small amount, which the CA can use as

it sees fit for villagers’ benefit.

3. a. I am in favour of a small increase in

the precept to support this facility. I

understand the annual core running costs

are approximately £7,500. Shared or even

a grant towards this by the two Parish

Councils would surely only amount to a

moderate increase in parish rates.

b. The present Management Group of

volunteers works diligently and always in

the best interest of the village community.

However to ensure the Association

continues it is necessary for the Parish

Councils to take part in the day-to-day

running of affairs. I would suggest a

structure of:

2 Monk Fryston Parish Councillors

2 Hillam Parish Councillors

Up to 16 other members

Total 20

Possibly the School could appoint a

member, also the Church. I would stress

the attendees from the Parish Councils and

other groups would be expected to be full

members of the Community Association

and take active part in the running.

As happens at the moment, all persons on

the Management Group would retire

annually and they could offer themselves

for re-election, but all positions would be

advertised locally.

c. If members of the Parish Councils are

also active members of the Community

Association, the possibility of misuse of

public funds should not arise.

d. It is part of the Parish Councils’

responsibility to promote village

development.

Put simply, 100% of any money raised for

the Community Association by adding to

the parish precept will be spent on this

community. No waste, no service charges,

no pay to public officials.

4. RE: Allocation of Parish Council

funds.

We are replying to your invitation to make

suggestions on the above topic. We feel

that the earmarked £500 potential

contribution should indeed be given to the

Community Association to help maintain

facilities within the Community Centre

and the surrounding play area. Since the

current government is supporting local

groups as part of the Big Society to

undertake local functions, this would seem

to be a reasonable allocation of funds in

line with current policy. It is not fair to

expect a voluntary group to constantly

work financially unaided to supply and

maintain facilities which are part of the

Parish Council responsibilities and which

enrich the quality of village life. Beyond

the Community Centre there are no other

facilities of this kind, both for the youth

and the wider community including the

elderly, who may not have the scope to

travel and otherwise could become very

isolated. It provides a focal point and

meeting place to build the community.

And in response to the query we

also received: This isn’t a view – really a query I have

had – which might aid my understanding

of how the PC / Community Association

works, and hence my view.

Who made the decision to spend money

(whose money I don’t know – another

question) on picnic tables on the green?

We respond: The picnic tables were bought by Monk

Fryston Parish Council using S106

money. This is raised from developers

through conditional planning agreements.

The money is designated to enhance

provision within the community.

9

“

High visibility policing in Hillam

We have recently increased patrols

in Hillam and Monk Fryston.

We have concentrated on evening

patrols, and some residents may

have seen us.

There have been high visibility foot patrols and also mobile

patrols of the area. We are running an operation where we

check suspicious vehicles seen in the village at unusual times of

the day and in the evening. This will hopefully have deterred

criminals entering our villages and committing crime.

Recently a known offender has been convicted and sent to

prison for six weeks for a number of offences that were

committed in the Sherburn area. There may be a link with crime

in surrounding villages. Investigations continue into other

crimes committed in Hillam and Monk Fryston.

Suspected arson at the Cross Keys

Police are currently investigating a suspected arson at the

Cross Keys public house in Hillam. The fire occurred at

approximately 23.30 hrs on Sunday 15th May 2011.

Police are appealing for witnesses to contact Selby CID office

on 01904 669659.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CRIME REPORT

Beware calls from “PC Technical Support”

I have received a telephone call from a foreign-sounding man

who says his name is Gary from PC Technical Support,

informing me that there is a problem with my broadband, and that

he has a team of Microsoft engineers who will sort the problem

out. Failure to act will mean that my computer will be open to

receive viruses via my broadband connection.

He wanted me to turn on my computer so he could tell me how to

hand over control to the “Microsoft” engineers, who would do the

necessary before handing me back control. I had already heard of

this possible scam two days previously from a Hillam resident.

I asked Gary for a Microsoft telephone number so that I could

verify his company’s authenticity. He gave me the number 02030

049300, which he said would connect me direct to him. At this

point, having got as much information out of Gary as I could, I

ended the call.

The other person in Hillam, an elderly lady, was kept talking for

about 30 minutes by, presumably, Gary and she became very

confused. He also wanted to get control of her computer.

Fortunately the lady cut him off before any harm was done.

If you receive a call from Gary or others purporting to be from

PC Technical Support, either get as much detail as you can or

terminate the call straight away.

Helping the police with their enquiries

Sherburn Police Station front office reopened in September

2010 and is staffed purely by volunteers.

We are looking for new volunteers so that our hours can be

extended. Anyone interested please contact Nigel Drayton on

07775 947660.

Sherburn-in-Elmet Police Station current opening times

Monday 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

Tuesday 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Wednesday 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Thursday 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Friday 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Yet another burglary, this time at the Church Hall late on a

Friday afternoon, when a mobile phone and cash raised by the

Playschool for Red Nose Day were stolen.

I have lived in Hillam all my life and have never seen a period of

criminal activity like that taking place in the two villages at the

moment. Crimes are being committed in daylight under our very

noses, and yet no one sees anything suspicious. The police are

doing what they can by increasing patrols, etc, but it is really up

to us to be vigilant and watch out for suspicious characters and

activities, and not be shy about reporting to the police.

I have received a report of a burglary which took place in

Betteras Hill Road whilst the owner was visiting relatives.

Valuable sentimental jewellery items were stolen, and the police

have been informed. Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the

evening of 1st April in the Betteras Hill Road area, please contact

the police on 0845 6060247.

Tony Hudson

Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator

Dion Wood Police Community Support Officer

This will hopefully have deterred criminals entering our

villages and committing crime.

Burglary at the Church Hall

10

RURAL FOOD AND DRINK

It’s a farm shop in all but name – just no

chickens wandering about – and it is at

Allerton Bywater near Castleford.

To get there, go along Fairburn Ings, past the former

swan-feeding point, turn left at the traffic lights towards

Castleford and then right at the next lights.

Samuel Valentine’s Urban Food Hall is in an old pub on the

left, set in a housing development which owes a lot to Prince

Charles and Poundbury.

All the farm shop favourites are on sale: Curry Cuisine,

Womersley dressings, Fentiman’s ginger beer and beer from

York Brewery. (There are no Bracken Hill products, but you

can get them at Monk Fryston Stores.) Cheese is sold under

the brand Cryer and Stott, which features at most farmers’

markets and at Monk Fryston Hall.

There is a café which kicks off the day with breakfast, but for

us the highlight was the butchery whose rib eye steak beats the

expensive but excellent Donald Russell’s of Inverurie. That’s

something which can’t be said of other local farm shops.

Even if the joint you want is not on display, you can ask for it.

Worth a mention also are the beef pies and the chilli-flavoured

pork pies.

The Urban Food Hall is a ‘must visit’ and it is worth noting

that they have to try harder than farm shops. This is because

shops situated on farms do not have to pay business rates.

The Urban Farm Shop Food miles and local milk

At the last Hillam News meeting we had a discussion about

milk and the difference between the milk bought in a

supermarket and that delivered by a local milkman. We are

lucky in Hillam to still have a local delivery service, and even

luckier that the milk is actually produced within a few miles of

the village.

The two local producers are Parkins at Hambleton, who have

300 head of dairy cattle, and Hickmans. Milk produced by

Parkins is also available in the Post Office.

The question we had was, “Why did milk from the supermarket

seem to keep longer than that from the local milkman?” Several

of us thought this was the case. The great benefit of having such

a local producer is that you can go and ask them. A visit was

made and we found out that the milk on the farm travelled no

more than a few metres between milking and processing. The

milk is processed immediately, and so we know that the milk in

a supermarket cannot possibly be as fresh when it goes onto the

shelves. In the future more supermarket milk is expected to be

imported, for which a bulk processing plant is being built near

to Dover. This milk will travel even further and need to keep

even longer.

The farmer was surprised by our observation, but said he would

investigate, which he did by asking a contact in the company

who supplies the machines that are used to pasteurise the milk.

The answer was that supermarkets insist on a long shelf life,

and in order to provide this the machine used is modified.

More filtering is done by increasing the number of plates in

the machine.

This may explain why the milk from supermarkets also has a

different taste.

11

CONVOY REPORT – APRIL 2011 After several months of preparation, including the collection of

over 40 tonnes of items that would constitute a really useful

delivery to the institutions and organisations which support the

sick, disabled and very needy people in Belarus, we were almost

ready for the April convoy. The loading days had been well

attended by never less than fifteen volunteers, and the sterling

work of Alan and Chris Judd in preparing the warehouse meant

that this massive task of stuffing the two large trailers went with

the usual speed and efficiency.

Departure date was finally agreed as Friday April 1st. We drove

the four trucks to Monk Fryston Primary School, and 180 pupils

were there to give us a super send-off. They presented us with a

symbolic gift of 180 pencils and a message for a similar school

in Belarus.

The journey across Europe was uneventful until we reached the

Polish customs. The queue of trucks waiting to cross out of

Poland was over 25 kms in length. We cleared customs into

Belarus on the Monday at 4 pm. The convoy split, with Bob and

Aidan taking their vehicle to the Zhlobyn customs, a drive of

several hours, where final clearance is needed before

discharging the load at the Rogachev Association, which assists

the families of disabled children. Bryan and Tony Parkin

travelled on to Kalinkovichi, again to local customs, with their

aid for the Kalinkovichi social services. Paul, Chris and Mike

continued on to Gomel, arriving at 1 am Tuesday, and as the

local customs were closed we parked in the hotel compound.

Over twenty disabled and handicapped youngsters were

enjoying a day at the Mayflower Centre, with lots of activities.

Their stay there provides their hard-pressed parents with some

respite and rest – which is one of the major aims of the Centre.

Then it was on to the school at Grabovka, where the gym was to

be used as a customs-registered store for not only the Telyashi

part-load on the small truck, but also the 15 tonne load on the

final truck for the Education Department. We visited the school

and the classrooms and presented the pencils from our Monk

Fryston Primary School – job done!

On the Friday, with just the small truck still to complete,

carrying 1200 kgs of aid for the Diabetic Association, Paul and

Aidan were once again delayed at customs, and their work

unloading took them until 3 pm. The team had been taken by the

Education Department firstly to Gomel district diagnostic and

assessment centre. The director is Stevlana Izophatova, who

came to the UK with our charity previously, to visit a similar

centre for the disabled and special needs children here. The

place was indeed very special and the children appeared to be

very well cared for. Barbara and David Cox, who were on

holiday in Belarus, had joined us for the day. Then it was on to

Telyashi kindergarten. We started to support this kindergarten

several years ago, and David and Barbara have continued to

support them since.

They brought dressing up clothes for the children and it was a

great sight to see the kids obviously delighted with their new

apparel as they paraded up and down and sang for us. We had a

meal at the kindergarten, and afterwards we had the opportunity

to visit two of the families in their homes. Just as we were

leaving for Gomel, Paul and Aidan arrived and went to the

Centre for some well earned refreshments.

Saturday was rest and relaxation, buying Russian dolls and

vodka, visiting friends, and packing and preparing for the

journey home. We still managed a very productive joint meeting

with two Belarusian charities, namely ‘White Dove’ and the

‘Coordination Centre’, represented by their directors Victoria

and Valentina.

Three days later, and we were in Europort after another

uneventful if long return journey, looking forward very much to

the pint or two on the ferry, and most of all to the food that did

not disappoint.

The genuine appreciation of the receivers for the aid and our

efforts was just reward, and their thanks are passed on to the

team in the UK who have given so much of their time as usual.

Thanks to David Campey for his overall support and the

splendid warehouse facilities he provides to us, and to Paul

Campey who keeps our small fleet of vehicles ‘on the road’.

Many thanks also to our interpreters in Belarus, our office in

Gomel, our sponsors in the UK and the donors of aid - many of

whom are individuals or small groups of friends who provide

some great items such as knitted garments and bedding.

I recognised one of the boxes from Copmanthorpe near York,

and called the customs man over. When I started to open the box

he said, “Neit”, but it was too late and I showed him the

contents. He just said, “Beautiful!” I wonder how much he

understood of the English language – maybe he understood

some of Aidan’s jokes!

We are also very grateful to major companies such as Ikea and

Proctor and Gamble for their support in supplying key items of

aid. These have been much appreciated and are in full use in

Belarus, to the benefit of the disabled and their needy

families. Job done once again.

Check out the photographs on our website:

www.chernobyl-children.org.uk

Mike Allison

Aid Coordinator

12

GARDENING - POTTING ON

No need to rush

You have to admire the resilience of plants. Most of my

agapanthus in the garden are now through, one of my

phormiums is showing growth, and I even dug up a dahlia

which was sprouting from the tuber and is now in a pot and

growing. There is a long list of tenderish shrubs and trees in my

garden which looked very dead, but are now beginning to sprout

a fuzz of green shoots from the trunk or base or branches. I will

wait a few months to see how they perform. A shrub can

sometimes be cut back very hard and reshaped as it grows, but

a tree which had developed a good shape by pruning over the

years is a different matter. If the regrowth is ugly, it may be

better to harden the heart and take out the tree. Only time and

instinct will tell. There is no need to rush the decision.

Soil full of seeds If your garden, like mine, is covered by a haze of self-seeded

blue forget-me-nots, now is the time to remove them. If you

don’t, they will become unsightly with mildew, set thousands of

plants for you to weed out later, squash any delicate perennials

trying to come through, and provide a perfect hiding place for

slugs and snails. Don’t worry that you won’t have any next year:

the soil will be full of seeds.

More plants for our gardens It was when I took some interesting baby seedling plants to a

friend whose garden I was visiting and she exclaimed,

“Oh, you’re a seedy person,” that I realised how much I enjoy

growing things from seed. She is a ‘splitting’ person, whose

nursery bed has rows of lovely plants which she has divided

from plants in her garden. This has the added benefit of

rejuvenating the parent plant in the garden as well as providing

new ones. Others are ‘cuttings’ people, who can never prune

anything without sticking some bits into a pot to see if they take.

All of us are propagators, making more plants for our gardens.

Overwinter tender plants The best bit about being a seedy person is that it all takes place

in the comfort of my greenhouse. This year for my birthday I

had a heated propagating mat, which can be used to overwinter

tender plants without heating the whole greenhouse, germinate

seeds in the early part of the year, and root cuttings of plants like

penstemon, verbena and pelargoniums in late summer. We have

all been caught out this winter with our penstemons, which we

used to take cuttings of as matter of course a few years ago!

A thrill There is such a thrill

when the seeds come

through. Seeds of

essential vegetables,

sweetcorn, beans,

courgettes and tomatoes.

Seeds of annuals which I

love for generous

summer colour, cosmos,

sweet peas, ageratum,

orlaya. And some seeds

from nice plants in my

garden which I want

more of, different every

year - this year

molospermum and digitalis cariensis - a charming dwarf

foxglove which has delighted me for several seasons. Some

years I grow trees from Chilterns’ seed catalogue and I have

eucalyptus, acers, pinus patula, sorbus, hawthorn and roses

flourishing in the garden, all grown from seed.

The most delightful job Pricking out the seedlings into pots is the most delightful job in

the world. I stand at my potting table snug while the morning

is cold or it is windy or raining, and tuck the tiny roots into cosy

compost with the promise of a beautiful plant to come. They

grow and need watering and feeding, pleasant excuses for

pottering in the greenhouse on a chilly morning. They get bigger

and I must decide where they are to go, but as they are so lovely

and fragile, too dainty for the hurly-burly of the garden, I will

pot them on so I can keep looking after them. Hardening them

off, the ritual of trays of plants in and out of the greenhouse,

is next.

Now it is mid-May, frost is unlikely and I have hundreds of

plants - the next logical step is to plant them out, but it is

difficult for me to let them go. Perhaps I’ll pot them on.

Susan FergusonSusan FergusonSusan FergusonSusan Ferguson

13

Message from the Rector

I hope you all enjoyed your extra bank holiday last month and

opened a bottle or two to celebrate the marriage of Prince

William and Kate Middleton. Marriage season is certainly in the

air and St Wilfrid’s is well booked for the coming months.

Every so often, in my job, you get one of those special requests

to do a marriage that is a little different. One such request came

my way some time ago when a couple asked me if I’d conduct

their wedding – he was a pilot in the RAF and she was a doctor.

I get many requests for weddings and they’re all special in their

own way, but this one was a little different, in that it was to take

place in the chapel of Edinburgh Castle. This was to be my first

– and only – wedding conducted in “Bonnie Scotland”.

I met with the couple several times before the wedding to talk

about their plans. Apart from the practical concerns relating to

the wedding day itself, the fuss about photographers, what

colour the bridesmaids’ dresses would be – making sure that

they didn’t clash with the flowers, etc, etc, etc, there was the

more important area of the content of the service, and also their

future beyond the service – the marvellous adventure that we

called married life.

One of the best ways I’ve found to do this preparation is to ask

couples two questions. The first about the vows and the

promises in the marriage service – were the bride and groom

going to be using the same vows to each other, or – and you

always had to drop your voice discreetly at this point – was she

going to promise to ‘obey him’. Often that would get things

going and they would talk about their expectations of each other

and of married life. But if it’s all too well-meaning and vague,

then you try the second question – you ask them where they’re

going to spend their first Christmas together. It doesn’t really

matter what they say, but you’ve got to watch who answers and

also the face the other one pulls.

You see, when you take the step of marriage, then you’ve got to

learn to think in terms of two people. The textbook answers are

dead easy: marriage is about commitment, about holding

together through good times and bad, about children and family

and all of that – it’s just the putting it all into practice that gets

most people into trouble. Up there with the big problems, like

where are we going to live, is our relationship strong enough,

how are we going to raise our children, are the little questions,

like who’s going to clean the loo, and when will you learn that

towels live in the cupboard and should not be allowed to live

migratory nomadic lives on the bathroom floor.

If we work at the smaller problems we’ve at least got a chance

of getting to grips with the bigger ones. The really interesting

thing is that the same is true of all the difficult questions of life.

God, love, peace, justice and freedom are great ideas. It’s when

they’re actually going to change people’s lives that we need to

pay attention to detail. Jesus was clear that the setting for the

struggle with the great questions was ordinary daily life. The

stories and parables that he told stayed within reach of people.

The widow who found a lost coin, the shepherd who found a

lost sheep, the man whose guests wouldn’t come to the party.

So remember, if we’re ever going to have our heads anywhere

near the clouds, we’re going to have to keep our feet firmly on

the ground.

Blessings

John

ST WILFRID’S CHURCH

Services at St Wilfrid’s

1st Sunday of each month

8am Holy Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

9.30am Parish Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford

11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

11am Sunday Club in St Wilfrid’s Church Hall (ages 2-8)

2nd

Sunday of each month 9.30am Family Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford

11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

6pm Evensong at St Mary’s, South Milford

3rd Sunday of each month

8am Holy Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

9.30am Parish Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford

11am Family Service at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

4th Sunday of each month

9.30am Family Service at St Mary’s, South Milford

11am Parish Communion at St Wilfrid’s, Monk Fryston

6pm Holy Communion at St Mary’s, South Milford

Further details about St Wilfrid’s on our website

www.stwilfridandstmary.org.uk

MARRIAGES

St Wilfrid’s Church is the most beautiful building in which

to have your marriage service, situated directly over the

road from Monk Fryston Hall which hosts many wedding

receptions during the course of the year. Due to changes in

marriage legislation it has become easier in recent years to

marry at a church other than your local parish church,

and if you would like to explore a marriage service in

St Wilfrid’s, or simply require further information about

getting married in church, please give me a call

at the Rectory on 680788.

BAPTISMS

Sometimes life passes so quickly that we occasionally never

get the things done that we wish we had done. I have met

several people over the past couple of years who were never

baptised as children and somehow felt that it was too late.

It is never too late for anyone to explore the possibility of

baptism as an adult, or even as an older child, and if you

would like to do so, please give me a call

at the Rectory on 680788.

John

14

Spring cleaning

Booksellers around the country

with obscure historical records, the

Internet, intrepid surfing by local

historians – these elements

married together are helping to

develop local historical

knowledge. They are also

providing information for us to

set within both the wider context

and local knowledge, and also to

clarify local records unearthed in

cupboard clear-outs.

Whilst Internet browsing in 2010,

Graham Todd spotted and bought a

document relating to Monk Fryston

charities. What a treasure trove it turned

out to be.

He shared the information with Hillam

Historians and Monk Fryston Time Team.

Some of the gems it contains are records

concerning the collection of funds for the

relief of the needy of our parish.

Time moved on; in 2011 Tony Hudson

was having a clear-out.

Wandering back from the Post Office,

Betty Wright passed by his drive whilst

Tony was talking to Ray Newton. Tony

offered to the Hillam Historians for their

archives a compact bankbook-sized log

which detailed annual payments of small

amounts to various villagers during most

years from 1957 to 1986.

Ray, having read and thoroughly absorbed

the above-mentioned charities document,

was instantly able to give us a probable

background story.

In the nineteenth century there was a

requirement for the parish councils to be

responsible for the needy within their

bounds. From 1826 it was the duty of the

Poor Law Commissioners to ensure that

they were doing their job in distributing,

“doling out”, the available funds to the

poor. The Charity Commissioners’ Inquiry

report for Monk Fryston Parish 1895

confirmed that £25 per year was available

to be doled out to the poor.

It stated that:

“These doles are regularly collected, and

distributed at the church on Christmas

Day, by the churchwardens and overseers,

amongst the poorest people of the

township of Monk Fryston.”

The available funds were themselves the

result of bequests, often of many years’

standing. The main ones which provided

for the poor of the three townships which

together constituted the “ancient parish”

of Monk Fryston, Hillam and Burton

Salmon were all land-related.

The income from Rhodes’s Poor’s Land

was the rental from an area of three

roods or thereabouts in Hillam purchased

with a £10 bequest from Elizabeth Rhodes

in 1741.

Similarly, a share of the income from

Strode’s Poor’s Land in Lumby was the

result of a bequest in 1717.

Turner’s Dole in 1896 was earning ten

shillings (50p) a year for the poor of

Burton Salmon.

Quite when the responsibilities officially

fell from the shoulders of the parish

councils we don’t know, but the practice

continued. Invested funds from previous

years’ charitable donations allowed small

payments to be made even until the late

twentieth century.

You will be very welcome at the next

meeting of Hillam Historians: Wednesday

27th July, 7.30 pm. Come and join us at

Hillam Nurseries. Further details from

Jenny Hoare, 683332 or

hoarehsandj@btinternet.com.

Phone

01977 685534

Consultation Welcome – Initial Discussion Free

David (Dai) Jones Dip. Arch. RIBA

Architect Fletton House

The Square

HILLAM

North Yorkshire

LS25 5HE

HILLAM HISTORIANS www.hillam-village.co.uk

Dunce Mire Lane

Everyone will be familiar with Dunce Mire Lane.

However, followers of the Parish Council’s tribulations and

also TomTom sat nav users might have wondered what the

strange combination of words means.

Place names of the West Riding of Yorkshire by A H Smith

states that the word ‘mire’ or ‘myrr’ means marsh, whilst

‘dunce’ probably comes from dun or duns, meaning dark.

Maspin Moor is translated as ‘fen on the boundary’, obvious

really when you know it is on the way to Gateforth.

Stocking Lane is rather disappointingly a clearing of tree

stumps. Whilst Austfield Lane is ‘east field’ and Fair Field

is what it says, Smith suggests that Betteras Hill is named after

a lady called Beatrice, who once owned it.

15

OUT AND ABOUT

BOARDING KENNELS

AND

CATTERY

Common Lane,

South Milford,

Leeds, LS25 5BX

Come and see our spacious

purpose-built accommodation

“YOUR PET’S HOLIDAY

HOME”

Phone Kathryn Beal

on 01977 685404

Open 9 am - 6 pm daily

VISITORS WELCOME

Remember the Community Centre is available to hire

for private gatherings and parties (contact Becky on 689230).

If it’s chairs, tables, marquees, gazebos or even crockery

you want to borrow, give Kath Ratcliffe a call on 683590.

Zumba is the latest fitness craze sweeping the UK – but what is it?

It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired,

calorie-burning dance fitness party. You are working out really

hard (you glow, ladies!) but, having so much fun, it can’t help

but put you into a great mood.

Sometimes great ideas are born from accidents. Its creator,

‘Beto’ Perez, was a fitness instructor in Florida. On one

particular day, he forgot his aerobics music. Facing his class

with no music to work out to, he dashed to his car and grabbed

his favourite tape. This happened to be Latino music, including

salsa and morengue. Improvising, he created a new kind of

dance fitness, one that let the music move you rather than

counting reps over the music. Energy electrified the room;

people couldn’t stop smiling. His class loved it. And Zumba

was born.

Reports from those who have taken part in Zumba classes

confirm that it is a really great workout. Everyone enjoys it and

you meet a whole bunch of new friends who are laughing and

smiling. Give it a go at the Church Hall. It’s on Thursday nights

from 6.45 to 7.30 pm.

Christ is risen indeed

Well before dawn on Easter Sunday, over fifty worshippers

gathered outside St Wilfrid’s to celebrate the Resurrection and

renew their baptism vows. They clustered initially around a

brazier and, carefully clutching candles, moved into the church.

A late Easter meant that a candlelit vigil needed to be very early,

half an hour before the time advertised in Hillam News. The

service was based on a sixth century Christian rite, with

Victorian hymns. The undoubted highlight was the solo chanting

of Cantor Andy Brown from Hillam.

After the service John Hetherington proposed a champagne toast

before bacon butties and Weetabix in the church hall.

A cut above those at rest

On Saturday 2nd April the tranquillity of Monk Fryston

Cemetery was disturbed by an “army” of volunteers, actually

eleven stalwarts from the combined parishes.

They tackled many years of growth of ivy, elderberry and laurel

which were threatening the stability of the lovely stone walls

surrounding this peaceful place. The result was two large piles of

vegetation (now removed) and many aching limbs.

A big thank-you to all concerned.

On the same day Hillam Cricket Club volunteers were hard at

work on the new pavilion, and Burton Salmon cricketers were

making good damage following off-season break-ins. And the

day before, a team was seen working hard in St Wilfrid’s

churchyard under the command of the Rev John.

Stuart Wroe

16

MONK FRYSTON HALL - ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Garden tools

Grow your own vegetables

Barbecues and patio furniture

Garden Route Gourmet BEST QUALITY READY MEALS

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

VISIT

www.gardenroutegourmet.co.uk

Or call Robert on 07717 354112

NEW SPRING MENUS

Individual meals, complete dinner parties, delivered buffets

We are so lucky to have Monk Fryston

Hall on our doorstep

here is nothing to beat the view from the dining room of

Monk Fryston Hall on a bright spring morning, even if

yours is the only table in for lunch. You can see the

terrace, and the view to the south is much better now

that the new owners have removed the undergrowth. We were

not really alone as there was an ‘eightieth’ in the ballroom and

the bar lunch area was busy.

If we had restricted ourselves to a main course from the à la

carte, the bill would have compared favourably with a bar lunch

at the Chequers, Ledsham. But of course we were tempted by

chicken liver parfait and pavlova. We had heard that the chef

was excellent – and the main course, noisettes of lamb, was a

credit to the kitchen. Deliciously rare, and with enough fat to

enhance the taste, it was the highlight of the meal.

We enjoyed the company of the staff, whom we knew well from

various cricket and fundraising dinners and weddings attended at

the Hall. Most will agree that Monk Fryston Hall is an important

part of our community and to the management’s credit remains

accessible to local people.

In the evening and at weekends there is usually a number of

local young waiters and waitresses at the Hall. Several have

gone on to forge careers in catering.

Prior to being a hotel the building was the home of the

Hemsworth family who, as anyone who has been to St Wilfrid’s

will know, played an important part in church life during the

nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Mary, widow of

Benjamin Hemsworth junior, died in 1940 and ownership passed

to a nephew, who was killed in the Second World War.

At the postwar auction, when most of Monk Fryston’s farms

passed into private ownership, S W Tinsdale bought the Hall and

opened it as a hotel. He also established, in quick succession,

the Owl Country Club at Hambleton and Rogerthorpe Manor,

Badsworth – all different but still thriving today.

From 1954 to 2006 the Hall was owned by the Duke of Rutland.

The present owner is Mr M Hogarth, owner of the Cave Castle

Hotel, Brough. Mr Tinsdale’s grandson is a local farmer, who

produces 50% of the fresh carrots sold in ASDA supermarkets.

THEATRE LUNCH AT

MONK FRYSTON HALL Performed by the Library Theatre Touring Company

Sunday 12th

June 2011

Weekend Break by John Godber

Martin is staying in the Lake District to write his Hollywood

blockbuster with all the peace and quiet he could hope for, except that he has invited his parents along for a cosy weekend!

When Len and Joan turn up, it’s raining, cold and they’re

falling apart - with a pill for every complaint.

The stresses and strains of family life are played out with

bittersweet humour, and some unexpected revelations make it

a weekend never to forget. A superb example of Godber’s

unique, incisive humour! 2-Course Luncheon, Coffee and the Theatre Presentation

£22.00 per person (1.45 pm - 5.45 pm approx)

T

17

WIND FARM UPDATE JUNE 2011

Updates on the 22 x Megawatt Valley wind farms Byram (9) - Consultation about the test mast completed.

Next step will be publication of the Planning Officer’s

recommendation and a decision. Application for the 9-turbine

wind farm 2 km south of Hillam could follow any time.

Cleek Hall (5) - Consultation about additional information

completed. Awaiting Planning Officer’s report and Planning

meeting. The 60-metre test mast is visible from Selby bypass.

Woodlane (14) and Bishopwood (7) - No new information.

Planning Officer’s report could be published at any time, with 5

days’ notice of the corresponding Selby Planning meeting.

Darrington Quarries / Cridling Stubbs (8) - Similar to

Woodlane, but it will be decided by N Yorks County Council.

Hook Moor (5) - A new Public Inquiry expected in August.

Spaldington (12) - The Public Inquiry into the two wind farms, 2 km apart, with the village of Spaldington between them,

started on 24 May and is expected to run for two or three weeks.

These two proposals show that wind farm developers are

prepared to put large turbines right up to and all around our

villages. The Wind Farm Wars series (BBC 2, Friday 7 pm)

shows very clearly that they have no respect whatsoever for the

environment or for people living in villages.

Keadby (34) - The wind farm near the M18 is approved, but

not yet built. It will have 34 turbines, each 125 metres high.

Even before construction has started the wind farm has been sold

by the developer to Scottish and Southern Energy. The price is

not known but SSE made £1.3bn profits last year.

More information - including link to the Australian

radio interview: Please visit the news pages on the website. Any search with Woodlane and wind farm will find the site.

www.stopwoodlanewindfarm.co.uk

The greenest Government ever CO2 to be cut by 50% by the year 2025 In Australia there is a political row about a carbon tax. It has

made the TV news, chat shows and phone-ins. Their Prime

Minister is questioned and ridiculed about it. The central

argument is the effect that a large carbon tax would have on

their economy versus the predicted benefit from reducing CO2. The odd thing is that we already have a carbon tax, but people

have not yet realised. The rates are now set to rise as the

Government starts to use it to achieve the objectives of reducing

CO2 by 50% before 2025. We might not be aware of the carbon

tax but the Australians are and interviewed one of our “experts”.

The result was staggering - the national expert on carbon market

and climate change was unable to say how much the tax would

cost and unable to say what it would achieve. CO2 is not just about producing electricity. Every time we get

in our cars we are responsible for CO2 emissions; every time

we put the central heating on we produce some more. Worst of

all, we go on foreign holidays: the plane injects large quantities

of greenhouse gas into the upper atmosphere. Producing meat

and dairy products is responsible for yet more greenhouse gas. We can expect everything that produces CO2 to become far

more expensive as the tax ripples through the system. Now, I don’t disagree with an objective to reduce CO2

emissions. However if we are going to do it we should do it in

the most cost-effective way. In Selby District we are

exceptionally lucky in that we can make a huge contribution to

CO2 reductions without building hundreds of wind turbines. One project to burn wood pellets alongside coal at Drax will

save an estimated 900,000 tons of CO2 per year. It will also

bring jobs to the area - growing and processing wood and

biomass. In comparison, the 14 turbines proposed at Woodlane

claim to save 40,000 tons of CO2 per year. The actual savings of CO2 claimed by wind farms are

questionable. The power produced might be free of CO2, but if

a power station is held on standby to cope with wind speed

variation this needs to be taken into account. This is well

illustrated by Government figures for the whole of the UK. Last

year 14% more onshore wind farm capacity was built, and the

result was 7% less wind power than in the previous year, due to

variations in wind strength from year to year. Even worse, the

total CO2 production in the UK actually rose 3.8%. So much for the theory that adding more wind turbines will

achieve the target for CO2 reduction. The only guarantee there

is about wind farms is that they industrialise the countryside.

18

THE BIRDING COLUMN

It is now the middle of May, one of the

most exciting months for birders. It seems

ages ago that we lost our Whooper Swans,

the last having departed in April. Howard

Ferguson tells me he has had a Cuckoo in

his garden, but unfortunately the male of

his resident breeding pair of Moorhens

was killed by a Sparrowhawk! Rob

Preston had sightings of Kingfisher at the

brick ponds in early May. After a

three-week spell on Tiree, we have

returned to find that our tame pair of

Blackbirds is still around, as I found the

female in the hall after leaving the front

door open when I went to the garage.

Obviously our son Alex has been feeding

her dates whilst we have been away.

Since late March I have been actively

involved with the Yorkshire Red Kite

Group, monitoring nests and locating new

breeding pairs of Red Kites, so this has

taken up an awful lot of my time, and my

opportunities for local exploration have

been rather limited. However, I did

manage to record the dates when I saw my

first summer migrants, with my first

Chiffchaff in oak woods near Micklefield

on 19th March, the first Willow Warblers

and Blackcaps on 8th April, and the

Swallows returning to Rose Lea on 17th

April.

During the course of my voluntary work

for the Kite Group, I come into contact

with a variety of people and receive

emails from those who have seen Red

Kites in our area. Yesterday, a lady

emailed me to tell me about a pair of kites

that had been seen flying around the cattle

market in Selby lately, which is

particularly intriguing, as I don’t know of

any pairs within the Selby area. So, if

anyone has seen any large rufous birds of

prey, significantly bigger than a buzzard,

with angled wings, a light grey head and

deeply forked red tail, then please contact

me via the editor.

This spring, taking full advantage of the

extra hours available to me since

retirement, I revisited one of my all-time

favourite haunts on the moors beyond

Hebden Bridge, where I found Ring

Ouzels behind the Pack Horse pub at

Widdop. I hadn’t seen them there for

many years, and had assumed that this pair

had succumbed to whatever global

pressure is putting this species under

threat – but it was so easy this year, and I

guess my problem in previous years was

just one of timing, as you need to be there

in the second week of April for the best

chance of seeing this beautiful bird. The

male is superficially like a Blackbird from

the back view, but when it turns around

you see it has a large brilliant white

crescent on its breast. A six-mile tramp up

through Hardcastle Crags, a steep-sided

valley populated by a variety of enormous

beeches and oaks, just starting to come

into leaf, then onto the moorland; it

seemed so fresh and full of life,

particularly after the harsh winter we have

just experienced. The stream that rushes

down from Hardcastle is always good for

Dippers and Grey Wagtail, and it didn’t

disappoint, with great photographic

opportunities at every bend.

As I mentioned above, Jenny and I have

been up in Tiree for the last three weeks.

In the whole of this period I spent just one

day indoors, and that was only because of

the bad weather. I have “birded” non-stop,

sometimes on my bike, but mainly on

foot, looking for and trying to photograph

Corncrakes, a particularly elusive species.

I think in the ten years of going to Tiree I

have seen Corncrakes only about three

times, and it has always been a fleeting

glimpse of a small and skulking “brown

job”, scuttling into an iris bed. On this

occasion it was so different, as our timing

was intended to coincide with the arrival

of this summer migrant, when the birds

are at their most vociferous, and when the

vegetation is short. After spending most of

the first and second weeks in the west of

the island, where the population of

Corncrakes is the highest, and having no

luck at all, I decided to look at the local

pair, which is in a marsh, and just a

hundred yards down the track from the

house. Why I hadn’t looked at these

before I just don’t know, but in the last

week I’ve managed to take some really

great video footage of the birds singing,

and also some pretty good stills, by just

taking an evening stroll with my camera.

What with Great Northern divers, a

Golden Eagle and otters as well, “my cup

runneth over”, and I am now completely

“birded out”. Never mind, after a complete

rest at home, doing nothing, ignoring the

by now rampant weeds, I should be fully

recuperated, with binoculars at the

ready……

Graham Todd

THE BIRDING COLUMN

Red Kite - Milvus Milvus

19

MONK FRYSTON SCHOOL REPORT

An innovative dad at Monk Fryston Primary School has come up with an idea to improve communications between parents and teachers.

Brent Thurrell decided that in the age of social networking technology, letters in children's book bags were no longer the best way for messages to get through. The school has now signed up to the Scholabo site, which Brent founded, so parents can pick up reminders, newsletters and school news via the Internet. "I came up with the idea for Scholabo to scratch my own itch," he said. "Like many busy parents, I was struggling keeping on top of the letters coming home from school - when they actually made it home - and then trying to figure out what was important to me and my child." He added: "I spotted an opportunity to create a private social network that securely connects the school to its parent community to provide information in the way that today's parents want to consume it." Using the website is also good news for the school's carbon footprint and finances, with the average primary school estimated to use 60,000 sheets of A4 paper

every year for communicating with parents. Head teacher Carole Middleton agrees the scheme will lead to "significant financial savings". She added: "It's about time that schools make a clear break from the paper-based past and begin to embrace new methods of communications that are becoming commonplace in other walks of life today. In the age of the Internet and social networking, there's a real argument for rethinking the way schools should communicate with parents." Carole explained: "In the majority of schools, there's still an over-reliance upon letters in book bags to get information home to parents, which as a communication mechanism is fraught with issues such as loss, damage, destruction and information overload, not to mention the environmental impact of all the paper being used." Scholabo is being taken up by other schools in the region and is gaining momentum in schools on both a national and an international scale. Call 0844 2413226 for further information.

MONK FRYSTON Pre-SCHOOL

We welcome children from two years to school age*

We provide lots of different activities including:

Toys, Songs, Rhymes, Stories, Painting, Modelling,

Sand and Water Play, Cutting and Glueing, Playdough,

Puzzles and much more…!

Monday to Friday 9:00 – 12:00 am

Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 – 3:00 pm

Contact Jayne Wood 681050 Church Hall, Monk Fryston

We are OFSTED Inspected and LEA funded and we

follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum

*places are offered subject to availability

Green scheme casts its web

Reprinted from Selby Times 19th May

20

BROADBAND HILLAM

Should I change my broadband supplier?

What is a MAC number? Might I lose the

Internet altogether if I try to transfer to

another provider? These are questions

which have occupied us all. People, me

included, are nervous about changing

broadband supplier, despite being

bombarded from all sides with best-buy

recommendations.

And another thing: when is high speed

broadband coming to Hillam?

Two issues ago the Hillam Nerd invited

Hillam News readers to vote for high

speed broadband in a process called the

Race to Infinity. Sorry, but this was little

more than a BT stunt, and after

nationwide voting just four exchanges

were added to BT’s list for super fast

broadband – and not surprisingly South

Milford is not one of them.

South Milford exchange supplies

broadband by means of an Asymmetric

Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and it is

possible to connect via any number of

suppliers – from BT to Orange to Virgin

and Sky. Two (Sky and TalkTalk) have

put their own Local Loop Unbundling

(LLU) into South Milford, so theoretically

they should give a better and faster

service. There is no cable nearer than

Harrogate, so forget that one.

ADSL allows data to be transmitted over

regular copper lines at frequencies higher

than those which are used for voice calls,

and at the same time. ADSL works best

when you live less than five kilometres

from the exchange.

My own experience is probably typical.

I was an Orange customer – having

originally signed up with Freeserve,

I found myself sold on to Wanadoo and

then Orange. The service was OK until

broadband failed, with the telephone

continuing to work. I called Orange in

India, but they would not talk to me until

I stopped using someone else’s wifi router

(Belkin). BT, also in India, refused to talk

because my Internet supplier was Orange

and my telephone still worked. Then a bit

of luck: the phone went off as well. BT

turned out and within half a day I was

called, from the entrance to Mill Close,

by a repair man. He had tweaked

something in the BT box there and I was

back in business.

I determined to leave Orange and return to

BT, despite Which recommendations. For

peace of mind I got a dongle, so I could

stay on the net if my line failed altogether.

Changeover day arrived. The postman

delivered a parcel from BT. I plugged in

the router, switched on my computer and,

hey presto, I was back on line with BT.

I have the added benefit of BT FON,

which allows me to log in at lots of wifi

hotspots all over the country – and it

really works.

Another householder, also with Orange,

chose TalkTalk. Again his telephone

worked, but not the Internet. Neighbours

remained fully connected. TalkTalk

prevaricated, and then at last agreed to

send an engineer. No one arrived, despite

a day taken off work to rendezvous with

him. This customer eventually cancelled

TalkTalk and, despite the service never

working, was charged £90.00. That

remains to be resolved. He transferred to

BT. The phone worked fine, but Internet

was still intermittent. BT sent an engineer

who renewed some wiring and now

everything works fine.

Hillam News would like to hear of others’

experience and broadband

recommendations. Have you had better

service from TalkTalk, and what is Sky

like? There is no date for the roll-out of

high speed broadband in our area but if

anyone sees a fibre-optic cable heading for

that box near Mill Close, shout out at the

top of your voice.

Don’t forget, Hillam News is on the

Internet at:

http://www.hillam-village.co.uk, and

http://www.issuu.com/hillamnews, via

http://pc.monkfryston.net, and also on

Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/

home.php#!/pages/Hillam-

News/160742057308841.

The Hillam NerdThe Hillam NerdThe Hillam NerdThe Hillam Nerd

Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test Suppliers put to the test ---- what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive? what kind of service do you receive?

21

READER’S LETTER

Re proposed showpeople’s quarters

on Lowfield Road

It has been belatedly brought to my

attention that the applicant has

suggested moving the bus stop at the

end of Green Lane, to Lowfield Road.

The bus stop at the end of Green Lane

is there for the use of the current

residents and is the only way to get

both to the village and beyond

without use of a car. Obviously this

also applies to anyone wanting to get

to Green Lane. My husband and I

now live alone but our family and

friends can and do use the bus service

when they visit us. We also can use

our bus passes to shop in Selby,

Sherburn or Leeds.

Some years ago, I foolishly thought

I would walk to the village for milk.

The road was not as busy as now but

I could walk only a few yards on the

road when I had to jump onto the

grass verge. There is no footpath and

the grass verge is not only on a slope

but also cut with drains. This was

quite difficult in good weather but

certainly impossible in rain, snow, fog

or in the darkness. It would be just as

difficult to walk to Lowfield Road to

catch a bus and therefore the idea has

no consideration for the current users

of the bus service.

I would therefore like to object to this

further proposal (moving the bus

stop) and hope that we who live and

work on Green Lane will not have our

usage jeopardised.

Yours faithfully

Lynn Ingledew

Green Lane Farm, Monk Fryston

22

anchester United have secured their 19th title, and in

doing so have taken the mantle off their archrivals

Liverpool to become the club that has won the most

titles. It really is a terrific achievement, given they

were only on title number 8 when Sir Alex Ferguson took over

the running of the club in the late ’80s. It also puts their progress

into some perspective when you consider Ryan Giggs has now

lifted 12 titles in his time at Old Trafford. At the time of writing

there is still the Champions’ League final to be played and it will

be interesting to see whether they can match and defeat the

all-conquering Barcelona side who have swept all before them so

far this season.

One thing is for sure however – that the Red Devils won’t have

things all their own way domestically next season, not least

because their near neighbours have now lifted the ‘monkey off

their back’ by winning their first trophy in 35 years when they

picked up the FA Cup. If Manchester City continue to spend in

the summer and make one or two top-class signings, they will

surely be a lot closer to winning the title than they managed to be

this year. Chelsea will be as keen as ever to reclaim the title they

won in 2010, whilst a resurgent Liverpool will also push Arsenal

and Tottenham for a place in the top four. After years where you

could say that it will be either Manchester United or Chelsea who

win the title, next season looks to be one of the most open for a

long time.

The Rugby Union season has come to a

conclusion with the inevitable relegation

of our local team Leeds Carnegie.

I mentioned in a previous column that the

team have probably deserved their final position, given the

negative style of play which they have adopted for most of the

season, but it was equally hard not to feel some sympathy for the

team in their last game when they scored three tries in the first

30 minutes (away from home to European Cup finalists

Northampton) yet still managed to pluck defeat from the jaws of

victory. I stand by my comments that the club should look to

move their home games around Yorkshire in order to attract a

wider fan base but, to be honest, they could find the next year

very demanding, trying to get back to the top tier from a league

which looks increasingly competitive.

Much has been made of the rush to secure tickets for the Olympic

Games in 2012, with the initial ballot for events closing in late

April. Personally I was astonished at the cost of attending the

blue-riband events such as the 100 metres final and some of the

swimming finals. I am not sure if there’s a better way to have

handled the ticket allocation but there’s little doubt that a number

of people (including yours truly!) will be tested financially if they

secure tickets for some of these events. It was an easy process to

select the events you wish to see, not least because the money is

taken only once your allocation has been confirmed. I guess I

will be like many others in that if I get ALL of the tickets I have

requested, then not only will I be busy next summer, I will also

be visiting the events via the bankruptcy courts…!

Yours in sport

Doug Hought

SPORT-IN-NEWS

M

23

SMALL ADS

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Hillam News needs you!

We hope that you enjoyed this issue of Hillam

News. It is always a pleasure to receive articles.

We are fortunate to live in a village with so

many creative people. Each issue of Hillam

News comprises articles written by people

living in the village. If you have a contribution which you think will

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send it in. If you feel you would like to be part of this

team as a secretary, or to be a member of

Hillam News, please contact Bev Jackson by

email at bev@jack-son.com.

ZUMBA Latin-inspired dance fitness workout

St Wilfrid’s Church Hall

Every Thursday, 6:45-7:30 pm, £3

For more details contact Hannah Howcroft

(Qualified Fitness Instructor)

07707 929393

Walking on Air Foot Care In the comfort of your own home

Amanda Hornshaw Foot Health Practitioner Dip CFHP, MPS Pract

Corns/callus removed, nail cutting, verrucas

and general foot care

Home visits only

Phone: 07740 090368

Fully insured and CRB checked

Look out for Hooked ’N’ Cooked

Fish and chips in the Community Centre

car park on alternate Tuesdays

May 31st, June 14th, June 28th then fortnightly

3:30 pm until 7:30 pm

About Hillam News The Hillam News is a free newspaper produced

by volunteers. We make reasonable

endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the

content but we do not guarantee the accuracy

of nor endorse the opinions of third-party

contributions including adverts. We publish

our material in good faith and strive to

comment fairly. If we make a mistake we are

willing to correct it when it is pointed out to

us. Because the paper is free we do not permit

copying for gain but we are happy to grant

permission for reproduction.

24

CLUBS & GROUPS

To amend or to add to the information below, please phone Jenny Hoare (683332)

CLUB OR GROUP LOCATION DAY & TIME CONTACT

Monk Fryston & Hillam Community Association

Community Centre Bi-monthly 3rd Wed 7.30pm

Booking: Becky Gatenby 689230 Secretary: Tony Hudson 682693

Church Hall booking Paddy Twidale 07766 097520

Ringtree Lights Committee Cross Keys Occasional Karen Merry 685694

Monk Fryston & South Milford Mothers’ Union

Church Hall Apr-Sep: 3rd Tue 7.30pm Oct-Mar: 3rd Wed 2pm

Paddy Twidale 07766 097520

Women with Interests Usually at Community Centre 3rd Thurs 7.30pm Kath Ratcliffe 683590

Community Association Luncheon Club (for anyone over 70)

Community Centre: for catering purposes, please book your place

1st Wed from 11.30am

Kath Ratcliffe 683590

St Wilfrid’s & St Mary’s Youth Fellowship

Variable 2nd & 4th Sat (term time)

Ages 8-11: 6.30-8pm Ages 12-16: 7.30-9pm

Alison Holmes 682450

S Milford Youth Club SM Church Hall Wed 7-9pm Jean Gibson 682751

Breakfast & After-School Clubs Community Centre & Hambleton Play Safe Club

7.30am-6.30pm Rachael Peacock 01757 229910

MF Pre-school Church Hall Mon-Fri 9-12am Tue & Thur 12.30-3pm

Jayne Wood 681050 (Playschool hours only)

Little Monkeys (Mothers & Toddlers)

Community Centre Tue 9.30-11.15am (term time)

Sarah Force 07879 452293

Rainbows (girls 5-7) Church Hall Friday Becky Gatenby 689230

S Milford Guides 682506, Hambleton Guides 01757 705535, Sherburn Cubs and Scouts 07913 158839

Air Cadets (ages 13-21) RAF Church Fenton Mon & Fri 7-9pm 01937 557340

Chernobyl Children’s Project (UK), MF Group Paula Spencer 682506

MF, Hillam & Burton Salmon Defibrillator Group

Crown Inn Occasional Tues 7.30pm

John Colton 671172

Hillam & MF Cricket Club www.hmfcc.co.uk Kate Vaks 07747 045060

Burton Salmon Cricket Club John Nesbitt 684444

Monk Fryston United FC Stocking Lane Steve Tope 07970 868288

Innter Crown FC Lowfield Road Lee Hammerton 07774 048913

Castleford & Dist Society of Anglers Hillam Pond, Betteras Hill Road D Malanczac 557715

St Wilfrid’s Parish Walks Variable 4th Sat 10.15am Stuart Twidale 07766 097520

Hillam Running Club Ringtree Various Lisa Sage 689206

Circuit Training (children & adults) MF School Mon & Thur 8-9pm Pat Birch 680580

Dancing (ages 3 to adult) Church Hall Tue 4-7.30, Wed 4-6.30pm Lucie Fox 01757 228841

Dancing for Tots Community Centre Thur 10-11am Claire Collins 07936 766420

Zumba fitness workout Church Hall Thur 6.45-7.30pm Hannah Howcroft 07707 929393

Pilates Community Centre Mon 9.30-10.30am (term time)

Beverley Fletcher 01937 530079

Hillam Historians Hillam Nurseries Bi-monthly 4th Wed 7.30pm Jenny Hoare 683332

MF Art Club Church Hall Mon 1-4pm Jean Dearn 682611

University of the Third Age, Sherburn and Villages branch

Various groups, locations and times detailed at: www.sherburnu3a.co.uk

Lorna Pope 683514

Local evening & daytime classes Adult Learning Service, Selby & Sherburn 0845 3006686

Sherburn Library Has a list of local societies covering a wide area 0845 0349443

1st Hillam & MF Brownies Church Hall Fri 6.30-7.30pm Marie Parkin 680363