Yesterday was a true misty Autumn day and I had to find a route through the back lanes to get to Kirkbymoorside as they had closed our road from the village of Marton, today they are closing the opposite direction.
I drove past Riseborough Hall, with its grand iron gates and high wall and read the history of it from our village historian's website. It would cost you a pretty penny to buy, over the two million mark to own this bit of history. The fact of the matter is that the word 'rise' describes it accurately, for you go uphill till the house tops the hill.
Last night was the Parish meeting in the church, dear Jo held my hand in case it got difficult without Paul. The male Joe handled the meeting superlatively, he needed something to get his teeth into after early retirement.
We did the usual round of speeding traffic but no sign of the police stopping people yet. The footpath which the council won't let us build, you need proper contractors, which shoots the price up to somewhere around £10,000. Then the defibrillator, nearly every village round here has one but they are not cheap and need volunteers to be on hand.
Then the interesting bit, (40 odd people made it a good turn out) the proposed wedding venue at the farm over the bridge, and also by the way situated on a terrible zig-zag bend. The farmer and his wife, who did most of the talking had a fairly easy time, though C had come well armed with facts and figures.
The first thing to note is the farmer's 'plight'. There are poor upland farms raising sheep on scrub land but there are also very rich farmers taking advantage of everything on offer, whether from the EU or government. These farmers live on land that is exorbitant to buy and do well.
The farm had been brought by someone who lived down the road at Great Edstone, she had run holiday cottages from the farm there, now with four sons and a daughter, at other farms, they had decided the derelict buildings at this farm should be turned into various things, such as two cottages, bedrooms and the various barns transformed into places for entertainment for weddings.
Well big ideas but will it work, I suspect we are in for a downturn so any speculation needs a brave heart.
C who lives on the other side of the bridge, fears the noise but had reassurances that no fireworks or those dreadful lanterns would be let off. C did point out something rather important about our village was the silence, except for a few cars and the worry we would all be about drunken revelry at night. Also the sewerage problem was underlined, what would they do? well apparently tank it and then removed from site. As anyone knows getting planning to alter housing in this country takes time and patience and I feel the whole plan could get stumped by the farm's awkward access to the road.
Which brings to this thought, capital (as in money) is now seen as being wrapped up in owning a house or two and this will keep you in old age. But what if we experience a collapse in the economy? On the other side of this farm and river Nelson lives in his caravan with his little tableau of animals, further along there are statics, which are variously inhabited during the year, the two sides of our economy split living side by side. Millions spent on upgrading farm buildings and yet poorish people cannot afford a roof over their head.
Last night was the Parish meeting in the church, dear Jo held my hand in case it got difficult without Paul. The male Joe handled the meeting superlatively, he needed something to get his teeth into after early retirement.
We did the usual round of speeding traffic but no sign of the police stopping people yet. The footpath which the council won't let us build, you need proper contractors, which shoots the price up to somewhere around £10,000. Then the defibrillator, nearly every village round here has one but they are not cheap and need volunteers to be on hand.
Then the interesting bit, (40 odd people made it a good turn out) the proposed wedding venue at the farm over the bridge, and also by the way situated on a terrible zig-zag bend. The farmer and his wife, who did most of the talking had a fairly easy time, though C had come well armed with facts and figures.
The first thing to note is the farmer's 'plight'. There are poor upland farms raising sheep on scrub land but there are also very rich farmers taking advantage of everything on offer, whether from the EU or government. These farmers live on land that is exorbitant to buy and do well.
The farm had been brought by someone who lived down the road at Great Edstone, she had run holiday cottages from the farm there, now with four sons and a daughter, at other farms, they had decided the derelict buildings at this farm should be turned into various things, such as two cottages, bedrooms and the various barns transformed into places for entertainment for weddings.
Well big ideas but will it work, I suspect we are in for a downturn so any speculation needs a brave heart.
C who lives on the other side of the bridge, fears the noise but had reassurances that no fireworks or those dreadful lanterns would be let off. C did point out something rather important about our village was the silence, except for a few cars and the worry we would all be about drunken revelry at night. Also the sewerage problem was underlined, what would they do? well apparently tank it and then removed from site. As anyone knows getting planning to alter housing in this country takes time and patience and I feel the whole plan could get stumped by the farm's awkward access to the road.
Which brings to this thought, capital (as in money) is now seen as being wrapped up in owning a house or two and this will keep you in old age. But what if we experience a collapse in the economy? On the other side of this farm and river Nelson lives in his caravan with his little tableau of animals, further along there are statics, which are variously inhabited during the year, the two sides of our economy split living side by side. Millions spent on upgrading farm buildings and yet poorish people cannot afford a roof over their head.
Things are as they have always been it seems Thelma - no justice when it comes to village life. Somebody is always trying to stir the still water.
ReplyDeleteMay I also point out just how much pleasure Jam and Jerusalem gives me every time I switch on your post. (Hope I have the variety right).
Today’s local farmers have to find other ways to use their land in order to stay solvent. They often make more money on their other business ventures than in selling what they grow and raise. There are two barns in my county that are rented out for weddings and other social affairs. It not only profitable for the farmer but also for other local vendors.
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