Author Archives: andyeyeam

New Bench for Old Man’s Corner

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The Bench Arrives on the back of the PWS truck

It is said that in years gone by, Guiseley folk would stop and sit in the triangular area defined by the dry stone walls situated just in front of the entrance half way along the top bridleway adjacent to Parkinson’s Park. The tale goes that these were often elderly gentlemen who having climbed the bank would contemplate the view and no doubt put the world to rights with a wisdom exclusive to their generation. As such, you might sometimes hear people speak of this area as “Old Man’s Corner”. These were the days when the Park was proudly maintained by the Parkinson brothers to provide a place of rest and recreation for the employees of their factory and for the people of Guiseley. The walls were maintained as were the benches and other facilities available to Park users. Continue reading →

Membership Form Number one – the First of Many

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Beth Cheetham Signs a FOPP Membership Form

Friend of Parkinsons Park, Beth Cheetham, becomes the first person to complete an “official” membership form and as such will be added to the official register of  Friends. Beth wants the park to become a haven for wild life and she would also like it to be a nice place to sit and enjoy the sun in the Summer.

Registration forms will be available to complete at our meeting in the Methodist Church at 7pm on the 21st February. You can also download one here and complete in advance as that might be easier.

Gates and Sunrise

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Hello

Mark and Jamie from Pudsey Landscapes

On walking out of the Park along the the Kelcliffe bridleway I happened upon Mark and Jamie from Pudsey Landscapes digging out the farm gate entrance in readiness for creating a generally more welcoming experience. When I approached they were hard at work but paused monetarily to chat and update me with where they had got to. They are expecting to have the gates in over the next week or so.

Steps at Hillside End of Bridleway

As well as good progress on the Farm Gate we commented on the steps going up at the Hill Side end of the Bridleway. I am sure many of you will recall the experience previously associated with this particular entrance. Requiring a physical dexterity usually associated with an Olympic gymnast coupled with  a generous element of good fortune one was always rather relieved to get through unscathed. We now have the foundations laid for a pleasant and gentle descent down well laid out wooden steps. Nice!

Sunrise looking Eastward from Little Kelcliffe

The weekend has brought the clearest and crispest of winter days with a frosty bone hard terrain and clear blue skies. In turn these have brought the most beautiful of sunsets and sunrises. Here is a sunrise snapped yesterday morning from Little Kelciffe looking East towards Guiseley.

Walking the dog beats going to the Gym

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Dear Reader

Honey the dog never tires of a walk in the park

Did you know that in a recent survey sponsored by leading pet experts Bob Martin, it was discovered that the average dog walker spends more time excercising than the average gym user! If you sum up all the walks in a week you can get between 6 and 8 hours of walking as compared to 1.5 weekly hours of exercise for the average non-dog owning gym user.

As an owner of two energetic dogs this made very pleasant reading although it did make me wonder what they meant by the “average dog walker”. Read on… Continue reading →

Day 3 – Cold and Wet

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Hillside Avenue Entrance - cut back and opened up

Today I wondered along to the Park with a hope of seeing some of the Pudsey Landscapes Operatives in action but my timing was off and there was little sign of them (it was midday!). It was also very cold and very wet with a distinct feel of winter in the air. What was very pleasing to see was that early attention had  been given to making the entrances more accessible and the paths widened. It is very early days and there is so much more to be done but  already there are  small improvements that make walking in the Park a more pleasant experience than it was before. Well done Pudsey Landscapes and keep up the good work.

Guiseley Parkinsons Park – Re-Generation work has Started !

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To all the Friends of Parkinsons Park and people of Guiseley

Park Re-Generation Work Starts Today

After many meetings and discussions it is with great pleasure that we are able to say that re-generation work on the Park started today. Paul O’Brian and Andrew Wilson from Pudsey Landscapes were on hand to meet some of the Friends: Barbera Winfield, Chris Parapia, David Myers, Josie Brooks and Andy Cheetham. Over the coming weeks the Friends will be meeting with Pudsey Landscapes on a daily basis to provide support and guidance as the work commences. Continue reading →

Discussions with Bellway and other stakeholders

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As of October 2011, discussion are underway with Bellway about the upkeep of the park.  These have been greatly aided by our local MP,  Stuart Andrew, and councillor Graham Latty.  Interest has also been shown in regenerating the park by Wharfedale and Airedale Review Development (WARD),  Aireborough Civic Society (ACS), and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Continue reading →