Category Archives: Facilities

A Park With Three Benches !

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The bench arrives down Clapper Brow - left to right, Steve, Martyn, Paul and Andy

The bench arrives down Clapper Brow – left to right, Steve, Martyn, Paul and Andy

A recent comment on a Guiseley related Facebook page bemoaned the lack of green space in Guiseley, and the paltry nature of the ‘one bench’ that was in Parkinson’s Park.  Well,  the Park now has three benches (and one tree log): the latest addition was installed by our local crack ‘men who can’ team at the end of July

The bench is partly made from the sycamore trees that used to stand near the cafe on Ilkley Moor.  It was made by Paul Whittaker, Continue reading →

White Cross Vets Fund New Hillside Bin by Chris Parapia

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White Cross Vetinary Nurse, Amanda Hatfield withe the Hillside Bin

Saturday 2nd March;  what a beautiful sunny spring morning,  and what better time to celebrate the “official” bin naming ceremony at the end of Hillside Avenue.  After many months of negotiation and perseverance the new bin has finally made it into position.

Many thanks to Tim Harrison and staff at White Cross Vets Practice for sponsoring the cost of the bin,  and to committee members Josie Brooks, Nicola Denson and Chris Parapia for their persistance.  Thanks also to Councillor Latty and Martin Beaumont from Leeds City Council for ensuring that the bin was supplied.

Thanks also to White Cross Vets for supplying us with some “doggie” bags which we gave out to passing dog walkers with very positive comments.

On The Walkers Map

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Marked on the map grapevine.

Marked on the map grapevine.

During a walk in the Park at lunchtime,  I came across a dozen or so walkers sitting on the new Park benches and eating their lunch.  They were apparently from Bradford’s University of the Third Age, on a hike around Guiseley and Menston.

Starting at the station,  they were walking across the Park,  and up to Fairy Dell, then down to Menston, around High Royds, and back to Harry’s (Wetherby Whaler) for a welcome Fish and Chip tea.

They were very pleased with the benches as a place to have a picnic, and have now officially marked them on walker’s grapevine map, as a great place for lunch on a walk.

So, as they say in the Marketing world,  I think we can expect more footfall in the Park in the future.   Which is great news, as the more it is used as a community asset, Continue reading →

Barbara’s Bench

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Barbara Winfield and Andy Cheetham, testing the new bench

Barbara Winfield and Andy Cheetham, testing the new bench

Anyone going to the Park for a brisk winter walk, will notice a new addition to the landscape – Barbara’s Bench; or to be precise, the bench Barbara and brother, Alan Winfield, have donated to the Park in honour of their parents Norman and Marjorie Winfield (nee Rhodes).

Sited on a favourite old spot, where workers ate their sandwiches in summer, and courting couples lingered in spring, Barbara’s Bench was expertly installed by Jamie Scott, of S Thorpe, Groundwork Ltd, who were contracted by Bellway Homes.   And, for those of a dubious disposition,  yes it is level, and we have a photo of the proof.  The concrete slabs are the original ones from the days of the old bench installed by John Moore and his team. Continue reading →

Wildflower Summer – by Chris Parapia

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Wildflower Meadow in the Olympic Park, London

Were you caught up in Olympic fever like much of the nation?

I was one of the very fortunate people to have had the privilege of going to the Olympic stadium at the beginning of August. Whilst everyone else was hurrying along to get inside the stadium, I was engrossed in the amazing display of wildflowers that has been planted in the Olympic Park. The colours of the flowers reflected the main colours of the games, namely purples and pinks.

You may not be aware that now that the games have finished Continue reading →

Hotel Bug – the madness continues unabated

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Hotel Bug – clearly visible above the cut hawthorn

In an audacious move characterised by a typical disregard for local opinion, another construction has appeared in Parkinson’s Park with little discussion, consultation or general consideration for community views. Lying but a few meters from Hotel Scarabee a similar hotel named “Hotel Bug” has appeared almost overnight. It is predicted that this latest building will attract a variety of insects which will in turn give rise to other inhabitants such as birds and bats. The already overstretched infrastructure of nearby trees and shrubs will be subjected to further demands as winged insects and other creatures look for food and recreation. A local resident speaking on behalf of the neighbourhood said “I remember when this was full of litter, glass and barbed wire. We knew where we were in those days. This is just pure madness”. The new hotel opened with live bands rocking the night until the early hours. Mc Fly headlined with  a medley of tracks from the Bee Gees and the Beetles. As the dust gradually settles on this new development residents wait and watch to see what comes next. There have been rumours of small boxes going up designed specifically to attract bird and bats. All we know is that the development machine moves on and no one is safe!

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 →

Hotel Le Scarabee

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Steve Magson and Darren Shepherd brandishing their tools as the floors rise up

Hotel Le Scarabee opened for business last weekend – Guiseley’s newest lifestyle residency.   Look out for upcoming reviews on Tripadviser.

Rain delayed construction by a week,  but all was bright and sunny on Saturday 14th July, as the last wood shaving was laid.  Designed by local lad, Rob Turner, and project managed by Andy Cheetham, the construction had expert input from Darren Shepherd, and was lovingly crafted by Sue Jackson, Steve Magson, Caroline Herries.

The hotel stands in its own historic, wooded grounds, surrounded by traditional Yorkshire hawthorn hedging.  A wide, circular drive leads to the main door of the majestic six storey building which has an alpine design.  Surrounded on all sides with a compost course made from rosebay willow herb, and with ample supplies of bramble patches for the most discerning of guests, there is no need to leave Hotel Le Scarabee for any creature comforts. Continue reading →

Solving the Puzzle of the Wall

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Renewed

On the first warm day for months,  Colin Alexander, Crawford Smith and Martyn Smith, of the Otley & Yorkshire Dales branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association set out to complete a complex puzzle. How to rebuild the tumbled wall at the ‘sheepfold’ entrance?

Tumbled Down

“There are many ways it can be done,  it’s finding one that works”, said Martyn.   The gentlemen were particularly hard pressed with this wall,  as not all of the stone was still lying around.   As this is a traditionally built wall, the batter, or slope of the wall, is a key feature.  The A shape of the wall means the stones get smaller as they go up, and this shape is a crucial part of the structural strength – a vertical wall would topple over much more quickly, as the stones settle.

The puzzle was solved by building the wall on a small platform,  and then shaping the top in a U,  “so that you’ve got a dress gallery to watch the sunsets”, quipped Crawford,  “you’ll be able to set up the stalls the other side”.   Continue reading →

Park Entrances – Scouts, Volunteers and Plants Called! by Andy Cheetham and Josie Brooks

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Sheepfold Entrance To Be Enhanced

As part of the overall vision for the Park the Friends want to create welcoming and well managed Park entrances for a more pleasant experience for all uses. Over the past few weeks some of the Friends, along with Maureen Cooper from the 15th Airedale Scouts, have been working on the project to make this happen.

To date, we have sketched out ideas tailored to the position of each of three entrances, Hillside Steps, ‘Sheepfold’ and Oxford Avenue, and on Saturday 19th May work will commence. If you can make it, please do come and join us, as there will be lots of jobs to be carried out. We are teaming up with the 15th Airedale scouts who will be helping us out as part of their “Scout Community Week” and they will be officially renaming the sheepfold entrance: which at the moment goes by a variety of names including churn stand, old man’s corner, and that ‘funny triangular bit’. Continue reading →