Bus Service Update

First Bus is now operating a reduced service on route 11.

From Bishopthorpe, there is a journey at 06-23, then at 07-20 and thereafter every 70 minutes to 19-00. Evening journeys are at 19-56, 20-35, 21-35 and 22-35.

The Saturday timetable starts at 07-20 and operates every 70 minutes until 19-00, and thereafter as weekdays.

Sunday Service 11S
First York’s website says this is operated by EYMS, which if correct is a new development. The EYMS site doesn’t seem to mention it.

A Saturday timetable will operate on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Sunday timetable (if it exists) should apply on Easter Sunday and Monday.

York Pullman is operating only three journeys daily (Mon. – Sat.) timed at 08-35, 12-30 and 15-55 to York and at 11-34, 14-59 and 18-34 to Colton.

The current timetable is operating to ensure key workers, including health service and emergency workers, can get to and from their places of work and those without a car can still collect medical prescriptions or do their essential shopping.

The company is aware of the importance of maintaining services, but if further changes are necessary the details will be found on the First Bus Corona Virus web page.

The revised No 11 Timetables can be viewed and downloaded via these links:

Weekdays from 30th March 2020

Saturday from 4th April 2020

Passengers are asked to pay with cards rather than cash where possible, and to observe government advice regarding hand cleansing, use of handkerchiefs, etc.

Bishopthorpe Covid-19 Village Help Page

Local Services

 

Business Details
Ainsty Ales Home delivery & Drive through
Beadlam Grange Farm Shop Call (ext 3) to arrange delivery
Bish ‘n’ Chips Free delivery Tue-Sat if self-isolating
Burnholme Fisheries Delivery of fresh and frozen fish
Co-operative 7am to 10pm every day
Early Bird Milkman Milk and more
Fruitique Call 07801826279
Millies Grocery deliveries
Old Sun Inn Shop and takeaway
Pig And Pastry Call on 675115 if you are isolated and need supper
Scott Lock Emergency locksmith service
Tesco Priority access 9-10am, Mon,Wed,Fri
Treeboom Brewery Delivery and sales
Woodman Deliver soup on Wednesdays, but not open otherwise

Please pass on the details of all the shops in the above link who deliver to elderly neighbours who may not have the internet.
Remember to keep your distance when doing so.

For up-to-date details, please call in on
https://bishopthorpecorona.org/

Coronavirus Concerns

Lots of information and advice is available through the official channels, and there’s a whole load of correspondence and comments on the Bishopthorpe Community Facebook page.

However, we’re aware that not everyone uses Facebook so if you’re not on Facebook and there are items of local importance you think the community should be aware of, comments you’d like to make, or information you’d like to impart, please feel free to add your comments to this page.

 

 

 

 

Chart of shops offering special opening hours for special people.

No photo description available.

Bishopthorpe Community Archive – down but not out!

Regretfully, the Bishopthorpe Community Archive which is housed at Bishopthorpe Village Hall, will be closed until further notice, owing to the COVID-19 crisis.  In the meantime, if there are any Bishopthorpe history-related queries you are burning to have answered, please email us at historygroup@bishopthorpe.net

Just to cheer you up in this gloomy lock-down period here, from the Archive, is a reminder of a more convivial time when people were able to to gather together to enjoy themselves.  The following colourful images are of the festivities which took place in the village in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Bishopthorpe celebrates the Queen’s Golden Jubilee with a street party in 2002. [Photo: KL]
Bishopthorpe pensioners were treated to tea in the middle of Main Street. [Photo: L. Thornton]

 

 

 

 

 

Two of the many workers behind the scene: Margaret Storey and Muriel Wood. [Photo: L. Thornton]
The children also enjoyed a feast in the middle of Main Street. [Photo: L. Thornton]
 

The Fashion Show, held at The Marcia, was a big hit at the Golden Jubilee celebration. [Photo: KL]
The tug-of-war held on the Cricket Field. [Photo: J. Harris]
Archbishop Hope generously opened the Palace for the festivities. Here he relaxes in the 1950’s room which Bishopthorpe Local History Group created in the Great Hall. [Photo: H. Fountain]

Envir Agency Mtg Postponed

Please note that it is now impossible for the Environment Agency to attend the parish council meeting next week.
The two EA officers have been invited to the meeting on 24 March instead.

The next Parish Council meeting is on Tuesday 25 February, 19.00 in the village hall.
Kathy Stevenson, the Flood Risk Officer, and project manager Andrew Houston from the Environment Agency are planning to come along to provide us with a brief update on the Bishopthorpe flood relief scheme, and in particular to discuss opportunities for tree planting in the Bishopthorpe area.

They said that they very much hope for as little impact as possible for Bishopthorpe over the next few days but they are sure the community will work together whatever Storm Dennis has in store.
Please note that the latest river level and 36 hr forecast can be viewed on

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/8208

and will be also be available to you via Floodline. This forecast is subject to change significantly over the weekend as the impacts of Dennis and snow melt from the upper catchments are realised. Read more Envir Agency Mtg Postponed

Advice on Coronavirus from the Director of Public Health

The Director of Public Health for City of York has asked me to send the following message:
This is an update on the coronavirus situation in York as at 14:00 on Sunday 02 February. Please feel free to share this with your constituents who might find it helpful.
The key message is that there have not been any further cases. The risk from coronavirus to individuals living and working in York continues to be low and the City is a safe place to visit. We are operating business as usual.
The situation is being closely monitored and advice may change. The lead agency is Public Health England (PHE). City of York Council (CYC) is being advised by PHE and will respond accordingly. For the latest national updates please go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
The CYC communications team are working closely with the PHE communications team and are doing an excellent job in sharing PHE updates with our partners across the City including schools, universities and Make it York.
We are responding directly to any queries that come through to us through our established channels and signposting people to specialist information from PHE as appropriate. Information is available on the CYC website with links to useful advice and updates are also now being shared via twitter. I have done an interview with Radio York this morning and will be doing further interviews with local media over the coming days as further updates become available. PHE will be launching a national health promotion campaign shortly that will be aimed at the general public and we will, of course, be supporting this locally as well.
Since the 2 cases were confirmed in York last Friday I have been having daily conversations with PHE and with the Vale of York CCG representing York Hospital and GP practices. Our local NHS services are well prepared and are ready to respond as needed.
Similarly I am having regular internal meetings in CYC with key officers and council services are well prepared to respond if needed.
I have been impressed by how quickly PHE has stepped in to support the University of York and Staycity Aparthotel. As an outcome of the work that PHE has been doing to identify close contacts of these persons it has been confirmed that there are no close contacts at the University and any close contacts at the hotel have been identified and contacted by PHE. Therefore I can reassure you that the risk to students and to the general public in York from coronavirus is low. The University of York has a dedicated web page here www.york.ac.uk/alert
Close contacts are defined as individuals who have been within 2 metres of an infected person for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Current intelligence suggests that the coronavirus is behaving in a similar way to seasonal flu which we are all used to dealing with every winter. For the majority of people flu is an unpleasant infection which can take a week or so to recover from but it doesn’t cause any long lasting harm. The elderly and people with existing long term health conditions such as heart disease and chronic lung disease appear to be most at risk. The World Health Organisation and PHE are monitoring the situation in China and as more intelligence is gathered it will improve our understanding of the infection and how to prevent its spread.
There are basic steps that people can take to protect themselves from infection:
  • Wash your hands with soap and warm water regularly and always before eating. If soap and water is not available use alcohol based hand gel which can be bought in most supermarkets and community pharmacies
  • There is no clear evidence that wearing a face mask provides any protection so this is not recommended.
  • Catching coughs and sneezes is vitally important. People should use a paper issue, not their hands, make sure that their nose and mouth are completely covered so that no spray escapes and dispose of the tissue as soon as possible afterwards e.g. by flushing down the toilet. If no tissue is immediately available the advice is to sneeze into the inside of your elbow.
As things stand currently it is not necessary to introduce widespread infection control measures in York schools or other public buildings, including council buildings. I will be closely monitoring the situation and will take specialist advice from PHE as to whether this might be helpful if we should have an increase in the number of cases testing positive for the coronavirus.
The advice to individuals remains unchanged. If anyone has symptoms of the virus – feeling feverish, cough, shortness of breath and they are worried they may been in contact with someone who has the coronavirus – they should not visit A&E or their GP surgery since this may spread infection. Instead ask people to contact NHS 111 for further advice.

Guitar for fun

Have a guitar lying around somewhere that’s feeling neglected?

Wish you used it a bit more?

Or maybe you’ve learnt a few simple chords but would like to be able to play a couple of songs right through?

Then you might be interested in the new guitar for fun group that we’re setting up. The idea is that it’s not formal tuition, so there are no lessons and we won’t be trying to teach scales, theory, modes and the like; instead it’s simply people getting together to play some well known songs from a songbook that will cover a range of styles. We aim to cover music of artists from the 50s right through to the present day (as long as it’s not too challenging!).

Playing with others is a great way to build on your skills and gain confidence in your playing, and you’ll likely find you learn new skills and techniques just by being with a group of players.

We’re all of very mixed abilities so as long as you know which way up to hold your guitar and maybe a couple of basic chords then you won’t feel out of depth.

We meet twice a month in Vernon House. Our first meeting will be Friday 7th February, and then again on the 21st. The regular pattern will then be for sessions on the first and third Friday of each month.

Come along .. we may even have a spare guitar or two ….

When: First and third Friday of the month
Where: Vernon House
Time: 13:00 to 15:00

If you want to contact us please e-mail:
guitargroup@bishopthorpe.net

Orchard Project – December Newsletter

This National Lottery funded project aimed to highlight Bishopthorpe’s orchard heritage and create a new community orchard for the village on the edge of the sports field on Ferry Lane. The project was run by volunteers on behalf of Bishopthorpe Parish Council.

The funding for this project came to an end in October, and it was a fitting time to get the fruit trees planted in the new community orchard. 11 Scouts, and other helpers, planted out the trees on a lovely sunny afternoon. The orchard has been carefully cared for over the summer to get wildflowers established and weeds reduced. We hope the trees will thrive in their new home, and wildflowers will bloom next summer! Five more ‘bare root’ trees will be planted this winter. The list of varieties are: Apples: Belle de Boskoop, Lord Lambourne, Worcester Permain, Peasgood Nonsuch, Ribston Pippin, Flower of the Town, Ellison’s Orange, James Grieve, Discovery. Pears: Concorde, Beurre Hardy. Plums/gages: Victoria, Early Rivers, Gage Reine Claude de Bavay.

The project’s book, ‘Bishopthorpe in Blossom,’ is now on sale at Bishopthorpe library, Brunswick Organic Nursery and the Bishopthorpe archive in the village hall. It will also be available on loan from the library. The book includes photographs, interviews with local residents, information about local fruit varieties, and the fascinating history of the Archbishop’s walled kitchen garden.

We have been very lucky to have the assistance of experts from the Northern Fruit Group. In September, expert Anne Lee, visited the walled garden again and identified the varieties of the 8 veteran pear trees that still remain. They were once espaliers, trained against the warm south facing wall, and they are now tall trees: their blossom can be seen peeking over the top of the walls in spring. They include Souvenir du Congres, Calabas Bosc, Beurre d’Amanlis, Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Pitmaston Duchess. They still bear fruit, which would once have been considered a delicacy, grown for the Archbishop’s table.

Many kind people gave their labour and expert advice for free throughout the project. As a result, we had an underspend which we were able to add to our equipment budget. All of the project money was spent, and we purchased:

Apple juicing equipment, including an apple press for use at the Apple Pressing day. A smaller apple press for small scale events. Professional tools for fruit tree pruning, including a telescopic pruning saw/secateurs, loppers, and fruit picker. A wooden sign and interpretation panel for the community orchard. Metal tree tags for recording the variety of fruit. Magnifying glasses and ‘bug hunting’ jars for playgroup’s Forest Schools. Reference books about orchards and fruit varieties.

The books and the project reports will be kept in the reference section of the village library. The intention is for the smaller press and the tools to be made available on loan.

Thank you to everyone who helped with the project, whether it was sharing memories, giving time and expertise, allowing access to fruit trees and gardens, or participating in the community orchard and training events. You all made this project possible.

There will be a dedicated page on the Bishopthorpe Community website where we will provide information about the community orchard as it develops, and you can read the final newsletter here.

The project can still be contacted at bishorchard@yahoo.com.

http://www.bishopthorpe.net/bishnet/community-orchard/

With thanks from the Bishopthorpe Orchard Project Team

Orchard Project – October Newsletter

This is a Heritage Lottery funded project which aims to highlight Bishopthorpe’s orchard heritage and create a new community orchard for the village. The project runs from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019 and the grant award is £8,900. The project is being run by volunteers on behalf of the Parish Council.

This month the project is reaching its major milestones. The booklet “Bishopthorpe in Blossom” should be ready in time for the Apple Pressing day on 13 October. After that it will be available from the library, both on loan and for sale. Hours of research have revealed fascinating aspects of the history of fruit growing and market gardening in Bishopthorpe and the Archbishop’s walled garden, which has been brought together for the first time. For example, school log books from the 1800s record children regularly missing from school in summer to ‘pull fruit’ in the grounds and gardens around the village.

The community orchard site has been carefully tended over the summer to keep on top of the weeds and establish grasses and wildflowers. This month it will be planted up with fruit trees by the Bishopthorpe Scouts. Initially there will be 8 apples and 2 pears, with more to be added this winter, including plums and a gage.

We will be taking further samples of apples and pears to RHS Harlow Carr Apple Day for identification. There are a few varieties in Bishopthorpe which are very old, including the Hessle Pear, Balsam apple and Keswick Codlin apple. The Northern Fruit Group is interested in grafting some of these heritage varieties.

The funded part of the project finishes at the end of the month, but the project will continue with the help of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who has made the project a success! There will be a dedicated page on the Bishopthorpe Community website where we will provide information about the community orchard. We hope that you will enjoy the community orchard as it develops.

Orchard Project – September Newsletter

This is a Heritage Lottery funded project which aims to highlight Bishopthorpe’s orchard heritage and create a new community orchard for the village. The project runs from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019 and the grant award is £8,900. The project is being run by volunteers on behalf of the Parish Council.

Last month the project made a major purchase – an apple press for use at the annual village apple pressing event. Taking advice from the Otley Chevin orchard project, and looking at the presses they use, we decided on a traditional ‘rack and cloth screw press’. This is a large press which will be an attractive focal point for apple pressing and will enable the parish council to organise more than one event. We have also acquired a ‘scratter’ which grates the apples before they go into the press. Other purchases include a range of professional tools for pruning fruit trees, which can be loaned out to help with the management of old fruit trees in the village.

Work on the booklet ‘Bishopthorpe in Blossom’ has been completed and it goes to print this month. So much fascinating information has been uncovered about Bishopthorpe’s orchard heritage and we have had some lovely interviews with local residents and farmers. An amazing photograph has been discovered in the village archives showing the Bishopthorpe Palace walled garden, taken in 1949 from the top of St Andrews church tower. It shows the garden fully intact, with glasshouses and garden which extended well outside the current walls. Look out for this in the booklet, which will be available from the library in October!

We hope to take samples of apples to RHS Harlow Carr Apple Day in October for identification. If you have an old apple tree and are interested to know what variety it is, please get in touch and we may be able to include it.

The funded part of the project draws to a close next month with the planting of the trees in the community orchard. We would like to thank the many people who have helped make the project a success, in particular Linda Haywood (village archivist), Brunswick Organic Nursery, 1st Bishopthorpe Scouts, Bishopthorpe Playgroup, Ainsty Lawncare and Landscapes, Natural England, and the many local residents who have turned out to help at the community orchard site.

To contact the project please email bishorchard@yahoo.com or phone 07563 798408.

Orchard Project – July Newsletter

This is a Heritage Lottery funded project which aims to highlight Bishopthorpe’s orchard heritage and create a new community orchard for the village. The project runs from 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019 and the grant award is £8,900. The project is being run by volunteers on behalf of the Parish Council.

We are now two-thirds of the way through the live phase of the project and are making great progress. Whilst we wait until autumn to plant the trees in the new orchard, we have been exploring the history of orchards in the village. The old maps reveal that a staggering proportion of ‘old’ Bishopthorpe was cultivated as orchards and market gardens. Comparing the maps from the mid-19th century to the present day shows just how many of these were built on during the 20th century. You may assume that the fruit trees were bull-dozed, but the reality might be far less severe. In several places we think that the builders left many of the original fruit trees untouched and many are still growing in gardens! Pear trees in particular, can live well over 100 years! If you live on Sim Balk Lane, Church Lane, Main Street, Copmanthorpe Lane, The Coppice or any of the adjoining streets, and have an old-looking fruit tree in your garden, then please get in touch with the project – your tree might be a remnant of an old orchard thought to be lost!

One area which we would love to know more about is the area previously known as ‘Moor Close’ on Copmanthorpe Lane, where The Coppice is today. A house called ‘Prospect House’ on the old maps was built there in the 1800s and the land was cultivated for many years as a market garden with fruit trees. Does anyone remember this part of the village before The Coppice housing estate was built on it in the 1960s?? It would be really interesting to know whether any fruit trees still existed at that time, or even remain in peoples’ gardens.

We would also love more information about the Archbishop’s walled garden on Bishopthorpe Road on the edge of the village. This spring we were fortunate to be allowed to visit, accompanied by gardeners from Brunswick Organic Nursery who keep it well tended. In its heyday the walled garden was the pride and joy of several Archbishops, supplying their households with abundant produce. It dates from about 1767 and has a long history of fruit growing; the old walls are pockmarked with nails from training espaliers. Several very old pear and plum trees are still present (from the outside you can see their blossom sticking up over the walls) and the tradition of fruit growing is in good hands, with over 50 fruit trees still present. Our research has revealed an account of a visit in 1827 by a German Prince. Archbishop Vernon Harcourt personally escorted him around the walled garden and the prince wrote a vivid account describing its magnificence, including mention of pineapples and grenadillas growing in the hot houses! There used to be some very grand glass houses on the south facing wall and an avenue of plum trees in what is now the farmer’s field. These should have been clearly visible from Church Lane. Although we know that they were in decline by the 1940’s, we have no idea when the glass houses were demolished. Does anyone have any information? Or even better a photo (no harm in asking!!).

Finally, of all the memories and stories that residents have shared with us, we are surprised that no one has owned up to scrumping from any of the local orchards!! We would love to hear these kinds of stories from your childhood. Please get in touch with any little detail for any of the above. Local history is the compilation of little details!

If any of the information above has piqued your interest, we are writing a booklet to describe the orchard heritage of Bishopthorpe. Keep an eye open for it in October!

To contact the project please email bishorchard@yahoo.com or phone 07563 798408.

A Mountfield petrol mower was left near the orchard site in April. If this was donated to the project, then thank you to whoever left it. If not, then please get in touch as we are keeping it safe!

What time is the bus to York?

The most recent (January 2020) changes to the timings of the No. 11 bus make journey planning complicated.
Instead of set times each hour, there are now variations all day.

So what was the 27 minutes past the hour service from Acaster Lane now leaves at 9:30, 10:31, 11:32, 12:34, 13:32, 14:33, 15:42, 16:43, 17:20, 18:22, 19:26, 20:35, 21:35, and 22:35

And the old 57 past service leaves at 9:58, 10:59, 12:03, 13:03, 14:03, 15:03, 16:13, 17:20, 17:54, 18:55 and 19:56

The service still runs approximately half hourly, but as the departure times vary through the day you need to check for each journey.

To make life more complicated, no printed timetables are available. Times are published on 1st York’s website and app, and can be downloaded through the following link:

Service 11 Monday to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11S

If you don’t have the facility to download, the helpful City of York Council staff at its tourist information facilities (e.g. in York Station) will download a copy for you.

 

Bus Service Changes

New Timetables

First York have introduced new timetables for the 11 and 11S services effective from December 2019. The service 11 changes seem to be mostly adjustments to time allowances for the journey between The Stonebow and York Station, to take account of traffic conditions and crew changes. Timings from Stonebow are largely unchanged, but Station departure times vary by a few minutes with times at other stops to Bishopthorpe also adjusted to match. This results in the timings of services at the terminus on Acaster Lane being harder to memorise, as they’re no longer a regular ‘x minutes past and y minutes to the hour’. Evening services have been adjusted so the first bus to do the South Bank loop on the way to York is now not until 19:26.

The timetables can viewed using these links:

Service 11 Monday to Friday
Service 11 Saturday

The Sunday service has been renamed from 500 to 11S, to make it more obvious to users of the number 11 that it’s the Sunday version of that service and travels between York and Bishopthorpe.

The timetable can be viewed here:

11S Sunday

Christmas changes

As usual, the No. 11 service changes during the Christmas holiday period.

  • There will be no buses on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
  • Services will cease early evening on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
  • On other weekdays and on Saturdays during the holiday period the Saturday
    timetable will operate.
  • Park and Ride services will operate on Boxing Day.

The 21 service (Colton -York via Bishopthorpe) does not operate on Sundays or Bank
Holidays.