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Season's Greetings from Bishopthorpe

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I can't take the credit for this piece I'm afraid - Linda (you know, Local History Linda) has been dealing with some technical 'challenges' over the last few days so I'm posting this on her behalf...

 

Strolling through Bishopthorpe is hard going on the slippery footpaths but, with perseverance and camera in hand, the winter sun brings its own rewards.

1. Gatehouse-this-one.jpg

Archbishop Drummond's gateway stands resplendent on a crisp December day.

 

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Midnight Mass has been celebrated in this church since it was built and consecrated in 1899.

 

Church-Lane-Shadows.jpg

Eerie winter shadows stretch across the snow towards the Archbishop's walled garden.

 

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In Church Lane - kind thoughts for others at Christmas.

 

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Ivy creeping over an old wall in Acaster Lane.

Season's Greeting to you all, and best wishes for 2010

 

Myrtle's party

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Despite the dire weather forecast the residents of Myrtle Avenue held their now traditional street party on Sunday 26th, organised by Liz (number 15) and Wendy (number 27).

It was such a success that they've put together their own web site to show how much fun they all had.

There's a permanent link to the Myrtle site on the Links page, but you can have a look at it by clicking here www.myrtleavenue.co.uk

Thanks to Richard for putting this together.

Chin up - it's all for the best!

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10-Feb-09-Temp-signal-Marci.jpg
Temporary traffic lights in Main Street.

10-Feb-09-Machine-best.jpgYorkshire Watermen at work.

10-Feb-09-View-Main-St.jpgMain Street obstacle course.

Main Street has been looking less than picturesque of late, but we're assured that it's all in a good cause.  Since before Christmas, Yorkshire Water has been upgrading the water mains throughout the village in order to improve the quality of our water.

It's frustrating to find the streets turned into obstacle courses - and to spend a day without water on tap - but consider what it must have been like when it had to be pumped up from wells and carried back home in buckets.  This didn't, of course, apply to the Palace household because water was pumped into the building directly from the murky depths of the Ouse.  That continued until 1863 when the scientifically-minded Archbishop Thomson arrived.  He installed a water tower and pump house in Acaster Lane which made use of a well.

As for the rest of Bishopthorpe's residents, they had to wait a while longer.  In 1880, the vicar, with his colleagues of the vestry, tried to interest the York New Water Works Company in laying a mains water supply.  Unfortunately, a guaranteed rental of £80 per annum was demanded and the idea was quickly dropped.  The village had to wait until 1898 before a mains supply was ordered through the District Council - and by this time, most of the local wells had been condemned as unsafe.   

Frustrated?  Let's hear it for the 'good old days'!

Met Office v Shepherd - Score draw

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Warnings of snow given out at the weekend by the Met Office and the trusty shepherd's red sky were both correct - who'd have thought it!  Overnight, the village was covered in the white stuff, creating many pretty scenes.  Although the sun made several appearances, there was no thaw - and there's even more snow forecast. 

Did you have trouble getting into work - or getting the kids to school, (perhaps they didn't get to school)?  There must be plenty of small children who've never seen snow before - what was their reaction?  Let us know your stories in the comment section.

Looking towards Main Street from Chantry Lane.

Chantry-Lane-in-snow 2 Feb 09.jpg
On the river with some hungry ducks - the snow-clad Palace in the background.

Palace-with-ducks-again THIS ONE.jpgSt. Andrew's Church

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Red sky in the morning......

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Looking south-east over Bishopthorpe Tennis Courts.

At 7.40 this morning, I drew back the curtains to find the world bathed in a stunning glow.  A flock of birds took off; silhouetted against the sky.  I grabbed my camera to snap a few pictures before the scene changed, quite quickly, into something less than dramatic. 

The Met Office has been forecasting the return of colder weather and alerting us to a high risk of snow in the next few days.  However, it looks as though our ancestors' methods of predicting the weather may hold a degree of accuracy.  Will the morning's display prove the shepherd's warning?  We'll just have to wait and see!

On a winter's day ......

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Saltire-CRopped-again-2-Dec.jpg

The St. Andrew's flag flutters gently in the breeze celebrating the church's patron saint.  In parts of England the festival, on 30th November, was also one of the traditional days when schoolchildren indulged in locking their teachers out of school.  It's not very likely that this happened in Bishopthorpe.  During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the pupils were expected to attend a special morning service in the church on St. Andrew's Day.

 

The saltire also seems to have heralded winter's arrival. On Tuesday morning (2 December) we woke to find the village had a layer of snow; the sun's gradual ascent providing a positive glow.  As I walked into the churchyard, having decided to take a photograph or two, I was alarmed to find the head and shoulders of a man emerge from a grave.  Thankfully, I soon established he was from the land of the living and that a new plot was being prepared.

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