Otley Town Council

Otley
Matters
Otley Town Council, Civic Centre, Cross Green, Otley LS21 1HD. Tel: 01943 466335 Fax: 468658
E-mail: community@otleytowncouncil.gov.uk NOVEMBER 2009 No 50
WIN A TRIP ON THE
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Step back in time and enjoy a train ride through the heart of
Brontë country on the famous and very popular
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. Most services
are operated by steam trains and the steep gradient
up the Worth Valley from the Keighley terminus has been a challenge for
locomotives ever since the line opened on 15th April 1867.
The sound of a steam engine tackling this climb echoes from the steep sides of the
valley, while great clouds of steam and smoke add drama to the scene. The five mile
journey is a powerful reminder of our industrial heritage, as well as being a unique way
of enjoying the beautiful countryside immortalised by Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë.
The Railway is perhaps most famous for its role in the 1970 film version of Edith Nesbit’s story The Railway Children.
The Railway is justifiably proud that its painstaking attention to detail pays off so handsomely. It is a railway for all seasons, where winter
visitors can see the stations bathed in gaslight and warm themselves in front of the coal fires in the waiting rooms. In summer, the station
gardens are alive with blooms. Kingfishers, herons and dippers can be
Otley Town Council Garden & Allotment
COMPETITION WINNERS 2009
New NOTICE BOARD for Town
The eagle-eyed will have seen the new notice board in the
refurbished Market Place. As part of
the refurbishment of the Market
Place Leeds City Council erected for
the town a useful notice board which
is managed by the Town Council. In
a central location in town it makes
an excellent place for community,
council and tourism information.
Any community group wishing to advertise an event should contact
the Town Clerk’s office with the notice. Notices must not exceed
A4, access will be on a first come first served basis and will have
to take account of statutory Council notices needing space.
seen in the adjacent streams. Locally brewed real ale provides
welcome refreshment in the on-train buffet car.
The Railway is easily accessible by public transport from Otley. From
Otley bus station you can catch either the 962 or X84 service to Ilkley
and then change onto service 762. This service leaves Ilkley bus station
half-hourly and the journey to Keighley takes approximately 40
minutes.
For a chance to win a pair of tickets for the Keighley and Worth Valley
Railway, (there are two prizes available), please complete the entry
slip below and return to Otley Civic Centre before the 4th December
2009 to be entered into the prize draw. You will also win a West
Yorkshire DayRover ticket to get you there. The winners will be drawn
by the town mayor, Cllr Gerard Francis and will be notified by post.
Alternatively you can enter by email.
Please send your details and answer to the competition question to:
community@otleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Please send your entry slip to: Otley Matters (‘KWVR’ Prize Draw),
Otley Civic Centre, Cross Green, Otley, LS21 1HD.
www.otleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Q
QUALITY
TOWN
COUNCIL
WIN A
Railway
Trip
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway - Prize Draw
Question: Who wrote the book ‘The Railway Children’
ANSWER _________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
_________________________________ Post Code: ______________
Telephone : ___________________ Email: _____________________
✄

BEHIND
CLOSED
DOORS
Domestic Abuse Charity forced to CLOSE ITS DOORS
Behind Closed Doors is preparing to enter Exit Strategy on 1st December 2009,
with a view to cease operating on 28th February 2010. This will leave West and
North West Leeds without a comprehensive outreach service and recovery
programme for women.
Despite relentless efforts to secure funds to sustain and further develop service
delivery, the current economic climate appears to be taking its toll.
Government efforts to support Third Sector organisations through financial
hardship have been made available to small charities with a relatively low
income or large charities with a much higher income. Behind Closed Doors is a
medium-sized charity and therefore it falls through the net and cannot access
any of this funding.
Safer Leeds has provided Behind Closed Doors with small amounts of funding
from under spend in the past. Whilst this money has bought the organisation time
to secure additional funds in times of crisis and has therefore been invaluable, it
has never been either a regular or guaranteed source of income. There has never
been a continuous commitment to supporting the service and without this it has
been difficult to ensure sustainability for the organisation.
Behind Closed Doors recognises the need for sustainability of the organisation. As
such, Behind Closed Doors is in the process of establishing a social enterprise,
recycling and distributing furniture for the benefit of the wider community. The
profit from this would be gift aided into the Behind Closed Doors Charity to
support service delivery. This would support BCD to be more independent in that
it would be less reliant on trust and public sector funding. A commitment of even
short term funding would support continuation of the service until the trading
arm has been successfully established.
Behind Closed Doors has provided outreach support to 500 women over the past
year and is concerned about the gap in service provision that will be created by
the loss of its service delivery.
We need your support!
Please contact Louise Tyne or Orlaith Mooney on 0845 673 0008
PO Box 275 LS19 9BN
❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅❅
24 th Otley Victorian Fayre
I take great pleasure in inviting you to the 24th Otley Victorian Fayre which will
be held on Friday the 11th December 2009.
It has been my job, this year, to chair the committee of 8 dedicated people who
work tirelessly to organise an event that has become such an integral part of
Otley’s Christmas celebrations. I would like to officially thank all my fellow
committee members for their commitment and hard work. I am pleased to
report that the recent newspaper articles have been successful and have brought
6 new members into the group.
Last year we were hit by dreadful weather but it did not stop the thousands of
people, young and not so young, who took part in this wonderful event. As in
previous years, during the day, the 2009 Fayre will feature local school children
singing carols at various venues throughout the town. The exact locations can be
found in our programme which will be on sale at a number of outlets in the town.
Many of our shops and businesses will join in with the festivities by dressing
themselves and their windows using a Victorian theme.
This year’s charity will be at the Buttercross throughout the day and evening.
Henshaws is a society for blind people and is based in Harrogate although it
covers the whole of Yorkshire. They run a variety of services offering advice,
support, housing and education to families affected by visual impairment.
The Fayre, which runs from 6 – 9pm will include over 80 stalls offering a variety
of lovely things to buy, win or eat; street entertainment including ,donkey rides,
steam engines, Morris dancers, stilt walkers, a ride on train, traditional fair
ground rides, Santa’s grotto and much more.
Come and join us …. I guarantee you will have a great time !
Steph Lee – Chair Otley Victorian Fayre 2009
Wharfedale Hospital
Missed Appointments
You may recall from
previous articles about
Wharfedale Hospital that
the hospital treats about
11,000 patients every
month. However, a little
published fact related to this is the number of missed
appointments that occur.
These are referred to as DNAs – Did Not Attend. Careful
analysis of these missed appointments is undertaken to try
to ascertain the cause. Obviously it is appreciated that
circumstances arise which prevent a patient from attending
their appointment, however it is very disappointing to note
that many patients do not advise the hospital when this
happens.
• The rate of DNAs at our hospital is about 7% in
outpatient clinics that is approximately 260 patients per
month who fail to attend for their appointment. Just
consider the time associated with the booking of an
appointment, the administration, paperwork and the
nursing and medical staff; there is probably at least 1 1 /2
hours taken up with each appointment. This means over
390 hours of lost clinical time per month. This equates to
10 full time staff.
• Not only this but the appointment slot is then
unavailable for another patient.
• There is also the duplication of all the work associated
with a replacement appointment.
Of more importance to you or me though is that this
resource is denied to other patients who may be desperately
waiting for medical attention.
Sadly there are patients who are “repeat offenders”. These
patients are referred back to their GP’s and in the worst
cases, no further appointments will be made for them until
there has been an explanation of why this keeps happening.
When a notional figure of an average £100 is used to cost
these lost appointments, you can quickly see that in the
case of our hospital, over £312,000 is lost per year from
missed appointments.
Having said this Wharfedale has a better record than other
parts of the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust but it is still a
problem.
DNAs are always going to occur with any service provider &
it is frustrating when professional teams & other patients
are affected. It is important to identify any particular
cause that can be corrected to relieve the problem. In the
case of Wharfedale the average DNAs have been reasonably
stable at about 6% although recently this has started to
push up to over 7%.
Wharfedale Hospital also experiences about 35
cancellations per month on the day of appointment. This is
not seen to be such a major issue as in most cases it is the
patient’s condition or emergencies that give rise to a
cancellation.
The trend of DNAs at our hospital however is increasing.
Looking at average consolidated figures could mask the very
high incidence that occurs in certain clinics. This situation is
monitored carefully so that any remedial work can be done in
these specific areas to help correct the adverse trend.
So if you can’t make a hospital appointment, please
advise the hospital as early as possible to give the
opportunity for another patient to fill the slot. I am sure
none of us wants to be known as a “persistent offender.”
Laurence Wood/Pat Clark

Otley Film Society
Presents a three day celebration of films
MADE IN YORKSHIRE
Otley Film Society has been showing films successfully for the past 10
years, following the closing of Beech Hill Cinema, and keeping alive
the tradition of 'film going' in Otley.
For 2010 we have decided to attempt our first mini-festival to
celebrate films made in Yorkshire – 'In God's Own County' this will
happen from Friday 2nd April until Sunday 4th April 2010, (Easter
weekend). The first Otley Film Festival is to be based at The
Courthouse in Otley.
David Lascelles a BAFT awarding winning Film Director has kindly
agreed to open the Festival at a gala reception on the Friday night and
we are hoping that the journalist and Artistic Director of Bradford
International Film Festival Tony Earnshaw, will be talking about his
new book 'Made in Yorkshire'
The scheduled programme of 6 features includes;
'Private Function', a comedy written by Alan Bennett, about postwar
meat rationing and missing pigs! Filmed in Ilkley, Ben Rhydding,
Bradford, Bolton Abbey, West and North Yorkshire in May 1984, starring
Michael Palin, Maggie Smith and a host of other famous British actors.
'The Damned United', based on Brian Clough's short, but stormy
time with Leeds United, starring Michael Sheen and filmed at Elland
Road.
'Fairytale: A True Story', with Peter O'Toole (who spent 20yrs of
his childhood in Leeds) filmed at Cottingley, Ramsgill, Kilnsey, Keighley
Railway station and North Yorkshire. The famous story of the
Cottingley fairies which caused a sensation in 1917.
OTLEY IN BLOOM
Bought Watering Cans for Businesses
To support the local businesses in Otley, OiB has been donating
watering cans to businesses during the last few months to help them in
their effort to keep Otley in bloom.
Whilst Yorkshire in Bloom judges went around towns in Yorkshire
recently to judge the various gardening efforts in pots and planters at
business and schools, a few members of OiB went around to local
businesses with council planters outside their premises and donated
watering cans. As the group is aware cash is tight for any non-core
business activity at this moment in time, this is only a small gesture
that will hopefully go a long way and help ‘keeping the greens green’
at the front of people’s minds.
OiB are hoping to continue the ongoing partnerships between Leeds
City Council Parks Department and the local businesses ensuring the
town stays as floral as possible.
We can all do our little bit to help giving the hard working plants and shrubs
enough care to continue to do well next year, giving them a longer life.
Below are some tips for autumn:
• Plant seeds and spring bulbs for next year, which is cheaper in both the
short and long term than buying mature plants
• Give wildlife a hand in October and November for example by making
birdfeeders
• Move tender plants and flowers indoors
Visit OiB’s website for more ideas on what to tackle next in your garden
www.otley.co.uk/oib. If you would like to lend a hand once in a while,
call 0845 009 7642 and we’ll let you know when we are out and about.
'A Boy a Girl and a Bike', with Diana Dors. A joyous harking back
to an era when courtesy and politeness went hand-in-hand with true
love filmed in 1948, just three years after the 2nd World War at Elland,
Hebden Bridge, Ilkley, Skipton and Grassington.
'Blow Dry', with Alan Rickman and the late Natasha Richardson,
conceived by Yorkshireman Simon Beaufoy, who wrote 'The Full Monty'
as well as the screenplay for 'Slumdog Millionaire. An hilarious comedy
set in Keithley, about a small Yorkshire town hosting the finals of the
National Hairdressing Championships.
'Like Minds', starring Toni Collette from 'Little Miss Sunshine' and
'Muriel's Wedding' - a thriller filmed at Bradford Grammer School,
Giggleswick School and Haworth.
There will also be historical travelogues of Yorkshire and other archive
films shown during the festival and we are hoping to complement the
films with an exhibition, guest speakers, and amateur 8mm film. We
are also trying to track down episodes, of Heartbeat which were
filmed in the the old Otley Courthouse, and Emmerdale Farm which
were filmed in Otley. Food will be available at the Courthouse
throughout the festival.
Not everyone knows, but cinema was born in Yorkshire, invented by a
Frenchman, Louis Aime Augustin Le Prince, who worked intermittently
in Leeds in a workshop on Woodhouse Lane. Only a few seconds of film
footage on a rudimentary moving picture camera still remain, of a
view of horses, people, trams and traffic on Leeds Bridge, in 1888.
The first film to be shown in Otley took place on 27th March 1897 in
the Mechanics' Institute Hall, (which coincidentally was where Otley
Film Society was launched in 1999) which included not only films
which were met with “elicited loud and outbursts of applause” but a
number of turns including Walter Hindel, a lady impersonator and
humorist and Bentley and Rigg, a comedy duo who later obtained their
own Bioscope, touring the district giving shows. The prices for
admission were 3d and 6d with reserved seats at 1/-.
Book tickets early as this is going to be a sell out! Tickets for Otley Film
Festival will be on sale after Christmas at Otley Courthouse. For further
information contact Otley Film Society at OtleyFilmSociety@fsmail.net,
or see the OFS website at www.otleyfilmsociety.org.uk.
This programme will be sponsored by local business, Yorkshire
Regional Group of the British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS)
Staff from The Cutting House with Katie Burnett,
secretary of Otley in Bloom.
Carrots, Cash and a New Web Site for
Local Riding for the Disabled Group!!
Otley and District Group RDA had something to celebrate over the
Summer as they received offers of help from three different sources.
The group which provides therapeutic riding for local disabled adults
and children received five hundred pounds from The Yorkshire and
Clydesdale Bank Foundation to go towards funding the cost of hiring
the facilities and horses and ponies from the equestrian centres. Also
a new web site has been launched after a friend of the group agreed
to work on a new site free of charge. A lot of time was spent on the
new site, which can be found at www.otleyrda.org.uk. Please do go
and have a look. Local supermarket Sainsbury’s has also offered to
provide the horses and ponies that are used by the group with the
carrots which are left over. The group is very grateful for the help and
support it receives from local individuals, charities and companies but
it is always looking for new sources of funding.
If you can help please get in touch at enquiry@otleyrda.org.uk. Thank you

Chevin Forest Park
Countryside News
You may have heard that Chevin Forest Park has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award by Keep Britain Tidy. Under The Green Flag Award
Scheme Chevin Forest Park has been assessed against a wide range of searching criteria from how clean, well maintained and safe the park is for
the many visitors each year to how well its wildlife and other heritage features are being managed. Green Flag is a nationally recognised scheme
that is judged by experts from all over the country and The Chevin is one of only seven parks in Leeds to be awarded this much sought-after award.
This year has also seen the successful re-opening of The White House café through a partnership with Leeds City Council’s Adult Services centres
for people with learning disabilities. The café is doubling up as a Visitor Information point for The Chevin with leaflets, display boards and other
information available during the café opening hours – which are Tuesday to Friday 10am to 2pm (with additional days hoping to be added in the
future). Access to the café is only available on foot from car parks or footpaths from Otley Town centre (including Walkers Are Welcome route).
For those with mobility problems there is some limited parking at The White House by prior arrangement on 01943 465 023.
Leaflets, with general information about The Chevin, and the latest edition of Chevin News are available in The White House café during opening
hours or Otley Tourist Information Centre. For more information about The Chevin, orienteering courses, and upcoming events visit
www.leeds.gov.uk and enter “Chevin” into the search facility.
Friends of Chevin Forest Park
Your help is always needed and very much appreciated on the second Sunday of each month carrying out a range of practical conservation work. A
pair of gloves awaits! All you need is enthusiasm and an enjoyment of outdoor work. For more information contact Daniel Malster on 0113 237 5268
Chevin Wildlife WATCH children’s group
This group is a wonderful way for you and your children to learn about wildlife. If you have children and want to have a wild time why not come
along on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month. For more information contact Jenny Watts on 0113 237 5329 or e-mail
chevinwildlifewatch@hotmail.co.uk
Home Grown Otley
Vegetable Growers Community Group
If you enjoy growing your own food or would like to learn how, then
come along to join in the fastest growing community group in Otley.
Our lively meetings include a number of regular items such as a
Growers Quiz (with prizes), Topical Tips, Grower's Question Time, free
refreshments and most months we have a guest speaker. This
November we have members of the Incredible Edible - Todmorden
group coming to tell us all about their community veg growing project.
It should be an inspiring evening.
Other activities include bulk buying of seeds and compost (we are also
setting up a seed library), building up an online knowledge database of
best plant varieties for our locality as well as workshops for vegetable
growers and backyard chicken keepers.
As part of our campaign to encourage greater use of local food growers
and producers we organise visits to local food producers throughout
the year.
Meetings are on the first Monday of each month at 7pm in the Otley
Civic Centre (next meeting November 2nd). First meetings are free and
open to all.
For more information contact Rob Godfrey on 01943 468664
or via godfreyrob@yahoo.com
Tourist Tales
No sooner had our signs proclaiming ‘Dowgill House – Guest
Accommodation’ gone up, amongst a flurry of early December
snowflakes, then came a knock on the door announcing our first paying
guests. Don’t panic! The completion of our nine month slog to convert
our Listed Building in Bondgate from a private dwelling into Otley town
centres only dedicated B&B had caught the attention of a pair of
twenty-something lads, one Brazilian the other Columbian, hired by
Sainsbury’s to drive their opening week publicity stunt electric
rickshaws. Our two amigos loved it here, more so for having spent the
previous week in Wigan.
The great majority of visitors to Otley who book in with us are drawn
here predominantly by one factor – people. If not simply visiting family
or friends there is always a ‘do’ on, be it a wedding, birthday or
christening to unite the clan or, at the other end of the mortal coil, a
funeral or even family ancestry to investigate. Be they separated by
miles, national frontiers or even oceans, it’s people that bring people
to Otley.
If we had a map of the world showing the origin of Dowgill’s guests our
little United Nations would contain 18 pins spread across five
continents. Americans are by far the most frequent arrivals followed
by ex-pat New Zealanders (maybe it’s a sheep thing), drawn back to
the kinship of their earlier years. A few interesting concoctions
amongst them for any of you accent spotters out there.
A much smaller proportion of our guests are business travellers many
preferring Otley as a pleasant alternative to the hassle of Leeds. The
remaining fraction has been a handful of walkers (and as many as five
Emmerdale location hunters), a few weekend break romantics and a
couple of lost souls who stumbled across our threshold as evening
descended, as did a pair of middle aged Japanese chaps who had
started the day in that well known tourist honey pot of Stockport and
arrived with us via Harrogate and Hadrian’s Wall…next stop the bright
lights of Sheffield. I suggested they invested in a different guide book.
After a lousy, although for us relentless, summer now ‘winter draws
on’, as they say, and with it the more frequent appearance of the
porridge pan. Before long a few festive baubles will herald Christmas,
the time of year to gather family and friends together. That’s what
Otley does best but, in our experience, Otley does that all year round.
Tim Wilkinson

OTLEY
MUSEUM
German ex POW’s visit on
Museum’s Heritage Open Day
Otley Museum and Otley Action for Older People welcomed over 200 visitors
to the Heritage Open Day in September. Among these was Herr Pachernegg
who had been a prisoner of war in the Otley POW camp in 1945. He was
accompanied by his son and members of the Wharfedale German Circle who
had donated copies of their research to Otley Museum. He was able to view
copies of paintings and wood carvings created by the prisoners and study
the location of the site along Weston Lane, adding his own impressions of
the camp. This research forms part of the large collection of documents and
photographs held by the Museum and conserved for present and future
generations to reflect some of the significant periods in Otley’s history.
After fifty years in the Civic Centre (the former Mechanics Institute building)
the Museum now has to seek new premises as different management
arrangements are brought into force by the Town Council when the building
is refurbished. The Museum intends to make sure that its invaluable
documentary collection is still accessible to the public when the artefacts
from the display rooms go into safe temporary storage until new premises
are eventually secured. The service to researchers into the town’s history
and development, and to family historians and students will continue if a
new research room can be rented in the town in the meantime.
Otley Museum is an independent museum, accredited by the Museums
Libraries and Archives Council. We would like to thank the many people who
came to view the work of the volunteers, express their appreciation and
support and join the Museum’s Friends Scheme on the Open Day.
What is the Vetting & Barring System
This new government scheme to prevent unsuitable people from
working or volunteering with children and/or vulnerable adults has
been in the news a lot recently. The Vetting and Barring Scheme will
be run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and the aim of
that organisation is to increase the safety of children and /or
vulnerable adults. The Vetting and Barring Scheme will not replace
Criminal Record Bureau checks; they will continue.
From July 2010 all new employees and volunteers who will be working
with children and /or vulnerable adults in a regulated activity can
register with the ISA. A regulated activity is of a specific nature like
teaching, is in a specific place like a school and includes defined
positions of responsibility like school governors.
From November 2010 all new employees and volunteers who will be
working with children and/or vulnerable adults in a regulated activity
must be ISA registered.
Members of the existing workplace will be phased into the Scheme
from January 2011. Please be aware that there are legal obligations
upon organisations to comply. Full details are contained in the
Independent Safeguarding Authority website.
Individuals in paid employment will pay £64 when applying for ISA
registration. But in most cases, a CRB Enhanced Disclosure will be
included in the process. There will be no fee for volunteers.
If you think that your organisation may be affected by this
new scheme you can find out more at:
INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY
www.isa-gov.org.uk Contact Centre: 0300 123 1111
If you want to access a training course contact:
KAREN SHINN Leeds Safeguarding Children Board 0113 395 2121
Kathy Faulks - Small Groups Development Worker,
Voluntary Action-Leeds 0113 297 7943
chevin
through time project
The Friends of Chevin Forest Park have just been awarded a
Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £48,600 for a two year project
to research the history of Otley’s Chevin Forest Park. In
partnership with Leeds City Council’s Parks & Countryside
service, volunteers will be helping to understand how The
Chevin has changed from geological periods right up to today.
This exciting new project will involve approaching local people
to record their stories about The Chevin and also unearthing
interesting photos of The Chevin from years gone by. Other
aspects of the project include archiving historic artefacts such
as old scrap books kept by the foresters, and collections of
flints and fossils.
One of the most exciting parts of the project is to focus on
different time periods and research what took place on The
Chevin during that time. This involves looking at the prehistoric
use of The Chevin such as during the Stone Age and Bronze Age,
as well as more recent history such as the Iron Age, Dark Ages,
Medieval times, 1700s, 1800s and right up to today. This should
reveal all kinds of interesting information such as “who built
and lived in The White House” and “who lived in Keepers
Cottage” Once these time periods are researched there will be
a summary put on a new website to share all this information
as widely as possible.
However, in order to try and carry out all this research there is
the need for a few more dedicated volunteers with an interest
in history research and some spare time over the next 2 years.
If you are interested in taking part in this project through
volunteering some of your time please contact Leeds City
Council’s Chevin Estate Officer on 01943 465 023.
Otley One Stop Centre
Leeds City Council’s One Stop Centre in Otley is situated at 8
Boroughgate (opposite the Oxfam shop).
The Council has 15 One Stop Centres across Leeds where you
can get face to face advice on a range of services. The Centres
work with a variety of partners to bring you the services you
need locally and are Hate (crime) Reporting Centres. The
Centres are accredited with Charter Mark, the government’s
standard for excellence in customer services.
Our customer services officers help with enquiries about
council tax bills & benefits, housing tenancy issues, benefits for
people on low incomes, highways, refuse collection, help from
social services for older people, disabled people, children and
families, and many, many, more services.
Otley One Stop Centre is open Mondays to Fridays. The opening
hours are 8.30am to 4pm, except on Wednesdays when it closes
at 3pm. The Centre has ramped access & automatic doors, a
disabled WC, nappy changing facilities, induction loops, private
interview rooms, posters & leaflets about many services.
Over 1000 customers use the Otley One Stop Centre every
month. Customers are surveyed on their opinions of the service
they receive, here are some recent customer comments;
“All very helpful & friendly”,
“Made me feel comfortable”, “Sympathetic”
“Very clear information”, “Understanding”, “Genuinely interested”
A Registrar of births and deaths has appointments at the Centre.
To make an appointment please call in at the Centre or ring the
Registrar’s appointment line on 0113 222 4408
The Council’s Welfare Rights Unit holds a Benefits Advice Surgery
at the Centre every week. These are for people needing help and
advice with welfare benefits. The surgeries are held on Tuesdays
from 10am to 12.30pm. To book an appointment ring the Welfare
Rights Unit on 0113 3760452 or call in at the Centre.

OTLEY COURTHOUSE
The Courthouse Choir
-is a community choir which meets every Tuesday afternoon, 1.30 – 3.30, in
the Otley Courthouse, led by musical director Dave Stewart. Although the
choir only started in January 2009 it has already enjoyed performing twice
this year: at the Courthouse’s 5th Birthday party and recently at the Otley
Folk Festival.
The range is from absolute beginners to experienced choristers. Many
people come along and are quite apologetic about their voices, stating that
they can’t sing (although they often go on to say that they enjoy singing in
the bath!) Dave is a Natural Voice Practitioner and so learning is by
listening and repetition, with no musical knowledge required, “Everyone
has a right to use their natural voice; singing makes us feel good, and it’s
through singing that we can get a sense of community.” A choir member
recently stated ‘I didn’t realise that “not being able to sing” could produce
such harmony!’
Songs are learned from folk traditions around the world, as well as new
ones, and the group works on developing and releasing their natural voices
together. The emphasis is to enjoy singing. After being with the group for
a few weeks one member said: ‘My New Year’s Resolution is to smile more.
I joined the Courthouse Choir - not only do I smile more, I laugh until I cry.
I recommend you join the laughter – singing’s optional!’
In addition to singing in the choir, members also have the opportunity to
join in the many events that Dave organises for singers, from one day
workshops to one week singing holidays.
If you would like to join the Courthouse Choir or would just like to
find out more about it, please contact Dave on 07970997183
email dave@singout.me.uk, or look at the choirs page on
www.singout.me.uk
Otley Christmas Lights
Switch On!
Why not join the Town Mayor in the Market Place
for the official switch on of this year’s Christmas
Lights on Wednesday 25th November at 6.30pm.
Otley Brass Band, Santa, Prince Henry’s Choir and
Otley’s Carnival Queen will be in attendance as
well as a well known local celebrity!
We are also welcoming back the local rockband
‘Roadkill’. Please arrive prompt as this event has
proved to be very popular.
Christmas Post Service
FOR OTLEY
The Otley Parish Church Scouts and Guides Parents’ Association is
running its Christmas Card delivery service for Otley again for the
twenty second year running. Last year they delivered 10,000
cards. They are hoping to exceed this number this year.
Income from this service helps to keep the HQ on Burras Lane
running. Since the last increase in the price of the stamps in 2002
running costs have increased enormously and the committee has
reluctantly taken the decision that it must increase the price of
stamps to 20 pence per card this year.
The service will operate from Monday 30th November. The last
time for posting has yet to be finalised but will probably be NOON
on Saturday 19th December.
Please remember that the service is for the town of Otley itself
only – no cards for Clifton, Askwith, Pool, Menston etc please.
Also, please be sure not to post cards with Scout/Guide stamps on
in the GPO post boxes.
Pilkington's and |Wayes have both now closed and we are making
enquiries of other potential outlets at the moment. It is expected
that the other outlets will be as last year and as listed below.
Please look out for further details on outlets and the
last day for posting in the local press and posters
towards the end of November.
Lloyds Chemists (Mainprize and Wood) - Kirkgate
Patels (Weston General Stores) - Weston Drive
Help the Aged - Boroughgate
Londis (Singh’s Off Licence) - Weston Lane
Petwise - Orchardgate
The Gills News – The Gills
Dodgshons – Manor Square
Wrenbeck Stores- Wrenbeck Drive
Country Markets – Scout & Guide HQ, Burras Lane / alternate Fridays
Cottage Stores – Newall Carr Road
Bennett Court - Weston Drive
Gordon Larkin Court - Westbourne Grove
Westbourne Convenience Stores – Bradford Road
ODAG Fun, Facts & Food
Come and join us for a great day of fun and entertainment. This
will be on the 10th December 10.am start and will be taking place
at the Otley Courthouse. Otley Disability Action Group are set up
to help address any issues that face disabled people, either as
individuals or as part of a group. We hold meetings on the first
Wednesday of every month at Otley Courthouse. We are having a
day of fun and information; many other groups involved with
disability issues will be joining us.
Part of the day will be given over to entertainment; this will be
provided by ‘Mind the Gap’ a group of people with learning
disabilities who have formed a drama group. They will also
provide workshops during the day so why not come and join in the
fun and learn something new.
Otley action will be one of the groups on the day and they have a
full list of all the other groups hoping to attend. This will be a
good opportunity to address any issues you may have concerning
disability, so do come and enjoy the day.
ODAG are providing tea and coffee and food for the day. We
would also like to express our gratitude to Waitrose Supermarket
for the generous collection they recently had on our behalf. The
monies raised from our collections are used to help with an
allotment which we have at the Ings site. We are very pleased
to say that we achieved a prize from Britain in Bloom, for
Community Spirit this year. We are always open for any disabled
people to join our group if they want to ‘grow your own’ or just
potter about in a garden. We have raised beds and the plot is
disabled friendly. Come and join us for the day, have some fun.

Wild Winter Swans
The familiar swans seen around
Otley, with graceful curved necks
and orange bills with a black
knob at the base, are mute
swans. Herds of up to 20
regularly congregate below the
bridge in Wharfemeadows Park.
However, in October and
November, it is worth keeping an
eye on more open stretches of water
for wild swans from much further afield.
In our area they are passing through, splashing
down on the waters of the Washburn Valley reservoirs, Knotford Nook or
Otley Wetland for perhaps just a few hours or a day or two before moving on.
There are two species, both of which hold their necks up straight when
swimming, making them easy to distinguish from mute swans even at a
distance when their straighter black and yellow bills are not obvious. The
larger and by far the more common is the whooper swan. These are en route
from their breeding grounds in Iceland to their main winter quarters around
the Ouse Washes where numbers reach about 4000. On the other side of the
Pennines, Martin Mere and the Ribble Estuary can hold up to 2000.
Smaller with less yellow in the bill, is the Bewick’s swan, now much less
common in our area than in years gone by. These breed in Siberia and in
winter migrate southwest to Denmark, Holland and Britain. Large numbers,
usually over 5000, still winter around the Wash but birds passing through
Yorkshire would be more likely to be heading for northwest England where
numbers in recent years have only been measured in dozens. Britain is on the
western edge of its range and it seems probable that, with warmer winters,
birds which might previously have reached us as a result of freezing
conditions on the continent, are now staying further east.
Denis O’Connor
Whooper Swans at Lindley
Wood Reservoir
Prince Henry’s Grammar School
SPECIALIST LANGUAGE COLLEGE
Otley Action For Older People
Gardening Services
Otley Action for Older People provide
gardening services for the over 60s in
Otley, Pool and Arthington. In the winter
months we are able to offer this service to
residents of all ages within the locality.
Craig the local Otley Action for Older People Gardener is now
available for one-off jobs in the autumn and winter and into the
early spring. If you would like a quote for gardening work that
needs doing such as, hard landscaping and clearance please
contact Otley Action for Older People on 01943 463965 and we
can arrange a visit with Craig to provide you with a personal
quote.
Volunteering and Minibus Drivers
Otley Action for Older People is looking for volunteers to join its
team of friendly and caring staff to help with its many projects,
which involve tea dances, film clubs, lunch cubs, outings, trips
and much more. We are also looking for volunteers to drive the
minibuses, to do this you would need to hold a full driving
licence and be over the age of 25. The job involves picking
people up from their homes and driving them to a variety of
different locations. Opportunities are available for flexible
working and you will be trained to Midas standard.
Training and support is always given for more information please
telephone on 01943 463965.
Royal British Legion
It is now almost 95 years since the beginning of the 1st world
war. We then had a 2nd World War and many young men were
killed or maimed in both these conflicts.
Since 1945 I think I am correct in saying that only 1 year has
been conflict free.
Headteacher:
Ms Janet Sheriff BA (Hons) NPQH
TEL: (01943) 463524 FAX: (01943) 850978
E-MAIL: info@princehenrys.leeds.sch.uk
The school has worked in collaboration with Leeds City Council and Cllr Ryk
Downes (also a governor at the school) to improve safety and work is about
to commence on the long awaited Farnley Lane road crossing near the
school’s main entrance.
News from PE Department
Euan Hockey a Year 10 pupil at Prince Henry’s Grammar School Specialist
Language College represented Yorkshire and Humberside in the English
Triathlon championships at the weekend.
25 athletes, country wide are selected and Euan came 9th overall and his
team won! He now has his first gold medal in his trophy cabinet!
Euan did the swim in a lake - his first open water competition ever and for
those in the know, athletes get quite a beating in such swims! As a
consequence, his swim time was quite a bit slower than normal but a great
bike and decent run saw him climb through the positions as the race went by.
He is pleased with his performance in general as he feels like there's plenty
to work on but he showed strength in the race.
This is a wonderful achievement,
please celebrate his success - thanks!
Sarah Grant - Head of PE
This year we will not only remember the last century men and
women,but those who died in the Falklands ,Iraq and now even
as you read these words soldiers will be dying in Afghanistan.
Whatever your opinion on the war itself these men and their
families need our support. The RBL are presently assisting more
service and ex service personnel than ever before.
Your help is urgently required. Please give generously for your
poppy.
Doris Gagen - Royal British Legion Poppy appeal.

OTLEY LADIES Hospital Group
The Otley Ladies Hospital Group is coming to the end of its 58th year
and continues to support Wharfedale Hospital by providing extra
comforts and amenities for the benefit of patients, both in-patients and
out-patients as it has done in so many different ways over the years.
As the needs of patients have changed and with the stays in hospital
so much shorter than previously, the weekly visiting by members has
been shelved, although all patients still receive a Christmas present
and card in December and the focus is more on raising funds to meet
the requests received from the various departments at the Hospital.
Pictures and a television set have been presented to the recently
opened Chemotherapy support (day treatment) Unit and the stepper
purchased for the Lymphoedema Unit has been well used for step
exercises by patients. Other items have been purchased this year
for the Pre-assessment Unit, the Radiology department and the
Hysteroscopy Unit and the latest item purchased was a recharge of
the thermalator mud pack machine (6 units) for the Physiotherapy
Department which will prove a great help to patients attending for
treatment.
The Group is fortunate in having several long-standing members, led
by their Chairman, Mrs. June Galling and continues to support the
Hospital in this way.
The recent successful Summer Sale raised over £400 and plans are
in hand for the Christmas stall to be held at the Hospital on Monday,
16th November when the support of members of staff and our
regular supporters will be much appreciated.
news from
Otley Chamber of Trade
The economic downturn has seen Otley fraying at the edges a little
over the last year, but the solid nature of our community and its
tendency to support our own independent local retailers softened
the blow with the town affected perhaps not as badly as elsewhere.
The varying fortunes of several national retailers and pub chains led
to a number of larger units falling into disuse leaving large ‘holes’
along Kirkgate, Bondgate and Crossgate and the tally of empty shops
in the centre of Otley climb to a July peak of 28, plus three pubs and
two restaurants. The town looked at a pretty low ebb but since then
the trend has shown slight signs of positive change as new businesses
are attracted, possibly by more realistic rents and the subsidence of
media panic.
Not all one way traffic, during the last year over 20 new traders of
varying sizes and natures have had the confidence to commit to
Otley. The Chamber has been pleased to recognise the arrival of art
and gift shops, a kitchen outfitter, motorbike accessories, satellite
TV services, nursing agency and bridal wear, and several closed pubs
and cafes have reopened, all breathing fresh signs of life into the
town centre.
Although unemployment in Otley and Yeadon Ward rose sharply from
313 last January to just over 400 in August the jobless count remains
relatively modest, and at 2.8% of population is the fifth smallest of
the 33 wards in Leeds City Council’s area.
Perennial problems remain, with parking, traffic and excessive street
clutter continuing to cause concern and the Chamber seeks to act
with the Town Council to address these where possible although, as
ever, the more volunteers step forward to help make change, the
faster it can happen.
Accordingly, Otley Chamber of Trade, established in the 1930’s to
represent the best interests of the local business community,
welcomes new members and fresh thinking from anyone prepared to
help take Otley’s economy forward. For more details see the
Chambers recently revised website at www.otleychamber.co.uk
Tim Wilkinson
Otley Chamber of Trade
Little Theatre prepares for
Panto time again !
Otley Little Theatre is looking forward to presenting Pantomime in Otley
which will be the very first one that was staged at the Civic Centre in
1981, ”Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates” by Paul Reakes.
Produced on this occasion by Charmian Thomas, the panto will be
presented from Tuesday 1 December to Saturday 5 December 2009
at the Civic Centre Otley.
However this year there will be a significant change to the
timing of the Saturday performances.
Whilst the evening performances from Tuesday to Friday will be at 7.30p.m.
as usual,on Saturday,due to the tremendous demand experienced in recent
years for Matinee tickets,which has on occasion resulted in disappointment
for some,the Panto will be performed at 1p.m.AND 5p.m. to enable those
with small children to attend at child friendly times.
OLT hope that this change will mean no one needs to miss the chance
to enjoy all the fun of the show “en famille”.This panto has a very topical
theme with Pirates swashbuckling all over the stage with of course the
usual dash of heros,heroines and a few songs!
Tickets,priced £8 adults,£6 OAPs and £5.50 children U16, will be
available from early November by telephoning 01943 873865 and,
subject to final agreement, from Althams Travel Agents Kirkgate Otley.
Please watch out for further publicity for ticket availability.
The Otley W.I.
The members of the Otley W.I. have been having fun
all Summer; not only at our monthly meetings but
out and about as well.
June: A group of us headed to East Keswick where the West
Yorkshire Federation of W.I.’s (our own chiefs) provided a “Votes for
Women 3 course lunch and entertainment”. Mm! very tasty.
They catered for approx. 100 ladies. The tables were beautifully
decorated with white damask, white china, silver cutlery and sparkling
glass ware and topped off with purple, white and green floral displays
and ribbons (the colours of the Suffragette movement).
Afterwards hysterical laughter and horrific awe accompanied the
“Presentation of the History of the Wardrobe” as it unfolded; revealing
the life and times during the Edwardian Age, the Great War and the
1920’s. Well done and thanks for a superb day out.
Also June: a Kente Cloth class at head office Rodley, tutoring by Maggie
Relph of the African Fabric Shop; beckoned to the textile-crafty-ones
amongst us. We again enjoyed a full day out and produced some
wonderful samples.
July: We were invited, over a period of several days, to a voluntary “snip
& sew” at head office at Rodley. Labels to be removed/sewn into 100’s of
baby clothes donated for the New Life Foundation for Disabled Children’s
Charity. Plenty of tea/coffee and biscuits kept us all happily stitching.
August: no meeting this month but an annual Summer trip instead.
Lunch, alfresco, at the Wharfe Cafe in Skipton followed by a canal cruise
and afternoon tea.
Also in August saw our “silver party”. The Otley W.I. is now officially
25 years old. Dressed in our best, we dined out in style at the
Wharfedale Gate, Arthington; where we were spoiled and pampered
with good food and great hostessing by the staff (friendly as ever).
September and off we go again. All the W.Yks.W.I.’s were invited to a
free day out to the Photography Museum at Bradford (a train ride first,
always creating exciting expectations). We were greeted in the foyer
with tea/coffee and cakes and enjoyed a conducted tour, lunch and a
viewing of an IMAX film. Dare I say this was a larger-than-life day out.
Thanks to the friendly museum staff.
So you see readers, we, the Otley W.I. have been so busy enjoying
ourselves this Summer and you could too. You are invited to come and
share all our fun.
Meetings are held at Cross Green Youth Centre

Otley Conservation TASK FORCE
Founded in 1997, Otley
Conservation Task Force is
well established as the
town’s focus group when
it comes to conserving
our built environment.
This year, the year of the
“Credit Crunch”, pressure of
development in Otley has eased off,
allowing us to “take stock” of some of the restoration work that we
would like to see properly done, in a timely manner.
Ashfield Works was a site of production of the “Wharfedale” printing
press. We hope that an appropriate mixed-use development of this key
conservation area site that would enhance the remaining empty stonebuilt
buildings here will happen soon. This would be a tribute to
William Dawson, “founder of the printing machine industry in Otley”.
At Garnett’s Mill, also empty, plans are being announced for its
development. Although no traces from before the nineteenth century
survive now, there has been a mill on this riverside site for around 800
years, which redevelopment must recognise.
The disused buildings of the former Wharfedale Union Workhouse are
protected through the efforts of our founder, the late Phil Coyne, who
submitted them for “listing”. When the architectural historian, Derek
Linstrum, prepared his architectural assessment for the listing
application, he concluded that “the character of a small 1870s
workhouse has survived”. Indeed, conversion to hospital use left the
workhouse remarkably intact. Plans have recently come forward to
convert the buildings again, to domestic use. We are keen to see the
far-from-satisfactory new hospital screened out as much as possible,
and the workhouse and its setting sympathetically restored.
Throughout the conservation area, there remain many smaller
buildings such as public houses and cottages that date from when Otley
was first built in stone, and which tell us of Otley’s past. Some of
these are still in use; others are empty. They are all worthy of being
properly conserved.
For more details about us, please visit our web-site by typing
“conservation Otley” into your search engine (there is a mail form
there), or contact the Honorary Secretary on 01943-465398.
Ian Andrew
Charities Supported by
Otley Parish Church
Beer Festival
The Otley Beer Festival started out as a way of raising money for the
upkeep of All Saints Parish Church. Much of the present church
building was in existence by 1500 but the oldest parts of it date from
the 11th and 12th centuries. Some alterations and additions were
made to the church by the Victorians but, substantially, All Saints is a
medieval building. The stonework of the large east window, for
example, dates from the late 15th century whilst the glass came from
the St Helens Glass Company in 1851.
Maintaining such an ancient building costs a lot of money. It is difficult
for a relatively small congregation to find all the resources needed to
keep this building, which is of great local and national importance, in
good shape. Otley parish Church doesn’t get any money for this work
on a regular basis from any outside bodies though grants have been
obtained for specific projects.
The annual Beer Festival is an important source of funds to pay for
maintenance such as combating dry rot and doing repairs to the roof
and other stonework.
Up to 2005 all the proceeds from the Beer Festival went to the Parish
Church but, in 2005, the Parochial Church Council unanimously agreed
that they wanted to share the money raised with other local charities.
The following is a list of the charities which have benefited from funds
from the Otley Beer Festival since 2005.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
CARERS LEEDS (OTLEY GROUP)
FRIENDS OF GALLOWS HILL
FRIENDS OF SPRING GARDENS
HANG ON TO A DREAM
OTLEY ACTION FOR OLDER PEOPLE
OTLEY ALL SAINTS PRIMARY SCHOOL – ‘MYTHBUSTERS’ PROJECT
OTLEY AND DISTRICT RIDING FOR THE DISABLED
OTLEY AND DISTRICT TALKING NEWSPAPER
OTLEY BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED CLUB
OTLEY SAILING CLUB – ‘SAIL FREE’ PROJECT
REVA WATER ACTIVITY CENTRE
SPACE TO GROW
SPEAKABILITY (OTLEY GROUP)
It’s that time of year again !
The Ninth Otley Beer Festival
will be taking place on the
20th and 21st of November 2009
The Festival will be held as usual in the Otley Civic Centre, which is located
on Boroughgate in Otley opposite the Maypole.
Over 60 Real Ales will be available to sample as well as a large
selection of Real Cider, Perry and Global Beers.
Food is also available throughout the day.
The festival runs from 12 Noon until 11pm on both days.
Otley Beer Festival is organized on behalf of Otley Parish Church to raise
funds for local charities. So far over £30,000 has been raised.
For more information log on to our website at:
www.otleybeerfestival.co.uk
OTLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL
& HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Our Autumn/Winter programme began in September with Miss
Suzanne Dunne giving a talk on Harewood House and the Lascelles
Familty this was followed in October with Ms Jan Scrine and her
subject was A Walk on the Huddersfield/Brighouse Boundary, a
packhorse way, 2 turnpikes etc. In November Mr Trevor Moody will
speak about Frank Meadow Sutcliffe the Victorian Photographer
and in December we have Noel Nostalgia by Mrs Jennifer Stacey.
Most of the lectures are accompanied with a slide show.
We had two trips out during the summer months, first of all we
visited Leighton hall near Carnforth and in July we went to
Grimsthorpe Castle at Bourne in Lincolnshire. In December we
will be going to Kipling Hall Near Scorton, Richmond to see their
Christmas Past and Christmas Presents event.
We meet at 7.45 pm in the Manor Room at the Bridge Church
on the second Thursday in the month, membership is £8 per
person and guests pay £2.50 per evening.
If you require any further information please ring 01943 465925

Community
‘Drop in Centre’
on the Weston Estate
This was started by Otley Churches Together in May under the National
Churches Together initiative called Hope 2008. The national scheme
hoped to create community friendship and togetherness all over the
country.
Otley Churches Together wanted to bring people together on the
Weston Estate over a cup of tea or coffee where new friendships could
be made amongst people on the estate. From those friendships it is
hoped that groups with common interests might start their own
programmes which might bring some new social life on to the Estate
of differing interest and taste.
A free “cuppa” and friendly conversation and laughter is offered at
Weston Estate Sports Club on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Fridays every week from 10 am to 12 noon. Come along and join in,
and share your hopes and wishes for the future of the area, and then,
with others of like mind, hopefully help to make it happen. All are
welcome. Those who have come along so far have made new friends
or strengthened existing friendships with neighbours.
New heating is being installed in the building on the 14th September
after a grant from Otley Town Council. Some have asked that in the
Autumn we have a regular surgery with Council representatives so we
could share thoughts with them and have questions answered. This is
being pursued. Whatever else springs from this venture will be up to
those who support it. So again let me say ‘COME AND JOIN US’ for a
free cuppa, good company, and a chance to bring a new atmosphere
of friendship and social activity on the Weston Estate which can only
be good.
Its been a good start !
Join us and make it even better
Chevin Handbell Ringers
CHBR celebrated ten years of ringing in September. The team
originally formed in 1999 when we borrowed a set of handbells
from the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain. These were on loan to
us for one year, during which time we were able to perform
concerts, and organise many events, including car boot sales,
raffles and quizzes to raise funds. We were also fortunate to
obtain some money from local community grants, all of which
enabled us to buy our own bells. They were bought from a retiring
group at Idle near Bradford who were known as “The Idles
Bellringers”! This set which we still have consists of 3 octaves of
52 American Malmark handbells. These are made from a special
brass alloy and once they are cast and tuned will never need retuning.
Each bell has an individual note. American bells usually
have white handles for the natural notes and black handles for the
accidentals. Our style of ringing is ‘off table’ although American
bells can also be rung ‘in-hand’ and can be struck in several
different ways to give alternative tones to the notes played.
During the past 10 years we have made numerous donations to
various charities, choosing a different charity for each
fundraising year. These charities include Yorkshire Air
Ambulance, St Gemma’s Hospice, Martin House, the Stroke
Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. This year our chosen
charity is the Parkinsons Disease Society.
Anyone interested in joining the team will be welcomed.
Our practice nights are Wednesdays at
The Methodist Church Hall in Otley from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm.
Knowledge of music is an advantage although not essential,
so come along and give handbell ringing a try,
it is a nice way to relax and have some fun.
The Nidderdale Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB)
The Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is one of
Britain's finest landscapes. It covers 233 square miles (603 km 2 ) of
North Yorkshire. The central feature of the AONB is the long majestic
dale of the Nidd, running from the wild fells around Great Whernside,
south and east towards the Vale of York.
Nidderdale is a working landscape that has evolved over centuries of
human activity. The valley has been moulded by a rich land-use history
that embraces agriculture, mining, quarrying, textiles and water
supply. The varied landscape has created diverse habitats which
support a wide range of flora and fauna of national and international
importance. It is also a complex historic environment with a wealth of
medieval landscape features still visible in the more recent legacy of
the AONB's industrial past.
Nidderdale was designated as An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the
Government in 1994
The AONB designation aims to:
• Conserve and enhance the natural beauty
• Encourage social and economic development that contributes to the
natural beauty of the AONB
• Improve the management of recreation and tourism
Responsibility for managing the AONB rests with the AONB's Joint
Advisory Committee (JAC) and the AONB Team based in Pateley Bridge.
The JAC has a maximum membership of 28 including 12 Local Authority
representatives. Their role is to advise local authorities and other
agencies about how to best achieve AONB objectives. The AONB Team
run various projects that conserve the AONB landscape and its wildlife
and improve the management of recreation and tourism. The work of
the Team is managed through the JAC.
On a day-to-day basis, management of the AONB's landscape is carried
out by farmers and other landowners, individual householders and many
others. Everyone who works in, lives in or visits the Nidderdale AONB has
a part to play in looking after this nationally important landscape.
For further information and images, contact:
Leanne Fox, Information Officer, Nidderdale AONB, Council Offices,
King Street, Pateley Bridge HG3 5LE; Tel: 01423 712950
Email: leanne.fox@harrogate.gov.uk
www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk
Walkers are Welcome Otley this year received a grant of £10,000
to organise a long distance walk from Otley to Middleham
which will be launched in June 2010
Yorkshire Wildlife
Monday December 7th
7.30pm – 8.30pm
At Otley Civic Centre
Illustrated talk by
Otleys own naturalist John Hobson
£1 entrance includes refreshments - All welcome
Contact Julia Johnson
tel 01943 466713
for further information

envision
Award Winning Youth Educational Charity Comes to Otley
www.otleykungfu.org.uk
www.otleytaichi.org.uk
There is an Introductory course in Taichi, Qigong,
Daoist Yoga and "Hand of the Wind" Soft Kungfu
starting in November in Otley Civic Centre,
on Tuesday from7 to 9pm in room 4
and on Monday from 10 to 11 am in the main hall.
Learn how to cultivate and use your Qi
to boost your energy
levels, health and all-round well-being by practising
this ancient system of movement and exercise.
The Daoist sage Laozi said :
"A journey of ten thousand miles starts with one step."
So, take your first step today
click: www.otleykungfu.org.uk / www.otleytaichi.org.uk
and call to book your place:
Therese Maini on 07809447596.
Funding News
Cash for Clubs
Cash 4 Clubs is a sports grants scheme, which provides
funding to support grassroots UK sports clubs, Cash 4 Clubs
gives clubs a chance to win grants ranging from £250 to
£1000, whether it be to improve facilities, purchase new
equipment, gain coaching qualifications, or generally invest
in sustainability of their club. There are 3 tiers of grants
£250, £500 and £1000 which are awarded on a discretionary
basis. Any sports club can apply as long as they are
registered with their sport’s National Governing Body or local
authority. Funding can be requested for anything that will
add to the sustainability and effectiveness of the sports club.
Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis after selection by our
committee. www.cash-4-clubs.com
The Yapp Charitable Trust
The Yapp Charitable Trust make grants to small registered
charities to sustain their existing work with:
• elderly people
• children and young people aged 5-25
people with disabilities or mental health problems
• people trying to overcome life-limiting problems of a
social, rather than medical, origin – such as addiction,
relationship difficulties, abuse, a history of offending.
They also make grants to sustain small registered
charities’ existing work in the field of education and
learning (with a particular interest in people who are
educationally disadvantaged, whether adults or
children). They are not able to fund work which does not
come into one of the above categories. They give grants
for running costs and salaries for up to three years.
Grants are normally for a maximum of £3000 per year.
Most of their grants are for more than one year
because they give priority to ongoing needs.
www.yappcharitiabletrust.org.uk
or call Margaret Thompson on 01484 683403.
The academic year of 2009/10 sees Envision roll out its flagship schools and
colleges programme in Otley after enjoying 10 years of success operating in over
100 schools and colleges in London and Birmingham.
65 Prince Henry’s Grammar students have already signed up with Envision to
begin exploring social and community issues that matter to them. With the help
and support of Envision the students will set up projects aimed at tackling issues
they care about. Past projects that Envision students have successfully carried
out include the creation of green spaces, recycling and healthy living campaigns
and raising awareness of global issues such as poverty and AIDS.
Envision’s Regional Coordinator, Katherine Myles said, “We are really excited about
what projects the young people of Otley are going to do and are looking forward
to working in the area this academic year, and hopefully for many years to come”.
If you’re keen to work with young people, care about social and environmental
issues in your local area and can spare 2 hours per week, we are currently on the
lookout for enthusiastic local volunteers willing to work with 16-19 year olds in
schools and colleges to develop their skills, confidence and potential, whilst at the
same time, helping them to make a difference in their local communities.
Envision Volunteer, Vikki James, said of her experience working with the Envision
school teams, “The young people really inspired me. It was so refreshing to have
discussions with young people who have such strong ideals and convictions.
When you listen to them tell you how we can make the world a better place it
makes you think that there’s still hope”.
17 year old Envision Student, Beanish said, “Envision was an extremely enriching
experience for me. Envision made me more aware of issues facing young people
today and inspired me to tackle them; it gave me the confidence to express
myself and become more vocal”..
If volunteering with us is something you are interested in then
please don’t hesitate to get in touch either via our website
www.envision.org.uk or call 0113 387 6446
BIG RSWT Changing Spaces: Local Food
Local Food is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme to help
communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds
a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education
projects teaching people about the local environment. Grants from £2000 up to
£500000 are available for not-for-profit groups and organisations in England
delivering such projects as growing, processing, marketing and distributing local
food; composting and raising awareness of the benefits of such activities.
If you are applying for a Main Grant over £20000 you will be required to provide
10-30% match funding. For Small and Main Grants, up to 80% of the grant can be
used for capital costs but at least 20% must be used for revenue.
If you are interested email localfood@rswt.org www.Localfoodgrants.org/grants
Green Communities
The Energy Saving Trust has launched Green Communities – a new hub for UK
communities, offering free online tools and advice.Once registered, members
have access to the Green Communities Carbon Footprint tool, which has been
developed in partnership with East of England Development Agency (EEDA). The
tool allows users to generate a free impartial, personalised report showing
exactly how their community can stop wasting carbon and money. All Green
Communities will be able to follow and promote their progress on a unique
webpage which charts their projects’ individual carbon savings.
Members will also have access to free expert advice from the Energy Saving
Trust; training workshops and 1:2:1 consultation on project ideas; online
resources such as case studies of other successful projects. Advice includes:
• managing the planning process when it came to installing renewable echnologies
• overcoming the challenges when dealing with older or listed buildings
•
securing funding outside of environmental trust funds including social
enterprise initiatives.
www.greencommunitiescc.org.uk call 0844 848 0077
or email greencommunities@est.org.uk

LEEDS CITY
COUNCILLORS SURGERIES
1ST THURSDAY IN EACH MONTH
YEADON TOWN HALL - 10 AM TO 11 AM
1ST SATURDAY IN EACH MONTH
OTLEY LIBRARY - 10 AM TO 11 AM
3RD THURSDAY IN EACH MONTH
OTLEY CIVIC CENTRE - 10 AM TO 11 AM
3RD FRIDAY IN EACH MONTH
YEADON TOWN HALL - 2PM TO 3PM
“If the surgery times are inconvenient please ring
to arrange a more convenient time”
GREG MULHOLLAND
MP’s SURGERIES
0113 2266519
DROP IN SESSIONS (no appointment needed)
First Saturday of the month
Asda Stores, Holt Park 11am-12pm
Third Saturday of the month
Otley Library, Otley 11am-12pm
Somerfield, Headingley 1-2pm
PRIVATE SURGERIES (by appointment only)
First Friday of the month
Headingley Cardigan Centre, 1-2pm
Otley Civic Centre, 4-5pm
Third Friday of the month
Meanwood Community Centre, 1-2pm
Robert Craven Hall, Bramhope, 4-5pm
OTLEY TOWN
COUNCIL SURGERIES
Second Saturday of the month 10 am – 11 am
OTLEY LIBRARY
Otley Town Council
Schedule of Meetings 09/010
2nd November Executive and Management
Full Council, Plans
9th November
Community and Culture
16th November Environment and Tourism,
Plans
23rd November Property
30th November Tourism Sub,Plans
4th January
11th January
18th January
25th January
Executive and Management
Full Council
Community & Culture, Plans
Environment and Tourism
Grants, Plans
OTLEY BUTTERCROSS CHARITY STALL
The Buttercross is available for hire, free of charge, to all charitable organisations on Fridays
and Saturdays. Anyone interested can contact Geraldine Crosby on 01943 466335.
OTLEY TOWN COUNCIL COUNCILLORS
WEST CHEVIN WARD
James Michael Spencer (Lib) ‘ThornCroft’ Burras Lane Otley LS21 3ET 465906
councilleader@otleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Graham P Kirkland (Lib) ‘Westholme’ Westgate Otley LS21 3AT 850522
graham.kirkland@leeds.gov.uk graham.kirkland@btconnect.com
Mary Vickers (Lib) 3 Riverdale Court Otley LS21 1SU 465813
maryvickers@supanet.com
Linda Bradley (Lib) 12 Belmont Avenue, Otley LS21 2DE 850459
l.bradley45@btinternet.com
MANOR WARD
Peter Moore (Lib) 11 Lisker Avenue Otley LS21 07946 433062
gilgald@hotmail.com
Lawrence Ross (Lib) 7 East View Terrace Otley LS21 1JN 461909
landsross@yahoo.co.uk
Shelagh Ross (Lib) 7 East View Terrace Otley LS21 1JN 461909
shelaghross50@yahoo.co.uk
Ray Smith (Lib) 6 Lisker Avenue Otley 461485
lurgan3086@hotmail.com
DANEFIELD WARD
Nigel Francis (Ind) 6 Pearson’s Buildings Leeds Road Otley LS21 3BQ 463467
nigelfrancis@btinternet.com
Gerard Francis (Con) 12 North Avenue Otley LS21 1AJ 462047
gerardfrancis@btinternet.com
Neville Birch (Lab) Mauville 13 St Clair Road Otley LS21 1DE 462703
nevillebirch@talktalk.net
Alan Furze (Lib) 4 St Clair Terrace Otley LS21 1JA 465308
alan.furze@talktalk.net
PRINCE HENRY WARD
Christine Campbell (Lib) 23 Harecroft Road Otley LS21 2BG 465025
Colin A Campbell (Lib) 11 Prince Henry Road Otley LS21 2BE 465909
colin.campbell@leeds.gov.uk
Philip Bye (Lib) 38 The Whartons Otley LS21 2AG 467199
philipgbye@yahoo.co.uk
ASHFIELD WARD
Millie Stott(Lib) 9 St.Martin’s Avenue Otley LS21 2AN 464204
Derek Henderson (Lib) 34 Northwell Gate Otley 461788
docdel77@gmail.com
Ian Jackson (Lib) 42 The Oval Otley LS21 2EE 463422
ianjackson1949@btinternet.com
Alma Thackray (Lib) 12 Wilkinson Way Otley 462171
David Reid (Lib) 60 St David’s Road, Otley LS21 2AW 462741
dajoreid@talktalk.net
Otley Events
Remembrance Day Parade
Science Festival at Otley Court House
Otley Beer Festival at Otley Civic Centre
Otley Christmas Lights Switch On in Market Place
Otley Farmers Market in Market Place
Victorian Fayre Otley Town Centre
Otley Farmers Market in Market Place
Sunday 8th November
15th to 22nd November
Fri 20th to Sat 21st November
Wednesday 25th November at 6.30pm
Sunday 29th November - 9am-1pm
Friday 11th December - all day
Sunday 20th December - 9am-1pm
PUBLISHED BY OTLEY TOWN COUNCIL PRINTED BY CHIPPENDALE PRESS 65 BONDGATE, OTLEY. TEL: 01943 465756
PRINTED on 100% RECYCLED PAPER
email: sales@chippendalepress.fsnet.co.uk
THE VIEWS AND ALL ADVICE EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS TO THE NEWSLETTER ARE THE VIEWS OF THE CONTRIBUTOR AND MAY NOT
REFLECT THE VIEW OR OPINION OF THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE FOR OTLEY MATTERS OR OF OTLEY TOWN COUNCIL