ilkleyrocks

Last week was the 100th anniversary of the completion and opening of the New Bridge. Not a mention was made of it by local dignitaries, local paper, local shops. So, to make up... Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear New Brook Street Bridge Happy Birthday to you

More on the trust idea from the minutes of Bradford council (it's a cached google version of a pdf). Given that the management document suggests that 5K is all that is spent on the moor by Bradford (which sort of makes the management document unattainable), the notion of the trust is to allow an independent body to apply for more funding. Of course, with the very generous precept IPC organizes for itself, there is a pot of money ready and waiting to improve the environment. Those opposed seem to be suggesting that all the moor needs is more brass, which is true. But its unlikely to be increased by Bradford. Better by far to return it to local control. Before going forwards, though, would the trust consist of the usual busybodies? Would there be elections (after all, according the the Middelton settlement, we all own the moor)? Would the people of Ilkley have a say in what happens, or would it be like everything else, and decided in the tory club and the golf club (Ilkley, not Ben Rhydding), or in the gated community on OWler Park Road? But if one of the ideas is considered, selling off Silver Well Cottage, I know at least two people who might be very interested.

(you know you should give up blogging when you re-use post titles for the third time). Fraser tells me there's a meeting of the Parish COuncil to dicsuss the plan for the future management of the Moor, June 5th, 7-30. Be there or, as I shall be, be somewhere else. The management plan is available here -- I don't yet have an opinion, except I don't want a trust with no pasaran in charge.

Apparently young chap Fraser is on the steam wireless tomorrow (24th May) talking about the Moor. You and Yours, 12pm. Or do I mean am. Anyway, its midday. And I daresay you can hear it on the 'listen again' facility at the beeb's website.

By way of the rather lovely clickrich who I keep meaning to link to (and now have) an image of a memorial to a bomber that crashed on t'Moor during the war. I know nothing about this. Must have completely missed the story due to being over on the wrong side of the Pennines. Maverickapollo has the full story linked here. Can someone give me directions please?

The local paper has re-done its website. Which is a bit of a shock. No more massively out of date articles, no more letters from over a year ago (actually no letters at all as they haven't uploaded those yet). Now it's all spankingly up to date and interweb-friendly. Course, the fact the Ilkley Gazette has increasingly little to do with Ilkley and uses more and more stories from sister papers in Yorkshire sort of undermines the project, but at least now we know why they've been cutting back on the paper version.

Well, after everywhere shutting down together, loads of places are now opening up. Rumours of Pizza Express in the station, and a restaurant advertising for a chef de partie in the paper today, a new venture, specialising in East Asian cuisine.' Surely not another curry house? Nobu opening up north?

Well, the new Tubby's is now open, and the boys are working hard on the new Mossop's. A new bar at the latter, and ready to go for the 11th they reckon. Have to admit, I had no memory of the whopping stone fireplace in the redundant Steps, but maybe I was tooo busy complaining last time I was there. Meanwhile the new Tubby's features a menu which appears to be from a 70s theme bar. When was the last time coq au vin appeared on a menu? Still, given the average age of the Ilkley population, it may not be that silly a move.

Fecks sake. After more threats of libel action, I've now removed all mention of CCTV and any other related issue. Mostly to stop the hassle to my beloved hoster.

With the ex-Tubby's boys having bought the old Steps to set up Willy Mossop's (they get the keys on Monday) and the new Tubby's owners being in over the road, clearing up those rotting oranges (a nice leaving present from Robin) , the race is on to see who will open first. And who will still be here in a year's time. Good luck to both, Ilkley needs a strong restaurant quarter to enable the less scrupled estate agents (Mr Thornton, I'm trying to avoid looking at you) to add loads of money to the prices of local flats. Or, indeed, just to sell them.