THE IDLE LORD

Whilst trolling the tinterweb it is unusual to come across an absolute gem of a blog site. THE IDLE LORD.  Musings from the padded cell. Steve Wilson write a fantastic irreverent blog about the goings on in the village and his life WELL WORTH A READ! THE IDLE LORD

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year            to all our readers. Well it’s come round again and I hope everyone is getting into the right mood for the coming festivities. First of all news from the Thackley Villagers on their    efforts to light up the village this year.

“A local working group, more commonly known as ‘Thackley Villagers’ have organised the fourth  annual THACKLEY COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS LIGHT SWITCH ON 2013.

The event will be taking place in the car park at Thackley Cricket Club on SATURDAY 14th          December 2013.  Mulled wine, mince pies and stollen will be available in the Club House afterwards. The bar will be open for those wanting to start the celebrations early.

School children from Idle Church of England schools will be start the evening off with a procession down Thackley Road with their lanterns and singing Carols along the way. If this does not get     everyone feeling  the Christmas spirit then may be the Carols singing around the Tree will. All are encouraged to show their support for this annual event which locals have asked for and has been kindly supported by Bradford Council through your Elected Councillors, namely Cllr Jeanette Sunderland, Cllr Christine Reid and Cllr A. Griffiths.”

A big opportunity for villagers to get together at this time of year and celebrate this special time. This is one time when all the various organisations can gather together, sing carols have an odd drink and help cement that neighbourly feeling for another year.

Mr Bhulla Singh, Secretary of Thackley Cricket Club said, “this is the fourth year of the Thackley Community Christmas Light Switch On and it has gone from strength to strength. It is now firmly part of Thackley’s annual calendar  and Thackley Cricket Club are proud to be involved with this wonderful community event, one which brings the young and old together around a Christmas Tree, singing festive Carols and getting into the spirit of Christmas.

The Cricket Club has been in Thackley since 1879 (same year as Manchester United was formed, but not as rich). Members of the community are encouraged to come along and see what the Club can offer. Membership for a year is only £5 (that’s less than two pints of Larger) and maybe, JUST MAYBE,  Thackley Cricket Club can begin to get ‘a little rich’.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 RECIPES

Recipes By Henrietta Biscuit

Traditional Christmas recipes are usually based on Turkeys, puddings etc. but not these. This is a boxing day recipe served in front of a roaring fire with nothing else to do except indulge yourselves.

Get out the brandy and enjoy. Henrietta.

Beef & Ale Pie

Ingredients:
500g/1 ¼lb pack puff pastry
1 egg and 1 extra egg yolk beaten together

Filling:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3lb/1½ kg lean rump of beef cut into large cubes
1 large onion – peeled, halved and cut into slices
2 leeks - cut into chunks
2 carrots - roughly chopped
250 g/9oz brown cap button mushrooms - halved
1 ½ tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 or 3 tubs of fresh beef stock
1 bottle brown ale
dash of balsamic vinegar
a sprig of fresh thyme

1 tbsp sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

Brown the meat in batches in a hot frying pan, using a little oil if necessary.

Transfer to a casserole.

Add the onions and cook for several minutes to brown.
Add to the casserole together with the leeks, carrots and mushrooms.

Add the flour and tomato puree to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Add some of the ale to deglaze the pan. Transfer to the casserole. Add the remainder of the ale, thyme, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasoning.

Place a lid on the casserole and cook in the oven 150C 300F Gas 2 for 2 hours or simmer on the hob for 1 ½ hours, adding a little more stock if necessary. Stir through the parsley.

Place the filling into a pie dish and allow to cool.

Take the puff pastry and roll out on a cool floured    surface to about 1”/2.5 cm larger than the dish.
Brush the rim of the pie dish with the egg wash. Layer over the pastry. Press down firmly to seal.

Roughly trim the edges and flute with 2 fingers and a thumb. Make 2 slits in the top to allow the steam to evaporate otherwise the pastry will become soggy. (Alternatively use a pie funnel if you have one).

Cut out and mark 3 large leaves from the pastry     trimmings. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. If time leave for 15 mins and brush again. This will give a lovely golden brown colour when cooked.

Bake in a hot oven 220C 425F Gas 7 until the pastry is well risen and golden brown.

How to make wholemeal drop scones

Ingredients

· 250g self-raising wholemeal flour

· Pinch baking powder

· Pinch sea salt

· 25g caster sugar

· 2 medium eggs

· 275ml milk

· 50g butter, melted

· A little sunflower oil

To serve

· Butter

· Caster sugar

· Pinch ground cinnamon (optional)

· Jam, honey or macerated fruit

METHOD

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Pour in about half the milk. Whisk, gently at first, and then as you start to get a thick paste, add more milk and the melted butter. Beat until you get a creamy batter a little thicker than double cream - you might not need all the milk.

little thicker than double cream - you might not need all the milk.

2. Put a large, heavy-based frying pan or a flat griddle over a medium/high heat. Add a few drops of oil and rub with a thick wad of kitchen paper to oil the pan very lightly. Pour (or 'drop') a scant tablespoon of batter into the pan - to get a disc about the size of a digestive biscuit; you should be able to fit 4 or 5 in the pan.

3. After about a minute, little bubbles will start to appear on the surface of the drop scones. As soon as they cover the surface, flip the scones over with a spatula - be warned, the first batch may stick. Cook the other side for 40-60 seconds or so, then transfer the drop scones to a warm plate and cover them with a clean tea towel so they stay soft - or hand them over to those waiting eagerly to get stuck in.

4. Cook the remaining drop scones in the same way, adjusting the heat level if they start browning too quickly and re-oiling the pan with kitchen paper as necessary. To serve, top with a little butter and sprinkle with some sugar, and a fine dusting of cinnamon, if you like. Or serve buttered and spread with jam, honey or macerated fruit. Eat quickly, while still hot.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 WHARFEDALE SPEAKERS

Remember Wharfedale

Loudspeakers?

Once upon a time, but not that long ago, Idle was known throughout the world as the home of ‘Wharfedale’ speakers, arguably the most famous audio brand ever. Started in central Bradford, the firm spent the War years in Brighouse but moved to Bradford Road (next to the Jowett factory) in 1946. Massive expansion in 1968 saw the move to a brand new site on Highfield Road. Wharfedale stayed in Idle until 1985 before consolidating to a smaller operation at Crossgates in Leeds. Equally famous in the 1950s and 60s was the firm’s founder Gilbert Briggs, a native of  Clayton but resident in Ilkley from 1929 – hence the name he gave to his speakers. Briggs was not just an audio pioneer, he also made the subject of sound             reproduction accessible to the amateur and DIY enthusiast through his 21 books, published through Wharfedale, which charted the development of ‘hi-fi’ from 1948 and sold over 260,000 copies worldwide. He also staged audacious, large-scale concert-demonstrations using only domestic equipment in which recordings were compared directly, in real time, with live performance. These became legendary, including two in St George’s Hall (Bradford), four in the Royal Festival Hall (London) and two in Carnegie Hall (New York). When he died in 1978       obituaries both here and in the USA (where Wharfedales were produced under licence for many years) gave him the well-deserved accolade ‘the father of hi-fi’.

All this is the more remarkable because Briggs’ father died when he was only nine. Following education in an orphan’s school he joined a firm of Bradford textile export merchants in 1905, becoming a director only to be virtually bankrupted in the Great Depression. He had set up Wharfedale Wireless Works, as a sideline in 1932, in his wife’s name, and in 1933 he had to turn this into his livelihood. He had almost no relevant training for this but he was passionate about    music, had a very good pianist’s ear, limitless energy and a charismatic personality. The rest, as they say, is history – but until now the story has never been told!

Gilbert Briggs was my grandfather’s cousin and last year I published the results of a four-year project to research both his life and the history of Wharfedale during his lifetime – of course they are inextricably intertwined. My book, A pair of Wharfedales: the story of Gilbert Briggs and his loudspeakers, has been distributed abroad in the USA, China, Canada, Australia and Germany but discovering the Trumpit has at last allowed me to reach the good folk in Wharfedale’s homeland directly for the first time. The book is packed with archive pictures of speaker production, employees, products/brochures, concerts etc which I hope will be of local interest (see www.apairofwharfedales.com). Signed copies of my book are available locally from Drake's newsagents, 498 Leeds Road, Thackley. David Briggs.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 HEALTH MATTERS

Health Matters- Dealing With Asthma as the Cold Weather Sets In...

By Consultant Pharmacist - Nick Parmar

As the temperatures drop and colds and flu are on the increase, asthmatics may find that their condition worsens. If you're one of the 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, then the following advice on how to deal with asthma as   winter arrives may be of benefit to you…

Why does asthma get worse at this time of year?

So you might wonder why asthmatics suffer more during the winter months. Its usually one of two reasons - One, the air is cold and dry which can trigger an asthma attack and two, having a cold or flu can worsen asthma considerably. The signs of worsening asthma symptoms may include wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, a cough and waking up during the night.

How to deal with worsening asthma caused by winter weather, colds and flu

If your asthma is well-controlled, you are less likely to suffer during the winter months. The best piece of advice we at Thackley Pharmacy can give is that asthma sufferers keep their condition under control by using their medication as  prescribed by their doctor. Regular use of a preventer inhaler can stop asthma attacks from occurring so reducing the need of a 'reliever' inhaler which is used once an attack has set in. In order to ensure that inhaler treatment is sufficient and appropriate during the winter months, it is vital to have regular asthma reviews with your doctor or pharmacist. Here at Thackley, our pharmacist will happily review your inhaler use during a 'Medicines Use Review'. If you are using your reliever inhaler more regularly or, perhaps your 'preventer' inhalers aren't doing the trick, our pharmacist will advise you on your inhaler technique and may refer you to your doctor if he feels that your asthma treatment needs amending to get you through the winter months.

Colds and flu are the main culprits for causing asthma attacks around this time of year. Those with asthma who happen to get the flu are at a higher risk than the general population of developing complications of influenza, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Because of this, it is important that measures are taken to avoid the flu. The best way to prevent      influenza is to have the 'flu jab'. It does not 100% guarantee you will not suffer from the flu but it does make the chances of you getting the flu less likely and significantly reduces the severity of the illness. No matter how old you are, those with respiratory illnesses including asthma are eligible for the flu jab. If you need any advice ask our pharmacist or visit your GP.

Having good hygiene is the best way to avoid illnesses       including coughs, colds and flu. Washing your hands regularly can help reduce the likelihood of you catching a cold,          especially if your work colleagues or family members are coughing and sniffling!

Generally keeping warm and looking after yourself at this time of year is very important. If you're venturing out on a cold day make sure you wrap up warm. Cold air may trigger an asthma attack, so wearing a scarf over your nose and mouth can help warm up the air before you breathe it in reducing the risk of the cold air causing an attack. 

Win the war with worsening asthma this winter...

To give you the best chance of keeping your asthma under control this winter follow this advice:

-  Avoid going out if possible on very cold, windy days.
-  If you do have to venture out, wear a scarf over your nose and mouth and keep yourself warm.
-  Make extra effort to take your regular medications and ensure that you keep your reliever inhalers close by in case of an attack.

-  Don't be afraid to pop by and speak to the Pharmacist here at Thackley if you have any concerns about your condition or feel like your asthma isn't under control.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 JOE'S JOTTINGS

The great storm predicted at the beginning of last month came and went. The Met office got the prediction absolutely spot on. 90mph winds passing over the southern part of the country overnight and early morning. They managed to get        everyone prepared for the worst. Sadly a few people were killed and injured by falling trees and debris but on the whole, everything went to plan. Some folk were moaning about the railways preparation but then again would you like to be sat on an express train thundering toward a fallen tree or would you like to think that the engineers at Network Rail had taken the time to check the line    before opening it up to traffic. I often give the Met Office some stick over their predictions but credit where it’s due. They called this one before you could see any activity on the satellite images. They gave a range of area it was likely to pass narrowing that down as it      approached. From the initial forecast it shifted some hundred and fifty miles south. Which was good as it totally missed God’s county and caused no trouble whatsoever.

My oldest apple tree in the garden, which, has been threatening to shuffle off this mortal coil for some years now has produced a bumper crop of apples. They are classed as eaters but as we all know if they are picked too early they are guaranteed to give gut rot. I tend to leave them on the tree as long as possible as this    allows the apples to ripen to their fullest flavour. A good trick to know when they are just right is to give them a gentle twist and a pull. If they are ripe the apple will come away from the tree easily. If it clings on and refuses to part company, it is best left a bit longer. What The Kitchen Skirt and I really liked about the apples from this tree was their flavour which took us back to our childhood days and you could get some pop called Barrs Ciderapple. I think they called it this as sometimes these things are   shuffled in the memory bank. Anyhow I will call it Ciderapple. The flavour of this drink which had an alcohol content similar to bottled shandy (1/2 a percent) this gave a hint of cider, rather than just   apple juice. We used to think we were proper grown up drinking this stuff until we sampled the real cider a few years later. With such a large crop not all the apples could be eaten so The Skirt set about making some of her famous apple crumble. In my mind there are not many foodstuffs which I would describe as divine but The Skirt’s apple crumble is one of those foods. Apart from the apple she adds orange and lemon to the mix to bring out a truly remarkable dish. In a bit of a rush because she was due to be out with her drinking  cronies she forgot some of the sugar in the mix. In a flash of        inspiration she added the remaining sugar to the crumble topping and popped it in the oven. The result was spectacular as all the sugar caramelised and gave the topping extra crunchiness. It was

served with clotted cream ice cream. There is no finer food.

December is not a brilliant month for working outdoors but on good days there is still work to be done. Pruning trees and fruit plants is best done over the winter while the plant is dormant. Having no leaves allows you to see how the plant looks and where to cut. It is well worth learning how to prune trees to give the best appearance during spring summer and autumn.

As Christmas is approaching some of the cuttings can be used for decorations. Just add a bit of false snow and away you go. Holly is showing     berries if you are lucky enough to have some in the garden this always looks good above the fireplace. Christmas is a good time of year to sit back and reflect on the previous year and start to plan what you are going to do for the following spring and summer have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will be back in January with the usual start to the New Year, in the meantime there’s work to be done

Top ten jobs for this month:

1. Check your winter protection structures are still securely in place .

2. . Check that greenhouse heaters are working OK .

3. Prevent ponds and stand pipes from freezing.

4. Prune open-grown apples and pears (but not those trained against walls) .

5. Prune acers, birches and vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding.

6. Harvest leeks, parsnips, winter cabbage, sprouts and remaining root crops .

7. Deciduous trees and shrubs can still be planted and transplanted.

8. Take hardwood cuttings.

9. Keep mice away from stored produce .

10. Reduce watering of houseplants.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 MAILBAG

Mailbag

Thackley has arguably long been one of the best semi rural parts of Bradford. This is due to the green less    polluted environment and surrounding woodland. Slowly as a resident for over 19 years we have seen many greenbelt areas disappearing and housing developments being built. This has to stop now. Yes from the council point of view they will reap rewards from additional   housing, however, if we are to keep sought after areas we have to keep them looking  that way not ''crammed" in housing estates. If you need further evidence of this, drive down Kings Rd BD2 at peak times to see how heavy traffic can be from joining from the Kings Rd     estate, not to mention the untidiness and inconvenience of the cars double parked and multi coloured painted houses. Cote Farm estate already  produces more than enough traffic for Shipley or Greengates to cope with. You have to look at the bigger picture when considering these additional housing estates and look further afield to the many derelict and disused waste land areas        scattered across Bradford.

Kind Regards Paul

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 DEAN HARRISON

DEAN HARRISON STOPS THE MACAU GRAND PRIX

As I mentioned in last month’s report Dean was  winging his way to Macau for the       famous Grand Prix. The former Dutch colony hosts an annual road race around a very tight twisty street circuit. It is the only race meeting in the world which combines both bikes and cars. Dean did a   superb job in qualifying, The first time he has been to the circuit  having missed one session he managed to qualify 15^th for the race. Probably the most        remarkable aspect of his ride began with an incident on the first lap between Horst Saiger, David Johnson and Marc Fissette at Lisboa. The resulting melee forced Dean down the escape road to avoid a more personal acquaintance with the three unfortunate  riders. Dean quickly turned the bike round and        re-joined at the back of the pack. Putting in some blistering laps he managed to claw his way back up the leader board. After fighting his way through to twelfth pace and on lap twelve the bike high sided Dean. The crash brought out the red flag due to the position of the stricken machine. Dean walked away from the crash with a bruised ego and a sore elbow. The resulting crash gave Dean 12^th place overall. A fine ride from Bingley’s Ian Hutchinson saw him win the race in 26m 56 ahead of Michael Rutter by two seconds. It was a remarkable comeback from Ian after nearly losing a leg because of injuries sustained in the British Superbike championship.

Dean has signed for Mistral Racing who are one of the first teams to announce their return to the Classic TT with Jamie Coward. The duo will line up on a pair of Kawasaki ZXR750s for the four-lap Motorsport Merchandise Formula 1 Classic TT and are sure to go into the event as contenders for the race win. Speaking about the deal, Dean said: “I really wanted to have a good go at the Formula 1 Race at the  Classic TT on a competitive bike and I am really pleased to have had this offer from Mistral Racing which fits the bill perfectly. The guys did a great job with the bikes last year, and they are planning a lot of improvements for 2014, so we will be going to the event looking to win.”

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 ENGLISH

You think English is easy??

Read all the way to the end................This took a lot of work to put together!

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture..

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in   eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in       pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013 JOE KING

LAUGH...

 I nearly passed me sweets round !

by Joe King

On The Ball

If you've ever worked for a boss who reacts before getting the facts and thinking things through, you will love this.

Arcelor Mittal Steel, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.

On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business.

He asked the guy, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young man looked at him and said, "I make £400 a week. Why?"

The CEO said, "Wait right here." He walked back to his office, came back in two minutes, and handed the guy £1,600 in cash and said, "Here's four weeks' pay. Now GET OUT and don't come back."

Feeling pretty good about himself the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-ball did here?"

From across the room a voice said, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's." 

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013

Bridleways

By Christine Hardaker

A number of interesting things have happened this month, apart from some people taking up riding on the Commercial again by those that missed out over the last eighteen months!

I’ve sent an e-mail to the director, Ian Bairstow to ask him to ensure the sign and post is removed from the entrance to the land within a certain timescale, as it has become inappropriate now the council have admitted they were wrong to ban horse riding. I really hope I don’t have to go through the same old rigmarole of following the complaints procedure and then complaining to the Ombudsman in order for the council to comply with their duty to the public.

Also, I have submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act for the total costs to be revealed, of work undertaken by officers and consultants in relation to the Birkhill issue, in the hope that highlighting the enormous costs to the council taxpayers of fighting this inevitably fruitless battle, they might be deterred from carrying on the search for any historical evidence that might enable them to apply the ban once again. I am fairly unconcerned about their being able to find anything though, as I spoke to a solicitor in the legal department back in July and he had already been working on that task prior to our conversation and still had not found anything when I spoke to the same person again in October. My request will have to be      responded to within a certain timescale with either a full answer or a reason why they need more time to collate the information, or a good reason why it is not possible to give me the information. You can follow the progress of this request here www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/total_cost_of_banning_horse_ridi/new.

As a result of Cllr Sunderland’s assurance to the committee back in January that she would investigate the         possibility of opening up more tracks for horse riders in Thackley, a representative from the council rights of way, Friends of Buck Woods and Cllr Sunderland discussed opening up one of the old tracks from the entrance to the woods opposite Birkhill Farm livery and re-emerging on Thackley Road near the horse style leading down to the canal and river. It would be really nice if they re-opened it as it would mean riders would save at least one journey down or up the narrow and busy Thackley Road. They are trying to find funding from various pots of money, but to be honest, I can’t see why it should cost anything other than creating a gateway at the horse stile end of the track. It mustn’t have cost anything to close the route so why not just undo the barriers put up in the first place?

Planning application has been submitted and opened to the public for their comments or objections, for building approximately 270 dwellings on Cote Farm. I met with  Darren Hinchliffe from rights of way department along with Robert Lucas who owns the livery yard there, to walk the bridleway and discuss what impact the plans had on the track and also on Roberts business. Unfortunately, a lot of the land used at present for grazing the livery horses is ultimately going to be lost to building land. The plans are to keep the bridleway to the original line but to rebuild walls and trim back vegetation, but, as I said in my      comments submitted on line, hopefully the old hawthorn trees and the original character would be left undisturbed as much as possible.

I reported in the October issue that I had started riding my old gelding, just ten to fifteen minutes every other day or so to try bring him slowly back into work. It was all going very well and he was coping and enjoying the outings. But since it began to rain late in October, he began to look stiff and uncomfortable coming in from the field after being turned out. It has always been a mystery as to why he gets these spells and initially years ago, it was thought it was his feet. Although as he was no different if I put his boots on with pads in to cushion his soles, I didn’t think it was his feet but probably higher up in his body. He has always found some difficulty in lifting his hind legs for picking his feet out or the farrier, so I suspect he had an injury when he was young before I bought him and it’s probably arthritis setting in. So he is back to being a field ornament again and he has found some relief more recently when I give him a daily sachet of ‘bute, or the horsey equivalent to paracetemol.

Also, I had found that he had stayed remarkably well when I reduced and eventually stopped giving him Pergolide for his Cushings back in December last year. Normally once Cushings is diagnosed, they need to be on medication for the rest of their life so the fact that he had improved so much whilst I was reducing the doseage and was continuing to do well without the drugs was very puzzling, even to the vets!  But I had still had him blood tested periodically and the first two taken in early and late spring came back normal. Horses diagnosed with PPID, (the abbreviation for the vets name for Cushings), generally have the highest levels of the hormone ACTH in their system at late October and the lowest in spring so I was prepared for a positive result when he was tested last month, so I wasn’t shocked when it came back as a high result – one which would mean a definite diagnosis of PPID. His clinical signs-or signs that you can see have not changed, apart from him becoming stiff when the ground is wet so I have been hanging back and waiting and watching him closely before I decide whether to put him back onto Pergolide. I’ve       decided to wait until spring and if he still has a positive blood test, I will have to decide then what to do.

I hope you all have a very happy horsey Christmas and see you in the New Year!

Contact me as usual on christinehardaker@supanet.com or mobile 07739708727 or I’m on Facebook now so you can “friend” me to receive any more updates about the Commercial.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013

 Gone Fishin... with Idle and Thackley Angling Association

Contacts: ‘Phone 01274 615016

  Web: idleandthackaa.supanet.com

  Email: idleandthackaa@supanet.com

Christmas Present Ideas…..

For those of you thinking about Christmas presents ideas for angling partners and other friends/ relatives but don’t know what to buy here are the annual tips. Take care with major purchases as tackle needs to suit the individual   requirements and styles of angling of the person you are buying for. Ideally you will have sounded them out already from all the nods winks over the last few weeks the exact model and tackle desired. If not seek advice from their closest friends who should already have been suitably briefed about the exact requirements. Last years top tip was a new 16metre carbon pole but Santa seems to have missed a few anglers yet again with this item so it still remains the top tip for loved ones this year. Other possibilities include a new float or feeder rod and reel or other similar major item. Thermal clothing suits, boots, gloves etc can also be particularly useful presents at this time of year.

For general presents there are many low to medium cost accessories available for just a few pounds but it is always best to know the type of angling, and take expert advice from a local tackle dealer. If in doubt its better to offer cash and allow the angler to select the items themselves as  angling is a very technical sport these days.

Swainby R. Swale

Match Results

The members 2013 Aggregate Trophy for the most points scored on all club Swainby matches during the year was won by Matty Prudhoe with a score of 285 points. The members 2013 Specimen Fish prize for the largest fish landed in a match for the year was won by Charlie          Hardaker with a 5lb 9oz chub at Swainby. The next Swainby matches are on Sunday Dec 15th and Sunday December 29th. For bookings ring 615016.

24.11.13 -The river was 2ft up but clearing so some of the larger chub showed. Winner Ian Parker caught 2 chub on bread weighing 9lb 6oz from peg 25. Second was John Leyland with one chub for 4lb on meat from peg 68. Third was Brian Higgins 2lb 10oz from peg 24 and fourth Steve Evans 2lb 5oz peg16.

10.11.13- 5ft of very coloured extra water made       conditions very difficult. Winner Graham Skerry caught 1 large chub weighing 5lb 12oz on ledgered wasp cake from peg 30 . Second placed Richard Walton was the only other  angler to catch with a 1lb 4oz grayling on float fished    maggot from peg 53.

Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Report.

Sport slowed as temperatures have fallen but still some reasonable catches of perch on milder days at Harrogate Rd. end on worm and red maggot and a few roach on bread punch. Pike off the railings below the locks. Day  tickets price £3 Adults and Juniors £1.50 and yearbooks available from Eccleshill Angling Supplies.  

Contacts- If you want any further information or have any reasonably sensible suggestions contact.

Phone 01274 615016.

Web Site - idleandthackaa.supanet.com.

Email idleandthackaa@supanet.com

THACKLEY TRUMPIT DECEMBER 2013

 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL   By Waldorf 

 Football is now deemed to be a squad game, Premier League Clubs can register up to twenty five players, this is not only to cover for injury but so they can rotate them, ensuring that they are not over tired and to keep the players fresh. Likewise, in the non league game, teams assemble squads of players, but there is no limiting number, as long as they are registered with the club they are allowed to play. However, the reason for having a number of players available at Thackley's level, is that almost all players have conflicting interests and are not always available to play. Injury, of course, is the main reason that players are not able to take part in matches, but there are many others, that professional clubs do not have to contend with. Work commitments and suspension are major causes of players unavailability, alongside holidays and having to attend other family functions such as weddings etc. Another cause of absenteeism is 'stag do's', with most of the players in their teens and twenty's, these seem to come around at regular intervals, often leaving a team three or four players short. Gone are the days when a prospective groom had a night out before the wedding, now it is days away in the sun and players often missing for more than one match, when they do return, they are usually not in a fit condition to play a game anyway. Thackley have suffered quite badly from unavailability this season, which makes their high flying league position all the more remarkable. So far this season the Dennyboys have used thirty two of their 'squad' players, never because they wanted to keep them fresh, all because of unavailability for one reason or another. It poses quite a problem for the     managers, but I suppose it is the same for all the teams at our level.

Thackley have progressed in the FA Vase and are now in the Third Round, which is the round they reached last year, before exiting, when Wisbech Town beat them 4-2 at Dennyfield. They have played four ties to get this far in the competition, Whitehaven (2-1); Darlington Railway (5-1); Eccleshill United (1-0) and earlier this month, Armthorpe Welfare (4-0). To progress to the Fourth Round,      something they have managed on four previous occasions, (1987/88 beaten by Durham City in a replay; 1993/94 beaten by Atherton Laburnum Rovers in a replay; 2004/5 beaten by AFC  Newbury; and 2005/6 beaten by Arnold Town.) they need to      overcome one of their cup bogie teams, Ashington. Although, in their only Vase meeting to date, Thackley beat their North East   rivals 6-0, that was way back in 1987, they have lost to them three times in recent years in the FA Cup, each time by the only goal of the game. Mention the town of Ashington and all football followers will immediately know it is the birthplace of World Cup winning brothers Bobby and Jackie Charlton. Jackie Milburn, the Newcastle United legend, was also born there and as well as playing for the Premier Division club, he played for the town's team. Currently,  Ashington play in the First Division of the Ebac Northern League and boast the best home record in that league,  having dropped just two points from a possible twenty one so far this season. As usual on these occasions, Thackley will be running a coach to the match which is to be played on Saturday 7th December. It is likely to be a pretty tough game to win, but when the Dennyboys are on song, they are a match for anybody.

The FA Vase victory against Armthorpe was just one of four wins during the month, in which seven matches were scheduled but only six played, one was this season's first victim of the weather, a waterlogged Dennyfield. November started badly for Thackley, when they suffered their worst defeat for some time, going down seven two, to a rampant Pickering Town team, their manager had been sacked just three days before the match. The players must have felt they had something to prove, after the match six handed in their track suits and quit the club in support of the axed manager. League victories were gained against Retford away (1-0), and Long Eaton United at Dennyfield (5-2), but a defeat (4-3) at Heanor Town was a bit of a set back, before in the final match of November, Thackley returned to winning ways with a victory at Armthorpe. This was not in the league, but in the Second Round of the League Cup, so Thackley are still on track to win the competition that has provided silverware for the Dennyboys at the end of the last two         seasons. 

Thackley are currently in second position in the league, five points adrift of leaders Tadcaster  Albion, but with three games in hand. Brighouse Town are the only team that can catch them at present, if they win all their matches in hand, the          Dennyboys play them in back to back fixtures in January. The next home game at Dennyfield is on the 14th December, kick off 3.00pm, when Thackley come up against top of the table Tadcaster, a six pointer for certain.

Finally, on behalf of everyone at Dennyfield, can I wish all our supporters and 'Trumpit' followers, a 'Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'. 

OLD MOTORCYCLE RACERS

OLD MOTORCYCLE RACERS

Found this group on Facebook covering historical motorcycle racing well worth a look
https://www.facebook.com/groups/162702797097725/

THACKLEY TRUMPIT JANUARY

THACKLEY TRUMPIT JANUARY

This months edition of the Thackley Trumpit will not be appearing due to technical problems