The Village That Refused to DIE
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INSPIRE The Village that Refused TO DIE Craig Stennett meets the inspiring residents of a village that fought hard not to fade away 2 ALL PHOTOGRAPHY © CRAIG STENNETT THE VILLAGE THAT REFUSED TO DIE grey dawn is slowly breathing light over the mountain skyline of Buttertubs and Fleet Moss into the pass between two mountains—the rural community of Hawes. It’s a frozen Sunday morning and the UK Met Weather Office Ahas issued a yellow alert for the North of England, predicting severe and hazardous weather conditions which will affect road and rail travel. Temperatures for the day have plummeted to a bone-chilling -4°C and snow is falling heavily, swirling around the roads and lanes of this isolated town. With a population of just 1,137, Hawes finds itself secluded at the head of Wensleydale in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. Dave Stephenson, 59, wrapped rail links or connections to other up tightly against the cold, pulls villages if needed.” his 16-seat transit bus to a halt Walter Head, a retired police officer opposite The Board Hotel in the and resident of Hawes for more than centre of town and waits for 20 years, is the operation manager. It’s passengers to arrive. It’s the Sunday his job to keep the community bus service for the Little White Bus, service open for business, ensuring Previous pages: A sign for the linking up Hawes and other villages the connection between Hawes and Yorkshire village of Hawes, on his route to a connecting service to surrounding villages as well as the which is trying to make itself the rail link at Garsdale train station adjacent route from Keld to Catterick. the most self-sufficient place in Britain eight miles away. It’s Monday and Walter sits in a “This run is a rural lifeline”, says cramped but functional control room Above: The Little White Bus Dave. “We do this every morning, at the Upper Dales Community makes its way on its Swaledale shuttle route this seven days a week so people can be Partnership offices just off the Market time leaving Keld for next dropped off at the station and I can Place in Hawes and is fielding stop Muker. pick arrivals up. I also cover the last numerous phone calls. It’s proving to Right: The Little White Bus trains of the day at Garsdale at 7pm. be a stressful start to the week. “We’ve driver Dave Stephenson waits I have two other—what we call got three buses off the road at at Garsdale Train Station for demand requests—today on top of present,” Walter groans slightly. the arrival of the 10.35 Carlisle to Leeds train and the my scheduled run. We’re classed as a “Today it feels a bit like I’m trying to 10.45 Carlisie to Leeds train community bus, you see,” he explains. keep plates spinning in the air. But going in the opposite “If it’s on our regular route we can still I’m proud to say that we’ve never”, he direction. Passengers from both trains wanting to then be booked outside the normal repeats, “never lost a run and that’s travel on to Hawes can do so running times, so people can catch the way I’d like it to continue.” on his Sunday service. 4 • MAY 2018 READER’S DIGEST Back in 2011, Hawes’ bus service to the Garsdale railway station was discontinued. Following an outcry “You know that from local residents and pressure if you need help from Hawes & High Abbotside Parish Council, the North Yorkshire County here, of any sort, Council offered a subsidy of £25,000 the community will and free use of one minibus to anyone who could restart the service. The always come to you” local people of Hawes and its surrounding villages stepped up to the task and formed The Little White and she handles it all by herself up Bus Company. At its core that service there now.” All in all, from a projected is a reflection of the spirit of the base of just 3,000 customers at its surrounding community. A team of birth in 2011, the ten vehicles of the 60 volunteer bus drivers on call and Little White Bus service now ferry eight paid part-time drivers have some 65,000 passengers, locals and reduced the overheads drastically. It tourists alike, throughout the year. also operates a 4x4 Land Rover as part Adjoining Walter’s office is the shop of a daily school run tackling some of front of the Upper Dales Community the region’s most challenging driving Office—the nerve centre of Hawes. environments to collect and drop off It’s a one stop shop of Post Office- school children on isolated farms. cum-library, resource centre, Giving credence to the rustic isolation community office, internet café and of the area, Walter outlines the police office, plus a general meeting difficulties: “It’s real off-road stuff point and hangout destination to along beds of rivers in parts. We sent catch up on the neighbourhood’s Natasha Dinsdale, our Land Rover news for anyone. Jill McMullon, 57, is driver, on an off-road driving course, out front dealing with customers coming in at bang-on opening time to Top; A Farmer and his sheepdog travel through the community office, and full-time Muker in The Yorkshire Dales National Park Post Office manager Ella Dinsdale, Left; Filling up at the Dale Head Petrol Station Hawes born and bred, is swiftly now run by the local community in Hawes handling posting and parcels from the Middle; At 90 years old, Basil Allen still works in queue of early-morning arrivals. A the grocery shop his grandfather and great local has brought in a lost wallet she grandfather opened in 1925 found in one of the pubs to return it Below right; Post Office manager Ella Dinsdale by registered post to its owner: “I serves a customer at The Upper Wensleydale googled his name and address, and Community Office in Hawes MAY 2018 • 7 READER’S DIGEST emailed him. He said it was OK to use some of the money inside to pay for postage,” explains the honest finder to “20 years ago, this Jill. Other parishioners are using the village had a Post internet or browsing the library books: “They’re changed regularly”, Office, bank, local Ella says, “and you can also pay your shop and bus service. council tax here or draw cash from your bank account if needed.” They’ve all gone The phoenix-like revival of Hawes ” and the adjacent Dale communities can be traced back to 1992 when the local economy: “We have a genuine town’s biggest employer, Wensleydale community spirit here. Thirty per cent Creamery parented by Dairy Crest, of the parents of the children from the threatened closure. Local Parish and local school work with us. My wife County Councillor John Blackie, 68, works here. We still have over 40 dairy picks up the story: “The creamery had farmers that have been with us since been in operation since the 1950s the 1990s providing milk for the with the original dairy factory going unique Wensleydale flavour.” David is as far back as 1897. There’s no other also first to acknowledge that the major employer in town. It was vital success of Nick Park’s animated that it stayed open.” A rescue characters also helped to put committee was set up, and an eight- Wensleydale on the map. “It was month campaign of naming and Christmas Eve 1996 when A Grand shaming Dairy Crest’s decision to Day Out featuring Wallace and Gromit close culminated in a management was first shown on BBC2. David team buyout. The creamery Spoxton, owner of the production re-opened. It has since gone from company, sent us a Christmas card strength to strength. David Hartley, out of the blue, saying, ‘You’ll see and one of the original members of the hear something to your advantage by management buyout and now watching Wallace & Gromit.’ ” managing director of the Wensleydale It was of course a marketing Creamery, explains the firm’s mission, department’s dream and the creamery which is clearly anchored into the hasn’t looked back. From a relaunch with 12 employees it now has 224. The Top; Creamery managing director David Hartley name Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese has protected status and a worldwide Bottom; John Blackie with Planning and reputation. The creamery even boasts Development Officer Richard Graham and Parish councillor John Watkin. a visitor centre. MAY 2018 • 9 READER’S DIGEST driving the twisting roads of the Dale. “It’s still got a school with 13 pupils. If that goes, it’s the death of the village. We’re hoping to develop four new houses as part of an Upper Dales Community Land Trust. They’ll be held in perpetuity by the village and never sold. Instead they’ll be rented out affordably to families with young children to keep at least one of the pillars on which a community is built alive.” John continues, “What we strive for are local services run by and for local John Blackie is filling up his petrol people. It helps that the character of tank at the Dale Head Garage in the Dales has enhanced people’s self- Hawes. The petrol station is the reliance and determination.” John Upper Dales Community himself is a reflection of that fighting Partnership’s latest acquisition and spirit. He’s had a heart bypass, two John has been the partnership’s bouts of cancer and has been volunteer executive chairman for 20 hospitalised twice with pneumonia.