MENSTON NEWS

ISSUE NUMBER 128 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 Misson Statement of Menston Community Association: To unite the village through community-driven engagement, communications, events and experiences in order to enhance the wellbeing, inclusivity and amenities of the community for its residents.

WELCOME TO THIS EDITION OF MENSTON NEWS

Photos courtesy of Nigel Cawthorne MENSTON COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWS Your library reopened on 20th July and it has been lovely to see and serve our customers again. Do call into our airy foyer and place your returned books on our returns trolley. Whilst we can’t let you in to the library to browse at present we are very happy to pick and issue a few books from stock while you wait, if we aren’t too busy. If you prefer to dash in and out you can email your requests to: [email protected] Or leave us a phone message on: 01943 876539 If you prefer to order books for yourself libraries on-line catalogue is back up and working and can be found at: https://capitadiscovery.co.uk/bradford/ You will need your library card number and pin number which is the first two digits followed by the last two digits of your date of birth. The van service is running and ordered books are arriving so life is slowly returning to normality. The only snag is that the Bradford system is not currently sending out emails or phone messages to tell you that your books have arrived! All requested books are issued to your ticket, labelled with your name and placed ready for collection on a table in the foyer. Please do use this valuable local resource. Our revised opening hours at the time of writing (9.8.2020) are : Monday 10.30-12 Wednesday 10.30-12 Thursday 2.30-4.00 Jill Cooke Manager On the lockdown front, main projects/skills that wouldn't have otherwise happened have been (a) working with/tutoring my nieces in Ireland over Skype on maths and history topics - has involved using Skype for the first time, relearning my history and A-level maths, as well as getting to know distant family all the better - it's been a really positive product of the lockdown. Other has been starting to research family and house history with home based access to Ancestry etc enabled through .

Through the library service I also have been investigating my family history. I have never before researched anything on the internet. It would seem though that I have a skeleton in the cupboard way back at the start of the last century. Anonymous!!!

Page 14 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 KIRKLANDS TRUST IS CURRENTLY RECRUITING The Trust is looking to appoint a number of new Trustees to the Kirklands Trust to be involved in the on-going and future planning for the Kirklands Community Centre. This is an exciting way of supporting your local community. We need individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, age groups, skills and gender in order to assure we can maintain a vibrant forwarding thinking group consolidating what has already been achieved and also having a strong future vision for Kirklands and Menston. In particular we have a specific and urgent vacancy for a Trustee with a legal background. If you are a practising or retired lawyer with a knowledge of or access to commercial legal law through associates we would really like to hear from you. The Trustees meet monthly to review current activities, finances, maintenance and future plans for the Centre to keep it a functioning and vibrant heart of the Menston community. If you would like more information on either of these opportunities please email the Centre Manager, Heather at [email protected] and the Trustees will arrange to contact you with further details.

We have been tie-dying which has been great fun. We now live in the tie-dye palace! Primary school children and their Mum.

My guitar skills have greatly improved during lockdown and I am hoping to be able to play “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller and “Eruption” by van Halen which are quite difficult. 11 year old boy

MENSTON NEWS

We would like to thank our small and dedicated team of deliverers and if you would like to join them please contact us. We would also like to thank all our contributors for taking the time and energy to put together their articles. Obviously the information supplied is solely at the discretion and responsibility of the submitting organisation. Feedback and comments on this issue would be most welcome [email protected] Items for the next newsletter should be received by Sunday 14th February 2021 to [email protected] If you are able to help us please contact - [email protected]

Issue 129 MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Page 15 ST JOHN’S ROOF APPEAL

The Nostalgia Night, featuring local band TIME WARP, which was originally planned for July this year, has now been re-scheduled for SATURDAY, 8th MAY, 2021. This is to be held at Kirklands Community Centre and will include a bar, raffle and pie and peas supper. Further details will be announced at a later stage. Proceeds from the function are for the Church Roof Appeal.

Published during the lockdown, two new booklets by David Machin are for sale at £5 each, every penny to the church roof fund. As usual you’re sure to find plenty to amuse you - and to give you pause to think. ‘Let the Rafters Ring’ - verses fresh off the pen (with a few of your old favourites included by request). ‘Ding Dong Merrily’ - tasty tales to make you smile. David will also take orders for any of his previous ‘Verses for Funny Folk’ (children and the young at heart); ‘Verse on the Wing’ - (our friends the birds); ‘Machinations’ - (his first volume of short stories) or indeed any of his earlier booklets of verse. You can contact David at 9, Fairfax Road; or phone 872228 or email [email protected]

So far we have raised £30,400 (inc Gift/Aid) from the church congregation. We intend to approach other donors and organisations once services have returned. to normal.

MENSTON BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MBA)

We would like to thank all our villagers who have been supporting all the local businesses during Covid-19. It has been heart-warming to see our many businesses adapting to provide a service to our village through these difficult times. “Thank you for Shopping Local.” Christine Minchella

For the first time we have, as a family this summer, grown our own veg. We had already heard that the veg will taste so much better than the supermarkets but we did not realise how much better. We will definitively be growing our own veg next year and probably more of it. Started watching Monty!!!!

Page 16 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 Roses and clematis escaping from the Pre-school car park to colonise the recycle bins.

We have lived in Menston for almost fifteen years now and have to confess that we have never really walked the moors. Sandwich generation and careers are to blame. During lockdown we decided to explore and had no idea that there were rock carvings up on Moor. We have now invested in an OS map, picnic backpack, compass and walking boots which are just about worn-in. How many miles does it take to fully wear-in walking boots?

Issue 128 MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Page 17 MENSTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Lockdown has been very challenging however our experience at the primary school has been very positive. We have worked closely with our brilliant key worker families and in doing so we have come to respect and understand how much we owe them. All our staff have worked together more closely than ever before as they have risen to this challenge. They gave up holidays and volunteered to do extra work and they found new ways to teach in order to cater for groups of key worker children from 4-11years old and to give them more access to the outdoors where we knew children would be safest and happiest. When the school re-opened to children in Reception and in years 1 and 6 all our staff came back full time with no exceptions and from that point until the summer break there was not a single day’s staff absence. Because of this we were able to invite back every child in every year group before the end of term for at least a few days. I think that shows the commitment of our staff to their community and I am very proud of all of them. All through lockdown we worked very closely with our partner schools in the Wharfe Valley in order to make sensible and safe decisions. Working with them we came up with a manageable plan to bring back all children in our schools for some days before the summer break. We learned lots about the possibilities of ‘home learning’ and our staff have developed their use of digital and internet based platforms much faster than would have been the case without the pandemic. We know that we have much to learn and that this has to remain a priority as we ready ourselves for the September restart and the possibility of further lockdowns. For fifteen years we have been developing our large site to provide opportunities for children to learn outside of the classroom. During Lockdown we worked with local contractors to complete the installation of a large polytunnel which will double up as a teaching and growing space, we installed an additional pathway and running track for our youngest children so that they have all year round access to the school fields and we installed two outdoor class-sized seating areas to facilitate more learning outdoors. So much is now written about children’s physical and mental health. At Menston Primary and in other schools across the country we have been developing resources and strategies to progress this for many years. What makes our school different is that as part of this overall offer, we have had safe outdoor learning as part of our curriculum for many years and we are developing this further all the time. When the summer ends and children return we will use all these resources to offer so much more than the thirty children in a classroom all day model. By doing so we will keep our children happier, healthier and safer. We cannot wait to welcome them back.

Page 18 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 This village is also a great place to bring up a family and in terms of ac- cess to high schools. Children leaving the primary school have secured places at all local high schools for the past two years. The relative popularity of these schools changes over time. For example, this year Ilkley has been particularly popular. Last year it was Prince Henry’s. It is not so long ago that School took the vast majority of Menston children and when Guiseley’s new build is completed next year, it will become increasingly attractive to Menston families. All these high schools are great schools. Families just need to visit them all and decide which suits them best. Destinations for year 6 leavers this year: 1 to Bradford Grammar, 5 to Guiseley School, 32 Ilkley Grammar, 16 Prince Henry’s and 3 to Menston St Mary’s RC School. Mr Jones

MENSTON POTTERY

Menston Pottery was situated behind Church View under the tunnel next to what was Mildred Crowther – Hairdresser and run by Peter Robinson from 1974 to 1982 Peter arrived in Menston in 1960 aged 7, a pupil at Menston Council School 1960 to1963, Guiseley Fieldhead Road School 1963 to 1968, Grammar 1968 to 1970, Leicester Polytechnic - Foundation Studies in Art 1970 to 1971, Manchester Polytechnic Three Dimensional Design (Wood, Metal and Ceramics) 1971 to 1974. Peter started Menston Pottery as soon as he left Art College, specialising in Slip Decorated Earthenware mainly tableware and sold via an Italian agent into a range of Italian Restaurants. During this time he exhibited widely and was involved in the Guild of Craftsmen - Chair 1978-9, helped set up Designer Makers North 1980 and was a Member of the Yorkshire Arts Association Crafts Committee. Peter still lives in the area. Dale Smith

Issue 128 MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Page 19 SCRUBS The Menston Making Scrubs team have continued to work during lockdown and as we come out of it. To date (8.8.2020) we have made over 270 sets of scrubs, most of which have gone to Bradford District Care Trust, and the local GP practices, 100s of laundry bags have been put together for staff to wash their scrubs and uniforms in, and nearly 600 NHS compliant face masks. The face masks have been distributed around Menston, through “Menston Cares” to the elderly, to Menston Primary School, and to the Care Trust for patients without access to a cloth mask. We are still making masks, for distribution in Menston, to those who are struggling to access their own. Over 40 local ladies have been involved, and I’d like to say a massive thank you to all of them. There are too many to name individually, and a lot of them have never met. I’m hoping that they will be able to in the future, for a well-earned drink. They should be proud of what they have achieved, and it’s been a great thing for the village to be able to help the local NHS and local residents. We’ve had funding and material from a number of sources including local residents, Menston Parish Council, local businesses and through crowdfunding on Facebook. You have all been very kind. We have also received large donations of unwanted sheets, duvet covers, and unwanted material from Menston residents. Some people can’t have much bedding left in their house now, so I’d like to say it's been put to good use, and I thank each and every one of you. The work is winding down now, but we still have some amazing ladies making masks. It's certainly kept us busy. I can honestly say I haven’t been bored during lockdown. Let’s hope we don’t have another peak, but if we do, we will be back at our sewing machines...... Lesley Hill

?helping

With the nationwide request for scrubs to be made I got out my 45 year old sewing machine and for the first time in forty years used it. That together with the inspiring “Sewing Bee” TV programme has re-ignited my passion for dress making. I am now onto my second dress.

Page 20 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 Three bedrooms totally redecorated plus new curtains and bed linen. Sent the retired bedlinen to Scrubs. All three look good but puts the rest of the house to shame. My wife is telling me “we” will have to redecorate the other rooms.

Not a new skill but making even more Christmas decorations, gifts and cards this year to sell for charity.

“It keeps me out of mischief.”

Issue 128 MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Page 21 MENSTON CRICKET CLUB

The return of recreational cricket The cricket season started on 18th July after the Government allowed a number of sports to come out of lockdown. At the time of writing (10th August), the cricket club has done all it can, following COVID-19 guidelines, to enable as many junior and senior players to take part in training sessions and matches in a shortened cricket season. There are many measures in place at the cricket club to remind all visitors to the club to maintain social distancing, use available hand sanitiser and record contact details for NHS Test & Trace purposes. Typically, our bar is open every Friday evening from 6pm and every Saturday from 1pm. Come along for a drink and support the club and all our teams. The cricket season is due to finish at the end of September. In addition to the playing of cricket, the club has been able to complete a 5-year project to insert a 2-lane net facility. This has been received very well by all members and is getting used on a daily basis. The facility was officially opened on 1st August by Lauren Winfield, Yorkshire and , following a training session for our girls’ team. It is also available for hire at £10 an hour – just get in touch with the club via [email protected] if you are interested in hiring the net facility. The club has also replaced the pavilion roof and updated its scorebox from a manually operated system (which was over 30 years old) to an electronic system, making life easier for our young scorers. These projects were done following receipt of successful grant applications. The club’s volunteers continue to work tirelessly so that the ground and facilities are tidy and of a good standard. If you want to get in touch with the cricket club, please send an email to [email protected] or contact Club Secretary, Paul Smith, on 07815851097.

(Photo taken on Sunday 9th August 2020)

Page 22 www.menston.org Autumn 2020 THE GREAT VITAMIN C MYTH We all know it and probably believe it to be true. Vitamin C has long been touted as the cure for colds and sniffles, but it turns out it is not strictly true. Nobel prize winner, Linus Pauling, is arguably the person most responsible for creating the myth when he published his book Vitamin C and the Common Cold, where he encouraged Americans to consume 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily. Newer research has proven this to be ineffectual at fighting colds and many other ailments that it claims to fight. In fact, too much Vit C can lead to nausea, stomach complaints and kidney stones. However, the body uses vitamin C in many ways and is needed to form collagen to make skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. It also uses this vitamin to repair and maintain cartilage, bones and teeth, to heal wounds and to form scar tissue. So, we do need it, just how much is the question? All I know is that my next-door neighbour has taken Vitamin C tablets all her adult life, she’s 89 and in great shape. So how about adding some Vitamin C into your daily routine? Here is a simple recipe. Easy to make and highly effective, this recipe combines honey, lemon juice, ginger and turmeric to help you feel better fast. Ingredients • 2tsps honey - preferably raw unfiltered and as local as possible • 1 lemon - fresh squeezed • Zest from one lemon • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (approx. 2inch) • 1 tsp ground turmeric (I’ve not tried fresh yet) • Fresh ground black pepper Instructions 1. Mix all ingredients together, and add to a tea strainer 2. Heat enough water for your cup 3. Steep in hot water for 4 - 6 minutes 4. Remove strainer or let steep for another 5 minutes, as desired Victoria Taylor

MENSTON NEWS

This edition of the Menston News went to the printers on 14th August and therefore any future changes to the current situation would have been unknown at that time.. Consequently some of the information in this Newsletter may be out of date.

Issue 128 MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Page 23 LAST WORD Lockdown has been a mixture of opportunities taken as well as those missed!

Covid-19 hit us all smack between the eyes - by surprise and unprepared.

It has brought home to us in spades how reliant we are upon others, from carers, shoppers, neighbours, friends and families; to say nothing about local shops, the phone, broadband, Zoom, the postman and the newspaper boy, and what a magnificent job Isabel has done editing There’s Something About Menston – and thanks too to the many contributors.

Leaving aside for now the reaction of government, councils etc. I want to reflect upon lessons we should learn. People need people. We need to interact to give and get support. We need to respect people with their complex and amazing differences, diversity and skills. Look deep into their hearts before judging.

We must not forget this utter dependence upon others and continue to strive for a fairer society, always levelling up rather than down yet promoting opportunities and individual responsibility.

Lockdown has been a mixture of doing - and not doing!

Doing emails, Facebook and Zoom meetings galore; trying to respond and influence for the better outcomes and actions for individuals, schools and the community.

Not doing enough exercise, gardening or housework! Time-a-plenty watching Discovery channels. Reading-a-plenty newspapers, Private Eye and thought provoking books:-

1. Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race - Reni Eddo-Lodge 2. The life of the cosmos - Lee Smolin 3. John Newton - from “Disgrace to Amazing Grace” - Jonathan Aitken.

Each book gives a thought provoking aspect on life and times, each different yet connected.

All of which confirmed my suspicions that:- The more you learn the more you realise how much more there is yet to learn! The answer you need to know is to the question you did not even know to ask!

As "new normal" opens up - and it will be quite different - I will try to adapt, push on and cherish fellow human beings.

Stay Safe Cllr. Dale Smith