Proms on the Farm raises a record £15,000

Above: the Simpsons won the prize for the best dressed gazebo at the 12th annual Proms on the Farm at Silsden on Saturday, July 18. Terry and Margaret Simpson, of Silsden, are pictured with their happy family after receiving the accolade. 

Above: the Proms on the Farm was an outstanding success and attracted a record attendance of around 800, excluding under-16s (for whom entry was free). The event is held in aid of the Manorlands hospice and Silsden Methodist Church's community work. They are expected to share record Proms proceeds of about £15,000. Over the years, the event has raised £126,000 for the two causes. 

Above: the revellers included newly-weds Melanie Ninniss-Mateo (right) and John Mateo (left), who were attending their first event as a married couple. They are pictured with Melanie's sister Diane Bloomer, Simon Holland (centre) and David Smart, ex-landlord of the Punch Bowl pub in Silsden.

Above: the Proms are held at Sycamore Farm, Brunthwaite, by permission of Mrs Jean Newns and this year the two fields were packed as never before with people and parked cars.     

Above: these friends took the opportunity to flag up a charity hog roast, which will be held at High Crossmoor Farm on August 1. 

Above: as inventive as ever, these regular Prom-goers chose Christmas and Santa's Silsden Grotto as their theme.

Above: friends treated Trish Coll (centre) to a 50th birthday party, which included a 'mums and babies' themed cake made by Debbie Wilson (third from left). The mums met at ante-natal classes 20 years ago and have been friends ever since.

Above: seldom has Brunthwaite seen so many pleased promenaders.

Above: the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds, and her consort, Robert Dodds, headed the VIP guests and helped judge the 'best gazebo' competition along with Silsden deputy town mayor Councillor Keith Savage (centre), consort Councillor Margaret Croft and Silsden Methodist Church Minister the Rev Ruth Crompton.

Above: these Silsden promenaders were colourfully attired as masqueraders. They included Rosalie Holroyd (fifth from left), one of the four organisers of the annual event. Her committee colleagues (not pictured) are Sylvia Atkinson and Stewart and Fiona Hanson.

Above: John Shuttleworth and his wife, Geraldine (second from right), who live nearby, have attended all 12 proms.They are pictured here with friends.

Above: local rock group the Big Bang were once again a big hit with promenaders. Left to right are B. J. Walmsley, Stan Greenwood, Kieran Nuttall and Steve Lampkin.

Above: Keighley Rotary Club attended. Immediate past president Janet Pickles is pictured fourth from right. Seated is president-elect Marie Hickman.

Above: the renowned Skelmanthorpe Brass Band, formed in 1843, headlined. Conducted by Martin Hall and with Silsden singer Sarah Halstead as soloist, the band played favourites from the Last Night of the Proms. The Sultans of Swing, formed last year, completed the musical line-up.

Above: a perfect setting, perfect weather and popular performers made it a night to remember.

Above and below: there were gazebos galore and plentiful picnics.

Craft fair a popular feature of Community Showcase

Above: artist and designer Val Hughes took part in craft fair at Silsden Town Hall on July 11. Val is pictured with her newly-published first book. The fair, organised by the Been Busy shop in Kirkgate, was a popular part of the Community Showcase presented by Silsden's Grand deParty organisation, which aims to maintain the amazing community spirit seen when the Tour de France came through Silsden last year. More than 23 local groups promoted their activities at the town's three churches. Refreshments were available at all four Showcase venues.

Above: former Kirkgate hairdresser Ann Roberts now hand makes cards for all occasions and decorates woodworked items. Her range is under the name 'annmade' and Ann is one of the craftspeople whose work is displayed at Been Busy. The shop, opened in November by Angela Malcolm, is a Community Interest Business and Ann is one of the directors.

Above: Rosie Shaw makes a beaded necklace watched by mum Heather and grandma Brenda Lister at the Mrs Bead stall.

Above: Mrs Bead is Rachel Brennan, who runs beadcraft parties and workshops for children. Her work can be seen at Been Busy.

Above: Giles Darby and Fiona Lanigan show two examples of Giles' pen and ink drawings. He set up his Tilly Pepper Art business after 15 years in property rentals and sells his distinctive hand-drawn cards, T-shirts and mounted pictures at outlets in Harrogate, Haworth and Leeds. He is due to join the Been Busy craft centre soon.

Above: Keighley mums Clair Hussey (left) and Abigail Newman were attending their third craft fair. Clair's Salt of the Earth enterprise offers hand-made bath salts, face and body scrubs and balms. All the ingredients are natural. Abigail makes personalised hand-made items for all occasions under the name 'Handmade with love by Abi'. 

Above: sisters Yvonne Campbell (left) and Pauline Jackson make a variety of goods to help fund overseas aid work by Maggie Tookey, of Edinburgh Direct Aid. Pauline and Maggie, who was made an MBE for her work in war zones, were colleagues at Aireville School in Skipton. 

Above: Ros Driver, of Silsden, did brisk trade with her home-made chocolate cakes. Ros specialises in making Christmas cakes and last year, under the name Pink Poppy, produced 282 of them for family, friends and organisations.

Above: legal secretary Jackie Nettleton took up craft work, making cushion covers and other items, after being made redundant. Jackie's Craft Boutique offers 'all things crafty.'  

Above; former Steeton School head teacher Chris Newson specialises in Chinese brush painting and produces pictures and cards as well as other art works. She has illustrated a book of poems by Isobel Thrilling, who, like Chris, lives in Embsay. 

Above: a young brother and sister were fascinated by a 'create your own badge' opportunity provided by Victoria Sykes, whose main craft interest is tweed handbags, which are displayed at Been Busy.  

Above: Lynn Lee makes hand-crafted and fashion jewellery, under the name Little Gems.  

Above: painter and decorator Colin Wright also turns his hand to painting furniture, fire surrounds and glass splashbacks under the name Wright Effects. 

Above: Joyce and Stanley Wesley enjoyed the colourful selection of art work by children from Hothfield Junior School.

A grand day out in Silsden park

Above: the sun shone for Silsden's Grand deParty in the park on July 4 when a variety of events coincided with the Tour de France Grand Depart in Utrecht, Holland, a year after Yorkshire auspiciously hosted the start of the famous race.

 Above: some of the pairs who took part in the relay run for adults and under-11s.  

Above and below: Silsden Town Band entertained in a perfect outdoor setting for brass-band music.   

  

Above: experienced members of Silsden Playing Fields Bowling Club were kept busy introducing youngsters to the game.

 Above: not every wood goes where you want it to.

 Above: novelty equipment proved the ideal way to attract the interest of youngsters.  

Above: the park opened in 1934 and has been a major town asset ever since.

Above: Silsden AFC under-10s took part in the soccer matches. They are pictured here with the age-group trophy they won at the recent Silsden tournament, which has become one of the biggest junior soccer events in the UK. 

Above: Silsden AFC under-8s showed off the kit they will wear as the under-9s squad in the coming season, sponsored by Shaun Topper's TMC Joinery. The new sponsor follows Silsden Opticians' support.

Above and below: families made the most of the fine weather to support what was the first in a series of Grand deParty events in July, capitalising on the great community day last year when the Tour de France came through Silsden.

Above: two of the youngsters who completed the popular Becyling obstacle course run by cycling coach Chris Armstrong, who will be providing summer holiday cycling activities in the district.

Above: a "dogstacle" course organised by Linda Flanagan and friends was a hit. Linda's pet Papillon dog Louis is pictured with a new friend.   

England runner wins Silsden's Murder Mile

Above: England fell runner Tom Adams, of Ilkley Harriers, won this year's Murder Mile at Silsden, in a time of 6 minutes 43.98 seconds -- narrowly outside the record of 6.24 set last year by James Hall, of Wharfedale Harriers. 

Above: second in 7.09 was Silsden's Craig Shearer, who runs for Keighley and Craven. 

Above: Wharfedale Harrier Logan Hargreaves-Madhas (7.54) was third. He was also the first under-14 boy to finish.

Above: Chris Barnes (Blackburn) won a three-way battle for fourth place in 8.02 followed by Chris Loftus (Keighley and Craven) in 8.03, the first veteran 40 to finish, and Sam Smith (Wharfedale Harriers), 8.04, who was the first under-12 boy home. 

The race starts at Silsden Golf Club, Brunthwaite, and provides a challenging ascent of 162 metres (485 ft.) up winding Brunthwaite Lane. 

Just under 200 runners were in the July 2 starting line-up. Conditions were cool and wet and in sharp contrast to the week's heatwave. The night before, Silsden had been hit by a frightening thunder and hail storm.     

Above: the first under-17 girl to finish was Jemima Elgood, of Ilkley Harriers, in 8.36. She was also the first female to cross the line.

The race is a single event that has young and older runners competing alongside each other.

Above: the first senior lady home was Sophie Martin, of Wharfedale Harriers, who clocked 9.05. Alice Jones (9.06), of the same club, was the first under-12 girl home. 

Above: Many of the children competing in the race attend local primary schools.

Conditions improve and highlight

our green and pleasant land

Above: dismal weather in May gave way to gales and downpours at the start of June but warmer and calmer conditions soon prevailed and greenery was seen to striking effect as the sun shone. 

Above: tucked away in a field above Snowden Ghyll is a delightful clump of bugle, which was regarded by medieval herbalists as a cure-all. It is seen here growing with yellow-flowered lady's bedstraw, which in olden times in the north was used to curdle milk.  

Above: a few clumps of water avens can be found on the bank above Snowden Ghyll. 

Above: no apologies for another photograph of the stunning massed ranks of ramsons in Swartha Wood. 

Above: I have been informed that what I thought was a red mason bee, which is like a honey-bee in shape but with red hair on the body, is actually a Ruby Tiger moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa). It is pictured on a lichen-covered wall near Tar Topping waiting for its wings to expand after emerging from its pupal case. I am grateful to "dragon fly" for improving my flawed powers of identification.