Tales from the High Street milk run

Welcome to this new weekly feature titled A week in the life of Pateley Bridge, writes Keith Tordoff.

I have just completed one year of writing about Pateley Bridge in the neighbourhood news section of the paper about the multitude of events that take place week in week out in and around Pateley Bridge. This new feature will hopefully give an insight into the weekly goings on around Pateley Bridge. I should add that I will still be writing the weekly column in the neighbourhood news section.

Running a business on Pateley Bridge High Street - an award winning High Street, I should add - means that I regularly walk up and down the street. A trip to get milk can result in me being away from my shop for some time and as my wife comments “gassing to somebody”!

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Anyway, the last week saw me talking to people who were visiting with their children for the half term holiday. Although not the best of weather, all I spoke to commented what a lovely place Pateley was and how they had enjoyed things such as the wonderful playpark, a visit to the sweet shop or on the weekends a visit to the wonderful museum which is run by fantastic volunteers.

Some visitors had been to the glassblowers watching them create magnificent pieces from the glowing glass. Others had visited the galleries and most had visited the award winning butchers and enjoyed their pies. I also bumped into Methodist Mike, Methodist Julia and their son Marcus on the High Street who had all been out for a walk avoiding muddy parts so that Marcus did not get his trainers too dirty.

Anyway, I had a laugh with them as I had been asked to write a piece in my weekly column the week before about a forthcoming lunch for Lent. Methodist Mike good humoured as he is said he would go anywhere where he gets ‘lent a lunch’. I like it!

Another day on the High Street a woman came up to me and introduced herself as someone who is shortly opening an art gallery. She was called Heather and, along with Neil Simone, she is opening an art gallery in what used to be the Nidderdale Fine Wines premises.

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Heather and Neil are talented artists and Neil is no stranger to Pateley Bridge as many years ago he used to exhibit his work at what was then called the Creskeld Gallery, which later became Nidderdale Fine Wines. As they say, things do go round in circles.

I would like to wish Heather and Neil all the very best for when they open the gallery in mid-March in what will be a fantastic edition to the High Street.

Come last Friday a man called Patrick called in at our shop and introduced himself as the man who had earlier in the week sent us a video of himself walking and commentating on Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale.

We had asked his consent to share his film which Kirsty Shepherd, who you will hear more about in the coming weeks, shared on the Nidderdale and Pateley Facebook page.

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The film has been watched by a few hundred people so far and Patrick had come specially from Derby where he lives to say a personal thank you for sharing his walking experience in the area.

Patrick explained he goes on walks throughout the country but the one around Pateley had been his favourite and to come and thank us was also a great excuse for him to revisit the area - plus he wanted more pies.

Anyway I will have to go as I am getting shouted at to get some milk for the tea! Off I go again and no doubt I will be “gassing” to someone on the High Street, which I will tell you all about next week.

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