The Thirsk blog
The Thirsk blog
Cobble replacement in the Market Place |
Thirsk Morning newspaper |
Thirsk Morning is a single sheet newspaper for It gives you vital information in planning a day out. Included are the weather forecast from the BBC and a snapshot of Thirsk Market Place. Both are less than an hour old whenever the newspaper is printed. Following the weather and picture are two articles about fascinating places to visit. These articles change so that you will see new interesting stories every day. Lastly there is a list of events happening today and, if there is space, some events for tomorrow. If you will be travelling to North Yorkshire please print the newspaper in the days before you come. Click HERE to see the latest edition of Thirsk Morning, produced less than an hour ago. Please print the sheet rather than viewing it online. |
Thirsk Shopping Week in 1930 |
In 1930 Thirsk organised a 'Shopping Week' to promote local businesses. At TTI we are helping with 2013's promotions. In 1930 the equivalent of this website was a booklet you will find HERE and the following is a taster from it. We have different events now but things don't change too much in Thirsk! Saturday, May 31st, 2 p.m. Opening speech by T. J. Lynch, Esq., Chairman of the Thirsk Parish Council. Spotting and Error Hunting begins. The Thirsk & Sowerby Prize Band will give two Concerts in the Market Place, at 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Monday, June 2nd. Spotting and Hunting will be in full swing. Display judging by the public should take place,and entries sent in for the Safety First Driving Competition. Tuesday, June 3th. Spotting and Hunting continues. In the evening the Safety First Driving Competition will commence at 6-30 p.m., from the Market Place, and continue for several hours. Be there to see the starters, and watch for the finishers. Wednesday, June 4th. The Athletic Club are co-operating with the Chamber of Trade in arranging a pleasant time at the Athletic Club Ground. A Special Cricket Match between Thirsk 1st and York Revellers, will take piace in the afternoon. Tea will be served in the grounds. In the evening the T. & S. P. S. B. will play Dance Music. |
Advice for B&B owners |
Buying and eating local has many benefits but, when running a B&B, mass-produced supermarket goods often win out over local produce in an attempt to keep everyday expenditure to a minimum. One of our volunteers and local Bed & Breakfast owner Sue Porter has advice for all B&Bs with regard to local food. Choose your search and source radius, keeping it as local as you like. Initially, perhaps look at a radius of 10 miles, but don’t worry if you end up with a 50 mile zone – it is still an achievement and demonstrates that you have really put effort into your product. If you succeed, tell your guests and be sure to mention it on your website – there are a lot of potential guests out there who are dedicated to eating local. |
Travel ideas |
1 Have a day out shopping or sightseeing in Harrogate or Leeds – for nothing if you have a bus pass! Catch the 10.20 no. 70 bus from Thirsk Market Place which goes via Carlton Miniott getting to Ripon at 11.01. Once there you have to walk just a few yards to the 11.10 no. 36 bus to Harrogate, arriving there at noon and Leeds at 12.50. The no. 36 service runs every 20mins to and from Ripon. You only have to remember that the last no. 70 bus from Ripon to Thirsk is at 5.40, getting back to Thirsk at 6.21. To be safe, be sure to get the 3.15 back from Leeds (4.20 from Harrogate). 2 Another time, take the same buses as in 1. above but, instead of going all the way to Harrogate or Leeds, get off at the beautiful village of Ripley just 3 miles north of Harrogate. The bus drops you off in the centre of the village and you could be in the heart of France. A previous member of the Ingilby family redesigned the whole village on French lines complete with an Hotel de Ville! You can easily spend all day there visiting the fascinating Castle and grounds which the Ingilby family have occupied for over 700 years of turbulent history. The village is also home to the Village Store with its world famous Ripley ice cream, the Chantry House Art Gallery, an old fashioned butcher’s shop, a Farm Museum, the Boar’s Head coaching Inn, an interesting old church and, within the Castle courtyard, the gift shop, tearoom and delicatessen. You can then catch the no. 36 back to Ripon at 4.35 in time to take the 5.40 no. 70 to Thirsk. 3 Have a fun day out in York using the buses. Take the 9.05 or 10.00 no. 30X from Thirsk and alight at Leeman Road in York. There the National Railway Museum is FREE for all visitors. It is great for children and a nostalgia trip for seniors. Then walk the walls, look in small shops hidden in nooks and crannies and visit Clifford’s Tower to marvel at what remains of York Castle, originally built by William the Conqueror. In York Minster The Orb is 2013’s must-see for all visitors. This treasure house of stained glass is showcasing some of world’s most important medieval art. An entrance ticket to the Minster is valid for 12 months, so be sure to go back again. 4 Visit the Yorkshire Dales by bus. In the summer the options are a bus to Northallerton and a connection to Hawes or, on certain days, a bus to Ripon and a ride on a vintage 1950s bus into Wensleydale. The above were compiled using texts from several of our volunteers |
Imagine a situation |
A family of 4 friends, – mother, father, 2 children (aged 8 & 12) and their grandma, have telephoned one morning to say they’re coming over that day to visit you. It's a lovely day so you decide to take them somewhere that they can all enjoy. You’ve already been into the Tourist Centre a number of times and have leaflets about various local attractions and decide that Ampleforth Abbey seems to fit the bill very well. They can firstly go to the Visitor Centre to find out more about the Abbey and its history and talk to one or two monks there. They can have a walk round the extensive grounds following the map provided – whilst Grandma sits and admires to views and has a look round the library and the gift shop. When they get together later they can look round the Abbey Church (at 2.15 pm on most Thursdays there's a guided tour), the children can count the number of mice carved on the furniture whilst the adults admire the amazing architecture, and eventually they can all end their outing with really delicious refreshments in the tearoom. There will be a special Church Mouse Tour at Ampleforth Abbey on Saturday 16th February but book now because it will fill quickly. Tel:01439 766085. |
Who is the Drover? |
He is the figure on the cast-iron milestone found in Ingramgate, the figure depicts a drover carrying a tankard of ale and a stout stick. He is also found on the new arch installed over Baker's Alley. The cast-iron milestone is one of four found around Thirsk, the others are at Spa Farm on the Northallerton road, at Griffin Farm on the A19 towards York and on Stockton Road, all a mile from the Market Place. These milestones were made at a foundry in Norby, which made domestic items from the early 1800s to about 1930. The little figure is presumed to be based on the drovers who brought herds of cows and sheep south along the Hambleton Drove Road, but the figure is thought to be a real life character called Tom Brown who was a labourer at the foundry, The Thirsk Museum has now taken the drover as their emblem. |
‘Yorkshire Welcome’ in Thirsk next July |
The ‘Yorkshire Welcome’ food and drink event will be held in Thirsk again this year. Thirsk Market Place will be full of exhibitors selling and promoting their products on 27th & 28th July 2013. At the interactive cookery event there will be Steph Moon pictured– Rudding Park Harrogate, John Paul – Head Chef Darlington College, Andrew Trueman – Johnson Butchers and Chris Wildman – Yorkshire Chorizo. |
Fast broadband for more people |
The £530m of EU and Government Broadband Delivery UK funding passed a significant milestone on 13th December as the first area in the whole of England to benefit had its cabinet unveiled. The village of Ainderby Steeple is the lucky place. Work is underway across North Yorkshire to get more of the non-commercial cabinets live. Check the BDUK status in your own area at www.superfastnorthyorkshire.com Also look at your current Internet provider's website to see if commercial fast broadband is already available to you. For example fibre broadband now reaches much of Thirsk,Sowerby and Norby. In York & North Yorskhire funding of the BDUK project is |
Thirsk Market Place Wi-Fi |
Market Place businesses, local people and visitors have Wi-Fi internet access. This is in addition to Wi-Fi provided in some coffee bars and gives access to the Internet and email while out and about. Thirsk Tourist Information has joined up with Telecom Yorkshire Ltd to provide this new service. Businesses in the Market Place get the benefit of more attractive telecoms and local people and visitors can have internet access whilst in town for just £1. An installation in the Thirsk Tourist Information office provides the Wi-Fi signal, currently mainly covering the middle the Market Place and the Finkle Street side. This will be extended soon to the rest of the Market Place and, if demand is there, to the side roads. Browsing on a laptop, tablet or smartphone shows the 'Thirsk-Hotspot' name. A code is needed to make the connection, which can be purchased in Thirsk Tourist Information for £1. From its first use, the code gives Wi-Fi access for one hour. Codes can be bought in advance. Market Place businesses are already take broadband from Telecom Yorkshire. Using the Wi-Fi signal they get flexible monthly access without long-term contracts and can arrange more advanced use of the Internet such as telephony, webcams and data backup. |
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