Mike Slater has succeeded Harold Foxcroft as co-editor. The Trust owes Harold
a great deal for his untiring work both on the journal and, in the past, as
organiser of the lectures programme and many other tasks for the Trust. It will
be evident from the contents page that we have a second Vice-President and a
short biography is published. The untimely death of Roy Gudgeon is highlighted
in this journal by his obituary and every best wish is sent to Sheila Gudgeon
and her family in their loss.
An appropriate Logo is being sought for the Trust, so please give it some thought.
The journal takes a lot of putting together and we must have submissions by
the 1st of February of next year for inclusion in the 2005 Journal.
Some of the material in this year's journal can be linked by locality. The original painting used as the cover is the artist's depiction, or vignette, of Keasden, one of the remoter hamlets of North Craven. Keasden is also featured in two of the articles; one researches the remains of a farmstead no longer even named on O.S. maps known locally as Clough Hole and the other describes the recording of graffiti that farmhands and children had carved into doors and beams of, often now, converted barns. Farmers and their employees had a tradition of carving the date of beginning and end of living at a particular farm. The articles on Ingleborough and place names on maps are linked and have come from original material. The very important Broadwood Excavation organised by the Ingleborough Archaeological Group is described and in another article we have the record from an old lady now deceased describing what it was like to be a mill girl. Linked with the publication of extracts from the Frankland diaries last year is a piece on country dances with a copy of an example of the music. An authoritative article on the Langcliffe water supply is written by the grandson of the surveyor to the District Council.
The Trust is keeping abreast with modern developments in computer technology and below there is an explanation of what is happening with the website; the Journal contains an article by the two Members whose skills have enabled this to take place.
It is important that one organisation lets another know what they do and the activities of the North Craven Historical Research Group are described as well as the very successful day last year organised by the Group at the Victoria Hall in Settle.
Letters or short notes with respect to previous articles in the Journal are welcomed, and there is information about culverts, or cattle creeps as they are often known, which has been sent by one of the Members as additional material to one of last year's articles.
The hugely popular walks and outings programme is reported as an aide memoir
and to give Members ideas for outings even if they were unable to attend last
year.
I have important information about a development in Bentham and the following
could go after the walks reports or separately
The Bentham Heritage Trail
At the western end of North Craven the very active farming town of Bentham has constructed a scenic and informative walk. It was launched at Easter and is described in a beautifully presented leaflet. There are three trails of varying length. The leaflet was designed by Gill Barron, the artist who allowed the use of one of her paintings for the cover of the Journal in 1999. Many people are trying to obtain an unfolded copy in order to frame it.
Maureen Ellis and Michael Slater