If anyone has any news items to report or announce - anything to do with the village or its inhabitants - then please send it to This could be charity or special events, 'Big' birthdays anniversaries etc.
The Arkendale contact for the Knaresborough Post is Sarah Shipman. She also may be able to include your news in the paper and obtain free publicity. It does need to reach her at least a week before the event. Please contact: .
Dec12
Police Non-Emergency Number - 101
The national non-emergency number 101 is coming to North Yorkshire Police on 12 December and it will replace our local 0845 60 60 247 number.
While 999 is a well-recognised number used to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found that only 54% of the public know how to contact their local police if they wanted to talk to them about policing, crime or anti-social behaviour. The introduction of the 101 number will offer the public one easy way to contact their local police force.
The benefits of this new number include: Calls from landlines and mobile networks cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long you are on the phone; 101 is available 24 hours a day; When you call 101, you will be able to speak to the force control room via the automated switchboard and action will be taken on the information received. Calling 101 will not result in your call receiving a lower priority than if you had called 999 about a non-emergency issue. For those callers who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, the service can be accessed via textphone on 18001 101.
Further communications about the new number will be released in due course but more information can be found at www.northyorkshire.police.uk from 12th December.
[Jean Cox]
Oct3
Ideas for our phone box
 The village phone box has been decommissioned and adopted by the Parish Council. It is now available for use as a community resource - and this is where we need your ideas!
Over 1,500 phone boxes have been adopted across the country since the scheme started, and there are a wide range of uses for them: book exchange or library; art gallery; museum; information point; holding defibrillator equipment; shop; greenhouse; poetry box; produce and magazine swap; and many more.
What do you think?
It could be a permanent use, or something that changes periodically. Volunteers to help establish the box in its new role, and help with occasional maintenance are also sought.
Please send any ideas or offers of help to the Parish Council - email:
See: Best use of old red phone box (2009)
[Gavin Holman]
Aug1
Clearing the Mar
25 young army cadets from Penny Pot Army Foundation, under the watchful eye of their leader Colin Slater, descended upon Arkendale last Saturday to continue their 'battle' against the Willows. The Mar, an unspoilt area in the village with its pond and natural habitat, had become overgrown with willow trees which were rapidly sapping up the water. The cadets spent a day clearing the area at the request of the Parish Council and they did a superb job.
We are very grateful to them for all they did, and also to Peter and Caroline Houseman who set up a refreshment table for them, and to Mr Bailey who kept the pot boiling. The 25 young men have almost completed their training at Penny Pot and will, in three weeks time, be moving to Catterick Garrison for further training. Seeing them clearing the undergrowth and working very hard but laughing as they did so, it was hard to believe that before very long some, if not all, of these young men could be representing their country in some war-torn area. We do wish them well wherever they find themselves; they were a fine group of young men.
[Sarah Shipman]
Jun22
 Baby & Toddler Group
A new Baby & Toddler Group has been started, running on Friday mornings in the Community Hall.
See the Baby & Toddler Group web page for more details.
[Gavin Holman]
Jun20
25 years in the Ordained Ministry
Congratulations to Rev Peter McCarthy of Ferrensby who, 25 years ago at the age of 61 on St Peter's Day, 29th June 1986, was ordained in Ripon Cathedral by the Bishop of Ripon. Peter has helped out for many years in the Walkingham Hill Benefice which includes Arkendale Church, and the Church community is very grateful for all that he does and continues to do in our parishes.
He is unusual for a priest because before ordination he had been a sailor for 42 years. He joined his first ship in 1941 and after only 2 weeks at sea he found himself part of a convoy which was attacked by the battlecruiser 'Scharnhorst' with the ship next to his being sunk by shellfire. The next four and half years found him on ships escaping bombs and torpedoes on a regular basis. He joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1948, that is the Navy's equivalent of the Army's Royal logistic Corps, and he met his future wife Margaret at a party on board his ship some weeks before sailing for the Korean War. They married in 1952 five months after his return and were blessed with a family, and Margaret had to get used to spending many long days without him while he sailed the oceans. In 1962 he was promoted to Captain and commanded 20 ships worldwide which brought him into active service in the Malaysian conflict and the Falklands War. For the latter he commanded a sister ship of the 'Sir Galahad' for which he was awarded the military OBE by HRH the Queen at Buckingham Palace. In 'good old Peter fashion' he said that really this honour belonged to his ship's company. He retired from the Navy in 1983 and was accepted for ministerial training at Durham.
He took charge of his first parish in 1987 which included several churches including Bowes. His next move was to Scotland where he became a non-stipendiary resident priest, an appointment which he described as 'wonderful'; sadly this particular work came to an end when he was diagnosed as being in imminent danger of dying, but he survived thanks to the wonderful care and attention he received at Harrogate hospital. For a man who had survived so many dangerous encounters on the high seas he was not to be beaten here at home. For that we are all very grateful because he has been able to continue to enhance the life of the local churches in our Benefice and in Knaresborough with his vast experience and gifts, as well as working as Chaplain. Although he has now retired as Chaplain to the Royal British Legion and the Royal Naval Association, he remains as Chaplain to the British Korean Veteran Association at York. Peter and Margaret now live at Ferrensby where Margaret takes pleasure in feeding the ducks and where Peter rather wistfully says that 'he doesn't get around as much anymore'. For someone who has travelled the high seas for so many years and who has found himself in so many very dangerous and challenging situations, life in Ferrensby is very different but he still keeps himself busy. He says that verses 3 and 4 of the hymn 'The day thou gavest, Lord, has ended' always give him itchy feet and bring back those many memories, some very happy and doubtless some very tragic, of his many years spent sailing in far-flung corners of the world. We wish him well and look forward to continuing to see him regularly taking services in our local Churches.
At 10am on 29th June, St Peter's Day, he will be taking a communion service at Holy Trinity Church in Knaresborough to mark his 25th anniversary to which everyone is welcome.
[Sarah Shipman]
Jun12
Clay Pigeon Shoot
£494 was raised for Church Funds. We are very grateful to Jeremy Green for organizing this event, to the Knaresborough Gun Club for hosting it and to those who attended and gave so generously to the raffle.
[Sarah Shipman]
May22
Parceval Hall Away Day
Last Friday a group from the Benefice attended an Away Day at Parceval Hall under the leadership of the Dean of Ripon, Keith Dukes. With farmers' crops in desperate need of water, we could hardly complain when the rain fell, and it did indeed fall during most of the day. However we were compensated by the fact that the farmers would be smiling and that the countryside and the gardens looked beautifully fresh and green; it is such a wonderful location that, whatever the weather, one cannot fail to be moved by the beauty and the peace of it all. A fitting backcloth for the main theme of the day that God sees us all as a people of beauty and worth.
Click the picture on the right for some photographs of the Away Day.
On Wednesday, 1st June, the study group will meet at 7.45pm; extra members are always welcome and if anyone wishes to come please contact me on tel 340515.
[Sarah Shipman]
Apr18
Mrs Emily Houseman (1914-2011)
Emily Houseman, neé Needham, was born on 8th March 1914. She was the only daughter in a family of 5 children which perhaps prepared her well for later on in life. Tragically her mother died when she was only 6 and she went to live with her eldest brother Ted and his wife at their home in Riddlesden where she went to school. She was a bright girl and showed an avid desire to learn which never left her; she was always a force to be reckoned with at quiz nights even into her 80s and 90s. On leaving school Emily went to work at the pattern office at Driver Hartley in Keighley where she completed 15 years of diligent service, with the clock and engraved silver plate to prove it. During the war she took a break from her usual work and was sent to a factory in the Midlands, where she had the responsible job of checking and packing parachutes for the war effort.
She came to live in Arkendale rather by accident than design. She came from Keighley to visit a friend and the bus driver, on dropping her off outside the village, had this advice for her, "Believe me love, once you've been there, you'll never wanta go back!" How right he was. She met and fell in love with a local farmer, Henry Houseman, and they were married in February 1952. She never lost touch with her friends from Keighley however and in the early days a minibus full of her friends made an annual trip to visit her.
Early married life saw Emily and her husband travel all over England and Scotland and then later abroad to Spain. Whilst in Spain Emily was reunited with a lady called Carmena, who had been a child refugee in Keighley during the Spanish Civil War in the thirties and with whom Emily had always kept in touch, even taking Spanish lessons to help to communicate more easily with her. This love of travelling never left her and in her 80s she still managed to visit members of her family in America.
Life in Arkendale was very different from that which she had experienced in Keighley. Not only did she now have a husband to look after but also his 3 brothers; she took pleasure in doing all their washing and ironing, cleaning, cooking and baking, and she could often be seen taking huge picnics, known as drinkings, to the harvest field for her four hungry men.
Emily was a keen member of the WI, Farm Women's Club and Mothers Union. She served for many years on Arkendale Chuch PCC, was a sidesperson, and tended the gardens around the Church well into her 80s. Latterly she was an equally keen and active member of the Blind Club. Whatever was going on in the village Emily was always involved and helping in whatever way she could; her joie de vivre when participating in all sorts of family and village gatherings was really infectious. Even at 96 she was young at heart and, on going out for lunch one day to a local hotel, looked round at everyone else and commented: "Aren't there a lot of old folk in here today?!"
At the age of 95 and as the oldest member of the village she was proud to open the new Community Hall in Arkendale alongside the youngest member of the village. 'Aunty Emily', as she was known in Arkendale, was loved and respected by young and old alike and it was fitting that someone who had given so many years of her life to the village and who was so universally liked should perform such a duty.
Emily died at the age of 97. Her funeral was held in Arkendale Church and she is buried in the cemetery in the same village in which she spent so many happy years. The Reverend Peter Midwood conducted the service and her great nephew, Peter Houseman, spoke about her life. She will be greatly missed in Arkendale.
[Sarah Shipman, by kind permission of Peter Houseman]
Apr4
Arkendale 10K Run
Click here for a gallery of photos of the race by Tim Braithwaite
 A fine morning last Sunday heralded the arrival of over 200 runners to our village, accompanied by family and supporters. The sun came out, the temperature was ideal for running and the rain stayed away for the whole event. The race was won by David Thompson from Barnsely AC in a time of just over 34 minutes. In the meantime children had their race round the field and all were awarded a medal which they wore with pride for the rest of the morning. Refreshments were on sale for competitors and supporters alike: hot dogs and beef burgers, cooked on the barbecue outside, home-made cakes and hot and cold beverages served inside the barn. The proceeds went to Arkendale Church and, despite there being fewer runners this year than usual, a good sum appears to have been raised (The exact amount will not become apparent until all the expenses have been taken out). Many thanks to all who donated cakes, who served the food on the day and who helped to clear away. Many thanks too to all those members of the village who turned out to act as stewards and those who helped with other jobs essential to the smooth-running of the event.
 It was a really enjoyable day and many runners expressed their regret that this would be the last of its kind in our village; despite the hard work involved, I suspect that many of us felt the same way. However all good things must come to an end and we are very thankful for the ways in which the village has benefited from all the 10 km runs that have taken place, both today and in the past. It is fitting that we should not forget to thank the very people without whom none of the races would have been possible. Firstly the team 'Must tri harder' under the leadership of Steve who has organised all the entries and advertising, everything from insurance to the hiring of toilets, from prizes to the planning of the route and so much more. Their organisational skills have been second-to none and we are very grateful for all they have done.
 However none of the races would have been possible without the generosity and hard work of the Houseman family too and their team; they have allowed us the use of their farm facilities, they have done an enormous amount of work in preparation, moving farm equipment and sheep, clearing and cleaning barns, bringing tables, chairs and fridges from one venue to another and many other tasks known only to themselves, but which most certainly must have disrupted the day-to-day running of their farm leading up to the day of the race. We are very grateful to them for all they have done.
While we adults were chasing to and fro to get everything ready in time for the run, one young girl couldn't really understand what all the fuss was about; on looking across the field she saw the 'Start' sign at one end and the 'Finish' sign at the other and, turning to her Mum said, 'They don't run very far do they!'
[Sarah Shipman]
Jan29
Antiques Evening:
A very enjoyable evening was had by all when Mr and Mrs Greenwood from Staveley came to talk about and put a value on items of interest which we had brought along. Sadly there were no surprises like Ming vases out of the attic but, nonetheless, the evening was informative and fun. We are grateful to Mr and Mrs Greenwood for their time, to all those who provided refreshments and, last but not least, all who supported the event.
[Sarah Shipman ]
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