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Huge crowds at Ilkley Carnival - but it could be the last
HUGE crowds flocked to Ilkley Carnival on Monday but organisers have warned it could be the last.
They say that the 21-year-old event will grind to a halt unless many new people come forward to join the committee in the next three months.
Despite Monday's huge success the Ilkley Carnival committee members say they have no alternative but to end the event unless their appeal is answered.
The organisers are even inviting local organisations to put volunteers forward or take over running of the carnival completely.
A number of the already sparse carnival committee are stepping down, with some moving out of the area.
The committee says it needs new people as fast as possible, as work towards the next event needs to begin soon.
A spokesman for the carnival committee said: "This year's carnival was a huge success and we hope that you as a community would all agree.
"All the parade entrants made an exceptional effort and great fun was had by all. Unfortunately, however, many carnival committee members need to stand down this year and we urgently need your help.
"If we don't enlist new committee members or other organisations who are willing to take over the organisation of the carnival within three months, we see no alternative but to end this fantastic day that seems to be reserved in everyone's calendar."
The carnival was set up in the 1980s to revive the community spirit and festivities once
associated with the Black Hats verses White Hats' cricket match, started in Victorian times.
As well as providing an entertaining day out and attracting visitors to boost town centre trade, the carnival has raised £80,000 for good causes.
In the past three years alone, the carnival has given £31,000 to community groups and other schemes. The committee is expected to divide up money from this year's carnival to selected beneficiaries shortly.
Current chairman, David Robinson, has been involved with the carnival for 14 years, but wants to stand down because of family commitments.
He hopes to be able to see his son participating in another carnival next year, and wants to see the event's future secured long-term.
Mr Robinson said: "We need the community to look at this and say we want this event', and then people to come forward.
"There isn't a big enough committee. Another half a dozen people would keep it going another year, but ideally we need more, as people move or leave in future.
"We need a long-term fix to keep it running another ten or 20 years, not just a patch."
He denied that the carnival was having financial difficulties, pointing at the £31,000 the event has given to community groups in the past three years.
Mr Robinson said the decision to change the type of entertainment on the carnival field was not purely cost-driven.
Although in the past the carnival has attracted major spectacles, such as skydivers and medieval jousting, this year the main entertainment included clowns, a falconry display, schools football tournament finals, and a display by Ilkley Rugby Club.
"The entertainment this year was chosen because of it was thought better suited to the many young families who attend the carnival," explained Mr Robinson.
Anyone interested in being involved with the carnival can contact the committee online via carnival.ilkley.org.
Click here to see our gallery of carnival pictures
2:52pm Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: HAROLD, ADDINGHAM on 5:34pm Fri 9 May 08
[bold]WHY IS THE ILKLEY GAZETTE NOT ALLOWING ANY "COMMENTS" ON THE FOLLOWING "FRONT PAGE" STORY ?!!!
'Fear hitting support for trail' claim[/bold]
By Paul Langan
FEAR may be preventing supporters of a path on the old railway line between Bolton Abbey and Addingham coming forward to help turn the idea into a reality, a campaigner has claimed.
Andrew Scull has been at the forefront of the local drive to create the cycle, foot and bridle path and he feels that the recent consultation exercise shows that there is strong support in the village for it.
But Mr Scull thinks people are put off from displaying their backing by the behaviour of a minority of the opposition group.
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Mr Scull was on the Wharfe-dale Trail Forum which carried out and arranged the funding for the consultation exercise and has been criticism because of his role. He was reported to the Standards Board for England accused of misbehaviour as a parish councillor - an accusation the board rejected.
Mr Scull has tried to keep his role as a parish councillor and his involvement in the Sustrans project separate.
But it is the harassment he has been subjected to which has caused the most difficulty for him.
He said: "I have been subjected to an organised campaign of personal harassment for the past year - most of it carried out anonymously.
"I have had hate mail - people have been ringing up people who employed me 20 years ago and someone has even rung up my Dad posing as someone else.
"A lot of people who would support it are a little shy because they don't want to be harassed themselves."
Mr Scull said it was only a small minority of opponents who were responsible for harassment.
He said it was now up to other supporters to get on board as members of a new steering group to take the project forward.
The group will have no support from Addingham Parish Council which has resolved to ignore the matter until landowners have been persuaded to support it.
And Bradford Council seems to have washed its hands of the project, after providing £4,000 worth of Council Tax payers' money for the consultation.
A council spokesperson said: "We have noted the consultation report but we have no plans to take any further action.
"If we receive any plans or applications for the trail in the future then we will deal with them through the usual planning process."
Mr Scull said that he would help with the setting up of the steering group if people contacted him through the Wharfedale Trail website.
He said: "The bottom line is that the consultation has shown that there is a great deal of support for this.
"It is up to the people who support it to come forward and drive it forward."
He said unless that happened the majority would lose out, adding: "My role from here would be to facilitate people who are taking it forward."
[bold]It is perfectly clear to all now why the Australians refer to us as a nation of ......
"WHINGING POMS" !!![/bold]
How we must all now pity poor Councillor Andrew James Scull.
I am sure it has not gone un-noticed by the readers of the Ilkley Gazette
that every time he comes up against opposition or bad news, poor Councillor
Scull is the first to throw his rattle out of the pram.
Yet again poor Councillor Scull whinges on because things are not going his
way and ... yes ... yet again blames his various failures on mysterious
persons unknown.
For the record, Councillor Scull, let's get those verified facts back in the
public eye.
(All of the following facts having previously been verified AND, for
Councillor Andrew Scull's benefit, are in the "public domain")
[bold]LIES ABOUT LANDOWNER SUPPORT
(made by David Hall of Sustrans)
FACT - David Hall of Sustrans was quoted in the minutes of a meeting held on
12th July 2005 (where Jeff McQuillan just happened to be present) as
saying:- "He (David Hall) said he had spoken to the major landowners and
received a positive reaction, particularly from the Bolton Abbey estate"
UNBALANCED CONSULTATION LITERATURE
i.e. All the "pros" BUT none of the "cons"
(prepared by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
UNBALANCED AND OFFENSIVE FORUM WEBSITE
(created by Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - Councillor Scull apologised to the other Forum members AND
acknowledged full responsibility for the content on the website
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF INTIMIDATION
(made by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - North Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF THEFT
(made by Jeff McQuillan & Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - West Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
ATTEMPTS TO BULLY LANDOWNERS
(carried out by Sustrans)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette[/bold]
How dare poor Councillor Andrew Scull cast the first stone (as per usual)
and accuse others of harassment when, on 12th July 2005, this sorry affair
was kicked off by his pal David Hall of SUSTRANS with a lie about landowner
support for this Trail.
Proof of this lie has been clearly minuted AND, under Freedom of Information
legislation, is available for all to see.
Councillor Andrew Scull, is it really a surprise that the good folk of
Addingham do not wish to be involved in the continuing harassment that those
against this Trail proposal have had to put up with for the last 3 years ?
Councillor Scull's suggestion of a new "steering group" is laughable .......
no doubt it is his intention that it will have the same ethos as his failed
(so-called) "Forum" which .....
[bold]NEVER MET AS A GROUP
NEVER ISSUED ANY MINUTES
NEVER PRODUCED ANY ACCOUNTS[/bold]
What a relief it is that the good folk of Addingham & Ilkley are represented
(and protected) by other local Councillors who have a better understanding
of such matters:-
FACT - Addingham Parish Council have resolved not to support the concept
unless all the landowners are in agreement
FACT - Bradford Metropolitan District Council have no plans to take the
Trail proposal forward
[bold]THE WHARFEDALE TRAIL
A CORRUPT, FLAWED & HIGHLY PREDICTABLE CONSULTATION
STOP WHINGING COUNCILLOR SCULL ..... "The bottom line is that the consultation" ...... IS OVER !!![/bold]
WHY IS THE ILKLEY GAZETTE NOT ALLOWING ANY "COMMENTS" ON THE FOLLOWING "FRONT PAGE" STORY ?!!!
'Fear hitting support for trail' claim
By Paul Langan
FEAR may be preventing supporters of a path on the old railway line between Bolton Abbey and Addingham coming forward to help turn the idea into a reality, a campaigner has claimed.
Andrew Scull has been at the forefront of the local drive to create the cycle, foot and bridle path and he feels that the recent consultation exercise shows that there is strong support in the village for it.
But Mr Scull thinks people are put off from displaying their backing by the behaviour of a minority of the opposition group.
advertisement
Mr Scull was on the Wharfe-dale Trail Forum which carried out and arranged the funding for the consultation exercise and has been criticism because of his role. He was reported to the Standards Board for England accused of misbehaviour as a parish councillor - an accusation the board rejected.
Mr Scull has tried to keep his role as a parish councillor and his involvement in the Sustrans project separate.
But it is the harassment he has been subjected to which has caused the most difficulty for him.
He said: "I have been subjected to an organised campaign of personal harassment for the past year - most of it carried out anonymously.
"I have had hate mail - people have been ringing up people who employed me 20 years ago and someone has even rung up my Dad posing as someone else.
"A lot of people who would support it are a little shy because they don't want to be harassed themselves."
Mr Scull said it was only a small minority of opponents who were responsible for harassment.
He said it was now up to other supporters to get on board as members of a new steering group to take the project forward.
The group will have no support from Addingham Parish Council which has resolved to ignore the matter until landowners have been persuaded to support it.
And Bradford Council seems to have washed its hands of the project, after providing £4,000 worth of Council Tax payers' money for the consultation.
A council spokesperson said: "We have noted the consultation report but we have no plans to take any further action.
"If we receive any plans or applications for the trail in the future then we will deal with them through the usual planning process."
Mr Scull said that he would help with the setting up of the steering group if people contacted him through the Wharfedale Trail website.
He said: "The bottom line is that the consultation has shown that there is a great deal of support for this.
"It is up to the people who support it to come forward and drive it forward."
He said unless that happened the majority would lose out, adding: "My role from here would be to facilitate people who are taking it forward."
It is perfectly clear to all now why the Australians refer to us as a nation of ......
"WHINGING POMS" !!!
How we must all now pity poor Councillor Andrew James Scull.
I am sure it has not gone un-noticed by the readers of the Ilkley Gazette
that every time he comes up against opposition or bad news, poor Councillor
Scull is the first to throw his rattle out of the pram.
Yet again poor Councillor Scull whinges on because things are not going his
way and ... yes ... yet again blames his various failures on mysterious
persons unknown.
For the record, Councillor Scull, let's get those verified facts back in the
public eye.
(All of the following facts having previously been verified AND, for
Councillor Andrew Scull's benefit, are in the "public domain")
LIES ABOUT LANDOWNER SUPPORT
(made by David Hall of Sustrans)
FACT - David Hall of Sustrans was quoted in the minutes of a meeting held on
12th July 2005 (where Jeff McQuillan just happened to be present) as
saying:- "He (David Hall) said he had spoken to the major landowners and
received a positive reaction, particularly from the Bolton Abbey estate"
UNBALANCED CONSULTATION LITERATURE
i.e. All the "pros" BUT none of the "cons"
(prepared by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
UNBALANCED AND OFFENSIVE FORUM WEBSITE
(created by Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - Councillor Scull apologised to the other Forum members AND
acknowledged full responsibility for the content on the website
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF INTIMIDATION
(made by Jeff McQuillan)
FACT - North Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF THEFT
(made by Jeff McQuillan & Councillor Andrew Scull)
FACT - West Yorkshire Police confirm no action taken
ATTEMPTS TO BULLY LANDOWNERS
(carried out by Sustrans)
FACT - Previously reported in the Ilkley Gazette
How dare poor Councillor Andrew Scull cast the first stone (as per usual)
and accuse others of harassment when, on 12th July 2005, this sorry affair
was kicked off by his pal David Hall of SUSTRANS with a lie about landowner
support for this Trail.
Proof of this lie has been clearly minuted AND, under Freedom of Information
legislation, is available for all to see.
Councillor Andrew Scull, is it really a surprise that the good folk of
Addingham do not wish to be involved in the continuing harassment that those
against this Trail proposal have had to put up with for the last 3 years ?
Councillor Scull's suggestion of a new "steering group" is laughable .......
no doubt it is his intention that it will have the same ethos as his failed
(so-called) "Forum" which .....
NEVER MET AS A GROUP
NEVER ISSUED ANY MINUTES
NEVER PRODUCED ANY ACCOUNTS
What a relief it is that the good folk of Addingham & Ilkley are represented
(and protected) by other local Councillors who have a better understanding
of such matters:-
FACT - Addingham Parish Council have resolved not to support the concept
unless all the landowners are in agreement
FACT - Bradford Metropolitan District Council have no plans to take the
Trail proposal forward
THE WHARFEDALE TRAIL
A CORRUPT, FLAWED & HIGHLY PREDICTABLE CONSULTATION
STOP WHINGING COUNCILLOR SCULL ..... "The bottom line is that the consultation" ...... IS OVER !!!
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