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Census 2021

The Office for National Statistics – which runs Census 2021 – is working with Hambleton District Council to deliver a successful census and help local services to fully meet future needs.

Understanding the needs of the nation helps everyone from central government to local organisations, such as councils and health authorities, plan and fund public services across England and Wales. Census outputs inform where public funding is spent on services like transport, education and health – on cycle routes, schools and dental surgeries.

The census, taking place on 21 March 2021, will shed light on the needs of different groups and communities, and the inequalities people are experiencing, ensuring the big decisions facing the country following the coronavirus pandemic and EU exit are based on the best information possible.

Dr Justin Ives, Chief Executive for Hambleton District Council said “The results of the census help us to understand the needs of our district and tailor our services to meet them. I urge everyone in Hambleton to complete the form they will be receiving in the coming weeks.”

Households will receive letters with online codes before 13th March explaining how they can complete their online census. People can also request a paper questionnaire if they’d prefer to complete the census that way.

From 22nd March reminder letters will start arriving and field officers will visit houses still to respond.

There is plenty of help available, with people also able to complete the census over the phone with assistance from trained staff via the ONS’ free phone contact centre.

The main census field operation will begin only after Census Day, contacting those who have not responded. Field staff will never need to enter people’s houses; they will always be socially distanced, wear PPE and work in line with all government guidance. They will be operating in the same way as a postal or food delivery visit.

Census 2021 will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available in 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information and advice on how to answer the questions, visit census.gov.uk

Swaledale Festival

Society of Strange & Ancient Instruments
St. Andrew's Church, Grinton. Mon 31 May

 

All tickets for the Swaledale Festival must be booked online this year, not by telephone. Please book tickets only for those in your household ‘bubble’. Seating will be pre-allocated and you will be given your seat numbers on arrival at the event. As usual, tickets for all Swaledale Festival concerts will be available for under 25s at just £3. If events are cancelled, full refunds will be given to all ticket buyers.

Each performance is being offered twice because capacity in the venues is limited. Audiences will be socially-distanced and the venues will be cleaned between shows.

Further events are planned July to October but there won't be brochures - keep an eye on our website.
www.swalefest.org

Herriot Centre award

The World of James Herriot in Thirsk is a winner of the Triumph over Adversity Award in the Rural Business Awards 2021. The World of James Herriot team is celebrating following the Rural Business Awards 2020/21 National Final, held online for the first time due to lockdown. Jules Hudson, the BBC Escape to the Country presenter, delighted the finalists as host for the ceremony on Thu 25 Feb.

Speaking after winning The Triumph Over Adversity Award, Ian Ashton, managing director World of James Herriot, said:

 “I am truly humbled to receive the Triumph Over Adversity Award alongside every other worthy winner in this category at the Rural Business Awards. The past year has been especially difficult for businesses, so to receive this award means the absolute world to me. I want the success of World of James Herriot to be a glimmer of hope for anyone who is currently struggling or has struggled in the past – better days are on the horizon. Thank you, Rural Business Awards and Amazon”

Set in the former Thirsk surgery and home of Alf Wight, MRCVS, OBE, (James Herriot) WoJH brings to life his colourful story: his lifetime’s work as a vet and his ever-popular writing as ‘James Herriot’.

www.worldofjamesherriot.com

Raptor watch

Do you know your Buzzard from your Kestrel from your Sparrow Hawk from your Red Kite? Let John Aston enlighten you…

 

Raptors are birds of prey which seize and then carry off their prey – which might be another bird, a small mammal, amphibian or reptile. Because the Cod Beck provides cover and habitat, sightings of raptors are common over, or near the beck, especially away from Thirsk town centre. But you don’t need to go far, as a short walk from Norby upstream, or downstream from the Thirsk and Sowerby Leisure Centre can offer excellent opportunities to spot raptors.

The three species you are most likely to see are buzzard, kestrel and sparrow hawk but red kites are becoming increasingly common locally, and there’s even an outside chance of seeing rarer species such as hobby and even osprey locally. If you enjoy evening walks, you also have a good chance of seeing, or hearing owls – especially tawny and barn owls.

 

Buzzards
Buzzards are big, vocal and like to show off their flying abilities. They are one of the UK’s biggest raptors, with a wing span of up to 1.4 m, but , despite their size , you will often hear a buzzard long before you see it. Their call is unmistakable, a repeated ‘mewing’ sound which can be almost gull like, and it is often repeated for several minutes. Buzzards tend to soar on thermals, constantly looking for prey and, thanks to their extraordinary eyesight, they can fly up to 1000 feet high and sometimes much more, but they can still spot prey below them. They can be social, with groups of four or more showing off their aerobatics to each other. Buzzards range in colour, but are typically a medium shade of brown above and a much lighter shade below. If you follow the public footpath on the east side of the beck, down from the A168 bridge in Sowerby you will usually see and hear buzzards.

 

Red Kites
Red Kites are regular visitors, looking very like a buzzard but distinguished by a long forked tail. They often hang almost motionless, high in the air, looking for rabbits and other prey. Once almost extinct, kites are making a comeback, and the birds we see are probably descendants of those released at Harewood in 1999.
 

Kestrels
Most people are familiar with our commonest falcon, the Kestrel, because they hunt by hovering about 50 feet up , searching the ground for mice and voles. When they spot their target, kestrels plummet (or ‘stoop’ ) vertically to capture them. Kestrels are reddish brown, about 50cm long with a wingspan of up to 75cm. When not hunting they are commonly seen resting on trees or overhead lines. The walk by the beck between Norby and South Kilvington is an excellent place to see kestrels.

 

Sparrow Hawks
Although a similar size to the kestrel, and common in the area, you need sharper eyes to see a Sparrow Hawk . They fly very low and very fast, often jinking through low branches and undergrowth in pursuit of smaller birds. If you hear birds calling in alarm as you walk along the beck, look out for a blackbird or sparrow with a low flying, fast moving sparrow hawk in pursuit at anything up to 50km/hour.

 

A final tip – if you want to see birds of prey, the best time is the afternoon, and right up to dusk for sparrow hawks. Raptors tend to be late risers. See more about the wildlife of Cod Beck at
www.VisitThirsk.uk/wildlife

Memory problems?

A new booklet from the Alzheimer's Society offers advice on memory problems

Everybody forgets things from time to time. But if you are noticing problems with your memory, or the memory of someone close to you, it’s important to speak to a GP.

A  new Alzheimer's Society booklet has been designed to help you understand more about memory loss, dementia, and the next steps to take. 

Get your free digital copy from
www.alzheimers.org.uk/memoryproblems

Can you sew?

Wensleydale Railway are looking for volunteers who can sew.  Can you help make railway volunteers look this glam?

They need costumes from the 1920s so anyone with any dressmaking skills is welcome. They’re looking for suits, waistcoats, pinafores, dropped waist tea dresses, cloche hats etc.

For further information email
volunteercoordinator@wensleydalerailway.com

Alan Bennett

There are new versions of Alan Bennett's much-loved monologues, with performers including Sarah Lancashire, Martin Freeman, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Jodie Comer and Maxine Peake.

The twelve are all still available on iPlayer. Use a smart-TV – or from a computer, tablet or phone go to
https://tinyurl.com/12talkingheads

The way out – step 1

These are the current steps for easing the current lockdown. There is a lot of detail in the Government's announcements and you can read the full 64-page document from which the above is extracted at
https://tinyurl.com/wayoutstep1

Electric waste trucks

A new fleet of waste vehicles have taken to the road – and the vehicles are not only collecting ‘recyclable’ waste but are helping to reduce carbon emissions.

They will be used to collect recyclables – including paper, cardboard, cans, plastics, glass – which householders place in recycling boxes and bins for fortnightly collection.

Due to the length of the rounds these trucks cover, the vehicles cannot be fully powered by electricity – however the District Council does use four fully electric vehicles for other waste and street scene work.

World Day of Prayer

This year's World Day of Prayer service in Thirsk, organised by Churches Together, will be held in All Saints Roman Catholic Church, Castlegate, at 2pm on Friday 5th March. It will be transmitted live online.
The service this year was written by the ladies of Vanuatu, an island in the southwestern Pacific islands just over 1,100 miles to the east of Australia. Because of its geographic position Vanuatu is one of the first countries to start to pray on the World Day of Prayer.

All are welcome to come but Covid rules apply. If you would like to watch live, or later, go to youtube.com and seach for 'all saints church thirsk'.

If you would like to attend in person please book a place (30 only) on the website below. The booking sheet should be there soon.
allsaints.herokuapp.com

Trains to & from London

Because of upgrades to the East Coast Main Line there will be no LNER trains to London Kings Cross from Fri 26 Feb to Sun 28 Feb, then again from Fri 23 Apr to Sun 25 Apr.

In addition, from Mon 1 Mar until Thu 3 Jun there will be significant disruption on services running to or from London Kings Cross.

On Fri 4 Jun to Sun 6 Jun trains will not serve either Peterborough or Kings Cross.

Grand Central is not operating any service until at least Sat 27 Mar,

Garden waste collection

Licences for 2021/22 cost £40 per green bin and are valid from 29 March 2021.

Properties participating in the current service must not remove their existing licences until the final collection in March 2021.

Please remove all existing licences before affixing the new one to the bin. Do not place over existing licences.

Bins not displaying the correct licences will not be emptied.

Residents are encouraged to subscribe early to maximise their collections.

New and existing customers can sign up for the fortnightly collection service online at
www.hambleton.gov.uk

Local cases

These are the COVID-19 positive cases from the latest seven weeks for which near-complete information is available. The final number is the number of cases by specimen date for the week ending on 25 Feb 2021.

 

- Thirsk North

   24, 17, 15, 18, 5, 7, 3

- Thirsk South-Sowerby-Coxwold

   43, 34, 12, 11, 9, 12, 7

- Leeming-Pickhill-Thornton

   19, 13, 5, 6, ??, 2, 11

- Helmsley-Ampleforth

   8, 4, 4, 5, 6, 14, 8

- Dishforth-Baldersby-Markington

   29, 15, 10, 5, 4, 4, 8

- Northallerton

   64, 41, 35, 22, 50, 19, 18

- Northallerton Sth-Leeming Bar

   23, 14, 10, 7, 22, 3, <3

- Brompton-Appleton-Thimbleby

   16, 20, 12, 15, 5, 9, 3

- Bedale-Snape

   30, 17, 15, 10, ??, <3, <3

- Boroughbridge

   31, 22, 15, 10, 13, 15, 11

- Linton-Tollerton-Raskelf

   9, 12, 6, 6, 2, 5, 11

- Easingwold-Stillington

  15, 19, 18, 7, 2, 4, <3

Hambleton cases

Hambleton daily 7-day moving average case rate, all ages 1 Jul 2020 to 14 Feb 2021

 

Hambleton comprises Bedale, Easingwold, Northallerton, Stokesley, Thirsk and all the hamlets and villages around these.

The chart was derived from the Government's Yorkshire and Humber epidemiological data sets.