Nidderdale Festival: A local event connected to the Nidderdale Festival will take place in Middlesmoor Village Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, when David Griffiths will be showing the Art of Dry Stone Walling. Running in conjunction with the Festival are three Updale exhibitions, at How Stean (from 10am-5pm daily), Ramsgill Studio (from 11am-4pm every Wednesday to Sunday) and Middlesmoor Village Hall on July 12/13 and July 19/20.

AONB Event: You might have seen our local school children on television (again!) walking through a beautiful Updale meadow to examine local wildlife! Nidderdale Ranger Colin Slator, who works for the AONB, was filmed by the BBC as he introduced Lofthouse School children to some of the natural residents of a traditional hay meadow near Stean. Small mammal traps, set the night before the visit, were found to contain lively specimens of common shrew, bank vole and wood mouse. The AONB states: "The traps were completely humane and are used to monitor populations of such animals - many of which thrive in traditional farmland habitats, such as hay meadows. The captured small mammals were then released unharmed back into their environment." The film was shown on BBC1's Countryfile on Sunday, June 22. The programme featured hay meadows and haymaking in the Yorkshire Dales, covering an area from Yockenthwaite in Wharfedale to Stean in Upper Nidderdale.

The AONB inform us that over 100 events celebrating hay meadows and haymaking are being held throughout the Yorkshire Dales area (including Nidderdale), details of which can be seen at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/haytime festival or accessed through www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk

So, here's the adult's (and children's) chance, not to be on the telly, but to educate themselves on the environmental benefits of hay meadows and to learn about the biodiversity related to this traditional farming practice. You can do this by joining Marion Wilby on Wednesday, July 16 from 6-8pm on her walk and talk at a farm near Middlesmoor, at a cost of £4 for adults (under 16s free). If you are interested, please book at the AONB office on (01423) 712950.

Number 6 Studio: The two exhibitions to be held in July are: July 10-20 from 10am-4pm daily - New Horizons - Graduate Exhibition and July 25-27 (inclusive) from 10am- 4pm - David and Martin Prince - Photographs.

Message from Father Peter: "Father Peter would like to thank everyone for all their hard work at our Bell Festival which raised £800 with the stalls, refreshments, etc. The Village Hall is now beautifully restored, bright and clean, welcoming and inviting. An overheard comment at the service: "Where's mi loose change? Church 'as plenty of money!" In 2007 St Chad's paid out £659 for heating, £1,375 for insurance, £1,911 for repairs, £869 to charities and £3,000 to the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. With a regular Sunday congregation of four people, that's hard work.