York cookery writer Laura Mason at the Mansion House for the York Food and Drink Festival in September 2005
Picture: Mike Tipping LOVING tributes have been paid to Laura Mason, the York cookery writer and food historian, who has died from cancer aged 63. Laura, who died on February 2, was born in Ilkley but settled in York. Her funeral took place on February 15. She was well known in York for her cookery writing and involvement with the York Food Festival. As an expert on confectionery she advised the makers of the 2004 film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, on the set-up of Honeyduke’s Sweetshop.
ILKLEY Youth and Community Association is delighted to have successfully worked with local schools to deliver over 100 meal kits to families and carers of children who attend Ilkley, Addingham and Burley schools over February half term. Having been awarded a substantial grant from the government’s Covid Winter Grant Scheme by Bradford Council, the registered charity worked with Ilkley Grammar School and local primaries to help identify families who would benefit from receiving food support during half term. With trustees and volunteers for the charity helping to organise the event, the charity was given incredible support by a huge number of groups and individuals in packing, transporting and delivering food, including Ilkley Rugby Club, Ilkley Community Transport, Great Get Together volunteers, Robbie Moore MP, and district councillor Kyle Green (one of the trustees of the charity). In addition to this, the charity was able to work extensively with local businesses who wan
FORMER Westville House School pupil Isla Slade is celebrating passing her Foundation Maths GCSE at the age of 11. Isla, who is now in her first year at Ilkley Grammar School, sat the paper in November 2020, scoring 217 out of 240 to achieve the highest exam grade for the foundation paper, a Grade 5. She was encouraged to sit the exam during her final two years at Westville, where she joined several other children in attending a weekly after-school club for gifted mathematicians run by specialist maths teacher and deputy head, Mr Chris O’Doherty. Mr O’Doherty said: “Our whole ethos at Westville is to provide a nurturing environment where those children we recognise as gifted in key subjects, such as maths, are pushed beyond the primary curriculum to tackle more challenging problems. We are absolutely delighted with Isla’s result. She is a very bright pupil and was really keen to take on the challenge of Foundation Maths GCSE. The fact she achieved such a high score is
SIR - Bradford Council proposes that 21% of all homes built between 2020-2038 will be built on Green Belt! Burley-in-Wharfedale disproportionally burdened. Bradford Metropolitan District Council begins its consultation on its proposed Local Plan for the period 2020-2038 on 8th February. Of the 30,672 homes to be built in the period (1704 dwellings per annum). Bradford Council says that 21% of homes will have to be built on Green Belt despite discounting some Brown Field sites. Surely these sites should be made viable before making a devastating inroad into our beautiful Yorkshire landscape? Furthermore, landowners are to be encouraged to come forward with new sites for housing.
DURING the current pandemic young people have had very little to do, and become bored, isolated and in some cases introverted as a result. Five youngsters from Addingham, supported by not-for-profit organisation Kidfit, used the time to train as paediatric first aiders and safeguarding level 1 and 2 and have now qualified and act as staff at Kidfit’s after school activities club in Addingham. The youngsters, all pupils from Ilkley Grammar School, undertook the course whilst also completing school work. Jonathan Storton, director at Kidfit, said: “Many of the young people we work with look up to our staff as positive role models and engage with them leading to a mutual trust and understanding. This helps children to forge strong social support networks that they could rely on in times of trouble. The resulting sense of belonging and integration has been shown to have a profound impact on health, especially for those who have previously felt socially and emotionally exclude