Keld Festival Weekend

Keld has celebrated the 60th anniversary of the arrival of mains electricity to the village and the centenary of a remarkable historical dispute when in 1913 dancing was banned in the Literary Institute.



The Lantern Parade took place, at dusk, on Friday 8th November and was widely supported by the children from Reeth & Gunnerside Primary School, The 2 Dales Nursery, parents, grandparents and residents of the upper dale.

The children had tea in the Public Hall followed by a puppet show which they all thoroughly enjoyed.

Then came the moment the children had been waiting for!  They collected the lanterns they had so carefully made in school and a procession of over sixty children, excited to be walking out in the dark, made there way around the village.

The atmosphere was electric.  The children carried their lantern high and sang a German lantern song, learnt in school, during the procession.

The parade ended in the little square outside the church and the Literary Institute, where the children sang 'Swaledale'.

Debbie Allan, professional photographer, from Scenicview Gallery, Reeth came to the Lantern Parade to take photographs.  The Keld Resource Centre are extremely grateful to Debbie for allowing us to use her photographs as without them there would be no record of this event.
Please visit www.scenicview.co.uk or call in at Scenicview Gallery to view more of Debbie's work.

The next evening, to celebrate the 1913 dancing dispute, what else but a evening of dancing! The Centenary Ceilidh, with local Ceilidh Band, Cobbler's Jig, was a stomping success. The Public Hall, decorated with lanterns from the parade, was full and everyone danced the night away.  The hot supper supplied by Keld Lodge was excellent and the usual table-groaning, calorie-busting selection of deserts provided by supporters of the Keld Resource Centre were delicious.
A local person was overheard saying 'Tonight reminds me of how dances in Keld used to be; everyone joining in and being so friendly.'

Remembrance Sunday

Our Remembrance Day Service began beside the War Memorial on the roadside at the top of the village.

Local resident, Adrian France played The Reveille.

Following a three minute silence, 'For the Fallen' and prayers by Reverend Stephen Collinson the service continued in church.

Keld Festival makes full page in Northern Echo

Excitement is brewing as the Keld Festival Weekend approaches. The village is celebrating two important events in its history; the centenary of the 1913 dispute and arrival of mains electricity, a mere 60 years ago,
in 1953.

The Northern Echo devoted a full page report under the headline Dancing with the Devil.

Reporter, Mike Amos, did us proud and wrote a superb article about the goings-on in Keld 100 years ago when the village was in uproar because the trustees of the Literary Institute closed the place down when they discovered dances were taking place into the 'wee hours'.  The article includes interviews with Clive Davies, project manager of the Keld Resource Centre and Ernest Whitehead, the only remaining resident of Keld who remembers mains electricity arriving in the village.
Visit www.northernecho.co.uk to read the full story. Type Dancing with the Devil in the search box.  The article was printed on Tuesday 5th November.

Friday 8th November - Lantern Parade at approx. 4.30 p.m.
Around 70 children from Reeth & Gunnerside School and the 2 Dales Nursery plus a few more will walk in procession with the lanterns they made in school, singing as they go.

Saturday 9th November - Celebration Ceilidh
Keld Public Hall from 7.30 p.m.

COME AND CELEBRATE WITH US - EVERYONE WELCOME

Lantern Making for the Lantern Parade - Friday 8th November

All the pupils from Gunnerside & Reeth School have been busy making lanterns for the Lantern Parade on Friday 8th November as part of the Keld Festival Weekend.

The Lantern Parade is to mark the 60th anniversary of mains electricity arriving in Keld Village.
To these 21st century children, sixty years ago is 'the olden days', but it is, in fact, very recent history. 

Thanks go to the Yorkshire Dales National Parks for providing the willow and to the children and staff of Reeth & Gunnerside Federated Primary School for their enthusiasm and support.

We are all looking forward to event and in particular keeping our fingers crossed for good weather!
More photographs and a full report after the event.

Artist in Residence

It was a pleasure to welcome Reverends Richard and Rosemary Kidd ( two for the price of one!) as Ministers-in-Residence in The Manse for Harvest Festival.  Here a few of their recollections and memories of their visit to Keld.

A great week in this really excellent accommodation.  Bad weather gave us the excuse to enjoy creative pursuits.  It was a special privilege to be the very first to welcome Rev Stephen Collinson to The Manse - although he declined to explore upstairs in deference to our privacy!  When our daughter and baby grandson visited, we set off on the Waterfall Walk, enjoying the innocent delight of a one-year-old in every sheep on the way.  Thank you so much for the warm hospitality of the Christians of Keld, and especially Glenda, for keeping the house in such good order.

Richard and Rosemary Kidd.  Ministers in Residence 28th September - 8th October

Harvest Festival

Sunday 29th September 2013
Harvest Festival in Keld Chapel
A beautiful display of  flowers, fruit and vegetable decorated the church.
 A bale of hay and a Swaledale fleece represented harvest in the upper dale.
The service was taken by visiting Minister-in-Residence, Rev Richard Kidd of Derbyshire

 

The next day, all the Harvest Festival produce is auctioned.  Keld Lodge hosts this event and provides a welcome supper before the auction begins.  Ronnie Metcalfe from Gunnerside and formerly of Greenses takes the auction.  He expertly and often amusingly manages to extract every last penny from the assembled crowd!

Thank you Nick, Ronnie and everyone who supported the chapel through their generous bidding.

Showing You The Way..... in Action

Earlier this summer a family from Devon came to Keld for their holidays. 
 

Our children's guide, Showing You The Way..... was perfect for them to follow.

Crossing over the river to the waterfall



Checking the route

 

Great scenery and views of the dale.

 

 

 

The children are fascinated by the remains of an abandoned tractor they find on the side of the path.

 

 

Cooling off in the stream at the bottom of Swinner Gill

 

 

Checking the map as they near Ramps Holme Bridge and the path to journey's end, Muker.

 

 

Another chance to paddle before setting off on the last stage of the walk through the Muker hay meadows.