COAL RUNNINGS
Bank holiday blues as heavy snow falls across Yorkshire, disrupting travel, sporting fixtures and events
It was not for the fainthearted, but the wintry weather did not put off hardy Yorkshire people wanting to enjoy Easter traditions such as the World Coal Carrying Championships in Gawthorpe, near Ossett, yesterday.
IT IS a holiday synonymous with new beginnings, the start of spring, and an altogether sunnier outlook for the months ahead.
But winter had a sting in its tail for Easter Monday, as Yorkshire shivered once again under a blanket of snow.
Weather warnings were in place for much of the UK yesterday as up to 10cm of snow fell across Northern England, north Wales and Scotland, while torrential rain lashed the South as millions of motorists returned from bank holiday activities.
Many roads across Yorkshire were closed, as the AA warned drivers to take extra care and said the bank holiday weekend was “likely to be one of the busiest on the roads in recent years”.
South Yorkshire Police urged motorists not to drive unless absolutely essential after a number of crashes early yesterday in Sheffield.
After attending a third serious crash in a matter of hours, a force spokesman said officers We’ve had water stood in places we’ve never had water standing before. Richard Hammill, clerk of Pontefract Raecourse. had been “astounded” by the manner in which some were driving.
Motorists were left stranded on Stocksbridge Bypass after heavy snow closed the road. Also in South Yorkshire, the A616 near High Green was closed in both directions between the A628 at Hazelhead and the A6102 at Deepcar; as was the A628 Woodhead Pass and the A57 Snake Pass.
In West Yorkshire, “perilous” driving conditions were reported by motorists on the M62, while cars were photographed stuck in the snow at Ainley Top in Huddersfield.
Numerous flights were diverted away from landing at Leeds Bradford Airport, including the 9.50am KLM arrival from Amsterdam, which was changed to Humberside Airport.
As the snow set in across the region, sporting events and celebrations for the bank holiday weekend were cancelled.
Carleton Duck Race in Craven had to be postponed due to the heavy snow. Organisers said they had “not taken the decision lightly” and would now hold the event on May Day.
But true Yorkshire grit was firmly on display in Gawthorpe, near Ossett, as the 55th annual World Coal Carrying Championships went ahead despite snowy conditions, with last year’s winner Andrew Corrigan, inset, from Driffield, claiming the overall men’s title, Danielle Sidebottom, from Gawthorpe, winning the women’s event and Jimmy McIntyre, from Scotland, claiming the top spot in the veterans’ race. It wasn’t the snow, but days of heavy rain that pushed the final decision to cancel races at Pontefract yesterday. Up to 44 millimetres of rain has fallen in the past week with 10 millimetres in the 24 hours before racing was due to get under way. Pontefract’s chief operating officer and clerk of the course Richard Hammill said they were among the worst conditions in living memory.
Football matches at Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers and Halifax Town all fell foul of waterlogged pitches, as did the rugby league Championship derby between Dewsbury Rams and Halifax.
The Environment Agency yesterday issued flood warnings across parts of Yorkshire and last night trains from Leeds to Skipton were hit by long delays due to flooded tracks.