ash cloud over yorkshire

[mikeysaling]

just put this in in case tim needs to travel in the next few days

Bus journeys have been halted as another volcanic ash cloud looms over Wharfedale and parts of Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales.

Many travellers faced further misery as a six hour no-bus zone was imposed as far as Buckden. Bus companies warned passengers not to travel to these regions without checking that their bus is departing.

However, journeys from Ribblesdale will not be affected by the plume of ash from Iceland's volcano
Eyjafjallajokull, which caused travel chaos when it forced the closure of much of Europe's airspace for almost a week last month.

DalesBus and MetroBus are monitoring the latest situation after it was predicted ash concentrations would exceed acceptable tolerance levels, adversely affecting windscreen visibility and the operation of bus drivers' ticket machines.

Some would-be passengers have resorted to walking, wearing smog-masks. And others are riding on horses. "Actually," said Fred Johnson of Grassington, " the horse shit helps to dissipate the volcano ash - which can then be used to fertilize our gardens. So every cloud has a silver lining, I guess."

Local residents are hoping to get their own back on Iceland, by re-igniting the ancient Wharfedale volcano, currently known as Buckden Pike, once the wind is in a strong, north-westerly direction.