A hole in a Colne Valley road has become a running joke as Yorkshire Water and Kirklees Council go head-to-head over which of them should fix it.

The hole, now lovingly known as th’oyl, appeared on Carr Lane in Slaithwaite – the main road through the village – more than 17 weeks ago and in its early days was guarded by warning signs and barriers.

But the signs have blown down, the barriers fallen over and all were chucked in a heap on top of th’oyl which is 18 inches to 2ft deep.

It wasn’t long before the ridicule started but skip driver Nick Lawton has taken it to new heights, creating a never-ending group of fictional characters remarking on the hole and what a hole it would leave in their lives if it was ever filled in.

It’s now become so infamous people are starting to stop, stare and marvel at how long a hole can possibly be left unfilled on such a busy road.

The reason seems to be that Yorkshire Water and Kirklees Council are at loggerheads over who should repair the hole … so the saga seems set to rumble on with road safety seemingly forgotten.

 

 

Yorkshire Water has investigated the site to see if it was responsible for the hole but, in the end, decided it wasn’t.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We apologise for the delay in investigating the damage to the road surface on Carr Lane. We have now completed our investigation of the sewer network and have found no issues that would cause a depression in the road surface.”

Kirklees Council then came back with a statement suggesting that the hole is still being investigated: “Kirklees Council have been working with Yorkshire Water to determine the cause of the hole in the road on Carr Lane, Slaithwaite.

“Once the investigative works have been completed, appropriate repair works will be carried out as soon as possible by Yorkshire Water. Safety signage and barriers have been reinstated around the affected area.”

So, with no end in sight there’s even talk of a Christmas tree being put in th’oyl and lit up to make it a tad easier for drivers to spot.

Caroline Bower suggested it on Facebook: “Anyone want to join a group for decorating th’oyl for Christmas? We could have a light up reindeer in the middle and some fancy flashing lights.

“What about some carol singers round th’oyl on Christmas Eve?”

 

 

Nick, who drives for Slaithwaite-based Bower Skip Hire, said: “Although the saga has gone on so long and we’ve tried to have some fun with it there is a serious issue here as no-one seems to be bothered there’s been a hole in the middle of a main road for so long.

“I must pass that spot 20 times a day and many times I hear of near misses where people have tried to pass the hole but are not even sure which side to go on as it’s in the middle. The authorities must know about it but nothing is being done.”

Nick – a talented photographer who has sold some of his prints to help the Slaithwaite-based Ella Dawson Foundation charity – said he’s always had a knack of making up silly names and his imagination has gone into overdrive since th’oyl appeared.

“It must be my warped sense of humour and people are saying I should turn it into a cartoon,” he said. “I’ve even had people offer to draw pictures to go with my words. The response has been amazing so I’ve just kept on writing about th’oyl week after week.”

 

 

Here’s a flavour of the zany characters Nick’s invented to put their two penn’orth in about the hole.

Retired knocker upperer Sithi Intmornin, aged 96, said: “We never had carry ons like this in my day. If summat brok it wa fixed same day or day after. No-one cares anymore. Too many departments have to get involved afore owt gets looked at, naer mind fixed. “

Home help Aprons Tring, 64, added: “I walk past t’oyl every morning and I’m getting quite used to seeing the cones and barriers always re-organising themsens into different shapes and patterns. I’ll miss it when (if) it ever goes.”

Russian vicar Manov Daclof, 44, chipped in: “We had an early Sunday morning prayer session at t’oyl yesterday and attracted a good crowd so hopefully somebody up there will take note.”

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.