Editor's Pick of the Week: A dirty night in Ripon, a new bakery in Harrogate and a ferret in Knaresborough

Mayors don’t usually begin speeches by talking about pooing in a river. But then, most mayors don’t have to spend a Monday evening listening to Yorkshire Water explain why so much sewage ends up in local waterways.

The water company’s head of corporate affairs endured a decidedly dirty night in Ripon, answering questions about the state of our rivers.

It was one of several uncomfortable ethical dilemmas to surface in the news this week.

We revealed how North Yorkshire Council funds anti-smoking initiatives while its pension fund has more than £20 million invested in two global tobacco giants. We also looked at what the county’s libraries intend to do with David Walliams books and covered a demonstration by animal rights protestors outside life sciences firm Labcorp in Harrogate.

Labcorp was hosting a networking event, and one detail caught our eye: many of the cars arriving contained men, while all but one of the 25 or so protestors were women.

A rather less weighty dilemma is now facing Harrogate residents: Gail’s or Pret?

Gail’s revealed this week that it will open on James Street on Tuesday, directly opposite Pret A Manger. The battle for the town’s overpriced sandwiches and sourdough breakfasts is about to get serious.

Sadly, there will be no such choice for fans of Higginsons on Regent Parade. The bakery served its last bap on Friday, bringing the curtain down on 87 years of trading. A genuine loss for anyone who baulks at spending £7 on a chicken sandwich.

The owner cited a lack of parking as one of the factors behind the closure. Some customers of Greggs and Thomas the Baker on Market Place North in Ripon have found a way round the onerous task of walking for a few seconds to get their sausage rolls by illegally parking in the loading bays outside the shops.

This week, the city council proposed putting a stop to the practice by installing a bollard. It also wants double yellow lines reinstated on another city street where motorists have to “take their lives in their hands”.

From questionable parking to questionable pets: shoppers at Barker & Stonehouse on St James Retail Park in Knaresborough got rather more than they bargained for when an actual stray ferret was spotted scurrying around the showroom. Not quite the furry accessory you'd expect to find among the cushions and coffee tables.

Finally, back to ferrets of a more metaphorical kind.

The Stray Ferret Business Awards – one of the best nights out of the year – opened for entries on Friday. There are 10 categories, and entering is quick and free.

Click here for more information. And rest assured, there won't be any speeches about defecating in rivers.

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