Harrogate-born professional wrestler Bea Priestley has joined the global American wrestling promotion WWE.

She will begin her WWE career with its UK brand NXT UK wrestling under her new ring name Blair Davenport.

NXT UK is an off-shoot of the WWE’s main US-based shows, Raw and Smackdown. Wrestlers hone their skills in the UK before hopefully moving to America to perform in front of millions.

NXT UK’s weekly show is broadcast on BT Sport and the WWE Network.

Priestley was born in Harrogate and moved to New Zealand when she was 10 years old.

She began training to be a wrestler at the age of 14 and made her debut in December 2012. She’s spent the last few years playing a villainous character in Japan.

In a video posted to the WWE’s social media channels, the grappler laid down the gauntlet for future rivals.

“I have wrestled all around the world. I have sacrificed everything to get to where I am today. I have given up friends, I have given up family to master what I do. Did you really think I wouldn’t be part of the greatest women’s division on earth?”

#BlairDavenport has arrived in #NXTUK! pic.twitter.com/znRN9sScdy

— NXT UK (@NXTUK) July 1, 2021

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Priestley is not the only currently active wrestler to hail from Harrogate.

The high-flying Joe Wade spoke to the Stray Ferret this year about his dream of one day making it in Japan or America.

There is also Thomas ‘Bram’ Latimer, who currently wrestles in the United States for the National Wrestling Alliance, which is owned by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

A woman from Harrogate who suffers up to 20 migraine days a month says she isn’t being prescribed a set of drugs that could help her.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved the anti-CGRP drugs for use in March 2020 yet Tiffany Snowden says the NHS in England still isn’t prescribing them.

Anti-CGRP drugs are the first medication created specifically for episodic or chronic migraines.

Ms Snowden says only other option being to buy the medicine herself at a cost of £350 per month.

Before discovering the anti-CGRP medication Mrs Snowden had been prescribed three different medications, but Mrs Snowden said they made her feel very ill.

Tiffany Snowden and her husband Matthew

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Having found out that the drugs have been available in England and Wales since March 2020, Ms Snowden filed a freedom of information request to Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust asking how many people had been prescribed them in the district.

The trust did not meet the deadline to return the information to Ms Snowden.  A spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“A response to Tiffany’s Freedom of Information request will be with her shortly. We are working hard to respond to FOI requests but owing to operational pressures during the covid pandemic, replies may be delayed.

“While we are unable to comment on individual cases, anti-CGRP drugs, which currently include erenumab, galcanezumab and fremanezumab, are available as potential treatment for patients accessing services for episodic and chronic migraine. That is for those patients that fulfil the NICE criteria for their use.”

In response, Ms Snowden — who says she does fit the NICE criteria — said:

“That is great news that the hospital is able to prescribe those drugs under the NHS but it does not change the difficulty patients in our district are having in accessing them”.

The NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit has said the drugs will be available from this month in England and Wales.

RHS Harlow Carr is set to start work building a new bridge later this year, which has been made possible thanks to the estate of a key supporter.

The Thaliana Bridge will cross the Queen Mother’s Lake at the south end of the gardens to improve access and provide new routes for visitors.

Dr Rachel Leech, whose research into the plant Arabidopsis thaliana inspired the design of the bridge, left money to the RHS as part of her will.

Arabidopsis thaliana, also known as the thale cress or mouse-ear cress, has a small genome of approximately 135 megabase pairs and it was the first plant to have its genomes fully sequenced. This meant it became a model organism for other research programmes.

Gagarin Studio and DP Squared Engineers are behind the project, the same team that recently built a footbridge for Leeds Climate Innovation District.

Work on the Thalina Bridge is expected to start in autumn 2021.

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It will be 21 metres long and three metres wide, made from steel and pre-weathered larch cladding.

Liz Thwaite, head of site at RHS Harlow Carr, said:

“The new bridge is part of our overall masterplan for the RHS Harlow Carr site, and will improve the flow of people and the overall visitor experience.

“We’re so grateful that Dr Leech’s estate are supporting the project and we’re delighted to be working with Gagarin Studio and DP Squared to design and name the bridge in celebration of this pioneering plant science research.”

Gagarin Studio director, Steve Gittner said:

“The paired curving forms of the bridge not only reflect the site-specific routes and orientation but also refers to the chromosomes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

“The rear curved element forms a back screen, deliberately neutral and simple in appearance, whilst the front balustrade facing the lake and gardens beyond is a sculptural element formed in a sequence of weathered steel fins and faces which vary in density and represent the sequenced RDA of the Arabadopsis Thaliana chromosome.”

A Pannal resident is in a battle with Harrogate Borough Council over two willow trees that he believes hang precariously over his house.

Professor Alejandro Frangi, who is an internationally renowned expert on computational medicine, lives by Crimple Beck in the Harrogate suburb with his wife and eight children.

On the other side of the water are several trees, including the two willows that he believes could fall in strong winds and threaten the safety of his young family.

In 2020 he applied to the council to prune and manage the trees. The council agreed to manage some of them, but it refused to touch the willows, saying that work would damage their health.

Instead it placed a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them, making it a criminal offence to make any changes.

Prof Frangi has accused the council of “acting unreasonably” over the trees and submitted a formal complaint to the council about the way the saga has been handled.

The council rejected his complaint and said it was satisfied with how it made the decision.

Prof Frangi told the Stray Ferret:

“These trees risk falling on to my side of the river, straight on my property, posing a risk to my family and property. The council has been acting unreasonably, dismissing the risks and putting TPOs on the trees instead of protecting us.”

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To help his case, Prof Frangi commissioned arboricultural consultant James Royston to inspect the hazards posed by the trees, and he agreed that one of them could be dangerous.

The report said:

“It is overhanging a house and garden, and it thereby presents a reasonably foreseeable risk of danger to the occupants and visitors of that house and garden.”

However, it doesn’t appear that Harrogate Borough Council will change its position.

Prof Frangi has now lodged an appeal with the government’s Planning Inspectorate about the council’s refusal and hopes it will force them to change their stance.

A HBC council spokesperson said:

“Proposals that result in the thinning, loss of or damage to mature trees that are subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) are not permitted unless there is an overriding need that outweighs loss or harm.

“The trees are mature specimens with no visible health defects, and thinning would have a detrimental impact on their health and the visual amenity of the surrounding area, contrary to the guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy NE7 of the Harrogate Local Plan.”

“Professor Frangi has submitted appeals against the council’s decisions to refuse consent and the matter is now with the Planning Inspectorate whose decisions are currently awaited.”

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Don’t blame dog mess on long grass

May I respectfully suggest that long grass is not the reason for dog fouling. It is due to irresponsible dog owners breaking the law.

Nigel Heptinstall, Darley

Rossett School is fantastic!

So often the press around schools and education is negative. I just thought I’d like to highlight the fantastic reception my daughter has had at Rossett School since she started there in September 2020.

Written off by her previous school as not academic, she came to the school quite depressed about life. Life at Rossett has utterly changed her into a hard-working girl with an array of options ahead of her.

This is a remarkable turnaround and the school should be applauded for taking in a pupil who had such a low opinion of herself and turned it around inside an academic year. The teaching has been fantastic during a very challenging time for educators and pupils alike. Thank you, Rossett!

Nick Bentley, Harrogate

These bins are a menace

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Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

The Rotary Club of Harrogate has celebrated its centenary by planting a colourful flowerbed in the Valley Gardens.

Coronavirus has meant the club has been forced to cancel and postpone its much bigger events this year.

March 22 had been set as the date for a sold-out centenary concert at the Royal Hall.

Lockdown restrictions meant this couldn’t go through, but they encouraged ticket holders to donate the refunded money to the upkeep of the Royal Hall.

The members dressed in 1920s clothing and even hired a 1920s Rolls Royce as a nod to the Rotary Club’s origins when they met for the dedication ceremony earlier this week.

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Since 1921, The Rotary Club of Harrogate has raised money for hundreds of causes, from tackling environmental issues to providing affordable accommodation.

Stephen Ellis, district governor for Rotary District 1040, the Mayor and Mayoress, and Rotary Club of Harrogate president John Fordyce

A spokesperson for the club said:

“Great plans to celebrate our centenary have been cancelled or suspended but the Rotary Club of Harrogate did manage to persuade Harrogate Borough Council to dedicate a flowerbed in the town’s famous Valley Gardens.

“The club has always paid a great deal of attention to the environment, having planted many thousands of trees, crocuses and daffodils in the area.

“Outgoing president Alistair Ratcliffe has worked tirelessly to ensure that the centenary bed does credit to the achievements of the club, particularly in what must have been one of the most challenging years for every club president.”

The incoming president John Fordyce hosted the event with the Mayor of Harrogate district, Trevor Chapman.

Two titans of contemporary art, Peter King and Peter Wileman, are showing a collection of works in a joint exhibition at Walker Galleries starting this weekend.

The paintings draw on natural landscapes and still life, and while the artists’ approaches vary in degrees of abstraction, each piece is striking. All the art displayed will be on sale and priced individually.

A spokesperson for the Walker Galleries in Harrogate said:

“We felt that the two artists complimented one another. Both artists concentrate on traditional landscape subjects but give them a slightly abstract ‘edge’.

“Both of the artists are already well established at Walker Galleries and there has already been a lot of interest from regular and new clients.”

Peter King: ‘Winter Light, Arran’ £2,800

Contemporary Scottish artist Peter King takes inspiration from the light and landscape of his homeland, evoking nature through texture and free paint.

He was born in Glasgow in 1953 and studied art, specialising in drawing and painting, at the Glasgow Art School under the tutelage of David Donaldson RSA and Duncan Shanks RSA.

Walker Galleries described King’s style as “a range of motifs which he constantly returns to and reinterprets, focusing on aspects of changing moods of light, weather and season”.

Peter King: ‘Autumn Reflections, Arran’ £2,800

On the other hand, Walker Galleries called Peter Wileman‘s more abstract work “vigorous and full of drama”.

He was born in Middlesex in 1946 and has spent 40 years developing his bold, vigorous style to evoke atmosphere and explore the effect of light, winning many awards along the way.

Peter Wileman: ‘The Kiss of Dawn, Bamburgh’ £3,500

Wileman is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the former president and a fellow of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the East Anglian Group of Marine Artists.

The exhibition will be open between 10am and 5.30pm until July 10, and entry is free.

Peter Wileman: ‘Castle Nick, Hadrian’s Wall’ £5,850

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The Harrogate district has recorded a further 87 coronavirus cases today.

With cases climbing locally, the Harrogate district’s seven day infection rate is now at 218 per 100,000, which is higher than the England rate of 206 per 100,000.

According to Public Health England, the total number of cases in the district since last March stands at 8,702.

A total of 331 cases of the Delta variant have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest government figures.

The number represents cases up to June 30 – and is a 42% increase from the 233 that were reported for the seven days up to June 23.

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Despite the high number of cases, Harrogate District Hospital is currently caring for just four coronavirus patients.

The hospital has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths since April 11. The covid death toll at the hospital remains at 179.

The high number of cases and relatively low number of coronavirus patients suggests the vaccine programme is working.

Around 70 volunteers took on a daring abseil down Harrogate’s Crowne Plaza Hotel today to raise money for Yorkshire Cat Rescue.

The event, which was delayed because of coronavirus, took place today between 10am and 4.30pm.

So far the abseil has raised more than £16,000 for the charity, which will use the money to rescue more cats, food, vet bills and shelter.

With so many people taking part and restrictions still in place, the fearless participants were spaced apart in groups of three.

It was a rather damp start to the morning but with little wind, the event could still go ahead.

Jo Beverley, one of the event organisers, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s huge, that amount of money. Obviously with coronavirus we have been really hit hard in terms of getting cats out to new homes and fundraising.

“So it has been really, really difficult. This just means that we can help more. The more money we have coming in, the more cats we can help.

“This event has been a long time coming. We have had delays after delays but we are here and we are doing it, this is fabulous.”

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This isn’t the first daring exploit run by the charity; last year it held a ‘firewalk’ in Skipton where participants walked over burning coals.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue has been taking in unwanted cats and kittens and giving them homes for nearly 20 years. As an independent charity, it relies on fundraising to keep going.

Charlie Lovatt, who was dressed as Spiderman and the first to take on the challenge, told the Stray Ferret:

“If you are going to go down a building, you need to do it in style. It just felt necessary, I bought the Spiderman outfit for the occasion.

“It was alright, I have abseiled before. But it was quite high and it went really quick.”

Dan Howard, who has hosted pub quizzes for Yorkshire Cat Rescue over the last year was also roped in for the abseil. He told the Stray Ferret:

“It was really fun. The hardest thing was getting over the edge. Once you feel the rope has you it feels a bit more comfortable and you can have more fun with it.

“I started getting involved with the charity in the first lockdown. Through the quizzes alone we raised about £5,000.”