Ami Miller Lifestyle Reporter, Author at The Stray Ferret

‘A Century of Fashion’ goes under the Hammer

Yorkshire based auctioneers Tennants are preparing to auction ‘a century of fashion.’

Tennants Auctioneers’ costume, accessories and textiles sale will offer a selection of outfits from the Victorian Era to the present day.

Classics by Chanel, Gucci and Chloe will all be going under the hammer as well as many vintage costume pieces.

The auction will take place at Tennant’s flagship site in Leyburn, North Yorkshire on Saturday 22, August.

Tennant’s ‘ A Century of Fashion.’

Sarah White, Costume and Textiles specialist at Tennant’s told the Stray Ferret that there will be over 200 lots on offer:

‘It’s a different sale to usual this time… it’s got more bulk to it in the costume, but we also have a fantastic selection of modern Chanel, leather goods, 20’s daywear and 30s and 40’s costume which people like and want to buy.’

So what sort of price can you expect to pay for these pieces?

‘The Chanel items tend to go for between 300 and 500 which is a fraction of what you would pay in the shops, the other items anywhere from £200 upwards, but there’s always bargains to be had so it’s best to come and have a look.’

Have you changed the way you run the auctions due to COVID restrictions?

‘We have had to change the way we work, so the way we set out the room for viewing and the saleroom for bidding, but with regards to selling the items the prices have been strong and the market is very strong. This is our second costume sale since lockdown, but with the online bidding, it is a really good platform for buying, as people can still see photos and we provide condition reports.’

People will be able to go and view with items at Tennant’s on Thursday and Friday between 10-4 and on Saturday before the auction from 7.30 am, the sale starts at 10.30 am.

Alongside live bidding in person, there are also digital alternatives for browsing and bidding. A fully illustrated catalogue is available where bidders will also be able to bid live online or leave commission bids.

Harrogate A level students anxiously await results day

The Stray Ferret has been out speaking to A-level students ahead of their big day on Thursday.

With A-level exams cancelled, students’ futures are in the hands of predicted grades and a process of standardisation. This uncertainty has led to heightened nerves across the district.

On Thursday, August, 13 students will find out their grades and, for some, whether they have got into the university of their choice.

But even the process of finding out their results will be a different experience to usual.

India Shenton, a student at St Aidan’s sixth form, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are being emailed our results on the day… I would have preferred to have sat the exams and then gone in to find out the results with all my friends as it’s all part of it, isn’t it?… But there’s nothing we can do about it.

“I am quite nervous, I feel like If I had been able to sit the exams then at least then I would have an idea of how they had gone.”

Georgina Bygrave, a student at King James sixth form, said:

“We are getting an email in the morning with our grades. It’s sad but I get that it’s the safest way. I personally don’t think it’s very accurate as if we had been told ages ago that we weren’t going to sit the exams we would have tried harder in school…

“Everyone knows exams are important so you put all your effort in, whereas with homework you might just do it the night before and then you might get a rubbish grade for it, not thinking it’s going to impact your actual A level result.”

Zac Hall, a student at Harrogate Grammar School, said:

“We will be getting an email at 8am to our school email with the results. I’m not feeling great about it as I didn’t do very well in my mocks, but I was just planning on revising harder closer to the time. I guess it wasn’t the best mindset to have, but it is what it is.

“I am having a year out anyway, so I could always resit the year and try a bit harder. It was the same with my GCSEs – I didn’t do well in the mocks but then when the actual GCSEs came I did pretty well… Hopefully it might be a reflection of that, but who knows?… I’ll find out on Thursday.”

Schools and colleges were asked to predict the grades pupils would have achieved in each subject if they had sat the exams. These predictions were sent to the exam boards along with the order of who they think will do best.

The exam boards put together the information, taking into account data for previous years, to make adjustments to the predictions. The aim was to make sure the results were fair and consistent and in line with results from previous years.

There have been concerns about the results already issued in Scotland, with many pupils receiving lower grades than they had expected. The Scottish government has apologised for the problems.

‘The plastic revolution is over and grass is going down’- CNG stadium prepares for EFL

Harrogate Town’s 3G pitch is being replaced with grass as the club prepare to play in the EFL for the first time.

Synthetic surfaces are not permitted in League Two, so Town is now in the process of changing back to turf in order to be allowed to compete in the EFL.

The new ground is expected to cost a hefty total of around £200k to complete.

Garry Plant, managing director at the club told the Stray Ferret that it’s a “great shame” that it has to go:

“The EFL criteria says we have to play on grass so the plastic revolution is over and grass will be going down. It’s a bag of mixed feelings… it’s a great feeling to promoted, but this pitch has been amazing for the club, one of the best things we ever did and I just wish we could leave it down…

“It’s time off the pitch and so many teams train here, but it’s time to say goodbye to a very old friend that’s done brilliantly for the club.”

Turf delivery to CNG Stadium

It is full steam ahead with the work at the stadium to be finished by the October 10 – though the new season starts on the weekend of Saturday, September 12. Town will ground share with Doncaster Rovers until the new pitch is finished.

Harrogate Town get ready for celebratory open top bus parade

Harrogate Town fans are expected to be out in yellow and black tomorrow, as an open-top bus full of the team’s players parades through the town.

It’s in celebration of their historic 3-1 win over Notts County last Sunday, taking them into League Two for the first time in the club’s history.

The bus will leave the CNG Stadium tomorrow at 12.05pm and go on a 35-minute tour of the town, finishing back at their home ground on Wetherby Road.

Garry Plant, managing director at the club, spoke to the Stray Ferret ahead of the parade:

“Hopefully existing and new fans will be there to see the players and trophy. Players are looking forward to connecting back with the fans as they were denied of that at Wembley, and it’s a case of closing the door on the celebration and now it’s down to business of getting promoted.”

Photo Credit: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town

Harrogate Town has reassured supporters that precautionary steps are in place to ensure social distancing is observed at their open-top bus parade.

“We have had to write volumes of protocol, working with North Yorkshire Police as well as our own covid officer – it has been hard work but well worth it. The bus won’t be stopping as if the bus stops then people will gather and that brings a whole raft of issues… so the bus will be going along at Harrogate pace and people will get a chance to see the players and the trophy.”

The Harrogate Bus Company is providing the open-top bus, which will be decorated in true “Town style”.

Alex Hornby, of bus company Transdev Blazefield, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are really proud to donate an open-top bus to take part in the celebrations for our town and our local club, and felt it a worthy recognition of for Harrogate Town’s incredible and historic win and entry into the football league.

“By its nature, this is a roving tour of several miles covering the town centre and surrounding area, with no deliberate focal point and the full support and co-operation of the police and local authority. We encourage everyone to celebrate with us all safely.”

Harrogate parents meet up to walk and talk once again

Ready steady mums, a group for new parents to meet up and go for a walk with their babies, is back up and walking.

The group, which ‘actively embraces motherhood’ had to stop its weekly meet-ups due to coronavirus. But four months on, it has now been able to resume, with many new mums who had their babies during lockdown joining the established group.

Rasheen, who lives in Harrogate, told us that it has really helped to talk to other mums that have been through a similar experience.

“We’ve all had corona babies, so it’s great to now meet new mums like myself… It was a really difficult time for me, my baby was in special care for a week and my husband wasn’t allowed in, and during a time like that you need that family support, your partner, your mum, your dad. It’s good to be able to get advice from others and find out what is normal.”

Ready Steady Mums, Harrogate

The group meets at 10am every Friday on the Stray, on the corner of Milton Way close to Leeds Road. Parents are asking to bring hand gel, a picnic rug and drink/ flask.

Cheryl Mckee is one of the organisers of Ready Steady Mum, and also used to be a midwife. She said:

“It’s totally safe, we socially distance and it’s a great way to get some fresh air. For mums who had their babies in lockdown, it’s been very lonely. So it’s nice for them to see other mums, and chat about their experiences and just help each other along.”

Set up in spring 2016, the group previously met weekly at St Mark’s Church to walk a circular route together, returning to the church for tea, coffee and cake afterwards. Many of the attendees went every week while their babies were young.

Now, at the end of the 40-minute walk, which goes around the Stray, the group sit and have a picnic together on the Stray.

Frances Langford, who was a midwife in Harrogate for 30 years, said the group helps both the physical and mental health of parents:

“It’s the social mixing and talking to other mums… It gives people structure so they think, ‘oh, I have got something to do on Friday’, otherwise when you have a newborn every day can just run into one.”

‘Eat Out to Help Out’ fills restaurants across the Harrogate district

The ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, which started on Monday August, 3 has seen diners from across the district flock to take advantage of half-price meals, with queues forming outside many restaurants and cafes.

The 50 per cent discount, which is capped at £10 per person and does not apply to alcohol, is available at more than 100 outlets across the district throughout August.

queue outside Bettys

Restaurant managers and customers alike have welcomed the scheme, after a ‘huge increase’ in sales, and customers saying they will ‘definitely be making the most of it.’

The queue for Bettys appeared even bigger than usual and one woman said:

” I usually meet up with friends on a Thursday but we have changed it to a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday now… in fact we might meet up twice now as it’s such a good deal.”

West Park Hotel, Harrogate

The West Park Hotel in Harrogate told The Stray Ferret that they saw a 50% increase in customers on Monday in comparison to the Monday previous.

Johnathon Cairns, who is the General Manager at The West Park Hotel said:

“It’s a brilliant scheme, it helps pick up those lower sales days, and we are welcoming a lot of new faces which is great. It is really beneficial, and you can see a little bit of an uplift in what people are spending as people are treating themselves a bit more, knowing they get a discount. We haven’t run a weekend yet so we will see how that goes, but we have been really busy since we reopened so were hoping that it will just mean it will be like a Saturday all week now… It would be great if the Government could consider extending the scheme throughout September too when things usually quieten down a little.”

Sharon Colgan who owns The Empress On The Stray thinks the scheme is much better for social distancing:

“It’s great… If everyone waits and goes out on a weekend it doesn’t help with social distancing, whereas if it’s spread over 7 days it will be alot better… It’s a way to encourage people to go out in the week and take the pressure off the weekends.”

Knaresborough outlets have also seen a big rise in people coming through the doors.

Six Poor Folk, Knaresborough

Ashleigh Lambert, who owns Six Poor Folk said it has just been “manic”

“Yesterday we had 4 bookings and ended up doing 65… which is more like what we would usually do on a Saturday. People are ordering more food than usual and binging a bit… the increase of people is obviously a worry but we are doing everything we can to run a safe way. It’s been such a rollercoaster as we didn’t know what to expect but it’s now a case of hiring more staff and buying more food.”

However not all business owners are in favour of the scheme.

Christina Whincup, who owns Caffe Tempo in Ripon said ‘It is really bad for small places like us’

” We are taking part purely because Costa and Nero are, so if we didn’t we would lose customers to them… People are going to more expensive places now as they know they can get the discount. We are still busy with our regulars and we can only sit 16 people with social distancing but the scheme doesn’t do us any favours.”

It’s hoped that the scheme will help the restaurant scene get back on its feet after 3 months of closure.

WATCH: Harrogate celebrates Yorkshire Day

People in Harrogate are celebrating Yorkshire Day today and the Stray Ferret has been out to find out what the county means to them.

Yorkshire Day is an annual event which promotes and celebrates the county of Yorkshire

The day was first celebrated in 1975, and each year since, people have come together to celebrate all ‘God’s own county’ has to offer.

Yorkshire Rose

Here’s what people had to say when the Stray Ferret asked “what does Yorkshire mean to you?”

Andy Stanworth, who was born in Skipton and now lives in Harrogate, said:

“It should be its own country, we are bigger than Scotland and it’s just the best place there is.”

Meanwhile, Erica, who was born in Ilkley and lives in Harrogate, said

“It’s just amazing, and to have a day to celebrate the best county is very special… I’m a very proud Yorkshire woman.”

Yorkshire Day celebrations originally started with just a reading, but now the day is marked in many different ways. Mayors from across Yorkshire usually unite in one of the region’s towns or cities, but this year’s celebrations have been moved online because of the coronavirus crisis.

Campsite bookings soar as Spain quarantine proves ‘too risky’ for travellers

The 14-day quarantine rule for holidaymakers returning from Spain to the UK may spell disaster for trips abroad this summer but campsites across the district have told the Stray Ferret they are inundated with enquires.

Camping in the North Yorkshire countryside has become a popular alternative for many who can no longer go abroad, or who may be deterred by the cost of a seaside holiday cottage.

Studfold’s caravan, camping and glamping park in the Yorkshire Dales has seen enquires quadruple. Ian Walker, who owns Studfold told the Stray Ferret he has been “shocked by the surge of interest in staycations”.

‘We have had quite a few families coming that have never ever camped before, but due to the uncertainty they just didn’t feel comfortable going abroad. We have had phone calls this week from people who had holidays booked in Spain but now want to come to us instead.’

We spoke to a family at the campsite who should have been flying to Spain.

“The thought of travelling with the children and having to wear a mask etc just wasn’t really an option. As soon at the quarantine announcement came we started to look for staycations. We were lucky to manage to get a pod here for a night and we have also booked a little break at a site in the Lake District later this summer.’

Monk’s Meadow Glamping, Harrogate

Barbara Bradley, owner of Monk’s Meadow Glamping site near Pateley Bridge, said it had noticed a “significant increase” of interest.

“Our glamping pods are booked right the way through until September, which is unusual as people would normally see what the weather was doing and book a couple of weeks in advance. This year if you don’t secure a place well in advance you just wont get booked in.

“People have had to change their way of thinking as over the years they have got into the habit of going abroad, but this year this has become a lot more difficult, especially with the Spain quarantine rule. People are just too anxious. I think people are just desperate to get away and have realised that there is so much to offer on their doorstep.

“The busy long weekends are having to make up for the fact that we aren’t taking midweek bookings as we are leaving 72 hours between guests checking out and us cleaning the pods.”

The Cud Life campsite in Killinghall.

The Cud Life campsite in Killinghall is only open to motorhomes and caravans as it has not opened the toilets and showers.

Tanya Umpleby, who owns the site, told us they made the decision for safety reasons and because they do not want a surge of campers that “do not understand campsite etiquette”. She said:

“We are a quiet site and we just don’t want this sort of behaviour in our peaceful setting. We have however seen a huge increase in numbers, as soon as I put the phone down it rings again!’

Harrogate district tattoo artists get back to work

Have you been planning a tattoo design during lockdown?

Tattoo parlours across the district are now open, following similar safety guidelines to nail bars and beauty salons.

One Knaresborough artist has told The Stray Ferret that it’s great to open but that it’s been “frustrating” having to stay shut longer than hairdressers – especially since they have long been required to have measures in place to prevent cross-contamination.

However, they were not allowed to open on July 4 because of the amount of physical contact often for a long period of time.

James Mellors, Owner of Wild Style Tattoo Knaresborough

James Mellors, who co-owns Wild Style Tattoo in Knaresborough, had his first customer through the door yesterday, after four months of being closed. He said:

“My first customer is in all day today, it’s a lot of geometric patterns, so it’s quite mind-boggling after four months off, but I’ll manage.

“We were ready to open on July 4… so it has been very frustrating, tattoo artists felt like we were at the bottom of the pile really.

“We wear masks and gloves anyways so we understand how to operate in a Covid-secure way… but we’re open now which I’m very pleased about.”

Wild Style is only taking advance bookings and having one person in the studio at a time, so “you can’t walk off the street unannounced”.

Richard Suddaby, Owner of Fired Up Tattoo, Harrogate

Richard Suddaby, co-owner of Fired Up Tattoo Studio in Harrogate, has also welcomed his first customer back to the studio. He said:

“I have just done a design this morning for someone whose father passed away during lockdown so I have done a memorial tattoo for them.”

He added:

“The diary is filling up, but some people are cancelling as they still worried about the virus. I have only been here since the end of last year, so I felt I was just getting going then had to close, but we will get there.”

Harrogate beautician warns treatments could happen “underground”

A Harrogate beautician has told the Stray Ferret that she is seriously worried for the industry as people are being driven to go “underground” to be able to make a living.

Beauty salons now have the green light to reopen but therapists will not be able to perform many of the treatments that are their “bread and butter”, she said.

Treatments which involve work directly in front of the face are not allowed under government guidance.

Michelle Mohindra, owner of Coco Tan

Michelle Mohindra, owner of Coco Tan, which is a group of three salons in Harrogate, told us that she has some major concerns:

“We have been given green light to go ahead and then told we can’t do certain treatments. People are so desperate to do treatments and to earn money again that we are actually driving our reputations and our industry underground and I am very concerned that we are going to damage our industry.

“People feel they have no choice but to carry out treatments behind their front door and they shouldn’t be doing that, but I understand we have been forced into a very difficult place.”

Michelle went on to say that despite a demand for other treatments, they have lost customers.

“We have had lots of clients that wanted to book in, but because we can’t do any work to the face we have lost the appointment. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to us that we can wax from the neck down without any issue at all but we can’t touch anyone’s face. This means no eyebrow waxing, no threading and no lashes, and people are desperate to have these done.”

With the cost of PPE rising, this creates another challenge for salons.

“There’s a lot of financial concern because of the cost of PPE. We used to purchase a box of face masks for £3.99 – the price of this just quadrupled overnight, so we have had to budget very, very carefully to staff the salons with the budget we have.”

It comes as questions are being asked by the beauty industry about why barbers can offer a beard trim but a beautician can’t offer treatments such as eyebrow waxing.

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