Second tap terminal in Harrogate to help homeless people

Harrogate District Street Aid has launched a second contactless tap terminal to help homeless people.

The second terminal is at the Victoria Shopping Centre and follows in the footsteps of the first at Marks and Spencers on Oxford Street.

With each tap of a bank card, £3 goes to Harrogate District Street Aid. Since the launch in October 2019, people have donated more than £14,000 to the project.

Harrogate Borough Council is behind the project which provides financial support for those in need. Homeless people can apply for grants up to £500.

Read more:

To date the Harrogate District Street Aid has given out 16 grants for training courses, clothing for job interviews and wellbeing support.

Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“Harrogate District Street Aid is about making a real change to people who find themselves on the street and I am delighted that we have been able to provide a second tap terminal in Harrogate town centre.

“Some people assume that giving a few pounds to a beggar is helping them. Sadly, in some instances it may actually keep them on the street.

“Through Harrogate District Street Aid, we can work with our partner organisations to make best use of the money that has been kindly donated, work with homeless people and make a real difference to their lives.”

Harrogate Christmas Market traders slam decision to cancel event

Two local stallholders at the Harrogate Christmas Market have expressed their frustrations after the event was cancelled for a second year in a row.

Harrogate Borough Council blamed the move on the event organiser’s event management plan when it released a statement on Thursday evening.

The council said the plan did not take the “risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter-terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid” into account.

It is a decision which not only took the organiser Brian Dunsby by surprise but also some of the local stallholders.

Read more:

Steve Green, co-founder of Harrogate Tipple, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is just horrific and pathetic. It is a disgrace, I feel really strongly about the way the council announced this as well on Twitter.

“The council did not give us any heads up. It took us a little while to become a stallholder but ever since it has been great for us.

“It has been great for local businesses and for the other stallholders too so I am absolutely dumbfounded.”

Rob Whitehead, managing director of The Serious Sweet Company, also the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate’s Christmas market works extremely well, it is a good demonstration of local businesses.

“It all seems very unfair really, I just do not understand. Our business normally just supplies supermarkets.

“But we like to do the local Christmas market as well and we have built up quite a loyal following over the years.”

The event organisers hope to hold urgent talks with Harrogate Borough Council soon to try and save the three-day event.

Knaresborough vaccine centre ramps up walk-in clinics this month

Knaresborough’s coronavirus vaccine centre is ramping up its walk-in clinics as it prepares to host a total of 21 in August.

The programme starts tomorrow, when the centre will be open between 8am and 3pm. From Wednesday to Saturday the centre will be open between 8am and 5pm.

That will be the same all month. The centre will be open most days in the week between 8am and 5pm except for Mondays and Sundays.

While appointments are still available, the option to “grab a jab” by just turning up has made a difference for the vaccine centre.

Read more:

Jason Baskind, of Homecare Pharmacy Services which runs the site, told the Stray Ferre:

“We are getting a lot coming in for the walk-in sessions. I would say on average around 100 extra people turn up without an appointment.

“By around mid September we should have given everyone over 18 who wants a jab both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

“Shortly after that we expect to be starting the booster programme. So that would make things easier.”

As of yesterday, the Harrogate district has given out 104,995 second doses and 123,009 first doses according to government figures.

Firefighters rescue teens from Harrogate school roof

Firefighters rescued four teenagers who had climbed onto the roof of a school in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service took a call for help at a building on Wetherby Road just after 6pm yesterday.

The group had made their way up to the roof of the school but when it came to climbing back down, the teenagers got into some difficulty.

When the crews arrived they used a ladder to get them to safety.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said after the incident:

“Crews assisted four teenagers that had climbed onto the roof of a school and then were unable to get down. Crew used a ladder.”

Read more:

 

Funky yellow Masham cafe a ‘hidden gem’ for more than veggies

Life moves at a slower pace when you live in a picturesque market town like Masham. So a cafe like Johnny Baghdad’s is hard to miss and that’s not just because its painted bright yellow.

On a sunny Saturday morning it seems to be the place to be. Colin Blair, the man behind the cafe, often steps out to grab some fresh produce from town to find queues before he has even opened.

So when it gets to lunch time the place is bustling with cyclists, day trippers, veggies and those looking for something a little different in Masham.

Even the famous Brownlee brothers are known to pop in from time to time while training for triathlons.

Colin, whose middle name really is Johnny, started the Middle Eastern inspired venture as a food truck at festivals inspired by the food and vibe of cafes he found on his travels.

The likes of falafel and shawarma may be more well-known nowadays but 20 years ago his customers, especially when he was in Scotland, were more likely to ask for him for chips instead.

Johnny Baghdad’s may have taken on the vibe of the festival culture where it was born but it doesn’t just serve up food for young vegetarians, it has bacon butties too.

Read more:

Masham has certainly become more popular in recent years and was recently named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live. But few place seem to be as busy as Johnny Baghdad’s, so why?

Colin Blair told the Stray Ferret over a fresh bowl of Moroccan spice veg koftas:

“We have a couple of breweries here, it’s a nice market town so close to the Yorkshire Dales. Masham is also about an hour or so away from some big cities as well.

“I don’t know why it’s so popular but it’s a good chilled vibe here, it’s all a bit different with some really good food. We also get all of our ingredients from the local area.”

As if to prove a point, he stops here reminded by the point that he needs to send someone to pick up some bacon from Roger’s butchers shop around the corner.

“I do get asked a lot about the name. We were just sat chatting over a few beers and I just kind of became Johnny Baghdad. My mate was Terry Aviv.

“It was just a bit of banter with the customers but it just kind of stuck. People often call me Johnny even to this day. It is my middle name to be fair.

“There were cafes like this when I was in Europe. I also did a lot of travelling when I was younger, it all opened my eyes really.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

Former Coach and Horses landlord John Nelson admits breaching driving ban

The former landlord of the Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate has admitted breaching a driving ban issued for driving while under the influence of drugs.

John Nelson, who held the licence at the Coach and Horses for 33 years until last summer, appeared at Harrogate Justice Centre today.

He pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance on Burn Bridge Lane in Burn Bridge on July 13.

The court adjourned the case for another hearing on August 27.

Read more:

Nelson was banned from driving for 18 months on May 7 after police pulled him over with cocaine in his system and Class A drugs in his jacket.

He had 30 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood in his system. The legal limit is 10 micrograms. Officers also found three bottles of methadone in his car.

Nelson lost his pub licence after North Yorkshire Police found customers drinking outside the Coach and Horses and not observing social distancing during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Customers of the pub launched a petition to grant the licence to his daughter Samantha Nelson, which Harrogate Borough Council did in October last year.

Ms Nelson said she would refurbish and reopen the pub but it remains closed.

 

Harrogate council set to build new diving platform at Hydro

Harrogate Borough Council is to buy a new diving platform at the Hydro in Harrogate to replace the damaged one that has kept divers out of the pool for eight months.

Harrogate District Diving Club, which has developed many elite divers including Ripon Olympic champion Jack Laugher, is based at the Hydro.

Its members have had to travel to West Yorkshire since cracks in the concrete platforms at the Hydro were discovered in November.

The situation finally looks like being resolved after the council issued a statement today saying a report had revealed the current platform should be replaced due to its age and the amount of work required to fix it.

The Stray Ferret asked the council how much it expected to spend on the replacement. A council spokesperson said it would not know until the tender for the work was agreed.

The council will now prepare a new report seeking approval to go out to tender and appoint a contractor to carry out the works.

Read more:

It is not known when diving will be permitted at the Hydro again. However, the council said it will announce timescales once a contractor has been appointed.

The activity pool, main pool and teaching pool may have to close during the work.

Trevor Watson, director of economy, environment and housing at the council, said:

“Diving is a sport which relies solely on high-quality facilities, and unlike other water sports, it cannot take part in any pool – it needs the necessary diving platform and deep water.

“With the future investment of a new diving platform we will be able to provide the necessary infrastructure to help nurture talent and create a pathway for future Olympians.”

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, the company being set up by the council to run leisure services, said:

“By investing in diving facilities we can ensure the legacy of an exciting and successful sport for Harrogate, the region and even the country.”

Firefighters and RSPCA rescue elderly cat from Harrogate building

Firefighters and the RSPCA rescued an elderly cat that got stuck on a ledge outside the fourth storey of a building in Harrogate.

The animal charity responded to reports of an animal in distress at the office building on the corner of West Park and Victoria Avenue.

The cat, called Alfie, had climbed out of the office window and wouldn’t go back in.

Claire Mitchell, deputy chief inspector at the RSPCA, attended but was unable to get on to the roof so she summoned help.

Read more:

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue sent a crew with a cherry picker vehicle to rescue the ginger and white cat.

However when the firefighters eventually reached Alfie, he decided he could make his own way down.

Ms Mitchell said:

“Cats are very agile and seem to like getting themselves into a spot of bother sometimes and Alfie is no exception.

“He must have climbed out of the fourth storey window onto the roof and got himself into a pickle as he couldn’t get back down.

“We were very grateful for the fire services who attended to help rescue Alfie — although it seems as though Alfie was less grateful as he got spooked by the cherry picker and managed to get himself down from the roof after all!”

Alfie did not suffer any injuries during the ordeal and quickly ran off down the road to be reunited with his worried owner.

Wayne Sleep gives ballet masterclass in Harrogate

World famous dancer Wayne Sleep stepped up to teach students a masterclass in Harrogate today.

Yorkshire Ballet Seminars, which offers three-week residential summer schools for dance students aged nine to 19, started 46 years ago in Ilkley and moved to York in 1999 but its new home is Harrogate’s Ashville College.

Wayne Sleep taught the very first seminar and went on to become a senior principal at the Royal Ballet and once famously danced with Princess Diana.

Today Mr Sleep returned to his roots to inspire the next generation of dancers. He not only passed on advice to students but also showed a few of his signature moves.

Read more:

The seminar is now under the directorship of Iain Mackay, who has guided the students through coronavirus and found them a new base in Harrogate. He told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s been better than we could ever have dreamed of. The talent that comes is exceptional, there are some stars of the future in there.

“The year the students have had as well, they have had a lot of online training. So you can see that they are buzzing to be together, which is great.

“If Ashville College will have us we are going to be coming back for the foreseeable. This is a great venue for us and we love Harrogate.

“Wayne is a legend of the ballet world. The world has changed a lot, the art form has changed a lot but it’s really important that students get to work with the greats.”

The latest three-week course has ended now but it will be back in Harrogate next year. It costs £600 per week for a full residential and there are scholarships on offer as well.

First major event at Royal Hall since coronavirus will have restrictions

Harrogate’s Royal Hall is set to host its first major event since its closure last year — but some covid restrictions will remain in place.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, which takes place from August 8, will be limited to 55% of the venue’s 950 seat capacity.

A one-way system will also remain in place and those attending will be asked to wear a face mask.

Usually the festival attracts audiences from around the world as well as groups from universities across the UK but neither will be in attendance this year.

Nevertheless, the 11-day event will provide a major boost to the district’s economy, with thousands of people attending the comic operas, including The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore.

The festival began in Buxton, Derbyshire but moved to Harrogate in 2014. The 2020 festival was set to be the biggest ever before covid hit.

Read more:

Festival organiser Janet Smith said:

“The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is what everyone needs at the moment. It is uplifting entertainment that takes people’s minds off the last couple of years.

“It’s just pure enjoyment and ensures audiences have a jolly good laugh. Our loyal audiences have been so supportive, we couldn’t let them down.

“This is also important for our fantastic opera singers and musicians, who have been unable to perform and delivering Amazon boxes through lockdowns.”

Ms Smith added she was determined to continue the legacy of her late husband Ian Smith, who died in 2019 after re-establishing the Gilbert and Sullivan genre in 1994.

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, which manages the Royal Hall, said:

“It’s the first major entertainment event at our conference centre since we re-opened, so it’s a huge joy to see them return.

“We normally welcome aficionados and fans from around the world, alas this won’t be the case this year, but the show will go on! We look forward to giving visitors a warm welcome.”

Harrogate Conference Centre and The Royal Hall now has a packed programme of upcoming entertainment. Highlights include Billy Ocean, Jools Holland, and Jimmy Carr.

The Royal Hall reopened to the public for the first time since coronavirus on July 7 for an open day.

Interested in local events? Check out our new ‘What’s On’ page for all of the latest events in the Harrogate district.