Man dies after falling out of canoe near Ripon

A man who fell out of a canoe in the River Ure near West Tanfield earlier today has died.

The police have also confirmed that there was a second man in the canoe, but he managed to get out of the water and is currently in hospital.

Residents nearby reported that a police helicopter and plane were circling the Nunwick area at around midday.

The police plane later located the body further down the river near Nunwick.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Police received a report at 11.15am this morning that two canoeists had got into difficulty in the River Ure near West Tanfield.

“Officers immediately attended the location with colleagues from the fire, ambulance and rescue services.

“One man had got out of the water and was taken to hospital for treatment.

“Sadly, the body of another man was located by an NPAS police aircraft, in the river north-west of Nunwick.

“His family have been informed.”

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Harrogate Pubwatch relaunches to keep out town’s troublemakers

Harrogate Pubwatch has relaunched with a new app to help keep out the town’s troublemakers as coronavirus restrictions ease.

It means that if anyone causes problems in one of Harrogate’s venues, they will be banned from all venues taking part in the scheme.

Currently there are 32 people who are banned under Harrogate Pubwatch and 10 of those are banned for life.

The bans range from three months to life bans, depending on the severity of the issue.

Most exclusions were enforced after drug use, drug dealing, assault, nuisance and abuse, but they could be for carrying weapons or for more serious assaults.

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Harrogate BID has supported the local Pubwatch group in the relaunch by helping to fund the creation of the app.

Harrogate Pubwatch secretary Alan Huddart said:

“I’d like to thank both Harrogate BID and North Yorkshire Police for their support in helping Harrogate Pubwatch relaunch after the third national covid lockdown.

“With the hospitality industry once again being able to serve customers inside, we will see more businesses reopening, which is to be welcomed.

“By working together to exclude troublemakers, Harrogate venues can offer a safe and secure experience to those who simply want to enjoy the huge range of hospitality on offer in our town.”

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID, said:

“Aims of the BIDs are to make Harrogate safe and welcoming, and to support the town’s night-time economy. Harrogate Pubwatch does both, and that’s why we are happy to support them in funding the app.

“Harrogate’s hospitality offering is incredibly diverse, and while serving customers indoors is back on the menu, al fresco dining and drinking is here to stay, and our café culture will go from strength to strength.

“Ensuring visitors feel safe visiting town centre venues and walking around at night is of paramount importance to us.”

Flood warning near Boroughbridge as river levels rise

There is a flood warning in place near Boroughbridge after several days of heavy rainfall and drivers are being urged to avoid low-lying roads.

The River Ure at Westwick Lock is expected to peak at around 1.5 metres this afternoon.

As a result, the flood information service has said flooding is “expected/possible” today in the Roecliffe Caravan park area.

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A spokesperson for the flood information service said:

“The flood warning for the River Ure at Roecliffe Caravan Park has been issued due to rising river levels following recent rainfall.

“The river level at Westwick Lock is currently 1.4m and is forecast to rise steadily, peaking at approximately 1.5m this afternoon.

“Consequently, flooding is expected/possible today in the Roecliffe Caravan Park area. Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the forecast.

“Please plan driving routes to avoid low-lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”

It is currently the only place in the UK where a more serious flood warning is in place.

There are also six flood alerts in place, which means flooding is possible rather than expected.

Two of the alerts are in place at the Lower River Ure near Ripon and the Lower Dunsforth Access.

Knaresborough businesses call for social distancing cones to go

Three Knaresborough businesses have united to call for the removal of the social distancing cones in the town centre.

The traffic cones have been in place on the High Street since the start of the pandemic but some traders and residents feel now is time for them to go.

The government is due to drop all social distancing measures next month in the final step of the roadmap out of lockdown.

However, three business owners told the Stray Ferret the cones should be removed as soon as possible so disc parking spaces can be restored.

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Hairdresser Kelly Teggin, who owns a shop on Castlegate, told the Stray Ferret:

“The car parking spaces are needed more than the room they provide for social distancing.

“When I have stood on the High Street and watched, I do not see anyone using the cones to walk around others anymore.

“But in the last few weeks when it has been busy in town, nearly all of my clients were 20 minutes late because they could not find a parking space.”

Jordan Thompson, who owns Harriets Clothing, also said:

“We need normality back and we need parking available so people can come and spend their money in time like they used to do.

“Now is the time for them to go. They are very ugly and people drive into them all the time.”

The president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and barber shop owner, Steve Teggin, added his frustration:

“If you look at the High Street and the rest of town, it is still very quiet. A lot of people are still affected by the lack of parking.

“Unfortunately, we are losing customers to Harrogate so we have got to stop that now.”

The businesses called for people who agree to reach out to councillor David Goode, who represents Knaresborough on North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, by emailing him here.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council whether it was considering the removal of the cones but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Harrogate salon turns away woman despite face mask exemption

A Ripon woman has said she is being discriminated against after a hair salon turned her away even though she has a face mask exemption.

Jan Spence, 58, has chronic asthma and anxiety so she wears a lanyard around her neck to let other people know why she does not wear a face mask.

Ms Spence recently visited Moo Hair in Harrogate to use a voucher she bought before lockdown. However, when she arrived the hairdresser she was booked to see refused to let her in.

It is something Ms Spence has not experienced before and she told the Stray Ferret she did not want to experience it again so she decided to speak out to raise awareness. She said:

“I felt really degraded, I cannot help having a health condition. It can be quite debilitating at times.

“So it was upsetting when I was turned away. I have had both coronavirus jabs and I had a negative lateral flow test in the morning so what else can I do?”

When Ms Spence approached Groupon, which she bought the voucher through, the customer services team gave her credit to spend on something else.

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Caroline Allen, who owns the salon on Cheltenham Mount, operates a policy that everyone has to wear a face mask to be allowed inside.

Ms Allen told the Stray Ferret her rule was designed to keep staff and clients safe:

“We are all learning here. We have never lived through anything like this before. I go by the rules set out by the central body for hairdressers and barbers.

“I have to protect everybody in the salon, we get some very vulnerable clients in here so we all wear face masks.

“It can put me in a very difficult position but it is one I am going to stick by. I am sorry that Jan is so upset.”

New on-demand bus service for Ripon and Masham

Ripon and Masham are to get a new on-demand bus service as part of a pilot scheme to improve links to rural areas.

YorBus, which is run by North Yorkshire County Council, launches on July 1 and is due to be trialled for 12 months.

The service allows passengers to book a ride when and where they need one.

Once a passenger has chosen a pickup and drop-off location, they will need to head to a bus stop for a pooled ride.

Residents can book the bus through an app or by phone. The app will be available from June 28.

YorBus covers the area shaded in blue.

The app allows passengers to plan and track their bus journey, including how long the bus will take to arrive.

It will operate from 6.55am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays.

There will be a flat fare of £1.20 for adults and 65p for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Children under 5 can travel for free. Concessions can also be used.

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YorBus is also fully accessible, with low floor access and a ramp for those with wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Cllr Don MacKenzie, the executive member for access, stated:

“The YorBus project is intended to provide transport to help people to travel to work, to go shopping, to attend medical appointments and to access other services, which they need. We hope it will offer a viable and affordable alternative to the private motor car.

“The flexibility of the scheme also means that a high proportion of seats on buses will be occupied on every journey, which will lead to better value for money and greater environmental benefits too.”

To promote the launch of YorBus, the council is running roadshows to speak to residents about the service, stopping off at the following locations:

Harrogate social distancing measures to be reviewed next month

The use of planters on James Street in Harrogate for social distancing purposes is set to be reviewed as lockdown restrictions ease.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire County Council‘s executive member for access, told the Stray Ferret the issue would be reviewed next month.

June 21 is the date in the roadmap when the government is due to lift all limits on social contact.

At the start of the pandemic North Yorkshire County Council closed off parking bays to give pedestrians more room to spread out, in a move that upset some businesses.

A year later, planters and traffic cones remain on several streets in Harrogate and Knaresborough and it’s unclear how long they will stay.

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The measures continue to be a bone of contention. Harrogate Residents Association has set up a petition calling for their removal. So far, 561 people have signed.

Anna McIntee, one of the association’s founders, said:

“Please remove the planters that are blocking parking for customers on James Street and Albert Street in Harrogate town centre.

“It’s vital customers have convenient access to our shops as they try to recover from the pandemic.”

 

Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra reforms after 66 years

Sixty-six years after it disbanded, coronavirus has inspired the revival of the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra to support talented musicians in the north of England.

Last year has been particularly tough for the live music industry. Members of the orchestra have taken jobs as bricklayers and baristas to get by.

After dusting down and tuning up their instruments, the ensemble is now ready for a series of concerts this summer.

The orchestra is set to perform its first public event at the Picnic Proms at Harewood House in September. Find tickets here.

The original group disbanded in 1955, leaving Yorkshire without a county orchestra for decades.

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Others have tried to bring back the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra name before. But they have only ever been able to play a couple of gigs before disbanding.

Ben Crick, the composer and conductor, believes this attempt will last. He told the Stray Ferret:

“We are not in it for anything else other than to make music. It’s a privilege to make music with your friends and colleagues again. It’s a fantastic thing to do.”

Jamie Hudson, co-founder of the orchestra, added:

“These are professional musicians who have done this all their lives. Suddenly they had to become baristas and dog walkers.

“So we brought back the orchestra to re-employ the best musicians who have had to jump into other types of work.”

The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra performing at Harewood House. Photo: Gary Lawson Photography

Police issue CCTV images of wanted man after Asda theft in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police has released CCTV images of a man it would like to speak to after a theft from Asda in Harrogate.

The theft occurred at the supermarket on Bower Road between 12.30pm and 1pm on Monday, March 29.

According to a police statement today, “large quantities of valuable stock” was taken without payment.

The statement said:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the person in the images as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 383 McCabe.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote reference number 12210108977 when passing on information.”

Pensioner with bladder issue wins Harrogate parking fine appeal

A pensioner with a bladder problem, who was fined after parking in Harrogate for four minutes to use the toilet, has won his appeal.

Lee Chadwick, 78, was able to get the fine overturned at the second time of asking by sending proof of his medication.

Mr Chadwick, who lives in Markington, parked at the back of the taxi rank on Station Parade to use the public toilet, leaving his wife in the passenger seat.

When he returned his wife was explaining the situation to the traffic warden. Mr Chadwick also talked to the warden but he still issued a fine.

Harrogate Borough Council wrote to Mr Chadwick saying he could either settle in the next 14 days at the discounted rate of £35 or pay £70 if he waited longer.

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He thought the fine was unreasonable so appealed. The council initially rejected the appeal but asked for a doctor’s letter as proof of his bladder problem.

Mr Chadwick was not prepared to bother with such a request. Instead he sent proof of medication, which has now worked.

Mr Chadwick told the Stray Ferret his good news, adding:

“Harrogate Borough Council has just advised me that they have cancelled the parking penalty notice.

“It means that my anticipated appearance in the Supreme Court will not come.”