Flora Grafton, Author at The Stray Ferret

Hiring: Harrogate’s most luxurious salon wants you!

This story is sponsored by Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing.

The opening of Harrogate’s most luxurious and innovative hair salon is just around the corner, and it’s hiring three hair stylists to join the adventure.

Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing is bringing the town centre the ultimate salon experience and places customer satisfaction at the top of its priority list. From complimentary hand massages and handbag holders to barista-style coffees and iced lemon water, it’s the finishing touches that will make this salon stand-out from the crowd.

The salon will offer all traditional hair services, including cuts and colours, hair-up services, and fashion hair too. Whether it’s a Tik Tok-trending money piece, a butterfly cut or a glamorous bridal up-do, Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing guarantees a sprinkle of luxury with every appointment.

However, it’s bouncy blow-dries that will put founder Charlie Woolley on the map. If you’re dressing to impress for date night, want to look one-million-dollars for a birthday dinner, or just fancy some self-care, Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing will leave you with Hollywood hair and a smile on your face.

If this is the type of salon you’d like to work for, it’s your lucky day! Charlie is recruiting three hair stylists to join her team and takeover the Harrogate hairdressing scene.

To be considered, applicants must have at least two-years salon experience and be at least Level 2 or Level 3-qualified. An established client base is also preferred.

Charlie Woolley told the Stray Ferret:

“I’m so excited about this new business venture – it’s been a long-time coming!

“I think there’s a gap in the market for luxury hairdressing here in Harrogate and Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing is going to be the most luxurious salon in the town.

“Now, I’m just looking for the right team to share this journey with.”

Renovations are well underway at the salon!

Charlie not only wants to deliver the highest-quality service to her clients, but also the best working environment for her staff.

She added:

“I want both my clients and my employees to feel exceptionally special.”

With 20 years of hairdressing experience under her belt, Charlie is looking for driven, bubbly, and creative individuals that are willing to learn and share her strive for success.

Employees will also have plenty of opportunities to further develop their careers and will be given the chance to attend industry courses. These will include specialised Wella courses, as well as advanced cutting and colour courses.

The three lucky applicants will be employed as full-time staff. Staff will, however, be given the chance to work flexible hours around the core days of Tuesday – Saturday.

Charlie is determined to make the salon a “fun and fair” place to work. She added:

“At the end of the day, I’ve got a business to run.

“However, I always treat people how I want to be treated. I’m a very fair person and I want my staff to feel happy in their jobs.”

Staff nights out and networking events will also be a regular occurrence for successful applicants.

Charlie is offering a competitive base salary of £25,000 – £35,000 per annum plus commission.

Those interested can apply for the role on The Stray Ferret jobs page.

The salon will open early November and interviews will be held after application.

Good luck!

To find out more about Charlotte Woolley Hairdressing, visit charlottewoolleyhairdressing.co.uk or follow the salon on Instagram and Facebook.

Harrogate bonfire to return to the Stray this year

The organisers of the Harrogate bonfire have confirmed it will return to the Stray this year.

Harrogate and District Round Table said a traditional bonfire and fireworks display will be on offer at the event on November 4.

Visitors can look forward to live performances on the pop-up stage throughout the night — with Three Strikes Band already confirmed — and more to be announced.

There will also be a range food options, including traditional burgers and hotdogs, as well as a bar serving alcohol and soft drinks.

Organisers will be raising money for Harrogate Homeless Project for a second year running.

Matthew Firth, one of the Harrogate Round Table team, said they chose to fundraise for the homelessness charity again this year “because it is a great charity” and praised it for its efforts to end rough sleeping in the town.

Last year, the organisers decided against holding a bonfire at the event due to costs and logistics but reversed the decision just weeks before Bonfire Night.

It reportedly costs over £13,000 to put on, with £5,000 spent on fireworks alone.

The schedule

The Harrogate Bonfire will take place on Saturday, November 4.

It will open at 4.30pm and entertainment will begin at 5pm.

The bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and fireworks will follow at around 7.15pm.

Organisers expect the event to end at 8.30pm.

The event is free to attend and will be held on the Stray, near St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

Rachel Daly to open Rossett sports pitches named in her honour

England footballer Rachel Daly will return to her former school in Harrogate next week to open sports pitches re-named in her honour.

Tim Milburn, headteacher at Rossett School, said it was a “no brainer” to rename the 3G pitches at the school’s sports centre following her success in the Lionesses team.

The school announced it would be renaming the pitches in August and has now confirmed Daly will lead the official opening on Thursday, October 5.

School pupils will be able to watch the event but it will not be open to the public.

The girls’ football teams will also play an internal match to mark the occasion.

Mr Milburn told the Stray Ferret staff hoped to give the homegrown superstar a tour of the school, but added this depended on her schedule.

He said:

“We are delighted to be able to welcome Rachel back to her school.

“She, along with the Lionesses, has been such an inspiration to us all. We are so proud that her journey started here.

“We hope that by naming the pitches after her is not only a great honour to bestow upon her, but it will provide future inspiration for the students of Rossett School and the Harrogate community.”

Daly was a member of the team that won the Women’s Euro 2022 last year and reached the final of this year’s World Cup.

She was named PFA women’s Players’ Player of the Year last month and was awarded the Golden Boot for being the Women’s Super League top scorer last season.

The Stray Ferret is backing a campaign by Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club, her former club, for Daly to receive a civic honour.

It suggested North Yorkshire Council should rename Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, previously known as The Hydro, but the council has yet to indicate if it will do anything.

You can sign the petition to back the campaign here.

Ofsted upgrades Woodlands Day Nursery to ‘good’

Woodlands Day Nursery in Harrogate has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

The findings were published in a report on Friday following an inspection in August.

The assessment means the nursery on Wetherby Road has been upgraded from its previous ‘requires improvement’ grading last year.

Government inspectors said the nursery, which was registered in 2000, was ‘good’ in all four categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

They described it as a warm and welcoming place where children are eager to join their friends. They added that children make good progress and are supported by dedicated and nurturing staff.

The report said:

“Play and learning in the nursery is led by children. The varied curriculum focuses on their interests, next steps, and experiences from home.

“Children settle quickly and soon form strong bonds with staff and other children. They behave very well.

“With clear guidance from patient staff, they learn to understand and manage their emotions.”

Children learn sign language and Spanish, and have excellent communication skills and a broad vocabulary, the report added.

Inspectors also found children “develop their independence from an early age and are fully prepared for the eventual move on to school.”

The management team was praised for its “passionate and ambitious” attitude. The report said:

“The management team works extremely hard to drive improvements in this nursery.

“This is reflected in the enthusiasm of their staff team. Together, they have created a culture of teamwork and support that values each member of staff and promotes a strong culture of continual improvement.”

The report also praised the level of communication between parents and staff and found “parents share a wealth of positive experiences that clearly depict the dedication, enthusiasm and care provided by the staff team.”

Area to improve

However, inspectors did report sometimes “staff are not perceptive to children’s curiosity during their play and do not help them make connections in their learning.”

They added:

“Children play in the garden every day. Staff plan some activities for children here. However, these are not well thought out, and staff do not provide a good range of resources that interest children and motivate them to explore.

“Consequently, children do not benefit from the same rich learning experiences as they do in their rooms, and some children wander around with little focus for their play.”

Ofsted said to improve, staff should be “more perceptive to children’s curiosity and emerging lines of enquiry during their play”, as well as consider “children’s interests so that they are engaged and motivated to explore and build on what they already know and can do.”

‘Positive direction’

Nursery manager Suzie Wighton said in response to the report:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have received a ‘good’ rating following our recent Ofsted inspection.

“It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of our amazing team, who work tirelessly to provide a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for the children in our care.

“Moving forward, we are very excited about the positive direction we are heading. We will keep building on this success and remain fully committed to providing the best care for our children.”

Woodlands Day Nursery is part of Just Childcare – a group of day nurseries with branches across the north west, Yorkshire and the south west of England.

Harrogate recycling project celebrates 20th anniversary

A community project run by Harrogate’s Bettys & Taylors celebrated its 20th anniversary last week.

The Cone Exchange marked two decades of recycling on Friday.

The idea was sparked by Chris Powell who worked in the Taylors tea production hall at the time.

He was showing a group of children around the factory, when one child saw a cardboard cone being put into a recycling bin and requested to take it home to make a Christmas angel.

From there, the Cone Exchange was born and has since dedicated itself to recycling waste, raising money for charities and bringing the community together.

The project, which is based on the Bettys & Taylors Harrogate site, collects waste from businesses and the wider community to raise money, which is then donated to local charities, including Horticap and Henshaws.

It has also worked with a range of local initiatives, including planting trees with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, as well as providing work experience for people with additional needs.

Mr Powell is now the events and education co-ordinator for the project and has helped over 200 schools, playgroups and community groups teach young people about recycling.

He said:

“From that first spark of the idea for the Cone Exchange, our aim has always been to release the potential of things that others might see as waste, and seeing the ability, not disability, in people.

“By encouraging the reuse and repurposing of items that some might consider ‘trash’ into treasure, we try to capture people’s imaginations and show them how they can make a difference to protect the planet and raise funds for local good causes.

“I don’t think any of us ever imagined how far-reaching our impact would be so it’s lovely to celebrate and thank so many of our key partners and supporters from the last two decades.”

The Cone Exchange has raised over £200,000 in the last decade from talks, events and sales of recycled materials.

Sarah Wells, community manager at Bettys & Taylors, added:

“We have long-standing partnerships with some brilliant local charities and groups and by working together, we create a wider-reaching impact. Not to mention our team of community volunteers who give their time, crafty skills, and ideas, and without whom we couldn’t run the project.

“And finally, this special occasion offers us the opportunity to recognise and thank Chris. His dedication and creative vision for this project, along with his commitment to supporting our local community has been enduring for 20 years and we are delighted to be able to recognise these achievements today.”

Harrogate police officer receives British Empire Medal

A Harrogate police officer was awarded a British Empire Medal today in recognition of his services to policing and charity.

Sergeant Paul Cording was honoured in the king’s birthday honours list in June.

Today, Sgt Cording received his medal from the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner at her Camp Hill Estate near Bedale.

Sgt Cording joined North Yorkshire Police in 2001 and moved to the roads policing department in 2010.

He has since been called to over 100 fatal road traffic collisions and become well-known for tweeting about life as a roads policing sergeant in North Yorkshire. He has also featured on Channel 5’s Traffic Cops.

Sgt Cording was nominated for the award by the chief constable’s office.

In a social media post, Sgt Cording said:

“What an amazing and humbling experience to be in a room with such incredible people.

“My thanks to North Yorkshire Lieutenancy and Jo Ropner for presenting my award and thank you to everyone that has and continues to support me.”

In another post on X, Sgt Cording described his anticipation for the awards ceremony as:

“Proud moment in the Cording household if not a little bit overwhelmed by it all.”

Besides his police work, Sgt Cording frequently supports charities.

He visits local schools to educate young people and children on road traffic safety, and this year ran 325km in a week to honour the 325 people killed or seriously injured on North Yorkshire’s roads in 2021.

Rough sleepers return to Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens

A group of rough sleepers has repeatedly returned to Harrogate‘s Crescent Gardens – just days after being moved on.

The group’s two-week occupation of the pavilion in the gardens sparked concerns about anti-social-behaviour.

It was finally dispersed by North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police on Friday last week.

However, the group returned on Sunday evening — and again this morning.

Nearby resident Kirk Wilber-Moran said:

“They came back Sunday night but were moved on early yesterday morning.

“However, they came back again this morning and not just in the bandstand — three were stood in an empty shop doorway drinking cider at 6.45am this morning.

“There’s roughly 10 people, some I have seen previously but some new faces too. They’ve not managed to establish a full set-up like before.”

The rough sleepers were removed again this morning.

The Stray Ferret first reported the encampment two weeks ago after residents raised concerns about anti-social behaviour and a lack of action from the council and police.

Following the move-on operation, residents also wanted to know what measures would be taken to resolve similar situations in the future.

The Stray Ferret has asked the council what measures it has taken to prevent repeat occupations.

Andrew Rowe, the council’s assistant director of housing, said this morning:

“We worked with the police last week to ensure that advice and support was offered to all the individuals who were congregating in the Crescent Gardens.

“It’s important to note that not all of these individuals are homeless or rough sleepers, however, offers of support and accommodation were made to all those who needed it. We understand that despite being encouraged to move on by the police a number of people have returned to the area.

“We will continue to work with all agencies to find solutions to this issue.”

North Yorkshire Police declined to add to a statement it gave last week, which described the situation as “complex” and said it was working with partners and residents to find a solution for everyone.

Harrogate man to say ‘I do’ on Married At First Sight UK

A Harrogate bodybuilder announced he will star in the Channel 4 series Married at First Sight UK today.

Window cleaner Matt Pilmoor, 29, will join 16 other people on the programme in marrying a stranger.

The reality show hires relationship experts to match people based on their interests and personalities in the hope of establishing long-term relationships.

The catch is, the couples don’t meet each other until they’re at the altar.

They then jet off on their honeymoons and live together for six weeks to see if their relationship lasts.

Matt, who was a pupil at Harrogate’s Rossett School, was scouted by producers to feature in the series after being single for a year before the show.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I went into the process not knowing what to expect but I gave it my best shot. Putting your trust into the experts knowing they will match you up with someone you want is a scary thought.”

The series began last week and has already seen three couples tie the knot.

Unlike the US version, however, Married at First Sight UK couples are not legally married.

As he is a latecomer to the show, Matt will be considered an “intruder groom” – a character thrown in to potentially turn heads as well as find love.

Despite announcing his part in the series today, Matt will not make an appearance until mid-October.

He continued:

“It was one of the most intense experiences of my life, but also one of the best, and a journey I’ll never forget.

“Expect lots of laughs, drama, and downfalls that get re-built through the show.”

Matt said viewers will have to wait and see if he found true love, but could reveal he spent his honeymoon in Tenerife.

Married at First Sight UK continues tonight and is on Monday to Thursday from 9pm.

Ofsted praises ‘welcoming and friendly’ Scotton school

Scotton Lingerfield Primary School, near Knaresborough, has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

The inspection took place in June this year and the findings were published in a report on Wednesday.

It maintains the school’s official ‘good’ rating from 2013.

When a school receives a ‘good’ rating, Ofsted visits about every four years to confirm the grading.

Government inspectors found the school to be welcoming and friendly, and said pupils are polite and courteous.

They added that pupils demonstrate the school’s three rules: be safe, be respectful and be responsible.

The report found:

“Older pupils play well with younger pupils at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

“This adds to a sense of community.

“Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils told inspectors that they did not think it took place.”

During the visit, pupils were enthusiastically rehearsing songs for the end-of-year production, inspectors said, adding these opportunities support the development of pupils’ talents and interests effectively.

They commented:

“Leaders have designed and implemented a curriculum to meet the needs of pupils at the school.

“Children in reception begin to learn phonics from the start of the academic year. There are plentiful opportunities for children to apply their phonic knowledge within the classroom and outside area.

“Adults effectively model how to read with expression and interest to bring stories to life.”

Leaders were also praised for their approach to pupils with special educational needs. Tasks are suitably adapted to enable them to access the curriculum and adults know when it is necessary to explain something in a simpler way, the report added.

It continued:

“Pupils are proud of their school.

“Older pupils are positive role models to younger pupils.”

“Requires further refinement”

Ofsted did note, however, some of the curriculum requires further refinement.

The report added:

“In some subjects, leaders have not clearly defined the knowledge that pupils should learn as they progress through the school.

“Some pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could in some subjects.

“Leaders should further develop the curriculum to support pupils to build their knowledge over time so that they are able to make connections within subjects and across the curriculum.”

Headteacher “incredibly proud” of report

In response to the report, headteacher Debbie Calvert said:

“We are incredibly proud of the Ofsted report. The inspection was thorough and rigorous and offered a valuable opportunity to engage in professional conversations around all aspects of school life. All staff work tirelessly to ensure that pupils are happy, safe and able to achieve to their full potential. We are delighted that these efforts have been recognised across all areas of school.

“We couldn’t have achieved this outcome without a huge team effort. We are blessed with hardworking staff, supportive families, knowledgeable governors and children who have excellent attitudes to their learning.”

Chair of governors, Rob Manton, added:

“The passion that the staff put in, day in, day out is immeasurable.

“They truly make the school a special place for our children to learn.”

GALLERY: Nidderdale Show brings down the curtain on show season

Despite leaden skies, thousands of people flocked to yesterday’s Nidderdale Show.

The event, which celebrated its 151st anniversary this year, is organised by Nidderdale Agricultural Society.

It is held annually at Pateley Bridge Showground and marks the end of the local agricultural show season.

Last year, it was moved from its traditional Monday slot to a Sunday to avoid clashing with Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and proved such a success organisers decided to stick to the Sunday.

Visitors could enjoy a range of classes, from cattle and sheep to showjumping and pigs, as well as rabbit and pigeon displays, dry-stone walling and a band parade.

Here are some photos of the day in case you missed it.