This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise £30,000 for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.
The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.
Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget those that need help this Christmas.
Today, Flora spoke to a couple who go to the wellbeing café.
Before Pauline Brown’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she was a volunteer at Dementia Forward’s wellbeing café. Now she and her husband John, who is her carer, attend the café for a different reason.
Pauline tells us her story.
“People didn’t believe me when I was diagnosed. I was talking the way I am now, and people needed convincing.”
Pauline began volunteering at the wellbeing café – which takes place every Tuesday – 10 years ago. She spent eight years supporting those living with dementia and their carers.
“I loved volunteering.
“I just enjoyed helping people and chatting to them – I liked feeling needed.”
However, the couple began to see symptoms of dementia around four years ago and received her diagnosis two years ago. Pauline said:
“Nobody told me I couldn’t volunteer anymore, but I didn’t think it was right.”
Luckily, the couple knew just where to go following the diagnosis and Pauline swapped her volunteer badge for a game of snakes and ladders. She added:
“I love playing games here – snakes and ladders, dominoes, Jenga.
“You just meet people and chat things over – you need to get out of the house.”
John, who also volunteered at the café for three years, said being surrounded by people who understand each other has helped them both.
“We have a laugh.
“We talk to people who are in similar circumstances who pass on their own stories and experiences.”
Pauline and John lean on each other for support, but every type of dementia comes with its own set of challenges. He said:
“You’ve got to be a team – we care for each other.
“I have a few problems myself, but I would never swap them for Alzheimer’s.
The wellbeing café has provided a lifeline for the Browns and hundreds of other families across the Harrogate district.
John added:
“Unless you’ve been involved with someone with dementia – when you’re slowly losing someone – you can’t appreciate these services.
“Help people when they need help – it’s a family.”
The Dementia Forward team eases the pain as much as it can – but can only continue to do so with the help of charitable donations.
Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and bettering the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.
Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.
Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.
Please click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or your friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.
Thank you.
The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.
Stag-do company to pay Harrogate resident to scope nightlife hotspotsAn events company has offered to pay one Harrogate resident to scope out the town’s nightlife hotspots.
Bath-based events company, StagWeb, which launched in 2002, has announced a UK-wide scheme to discover the best places for soon-to-be grooms and their friends.
The successful applicant will receive £100 plus expenses, including entry into bars and clubs, in return for a short report on the the best (and worst) venues in town.
Jon Stainer, creative director at StagWeb, said:
“Whilst we visit all of our destinations ourselves, you can’t beat the insider knowledge of someone living there.
“That’s why we’re looking for someone in each of the 35 UK destinations we offer to head out on a scouting mission for us and collect some stag-do intel.”
The person will also be required to document the night-out with a video and pictures of their experience, and is welcome to bring friends along.
Read more:
- Plans submitted to convert Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens to private road
- ‘Absolutely sickening’: 20 Christmas trees stolen in Knaresborough
Mr Stainer said the chosen party-goer would be required to try some of the local venues already recommended by the company, but they will be asked to “scope out new joints” to find the best stag-friendly venues in Harrogate.
He added:
“We want someone who’s outgoing and confident in front of the camera to vlog their experience, so we can refine our options and give our groups the best advice possible.
“We want the full night out experience but, as with all our groups, we recommend they drink responsibly. Don’t forget, they’ve got some vlogging to do and we’ll need the footage to be usable.”
StagWeb said the successful candidate will have a love for partying and feel confident in front of a camera.
You can apply here.
Mandarin Stone to open Harrogate store todayNational retailer Mandarin Stone will open its doors in Harrogate today.
The company, which sells a wide range natural stone, porcelain and decorative tiles, has taken over the former Lynx Menswear unit on West Park.
The Harrogate showroom will become the 15th of its kind and the most northerly Mandarin Stone site.
Regional director Katharine Hughes said Harrogate was a “beautiful and luxurious area” and this played a part in choosing to open a store in the town.
She added:
“We open showrooms in areas where the customers are very discerning. That’s why we offer a broad base of price points.
“Someone might just have a kitchen splash-back, or they might be building a brand-new property and they have hundreds of metres to find. We like to think we cater to that.”
(L) Katharine Hughes, Clare Cruise and two members of the Mandarin Stone team.
The family-run business, which is based in Monmouth, was founded more than 30 years ago.
Director Carl Ryan said the company’s “knowledge, passion and enthusiasm” for the industry set it apart in the market.
“I feel blessed and privileged to be part of a team on West Park.
“We’re just so excited to open now.”
Inside the Harrogate store.
Mandarin Stone Harrogate will be open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
Read more:
- Harrogate village doctors’ surgery to close
- Plans submitted to convert Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens to private road
Van stolen from Ripon business park
A van has been stolen from a business park near Ripon.
North Yorkshire Police said today the Fiat Ducato light goods vehicle was stolen from e-commerce firm Hemmingways, at Barker Business Park in Melmerby, on Tuesday, November 21.
The incident occurred at 1.15am.
In a statement, the force said:
“The registration number of the vehicle is BV19OPH.
“It is white in colour and has a distinctive blue curtain side.
“If you see the stolen vehicle, or know where it is, please email richard.tindall@northyorkshire.police.uk.
“You can also call us on 101 and ask for Richard Tindall.”
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The reference number is 12230221425.
Read more:
- ‘Absolutely sickening’: 20 Christmas trees stolen in Knaresborough
- Car on roof after two-vehicle collision in Minskip
Harrogate Spring Water to hold consultation event on expansion
Harrogate Spring Water will hold a public consultation event next week to discuss its revised expansion plans for the Harrogate headquarters.
The event, which will take place in the Byron suite of the Crown Hotel in Harrogate, will enable people to learn more about the proposals, which involve felling 450 trees in Rotary Wood.
The company, which is owned by Danone UK & Ireland, is consulting before it submits a planning application for the development.
Harrogate Spring Water received outline planning consent in 2017, which established the principle of development, but needs its reserved matters application finalising details such as the design and layout of the site to be approved before it can proceed.
It said last week it would plant a 1,200-tree community woodland to offset concerns about the expansion of its bottling plant if North Yorkshire Council approved its plans.
The planting would result in a replacement rate of 3:1 for any trees removed and deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity levels in the area, the company said.
Richard Hall, managing director of Harrogate Spring Water, said:
“We’ve made some major changes to our plans following the feedback we received at our first public consultation event last summer.”
Planning documents say the expanded building on Harlow Moor Road would be designed with softwood boarding, timber elements and metal cladding to “promote a sympathetic and clean appearance”.
Harrogate Spring Water has also said about 50 new jobs will be created as part of the expansion, plus another 20 during the construction period.
Mr Hall added:
“We believe our revised plans address those concerns and create a way forward together for the local community and for ourselves as a growing Harrogate business.
“We would like people to come and see for themselves what we have planned and how we aim to carry it out.”
The consultation will take place on Thursday, November 30 from 4pm – 7pm.
Those unable to attend can have their say here.
Read more:
- Harrogate Spring Water reveals plans for 1,200-tree community woodland
- Chatsworth House dental patients in Harrogate to be offered alternative NHS provision
Chatsworth House dental patients in Harrogate to be offered alternative NHS provision
NHS dental patients at Chatsworth House Dental Clinic, in Harrogate, will be offered treatment at alternative NHS practices next month.
Chatsworth House, on King’s Road, announced in September it would stop providing NHS treatments from December 1.
The move heightened concerns about the lack of access to NHS dentistry in the Harrogate district.
It prompted Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to seek assurances from the Integrated Care Board for Humber and North Yorkshire that local NHS provision would be expanded.
Mr Jones said today he had been told any patient on Chatsworth House’s roll in the last two years will be sent a letter by the NHS next month explaining where the new provision will be available.
Subject to the terms and conditions of their contract, any former NHS patient who has signed up for private services with Chatsworth House can apply to a new provider.
Mr Jones said:
“This is good news for NHS patients at Chatsworth House. It was important that the cash provided for NHS dental activity at Chatsworth House remained invested in Harrogate NHS dentistry. I am grateful to the ICB for ensuring this is the case.”
Mr Jones said more than 50 Chatsworth House patients had contacted him.
The ICB letter to Mr Jones said:
“We have written to eligible dental providers in Harrogate to invite them to submit an expression of interest in taking on more dental activity. This EOI went out week commencing 30 October and providers have been given two weeks in which to respond.
“Once EOIs are received, officers at the ICB will then consider all EOIs in order to allocate the dental activity. As soon as new providers are confirmed, the ICB will ensure that patients from Chatsworth House are written to, explaining where they may be able to find an alternative dentist.”
Mr Jones added he had “longer term aspirations for dentistry in our area:, adding:
“I want to see a centre of dental excellence for North Yorkshire based in Harrogate. This will train the next generation of NHS dentists and could help provide more capacity locally. I have also met two dentists locally who are looking to expand their practices and put them in touch with people in the NHS who can help with that. These discussions look very positive.
A review of NHS dentistry in August 2021 also found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.
Read more:
- Harrogate NHS dentist to move to ‘membership only’ patient scheme
- Autumn statement will boost business and pay in Harrogate and Knaresborough, says Andrew Jones MP
Car on roof after two-vehicle collision in Minskip
A car flipped onto its roof following a two-vehicle collision at Minskip, near Boroughbridge, this afternoon.
Roads policing sergeant Paul Cording alerted people on social media at 1.20pm about the incident on the A6055, which is the main road through Minskip.
Sgt Cording said one person involved in the collision was taken to hospital with “minor injuries”.
The road reopened at 1.47pm.
No further details, including the status of the other vehicle and passengers, have been revealed.
Read more:
Car crashes into traffic lights at busy Harrogate junction
A car crashed into a set of traffic lights at the junction of Claro Road and Skipton Road in Harrogate this morning.
The white Vauxhall hit the lights at around 8:46am.
Police were called to the scene, but no other emergency services were present.
Harrogate traffic sergeant Paul Cording later tweeted nobody was injured.
The car was towed away just before 10am and traffic levels returned to normal shortly afterwards.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said North Yorkshire Council is dealing with the traffic light repair.
Harrogate woman celebrates 103rd birthday
A Harrogate woman celebrated her 103rd birthday last weekend.
Phyllis Elldrige, who is a resident at Manor House care home, on Cornwall Road, was born on November 18 1920, in Hampshire.
Phyllis worked as a nurse and trained in infectious diseases, before moving to the North in the 1950s and working in a handicap hospital in Wetherby.
Ann Lazenby, manager of Phyllis’ ward, told the Stray Ferret Phyllis initially went to Manor House for a two-week respite period in early 2022, but “enjoyed the company so much” she decided to stay.
Ms Lazeby added:
“She was walking up until six months ago. She was even doing her washing just before she came to us.”
Phyllis, who is the oldest resident in the care home, marked the occasion with a party.
Residents and staff gathered to enjoy a Bettys-themed afternoon tea and a singer to entertain them all.
Phyllis’s children, who are now in their 70s, live in Australia but visited her a few weeks prior to her birthday to celebrate.
Ms Lazenby added:
“Phyllis is very comical, very loving and very caring.
“It is an honour to care for her.”
Read more
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- Derelict Ripon petrol station finally set to be redeveloped
Business Breakfast: Lucy Pittaway to host ‘meet the artist’ event at Harrogate gallery
Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?
The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.
Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.
Lucy Pittaway is hosting a ‘meet the artist’ event this weekend at her Harrogate gallery.
The Yorkshire-based artist, who is known for her colourful depictions of the county, will be at the Prospect Place gallery to sign and discuss her work.
Her homeware and gift collections will also be available to buy.
The event will take place from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, November 25.
Read more:
- Business Breakfast: Ripon introduces loyalty scheme to boost Christmas sales
- Business Breakfast: Investment to supercharge growth at Harrogate firm
Tockwith-based Pink Moon to offer “all-in-one” events service
The UK’s largest supplier of festival tents and equipment, Pink Moon, is to offer a new events service.
The Tockwith company, which has the largest collection of accommodation structures in the sector – about 5,500 – currently services up to 45,000 customers a year at events such as Formula 1 at Silverstone and music festivals.
It is now offering all-in-one events services to businesses,
Pink Moon managing director Harry Lister said:
“Pink Moon Events is an all-in-one events solutions company.
“It is not just the tent that we can provide, we can also provide everything else.
“We can provide a restaurant and bar on site, toilets and showers, mobile charging, pamper parlour and coffee stands.”