The line-up for the “biggest dance music festival to ever take place in Harrogate” has been revealed.
Love to Be, a Sheffield-based record label and house music events company, will bring the festival to the Stray this September — as reported by the Stray Ferret four week ago.
It was revealed today that some familiar faces are set to appear.
Bez, a member of the Happy Mondays, will perform an acid house DJ set on the Café Mambo stage – one of three stages at the festival.
Grammy award-winning DJ Roger Sanchez will headline the main stage, along with Barbara Tucker, who had six US number 1 hits.
Iranian DJ Darius Syrossian, who has performed in some at Ibiza’s Amnesia, DC-10 and Space, will also take centre stage.
Adelphi Music Factory, K-Klass and Carly Foxx are also among those performing at the festival.
Credit: Charlie Mitchell.
Love to Be, which has been hosting events for 30 years, said the event will be a “full festival production” with two arenas, VIP areas and a food court.
It added:
“[The festival] will be the biggest dance music festival ever to take place in Harrogate.
“The response has been absolutely insane and the buzz is real.”
Love to Be Festival will take place on Saturday, September 14, from 1pm to 11pm.
Tickets are available now.
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Five arrested after county lines drug bust in Harrogate district
Five people have been arrested following a county lines drugs bust in the Harrogate district.
North Yorkshire Police said it seized large amounts of what are believed to be a class A and class B drugs, as well as “thousands of prescription-type drugs” including tramadol and diazepam, at addresses in the Harrogate district and Leeds.
A significant amount of cash and several “offensive weapons” were also recovered in the warrant, the force added.
Officers arrested five men who were aged between their 30s and 50s from the Harrogate, Ripon and Leeds area as part of the operation on Tuesday (February 27).
A North Yorkshire Police statement said:
“The substances will be sent for laboratory testing as part of the investigation.”
Police said the men have been released under investigation to allow for further enquiries.
The force said the raid came as part of an operation to tackle county lines drug dealing, which refers to drug supply lines run by organised crime gangs from urban areas who carry drugs into rural counties.
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Black Sheep Brewery chief executive leaves
The chief executive of Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery has stepped down after nearly nine years in post.
In a press release today, the company said Charlene Lyons had left to “pursue other interests”.
She is succeeded by Mark Williams, the chief executive of Keystone Brewing Group, which acquired Black Sheep last May after it entered administration.
Mr Williams said:
“We wish Charlene all the best in the future.”
He will be assisted by John Hunt, former managing director of Purity Brewing Co., who will take on the role of chief financial officer at Keystone Brewing Group.
It was also announced today that private equity firm Breal Capital, which bought Black Sheep for £5 million on May 26 as part of a pre-package administration deal, had rebranded as Keystone Brewing Group.
The Black Sheep rescue package resulted in a “small number” of staff losing their job. However, Ms Lyons was kept on.
Administrators Teneo Financial Advisory revealed sales fell from a high of £19 million in 2019 to £14 million in 2022, which resulted in a £1.6 million loss.
The move left creditors, including HMRC and suppliers, owed nearly £3 million.
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Harrogate woman faces child neglect charges
A Harrogate woman, who allegedly put a used toilet brush in the bath while a child in her care was bathing, has appeared before magistrates.
The woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children, pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault, neglect or abandonment of a child/young person to cause unnecessary suffering at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.
The court heard the children came under the woman’s care in 2015 after their birth mother died and their father was in prison.
Alex Steadward, prosecuting, said the woman was a friend of their late mother and took legal guardianship of the children following her death.
Mr Steadward said the woman “emotionally and physically abused” both victims — one for nearly six years and the other for nearly three years.
He added she smacked and punched the victims, withheld food from them and even put a used toilet brush in their bathwater, putting “faeces in the water”, the court heard.
Andrew Tinning, defending, claimed it was her partner that faced the latter allegation, but his solicitor denied this.
Partner used ‘martial arts moves’ against victims
The woman’s partner, who also cannot be named to conceal the victims’ identities, pleaded not guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm against one of the victims.
The man, of the same address, appeared at the same hearing yesterday.
Mr Steadward alleged the man “strangled” one of the victims and used “martial arts moves” against him, on February 2, 2017.
Brian Nuttney, defending the man, said his client denied these allegations.
The pair were released on unconditional bail and will appear before York Crown Court on March 18, 2024.
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New Starbeck fish and chip shop to open next week
The latest addition to the Starbeck takeaway scene will open its doors next week.
Portside Fish and Chips, which already has two sites in Leeds and one in Pontefract, will open in the former Karen’s Bistro unit on the high street.
The company, which launched in 2020, told the Stray Ferret its food is prepared in vegetable oil and cooked to order to “ensure the highest quality for customers”.
A portion of fish and chips costs £10, but the takeaway offers other traditional chip shop items including battered sausages, scampi and pies, as well as vegetarian options.
Kully Roda, owner of Portside, told the Stray Ferret:
“Regarding our Starbeck store, we are excited to become part of a vibrant high street, alongside esteemed brands, and local businesses.
“Understanding the economic challenges faced by our customers, we have tailored a meal deal menu to provide extra value. We have also introduced a lunchtime loyalty scheme, where customers can collect stamps per meal, redeemable for a lunchtime meal.”
The site, which will employ eight people, will provide competition for two nearby fish and chip shops Drake’s Fish and Chips and Bradleys as well as numerous other takeaways.
Portside will open its doors on Tuesday, February 20. It will be open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 8pm, and 3pm to 8pm on Sunday.
It follows the opening of national food franchise, Pepe’s Piri-Piri, which came to Knaresborough Road earlier this month.
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Traffic lights near Ripley finally set to be removed
Traffic lights on Fountains Road at Ripley, which have been in place since early December, look set to be removed soon.
The lights were installed after storms in December flooded a notorious stretch of road (pictured), which runs between Ripley and Sawley.
The Stray Ferret reported on the issue last month after there appeared to be no end in sight for the traffic lights – despite a brief dry spell and respite period from flooding.
At the time, we asked North Yorkshire Council when the lights would be removed and what long-term flood prevention measures would be put in place. A spokesperson said:
“Before the traffic lights are removed, we must jet the gullies and inspect the carrier drain.
“Officers hope to be on site in the next few weeks.”
The council has now provided an update.
Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, told the Stray Ferret yesterday:
“The traffic lights were installed following heavy rainfall, resulting in an area of flooding.
“We appreciate the inconvenience the disruption has caused, but the safety of the travelling public is our top priority.
“Our officers finished unblocking the gullies on Tuesday (February 13) and the water has drained away. The road will now be repaired by the end of the week, and it can then reopen.”
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Knaresborough wall repair completed five weeks early
North Yorkshire Council has confirmed work to fix a Knaresborough wall has been completed five weeks earlier than expected.
The £200,000 project began after a section of the wall on Briggate collapsed on to the road last September. Nobody was hurt, but rubble remained on the road for almost three months after.
Initial repair work began at the end of November and paused over Christmas, but resumed last month to fix another section of the wall.
Two-way traffic lights were put in place on January 8 by the council, which said the maintenance work was due to be completed by Friday, March 14.
However, traffic lights were removed last Friday (February 9) – just over a month after the work began.
The Stray Ferret contacted the council to ask if the work had paused or finished. We also asked if it had been carried out with effective long-term maintenance measures in place after a reader in Calcutt got in touch to say he didn’t see any reconstruction of the wall take place and “most of the work was repointing”.
A spokesperson responded:
“I’m pleased to confirm the work has been completed ahead of schedule.”
The wall pictured at Christmas before the latest repairs.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Stray Ferret revealed the wall was assessed as safe three times in the weeks before it collapsed despite complaints that it was crumbling and damaged by weeds.
Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, told the council in June 2022 that the wall “could potentially be a risk to life”.
‘Lessons must be learned’
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, today told the Stray Ferret the “sorry saga would never have happened if the wall had been properly maintained”, adding:
“The cost involved does not represent value for money for the taxpayer. As the work has taken less time than anticipated the council should now look to challenge the price. A local builder told me they could have done the work for a third of the price; had they been asked to tender. I will be asking the council to review its process for tendering and awarding of contracts.
“I would expect as a minimum the wall to be safety checked on an annual basis. Although a schedule of inspection hasn’t been confirmed with me. If residents raise any concerns they should be listened to and acted upon.
“The contractor should be congratulated for getting the work done ahead of time and I now hope the council can get the road resurfaced as planned in April.”
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Bishop Monkton man with ‘flagrant disregard for court orders’ jailed for 26 weeks
A Bishop Monkton man who drove an uninsured vehicle while disqualified and resisted arrest has been jailed for 26 weeks.
Paul Moehr was also banned from driving for 89 months when he was sentenced at York Magistrates Court yesterday.
Moehr, 51, of St John’s Road, pleaded guilty to four charges: driving whilst disqualified; obstructing a constable in the execution of duty; use of a vehicle on a road without third party insurance and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
The court heard he drove a Vauxhall Vectra whilst disqualified and uninsured on North Street in Ripon on January 20, 2024. On the same day, he resisted police at the White Horse Inn, in Ripon.
He also admitted failing to provide a specimen for analysis when he was taken into custody at Harrogate Police Station on the same day.
Magistrates said he “had a flagrant disregard for court orders”, which played a part in his sentencing, alongside a previous record of offending and persistent driving offences.
Moehr was also ordered to pay £154 to the court.
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‘Fire-damaged’ pub near Knaresborough for sale at £495,000
A pub near Knaresborough that suffered two fires in three years has been put up for sale.
The Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe has remained closed since the second fire in August last year.
Now, after months of uncertainty, the inn has been offered for sale for £495,000.
According to Fleurets, the listing agent, the pub was “superbly successful” with a turnover in the region of £900,000 in recent years.
However, it acknowledged “the kitchen was damaged by a fire in August”, adding:
“The business has not re-opened and the tenant has left.
“The landlord has undertaken works to make good the damage caused by the fire, and the kitchen is ready to be fitted out.”
It said the remainder of the property was in “very good condition, unaffected by the fire and ready to trade”.
The interior of The Tiger Inn. Pic: Fleurets.
Fleurets said the two-storey property included a ground floor bar and restaurant and a recently refurbished studio flat upstairs.
It added:
“The front bar is in three sections.. The three sections can accommodate 10, 16 and 18 covers for dining. The right side extends into the restaurant area providing 68 covers.
“[It includes] ladies, gents and disabled toilets, an office and an upland beer store. The catering kitchen is huge, and purchasers may choose to reduce its size prior to refitting.”
The property, which is under a freehold tenure, also still holds a premises licence.
The upstairs flat. Pic: Fleurets.
The Stray Ferret has reported on the fires at the Tiger Inn over the years – most recently in November.
It suffered its first fire in November 2020. The blaze, which started in the kitchen, lasted for six hours and caused widespread damage to the site.
It then re-opened after renovations in October 2021, only for a second blaze, attributed to an overheating ice machine, to occur last year.
The fire in 2020.
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Another cyclist knocked off bike in Harrogate collision
A cyclist was knocked off his bike in a collision with a vehicle in Harrogate yesterday (Tuesday, February 6).
North Yorkshire Police, which is now appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage, said the incident happened at around 7.30am on the B6161 Oaker Bank.
Both the cyclist and the car were travelling towards the Jubilee Roundabout prior to the collision, the force added.
Police today said:
“The car driver did not stop at the scene.
“The vehicle is believed to be a white Volkswagen Golf, 2014-2019 model. A wing mirror light bar and cover were detached during the collision, and so the car will have distinctive damage to its wing mirror.”
Officers said the cyclist, a man in his 40s, was “not seriously injured”. They added:
“If you were the car driver involved, please contact North Yorkshire Police.
“In addition, anyone who witnessed the collision, recognises the car involved, or is aware of a VW Golf with wing mirror damage, is asked to get in touch.
“Please email david.minto@northyorkshire.police.uk, or call 101, quoting reference 12240022993.”
This is the fourth incident of its kind in less than two months.
It follows a spate of separate incidents, which saw three cyclists knocked off their bikes in Harrogate in just one month.
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