New mural-filled nursery to open on Hornbeam Park

A new children’s nursery with hand-painted murals is set to open on Harrogate‘s Hornbeam Park.

Nature’s Little Learners, which opened its first site in Starbeck in 2021, will soon welcome children from birth age to four-years-old.

Owner Samantha Williams, who set up the venture with her husband and daughter, said the Starbeck site has been “over-subscribed for a while now” and she wanted to expand locally to meet demand.

The site, which was formerly an office unit in Crown House, offers different rooms catered to age groups, including a baby room, a pre-school room, a toddler room and a garden room.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re a toy-less nursery and offer open-ended resources, rather than giving children a one-dimensional toy they get bored of after a few uses.

“We’re inspired by the children – they are at the forefront of everything we do.”

The pre-school room.

Ms Williams said the Starbeck site enrols a lot of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and built a sensory room at the new Hornbeam Site to cater for those needs.

She added:

“It’s all about colour and texture in here. SEND children often get overwhelmed, so a few of them can come in here at one time to relax and regulate their emotions.

“Plus, because they’re not alone, they’ll still be learning in here.”

Ms Williams said the £120,000 refurbishment of the nursery was “inspired by children’s books” as she “wants the children that come here to love reading”.

The baby room.

As well as day care, Nature’s Little Learners will hold football sessions in the garden room, as well as dance sessions and yoga for little ones.

Ms Williams added:

“I’m feeling nervous, but I’m excited to welcome new families and see how the children react to the new space.

“I believe nursery needs to be an extension of home – not a watered down version of school.”

The Hornbeam Park site will also hire around 15 members of staff and can accommodate up to 50 children, she said.

Murals

Ms Williams also hired Sarah Marsh, a mural artist from Boroughbridge, to bring the nursery to life.

Inspired by the characters from some of the women’s favourite children’s books, Ms Marsh painted the walls of each room with a different mural.

These include depictions of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Room on the Broom and The Wonderful Things You Will Be.

Sarah Marsh with her Room on the Broom-inspired mural.

Ms Marsh, who studied art and graphic design when she was younger, said she was made redundant from her previous job in November last year. After this, she took up mural painting full-time.

She told the Stray Ferret the murals took around two-and-a-half-weeks to bring to life, using a mix of emulsion and acrylic paint.

A mural inspired by The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

Ms Williams said she hopes the new Nature’s Little Learners site will be open by early May, but parents can book tours of the nursery now.

The nursery costs £68 per day, which includes three meals plus two snacks, nappies and wipes, she added.

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Tools stolen in Starbeck car garage burglary

Tools were stolen during a burglary at a car repair garage in Starbeck this morning.

North Yorkshire Police today said the incident, which happened at 00.28am, occurred at HG Motors just off Bogs Lane.

The statement said the offender(s) “gained entry to the premises via a roof panel” and stole a number of tools, including an Autel MaxiSys pro diagnostic machine, as well as its black and red case similar to the one pictured.

The force added:

“A Milwaukee Impact tool and grinder in black and red and a set of Franklin and Signet ratchet spanners were also taken.

“If you know where these items are or have been offered one or more of these items, please get in contact.

“We’re interested in hearing from anyone who witnessed any vehicles or people on Bilton Hall Drive around the time of the offence, which is located near to where HG Motors is.

“Please email katie.jacobs@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Katie Jacobs or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.”

Quote reference 12240058918 when passing on information.

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Tools stolen in Starbeck car garage burglary

Tools were stolen during a burglary at a car repair garage in Starbeck this morning.

North Yorkshire Police today said the incident, which happened at 00.28am, occurred at HG Motors just off Bogs Lane.

The statement said the offender(s) “gained entry to the premises via a roof panel” and stole a number of tools, including an Autel MaxiSys pro diagnostic machine, as well as its black and red case similar to the one pictured.

The force added:

“A Milwaukee Impact tool and grinder in black and red and a set of Franklin and Signet ratchet spanners were also taken.

“If you know where these items are or have been offered one or more of these items, please get in contact.

“We’re interested in hearing from anyone who witnessed any vehicles or people on Bilton Hall Drive around the time of the offence, which is located near to where HG Motors is.

“Please email katie.jacobs@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Katie Jacobs or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.”

Quote reference 12240058918 when passing on information.

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Pateley Bridge Art Club holds spring exhibition

Pateley Bridge Art Club will hold its spring exhibition this weekend.

The amateur group, which was formed in 1994, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and will continue the birthday celebrations with its bi-annual exhibition.

It will include work created by members, who meet monthly at Broadbent Hall in Glasshouses.

The group invites local artists to deliver talks and demonstrations, as well as holding outdoor sketching sessions around the local area.

The exhibition will include art created on a variety of mediums, including acrylic paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculpture.

Members’ work at a previous exhibition.

People can also enquire about buying some of the work displayed at the exhibition.

Audrey Culling, one of the club’s members, told the Stray Ferret:

“Having been a member of this club since its formation in 1994, I feel very proud of the wonderful, varied work that the members show.”

Ms Culling also said the group welcomes new members.

The Pateley Bridge Art Club spring exhibition will take place on Saturday, April 6, from 10am to 5pm. It will be held at the same time on Monday, April 8.

The exhibition is free to attend and the group said refreshments will be available.

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Local business raises concern about new Harrogate Tourist Information Centre

A Harrogate business owner has raised concerns about the lack of business exposure at the new Tourist Information Centre.

North Yorkshire Council announced in February it would permanently close the former Tourist Information Centre on Crescent Road and re-open in the nearby Royal Pump Room Museum.

The move will enable the council to reduce costs and generate rent from its former premises in the Royal Baths, which has suffered low commercial investment returns since the council paid £9.5 million for it back in 2018.

But the new tourist information section within the pump room is much smaller than the old building, which has raised concerns about its ability to provide the same service and to promote local businesses.

Neil Thomson, owner of jewellery and art shop Inger & Rae and jewellery and gift shop Shine in Westminster Arcade, raised concerns with the Stray Ferret after tourists told him they “struggled to find” the arcade.

Mr Thomson told the Stray Ferret:

“Visitors in the arcade all say how beautiful it is but that they knew nothing about it. There aren’t any signposts despite its architectural significance.

“The arcade also hosts 10 independent businesses, all of which are thriving despite the lack of interest from the council.

“There is a huge unwillingness to even mention places which aren’t council run.”

Inside Westminster Arcade.

Mr Thomson said he approached staff at the Pump Rooms, as well as a local art gallery, requesting to put leaflets about Westminster Arcade on display.

He said both sites told him they “could not give information leaflets to the public”.

He added:

“We wish to promote Westminster Arcade as an important visitor attraction. It is a superb example of Victorian architecture, and the only Victorian arcade in Harrogate.

“Visitors to Harrogate want to be able to access a full range of information when they are here in person, in the town.

“If we all work together, and promote ALL the positive and varied attractions Harrogate has to offer, visitors will have a much better experience and will be far more likely to return.”

Mr Thomson, who also has a shop on King’s Road, said he was also told the new Tourist Information Centre would be manned “only by digital tablets” and there would “not be any staff”.

This only added to his concerns, he said.

The Stray Ferret put Mr Thomson’s concerns to the council and asked if the new site would really be manned digitally.

The council’s corporate director of community development, Nic Harne, today said:

“The staff at the venue are trained to deal with both museum and visitor information queries. Facilities available incorporate leaflet displays, maps and retail with digital touchscreens to follow within the coming weeks, for those who wish to use them.’’

The tourist information section of the pump room.

Mr Harne also said merging the museum and Tourist Information Centre was a “more up-to-date model of visitor service provision”, adding it enabled the council to operate the two services during the same hours.

The council said the new Tourist Information Centre at the Pump Rooms is now open, and the digital screens will be installed in the next few weeks.

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Sharow Lane near Ripon to close for three weeks

Sharow Lane, a main route from the village into Ripon, will close for three weeks from next week.

According to North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map, the road closure will be in place “all the time” during the three-week period, as Northern Gas Networks carries out a “gas main replacement”.

The firm told the Stray Ferret the work is to “ensure a safe and reliable supply of gas to customers”.

A spokesperson added:

“Four-way temporary traffic lights are currently in place on the junction of North Road/River View Road/Magdalens Road and will be in situ until the end of next week (week commencing April 8).

“A road closure will be implemented on Sharow Lane for three weeks from Monday April 8 and a diversion route will be clearly signed.”

Sharow Lane

Northern Gas Networks also said for the duration of the road closure, traffic will be diverted through Ripon city centre, along North Street, North Road and Bondgate Green.

Mark Mawhood, operations manager for the company, added:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Ripon.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

The work will last from Monday, April 8, until Friday, April 26.

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Ripon nightclub responds to transphobia allegation

A Ripon nightclub has defended itself after being labelled “transphobic” for a comment on social media.

Wonderland, on North Street, announced on Facebook last month it would be offering “free entry for the ladies” on March 2.

On the same post, which has since been deleted, one man commented, “as in lady boys?”, to which the nightclub responded “trans not included I’m afraid”.

Ripon woman Elise Whincup described the nightclub’s comment as “incredibly transphobic”.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines transphobia as “harmful or unfair things a person does based on a fear or dislike of transgender or non-binary people”.

Ms Whincup added:

“I’m starting to wonder if Wonderland is the kind of establishment I want to be in if they have these views, where not only do they refuse trans women the same privileges as cisgender women, but agree with and not remove a comment like this from their social media.”

The original post and comments have since been deleted.

After deleting the Facebook post, Wonderland said it had revoked the free entry offer due to “certain situations”.

Ms Whincup, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, told the Stray Ferret she feels “very strongly about speaking for minorities”, adding:

“Even if it was a case of ignorance, ignorance breeds hate. It only takes one person to think the establishment shares their views, which don’t necessarily stay quiet after a drink, and makes an unsafe place for transgender people.

“Myself and someone else commented complaints under the original post and on another post by Wonderland, but our comments have been deleted and we have both been blocked by the page.”

Ms Whincup later shared her concerns on This is Ripon UK Facebook group, which has more than 14,0000 members.

In her social media post, she said she feels the “LGBT community of Ripon needs to be made aware” of the situation. She added:

“No public apology or even admittance of transphobia has been made, however they find it acceptable to post about a monthly LGBT night while sharing beliefs shown below in their previous comments.

“We have a large LGBT community in Ripon, and this is not how to make them feel safe and accepted.”

‘A can of worms’

The Stray Ferret approached Wonderland for comment in response to the claims. A spokesperson said:

“If you do free entry for the ladies and accept people that have ID, stating they are male, it will open up a can of worms.

“Absolutely everybody will be claiming to be trans just to get free entry — you don’t have to look like the opposite sex to be trans.

“It happened to us in the past and was very difficult to deal with. People began abusing it and that’s not fair on transgender people.

“How can someone on the door tell someone that they are or aren’t trans? Nobody has the right to do that. That is why I decided to accept free entry for people who had IDs stating that they were females on the ID. Even if someone was born a male and it stated they were a female on their ID they still would have been granted entry.”

The spokesperson also said they “never knew ladyboy was an offensive term”.

They continued:

“People come to our venue for a good time, and everyone is welcome. We have just launched an LGBT pride night on the first Friday of every month and it’s going to be wicked. Everyone is welcome here, and we may even do free entry if dressed in drag.

“But the funny thing is that no trans people or anyone from the LGBT community had complained whatsoever. We have plenty of people from the LGBT community coming to our venue on a weekly basis.”

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Plans approved for controversial development in Glasshouses

A planning application to develop five homes on a Glasshouses street has been approved.

The application, which was originally submitted to North Yorkshire Council in September, was given the go-ahead at North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon planning committee on Tuesday.

Final revised plans, which were put forward in December, proposed splitting an existing cottage on Harewell Close into two dwellings.

The agent, JC Robinson LTD, who submitted the plans on behalf of the applicant, on  also proposed to erect single-storey extensions to both divisions, as well as developing a further two dwellings to the rear of the site.

But the application generated 23 online objections.

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A report by a council officer to councillors before the meeting recommended the scheme be approved, subject to conditions. Councillors voted to agree with this recommendation.

The report said a ward member raised concerns that the land “includes areas not owned by the applicant” and felt access would be “restricted”.

It added Pateley Town Council, which said it neither supported nor objected the plans, raised several areas of concern.

These included sewage infrastructure not being able to cope with the additional demand, “compromised” vehicular and pedestrian access to the fields adjacent to the site and  “exacerbated” traffic congestion.

The report also said local objections referred to the impact on the Nidderdale AONB (now known as Nidderdale National Landscape), the impact on wildlife, that it was “not sympathetic” to neighbouring properties or the conservation area, and “inconsistencies” with the application.

However, the application also received support from local people.

The report said one letter in support of the original plan, which included the erection of three dwellings, felt “there is a lack of housing available in the area for first time buyers and young
families”, adding the development provides “sufficient parking provision”.

Despite concerns, the councillors granted approval of the plans subject to conditions.

The conditions included set times during which work can be carried out to avoid disruption locally, as well as matching the materials of the original building to the extensions to “protect the character and appearance” of the Nidderdale National Landscape.

Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens fencing to remain for ‘foreseeable future’

Fencing put up in Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens six months ago shows no sign of being removed.

Fences were erected to block a group of rough sleepers last October, who set up an encampment in the pavilion.

It came after nearby residents complained of anti-social behaviour from the rough sleepers, who were removed from the site after two weeks.

The Stray Ferret followed the saga closely at the time – and in the months following – and has repeatedly tried to find out what long-term measures would be put in place to prevent similar encampments and help those needing accommodation.

However, six months on, the fencing look set to remain indefinitely.

When we approached North Yorkshire Council for an update, Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said:

“The temporary fencing will remain up for the foreseeable future until a further solution can be found.

“We are working with Harrogate Business Improvement District with a view to wrapping it with images of the town/area in the short term.”

Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate BID, said the organisation held talks with the council along these lines before Christmas, and it was willing to “re-open that conversation”.

Rough sleepers offered ‘support and accommodation daily’

The Stray Ferret also asked what provisions are in place to help homeless people in Harrogate.

Kim Robertshaw, the council’s head of housing needs, said:

“We have a proactive rough sleeper team that engages with people at risk of rough sleeping on a daily basis, offering support and accommodation.

“We hope this consistent approach continues to reduce the number of instances where encampments are created in Harrogate. Where incidents do occur we work with partners to resolve issues as quickly as we can.”

The news comes just weeks after the Stray Ferret’s Trading Hell series, which investigated the anti-social behaviour faced by business owners in Harrogate.

Some traders did not feel confident that such offences would be dealt with by authorities, and some even pointed the finger at rough sleepers as the root cause.

You can read our Trading Hell feature on homeless charity, Harrogate Homeless Project, here.

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Alan Titchmarsh helps Harrogate charity Horticap celebrate 40th birthday

Horticultural charity Horticap celebrated its 40th anniversary today.

The charity, located at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries on Harrogate‘s Otley Road, has helped adults with learning disabilities train in horticulture and outdoor skills since 1984.

Students learn garden maintenance, woodwork and social skills as part of their time at Horticap.

Pupils gathered for today’s birthday celebrations alongside TV gardener and Horticap patron Alan Titchmarsh and His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner.

Alan Titchmarsh with two Horticap students. Pic: Gerard Binks.

They were presented with awards as part of the special day.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones was also in attendance, as was the president of the National Allotment Society, Phil Gomersall, the Knaresborough town crier and Look North journalist Amanda Harper.

The charity is hosting a range of events throughout the year to celebrate the milestone, including a 40th anniversary garden display at both the Harrogate Spring Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show.

TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh. Pic: Gerard Binks.

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