Flora Grafton, Author at The Stray Ferret

Business Breakfast: Harrogate legal firm achieves top industry ranking

There’s not long to go until the Stray Ferret Business Club’s breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate legal firm has been recognised by a leading industry guide for the seventh year running.

Raworths’ trust, wills and states team has been ranked Band 1 by the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023.

The team is the only firm ranked Band 1 for the region of York, Hull, and surrounding area, while also ranked in the National Leaders category outside London.

Raworths has one one of the largest private client teams in Yorkshire after hiring five new recruits this year.

The firm’s head of trusts, wills and estates, Rachel Tunnicliffe, said:

“It is fantastic to have Raworths’ private client offering achieve the top ranking in this globally recognised industry guide for the 7th year running.

“The strategic growth of the TWE team over the last few years has attracted partners from leading national and international firms, enabling us to offer exceptional levels of service to our client portfolio.”

The guide described the team as having “great knowledge and project management, then drive that knowledge into action.”

Find more information on the team here.

Celebrity body-builder to promote Harrogate store

A cast member of the BBC’s reboot of Gladiators is due to host a meet and greet at a Harrogate store.

Fitness fanatics will be able to meet bodybuilder, Jamie Christian-Johal, nicknamed ‘The Giant’, at Harrogate supplement store, Go Herbs.

At 6ft 5 inches Mr Christian-Johal is one of the tallest professional bodybuilders in the world .

Go Herbs, located on Station Parade, is run by the team behind Power Body Nutrition – a health, fitness, and nutritional supplement distributor.

The shop stocks MUTANT products, which are promoted by the bodybuilder, and include supplements used to significantly increase strength and muscle mass.

Power Body sales manager, Joe Taylor-Ferguson, said:

“We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the incredible bodybuilder, Jamie ‘The Giant’, renowned not only for his awe-inspiring strength but also for his remarkable journey as an athlete in-store as a part of our MUTANT promotional day for residents.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Jamie’s visit, and it is a great opportunity for the Harrogate fitness community to witness first-hand the extraordinary power and determination that defines the MUTANT Athletes and sample some of their fantastic products.”

The event will take place on Saturday July 29, from 11am – 2pm.

Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration blossoms across town

The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration has come into bloom across the town.

Harrogate BID has coordinated the floral celebration following success in Yorkshire in Bloom 2022.

Harrogate won overall winner in the Yorkshire Rose Town/City Centre BID category and was a finalist in this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals.

The event is in partnership with local florist, Helen James Flowers, who was recently awarded a gold medal in the Floristry Awards category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

The event will showcase several floral installations around the town, with help from Harrogate International Partnerships, RHS, Harrogate in Bloom, and North Yorkshire Council. These include props, an interactive floral trail, and a shop window competition.

The aim is to mark the town’s international links including the twinning of Harrogate with other towns such as Luchon in France, Barrie in Canada, and Wellington in New Zealand.

The shopfront of Helen James’s store on Station Parade.

The Yorkshire Air Museum, in York, has donated a wicker airplane from Canada to feature in the display, while Harrogate’s own Resurrected Bikes has provided bikes to form part of the display also.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are proud to be recognised as a finalist for the Britain in Bloom UK finals, especially as we are the only town in Yorkshire that made it through to this stage in the competition.

“The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will feature unique, vibrant and eye-catching floral displays, each telling a story of how international relations have flourished to bring together the very best of our respective cultures. From a giant Buddha to a floral musical wall, there will be plenty of exciting things to see and experience!”

Parts of the floral trail can be found near Nicholls Tyreman on a corner of Princes Square , Bettys, and the Victoria Shopping Centre.

The event draws on international links.

Helen James, from Helen James Flowers, said:

“We are so honoured to be involved with this special event, which aims to celebrate the town’s beauty and horticultural heritage through an array of stunning floral displays.

“We can’t wait to see the reaction from residents and visitors, as well as welcoming the Britain in Bloom judges.”

The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will be on display from Friday July 21, to Friday August 4.

More information on the event can be found here.

Knaresborough pub to reopen today 111 days after fire

A Knaresborough pub that has been closed for one hundred and eleven days following a chimney fire is due to reopen this evening.

The Castle Inn, on Castlegate, has been closed since the incident on April 1 this year, but “has had a full revamp” ahead of its reopening, according to the new owner.

Landlady, Chloe-Mae Anderson-Maguire, her wife and brother-in -law, made the move from Whitby to Knaresborough to take over the pub after hearing about the fire.

She said her parents have run pubs all her life so this new venture “seemed like a great opportunity.”

The interior of the pub has been modernised. The premises – which will be showcased at the launch party – now offers 10 lagers, as opposed to the previous 7.

The pub is not yet serving food but hopes to have dishes out of the kitchen “within the next two weeks.”

The launch event will include discounted drinks, as well as a karaoke machine and live DJ to entertain the guests.

Ms Anderson-Maguire said:

“We’d only visited the area a few times before moving, so we’re really looking forward to meeting old and new customers.”

The opening event will began at 6pm this evening. The pub will be open daily from 10am-12.30am thereafter.

A social media post for the Castle Inn wrote:

“The anticipation is building, and we can hardly contain our excitement!

“Our team has poured their hearts and souls into creating a unique and unforgettable experience for our valued customers.

“From the inviting atmosphere to the top-notch products/services we’ll be offering, every detail has been carefully crafted with you in mind.”

Sell-out Great Yorkshire Show proves resilient in cost of living crisis

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Despite the cost of living crisis, the 2023 Great Yorkshire Show was a sell-out with the rain appearing to have a bigger effect on sales than the economic climate.

The UK’s largest agricultural show saw 140,000 people pass through its gates over four days this week.

The four-day event sold out two weeks in advance even though ticket prices increased, setting you back £32 for an adult or £80 for a family. By comparison, they cost £29 and £75 last year.

Alistair Nixon, chief executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the farming charity that organises the show, said:

“It is a difficult time – cost of living means prices are going up all the time and we do have to reflect that in our prices.

“However, we support our farmers as much as we can through the show, and I’ve seen the same level of loyalty this year as with any other year.”

Mr Nixon explained the charity “has hit its target and done what we needed to do” when asked if the economic state had caused a dip in sales.

Show director Charles Mills added:

“Everywhere I’ve been it’s been very busy.

“I’ve seen a lot of people with food and drinks, or walking out with bags, so that must be a good sign.”

Clothing trader Joules noted sales to be “around the same as last year”, but said its demographic “tend to come to the show and only shop here during the show”.

The Pavilions of Harrogate‘s outdoor bar saw record sales on the Thursday, but Friday’s rain slowed down final sales.

Fraser Holmes, event manager of Pavilions, told the Stray Ferret:

“In terms of what we’ve taken this year, I believe it to be around the same as last year.

“Thursday was our record day ever for sales – the sunshine really helped with that – and Friday’s rain then brought things back down a bit.

“People are still spending money I think.”

The show also saw a record number of sheep class entries that surpassed 3,000, as well as over 1,000 cattle and equine entries too.

Find more information on Yorkshire Agricultural Society here.

St Aidan’s students bring a taste of Italy to Great Yorkshire Show

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Pupils of St Aidan’s School wowed the show crowds with a live cooking demonstration.

The Harrogate school was invited by Yorkshire Agricultural Society to demonstrate two “complex and highly skilled dishes” on the Great Yorkshire Food Theatre stage.

The year 10 GCSE food and nutrition students competed for a place in the spotlight and were tasked to make a challenging dish by teachers.

Teacher, Jenny Bettridge, said the judging was based on “the skill of the dish, as well as how well they presented it to the class – including discussing the dish they made.”

The four winners – Harriet, Grace, Izzy and Charlotte – cooked up a sweet and savoury open tart for the audience.

The pupils’ tarts.

Harriet and Grace produced an Italy-based pastry, baking the puff pastry from scratch, and topping it with tomatoes, pesto, ricotta, and serrano ham. Sue Nelson, host of the show’s food theatre, described it as “better than my own”.

Meanwhile, Izzy and Charlotte baked a fresh tart topped with custard, kiwi, summer berries, and topped with a strawberry coulis.

The students had pre-baked their pastry base but made fresh custard from scratch.

The girls demonstrated culinary skills and scientific knowledge of cooking, as Izzy made sure her custard “didn’t coagulate and become scrambled egg!”

Ms Betteridge told the Stray Ferret:

“I feel immensely proud that the pupils get to do this.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for young students and it’s a big thing to get on that stage.”

The girls attracted a crowd of hungry people who couldn’t wait to try their delicious dishes once finished.

GALLERY: The animals stole the show on day 3 of Great Yorkshire Show

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Day 3 of the Great Yorkshire Show saw showjumping champions, celebrity specials, and award-winning livestock.

The long-awaited Ripon Select Foods Cock O’ the North drew in hundreds as the day came to a close. The event saw four trebles cleared by the end, but it was Annabel Shields on Creevagh Carisma, of County Durham, who took home title with more than two seconds in hand over the other three treble clears.

Ms Shields said:

“When you grow up in this area, it is the only thing you want to win.

“I never thought I would ride in it, let alone win it!”

TV presenter, Matt Baker MBE took centre stage at the Cheese and Dairy Show, while Peter Wright, the Yorkshire Vet, was a special guest in the Garden Show. Both also took a trip to the Forestry section and tried their hands horse logging and stick making.

The day also saw more award-winning cattle. The Blythewood Dairy Pairs title went to Messrs DN Lindsay’s Ayrshine junior cow, Mid Ascog Patricia III, while the Dairy Supreme Championship was taken home by Ian Collins and Partners.

The Supreme Beef Championship was won by a six-year-old British Simmental.

With more than 3,000 entries in sheep classes this year — a record number of entries — both MV and non-MV sheep went head-to-head in the Overall Supreme Championship, which was won by Suffolk from Stockport.

Julian Collings, of Cornwall, has been showing his pigs for 53 years and, today, took home The Supreme Pig Championship award with British Lop sow, Liskeard Lulu 59. This was Mr Collings’s first inter-breed win.

Charity, Sheffield Environmental Movement, were also at the show and brought a group of pupils from Fir Vale School in the city. A member of the charity, Maxwell Ayamba, regularly invites other groups from the area to the show, including Roshni Asian Women’s Resource Centre and Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association.

The final day of the Great Yorkshire Show is sold out – tickets will not be sold on the door.

The opening times are 8am to 6pm on all four days. Find out what’s on tomorrow here.

If you missed the show today, take a look at our gallery below for a sneak peek.

The Yorkshire Vet strutting his stuff on the catwalk. Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

TV stars Peter Wright and Matt Baker MBE. Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Harrogate man swaps gamekeeping for glamour as Great Yorkshire Show fashion model

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

A young Harrogate man has swapped his rural work for a glamorous four-day modelling gig at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.

Clarke Doughney,19, grew up in a family of gamekeepers who kept pheasants and rabbits, as well as training cocker spaniels to work since he was 6.

During this year’s show, however, Mr Doughney has joined eleven other amateurs to try his hand at modelling.

For the first time, the annual fashion show, invited local people with agricultural links to model, wanting “real people with a background in the industry.”

After posting the modelling job on social media, show organisers Yorkshire Agricultural Society, amassed over 80 applicants. Those with the closest links to the industry and the show were chosen to model.

“Sheep to Chic”- which takes place daily at 12.30pm on the sheep shearing stage — focusses on the sheep wool industry and showcases brands such as Brook Taverner and British Wool.

Some of the female models in action.

Jenn Chow, social media executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said:

“We wanted local people in the industry to have a platform to showcase their businesses.

“The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is all about giving back to the community, so that’s what we wanted to do.”

Four professional models also took part in the fashion show, but fellow agricultural models have day jobs as wool cleaners to sheep farmers.

Mr Doughney said:

“It’s been so brilliant and the people have been great to work with.

“I’d say it’s been carnage…but in the best way.

“Who know, I might even try to pursue modelling now – but I suppose I can never use getting dressed as an excuse to be late again after this!”

The fashion show is free to attend and is located near the brown gate.

Tickets for the show have now sold out. Find more information about what’s on here.

Local artists make Great Yorkshire Show exhibition debut

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Two local artists are making their Great Yorkshire Show exhibition debuts this year.

The art show invites Yorkshire-based artists to display their work to thousands of visitors to the Great Yorkshire Showground. Many of the exhibits draw inspiration from the beauty of the county.

This year work by 14 artists, who are on site, are on display. Their work includes ceramics, sculptures, paintings and textiles.

The art show is free to attend with show admission and can be found in Food Hall 1.

Johnny Sunter

Stone sculptor Johnny Sunter, who lives in Ripon, is displaying his ceramics in what is his first ever visit to the agricultural show.

Mr Sunter studied at Leeds College of Art but “did nothing but daft jobs” after his studies. Twenty-five years later, during lockdown, Mr Sunter realised his passion lies with his art and decided to take the time to venture down a career change.

Three years later, he is displaying his limestone ceramics in the art show of the largest agricultural show in the UK.

He said:

“I realised that those jobs weren’t worth it.

“The most important thing to me now is that I wake up and I’m happy – it’s a really good life.”

Mr Sunter basis his work on stories he develops from Greek mythology, as well as references from brutalist architecture.

“Those ugly buildings that most people hate…I love those.

“I take reference from the buildings and their shape and fuse them with stories I create – and I end up with this.”

His work displayed at the show tells the story of The Idol stealing various elements of the world until it is finally caught.

He said he’s “delighted to be here and meet other artists” at the show.

Mr Sunter currently has another exhibition on display at Cole’s Gallery in Leeds.

Find more information on Mr Sunter’s work here.

Jess with her paintings

Jess Kidd

Harrogate-born painter, Jess Kidd, is bringing a taste of the West Yorkshire landscapes to the showground.

Ms Kidd, who now lives in Keighley, takes inspiration from the towns industrial roots and blends them with the surroundings of her home in hopes to “shed a positive light on an area that’s often knocked.”

Due to dyslexia, she “struggled to learn to talk and used art and creativity as a means of communication” as a child.

After also studying art at Leeds Art College, Ms Kidd worked with children with severe and complex needs.

Shortly after, however, she fell unwell with tuberculosis and was unable to work. During this time, her love for art was reignited and gave her the opportunity to dabble again.

During covid, Ms Kidd undertook cognitive behavioural therapy and used the tools learned in these sessions to ease her into art as a full-time career.

She said:

“I think I initially just wanted to prove that I could work again after falling ill, but I realised I had neglected the time to be creative.

“I now use the lessons I learned through CBT in my work.

“The first layers will always be about letting myself experiment with shapes and colour, and not putting pressure on myself about the final piece.

“I hope this positivity translates through my work.”

Ms Kidd currently has another exhibition on display at South Square Gallery, near Bradford.

More information can be found on Jess Kidd’s website.

GALLERY: Conservation, cheese and cattle take centre stage at Great Yorkshire Show

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Successes in agriculture and champion cattle, cheese, pigeons and forestry were recognised on day two of the Great Yorkshire Show.

Spectators were treated to the stunt riding of Lorenzo in the main ring and Adam Henson’s chat show returned to the GYS stage.

The day also saw the supreme pigeon award presented to a Chinese Owl from Huworth.

The third national cattle championship at the show, the British Charolais, went to a two-year-old heifer, Marne Sweetpea, owned by Robert Tremayne and Nicola Osgood of Kent.

Day two also saw the inaugural farmland curlew award developed by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and Nidderdale AONB to reward famers who make a significant contribution to curlew conservation — won by two Cumbrian beef and sheep farmers.

Future Farmers also had their flagship annual get-together and held a panel-led discussion.

York Community Woodland, owned by City of York Council and tenanted by Forestry England, took home the John Broddy trophy for the best new woodland in Yorkshire awarded by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Royal Forestry Society and Forestry Commission.

Tickets for the show have now sold out and will not be available on the gate. The opening times are 8am to 6pm on all four days. To see what is happening on which day, visit here.

Take a look at the gallery below to catch up on today’s highlights.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show website

Mill Hill School pupils celebrating their success

Horticap’s award-winning garden

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance team

A hound class

Artist: Jonny Sunter

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show website

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show website

Biscuit of Farlavale Gun Dogs

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show website

Harrogate caterer who serves monarchs at Great Yorkshire Show celebrates 60th birthday

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID.

A Harrogate caterer who has served a number of royals celebrated his 60th birthday and 21 years of catering at the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday.

Ian King, owner of King’s Catering, founded the company with his wife 27 years ago and, for 21 of those, has served thousands of people every day when the annual show takes place.

The traditional royal visit means Mr King has prepared meals for King Charles III, Princess Anne, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.

He said the current monarch “loves smoked salmon sandwiches and loose Earl Grey tea”, while his sister “always asks for ginger beer”.

Monarchs are provided with a checklist to indicate their likes and dislikes ahead of the show and, said Mr King, only request “the use of local produce”.

The company initially served canapes at the agricultural show but took on the challenge of catering for the entire show in 2012.

That same year, the show was rained off after just the first day. With heaps of leftover stock and a heavy heart, it’s fair to say Mr King described this as his least favourite memory of the show…

The Great Yorkshire Show generates “10% of the company’s annual turnover”, according to Mr King, and is “the busiest and biggest week of the year.”

He said covid was a “very cruel” time for the company but added:

“We’re back and we’re bigger and stronger than ever. This show is what we work towards all year.

“Providing breakfast on the first day goes well the rest of the show is plain sailing!”

Mr King arrives at the showground at 4am each day during show week to prepare and said “the camaraderie of it all makes it so enjoyable”.

This year, the caterer spent his milestone 60th birthday cooking up a storm for the Duke of Gloucester – and thousands of other show attendees.

Find more information on King’s Catering here.

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Johnny Sunter

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Jess Kidd

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