Harrogate Spa Tennis Club has unveiled brand-new facilities that it says bring it a major step closer to achieving its aim of becoming a centre of excellence for sport. 

The club already had six tennis courts, but now has a larger pavilion with shop, Break Point café, bar and terrace overlooking the tennis courts, full LED floodlighting, improved parking, and two new padel courts. Padel is a sport similar to tennis but played with a solid, stringless racquet, in an enclosed court like squash. 

The new padel courts are already attracting players from across the region.

Jacqui Collyns, who took over as centre manager in February, said: 

“There’s nowhere like this within a 100-mile radius – Harrogate seems to be becoming the North’s padel capital. We’ve only been open for three weeks and we’ve already got ‘repeat customers’ coming from as far afield as Leeds and Pontefract. 

“This is a real ‘wow’ space. But it’s not just about tennis and padel – we’ve got plans to expand it for other uses too. This is very much phase one. It’s all part of a 10-year plan to turn this club into a centre of excellence for sport.” 

Run as a charity by volunteers, Harrogate Spa Tennis Club is understood to have paid a seven-figure sum for the nine-month programme of improvements through donations, fundraising and a small loan from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). 

The club has a strong sense of community, and provides junior tennis coaching to year groups at Harrogate High School (pictured on the horizon).

Jacqui said: 

“A special mention should go to the volunteers and trustees. They’ve really made this happen, and have just given and given and given. They’ve never had a salary. They really are remarkable people who just want to give something back, and you don’t often get that these days.” 

The club, which is located off the end of Claro Road, offers tennis and padel on a pre-booked pay-and-play basis, and professional tennis coaching is also available. It also provides free coaching to year groups from Harrogate High School, holds weekly tennis fun sessions for children with learning disabilities, and all its facilities are wheelchair-accessible. 

Jacqui said: 

“This club is all about community. It was founded 76 years ago as a club for everybody, and that’s what it still is. Membership costs just £20 a month, and you can bring the kids along too. It’s incredible.” 

Read more:

• New £70,000 tennis courts open in Dacre with free taster sessions
• Ripon Tennis Centre opens new £180,000 padel tennis courts
• Harrogate’s Rossett School could swap three tennis courts for 3G pitch

Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre will be pulling out all the stops to bring a festival feel to Knaresborough on Bed Race day next month. 

As the race gets underway on Saturday, June 10, Henshaws will be celebrating with BedFest, which promises to be bigger and better than last year’s sold-out event. 

Kicking off at midday, BedFest will offer some mouth-watering food options, with wood-fired pizzas, loaded fries and sweet treats, plus pop-up Mexican street food thanks to Paradise Tap & Taco. 

Harrogate Brewery and Knaresborough-based Turning Point will be serving a top range of beers, as well as gins, wine, fizz, cider and soft drinks for the kids. 

There will also be some of the finest local musicians around, across two eclectic stages, including renowned DJ Rory Hoy, acoustic singer Leo Hicks, Yorkshire reggae band Drop Leg Steppers, Hot Sauce, DJ Trev and rapper legend Lence. 

Award-winning DJ Rory Hoy has produced music for film, TV and adverts, including tracks for Disney.

The venue is on the route of the Great Knaresborough Bed Race, which starts at 3pm, following the Dressed Bed parade through town at 1pm. 

Visitors to BedFest will be able to gather at the Arts & Crafts Centre gates to watch the parade, whose theme this year is “That’s Entertainment”, then come back inside the Centre to enjoy the food, drink and music. They can then go back to watch as the beds speed down Bond End before they take on the final challenge of crossing the River Nidd. A wristband will give visitors access from midday right through to 11pm. 

BedFest sponsorship and corporate hospitality packages are now available. Gemma Young, fundraising development manager at Henshaws, said:  

“A real local gem, the Arts and Crafts Centre – available to hire for celebrations and events year-round – offers a unique setting in the heart of Knaresborough. We are looking forward to welcoming friends old and new to share our special and inspiring space.  

“As a small fundraising team, we rely on the support of our fantastic volunteers to deliver our programme of events. If you’d like to find out more about getting involved and supporting a local charity through volunteering, we’d love to hear from you.” 

BedFest promises fun, food and music for visitors of all ages.

Caroline Sullivan, optometrist director at event sponsor Specsavers, said:  

“BedFest represents a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community to raise money for a very important cause. We are proud to have Henshaws as our chosen charity, and the team at Specsavers had a brilliant time volunteering at the recent Beer Festival and are looking forward to being involved in the annual Henshaws Hundreds challenge in June too.” 

Tickets for BedFest are on sale now at Henshaws Bed Fest 2023. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children (3-17); under-2s go free. Complimentary carer tickets are also available. 

A full programme of Knaresborough Bed Race events is available at www.bedrace.co.uk. 

Read more:

• Beer festival season starts with three-day Henshaws event
• Details of 2023 Knaresborough Bed Race revealed
• Knaresborough junction to be closed from this weekend

The story is sponsored by Ripon Golf Range.

Golf enthusiasts can practice swinging the irons every day of the year following an overhaul of facilities at Ripon Golf Range. 

Until recently, the range, behind Ripon City Golf Club, was only open at irregular times and was closed on Mondays, but a new management team has turned it into a fully automated seven-day-a-week facility, open from 8am to 8pm every day. 

The range has both covered and outdoor bays.

There are nine floodlit covered bays, so you stay dry and comfortable even if it starts raining, plus seven outdoor bays, where you can pitch to three separate greens at different distances. 

A new machine has also been installed, which takes all debit and credit cards, as well accepting digital payment from phones or watches. 

Balls cost £3 for 30, £6 for 60, £8 for 90, or just £10 for 120, and a loyalty card scheme offers 25% discount. 

Anyone wanting to practise can simply turn up, pay for however many balls they want – and drive and chip away. 

Sawley resident Simon G is so impressed with the new arrangements that he’s become a regular customer. He said: 

“I’m very happy with the extended opening hours, and with the ease of being able to practise at my convenience.” 

Players who really want to fine-tune their skills can even opt for tuition from a PGA qualified coach who is on site on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. One-to-one lessons costs £35 for a 30-minute session, or £175 for six sessions. Junior clinics on Sunday afternoons are available at £7 per session. 

Find out more:

For full details of what’s on offer at Ripon Golf Range or to book a sessions with a PGA qualified coach, go to www.ripongolfrange.com.

Rail services across the Harrogate district look set to be hit by cancellations over the half-term holiday as trade union members go on strike over pay and conditions.

The strikes are set to effect services to Harrogate and Knaresborough between Leeds and York.

Industrial action by ASLEF and the RMT unions will hit the region’s train services on three days next week. ASLEF, which largely represents train drivers, will stage its action on Wednesday, May 31 and Saturday, June 3. Customers are advised to avoid travel on those days.

The RMT union, whose 20,000 members work as caterers, train managers and station staff, has announced its own action on Friday, June 2. On that day, customers are advised to check revised timetables before they travel as only a limited service will be in operation.

Train operator Northern said that early-morning and late-night services on Thursday, June 1 would also likely be affected, due to the impact that strikes have on fleet displacement.

In a press release about the national industrial action, ASLEF said:

“Most of the drivers have not had a pay increase at all since 2019 and, with inflation still well over 10% and the cost of living spiralling, this is not acceptable.”

Travellers are advised to check revised timetables before leaving home.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said:

“The government is once again not allowing the Rail Delivery Group to make an improved offer that we can consider. Therefore, we have to pursue our industrial campaign to win a negotiated settlement on jobs, pay and conditions.”

Northern’s new summer timetable came into effect at the weekend. While most services will run as normal, the train operator is urging people who make regular trips on the same trains to use the Check My Timetable feature on its website to see details specific to their local station.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“We apologise, once again, for the disruption this action by ASELF and the RMT will cause to our customers.

“This latest round of industrial action looks set to hamper people’s opportunity to explore the region during the half-term holidays. It’s understandably very frustrating.

“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”

• More rail strikes in Harrogate and Knaresborough this week
• Thousands of teachers descend on Harrogate as new strikes called
• No trains in Harrogate district today amid further rail strikes

This story is sponsored by Harvey George.

The UK’s largest bespoke bathroom vanity unit manufacturer has won the right to use the coveted Made in Britain logo. 

Harvey George, which is based on Hookstone Park in Harrogate, went through an exhaustive authentication process to achieve the distinction, which is administered by the Made in Britain not-for-profit organisation. 

The company’s application to use the familiar red-white-and-blue logo was approved because all its products are made here in Yorkshire.  

Sophie Griffiths, Finance Director, said: 

“We’re absolutely delighted that we can now use the Made in Britain mark. It’s internationally recognised and helps customers identify products made here in the UK. In a market awash with imports, this really sets us apart as a great British manufacturer.” 

Harvey George makes all its bathroom vanity units to order at its Hull factory, and its range can be seen in its 10,000 sq ft showroom on Hookstone Park. 

Harvey George’s showroom can be found on Hookstone Park, off Leeds Road in Harrogate.

The firm offers 15 designs, and customers also specify the size, the drawer front, the handles, and what kind of sink they want – single or twin, sit-on or undermount – from a selection of luxury brands, including Hendel & Hendel and House of Rohl. They come in 16 basic colours, but Harvey George can match them to any paint a customer may already have. 

Harvey George’s professionals can work with customers to find the perfect combination of options and turn them into beautiful designs and stunning finished products.

The lead time is six weeks, but for a small express fee that can be halved. 

Andy Grice, Showroom Manager, said: 

“What makes Harvey George different is that we cut out the middle-man. We don’t buy these units from anyone else – we make them individually for each of our customers. Anything you can imagine, we can make. 

“We’ve compared prices and we’ve found we’re between 10 and 30% cheaper than our competitors, and typically also have a shorter lead time. 

“We’re also very efficient. Even the pieces of wood we cut out of the vanity unit tops are made into chopping boards!” 

Find out more: 

Make an appointment and visit Harvey George’s Harrogate showroom to discuss your bespoke furniture needs over a complimentary drink at The Inspiration Centre, Unit 3, Hookstone Park, Harrogate HG2 7DB. Telephone: 01423 810070. 

A sound engineer who has worked for some of the biggest names in pop has opened a vinyl coffee house and bar in Harrogate. 

Dave Swallow’s CV includes stints with Amy Winehouse, Erasure and James, and he still routinely joins Norwegian mega-band A-ha on tour. But he’s launched a new venture that brings his love of music to the town he now calls home.  

AAA (pronounced triple-A) on Cold Bath Road is currently operating as a coffee house, open from 9 to 5pm, but a temporary licence over the spring bank holiday weekend will see it function as the bar it is meant to be, open till 11pm. 

AAA on Cold Bath Road also has outdoor seating.

From early July, when it receives its full alcohol licence, AAA will be a coffee house and bar that also sells vinyl records and clothes from another of Dave’s ventures, clothing brand Audio Architect Apparel. 

Dave, who is originally from Southend-on-Sea but has lived in Harrogate for 16 years, said: 

“Last July, I was touring with A-ha, playing Rio de Janeiro and the Hollywood Bowl, and then just two days later I was back here, being handed the keys to this place.  

“Ultimately, I just want to create a nice, cool place where people can come to listen to good music on a good sound system, drinking good drinks.” 

Dave Swallow wants to create a cool place, with good music and drinks.

AAA currently serves hot drinks, cakes and traybakes, but as a bar it will offer wines, spirits, a range of bottled beers, and two brews on tap – a pilsner and an IPA, both made by music-inspired brewer Signature Brew. 

In addition, anyone who still has any old vinyl records but no means to play them can take their discs along to AAA and Dave will play them. He said: 

“Music is a language without words. It’s emotional. You can take a band from Liverpool and drop them in South America, and their sound travels. It crosses boundaries and brings people together. That’s what I’m doing here.” 

Read more:

• Plan approved to convert former Cold Bath Road shop into bar and cafe
• Criminals damage third business on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road
• Cafe-bar and record store plans submitted for Cold Bath Road shop

A bus service to the very top end of Nidderdale will restart for the summer 2023 season this weekend.

The DalesBus 821 service to Scar House reservoir in Upper Nidderdale will run from Keighley and Otley via the Washburn Valley to Pateley Bridge, then continues updale past Gouthwaite Reservoir to Ramsgill, Lofthouse and Scar House Reservoir every Sunday and Bank Holiday until October 22, 2023.

Buses leave from Pateley Bridge at 11.15am and 2.15pm, returning from Scar House Reservoir café at 12.45pm and 3.45pm.

Connections are available on DalesBus 24, leaving Harrogate Bus Station at 10.20am or 1.20pm.

All single fares are just £2  (£1 for under 19s) as part of the national Get Around For £2 initiative, which the government has just extended until the end of October.

Scar House and Angram reservoirs lie at the top of Nidderdale and supply water to Bradford.

Nidderdale DalesBus 821 is run by the Keighley Bus Company, with financial support from Yorkshire Water, as part of the DalesBus network, which is managed by the volunteer-run Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company.

It joins DalesBus service 822 between Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Grassington, which is already running on Sundays and Bank Holidays for the summer season. Buses leave Pateley Bridge at 11.15am and 3.25pm for Hebden and Grassington, and at 12.25pm and 4.25pm for Fountains Abbey and Ripon.

Full details of the bus to Scar House Reservoir are available online at www.dalesbus.org/821.

Read more:

• Dales Bus summer service to return this weekend
• Photo of the Week: Top of the dam at Scar House Reservoir
• New 4G mast will boost mobile coverage in Upper Nidderdale

A group of early-morning runners from Knaresborough will be upping the pace this Sunday, when they take part in the first ever Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. 

The 15 members of the Early Bird Running Crew have been in training for 19 weeks to run the 26.2 miles and will be raising money to create a brand-new motor neurone disease (MND) unit, at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds. 

Early Bird Running Crew member Dr Deborah Goldfield said: 

“I’ve felt very passionate about MND ever since a friend was diagnosed with it and later died. 

“It’s one of those stigmatised diseases; there’s a sense of complete and utter despair, because it seems as if there’s nothing you can do. As an A&E doctor, I see it every day.  

“It’s about time we looked very seriously at finding a cure for this appalling disease, and this project gives a massive sense of hope.” 

MND is a condition that progressively damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, called motor neurones. These control muscle activity including walking, speaking, gripping, swallowing, and even breathing, and as MND progresses, it can become more difficult to do some or all of these. MND eventually leads to death.

Former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019. Since then, he has campaigned relentlessly to raise awareness and funds to support families living with the disease. 

MND campaigner Rob Burrow (seated) and best friend and fellow ex-Rhino Kevin Sinfield OBE (right) will cover the marathon course together.

The inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon will see over 10,000 participants take on a new route through Leeds that starts and finishes at Headingley Stadium, home of the Leeds Rhinos. Rob Burrow himself will be cover the route, pushed in his wheelchair by best friend and fellow ex-Rhinos player Kevin Sinfield OBE. 

Dr Goldfield said: 

“If Rob Burrow can do the course, I’m sure we can wheeze our way round it. 

“It would be amazing to be part of creating this new MND unit, so please donate anything you can afford. No worries if that’s just a cheer on!” 

Dr Goldfield, who works at York Hospital, is aiming to raise £500 through the event, which is being held in support of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal as well as the MND Association.

You can help her reach her fundraising target by sponsoring her online.

Dr Deborah Goldfield (back row, centre) with fellow Early Bird Running Crew runners at their Market Place meet-up in Knaresborough.

The Early Bird Running Crew is a social running group that encourages people of all abilities and promotes well-being. It meets daily from Monday to Friday at 6.30am in Knaresborough’s Market Place for a 5k run. A Harrogate group meets at the same times, at the War Memorial in the town centre. 

Read more:

• Man with MND sets 100-mile charity challenge through Yorkshire Dales
• Harrogate couple run 127 miles in aid of Motor Neurone Disease charity
• Terminally ill Harrogate man to scale Snowdon

This story is sponsored by Myrings Estate Agents .

When Colin Bonham was promoted recently to Senior Associate Director at Harrogate estate agent Myrings, it was the latest step in a rapid rise up the career ladder to the top of the district’s property industry. 

The promotion has given him a seat on the board at family firm Myrings, which is run by brother and sister Simon and Gemma Myring, but Colin’s first brush with estate agency was when he was still a pupil at Ashville College. He told The Stray Ferret: 

“I was already interested in property, so I asked to do my work experience placement with an estate agent. I spent the week at Myring & Heward, as it was then, and really enjoyed it.  

“Later, during my gap year, I bumped into Gemma and she offered me a job. I was 18 then and I’ve never looked back.” 

That was in 2010, and since then Colin reckons he’s sold well over 1,000 properties. But he has also seen a seismic change in customer behaviour as the industry has increasingly gone online. He said: 

“One of the biggest changes is how much things have gone digital. We used to have a huge rush on Thursdays after the local paper came out and people scoured the property pages, but these days more people search for properties online, so every day’s a rush now.” 

Now 32 and a father-of-two, Colin is currently working towards becoming an Associate Member (AssocRICS) of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is ambitious for his future. But that’s not to say he intends to move onwards and upwards – he’s happy where he is. He said: 

“I’ve always been very well looked after here. Because it’s a family business, its ethos is independent – it’s not like a big corporate, with 28 layers of management. I’ve always worked very closely with Simon and Gemma, which has made it very easy to learn. 

“I’m still relatively young, and one day I fully intend to run the business – but only when Simon and Gemma are ready to hand over the keys!” 

Until then, he intends to help Myrings grow its footprint – it currently has the second-highest stock level in Harrogate – and its rental portfolio, while protecting the firm’s good name. He said: 

“At the latest Estate Agent of the Year Awards (the ESTAS) we were named the best estate agent in Yorkshire, as well as winning gold awards for both sales and rentals and being named the best for sales in North Yorkshire. It was a phenomenal achievement for a family firm with just one office, but it didn’t surprise me at all. 

“Reputation is everything to us – what people think of us is of utmost importance to us. The name above the door isn’t the name of some historic founder – it’s who is here every day. And people like the fact that it’s a family firm, because they’re often buying or selling a family home, and it’s very personal to them. That’s why word has spread about how good we are, and why I’m proud to work here.” 

Find out more: 

If you’re a Harrogate homeowner or involved in the local property market in any way, call Myrings on 01423 566400 for a free no-obligation chat about its residential sales and lettings services, or visit the website: myringsestateagents.com.

This story is sponsored by the Inter Ceramica Group.

The Harrogate-based family-run company, Revo Kitchens, is revolutionising the kitchen market, by launching its Revo Rapid range of stocked German Kitchens with 60% discount off the RRP.

Revo Kitchens, which is part of the family-run Inter Ceramica Group, has expanded its warehouse facilities on Hornbeam Park and now holds huge quantities of German Kitchens in stock, meaning products are available to take away the same day.

Customers can email through or bring along dimensions and a Revo Rapid Design Adviser uses those dimensions to design their dream kitchen for a fraction of the high street price.

Group Manager Adam Challis says Revo Rapid’s offer is unique to the marketplace:

“Revo has been working on this concept for two years, culminating in a revolutionary supply agreement with one of Germany’s largest kitchen manufacturers. The benefits for the customer are huge!”

“By shipping huge volumes directly, we can offer a permanent 60% discount off all kitchen furniture, including our worktops.

“To compliment this amazing offering we have specially selected a range of Bosch and Beko appliances, sinks, taps & boiling taps all from stock and all at internet-beating prices. It’s a truly unique and complete offering, at incredible prices

“Our initial range consists of seven different door colours, five worktops styles and 10 door handle styles. Worktops are manufactured by Duropal, another premium German manufacturer, all being laser edged to give an ultra-high-end quality and contemporary look.”

If a customer wants something outside of the stock range, they can order it, and it will still come with the 60% discount. 

Revo Rapid offers interest-free finance under a 12-month buy-now-pay-later arrangement. Customers can spread the cost even more with a low interest rate 10 year package – meaning a £5,000 kitchen can cost as little as £29 per month.

Mr Challis added on Revo Rapid’s customer support:

“Our team of professionals are always on hand to help with design and offer advice, making sure that our customers get the very best service and support.

“Whether you are a domestic customer looking for a new kitchen or a trade fitter, builder or developer, Revo Rapid will change the way you look at kitchens. Our showrooms are open to all.”

Find out more: 

You can check out Revo Kitchens’ range of fabulous German kitchens from Nolte on their Revo Rapid website. Alternatively, you can drop into Revo Kitchens’ showroom at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate.