This story is sponsored by Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs. 

Home improvers looking for the perfect rug need no longer struggle to visualise it in their own home, following the launch of a unique new service by a shop in Harrogate. 

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs only sells beautiful hand-knotted, naturally dyed rugs, woven from wool or silk. Each is a one-off, so choosing one can be enjoyable but also a challenge – which is where the company’s new home viewing service comes in.

Owner Emma Mellor will bring any rugs a customer has selected online or in the Harrogate showroom to their home, so they can see them in situ before making a final choice. And if they decide to buy one, delivery has already been made. Emma, who lives locally, said: 

“I started the home viewing service because I know from my own experience that you might find a rug you love in the showroom, but it can be really difficult to visualise it in your own home. 

“Rugs are quite ‘alive’ textiles, and their colours can appear to change in different settings, depending on the light, the dimensions of the space, and what other fabrics or textiles you have in the room.

“You need to find something that will complement what you already have, rather than clashing with it. It’s a very personal service.” 

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, on Albert Street in Harrogate.

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, which also has a shop in York and an office in London, sources most of its pieces from Nepal, Afghanistan and Morocco, but it also has some antique Persian rugs. Sizes vary from small mat-sized pieces to oversized rugs right up to 7m by 4m, or bigger. 

Emma said: 

“My target customer is anyone with really good taste. They believe in good quality, they don’t believe in the throwaway culture, and they’re interested in colour. 

“These are all individual pieces – each one is unique – so when you buy one, you know that no-one else will have one like it.” 

All the rugs Emma sells are certified by GoodWeave International. The certification means they’re guaranteed to have been made ethically, with no child labour involved. 

Emma Mellor also pays her weavers a premium above market price, to ensure they can support their families. This also ensures their age-old skills don’t die out. 

The company is just about to bring out a new range of rugs designed by Emma herself and fresh off the loom in Nepal.  

Emma said: 

“The weavers really are the most incredible artists. Out of a ball of wool, they can create wonderful works of art. 

“I feel really privileged to sell these pieces, which are made by people far more skilled than I’ll ever be.” 

Find out more: 

To see – and feel – our latest range of handmade rugs, come to our showroom at 13/15 Albert Street in Harrogate, which is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.30am to 4.30pm. 

Alternatively, you can find all our ranges on our website, www.emmamellorhandmaderugs.com.

To book a home viewing appointment, call us on 01904 622822.

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

An office supplies company from Harrogate has beaten stiff competition from the south at a national awards ceremony. 

Supplies Web Ltd, which is based at Claro Court Business Centre, won the dealer excellence award for companies that turn over less than £5 million a year at the national BOSS Awards, which were held in Manchester and attended by more than 450 people. 

The BOSS Awards are held annually by the BOSS Federation, which is the trade association for the business supplies industry. 

Paul Graves, director of Supplies Web, said: 

“Delivering a sustainable and ethical solution is imperative to us and we are looking forward to building on this in 2024 and beyond, helping our designated charities, communities, and the planet.” 

Supplies Web beat competitors from across the south-east and East Anglia and was singled out by judges for its strategic approach, combining organic growth, acquisitions, and diversification to achieve achieved a 18% growth from 2022 to 2023.

Judges also highlighted the company’s overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 62% of customers giving a perfect 10/10 in customer surveys.  

Supplies Web started from two home offices in 2009 with a vision to put the customer first, save them money and provide reliability and efficiency.  

Managing director Grahame Barnes said: 

“Rather than just words, we wanted to deliver unique services for businesses of all sizes and solutions that would benefit them. We had the passion and that drove us through the journey.”

New face at Harrogate law firm

LCF Law in Harrogate has appointed a new solicitor to its personal law team.

Nicole Narey previously spent five years at another Yorkshire law firm, where she completed her training and worked as a private client solicitor. She said:

“My role is a varied and interesting one. Within our team of 12 lawyers, we all have our individual disciplines, and mine involves Court of Protection work.

“Assisting people at a difficult time in their lives is highly rewarding and I’m looking forward to developing this aspect of LCF Law’s legal services throughout Harrogate and beyond.”

Neil Shaw, partner and head of personal law at LCF Law, said:

“Nicole is very personable and professional, and she helps clients ensure their affairs are all in order and safeguarded. Her experience working with the Court of Protection will be an asset to our team and will continue to ensure that we secure the best outcomes for our clients.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate businesses collect chocolate for people in need
• Business Breakfast: Ripon bucks national footfall trend – data
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate BID appoints communications officer

Staff and pupils at a new independent school in Harrogate are celebrating after it passed its first ever Ofsted inspection with flying colours. 

Strive for Education, on North Park Road, is a special school which caters for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and social, emotional and mental health needs. 

It was registered with the Department for Education in February this year and inspected in November. Ofsted rated it “good” in all areas except for behaviour and attitudes, which it said were “outstanding”. 

The report said: 

“The atmosphere at the school is calm and caring. During unstructured time, pupils and staff socialise together in a relaxed setting. This helps pupils to feel comfortable and safe. Staff have created a homely atmosphere which is rare to see.” 

Strive for Education has 23 pupils aged 14 to 19, half of them attending on a part-time basis. 

Andy Brown, headteacher and co-owner of Strive for Education, said: 

“We are delighted with our first ever Ofsted report as an independent school. We feel it accurately reports on the quality of the education and care we provide and the incredibly high standards we set out to achieve. 

“Having a three-day inspection is an intense experience, but we feel that this has enabled Strive to improve even further.” 

Read more:

• Harrogate parents join special needs education protest
• Harrogate school invites ex-pupils to 50-year landmark carol service
• Knaresborough father fights for autistic son to join twin brother at SEND school

This story is sponsored by Mind in Harrogate District. 

Mind in Harrogate District is relaunching its counselling service following a full refurbishment of its premises. 

The mental health charity, which is based at the Acorn Centre on Station Parade, now has three brand-new counselling rooms with low lighting, comfortable seating, and soundproofed walls to ensure clients’ privacy. 

The service is open five days a week, from 9am to 7pm. 

People coming for counselling have an initial assessment with a qualified professional and will then be matched with one of Mind in Harrogate District’s counsellors according to their needs. 

Tina Chamberlain, CEO of Mind in Harrogate District, said: 

“Our service is very responsive to individual needs. The vast majority of the people we support come to us with multiple issues, including anxiety, depression, low mood, trauma, stress, a sense of loss or bereavement, or difficulties in their relationships. 

“Life can be messy – it’s not neat and compartmentalised, and difficulties in one area can often spill over into other areas of life. We’re here to help people make sense of it all. They might not be in a really bad place – they often just have one or two areas where they need help and support.” 

Tina Chamberlain, CEO of Mind in Harrogate District.

Counselling at Mind in Harrogate District costs £45 per session, with concessions for people receiving benefits. Clients can book up to 20 sessions, all at the same time each week.

The counselling service is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Yvie Lois, counselling coordinator at Mind in Harrogate District.

Tina said:

“Our counselling service is very competitively priced and people using the service can be confident that the funds generated are reinvested into supporting mental health and wellbeing services in the local community.”

Mind in Harrogate District also offers a workplace wellbeing service, including counselling sessions for employees. Sessions are charged at the same rate as for private individuals. 

Yvie Lois, counselling coordinator, said:

“Our mental health is affected by all aspects of our lives which impacts on how we experience work, relationships and life. We have noticed an increased awareness and understanding surrounding mental health, which has empowered people to reach out for support.

“You don’t have to do it alone. Counselling offers a safe, confidential environment for people to talk and process the issues that are affecting their lives”

If you would like to find out more about counselling sessions at Mind in Harrogate District, see our website for details, where there is also information about counselling for businesses. 

To book an initial appointment, call us on 01423 547 246, or email us at counselling@mindinharrogate.org.uk

New habitats for one of the UK’s most iconic protected species could be created in Nidderdale if a planning application is approved. 

Wildscapes, a community interest company (CIC) owned by the Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, has applied to create two ponds at Delves Ridge, near Thornthwaite, to help boost the population of great crested newts. 

The species, also known as the northern crested newt or warty newt, is Britain’s largest amphibian, reaching lengths of up to 17cm (nearly 7 inches). Globally, it is regarded as being “of least concern”, but in the UK, where habitat loss has seen a sharp downturn in numbers over the past century, it is considered to be at risk and is protected under law.

To help halt its decline, Natural England has established a programme of district level licensing, and property developers whose projects have been identified by Natural England as having caused the loss of great crested newt habitat have applied to join the scheme to offset the damage. 

As a result, a number of ponds suitable for increasing population of great crested newts must now be created or restored in North Yorkshire. 

Wildscapes CIC is Natural England’s habitat delivery body and creates around 100 new ponds a year for great crested newts. It has identified the Thornthwaite site, which is within the Nidderdale National Landscape (formerly known as the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONB), as a perfect location.

But the ponds will not be entirely new to the locality, which is on land off Menwith Hill Road. According to the planning document submitted to North Yorkshire Council: 

“Evidence of current and previously existing pond structures can be seen in the surrounding area, including those which have been lost to agricultural development.  

“Creation of ponds on this site will return these features to the landscape and enhance the local wildlife and biodiversity.  

“As a local feature this is well within keeping with the existing landscape as well as offering a significant opportunity for enhancement.” 

The two proposed ponds could be just the start of a great crested newt renaissance if local conservation plans are successful, with more being created not far away, in the Washburn Valley. 

According to the planning application, Wildscapes has been in discussions with the Nidderdale National Landscape project ecologist, Kate Wright, who said she believed the proposed site was a “good location”. 

She added: 

“We did have a potential new pond for a site south along Meagill Lane, but it didn’t go ahead due to planning issues. There’s a very large toad population in the Washburn valley just over 1km WSW.

“I don’t believe I’ve had any contact with this landowner as part of the previous project. But it’s within our desired development area for wetland creation in 2023/4.

“We’ve received some interest from other landowners in the area, including potentially a series of ca. 3 ponds just west over the Washburn Valley.”

The consultation period for the application started on Monday (December 4) and is due to end on Thursday, December 28. The planning application reference code is ZC23/03802/FUL.

Read more:

• Junction 47 upgrade on A1(M) cost £3.1m above budget
• Wanted: Field with boggy corner for new wildlife pond in Harrogate district
• Council defends ‘brutal’ work on Harrogate nature reserve

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

Footfall in Ripon city centre bucked the national trend last month, seeing a sharp increase on the previous year, according to the latest figures.

Record numbers were recorded in November 2023, with footfall up 81% on November 2022 and 98% up on November 2021, analysis from data firm Huq shows.

It follows an encouraging October, when footfall in the city was up by 57% on October 2022, 6% up on September 2023 and 62% up on October 2021.

Nationally, footfall tends to drop off after the summer, and this September it was down -2.8%.

Ripon’s vacancy rate of just 9% (empty city-centre ground-floor retail units) is also well below the national average for high streets, which stood at 13.8% at the end of 2022, according to the British Retail Consortium.

The figures were warmly welcomed by Ripon BID (business improvement district), which said in a statement:

“Ripon is going from strength to strength with a full programme of events plus its unique visitor offering of heritage, history, attractions and independent traders all leading to national media recognition and coverage.”

It added:

“With new traders such as Silva Bells, The Portly Pig, Elevate, Peacocks, BUD Floral coming in, expansions to larger premises from Yorkshire Bikemonger, Stuff for Offices and the Easy Learning Shop, together with the new bed stock provided by the recently opened Ripon Inn – the future looks very bright for Ripon.”

Impression becomes Show + Tell

Harrogate-based creative agency Impression Studio has rebranded and is now called Show + Tell.

The growing creative and digital products agency, established by CEO and founder Charlie Hartley in 2009, currently has 17 staff across two agency brands: the newly-minted Show + Tell, and its sister agency, Next Chapter, which specialises in digital marketing. 

The rename and brand transformation was spearheaded by the agency’s Head of Design, Jordan Donnelly. He said:

“The name Impression served us well since 2009, but as the agency has grown and developed and the services we deliver have progressed. It felt like we’d outgrown the name and we needed something that better represented our offering and what we’re about as a collective. 

“Show + Tell does exactly that. We believe in the transformative power of showcasing and storytelling. Our mission is to be the creative catalyst that enables brands to shine through captivating narratives and visually stunning designs. Just as ‘Show’ represents our dedication to presenting your brand’s unique story through outstanding creative and visual design, ‘Tell’ signifies our commitment to communicating it effectively in the digital world through strategy and brand storytelling.” 

Based in Harrogate, the agency works with clients across the UK and globally, including the likes of Bettys and Taylors Group, Omega Funds, Atlas Ventures, O&3 and Northern Energy. 

Charlie said:

“I’m incredibly proud of our growth and success, particularly in the last 2-3 years, and we’ve done a lot of growing up as a business as a result. 

“We’ve invested a lot of time and resources in the agency in recent years, from our outstanding studio space with its custom fit-out to hiring more brilliant people across the business, including in crucial senior leadership roles.” 

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate BID appoints communications officer
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate carbon accounting firm makes two new hires
• Business Breakfast: Reed Boardall awarded Silver by MOD

This story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes.

A common form of home insulation can cause more damage than it prevents, and end up costing homeowners thousands to put right, a Harrogate property expert has warned. 

Spray foam is sold perfectly legally by insulation companies – including several in our district – as a way of stopping draughts and improving heat retention, and some vendors even claim it can act as a pest repellent. There are an estimated 250,000 homes with spray foam insulation in the UK.

But chartered surveyor Andrew Kempston-Parkes said it can seriously affect a property’s value and structural integrity. He said: 

“When I turn up to value a property, I’ll start with the exterior but once I’m inside, my first port of call is the roof void. My heart just sinks when I see that the underside of the roof has had spray foam insulation applied. 

“All too often, the foam expands and encases the timbers, so if they become wet, they can’t dry out and will rot. In the vast majority of cases, the whole roof will have to be stripped off and replaced.” 

He said as a result lenders will typically ask for full retention on the mortgage – that is, they won’t release the funds to the buyer until the vendor has carried out the remedial work. 

The alternative is for the vendor to drop the price substantially – by around £15,000 off a small terraced house, or £25-40,000 off a large, detached property. Removing spray foam insulation from one listed building recently cost an eye-watering £200,000.

Andrew, whose firm Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors sees several spray-foamed homes a year, said: 

“When I tell a vendor that they’ll have to either have their house reroofed or lower the sale price, they’re often shocked, and embarrassed that they’ve been sold a pup. It never goes down well to have to renegotiate the price.” 

The alternative to spray foam is 300mm fibreglass insulation, keeping the eaves clear to allow for air-flow. If a loft is being converted, the roof will need to be boarded and insulated, but even then, there needs to be air-flow behind the boarding. 

Andrew said: 

“There are still lots of firms going out and spray-foaming roofs, but generally speaking it’s a real no-no.  

“There are some instances where it’s OK to apply spray foam insulation, but those are rare. More often than not, it’s a delaying action – a false economy.  

“If you’re considering it, you should always seek professional advice from a chartered surveyor.”

Find out more:

Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans.

For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111.

This story is sponsored by Kids Planet Day Nurseries.

Nurseries in Harrogate and Knaresborough are offering up to 30 hours’ funded childcare, as well as tax-free childcare that can save parents up to £4,000 a year.

Kids Planet Day Nurseries is an award-winning national provider with over 170 nurseries across the North and Midlands, including settings in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby, Boston Spa, Horsforth and Leeds city centre. 

In line with government policy, it offers 15 hours’ funded childcare for three- and four-year-olds, but it also extends the offer to some two-year-olds. 

Working parents of three- and four-year-olds may be able to get as many as 30 hours’ funded childcare, depending on eligibility criteria such as salary, age of children and location. 

What’s more, parents in work with children aged 0-11 can use their tax-free childcare allowance with Kids Planet, saving them up to £2,000 a year. If their child has a disability, the age limit may be raised to 17, and the savings can reach £4,000 a year. 

All Kids Planet nurseries provide nappies, baby formula and baby wipes at no extra charge.

CEO Clare Roberts, who set up Kids Planet in 2008, said: 

“Funded and tax-free childcare is available through many providers, but at Kids Planet we provide so much more. For example, our nurseries are all-inclusive, so we include all nappies, baby formula and baby wipes in our fees, saving parents time, stress, and money.”

Kids Planet places great emphasis on the quality of its staff, and in 2018 it launched its own Kids Planet Training Academy, which offers traineeships, apprenticeships and other higher-level courses. 

Clare said: 

“We want all our nursery employees to be experts at what they do, and the Academy ensures that they are as qualified as they can be, with skill levels that allow them to progress and enjoy long and successful careers in early years.

“That’s good for them, and great for the children they look after, as happy colleagues mean happy children.”

If you’d like to see for yourself why Kids Planet Day Nurseries is trusted to look after more than 20,000 children across the UK, you can take a look around one of our nurseries. Just book an appointment online.

For more information about how you can save money through funded and tax-free childcare at Kids Planet, visit the Funded Childcare page on the Kids Planet website.

A Ripon man serving a life sentence for murder died in prison last year of skin cancer, a report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has revealed. 

John Hutchinson, then 57, was jailed in 2007 for the murder of father-of-six Sean Webster, of Kirkby Malzeard, in February 2006. The pair, who were good friends, had had an argument at The Unicorn pub in Ripon before going back to Hutchinson’s home in Cavendish Terrace. 

It was there that he shot Webster, 41, using a “dumdum” bullet, a prohibited type of projectile designed to fragment upon impact. 

Hutchinson pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming that the .22 rifle – which had been stolen five years earlier and that he had bought “from the back of a Land Rover” – had gone off by accident as he tried to put it in a bag to give to Webster. 

But the jury at his Leeds Crown Court trial heard that after the shooting he left his home and went to a pub for the afternoon. 

Hutchinson was sentenced to life imprisonment. In a statement released at the time, his family said: 

“We are pleased with the verdict. To lose Sean under these circumstances has been absolutely devastating for the whole family. 

“The taking of a life so young, especially one who was the father of six, a fiancé, a son and a brother was totally unnecessary.” 

Hutchinson was serving his sentence at HMP Lancaster Farms when he fell ill in 2022. He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in the summer and transferred to the healthcare unit at HMP Preston in the autumn. 

In November 2022, the prison applied for Hutchinson’s early release on compassionate grounds, but the Public Protection Casework Section (PPCS) of HM Prison and Probation Service turned it down as they were not satisfied that Hutchinson no longer posed a risk to the public. 

Hutchinson died on December 22, aged 73. At an inquest held on September 22, 2023, the coroner concluded that he died from natural causes.

Read more:

• Police seek wanted Harrogate man
• Police seek man after public order offence at Ripon Cathedral
• Police begin clampdown on uninsured drivers in North Yorkshire

Cycling campaigners have described North Yorkshire Council’s scaled-back plans for Harrogate’s station gateway as a “huge disappointment”. 

The plans originally envisioned a radical transformation of the town centre’s main thoroughfare, with traffic on Station Parade reduced to one lane to allow for cycle lanes, as well as the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and a cycle-friendly Dutch-style roundabout at the junction of Station Bridge and East Parade. 

But a legal challenge by Hornbeam Park Developments put a stop to the scheme, and those elements have now been dropped. 

The revised scheme may now only include a redeveloped One Arch and Station Square, better traffic signals, a bus lane on lower Station Parade, new paving for pedestrians and cycling parking at Harrogate railway station. 

Several of the scheme’s major elements have been scrapped.

In a statement, Harrogate District Cycle Action (HDCA) said: 

“From a cycling point of view, most of the worthwhile elements have been stripped out of the scheme. 

“If cycle parking had been proposed on its own, we would have supported it. If cycle parking is all that’s left of what was an ambitious scheme which would also have enabled people to reach the station by bike in safety and comfort, it will inevitably be a huge disappointment.” 

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire – the others are in Skipton and Selby – that are being developed with £42 million from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). 

The TCF is a £2.45 billion capital grant fund aimed at driving up productivity through investments in public and sustainable transport infrastructure in England. 

HDCA was also critical of some of the elements of the scheme which will remain, such as the coordination of traffic lights, which it said would only benefit motorists. 

It said: 

“Driving is, by definition, unsustainable transport, and in our view TCF money should not be spent on this. 

“Five sets of lights are coordinated along West Park/Parliament Street. What is the effect for pedestrians? Extremely long wait times.  

“To see the long wait times at the prestige town centre location outside Bettys is shameful. We can expect the same thing on Station Parade.” 

The proposal for a Dutch-style roundabout at the junction of Station Bridge and East Parade has been scrapped.

HDCA member Malcolm Margolis, who was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2019 for services to cycling in Harrogate, said the gutting of the station gateway scheme meant it now fell far short of its original aims. 

He said: 

“The main way that Station Gateway could have made Harrogate a better place to live was by reducing the dominance of motor vehicles – and the noise, danger and pollution that they cause – in the town centre, by reducing Station Parade to one lane. 

“It seems that is now not going to happen, so TCF will not have a transformative effect on Harrogate, whatever the final details. 

“The most disappointing aspect of all is that it is proposed to spend sustainable transport funding to prioritise cars.” 

The council must now undertake more public consultation, publish updated Traffic Regulation Orders and submit a new business case to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which won the initial funding. It expects this process to take another five months. 

If the business case is approved next summer, work on the scheme could begin by autumn 2024, but that will not leave much time for its construction. 

The Department for Transport has previously insisted that all projects must be built before March 2025.

Read more:

• Work hub removed from Harrogate rail station
• Councillors push ahead with scaled-back £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Tory transport chief urges Lib Dems to back scaled-back Harrogate Station Gateway