Do these two things to save lives, urges Harrogate teenage cancer patient

A Harrogate schoolboy receiving treatment for leukaemia is urging people to do two things that could save the lives of people like him. 

Harry Brown, 17, says that donating blood and signing up to the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register could make the difference between life and death for hundreds of patients, and is calling on anyone eligible to volunteer.  

Harry, a sixth former at St Aidan’s CE High School, was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in July this year, and has been receiving intense chemotherapy and immunotherapy at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

He told the Stray Ferret: 

“Unfortunately, I still have some disease left, so will need a stem cell transplant to achieve a cure. This is providing we manage to find a suitable donor.  

“I therefore feel it is incredibly important that the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register is promoted to as wide an audience as possible as signing up is something very simple that anyone aged 16 to 30 can do but might just save the life of someone with blood cancer like me.  

“I also feel that the issue of blood donation requires increased awareness and promotion as I have received countless life-saving platelet and blood transfusions, which can only happen if people donate. 

“My message is that you can do something extraordinary – you can save a life by doing two simple things which can make such a huge difference to people like me.” 

Photo of Harrogate sixth-former Harry Brown, who is urging people to give blood and join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.

Harry in the atrium of the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

In the UK, there is a long-standing shortage of blood donors. According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 140,000 new donors are needed each year just to meet demand. 

But the rewards are incalculable – in just one hour, a blood donor can save three lives. 

Nine out of 10 people joining the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register who donate their stem cells do so through their blood within just a few hours; the other 10% donate by giving bone marrow. 

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Before his diagnosis, Harry played the tuba with Tewit Youth Band and volunteered as a Young Leader with 16th Harrogate Scouts, as well as studying for A levels in English language and literature, geography and politics. But he is now taking a break from school while he concentrates on dealing with leukaemia, with the support of his family, friends, and St Aidan’s.

He says that illnesses such as ALL are not just “something that happens to other people”. He said: 

“I just felt a bit sick and off-colour, but within a week I’d been diagnosed with ALL. 

“Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone when you least expect it. I went from climbing up volcanoes on a school trip to Iceland one week to having an emergency procedure to remove my white blood cells the next. 

“Having a cancer diagnosis when you’re young is hard; it tips your life upside-down, and there’s no getting away from that. There were some days where I wondered whether I would have the energy to make it through the day, particularly when I was on daily chemotherapy. But it was people like my clinical nurse specialist and the youth support coordinator who picked me up and motivated me to keep fighting it, one cell at a time.  

“It also puts a whole new perspective on life and what is important, and it makes me more determined to see a future where nobody, especially children, has to experience the gruelling treatment of cancer.” 

To find out more about giving blood, visit the NHS Give Blood website, and for more information about how to donate stem cells, go to the Anthony Nolan website. 

Business Breakfast: Family business event to feature spa hotel and chocolate-maker

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

The Institute of Directors and the Family Business Community have teamed up to hold an event around the theme of “the art of decision-making”.

Sponsored by Harrogate firm LCF Law, the evening event will feature speakers from two North Yorkshire family businesses: Rudding Park, in Harrogate, and Skipton-based Whitakers Chocolates.

Rudding Park director Matthew Mackaness will share insights into his family’s 50 years of ownership of the estate and some of the decisions that had to be made to sustain the growth and ambition of the business.

Rudding Park now has 90 bedrooms and suites, a spa, two restaurants, two golf courses, a private cinema, and conference and events space set in 300 acres of grounds. Earlier this year, it revealed plans to create Yorkshire’s first ever five-star country club at a cost of “between £30 million and £40 million”.

The Whitaker family has been in the chocolate business for over 135 years; they started with a small greengrocer’s shop and now have a factory making over 10 million chocolates per week.

In recent years, managing director William Whitaker had a key decision to make. At this event, he will play back his scenario to a team of business owners and gain their perspectives before revealing the decision he actually made.

‘When you run a family business don’t be afraid to make decisions’ will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday, November 16 at Rudding Park.

Tickets cost £25 and include drinks and canapés throughout the evening. Booking fees apply.

Roosters celebrates anniversary with new supermarket listing

Harrogate‘s Rooster’s Brewing Co is celebrating a decade of selling its flagship IPA with a new supermarket listing.

From today, Waitrose will stock 440ml cans of the international award-winning Baby-Faced Assassin, which is already available at Asda and Morrisons.

Baby-Faced Assassin was first brewed as a hobby homebrew recipe by Rooster’s commercial director, Tom Fozard, in 2011 while he was working at a local specialist beer shop in Leeds, and the 6.1% ABV brew gained some notoriety among fellow enthusiasts due to its strength. Later that year, Tom, alongside twin brother Oliver, now Rooster’s head brewer, joined Rooster’s as part of an eventual change of ownership spearheaded by their father, Ian.

The first commercial, cask-only batch of Baby-Faced Assassin was released in November 2013 and eventually added to Rooster’s core range in 2014. It went on to pick up awards at the International Brewing Awards in 2015, 2017 and 2021.

Tom Fozard said:

“Having first created Baby-Faced Assassin as a homebrew recipe back in 2011, I never could have imagined the success the beer would go on to enjoy in the years since. As a small, family-owned, independent brewery, we’re delighted to mark its 10th year of being a Rooster’s beer with the news of its continued success.”

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MP rejects company’s offer of Knaresborough asphalt plant discussions

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has turned down an invitation to meet the company behind plans to build an asphalt plant near Knaresborough and discuss his concerns about the proposals. 

Tynedale Roadstone wants to create the facility next door to the controversial incinerator at Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP), but Mr Jones recently said the company had not done enough to allay worries about pollution, traffic movements, and the potential for ground water contamination. 

He also flagged concerns regarding the plant’s long operating hours and said that it would represent “industrial creep” – the gradual expansion of industry at a formerly rural site. 

Extending the invitation to Mr Jones, Lichfields, which is acting as planning consultant to Tynedale Roadstone, said the site was an appropriate location for the plant in part due to its proximity to the A1(M) and because it would deliver “sustainability advantages” by reusing one of the AWRP’s by-products.

In a statement, a spokesperson from parent company MGL Group said: 

“We are aware of some concerns regarding pollution, traffic movements, operational hours, dust, odour and noise.” 

They added: 

“The installation of the proposed asphalt plant at Allerton Park will be a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility that will meet stringent environmental, noise and emission criteria in the asphalt production process.

“Modern asphalt plants have extensive process filtration systems used with clean fuels to constantly maintain and monitor all the emissions from the production processes and ensure that they are kept within the correct protocol.” 

But Mr Jones replied to MGL, saying he was “not sure a meeting is necessary”. He told the Stray Ferret: 

“I share residents’ concerns about this proposal. Legally, councillors and planning officers have to consider the planning application that has been submitted. So, a private meeting between the applicants and me when a planning application is already live cannot change what is before us. And I believe what is before us is wrong.   

“The time to meet with me and local residents asking for our advice and views was before the application was submitted. That would have demonstrated a genuine interest in what we had to say. 

“So my preference would be for the application to be withdrawn and the applicant to hold face-to-face meetings with residents about their plans. My team and I will be happy to join those meetings. This would allow residents to have real input in a genuine consultation rather than the ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ approach which is where we seem to be now.”

The MGL spokesperson said the technical material supporting the planning application concluded there would be no significant environmental effects as a result of traffic movements, dust, odour, and noise, “subject to best practice measures being employed at the site”.

They added:

“Both we and Lichfields continue to work with North Yorkshire Council and are committed to alleviating concerns and addressing any comments made on the application.”

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Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Readers’ photos feature in new charity calendar

The votes have been cast, the totals tallied, and we can now reveal whose photos will feature each month in our first ever Stray Ferret Charity Calendar. 

Every Sunday, we publish a Photo of the Week taken by a reader, and the subject matter is as varied as the life and landscapes found in our district: furry and feathered friends, fields and fells, ferris wheels and fireworks. 

Back in August, we invited you to vote for the best images from last year’s Photos of the Week, and hundreds of you chose your favourite pictures. 

The 12 winners will each feature on a different month in our 2024 calendar, which we are selling to raise funds for Dementia Forward, our chosen charity this Christmas. 

Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate has generously offered to cover the printing costs, which means the money raised by calendar sales will help to support people living with dementia and their families across North Yorkshire. 

James White, Centre Manager of Victoria Shopping Centre, said: 

“We are thrilled to be supporting such an important cause this Christmas, funding the printing of the calendars so that 100% of the profits can go to Dementia Forward. 

“Giving back to the community is of extreme importance to us at Victoria Shopping Centre, so we feel proud to partner with such a worthy charity.” 

The Stray Ferret’s Christmas charity campaign this year aims to raise £30,000 for Dementia Forward, a local charity dedicated to supporting people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. The money will be used to buy a new minibus, so that Dementia Forward can continue offering client’s lifts, trips and excursions around the region.

Emma Harris, commercial manager at the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret was founded as a local news organisation serving the community, so we’re very pleased to be raising funds for a local charity that serves the same community.

“Most of us know someone affected by dementia, and those who do also know how devastating it can be. Dementia Forward does so much to bring positivity into people’s lives at a time when they need it most.

“But this charity calendar also serves another purpose. We receive so many fantastic submissions for Photo of the Week over the year, and it always seems a shame that the ones we feature only get one outing. So it’s wonderful that we’ll be able to see some of the very best images again throughout the coming year in the 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar.

Congratulations – and thank you – to all our winners!”

The winning photographers are: 

The 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar in aid of Dementia Forward is now available to order online for delivery. Click or tap here to pre-order your copy now. 

The calendar will also be available for collection at the Victoria Shopping Centre on select dates to be announced in December.

Yorkshire company offers hyperfast broadband at ultra-low price

This story is sponsored by OctaPlus.

A Yorkshire company says it can provide hyperfast broadband at a lower price than any available via the well-known price comparison websites. 

OctaPlus is offering a huge speed of 900Mbps – download and upload – for just £1 for the first three months and £27 a month thereafter, beating its competitors on both speed and price by a considerable margin for those who have the install completed before December 31, 2023.

The deal, which comes with no upfront costs, is available only on two- or three-year contracts, but the price for a one-year contract is just £32 per month, which is still cheaper than the company’s rivals. 

Gladstone Gonsalves, who founded Hull-based OctaPlus after partnering with award-winning broadband business CityFibre, said: 

“Other companies simply cannot beat us on value for money. Energy bills, mortgages, groceries – they’ve all gone crazy – but we’re here to lower your costs and help you move over to fibre.” 

He added: 

“All the old copper-wire connections are going to be decommissioned – the government intends to replace them all by 2030 – and all too often they only give you 5-10Mb of the 60-70Mbps promised by the provider anyway. 

“With full fibre, you get higher speeds for a lower price – so what’s stopping you from moving?” 

Hyperfast broadband is commonly considered to refer to connections exceeding 500Mbps – far faster than superfast (30 to 300Mbps) or ultrafast (300 to 500Mbps) – and enables users to download movies in seconds. 

But, says Gladstone, hyperfast broadband is merely a taste of greater things to come: 

“Full-fibre broadband is totally scalable. We can provide 900Mbps today, but our partner, CityFibre, have already tested their network and proved it’s ready for 2,500Mbps – that’s an upto 2.5 Gigabytes service. In the near future, even faster speeds will be available as they develop their multi-gig portfolio.  

“By moving over to full fibre now, you’ll supercharge your connection – with higher speeds, a lower price, and you’ll be ready for the next generation of gigabyte broadband that’s just around the corner. It’s a no-brainer.” 

OctaPlus broadband is available across the Harrogate district. To find out if you can supercharge your connection, visit the OctaPlus website. 

Village near Knaresborough left in dark over fire-damaged pub’s future

Uncertainty surrounds the future of a Harrogate district village pub which suffered its second fire in three years over the summer. 

The Tiger Inn in Coneythorpe, north of Knaresborough, is believed not to have been renovated since the blaze and its tenants, Ian and Barbara Gill, are understood to have left the property permanently.

The pub’s phone number directs customers to its website, which features a pop-up box stating: “Due to an extensive fire in our kitchens, we are not open at this time”. That redirects visitors to a Facebook link that no longer works. 

The property lies empty, but according to sources in the village, cleaners have been in and the pub is checked on periodically.

When the Stray Ferret visited this week to try to find out what was happening, one person, who asked not to be named, said:

“No-one in the village knows what’s going on. Nobody’s told us anything. It’s such a shame, because the pub’s the hub of the village and we miss it, especially coming up to Christmas.”

It is not known why the tenants have left. Barbara Gill is the sole director of MGG Developments Co Ltd, which trades as The Tiger Inn, and the company’s latest accounts filed on June 15, 2023, paint a picture of a business with a future.

It is referred to as a going concern “despite suffering a fire to the business premises during the previous year which caused extensive damage”. It continues: 

“This is fully subjected to an insurance claim which is not expected to have any long-term financial implications to the company.”

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Jon West, a Coneythorpe resident who sits on Arkendale, Coneythorpe and Clareton Parish Council, told the Stray Ferret: 

“The only fact I can share with you is that the Tiger Inn is shut and for an unknown period. All other information I have is hearsay or guesswork which is not mine to share.”

The Tiger Inn suffered its first fire in November 2020, just four months after reopening from the national covid lockdown. The blaze started in the kitchen and lasted for six hours, causing widespread damage.

It reopened after renovation and refurbishment in October 2021, and the Gills marked the occasion by presenting a cheque for £5,000 to the Fire Fighters Charity in thanks for the efforts of the fire crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Acomb who put out the blaze.

But less than a year later, firefighters were again called to the pub, after an overheating ice machine caused a second devastating fire.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate shoe firm celebrates 30 years

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

Daniel Footwear, a Harrogate-based independent footwear business that was the first in the world to sell Jimmy Choo shoes, is celebrating 30 years’ trading this month. 

The company was founded in Leeds by Daniel Buck, and now employs about 50 people at eight shops across the North and in north London, including in its flagship store on Parliament Street in Harrogate. 

Mr Buck said: 

“In 1993, the Daniel brand was born, with the distinctive Daniel logo adorning the footbed of every pair of shoes. By 1995, sitting alongside the Daniel brand were the likes of Gucci and Prada, and we became the first supplier of Jimmy Choo worldwide. 

“Over the past three remarkable decades filled with ups and downs, I have had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional European suppliers and travelling the world to source the finest fashion offerings. 

“I am fortunate to work alongside the most exceptional individuals within our company, all working together to make the next 30 years just as fantastic as the last.” 

To commemorate its 30th anniversary, Daniel Footwear is offering discounts of up to 30% throughout November in all its stores.

In addition to the Harrogate shop, Daniel has branches in Leeds, Beverly near Hull, Alderley Edge in Cheshire, and four in north London, in Mill Hill, Muswell Hill, Stanmore and Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Local hotels part of Which? recommended group

The Inn Collection Group, which owns and runs the Harrogate Inn, the Ripon Inn and the Knaresborough Inn, has made it onto a list of the UK’s best hotel chains.

The pubs-with-rooms operator is now rated as a Recommended provider by Which?, following a survey of 5,000 people who rated their experiences at 37 hotel chains across the UK.

Revealing its list of the best and worst hotel chains of 2023, Which? said The Inn Collection Group offered inns that were “cheaper, better and with more character” than other leading operators, citing warm welcomes, posh pub grub and a decent beer selection as key features.

The Newcastle-based group was placed third in the small operator listings, with a customer score of 78%, which combines overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend. The highest-rated operator earned an 80% mark.

Kate Bentley, rooms director at The Inn Collection Group said:

“When you look at the scores across the areas measured by the survey, ours are in line or better than the benchmarks set by some of the biggest operators in our industry, so it is a massive endorsement of the hard work our site teams are putting into looking after our guests.”

The Inn Collection Group has 32 sites across the north, 26 of them trading and six undergoing refurbishment.

The group bought the historic Hotel St George, opposite the Royal Hall, in Harrogate in February 2022 and reopened it as the Harrogate Inn this summer. It bought the 15th-century Dower House in Knaresborough in December 2021 and reopened it as the Knaresborough Inn in September; and it bought the Spa Hotel in Ripon in June 2021 and reopened it as the Ripon Inn two weeks ago.

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Angel on a tractor delivers meals on wheels in Harrogate

A local charity that provides meals and care to older people has rebranded its core service, with a dose of heavenly inspiration. 

Harrogate Neighbours provides older people with a daily hot meal, preventing social isolation and enabling them to stay in their own homes where possible. 

To mark National Meals on Wheels Week (October 30 to November 3), the service is now known as ‘Harrogate Neighbours Meals on Wheels Delivered by Angels‘. It is run by 50 volunteers known as ‘angels’, who deliver over 150 meals every day. 

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said: 

“Last year, we delivered meals by horse and carriage and the service-users loved it. 

“We wanted to do something a little bit different this year, so we decided to deliver the meals on a vintage 1950s tractor by an angel, which evoked lovely memories for our clients.” 

Demand for the service is growing, and the charity is calling for more volunteers to deliver even more meals. 

New ‘angel’ Zac Evans said: 

“It’s not about finding time – it’s making time to support the local community. Dressing up as an angel and delivering the meals by tractor was an amazing experience and something I certainly won’t forget! 

“Being a volunteer and making the time makes a real difference to the service-users we get the chance to meet and have a chat with.” 

Photo of Zac Evans, a volunteer for charity Harrogate Neighbours, delivering meals on wheels from a vintage 1950s tractor.

‘Angel’ Zac Evans making a delivery.

Now in its 11th year, Harrogate Neighbours relies on support from local authorities, businesses and the wider community, and Sue said more government funding was needed to support older and vulnerable people, who without the volunteers who run the service would not receive a nutritionally balanced, hot daily meal. She said:

“The future of meals on wheels looks bleak unless the government can do more to support this much-needed service. 

“We are supporting an ageing population, and the service is a lifeline for older and vulnerable people living in our community. We are calling for the government to ensure funding is available to local councils to safeguard the service now and in the future.” 

In addition to the domiciliary care and hot meal service it provides, the charity also operates two sites: Heath Lodge Community Haven, a residential care home, and The Cuttings, an extra care housing scheme. 

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Business Breakfast: ‘Invest in a garden shed where you can blow things up’, says Dragon

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, November 30. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories.

Former Dragons’ Den star Piers Linney was the keynote speaker at the York & North Yorkshire Business Summit on Friday.

He told more than 200 attendees they needed to be audacious in embracing technology as part of devolution and argued that new technology such as artificial intelligence offered the chance to level up the workforce, making background and disabilities irrelevant. He said:

“Take some of the £750 million (devolution funding) and invest in a garden shed where you can blow things up. Play with the technology, see how it can augment all of us, play with education and then connect the talent to the technology. Invest in cutting edge and bleeding edge technology.

“Superpower and empower the people in your region.”

The summit was organised by York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Linney headed a roster of 13 regional business speakers at the event, which was held at the Radisson York Hotel and hosted by YNY LEP chair Helen Simpson. They shared their business vision for the region, ahead of devolution and an expected mayoral election in spring next year.

James Farrar, interim director of transition for the proposed York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, backed the call for businesses and innovators to be bold. He said:

“We need to crack on with devolution and make sure the process gets through parliament as soon as possible.

“We are not Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds. We must be York and North Yorkshire and we must recognise our assets. We must be bold and clear about where we see our competitive advantages. No sector can rest on its laurels.

“Let us know what infrastructure and support you need in place to invest and grow. Our job as a combined authority will be to put that in place – yours is to invest and grow.”

Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative MP for Malton and Thirsk, addressed the summit by video and told delegates that devolution was a great opportunity for the region. He said:

“First and foremost it must be about economic development. That drives everything else. It’s right that we try to make York and North Yorkshire the best place in the UK to do business.”

Menopause Matters event

A day-long event this month will feature expert speakers tackling various aspects of the menopause.

Menopause Matters: What You Need to Know, In and Outside the Workplace will be presented by Wetherby-based Hartlaw LLP in collaboration with the Harrogate & District Law Society.

The event, which will take place on Friday, November 17 at Bowcliffe Hall near Wetherby, is intended to “shed light on the implications, challenges, and nuances surrounding menopause, both within professional settings and in personal lives”.

The speakers include: Dr Laura Reid, a GP and menopause specialist; Sally Leech, training director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace; Vicky Richardson MSc PGDip PGCE BA, a core nutritional therapist; Emma Tailby, a highly specialist women’s health physiotherapist and founder/owner of Emma Claire Physiotherapy; and Claire Morley-Jones, managing director of HR180.

Tickets cost £85 per person and include refreshments and lunch, as well as a goodie bag to take away. The proceeds will go to Daisy Network, the charity for women with POI (premature ovarian insufficiency, commonly referred to as early menopause) and Harrogate & District Law Society.

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Harrogate volunteer becomes Wensleydale Railway’s first female train driver

A Harrogate woman who has volunteered at Wensleydale Railway for eight years has become its first ever female train driver. 

Sue Threadgold first trained as a crossing keeper and then as a train guard.

She started her driver training last year and is now qualified to drive the railway’s class 142 and class 143 diesel multiple unit passenger trains, commonly known as Pacer trains. 

She said: 

“My goal when I joined was to become a train driver, so I am really happy to have fulfilled my ambition and I thank everyone at the railway who has helped me achieve this!” 

Photo of Harrogate woman Sue Threadgold, Wensleydale Railway's first female train driver, at the controls of a diesel Pacer train.

Sue at the controls of a diesel Pacer train.

The 22-mile-long Wensleydale Railway is a volunteer-led enterprise running heritage diesel services for 22 miles between Scruton and Leyburn via Leeming Bar, Bedale and Finghall Lane. It is also working to extend services from Leyburn to Redmire. 

The railway also holds seasonal events, such as Haunted Rail this Halloween on Saturday, October 28 and the special Bonfire Express service from Leyburn to Bedale for the Bedale Bonfire and Fireworks Display on Saturday, November 4. 

Sue added: 

“I would encourage more people to get involved in their local heritage railway. There are a wide variety of volunteer roles available, to suit all interests and abilities. It’s really rewarding to be part of a great team, helping to keep our history and heritage alive for the public to enjoy!” 

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