John Grainger, Author at The Stray Ferret

Career change is a dream come true, says Stitch in Time’s Gail

This story is sponsored by Gail’s Stitch In Time.

A Harrogate grandmother who swapped her office desk for a sewing machine says changing her career has fulfilled a long-held dream.

Gail Byrne was head of HR for a local car dealership, but had been sewing as a hobby for decades. During the Covid lockdowns she started taking on small jobs, and then last year she finally launched her own business, Gail’s Stitch in Time.

Working from home, she does “anything a sewing machine can do”, making dresses, cushions, curtains, and even Roman blinds, doing alterations, and using all kinds of material, from lace to leather.

She said:

“I just wanted a change – I didn’t want to be firing people anymore! My mum died when she was 60, and I’m now 55; I thought if I carried on in my old job I might just never to do what I really want to do.

“I’ve been sewing as a hobby for 30 years, but I never thought I was good enough to do it as a job. But I started Stitch in Time last November and have never looked back. I’ve never been happier, both mentally and physically.”

Photo of Gail Byrne, who quit her job in HR to set up her own business, Gail's Stitch In Time, from home.

Gail has converted her dining room into a workroom, complete with changing room for fittings.

Gail has completely dedicated her dining room to the business, and has even turned a walk-in cupboard into a very “glitzy and bridal” changing room for clients when they come round for fittings. Recent jobs have included a hanging rail for a Campervan and a fabulous prom dress for her granddaughter. But she says she doesn’t have a favourite kind of job. She said:

“The best bit is getting an email from a client saying that what I’ve made fits perfectly, or that it’s exactly what they wanted. There’s no feeling like it.”

Since striking out on her own, Glasgow-born Gail has been busy backing up her experience with a sewing course which she passed with a distinction last year. Since then, she has been doing jobs for clients of all kinds, who are attracted by the quality of her work, competitive rates, and her friendly, local service. But she says she’s not in it for the money.

She said:

“Once I’m working, I forget what time it is. My husband even has to phone me from work to remind me to eat something for lunch!

“There’s less stress and pressure, and I love to make people happy. Just seeing the smile on their face when they see what I’ve made makes it all worthwhile.”

Find out more:

If you have clothes that need altering, or would like something made to fit you perfectly, check out Gail’s website at www.gailstitch.com, email her at info@gailstitch.com, or call her to discuss your requirements on 07742 429281.

Harrogate town centre shop to close due to low footfall

A Harrogate shop is to close down after two-and-a-half years in business, citing tough trading conditions.

Foxy Vintage & Interiors, which is on the corner of Commercial Street and Cheltenham Mount, opened in 2020 selling vintage furniture and retro collectables. It quickly made a mark for itself, winning the Harrogate At Christmas shop window competition in 2021.

But covid and the soaring cost of living have combined to starve the town centre of much of the trade it used to enjoy.

Photo of the exterior of Foxy Vintage & Interiors in Harrogate, with 'Closing Down Sale' signs in the window.

The shop is offering up to 50% off everything until stock is sold.

Owner Alex Clarke told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s mainly down to the economy. We just haven’t been seeing the footfall – even since before Christmas. It’s really sad to go. We’ve got a lot of lovely customers who love coming in. It’s a real shame for them, because there aren’t that many small independent shops doing what we do.

“We haven’t gone bust – we could have gone on trading. But you just don’t know what next year’s going to bring.”

The shop will remain open while the stock is sold, with discounts of 50% on all vintage items and up to 50% on the rest. Ms Clarke said she hoped to be able to sell everything by the end of the month.

She added:

“One thing that’s really important to stress is that people need to support their local indies as much as they can. They don’t have to spend much – every little bit helps.”

Three generations to scale two peaks in memory of Harrogate mum

Three generations of the same family have pledged to climb two mountains back-to-back to raise money for research into multiple sclerosis.

Clare Ellison, her dad Michael, 72, and daughter Jessica, 11, will be tackling the epic hike up Whernside and Ingleborough in memory of Clare’s mum, Julia, who lived with the disease for nearly 40 years before her death last year.

Julia was a Harrogate resident and an active member of the Harrogate branch of The Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Clare said:

“It was my daughter’s idea. I took her up her first mountain, Whernside, last week and when she saw some people climbing it for a charity she asked if we could do the same in memory of my mum. I thought it was a great idea, so we’re hoping to raise £300 for the MS Society, which mum was a very active member of.”

The father, daughter and granddaughter will set off on July 1 to trek 14 miles (22.5km) in total, climbing over 1,000 metres along the way. Whernside and Ingleborough are the two highest peaks in Yorkshire.

Clare, who revealed her family’s fundraising plan during MS Awareness Week (April 24-30), said:

“Multiple sclerosis is such a cruel disease. If you imagine your nerves to be like electrical wires, MS strips away the plastic coating, causing the nerves to short-circuit, producing spasms, or even die off altogether.

“Mum was diagnosed with it when she was about 35. She had to use a wheelchair for nearly 20 years, and eventually had to move into a nursing home for the last few years of her life, catheterised and unable to swallow.

“I think it’s really important to help stop people from experiencing what my mum had to experience. It’d be great if we could help fund research that eventually led to treatment to stop MS in its tracks. Any donation at all will make a difference to the lives of people affected by the disease.”

Readers can sponsor My MS Walk – Double Yorkshire Mountain Climb via its JustGiving page.

Ripon man returns Falklands War letter to Argentinian soldier

A handwritten letter found in the aftermath of the Falklands War 40 years ago has been reunited with the Argentinian soldier who wrote it, following the intervention of the Argentinian ambassador to the UK.

As previously reported by The Stray Ferret, the blue-coloured airmail letter – known in the armed forces as a “bluey” – was found around a year after the end of the Falklands War by Jim Phillips, who was posted to the Falkland Islands’ capital, Port Stanley, as a lance corporal in the Royal Engineers.

It had been written by an Argentinian soldier during the war but had never found its way to the intended recipient.

Jim said:

“The letter was actually posted in Port Stanley during the war, but it never got out because we’d bombed the runway.”

Jim, who now lives in Ripon, kept the letter but mislaid it during a house move. It came to light again just before Christmas 2022, and he immediately contacted the Argentinian Embassy in the hopes of reuniting the letter with its writer.

Jim, now 64, met the Argentinian Ambassador, Javier Figueroa, in March and handed him the letter over lunch at Grantley Hall, near Ripon.

Mr Figueroa, who has long taken a special interest in the Falkland Islands and last year said the war had been “a tragedy”, promised to do everything he could to ensure the letter got back to its rightful owner, named as a Corporal Balbuena, a conscript in Argentina’s 3rd Mechanised Infantry Regiment.

Composite image of two photos, one showing Corporal Danny Balbuena in military uniform standing on Sapper Hill in the Falkland Islands in 1982, the other showing Danny today, with his dog.

Then and now: Corporal Danny Balbuena on Sapper Hill in the Falkland Islands in 1982, and today in Buenos Aires with his dog. PHOTOS: Danny Balbuena.

And now, after a “postal delay” of 40 years, the letter has finally been returned to Mr Balbuena, who is now retired and lives in Buenos Aires. In a message last week, Mr Figueroa wrote:

“We hereby want to inform you that the original letter written by the Argentine soldier has reached its original hands in Argentina.

“This has been possible thanks to the honorable gesture of Jim Phillips, deployed in the area between January and June 1983 after the Malvinas conflict.

“At a time when many soldiers’ personal items are being auctioned and sold online, we want to publicly express our gratitude to Mr Phillips and, on behalf of Mr Balbuena, his happiness to be reacquainted with this part of his personal history.”

Jim has since regularly exchanged Whatsapp messages with Danny Balbuena, 60, and has even found out the identity of the letter’s intended recipient. He said:

“Danny was only 19 at the time, and he’d written the letter to his girlfriend. Sadly, she died a few years ago, so he’s absolutely over the moon to be reunited with the letter he wrote to her. It means a lot.”

Jim said he and Danny “are striking up a good friendship” and intend to carry on their correspondence. He added:

“I’d really like to thank the ambassador for all his work on this. He’s been so helpful in this matter, it’s been untrue. He’s really gone above and beyond.”

Photo of Corporal Danny Balbuena of Argentina's 3rd Mechanised Infantry Regiment on Sapper Hill, East Falkland, in 1982.

Radio operator Corporal Danny Balbuena (far left) of Argentina’s 3rd Mechanised Infantry Regiment, with comrades on Sapper Hill, East Falkland, in 1982.

The Falklands War was fought over 10 weeks in 1982 and began when the right-wing military government of Argentina sent a surprise invasion force which took possession of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia on April 2.

The UK, then led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a task force of ships, aircraft and soldiers to take the islands back. The armed conflict, which ended on June 14 with a British victory and the capture of more than 11,000 Argentine soldiers, claimed more than 900 lives, over 70% of them Argentinian.

Flaxby developer to push ahead with reduced eco-home plan

A developer campaigning for more self-build housing sites in the Harrogate district has vowed to re-submit an application to build low-carbon eco-homes at Flaxby.

Ben Holmes first applied in 2020 for planning permission to build nine homes around the edge of the site on the southern approach to the village, all with solar panels and air-source heat-pumps, and communal facilities in the middle.

But the government’s Planning Inspectorate turned down the application, saying the plans’ nuclear format did not conform to the village’s traditional linear pattern. It also cited a lack of housing density; it wanted more homes to the be built on the site.

Mr Holmes, who is originally from Birstwith, then applied to build 20 homes, but withdrew the application after conversations with residents who felt the density was too high. He also applied to create a nature reserve in an adjoining paddock, to be gifted to the village, but this too was refused by planners.

His latest application was for five homes following the line of the road, so as to fit in with the village’s linear format, but that too has been rejected by a planning inspector, who had concerns about the effects on the landscape and the future residents’ over-reliance on cars to get to amenities.

Mr Holmes now plans to submit an application for just two large, self-build homes, and to gift the remainder of the site to the village as a nature reserve or playground, or for any use the villagers feel they need. He said:

“It’s just incredible that the council should put so many barriers in the way of high-quality, low-carbon homes like these.

“We should be encouraging people to design and build their own homes – that’s what they do on the continent. Instead, we rely on the Big 5 housebuilders to provide our houses, as cheaply as possible.”

All the homes Mr Holmes has applied to build would conform to Passivhaus standards.

Pioneered in Germany, Passivhaus homes are built to be extremely energy-efficient, with heating and lighting costs typically under £100 a year. Build costs tend to be 10-20% more than for conventional homes, but that initial outlay is recouped within a few years of construction through savings on energy bills.

A photo of the site where developer Ben Holmes wants to build eco-homes at Flaxby.

The latest application will be for just two large homes at the Flaxby site.

Despite Mr Holmes’ repeated efforts to gain permission to develop the site, none of his applications were assessed by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee because they were rejected by planning staff. He said:

“What we really need is to get this scheme in front of the planning committee. They’re elected and can better represent people’s views.

“I’ve been badgering the council’s planning department for years to get it before the planning committee, but I think they’re afraid it will go through and open the floodgates to loads more applications on the edges of settlements. That’s not part of their Local Plan, and they wouldn’t have control over these developments.

“Hopefully, the new [North Yorkshire] council will be more amenable and more supportive of this kind of development. It’s very much needed.”

Ripon Sailing Club to hold free taster sessions tomorrow

Families looking for something new to do over the bank holiday weekend are being invited to try out sailing, free of charge.

Ripon Sailing Club is giving novices their first taste of life on the water – and providing old hands with an opportunity to get back on board – as part of the Royal Yachting Association’s Discover Sailing programme.

All newcomers will go afloat with an experienced helm who will be able to answer any questions.

Richard Pryke, Ripon Sailing Club commodore, said:

“We’re inviting the local community to come down to have a go at sailing, see what the club has to offer and get involved. Who knows, you might just love it!”

The open day, from 10am to 4pm tomorrow (Saturday, April 29), will be held at Ripon Sailing Club’s base near Farnham, Knaresborough. The event will include trial sails, radio-controlled yacht demonstrations, Royal Yachting Association training courses for club members, York University team racing, and lots of information about membership benefits.

Would-be sailors are asked to bring soft-soled shoes, a change of clothes including a fleece and showerproof jacket, and a towel.

Photo of a man and boy sailing in a dinghy.

The Discover Sailing open day is meant both for newcomers and for people coming back to sailing after a break.

Discover Sailing is a Royal Yachting Association initiative first held in March 2011. The 2023 event will see clubs and centres across the UK holding open days and inviting people to come and have a go at sailing and windsurfing.

For full details about Ripon Sailing Club, visit www.ripon-sc.org.uk or follow the club on Facebook.

For more information and to book a visit, contact Helen Voisey at membership@ripon-sc.org.uk.

English Civil War soldiers’ mass graves ‘revealed’ by drone technology

The final resting place of thousands of Royalist soldiers killed in the English Civil War may have been revealed using new drone technology.

Amateur archaeologist Tony Hunt found the mass graves at White Sike Close, near the A59 between Harrogate and York, using drones equipped with infrared and thermal imaging cameras.

He said:

“The great thing about this site is that we know exactly where the bodies are supposed to be – the pits are very well attested by historical accounts – and we know that there has been no development here, only agriculture, since the battle. When we do a wider survey, the surrounding area looks very homogeneous – these are the only anomalies.

“So we have the right size, the right location, written records and even different growth patterns in vegetation growing here. I’m as sure as I can be that these are the burial pits for the Royalist dead.”

The soldiers were killed making a last stand at the Battle of Marston Moor, which was fought on July 2, 1644. The battle was the largest of the English Civil War, and the Parliamentarians’ victory effectively ended Royalist influence in the North of England. King Charles I was beheaded less than five years later.

Satellite map with battle lines overlaid showing the disposition of forces at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

Estimates of casualties vary, but it is believed that at least 300 Parliamentarians and 4,000 Royalists were killed at the battle.

The battlefield site, which is registered on the National Heritage List for England, lies within the boundaries of the Harrogate district.

Chris Rock, Yorkshire regional chair of the Battlefields Trust, said:

“The Battlefields Trust is always interested in any possible evidence of the conflict sites in the country. Despite being a registered battle site with Historic England, this does not automatically give it protected status, and is thus open to illegal activity.

“Only by working closely with those who used the land or are landowners can we hope to protect and preserve any possible battle proof. We look forward to any future excavation work if allowed and will always work in partnership with those who have the same aims of preserving our history.”

But Mr Hunt says he doesn’t want to investigate further. He said:

“Just knowing they’re there is enough for me. I can’t see any benefit in opening up the poor lads’ graves.”

Detail of a 19th-century map, showing the location of White Sike Close, where Royalist soldiers are believed to have made a last stand – and been buried.

The English Civil Wars were fought between 1642 and 1652 and pitted King Charles I and his Royalists against the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell, who generally believed in the primacy of Parliament over the monarch. It resulted in the execution of the king and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England.

Mr Hunt has a degree in archaeological sciences from Bradford University and is currently managing director of DJ Assembly, a York-based micro-electronics company. He also runs Yorkshire Aerial Archaeological Mapping, whose thermal and infrared imaging technology revealed the burial pits.

He has previously used his drone technology to locate many other sites of historic interest. Last summer, he found a missing section of Roman road, and early this year he discovered a suspected prehistoric henge under the village of Kirk Hammerton.

Harrogate’s property market to weather global challenges, says development professional

This story is sponsored by Linley & Simpson.

Harrogate’s property market will remain healthy despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the wider economy, according to a Harrogate property professional with over 20 years’ experience.

Jonathan Foggitt, who is Senior Land & Development Manager at Yorkshire estate agent Linley & Simpson, said prices across the district would stay buoyant despite a complex web of factors.

He told The Stray Ferret:

“One of the biggest problems in Harrogate is the lack of land supply. The council needs to build a certain number houses per year to meet their obligations, but the development opportunities are simply not coming forward fast enough.”

He said this was due to various factors, some of which were influenced by global forces:

“These are interesting times – it’s quite unusual to have so many factors affecting the market all at once. The cost-of-living crisis has affected affordability and the war in Ukraine has impacted costs. Political turmoil at home generally affects investment into the UK negatively too.

“Brexit and Covid have also had a huge effect. Brexit caused delays at the ports, which has affected lead times, and Covid saw factories shut down – many are still not working at full capacity – so there are shortages in the supply chain.

“Physical costs of materials have soared over recent times – timber’s gone up by 40% – and lead times for steel orders have tripled, although we have seen a cost stabilisation more recently.

“It’s a simple example of supply and demand, and as consequence, not enough houses are being built, so prices remain robust.”

Jonathan has spent over two decades in the property industry, mainly self-employed, and took over Linley & Simpson’s Land & Development department in October. His team can help developers through both the initial stages of a project and the post-construction phase, including marketing.

He added that opportunities for developers could open up too, as those lacking liquidity exit the market. The transfer of housing and planning powers from the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council to the new North Yorkshire Council (NYC) may present opportunities.

He said:

“I think there’ll be a review of the remaining allocations by NYC, and there could even be another call for new development sites.

“Any such process will have to happen for all seven of the former local council areas, so it will be fascinating to watch. It could create all sorts of opportunities for developers – and ultimately for housebuyers too.”

Linley & Simpson was founded in Leeds in 1997 and has 19 branches in towns and cities across Yorkshire, including Harrogate, Ripon, Wetherby and York.

Find out more:

Jonathan and his team understand the challenges involved at every stage of the development process. To find out how they can help you with your next project, call them on 01423 540054.

Ghost hunts to investigate Harrogate’s haunted sites

A freelance entertainer is hoping to explore some of Harrogate’s most haunted places when he launches a series of ghost hunts this month.

Paul Forster is a mind-reader, magician and tour guide and has already led almost 2,000 paying visitors around Harrogate’s haunted hotspots – or rather, cold spots – over the past 18 months during his twice-monthly ghost walks.

He is now offering tickets for a ghost hunt at the historic Crown Hotel, and has been given exclusive access to some of its darker recesses.

He said:

“People always want to know what’s waiting for them behind the doors they’re not allowed to open, and now we can take them there.

“The Crown Hotel has some really interesting hauntings. Second World War RAF airmen have been sighted there, disembodied voices have been heard, and there has even been poltergeist activity in the cellar.

“This will be the first time the hotel has been investigated, so it will be fascinating to see what we turn up.”

The ghost hunt will take place between 9pm and 1am, with 30 guests splitting into small groups in the hopes of capturing evidence of unusual activity.

Paul will be working in conjunction with paranormal investigation firm Angelic Forces, using techniques including table-tipping and glass divining, as well as specialist equipment such as digital thermometers and thermal imaging cameras to measure temperature, humidity, and electromagnetic fields.

There are just six tickets left for the event on April 29, but Paul has already scheduled further events at the Crown Hotel on June 10 and at the Turkish Baths on June 16.

He said:

“I’d always sat on the fence when it came to paranormal activity, but then I went to the Turkish Baths to speak to members of staff who had seen some apparitions, and I saw my first ever ghost when I was there. I even heard her laugh. It changed my entire belief system.”

Paul – whose book, Haunted Harrogate, was published last year – now believes some apparitions may simply be an imprint, or “recording”, of one moment in someone’s life, rendered visible because energy has been left behind in objects, such as stone – a phenomenon described by the “Stone Tape Theory”.

He hopes the events will attract both die-hard ghost-hunters and curious sceptics, but says whatever happens, the events will be unlike anything else. He said:

“It’ll be interesting, different and exciting, and that’s just what Harrogate is. There are a lot of ‘stone tape’ ghosts in Harrogate. Because it’s a spa town, I think it may be something to do with the water flowing beneath us – it acts like a plug socket, giving them energy.

“We can’t guarantee we’ll see some ghosts on the night, but, having spent time in these places myself, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we did.”

Tickets for the Harrogate Ghost Hunt cost £49 and be booked online at www.harrogateghostwalk.com.

Unique ‘Brighouse Bugatti’ to feature at Newby Hall sports car show

Organisers are expecting a record turn-out next month for Sports Cars in the Park, the annual celebration of classic vehicles and super cars held each spring at Newby Hall.

A firm favourite in car enthusiasts’ calendar, the event was started by Yorkshire businessman Chris Crossley because he was fed up with all the good car events being held in the South.

The show, on Sunday, May 7, brings together exhibits from car clubs and individual car enthusiasts across the region, attracting more than 1,000 sports cars and 5,000 visitors. Cars attending must be a roadster, a sporty car, modified or unusual or fun in some way.

This year’s event is expected to bring together a wide range of prestigious car marques. Highlights will include the “Brighouse Bugatti”, the sole survivor of 10 cars made between 1922 and 1928 by Brighouse engineer Frederick William Bond.

There will also be a rare LaFerrari, a car so refined it was priced at $1.5 million when it was first released 10 years ago.

Visitors will also be able to spot a Ferrari Enzo and a Porsche Carrera GT, as well as a wide variety of sports cars including examples from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, McLaren, Lotus and TVR. The displays range from new BMW and Audi cars to classics like the Ford Cosworth and Minis. There will also be several hybrid and electric cars, and a range of trade stands.

Stuart Gill, commercial director at Newby Hall, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Sports Cars in the Park again this May. It’s great to see so many enthusiasts sharing their passion for their prized cars with visitors in our perfect setting.”

Newby Hall, which is located across the River Ure from Bishop Monkton, is one of the UK’s finest Adam houses and its 25 acres of gardens include an “enchanted” woodland walk and a miniature railway. Entry to Newby’s award-winning gardens, adventure playground, dolls house and teddy bear exhibitions is included in the admission price.

Sports Cars in the Park will be held on Sunday, May 7 from 10am to 4pm. Ticket cost £18 for adults and £15 for children (aged 4-15). A family ticket costs £56, but under-4s are admitted free of charge.

Find out more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Find out more:

Read more:

Read more: