John Grainger, Author at The Stray Ferret

Nine in 10 primary leavers get their first choice secondary school, council says

Almost 90 per cent of Year 6 pupils in the county have been awarded their first choice of secondary school, North Yorkshire County Council has revealed.

Since the deadline for applications at the end of October, families across the district have been waiting anxiously to find out whether their child will be able to move up to the school of their choice.

The long wait ended this morning when parents and carers were informed which school their children would have to attend in the autumn.

A total of 89.84 per cent secured their first preference, with 96.4 per cent of all families in the county who requested a school place receiving an offer from North Yorkshire County Council for one of their top three preferences of secondary school.

This year, 6,262 North Yorkshire pupils are transferring to secondary school.

The county council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said:

“Once again, so many of our families have gained the first preference from their choice of schools, which is great news.”

In North Yorkshire, parents can list up to five schools in order of preference on their common application form, but this year, some parents did not use all five options and others did not complete an application form at all.

This meant that the council, which must ensure each child is allocated a school place on national offer day, had to place some children in schools further way from their home.

However, disappointed parents can appeal, and the council said its admissions team would try to accommodate their wishes. Appeals for a place at a particular secondary school must be received by March 29; these will be assessed between April and June.

‘Shocking’ lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough raised in Parliament

A Liberal Democrat MP has raised concerns in Parliament about the “shocking” lack of NHS dentists in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans and the party’s health spokesperson, was taking part in a House of Commons debate yesterday on expanding the NHS workforce when she raised concerns about dentistry.

She said only half of children in North Yorkshire managed to see an NHS dentist last year, adding:

“In Harrogate if you are lucky enough to find an NHS dentist taking on any new patients you face a two-and-a-half year wait to see them. This is a shocking state of affairs.”

Ms Cooper called on a minister to visit the area to speak to patients and dentists to see the situation for themselves.

The issue has long been a cause for concern in Harrogate and Knaresborough. A Stray Ferret investigation carried out in March 2021 found that just two NHS dentists in the Harrogate district were accepting new patients – one in Knaresborough with a waiting time of two-and-a-half years, and one in Boroughbridge with a waiting time of three years.

Two years later, the NHS website currently lists just two practices in the district as accepting new patients, but only those under the age of 17 – one in Ripon and one in Boroughbridge. None are listed for Harrogate.

Tom Gordon, spokesperson and parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, said:

“Patients in Harrogate and Knaresborough are facing an access crisis. Only yesterday I spoke with a family who moved to the area more than 18 months ago, they have been unable to find an NHS dentist and are now paying for private care. This is all too common; families are faced with a bill for private treatment or unacceptable waits to be seen by an NHS dentist.

“As a former health services researcher, I know how important it is that we get to grips with the dental crisis, and the impact that poor dental outcomes have on wider health & well-being.

“I am grateful to the Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Copper for raising this in Parliament and putting more pressure on ministers to act to fix this access crisis.”

The Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, was approached for comment by the Stray Ferret, but no response has yet been received.

Obituary: Magician Bob McBratney 1955-2023

A magician who once claimed to be lobbying to have magic recognised as a sport in the next Olympic Games has died aged 67.

That episode – which turned out to be a very successful ruse to publicise a magic show in Knaresborough – was just one of many in Bob McBratney’s life, which was marked by kindness and humour.

Born in 1955, Robert McBratney had a varied career, training as a chef and working at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, and later becoming an antiques dealer. At one point he took up sailing, fitting out racing yachts, and as bosun’s mate on the schooner Sir Winston Churchill, he crewed in the Tall Ships Race to America in 1976, sailing the first leg to the Canary Islands, before joining Master Builder for the second leg to Bermuda.

Having conquered the sea, he then took to the air, learning to fly light aircraft and earning his private pilot’s licence. In the 1990s, he worked as general manager of Liverpool Festival Gardens and, of significance in his magical career, Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough, which was run by his brother Frank and, coincidentally, TV magician Paul Daniels.

When the firm was sold on, Bob, then aged 46, was introduced to magic by a friend, magician Brian Knowles (also known as Brian Le Slie). Bob knew nothing about magic then, and would often say – years later – that he still knew nothing and was just waiting to be found out.

It wasn’t true, though – Bob worked hard, learned the ropes and, performing as Bob’s Your Uncle, became a popular children’s entertainer across Yorkshire and beyond.

Early in his career, Bob joined the Harrogate Society of Magicians which, according to his good friend James Ward, transformed Bob’s life. Mr Ward said:

“He, like me, had great help and encouragement from some wonderful magicians.

“Brian Knowles, George Fowler and Denys Hollis – all sadly no longer with us – were regularly on hand for help and advice, as was the late Mike Coyne, a variety hall performer and star of TV’s The Comedians. We both benefited enormously from their input.”

Performing both for children and as a close-up magician for adults, Bob even put together a compilation of simple tricks for doctors to perform to younger patients, Child’s Play, which proved a sell-out success.

Bob was resident magician at Lockwood’s restaurant in Ripon, a regular at Knaresborough’s annual FEVA Festival, and even ventured into the world of after-dinner speaking and became a great success on the Women’s Institute speaking circuit.

In 2007, Bob became president of the Harrogate Society of Magicians and in 2008 he was elected to The Magic Circle. As President of the Harrogate society, he oversaw its 60th anniversary celebrations and arranged countless shows, dinners, society visits and fundraisers, often ferrying members around in his working car, which members fondly re-named the Bobmobile.

Mr Ward said:

“Bob always had time for others, and was one of the most selfless people I’ve known. He helped me enormously in my own magical career, finding me jobs, lending me props and teaching me the ropes.

“We worked together several times over the years, and always had a blast. The last time we worked together was in 2018 when we entered ‘Ripon’s Got Talent’ as the Famulus Brothers, playing a Morecambe and Wise-style magic double act.

“We didn’t win, but – as always with Bob – we had a barrel-load of laughs.”

Away from the magic, Bob was a tireless worker for local causes and community projects, including village fairs, Harrogate Scouts, the parish council and the church.

Bob was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a kind of cancer – in 2019, but despite not expecting to see the year out, he didn’t give up. He threw himself into working for Mesothelioma Support Yorkshire, performing magic at its get-togethers, taking part in sponsored bike rides and ultimately becoming its ‘poster boy’, ever ready to be interviewed and publicise its work.

He defied the odds, living longer than expected, largely thanks to the care of his wife, Joanne, son Henry and his care team. It was only in 2022, when he suffered a stroke, that he finally began to decline.

He died at St Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate on February 19.

Mr Ward said:

“No one ever made me laugh as much as Bob – even after he was diagnosed.

“There were times when we were on the phone every day sharing our love of TV comedies and films, regularly recalling our favourite lines and insisting on reminding each other what they were.

“I’ve lost some very good friends in magic over the past 20 years, but none as close to me as Bob. I loved him dearly, and my world is an emptier place without him. Rest in peace, old friend.”

Business Breakfast: Small indies to pop up on Harrogate high street

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate’s initiative to give more independent retailers a spot on the high street will see a clutch of new names take over a unit in the Victoria Centre this spring.

Harrogate Pop Up, on the corner of Cambridge Street and Station Parade, was first made available for short-term rent by retail property agent Barker Proudlove in autumn 2021.

Jessica Swain, from Barker Proudlove, helped set up the pop-up shop. She said:

“It is fantastic to see the pop-up shop so heavily in demand. Harrogate has such a diverse mix of businesses already and we hope those businesses popping up with us will see a space for them to be part of this community permanently after their pop-up ends.”

This year’s spring line-up includes Beauchamp Accessories, Bamboo Beautiful, Headlock Vintage, We Got U Covered and Martha and Bea:

Beauchamp Accessories, a York firm specialising in Italian leather handbags, will fill the space during February and April, following a series of successful pop-ups in the space in 2022.

Bamboo Beautiful, which sells sustainable bamboo products including homeware and gifts, will occupy the unit from the March 13 for one week.

Headlock Vintage will be selling its range of vintage and “preloved” clothing from March 27.

We Got U Covered returns to the space from the April 10, offering its range of swimsuits, clothing and holiday supplies.

Martha and Bea will return from the April 17, to transform the space into a boutique of ladies clothing and accessories.

Free eco-friendly building course in Harrogate

Harrogate College is hosting a free course where construction business can find out how to build energy-efficient buildings.

Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management is a four-week, one-day-a-week training programme, funded by the government.

The course will start on Tuesday, March 7.

‘Passive houses’ are eco-friendly houses built to be extremely energy efficient. They are designed to remain at an almost constant temperature, reducing bills and emissions.

Passive house in construction

The course is run by Leeds-based passive house manufacturers Pure Haus, who are going to build a mini example-house in the college grounds.

Kevin Pratt, director of Pure Haus, said:

“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college… It will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”

Harrogate college is aiming to achieve carbon zero status by 2035, and is planning a variety of environmentally-focused events for March, which is its Green Month.

Events include a free talk on retrofitting your home on March 16.

Harrogate College principal Danny Wild said:

“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”

Work to create Harrogate district’s first mosque continues after asbestos delay

Work on turning Harrogate’s former Home Guard Club into the district’s first mosque is finally going ahead after a delay caused by the discovery of asbestos.

Harrogate Islamic Association bought the premises at the corner of Tower Street and Belford Road last April and has since been focusing on fixing the roof and making it weather-proof.

But repair work uncovered unknown quantities of asbestos, which is carcinogenic but had not been identified by any survey at the time of purchase.

The substance has had to be carefully removed and disposed of by licensed professionals before further work on the building could progress.

Reda Djamaa, trustee and spokesperson for Harrogate Islamic Association, said:

“We’ve dealt with that problem and now we can carry on with refurbishing the building. Our main aim is to get the ground floor ready for use.”

Harrogate Islamic Association raised half a million pounds to purchase the building, which stands next to St Peter’s CE Primary School, and must now raise a further £200,000 to gut the building and replace all its timbers.

Phase three will see a complete refit of the interior, including a new staircase, plasterwork, doors, windows and wiring, as well as new toilets and ablution areas, all at a cost of £250,000.

The final phase, costing another £50,000, will add a kitchen, outdoor bollards and railings, and security and lighting systems.

Mr Djamaa said:

“We have weekly prayer and we pass round a bucket, and we get some funds from other mosques, but it’s a mosque for the community here in Harrogate, and so most of the money will be coming from the community here too.

“We hope we’ll be able to get to the next stage within the year, but we’re doing it bit by bit. We’re not in a hurry.”

In the meantime, the 100-plus members of Harrogate’s Muslim community will continue to meet at in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade.

Picture of the front door of the former Home Guard Club in Harrogate.

The mosque premises have served the community in various ways over the last one-and-a-half centuries.

The former Home Guard Club has served the community in various capacities over the last 150 years. Originally built around 1870 as two cottages, it was converted shortly afterwards into Harrogate’s first cottage hospital until 1883, before serving as Harrogate’s Masonic Hall from 1884 to about 1930.

At the end of the Second World War it became the home of the 5th West Riding Battalion (Home Guard) Old Comrades Association and Club.

New Harrogate district henge could be ‘nationally significant’

A previously undiscovered prehistoric henge may lie under a Harrogate district village, a packed meeting was told this week.

The massive earthwork, 170 metres in diameter and thousands of years old, was revealed beneath the village of Kirk Hammerton using state-of-the-art multispectral drone imagery techniques by Tony Hunt, who said the find could be “nationally significant”.

He presented his findings, along with community archaeologist Jon Kenny, at a public meeting of local residents and amateur archaeologists in Kirk Hammerton village hall on Monday. Mr Hunt said:

“The meeting was absolutely astounding. Usually, these things attract maybe 20-30 people, but we had 120 – there were people sitting on the floor, and there were 30-40 who couldn’t make it on the night but want to get involved.

“Everybody seems to be very enthusiastic about it being a new henge. I’m healthily sceptical, but it’s definitely worth a look. If this is confirmed, it will be nationally significant.”

A henge is a ring-shaped bank and ditch, usually built around 4,500 years ago for purposes that remain unclear, although experts speculate that they probably had religious or spiritual meaning for ancient communities.

A black-and-white image of the suspected henge, taken from a drone by Yorkshire Archaeological Aerial Mapping.

There are currently known to be 10 henges in Yorkshire, six of them aligned along a northwest-southeast axis, including the group of three at Thornborough, north of Ripon. The latest discovery, a possible 11th, lies in alignment with these.

Mr Hunt said:

“Whether these henges are aligned intentionally is up for debate, since for that to hold up you have to disregard quite a few of the others. It may just be that they are positioned along river valleys.

“They may have been tribal centres, or where the gods live – no people lived in them. They may have represented the border between life and death – at sunset, someone the height of the average Neolithic person standing in the centre of one of these henges casts a shadow pretty much exactly the same length as its radius.”

A map showing how the most recently discovered henge lines up with several of the others in North Yorkshire, including the three at Thornborough.

Mr Hunt and fellow enthusiasts now plan to explore further at Kirk Hammerton, using geophysical mapping and ground-coring techniques. He said:

“In a henge, the ditch is on the inside of the earth bank, so we’ll see if we can spot that. If we see something that looks like one, we’ll probably put in a huge long trench from the centre out, through the ditch and earthwork to create a cross-section.”

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 henge. He said:

“Ten years ago, we thought there were only five henges here in Yorkshire. Now we know there are at least 10. There will be more, I guarantee it.”

Using his drones, Mr Hunt has recently discovered lost Bronze Age burial mounds and two new Roman marching camps, both in the Vale of York, as well as mass graves at the site near Northallerton of the Battle of the Standard between England and Scotland in 1138.

Earlier this month, it was announced that two sections of the Thornborough henges, which lie 30 miles to the north-west of Kirk Hammerton, have been donated to the public body Historic England.

Young Harrogate director races to make last film following terminal diagnosis

A young Harrogate director who has been given just five more years to live is racing against time to make his final film.

Joe Cash, 30, has enjoyed a successful career working as a stuntman and prop artist on big-budget Hollywood movies including the Mad Max, Jurassic Park and Fast & Furious franchises. And when the Covid pandemic shut the film industry down, he started to make his own independent horror films.

But in October 2022 he was diagnosed with bone cancer, and in December he received worse news still: he has a brain tumour and his life expectancy has fallen to five years. He is expected to lose his memory within the next 12 months.

Joe said:

“There’s stuff I’ve forgotten already.

“We’ll be filming my last film, Carnal Redemption, in Harrogate and Driffield in August this year. I’ve already storyboarded the whole thing, so that if I’ve lost my memory by the time we begin filming, I can use it as a cheatsheet.

“After I was diagnosed, I decided to use my life savings to make this film happen, so it now has a £130,000 budget. Most of that is going on stunts with helicopters and cars – which we’re going to smash up!”

Joe’s Hollywood work started in 2005, and since then he’s been shot by Han Solo when playing a stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and even broke three vertebrae when a stunt when wrong while standing in for Johnny Depp during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Director Joe Cash gives instructions to two young female actors in a car.

Joe Cash will be directing on the set of his last film, Carnal Redemption, this summer.

His more recent work has involved a radical change of genre, and an inevitable drop in budget. His made his first independent film, Jezebel, for just £30.

He said:

“The shoestring budget was the whole point.

“I thought I could make a film for less than the price of a night out. It was a terrible film, but it ended up being shown at 150 film festivals, winning 30 awards, and gaining lots of recognition from the film industry. It taught me a lot.”

His next film, Carnal Monsters, was made for just £500, and his last film, Calling Nurse Meow, was banned in 40 countries, reportedly becoming the most banned film in for 42 years – a record Joe is proud of.

The cast of Joe Cash's independent film, Carnal Monsters, in costume and posing with weapons.

Joe Cash made Carnal Monsters on a budget of just £500.

Joe added:

“For me, that’s a badge of pride. For a horror film to get banned gets people talking about it. We’re trying to set a new Guinness World Record.”

Carnal Redemption will start filming in the summer and Joe hopes it will be ready in time for a premiere in January and release next spring.

Joe said:

“I’ve put most of my life savings into this – I’m going all out. If there’s one film to remember me by, this is it.”

Nidderdale farm prepares for spring return of ‘magical’ visitors

A farm in upper Nidderdale that has diversified into family tourism has revealed its latest attraction, which is set to open over the Easter holidays.

Studfold – The Nidderdale Experience offers a variety of holiday and leisure activities and says that visitors can now search for “little people” along its Adventure Trail.

Children running across a meadow under blue skies in Nidderdale.

Studfold is at the top end of Nidderdale.

Anne Challis, who runs the business with her brother, Ian Walker, said:

“Magically, fairy doors have appeared throughout the trail as the springtime fairies arrive in the Dales.

“The Great Studfold Easter Egg and Fairy Hunt is a day the whole family can enjoy. Pick up a clue sheet and then explore and discover large willow nests, brightly coloured eggs, golden rabbits and the famous Studfold spring fairies and their countryside friends. There’s also go-carts, ride-on tractors and den-building.

“The woodlands at Studfold are always magical but spring sees an extra level of enchantment.”

Children riding on toy tractors at Studfold - The Nidderdale Experience.

Ride-on tractors are one of the activities on offer at Studfold – The Nidderdale Experience.

The Walker family has farmed at Studfold, near Lofthouse at the top end up Nidderdale, for 16 generations, and started to diversify into tourism in the 1970s. Siblings Anne and Ian have since developed it into an award-winning business.

In addition to its adventure trail, Studfold now also has a caravan, camping and glamping park and a café, and hosts school groups and seasonal events.

Anne added:

“We are very much custodians of this wonderful countryside. We aim to educate inquisitive minds and enable children to have a lifetime love of the countryside. Memories made at Studfold will become part of your heart and soul!”

The Great Studfold Easter Egg and Fairy Hunt will run during the Easter school holidays, from April 1 to 16.

Last chance for Knaresborough Golf Club’s incredible taster offer

Logo of Knaresborough Golf Club.

This story is sponsored by Knaresborough Golf Club.

One of the Harrogate district’s best golf clubs is urging newcomers to take up its winter taster membership before an expected influx of new members in the spring.

Throughout the winter, Knaresborough Golf Club has been offering a discounted membership rate which is now £125 from February until the end of March.

Anyone taking up the offer who then renews their membership in April, gets the fee discounted from their annual subscription.

The club has three tiers of membership – Gold, Silver and Bronze – which determine when members may play.

For example, the Bronze annual membership which allows play seven days a week after 12.30pm starts at just £270 for 19 to 23 year olds!

Club general manager Jason Thornton said:

“We always see a spike in new members in the spring, so now is a good time come along before the rush – the offer only lasts a few more weeks.

“Golf is seeing renewed interest from female members, and we’ve also been getting more enquiries from younger people interested in playing.

“There’s been a real upswing in people joining since the end of lockdown – it’s a great way of exercising and socialising in a socially-distanced way.”

The club has three tiers of membership – Gold, Silver and Bronze – which determine when members may play.

Knaresborough Golf Club was founded in 1920 and for over 100 years has remained true to the original aim of a club run on “modest, unpretentious lines and devoid of class and clique distinction”.

Its vibrant clubhouse hosts regular events, such as tribute nights, quizzes and games, and diners are drawn by the popular Sunday carveries and “Around the World” evenings, where members get a restaurant passport and “travel the world” through food.

Jason said:

“It’s notoriously difficult to get catering right at clubhouses, but now that we have, we are absolutely delighted. Our catering team, led by Gavin and Amie Farrar, do a fantastic job.”

Get that hole in one feeling with the membership taster offer.

Knaresborough Golf Club has recently been carrying out improvements to both its clubhouse and course – which includes one of the longest holes in Europe – all with sustainability in mind.

Single-use plastics are being phased out, new wildflower meadows will allow insect and bird life to flourish, and the club is working towards GEO certification, putting its environmental and social responsibility on a par with world-famous courses such as Gleneagles and St Andrews.

Jason said:

“We’ve got a stunning course, a fabulous clubhouse, and a range of affordable membership options.

“Whether you’re brand-new to the game or already smitten by it, the offer at Knaresborough Golf Club isn’t matched by any other club in the area.”

Find out more:

If you’d like to try out Knaresborough Golf Club’s Winter Taster membership offer, or if you’re interested in annual membership options, visit the club’s website at www.knaresboroughgolfclub.co.uk or call 01423 862690.

Breakaway conservative Christians start meetings in Harrogate

A breakaway Anglican group that rejects premarital sex and gay marriage has started holding meetings in Harrogate.

As yet, the group has only a handful of members, but its leader, Hugh Davis, believes more discontented conservative Anglicans will join as news of it spreads.

He said:

“Since 2008, there have been progressively retrograde steps by the Church of England to accept more liberal interpretations of the Bible. We believe these behaviours and teachings are contrary to the traditional teachings of the Bible. As these ideas percolate down to the general congregation, more people will be discomfited and, like me, think ‘what do I do now?’.

“It’s not homophobic. I’ve worked for many years with people attracted to people of the same sex. I accept their views, but I also expect them to accept mine.”

The issue of homosexuality has long been a contentious matter in the Anglican Church. In 2008, a group of conservative bishops, many from the global south, declined to attend the Lambeth Conference in protest at the consecration Gene Robinson, the openly gay Bishop of New Hampshire. They instead convened in Jerusalem for the Global Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon).

Just last week, the Church of England’s General Synod agreed not to change its stance on gay marriage – same-sex couples will still not be allowed to marry in church – but it backed proposals to allow prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

The new Life Group in Harrogate is one of several under the auspices of Trinity Church Scarborough, which is part of the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), which in turn is aligned with the Gafcon movement of Anglican orthodoxy.

Mr Davis, who is retired, said:

“The latest teachings in the Church of England are very different from what I was taught as a boy. I wasn’t happy – I couldn’t make sense of it.

“Things moved on, so I decided I would move on too.”

Having attended St Mark’s Church in Harrogate for 30 years, Mr Davis finally left, but stressed it was not an easy move to make. He said:

“It was difficult, and took several months of talking to and confiding with friends. It was very painful – I’d even say that leaving the Church of England was a bigger decision than getting married.”

The new midweek Life Group meets fortnightly in a member’s home. For more information, contact Mr Davis on 07802 833977, or email him at hughthewildfowler@btinternet.com.

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Free eco-friendly building course in Harrogate

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If you’d like to try out Knaresborough Golf Club’s Winter Taster membership offer, or if you’re interested in annual membership options, visit the club’s website at www.knaresboroughgolfclub.co.uk or call 01423 862690.

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