The special guests for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate has been revealed today.

The event, which is the world’s largest celebration of crime fiction, will be held for the 21st time at the Old Swan from July 18 to 21. .

Curated by bestselling crime writer and 2024 festival programming chair Ruth Ware, the special guests include Chris Carter, Jane Casey, Elly Griffiths, Erin Kelly, Vaseem Khan, Dorothy Koomson, Shari Lapena, Abir Mukherjee, Liz Nugent and Richard Osman.

Organised by the arts charity Harrogate International Festivals, the event offers fans from around the world the chance to hear from the biggest stars of the genre, discover new talent and enjoy a programme of panels, talks and creative workshops.

Ruth Ware said:

“I’m so proud of the incredible roster of special guests appearing at this year’s festival- together they showcase the strength, breadth and sheer excellence of the crime-writing landscape.

“Harrogate has always been a festival with readers at its very heart, and there really is something for everyone in this glorious celebration of our brilliant and bloody genre.”

Festival highlights

Vaseem Khan, award-winning author of the Baby Ganesh Agency series and the Malabar House novels and last year’s festival programming chair, will open the festival in conversation with Abir Mukherjee, author of the globally bestselling Wyndham & Banerjee series.

Ruth Ware will interview author and television presenter Richard Osman about his multi-million copy bestselling Thursday Murder Club series.

International bestseller Shari Lapena visits from Canada to talk about her latest thriller What Have You Done with Liz Nugent, winner of four Irish Book Awards and fellow Irish crime writer Jane Casey will be in conversation with Erin Kelly, whose new novel The Skeleton Key is published in April.

Big name thriller writers Chris Carter, the bestselling author of the Robert Hunter series, and Dorothy Koomson – the ‘Queen of the Big Reveal’ – unveil their latest novels and festival favourite Elly Griffiths will discuss her new standalone mystery The Last Word.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“Ruth has curated a thrilling programme with every crime fiction reader at its heart.”

Simon Theakston, chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said:

“It continues to be a privilege to support the world’s best crime writing festival as we have over the last 21 years.”

The full programme will be announced in Spring 2024.

Pic credits: Gemma Day, Conor O’Leary and Sara Reeve

Read more:

• Review: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival celebrates its 20th year
• Council accepts offer on Harrogate’s former Viper Rooms building

The Reform UK parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough has backed Independent Keith Tordoff to be Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Mr Tordoff, from Pateley Bridge, is the sole Independent candidate standing for election on May 2.

Reform UK is not fielding a candidate but Richard Brown, who will stand for the party in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the general election, has given his support to Mr Tordoff and suggested the alliance could extend beyond May. He said:

“My focus is on becoming the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, so working strategically with Keith would be beneficial, not just to both us, but the whole region”.

“Having spoken to Keith, I have got to know about him and what he believes in. Working with him now, and going forward would be very useful.

“I think people want to see the country come together. They also want parties to work together, where there is common thinking, to give focus on delivering for the people.”

Mr Tordoff said:

“While I am not affiliated to a political party as an independent, I do of course need to work with other parties going forward.

“It is certainly true that many are watching the development of Reform UK, some welcoming the possibility of change and others still unsure — Reform UK does though, have the potential to change UK politics fundamentally and in my opinion for the better.

“I share their views that there needs to be fundamental change to how politics operates in this country.”

In a statement today announcing the news, both men highlighted concerns about the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, which has recently been scaled back after North Yorkshire Council admitted its initial plans were legally flawed.

Mr Tordoff said it “has been fraught with problems from day one, and now we have a project that is proceeding with little focus over the benefits”.

He added:

“Fundamentally it’s an example of a mismanaged project, without a clear set of objectives, and it seems to divide the community, but North Yorkshire Council are pushing ahead regardless.”

Mr Brown described the gateway as a “fiasco”, adding:

“I think we need to develop a better understanding of how the Station Gateway project has gone wrong for Harrogate, and what that means for the project going forward.

“It will give important learning for similar projects that come under the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. We need to do much better than we have done, or are doing.”

Whoever is elected mayor will oversee a new combined authority, and a multi-million budget in areas such as housing, transport and the police and fire services.

Read more:

• Mayoral candidate calls for review of Harrogate fire service cuts
• Lib Dems chose Swinton Park owner to stand for North Yorks mayor
• Tory mayoral candidate to spend 100 days in campervan

Harrogate Civic Society and Historic England have supported plans to convert the former Harrogate Debenhams building into shops and 34 flats.

Debenhams closed on Parliament Street in 2021 after the company went into administration.

Wetherby developer Stirling Prescient initially applied to demolish the building and build 50 flats but withdrew these plans in May 2022 after widespread opposition.

But Harrogate Civic Society and the non-departmental public body Historic England, who were among those objecting, have backed latest proposals submitted to North Yorkshire Council in November last year.

The new application is to convert the first floor into 34 flats and use the ground floor and basement as a ‘flexible commercial space’ or a ‘drinking establishment’.

It also proposes erecting a rooftop extension, the removal and replacement of canopies, shopfronts and the slate roof, and re-cladding the part of the building with a 1960s facade. The plans also include a secure cycle store and seven car parking spaces.

Stirling Prescient has said the development would “provide a high quality and vibrant new residential development” as well as “a new focal point along Parliament Street”.

The civic society submission to council as part of the consultation process says it is pleased demolition is no longer being proposed, adding:

“We are content with the currently proposed uses of the building and are keen to see it returned to beneficial use and retain its positive place in the conservation area

“Loss of the existing façade of the 1960s building next to the Westminster Arcade will not be mourned, likewise the ugly canopy that does the conservation area no favours.

“Overall, we are very pleased to see this proposal for re-use of the building and look forward to it making a positive contribution to the conservation area and the vitality of the town.”

Debenhams on Parliament Street closed in January 2021.

Suzanne Lilley, inspector of historic buildings and areas at Historic England, said in its consultation submission the site at 22-30 Parliament Street “forms part of an iconic commercial street-scene”, adding:

“The proposals have benefited from pre-application engagement with Historic England and we now welcome the approach taken by the applicant.

“There is an exciting opportunity here for a positive restoration and conversion scheme which enables these buildings to be appreciated and enjoyed by the public.”

You can view details of the application on North Yorkshire Council’s planning portal here, entering the reference number ZC23/03273/FULMAJ.

Read more:

• Plan to demolish Harrogate Debenhams withdrawn
• Plans submitted to convert Harrogate Debenhams into 34 flats

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

I have walked in Hookstone Woods with my beloved dogs for over 30 years. For several decades it has been a sea of tranquillity in south Harrogate and an opportunity to enjoy the local nature while taking in the fresh air.

Unfortunately, in the last few years the squash club seems to be on a mission to make it its own territory. Not content with the noise pollution caused by their padel court (which has turned the ponds into an area which can feel like I am at a local shooting range on some days) and light pollution from that court and their new floodlights for the outside gym area, in recent months they have regularly decided to turn the woods into a disco with thumping music that can be heard throughout the area while they run outdoor classes.

It is such a shame that the club is now choosing to put a handful of people exercising ahead of the Harrogate community and wildlife by acting in such an anti-social manner. One of the purposes of Yorkshire Agricultural Society is to protect the environment but in the last year they seemed to have dropped that aim whenever they or one of their tenants can make some extra money.  This is very sad as the society has been a stalwart for Harrogate for many years.

I just hope someone can save this ancient woodland before its character is destroyed forever.

Tim Johnson, Harrogate

Ripon Cathedral urged to bring ‘sham of a proposal’ to halt

This letter was sent to a member of North Yorkshire Council after plans to develop an annexe near Ripon Cathedral were halted. We have covered the ongoing saga extensively. 

We, the undersigned, must reiterate our strong objections to the current delay from the cathedral and ask that you intervene to end this sham of a ‘public consultation’, which consists of: no significant changes to the original submission; newly formatted leaflets with no new information; 70% of ‘drop ins’ during the working day and a lack of record keeping from cathedral staff of comments and suggestions by the public.

We feel that we must question the validity of this ‘pause’ when answers which are received on fundamentally important matters such as the ‘300 trees’ and where they are going to be planted are conflicting. For the majority of 2023, the cathedral claimed that this off-site area would be ‘at Studley’, this changed in 2024 to ‘near Studley’ and now the cathedral state ‘outside the city.’ This is a core pillar in the cathedral’s mitigation plans and there is no evidence of this- indeed the cathedral communications team told me today that the evidence of this planting would not be forthcoming and that:

‘Regarding the off-site land for planting trees: there is an agreement which is between the private landowner and the cathedral and is a private matter.’

This is in direct contradiction to the position from November 2023, when they stated that this evidence would go into the public domain ‘at the appropriate time’.

The cathedral states there is a ‘40 -year-management plan in place.’ For this to be valid, it needs to be covered by a Section 106 agreement, setting out specific locations and specific actions and also giving a cash value for the planting and the cost of the management plan. The cathedral has failed to do this.

As this ‘off-site planting’ is supposed to be compensation to the people of Ripon for the trees felled at Minster Gardens, it is not a private matter, but very much a matter of public interest. This is a material consideration to the proposal.

We urge you to use your powers to intervene and bring this sham of a proposal to a halt before further embarrassment is caused to the city of Ripon.

With best wishes,

Jenni Holman, Andrew Burns, Pat Waterfall, Kevin Hill, Brian McHugh, Valerie Sheldon, Helen M Smith — Ripon

Rewilding the Stray would ‘give back what we have stolen’ from nature

The next two letters follow a feature published by the Stray Ferret last weekend. It discussed rewilding the Stray, in Harrogate, and received a huge response.

Let’s encourage wildlife; we’ve destroyed so much of it.

We need to take accountability and give back what we’ve stolen. I would love to see birds, bees and wildflowers.

The Stray isn’t just for us, it’s for our grandchildren and their children. It would be lovely if we could leave a positive legacy.

Maggie Boyd, Harrogate

Time to listen to the King and David Attenborough

I read the article about the idea of introducing wilder areas to The Stray and have some sympathy for people like Judy d’Arcy Thompson and Pam Grant. Change is often difficult when you’ve had to fight to preserve the status quo (more or less) year after year and when so often, change seems just for the sake of it.

However, the suggestions for The Stray are not just for the sake of it and are not even wholesale.  In this case it’s to provide actual benefits to the whole community (and not even just wildlife). For example, you don’t even need ponds (though they would be great); simply re-introducing boggy areas would not only provide homes for some beautiful plants but also insects and other invertebrates which would help provide food for other animals.  But not only that: bogs help soak up excessive water in the environment but also store water in times of drought.  And we know how floods and droughts are hitting the area.

When the King has said “the greatest challenge we face is to reform our relationship with nature, to put sustainability at the heart of our economy and to recognise that the conservation of nature is not a luxury but a necessity”, and David Attenborough, “surely it is our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on earth” then surely we need to listen and change what we’re doing?

It’s so many of us doing the same thing over and over again which has led us to where we are now but time is running out.

I would like to suggest it’s time to act differently – and that’s not only individuals but also politicians, organisations, town and building developers, businesses etc.  We need development that is built and developed to actively help biodiversity and the environment – rather than to suppress it or pay lip service to it.

Standing in one of his Boroughbridge pubs after the first covid lockdown had been announced, Simon Wade had a fleeting moment of negativity. 

He recalls thinking, ‘What’s going to happen now?’, before he rallied and told himself to change his mindset.

“I thought, let’s face the challenge and make the most of it, things will return to normal so let’s get future-proofing. Since then, we’ve taken calculated risks and made the opportunity happen. We’ve put some good investment in to make the pubs the best they can be.” 

It wasn’t easy but he managed to retain the courage of his convictions. With three decades of experience in North Yorkshire restaurants, pubs and hotels, Simon had spotted Boroughbridge’s potential when he moved to Langthorpe with his family nine years ago. He said: 

“One hundred per cent I had one eye on what was going on in the area when we moved here, and I took the decision to be ready for it.

“The town has got a strong community feel, a lovely atmosphere when you walk around, and an independent high street which is well supported. Any houses that are built are occupied straight away. People who have lived in the town all their lives can now stay here, while others are moving in from the larger towns and cities for a more rural feeling while still being really well connected.” 

The interior of The Fox and Hounds in Boroughbridge.

He has been focused on breathing new life into the town’s pub scene since 2018. At that time he was running The Grantham Arms, a 13-bedroom hotel with dining room, bar and outdoor heated terraces, which he bought in 2022. He put substantial investment into refurbishing the pub and two further venues, The Fox & Hounds in Langthorpe, a quintessential village pub purchased in 2020, and the Tap on the Tutt in Boroughbridge, formerly the Three Horse Shoes, which he bought it in July last year. 

The latter, a grade two listed building which Simon describes as a ‘sleeping giant’, has been given an extensive refurbishment. The interior has been completely overhauled to enhance the original ornate features, stained glass and wood panelling.  

Name change

Although the name change provoked ‘quite a lot of public opinion’, Simon said the renovations had been well received, with the combination of traditional pub food, hand-pulled beers, TV screens showing sport, pool table, darts board and a separate quiet area proving popular. He said: 

“It’s now standing room only on a weekend. The pub is an integral part of Boroughbridge’s history and it’s risen from the ashes. The original features give a real sense of its history and, with the colour scheme and lighting, it looks wonderful. We’ve got a great team of people and give a good, friendly Yorkshire welcome.” 

Simon hopes that between the three pubs, there is variety and something for everyone. He has a fantastic, close-knit team of around 60 full and part-time staff who all, except one, live in the town. Simon’s partner, Susie Winder, who grew up in Boroughbridge, is behind the style, design and refurbishment of the pubs. Simon credits her vision and natural talent for creating venues that appeal to customers.

The traditional interior design of the Tap on the Tutt.

While the pubs were shut during covid, Simon and Susie developed the outdoor areas to create beer gardens and more space. They also made sure they stayed visible to customers, holding online pub quizzes and offering a food delivery service. The approach paid off and Simon said the pubs came out of the pandemic stronger than before. They now hold regular events such as a recent Burns Night and Valentine’s to keep customers excited and interested. He said: 

“It feels like Boroughbridge is often overlooked while things are happening around it and I want to help put it on the map. Boroughbridge has grown dramatically over the past four years and we are at the heart of the community. We reinvest heavily in our pubs for the benefit of our customers.” 

He now has plans for another substantial investment — a microbrewery. The Tap on the Tutt has a large selection of drafts ales and world beers and is Simon’s attempt to get Boroughbridge noticed for having a real ale house. He’s aiming for the Cask Marque accreditation and wants to produce beer in-house.  

With other investments taking place in the town, most notably at The Crown Hotel, which was bought two years ago by the Coaching Inn Group, Simon said Boroughbridge offers so much for residents to enjoy – and for businesses looking for a new opportunity. He said: 

“More and more people are moving to Boroughbridge and it’s got such an up-and-coming feel about it. For anybody interested in starting or bringing a business here, the time to do it is now – so come and find your own little niche.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Read more:

• Plans submitted to build 258 homes at Boroughbridge
• Thomas the Baker set to open new store in Boroughbridge

Campaigners are to distribute tens of thousands of leaflets in Harrogate to rally support to oppose Harrogate Spring Water‘s expansion plans.

About 30 people attended a Save Rotary Wood group meeting last night to consider ways to prevent the company, which is part of French-owned Danone, being allowed to fell 450 trees the Pinewoods. The Stray Ferret also attended as part of our ongoing coverage of this issue. You can read a recent summary here.

Danone has submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council to expand its bottling plant into a section of the Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood, where schoolchildren planted trees in the 1990s to combat climate change.

Sarah Gibbs, who has led the campaign, voiced concerns that if this application is approved, further expansion could follow.

She quoted from Danone’s design and access statement, which talks about the company’s growth and need to expand. The document, which is among more than 100 available to view on the council’s planning portal, adds ‘this growth is expected to continue and as such an additional building(s) will be required to satisfy demand’.

Ms Gibbs said the suggestion of more than one new building was “extremely worrying” and indicated “this is not the end”.

A previous banner campaign.

Danone has agreed to plant 1,500 saplings to create a new community woodland in land bought off a local landowner but several people at the meeting expressed fears that once it owned the land, it could be used for future expansion.

Ms Gibbs said:

“The land would be privately owned by Danone so in no way would it compensate for the loss of our community woodland.”

Harrogate Spring Water already has outline planning permission for the site, which means the principle of development has been established.

It has now submitted what is known as a reserved matters application, which seeks approval for details such as design and appearance.

The meeting heard various people give impassioned pleas about the impact of a bigger plastic bottling plant on the environment and how Harrogate should resist it. There were even calls for a legal challenge.

Harrogate Spring Water’s headquarters.

But Arnold Warneken, a Green Party councillor who represents Ouseburn, warned campaigners not to get carried away with their emotions and to focus on legitimate planning reasons for opposing the scheme — and to take inspiration from what happened three years ago when councillors rejected the scheme despite being urged to approve it by a council officer.

He suggested the group may wish to push for the application to be deferred and referred to North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee, which was created to assess major planning applications.

Campaigners agreed to distribute 10,000 leaflets — with tens of thousands more expected to be printed shortly.

You can view planning documents and comment on the application by visiting the council’s planning portal here and typing in reference number 20/01539/REMMAJ where it says ‘enter a keyword’.

Read more:

• Harrogate Spring Water submits controversial expansion plans
• Council reveals priority cycling schemes for Harrogate

Leeds Bradford Airport has appointed a new catering operator to provide food and drink services for its lounges.

In a press release today, the airport said Elior will serve “a wider range of food and drink options” and “a changing seasonal menu” in its Yorkshire Lounge and 1432 Runway Club.

New technology has also been introduced to the 1432 Runway Club lounge for direct-to-table ordering.

Elior has previously operated in the premium hospitality sector at SkyLounge at Heathrow Airport.

Five new staff roles have been created as part of the new catering arrangement, which started today. The airport is 13 miles from Harrogate.

Elior will now manage the day-to-day operations of the lounges at Leeds Bradford Airport, but the airport will continue to take responsibility for commercial performance, front desk management and sales initiatives.

Airport lounge access will continue to be booked through the Leeds Bradford Airport website.

Calum McLaren (left) and John Cunliffe at the launch event.

John Cunliffe, commercial and strategy director at Leeds Bradford Airport, said:

“This is an important step for us as an airport and one that will support our wider LBA:REGEN development plans to improve passenger experience for customers.”

Calum McLaren, divisional managing director at Elior, added:

“We are delighted to be operating the lounges in Leeds Bradford Airport, bringing to life our passion for delicious freshly prepared food that is locally sourced and seasonal.”

Read more:

• Leeds Bradford Airport announces £100m terminal regeneration plan
• Construction on £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway ‘to begin in autumn’

Anyone who has driven along the A59 to the east of Knaresborough could hardly fail to have noticed hundreds of new homes going up in recent years.

More are coming. Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey held a public consultation event yesterday (Tuesday, February 13) at which it revealed the latest designs for a 402-home scheme called Highfield Farm.

Staff from Taylor Wimpey and planning consultants Pegasus Group discussed the plans with members of the public.

The Stray Ferret went along to find out more about the new development, and what it means for housebuilding in that corridor along the A59 just outside Knaresborough town centre, towards the A1.

Yesterday’s consultation event.

Here is a 10-point guide.

1 The 1,000 homes are being built at two adjoining sites: Manse Farm and Highfield Farm.

2 Some 600 homes are being built at Manse Farm by two developers. Taylor Wimpey’s Trinity Fields site accounts for 324 properties while Linden Homes‘ Castle Gate site accounts for the other 276. All 402 homes at Highfield Farm will be built by Taylor Wimpey.

3 Many homes at Manse Farm are already built and people have moved in. But construction has not started at Highfield Farm. Taylor Wimpey has outline planning permission for the site, which means the principle of development has been established. It now intends to submit a reserved matters planning application giving details of the layout and design by mid-March. After a public consultation, North Yorkshire Council will decide whether to approve it.

Taylor Wimpey’s Trinity Fields development at Manse Farm.

4 The section 106 legal agreement between the council and Taylor Wimpey for Highfield Farm commits the developer to pay for the impact of the scheme on local services. The sums awarded to the council include £1.8 million for junction 47 of the A1(M); £1.4 million for education, £874,000 for local highways; £350,000 for bus services and £330,000 for open spaces.

5 A layby on the A59 will be converted into a roundabout, which will provide access to Highfield Farm.

How Highfield Farm will look.

6 The estate will consist of three clusters of homes. Each cluster will be connected by a main road that will be built from the roundabout at the entrance to the estate.

7 A total of 40% of the Highfield Farm homes are classed as affordable.

8 A primary school and community centre are supposed to be built to cater for the influx of thousands of new residents. But there is no sign of work beginning on either yet. An Aldi is the only new shop serving the area so far.

How Highfield Farm will look.

9 Details of how many trees that will be felled and planted as part of Highfield Farm have yet to be revealed.

10 To reduce the impact of flooding, sunken basins will be constructed in the land to collect water in the hope that it will then be released more slowly into watercourses.

Read more:

• What has happened to Knaresborough’s new £6 million primary school?
• ‘Fire-damaged’ pub near Knaresborough for sale at £495,000

Police evacuated a Harrogate street due to a bomb scare yesterday.

People had to leave their homes on Leadhall View, which is a cul-de-sac off Leadhall Road, for about three hours while bomb disposal experts arrived on the scene.

The drama began when John Shackleton, who lives on Leadhall View and runs aid missions to eastern Europe, tried to help a woman at his church.

Mr Shackleton, who used to work in bomb disposal, said the woman told him she had a couple of old shells in her attic.

He added:

“I said I would take them home and have a look at them. So I put them in the back of my car and the following day started dismantling them.

“There was a phosphorous liquid and I thought ‘this doesn’t look right’.”

Mr Shackleton told a bomb disposal friend about his concerns and within about half an hour police arrived on the scene and began telling people to leave their homes.

He said the two shells appeared to date back to the Second World War, adding:

“The bomb squad took them away and said they were totally unsafe but I don’t know what they did with them.

“The incident put the fear of god up everyone on the cul-de-sac — I won’t be very popular with my neighbours!”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police today told the Stray Ferret:

“Police officers attended and took photographs of the items which were sent to the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team for assessments.

“The EOD team arrived at 12.45pm and they were able to confirm that the shells were empty and they removed the items.

“Nearby neighbours within a 100m safety cordon were able to return home at around 1.30pm.”

The Stray Ferret has spoken to residents who said they were asked to leave their homes but knew few other details.

Read more:

• Harrogate hero John Shackleton, 85, chops logs to fund 50th aid mission
• Yorkshire Water van gets stuck in the mud on Harrogate’s Stray
• Plans revealed to transform Starbeck’s Harper’s building

A driver in Knaresborough called the police today to say he was “drink-driving and doesn’t know what he is doing”.

The man told the 999 police call handler that he had a heavy weekend when he called just before noon yesterday (Monday, February 12).

He turned out to be more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement last night officers arrived on the scene in 15 minutes.:

It added:

“A roadside breath test was carried out and the driver blew 118 at the side of the road, the legal limit is 35. The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

“He currently remains in custody.”

Read more:

• Taylor Wimpey to reveal plans for 402 homes in Knaresborough
• Bringing burlesque and body confidence to Knaresborough