Police locate wanted Ripon man

North Yorkshire Police has found a wanted Ripon man who went missing.

The 23-year-old was released on licence on May 19 this year but the Probation Service has since reported “poor behaviour”.

North Yorkshire Police released a wanted appeal on Friday, but have since located the suspect.

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Harrogate Music Weekender: line-up revealed

The line-up has been revealed for the first Harrogate Music Weekender, which begins in seven days.

Thirty events will take place from Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 15 and feature everything from rock and acoustic to Ibiza anthems and throwback hits.

Fifteen venues including Manahatta, Husk Beer Emporium, Artizan Café, Piccolino, The Den and Foundry Project will take part in the music extravaganza.

Harrogate Business Improvement District, which is funded by local businesses to increase the number of town centre visitors, has organised the event.

It hopes the event, along with next week’s Visit Harrogate Restaurant Week and the ongoing Harrogate Comedy Festival will provide a town centre boost in the pre-Christmas lull.

DJ Mark Green will kick off the weekend at the Yorkshire Hotel at 6pm on the Friday night with an Ibiza-themed closing party.

As well as the events across the weekend, Harrogate BID will have a walking DJ booth and street performers in the town.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager said:

“We are looking forward to making this a successful annual offer in the Harrogate events calendar and hopefully bring people from far and wide into the town to experience the vibrant live music offer that we have.”

Here is the line-up.

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Friday, October 13

Opening event – 6 – 8PM – The Yorkshire Hotel Sky Bar – DJ Mark Green

5:30pm – 7:30pm – Foundry Project – Robbie Miller

7pm – 9pm – Doubletree by Hilton Majestic Hotel & Spa – DJ in Fredericks Lounge

7pm – 11pm – West Park Hotel – DJ & Sax

7:30pm – 9:30pm – Artizan Café – Musical Empowerment, a local inclusive band

8pm – 10pm – Piccolino – DJ

8pm – 10pm – Manahatta – North Road live band

8pm – 10pm – Husk – Biz & Jason band

8pm – 10pm – The Yorkshire Hotel – DJ Dean Snowdon

8pm – midnight – Doubletree by Hilton Majestic Hotel & Spa – Abba Tribute Night (ticketed)

8pm – late – Foundry Project – DJ Patrick Wood

10pm – midnight – The Den – The Robbie Miller Band

Saturday, October 14

2pm – 4pm – HMV, Victoria Shopping Centre – Ade Payne

2pm – 6pm – Harrogate Theatre – Ember and Matt Edgington

3pm – 5pm – The Den – Biz Denton

3pm – late – West Park Hotel

Opening event – 6pm – 8pm – The Crown Hotel – Singo Bingo

7:45pm – 9:15pm – The Den – The Henri Gaston Experience Nigel Clark

8pm – late – Revolucion De Cuba – Mariachi Band and DJ

7pm – late – Manahatta – DJ Max Czernik

8pm – late – Foundry Project – DJ

8pm – late – Piccolino – DJ Josh Farcas

9:45pm – 10:45pm – The Den – Jonny Skinner

11pm – 12:30am – The Den – Nigel Clark (90’s front man from Dodgy)

Sunday, October 15

12pm – 4pm – Husk – Husk’s Sunday Wax – Bring Your Own Vinyl and we’ll play at least 1 side!

1pm – 5pm – Cedar Court Hotel Tipi on The Stray – Nathan – So ‘n’ So Music

4pm – 7pm – Banyan – North Road lead singer and drummer double act

4pm – 11pm – Husk – Harrogate’s Indie’s Block Party DJ Takeover featuring Pizza Social, Husk, Lillypad & Mabgate Bleach on the decks

7pm – 8:45pm – The Den – Jake Pattinson

9pm – 11pm – The Den – Hobo Chic

 

23 Harrogate district community groups awarded £55,000

Twenty three community organisations have shared £55,000 in the latest round of grants awarded by The Local Fund for the Harrogate District.

The successful applicants are small organisations that can use the funding to make a big difference on a range of initiatives, including helping older people participate in activities and addressing loneliness.

They include fortnightly lunch club Lifeline Harrogate,  Knaresborough Museum Association, Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Boroughbridge and District Community Care.

The Local Fund was created in 2017 to fund local voluntary organisations.

It is supported by North Yorkshire Council, Harrogate and District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation. It also receives at least 10p from every ticket sold by the Local Lotto.

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Celia McKeon, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said the grants would “make a huge impact on the wellbeing of local people all over the district”. She added:

“This round of funding has been really interesting and far reaching, distributing grants to address rural isolation alongside activities and support in the local towns.”

Ms McKeon urged local people and businesses who wanted their charitable giving to benefit the communities they live in to invest in the fund.

Here are details of the successful applicants.

 

Harrogate parents join special needs education protest

Parents from Harrogate took part in a demonstration yesterday calling for better school provision for children with special educational needs.

SEND Reform England is staging peaceful protests outside town halls across the country this autumn. Parents from Sen Hub Harrogate joined the latest one in Leeds yesterday.

They are campaigning about issues including lack of spaces at special educational schools and unlawful rejections for Education, Health and Care Plans, which set out what additional support is required by young people with additional needs.

Emily Mitchell and Ashlie Charleton, who co-founded Sen Hub Harrogare to help parents of children with special educational needs, were among the Harrogate contingency in Leeds yesterday.

Emily, whose daughter Elsie is autistic and non-verbal, told the Stray Ferret parents should not have to fight for an education for their children. She added:

“I joined the protest due to my own fight with getting my child into education.

“I am currently going through a tribunal process to fight the local authority who aren’t taking my child’s needs into any consideration.”

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Washing up liquid frees dog with trapped head in Knaresborough

Firefighters performed an unusual rescue operation today when they helped a dog with a trapped head in Knaresborough.

On-call firefighters from the town were summoned to Manse Lane at 2.21pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“A crew from Knaresborough responded to a report of a dog that had got its head stuck between bars in the boot of a car.

“Crews coaxed the dog’s head out from the bars using washing up liquid and left the dog in the care of its owners.”

No further details were provided.

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GALLERY: Rachel Daly returns to Harrogate’s Rossett School

England footballer Rachel Daly returned to Rossett School in Harrogate today to rename a 3G sports pitch in her honour.

Rossett’s most famous former student brought the place to a standstill as pupils and teachers turned out to cheer her.

Headteacher Tim Milburn greeted the Aston Villa striker at 10am before she was whisked away to meet staff and tour the building.

When she re-emerged about half an hour later, pupils formed a guard of honour as she walked from the school buildings, accompanied by her dog Dexy, to the pitch.

When they got there, Rachel — wearing white trainers and clothes by her street fashion brand sponsor Hera — joked about how much Dexy loved the attention and thought it was for her.

Dexy was certainly a hit but Rachel, who was accompanied by her family, was the undoubted star on a rare return to the school she left in 2010.

After a short speech from Mr Milburn, Rachel removed a black blanket to reveal a sign for the newly named Rachel Daly 3G Pitch. Behind her, a group of girls played football on the pitch. She said:

“It’s an honour for me to be here and have this named after me.

“It’s great seeing the young girls out here today and having them on a pitch that’s named after me. It’s a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.”

Rachel, the current PFA Players’ Player of the Year, spoke about coming home with sand burns after playing on the old astroturf pitch and how Rossett and Harrogate held a “special place in my heart”.

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Mr Milburn described Rachel, who started out at Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club, as an inspiration not only for Rossett pupils but also for anyone who uses the sports facilities. He added:

“She’s not just a Rossett hero, or a Killinghall hero, she’s a town hero. Why wouldn’t we want to honour her?”

Although the school has been quick to honour Rachel, North Yorkshire Council has yet to indicate whether it will support a call from Killinghall Nomads, supported by the Stray Ferret, for Rachel to receive civic recognition.

The Conservative-controlled council said two months ago it was urgently considering a policy on how to recognise achievements by local people.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Simon Myers, whose portfolio oversees such matters, what progress had been made since then but has not received a response.

Here are some images from Rachel’s return to Rossett today.

Headteacher Tim Milburn welcomes Rachel Daly to the school.

Pupils form a guard of honour.

Dexy the dog was never far from Rachel’s side.

Rachel Daly, alongside the Rachel Daly 3G Pitch.

The Rossett Lioness and the sign she unveiled.

Current Rossett footballers look on as Rachel talks to her family.

 

With current footballers on the 3G pitch.

 

Dexy takes centre stage again.

Police close central Harrogate street after ‘serious sexual assault’ on woman

North Yorkshire Police has said it has closed part of Harrogate town centre in response to a report of a serious sexual assault on a woman.

Areas of James Street, Petergate and Market Place have been cordoned off to “allow officers to carry out a full and thorough investigation”, the force said in a statement this afternoon.

Four police officers were stationed at the various points along Petergate at lunchtime as a scene guard to preserve any possible evidence.

Petergate today

The little used route at the rear of James Street is lined with commercial waste bins.

The statement added:

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances around the incident.

“Residents and local businesses may notice an increased police presence in the area, as officers continue to gather evidence.”

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Police cordon off Harrogate town centre street

North Yorkshire Police has cordoned off a road in the centre of Harrogate.

Petergate, which is a narrow route at the back of James Street, was sealed off at lunchtime. The little-used highway contains industrial bins used by businesses.

Two police officers were stationed alongside one cordon at the junction of Petergate and Market Place.

A police officer at the cordon just off Cambridge Street.

Two others were stood at separate cordons further along Petergate and just off Cambridge Street. None would reveal what had taken place.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Police for further information but has not yet had a response.

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Harrogate nursery rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Government inspectors have praised staff at a Harrogate nursery in a report published this week.

Ofsted rated Little Dragons Day Nursery on East Parade ‘good’ following an inspection on September 5.

It said “children benefit from a wide range of exciting experiences at this well-organised setting” and “have strong opportunities to explore with their senses”.

The report added:

“Children share and play cooperatively together. They benefit from secure daily routines and regular mindfulness sessions. This helps them to feel happy, safe and secure.

“Staff are caring, nurturing and fun. They build strong bonds and good relationships with children.”

Little Dragons is on East Parade.

Ofsted described manager Bambi Wainwright as “very effective”, adding:

“She provides strong support for her staff team’s wellbeing and continuous professional development.

“Staff are supported to improve their skills through meetings, training and observations of practice. The manager and her staff team are dedicated and passionate about the quality of the service they provide and the outcomes for children in their care.”

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Ofsted recommended two areas for improvement. It suggested Little Dragons reviewed the use of comforters, such as dummies, “to enhance support for younger children’s developing speech and communication skills” and also reduced distractions during group times “to further support children’s listening and attention skills”.

Little Dragons Day Nursery, which caters for 65 children aged up to four, registered in 2012 and employs 14 members of childcare staff.

Ms Wainwright said many staff had been at the nursery since it opened, adding:

“We are absolutely thrilled. It shows all the team’s hard work and dedication has paid off.”

 

Picket line in Harrogate as trains and hospital hit by strikes

A picket line was in operation outside Harrogate railway station today as the district was hit by another day of strikes to key services.

Members of train drivers’ union Aslef picketed on Station Parade from 8am to noon in what was their 14th wave of industrial action since June last year.

No trains operated on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line and rail operator Northern has warned of further disruption tomorrow and Friday. Passengers are advised to check before they travel as there may be some short notice cancellations.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said there had been no further talks with the government or rail firms since the union rejected a “risible” pay offer in April.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

 “We hope to see a resolution to this issue in the near future and an end to the disruption these strikes cause.”

A three-day strike by junior doctors and consultants at Harrogate District Hospital is due to end at 7am tomorrow.

The British Medical Association said the strike over pay had resulted in ‘Christmas Day’ cover, meaning emergency care had been staffed but only minimal cover had been provided elsewhere.

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