TV personality Gyles Brandreth has bemoaned the state of a Harrogate hotel after enduring a sleepless night on a tilting bed.

The author and raconteur appeared at the Royal Hall last night for his one-man show Gyles Brandreth Can’t Stop Talking.

His prolific tweets indicated the evening went well — until it was time for bed.

At about 7am this morning, he posted the following unappealing image and said:

“The view from right here right now … very little sleep on a bed that tilted to the left so that I had to cling on all night. The hotel is in King’s Road but has no number so in the dark we couldn’t find it. Taxi couldn’t find it either. Eventually we did. Rather wish we hadn’t.”

In response to a tweet suggesting he should have called reception, he said:

“There was no reception. At midnight we tried to book in to the Crowne Plaza opposite, but it was full.”

Mr Brandreth declined calls to name and shame the establishment to his 208,000 followers.

After his show last night he hailed the “warm and wonderful audience” and said it was “a privilege to be be on the stage that both Ken Dodd & Marlene Dietrich once appeared on. Not together. (Though wouldn’t that have been glorious?)”.

He later praised The Ivy for its “delicious post-show supper: cheese soufflé followed by iced berries”.

Mr Brandreth added:

“Normally at this time of night, we’re perched on the edge of our bed in the local Premier Inn with a Pret sandwich. Tonight we’re in Harrogate being treated to this …. Thank you.”

However, his night appeared to go downhill once he left The Ivy.

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital spends nearly £1 million on staff cover for strikes
• Harrogate man to say ‘I do’ on Married At First Sight UK

Ripon Spa Hotel is to reopen on October 16 with a new name and look.

The Inn Collection Group, which bought the property in June 2021, revealed the date today.

The historic Park Street hotel, which will be known as The Ripon Inn, has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment.

The Northumberland-based owners, who have over 30 venues, market their properties as “inns with rooms” rather than hotels so the change is likely to be considerable.

With a strong emphasis on dining, the company hopes to attract local people as well as overnight guests.

The Inn Collection Group has already re-opened the St George Hotel in Harrogate and the Dower House in Knaresborough as The Harrogate Inn and The Knaresborough Inn respectively this year.

Ripon Spa Hotel before the multi-million pound refurbishment.

The Ripon venue will hold a VIP launch event on Thursday, October 12 before opening to the public on the following Monday.

The elegant Edwardian 40-bedroom Spa Hotel, which was in the ownership of the Hutchinson family for decades, opened a year after the nearby Spa Baths.

The two buildings, nestling alongside Spa Gardens and Spa Park, were key elements of Ripon’s stylish spa quarter.

Read more:

• Felling trees for Ripon Cathedral expansion presents ‘moral dilemma’, says Dean
• Stunning photo of Northern Lights over Ripon this morning

Roadworks are to begin next week on some of Harrogate town centre’s busiest routes.

The work, which is due to start on Monday and last for seven weeks, will see traffic lights on key routes including Parliament Street, Ripon Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road.

The disruption will enable gas distributor Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Cold Bath Road could be the worst affected route, with “multiple lights” operating for five weeks.

It is the continuation of road works that were “paused” a year ago following delays.

Northern Gas Networks said last week it would be digging up Skipton Road in a separate scheme over half-term.

Here’s what the company said is involved with the latest work starting next week.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights 

A lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road and Ripon Road along with four-way lights at the junction of Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road for two weeks. The existing lights will be bagged, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation from 7am to 7pm.

Traffic on Parliament Street is likely to be affected.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

Multiple traffic lights will be on Cold Bath Road.

Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks said traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said the work was vital “to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate” and apologised for any inconvenienced.

He added:

“We completed phase one of this project in autumn 2022. It was a complex scheme during which we faced multiple engineering challenges because of the depth of the gas main.

“This caused a delay to our timescales and meant we were unable to complete the following phase within a reasonable timeframe without impacting customers and businesses during the busy Christmas period.

“Collaborating closely with North Yorkshire County Council, we’ve worked hard to review the remaining work and plan this final phase in a way that minimises impact to residents and local businesses as much as possible.”

Read more:

• Roadworks to hit main road in Harrogate over half-term break
• Rough sleepers return to Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens

Killinghall Cricket Club has been given the go-ahead to build a new two-storey pavilion.

North Yorkshire Council approved the club’s planning application today, after saying previous designs would have been too large and overbearing.

The decision paves the way for the demolition of the current 1970s building, which has two small changing areas and communal showers that give little privacy.

The club hopes the new pavilion will be more appealing to female players and umpires, who currently have to arrive in kit or get changed in the toilets or communal areas.

The current pavilion

Trevor Watson, assistant director of planning at the council, included a series of conditions attached to the decision.

They included that development must begin within three years and construction work can only take place between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am to 3pm on Saturdays.

Killinghall finished fourth in division one of this year’s Nidderdale and District Amateur Cricket League.

Since the demolition of the Three Horseshoes pub and the long-term closure of The Greyhounds Inn, the club pavilion and bar has become a social centre for the village at weekends.

It hopes the new pavilion will enhance this and encourage junior players.

The club said in planning documents:

“This development is very much needed to the club and the village community.”

Read more:

• Council hoping to build £20 million Killinghall bypass
• Safety audit rules out traffic lights at notorious Killinghall junction

A weather warning has been issued from noon tomorrow until 7am on Thursday as Storm Agnes approaches.

The Met Office has forecast “a spell of strong and disruptive winds through Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday” for most of Britain.

In Harrogate, gusts of up to 44mph are predicted, with the worst of the wind expected tomorrow evening.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning, which is less severe than amber and red warnings.

It said power cuts, damage to building and travel disruption are possible.

Read more:

• Stunning photo of Northern Lights over Ripon this morning
• Harrogate man to say ‘I do’ on Married At First Sight UK tonight

London North Eastern Railway is to introduce longer trains on some of its direct services between Harrogate and London on Sundays.

Five of the current five-carriage Sunday trains will be upgraded to nine or 10-carriage trains, meaning more seats for passengers.

LNER announced the news today as part of a series of changes in response to a 30% increase in demand for Sunday leisure travellers since 2019.

The company will also introduce three additional Sunday services — two between Leeds and London King’s Cross and one between Doncaster and London.

Although these will not stop at Harrogate they will benefit people who want to get direct London trains from Leeds and Doncaster.

The new services and longer trains will start in December this year.

Brian Dunsby, leader of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said:

“This is a great testament to the popularity of the direct Harrogate to London services and the increasing demand for travel on Sundays.

“We are also aware that LNER are currently planning to reschedule their east coast mainline services in December 2024 so we are hopeful for gaining an earlier morning service from Harrogate to King’s Cross and a later evening return to Harrogate.”

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said its plans “will provide more than 3,000 extra seats from December”.

Rail minister Huw Merriman said travel patterns had changed since the pandemic and this was “a real win for passengers”.

Which services are affected?

These two services will no longer be able to call at Horsforth due to the platform length.

Southbound

• The 13:15 Harrogate to London King’s Cross service will increase from five carriages to nine.

Services which will become nine-carriage Azuma services:

People wanting to get to London earlier on a Sunday by train and can get to Leeds will be able to do so. The 08:05 on Sundays from Leeds to London King’s Cross will no longer call at Retford, Newark Northgate and Grantham resulting in a shorter journey time.

The service will arrive at London King’s Cross at 10.18 – 19 minutes earlier than before.

Read more:

• Train strikes to hit Harrogate and Knaresborough this week
• Harrogate set to get earlier and later direct London trains

Almost half a million pounds of taxpayers’ money is being spent on halving the number of litter bins in the Harrogate district.

Council staff are replacing 1,500 old bins with 775 new, larger bins.

Some dog walkers are upset because bins on popular routes have been taken away and replaced by ones alongside main roads that are easier to empty.

A freedom of information request by the Stray Ferret to North Yorkshire Council revealed the new bins cost £478,000.

The council said the cost of replacing the old bins would have been £339,000.

It estimated it will save £16,000 a year by no longer having to buy 240,000 bin liners because the new receptacles don’t require them.

It also expects to save between £17,000 to £19,000 a year because the new bins can be handled more efficiently by bin wagon. The council also expects to save an unspecified sum on fuel, because there are fewer bins to empty.

A new bin in Knox.

The freedom of information response by North Yorkshire Council said the management board at the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council signed off the new system.

A spokesperson from the council’s environment directorate said:

“The main aim of the project was to reduce the number of duplicate journeys between different services.

“This does provide a level of savings, coupled with a benefit to the environment, through a reduction in annual mileage and almost eradicating the need for the 240,000 single-use liners used on the smaller bins.”

They added:

“It provides further benefits by allowing the streetscene team to provide a more proactive service in regard to littering, fly tipping, and the clearance of detritus.

“To achieve this, the old infrastructure, totalling close to 1500 bins, is being replaced with 775 new bins. With the greater capacity, fewer bins are required which helps reduce street furniture, particularly in locations where two bins may have been placed close together.”

Dog walkers in Knox, Jennyfields and Knaresborough have contacted the Stray Ferret with concerns about the new system.

A new bin on Jenny Field Drive.

In Jennyfields, where new bins have been sited on main roads rather than in the field near the leisure centre, Elizabeth Horner said “the amount of rubbish from having no bins in the area has got disgusting”.

Another dog walker, Diana Salama, said there was now “nowhere to easily dispose of poo”.

Under the new system, dog waste is no longer classified as hazardous waste and can be placed in any bin. This means dog waste can be placed in owners’ general waste bins.

Read more:

• Call for urgent review of new bins after dog poo bags litter Jennyfields
• Harrogate’s ‘inner-city school’ is improving, says headteacher

Fink grocery store in Boroughbridge has new owners.

Co-owner Hugh Fink announced at the weekend he and Sharon Longcroft, who took over the business when it was the Fruit Basket in November 2013, had sold to London retailers Vikas Patel and Miraz Mehta.

The new owners will take over the shop on Boroughbridge High Street on October 2.

Mr Fink said he will continue to support Mr Patel in the months ahead while Ms Longcroft will focus on her picture framing business.

The Fruit Basket was owned by Chris Thompson for 21 years before it was acquired by Mr Fink and Ms Longcroft a decade ago.

It rebranded as Fink in 2016 and two years later was named local shop/village store of the year at the national Farm Shop and Deli Show in 2018.

Mr Fink said:

“It has been a pleasure to have served the people of Boroughbridge and beyond and we are delighted to have found a buyer with such a strong understanding of the market we serve.

“With his vast retail experience and energy, we look forward to seeing him develop Fink to the next level.”

Mr Patel, who until recently managed a general store in Chelsea, added:

“When my wife Miraz and I came to Boroughbridge, met some of the people and saw the shop, we immediately knew this would be a great place to settle and bring up our son Aarish.

“Having moved from London we know there is a lot to learn but we look forward to meeting new people and learning to speak Yorkshire!”

Read more:

• Plans for motorway services between Ripon and Boroughbridge approved
• Ofsted says Boroughbridge High School ‘requires improvement’

More than 200 runners took part in the Knaresborough Crag Rat Run yesterday.

The five-mile race around the town is the primary event organised each year by running club Knaresborough Striders.

Harrogate Harriers provided the top female athlete, Davina Ellis, who finished the mixed terrain course in 32 mins 11 seconds.

The men’s race was won by Mark Holden, of Dewsbury Road Runners, who blitzed around in 28 mins 27 seconds.

Gareth Somerville, of Harrogate Harriers, was the second male and Jack Brierley, of Nidd Valley Road Runners, was third.

The race, organised annually by Knaresborough Striders since 2016, started and finished at Knaresborough Cricket Club. A total of 217 runners took part.

Read more:

• New photos show Knaresborough’s £17m leisure centre shaping up
• Knaresborough councillors reject call to prevent second BID vote

Female champion Davina Ellis

Men’s winner Mark Houlden

Photographer Paul Oldham captured this stunning shot of the Northern Lights over Ripon last night.

Mr Oldham took the image at How Hill at about 2.30am last night.

The Milky Way is also visible in the top left too.

Mr Oldham, who specialises in photographing nature and landscapes in Ripon and the Yorkshire Dales, has taken plenty of outstanding photos before.

But he described last night as “definitely the best photography night of my life”.

The Northern Lights have been visible over England recently. Caused by activity on the surface of the sun, they create a natural light display of green and red.

Read more:

• Sneak peek: Ripon’s newest hospitality venue opens today
• Council to seek costs for replacement ‘Welcome to Ripon’ signs