Harrogate and Ripon libraries are hosting an exhibition which encourages people to discover the history of their past or present homes.

The House History exhibition was created by North Yorkshire Council’s county record office, which has resources dating back 700 years. It includes details of resources residents can use to investigate the history of their home.

The records can help to pinpoint changes in ownership, former occupants, how the land has been used and the history of the wider area.

The touring exhibition is currently on display at Harrogate Library until June 3. It will then be at Ripon Library from June 12 to 30.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for libraries, said:

“The exhibition proved very popular when it was on display in the record office at the end of last year, so we are delighted to be able to share it with library-goers.

“The touring exhibition includes a range of material from historic maps, architectural drawings and old photographs to historic property deeds and electoral registers.

“Every home has its own unique history so we hope you can use your own detective skills to embark on a fascinating and rewarding journey into your home’s history.”

The touring exhibition is not about exploring the history of a specific house but guiding people to learn about their own home. It can be a complex study and which of the record office’s resources will be relevant depends on the age and location of the house.

To delve into the history of your home, visitors can use the resources in the county record office search room at Northallerton. where they will have free access to online resources such as census records.

An online guide is available here.

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Early plans have been revealed to create a visitor centre and events space in Harrogate.

The venue would be created by transforming West Park United Reformed Church, which overlooks the Stray on West Park.

Harrogate District Improvement Trust is holding a meeting at Hotel du Vin on June 13 to discuss the proposal.

West Park United Reformed Church

The trust, which was set up to promote improvements in Harrogate, said in an email announcing the meeting it was “an opportunity to create a major attraction  for Harrogate”, adding:

“The West Park United Reformed Church building is too large for its current congregation but has potential to house a visitor centre showcasing Harrogate’s spa history, as well as a large events space.

“Plans are at a very early stage but include the creation of a community arts and heritage centre.

“We would really appreciate the chance to present our vision to you and gather your feedback. “

The email urged those unable to attend to get in touch so look around the building and meet with trustees to find out more.

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A sheep’s throat was badly injured when it was attacked by a dog near Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police last night issued an appeal for witnesses to the incident, which is the latest occurrence of sheep worrying in the district.

It happened at Stainburn between midday on Saturday May 13 and 9am on Sunday May 14.

Police said in a statement:

“A sheep was chased which resulted in a nasty injury to its throat.

“Officers from our rural task force are now requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

“In particular, officers are appealing for information from anyone that might have been in the area at the time and witnessed the incident.”

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Anyone with information can email david.mackay@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101, select option 2, and ask for David Mackay.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12230086282.

North Yorkshire Council has revealed plans to open a school for autistic children on the site of the former Woodfield Community Primary School.

The school in Bilton closed at the end of last year and has been empty since.

A council report prepared for a meeting next week recommends consulting on plans to re-open the school in September next year.

The school would cater for up to 80 students with autism aged 11 to 19. A total of £3.5 million would be spent on upgrading the site.

The report says there is “no short to medium-term need to re-establish additional mainstream places in Woodfield” but the number of young people with identified SEND and an EHCP has increased by over 110% in North Yorkshire since 2016.  It adds:

“The site at Woodfield offers the opportunity to create this provision and give this group of children access to suitable peer groups and academic challenge in order to reach their aspirations.

“This would provide children and families with a more local offer of provision than is currently unavailable without significant travel.

“The planning assumption is that the new provision would ultimately operate with a capacity of around 80 pupils and would serve an age range of 11 to 19.”

The report adds there will be “no changes” to the community library and children’s centre on the same site.

Councillors will vote next week on whether to accept the recommendation and begin consulting on the plans.

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A man who grew up in Knaresborough was among the winners at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards, which honour the best in British songwriting and screen composition.

Composer and voice actor Grant Kirkhope was named alongside the likes of Harry Styles, Raye, Florence Welch and Sault as winners at London’s Grosvenor House,

Mr Kirkhope, Gareth Coker and Yoko Shimomura won best original video game score for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.

The former local band member has created the soundtrack for video games that have sold in excess of 40 million copies.

He now lives in Los Angeles and has worked on major video game productions including Golden Eye 007 and Donkey Kong 64. But his formative years were in Knaresborough, where he lived from the ages of five to 33 and attended King James’s School.

Grant Kirkhope in his Knaresborough days

He talked to the Stray Ferret about his North Yorkshire upbringing and winning an Ivor Novello. He said:

“My music teacher at King James’s was Mr David Turmeau, who was an absolute legend and saw something in me that I didn’t.

“I didn’t work for any local firms as I played in bands from the age of 22 —  after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music in 1984 — to 32.”

Back in his band days

Mr Kirkhope enjoyed a successful music career before working on video games. He says:

“I played for York band Zoot and the Roots, who were a pretty big live band playing all over the country and Europe. Then later I played for Scarborough band, Little Angels.

“Little Angels had a number one album in the UK and did a lot of headline tours there. We also played as the opening act for Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Bryan Adams and ZZ Top, those tours were gigantic, playing arena shows to 70,000–90,000 people.

“I moved down to Ashby-de-la-Zouch to work at the video games’ company Rare Ltd in 1995, I still came back regularly as my mum was still there. I married my wife Suzanne in 2000 and she’s from Whitby.”

Mr Kirkhope’s brother Gary lives in Starbeck and he travels back to the UK each year to catch up with family.

Mr Kirkhope now lives in Los Angeles

He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a BAFTA, but last week’s Ivor Novello topped the lot. He says:

“I’m still on Cloud 9 really, there’s something very different about the Ivor Novello Awards compared to other awards.

“It’s very much about the actual art of song writing/composing. The panels who do the judging take a long time over it and really go over the music note by note.

“The ceremony itself is closed doors so the acceptance speeches are very personal, you really feel like it’s a room full of like-minded people who really want to hear about your experience as a composer/song writer.

“I don’t think I understood how prestigious it was until I got there, I don’t think I’m ever going to get over this one, it really is the highlight of my career so far!”

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Harrogate’s first Polish Heritage Day took place at Harrogate High School on Sunday.

Open to people from all backgrounds, it promoted integration and raised funds for the Polish Saturday School, which meets every two weeks at the high school.

Anna Chojnowska and Katarzyna Gorczak from the Saturday school led on organising the event.

The day began with a Poland vs England football. match, which the English team won 3-2, and included numerous stalls and activities showcasing Polish life.

Aleksandra Timberlake, a teacher at the Polish school, said there are an estimated 2,000 people of Polish descent in the Harrogate area and four Polish shops.

Ms Timberlake said:

“The event was an absolute blast. We couldn’t ask for a better result.

“Everyone had a fantastic time, from all the great independent businesses, that were there, to lots and lots of lovely people, who came round for a bit of fun.

“We managed to raise great amount of money, that will help us run our Polish Saturday School. As a charity every little help goes a long way.”

Here are some photos from the day.

There was a display of some classic Polish cars.

The Poland vs England football teams

(left to right) Kasia Gorczak, Magda Blazewska and Emilie Beles selling treats

Paintball was among the attractions

Patryk Gowin, vice-consul at the Polish consulate in Manchester, visited

There was no shortage of delicious food.

Traditional Krakow costumes

The event took place at Harrogate High School.

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Ripon firm Econ Engineering is launching its first electric gritter at a trade show in Harrogate today.

The Electric Quick Change Body has a demountable bodywork, which enables the vehicle to switch from gritting to tipping in 15 minutes.

Econ’s research and development team worked with Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland and truck dealer Crossroads to create the prototype, which is built on a 19-tonne Volvo FE Electric 4×2 chassis.

Jonathan Lupton, managing director at Econ, which is the UK’s leading manufacturer of winter maintenance and highways vehicles, said:

“We have spent a long time developing the new E-QCB, undertaking comprehensive redesigns and trialling it, to ensure that we can offer a fully electric solution for our customers that can be used all-year round.

“The vehicle operates best in urban environments, where daily mileage is typically less than some longer distance motorways or rural routes.

“As it is easy to switch body types with this model, customers can benefit from operating the vehicle all year-round.”

Econ supplies gritters to many local authorities, which are increasingly demanding green vehicles to meet zero-emission targets.

The gritter will be unveiled today on the Econ stand at the two-day winter highway maintenance conference Cold Comfort 2023 at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Christian Coolsaet, managing director of Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, said:

“Every part of the transport sector needs to have its sights set on achieving net zero, and gritting and snowploughing is no exception.

“The team at Econ has developed an exceptional new product with our FE Electric chassis at its heart; this is going to allow gritter fleets to reap the benefits of operating cleaner, quieter and more efficient trucks.”

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A Harrogate florist has won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

Helen James Flowers was one of three gold medallists in the floristry and floral design awards category.

The florist, which has a shop on Station Parade, was selected for its lamppost design ‘On the verge’, which was inspired by recent planting projects on areas of wasteland.

Helen Pannitt, of Helen James Flowers, with her prize-winning blooms.

It shows how mini wildlife havens can be created to counteract the impact of human life on the environment.

The display contains hundreds of water filled test tubes attached to a hand made trellis, and the base materials were arranged on metal pin-holders — a process that took many hours.

The result was a colourful and seasonal display incorporating flowers such as eremurus, dahlias and ranunculus.

Helen James Flowers’ shop is closed until May 30 due to the team being at Chelsea.

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A Harrogate councillor has outlined plans to open a train station at Claro Road.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, said the station would service up to 700 commuters daily and remove thousands of car journeys on Skipton Road each week.

Besides the environmental benefits, Cllr Haslam said it would also bring economic and social benefits to the relatively deprived Bilton and Woodfield area.

The train line at Bilton

He said the station, which would be situated somewhere near the iron bridge that links Claro and Bilton, should be accompanied by cycle storage and a small supermarket.

With the new North Yorkshire Council unlikely to be able to fund such a major scheme, Cllr Haslam suggested it could apply to the UK government for funding from a public transport decarbonisation programme or an economic development grant.

Cllr Paul Haslam

He likened it to the Harrogate Station Gateway, which is being funded with £10.6 million from a Department for Transport active travel scheme.

Cllr Haslam acknowledged the scheme was more of a “vision rather than a mapped out idea” but added:

“This simple intervention could bring massive benefits to the area both economic and wellbeing, improve local public transport, as well as do a great deal towards modal shift from car to train and reduce the volume of traffic especially on Skipton road and the A61 to Leeds.

“To me it’s a no-brainer. A lot of people who live in the Claro, Bilton and Woodfield area work in Leeds. Wouldn’t it make their lives better if they could get there by train?”

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He added the station would link to the Nidderdale greenway, which would encourage cycling and walking, boost the nearby business park and benefit two nearby schools — Harrogate High School and St Robert’s Catholic Primary School.

Cllr Haslam added:

“I have already approached a provider of supermarkets about putting a small supermarket alongside and they are keen – there are no shops on Claro Road so anyone living there has to travel onto Skipton Road to access a food shop.”

Cllr Haslam was appointed as North Yorkshire climate champion last week.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Harrogate has raised more than £4,000 for local suicide prevention charity The Jordan Legacy.

Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self Defence organised a fundraising day in memory of former student Alastair McKenzie, who took his life last year.

Those attending were invited to make donations to attend workshops by guest black belt instructors.

There was also a bake sale and a sale of second hand BJJ kit, and Steve Phillip, founder and director of The Jordan Legacy, gave a talk.

The event supported The Jordan Legacy because Alastair’s widow Tina has been working with the not-for-profit organisation, which aims to reduce suicides by providing support. It easily surpassed the £1,500 fundraising target.

Head instructor Lewis Matthews said the day aimed to bring people together and show the importance of having a team around you as well as raise money in memory of Alastair.

It is running a free women’s self-defence workshop on Sunday, June 25.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu combines grappling and ground work to control and restrain opponents, making it a perfect fit for self defence.

Registration for the two-hour workshop, which is expected to be followed by more similar events this year, is available here.