Nidderdale Showground will host a new charity fundraiser for Cure Parkinson’s later this month.
The event is being organised by Melanie Mawer, a retired grandmother of three and Nidderdale resident.
The fundraiser includes an obstacle course, food stalls, animal petting and Morris dancing.
The day will also include a series of races hosted by Nidderdale Fell & Trail, with routes through woodland and open moorland.
There’s promised to be a 10k trail run, a 2k kids run and a 3k Canicross. Canicross is an increasingly popular sport involving doing cross country running with dogs.
The fundraiser is aiming to raise money for Cure Parkinson’s, a charity looking to slow, stop or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s.
Melanie, the organiser, has had experience with the condition. Both her late father suffering from it, and her running partner being recently diagnosed.
While working as a nurse and a carer, she also saw her fair share of cases in the community.
She said:
“This is the first fundraiser I’ve organised in my life, and I didn’t think it was going to be this big!”
“I’m just hoping we can make some money for Cure Parkinson’s… I just didn’t realise that so much is done on computers, and there’s so much admin to look after! I’ve learnt a lot though!”
Helen Matthew, Cure Parkinson’s deputy CEO, added:
“Fundraising support is absolutely critical for the charity to enable us to achieve our goal. We aim to cure Parkinson’s and the only way we will do this is through the help of all our incredible supporters – it’s as simple as that!”
The event will be held on June 25, from 8:30 to mid-late afternoon. Melanie is also running a JustGiving Page alongside the event, which can be found at here.
Entry to the event is free with a small fee to compete in the races. Registration for the races is at 8:30am with the first race starting at 10. More information on the races and prebooking can be found here.
There is no need to prebook to attend the wider event or things on offer.
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The Harrogate high sheriff with a dash of colour
In April, King Charles III appointed Harrogate artist Clare Granger as High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.
The high sheriff — a role which dates back over 1,000 years — represents the monarch in matters relating to law and order.
It may seem incongruous that an artist with a studio in High Birstwith is rubbing shoulders with barristers and judges on behalf of the king.
But Ms Granger is well qualified for the role: she studied law at Cambridge University and briefly worked as a lawyer before swapping legal briefs for paint brushes and forging a successful career as an artist, with annual shows in London.
Her son and daughter-in-law are barristers so “the law has never really left me”, as she puts it.
Art and law may appear unlikely bedfellows but Ms Granger brings a stamp of colour and style to the role.
Among her aims is to use the 12-month appointment to promote art as therapy for offenders. The role also involves representing the voluntary sector and emergency services, and she has revamped a Dragon’s Den-style contest run by Two Ridings Community Foundation by getting charities bidding for funding to submit photographs illustrating what they do. She says:
“Art is a therapeutic tool. It’s such a joyful thing to do. It makes people feel really happy.”
Ms Granger says she’s “more or less” retired from portraits and is focusing more on the use of colour in her art, which she works on from 9am to 5pm at her home studio. She says:
“I love colour. I’m enjoying the freedom of painting whatever I like and if someone likes it they buy it.”
But ironically, being high sheriff has left little time for painting. The role comes with few essential engagements but Ms Granger has thrown herself so enthusiastically into the role, clocking up hundreds of miles each week to attend engagements in North Yorkshire, she has barely any time left.
The day before our interview, she visited the coroner’s office in Northallerton. After our early morning interview she was due to drive to Scarborough for a lunch and then participate in a 10 kilometre evening walk in York.
Tomorrow featured a community event in Birstwith, followed the day after by a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance in Nostell and the day after that she was due to attend a rewilding event in Sharow and another community event.
That took her to the weekend, where her engagements included the Harrogate Army Foundation College parade through Harrogate town centre, a golden wedding and a trip to an Open Studios art event.
With Mark Dowie, chief executive of RNLI
The size of North Yorkshire doesn’t make life easy.
Moreover, the role isn’t paid: she self-funds her trips and even hosted a big coronation garden party at her own expense in a marquee that had already been erected for her son’s wedding.
She doubts whether anyone could combine being high sheriff with a full-time job.
“You don’t have to take a year off to do it but it does compromise you.”
The high sheriff has no formal powers but the invitations have piled up. Why does she think this is?
“The value of saying ‘thank-you’ is huge. People appreciate someone coming and listening to their concerns. I don’t have any powers but I have conversations and can bring people together.”
Ms Granger is a big supporter of the police and is putting particular emphasis on supporting them as part of her role. She says:
“All of us expect the police to be there when push comes to shove yet we are constantly knocking them and if we are not careful nobody will want to do the job.”
With Lady Justice King in York when she accepted the role.
For all the robes of office and archaic traditions, Ms Granger brings a warmth that is often lacking to the legal world. Her name will join a long list of high sheriffs at York Crown Court.
But although she has a lot of respect for the legal profession, she doesn’t take long to respond when asked if she regrets giving it up to become an artist:
“Not one single jot! I love the fact that law is still in my life but I’m relieved not to have to do it myself. Perhaps I wasn’t a solicitor long enough to enjoy it but I think I’d find it boring.”
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New photo of missing Sophie as concerns grow for Harrogate woman
North Yorkshire Police has today issued a fresh photo of missing Harrogate woman Sophie Lambert, as concerns for her welfare grow.
Sophie, 22, was reported missing from her home in Starbeck at 10.10pm on Friday. She was last seen by her family at 7.20pm before she left the house.
Police issued an urgent appeal for help yesterday by asking anyone with information or possible sightings to get in touch. They said a search and rescue team was taking part in an extensive operation to find her in the Nidd Gorge area.
Police said today concerns were growing for Sophie’s welfare and issued a more recent photo and updated description.
Sophie Lambert
A statement said:
“Sophie is described as white, 5ft 3in, aged in her early 20s, slim build, with long dark brown hair that is possibly plaited or wavy.
“She has a distinctive scar on her forehead which is likely to be noticeable.
“It is unknown what clothing she has on, but her family said she tends to wear jogging bottoms and has dark green Adidas trainers with a white sole.
“If you have seen a woman matching Sophie’s description or photograph, please call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999 quoting reference 12230110845.”
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Police issue urgent appeal to find missing Harrogate woman
North Yorkshire Police has issued an urgent appealing for help finding a missing woman from Harrogate.
Sophie Rebecca Lambert, 22, was reported missing from her home in Starbeck at 10.10pm last night.
Sophie was last seen by her family at 7.20pm before she left the house.
A police statement this afternoon said:
“Concerns are growing for her welfare and extensive police searches are currently taking place in the Nidd Gorge area with assistance from search and rescue.”
Sophie went missing last night.
Sophie is described as white, aged in her early 20s, with long dark brown hair that is possibly plaited or wavy.
She has a distinctive scar on her forehead which is likely to be noticeable.
It is unknown what clothing she has on, but her family said she tends to wear jogging bottoms.
Police urged anyone who has seen a woman matching Sophie’s description or photograph to call North Yorkshire Police immediately on 999 quoting reference 12230110845.
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Starbeck stages its community day
Starbeck Community Day took place today to raise money for the annual Christmas lights appeal.
The free event, at Harrogate Railway AFC on Station View, included a range of stalls as well as a drinks bar.
There were also donkey rides and live performances from groups including Starbeck Dancing for Wellbeing.
The day also saw the crowning of the annual Starbeck community king and queen. The honours went to Ted Carman, 9, and Celeste Reid, 9.
(from left) Last year’s queen Kya-Mae Goodwin, 11 new queen Celeste Reid and new king Ted Carman.
It is one of four events held each year to raise funds for Starbeck Christmas Lights Appeal.
There is also an Easter fun day, a craft fair and nearly new sale and a Christmas fayre.
Organiser Chrissie Holmes said:
“We have to raise £8,000 a year to keep the lights going. They really brighten up Starbeck and the children love to see them walking to and from school on dark nights.”
Visitors could learn about the plans for Knaresborough Forest Park.
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School creates new mosaics with help from Harrogate charity
Four new mosaics have been installed outside a school in Harrogate thanks to a partnership with a local charity.
Artizan‘s members have created the mosaics to highlight Oatlands Junior School‘s values of equality and diversity, curiosity, and safety.
They have been placed around the school, with a fourth mosaic outside the arts studio designed to inspire imagination, creativity and exploration.
The four artworks were created children from the school and members of Artizan together, which benefitted both groups.
Hannah Alderson, the school’s art and design technology lead, said:
“This incredible project gave differently able mosaic artists the opportunity to become the trainer; showing children how to mosaic, which of course is a powerful situation for them both to experience.
“[It was] empowering for members of Artizan and a transformation of attitude for the children, seeing people with disabilities in a different light as confident and creative skilled artists.”
For more information about how Artizan can work with local schools, email Liz Cluderay.
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Harrogate sixth formers ‘twin’ toilet with Malawi school
A toilet in a Harrogate school has been twinned with one in Malawi thanks to an international project.
Rosset School sixth form has raised enough money to build a toilet block in a school in the African country, with support from Soroptimist International of Harrogate and District.
The toilet twinning scheme aims to increase access to safe facilities around the world, delivering better sanitation and improved quality of life. At Rossett, £240 was raised to sponsor the toilet block in Malawi.
Roger Keyworth, head of sixth form at the school, said:
“We would like to thank Harrogate & District Soroptimists for supporting our students with this initiative and for their partnership with our students and the wider sixth form throughout the year. I am very pleased that we were able to raise some money for this great cause.”
Sandra Frier, on behalf of Soroptimist International of Harrogate, said:
“We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Rossett School on the Sharing our Skills project and to have had the opportunity to work with the students throughout the year, supporting them to raise funds for Toilet Twinning.”
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Local democracy in North Yorkshire ‘destroyed’ by devolution, says peer
Devolution in North Yorkshire has made local government an “incoherent mess” and “destroyed” democracy, a Liberal Democrat peer has claimed.
Harrogate Borough Council was one of seven district authorities, along with North Yorkshire County Council, abolished on March 31 to pave the way for the new North Yorkshire Council.
The single-tier system has vastly reduced the number of councillors in North Yorkshire from almost 400 to 90.
A combined authority for York and North Yorkshire is due to be created next year, led by an elected mayor, as part of the UK government’s devolution agenda.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire said in a speech in the House of Lords on Thursday the structure of local government across England was now “an incoherent mess” and accused the government of “imposing mayors on places that did not want them”.
He added:
“I find what has happened recently in North Yorkshire the most appalling, and when I heard someone assure me that no councillor in North Yorkshire would need more than two hours to drive from the ward they represent to council meetings, it showed me just how far we have gone.
“Decent places such as Harrogate, Scarborough, Richmond and Craven, which had working district authorities and which represented real places, have been dismantled and they are now trying to set up very large town councils for them.
“We have the prospect of a mayor, somehow, for North Yorkshire and, incidentally, one for East Yorkshire. That is the effective destruction of local government and I really do not understand the rationale for it.”
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He contrasted the situation with Fenland District Council, where councillors represented far fewer people, and therefore had more time to deal with their issues.
Lord Saltaire said:
“After the next election, a reform of the way in which the governance of England is conducted at all levels is a vital part of what any new government must be. If we want to regain trust in politics and re-engage some of our citizens more, that is part of how we do it.
“Let us all recognise that we face a situation of deep popular disengagement and disillusionment with the democratic politics we have in this country.”
Old system ‘confusing and expensive’
Carl Les
Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, described the old two-tier system as “confusing, inefficient and expensive”. He added:
“Over half of the country is governed by unitary local government now. Where Lord Saltaire lives has been unitary for years.
“Yes, we no longer have 390 local councillors. Some might say that’s a good thing.”
Cllr Les said the council’s plans for “double devolution”, whereby powers would be handed down to local level, would ensure it was “not only the largest geographic council in the country but also the most local as well”.
Knaresborough’s king of the bed race celebrates win number 12
For most people, the Great Knaresborough Bed Race is all about fun and supporting good causes.
But for some, it’s also a highly competitive 2.4-mile mad dash across town and river while pushing a bed.
The elite teams train hard for the glory of arriving back at Conyngham House first and it’s doubtful whether anyone has had more success in the event’s 57-year history than Chris Miller, 41, who led the GH Brooks team to victory in 13 minutes and five seconds last week.
It was Chris’ 12th success in the race since he first took part in 2003, making him the Novak Djokovic of the bed race. He chalked up nine wins with Harrogate Harriers before having a break and landing three more with GH Brooks.
The GH Brooks team leading with Chris (left)
The GH Brooks team is on a four-race winning streak. Its reserve team even managed third, with Ripon Runners second in the men’s race and first in the women’s.
GH Brooks is a builders’ merchants in Harrogate and although the name conjures up images of guys in high vis jackets with jeans hanging down their backsides beating a load of runners, the truth is more prosaic.
They are the Harlem Globetrotters of the bed race — local running superstars hand-picked for the event thanks to the support of GH Brooks owner Andy Broadwith. Chris confesses:
“We are a team of ringers. We are all mates who race for local clubs.”
Chris represents Wharfedale Harriers, others run for Harrogate Harriers and Leeds City Athletic Club. But nothing on the track or fell compares with the bedlam of bed race, where tens of thousands of people line the midsummer streets.
Running for Wharfedale
He says:
“It’s just mad. When you come by the World’s End pub you are just hit by this wall of noise.”
Elite local runners are queueing up to be part of the GH Brooks success story but Chris, who by day is a scientist, is understandably reluctant to break up a winning team. John Young, with six race wins, is another major part of the success.
Don’t even think of applying if you can’t manage a five-minute mile — and not many can. To maintain that pace while pushing a bed up winding, undulating streets and swimming across the Nidd is extraordinary.
“You have to be a competitive standard because you’re only as fast as your slowest runner. You’ve got to be prepared to be hurt and then hurt again.
“Experience helps but it’s down to having six runners who are all of a similar standard.”
This year’s time was six seconds slower than last year, when GH Brooks became the first to dip below 13 minutes.
But Chris says it was the “hottest and hardest” bed race he’s done.
Winning with Harrogate Harriers
How long will he continue? A couple of years, he says, but admits bed race is addictive. He will send out the call after Christmas to see who wants to enter and doesn’t expect many refusals. He says:
“People say afterwards ‘I think this will be my last one’ but when it rolls round they want to do it again. There’s nothing like it.”
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Watch: Lime tree on Stray in Harrogate being felled
Four trees on the Stray in Harrogate are to be felled by North Yorkshire Council.
The trees, close to Beech Grove, are deemed to be in poor condition and pose a safety risk due to their proximity to the road.
Resident Chris Graville sent us this video of one of the trees being cut down.
Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways at the council, said:
“This lime tree is one of four along Beech Grove on the Stray which are in poor condition and are to be removed as they are deemed high risk due to their position next to the road.
“This work is in line with the national tree and woodland policy which ensures two trees are planted to replace every one cut down.
“This means we are sustaining and increasing the number of trees across the county.”
North Yorkshire Council took over responsibility for managing the Stray on April 1, when Harrogate Borough Council was abolished.
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