John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Harrogate woman who had stroke at 18 to run London marathon

A Harrogate woman who had a stroke when she was just 18 years old is running the London marathon to raise money to help others.

Millie Carrington was a healthy teenager when she suffered a stroke during a weekend job at a supermarket in Harrogate 10 years ago.

She had just finished A-levels at Harrogate Grammar School and did not imagine someone so young and healthy could be affected by such a serious condition. Millie said:

“I had many of the telltale signs – the right side of my face fell, I was weak down one side, I had issues speaking and understanding conversation.

“I vividly remember thinking to myself, ‘this feels like I’m having a stroke’. Yet due to my age, both those who witnessed it, as well as myself, didn’t think I was actually having a stroke. I instead put it down to a particularly bad migraine.

“It would take three more days of screaming headaches, trouble walking, problems speaking, writing and communicating, and constant sleeping before I went to a hospital where doctors diagnosed a blood clot in my brain. After many tests, they concluded that the cause was due to a previously undetected hole in my heart, which I later had surgery to close.”

Millie pictured a few months after her stroke.

Millie says she was “incredibly lucky” to make a full recovery after speech and occupational therapy, and heart surgery to fix the cause of the stroke.

In 2015 she and a friend hitchhiked from Edinburgh to Paris to raise money for the Stroke Association, which supports stroke survivors.

Now she is attempting to raise £2,000 for the same organisation by completing the 26-mile route through the capital on April 23. She also wants to reach out to young people.

She said:

“I especially want to use this opportunity to raise awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone, of any age. I was very lucky to recover in full, but this doesn’t happen for a lot of people.

“Seeking medical attention in the first three hours often means the person receives crucial medication that gives them the best chance of survival and recovery.”

Millie has already raised nearly half of her £2,000 target. You can support her charity run here.

Smoke inhalation killed woman in Harrogate house fire, inquest hears

A woman who lost her life in a Harrogate house fire died because of carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation, an inquest has heard.

Jayne Addyman, 54, died on January 7 last year at her home on Craven Street, which is close to King’s Road.

The inquest also heard alcohol intoxication was found to be a significant factor contributing to her death.

John Broadbridge, assistant coroner for North Yorkshire and York, concluded Ms Addyman died because of an accident.

The inquest was held on January 20 in Northallerton and Mr Broadbridge confirmed the details today to the Stray Ferret.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were called to Craven Street at 6.20am on Friday, January 7 last year.

Paramedics performed CPR but Ms Addyman was certified dead at the scene.

1,300-home Ripon housing scheme set to be approved

A scheme to build 1,300 homes on historic army barracks in Ripon looks set to be approved next week.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended its planning committee gives the scheme the go-ahead when it meets on Thursday.

If councillors vote to accept the recommendation, it will see Ripon’s population increase by almost 20%, with an estimated 3,000 people expected to occupy the new homes.

Building work is likely to continue until 2035 and 30% of homes would be deemed ‘affordable’.

The 85 hectare-scheme would also include a new primary school and sports pitches as well as shops, restaurants and offices that could support up to 678 jobs.

However, there are concern about the impact on health services, the road network and the loss of key sites of military history.

The report to councillors concludes:

“The proposed development will deliver a range of significant public benefits that demonstrate compliance with adopted policies and the aspirations of the Ripon Neighbourhood Plan.”

Payments for health and schools

Applicants the Secretary of State for Defence and Homes England, a non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England, which are behind the proposal, have agreed to pay a minimum of £907,267 for health care facilities as part of a section 106 agreement developers pay to fund infrastructure costs associated with their schemes.

The agreement would also see the developers pay £2.7 million for primary school education and £1.9 million for secondary school education.

A two-form primary school with a playing field would be built on the site.

A computer generated image of the proposed Ripon barracks site.

Development would take place on the sites of Claro Barracks, Laver Banks and Deverell Barracks, which played key roles in the First and Second World Wars.

The report acknowledges “strong concerns” over the demolition of Deverell Barracks, which according to the non-departmental public body Historic England contains buildings that make it ‘one of the best surviving WWII temporary standardised prefabricated sites’.

The report says the developers would ‘explore retention of these structures’ but adds there are ‘significant issues with their re-use’ due to the presence of asbestos and concludes there is no ‘certainty of retention’.

Part of the current site

The significance of two military bridges on Laver Banks became apparent recently following research by Ripon Military Heritage Group and the report says the applicants have “confirmed a commitment to keep on working together” with the group.

The report says the highways authority, North Yorkshire County Council, “considers there is no defensible reason to refuse the application on highway or transportation grounds” in the wake of proposed highways changes.

Business Breakfast: Award for Harrogate carer

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!

The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.

Karen Crampton, a live-in carer at Carefound Home Care in Harrogate, has received the home’s PLATO award for her work with dementia sufferers.

The PLATO award is named after the company’s values – personalised, local, accountable, together and outstanding.

Karen earned the award for helping people living with dementia to live safely at home.

Carla Hainsworth, registered brand manager at Carefound Home Care, said:

“Some of the examples of [Karen] going above and beyond as a live-in carer are amazing and her efforts have directly helped prevent her clients being admitted to hospital …”

“She’s taken clients on day trips to the seaside and to see their loved ones who live further away, held tea party celebrations and even applied for a platinum wedding anniversary surprise message from the King.”

Bill Plant Driving School wins national awards

Bill Plant Driving School, based in Ripon, has won two awards at the 2023 Intelligent Instructor Awards.

The organisation was named training provider of the year, as well as national driving school of the year at the UK-wide award-ceremony.

Bill Plant also took home the same awards in 2019 and 2020.

CEO Adam Pumfrey said:

“We are humbled to be recognised as not only the best national driving school for learner drivers, but also the best driving instructor training provider in the UK. For us, both of these awards go hand-in-hand”.

In the national driving school of the year category, Bill Plant overcame two of the biggest names in industry, Red and AA Driving School.

The company now has more than 820 instructors who have access to continuing professional development courses and a dedicated support team.

Mr Pumfrey said:

“Our driving instructor training academy, operated by a team of highly experienced trainers with a relentless focus on quality, has led to the development of a nationwide network of world-class driving instructors”.

Harrogate’s Otley Road cycleway has cost £2.2m so far

The Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate has cost £2,234,000 so far — almost triple the amount awarded to contractors to construct the first phase.

Hull civil engineering firm PBS Construction was awarded £827,000 in 2021 to build phase one from Harlow Moor Road to Cold Bath Road.

The much-criticised route opened in January last year but subsequent remedial work and design fees for phase two of the project — which has since been scrapped — increased the cost significantly.

The widening of the Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road junction was the main remedial work.

The figures are contained in a North Yorkshire County Council report, which raises questions over whether the council had sufficient funds to complete the second phase of the scheme.

Councillor Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, said phase two had been dropped because it lacked public support.

But the report reveals the council has just £565,000 remaining of the £4,275,000 it secured in 2018 from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund for measures that enabled development and business growth in west Harrogate

The funding and spending figures contained in the report are reproduced below.

Otley Road cycle way

According to the document, council officers received “multiple reports” about the design and construction of the cycleway from residents and groups such as Harrogate District Cycle Action after it opened. It adds:

“These were then reviewed with our design consultants WSP, and a list of remedial works have now been prepared.

“These remedial works were planned to be completed in the early part of 2023. However, in May 2022 the fibre optic network company City Fibre contacted North Yorkshire County Council with a request to install fibre optic cables down the full length of the newly constructed cycleway.

“We have negotiated with City Fibre to reinstate the full width of the cycleway at their expense. We will therefore carry out our outstanding remedial works once City Fibre have installed their apparatus.”

The report adds £60,000 of the remaining funds are expected to cover these remedial works.

The council has said it will come up with new traffic calming measures in the west of Harrogate to compensate for scrapping phase two of the scheme, which would have extended the cycleway from Cold Bath Road towards Beech Grove.

It still has aspirations to construct phase three out of town to Cardale Park at an unspecified time in the future.

North Yorkshire County Council’s highways area manager Melisa Burnham said:

“Although construction costs increased to £970,000 following completion, this was still within our anticipated budget. The increase was a result of additional design works and remedials found whilst on site.

“The remaining costs include design, feasibility, surveys and utility diversions required to deliver phase one and two of the cycleway, and the Harlow Moor Road junction improvement to date.”

New Look in Harrogate to close

New Look is to close its store in Harrogate’s Victoria Shopping Centre.

Signs have gone up in the window of the shop saying it will close on February 26.

The fashion retailer sells women’s clothing at its large Harrogate site, which is particularly popular with teenage girls.

A source at the store said customers and staff were “gutted and upset” at the news. They added that the company wanted to remain in Harrogate but finding a vacant store large enough had proved difficult.

The Stray Ferret understands about eight jobs are affected by the news. The nearest New Look shops are in Leeds and York.

A New Look spokesperson said:

“As part of the normal course of business, New Look occasionally closes sites, but also opens new stores when the right opportunities arise.

“Our most recent new openings were in November 2022 and we have plans for further openings in the first half of this year.”

The Stray Ferret contacted the Victoria Shopping Centre this morning for further details but was told it had no information to share on the matter.

The news comes less than two weeks after River Island closed its Harrogate store.

New Look, which was founded in 1969, has about 440 shops in the UK.

Harrogate district Greens call for opposition parties to co-operate more

The Harrogate and District Green Party has said last week’s Masham and Fountains by-election result highlighted the need for opposition parties to co-operate if they are to overcome the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister defeated Conservative candidate Brooke Hull in a two-horse race after the Greens decided not to stand.

The result reduced the Conservative majority on North Yorkshire County Council to two.

Shan Oakes, a member of the executive of Harrogate and District Green Party, said some Conservatives “knew that if a Green had stood, the opposition vote would have been split, potentially leading to a Tory win”.

Ms Oakes said the result confirmed the suspicion and vindicated the party’s decision, adding:

“The current national Conservative policy is extremely damaging, and the first-past-the-post voting system is stacked against more progressive parties in favour of the status quo.

“It is therefore imperative, despite naysayers, for progressive parties to work smarter to ensure their candidates can win so that we can break out of the terrifying downward spiral we are in.

“The Greens look carefully at each seat to decide how to get to the best outcome, for people and the environment , and we invite other parties to cooperate.”

The Stray Ferret asked the Liberal Democrats if it agreed the Greens’ decision not to contest Masham was a factor in its success and whether it would reciprocate by standing down in some seats to allow the Greens to go head-to-head against the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Matt Walker replied by saying the result showed people were angry and “now is the time for change”, adding:

“It is ultimately voters who decide who they put their faith in to deliver much needed change and the Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire will not take that for granted.”

Tree planted at Starbeck care home as covid living memorial

A tree has been planted at a care home in Starbeck as a living memorial to those who suffered or lost their lives to covid.

The tree, which is one of eight making up a new North Yorkshire tree trail, was planted on Monday at county council-run care home, Station View, by Councillor Michael Harrison, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for health and adult services.

The tree in Starbeck was the fourth of eight being planted by the council as part of its tree trail.

It follows planting ceremonies at County Hall in Northallerton, the Meadowfields Extra Care housing scheme in Thirsk, and the Fernbank Court Extra Care scheme in Selby.

Further ceremonies will be held at the county council’s Aireville Nurseries in Skipton, Sycamore Hall in Bainbridge, as well as Scarborough’s Cedear Court Extra Care complex and Deansfield Court Extra Care in Norton, Malton.

Cllr Harrison said:

“The covid-19 pandemic had tragic consequences for many people in North Yorkshire and it is important that we remember that loss, while also recognising the efforts of many people who worked to keep people safe.

“This tree trail will provide a permanent living memorial where local residents will be able to reflect on their experiences, if they so wish, and also to act as reminder of the way our communities pulled together to help each other.”

According to the latest data from the government, more than 1,700 people have lost their lives linked to the covid pandemic in North Yorkshire.

Business Breakfast: More senior promotions at Raworths

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. You can purchase tickets here.

Raworths solicitors in Harrogate has announced the promotion of Adam Colville-Robins to an associate in the Dispute Resolution team.

The new role will see Adam continue his work for commercial and private clients on cases involving property or contractual disputes, as well as debt recovery.

Adam’s appointment is the latest in a series of senior promotions over the past year overseen by managing partner, Simon Morris.

Mr Morris said:

“We are committed to nurturing talent across the firm at every level, from working with our trainee solicitors to complete their qualifications to supporting senior team members develop specialist knowledge in their chosen fields.

“In addition to providing legal training and support to its staff, Raworth’s has also trained three of its employees to become ‘mental health first aiders.”

Deborah Boylan, Raworths’ people partner, said:

“It’s a challenging recruitment market and candidates are now looking beyond salaries and client portfolios; it’s also about workplace culture and a supportive environment.”

Bettys supports Brain Tumour Charity

The Bettys Bakery and Cookery School is raising money for Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC), which marks 20 years of supporting patients and carers in March.

The decision to support the charity comes after Bettys employee, Dave Smith, was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma.

Dave and colleague on walking challenge to raise money

Dave’s colleagues at the cookery school have raised more than £7,000 for YBTC since November, with a target to raise £20,000 by the end of the year.

The £20,000 goal commemorates both the charity’s 20th birthday and the 20 years Dave has worked for Betty’s.

During Brain Tumour Awareness Month, which coincides with the charity’s birthday in March, YBTC will encourage supporters to wear flat caps and meet for a pint or a cuppa as part of their Flat Cap Brew campaign.

Bettys will be hosting their own Flat Cap Brew in the bakery, and running a ‘wear your best hat’ photo competition.

Marie Peacock, CEO of YBTC said:

“We want everyone to get together for a Flat Cap Brew that is bigger, better and more ‘Yorkshire’ than ever to help us celebrate 20 years of funding research and support for patients and families.”

Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens to get £21,000 makeover and new name

Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens is set to be re-landscaped and re-named The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden.

Harrogate Borough Council wants to spend £21,000 redesigning the space so it can hold more events.

Three yew trees and rose and shrub beds would be relocated as part of the scheme. Commemorative plaques within the rose beds would also be moved to new beds on the site.

A report by Kirsty Stewart, the council’s parks and grounds maintenance manager, said work “will need to be undertaken to return the grounds to their current state” after Crescent Gardens hosted an ice rink and funfair in December and January.

The report adds:

“We would like to take the opportunity to upgrade the area to enable better accommodation of future events with less disruption to the planting in this area.”

It added a three-year licence for the Christmas ice rink and funfair on the site “will generate a minimum income of £37,500 per year… with some of this being available to be reinvested in the space to make necessary changes and improvements”.

The area will be re-landscaped so it can host more events.

The council, which will be abolished at the end of next month, announced yesterday it had renamed its leisure centres in Pateley Bridge, Harrogate and Knaresborough. Now it intends to rename the land outside its former municipal offices.

It plans to create a new central rose bed across the whole of the sloped area and install a metal arch/tunnel adorned with climbing roses across the main footpath leading to the central structure.

The report, which will be discussed by councillors on Tuesday next week, puts the cost of the work at £21,000 but added “pricing is subject to change depending on the increase in steel/materials costs over the next few months”.

Engagement with plaque owners will be undertaken “where possible before works commence”, it adds.

Crescent Gardens was last redesigned following the 1990 Gateshead Garden Festival, when the central glass structure erected.

Over the last 10 to 15 years, it has hosted the Spiegeltent, organised by Harrogate International Festivals, the mayor’s carol concert, church events, and more recently artisan markets and the ice rink and fun fair.

Councillors will also discuss plans to refurbish Bebra Gardens in Knaresborough and the paddling pools in Ripon at the same meeting next week.

However, a report outlining the details of these schemes has been classified as exempt from the public.

Read more:

Read more:

Payments for health and schools

Read more:

Read More

Bill Plant Driving School wins national awards

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read More:

Read more:

Bettys supports Brain Tumour Charity

Read more: