In an era when back street bike shops are being replaced by high performance showrooms, a Harrogate charity keeps cycling affordable.

Resurrection Bikes was set up nine years ago by John Rowe, a cycling enthusiast who still leads the venture.

The basic idea remains the same: people donate bikes, which are resurrected back to life and sold in good condition for about half the price of a similar new model.

For people who enjoy cycling and don’t want to spend vast sums, Resurrection Bikes has been a godsend, particularly since the demise of Ace Cycles on King’s Road, which was one of the last old school bike shops.

Ace Cycles owner Tony — a legend in local bike repair circles — helped set up the organisation.

About 1,500 bikes are saved from the scrapyard and donated each year. Thirty volunteers restore and sell half at the charity’s workshop and the other half are given to the Margaret Carey Foundation, which runs bike maintenance workshops for young people at risk of crime.

The charity’s Harlow Terrace home

Mr Rowe started the venture almost by chance. His daughter needed to raise £7,000 for a charity gap year so he started fixing cycles to generate funds and “the bikes wouldn’t stop coming”.

He carried on to raise money for charity, supporting Harrogate charity Artizan International and local legend John Shackleton, who buys old ambulances, stocks them with aid and drives them to countries in need. Last year £53,000 was raised.

Overheads are minimal as Resurrection Bikes is based on Harlow Terrace, just off Cold Bath Road, on land donated by the adjoining Kairos Network Church.

The bikes for sale

People used to be able to turn up and browse the bikes but since covid viewings are arranged by appointment only. All bikes are listed on the charity’s website.

Many basic bikes cost between £50 and £150 but there are some higher end models too. Recent offers include a Cannondale Synapse full carbon road bike, worth about £3,000 new, offered for £1,500 and a never-used Brompton fold-up bike up for grabs at £1,000.

Mr Rowe isn’t aware of anywhere in North Yorkshire, besides one operation in York, that provides a similar service. Customers travel from as far as Manchester to buy bikes they’ve seen online.

Besides helping people cycle and raising money for charity, Resurrection Bikes also helps volunteers learn about bikes. Mr Rowe says:

“We are a kind of men’s shed. People join us for all the reasons they join a men’s shed. We are welcoming and fun.”

Few organisations have done more to promote cycling and the good news is Mr Rowe, a retired project manager, has no plans to stop. He says:

“I love it. We have fun in a workshop and I love playing with bikes. What could be better?”

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Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on Knaresborough next weekend for the annual bed race.

Ninety teams will tackle the 2.4-mile course, departing from Conyngham Hall in 10-second intervals from about 3pm.

Although the race is competitive, the day itself is about far more than a mad scamper through the streets of Knaresborough and the River Nidd.

First staged in 1966, it begins with teams gathering at Knaresborough Castle in the morning to be judged for the ‘Best Dressed Team’ award.

Whoever wins leads the parade from the castle to Conyngham Hall at 1pm. Each team is allowed up to 20 supporters to parade with them in fancy dress.

The course follows almost exactly the same route as that in 1966. Teams race along the Waterside, pass through Nidd Gorge, up the steep Castle Ings, around the cobbled stones of the marketplace, down the High Street and Bond End, and across High Bridge.

The 2.4-mile course is hilly and tough. Photograph: Charlotte Gale Photography

The last stretch is on the rough ground of McIntosh Park before the notorious 20-yard swim across the fast-flowing Nidd.

GH Brooks, winners of the 2022 men’s event will be back this year, but Welly Wheelies, the defending female champions, have not entered.

French TV coverage

A French TV company will be among those attending this year, as the bed race’s fame continues to spread.

Another first this year sees the race trialling chip technology.

Martin Brock, chairman of the bed race committee at Knaresborough Lions, which organises the event, said:

“Last year’s crowd was as big as we have seen for many years and with the weather forecast looking good, we are expecting another great day.”

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The sheer size of the event leads to road closures and travel problems. Mr Brock urged people to use the free park and ride service run by bus company Connexions at Manse Lane (Knaresborough Technology Park) and Grimbalds Crag (ALM retail park)

Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre will create a festival feel at BedFest, which begins at midday and includes music, food and drink on the bed race route.

Police have launched an investigation after trespassers broke into Harrogate Spring Water‘s headquarters last night.

A source told the Stray Ferret protesters attempted to enter the building on Harlow Moor Road and “antagonised staff”. They added those responsible wore GoPro cameras and flew a drone over the site.

However, nobody appears to have claimed responsibility for the incident and no footage has emerged.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said today:

“North Yorkshire Police were contacted yesterday evening to reports of people trespassing on a business premises on Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

“The incident had occurred prior to the report being made and an investigation is now underway.

“Anyone with any information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, select option 1 and ask for the Force Control Room. Please quote reference number 12230099981 when passing information.”

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A spokesperson for Harrogate Spring Water said:

“We cannot comment at this time since the incident is currently being looked into by police.

“We can confirm that no-one was injured during the incident and no damage has been made to the site.”

Harrogate Spring Water said in March it was “reviewing plans” to expand its bottling plant at its headquarters off Harlow Moor Road, in the Pinewoods.

The plans, which would involve felling trees in a public woodland planted by schoolchildren, have proved controversial.

It is not known whether yesterday’s incident was related to this.

The National Trust has introduced cattle to the moorland at Brimham Rocks in Nidderdale.

A herd of Belted Galloways will graze the vegetation from June to October as part of the site’s moorland management plan.

The trust said grazing will improve the moorland at Brimham as well as improving the habitat for ground nesting birds.

A fence has been erected around the cattle’s roaming area on the south and north moors. To maintain Brimham moorland as open access land, gates have been installed on public rights of way as well as on the most popular desire lines.

Natural heather moorland habitats are rarer than rainforest. According to the Moorland Association, 75% of the world’s remaining heather moorland is found in Britain and that habitat has been declining rapidly.

The moorland at Brimham has the distinction of being home to three local varieties: ling heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heath. Unattended bracken will damage the heather moorland beyond repair, according to the trust.

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Brimham Rocks

Alec Boyd, area ranger at Brimham Rocks said reintroducing cattle was “a very important step to improving the condition of the moor”, adding: 

“We are using cattle instead of sheep or horses because the cattle rips and pulls rather than nibbles at the vegetation.

“They also eat on the move, a little here and a little there, and are less selective than sheep or horses – they aren’t as choosy about what they eat. This helps create a varied age structure that will benefit other species that call moorland their home.”

Belted Galloways are hardy but placid, which means they are unlikely to be fazed by members of the public and their dogs.

A trust spokesperson said it acquired Brimham Rocks in 1970 and there has not been any grazing since then, but it is thought grazing took place prior to this.

Further information is available here.

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for help locating 32-year-old Dwaine Layton, who is wanted in connection with a serious assault.

The force said today Layton is believed to be in the Harrogate area.

It added:

“If you have any information which could help to locate Layton then please call 101 or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 08000 555 111.

“If you have an immediate sighting, then please dial 999.”

The reference number is 12230099771.

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Firefighters were called out shortly after 2am this morning when traffic cones were set on fire in Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service believes the fire was caused deliberately.

Its incident log said the Knaresborough crew was summoned to King James Road at 2.13am, adding:

“Knaresborough crew have dealt with traffic cones on fire in the open.

“Crew used buckets of water and the cause is believed to be deliberate.”

No further details have been released.

Four weeks of roadworks began last weekend on King James Road and York Place in Knaresborough to enable Northern Powergrid to install electricity cables.

The junction of the two roads is due to reopen on Monday with four-way temporary lights in place until the expected completion date of Tuesday, June 20.

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A bridge in a village near Harrogate closed suddenly yesterday after a crack appeared.

A two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge on the edge of Hampsthwaite. It is possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

The issue was reported yesterday on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook group and later that day the bridge was closed to traffic.

The closure was unannounced by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

The bridge between Hampsthwaite and Clint

A long crack has appeared

The bridge, on Church Lane, carries traffic between Hampsthwaite and Clint.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said:

“The bridge has been closed due to structural concerns. We will be assessing it today and will provide an update.”

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Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has said new laws will strengthen police powers to tackle crime associated with Travellers in Knaresborough this summer.

Appleby Horse Fair starts on Thursday next week in Cumbria and lasts until June 14.

The event has attracted illegal encampments in Knaresborough and Copgrove in previous years as people make their way to and from the event.

The encampments have also led to widespread concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Jones recently discussed the issue with fellow Conservative Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

He told the Stray Ferret the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 enabled police to “take quicker and more effective enforcement action where significant harm is happening” and criticised opposition parties for not supporting it.

Hay-a-Park in Knaresborough after an encampment two years ago.

Mr Jones added the broadening of existing powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 would also enable police to “ban trespassers from returning to land previously occupied and preventing them from occupying land that forms part of the highway”.

He said:

“These are all matters I have raised with the local police and the police, fire and crime commissioner to ensure that they are fully aware of the tools at their disposal for dealing with anti-social behaviour connected with traveller encampments.

“I am also keen that the council and the police share intelligence on traveller movements, particularly during the summer season of traveller fairs, so that private landowners can be given advice on how to secure their land if they are on the route to these fairs.

“I hope these new powers and continued coordination between the relevant authorities, landowners and residents can prevent anti-social behaviour that is associated with some of the encampments.”

But Mr Jones admitted it was “difficult to address all eventualities and I am sure incidents will still occur”, adding:

“The court process exists for those occasions and our local council has a good track record of using those processes to re-possess public land and can provide guidance to private landowners in that respect too.

“There are sites travellers can use in the district – in fact there are nine council-owned sites across North Yorkshire. The council needs to constantly review whether the number of sites is adequate.  It may be that the capacity is enough and the travellers are simply not using them. That is information the council will need to assess in its deliberations over whether the number of sites is adequate.”

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‘No specific actions’

Ms Metcalfe said she took “no specific actions” from her meeting with Mr Jones but said she expected all reports to be “investigated thoroughly”. She said:

“I am aware of community concerns surrounding traveller encampments in the run up to and during Appleby Fair, and I know the force are learning from previous years when incidents involving gypsies and travellers have taken place.   

“When meeting with MP Andrew Jones last month he raised no particular issues in relation to traveller encampments, and we spoke about this year’s Appleby Fair and the positive community messaging that had already been circulated by North Yorkshire Police regarding things such as road safety, for example drivers being aware of people travelling to the event and being careful when over taking horse and carts.   

“I took no specific actions from the meeting, only to encourage anyone who witnesses or experiences a crime to report it to the police via 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency. I will continue to scrutinise the force for their handling of calls and expect that all reports made over the duration of the event will be investigated thoroughly.”

A series of environmental activities are being held in Nidderdale as part of the Great Big Green Week, which runs from June 10 to 18.

The green week, which first started in 2021, encourages community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

Organised by the Climate Coalition, which includes organisations including the National Trust, WWF-UK and the RSPB, it sees tens of thousands of people take part in events ranging from litter picks to seaweed foraging to tackle climate change.

The activities in Nidderdale include a low impact lunch at Summerbridge Methodist Church, a biodiversity walk and talk at Bank Woods in Summerbridge, a community litter pick in Glasshouses

Make It Wild, Church in the Dale, Nidderdale Climate and Environment Group are among those organising the local events.

Details of these and other events being held during the green week are available here.

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London North Eastern Railway has revealed a new named and full liveried train as Pride celebrations get underway.

The Azuma train will call at more than 50 stations, including Harrogate.

Featuring eight LGBTQ+ flags, the train was revealed today to coincide with the start of Pride month.

Named ‘Together’, it celebrates LNER’s support of Pride activities as well as the company’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.

An LNER press release said the name “champions the unification of all communities which LNER is proud to support”.

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said:

“It’s a momentous occasion for everyone at LNER to be unveiling the first full liveried Azuma in celebration of Pride ahead of our summer of supporting Pride events on our route.”

LNER will be supporting Pride events in York, Edinburgh and London this month on the east coast route.

The flags included on the train are the intersex-inclusive progress pride flag, the transgender pride flag, the bisexual flag, the trans-inclusive gay men’s flag, the lesbian pride flag, the pansexual pride flag, the nonbinary pride flag and the asexual pride flag.

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