Free weekday parking is being introduced in Harrogate’s Victoria Car Park this week until early January to attract Christmas shoppers.
Harrogate Business Improvement District is funding the initiative as part of its mission to drive town centre footfall.
From this week until Thursday, January 5 — free parking will be available between 3pm and 7.30pm in the Victoria Car Park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The ‘free after three’ campaign encourages town centre visitors on quieter days of the week, helping Harrogate’s retail, hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:
“Once again, we are delivering on our pledge to retailers to provide free parking in the town centre during the run up to Christmas, which is traditionally one of the busiest periods in their calendar.
“And whereas in the two previous years ‘free after three’ has ended just before Christmas, I’m delighted to say that this time we are extending it right through to Thursday, January 5, which we know will be beneficial to both visitors and businesses.
“‘Free after Three’ is only available in Victoria Car Park, which has ample space. It links directly to Victoria Shopping Centre, giving easy access to the heart of the town centre and the wonderful shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues Harrogate is home to.”
The BID’s 2022 Christmas campaign also includes sponsoring the North Pole Post Office, the Candy Cane Express road train, the Father Christmas Experience, the Christmas Shop Window Competition, and the Christmas lights.
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Car turned into fireball at Flaxby
A car was turned into a fireball on the A59 near Flaxby today.
Knaresborough firefighters were summoned at 8.55am to the main road, which is close to the A1.
Knaresborough Fire Station said in a Facebook post:
“The police were already on scene providing scene safety. The fire was extinguished by two breathing apparatus wearers using two hose reel Jets.”
No further details are available.
Firefighters tackle the blaze. Pic: Knaresborough Fire Station
The car afterwards, Pic Knaresborough Fire Station
It was the first of two serious incidents in the Harrogate district today.
At 3.58pm, firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough responded to reports of a kitchen fire at a home on Rowan Close, Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log says:
“The female occupant was out of the property on arrival of crews.
“Two hose reel jets and four breathing apparatus were used to extinguish the fire and a positive pressure ventilation fan was used to ventilate the property.”
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Controversial 21-house scheme in Markington to be discussed tonight
Controversial plans to build 21 homes in Markington will be discussed by the village’s parish council tonight.
Leeds firm KCS Developments Ltd has applied to build a combination of two- to four-bedroom houses with gardens and car parking spaces at High Mill Farm on High Street. Eight of the 21 homes would be classed as affordable.
Markington, which is situated between Harrogate and Ripon, has a population of just over 600 people.
Some residents have expressed concerns on social media about the impact of the development on the landscape and infrastructure in the historic settlement.
The proposed site
But a design and access statement submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by Ilkley architects Halliday Clark on behalf of the applicant, says there is an “identified need” for new housing in Markington. It says:
“The proposal sits centrally in Markington and is in walking distance of all the village amenities such as the primary school, shops and community spaces.
“Developing in a small village such as Markington will protect the continuation of these vital services, allowing the village to stay sustainable. There is an identified need within Markington to provide affordable family housing to enable young families and people to stay living in the village.”
The statement adds the development would be “concealed and therefore will have no visual impact on Markington’s high street”.
Markington with Wallerthwaite Parish Council will discuss the development at tonight’s monthly meeting, which is open at everyone, at 7.30pm at the Yorkshire Hussar Inn in the village.
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M&S to give ‘golden tickets’ to first 200 people at Oatlands foodhall tomorrow
Marks & Spencer is to award ‘golden tickets’ to the first 200 customers at its Harrogate Oatlands foodhall tomorrow to mark the store’s official re-opening.
The foodhall on Leeds Road has undergone a major refurbishment and extension. It is now 60% bigger, and includes a bakery and wine shop — but the customer cafe is much smaller.
Although it is currently trading, tomorrow’s official reopening will see Percy Pig award golden tickets to the first shoppers at 9am. Each ticket guarantees a prize ranging from a free bag of sweets or cookies to a £200 voucher.
Store manager David Anderson said:
“We can’t wait until Tuesday morning when we can welcome customers through our doors.
“It’s been a busy few weeks behind the scenes working hard to put things together and we’re excited for everyone to see what the new store has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch on the go or doing your big weekly shop – we’ve got you covered.”
The store, which employs 125 staff on Oatlands Retail Park, is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 9pm and on Sunday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
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Details of 2023 Knaresborough Bed Race revealed
Organisers have confirmed the date and theme for next year’s 56th Great Knaresborough Bed Race.
The bed race is Knaresborough’s busiest day of the year, attracting around 30,000 people and providing a major boost for businesses.
Teams of six runners and a passenger aim to complete the 2.4-mile course, which passes through the River Nidd, as quickly as possible.
Event organiser The Lions Club of Knaresborough announced today next year’s event will stick with tradition by being held on the second Saturday in June, which will be June 10.
The Lions, which uses money generated to support local charities, also said the event will adopt a theme of That’s Entertainment.
This year’s bed race attracted perhaps its largest crowd ever but the number of teams entering fell to just over 80. It usually attracts a full quota of 120 and for the first time in about 20 years there was no need for a lottery to decide which teams took part.
Nigel Perry, secretary of the Lions, attributed the fall in participants to covid cancellations in 2020 and 2021, which led to some teams getting out of the habit of taking part but he is hopeful of numbers recovering.
The bed race, which dates back to 1966. plays out around the cobbled streets, steep hills and leafy parkland of Knaresborough, and attracts attention from around the world. It has spawned similar events in Germany, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in other parts of the UK, and gets worldwide TV coverage.
Roads close and about 300 local people help with organisation on the day.
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Martin Brock, chairman of next year’s bed race, said:
“Nowhere offers the wonderful combination of spectacular scenery, an extremely taxing course and the final act of swimming through the ever-icy waters of the River Nidd.
“The event survived the pandemic and we feel that nothing can stop it, come hell or high water in the Nidd.”
Entry forms for the teams will appear from 1 January 2023 on the bed race website and must be sent in by the end of February.
Martin Brock, chairman of next year’s Bed Race, said:
“We want to give as wide a canvas as possible to encourage the inventiveness of Bed Race teams in the creation of their bed designs and fancy dress.
“For many, the parade of the decorated beds and the competition to win the Best Dressed Bed are the highlights of the event. But even the faster teams treat this part of the Bed Race contest as highly important.
“Each year, we see great ingenuity in the originality and creativity of the designs. It adds so much to the overall spectacle and makes the whole town a perfect stage for the Bed Race experience. Roll on next June!”
Winner of the 2022 Best Dressed Bed trophy was The Rocket Men. Second were 1st Scriven Scouts and third were Techbuyer. Special commendations were given to HENCHshaws, Aspin Avengers, SFC, Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and It’s a COP-out.
Ferris wheel goes up as Harrogate Christmas countdown begins
A Ferris wheel has started to be installed in Harrogate as the countdown to the town’s Christmas activities begins.
The 32-metre wheel, which is being assembled alongside the war memorial, will be one of the highlights of Harrogate’s Christmas offering.
Other highlights include an ice rink in Crescent Gardens, a Christmas market featuring about 50 stalls, the Candy Cane Express road train and a carousel.
The wheel, also known as an observation wheel, previously stood in York.
Harrogate’s seasonal festivities are due to get underway on Friday. The market will operate until December 11 but the other activities will continue into the New Year.
Harrogate Borough Council is organising the festivities with a range of partners.
John McGivern, destination events manager at the council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate, told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce this month the ambition was to “position Harrogate district as a first choice Christmas destination” and to attract high spending visitors on day trips and overnight breaks.
The view from Bettys this morning.
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- Judges cast their votes on Ripon’s Christmas windows
Police find missing man with Harrogate links
North Yorkshire Police has confirmed that a missing man has been found following an appeal.
Officers said they were “extremely concerned” for the welfare of the 36-year-old.
A police statement said the man was found safe and well.
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Harrogate girls to cut hair to raise funds for friend with luekaemia
Two girls from Harrogate will cut and donate their hair to charity to raise funds for The Candlelighters Trust charity.
Holly, 7, and Heidi, 5, will have their locks removed next month and donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust, which will turn it into real hair wigs.
The two girls have been growing their hair since last November in support of their friend Sophia Felgate, 7, who has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Sophia was first diagnosed in 2018, just a week after her third birthday. She finished treatment in August 2020, however the cancer returned last November.
The idea came from Holly wanting to give Sophia her own hair to “make her feel better”, after Sophia lost her hair due to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
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The Candlelighters Trust provides practical, emotional and financial support to families of children with cancer.
They have been helping the Felgate family since Sophia’s diagnosis in 2018. They have provided the Felgates with counselling, family fun days, massages/haircuts/manicures for Sophia and pizza nights.
The fundraiser has already raised almost £1,000. If you would like to donate to the cause you can do so on the JustGiving page.
Panto legend Tim Stedman brings Christmas magic to Harrogate againBesides Father Christmas, nobody has brought more festive joy to Harrogate this century than Tim Stedman.
This week’s opening of Aladdin marked the start of Tim’s 22nd pantomime season at Harrogate Theatre.
The success of the production is down to the quality of acting and scripts that combine slapstick, double-entendres and audience participation — but it just wouldn’t be the same without Tim.
A youthful 52, he says he is happy to keep playing the fool as long “as long as i can still throw my body on the floor”.
Born in Chester, to a mother from Leeds, he appeared in panto in Hornchurch before getting his chance in Harrogate.
He lives in Newbury and for 10 months of the year is, in his own words, a “jobbing actor” until he heads north in November.
Tim as Wishee Washee. Pic: Karl Andre
Showbiz isn’t all it’s cracked up to be though. He rents a room in a family house in Harrogate and, with two performances most days, gets little spare time. He says:
“The pantomime is probably the hardest job in acting. We are acting, singing and dancing — and we are not all graced with great amounts of talent in all three — and we are working against a wall of noise. Besides that we are trying to get through a plot and a script and a story.”
But he loves the Harrogate panto as much as the town loves him. What’s the secret to the show’s success?
“I wouldn’t come back unless it was special. The pantomime here has style. First and foremost there is always a good story. If the story didn’t work we wouldn’t be able to keep the kids interested.
“The theatre also employs real actors. I’ve been to so many pantomimes where there might be a celebrity and it isn’t the same.”
Some of the ingredients — an audience singalong, a skit that involves running around the venue and Tim’s gentle humiliation of a man in the front row — are standard ingredients. How does he find his victims?
“If they look normal, that’s why I pick them.”
Favourite character to play
His first Harrogate pantomime was Sleeping Beauty. His favourite character to play is Buttons; this year he is Wishee Washee in Aladdin, which runs until January 15.
Away from the theatre, he likes to visit Fountains Abbey near Ripon and takes his in-laws to Bettys in Harrogate when they visit.
He looks different out of costume and generally moves around town unnoticed but sometimes gets recognised, usually by children.
Read more:
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One of his favourite pantos was when his wife worked backstage and they both stayed in Harrogate. They now have three children and she stays home.
A shadow hung over last year’s show when Phil Lowe, who had directed and co-written the panto since 2007, died suddenly at the age of 44. A fundraising page has been set up in his memory.
Tim outside the theatre’s Circle Bar.
There are no pantos on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day so Tim will drive home to Newbury on Christmas Eve before heading back to Harrogate on Christmas Day night, and do similar at New Year.
It’s a gruelling schedule at the time of year when most people relax. A keen football fan and Liverpool supporter, he went on stage last night just as England were kicking off in the World Cup. Thankfully, he doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon.
“I do get a little bit typecast. You go to drama school and want to do all these big roles but I guess I’m known for being the silly man, the fool. But that’s OK.”
Tickets for Aladdin are available here.
Harrogate firefighters tackle car fire and three-vehicle collisionTwo people were taken to hospital following a three-vehicle collision on Skipton Road in Harrogate last night.
Harrogate firefighters were alerted at 7.02pm to the incident, which was also attended by police.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log says:
“Crews liaised with police on scene and administered initial first aid to occupants whilst awaiting the arrival of ambulance crews.
“Crews stabilised one vehicle to enable the occupant to be assisted out. Occupants of two vehicles transported to hospital via road ambulance. Crews left the incident in the hands of the police to await recovery of the vehicles.”
North Yorkshire Police has not given any details about the incident, which was the second one attended by Harrogate firefighters in little over an hour.
At 5.49pm they were called to Menwith Hill Road to reports of a vehicle fire. The incident log says:
`’Crews extinguished the fire and dampened the vehicle down before isolating the battery and making the vehicle safe. Crews cordoned off the area and left the incident with the police to await recovery.”
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