As snooker’s world championship final gets underway in Sheffield tomorrow, all eyes will be on the stars of the modern game.
But fans of the green baize might be less aware of the game’s strong historic link even closer to home.
Masham Snooker Club, which is located above Johnny Baghdad’s Cafe on the Square in Masham, claims to be the oldest snooker club in the country — and the evidence is compelling.
The club is tucked away off the square in Masham.
The club has book-keeping entries showing the delivery of a snooker table in 1871. Records show the table was brought from London by steam train and then completed its journey by horse and cart as Masham didn’t have a train station at the time.
The table, which cost £41, was sent to Masham Subscription Billiard Room, which had nine members.
Billiards is played on the same table as snooker and was the more popular game until snooker’s colour TV boom of the 1970s made famous the likes of Alex Higgins and Ray Reardon.
Club expenditure accounts from 1871 include a billiards table costing £41.
The Masham table pre-dates the 1895 formation of the Lyonsdown Club in New Barnet, Hertfordshire, which used to claim to be the oldest. It is still used today.
John Ellis, the previous chairman of Masham Snooker Club, first stated the club’s claim. Although it has never been officially verified, there is no known documentation of an older club.
The club caters for players of all abilities.
Christopher Tomsett, current chair of Masham Snooker Club, said Lyonsdown Club had accepted Masham’s claim when presented with the evidence.
Mr Tomsett added:
“They contacted us and accepted that we are formed earlier and amended their website accordingly, but asked if they could retain the right to be called the oldest club in London borough, which we agreed to.
“We have no others contesting our claim to date.”
It is no longer clear whether the Hertfordshire club still exists — but the Masham one most definitely does.
New players and existing members are welcome at Masham Snooker Club, where you can play on this remarkable Victorian table. But beware — the pockets are tighter than most!
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Tim Milburn appointed headteacher of Harrogate’s Rossett School
Harrogate Grammar School deputy headteacher Tim Milburn has been appointed headteacher of Rossett School.
Mr Milburn has been at HGS for nine years, initially as assistant headteacher. He previously spent four years as director of personal development at Ilkley Grammar School.
History teacher Mr Milburn is also the designated safeguarding lead for Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust with 13 schools. Rossett is expected to be the 14th school to join the trust when final approval processes are completed this year.
The move completes a circle for Mr Milburn, who studied at Rossett and left in the 1990s. More recently he has also been helping to cover acting headteacher Pete Saunders’ paternity leave.
Mr Milburn, who takes up the post immediately, said:
“I am delighted to have been appointed Rossett School’s fifth headteacher and I would like to thank the governing body for entrusting me with this privileged position.
“I have been fortunate to have already spent a lot of time in school, getting to know staff and students, and have been made to feel so welcome. This time in school has allowed me to see, first hand, the dedication, commitment and care of our staff. I have also met many students who embody the best of Rossett. They are responsible, resilient and ambitious to be the best version of themselves.
“This is a truly exciting time for the school. Rossett’s golden jubilee will allow us to celebrate a past where so many families, including my own, have been well served by the school.
“As the new headteacher I look forward to leading the next chapter of Rossett’s history, working in partnership with our families, in our pursuit of ‘success for everyone’.”
Tim Milburn has returned to the school where he studied
Richard Sheriff, chief executive of Red Kite Learning Trust, said:
“We are very proud of Mr Milburn and congratulate him for being appointed to this very exciting and important role. We are excited to be working with him as Rossett integrates into our trust and we know he will do a tremendous job in leading the talented team at Rossett.
“Mr Milburn and his team are ambitious for the school and are determined to ensure it delivers excellence for every child.”
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Harrogate school cleaner chops lockdown locks for charity
A long-serving Harrogate school cleaner has cut her locks for the first time in three years to raise money for children who have lost their hair through cancer.
Carla Del Sarto, who has worked at Ashville College for more than two decades, had not had her hair cut since the first covid lockdown.
But this week she had 33 centimetres clipped off in aid of the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs to young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other conditions.
Carla kept her fundraiser and new look a surprise from her family and friends, until after she had her secret snip at Mandies Hair & Beauty on King’s Road.
She said:
“Childhood cancer is an illness close to my heart, having supported one of my best friends in our home country of Argentina when she sadly lost her teenage daughter, Macarena, to this terrible disease.
“Macarena decided to have her hair cut before she started her cancer treatment and also donated it to create wigs for those who had lost their hair.”
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Mandie Rushton, founder of Mandies Hair & Beauty, said:
“We are doubly proud to be able to support our friend Carla and such a worthy cause.
“We’ve been styling hair for women and men in Harrogate for more than 30 years – and this has been one of our favourite appointments!”
The big haircut, performed by stylist Sev Ivanov, is the latest in a series of ventures Carla has undertaken to support good causes since lockdown.
She joined Harrogate Scrubbers, a group that started making scrubs and other personal protection equipment for staff at Harrogate District Hospital.
Anyone wishing to support Carla’s fundraising can do so here.
Harrogate man jailed for ‘flagrant disregard for people and their property’Harrogate man Cieran Bamford has been jailed for 16 weeks.
Bamford, 31, of Knaresborough Road, pleaded guilty to making threats to a named woman who feared violence would be used against her when he appeared in court on Tuesday.
Court documents state the offence was “so serious because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for people and their property”.
Bamford was given a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim until April 2028.
Magistrates in York also ordered him to pay £154 to victim services.
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Cherry blossom in full bloom on Harrogate’s Stray
The cherry blossom on the Stray in Harrogate is in full bloom once again.
The colourful annual display makes walks on Harrogate’s 200-acre parkland even better than usual. Visiting it is a ritual many people engage in each year.
Douglas Young, a photographer from Killinghall who enjoys capturing local wildlife is among those who make the annual pilgrimage.
He captured this year’s cherry blossom beautifully in this well composed photo.
If you have any great photos of the Harrogate district, send them to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
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Andrew Jones MP appeals for help at ‘critical time’ for River Nidd bathing water bid
Conservative MP Andrew Jones has issued a plea for volunteers to help in the campaign to achieve bathing water status on the River Nidd.
Mr Jones plans to submit an application for bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido after reports of numerous bathers falling ill last summer.
If successful, it would oblige government agencies to take action to improve water quality.
In a three-minute video on his Community News website, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP blamed the Victorian-era sewage system, run-off from agricultural land and drainage from housing estates for polluting the Nidd.
He asked for volunteers to help with the campaign. He said:
“May this year is a critical time as it marks the start of the bathing season when evidence must be collected for the bathing water application that I’m leading.
“This campaign is building momentum but we can’t let it slide. That’s why I’m calling out to anyone who is passionate about our environment or who uses the River Nidd to come forward and help with the volunteer work.”
Mr Jones said data would be collected over summer and urged anyone interested in helping to get in touch.
He said he would be working alongside Nidd Action Group between now and September to apply for bathing water designation.
Steve Kirkley, from Blenkhorn’s Boats
Steve Kirkley, from Blenkhorn’s Boats, which operates boat hire on the Nidd, told the video improved water quality would “lead to more enjoyable surroundings” while David Clayden, secretary of Harrogate Fly Fishers’ Club, said it would create “a better environment for the river”.
Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, said it was important to work in partnership to improve water quality.
‘Nidd plagued by foul sewage’
This week Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, accused Conservative MPs of “blocking new tough measures on water companies” to tackle sewage discharge.
Mr Gordon said the Sewage Discharge Bill would have introduced automatic fines on water companies breaking their sewage dumping permits but Conservative MPs voted to block it.
Mr Gordon, said:
“The Nidd has been plagued by foul sewage discharges. People across Harrogate and Knaresborough are furious about this, yet the Conservative government keeps blocking new laws to get tough on water companies.”
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Pizza box causes house fire in Ripon
Firefighters were called to a house in Ripon today when a pizza box caught fire.
A crew from Ripon was called to an unnamed street in the city just after 9am this morning.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:
“This was a small fire involving a box left on top of a hob which was accidentally turned on.
“Pizza box was removed to the open by the occupant prior to our arrival.
“Crew used a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear smoke from the property.”
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Dutch-style roundabout ditched from £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway
Plans to create Harrogate’s first Dutch-style roundabout have been dropped from the town’s proposed £11.2 million Station Gateway.
The roundabouts, inspired by road layouts in the Netherlands, have been in the news this week for their questionable safety record.
Only one currently exists in England — in Cambridge. Data yesterday showed there had been 10 collisions, including three serious ones, in the three years after it was first used in 2019 compared to six minor incidents in the three years before.
However, the number of cyclists using the roundabout has increased by almost 50% since 2017.
North Yorkshire County Council revealed plans in October 2021 to adopt a Dutch-style roundabout outside the Odeon as part of the gateway scheme, which aims to encourage active travel.
The roundabouts contain an outer ring for cyclists and zebra crossings for pedestrians. Motorists have to give way to both.
North Yorkshire County Council, which led on the gateway project before it was abolished and replaced by North Yorkshire Council this month, said at the time the style of roundabout “balances the need for increased protection and priority for pedestrians and cyclists with maintaining capacity for vehicles”.
Junction changes were put forward for the existing East Parade, Station Bridge, Station Avenue and North Park Road roundabout in front of the Odeon cinema.
The Odeon roundabout
The Stray Ferret received numerous emails this week asking whether Harrogate’s Dutch-style roundabout was still due to go ahead in light of the concerns about the one in Cambridge.
We asked North Yorkshire Council whether it still planned to proceed with a Dutch-style roundabout. A spokeswoman replied:
“We took the decision not to install a full Dutch-style roundabout.”
The council later added the decision was made last year.
The fate of the gateway scheme could be decided next week.
North Yorkshire Council’s Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee is due to make a recommendation on the gateway scheme next week.
Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation at the council, has said he will abide by the decision of local councillors.
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Striking teachers hold rally in Harrogate
Dozens of teachers from across North Yorkshire converged on Harrogate today for a rally.
The National Education Union, Britain’s largest teachers’ union, is holding strikes today and on Tuesday as part of its latest wave of industrial action.
The NEU has organised rallies across North Yorkshire on previous strike days but today’s was the first in Harrogate. Teachers from as far as Scarborough took part.
Those taking part near the war memorial told the Stray Ferret their main reason for striking was the “crisis” in education, which had left many schools struggling to get any applicants for some teaching posts.
Today’s strike comes after alll four teaching unions turned the latest government offer of a one-off payment of £1,000 and a 4.3% pay rise, as well as an increase in the starting salary for teachers in England to £30,000 a year by September.
Gary McVeigh-Kaye, the North Yorkshire branch secretary of the NEU who organised today’s rally, described the government offer as “an insult”.
The Department for Education described it as a “fair and reasonable offer”.
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Anna Eltringham announced as new Bishop of Ripon
The Reverend Canon Anna Eltringham has been named as the new Bishop of Ripon this morning.
Downing Street announced at 10am the King had approved the nomination of Rev Canon Eltringham, who is currently team rector for Oxted, in the diocese of Southwark.
Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds introduced the new bishop immediately after the announcement to a gathering at St Peter’s Church in Harrogate.
The Bishop of Ripon is one of five episcopal area bishops in the Church of England Diocese of Leeds and has responsibility for a large area, including the Yorkshire Dales and the towns of Ripon, Harrogate, Settle, Skipton, Wetherby and Richmond.
The new bishop in Harrogate today
Revd Canon Eltringham’s consecration will take place on June 22 in York Minster. However, she will not fully take up the post until September.
She will succeed Helen-Ann Hartley, who left Ripon to become Bishop of Newcastle this year.
Before entering ministry, Revd Canon Eltringham worked in strategic marketing, including a role in Croydon Council.
Whilst increasingly involved in church, community and justice work, she discerned God’s call to ordained ministry, following in the footsteps of her father and previous generations in her family.
Revd Canon Eltringham grew up in the west country and studied business and anthropology at the University of Durham.
She plays the saxophone and is married to Nigel, with whom she has two daughters. They enjoy family trips out in her VW T25 campervan and visiting museums, galleries, arts events and the seaside. She also likes creative writing, walks in the country and trying to up-cycle furniture.
She said:
“I have felt drawn back to the north of England for a number of years and have a strong sense of God’s call to this particular role.
“God has laid a number of things on my heart in recent times, including a passion for climate-care and justice; care for the wellbeing of clergy and all God’s people; a vision for a church that serves as much beyond as within its buildings; and children and young people at the heart of it all.”
‘Important rural area’
The Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds said of the appointment:
“I am delighted to welcome Revd Canon Anna Eltringham as the next Bishop of Ripon and to this important rural area that includes the world famous Yorkshire Dales.
“Our parishes and communities, big and small, will greet her with great warmth as her commitment to parish ministry and the environment will be evident from the word go.
“Anna’s pastoral care for clergy and lay leaders is evident from her previous work in the Diocese of Southwark and the wider church. She will greatly support our diocesan mission to encourage Christian confidence across the Ripon episcopal area and beyond.”
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Revd Canon Eltringham was ordained Deacon in the Diocese of Southwark in 2008 and served her title at Holy Innocents in South Norwood.
She then joined the Oxted team ministry (four churches in Surrey) where since 2019 she has been team rector.
Since 2017 she has also been the Dean of Women’s Ministry, advocating for, and developing the ministry of lay and ordained women in the diocese and advising senior staff on such matters. Anna has also served as an honorary chaplain to the monarch since 2020.
The Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York said:
“Revd Canon Anna’s enthusiasm and love for parish ministry and her ability to connect, having been an advocate for clergy well-being and serving as Dean of Women’s Ministry, will be a great blessing to the parishes and Diocese of Leeds.”