Animal rights protestors marched from Harrogate town centre to Labcorp yesterday to protest against animal testing.

American-owned Labcorp, formerly known as Covance, has tested medicine on animals at Harlow Hill since the 1970s.

The company says this helps to develop life-saving and life-enhancing medicines for diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Demonstrators from Vivisection Exposed gave out leaflets, held placards and banners and used a microphone to spread their messages in the town centre at noon yesterday.

Protesting in the town centre.

At 2pm they walked along Cold Bath Road and up Otley Road to Labcorp’s buildings.

Activist Jane Rose said:

“We held a one-minute silence to remember the animals that had entered Labcorp but didn’t get to leave and all those imprisoned in laboratories around the world.

“We also remembered Barry Horne, an animal rights activist who died on 5th November 2001 after suffering liver failure brought on by numerous hunger strikes.”

One of the placards at the demo.

Ms Rose said many people in Harrogate didn’t know Labcorp existed or thought it had shut down. She added:

“We gave out facts over a microphone so residents and visitors of Harrogate could hear the truth and hopefully do some research themselves to see how animal testing is not helping to find drugs and cures for humans.”

Labcorp employs about 1,400 people in Harrogate, has 170 study rooms and has 15 PhD students working there.

The Stray Ferret approached Labcorp for comment but has not had a reply.

The company previously said it takes “very seriously” the ethical and regulatory responsibilities to treat research animals with the “greatest care and respect”. It added testing new drugs on animals “is the right thing to do”.

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The organisers of Saturday’s Stray bonfire and fireworks have announced they have raised a minimum of £4,061 for Harrogate Homeless Project.

An estimated 10,000 people attended the event, which included a bonfire after Harrogate and District Round Table initially decided against the idea.

Andy Rickard, one of the volunteers at the Round Table, said the event had exceeded expectations by generating around £20,000.

He said when the costs of staging the event were deducted it left £4,061.

Picture by Mark Dimmock

Donations are still open, with the Round Table pledging to match fund up to £1,000.

The volunteer-run event, which is now in its 51st year, is funded entirely by donations and sponsorship.

Mr Rickard said he was concerned before the night that the gofundme appeal had only raised about half as much as last year.

But better-than-expected cash and card payments on the night, along with sponsorship funds and percentage takings from the food, bar and face painting stalls boosted the total. He said

“We do try to develop the event every year and are pleased with the addition of a licensed bar which proved very popular, we also hope that the provision of toilets was appreciated.

“We’ve already started reviewing what we could improve and welcome feedback. We did look at replacing the bonfire with a funfair based on the feedback survey from last year so would encourage people to give us their thoughts as we start planning next year.”

Picture by Mark Dimmock

Francis McAllister, chief executive of Harrogate Homeless Project, said the Round Table’s support would “make a huge difference to our clients”, adding:

“It was a fantastic event, well organised and everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

A survey to gather people’s views on the event can be completed here.

Donations can still be pledged here.

A councillor has called for a consultation on the new Harrogate district town the size of Thirsk to be extended or started again.

Arnold Warneken, who represents the Green Party on North Yorkshire County Council, issued the plea after it emerged the consultation documents had been changed midway through – without people being told.

The move has heightened concerns among residents in the area affected that the planning process is being rushed before Harrogate Borough Council is abolished on April 1. They say allowing more time would increase support for the process and show transparency.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, would be built in the Cattal and Green Hammerton area in the east of the district.

The council opened a six-week consultation on October 3 into its draft new settlement development plan document, which sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how Maltkiln is designed and developed.

It emerged this week that both the hardcopy and online versions of the document had been changed during the consultation process.

Cllr Warneken said although the changes were minor, the failure to inform people was significant, particularly “given the magnitude of this plan and its impact on the surrounding parishes”.

He said in a letter to the council:

“I accept mistakes do happen but how we deal with them is critical in demonstrating how seriously we take our accountability and transparency.

“I am surprised that I and the parishes were not advised by Harrogate Borough Council of these errors.

“I think we all agree that it’s important that the new settlement process is actually done correctly and not just seen to be done right, initially I was thinking an extension to the process might suffice but on reflection I would like to ask that the consultation be restarted with the corrected document.”

Read more:

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But the council said the consultation would end on November 14 as planned.

A spokesperson said:

“The online portal version of the Maltkiln development plan document included a minor change that was not included in either the online PDF or hard copy version.

“Both the online PDF version and hard copies of the consultation material have been amended to reflect this change.

“The amendment related to the inclusion of an extra paragraph in the climate change chapter, the result of which effects [sic] the numbering of paragraphs. As well as an additional sentence at the end of local centre chapter.

“At the time that we made the amendment, we had only received a limited number of responses and having reviewed these, none of them relate to the wording that has been revised.

“Should someone have saved the earlier version of the document in order to comment at a later date, these comments are also reviewed to ensure that they relate to the correct part of the document.”

You can have your say here.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate curry house has been named the best in the region at an annual awards ceremony hosted by Masterchef’s Greg Wallace. 

Starbeck Tandoori beat stiff competition from across Yorkshire and the Humber – including the other three finalists, all in York – to win the title.

It was awarded by the Bangladesh Caterers Association for innovation, presentation of food, hygiene standards and customer service. 

Owner Burhan Uddin Khan collected the award from hosts Greg Wallace and TV presenter Tasmin Lucia-Khan at the black-tie event at the Park Plaza London. 

Established in 1960, the BCA represents more than 12,000 UK curry houses, which employ over 100,000 people and turn over £4.2bn a year. 

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• Harrogate swimming club seeks sponsor to keep head above water 
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Weetons sets date for Christmas evening

Luxury food hall Weetons will stage its annual Christmas evening on Thursday, November 17.

Independent suppliers will be showcasing products to try at the shop, on Harrogate’s West Park, from 6pm to 8pm.

There will also be live music, complimentary Prosecco, mulled wine and mince pies at the event, which is open to everyone.

Rob Coutts, managing director of Weetons, said:

“Christmas is a very special time of year and Weetons want to make sure that everyone in Harrogate and beyond kicks off the celebrations in style with us.”

Two films made by a local history group in a village near Ripon about jubilee celebrations during the late Queen’s reign are now available to view online. 

The first film, called The Village Likes To Party, is a record of the many celebrations held in Bishop Monkton near Ripon during the reign of the late Queen, including the coronation in 1953, the jubilees of 1977, 2002, 2012 and this year’s platinum jubilee.

It contains archive film and interviews with people about their memories. It can be viewed here. 

The second film, called Bishop Monkton Platinum Party Celebrations 2022, is a more detailed record of this year’s platinum jubilee celebrations, including both professionally shot film as well as videos and photos taken by people on their phones during the jubilee weekend. It can be viewed here. 

Both films were funded in part with money from Harrogate Borough Council’s platinum jubilee community grants fund.

They were screened in the village hall in Bishop Monkton this year but the producers wanted to make them available for people everywhere.  

 Colin Philpott, co-producer of the films, said:

“Bishop Monkton Local History Group is delighted to make these films available for anyone, anywhere to enjoy forever.

“They may be about one small village but we believe they are a special record of royal celebrations in a Yorkshire community which will interest people everywhere and provide valuable historical material for future generations.” 

A Harrogate pub was evacuated late this afternoon after fire broke out in the kitchen.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received two calls from the pub at 5.07pm today saying there was a fire in the kitchen.

The emergency service, which has not said which pub was involved, tweeted this evening:

“The venue had been evacuated and the fire had been extinguished using a fire blanket prior to our arrival but we ensured the area was safe.”

Less than an hour later, just before 6pm, fire crews were. also called to reports of six people stuck in a lift in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted at 6.18pm that “our crews are assisting with this”.

November 5 is one of the busiest nights of the year for firefighters.

The emergency service tweeted:

“We hope you are all enjoying yourselves this bonfire night but stay safe.”

Read more:

• Final appeal for donations towards £10k cost of Harrogate bonfir
• Fire crews tackle blaze at Scotton caravan storage site

A highly anticipated Harrogate performance by an international soprano has been cancelled due to the rail strike.

Elizabeth Llewellyn was due to perform a song recital accompanied by pianist Simon Lepper at the Wesley Centre on Monday.

Born to Jamaican parents, Ms Llewellyn is widely regarded as today’s must-see soprano in the world’s opera houses and concert halls.

But the latest round of strikes called by the RMT rail union has scuppered the lunchtime event, which was called off before the strike action was cancelled.

However, acclaimed pianist Steven Osborne has agreed to step in instead.

Steven Osborne

His programme includes Debussy’s Pour le piano and two Rachmaninov pieces: the Nunc Dimittis from All-Night Vigil and his piano sonata number one 1 in D minor.

Monday’s concert starts at 1pm and tickets costing £10 will be available on the door.

It is part of the long-running series of lunchtime concerts organised by Andrew Hitchens at the Wesley.

The rest of this season’s programme includes:

December 5 — Elisa Tomellini (Italian pianist)

January 9 — London Horn Duo

February 6 — Harmoniemusik (Four woodwinds and piano)

March 6 — Kitty Whately (mezzosoprano) and Joseph Middleton (piano)

April 3 — Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins (piano, four hands)

May 8 — Gareth Brynmor-John (tenor/winner of the Ferrier 2013) and Christopher Glynn

June 5 — Susan Tomes

July 3— Jazz concert with the Richard Weatherall Trio

There will also be two evening concerts, details to be announced.

A Ripon woman who believed she was “broken”, but went on to graduate from university after being diagnosed with dyspraxia, has launched a not-for-profit company to help others who may share the condition. 

Carol Turnbull set up Chrysalis Dyspraxia Awareness last year with a view to providing one-to-one support for people pre- or post-diagnosis and helping them to understand their potential.

She has also given a talk to a government department and hopes to expand this side of the business, speaking to companies and organisations about neurodivergency and its workplace implications. 

Dyspraxia is a condition affecting physical co-ordination and causes children to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily. 

How people make plans and decisions, organise their lives and regulate their emotions may also be affected. The condition is closely associated with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and dyscalculia. 

Carol Turnbull

Carol was 47 before she was diagnosed with the condition, but says she had always known there was something wrong. 

“I had a life of thinking I was broken; I could feel something wasn’t right,” she says. 

“As a child, I was always looked on as different and was picked on a lot. I always wondered why people didn’t like me, and that lasted right through till adulthood.” 

After more than 30 years working in the care industry, Carol happened to take her son to an open evening at York College, but ended up herself enrolling on an access course. That led to her taking a psychology degree at Leeds Beckett University, where she was first diagnosed.

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She says:

“It changed my life. Learning about myself and how I function neurologically and socially has greatly improved my confidence and this directly contributed to the development of Chrysalis.” 

Now, she wants to pass on that knowledge, giving others the support that she missed out on. Contact can be made via her website here. She says:

“A lot of people with dyspraxia pigeonhole themselves, and it can feel quite disabling if people around you don’t know why you are the way you are if you yourself don’t know why.

“Giving others this power and supporting them to understand themselves and their dyspraxia better can open up the world to so many people who may feel their wants and desires are beyond their capabilities. This is something I am passionate about. I strongly believe that, given the right support, people can achieve absolutely anything!” 

Harrogate Town has submitted major new plans to redevelop its Wetherby Road ground.

The club has until April 30, 2024 to provide a capacity of 5,000 fans with a minimum of 2,000 seats to comply with English Football League membership criteria.

It currently caters for 5,000 fans but only has 1,000 seats.

Planning documents published today by Harrogate Borough Council reveal the club has applied to convert the Black Sheep and Myrings standing terraces to seated areas, providing 603 seats.

It also intends to demolish the 1919 venue and construct a new 1919 terrace with seating, a spectator refreshment area and toilets.

The club also wants to install ball stop netting and has submitted a separate planning application for a temporary marquee containing a refreshment bar.

David Smith, associate director of planning consultants WSP, which is acting on behalf of the club, said in a letter to the council:

“The proposed works will provide additional seating and spectator facilities for existing fans.

“The new spectator facility will encourage away fans to get to the ground earlier on match days and ease congestion immediately before kick-off.

“As such, the proposals will not give rise to any significant traffic congestion and road safety problems.

The club needs to create another 1,000 more seats.

The club previously applied to build a new, bigger South Stand.

Mr Smith’s letter said:

“This further application proposes an alternative, less disruptive and more efficient means of achieving the EFL requirement.

“There will be less demolition of existing buildings and a quicker construction programme with this proposal.

“This proposal will also help improve the match day experience. The proposal will mark an important step in the on-going success of the club.”

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‘Aim to start in December’

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Town, which secured promotion from the National League to the EFL for the first time in the club’s history in 2020, how much the project will cost and when it hopes work will take place.

A club spokesman said:

“Cost – we don’t know as yet, we are still working through the preliminary work but needed to get the application through early to reach the target date for having 2,000 seats.

“We aim to start in December/January time subject to planning and be ready for the start of season 2023 though we may still have some internal works to finish.”

We also asked how the club will handle the disruption on match days and what happens if the club, which is currently 21st of 24 in division two of the English Football League, gets relegated.

The spokesman said:

“No plans to move any games, work can be done in between games and facilities may be affected on match days at the away end but suitable provisions will be made if that’s the case.

“The plans will progress as we are aiming to improve facilities and match day experience for our loyal supporters and we have more families visiting us now to cater for, plus we hope to attract more first generation fans as we grow.”

Pure Gym has revealed it plans to open in Knaresborough in March.

The no frills health club operates more than 300 gyms in the UK, including one in Harrogate, which opened in 2015.

The Stray Ferret revealed in March that it planned to open on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on Knaresborough’s York Road.

In an update today to the Stray Ferret, Pure Gym promised to bring “affordable, flexible fitness to Knaresborough” with an introductory offer of £12.99 a month.

Pure Gym in Harrogate, which opened in 2015.

The Lidl closed in 2018 and in February last year Homecare Pharmacy Services began providing covid clinics from a building in the car park until it moved in September last year to larger premises on Knaresborough’s Chain Lane.

Pure Gym now aims to have a gym up and running on the site alongside the main road in four months. It will open from 6am to 10pm daily.

A Pure Gym spokesperson said:

“Pure Gym is delighted to be bringing affordable, flexible fitness to Knaresborough.

“Scheduled to open in March 2023, the brand-new gym will be spread across about 11,500 square feet and will offer pin and free weights, group exercise classes, a range of machines and equipment, a large functional area and access to our PTs to help members achieve their fitness goals.

“The people of Knaresborough and the surrounding areas will enjoy access to Pure Gym’s flagship low-cost, zero-contract memberships to help support their physical and mental wellbeing. We look forward to welcoming new members to Pure Gym Knaresborough – look out for our opening offer.”

Read more:

• New gym set to open on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road
• Ripon gym Intrim closes for good after nearly 40 years
• Pure Gym to open in former Knaresborough supermarket