John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

M&Co Ripon store to close in nine days

Retailer M&Co is to close its branch on Fishergate in Ripon a week on Saturday.

The Scottish company, which sells clothes and homeware, went into administration for a second time in December.

Yours Clothing bought the website, brand and intellectual property but not the shops.

It means all 170 M&Co stores have either closed already or will do so shortly. About 1,900 staff are affected.

Remaining stores are offering up to 60% discounts.

Retail manager Shirelle Wallace-Hoyle posted on the Ripon M&Co’s Facebook page:

“The last day of trading for us will be Saturday 22nd April, when the last few store within the business will all close.

“We are literally one of a few of the the last stores standing till then.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the store since it opened in 1979. We have had so many lovely customers support us.”

‘Grim’ future predicted for Harrogate cycling after funding snub

Cyclists have expressed concern about the future of active travel in the Harrogate district after funding for two schemes was rejected.

The Department for Transport’s active travel fund last month turned down North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for £3.19 million.

It would have paid for segregated cycle routes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and on the A59 in Knaresborough between Mother Shipton’s Cave and Harrogate Golf Club.

Coming on the back of the county council’s decision to scrap phase two of the Otley Road cycle route, it has left plans for a connected, segregated cycle route between Harrogate train station and Cardale Park in tatters.

It has also raised questions about whether the council can deliver on active travel schemes despite the rhetoric.

Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis said

“The future for investment in cycling in Harrogate is clearly grim if the council is unable to attract government funding.

“It will only do that if it shows that it can deliver, which it has repeatedly failed to do for many years.

“That’s one of the reasons why the Station Gateway project must go ahead, not only that it would greatly improve the town centre, but that it shows the council has the capacity to turn successful bids to improve the public realm into successful changes on the ground.”

Cycleways on Station Parade are a key feature of the Station Gateway.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, agreed next month’s expected gateway decision was now of even greater significance given the legacy of failed cycling schemes. He said:

“If the council can’t attract government funding then it isn’t looking good for cycling.

“The government is reducing funding for active travel so it will be more difficult to succeed with bids and without a track record it will be doubly difficult.”

The Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, has said it will abide by its Liberal Democrat-controlled Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee’s gateway decision on May 30.

‘Immense challenges’

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation on North Yorkshire Council, said the local authority remained determined to “rebalance transport” in the town and would “not be dispirited” by Active Travel England’s rejection.

He said:

“We know the immense challenges the town is facing in terms of congestion, air quality and road safety. Unless the new North Yorkshire Council takes action to address these problems, they will only get worse.

“Rebalancing transport and promoting more sustainable travel is essential, but with limited financial resources and often vocal opposition, this is not always easy to deliver in practical terms.”

The Otley Road cycleway

Cllr Duncan added:

“The Otley Road corridor remains a challenge, but I stand by the decision to step back from phase two of the cycleway to allow local councillors to consider alternative options.

“And of course, it will be local councillors who will determine the hot topic of gateway once and for all. They will give their verdict and I will respect this. I feel this is the fairest possible approach.

The Stray Ferret asked Active Travel England why it rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid.

A spokesman said it couldn’t go into detail until the successful applicants were notified after next month’s local elections. They added:

“Each bid we have received has undergone a robust assessment process that considered a range of criteria. Feedback is being provided to authorities with unsuccessful bids over the next few weeks.

“Active Travel England will support local authorities in designing and delivering schemes that meet national standards for safety and accessibility.”

Assets to be sold at failed Ripon firm Farmison

Administrators running collapsed Ripon firm Farmison & Co said today it planned to begin the sale of assets.

FRP took charge of the company on Thursday, when it ceased trading and most staff lost their jobs.

Farmison co-founder John Pallagi held talks over the bank holiday with a consortium led by two Yorkshire businessmen about reviving the business.

But there has been no news of a deal since and FRP has now issued a statement clarifying the situation.

The statement outlined the problems that brought down the award-winning company. It said:

“The business recently underwent a fundraising process to secure external investment to support its business plan but did not secure a sufficient level of interest.

“Following a period of significant operational investment, the business has not generated the required level of revenues to sustain its high cost base.

“In recent weeks interest in the business and assets has been explored but a transaction could not be completed, and the directors have therefore placed the company into administration.”

The statement confirmed Farmison had ceased trading, adding:

“Regrettably, the majority of its 75 roles were made redundant. A skeleton staff has been retained to support the joint administrators in fulfilling their duties as they move towards an asset sale, notably the brand, goodwill and intellectual property.”

Arvindar Jit Singh, partner at FRP and joint administrator of Farmison, said:

“Farmison had made significant investment in recent years in its operations as it aimed to carve out a differentiated brand and offering in the online retail space.

“However, it proved too heavy a burden to sustain without the uplift in sales that it had expected.

“Without a major capital injection, the business could not continue trading and we must now commence an asset sale. We encourage any interested parties to come forward.

“In the meantime, we have a specialist team working with impacted staff to access support through the Redundancy Payments Service.”

Customers and creditors can contact the administrators by emailing farmison@frpadvisory.com.

Starbeck Baths to be closed until late May

Starbeck Baths looks set to be closed for several weeks due to an “unforeseen mechanical failure”.

The Victorian swimming pool closed on Thursday last week. Its website says an air leak in the pool plant equipment caused poor water clarity.

The timing was unfortunate because of the ongoing Easter school holidays as well as the long-term closure of The Hydro in nearby Harrogate for a delayed £11.8 million upgrade.

Brimhams Active, which was set up by Harrogate Borough Council but is now run by North Yorkshire Council, manages leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for culture, arts and leisure, Jo Ireland, said:

“We are working with Brimhams Active to resolve an unforeseen mechanical failure.

“The situation requires the expertise of specialist contractors, and a work schedule has been set to address the issue.

“During the downtime, other important planned maintenance work will also be carried out to ensure the facilities are in top condition when the baths reopen.

“Although we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, we anticipate that Starbeck swimming baths will be back in operation by late May.”

History group to show archive footage of Ripon and Harrogate

Rare archive footage of the Ripon and Harrogate areas will be shown on a big screen this month.

The event is being jointly staged by Yorkshire Film Archive and Bishop Monkton Local History Group.

A professional film archivist will introduce a series of locally produced films as well as footage from other parts of Yorkshire.

Some were professionally shot, others were amateur home movies but all give an insight into how people lived around here in years gone by.

Work, holidays, leisure, sports, home life, transport and war are among the subjects featured in the films.

Some content was included in four recent sell-out events at the Odeon in Harrogate organised by Yorkshire Film Archive in conjunction with Harrogate’s Civic Society and FIlm Society.

The event will be held at Bishop Monkton Village Hall on April 27 at 7pm.

Clips from some of the films that will be shown can be viewed here.

Tickets are free to Bishop Monkton Local History Group members and £10 to non-members.

They are available from Annabel Alton on 01765 676538 or via email annabel@annabelalton.com

There will be a cash bar selling wine and soft drinks before the event and during the interval.

Harrogate man jailed for assaulting three police officers in Ripon

A man from a village near Harrogate has been jailed for six months for assaulting police officers.

James Ashley Gibb, 34, initially denied attacking three police officers in Ripon Market Place on October 28 last year.

But Gibb, of Ripon Road, Killinghall, changed his plea and was sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court last week.

Court documents say he was jailed due to the seriousness of the offence and also “because of different kinds of assaults including biting, kicking and threat of spitting and committed whilst on post-sentence supervision”.

The offence was aggravated by the defendant’s record of previous offending, the documents added.

The incident in Ripon Market Place last year

Gibb also pleaded guilty to using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words.

He was also given a concurrent four-month prison sentence for threatening a person on Station Parade in Harrogate on January 14 this year.

Besides being jailed, he was fined £275.

Cooplands closes Boroughbridge bakery

Cooplands has closed its bakery in Boroughbridge after little more than two years.

The company, which is the second largest bakery chain in the district, opened a shop on the town’s High Street in February 2021.

But a sign appeared in the window recently saying the shop had now closed permanently and the nearest branch was on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

The Harrogate shop

The Stray Ferret asked Cooplands why it had closed its Boroughbridge branch and how many staff were affected.

A spokesperson said:

“Following an in-depth review of the business, we have proposed to make some changes to both our retail and bakery operations, to help better position the business for the long-term and sustainable growth.

“This has been done to ensure that our store estate and broader business are fully aligned with our ‘modern bakery food-to-go retailer’ strategy.

“As a result, we have entered into a consultation process with a number of colleagues. We appreciate that this may be unsettling for colleagues and our priority is to support them fully throughout this process.”

The spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statement.

Cooplands started as a single shop in Scarborough in 1885 and now has more than 160 shops in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the North East.

It was bought in 2021 by the EG Group.

Knaresborough to host free big screen broadcast of coronation

The coronation will be broadcast live on a big screen in the grounds of Knaresborough House on Saturday, May 6.

Knaresborough Town Council announced today it had secured access to a locally sourced LED screen for what it hopes will be a joyful day of picnics and celebration.

Besides showing the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the free event will also include the broadcast of two family films.

Town councillor James Pickard, chair of the council’s king’s coronation working group, said:

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Knaresborough community and visitors alike to share this once in a lifetime event. It’s not often we get to see a king crowned.

“We hope the day will be a relaxed event where people can simply come and soak up the atmosphere whilst watching the ceremony.

“We plan to extend the day by showing two family films throughout the afternoon. This will be a free local event for the entire community to enjoy.”

Cllr Pickard added the grounds were a natural theatre with scope for catering for large crowds throughout the day, from 10am to 5pm.

He added people were welcome to bring picnics but food and refreshment stalls would also be available.

Town councillor Hannah Gostlow, who is also a member of the working group, added:

“It’s great that both residents and visitors to Knaresborough will have a fantastic opportunity to come together to view the king’s coronation live on a big screen at the iconic location of Knaresborough House.

“The event will give everyone the opportunity to have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.”

Chocolate and coffee cafe opens in Harrogate

A chocolate and coffee cafe has opened in Harrogate town centre.

The Chocolate Works is situated on Station Parade between the Everyman cinema and restaurant Farmhouse.

It is the third venture of its kind launched by owner Guy Middleton.

Mr Middleton opened his first Chocolate Works cafe in Clitheroe in 2017 followed by a second in Skipton in 2020.

The cafes serve predominantly Belgian chocolate dishes, including hot chocolate, as well as loose chocolate that can be taken away.

They also stock a wide range of coffees and speciality teas plus waffles, ice cream and milkshakes.

The premises was intended to house the vegan restaurant Vertigo, which went out of business a year ago before its Harrogate eatery opened.

Dashcam footage appeal after serious crash on Leathley Lane

Police are appealing for dashcam footage of a serious collision on the edge of the Harrogate district.

A woman in a green 12-reg Mazda broke several bones and was hospitalised for five days.

The crash happened at 9.20am on Tuesday, March 14 at Leathley Lane near Castley Lane.

According to North Yorkshire Police, three other vehicles were involved: a white 21-reg Ford Transit van, a grey 21-reg Hyundai Ioniq and a grey 10-reg Skoda Roomster.

The stretch of road was closed for several hours while officers investigated and vehicles were recovered.

A police statement said:

“We’re appealing for witnesses to the collision or anyone who recalls seeing the vehicles involved prior to the collision, to get in touch as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

“In particular, we’re appealing for motorists in the area at the time who may have relevant dashcam footage of the collision itself or of any of the vehicles involved prior to the incident.”

You can email Megan.Smith1@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Megan Smith.

Quote reference number 12230046167.

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‘Immense challenges’

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