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.”

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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.”

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Two miniature paintings of Derby winners are to be auctioned in Ripon next month after lying unnoticed for 180 years.

The oil on metal paintings belonged to John Bowes, founder of the Bowes Museum and one of the greatest-ever racehorse owners.

They make up a set of four identically presented paintings depicting all of Mr Bowes’ Derby winners.

The other two are held by and are on view at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, and until recently art experts knew nothing about the whereabouts of the missing pair.

The two paintings show Mundig and Cotherstone, who won the Derby in 1835 and 1843 respectively.

They are being offered for sale by auction house Elstob & Elstob as part of its pictures and sculpture sale on November 30, together with a portrait of Issac Walker, who was head groomsman at the Streatlam Stud owned by Mr Bowes, who died in 1885.

Head groomsman, Issac Walker, with the two paintings.

Mr Elstob said:

“It is remarkable that these paintings have finally come to light.

“They have come forward from a client in Matlock, Derbyshire, who has had them in the family for as long as can be remembered.

“The family originated from Weardale in County Durham – close to the Bowes Museum – and the client remembers them hanging in his grandparents’ cottage in the village of Howden le Wear. His grandfather was friendly with Issac Walker’s family, which may explain how the paintings came to be in their hands.”

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Each painting measures only 12.5cm x 13cm and are presented in horse shoe frames known as racing plates and would almost certainly have come from the Derby winners themselves.

The two paintings, together with the oil on board portrait of Issac Walker, carry a price estimate of £1,000 to £1,500.

It is not known who painted them but they are attributed to the circle of Henry Thomas Alken (1785-1851).

John Bowes and the four Derby winners

The paintings are particularly significant to the equestrian world due to John Bowes’ fame as one of the most successful racehorse owners this country has ever known.

During his career he had four Derby winners, a feat matched by only five other breeders in the history of the race and only exceeded by the Aga Khan III with five

John Bowes earned a fortune from racing, which played a major part in funding the Bowes Museum; built in an elaborate French Chateaux style to house the art collection of John and Josephine Bowes and opened to the public after their deaths in 1892.

Mundig was the first of Bowes’ hugely successful horses. He was foaled in 1832, the year that John Bowes turned 21 and indeed Mundig is German for mature or ‘of age’.

He was in the first batch of horses that Bowes sent to trainer John Scott, known as ‘the wizard of the north’, who had the Whitewall training stables at Malton, near York.

When Mundig won the 1835 Derby, he became the first northern-bred horse ever to do so, despite relatively poor odds.

Cotherstone was another outstanding champion, again trained by John Scott and ridden by his brother William Scott to victory in the 1843 Derby. He won the Two Thousand Guineas and came second in the St Leger in the same year, earning Mr Bowes more than £12,000 (£1.2 million in today’s values), and securing his position as one of the most valuable horses in the country.

Issac Walker was head groomsman at the Streatlam Stud from 1833-1872.

Mr Elstob said:

“These paintings represent a snapshot of one of the most remarkable success stories in racing history and, together with the links to the renowned collection of art in the Bowes Museum, we are expecting them to attract worldwide interest from equestrian enthusiasts and art collectors alike.”

The sale will take place at Elstob & Elstob’s Ripon salerooms on November 30 at 10am, with viewing on November 29 between 10am and 7pm.

For further information, contact Rohan McCulloch on 01765 699200 or email: rohan@elstobandelstob.co.uk

A new restaurant offering live music is set to open in the Harrogate building formerly occupied by Samsons.

Samsons opened in the former home of Le Bistrot Pierre in Town Centre House on Cheltenham Crescent in March.

But it proved a short-lived venture, closing just months later.

Now signs advertising HG1 Grill and World Bar have gone up on the building.

The Stray Ferret understands the spacious restaurant will offer a seasonal menu featuring Mediterranean cuisine and seafood.

There will also be live music and a cocktail bar.

An opening date has yet to be announced but it is expected to be within days or weeks rather than months

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Andrew Jones MP has told Parliament there are long waits for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism diagnosis in Harrogate.

During a debate on mental health services yesterday, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough asked what steps were being taken to support people with mental health issues.

Mr Jones added:

“I recently met the child and adolescent mental health services team in Harrogate and they confirmed that there are long waiting lists for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism diagnosis.

“Will the minister consider the criteria to help those who need the service most to get the support they need?”

Women’s minister Maria Caulfield replied by saying Mr Jones “does a huge amount of campaigning in Harrogate and Knaresborough on this issue”, adding:

“We recognise there can be long waits for diagnosis both for ADHD and autism, and that is why we refreshed our national autism strategy last year, backed by more than £74 million to help to reduce diagnosis waiting times.

“NHS England is now setting out the process of how children, young people and adults might receive a diagnostic assessment much more quickly.”

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A McColl’s in Harrogate is among more than 100 of the convenience stores set to close.

The news comes after Morrisons completed the acquisition of McColl’s from administration last week.

Morrisons said in a statement it now plans to close 132 McColl’s, including the Otley Road store at Harlow Chase. About 1,300 jobs nationally are at risk.

The Stray Ferret visited the Otley Road shop this afternoon and was told it was still trading for the time being. The member of staff said she was the only person employed there and was awaiting further details.

There are currently 1,164 McColl’s stores trading, 286 of which are Morrisons Dailys.

The company said it planned to convert “the substantial majority” of McColl’s stores to Morrisons Dailys within the next two to three years but it plans to sell 28 stores and close 132 others.

It said:

Of the 132 stores to close, 55 include a Post Office counter. Morrisons will delay the closure of these stores until next year to allow them to serve communities over Christmas.

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