John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Travellers are back on Harrogate’s Stray

Travellers have pitched up on the Stray in Harrogate for a second time this summer.

An encampment has appeared on a section of the parkland between Oatlands Drive and Stray Rein. Several vehicles are on site,

Harrogate Borough Council is the legal protector of the Stray. Asked if it was aware of the Travellers’ arrival, a council spokesman said:

“We are indeed and will be following the normal procedure to ensure they are moved on swiftly.”

The scene on the Stray today,

A recent spate of arrivals by Travellers in the Harrogate district has led to calls to provide more designated temporary sites.

Six caravans and several cars arrived near to Oatlands Drive on the Stray in the week leading up to Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria.

Last month Travellers also pitched up on Oatlands Park, off Hookstone Road,

On both occasions, the council instigated legal proceedings and the Travellers moved on quickly.

But more friction occurred when Travellers parked on the old rugby field at Knaresborough this summer.

It prompted Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to write to Home Secretary Priti Patel complaining of “disorder and anti-social behaviour completely off the scale compared to that associated with previous traveller encampments in our area”.

Andrew Jones MP defends government response to energy crisis

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has defended the government’s response to the energy crisis, saying there are “no easy short-term fixes” to reduce the nation’s dependency on gas and oil.

Business leaders wrote to Mr Jones this week with warnings that many firms face closure due to soaring energy prices.

In response, Mr Jones said long-term progress had been made in the move away from fossil fuels and that the government was providing support for businesses and households during the current crisis.

He said in a letter:

“Renewable capacity in the electricity market has increased from 2.3% in 1996 to 49.7% today, according to the UK Energy Brief 2022.

“Even though renewable energy is supplying more of the market, its cost is linked to wholesale gas prices.

“What the above shows is that there are no easy short-term fixes to reduce our dependency on gas and oil. But the long-term decisions that have been taken are beginning to bear fruit.”

Mr Jones was writing in a letter to the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, which also contacted Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams about its “grave concerns”.

Chamber chief executive David Simister urged the Conservative MPs to put pressure on the government to “act now” and help businesses before they reach “tipping point”.

In response, Mr Smith said in a statement he was “extremely concerned” about energy costs and that he would “put pressure on ministers to do more”.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones also highlighted the support already being provided to businesses and families, including a £400 grant for all UK households from October.

Homes in council tax bands A to D should have also received £150, while eight million low income households will get £650 on top of this. There are also £300 payments promised for eight million pensioners.

For businesses, Mr Jones said a new rates relief will support investment in property upgrades from 2023 when a separate small profits rate will also mean around 1.4 million businesses continue to pay corporation tax at 19% or none at all.

Mr Jones added:

“Business owners, those who work for them and their customers are also domestic gas and electricity users and you will know that a lot has been done in respect of shielding everybody from rising prices.

“I wanted to highlight that support for businesses and employees is already of scale.”

His comments come as the government has previously said there would be no new policies before a new Prime Minister is in place.

The new Conservative Party leader – and Prime Minister – is set to be announced on September 5.

Liz Truss is the current favourite to replace Boris Johnson. She has promised tax cuts and recently hinted at direct financial help for hard-hit households.

Her rival, Rishi Sunak, has vowed to introduce more targeted support for households, including a reduction in VAT on domestic energy bills from 5% to zero.

Celebrity antiques expert David Harper to host new game show in Ripon

Celebrity antiques expert David Harper is joining forces with a Ripon auction house for a new antiques game show.

The show will be filmed at Elstob & Elstob‘s saleroom at Ripon Business Park and broadcast online.

Members of the public are invited to join in either as contestants or as part of the audience.

Mr Harper, who has presented programmes such as Antiques Road Trip, Flog It, Cash in the Attic and Bargain Hunt and appeared on numerous other programmes, has own YouTube channel, which will host the new show.

He will work alongside David Elstob, who opened Elstob & Elstob at Ripon three years ago.

Outside Elstob & Elstob in Ripon.

Mr Harper said:

“Much of my career to date has been spent on TV and radio but I am now keen to take the familiar game show format online, for a faster, more informal and interactive feel that will reach even wider audiences.

“I wanted to base the show within an auction house setting and as I already had an excellent working relationship with Elstob & Elstob they were an obvious choice for a media partner.

“They also have a very innovative approach to buying and selling antiques and are always looking to try new things, which is very important for an experimental project such as this.”

Two contestants will attempt to describe items brought in by the audience before antiques expert Mr Elstob awards points based on how accurate they are.

Whoever gets the most points will be invited to choose a prize from the auction house’s collection.

The show’s first six-part series will be shot over three days at Elstob & Elstob on September 15, October 5 and October 19 from 10am to 3pm.

Anyone interested in watching can just turn up on the day at anytime between those hours. You don’t need to book.

Mr Elstob said:

“We hope to welcome as many people to the auction house as possible on the filming days.

“I am sure it will be hugely enjoyable for everyone involved. Just come along and join in the fun.”

Anyone interested in taking part as a contestant is asked to get in touch in advance with the auction house on 01765 699200 for more information or email: info@elstobandelstob.co.uk.

The first series will be screened weekly from Friday 7 October at 7pm and can be viewed here.

‘We just want an answer’: Molly’s owner on her two-month ordeal

On the first really hot day of summer, Emily Watson’s dog walker arrived early to exercise her bichon frise Molly before the heat fully hit.

At about 9.20am, Emily received a call from the dog walker to say Molly had been spooked by another dog at Nidd Gorge and she’d spent the last 20 minutes looking for her.

Emily and her partner Ben went to join the hunt, thinking it was only a matter of time before Molly turned up. But by dusk she was panicking and her family’s life hasn’t been the same since.

On the two-month anniversary of when Molly went missing, Emily sat down with her mum Beverley Malins to talk about the story that has gripped Harrogate — and how she remains desperate for a final chapter with a happy ending.

Molly has distinctive red fur on her chest.

Amid the ongoing torture, the search has revealed the best of humanity as hundreds of people have given thousands of hours to join the quest to find Molly and dozens of people have donated everything from thermal imaging cameras to signs.

On the day we met, a couple from Glasgow, who were visiting York on holiday, had been in touch offering to come to Harrogate to help. Emily says:

“The generosity of even total strangers has been amazing. I don’t know how I can repay everybody or thank them enough.

“From the moment the dog walking community found out, they were all there to help.

First family pet

Molly was 12 weeks old when she became Emily and Ben’s first dog. Beverley says:

“I was apprehensive because Emily had never had a dog before but she has absolutely blown me away with her commitment.”

Molly was aged four when she went missing and a treasured part of the family that also includes three children aged 12, 10 and three. Youngest Hugo sometimes sleeps in Molly’s bed and often carries a stuffed dog toy.

Hugo sleeping in Molly’s bed.

Few hunts for pets have been more intense. It has involved search parties of up to 50 people, drones, thermal imaging cameras, wildlife cameras, a live cam, sniffer dogs and a huge awareness campaign that has led to a Facebook group with almost 3,000 followers. Emily says:

“People have been out to the middle of the night. Everybody has been incredible.”

Emily’s phone barely stops ringing. Sometimes she gets hoax calls and possible sightings are reported daily. She has learned the hard way to be wary.

“A month ago a man called me. He said, ‘I’ve got your dog, she’s got cuts to her legs but she’s fine. I’m 100% certain it’s her. Come to Ripley to collect her.

“I started crying and my heart was absolutely pounding. We got to Ripley car park and I went to pick her up from the back of his vehicle and my heart just dropped when I realised it wasn’t her.

“I didn’t know what to say. The man messaged later to say he was really sorry.

“I didn’t even think to say ‘could you send me a photo?’ because I was so excited. Now I ask for a photo or video because it’s too upsetting to be let down.”

‘Like getting on a roundabout every day’

Molly has distinctive red staining on her chest from drinking water and getting her fur wet.

Emily is acutely aware some people think she is dead but lost dogs have turned up years later and she refuses to give up hope. She says:

“It’s the not knowing. Sometimes you feel deflated because you think you are chasing nothing. We just want an answer.”

Beverley, who has joined 40 Facebook pages for missing dogs, says:

“It’s like getting on a roundabout every day. Every day is the same and it’s never ending.”

While everything has been going on, Emily has had to be a mum and hold down two jobs. She runs a business providing balloon for events and works at the Yorkshire Hotel, which has granted her time off.

Emily and her mum Beverley Malins

Amid the dozens of people helping, three people — Jen Bell, Colin Corker and Mark Smith — are singled out for special thanks for helping with everything from social media to drones.

They’ve done a remarkable job keeping a missing dog story in the news so long. Now everybody is hoping for a happy ending. Emily says:

“It’s now at the point where we have to hope for sightings, hope for good news. I will just cry and cry if she comes back.”

New royal walk created for Harrogate

A royal walk has been created celebrating Harrogate’s links with the monarchy.

The route takes people past 18 locations with royal connections, such as the Sun Pavilion, which was re-opened by the Queen in 1998 and the King Edward VII gates to Valley Gardens.

It starts at Cathcart House and proceeds up Victoria Avenue and across Library Gardens to the Queen Victoria memorial.

It then goes down James Street, across to Old Tom’s Cabin, Farrah’s and Victoria Drive and up to the Edward Vll gates, Royal Baths Hospital, Sun Pavilion, Crescent Gardens before finishing at the Crown Hotel.

Walkers are advised to allow up to 90 minutes.

Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society, said:

“The walk is an opportunity to reflect on the many royal connections across the town.”

The self-guided walk is accompanied by a leaflet providing information about the route as well as details of royal visits to Harrogate.

The leaflet is available from libraries, the tourist information centre and Mercer gallery, as well as online here.

The walk is a joint venture between Harrogate Dramatic Society, Harrogate Civic Society and Harrogate Borough Council.

The route was devised by Mr Holland and Harry Satloka, who operates Harrogate Free Walking Tours, as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations.

Mr Holland and Mr Satloka led an inaugural walk today, which was followed by a one-act play by Harrogate Dramatic Society. Cllr Victoria Oldham, mayor of the Harrogate borough, was among those attending.

England karate team to train in Ripon before Commonwealth championship

England karate competitors will be training in Ripon this week, as they make their final preparations for next month’s Commonwealth Karate Championships in Birmingham.

The team will be training under national team coach, Ady Gray, at his school, The Karate Dojo.

Seventeen athletes will take part in the event, where they will practice their kata skills.

Kata is the Japanese word for ‘form’ and sees athletes recite choreographed patterns of martial arts movements.

Mr Gray said:

“This training camp will put the finishing touches to the athletes’ preparations for the Commonwealth Karate Championships on September 6 and 7.

“As the England head coach, it will be great to bring my athletes and coaching team together and show them what our city has to offer and what a great venue Ripon is for our final preparations.”

Following the training camp, the athletes will head to Birmingham to take part in the Commonwealth Karate Championships.

They will competing in the event for national teams on September 6 and 7, which is followed by a club competition between September 8 and 11.

In its 10th edition, competitors from around the Commonwealth will be coming to the city, which recently hosted the Commonwealth Games.

Thursday’s training event will be open to the public and people will be able to take part in a training session with the team.

Mr Gray hopes that the camp will lead to greater exposure for the sport, both in Ripon and beyond.

He pointed to the fact that karate is already a popular sport, saying that his dojo sees people at “all stages [and] ages.”

However, he admitted that karate did not have the money it needed to reach the attention of more people. The sport made its debut at the Olympics in Tokyo last year. Mr Gray added:

“We’ve got to get that exposure.”

He now hopes that the separate championships will lead to karate being included as an official part of the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

Rise in empty homes adds pressure on Harrogate district housing market

The number of empty homes in the Harrogate district has increased post-covid despite the district’s severe shortage of affordable housing.

Harrogate Borough Council figures show there are currently 801 properties that have stood empty for more than six months – up from 758 in February.

There are also 204 properties that have been empty for over two years, while 30 have been vacant for over a decade.

This comes at a time when housing is in desperate need, with high property prices and a national decline in real wages forcing residents out of Harrogate, which remains as one of the most unaffordable places to live in the UK.

There are also around 1,800 households on the council’s housing register.

The council said it has continued efforts since introducing an empty homes strategy in 2019, although it added much of the responsibility to ensure these properties don’t put pressure on the housing market was on homeowners themselves.

It said in a report:

“The council has agreed to pursue enforcement action where necessary as part of the empty homes strategy.

“Empty homes represent a wasted housing resource; they also pose other problems for local authorities, owners, neighbours, emergency services and the environment.

“They are often a blemish on an area and can be subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour.”

The council has carried out enforcement action on several empty properties through compulsory purchase orders which allow it to take ownership without the consent of the owner.

However, the council’s first step is to always make an offer to buy these buildings.

It has set aside £2.5 million for this and has recently proposed to buy three buildings on Almsford Road, Rawson Street and Hartwith Drive in Harrogate, and one on Kings Road in Knaresborough.

The council said there is “no guarantee” that an empty homeowner will agree to sell and that in order to take enforcement action the authority must demonstrate it has “exhausted all efforts” to return the property to use.

It said:

“This includes enabling the empty homeowner to sell their home voluntarily.

“In cases where an offer is refused this forms the basis of reviewing further enforcement action such as compulsory purchase, enforced sale or an empty dwelling management order.”

Why are homes left empty?

There are numerous reasons properties can lie empty. In some instances, landlords cannot afford to renovate their property to sell or rent out.

Properties may also have been inherited and the new owners don’t know what to do with them. Rentals can also fall below safety standards which means they sit vacant until the problems are fixed.

What else can be done?

As well as carrying out compulsory purchase orders, the government has also given councils powers to charge an additional 100% council tax on properties that have been empty for two years.

Empty dwelling management orders can also be issued for long term empty properties that are attracting vandalism and causing a nuisance to the community.

Riverdale star Camila Mendes believed to be filming in Harrogate today

Riverdale star Camila Mendes is believed to be back in Harrogate today to film for an Amazon Prime production.

Upgraded Films UK has been unloading vans on James Street in preparation for filming this afternoon.

The American-Brazilian actress and singer, who made her debut portraying Veronica Lodge in the teen drama series Riverdale, was photographed filming on the Stray two weeks ago.

She and Archie Renaux are starring in a romantic comedy called Upgraded directed by Carlson Young, who could also be in town.

Camila Mendes filming on the Stray a fortnight ago.

Mendes’ Instagram story also showed her visiting Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, on her last visit.

Since then filming has taken place around West Yorkshire.

Several vehicles parked on the side of James Street this lunchtime and began unloading kit. Signs said filming was due to take place.

James Street is expected to stay open throughout the duration of today’s filming.

Harrogate boy, 15, sentenced for stealing car and carrying knife

A 15-year-old Harrogate boy has been referred to a youth offender panel for 12 months for stealing a car and carrying a knife and bolt cutters.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also ordered to pay a £22 surcharge to fund victim services.

Magistrates in Harrogate imposed the sentence on Friday after the teenager pleaded guilty to three offences, which all took place on January 20 this year.

The first was stealing a car of unknown value on John Street, Harrogate.

The second was having a kitchen knife on West Park Stray on January 20 and the third was for going equipped to steal with bolt cutters at the same location.

The court took into account the boy’s guilty pleas when imposing the sentence.

Missing dog Molly: new poster released on two-month anniversary

The owners of missing dog Molly have released a new poster today on the two-month anniversary of her disappearance.

Molly, a white bichon frise, was spooked by another dog and ran away in Nidd Gorge on June 23.

Her disappearance sparked a huge search involving search parties, drones and thermal imaging cameras.

A Facebook group devoted to finding Molly has 2,600 members.

Emily Watson, who lives in Starbeck, continues to oversee the hunt on behalf of her devastated family.

But so far the mystery remains unsolved.

The family hopes the poster will keep the search fresh in people’s minds. Emily said:

“We are now at the point where we have to hope for sightings, hope for good news.

Hundreds of people have given their time for free to help the Watsons. Emily said:

“I don’t know how I can ever repay everybody enough. The support we have had has been overwhelming.”

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First family pet

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‘Like getting on a roundabout every day’

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Why are homes left empty?

What else can be done?

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