Knaresborough was packed at the weekend for what is being hailed as the town’s busiest ever Christmas market.

A total of 68 stalls crammed into Market Place to greet customers from all over the country and beyond.

The attractions also included a Christmas tree festival at St John’s Church and a fireworks finale, provided by local firm Ferrensby Fireworks.

Hazel Haas, who chairs the Christmas market committee, estimated up to 10,000 people attended on Saturday and up to 6,000 people turned out yesterday. She said:

“It was amazing. I’ve never seen it so busy. Many people said it was the busiest ever. In fact some traders sold out of their entire weekend stock on the Saturday.”

Ms Haas attributed the success to the quality of stalls, which she said had gradually improved over the years, and to the fact that the event still offered a cheap weekend for people in tough times.

The Christmas tree festival, the fireworks and the park and ride were all free so visitors could soak up the atmosphere and explore the town without having to spend any money.

So many coaches attended that extra space was required to accommodate them and King James’s School agreed to help at late notice.

The Christmas market is a joint initiative between the Rotary Club of Knaresborough, the Lions Club of Knaresborough and Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

“We were thrilled with the support for the market again this year, as well as our fantastic local businesses. We had worked really hard to promote all the town has to offer in the lead up to the event and feedback so far has been great, with one business even reporting they’d had their best ever day.

“People travelled from far and wide and at one point we even had a queue of coaches waiting to drop off market visitors. I spoke to one couple who had travelled from Leicester having seen the town featured in the recent film ‘A Very Yorkshire Christmas’ and another man who was visiting from the Netherlands. The town felt so wonderfully festive and even the showers on Sunday did nothing to deter visitors.”

A faulty storage heater caused a fire at a business in Pannal today.

A member of staff dialled 999 when they noticed smoke at the commercial premises on Station Road.

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough were summoned to the scene at 8.43am and entered the building wearing breathing apparatus.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log says they discovered a “small fire to a storage heater”, adding:

“Firecrews extinguished the heater, which had developed an electrical fault, and cleared the premises of smoke with a positive pressure ventilation fan.”

The fire, at the unnamed business, was the first of two incidents in the Harrogate district today.

At two minutes past midday, fire crews from Boroughbridge and Knaresborough were called to the A1 southbound near Boroughbridge to deal with a car fire.

A Vauxhall Zafira had caught fire following an engine fault. Firefighters using breathing apparatus dealt with the incident.

The incident log adds:

“Occupants had left scene, believed to have been picked up by another vehicle prior to arrival of emergency services.”

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The reopening of Harrogate Hydro has been delayed until summer next year.

The swimming pool and leisure centre closed in April for an £11.8 million refurbishment.

At the time, the pool hall and changing rooms were due to re-open next month and the ‘dry side’ activity space was expected to welcome visitors in April.

The pool opening date was later pushed back until May. But in a post on its Facebook page this week the venue said it is now due to open in summer.

The facility will get a two-storey extension as well as a new entrance, cafe and reception area and sauna and steam suite.

There will also be new diving board equipment, a new fitness suite and the changing areas will be upgraded.

How the Hydro is looking.

The Hydro, which is run by Harrogate Borough Council-controlled leisure company Brimhams Active, said in its Facebook post that work was “well underway”. It added:

“As is often the case when refurbishing an existing building, we have discovered some additional areas of work that could only have come to light when the building was closed and a strip-out of the internal fabric had taken place.

“This includes some improvements to the fire protection of the steel frame, replacement of corroded steelwork, replacement of soffit boarding, and resolution of air leakage and heat loss between the roof and the external walls. As well as some work to ensure the building conforms to the latest legislation and is as energy-efficient as possible.

“Despite everything being done to minimise delays to the project, we now anticipate opening our doors once again next summer (date TBC). But by carrying out the work now, we will be able to ensure people across the Harrogate district can keep fit and active for many years to come.”

The Stray Ferret has asked the council if the “additional areas of work” will mean the cost of the project has risen. We have not received a response at the time of publication.

Read more:

• Pictures show progress of £28m Harrogate Hydro and Knaresborough Leisure Centre works
• Harrogate’s free Christmas lights extravaganza to be switched on today

One person commented in response on Facebook about the length of time Harrogate swimmers would have to travel to Ripon to use another council pool:

“This is going to be well over a year swimmers in the north of the town have been without a pool, and ‘summer (tbc)’ isn’t inspiring me with a lot of confidence.

“Driving to Ripon (actually quicker than trying to get through traffic to Starbeck or Knaresborough) isn’t a particularly appealing prospect on a foggy/icy winter morning, nor is it very green.”

Another person said the wait would be worth it.

“Ah well a least another seven months travelling through to Ripon. If it’s going to be as good as Ripon, really looking forward to it reopening.”

The council, which will be abolished in April, is also spending £17 million on a new leisure centre in Knaresborough, which will have a six-lane swimming pool, health spa and fitness studios.

It is being built behind the existing Knaresborough Pool which will be demolished.

Crime commissioner Zoë Metcalfe plans to relocate her office to Harrogate Police Station — triggering impartiality concerns.

Ms Metcalfe’s office said today the move could save £80,000 a year. But there are concerns working alongside police officers could compromise her duty to hold the chief constable to account on behalf of the public.

The Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is currently based at Granby Road, Harrogate. According to its website it employs 32 staff.

The crime commissioner’s current office at Granby Road, Harrogate.

A spokesperson for the office said:

“We are considering how best to meet the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s future office accommodation needs and our current, and most favoured option is co-location in Harrogate with the police and fire services.

“The commissioner recognises that the public expect police and fire buildings to be used efficiently, especially at a time of strain on public finances.

“No detailed plans have been finalised but we expect to save approximately £80,000 per year by changing our office arrangements. Like many progressive organisations, the Commissioner’s team has a strong commitment to flexible, agile working and our office accommodation needs have changed in recent years.”

A whistleblower, who alerted the Stray Ferret to the news, said:

“The PFCC and staff should be impartial and not mixing and befriending staff they may have to investigate.”

Read more:

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The commissioner’s spokesperson also said police could share space with firefighters at Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road:

“Proposals for neighbourhood policing teams to have access to spare office space at the fire station on Skipton Road have been under consideration separately, for a much longer period of time. 

“The commissioner, chief constable and chief fire officer have asked for a specialist estates recommendation which makes the most efficient and effective use of the police and fire station buildings in Harrogate for our teams. Once this report is completed, we will make further announcements.”

Harrogate Police Station is based at Beckwith Head Road.

The first skaters took to the ice and the giant Ferris wheel wheel began turning as Harrogate’s Christmas festivities got underway.

Fog lifted at noon just in time for people to get a great view of the festivities, including the 50 market stalls, ice rink and more from the top of the 32-metre Ferris wheel.

The Christmas Fayre is running with the Candy Cane Express road train from today until December 11 but many of the rides including the ice rink, ferris wheel and carousel will stay in the town centre until January 3.

Read our comprehensive guide to Harrogate’s Christmas fun here. Check out our gallery from this morning for a taste of the fun:

A free daily Christmas lights show lasting 90 minutes will be switched on today.

Computer engineer Dale Hughes said the show will be bigger and even more spectacular than last year’s, which attracted daily visitors to Norwich Drive in Jennyfields.

Mr Dale has installed 42,000 low energy LED lights outside his home, which light up in time with a musical soundtrack.

Following the success of last Christmas’ show, which involved 26,000 LEDS, Mr Dale severely doubted he would be able to organise anything this year when he was hospitalised with a back injury.

Fortunately he recovered in time to arrange a Halloween extravaganza and now he’s looking forward to wowing visitors again.

This year’s lights are ready to go.

The father-of-five was inspired by videos showing lavishly decorated American houses, adding:

“I’ve always wanted to do something different rather than go to B&Q and buy some lights and plug them in.”

The show will run from 5pm to 7.30pm daily. It lasts 90 minutes and at 6.30pm is replayed on a shorter loop.

Mr Hughes has also arranged a New Year’s Eve variation that includes Auld Lang Syne at midnight.

There is a serious side to the fun. Last year’s event raised £1,150 in donations for Martin House Children’s Hospice and Mr Dale wants to generate £2,000 for the same charity this time. QR codes line trees near the lights show and people can pledge donations online. Visit here for more information.

Do the neighbours mind?

“Fortunately they love it. But I only do it from 5.30pm until 7pm because I don’t want to upset them too much!”

A group of brave Harrogate district women took to the stage in a state of undress last night for the opening night of Calendar Girls.

The sell-out show, which ends on Saturday, sees members of Kirkby Overblow Dramatic Society perform an adapted version of the original Calendar Girls film.

The 1999 film is based on the true story of how a group of middle-aged women from Rylstone and District Women’s Institute, near Skipton, posed nude for a risqué calendar to raise money for leukaemia cancer.  They have since raised over £5m for the charity Blood Cancer UK.

Three of the original Calendar Girls — Angela Baker, Chris Clancy and Linda Logan — will be in Kirkby Overblow for Saturday night’s finale at All Saints Church.

The cast also agreed to pose for a 2023 calendar shot creatively at local landmarks in Kirkby Overblow.

The December image from the calendar, showing all the cast. Photo: Annette Fishburn Photography 

The heart-warming play, written by Tim Firth, is directed by Claire McKenzie from Harrogate.  Auditions were held in August.

All profits from the production and calendar will be split between the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate District Hospital, cancer support charity Maggie’s Yorkshire and Blood Cancer UK.

Dr John Fairfield, chairman of Kirkby Overblow Dramatic Society, said:

“The similarities between the villages of Rylstone and Kirkby Overblow and their close-knit communities made it an obvious choice. The dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm of the cast and crew is inspiring. We are absolutely delighted that Chris, Angela and Linda are able to join us”.

Angela Baker said:

“It is a marvellous legacy that after 23 years when we embarked on our Alternative WI calendar, we are here today still supporting the cause. It’s thanks to casts and crews like this up and down the country that keeps the Calendar Girls story alive and continues to raise funds for Blood Cancer UK.”

Copies of the calendar can be bought for £15 from the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Kirkby Overblow.

Read more:

• Panto legend Tim Stedman brings Christmas magic to Harrogate again
• Here we go! Harrogate’s Christmas activities begin tomorrow — here’s your guide

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe has resigned as a councillor on Harrogate Borough Council.

The news has not been publicly announced yet. However, the council’s website confirms she is no longer a councillor.

The Stray Ferret was alerted to the news by another councillor and has attempted to contact Ms Metcalfe directly, as well as the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Harrogate Borough Council for further details. So far only Harrogate Borough Council has replied to clarify there won’t be a by-election.

A spokesman said:

“Under the terms of the Structural Changes Order we are unable to run by-elections to fill vacancies arising after September 30, unless the total number of unfilled vacancies exceeds one third of the whole number of members.  Therefore there will not be a by-election for this seat.”

Ms Metcalfe, a Conservative, was elected to the £74,000 commissioner’s role in November last year after her predecessor Philip Allott resigned.

At the time she represented Claro on Harrogate Borough Council and Knaresborough on North Yorkshire County Council.

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She did not seek re-election to the county council in May’s local elections but retained her borough council seat. Her departure today comes four months to the day before the borough council is abolished to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.

Ms Metcalfe has strong local connections: she was born in Ripon and now lives in Aldborough, near Boroughbridge.

She joined the Conservatives in 2014 and has twice stood unsuccessfully for Parliament: first in Doncaster Central and then in Leeds West.

A fire service review she led this year generated controversy because of its decision to reduce the number of fire engines stationed at Harrogate from two to one overnight.

A Nidderdale lollipop woman is set to retire after 47 years of helping children cross the road.

Mary Fisher, 87, is North Yorkshire’s longest-serving lollipop woman.

She has supervised generations of children crossing the busy Pateley Bridge to Harrogate road outside Summerbridge Community Primary School since 1975 — the year the Vietnam war ended, Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and Leeds United were beaten in the final of the European Cup.

Now, after 18,000 morning and afternoon patrols involving thousands of children, she has decided to retire. Her last day is due to be December 16.

Nick Coates, executive headteacher of Darley and Summerbridge Community Primary School Federation, said:

“Mary will still be a regular visitor to school but in a guest capacity rather than a working role and is going spend her retirement taking it easy, gardening, baking with the odd bit of knitting thrown in.  

“We wish her all the best and of course, it goes without saying, all our love.”

Read more:

• Is Mary the Harrogate district’s longest-serving lollipop woman?
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Mary came to North Yorkshire in 1954 with her husband Jim, and soon became firmly embedded within the local community.

In 1956 the couple moved to Summerbridge, where Mary worked at New York Mill and Jim worked in the building trade.

Over the next decade or so Mary and Jim raised their four children, all of whom attended the school. It was at this point that Mary’s relationship with the school really began.

Bringing the children to school everyday, it was soon noticed by the local ‘bobby’ that Mary would make a great lollipop lady and despite initial reluctance, she eventually agreed.

Two years ago, when she celebrated her milestone of 45 years, she said:

“One of the best parts of the job is that everyone recognises you – everyone always waves at me.

“I love being outside and active as well. I have to be out and about rather than sat inside. Not a day goes by where I think I don’t want to get up today and do it.”

Now, after 47 years and five headteachers, she has finally decided to call it a day.

Harrogate Borough Council is paying some of Harrogate’s larger town centre hotels to provide accommodation to homeless people.

The Stray Ferret approached the council a month ago after a well-placed source revealed the names of some of the town’s best-known hotels that are being paid to put up homeless people. We asked the council how many homeless people it was helping, why it was having to use town centre hotels and how much it was paying the hotels.

The council, which has duties to prevent and relieve homelessness, confirmed it used hotels “as a last resort” but declined to reveal costs.

A council spokesperson said:

“Should someone become homeless we have a number of options available to help them find somewhere safe to stay on a temporary basis. As well as helping them plan for the long term and secure permanent accommodation.

“We have hostels in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough as well as Fern House in Starbeck, our purpose-built temporary accommodation with 19 self-contained bedrooms.

“Should someone be placed in a B&B or hotel, they are only ever done so on a temporary basis and as a last resort when no other suitable accommodation is available.

“Currently, 16 people are being temporarily accommodated in B&Bs and hotels, and 82 in hostels, until we find a more permanent solution.”

The spokesperson added the council worked with partners “to find more secure accommodation” while it provided temporary relief.

Fern House, which cost £2.3 million to build, opened 18 months ago to help provide more accommodation for homeless people.

We once again asked the council to provide details of how much taxpayers’ money it was paying the hotels. But despite subsequent requests, it has not revealed how much it spends on hotels.

The spokesman initially said he “didn’t have the costs to hand” and it “wasn’t a straightforward answer”.

Three weeks ago he said he had asked a colleague in finance to collate the information and they would “pull it together as soon as they can”.

But no further details have been provided.

The Stray Ferret has submitted a Freedom of information request.