Harrogate firefighters dealt with five field fires on the hottest day of the year today.

On a day when North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident due to the number of call-outs, the crew at Harrogate attended three major fires.

At first they were called to a blaze near Forest Lane in Harrogate at about 1pm where an area of woodland measuring 20m x 20m had caught fire. Harrogate fire station put on Facebook:

“We believe a discarded cigarette, or strong sunlight shining through a broken glass bottle may have caused the fire.”

After extinguishing the fire, one of the Harrogate appliances was sent to a standing crop on fire in a field near Marton cum Grafton, between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.

The fire station said on Facebook:

“Due to the extremely dry conditions the fire caught hold of four fields very quickly. The wind direction kept changing making the condition challenging.

“Fire crews also came to help from Knaresborough fire station, Ripon, Acom, and the water bowser from Tadcaster.

“Crews worked hard in the extreme heat (nearly 40 degrees!) to extinguish the fire using hosereel jets, main branches and beaters.

“Thanks also goes to the farmers for helping out and putting a fire break in the crop.”

While this was going on, the second Harrogate fire engine was called to a field on fire near Northallerton.

Read more:

• Drone captures scale of Ripon field fire
• Fire destroys workshop in Harrogate district

“As you can imagine, the ground is tinder-dry at the moment making it easy for fire to spread quickly.

“So please do be careful if you are out and about. Make sure you discard cigarettes carefully and avoid having barbecues.”

An inquest into the death of prominent local solicitor Lynda Greenwood heard today that she died of smoke inhalation when her house caught fire.

Ms Greenwood, who founded Greenwoods Solicitors in Knaresborough in 1991, died on April 2 at her home in Brearton. She was 67.

Her home was severely damaged in the blaze, which occurred at about 10pm on a Saturday night.

Assistant coroner Jonathan Leach gave the cause of death at today’s brief opening inquest in Northallerton. He said she was divorced her maiden name was Nattress.

Me Leach added:

“She was at home on April 2 when a fire broke out, as a result of which she died at the scene.”

The inquest was adjourned until a later date.

Ms Greenwood was born in South Shields but grew up in Knaresborough where she attended King James’s School before completing a law degree at Kingston University and becoming a partner in a Surrey law firm.

Read more:

• ‘No suspicious circumstances’ surrounding Brearton house fire, say fire service
• Local solicitor identified as victim of fatal Brearton house fire

After having her daughter, she set up Greenwoods Solicitors in her home town.

A statement on the company’s website says:

“On Saturday 2 April 2022 our colleague, our friend, our Lynda, was taken from us in the most tragic of circumstances.

“Lynda touched the hearts of everyone who met her and we have been overwhelmed by the number of kind messages we have received.”

Countryfile host and adventurer Helen Skelton was guest of honour at prep school Belmont Grosvenor’s annual Speech Day.

The Yorkshire-based mum-of-three inspired pupils from nursery to Year 6 with her tales from the Amazon to Antarctica.

Ms Skelton told pupils:

“Life is about challenges, and life is about taking risks. It doesn’t matter what other people think, what other people think you can and can’t do. You can be anything you want.

Co-educational prep school Belmont Grosvenor is based at Swarcliffe Hall in Birstwith.

Former Blue Peter presenter Ms Skelton, currently fronting Channel 5’s Summer on the Farm, described the school’s setting as “incredible” and praised its outdoor learning ethos.

She shared secrets from some of her most famous challenges, from kayaking the Amazon to becoming only the second woman to complete the Namibia Ultra Marathon.

“I’d never run for 10 minutes, never mind 80 miles in 23 hours. I set my GPS every five miles to zero, and I did another five miles and another five miles until I reached 80!” she said.

Read more:

• Nidderdale wellness retreat shares its harvest for healthy eating
• Harrogate Grammar School unveils new £1.3m building and garden

Acting Head Emma Shea told the Speech Day audience the school had recorded higher than national average results for all classes from year 2 to 6 in English and maths.

Ms Shea, who leaves BGS at the end of the academic year after 16 years, praised pupils for their hard work and, with the help of Ms Skelton, handed out prizes for a wide range of achievements from science and maths awards to the kindness and consideration cup.

Harrogate Borough Council has begun moves to evict Travellers from Oatlands Park.

Almost 20 vehicles arrived on the council-maintained park on Friday night.

It is believed they gained access from Hookstone Road, where a post blocking traffic from entering the park had been removed.

A council spokesman said today:

“We are aware of an illegal encampment on Oatlands Park in Harrogate and have started legal proceedings.

“Notices have been served requesting that the occupants leave imminently.”

Local people told the Stray Ferret that police had visited the site.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“Residents have made us aware of a group of caravans which have pitched on an area of Oatlands Park in Harrogate.

“As part of our usual neighbourhood policing response, local officers who were on patrol visited Oatlands and spoke to those concerned.”

Read more:

• Travellers arrive on Oatlands Park in Harrogate
• Calls for more temporary sites for Travellers in Harrogate district

Travellers have set up a camp on Oatlands Park in Harrogate.

Vehicles, which arrived last night, are believed to have gained access from Hookstone Road.

A post preventing traffic from entering the park was lying on the ground this morning.

Where the vehicles are believed to have entered.

Almost 20 vehicles are parked on the grass, at the side of the field.

The Harrogate Borough Council-maintained park includes public toilets, a play area for children and is a popular place for football matches.

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council to ask if it is taking any action.

Read more:

• Calls for more temporary sites for Travellers in Harrogate district
• Andrew Jones MP writes to Priti Patel about ‘law-breaking’ Travellers

Get set for melting ice creams, home-grown marrows, dog shows and death-defying display teams… the village show season is about to begin.

After two covid-ruined years, these quintessentially British events are returning to the Harrogate district.

The Masham Steam Engine and Fair Organ Rally, which includes a Lancaster bomber fly past and dancing differs, takes place today and tomorrow.

The action comes thick and fast then. Here’s what’s happening.

July 24: Aldborough and Boroughbridge Agricultural Show

The show at Newby Hall celebrates its 107th anniversary this year.

It will feature Yorkshire produce, crafts and livestock as well as attractions and events ranging from dog, cattle and sheep showing classes to horse, pony and donkey events and hay making demonstrations.

There will be crafts, cream teas, heavy horses, baking, handicrafts, horticulture, flower arranging, photography and farm produce.

Aldborough and Boroughbridge Show.

The grand ring will host children’s races, terrier racing always and a dog show.

Catherine Park Peyton, chair of the show:

“Our show is one of the biggest community events in the area and we are very pleased to work in partnership with Newby Hall where the parkland provides the perfect backdrop for a country show.”

Read more:

• Royal visit caps sell-out first day at Great Yorkshire Show
• Harrogate district prepares for heatwave as red weather warning issued

July 30: Birstwith Show

The village show in Nidderdale will be staged for the first time in three years.

The highlights include a bicycle display team, Pete White and his Suitcase Circus, dog agility classes, a pony show and a dog show.

First held in 1867, it is one of the mainstays of the show season.

July 31: Weeton Show

Weeton Show, which was created just after the Second World War, was one of the few to take place last year and was rewarded with a huge turnout.

This year’s event features Dangerous Steve in the main ring, terrier racing, vintage tractors and a farrier demonstration.

August 7: Tockwith Show

Tockwith Show will return for 2022 in August.

The show features plenty of agriculture and horticultural attractions. There is also a sheep show, a farmers market and working crafts.

Tockwith Show 2019 pic credit: Steve Ross

The show, which dates back to 1945, takes place on Cattal Moor Lane in Tockwith.

August 14: Ripley Show

The show, initially held in 1849, will be staged for the first time in three years.

Among this year’s attractions are Savage Skills, who are the UK’s leading freestyle mountain bike and BMX stunt team.

There are also jumping classes, fancy dress, vintage machines and dog classes which include dog agility, companion dog and friends show, terrier racing, gun dog retrieve and sheep dogs.

Ripley Show is traditionally held on the second Sunday in August at Ripley Castle Park.

It is organised by Ripley and District Agricultural and Horticultural Show Ltd, a member of the Yorkshire Federation of Show Societies.

September 19: Nidderdale Show

The Annual Nidderdale Show, held in the picturesque surrounds of Bewerley Park, Pateley Bridge, is one of the county’s foremost agricultural shows.

It regularly attracts crowds of 15,000 and traditionally marks the end of the agricultural show season.

Few topics arouse greater emotions in the Harrogate district than homelessness.

Most residents are highly sympathetic to people sleeping in shop doorways in places like Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

But some regard them as a blight on the town’s image and call for the ‘tramp camps’ to be dispersed.

And there is widespread confusion over whether it’s cruel or kind to give money to people on the streets.

Harrogate Homeless Project has been on the frontline of helping rough sleepers for 30 years.

Francis McAllister, the new chief executive, is keen to extend its services and raise the charity’s profile in the town.

Emergency accommodation

Harrogate Homeless Project, which employs 29 staff, is best known for its Bower Street hostel, which provides emergency accommodation for up to 21 people in 16 rooms. If people turn up with nowhere to go at 2am, the hostel takes them in.

Mr McAllister, a Northern Irishman with a strong background in the voluntary sector at charities including Barnardo’s, the NSPCC and St George’s Crypt in Leeds, describes the hostel as “the revolving door of homelessness”, helping people with damaged, chaotic lives and multiple addictions.

The organisation also provides ‘move-on’ accommodation and support for people who want to get off the streets.

It also offers services at Springboard Day Centre, which operates out of the Wesley Centre in Harrogate. Anyone can turn up Monday to Friday lunchtimes and receive a meal, no questions asked.

The Wesley Centre

For many it’s their only decent meal of the day. The hostel also provides a GP drop in, psychotherapy and counselling, a hairdresser, a podiatrist and even a drop-in vet service.

Mr McAllister wants to extend this further by getting more agencies involved to help those keen to make the transition to independent living. Cookery lessons are one example. He says:

“People ask, ‘what’s the formula for stopping homelessness?’ It’s not that straightforward. A lot of people struggle to have the skills to maintain a tenancy.

“Giving them keys to a house isn’t the solution — it’s more about giving them skills.”

If Harrogate Homeless Project is to broaden its impact, it needs more volunteers and funding.

It currently receives about £500,000 a year. About 10% to 20% comes from statutory sources, including Harrogate Borough Council; the rest is mainly from trust and grants.

Very little comes from public donations, which seems strange given how visible and emotive homelessness is.

Read more:

• Harrogate Homeless Project appoints new chief executive
• New Harrogate Station Gateway details revealed today

Giving to rough sleepers

The charity recently appointed its first professional fundraiser and Mr McAllister hopes this will not only generate funds but also help to raise awareness of the organisation and its work so that it becomes as natural a cause for local people to support as, for example, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Does he recommend giving to people in the street, many of whom have addictions?

“That’s a difficult one. I wouldn’t give them money. But I would give money to Street Aid or a cause that’s helping them.

“If you want to do something for someone on the street, get them a sandwich or a cup of coffee.

“Sometimes what they really need is someone to talk to.”

With the cost of living crisis, Harrogate Homeless Project is set to get busier.

It hopes local people will rally to its cause. Mr McAllister says:

“We are local. The money we raise gets spent in Harrogate. We are co-operating with a lot of agencies and I really hope we can do more.”

The councils behind the Harrogate Station Gateway said it was time for the town to “seize the opportunity” today, as new details of the project emerged.

A media briefing was held in Harrogate today before a third phase of consultation on the latest proposals begins on Wednesday.

Key elements of the scheme, including the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and some of Station Parade being reduced to single lane, remain in place and are non-negotiable, councillors said.

But the briefing did reveal some changes:

• Two approaches to the Odeon roundabout will be reduced to single lane to make it safer for cyclists. But it won’t be a Dutch-style roundabout giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists.
• Nine trees will be felled as part of the scheme. Twenty-four new ones will be planted.
• The project is predicted to extend the average journey time around town by 73 seconds at peak times.
• Two taxi bays on Station Parade will be lost but new bays will be introduced elsewhere.
• North Yorkshire County Council, the lead partner, has pledged to “robustly defend” any legal challenge after a Harrogate property owner said he was considering a judicial review.
• Inflation and the cost of living crisis are prompting concerns about whether the scheme can be delivered in full. Some cheaper materials could be used.
• North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have pledged £300,000 between them to bring the value of the scheme up to £11.2 million.
• The start time has been pushed back again until late spring or summer next year and is due to complete by March 2024.

The Odeon roundabout

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, the executive member for access and transportation at the county council, told the briefing it was time to “crack on”.

He said:

“We want to continue with this scheme. It’s an exciting opportunity for Harrogate. We are at the stage where we either seize the opportunity or lose it.

“We need to take this scheme forward. If we didn’t it would be a travesty for Harrogate.”

Read more:

• Another consultation to take place on £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway
• Harrogate property developer considers Station Gateway legal action

The scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre a more pleasant place to visit.

But business groups fear the loss of parking spaces and potential congestion could deter shoppers.

Cllr Duncan said the council didn’t want a “war” with businesses, which have expressed major doubts about the initiative.

He said the gateway would attract more people into the town centre and be good for business.

‘First major investment in Harrogate for 30 years’

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said the scheme was a “fantastic regeneration project and the first major investment in Harrogate in 30 years”.

Cllr Ireland added that if it didn’t succeed, after months of wrangling, it could “affect how Harrogate is looked upon when future funding is available”.

He said the average car journey in the Harrogate district was less than 2km and this scheme would encourage more people in the town centre vicinity to walk or cycle. Those who didn’t, he added, still had 6,000 parking spaces, many of which are free.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund programme manager at the county council, hailed the public realm benefits, such as completely revamping Station Square to include a water feature and new seats.

Ms Weston added empirical evidence suggested there was widespread misconception about the impact of active travel schemes on businesses, with them usually having a “positive or neutral” impact.

One Arch

She said there would also be a focus on making One Arch “pleasanter” by improving the landscaping and introducing lights with a “shimmering” effect inside the tunnel.

Drop-in sessions will be held from 9am to 5pm at the Victoria Shopping Centre on August 4, 5 and 6 as part of the consultation. An online event will be held on August 10 at 6pm.

The scale of this week’s field fire near Ripon is captured in this drone image sent to the Stray Ferret.

Harrogate district drone photographer Paul Smith took the image on Tuesday, the day after the blaze occurred at Hutton Bank, Sharow.

It was one of two crop fires in the district that day. At one point the flames came close to the main A61 road.

Ripon and Harrogate fire crews were first at the scene and requested a further four appliances due to the 300-metre fire front.

Firefighters worked with the farmer to extinguish the blaze, in which nobody was hurt.

Read more:

• Major crop fires underway near A61 in Ripon
• Seven weeks of gas works set to start on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road

Knaresborough golfer John Parry is leading the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau after the first day at The Open Championship.

Parry, competing in his first Open, shot a three-under par 69 to end yesterday five shots off the lead.

If he posts another good round today he will make the cut for the weekend and play at St Andrews in Scotland alongside the biggest names in the sport.

Parry, who grew up in Knaresborough, is an honorary member of Harrogate Golf Club and still plays the course regularly.

The club, just off the A59, dates back to 1892 and is the oldest in Harrogate.

Club pros Sam Everson and Gary Stothard have known him since their junior days together and Mr Everson said everyone at the club was delighted to see him doing so well:

“He’s a local guy who has worked hard on his game. He’s never got above his station — guys turn up on the tee and he will have a game with them.”

Parry, 35, represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup before turning professional at the end of 2007.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Knaresborough trains to Leeds to be reinstated in December
• Knaresborough school pays tribute to former headteacher

He has competed on the European Tour and even won a tour event but currently plays on the second-tier Challenge Tour.

Parry, who now lives in Leeds, has twice played at the US Open and made the cut on both occasions.

He needed to finish in the top four of the final qualifier to compete at St Andrews this week. He finished joint fourth and then won the play-off.

Mr Everson said:

“You could tell he was talented even at a young age. He had a natural swing and a very gifted short game.”