Knaresborough’s Philip Allott launches marketing book

Knaresborough man and former police commissioner Philip Allott has written a book on marketing.

Integrated Business to Business Marketing provides “a complete blueprint for success in communicating promotional messages in the digital age”.

Mr Allott, who founded PR company Allott and Associates in 1994, said the book builds on his “40 years of practical experience” of marketing.

It is written for business owners, directors and marketing managers in the UK and abroad and covers topics such as how material written for press releases can be used for social media platforms and e-newsletters.

Mr Allott is a former leader of the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council and a former Mayor of Knaresborough who stood unsuccessfully in several general elections for the Conservative Party.

He was elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in May last year but resigned in October in the wake of comments about the murder of Sarah Everard.

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Mr Allott is also the author of The Donkeyman, which was published in 2007. It talks about the life and times of his donkey-breeding father, who was known as Donkey Dave.

His new book, which is distributed by John Hunt Publishing, will be available from next month on Amazon and at Waterstones.

 

Police find 16 wraps of class A drugs in vehicle heading to Harrogate

Police found 16 wraps of what is believed to be class A drugs when they stopped a vehicle heading to Harrogate from West Yorkshire.

Officers also found three mobile phones and £350 of cash.

The driver, a 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A-drug but later released while enquiries continue.

North Yorkshire Police revealed the details today in an update on a ‘week of intensification’ into tackling county lines drugs, which refers to organised criminal groups moving and supplying drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

A police officer ready to conduct a warrant

An operation support unit officer ready to conduct a warrant.

Harrogate’s affluent population is often targeted by dealers in Bradford and Leeds.

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The force said it has arrested 17 people and safeguarded vulnerable people during the week of targeted action, which was part of a national campaign from March 7 to 13.

Police also executed warrants at addresses linked to drugs and carried out several safeguarding visits to help prevent ‘cuckooing’ taking place.

This is when county lines dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person for a short time while they carry out their activities before returning to their town or city.

Police sniffer dogs search for drugs

Police sniffer dogs search for drugs.

Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith, who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said:

“Whilst we work all year to take drugs off the streets of North Yorkshire this week of intensification has brought some substantial results. By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation we can make North Yorkshire’s communities safer.

“We can only do this with the support and information that we get from residents so I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”

Traffic cop posts pic of ‘horrendous shed of a car’ stopped near Ripon

A Harrogate traffic constable has revealed photos of “a horrendous shed of a car” that was stopped by police near Ripon.

Traffic Constable David Minto said a colleague pulled over the Audi at Baldersby, near Ripon.

He then requested support from TC Minto, who said on his Twitter account:

“It wasn’t a difficult decision for me. All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state

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TC Minto added two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all the tyres were below the legal tread depth.

He added:

“It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms.”

One person responded on Twitter to say Baldersby was an apt place for such an incident to occur, judging by the state of the tyres.

1 of 2 My colleague stopped this today on #A1M near #Baldersby #Ripon He requested support in relation to examination for a possible #PG9 #Prohibition It wasn’t a difficult decision for me… All four tyres had defects. The rear offside in particular was in a dreadful state … pic.twitter.com/s9zHTGDWxJ

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

2 of 2 …Two different size tyres were fitted to the front axle and all were below the legal tread depth. It was a horrendous shed of a car. The driver has been reported and a court date looms #DangerousCondition #SaferRoads #RoadSafety #RoadsPolicing #ProtectingOtherRoadUsers pic.twitter.com/uwkjtSzL87

— David Minto (@TC174_NYP) March 16, 2022

 

Harrogate Hydro set to close for nine months

The Hydro in Harrogate will close for nine months on April 8 to undergo an £11.8m refurbishment.

The leisure centre and pool is to get a two-storey extension as well as a new entrance, cafe and reception area.

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

Members will be offered reduced rates to use other council-run leisure facilities in the district, as well as the opportunity to participate in group exercise sessions at the nearby Jennyfield Styan Community Centre.

The current £38.95 monthly charge will go down to £32.

A computer generated image of how the Hydro would look.

A computer generated image of how the Hydro will look.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, which Harrogate Borough Council set up last year to run its leisure facilities, said the plan was to reopen the pool first in nine months time.

The other facilities, including the new fitness suite, are expected to be ready three months later.

Extend opening hours

Mr Tweedie said the refurbishment would give Brimhams Active the opportunity to redeploy staff at its other sites, which could enable some to extend their opening hours.

However, it will leave Harrogate without a council-run swimming pool for the rest of the year.

Brimhams also operates the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon, Knaresborough Pool, Starbeck Baths and Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre in Pateley Bridge.

It also operates the Turkish Baths in Harrogate, Fairfax Wellbeing and Community Hub in Harrogate, Jennyfield Styan Community Centre and Little Explorers Day Nursery at Harrogate Hydro.

Look for a full interview with Mark Tweedie about leisure services in the Harrogate district on the Stray Ferret this weekend.

DPD charged £374 for van driver’s Stray detour

Parcel delivery firm DPD has been charged £374 plus VAT for one of its vans damaging the Stray in Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret reported last month that a DPD van had got stuck in the mud when it attempted a shortcut over the public parkland

Tyre tracks indicated the driver had tried to bypass the recent road closure on Beech Grove by mounting the snow-covered Stray but was unable to complete the manoeuvre in the wintry conditions.

The Harrogate Stray Act 1985 made Harrogate Borough Council protector of the 200 acres of land.

A council spokesperson said:

“Following the damage caused in February, DPD have been charged £374 plus VAT to cover the costs of repairing The Stray.

“The ruts will be levelled and area seeded. Bulbs will also be planted to replace any that have been damaged.”

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Beech Grove closed to through traffic just over a year ago on an 18-month trial basis.A DPD spokesperson said:

“I understand from the local depot that the team have been in contact with the council and that arrangements are being made to pay for repair work.”

The Stray Ferret asked the spokesperson if DPD had taken any action against the van driver, but has yet to receive a response.

A Twitter user called Helen was among those who uploaded photos of the beached van.

https://twitter.com/HellyR1/status/1495077805964595201?s=20&t=6_0_UnvruN9Y_DdG8wRA9w

Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chairman of the Stray Defence Association, which was set up in 1933 to safeguard the Stray from encroachment, said she hoped the van driver had not lost their job.

She added:

“However, it was a very daft thing to do.

“Taking short cuts in bad weather almost inevitably ends in disaster of some sort. Taking one in snow across the Stray was foolish in the extreme and also caused a great deal of damage, plus being illegal.

“Let’s hope that others take note and a lesson has been learned.”

Businesses surveyed on Harrogate Christmas market preferences

Businesses are being surveyed on what kind of Christmas market they would like to see in Harrogate this year.

The organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market, which attracted almost 200 stallholders to Montpellier Hill annually until 2019, is conducting the survey.

Brian Dunsby, co-organiser and founder of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, handed out questionnaires at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting this week.

He told the meeting his company was “in discussions with Harrogate Borough Council about bringing back the Christmas market in 2022″.

As part of this, it has been asked to find out what businesses think.

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Speaking to the Stray Ferret after the meeting, Mr Dunsby said:

“The council said ‘find out what the business community thinks’. So that’s what we intend to do.

“The council have said they only want one market. We were thinking two or three would be better. So we are asking businesses what they think and will then look at the results and talk to the council.”

Andy Pidgen, operations manager at Marketplace Europe, at the start of last year’s fayre.

The questionnaire gives businesses four options to select from. Options A, B and C are for Harrogate Christmas Fayre, Harrogate Christmas Market and the artisan market in Valley Garden.

The fourth option is for all three “in a planned programme of Christmas events through November and December”.

All change last year

Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd was in advanced planning stages when the council declined to accept its event management plan.

It had 170 traders and 53 coaches booked to attend the annual event on Montpellier Hill in November when their plans were scuppered in July.

Harrogate Christmas Market was held on Montpellier Hill until 2019.

Instead, the council staged an alternative 10-day Harrogate Christmas Fayre in the town centre in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester. It included about 40 stalls, a free road train, a carousel, helter skelter and ferris wheel.

There was also a two-day artisan market in Valley Gardens, organised by the company Little Bird Made.

 

 

Police identify man who performed public sex act in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police says it has identified a man who performed a sex act in Starbeck.

The police issued an appeal yesterday to identify the man, who was captured on CCTV.

The incident happened on Saturday, January 29.

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Police issue CCTV pics of 6 people after Harrogate assault

*Update* – North Yorkshire Police has now identified the six individuals in the CCTV pictures and they are assisting officers with their investigation.

Police have issued CCTV images of six people – three men and three women, they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.

The incident took place in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, February 13 at an unnamed bar on Cheltenham Parade.

A North Yorkshire Police press release tonight said:

“The incident involved a large group of people who were involved in an altercation, which resulted in a number of people in the bar being assaulted and receiving injuries.

“Despite enquiries with neighbouring police forces, the identity of the people captured in the CCTV images remains outstanding.

“Therefore, detectives from Harrogate criminal investigation department are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the people in the images, as they believe they hold important information which will help the investigation.”

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Police urged anyone who recognises the people in the images, or who has any information regarding the incident, to contact them by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking to speak to Detective Constable 604 Naomi Harris.

You can also email naomi.harris@northyorkshire.police.uk.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12220025651 when passing on information.

Harrogate library to close for two weeks on Saturday for maintenance work

Harrogate library will close on Saturday for just over a fortnight to enable large-scale maintenance work to be carried out.

The project, which involves all three floors, includes remedial damp works, redecoration and the replacement of energy-efficient lighting.

The building will close at 4pm on Saturday and is scheduled to reopen at 9am on Monday,  April 4. Customers will be able to borrow additional books to cover the closure period.

Harrogate Library

North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for libraries, announced the news today.

Neil Irving, assistant director for policy, partnerships and communities at the council, said:

“These much-needed improvements will have lasting benefits to Harrogate library; one of our largest and busiest in the county.

“We apologise for the inconvenience it will cause to library visitors but we are encouraging people to come and borrow a selection of books to keep them going over the closure period.”

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The nearest alternative libraries are Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library.

You can also browse, reserve and renew items and access your library account online here or via the library app.

The work was previously scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 7.

Ripon man auctions 255 bottles of whisky for Falklands veterans

A Ripon man is to auction 255 signed bottles of whisky to raise money for Falklands veterans.

Next month marks the 40th anniversary of the start of the 10-week war, which claimed the lives of 255 British military personnel.

Simon Mercer, whose family has strong military connections, came up with the idea after a chance encounter with Nigel Phillips, the current Governor of the Falkland Islands, on a flight to the British overseas territory in 2018.

Each bottle has been numbered and signed by Mr Phillips and Major General Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade during the conflict with Argentina.

Many bottles have been additionally signed on the front label by Falklands veterans including Sara Jones, widow of Lt. Col. H Jones, who posthumously received the Victoria Cross after being killed in action during the Battle of Goose Green in May 1982.

Each signatory served their country with extraordinary bravery on land, at sea and in the air.

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The cask-strength 53.5%, 13-year-old Glen Moray whisky will be auctioned online by Scotch Whisky Auctions, which has waived its usual fees.

Whisky auction

Each bottle is signed by Nigel Phillips and Major General Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade.

The auction will take place from April 1 to 10 to coincide with the anniversary of the start of the war on April 2, 1982.

All of the profits will be donated equally between the charities Falklands Veterans Foundation and South Atlantic Medal Association 82.

Mr Mercer said the project had become a “labour of love” during lockdowns.

He said the Ukraine war highlighted the need to look after veterans.

“I believe we must give back to life. We can’t just take. I’ve done all sorts of successful fundraisers with Ripon Cathedral as a trustee but I never go to church. It’s just a nice building worth preserving and each generation has a duty.

“Supporting our armed services has never been more important than it is today. The Falklands was the last legal war and we have a duty of care to support those who served. I’m just doing my bit.”