A graduation parade in Harrogate today marked the completion of training for over 400 of the British Army’s newest soldiers.
A crowd of around 2,000 family members and friends witnessed the occasion at the Army Foundation College on Penny Pot Lane.
The college provides training tailored exclusively to junior soldiers, who are all under the age of 18 when they join up.
Junior soldiers stand on parade for graduation at AFC Harrogate. Pic MOD Crown Copyright 2022 / Cpl Danielle Dawson RLC
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Farebrother MC, commanding officer of the college, said:
“Those graduating today have proved equal to the test and represent the very best of our nation’s young people.
“They are now ready for their second phase of training which will hone the skills learnt here and develop those required for their chosen trade.”
Pic: MOD Crown Copyright 2022 / Cpl Danielle Dawson RLC
Read more:
- Parents call for Harrogate army college to be closed after abuse claims
- Harrogate army college ‘outstanding’ in new Ofsted report
The event was presided over by Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Tickell, deputy chief of the general staff in the British Army.
The parade, which featured music from the British Army Band Catterick, marked the culmination of months of military training and education at the college.
Families look on at the graduation parade. MOD Crown Copyright 2022 / Cpl Danielle Dawson RLC
A statement by the Military of Defence said:
New pub The Curious Cow of Harrogate to open on April 8“Through leadership development, The Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme accreditation, sporting prowess, adventurous training, and education — no other military invests the time, energy, and breadth of resources into its soldiers as the British Army does through the Army Foundation College.
“The college is also one of the most effective education establishments in the United Kingdom and, as an Ofsted outstanding institution, it represents the jewel in the crown of the British Army’s training engine.”
The Old Spring Well in Killinghall will reopen as The Curious Cow of Harrogate on April 8 after undergoing a £650,000 refurbishment.
The Revere Pub Company, which is the premium arm of Marston’s, has promised a ‘brand-new premium pub, food and drink experience’, with the creation of 40 jobs.
The Stray Ferret revealed last month the pub, which was built on the site of the former Travellers Rest, was being taken up-market.
The owners have now provided an opening date and further details of the planned changes.
It said in a press release today:
“The venue will be newly reimagined with country chic inspired interiors and stripped back features, including oak flooring, open fires and contemporary finishes.
“Alongside a welcoming interior and cosy nooks, there is also an outside area to make the most of the warmer months.”
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- Old Spring Well to be renamed Curious Cow in luxury revamp
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Food will consist of “an assortment of contemporary dishes alongside a variety of pub classics”, plus pizzas, steaks and other options, including Sunday roasts.
Michael Baravelli, general manager at The Curious Cow of Harrogate, said:
Harrogate charity chief executive Frances Elliot receives MBE“We can’t wait to throw open the doors and welcome guests in to explore what we’ve created here.
“Providing quality and premium experiences that keep people coming back time and time again is so important to us, and we are looking forward to creating a beautiful space where the community can escape, switch off and enjoy what we have to offer.”
A Harrogate charity chief executive has been awarded the MBE at Windsor Palace.
Frances Elliot, who leads Harrogate and District Community Action, received the accolade yesterday from Princess Anne.
It was awarded in the 2021 Queen’s birthday honours for services to the community in Harrogate during the pandemic.
Ms Elliot said:
“It was good to have the opportunity to be able to tell her about the crucial role our volunteers and staff have played in supporting our community here in Harrogate and Ripon.
“Whilst it was slightly nerve-wracking when I first got there, I was put at ease and made to feel very welcome by everyone at Windsor Castle.”
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- Will Harrogate district charities lose funding in council shake-up?
- Harrogate jigsaw marathon to raise money for dementia charity
Ms Elliot has been involved in the district’s voluntary sector for 10 years. For nine of these years, she led HADCA’s Harrogate Easier Living Project, which offers practical support services assisting people to live safe and well at home.
In May 2020, she took over as HADCA chief executive from Karen Weaver and spearheaded the charity’s response to covid.
Proud to have been awarded an MBE at Windsor, in recognition of what we have collectively achieved during the pandemic. I feel so lucky to lead a caring & resourceful staff team @hadcacharity @HELP_Harrogate & none of it possible without our kind & committed volunteers. pic.twitter.com/o5OpomNXn8
— Frances Elliot (@FrancesElliot) February 16, 2022
HADCA supports other charities in the district as well as providing services.
It coordinated more than 250 volunteers to help local people on over 8,000 occasions with practical and emotional support when they were shielding or self-isolating during the pandemic.
Moves to close Woodfield School in Bilton to begin next weekFormal moves to close Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton will begin next week.
North Yorkshire County Council revealed plans in October to ‘technically close’ the school and merge it with Grove Road Community Primary School.
Now, after a two-month consultation, the wheels are to be set in motion.
A report by Stuart Carlton, corporate director for children and young people’s services at the council, recommends councillors vote to approve the closure on Tuesday next week.
If they agree, the council will issue statutory notices on March 3 proposing to amalgamate the schools from August 31 this year.
Mr Carlton’s report says:
“While it is acknowledged that the proposed closure of Woodfield Community Primary School will cause uncertainty and disruption for pupils, parents and staff, Grove Road School would work closely with parents, as both schools do now, to meet the needs of individual children.”
Read more:
- Parents vow to fight closure of ‘fantastic’ Woodfield primary school
- County council ‘would give Woodfield school more time to improve if it could’
- Woodfield primary school set to close in September
Woodfield has been unable to find an academy willing to take it on since it was rated inadequate by Ofsted in January 2020.
The council says it therefore has little option but to close it.
Walking bus between sites
Two online public meetings were held on January 10 and 17 as part of the closure consultation.
According to council notes of the meetings, concerns were raised at the meetings about problems for parents picking up and dropping off children at both sites, leadership arrangements, provision for children with special educational needs and use of the Woodfield site.
Parents rallied to oppose the closure when it was announced.
If the plans go ahead, all nursery children would be based at the current Woodfield site from September and all other children would be at Grove Road. From September 2023, reception children would join nursery children at Woodfield and eventually all early years and key stage one children would be located at Woodfield.
There are plans to organise a ‘walking bus’ between the two schools, which would see pupils move between the two sites accompanied by staff via the Nidderdale Greenway cycle route, the iron bridge and a school crossing patrol on Skipton Road.
One parent said during the consultation that children would be:
“Absolutely freezing and there is going to have to be half an hour at either end of the day to allow for walking. It doesn’t seem feasible.”
Another parent raised safety concerns.
There are plans to re-open a rear entrance to the Woodfield site to shorten the journey.
Pupil numbers fall to 41
Documents to councillors reveal that pupil numbers at Woodfield have slumped from 49 to 41 since the closure proposal was announced.
Some parents told the consultation that the closure was already a done deal, with one saying “the children will have to suffer for it”.
But another response said it provided “unprecedented” opportunities, adding:
“I believe the benefits to our current pupils and prospective ones will be enormous.”
Man exposes himself at Harrogate’s RHS Harlow Carr
Police are appealing for information and witnesses after a man exposed himself at Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
According to a statement by North Yorkshire Police today, the man exposed himself to members of the public in the gardens at about 2.40pm on Tuesday last week.
The gardens are frequently used by children and families.
Police described the man as white, in his 40s and having a pale complexion. They added he has an athletic build with dark/grey cropped hair. They said:
“On the day of this incident the man was seen wearing a tight fitting baseball cap, blue baggy trousers or short and dark shoes.”
Read more:
- Calls for police in Bilton to tackle ‘yobs on bicycles’
- Police seize ‘substantial amount’ of drugs in Jennyfields
If you saw the man or have any other information, you can contact the police by emailing ryan.rudd@northyorkshire.police.uk or calling 101, pressing option 2 and asking for PC 791 Rudd.
If you’d rather remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12220022840.
Harrogate ranked most expensive place in Yorkshire for first-time buyersHarrogate has been ranked as the most expensive place for first time buyers in Yorkshire in a survey published today.
The survey shows homes in Harrogate typically cost £401,747 compared to the national average of £287,830.
With residents typically earning £34,634 a year, a couple who’d saved a 15 per cent deposit would need to borrow 4.93 times their salary for a mid-market home.
This ranks Harrogate as the 21st least affordable place in the UK in a list of 100 locations analysed by online mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages.
The top 20 most expensive towns and cities are all in or around the south of England, apart from Stratford-upon-Avon in 18th. Bath is the most expensive place, followed by Oxford and London.
Read more:
- Harrogate house prices soar in just one year
- House prices in North Yorkshire increase by 22.8% in a decade
The survey ranks York (4.7), Wakefield (3.81) and Leeds (3.56) as the next least affordable locations in Yorkshire after Harrogate.
Hull is the UK’s most affordable location, with 2.03 of a couple’s average income multiple required, followed by Bradford (2.35) and Barnsley (2.59).
The full research is available here.
Flood warning issued for Boroughbridge
A flood warning has been issued for Boroughbridge as rain continues to fall in the Harrogate district.
The warning for the Upper River Ouse was issued at 10.10am this morning at the start of what is expected to be a week of storms and rain.
Currently the main threat is just to the east of Boroughbridge but the situation is expected to worsen this afternoon.
The bad weather over the weekend has impacted river levels across the UK. 2 flood warnings have been issued, one in Boroughbridge and another in the Lake District. There are 28 other flood alerts.
Check here: https://t.co/ueaxxWzWWI#Flood #LakeDistrict #Boroughbridge pic.twitter.com/ew5DbhuLhN
— FloodAlerts (@FloodAlerts) February 14, 2022
It is one of two flood warnings nationally, the other one being active in Cumbria.
Less severe flood alerts were removed this morning for the Lower Nidd catchment area and the Lower Ouse but water levels remain high following days of persistent rain.
The government’s flood alert service says of the situation affecting Boroughbridge:
“Flooding of roads and farmland is expected. Areas most at risk are low lying land and roads and riverside foot and cycle paths.
“We expect levels on the River Ouse to rise through Monday and to peak late on Monday afternoon.
“Our incident response staff are closely monitoring the forecast and checking and operating defences as required.
“Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads or carparks near rivers, which may be flooded.”
Nidderdale’s stunning scenery captured on camera
Landscape photographer Bernard Smith has shot a magnificent series of photographs capturing the beauty of Nidderdale.
Mr Smith lives in Sherburn In Elmet but spends a lot of time in the Yorkshire Dales, Nidderdale and the Lake District with his camera.
He kindly sent us images of the war memorial at Middlesmoor, Scar House Reservoir dam and a landscape shot taken between Middlesmoor and Scar House.
He said:
“I’m a keen amateur landscape photographer, this helps me combine my love of the great outdoors, walking and exploring.”
Scar House Reservoir dam. Pic by Bernard Smith
Between Middlesmoor and Scar House. Pic by Bernard Smith
If you have any photographs of the Harrogate district you’re proud of, send them to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Northern Lights visible in Harrogate district last night
The Northern Lights were visible in the Harrogate district last night.
The lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are rarely seen this far south in the UK.
Although they weren’t as bright in the Harrogate district as some places, they made a rare appearance to bring some colour to the sky.
Sally Margerison sent us this photo she took of Beckwith Close on Harlow Hill.
“I took it yesterday evening from my loft window when I saw on Twitter that the aurora was active in northern England.”
Ms Margerison also took this image later last night.
Sadly tonight’s forecast doesn’t bode well for anyone wishing to witness the phenomenon.
Northern Lights by Sally
If you have any great photos of the Harrogate district, send them to us by email at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Electrical fault blamed for Harrogate district crane fire
An electrical fault is being blamed for a crane fire that caused the closure of a main Harrogate district road for most of yesterday.
The driver, believed to be from Ripon, escaped unharmed when the blaze started shortly before 7.30am yesterday on Arkendale Road, Ferrensby, which is between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.
The crane was not moving at the time of the incident. Two other cranes were required to remove it.
Firefighters from Knaresborough, Harrogate and Ripon used hose reels, breathing apparatus, a thermal imaging camera and a triple extension ladder to fight the blaze, which severely damaged the cab and engine compartments.
Arkendale Road remained closed until last night.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement:
“The crane was in transit and not in operation at the time of the fire.
“The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical.
“No injuries were reported.”
Read more:
- Harrogate district road closed as crane catches fire
- North Yorkshire fire service ‘struggling to buy the basics’ says union