The 90-room St George Hotel in Harrogate has been sold for the second time in just over a year.

Northern pub company The Inn Collection Group has bought the Edwardian hotel, which is opposite Harrogate Convention Centre, for an undisclosed value.

The hotel re-opened less than a year ago under new owner Bespoke Hotels after previous owner Specialist Leisure Group went into administration with the loss of 2,500 jobs

The hotel, which includes The Swaledale restaurant and six function rooms, will continue trading before undergoing refurbishment this year.

The Inn Collection Group portfolio also includes Dower House Hotel in Knaresborough, Ripon Spa Hotel in Ripon and Dean Court in York.

Sean Donkin, managing director of The Inn Collection Group said:

“The Hotel St George is an exciting acquisition for us as we continue to expand our customer base and imprint in Yorkshire while continuing to roll out our buy and build strategy as an operator.

“We have had Harrogate in our sights for a considerable time while identifying a site that is a fit with our ‘Eat, Drink, Sleep and Explore’ brand.

“We are delighted to have completed on this superb site which will be a tremendous asset for our customers and our portfolio of inns in the best UK locations.”

Read more:

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Mr Donkin added the hotel was “perfect site for exploring Harrogate and the surrounding Yorkshire Dales”.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, The Inn Collection Group is redeveloping Northallerton’s former police station into a 32-bedroom pub with rooms called The Northallerton Inn.

The group also owns The Stables at Whitby, The King’s Head Inn at Newton under Roseberry and in October reopened The Black Swan in Helmsley.

Outside Yorkshire, it has sites in Northumberland, the Lake District, County Durham, Tyne & Wear and Lancashire.

More roadworks will begin on Harrogate’s Skipton Road next week.

Highways authority North Yorkshire County Council will be carrying out improvements at the junctions with Bilton Lane and Woodfield Road.

At Bilton Lane, the pedestrian island will be removed and the island at the end of King’s Road will be widened.

The left turn from Woodfield Road on to Skipton Road will change from being controlled by traffic lights to being a give way to improve traffic flow and air quality.

The lights in the traffic lights at both junctions will be replaced with more energy-efficient LED lights.

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The work will begin on Monday and is due to complete on February 27, when half-term ends. However, temporary traffic lights are not expected to be required until February 19 as the initial work will take place off road.

Lights will initially be in place at the Bilton Lane junction before moving to the King’s Road and Woodfield junctions.

The Stray Ferret asked the council how much the work will cost.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said:

“These works are included in our annual highways maintenance budget of around £55 million, which covers planned maintenance programmes as well as responding to problems as they arise.”

Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the first of a new series of concerts celebrating female composers this weekend.

The orchestra will give the UK premiere performance of the first symphony by Emilie Mayer – a mid-nineteenth century composer whose music, in her day, was renowned throughout her native Germany and beyond.

The concert, at St Mark’s Church on Leeds Road in Harrogate will also include Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, featuring cello soloist Dr George Kennaway.

Mendelssohn’s The Fair Melusina is also on the programme.

HPO, which was founded in 1981, focuses on smaller and lesser known orchestral works and puts on three concerts a year at St Mark’s.

HPO committee member Claire Golightly said:

“Our music by women composers were explored through some repertoire sessions during covid restrictions.

“We explored works by Emilie Mayer, Mel Bonis and Cecile Chaminade and a symphony by Alice Mary Smith.

“The Mayer will be played on Saturday and the others will feature in future programmes.”

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After her death in 1883, Mayer’s music faded into obscurity.

Ms Golightly described it as “bold and confident”, adding:

“If you like the music of Mendelssohn, Schumann and some of the other Romantic greats, you’ll love Mayer!”

Tickets cost £11 for adults and £5 for students with cards and are available in advance only here, Entry is free for under 16s and carers assisting wheelchair users.

A main road in the Harrogate district was closed this morning when a crane caught fire.

The incident happened on the A6055 at Ferrensby, which is almost midway between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

The fire was extinguished but no further details are currently available.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which does not have a phone number for media inquiries, to request further details.

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A Harrogate woman has spoken of her distress when a visit to her five-year-old daughter’s grave was interrupted by a dog let off its lead to defecate among the headstones.

Joanne Bolton’s daughter Charlotte died of meningitis 25 years ago and is buried in Grove Road cemetery. Ms Bolton’s mother is also buried there.

She was visiting on Sunday when a woman entered the cemetery, closed the gates and let her dog off its lead to exercise. The large cemetery is surrounded by a wall so dogs are unable to escape when the gates are closed.

The dog owner then sat on the bench and let her Terrier defecate freely around the cemetery, which includes the graves of 37 former soldiers. Ms Bolton said:

“I’m disappointed that society has sunk to this level to have no respect for loved ones’ final resting places.”

Grove Road cemetery

Guide dogs are the only dogs permitted in Harrogate Borough Council cemeteries.

Ms Bolton, who owns a dog herself, said she would have no problem with people walking their pets on leads around the perimeter path but said it was completely unacceptable to allow animals to roam freely.

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She contacted the council about the incident and received a prompt reply confirming dogs weren’t allowed inside cemeteries and that ‘no dogs’ signs had been erected.

The email added the council’s dog wardens had patrolled the area but it was unable to use CCTV to capture culprits because it would encroach on the privacy of visitors.

‘Always the same disrespectful people’

A post by Ms Bolton on a Harrogate Facebook group attracted many sympathetic comments.

One woman said there were five dogs in the cemetery when she went to pay her respects. Another said the incident gave dog owners a bad name and a third person, who lives next door to the graveyard, said they see about 25 dogs daily in the cemetery. They added:

“It’s always the same disrespectful people daily. I have complained to the council but nothing gets done.

But one woman said the presence of dogs and dog walkers had deterred drug dealers from using the site.

The Electric Bike Shop opened in Harrogate today, hoping to capitalise on cycling’s increased popularity since lockdown.

The shop, situated in the former Fulton’s Food unit on Leeds Road, has about 50 electric bikes in store, with more coming soon. Brands include Raleigh, Cube and Moustache.

It also sells cycling accessories and has an in-store workshop that undertakes repairs for electric and non-electric bikes.

Some of the bikes for sale.

The bikes range in price from £1,600 to £8,000 and contain rechargeable batteries that can last for between 20 and 70 miles.

It is The Electric Bike Shop’s ninth shop in England. Five have opened in the last 18 months, highlighting the impact of covid and environmental concerns on cycling participation.

Read more:

• Electric bike shop to open in Harrogate next month
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Kurt Davison, who manages the Harrogate branch, has been working in the electric bike market for eight years. He said:

“I’ve seen the industry grow and grow and it is now at a stage where it is no longer pigeon-holed as something for older people or people who don’t usually ride. Electric bikes make hills and headwind enjoyable!”

Harrogate Electric Bikes already operates in Harrogate and some other bike shops also include a selection of electric bikes.

The shop is in the former Fulton’s Foods unit on Leeds Road.

Alan Fowler, retail director of the Electric Bike Shop, said the quality of electric bikes had improved significantly in the last five years.

He added the product was well suited to Harrogate because it contained commuters to York and Leeds as well as pleasure riders in the Yorkshire Dales. He said:

“Harrogate suits our demographic really well.”

The shop employs three staff and plans to recruit one more.

A new series of monthly organ recitals will begin in Harrogate tomorrow.

The series will see some of the country’s finest organists give hour-long recitals on the new digital organ at St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road.

The organ console will be situated in the middle of the nave, which should enhance the audience experience.

Anthony Gray, director of music at St Wilfrid’s, said:

“We are beginning the fundraising process to restore our pipe organ, which will cost over £500,000.

“This series should be an excellent showcase of the capability of digital organs, and in our relatively cavernous acoustic, it sounds very exciting and rich.”

Anthony Gray

Mr Gray, who is among the organists due to play in the series in the Grade 1 listed building, added he was trying to offer something different to organ recitals held in places like Bradford, Leeds and Ripon by giving each recital a short title, hinting at what is on the programme.

He added:

“We are also offering some slightly different recital experience with a jazz recital next month, a showcase of the entire music department in the summer, and some interesting celebrations of specific composers too.”

John Longstaff, from St Peter’s Church in Harrogate will begin the series this week. Alexander Berry, from Bradford Cathedral and David Pipe, from Newcastle Cathedral, are among the names that will follow.

John Longstaff

The concerts will take place on, or as close to as possible, the first Wednesday evening of each month, beginning at 7:30pm. Admission is £6; under-18s are free,

The full programme is here.

One of the Harrogate district’s largest employers has said many school leavers are “totally unprepared” for working life and called for more apprenticeships.

Jonathan Lupton, managing director of gritter manufacturer Econ Engineering, issued the plea during National Apprenticeship Week, which started yesterday.

Mr Lupton, who began his career as a 16-year-old apprentice at Econ, urged businesses to work with school and colleges to solve the skills gap.

He said:

“Not everyone wants to go to university, and for those who don’t, apprenticeships offer them an opportunity to learn and earn at the same time. However, before stepping foot in the workplace, they need to be moulded for life after school.

“In recent years, some of the school leavers that have come through our doors have been totally unprepared for the rigours of the working life. And speaking to colleagues in other businesses this isn’t unique to us.”

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Mr Lupton said Econ, which employs 240 staff, has employed apprentices since it was founded in 1969. He said this enabled recruits to get to know the business inside out by learning from experienced staff.

He added:

“In my view, businesses need to be working in partnership with local schools and colleges to help shape and prepare our future workforce, one that is better skilled, and one that can help take our great manufacturing heritage to the next level.”

Econ, which manufactures 85 per cent of the winter maintenance vehicles on UK roads, highlighted its latest apprentices — 17-year-old Oliver Merrin, and 21-year-old Michael Urban, who are both welders.

They will work under the supervision of Eddie Herron, who began his career at Econ as an apprentice 45 years ago.

Mr Lupton said:

“We are lucky with both Michael and Oliver. They have the right work ethic and under Eddie’s supervision, will become masters of their trade.”

Harrogate College launched an employers’ network last year to encourage local firms to talk about their training needs with a view to the college adapting its courses accordingly.

Ripon photographer Mike Smith has shot a series of photos showing some of the city’s most beautiful winter scenes.

Mr Smith, who moved to the city from West Yorkshire in 2018, is a keen photographer who has sold numerous images over the years.

The main image here shows blue skies over Ripon canal basin last weekend.

This swan below was photographed passing below Rentons Bridge at Littlethorpe.

Ripon’s famous cathedral celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year and, as this photo shot at sunrise shows, it remains perhaps the most striking and beautiful building in the Harrogate district.

Mr Smith said:

“I have combined my passion for photography with my enjoyment for walking and exploring the area around our new home.

“I share a lot of my photos on local social media as there are a good number of elderly Riponians far and wide who either cannot get out into the countryside any longer or who have moved away from the area.

“They enjoy seeing my photos. Local folk asked me to produce a calendar each year and to date I have sold around 1,000.”

Local charities have benefited through part of the proceeds of sales.

Mr Smith, who used to work in financial services, has given talks to local groups and had work published magazines.

Have you taken any great photos of the Harrogate district? We love receiving readers’ images and occasionally publish them alongside the name of the photographer. Send them to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Many charities in the Harrogate district rely significantly on Harrogate Borough Council for funding.

So the council’s abolition next year could pose a threat to the financial stability of some of the best-known voluntary organisations in the district.

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of the council, said last month it had been a generous funder of charities and urged organisations to prepare for the change in the local government, which will see a single new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council come into existence next year.

He said:

“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”

Local Fund 

One of the district’s main funding sources for charities is the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which was set up in 2018 as a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Last year the fund awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups. Applications for its next funding round open on Monday.

An event last year celebrating the Local Fund.

Last year Harrogate Borough Council gave £200,000 to Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the fund, to go towards an endowment so that the fund continues in perpetuity.

It also receives a steady stream of income from the Local Lotto — and the future of this is less certain because it is run by Harrogate Borough Council.

At least 60% from each £1 ticket sold on the lottery, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.

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Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said

“The Local Fund will continue and thrive as it is a fund with Two Ridings and out of any local government process.”

But Ms Garrill added she “could not comment” on the future of the Local Lotto because it is run by the council.

Who else could be affected?

Some charities also rely on council grants for funding.

When the Stray Ferret asked for a list of recipients, the council directed us to a report from October last year that listed five beneficiaries of its voluntary and community sector strategic funding programme, which awards grants to charities to ‘deliver key services across the Harrogate district’. But it does provide other grants.

The recipients and sums received are:

Harrogate and District Community Action – £40,000

Harrogate and Craven Districts Citizens Advice – £60,000

Harrogate Homeless Project – £22,500

Nidderdale Plus Community Partnership – £8,000

Community First Yorkshire – £5,000

Frances Elliot, chief executive of Hadca, which supports other charities in the district, said that besides its £40,000 grant, it received a separate £32,000 grant from the council.

Frances Elliot

Ms Elliot said:

“It’s a difficult time for lots of organisations but it’s relatively early in the transition. I genuinely don’t know what will happen. We are optimistic for our funding over the next financial year and we will have to wait and see after that, People at the top don’t know what’s happening yet.

“We have a good relationship with both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council and we hope that continues.”

All the North Yorkshire councils facing abolition have various workstreams underway, considering what will happen after the shake-up. The voluntary sector is among the issues being discussed.

‘Don’t destroy a model that works well’

Pateley Bridge charity Nidderdale Plus works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to provide services, such as a community library, a front desk for local council and police matters and a tourist information point.

It receives three council grants worth a total of £21,000, which helps it employ 2.5 staff and manage 150 volunteers to provide the services.

Chief executive Helen Flynn said:

“We hope we don’t have to destroy this community support model that has been working so well.

“We are starting to build relationships with North Yorkshire County Council. I do feel they want to work with us. They have been good at talking to us so far.

“I wouldn’t say I was relaxed but I am engaged with developments.”