New Lifestyle Editor starts work at the Stray Ferret

The new lifestyle editor at the Stray Ferret is on the lookout for stories from across the Harrogate district.

Nina Meads will cover a wide variety of topics – from food and drink, to home and garden, beauty and wellness and family and leisure.

Nina has been a journalist for more than 15 years, working as both a senior reporter and news editor at The Harrogate Advertiser series and Scarborough Evening News.

She worked as a senior reporter at The Yorkshire Post, before being appointed as education correspondent, and has also worked as a freelance writer for regional and national titles.

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Nina, who lives in Hampsthwaite, said:

“I’ve spent the majority of my career covering stories in the Harrogate district, so I know I am completely spoilt for choice when it comes to lifestyle content, however I am always looking for fresh ideas and inspiration.

“I will be providing an insight into what’s on across the district, featuring everything from the latest beauty treatments to what’s causing a stir on the district’s food and drink scene, to free activities with your family, cutting edge interior design and quirky classic car collections.

“I really want to explore beneath the surface of this incredible district and celebrate the people and stories that make it so special.”

Tamsin O’Brien, editor of the Stray Ferret, added:

“We are delighted that Nina is joining the team as an experienced journalist. We’ve grown a large readership covering news stories in the district.

“Nina’s role will be to expand on what we offer and reflect more broadly on life in the Harrogate district – what our interests are and how we choose to spend our time and money in this beautiful part of the world.”

What would you like Nina to write about? Get in touch on nina@thestrayferret.co.uk

 

Fire Ants’ fight to establish rugby league in Harrogate

A group of rugby league players struggling to establish the sport in the Harrogate district are taking on a fundraising challenge next month to raise money for their club.

Harrogate Fire Ants has had a short but turbulent existence. Founded last year, it first found it difficult to train because of covid and then at the beginning of this year the club had to rebuild from scratch after a change in personnel at the helm.

The team only had eight players for its first match in June but its fortunes picked up after Laura Symmonds, whose husband Tommy O’Sullivan plays for the Fire Ants, took charge and recruited new players.

The season has now ended and preparations for 2022 have begun. Weekly training takes place at Harrogate Railway FC in Starbeck, where the club is based, and there is also a weekly fun rugby-style fitness camp on the Stray for men and women of all abilities. Newcomers are welcome.

Some Fire Ants players are planning to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on September 12 to raise funds for the club.

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Fire Ants player Jonny Binns said:

“it was tough at first and we thought we would have to fold. We were not in a great position. We had no one to run the club and were training on the Stray with very low numbers and struggling to recruit.

“Through Laura’s hard work we are now in a great position to build as a club and we are working hard to recruit new players.

“We have a new kit on the way and recently secured the help from a local coach. We have built a strong committee who are all very committed and hard working. We all believe that the Harrogate Fire Ants has a bright future ahead.”

You can support the Fire Ants’ Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge here.

Money raised from the challenge will also go towards Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.

 

 

New event organiser set to take over Harrogate Christmas Market

Harrogate Borough Council has said it will now ‘actively work’ with a new event organiser on a Christmas market this year after unsuccessful talks with the current organisers this morning.

Representatives from Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, which created the market on Montpellier Hill, met two council officers to resolve a dispute that erupted when the council refused to grant a licence for this year’s event due to safety concerns.

But after 90 minutes of talks the council issued a statement saying alternative locations “have been refused” and that it would now “move forward to ensure Harrogate hosts safe, vibrant and attractive Christmas festivities this year”.

A spokesman added:

“Another event organiser has approached us with great enthusiasm to bring their business and expertise to Harrogate town centre this Christmas. And we will now actively work with them to help formalise that discussion.”

He declined to say who the event organiser was.

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Brian Dunsby, one of the current organisers, told the Stray Ferret the council officers at today’s meeting had agreed there was no better alternative to Montpellier Hill.

An assessment of alternative Christmas market locations conducted on behalf of the organisers this year considered Valley Gardens, the Great Yorkshire Showground, Victoria Avenue and Princes Square, Cambridge Street and Oxford Street, West Park Stray and Oatlands Drive Stray, the Dragon Road car park, the Majestic Hotel, the Cairn Hotel, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate Convention Centre – and concluded the current location was the best.

Mr Dunsby, who has been warned by council leader Richard Cooper not to try to galvanise support for his cause, said:

“We’ve been through every conceivable location and can’t find one that has anywhere near the capacity of Montpellier Hill and it just doesn’t work as well anywhere else.”

Two Christmas markets?

Mr Dunsby said he was “absolutely livid” at the prospect of losing the market he and his team have built up into such a major event. Nevertheless they planned to resubmit their event management plan to address issues raised by the council about the current site.

Mr Dunsby said he was open to the town centre hosting a second Christmas market in December in addition to the established one.

His team currently has 170 traders and 53 coaches arranged for this year’s event, which was expected to attract 85,000 people and generate £2.5 million for the local economy from November 18 to 21. Mr Dunsby said he had received “massive support” from traders, adding.

“It’s a very frustrating situation. The event has been successful for the last eight years. Harrogate needs a Christmas market and this is the right place to have it.”

 

Some Kilinghall peacocks could be re-homed

Some of Killinghall’s peacocks could be re-homed following longstanding concerns about noise and damage.

The number of peacocks in the village has expanded rapidly in recent years and there are currently believed to be between nine and 16 birds roaming freely.

Some villagers love them but others, particularly those living in the Cautley Drive area where they roost, have complained about noise and damage.

In a social media post today. Killinghall Parish Council clerk Sue Reid said it had contacted Harrogate Borough Council, the Department for Food and Rural Affairs, the RSPCA and a peacock breeding organisation for help.

But because nobody owns the birds, and they wander around, nobody is responsible for their welfare — or any problems they create.

Some people in the village have said they suffer long-term sleep deprivation due to the birds’ loud screeching.

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Ms Reid’s post said:

“We understand that the situation with the peacocks has caused a huge divide in opinion.

“We would urge residents to try to be understanding of each other’s experiences and opinions of these birds.”

‘Difficult situation’

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Ms Reid said depending on the outcome of the RSPCA welfare checks, it was likely some of the birds would be re-homed by a peacock society in southern England.

She added some peacocks would remain in the village.

She also stressed the council was impartial on the issue but was acting in response to numerous complaints by villagers — not only by newcomers but also by people who have lived in Killinghall for years. She said:

“It is a very difficult situation and we are trying to do the best we can.”

Bilton’s resident peacock Peter was recently re-homed following concerns about his health.

 

 

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage in Knaresborough tonight

Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, will be in Knaresborough tonight for one of the highlights of the town’s Feva festival.

Almost 200 tickets have been sold for An Evening With Simon Armitage, which takes place at Holy Trinity Church at 8pm. Just a few seats remain.

Armitage, who is from Marsden in West Yorkshire, was appointed Poet Laureate by the queen in 2019. he is also professor of poetry at the University of Leeds

He will read his poetry and answer questions from the audience before signing books.

Feva started last weekend and continues until this weekend.

Picnic in the Park, the last major event, takes place on Saturday afternoon in Knaresborough House. Entry is free.

Street entertainers will round off the festival on Sunday.

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Fallen tree causes power cut in Harrogate district

More than 500 homes suffered a power cut this morning when a partially fallen tree rested on overhead power cables in the Harrogate district.

A total of 568 homes in Birstwith and Hampsthwaite were affected by the incident, which was reported at 10.41am this morning.

Power was restored after about an hour.

A spokeswoman for electricity company Northern Powergrid told the Stray Ferret:

“The tree meant the cable was quite low and we needed to switch off power while we dealt with it.”

She added the company had switched the supply while the tree was made safe and power was back on in all the homes affected by 11.33am.

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Covid rate ‘plateauing’ in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus infection rate is still “plateauing” after falling sharply last month, latest figures show.

The district’s weekly rate now stands at 266 cases per 100,000 people – a level it has remained stable at over the past two weeks.

It marks a significant decrease from when the rate peaked at 533 in mid July but officials have warned the latest figure is still too high and that the wider health and social care sector is facing “exceptional” levels of demand.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said in a message to residents:

“The covid infection rate across the county seems to have plateaued. The rate is 269 per 100,000 people, against an England average of 299.

“This is still high and pressures continue on health and social care services, so our message remains ‘respect and protect’.

“We currently have 48 care homes with cases of covid, and these remain extremely challenging times for health and social care. The level of demand for hospitals, primary care, community health services and social care is exceptional.”

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Meanwhile, the number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital remains stable – with seven patients in beds as of last Wednesday.

The hospital also last week passed four months without reporting a coronavirus-related death.

The latest figures for vaccinations show a total of 123,660 people in the Harrogate district have now received their first vaccine dose and 109,028 people their second.

Stray Views: Let’s do more to help travellers

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Let’s do more to help travellers

What a good idea for districts to provide stops for travellers en route to Appleby Horse Fair.

Having lived in the area for 80 years, I see the slight inconvenience of a couple of nights encampment en route or return as no problem.

Travellers have always stayed in the district. In my youth we had the fair at Boroughbridge. Traffic slowed to let the horses and caravans go along their slow and steady way. We have seen the steady decline in public houses over the years (a very English tradition) and we are in danger of losing our identity.

Yes, hold the travellers to account over how they leave the site and make arrangements for them to pay for a clear up, or block their exit if it is not done, I am sure they would comply as a safe stopover is better for all if put into place. Councils should think twice about costly court orders and put common sense into the mix.

Sandra Theobald, Harrogate

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We need new blood on our councils

Councillor Carl Les talks about fairness but what people want to know is: by how much their bills are going to reduce and what economies he is going to introduce?

There is no mention of this and no plan so until he can produce this, it’s not convincing. We also need new blood in our councillors, not just a reshuffle.

Harrogate people also want to know that their payments are actually spent in the town and not elsewhere in the region e.g. our roads are bad and North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department has consistently dragged its feet about traffic improvements whilst locals have told them how to improve matters.

What we really need, is for Harrogate to become a city and control its own affairs — we are certainly getting to this size.

Until we do, our cash can be siphoned elsewhere with little or no say about it.

John Holder, Harrogate

Harrogate Christmas Market is tacky!

I’m glad the Harrogate Christmas Market has been declined permission.
Harrogate is supposed to be posh but the market, along with the Christmas decorations, make it really tacky.
Susan Monk, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Prize-winning vegetables and cakes to be sold in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Visitors to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on Sunday will be able to view and buy produce grown in allotments across the Harrogate district.

The Harrogate and District Allotment Federation is holding its 60th annual allotment show in the Sun Pavilion from 11am until 4pm.

Stalls displaying produce will also be open on the nearby Sun Colonnade. Entrance to all areas is free.

Harrogate district mayor Trevor Chapman will formally open what will be the federation’s 60th show at noon.

The federation, which brings together members of 16 allotment sites in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough, was due to celebrate its diamond jubilee show last year until covid forced its cancellation.

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Vegetables, plants and cakes will be judged and sold and any outstanding items donated to Resurrected Bites, the Harrogate and Knaresborough community organisation that gives food that would have been thrown out to the needy.

The event will also include a miniature bug hotel, a raffle and stalls by Harrogate Civic Society and The Woodland Trust as well as craft and coffee stalls. Musicians will play in the bandstand between 2pm and 3.30pm.

Profits from this year’s event will be donated to Ripon Museum Trust, which owns the Workhouse Museum, Prison and Police Museum and Courthouse Museum in Ripon.

1,349-year-old crypt in Ripon Cathedral reopens to the public

Ripon Cathedral’s crypt, which is the oldest surviving building in any English cathedral, reopened to the public today.

The Anglo-Saxon crypt, which is the highlight of many people’s visits to the cathedral, was built by St Wilfrid as part of the stone church he erected in the 670s. It is believed to be a copy of the tomb in which Jesus’ body was laid after crucifixion.

The crypt has been closed to the public since March last year due to covid but is now open to visitors between services from 9.30am until 5pm.

Next year will mark 1,350 years since the construction of the crypt in 672.

Joe Priestley, marketing officer at the cathedral, told the Stray Ferret some clergy had occasionally used the crypt for private prayer and services during the last 17 months but its small confines were not compatible with social distancing requirements. He added:

“People do find it to be a very moving space.”

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