John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Woman died at Harrogate hospital after receiving Oxford-AstraZeneca jab

It has emerged that a woman died at Harrogate District Hospital after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid vaccine.

Deaths from the vaccine are exceptionally rare but the Financial Times revealed a 59-year-old woman called Julia began having headaches in mid-March, nine days after receiving her first jab.

She initially thought she was suffering migraines but on March 29 her husband, a retired doctor called Peter, came home to find her in a coma.

According to the FT, doctors at the Harrogate hospital said she had a “catastrophic brain injury” resulting from cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and a very low platelet count — the rare blood condition linked to the AstraZeneca jab. Two days later she died.

According to the government, just over 10 people develop adverse drug reactions for every million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine given.

A UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency spokesperson said:

“We are saddened to hear about this death and our thoughts are with the family.

“As with any serious suspected adverse drug reaction, reports with a fatal outcome are fully evaluated by the MHRA, including an assessment of post-mortem details if available.

“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from covid and have already saved thousands of lives. Everyone should continue to get their vaccination when asked to do so unless specifically advised otherwise.

“Our detailed and rigorous review into reports of blood clots occurring together with thrombocytopenia is ongoing.”

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesman declined to comment.

Three covid vaccines have been authorised for supply in the UK by the MHRA.

Besides Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use following reviews of safety, quality and efficacy information from clinical trials.

Further information on vaccines is available here.

LibDems, Labour and Greens in Harrogate district consider collaboration

Informal discussions could take place between the local Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green parties about working together.

The move follows Conservative Matt Scott’s victory in last week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Arnold Warneken, who represented Harrogate and District Green Party, told the Stray Ferret he had approached the Liberal Democrats and Labour about setting up a meeting.

Mr Warneken said co-operation “made sense” and he hoped some form of progressive alliance would emerge.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said collaboration with other parties was “a discussion that needs to be had” and she was open-minded on the subject.

Cllr Marsh described the loss of the seat on North Yorkshire County Council formally held by the Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber as “a huge shock and disappointment”.

Asked why she felt voters had turned against the Liberal Democrats, she said:

“I have no idea. With all the sleaze and cronyism taking place and I am at a total loss to understand why anyone still votes for the Conservatives.”

Asked if she would consider her position as leader following the by-election defeat, she said she had been re-elected two weeks ago and intended to carry on.

Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said it was not averse to discussions but its ability to enter into any formal arrangement with other parties would be determined by the national Labour Party. She said:

“It’s about building a progressive alternative and when we agree on issues we would like to work with anyone, irrespective of party membership or support.

“It is a matter of building coalitions, issue by issue, where we agree.”

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Scott, who won 43 per cent of the vote in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, why he felt voters had switched to the Conservatives and what was top of his agenda but he declined to answer.

Body found in search for ex-Harrogate Town player

A body has been found in the search for former Harrogate Town player James Dean, 35.

Mr Dean, who was with the club in 2008-09, was last seen in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire at about midnight on Wednesday.

Lancashire Police issued a statement last night saying a body was found in the Moscow Mill Street area of Oswaldtwistle at about 2.25pm yesterday. It added:

“While the body has yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be Mr Dean. His family have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this time.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.”

Centre forward Mr Dean, who was born in Blackburn, signed for almost 20 clubs, including Bury and FC Halifax Town, as well as Harrogate, in a career lasting more than 15 years.

Harrogate Town said in a statement:

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of former Town player James Dean at this incredibly sad time.”

Look inside: Cafe Rita in Harrogate reopens as American diner

A new American diner that sells crocodile, ostrich and kangaroo burgers, as well as more traditional beef burgers, has opened in Harrogate.

The Fabulous 50s Diner opened today on the site of the former Cafe Rita on Bower Road, brightening up the street with its red and white striped walls and chequerboard floor.

Wagdy Mansour ran Cafe Rita with his wife Shirley for eight years and decided to go for something completely different. He said:

“We thought it was time for a change. So we thought about a theme and realised we didn’t have any American diners in Harrogate.”

Inside the new diner

The brightly lit diner, which has images of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley outside, will open from 9am to 10pm seven days a week.

There are tables outside and it will have four booths inside when it reopens for indoor dining.

Mr Mansour said:

“We have been closed for a year so we are pleased to be open again. It’s a new venture and our customers love it.”

The diner evokes classic American films with seating booths

Huge backlash against ‘cheap and tacky’ fake grass

Harrogate Borough Council has defended its decision to install fake grass in the town centre despite an overwhelmingly negative response.

The Stray Ferret’s article that broke the news yesterday received well over 150 replies on Facebook and nearly all of them criticised the move.

Comments ranged from “it looks cheap and tacky” to “wasting council tax money yet again” to “who actually sat there thinking this was a cracking idea?”.

Some people felt artificial grass undermined Harrogate’s reputation as an upmarket, floral town.

Organisations also spoke out against the move.

Henry Pankhurst, who represents Harrogate Civic Society on planning issues, said:

“I agree with those who dislike the unnecessary production of plastic that damages the environment. We may unfortunately find it displaced and strewn on the ground.

“I would like to see it taken away, it is not an enhancement for the street scene and the conservation area.”

Harrogate Business Improvement District, which attempts to increase footfall to the town centre, distanced itself from the council’s decision.

Sara Ferguson, the BID chair, said:

“We want to make it clear that the fake grass being ‘planted’ around town centre trees is nothing to do with Harrogate BID.

“We have spent a considerable amount of money installing barrier baskets, placing planters outside town centre businesses, and arranging for hanging baskets to be displayed outside many shops – all done to help build on Harrogate’s reputation as a floral town, and to make the town centre as attractive as possible.”

The Stray Defence Association was concerned about the environmental impact, tweeting:

“Real grass or plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. False turf is a reservoir for not only fungus and bacteria, but also contaminated organic matter.

“It kills healthy soil bacteria, worms and root systems underneath it. Water is not absorbed and runs off.”

The council has so far declined to reveal the cost of the scheme. But a spokeswoman said the move had received “lots of positive feedback”. She added:

“We are testing ways of brightening up Harrogate town centre.

“The trees mean any plants in the beds struggle for light and moisture, so we’re looking at potential ways of keeping the beds neat and tidy without plants in them.

“When summer bedding plants become available, we will place additional planters and hanging baskets in the town centre to add a splash of vibrant colour.”

Harrogate’s new green look has residents seeing red

First there were the planters… now artificial grass is causing anger in Harrogate.

Fake grass first appeared on raised flower beds on Cambridge Street a few days ago. Today workers were tearing out plants and laying more artificial grass on Oxford Street.

It has led to passionate debate on social media about not only the aesthetics of the hyper-green look but also whether it conforms with modern thinking on the use of plastics.

A post by Lizzie Brewster drew almost universal condemnation.

https://twitter.com/HgCatherine/status/1390176171233628160

Andy Dennis replied on Twitter:

“Plastic is not the way forward and normalising this very abnormal product is misguided. This needs to be removed.”

The Little Ale House, which is based nearby, added:

“It’s also visually depressing.”

The Pinewoods Harrogate twitter account noted wryly the bright new look might be part of Harrogate Borough Council’s commitment to be the greenest council ever.

Cartoonist Graeme Bandeira was somewhat blunter:

“What the hell is that?”

Nina Jolly commented that astro turf belonged on sports pitches and nowhere else.

The Stray Ferret has asked Harrogate Borough Council about the artificial grass and will publish its response when received.

Harrogate couple launch oxygen for India appeal

Harrogate couple Kate and Paul Banerjee have launched an appeal to buy oxygen equipment for covid patients in India with breathing difficulties.

Money raised will go to the British Asian Trust, a charity founded by the Prince Charles and British Asian business leaders in 2007 to tackle poverty and injustice in the poorest parts of Asia.

The trust is working with the Swasth Foundation in India, a non-profit healthcare provider, to source medical equipment that is in desperately short supply in the covid-hit country.

The couple set an £8,300 fundraising target — enough to buy 10 oxygen concentrators.

Since it launched on Monday, the appeal has so far generated £4,995, which is about 60% of the target.

Ms Banerjee said:

“It all started because I know that there’s a lot of people who want to help but don’t know how to do it in a way that will get the money to the people that need it.

“We raised over £10 a minute in the first five hours — it shows the big heart that Harrogate has.”

The couple are not resting on their laurels: they plan to print leaflets and go door-to-door in the next week to raise awareness.

Ms Banerjee said:

“The fundraiser is open-ended. If we reach the target, we’ll see if we can increase it and keep moving. They haven’t reached the peak yet in India and I’m afraid things are going to get worse before they get better.”

The daily number of covid cases of covid in India approached 400,000 this week, amid widespread reports of oxygen shortages.

The oxygen concentrators which the appeal will provide extract oxygen from the air, and are therefore independent of oxygen supplies.

Sale of Ripon Spa Baths to go ahead despite protests

Harrogate Borough Council has rejected repeated calls for the sale of Ripon Spa Baths to be halted while work on the city’s regeneration masterplan is underway.

The council put the historic baths on the market in February in a move which sparked concerns that it could lose its community use if snapped up by a private developer.

Groups including Ripon City Council, Ripon Civic Society and Ripon Together have since made calls for the sale not to be rushed through.

But a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson has now made its intentions clearer than ever. The spokesperson said:

“We have no plans to withdraw the sale of Ripon Spa Baths.

“The building will soon become surplus to our requirements and we do not have the resources to maintain it.

“Selling the baths for redevelopment, subject to planning permission and listed building consents, would allow this local asset to be given a new lease of life, retain its key features and remain as a city landmark.

“Ripon City Council, or another interested party, is welcome to submit a bid.”

Alternative options

City council leader Andrew Williams told a meeting on Tuesday that it was “clearly inappropriate” for the 116-year-old baths to remain on the market while the Ripon Renewal Project is underway.

The Harrogate Borough Council-led project started in January with a consultancy firm being paid £85,000 to draw up a vision for the future of the city and help it win funding for major infrastructure, planning and community projects.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Williams also pledged to set up a community working group to think up future uses for the baths, which will reopen on May 14 following months of closures caused by the lockdown and staffing issues.

He said:

“This council needs to take a lead in bringing other groups together to look at alternatives in terms of what the Spa Baths site could potentially be used for.

“With this master-planning exercise going on at the moment, we shouldn’t be taking this building out of the equation.”

The Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said the building was being sold because it will no longer be needed by the authority when the refurbishment of Ripon Leisure Centre is completed later this year.

The multi-million pound upgrades were due to be completed earlier in 2021 but there have been construction and covid delays.

The spokesperson added:

“Our strategy of disposing of assets no longer required means we have been able to invest more than £10m in Ripon.

“The city’s new state-of-the-art, bigger, and better swimming pool and refurbished leisure centre will open at the end of this year”.

Bilton by-election: Candidates profiled ahead of polling day

Voters will head to the polls tomorrow to elect a new county councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

A new councillor will be elected to North Yorkshire County Council following the death of Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber.

It is the only local council election taking place in the Harrogate district.

Ahead of polling day, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has interviewed and profiled each candidate.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat

The Liberal Democrat candidate standing in tomorrow’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election says a vote for Labour or the Green Party “will just let the Conservatives win”.

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who has previously represented the Bilton area on Harrogate Borough Council, said in a message to Labour and Green voters: “your vote is safe with me”.

He is one of six candidates competing to take the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat.

Mr Kempston-Parkes said he has “big shoes to fill” but hoped to continue the “great work that Geoff did” if elected.

He said:

“I would be honoured if the people of Bilton and Nidd Gorge would trust me to be their county councillor – they have my word that I will work tirelessly for them.

“I want to continue the great work that Geoff did in being a voice for local people, the homeless and those seeking affordable houses. I also want to support our great educational establishments, protect our green spaces and stop overdevelopment.

“Another big thing I would push for is a park and ride similar to the one in York which has been a great success.

“Harrogate could benefit hugely by taking more traffic out of the town and bringing more people in. Sadly there has been lots of talk but no action on this in the past.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes is a local businessman who runs a chartered surveyors firm in Harrogate. He previously served as a borough councillor for four years but lost his seat in the 2011 elections.

He said there is a “real need for change” in local politics which has “Conservatives at every level”.

Mr Kempston-Parkes said:

“I feel there is incompetence and arrogance, and the Conservatives are not helping our town.

“It’s only through hearing opposing views and listening to arguments that we can find the best way forward.

“I would ask anyone who sees themselves as centre or left-centre on the political spectrum to vote for me. A vote for Labour or the Green Party will just let the Conservatives win.”

Matt Scott, Conservative candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Matt Scott, Conservative

Conservative candidate Matt Scott has told voters to “judge my record on its own merits” ahead of polling day for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Cllr Scott has represented the Bilton area on Harrogate Borough Council since 2018 and is one of six candidates competing to take the vacant seat on North Yorkshire County Council.

He said:

“I have lived in Bilton my entire life which means I use the same roads, shops and all the same council services as local residents – and I’m immensely proud to already represent the community I have grown up in.

“As a Harrogate borough councillor since 2018, I have been handing out newsletters into the Bilton division which set out our record of action locally.

“In addition to the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat, there is the current Conservative county councillor Paul Haslam who is a sort of next door neighbour to me. We have a great working relationship and I would want that to continue if I was elected.”

Cllr Scott, who is employed as a case worker by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, added:

“I will still be serving as a Harrogate borough councillor if I’m elected and will continue my current top priority of tackling litter. I’m hoping as restrictions ease further, I can organise more outdoor gatherings for litter picking and street cleansing.

“I also know anti-social behaviour has been an issue of late and in my capacity as borough councillor I have worked with safer communities teams on this.

“I’m putting a positive message out there that I will allow residents in my division and the wider Bilton and Nidd Gorge area to judge my record on its own merits.”

Tyler Reeton, Labour candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Tyler Reeton, Labour

A teenager who will become North Yorkshire County Council’s youngest member if elected this week has pledged to bring a “fresh face” and “real change” to local politics.

Tyler Reeton, 19, is standing in his first election for the Labour Party and is one of six candidates competing to fill the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat left vacant following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Voting will take place on Thursday and Mr Reeton said tackling anti-social behaviour is his top priority as he also promised to launch a new annual event to “bring the community back together”.

He said:

“While I’m young at 19-years-old, that doesn’t make me any less passionate than the ordinary person – I will be a fresh face and the only candidate who will be truly accountable to residents.

“Anti-social behaviour is a problem which is spiralling out of control because not enough has been done. It’s a difficult situation to tackle but I believe in the message that if we all work together, we can get the job done.

“I would organise surgeries so residents can speak directly with police to crackdown on the problem before it gets to this point again.

“My local recovery plan will focus on rebuilding the community after Covid and using my county councillor grants, I will bring back a yearly community event like the Bilton Gala which has been fundamental for so many years.”

The Labour candidate is a former Harrogate Grammar School student and aspiring solicitor who says his sole aim in life is to help others.

He believes “years of party politics” have damaged relationships in Bilton but vowed to start a “rebuilding process” if he is elected.

He said:

“I am not in this for myself, my aim is to help others and make Bilton a better place to live. I feel party politics has damaged reputations between councillors and residents and I now want to start on that rebuilding process.

“With the effort I am putting in and the fact I will be accountable to residents, I believe I have a great chance of winning this election.

“We need a councillor who is accountable and can crack on with the job. If you pledge a vote for me, you will be voting for real change.”

Harvey Alexander, Independent candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Harvey Alexander, Independent

An independent candidate has vowed to do everything he can to bring more speed camera warning signs to North Yorkshire if he is elected as the new Bilton and Nidd Gorge county councillor.

Harvey Alexander said he is standing in Thursday’s by-election because he has become “incensed” with the “lack of” warning signs in the county as he also pledged to push for the creation of more high-tech jobs in Harrogate to support the economic recovery from covid.

He said:

“Every other local authority in the Yorkshire area puts up speed camera signs but in North Yorkshire there are none.

“The point of these signs is to slow traffic, not catch people speeding. Some areas have signs up 24/7 even when there are no cameras there and they do their job to make the roads safer.

“If you vote for me I will do everything I can to bring more speed camera signs to the area and also address concerns about unemployment.”

Mr Alexander is a former UKIP member and retired electronics engineer who first became involved in politics when he stood for Leeds City Council at 21-years-old.

He most recently represented UKIP at a Leeds election in 2016 and is one of six candidates competing to take the Bilton and Nidd Gorge seat.

He said:

“There is an awful lot of housebuilding going on but there is no industry being brought in to give jobs to local people.

“There is also a hell of a lot of commuters who travel outside Harrogate and this is a problem which is only going to get worse.

“What I find so annoying is all these big companies taking their business down south. We need to be doing a lot more to encourage big businesses to come here in Harrogate, especially these companies in high-tech industries.”

Mr Alexander, who also served as a parish councillor in North Rigton and Pannal, said he could not support any of the options on the table for local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire and instead believes Harrogate should reclaim its historic links with the west of the county.

He said:

“I do feel Harrogate should go back to its connections with West Yorkshire. A huge number of people have links with Bradford and Leeds – that’s where people work and travel to the most.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

Arnold Warneken, Green Party

The Green Party candidate contesting in this week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election has claimed the community is at risk of being “dismantled” by current councillors.

Arnold Warneken is one of six candidates competing to become the division’s new county councillor with voters set to go to the polls on Thursday.

He has put anti-social behaviour, littering, traffic pollution and loss of green space as his top priorities and has promised to “retain the uniqueness of the Bilton community” if elected.

Mr Warneken said:

“With the backing of the Green Party, I would work to solve these issues, push to retain the uniqueness of the Bilton community, and build on the fantastic resources they already have here, which are under-rated, under-stated and under-funded.

“Local councils must have our climate in mind as we build the economy back after covid.

“More Green councillors mean a substantial commitment to the climate action we all know is urgently needed in all our council chambers. Future generations depend on the steps we take now, protecting green spaces, reducing CO2 pollution from cars, making our roads safer and providing resources for them.”

Mr Warneken became the first ever Green councillor in the north of England when he was elected to Harrogate Borough Council in 1991.

He has lived in the district for 65 years working as a farmer and currently sits on a number of committees and environmental groups including Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition.

Mr Warneken added:

“As chair of the area planning, town twinning and environmental health committees, my experience will be invaluable moving forward as the region changes under the re-organisation of the authority in the coming years.

“I will use my experience working with and for the community, if I’m elected; I’ve been the district council representative on the Selby Police Liaison committee and a director of Harrogate Theatre and established and chaired Harrogate Environmental Forum.

“Now is the time to help local people have a say in local matters they deserve. I want to amplify their voices for the good of the community, to ensure that services they rely on and the future of the community is not at risk.”

John Hall, Yorkshire Party candidate for Bilton and Nidd Gorge.

John Hall, Yorkshire Party

The Yorkshire Party candidate competing in this week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election says it’s time the county got a fairer share of government funding.

John Hall is standing in his third election for the party which launched six years ago with the aim of devolving spending and decision-making powers from Whitehall to Yorkshire.

And while the government rejected its ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution bid in 2019, Mr Hall said the party’s priorities remained clearer than ever.

Mr Hall said:

“Fairer funding for Yorkshire is our main message..

“School pupils who live in the London borough of Tower Hamlet receive around £6,965 of government funding per head, while those in Yorkshire get £4,613. This is not fair and something I want to tackle.

“We want a proper Yorkshire devolution package to keep as much localism as possible.

“And where Yorkshire Party candidates have been elected in the past, they have always been a success. We are pushing a new message but we know we can make a difference.”

Mr Hall previously stood to be MP for Thirsk and Malton and also for the Starbeck seat on Harrogate Borough Council.

His party have previously won seats on three councils in Yorkshire including North Yorkshire County Council, East Riding Council and Selby District Council.

Speaking about the issues he hopes to tackle as the new county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, he said:

“I do know anti-social behaviour is becoming an issue so I would hope to get a good working relationship with police right from the word go.

“Affordable housing is another issue I want to get involved in and I would insist that any new homes to be built must fit almost seamlessly into the area.

“It’s going to take time for me to truly understand all of the issues and concerns in Bilton but I would be a new broom who could start afresh and not be tied to any existing problems or difficult relationships, as I know there is some hostility currently.”

Two dead at Harrogate’s Majestic hotel

Two people have been found dead in an incident at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic hotel.

Police are currently at the hotel on Ripon Road. No further details are currently available.

A spokesman for the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa said:

“Following an incident last night, the police were called and we are currently assisting them with their enquiries.”

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Alternative options

Andrew Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat

Matt Scott, Conservative

Tyler Reeton, Labour

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Harvey Alexander, Independent

Arnold Warneken, Green Party

John Hall, Yorkshire Party

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