River Nidd on flood alert as Storm Bella hits

Heavy rain tonight could cause the River Nidd to flood, with Pateley Bridge most at risk.

The government’s flood information service issued a warning at 8.22pm this evening as Storm Bella struck.

The warning said river levels in the upper Nidd were forecast to rise in the next few hours, adding:

“Consequently, the risk of flooding of property/roads and farmland in the majority of locations is expected to be overnight from 00:30, tomorrow morning.

“Areas most at risk are low lying land and roads around Pateley Bridge. We are closely monitoring the forecast and flood warnings may be needed.

“Please plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”

The flood information service is expected to issue an update in the morning.

Alerts are also in place for the lower and upper River Wharfe and the upper River Ure.

Nationally, 155 flood alerts are in place, along with 77 flood warnings and two severe flood warnings, where lives could be in danger.

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Harrogate district covid rate now almost a quarter of national average

Another 30 people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for coronavirus, according to today’s official statistics.

It means the seven-day average rate of infection for the district is now 97 people per 100,000 — almost four times lower than the national average of 364.

The district’s rate has been gradually increasing for the last couple of weeks but at nowhere near the speed of southern England, where the new mutant strain of covid has been most predominant.

The district’s rate remains the lowest of the seven local authority areas in North Yorkshire. Scarborough is the highest at 234. The overall rate for North Yorkshire is 151.

Today’s figures, from Public Health England, bring the total number of infections in the district since the start of the pandemic to 4,127.

There have not been any covid hospital deaths in the district since December 10.

The district’s R number, which refers to the rate at which the virus spreads in the community, remains at 0.9. This means every 10 people with coronavirus will pass it on to nine others.

Starbeck is the worst affected local area, with 18 positive cases in the last seven days — one more than the figure for Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith.

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White Christmas in Harrogate district – just!

Snow fell on Christmas Day in the Harrogate district yesterday, although it was hardly a deluge.

Most areas experienced a cold, icy day but some parts of the district had a few flakes of snow or even a light dusting.

This image was taken in Blubberhouses on Christmas day afternoon.

Although there was barely enough snow for a snowball fight. it was nevertheless enough to make 2020 a rare white Christmas.

North Yorkshire County Council gritted the main roads in the county yesterday as the cold snap continued.

It is expected to stay cold for the remainder of the year, with sleet forecast in the next few days.

Knaresborough tug-o-war over the river falls victim to covid

A long standing Boxing Day tradition in Knaresborough of staging a tug-o-war contest over the River Nidd has fallen victim to covid.

For more than 50 years, teams from the The Half Moon and The Mother Shipton pubs have done battle on opposing banks of the Nidd with a very long rope.

Whichever team loses, faces the prospect of sliding down the mud and, if they are unable to stop in time, into the Nidd.

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There are separate events for men and women and each contest is decided by the best of three pulls.

The friendly rivalry usually attracts hundreds of people and plenty of ale. But like so many other community events this year, it has fallen victim to covid.

It will be the first time in 51 years the event does not take place.

Doorstep jingle founder Mary leads the ringing in Harrogate

Hundreds of thousands of people from Britain and beyond stood on their doorsteps at 6pm tonight and rang bells as part of an idea that started in Harrogate

Bilton woman Mary Beggs-Reid came up with the idea of a doorstep jingle to “spread festive spirit and help Santa’s sleigh fly”.

More than 500,000 people pledged to take part and this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Ms Beggs-Reid pledging his support.

The Stray Ferret went to St John’s Grove, Bilton, where Ms Beggs-Reid lives, to witness the phenomenon.

Mary Beggs-Reid

TV crews from the BBC and Sky were due to be present but the signing of the Brexit trade deal prompted them to change plans.

But the Stray Ferret was there to capture the moment when Mary led the countdown. After two minutes of jingling, carols were sung.

Mary’s inspiration for the event came from the film Elf, where New York folk sing together to power Santa’s sleigh with their Christmas spirit.

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100-year-old Pateley Bridge woman receives vaccine

A 100-year-old woman from Pateley Bridge was among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccination at the Great Yorkshire Showground yesterday.

Amy Derrick, who has lived in the Pateley area all her life and has a large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in and around the Nidderdale town, has had quite a year.

A large celebration for her 100th birthday on March 21 had to be cancelled due to the start of the first lockdown.

Now she has become one of the first people in the Harrogate district — and possibly the oldest so far — to have been inoculated.

Joyce Liggins, one of Amy’s three children, said the entire process, from booking a time online to navigating their way around the set-up at the showground, ran smoothly. She added:

“A very nice lady gave the injection and we then sat in another room for 15 minutes before leaving. It was well organised.”

Amy now has to wait three weeks before receiving her second Pfizer/BioNTech jab.

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Bid to convert Windsor House into 94 flats

Plans have been submitted to change the use of Windsor House in Harrogate from offices to flats.

Under the plans, the seven-storey building would accommodate 94 flats consisting of 14 one-bedroom and 80 two-bedroom properties.

Windsor House, which is located in the Duchy estate area, is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Harrogate.

Built in 1900 overlooking Valley Gardens, it was originally the Grand Hotel until it became offices in the 1980s.

Now agents Savills, acting on behalf of Boultbee Brooks (Harrogate), the limited liability partnership that owns the 3.5 acre site, has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to change its use again.

The site, off Cornwall Road, falls within Harrogate Conservation Area and many of the trees in its boundary are protected by this or by tree preservation orders.

The site contains car park spaces for 288 vehicles.

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Most of nearby Windsor Court has been converted from offices to flats in recent years.

A letter by Savills accompanying the planning application says:

“The location of the site is extremely sustainable, being within walking distance of all public transport options
and all of Harrogate’s main services and amenities.”

Harrogate district’s arts pay tribute to Dame Fanny Waterman

Dame Fanny Waterman, who founded the world famous Leeds International Piano Competition and was a major figure on the Harrogate arts scene, has died at the age of 100.

Dame Fanny was one of the most influential people in the classical world. She remained active until her final year and regularly attended events in the Harrogate district.

She became honorary president of Harrogate International Festivals, the charity that organises numerous festivals each year, at the age of 89.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of HIF said:

“When I became chief executive in 2009, I visited Dame Fanny at Woodgarth and she told me, without being asked, that she would be delighted to become our honorary president.

“Her support, enthusiasm for life and music, along with an indomitable networking capacity, meant an incredibly steep learning curve!

“It was a fitting association in the last decade of her life, given her passion for the arts in Yorkshire and we were thrilled to have her input as a friend over the years”

The prestige of the Leeds International Piano Competition, and Dame Fanny’s stature, encouraged many finalists to perform at venues in the Harrogate district.

Dame Fanny was an honorary patron of the Northern Aldborough Festival, near Boroughbridge, and her patronage of the event led to many of the world’s premier pianists regularly performing at this rural festival.

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Harrogate people urged to be patient when booking GPs amid delays

The NHS is urging people in the Harrogate district to be patient when booking GP appointments amid concerns some patients’ anger is boiling over at delays.

Health leaders issued the plea today, saying a combination of exceptional demand and staff being affected by normal winter sickness and covid was causing strain.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Vale of York CCG, which buy health services for the county, acknowledging ‘the wait to speak to a member of a surgery’s reception team in some areas may be a little longer than normal’ and asking people to show ‘patience and kindness’ in the run-up to Christmas.

Dr Charles Parker, NHS North Yorkshire CCG clinical chair, said:

“We recognise how frustrating it can be to be in a call queue but surgery staff are doing their very best in challenging circumstances.

“GP practices have been asked to vaccinate the 50-64 year olds against the flu, to give the covid vaccine, to work in constrained ways to keep patients and staff safe and to do this with higher numbers of staff off work, isolating or ill.

“This is a lot to cope with at the same time. They absolutely do not deserve to be shouted at and abused.”

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Dr Parker added people should not ring GP practices asking about the covid vaccine but instead wait for notification. He added:

“This will help keep the phone lines clear and help practices cope with providing prompt care.”

Local pharmacies can also help with minor ailments, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.

Patients can also get non-emergency medical advice at all hours by using the NHS 111 service online or over the phone.

Just 11 new covid infections – but R number rises again

Just 11 new covid infections were reported today in the Harrogate district by Public Health England.

The figure is the joint second lowest daily amount since the start of the second wave of the pandemic.

However, yesterday’s figure of 36 was the highest since November 23.

Although the daily statistics have varied considerably recently, the trend in the Harrogate district is definitely upwards.

The R number, which was just 0.4 last weekend, went up again today to 0.7. This means every 10 people infected will pass the virus on to another seven.

The district’s seven-day average rate of infection to December 14 is 93 people per 100,000. This compares with 116 and 235 in North Yorkshire and England.

North Yorkshire remained in tier two today in the government’s first review of the tier system since the second lockdown.

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