Ripon critical care worker urges people to take the vaccine

A Ripon woman who works in a critical care unit has become one of the first people in North Yorkshire to receive the covid vaccine — and has urged others to do the same when their time comes.

Physiotherapist Laura Terry’s job at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough brings her into daily contact with covid patients.

Having seen first hand the impact of the virus, she had little hesitation when the chance to be vaccinated emerged at the hospital on Sunday. She said:

“It was a no-brainer. The emotional impact of what I’ve seen at work has really affected me. I don’t usually bring my job home but a lot of things have stayed with me a long time.

“I’ve never seen so many people so sick. People are essentially dying alone because nobody is allowed in. The last time some see their families is on FaceTime.”

Ms Terry, who went to Ripon Grammar School and lives near Fountains Abbey, studied at Teesside University.

Her regular contact with covid patients made her eligible for the vaccine. It was over in minutes and she has had no side effects besides a sore arm the next day.

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“I’m a perfectly healthy person but I have a duty of care to my patients and colleagues, as well as my family and friends.

“Hopefully having the vaccine provides them with some reassurance that they are not going to get covid from me.”

She said it was frustrating to hear people who have never seen for themselves the impact of covid in “denial” about its impact.

“I’ve seen what it does to families. I’ve seen them in distress. If you can take that distress away from a family by having the vaccine then I would do that.”

 

Campaign to restore Harrogate’s ‘forgotten’ First World War memorial

A councillor is campaigning to restore a war memorial that is currently lying in pieces in Grove Road cemetery in Harrogate.

The memorial contains the names of 16 men from the Bilton and High Harrogate areas who lost their lives in the First World War.

When the nearby methodist church in which it stood was converted to flats, the memorial was relocated to the cemetery.

It was left in parts on pallets and has remained there since, almost forgotten in the undergrowth.

That was several years ago and Paul Haslam, who lives in Bilton and is a Conservative councillor for North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, wants to see the memorial restored to honour the fallen men. He said:

“I’d like to see it re-erected. Memorials like this should never be forgotten — they are not just lumps of stone. These lives should be remembered.”

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Mr Haslam said it would cost about £25,000 to restore the white marble memorial. A top section, made of more valuable material, was stolen years ago and would need to be replaced.

Paul Haslam

Mr Haslam began campaigning on the issue two years ago but covid has dominated this year and made funding for such projects difficult.

He has now approached ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, which awards grants, for helps and hopes 2021 will see the matter resolved.

Mr Haslam said:

“I’m sure the memorial would have been fixed this year if it wasn’t for covid. I hope we can get it back up inside the gates for everyone to see when they enter the cemetery.”

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas meals for older people in Harrogate district

About 85 meals will be delivered to the doors of older and vulnerable people in the Harrogate district on Christmas Day.

Harrogate and Ripon Food Angels has been providing meals since 2012 but this is the first time it is providing the service on December 25.

Staff and volunteers dressed festively will cook, pack and deliver a traditional Christmas dinner, Christmas pudding, mince pie and a cracker for those in need of a meal and some cheer.

Harrogate and Ripon Food Angels is part of Harrogate Neighbours, a charity that cares for older people.

It cooks 100 to 150 meals daily at its Starbeck base for beneficiaries, whose needs have been assessed.

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In previous years, the food angels have delivered double their daily quota of meals on Christmas Eve to prepare people for Christmas Day.

But Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, told the Stray Ferret this year’s long Christmas bank holiday weekend meant some people would be alone for long periods, hence the decision to venture out on the 25th.

She added:

“Our priority is to tackle social isolation and to support those most in need in our community all year around, but particularly on special occasions.

“When we received the requests for our meals on wheels service to run on Christmas Day, we quickly reached out to some volunteers who agreed without hesitation to deliver meals on the day.

“We’re incredibly lucky to have such dedicated and supportive volunteers and we look forward to feeding the community and spreading some Christmas joy to those who may be on their own for the first time this Christmas.”

To volunteer to deliver meals, or to support Harrogate Neighbours through donating, fundraising, sponsoring an event or to join the team, visit www.hnha.co.uk or call 01423 888777.

Police search for Bilton flasher

Police are searching for a man who exposed himself to members of the public in Bilton yesterday.

The incident, which occurred near a pond close to the sandy banks of the River Nidd, off Bilton Lane, was reported to the police at 2.42pm.

Police have stepped-up patrols in the area to try to find the man, who it is believed has indecently exposed himself previously this year.

North Yorkshire Police is asking people to come forward with possible sightings of the man – either clothed or unclothed – or with details of any suspicious behaviour along the riverbank or in nearby woodland between 2pm and 4pm yesterday or recently.

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The man is described as white with a short dark-brown beard, aged in his 30s or 40s, about 6ft tall with a muscular build. He was wearing a mid-blue baseball cap.

Inspector Alex Langley, of the Harrogate neighbourhood policing team, said:

“This is clearly very worrying and disturbing behaviour and we are doing all we can to locate the suspect.

“If anyone has information that could assist the investigation, please get in touch immediately so we can take action.

“It is always best to make a report straight away and to provide as much detail as possible about the location so we can target our searches. Ideally, this will include accurate data from smartphone maps or apps such as What3Words.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Quote reference number 12200232879.

R number rises for second time this week in Harrogate district

The R number, which refers to how quickly the covid virus reproduces, has increased for the second time this week in the Harrogate district.

The number was 0.4 at the weekend but is now 0.6, which means every 10 people infected with coronavirus pass it on to another six.

The latest statistics, however, present mixed messages as the government prepares to announce any changes to tiers tomorrow.

Today’s latest daily figure from Public Health England revealed there had been just 19 new infections in the district.

And the latest seven-day rolling average rate of infection for the district is now down to 82 people per 100,000. This is based on data for the seven days to December 12.

The North Yorkshire average is 101 and the England average is 203.

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While infection rates have been rocketing in London and the south-east, they seem much steadier here.

It seems likely North Yorkshire will remain in tier two when the announcement is made tomorrow.

Vaccine to be given at Great Yorkshire Showground next week

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate is to be used for the vaccine rollout from next week.

The first vaccination is due to be given on Tuesday and the programme is expected to last for several months.

The government has asked the 17 GP practices in Harrogate and the surrounding district, including Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham to oversee the rollout.

The practices are appealing for volunteers to marshal the car park and signpost patients through the vaccination site at the showground, which is owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

No details have been given to the media about the rollout but a post on the Harrogate covid co-operation Facebook group yesterday on behalf of the GP practices revealed the news. It said:

“Harrogate and rural district are working together in order to plan for delivering a mass vaccination programme and we need to ask primary care staff and volunteers to help.

“We will need staff and volunteers to undertake a variety of roles and we need to plan for vaccinations to be carried out seven days a week, 8am-8pm, including bank holidays.

“This is a huge ask, but we would like volunteers to indicate if they would be willing to help in some capacity.”

The 250-acre showground has ample car parking and is used to staging large events, most notably the three-day Great Yorkshire Show, which was cancelled this year.

But nothing in the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s 183-year history compares with the task in hand.

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The GPs’ post today said it required 18 volunteers a day. Morning sessions will start with an 8am briefing and the first jabs will be given at 8.30am.

Morning sessions will end at 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations will take place from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.

The GPs’ post said:

“Unfortunately we aren’t able to offer vaccinations to volunteers at this stage as we have to prioritise certain patient groups.

“Next week is the first stage of the vaccination programme and we are going to need volunteers from the New Year onwards to fulfil the same types of roles for probably a number of months.”

Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to register their interest and complete the questionnaire here.

Burglars leap fence and climb ladder in Harrogate house break-in

Burglars jumped over a garden fence then climbed a ladder to break into the upstairs of a home in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for information about the incident, which happened in Woods Court, Harrogate at about 6.15pm on December 1.

The force is unsure whether one or two criminals were involved. It said in a statement:

“The suspect(s) are believed to have accessed the rear garden via jumping over the fence and used a single-section ladder to gain access to the upstairs of the property.

“They are also believed to have exited over the same garden fence to make their escape.

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

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Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Jonathan Cleary. You can also email Jonathan.cleary@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200214547.

R number rises in Harrogate district as tier decision looms

The rate at which coronavirus is spreading in the Harrogate district has increased for the first time in more than a month.

The R number rose from 0.4 to 0.5 over the weekend after falling consistently since early November.

It means every 10 people infected pass on covid to five others, which means the virus is still diminishing in the district but at a slower rate.

The government is due to review tier levels on Wednesday, with any changes taking effect on Saturday.

It seems likely that North Yorkshire will remain in tier two.

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The seven-day average rate of infection for the county is 96 per 100,000 people, compared with an England average of 181.

The figure for the Harrogate district is 78, having peaked at over 300 early last month.

Starbeck has taken over as the district’s covid hotspot, with 21 infections in the lasts even days.

Knaresborough central is next highest with 14, followed by Knaresborough north with 13.

 

Speed sign to be installed outside Western Primary School

A speed sign is to be installed outside Western Primary School in Harrogate as part of the school’s long-running campaign to improve road safety.

Western is one of the largest primary schools in the Harrogate district, with 500 pupils.

It is also situated on one of the busiest streets — Cold Bath Road.

Tim Broad, headteacher of Western Primary School, has spoken of his fears a child could be killed crossing the road.

He and teachers have lobbied North Yorkshire County Council for action.

The campaign finally bore fruit when John Mann, who represents Harrogate central on North Yorkshire County Council, agreed to fund a vehicle-activated sign from his locality budget.

Each county councillor receives a locality budget of £5,000 per year to spend on local needs, and councillor Mann’s allocation covered the £3,200-plus VAT cost of the sign.

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Mr Broad said the school was “very grateful” to councillor Mann. He added:

“This will make a significant difference to the safety of our pupils and it is a relief to know that somebody is listening to our concerns and taking some positive action.

“However, there is much more that needs to be done and I am hoping we can work with North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to make the whole of Cold Bath Road a safer and healthier environment for everyone who uses it.”

The sign, which has a five-year warranty and a life expectancy of 10 years, will be fixed to the street lamp immediately outside the school.

A radar in the sign detects vehicles travelling above the 20mph speed limit from at least 50 metres away and this triggers a ‘slow down’ message.

The sign will be spun round every few weeks to face traffic from the opposite direction.

Police appeal for help identifying man after Nidd Gorge theft

Police are appealing for help to identify a man after a car window was smashed and a handbag stolen at Nidd Gorge car park.

North Yorkshire Police released a CCTV image of the man yesterday and said it wanted to speak to him.

The man is described as bald and around 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins tall. He was captured on camera wearing a green jacket, possibly a wax/Barbour style, and black trousers.

Nidd Gorge is a popular beauty spot often frequented by dog walkers.

A woman’s car rear window was smashed while she was walking her dog between 9am and 10.10am on November 3.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement it wanted the public to “help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident”. It added:

“In particular, we are appealing for information about any suspects that might have been seen in the car park on the morning of the incident.”

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Daniel Fawkes or email daniel.fawkes@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200193289