GALLERY AND VIDEO: Huge crowds watch Boxing Day tug of war in Knaresborough

A huge crowd and fabulous Boxing Day weather ensured a fantastic atmosphere at the traditional Boxing Day tug of war over the River Nidd in Knaresborough.

Teams representing the Half Moon Free House and the neighbouring Mother Shipton Inn take part in the festive fun annually at Low Bridge. Lining up on opposite river banks, they try to pull each other towards the water’s edge.

Town crier Mark Hunter provided commentary from the bridge and besides the two pubs, Rooster’s Brewing Co kept the ale flowing with an outdoor bar.

The Mother Shipton women’s team — featuring members of Harrogate Railway FC — started the day’s sport by winning 2-1. Here we see the Half Moon team sliding towards the river in the opening pull.

The Mother Shipton men’s team then overcame the Half Moon team by the same margin, after a gargantuan second pull that lasted several minutes.

Every pull was won by the team based on the Mother Shipton side.

Knaresborough Lions provided traffic management on a day that also generated funds for Frank’s Fund, a charity set up by the Ashton family in 2019 following the death of their 14-year-old son, Frank, to Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

Here are some photos from the day.

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The victorious Mother Shipton team.

Crowds on the river bank.

 

Town crier Mark Hunter calls the action.

Competition for the best viewing spots was fierce.

The weather was glorious.

The view towards Mother Shipton Inn.

The Rooster’s outside bar.

Town crier Mark Hunter kept the crowd informed.

Hundreds of people lined the banks of the Nidd and Low Bridge.

Storm Gerrit brings flood risk to Harrogate district tomorrow

A third weather warning in the space of a week will be in place tomorrow across the Harrogate district.

Following Storm Pia and strong winds on Christmas Eve, the district is now braced for Storm Gerrit.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, which is active from 3am to 6pm tomorrow.

It says heavy rain and strong winds will have the potential for “disruption to travel and a risk of flooding”.

The wet weather is due to begin in the early hours of tomorrow and continue until evening.

It will remain windy for the next few days.

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No 12: The Great Wall of Briggate saga in Knaresborough

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look at the Briggate wall in Knaresborough which has caused disruption this year.

When a section of wall came crashing down on the road at Briggate in Knaresborough on September 14, it didn’t seem like that big a deal.

Although the wall runs alongside one of the busiest roads in the town, nobody was hurt. Surely the rubble could be removed and the wall repaired quickly?

What unfolded over the next few months appeared to confirm many people’s fears about the slow and unresponsive nature of local bureaucracy.

In the aftermath of the collapse, it emerged North Yorkshire Council had been warned about the state of the wall on multiple occasions.

Briggate resident Catherine Rogerson told the Stray Ferret she and others had flagged up concerns the wall was buckling. Ms Rogerson said:

“I said it was an emergency and could collapse, causing a nasty accident.”

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough East, wrote to the council as long ago as June last year warning several old stone walls in Knaresborough needed “investigating and possibly monitoring for safety”, and “could potentially be a risk to life and also their repair could cause significant congestion in the town”. Briggate, she said was top of the list.

Cllr Gostlow, who is the current Knaresborough mayor, told the Stray Ferret:

“This issue was widely known about by residents and councillors.”

Yet the council failed to respond to questions and a freedom of information request by the Stray Ferret about whether it had been warned or release a safety report that was apparently compiled on the wall.

Cllr Gostlow’s email proved prescient: the rubble remained on the road for almost three months, causing two-way traffic lights that led to lengthy delays on a key route in and out of town.

The sight of a pile of stones causing tailbacks not only provided a daily source of irritation, particularly for motorists, and fuelled a sense of council officers in Northallerton distant from the daily problems. Hairdresser Kelly Teggin summed up the mood when she said:

“I don’t believe in this day and age nothing can be done to get both lanes back open as soon as possible.”

It wasn’t as simple as it seemed: Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said on November 22 that some cellars belonging to residents had been impacted by the collapsed wall and consequently the “works are now more complex than first anticipated”.

But frustration continued to grow. There were even rumours of residents literally taking the matter into their own hands by turning up to remove the rubble, but this never materialised. The traffic lights were still there during Knaresborough Christmas Market Weekend when there is usually a moratorium of roadworks in the town.

Pic: Knaresborough and District Chamber

Finally, on November 27 work began and by mid-December the section of collapsed wall had been repaired to widespread acclaim at the quality of finish. The traffic lights were removed but the saga is far from over.

Further maintenance work along the rest of the wall is due to take place at an unspecified date in the new year — meaning the traffic lights will be back.

Cllr Matt Walker who represents Knaresborough West described the council’s handling of the saga as “wholly inadequate”. He said:

“The council have avoided answering questions including providing a safety report that was done days before the wall fell. I wonder why?

“A full investigation needs to be done to understand why it happened in the first place and lessons learned. Residents have lost faith in the highways team to do anything and so have I.”

Knaresborough may have been spared the peril of buildings made of crumbling concrete but the town’s crumbling walls could prove to be equally difficult to fix.

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Boxing Day tug of war returns to Knaresborough

Pub pride will be at stake tomorrow when Knaresborough’s annual tug of war match over the River Nidd takes place.

The festive fun and frivolity sees teams from the neighbouring Half Moon and Mother Shipton Inn take the strain on either side of the river and try to pull each other towards the water’s edge.

Nobody actually enters the Nidd these days but the sight of locals holding a specially made long rope and trying to avoid sliding down a muddy bank is something to behold, and attracts a huge crowd of up to 1,000 people.

Half Moon landlord Tom Clarkson, who is organising the event, said the Knaresborough town crier would be introducing the event and Knaresborough Lions would marshal the crowds that gather in the narrow area.

The event will also raise money for Frank’s Fund, a charity set up by the Ashton family in 2019 following the death of their 14-year-old son, Frank, to Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

Last year’s tug of war — the first after covid — was won by default by the Half Moon, which entered teams on both sides of the river, but Mr Clarkson said he hoped the two pubs would both provide men’s and women’s teams this year.

Drinks will be available from 11am and there will be an outside bar run by local brewery Roosters.

The action gets underway beneath Low Bridge at high noon and will feature best of three pulls between separate men’s and women’s teams.

Mr Clarkson said:

“It’s a cracking day that we hope will raise a lot of money for Frank’s Fund.”

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Harrogate ice rink closes as wind brings more disruption

Today’s strong winds are having an impact on local attractions on Christmas Eve.

The ice rink at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate announced on social media it would be closed for the second time in recent days due to wind.

It said:

“Due to the Met Office yellow warning for today being wind gusts up to 61mph, it will be unsafe conditions to ice skate.

“It is with great regret that we have therefore made the difficult decision to close the ice rink for Christmas Eve.

“We plan to reopen the ice rink as usual on Boxing Day but please keep an eye on our social media.”

RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also closed due to the weather. It posted on social media:

“Unfortunately due to the forecast of strong winds, the garden will be closed all day on Christmas Eve. Betty’s will be open from 8am and the garden centre (except the glasshouse) will be open as usual.”

Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has said it will be closing slightly earlier than scheduled on Christmas Eve due to the weather warning.

A yellow weather warning is in place with gusts of up to 66mph forecast in the Harrogate district.

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Knaresborough to hold outdoor nativity and nine lessons and carols today

Knaresborough will hold its traditional outdoor nativity today followed by a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

The nativity, which takes place at 6pm in Market Square, brings the Christmas story to life through readings and drama. It is performed by local people and includes a donkey.

The church service will then be held at St John the Baptist Church at 7pm.

It follows a similar format to the famous Service of Nine Lessons and Carols which has been broadcast live annually from the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve afternoon since 1928.

The Knaresborough service, which has taken place on Christmas Eve for more than 50 years, will be held amongst the illuminated splendour of the Christmas Tree festival, which includes about 70 trees individually decorated.

There will be a candlelit procession and music from St John’s Choir, directed by Mark Hunter, as well as traditional festive favourites for all to sing.

St John’s Choir, who enjoyed a successful residency at Salisbury Cathedral last summer, were recently the first choir to perform in the newly restored Chapel at Allerton Castle and will also be singing in York Minster over the weekend after Christmas, as well as in Durham Cathedral, St George’s Chapel Windsor and Westminster Abbey in 2024.

Both events are open to everyone.

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Tesco reveals latest plans for Harrogate site

Tesco has revealed its latest plans for the firm’s forthcoming Harrogate supermarket.

The company received outline planning permission in February to build a store, petrol station and a 209-space car park on the site of the former gas works at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road.

It has now submitted details of the measures it proposes to take to mitigate against the ecological impact, as well as a flood risk assessment and a risk assessment relating to a high pressure gas pipeline on site.

The ecological mitigation plan, compiled by Oxfordshire firm Aspect Ecology on behalf of Tesco, says “initial vegetation clearance works are proposed to be undertaken during January to March 2024”, prior to the bird nesting season. It adds:

“The majority of the habitats present within the site are of limited ecological value, and a large proportion of these habitats are to be replaced by development or landscaping under the permitted development.

“The mature trees, woodland and watercourse are of greater ecological value and will be largely retained within the permitted scheme.”

The report says measures will be implemented to safeguard species such as hedgehogs.

An artist’s impression of how the Tesco will look.

Oak Beck runs along the eastern boundary of the three-hectare site, which will be accessed off Skipton Road.

The flood risk assessment prepared by London firm Pinnacle Consulting Engineers on behalf of Tesco assesses the flood risk to be low on the majority of the land but high on a ‘proportionately small area in the north of the site’.

It says the area is currently a mixture of asphalt, concrete, and grassed surfaces.

The report concludes:

“The site is at a low risk of flooding from all sources except for fluvial flooding in the north and south of the site.

“The fluvial flooding in the north of the site will not pose a significant risk to the development. The fluvial flooding in the south is associated with an old gas tank and will be regraded as part of the development and therefore will no longer pose a flooding issue.

“Overall, the proposed development is appropriate from a flood risk perspective and the sequential test.”

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The gas pipe assessment, conducted by Essex firm MJC Environmental Services on behalf of Tesco, concludes “risk levels are considered to be as low as reasonably practicable and further risk mitigation is not required”.

The latest details have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council as reserved matters planning applications.

The outline permission granted in February established the principle of development for the site; the reserved matters applications determine the layout and design.

The council must now decide whether to accept the reserved matters applications.

 

Cost of repairing Knaresborough wall set to rise to £200,000

The cost of repairing the wall on Briggate in Knaresborough is set to reach £200,000 — and require another 10 weeks of roadworks.

A section of the wall collapsed in September and was finally fixed this month after weeks of two-way traffic lights.

North Yorkshire Council had been warned by multiple residents about the state of the wall and Cllr Hannah Gostlow said last year it “could potentially be a risk to life”.

The collapsed wall

A structural report undertaken just two days before the wall collapsed said there was a seven-metre section that should be treated as “high priority”.

The section of wall between number 77 and The Wellington Inn is now due to be repaired in the new year.

It means roadworks, and two-way traffic lights, will recommence on January 8 and last for 10 weeks. This will enable work to take down and rebuild some sections of the wall, de-weed the wall and repoint it.

North Yorkshire Council has so far spent £35,000 repairing the collapsed section of wall and £15,000 on temporary traffic lights.

The latest details were revealed by Liberal Democrat councillors Hannah Gostlow and Matt Walker, who represent Knaresborough East and Knaresborough West respectively on the council. They were given the update by a council officer this week.

Councillors Gostlow and Walker

Cllrs Gostlow and Walker issued a joint press release saying there was a similar situation with a wall on Vicarage Lane that collapsed a few years ago down the side of Knaresborough House.

They blamed “years of under investment in basic infrastructure by the Conservative-led administration” at North Yorkshire Council.

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Cllr Walker said:

“I was absolutely disgusted that this appalling lack of neglect by the council will cost the local taxpayers just short of £200,000.

“It’s disappointing that the council didn’t use a local construction company. Having spoken to a local construction engineer and builder who told me they could do it for a third of the money, this would have represented much value for money.”

The councillors said they would ask for a meeting with the council’s head of highways to review this case and ensure a similar situation doesn’t happen again.

 

Harrogate woman at forefront of campaign to protect XL Bullies

A Harrogate woman is at the forefront of the campaign to protect XL Bullies in the wake of a government ban.

On October 31, XL Bullies became the fifth breed added to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

By the end of this month, XL Bullies must be kept on leads in public, wear muzzles and be microchipped. By January 31, owners must apply for a certificate of exemption to be registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Failure to conform could lead to a criminal conviction and even a prison sentence, and dogs could be put down. This has led to an increase in the number of abandoned XL Bullies.

Horrified by what’s happening, Anita Tryc has joined the UK Dog Protection Team, which is a rapid response animal welfare group that is focusing on helping XL Bullies in the run-up to the exemption deadline.

Relaxing with Ronnie

As the group’s Yorkshire representative, Anita is on the frontline of rescuing and rehoming any dogs found abandoned. She could get in her car at 3am if she gets a call saying a dog has been found tied to a lamppost in Pudsey and then help to rescue and rehome it and ensure adequate aftercare.

Anita, who owns a two-year-old rescue XL Bully called Ronnie, is also supporting a campaign to fund the barrister John Cooper’s legal challenge to the XL Bully ban.

She says the government legislation is doomed to fail and cites as evidence there being thousands of Pit Bull Terriers in the UK more than 30 years after they were banned as dangerous dogs.

Anita, said the UK Dog Protection Team “wants to see breed-specific legislation removed and licenses introduced”, adding:

“We are absolutely heartbroken that this is happening. We don’t want to see any attacks. But if somebody is a bad owner then we agree they should be punished — don’t let them have dogs for the rest of their lives.”

Anita, who besides working for a dental firm in Harrogate is also an international bodybuilder, owns a rescue American Bulldog cross called Lola as well as Ronnie, who weighs a solid 55kg.

Anita with Lola (left) and Ronnie.

She said:

“I’ve always loved big dogs and have always loved Bullies. They are big and powerful but they weren’t bred to fight like people say. Pitbulls were bred to fight. Bullies were bred as family and companion dogs.

“Lots of people are worried about this. If you get a criminal record you could be thrown out of your home and lose your job. That’s why so many dogs are being abandoned.

“Whatever happens, I’m not giving up on them. They are not a dangerous dog — we want them to be in a safe environment with owners who understand the breed and who will love them.”

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Police seek two men after TK Maxx theft in Harrogate

Police have issued CCTV images of two men they would like to speak to following a shop theft in Harrogate.

A North Yorkshire Police statement yesterday said two men entered TK Maxx in the Victoria Shopping Centre and picked up a brown men’s gilet, removed the security tag then left the store.

They took the gilet with them and headed towards the railway station.

CCTV images of the wanted men.

The incident happened at 10.05am on November 22.

The statement added:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the men in the images as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.”

Anyone with any information can email jamie.kennerley@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Kennerley.

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

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