Harrogate-based piano school, Saphir Piano Studios, has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a pupil concert at the Wesley Centre on Oxford Street.

Julian and Nichola Saphir, who are directors of the studios as well as teachers, are both concert pianists and Royal College of Music alumni.

They moved to Harrogate from London in 1998 and have continued to build their full-time piano school ever since. They currently have more than 80 pupils.

Their December concert is a long-standing tradition but had not taken place since 2019 due to covid.

To celebrate their quarter of a century in Harrogate, the concert saw 34 pupils perform an eclectic programme of piano music on the Wesley Centre’s prestigious hand-crafted Yamaha CF-lllS concert grand piano, which has been played by some of the world’s most famous concert pianists, including Sir Stephen Hough, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Marc-André Hamelin.

Among those taking part was five-year-old Grace Xiu, who is the studios’ youngest pupil.

Alongside the young performers were three of Saphir Piano Studios’ adult students, Moira Morgan, Alistair Duff and Phil Howarth, who treated the audience to music by Chopin and Robert Schumann.

One of the highlights was a six-handed piece by Rachmaninoff, performed by St. Aidan’s Church of England High School sixth formers Annabel Baxter, Krish Desha-Beerachee and Jack Brierley.

The concert was brought to a sparkling finale with the Saphirs themselves giving a duet performance of the ever-popular Christmas favourite, Sleigh Ride.

Julian and Nichola said:

“It’s very important to give each of our pupils the opportunity to play on a fine concert grand piano before a large audience. The atmosphere in the room is always so warm and enthusiastic.”

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The Labour Party has begun the process of finding a candidate for Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

The constituency has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

Julian Smith, who has been MP since 2010, increased his majority to 23,694 at the last election in 2019 when he won 60% of the vote.

Although the rural constituency is widely regarded as a safe Tory seat, Labour was boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining it.

Labour invited potential candidates to put forward their names on Friday last week (December 8). The deadline for applying is January 10.

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, said he intended to seek the party nomination again.

With an election expected next year, Mr McDaid said he hoped a candidate would be selected quickly to allow as much time as possible for campaigning.

He said:

“Labour’s visibility in Skipton and Ripon has increased a lot. We have worked hard to show people that the Lib Dems aren’t the second party.

“We have done a lot of door knocking and the phrase ‘where is Julian Smith and what has he contributed locally?’ comes up a lot.”

Skipton Town Council has five Labour councillors, but Ripon City Council has none and Mr McDaid admitted the party needed to focus more on the city.

Keir Mather’s by-election success in Selby and Ainsty.

He said the party had been inspired by Keir Mather’s victory in July’s Selby and Ainsty by-election, when he overturned a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the seat for Labour.

He added:

“Polls are showing it could be a Labour gain but we aren’t taking anything for granted.”

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Firefighters used breathing apparatus to deal with a kitchen fire that broke out in Harrogate last night.

Fire crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge were called to Grange Avenue, which is one of the roads between Skipton Road and King’s Road, at 9.37pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:

“The fire had started under the kitchen units, believed to have been caused by faulty wiring.

“Crews entered the property wearing breathing apparatus and used one hose reel jet to extinguish. They then assisted with ventilating the property using a positive pressure ventilation fan.

“The fire caused approximately 15% fire damage to the kitchen units and smoke logging throughout the property.”

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Traffic lights have been temporarily removed from Briggate in Knaresborough after a section of wall was repaired.

The wall fell down on to the road at about 2pm on September 14. Nobody was hurt but the rubble remained on the carriageway for almost three months.

This caused the installation of temporary traffic lights on what is one of the main routes in Knaresborough.

Businesses, residents and traders grew increasingly frustrated at the length of time the work was taking.

North Yorkshire Council began repairing the section of wall that collapsed on November 27 and has now finished.

The traffic lights have been removed but they will be back in 2024.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, said previously:

“In the new year, date to be confirmed, further maintenance work along the rest of the wall will take place – again, under two-way lights – to ensure its future integrity is maintained.”

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An 18-year-old man was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries following a two-vehicle collision at Moor Monkton.

The man, who was a back seat passenger in a white Mazda 2, had to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters.

Two other males from this vehicle, the 18-year-old driver and a 17-year-old front seat passenger, sustained what are believed to be minor injuries.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for witnesses to the incident, which took place yesterday at 9.18am on Friday, December 15. It occurred on Marston Lane, between the junctions of Green Lane and Atterwith Lane.

The road is located off the A59 to York.

The crash involved the Mazda, which was heading south, and a grey Volkswagen Touareg SUV that was heading north.

The driver of the Volkswagen, a 33-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries. The three-year-old child in the vehicle was uninjured.

The stretch of road remained closed until 4.45pm while collision investigators worked at the scene and to allow both vehicles to be recovered.

Today’s police statement said:

“In support of the investigation, police are urging witnesses to the collision and motorists with relevant dashcam footage to come forward as soon as possible.

“Officers also want to hear from anyone who may have noticed either the white Mazda 2 or the grey Volkswagen Touareg prior to the incident.”

You can email martin.hayes@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Martin Hayes.

Quote reference number 12230237251 when providing information.

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It was one of the most remarkable local business stories of the year.

Farmison & Co, which employed about 100 people in Ripon, went into administration on April 6, sparking a desperate battle for survival.

The loss of the firm, whose ‘eat better meat’ ethos had attracted clients including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, would have been a major blow not only for those losing their jobs but also for Ripon as a whole.

But after two weeks of fraught negotiations, a consortium led by former Asda chief executive Andy Clarke and Chilli Marketing founder Gareth Whittle struck a deal with the administrator to bring Farmison back to life.

In a year that has seen the collapse of other prominent local businesses with the loss of hundreds of jobs, including Flaxby housebuilder Ilke Homes and Harrogate telemarketing firm Amvoc, Farmison survived.

Farmison’s Ripon headquarters.

But what has happened since to ensure it wasn’t a short-term stay of execution?

One of the consortium’s first acts was to hire Weeton-based Andy Adcock as chief executive.

Mr Adcock’s 30-year retail career includes stints at Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and — alongside Mr Clarke — at Asda.

Farmison, he says, operated a sound business model but was operating beyond its means and the first priority was to bring down costs.

It now employs 60 staff, many of them rehires from its former life, which is just over half of its previous allocation. But after nine months, the focus is beginning to change from consolidation to growth.

Mr Adcock says:

“We have had to get leaner. We are now operating at the level we need and it’s all about growth.

“I wouldn’t have joined if I didn’t think the business had huge potential. It’s about tapping into that potential. The idea was always good but managing the cost base had become challenging.

“We are now doing it in a sensible manner and investing in growth rather than putting ourselves in a position where we put ourselves under pressure.”

Andy Adcock with some of the Farmison cuts.

Traditionally known as an online butchers, 92% of Farmison products are sold directly to customers online.

It relaunched its Cut by Farmison butchers shop at its Ripon headquarters on Bondgate Green this month and also announced plans to open more shops in a bit to diversify.

Mr Adcock says:

“We have this fabulous factory in Ripon, which is at the front end of a huge craft butchery operation. We’ve not been maximising the retail capability and the potential of this shop for local people.

“We also want to develop other channels to develop the offline business by supplying premium retailers like Harrods and Michelin-star chefs.”

Grantley Hall near Ripon is among the local hotels buying its premium meat.

Farmison has also announced a new deal with Harrods, an expansion of its home delivery service and an entry into the fish market through a partnership with online seafood business Fish for Thought.

Mr Adcock says the ambition is to increase annual turnover to £20 million.

This month’s relaunch of Cut by Farmison.

His friendly and informal style seems well suited to the business. When we arrived at Bondgate Green he was wearing a Christmas jumper and talked enthusiastically about mucking in over the festive period by packing boxes.

After three decades at national retailers, how is he finding the transition to a smaller company?

He says:

“It’s very different to a big corporate environment but that comes with a level of complexity and slowness of decision-making that we don’t need with a business like this.”

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But retail and meat run through his career like streaky bacon and he talks enthusiastically about Farmison’s approach, which involves selling British dry aged, free range meat reared from heritage breeds by artisan farmers in northern England. In his opinion, Galloway cattle, produce the best quality beef.

People don’t go to Farmisons for cheap meat. The company appeals to customers who are prepared to pay for premium cuts and are supportive of the company’s mission. He talks about exporting to expats in Singapore and Hong Kong who want quality heritage British breeds.

Mr Adcock says:

“I love meat, I love retail and Farmisons is such a nice business with so many people wanting to make it a success.”

He’s far from alone in his love of meat. Farmisons’ job is about getting enough of them to buy into its model.

But after its Easter resurrection, plenty of people in Ripon and beyond will be tucking into Farmisons meat over the festive period. And that’s a local miracle worth celebrating this Christmas.

Knaresborough has been named as one of Britain’s up-and-coming travel destinations in a new survey.

Holiday rental website HomeToGo published the names of 10 places today tipped to be rising star travel spots during 2024.

The locations were chosen based on the percentage increase in searches and the cost of accommodation.

Knaresborough, which is the highest ranked place in Yorkshire, came eighth. Glenridding, in Cumbria, was first.

Searches for Knaresborough increased by 64% and the survey lists the median average nightly price as £138.04.

People visit Knaresborough, it says, for “rowing boats on the River Nidd, breathtaking views from Knaresborough Castle, and the intriguing Mother Shipton’s Cave”.

Mother Shipton’s

The top 10 is:

1 Glenridding

2 Kirkby Lonsdale

3 Ross-on-Wye

4 Kendal

5 Norwich

6 Solihull

7 Tynemouth

8 Knaresborough

9 Orkney

10 Hebden Bridge

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Plans have been submitted to build 146 homes in Harrogate.

Cumbrian housebuilder Story Homes has applied to North Yorkshire Council for permission to build the homes on land east of Otley Road in Harrogate.

A media release by Story Homes today said the land is allocated for housing in the Harrogate District Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.

The development would be built in partnership with housing association Home Group and 40% of the homes would be classed as affordable.

The scheme would include landscaped open space and a £500,000 community infrastructure levy, which is a charge levied by local authorities on new developments.

The site off Otley Road.

Today’s media statement said:

“The scheme proposes a mix of high quality, high specification homes designed for modern living, with open plan living spaces and enviable kerb appeal.

“Properties will range from one-bedroom apartments to six-bedroom detached homes and will include fully fitted designer kitchens with A-rated appliances, as well as luxurious finishes throughout.”

Hannah Richins, planning manager for Story Homes North West said the scheme would “introduce our beautifully crafted homes into a new housing market”.

Home Group, under its brand Persona Homes, has already delivered over 220 homes on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

Kitson Keen, director of development at Home Group said:

“Story Homes deliver high quality properties which will enhance the availability of quality affordable homes in Harrogate.”

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A £15 million transformation of Harrogate’s Grove House into a major new care home and community facility has finally been approved.

Grove House, a grade two listed building opposite the fire station on Skipton Road, was the home of Victorian inventor, philanthropist and mayor Samson Fox.

It was later used as a hospital during the First World War and as the headquarters of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes.

Harrogate’s Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield Healthcare, bought the six-acre site from the Buffaloes for more than £3m in 2017.

Samson Fox lived at Grove House.

Plans were submitted five years ago to create what Mr Lee calls “the holy grail of care”, combining high quality facilities for residents with extensive community use.

Now, after a lengthy planning process, North Yorkshire Council has published a decision notice approving the application, subject to conditions.

It means Grove House can undergo extensive conversion work to create a care home consisting of 24 flats. In addition, a 62-bed care home and eight houses providing supported living for over-65s will be built on land alongside Grove House.

How the site will look.

An aerial view of the site.

Grove House, which is hidden from traffic on Skipton Road, has stood derelict for years.

Talking about the project last year, Mr Lee said schoolchildren from nearby Grove Road Community Primary School will be invited to participate in activities alongside residents and use the gardens for study and play, and the site would also host an annual garden party for the community.

He said it would become “one of the best examples of developing relationships between older people and young people in the UK”.

Mr Lee’s company already owns seven care homes, including Harcourt Gardens in Harrogate,

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The Stray Ferret understands that the owner of Harrogate firm Weetons has bought Crimple, the garden centre, food hall and gift shop in Pannal.

Crimple underwent a £6 million refurbishment and rebranding in 2021. 

It’s not known how much the TGH Property Group, which is owned by Tim Whitworth, has paid to acquire Crimple.

Weetons on West Park

TGH, which is based at Bramham, near Wetherby, also owns Weetons, whose flagship Harrogate food hall on West Park opened 20 years ago.

Last year it also began operating in Leeds.

We will bring further details of this story when available.

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