Rossett School‘s first headteacher and former pupil Rachel Daly featured in celebrations to mark the Harrogate school’s 50th anniversary.

Jack Kennerley, who is now 87, sent a video message of congratulations that was played during a whole school assembly at which two other former headteachers, John Whittle and Pat Hunter, were among the special guests.

Mr Kennerley attended later in the day to plant a commemorative tree.

He recalled how Rossett had been due to launch at the start of the school year, but he had refused to open because there were no blackboards, chairs or tables. The first day eventually took place on September 24, 1973.

Mr Kennerley plants a commemorative tree.

England footballer Rachel Daly, who left Rossett in 2010, also sent a video message of congratulations. She will be visiting in person on Thursday to unveil the 3G sports pitches renamed in her honour.

The day of celebration and reminiscences, which took place on Thursday last week, also included a retro lunch of chicken in a basket and 1970s fancy dress.

About 150 former pupils attended a party for former students and staff that rounded off the celebrations.

Current headteacher Tim Milburn, himself a former Rossett student, said:

“The whole day was really special and it was wonderful to welcome so many people back to Rossett and to hear so many fantastic memories.

“There was such a fondness and appreciation for the school and its many inspirational staff and students.”

“There was a delightful atmosphere at the party, with lots of memories being shared and connections made. It was also lovely for me to see some of the teachers I remember from my time at Rossett.”

Rossett recently joined the Red Kite Learning Trust.

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Police are searching for a missing Harrogate teenager have confirmed she has been found.

The 13-year-old was reported missing yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement this morning that she has been found safe and well.

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Petrol and diesel cars can currently park in electric vehicle charging bays in Knaresborough’s Chapel Street car park, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed.

The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request to the council amid confusion about the status of the 10 bays, which appeared in the town centre car park shortly before Christmas last year.

The bays are frequently empty while non-electric vehicle drivers struggle to park in Chapel Street car park, particularly on Wednesday market days and at weekends.

This has infuriated some traders, who claim it is costing them money, and they have been unable to determine the precise rules surrounding the bays.

A petition this year called for some of the bays to be made available to all vehicles until more electric cars used them.

Traders Steve and Kelly Teggin launching the petition.

We asked the council what consultation it held on having the bays in Chapel Street car park, whether it was legal for non-electric vehicles to park in the bays and how many vehicles had received parking tickets for using the bays.

The council replied it hadn’t carried out any consultation and added:

“At present it is not illegal for a non-electric vehicle to park in an electric vehicle bay in Chapel Street car park (this is not the case for all electric vehicle car park bays in the Harrogate borough).

“There is currently no Traffic Regulation Order for electric vehicle charging in Chapel Street.

“Any vehicle can park in the electric vehicle bays at Chapel Street and will not receive a penalty charge notice as long as the user has paid the fee to park in the car park; in Chapel Street you must pay to park between 8am and 6pm.”

The response also said electric vehicles would not be fined just for parking in the bays “as long as the user has paid the fee to park in the car park”.

The council agreed to pay £280,000 to the company Connected Kerb in March 2022 to install electric vehicle charging bays across the county.

It is currently conducting an internal review into off street car parking orders across North Yorkshire, which it said will “enable us to align definitions for electric vehicle charging across the county”.

This would enable it to fine petrol and diesel vehicle owners parked in an electric vehicle bays, as well as electric vehicles drivers that use the bays for parking rather than charging.

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Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said he supported electric vehicle charging to reduce pollution but “charging point installation has been poorly implemented in Knaresborough due to inadequate engagement and communication with local residents, business, visitors and the town council”.

The decision to install slow charging bays in a busy town centre car park has proved particularly contentious.

Cllr Walker was part of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee that recommended the Conservative-controlled executive conduct a full review of all parking in Knaresborough within the next six months to ensure spaces, pricing and locations are in line with the needs of the town for both residents and visitors.

The committee also recommended the council develop a strategy for EV charging that is supported by residents and  introducing a park and ride scheme that links the York Place long stay car park and the town centre.

There were long queues on the roads into Harrogate this morning as a seven-week programme of roadworks got underway.

Four-way traffic lights and lane closures at the junction of Parliament Street and Crescent Road caused the main blockage.

Traffic heading into town on Ripon Road and vehicles heading in the opposite direction on Parliament Street were caught up in the disruption.

On Ripon Road, traffic backed up all the way to New Park roundabout and beyond, with queues almost as far back as Killinghall. Skipton Road was also even busier than usual.

Traffic approaching New Park roundabout this morning.

Here’s what motorists can expect in the weeks ahead.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights 

A lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road and Ripon Road along with four-way lights at the junction of Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road for two weeks. The existing lights will be bagged, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation from 7am to 7pm.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

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Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks saud traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.

Trains passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough will be fitted with water jets this autumn to blast leaves off the line.

Fallen leaves frequently cause delays this time of year by sticking to rails and reducing trains’ grip.

Rail operator Northern said the trials on five trains operating on the line between Leeds and York, which runs through Harrogate and Knaresborough, could prevent this.

The trial, which will also take place on routes between Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester, is being funding by Network Rail’s performance innovation fund.

The technology, called Water-Trak, is based on the discovery that leaf-coated rails only become slippery if damp, noting that trains still stop safely in heavy rain.

Water-Trak creates rainy-day conditions on the rail surface by spraying a small amount of water from the train onto the track when a slippery rail is detected. This cleans the rail and makes the conditions better for braking.

Rob Cummings, seasonal performance improvement manager at Northern, said he hoped it would lead to a more reliable service.

By next autumn, a further 11 trains will have the Water-Trak system fitted.

John Cooke, co-founder at Water-Trak, said:

“Slippery rails are a massive problem for the rail industry, and we hope to play a big part in resolving this issue.

“We’re hoping that by working with Northern we can make autumn disruption a thing of the past.”

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Harrogate personal trainer Chloe McEwen has been crowned Miss Yorkshire and is now set to compete in Miss England.

Chloe, 21, was chosen by the judges at The Earl of Doncaster Hotel last night. 

The level 3 fitness trainer hopes to use the title to inspire others facing mental health issues to embrace fitness and a healthier lifestyle.

Chloe McEwen

At the age of 16, Chloe was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her weight soared by almost four stone during an eight-month spell in hospital.

But by embracing a healthier lifestyle, the former Rossett School pupil regained control of her life and now helps others to use fitness to overcome their problems.

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A private hospital in Harrogate is to open a specialist menopause clinic in Harrogate next week.

The Duchy Hospital on Queens Road is providing the service in partnership with menopause website My Menopause Centre.

A free menopause workshop led by specialists Dr Clare Spencer and Dr Anna Greaves will take place at David Lloyd, Harrogate on Tuesday, October 12 — two days before the clinic opens to patients.

The workshop topics will include menopause transition stages and symptoms, preparing for and managing menopause and reframing attitudes.

Patients can book consultations directly with the hospital.

Michelle Eardley, executive director of the Duchy Hospital, said:

“Menopause is a challenging condition that affects thousands of women across North Yorkshire. Working with My Menopause Centre is part of our commitment to ensuring that patients across Harrogate and further afield have fast access to the services they need.”

Dr Clare Spencer, co-founder of My Menopause Centre, said the clinic will give women a holistic service as they transition through the perimenopause and menopause.

The Duchy Hospital, which is part of Circle Health Group, opened in 1959 and offers a range of inpatient and outpatient services. The hospital also supports patients from the NHS.

Circle Health Group, which acquired BMI Healthcare in January 2020, operates Britain’s largest network of independent hospitals.

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Harrogate strongman Luke Richardson won England’s Strongest Man yesterday to end his two-year injury nightmare.

Luke, 26, took the sport by storm when he won Europe’s Strongest Man at Allerton Castle near Knaresborough in 2020 and then finished ninth in the World’s Strongest Man in his first full season.

But at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man he suffered the first of what was to be a series of serious injuries to his biceps, knee and back that sidelined him and forced him to re-evaluate his approach.

Luke takes the England’s Strongest Man title. Pic: Giants Live

Talking about his career in a video with Giants Live, the company that runs the tour that qualifies strongmen for the World’s Strongest Man, he said:

“The last three years for me have easily been the toughest time I have had to go through in my life

“I went from having no injuries to having four in the last two years.”

Luke Richardson reflecting on the last two years. Pic: Giants Live

Luke went to Starbeck Community Primary School and Harrogate High School, said he had learned to live in the present and enjoy his success rather than constantly strive to be one of the greatest strongmen of all time.

He said he “felt no joy in winning those things which is ultimate failure because I was constantly looking at the next thing”.

His new mindset doesn’t appear to have hampered him as he proved at Doncaster yesterday by defeating Kane Francis and Paddy Haynes for the title of England’s Strongest Man, which qualifies him for Britain’s Strongest Man.

Luke trains at Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge, which is owned by Giants Live owner and former top strongman Darren Sadler.

Doing the log lift at Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge. Pic: Giants Live

A new charity shop and café is to open at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate next week.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is opening the shop and café at its new centre on Hornbeam Square West.

Income will fund services such as the charity’s health and wellbeing programme for people with cancer called Active Together, which will be available at the same centre from November.

Tony Graham, director of retail at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“Our beautifully stocked shop will offer a unique experience where people can purchase high quality pre-loved fashion, accessories, home-ware, books and records.

“Thanks to supporters’ kind donations, the shop offers a range of desirable products – from vintage collectables and high-end labels to nearly-new fashion.”

The new Café Hornbeam

Staff and volunteers celebrate the opening of the shop and café.

The charity said its Café Hornbeam will serve healthy breakfasts as well as waffles, sandwiches and salads. Harrogate-based bakery Baltzersen’s will provide the pastries and cakes.

The shop will open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

The café will open from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

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Seven weeks of roadworks are due to get underway in Harrogate town centre today.

Some of the main routes in town are likely to be subject to traffic lights and delays.

Parliament Street, Ripon Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road are among the roads affected.

The disruption will enable gas distributor Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Cold Bath Road could be the worst affected route, with “multiple lights” operating for five weeks.

The roadworks are the second phase of delayed works  that were “paused” a year ago.

Here’s what motorists can expect.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights 

A lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road and Ripon Road along with four-way lights at the junction of Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road for two weeks. The existing lights will be bagged, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation from 7am to 7pm.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

Read more:

• Harrogate district Wetherspoons to host 12-day real ale festival
• Railings put up around Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens pavilion

Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks saud traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.