John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

GALLERY: Knaresborough’s Christmas lights switch-on

Hundreds of people filled Knaresborough Market Place last night for Bright Friday.

The community event began with a light parade from Knaresborough Castle to the Market Place, where there was festive music and entertainment.

At 6.30pm, Father Christmas appeared and at the end of a countdown the Christmas tree lights were switched on, marking the start of the festive period in Knaresborough.

Bright Friday began several years ago. It always takes place on the same day as Black Friday but rather than being about shopping and money, it is a free community event that brings people together to celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Here are some photos from last night.

The light parade was led by torchlight.

Hundreds of people wait for the lights to be switched on.

Town crier Mark Hunter and his consort.

Mayor Hannah Gostlow paves the way for Santa.

Harrogate village doctors’ surgery to close

Moss Healthcare Harrogate has announced it is to close its Killinghall practice.

Dr Nick Taylor, a senior partner at the company, wrote to patients today informing them of the news.

He said the landlord had decided not to renew the lease and the surgery will close in October next year.

The letter said:

“Moss Healthcare Harrogate is sorry to advise our patients that the branch site operating on Ripon Road in Killinghall will have to close in October 2024, when the current lease on the premises terminates, as the landlord has recently advised there is no option to renew the lease.

“We are currently working with the local NHS integrated care board, who commission health care services, and other partners to identify options for ensuring seamless future care to all our patients.

“We will keep patients informed as we work through this process.”

The Killinghall practice is one of three operated by Moss Healthcare Harrogate, which also has sites on King’s Road in Harrogate and in Jennyfields.

Villagers — especially those who find it difficult to travel — have long feared its demise.

In May this year Moss Healthcare Harrogate announced the surgery would temporarily close in the afternoons due to “staffing issues”.

The site has a sizeable car park in the middle of a village where parking is at a premium. It is next to the Greyhounds Inn, which has been closed for several years.

Bright Friday to begin Christmas season in Knaresborough tonight

The Christmas season will get underway in Knaresborough tonight with Bright Friday.

The event — billed as the antidote to Black Friday — is a free community occasion that includes the Christmas tree lights switch on, a parade to music, mulled wine, Father Christmas and a school choir.

Organised by Knaresborough Town Council, it begins with a performance by Meadowside Academy Choir in the Market Place.

At 6pm, the light parade sets off from the war memorial in the grounds of Knaresborough Castle and at 6.30pm the Christmas tree lights are switched on.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, the Mayor of Knaresborough, said the event is always held on the same day as shopping extravaganza Black Friday.

She added:

“It’s an antidote to Black Friday because it’s all about community and doing something positive — the true spirit of Christmas.”

‘Absolutely sickening’: 20 Christmas trees stolen in Knaresborough

A trader who runs a business group in Knaresborough has said she is “absolutely sickened” after about 20 Christmas trees were stolen.

Natalie Horner, co-founder of Knaresborough Business Collective, organises the annual distribution of Christmas trees to shops in Knaresborough. The trees make the town more festive and any left over are given to charity.

The trees had been delivered and were in the process of being sent out this week when burglars struck last night.

In a social media post this morning Ms Horner, whose own commercial printing business Sid Horner and Son was burgled six days earlier, said:

“I cannot believe I’m posting this six days after my shop was burgled. Last night two men came and robbed around 20 trees.

“We are going to do our best to get as many shops done as possible but it means we will be short now and will have to refund some businesses.

“The saddest part is any trees left over every year we donate to charities and people who can’t afford a tree.”

The post said the criminals had also broken festoon lights, adding:

“I’m absolutely sickened somebody would do this and it’s just a constant battle at the moment and we are done in.

“If anybody hears of trees for sale or sees them in somebody’s garden today please message us. Also please check CCTV If you are on the High Street as we believe they left via the bottom end of the High Street.”

It’s not the first time one of the collective, which organises initiatives that boost the town centre, has suffered criminal damage.

Several scarecrows that formed part of a half-term trail for children to enjoy last month were vandalised.

Giant snow globe heading to Ripon

A giant inflatable snow globe is coming to Ripon as part of the city’s festivities next month.

Residents and visitors will be able to step inside the inflatable to create a free Christmas photo opportunity.

The globe, which will have biodegradable snow, will be in Ripon from December 14 to 17.

Ripon Business Improvement District, which is funded by traders to increase the number of city centre visitors, has devised the scheme in partnership with tourism organisation Visit Harrogate.

They are marketing the snow globe as “a hugely popular attraction that instantly transports you to your very own winter wonderland”.

It will be in Ripon at the same time as the winter wonderland illuminations in Spa Gardens, which take place from December 15 to 17.

Here’s where you can find the snow globe:

December 14 — 1pm to 7pm The Ripon Inn, Park Street

December 15 — 1pm to 7pm Ripon Cathedral forecourt, Minster Road

December 16 — 1pm to 7pm Ripon Market Square

December 17 — 1pm to 7pm Ripon Market Square

Plans submitted to convert Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens to private road

Plans have been submitted to close Crescent Gardens in Harrogate to public traffic.

Harrogate-based property developer Impala Estates bought the former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters alongside the road for £4 million in 2020.

It received planning permission in May last year to turn the building into offices, a roof garden restaurant and gym, and to create a two-storey extension. Work has yet to begin.

The company has now applied for permission to install bollards and planters to convert the public highway into a private road.

If approved, the road would be maintained by Impala Estates for access to the Crescent Gardens development and associated car parking bays.

The area affected would include the Crescent Gardens road and footpath from its intersection with Swan Road to its intersection with Montpellier Road.

According to planning documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council, the application site “excludes the off-carriageway parking bays to the south of the Crescent Gardens roadway with the exception of a small section (essentially two parking bays) located directly between the Crescent Gardens building main entrance and the path opposite into the Crescent Gardens park”.

Planters and retractable bollards, similar to those temporarily installed on Beech Grove in Harrogate, would be installed at either end of Crescent Gardens to prevent public vehicles passing.

The documents add:

“The former Harrogate Borough Council agreed to dispose of the land underlying the Crescent Gardens roadway on the basis that it would be stopped up, with the roadway becoming privately owned and associated with the Crescent Gardens development.

“It is also understood that the local highway authority has no objection in principle to the Crescent Gardens roadway being stopped up.”

An impression of how the redeveloped site would look.

James Hartley, director of Impala, told the Stray Ferret,

“The road was discussed at the time of the sale and has been approved by the council at committee. As part of the process, we have been working with the Department for Transport on the stopping up order and North Yorkshire Council on the submitted planning application.

“The changes to the road will assist in the construction of Crescent Gardens along with providing the building with a well-managed and enhanced setting once the works have been undertaken. This will link the building better with the gardens opposite, achieving a clear public benefit.”

Asked if the company’s plans for the redevelopment of Crescent Gardens had changed, or if a starting date was known, Mr Hartley said:

“Nothing has changed with the broader redevelopment, we are working hard with our design team to develop out the design allowing it to go out to tender.”

Sharow road closed yet again

For the second time in 14 weeks, a section of Dishforth Road/Sharow Lane between the Ripon bypass roundabout and the traffic calming island on the approach to St John’s Church, was closed this morning following a burst water main.

Yorkshire Water and its contractor have been working at the scene, which is close to the location of the previous burst main that forced the closure of the same section of road from August 7 to 11.

More recently, the road in Sharownwas hit by flooding on November 14 caused by Storm Debi and back in December/January, there was three weeks of major traffic disruption when Yorkshire Water replaced a ruptured pipe at the sewage pumping station on Dishforth Road. This work involved the felling of a tree and a round the clock convoy of tankers removing sewage from the site and taking it by road to the sewage treatment works off Boroughbridge Road.

Workers at the scene this morning.

James Thornborough who lives in Sharow, supplied these photos, told the Stray Ferret:

“There has been chaotic scenes during this morning’s rush hour with no advance warning of the diversion route for drivers to take, causing them to have to do three point turns in the road.

“The regularity of major mains failures on this key traffic route, points to the need for a resilient wholesale solution to be put in place.”

Firefighters tackle car fire at Aldi in Knaresborough

Firefighters were called to a car fire in the Aldi car park in Knaresborough yesterday.

A full-time crew from Harrogate was joined by on-call firefighters from Boroughbridge to deal with the incident.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the incident at 5.54pm.

It’s incident report gives no details other than to confirm the fact that firefighters attended.

The car was situated close to the store’s main entrance and eye-witness reports said the site at Swallowtail Way was evacuated.

Frustration grows over ‘rubble on the road’ saga in Knaresborough

Residents and businesses in Knaresborough have expressed exasperation at the length of time it is taking to resolve the collapsed wall on Briggate.

Traffic lights have been in place since a section of the wall came down more than two months ago.

The lights have caused frequent delays on a key route in and out of Knaresborough, with traders claiming it is deterring people from shopping in town.

North Yorkshire Council has said work will finally start on Monday — but lights are likely to remain for several months.

Local people do not understand why a pile of rubble is proving so difficult to deal with, and fear it will hamper Christmas trade.

Bob McRae, who has lived in Knaresborough for 40 years, wrote to the council about the issue.

He praised council leader Carl Les and corporate director for environment Karl Battersby for replying promptly but said he failed to understand why this had become such a big issue. He said:

“People are frustrated. It’s just a bunch of rocks that have been sitting there and it seems nobody can pick them up. There could have been a temporary fix to get the traffic moving.”

Mr McRae also questioned whether council officers in Northallerton understood the impact the situation was having on the town.

The wall collapsed in September.

Hairdresser Kelly Teggin agreed, adding:

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

“All other roadworks should have been suspended as soon as the wall fell in September.

“Town and trade is massively affected and it’s not going to change before the end of January, which is disastrous for our town.”

‘We cannot avoid emergency works’

Mr Battersby said the work was more complicated than initially thought.

He said:

“We have been working hard to prepare plans to rebuild the collapsed wall on Briggate in Knaresborough, which is currently under two-way lights to protect road users and ensure traffic can move safely.

“Due to concerns of the residents with cellars – who were directly impacted by the collapsed wall – the works are now more complex than first anticipated.

“Work will start on Monday, November 27, under the existing two-way lights, and is due to be concluded in late-December. 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.”

The traffic lights on Briggate.

He added:

“We also have an embargo on other road works in the local area during this time. However, it is worth stressing, we cannot avoid emergency works.

“We appreciate Knaresborough Christmas events are due to take place in the coming weeks, and this may cause some delays, but safety must come first. To help prevent any delays, we will be manually controlling the lights during the Knaresborough Christmas Market, to ensure the movement of traffic.”

Harrogate man jailed for insulting magistrates

A Harrogate man has been jailed for insulting magistrates and kicking court furniture.

Samuel Hughes, 46, of Swarcliffe Road, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday, November 17.

Hughes had previously been found guilty of assaulting a named woman in October 2021 — a charge he denied.

He received an 18-week suspended prison sentence in May last year, and was required to attend a building better relationships appointment in July this year.

But he failed to do so and when he returned to court last week, he was charged with “wilfully insulting the magistrates”, according to court records.

The records added he used “foul and abusive language to the bench upon sentence being pronounced”.

He also kicked court furniture and attempted to resist handcuffs being put on and was committed to jail for four weeks.

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‘We cannot avoid emergency works’

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