Lauren Ryan, Author at The Stray Ferret

Harrogate team take on coast-to-coast cycle on a quadtandem

Four people from the Harrogate district have set out on a coast-to-coast quadtandem challenge for charity.

Thebike ride along 170 mile Way Of The Roses began yesterday in Morecambe at 8am and is set to end tomorrow evening in Bridlington.

The team are raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Their target is £5,000 and will be split between the charities.

On the way the team have passed through Pateley Bridge and Ripon, they stayed in Applewick last night and will dismount in York tonight.

The quadtandem is handmade using parts from four scrap bikes that the team found on scrap piles and Facebook marketplace, which have been welded together. The creation took a few months to complete.

The team is made up of Pete Wyldbor, riding in first position, Tom Hardy, in second, Ed Yates in third and Paul Abbott at the rear.

The team on their 170 mile ride

The team have honoury members in the form of their substitute rider, Ian Lythe, who will take over third position tomorrow, and John Marshall, the team’s top supporter and is at the ready with spare parts.

The team are all from the district, with members from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Scotton.

The challenge began as an idea from Mr Wyldbor, 40, who crafted the four-person bike. He revealed the inspiration behind the challenge was the 2006 film ‘Beerfest’, in a scene where five people ride one bike.

Mr Wyldbor said:

“I just thought I’d make one, just for something to do and it all escalated from there. It is a mad idea so I thought it would be good to put it to use for worthwhile charities. If we were doing it for the sake of it that would be nuts.

“We all know someone, friends or family who have been touched by cancer in the past and you really never know when you might need an air ambulance.

“None of us are cyclists and the weather has been against us, we are tired and the hills have been horrific, I will be scrapping the bike when we are done, but we are keeping going for good causes.”

The team at Morcambe, the start of their challenge

To donate to the team’s fundraiser click here.

Harrogate woman competes on MasterChef

A woman originally from Harrogate is competing on this seasons MasterChef.

Abi Kempley, 21, was born and brought up in Harrogate but now lives in Leeds and works in sales for her family’s business.

The BBC One cookery show, which sees UK chefs battle it out to win the MasterChef trophy, is now in its 20th series. It is judged and hosted by culinary duo John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Abi appeared in this week’s firs episode (Series 20, episode 9) and made her way through to knockout week.

In the episode, Gregg Wallace said:

“In a room full of great cookery we did have two absolutely stand out contestants, and those contestants are going straight through to knockout week.”

He added one of those was Abi, who along with fellow chefs Dinta and Tom was put through to the next round.

At the end of the episode Abi said:

“I definitely want more than knockout week, you can’t just get to knockout week and get knocked out, that would be rubbish.”

In a previous interview with the BBC, she said:

“Food has always been a massive part of my life. My family have always enjoyed eating out, everywhere we went when I was growing up was influenced by where we could eat. I think this has massively impacted my own cooking style – I love to cook what I love to eat. I’ve always loved Japanese and Asian flavours, and this is always what I love to eat when out. In 2020 I started trying to recreate these dishes from home and my cooking has developed from there.”

She revealed her mum pushed her to apply for the show:

“I love cooking and I love food, and wanted a challenge and to see that I really can cook.”

Crime author who solved Ripon mystery revisits school mural 50 years later

Crime writer Malcolm Hollingdrake has returned to Ripon to visit a mosaic mural he created 50 years ago.

In February, Holy Trinity Infant School enlisted the help of the Stray Ferret to track down the creators of a mosaic wall mural dating back to the 1970s.

Mr Hollingdrake solved the mystery when he noticed a photo in the article included him.

The mosaic, which was completed by Ripon College students on April 5, 1974, had been hidden beneath a cloth for years.

Mr Hollingdrake contacted the school and was invited back to see the mural. The author visited the Ripon primary school on Friday, April 12 — almost exactly 50 years to the day from its completion.

Mr Hollingdrake lives in Wigan and specialises in crime writing. He even created a series of thrillers titled the Harrogate Crime Series featuring DCI Cyril Bennett after acquiring a fondness for the area.

Originally from Bradford, he studied art and history at Ripon College between 1971-1974. He revealed the mural is based on the theme of ‘feeding the birds’ — at the time it was created the school children had been studying birds and life sciences.

Author Malcolm Hollingdrake and the newspaper clipping of him creating the mosaic in 1974.

The artwork was created using clay and powdered glass, which was fired and glazed. The mosaic was made inside Ripon College and Holy Trinity students were sent over in small groups to help with the creative process.

Mr Hollingdrake said:

“It was delightful going back to see it and I am grateful it has been brought to light. I was anxious at first as I didn’t know what to expect. It is an old artwork, and I was thinking ‘is it as I remember?’, it is easy to think of it through rose tinted glasses. But the mural was even better than I remembered and it is still in good condition.

“The school was so welcoming, the children were beautifully behaved and really enthusiastic. It was a special day and I have left with good memories.”

Deputy headteacher Amanda Bell-Walker said:

“We were so excited to welcome Malcolm into school, it was the culmination of a few months of hard work on the part of the pupil governors. Speaking to Malcolm really brought the mural to life for the pupils. It gave them a context for it and a much greater understanding of the figures portrayed in the mosaic. His visit created such a positive and joyful buzz around school.”

At the reunion Mr Hollingdrake spoke to students about how the artwork was made and answered their questions about the piece. Pupils were also involved in an art workshop creating rubbings, paintings, and collages reminiscent of the mosaic.

Holy Trinity pupils talking with Malcolm Hollingdrake and creating art to be displayed around the mural.

Ms Bell-Walker added:

“The pupils created some marvellous work. They were thoroughly engrossed in the activities and the results will be displayed around the original mural to show the inspiration behind the work.

“Malcolm was so generous with his time on Friday; he spoke to the staff, pupils and the parents/visitors who joined us with such enthusiasm that we feel even more passionate in school about caring for the future of our now famous mural.”

Malcom Hollingdrake’s latest book, Edge of the Land, the third in the Merseyside crime series, was published by Hobeck Books yesterday (April 16) and he is currently writing the 14th book in the Harrogate Crime Series.

Preloved clothing shop to open in Harrogate today

A clothes shop selling preloved, designer and high-street womenswear is due to launch in Harrogate today (April 18).

Preloved Chic Harrogate will be located in Windsor House on Cornwall Road. The business is co-owned by Harrogate women Cat Stanford, 52, and Kate Watts, 49 who said they aim to offer the town’s shoppers a sustainable alternative.

Ms Stanford has been in the fashion industry for over 30 years and has been offering a preloved service for the past four years. The duo met when Ms Watts was a customer and proposed becoming a business partner.

The move to Windsor House marks a new start for the business.

Windsor House was built as a hotel in 1900 and is now used mainly as contemporary office space.

It underwent a refurbishment to create a co-working space, meeting area and café in 2022.

The building, which overlooks the town’s Valley Gardens, is home to over 100 businesses, and covers 75,000 sq ft.

Inside Preloved Chic

Ms Stanford and Ms Watts said in a joint statement:

“Harrogate lacks a place where ladies can come and shop for amazing pieces at greatly discounted prices, you can buy a Stella McCartney Jacket for less than a third of the original price and a beautiful dress from Zara new with tags.

“Everything that we sell is preloved with most of it never worn, still with the original tags. Sustainability and recycling is huge now and we felt that we needed to offer this to the ladies of Harrogate.”

The store will be open every day except Mondays. Personal shopping appointments will be available in store.

Boroughbridge vineyard hosts first food and wine fair

A North Yorkshire vineyard is to host its first food and wine fair this weekend.

Dunesforde Vineyard is a six-acre site in Upper Dunsforth, four miles from Boroughbridge. The vineyard produces cool climate wines in one of the most northerly locations in the UK.

The fair will take place on Saturday (April 20) from 12pm to 6pm. The event is free to attend and will see local artisan food businesses showcasing their products, alongside the vineyard’s wine.

The site was established in 2016 and is owned and managed by the Townsend family. A total of 6,000 vines across four different grape varieties are grown at Dunesforde.

Dunesforde’s head of wine development, Peter Townsend, will host talks throughout the afternoon where visitors can learn about the vineyard and sample wine.

He said:

“Our wines pair excellently with a wide range of foods and it will be fantastic to bring them together with the very best in local artisan food.”

For more information click here.

The vineyard’s first harvest wines were released in 2019.

Nidd Gorge footpaths get £165,000 upgrade

Major upgrades to footpaths are getting underway at Nidd Gorge and Bilton Beck to make the woodlands more easily accessible.

The gorge and beck, which are close to Knaresborough and Harrogate, attract many visitors but the woodland suffers from wet and muddy paths for much of year, especially in winter.

Wooden boardwalks have helped over the years but are now ready for replacing. Funding from FCC Community Foundation Ltd means the Woodland Trust can now start doing this.

The work will include installing new stone paths and signage along the route, especially the southern bank of the River Nidd.

According to a Woodland Trust press release today, the project is due to be completed by late spring when the ground dries up and gives better access to machinery needed to complete the operations.

Paul Bunton, from the trust said:

“The woodland is a cherished resource for local people and visitors from further afield, however some of the paths do suffer during the wetter months so the funding from FCC is fantastic news.

“When complete even more people will be able to enjoy this woodland without having to navigate boggy areas. It also follows on from the tree felling we have had to do over the past couple of years to manage tree disease so there have been lots of changes on the ground however we are aiming to improve the overall woodland experience for all visitors, which will ultimately benefit wildlife too.”

Penny Horne, grant manager at FCC Communities Foundation, which is a not-for-profit business that awards grants from funds donated by waste management company FCC Environment, said:

“It’s always nice to see something we have funded start to take shape. We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project and we look forward to it benefiting lots of different people across the region.”

Closed primary school near Boroughbridge could reopen as nursery

A school between Boroughbridge and Ripon that closed last year could reopen as a nursery.

Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School in Skelton-on-Ure struggled with falling numbers of pupils and was eventually forced to close after having just one student enrolled. It has been vacant since.

Baldersby Park Nursery, formally Chrysalis Montessori Nursery, has now submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council to change the use of the building

The nursery is currently located next to Queen Mary’s School in Topcliffe, Thirsk, It has been established for over 20 years and currently has a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.

According to planning documents, Skelton Parish Council and Newby Hall Estate approached the nursery in the hope that it could utilise the school site.

A document submitted on behalf of the applicant said:

“Following discussions and a review of the viability of the proposed move it was decided that the school site offered an ideal location for a children’s nursery.

“Baldersby Park Nursery are currently experiencing a high demand for places and the proposed move would secure a long-term future for the nursery supported by a long-term agreement with the Newby Hall Estate.”

The school was founded in 1856 by Lady Mary Vyner, the former owner of Newby Hall, and maintained a close relationship with the estate.

If the planning application is successful, the nursery will begin providing early years learning at Skelton Newby Hall from September.

The nursery’s need to expand and the intention of Queen Mary’s School to expand into the nursery building signifies a good opportunity to move.

Headteacher and owner Victoria Pollitt said:

“We are delighted to have been able to reach an agreement with the parish council to lease Skelton Newby Hall and we are looking forward to providing early years learning there from September 2024. The new building is only around ten minutes away from our current nursery and will enable us to increase the physical size of the nursery without increasing numbers. It will also mean we can extend learning with the immediate surroundings such as Newby Hall, which will be of even further benefit to the children on their early years learning journey. We have had a fantastic five years at our current location and would like to thank Queen Mary’s School for all their support.”

Guy Critchlow, chair of Skelton cum Newby Parish Council said:

“We are delighted to welcome Victoria and her team to Skelton on Ure, and to see this truly amazing site return to education use from September 2024. We are grateful for the support of Richard & Lucinda Compton at Newby Hall who are continuing the long family tradition of ensuring space is available in our village for a nursery. Every thriving community needs a good nursery, like the Baldersby Park Montessori Nursery, to support the growing number of young families choosing Skelton and the surrounding area as their home.”

Preloved clothing shop to open in Harrogate today

A clothes shop selling preloved, designer and high-street womenswear is due to launch in Harrogate today (April 18).

The move to Windsor House marks a new start for the business.

Windsor House was built as a hotel in 1900 and is now used mainly as contemporary office space.

It underwent a refurbishment to create a co-working space, meeting area and café in 2022.

The building, which overlooks the town’s Valley Gardens, is home to over 100 businesses, and covers 75,000 sq ft.

Inside Preloved Chic

Ms Stanford and Ms Watts said in a joint statement:

“Harrogate lacks a place where ladies can come and shop for amazing pieces at greatly discounted prices, you can buy a Stella McCartney Jacket for less than a third of the original price and a beautiful dress from Zara new with tags.

“Everything that we sell is preloved with most of it never worn, still with the original tags. Sustainability and recycling is huge now and we felt that we needed to offer this to the ladies of Harrogate.”

The store will be open every day except Mondays. Personal shopping appointments will be available in store.

New headteacher appointed at Harrogate primary school

Western Primary School in Harrogate has appointed a new headteacher to take over at the end of the academic year.

Johanna Slack will take over from current headteacher Tim Broad, who is to retire.

Ms Slack is currently headteacher at Tang Hall Primary School in York and has over 20 years teaching experience.

She will take charge of Western Primary, which more than 500 children aged from two to 11 attend on Cold Bath Road.

Ms Slack said:

“My leadership style is one that is open and nurturing. It is built from developing strong relationships with everyone in the school community which has mutual respect at its core.

Joining Western Primary School will see me starting my third headship and I am looking forward to bringing to my new role a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge which will support me and the team to continue the improvement journey to ensure all our children are getting the very best we have to offer.”

Ms Slack and Western Primary School

Mr Broad became acting headteacher of Western Primary in January 2020 before his full-time appointment in 2021.

Prior to this, he had worked as a teacher, phase leader and deputy head at the school since September 1999.

Mr Broad said:

“I feel very proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to lead this fantastic school. I have very mixed emotions around the prospect of retirement but feel it is the right time for me, my family and the school.

“I have been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented colleagues over many years, both at Western and within our Trust, and am grateful for their support and for their sustained contribution to our pursuit of excellence for our pupils and families.”

Western Primary is a member of Red Kite Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust of 14 schools across North and West Yorkshire.

Trust chief executive Richard Sheriff said:

“We are indebted to Tim Broad for leading Western through some of the most challenging years any of us have faced. His constant, reassuring presence at the school during the pandemic was a huge comfort to children and parents.

“He has led his wonderful team with skill and moral purpose, ensuring Western has become even stronger under his tenure.”

Harrogate pub set to rebrand

The Swan on Devonshire Place in Harrogate is to be rebranded by new owners.

The Harrogate pub will reopen as The Mucky Duck, under the ownership of Appetite for Life Ltd.

The company also run SO! bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, the Devonshire Tap House in Harrogate and Tap On Tower Street in Harrogate.

The High Harrogate venue was previously owned by Market Town Taverns, a Harrogate company which operates a chain of pubs in Yorkshire and north-west England.

An application for a pavement licence has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council by Robert Thompson, who is named as the licensee of Appetite for Life Ltd on Companies House. He and Alison Thompson are the new owners of the venue.

The application, which was submitted at the start of the month, is for ‘the ability to place several tables and chairs outside the front of the premises for the sale of food, drinks and alcohol’.

The new signage is set to go up this week with the pub expected to open in May, although there is no confirmed date at this time.

Mr Thompson said:

“We knew the area lacked a good quality pub, serving great freshly prepared British & pub classics with a modern flare, great familiar beers, and a proper friendly welcome, so that’s what we plan to do”.

“We have made Harrogate our home since the mid-nineties and knew the pub was known as The Black Swan before it was the Swan on the Stray but was affectionately known as the Mucky Duck by locals. We wanted to modernise the pub a bit, but with a nod to its past, hence adopting the locals nickname for the pub”.

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: