Cosy Club Harrogate to close on Monday

Cosy Club in Harrogate will serve its last customers on Monday next week.

The Cambridge Street bar and restaurant will close its doors permanently at 5pm on April 1 after the site did not perform as well as expected.

The first Cosy Club opened in 2010 and the Harrogate venue only opened two years ago.

The Cosy Club brand is run by Loungers Ltd, which also operates the Claro Lounge in Ripon. The chain describes itself on its website as a place for “relaxed dining, drinking and lounging in a fabulous, welcoming setting”.

Cosy Club in Harrogate.

Cosy Club in Harrogate

Aaron Webb, manager of Cosy Club Harrogate said:

“Our last day will be April 1. The site is too large to make any money and head office told us we are closing. It was poor planning for the location and there are no plans to relocate in Harrogate. It is not ideal.”

The Cosy Club restaurants in York and Leeds will remain open.

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Police renew appeal to find missing Harrogate man

North Yorkshire Police has renewed its appeal to find a man missing from the Harrogate area.

Cao Xuan Tuan, 25, has been missing since last month. He was last seen on Thursday, February 29.

Officers described Cao as Asian, with short straight black hair, brown eyes and about 5 foot 6 inches tall.

In a statement today, police said:

“We’re growing increasingly concerned for Cao’s welfare and are asking for anyone who may have seen him, or knows where he is, to contact us immediately.

“Cao, if you are reading this, please get in touch with someone, we just want to know that you are safe.

If you have seen Cao, or have information contact 101. If you know his immediate whereabouts, please call 999.

Quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12240041667.

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Sports watches worth £4,400 stolen from Harrogate shop

North Yorkshire Police has issued a CCTV appeal following a high-value theft at a shop in Harrogate.

The theft took place at Cotswold Outdoors on West Park on Saturday, March 16 at around 11am, according to a statement by the constabulary today.

It said nine Garmin devices, valued at about £4,470, were stolen from a display cabinet.

Garmin is a company specialising in sports devices and activity tracker watches aimed at activities such as running, water sports, golf and cycling.

The statement added:

“We’re appealing for information about the two men pictured who we believe may have information that could assist us in our investigation.”

Anyone with information can email Helen.James@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101. Quote NYP reference 12240046885 when passing on information.

To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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Harrogate woman appointed High Sheriff of North Yorkshire

Harrogate woman Dr Ruth Smith has been appointed as the new High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.

Dr Smith is a board leadership coach and is a director of Harrogate business PM Management Consultants Ltd. She has also published a book on authentic leadership.

As chair of Teesside Mind and a former trustee of the charity Refuge, she is passionate about promoting mental wellbeing and supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

She has spent most of her life in North Yorkshire, attending school in Harrogate and returning in 1992 to lead her father’s consultancy business.

High sheriffs are appointed by the King and hold an independent non-political role for a single year. There are currently 55 serving the counties of England and Wales.

Dr Smith succeeded another Harrogate woman, Birstwith artist Clare Granger, at a swearing-in ceremony this week at York Crown Court. The ceremony was presided over by the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris.

At the swearing-in ceremony Dr Smith took her oath of office and the outgoing High Sheriff, Ms Granger handed over her medal of office after completing her year of service.

Clare Granger (left) and Dr Ruth Smith

Outlining her priorities at the ceremony, Dr Smith pledged to highlight the role of organisations that support domestic abuse victims, particularly children as well as mental health organisations.

In her declaration speech, she said:

“The impact of domestic abuse on women and children is both devastating and tragic with at least 1 in 4 women experiencing it, 2 women a week killed by a partner or former partner and at least 1 in 5 children impacted by domestic abuse.

“It is only since 2021 that children are recognised as victims of domestic abuse and yet the consequences of domestic abuse on them can also be devastating as well as long term and life changing.

“My theme is to raise awareness of the impact of domestic abuse on children as well as identifying the support available in the moment and from our excellent charities in the county ”

The origins of the high sheriff role date back to Saxon times, when the ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the king for the maintenance of law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection and return of taxes due to the Crown.

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Rail disruption expected over Easter weekend

Train operator Northern has advised people to ‘check before you travel’ over Easter.

Engineering work is scheduled over the bank holiday weekend, meaning there will be disruption to services between Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1.

Trains will still be running on Easter Sunday and the two bank holidays, but some journeys may take longer than usual and services may finish earlier in the day. Some routes have reduced services and a small number are closed completely.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer, said:

“Easter has long-been a period when essential engineering work is carried out as there are fewer customers travelling than normal.

“We do appreciate, however, that this still causes disruption for those who are on the move and we work closely with Network Rail to ensure the impact is kept to a minimum and alternative transport is provided wherever possible.

“During periods of disruption, customers are always advised to ‘check before you travel’ and to allow extra time for their journeys.”

Last week, the train driver union, ASLEF, announced that strikes that will take place the week after Easter. Walk outs are planned between Friday April 5 and Monday April 8.

Northern services will be impacted by this action on Saturday April  6. More information is due to be released closer to the time.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with over 500 stations across the North of England including Harrogate, Knaresborough and Starbeck.

For more information about travelling over the Easter bank holiday weekend, click here.

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Council seeks contractors to begin work on Hammerton Greenway

A contractor is being sought to to create a 1.7km traffic-free cycleway  from Green Hammerton to Thorpe Underwood.

The Hammerton Greenway, which will cost an estimated £84,600, will encourage cycling in villages close to main roads.

Green Hammerton Parish Council began work on the scheme after the 2014 Tour de France passed through the area and a planning application to change the use of land to facilitate a cycleway was submitted last year to North Yorkshire Council.

The village lies between York and Harrogate. The A59 and Boroughbridge Road limit access to the network of country roads into the vale of York.

The greenway will link with Great Ouseburn, which is part of the Way of the Roses cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington.

North Yorkshire Council is funding the majority of the scheme from developer contributions paid by housebuilders and now the parish council is seeking bids from contractors to carry out the work. The deadline for submissions is April 30.

Work is expected to begin in autumn, after the nesting season and harvesting so overhanging branches and overgrown hedges can be cut back.

Planning documents submitted to the council in support of the application said:

“This will be a greenway for all users and will be designed to give a smooth dry surface for year-round use on foot, by cycle, and with children’s buggies or by those in wheelchairs.”

Creating the cycleway will mainly involve upgrading existing public footpaths and farm tracks to create a more even and levelled surface. The surface will be ‘durable all-weather crushed stone, with mown verges either side, giving a total width of 5m’.

Moss Hill Lane will be included in the cycleway.

The planning documents add:

“The work will require the replacement of an existing bridge with a new, cycleway bridge, the installation of potential street furniture (benches, bollards, and gates) and new/enhanced boundary treatments in the form of hedge planting and where necessary fencing.”

Jon Purday, a campaigner for the greenway who put the idea to the parish council in 2014, said:

“The Hammerton Greenway will be a safe route for families to take children on bikes, buggies and scooters, for walkers, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, and for young people to cycle on a traffic-free track. Green Hammerton is hemmed in by busy main roads which are dangerous for young and inexperienced cyclists.

“In the past decade Green Hammerton has doubled in size and many young families have moved into the new houses. The Hammerton Greenway offers safe, accessible space for all those growing up in the village to learn to cycle and to get the benefit of living in the country.

“Queen Ethelburga’s school is just a mile away over the fields, and all the Green Hammerton children who go there, as well as teachers and others in the village who work there, will be able to cycle safely into school. That’s a much more exciting way to start the day than adding to the school car run.”

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CCTV appeal following supermarket theft in Boroughbridge

North Yorkshire Police has issued a CCTV image of a man it would like to speak to following a theft in Boroughbridge .

More than £170 worth of alcohol was stolen from the Morrisons supermarket on Wetherby Road at 4.45pm on March 12.

A police statement today said:

“Please contact us if you recognise the man pictured on CCTV, as he may have information that will assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information can email hazel.simms-williamson@northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101 and ask for PC1338 Simms-Williamson.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 12240044229 when passing on information.

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New owner takes over Deli Bar Harrogate

The Deli Bar in Harrogate is under new ownership.

The business has been at 23 Regent Parade for the last 17 years. Now the lease has come to an end Darren Winder, who has owned the deli since 2006, has decided to step down and Jason Evans has taken over.

The deli offers daily specials, salads, sandwiches, coffee and baked goods to customers in High Harrogate.

Mr Evans said running a deli had been an ambition of his since he was a child, through to his last job as a software engineer

He said:

“It is a childhood dream of mine, I have bored people about it for 30 years. I dreamed of having a slice of heaven and something of my own.

“I always said I’ll do it when I’m older and a friend of mine said recently, ‘Jason, you are older, when are you going to open a business?’ and it just hit me — if I didn’t do it now I’ll never do it and I would rather look back and regret doing it than never taking a chance.

“I said years ago if this place ever came up for sale I would buy it and it did — some things are fate.”

Deli Bar Harrogate

Mr Evans said he wanted to maintain the overall feel of the deli but would also “build on what customers want”, which would involve reviewing the menu and introducing a delivery system through Just Eat.

The deli has created a community over the years. It has built up regular customers and Hayley Francis has worked there for 15 years. Mr Evans said:

“Darren has done a fabulous job, it has a great reputation and we hope to maintain that.

“If you make good food people will come, it is so much more than one owner, it is our whole team. We also try to use local produce because us independent businesses need to stick together.”

The sandwich bar

The interior of Deli Bar.

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Plans to build 13 homes in Markington withdrawn

Plans to build 13 homes in Markington have been withdrawn.

Leeds Housing developers KCS Development Ltd applied to build 13 two to four-bedroomed houses with gardens and car parking spaces at High Mill Farm on High Street. Five were classed as affordable homes.

The firm previously applied to build 21 houses on the site in 2022 but withdrew that application in February 2023 to consider “concerns raised by consultees and the planning officer.”

The latest plans for 13 houses were submitted in July last year, but documents on North Yorkshire Council’s planning portal reveal they have now been withdrawn.

The planned site on High Mill Farm.

The planned site on High Mill Farm, Markington.

A design and access statement submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by Ilkley architects Halliday Clark on behalf of the applicant said there was an “identified need” for new housing in Markington, which is situated between Harrogate and Ripon and has a population of just over 600 people.

The statement said:

“The proposal sits centrally in Markington and is in walking distance of all the village amenities such as the primary school, shops and community spaces. Developing in a small village such as Markington will protect the continuation of these vital services, allowing the village to stay sustainable. There is an identified need within Markington to provide affordable family housing to enable young families and people to stay living in the village.”

The statement adds the development would be “concealed and therefore will have no visual impact on Markington’s high street”.

Markington with Wallerthwaite Parish Council objected to the development and said:

“The council also rejects the idea that there is an ‘identifiable need’ for housing in Markington. The number of properties for sale in the village, which aren’t selling, including on Phase 1, point towards the fact that more housing is just not necessary.

“The council has received no support for the application. There have been no comments in favour of Phase 2 from the village. The total opposite is true. Residents have expressed alarm and frustration with the plans and planning process asking ‘at what time does a village move to not being a village anymore’ when what gives a village its essence is slowly eroded.”

The parish council also raised concerns regarding overlooking, overshadowing, and flood risks. The application received 31 objections.

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Business Breakfast: Titan Private Wealth appoints joint CEO

A Harrogate financial firm has appointed a new joint chief executive.

Matt Beddall has joined Titan Private Wealth as joint chief executive, alongside existing chief executive Mark Puleikis

Mr Beddall joins Titan from Investec Wealth & Investment, where he was divisional director and head of the Sheffield office.

Titan Private Wealth, previously Cardale Asset Management, is an investment management business providing portfolio management to private clients, pension schemes, charities, corporates and intermediaries across the UK.

Mr Beddall said:

“I am thrilled to be joining such a successful and award-winning business as Titan. I look forward to helping lead the business through its next growth phase and continuing the amazing work that has already been put in place.”

Grantley Hall restaurant collaborates with champagne house 

Grantley Hall has unveiled a new Mediterranean-inspired menu at one of its restaurants.

The menu is launched in time for the summer at The Orchard and is in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot.

The Orchard changes with the seasons and is one of five restaurants at Grantley Hall.

Monika Czop, food & beverage manager at Grantley Hall, said:

“I am so very excited that our new concept for The Orchard is now live for our guests to experience this summer.

“Our collaboration with Veuve Clicquot encapsulates the spirit of the summer and we are delighted to be one of only a few locations to be part of its Road to the Sun campaign this year! I can’t wait to welcome you all to experience The Orchard in all its glory – let’s celebrate with Champagne this season.”

Orchard, Grantley Hall

Cedar Court Hotels is the latest sponsor of Harrogate International Festivals

Harrogate International Festivals has announced a new sponsor.

Cedar Court Hotels, which has a hotel in the town, is the latest company to agree sponsorship of the festival.

Cedar Court managing director Wayne Topley said:

“Harrogate is synonymous with world-class art and culture – attracting amazing musicians as well as some of the biggest names in literature. To be a festival sponsor feels like a perfect match.”

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals chief executive, said:

“Art and culture go hand in hand with hospitality and the fact that Cedar Court Hotels believe in Harrogate and are prepared to invest in the town makes this partnership all the more rewarding.”

(Left to right) Wayne Topley, Sharon Canavar and Oliver Stott, the hotel manager. Image: Mike Whorley

Nomad Catering opens tasting room 

Nomad Catering, a Harrogate based catering company, moved to Cardale Park on the outskirts of Harrogate in June last year. This week it celebrated finishing its tasting room.

The room provides a modern industrial space for clients to taste their food ahead of booking them for events.

In the past year Nomad Catering has catered for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards at Media City in Salford, the centenary dinner for the Flying Scotsman at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and provided food for a Michelin three-star chef’s wedding.

Nomad Catering event. Image: Leanne Peacock Photography

Harrogate Bridal Boutiques Named in UK Top 50

Two wedding dress shops in Harrogate have been named among the Top 50 bridal boutiques in the UK, according to one of the leading hen party providers in its annual rundown.

Joana Bridal and Bee Bridal were listed by GoHen.com which compiled its list based on a variety of factors including style, variety, value for money and service.

Fourth award for Ripon photographer 

Ripon photographer Helen Tabor has won her fourth bronze award from the British Institute of Professional Photography for her architectural images.

Her photo of architect Santiago Calatrava’s railway station at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry TGV station won the award in the BIPP’s monthly image competition. Her January entry, of the spiral staircase at Victoria Gate Leeds was also awarded a bronze.

Ms Tabor said:

“My architectural work all stems from my love of interesting buildings and their structure, and I like to bring out the art in their design through careful composition in my photographs.”

Into the unknown by Helen Tabor

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