Last call for entries to Knaresborough Bed Race

Entries to Knaresborough’s biggest annual spectacle are set to close soon.

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race is a highlight of the town’s summer. It sees 630 people in 90 teams, each with six runners and a passenger, complete a 2.4-mile course through Knaresborough’s streets and finish with an icy swim across the River Nidd.

Thousands of people line the streets to watch the crazy race and admire the dressed up teams and beds before the start at Knaresborough Castle.

The teams then parade through the town at 1pm before getting under starter’s orders at 3pm at Conyngham Hall.

This year’s event, which takes place on June 8, is already close to having the maximum number of teams.

Teams have until February 29 to enter, with event organisers Knaresborough Lions Club urging people to “get your bed race entries in before it is too late”.

The 2024 theme is Great Inventions And Technology Through The Ages.

Knaresborough Bed Race parade 2023.

Team coordinator Matt Walker said:

‘We’ve had a great level of interest already this year. People have reacted really positively to the theme of Great Inventions and there has also been a great reaction to the entry form moving online this year.’

Entries cost £240 for an adult team and £100 for a junior team. Entries can be made here and for any queries contact Knaresborough lions.

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Harrogate cancer survivor, 74, launches holistic health retreats

A 74-year-old Harrogate woman and cancer survivor has launched a holistic health retreat business with two people more than half her age.

Patricia Sutcliffe has gone into partnership with a yoga teacher and a fitness coach to create retreats for people aged over 45. They have founded Serene Escapes, which focuses on fitness and spirituality.

The first event, on September 20 to 22, held at Mainsfield House, Settle, will offer motivational talks, training sessions, yoga, walks in the Dales and healthy food.

Ms Sutcliffe said:

“We are aimed at those people who feel age prohibits them from living life to the full. I am proof that you are never too old.

“There is nowhere you can go to do yoga, holistic health, and meditation all together, they are all kept quite separate, so we are combining our skills to provide holistic retreats.”

Six years ago, Patricia was diagnosed with cancer, shortly after her husband recovered from it.

She said:

“You can’t help but think this is it, but you’ve got to help yourself.”

During her recovery she began exercising at home because she felt out of place in gyms and fitness classes. She then decided ‘you’ve got to prove to yourself you’re not too old’ and attended a gym. Unsure of where to begin, Patricia sought the help of a fitness coach, Tomm Melody, who is now one of her business partners.

Patricia has now made a full recovery and goes to the gym four times a week alongside her husband.

The Serene Escapes founders practicing meditation led by Patricia Sutcliffe

She said:

“I suppose I should be putting my feet up now, as many tell me but there is no such thing in my life.”

Ms Sutcliffe has practised meditation for many years after learning the art from Buddhist monks in Singapore.

She said:

“Health is just so important, a lot of it is mental you tell yourself you can’t, but you have to tell yourself ‘Yes, I can. I can do this’. I strongly believe that you have to work at your wellbeing irrespective of age.”

At the gym Patricia met Sarah Butler, a yoga instructor and the trio was formed with the aim to “combine disciplines to offer something special and we believe is unique”.

Patricia calls her business partners youngsters at 28 and 30, and joked that she will stick out like a sore thumb until others of her age join the retreat.

The new fitness venture aims to leave “everyone walking away to feel better spiritually and physically” and is targeted at people over 45 who “need to be rejuvenated”.

She added:

“We want to show people that the young and old all have something to offer and you should never write yourself off or feel embarrassed to give yourself some self-love.”

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Final Ripon ‘Stonehenge’ site sold to English Heritage

The final henge of a 5,000-year site near Ripon known as the ‘Stonehenge of the north’ has been sold to English Heritage.

The Thornborough Henges complex includes three large circular earthworks each more than 200 metres in diameter dating from 3,000 to 2,500 BC. It is located near West Tanfield, between Ripon and Masham.

Today all three henges are clearly visible as massive circular banks, ranging in height up to four metres high.

Historic England described the Neolithic site as “probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland”.

Currently under woodland, the northern henge is the best preserved of the three and one of the best-preserved henges in the country.

Property firm Knight Frank announced today it had sold the northern henge on behalf of a local private landowner to English Heritage.

Last year, as reported by The Stray Ferret, the central and southern henges plus their surrounding lands were gifted to Historic England and English Heritage by the construction companies Tarmac and Lightwater Holdings.

Today’s news means all three parts of the monument are under one single owner for the first time in at least 1,500 years.

Thornborough Henges will be joining the likes of Stonehenge and numerous Roman sites on Hadrian’s Wall on English Heritage’s national heritage collection.

The site falls within the Richmond constituency of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said:

“Having recently visited the henges site, I know how truly remarkable the totality of the monument is. Bringing all three henges together in the ownership of English Heritage ensures their preservation and enhances the charity’s ability to tell the story of the earthworks and their importance to the pre-history of our nation.”

Photo of the neolithic Thornborough Henges.

One of the UK’s most important neolithic sites, the Thornborough Henges, north of Ripon. Photo: English Heritage.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said:

“Thornborough Henges is one of England’s most impressive and important prehistoric monuments so it’s wonderful news that the entire site is now in the care of English Heritage for the benefit of the nation. The acquisition of the third henge marks the culmination of years of hard work and tenacity to unite and safeguard Thornborough Henges for future generations.”

Gerard Lemos, chair of English Heritage, said:

“Reuniting the henges like this means that the public is now able to explore all three and re-connect with the people who gathered here 4,500 years ago.”

Entry to Thornborough Henges is free although the northern henge is currently closed because a number of trees were damaged in recent storms. It is expected to open this year.

For more information, click here.

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Historic Harrogate silverware goes on display at Ogden’s

A historic solid silver model of Harrogate’s Royal Pump Room has gone on display in the town centre.

The model, which was created in Ogden of Harrogate jeweller’s workshop in 1927, has been hidden from view, stored as part of the council’s civic collection.

But it has returned on loan to Ogden’s shop on James Street for public display as part of the jewellers’ 130th year celebrations.

Robert Ogden, a great, great, grandson of James R Ogden, who founded Ogden of Harrogate in 1893, said:

“This is one of the most famous artefacts to come from the Ogden workshop and has been lovingly brought back to its former glory in the workshop for our planned display. It also brings to light an overlooked philanthropic figure in our spa town’s history.

“It’s a rare object, of unique quality and finery and a testament to Ogden’s craftsmanship; a piece we are very proud to display and celebrate.”

The piece was commissioned by Captain Whitworth, who served as Harrogate Mayor between 1926-28.

He presented the piece to Harrogate in 1927 for use at civic occasions, such as gracing the mayor’s table during banquets.

The model, also known as the Civic Salt, is inscribed with the words: ‘Let your speech be always with grace and seasoned with salt.’

Captain Whitworth lived in Harrogate on the edge of the Stray for many years. He chaired several organisations including Harrogate Hospital, the Ripon Divisional Conservative Association and the Yorkshire Home for the Disabled. He also inherited the Boroughbridge Brewery.

He became a territorial captain in the West Yorkshire Regiment fifth battalion in 1902, suffering minor wounds in the First World War in Belgium.

Royal Pump Room model being cleaned in Ogden’s workshop. Photo credit: Ogden of Harrogate.

The piece came to light after a chance encounter between the great, grandson of Captain Whitworth, Ben Whitworth, and Lynne Mee, a former mayor’s secretary for Harrogate Borough Council.

Lynne Mee said:

“As one of the volunteers marking last year’s centenary of Harrogate’s War Memorial, I had the great pleasure of meeting Ben after the Remembrance Service. As part of the commemorations, we were seeking family stories and Ben spoke about the Whitworth-Ogden connection.”

Lynne then introduced him to Robert and Ben Ogden.

She added:

 “As mayor’s secretary, I was responsible for the civic collection which I came to know well and to greatly care about. As Ben had never seen the silver Royal Pump Room model, it struck me it could be loaned to Ogden’s for public display. I approached Harrogate charter trustees, including charter trust mayor Cllr Michael Harrison, who were very supportive of the loan, and I am delighted this beautiful item will be seen and admired by many more people.”

The piece went on display yesterday (Thursday, February 8) at Ogden of Harrogate’s shop on James Street.

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 Harrogate family to appear on Channel 4’s Love It or List It tonight

A Channel 4 show is to air an episode based in Harrogate tonight.

Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It is hosted by Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp. Each episode shows them trying to help homeowners decide whether they want to stay in their homes or try to sell them.

Tonight’s episode at 8pm will follow up a previous episode in 2018 when Harrogate couple Carol and Andrew Pogson took part to find a multigenerational family space.

The Pogsons will return to our screens in a programme that shows Phil Spencer visiting their home to see how things worked out.

Carol and Andrew are back! Join @Philspencertv as he returns to Harrogate 7 years on to find out what’s changed with the couple and whether they followed through with their decision. 8pm on Channel 4. #LIOLI pic.twitter.com/dbyfN7YtrQ

— Love It or List It (@LoveitListitUK) February 7, 2024

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Fundraiser launched for former Harrogate BID director with terminal cancer

An open coffee, fizz and cake afternoon is being held in Burton Leonard this weekend in support of a resident with terminal bone cancer.

The family of Christine Armstrong, 62, are fundraising for the Bone Cancer Research Trust after she was diagnosed with the illness.

Christine recovered from breast cancer only to be told in December 2022 she had bone cancer and that it was terminal. It has now spread throughout her body and into her brain.

Ms Armstrong is a prominent figure around Harrogate and Knaresborough: she started The Met Club which she eventually sold and also ran the Harrogate BID and later the Wakefield BID.

She now lives with her son, daughter-in-law and two of her grandchildren in Burton Leonard.

Christine Armstrong and her grandchildren Charlie and Elle at home in Burton Leonard.

Ms Armstrong’s daughter-in-law, Katie Heptonstall said:

“Christine has spent a year fighting and going through so much both physically and mentally but throughout it all has remained incredibly positive and happy to be around.

“Despite all that she is going through, she never moans or complains about their noise levels and instead lets them snuggle up with her in bed and still tries to help look after them.”

Family friend Bethan Pritchard signed up to do the London Marathon in April to raise money to fight bone cancer following Christine’s diagnosis.

Last year Ms Pritchard ran 12 marathons in 12 months, raising almost £27,000 for Tommy’s Baby Charity and Ryedale Special Families Charity.

Ms Pritchard said on the JustGiving page dedicated to Ms Armstrong:

“Christine is fighting hard and still manages to smile despite everything so I feel the least I can do is put my trainers on and run some miles for an extremely deserving cause.”

Beth Pritchard training to raise money for the Bone Cancer Research Trust

Her target is £2,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust but Ms Armstrong’s family want to help her raise as much as possible.

Her family are holding the coffee, fizz and cake afternoon this Saturday February 10 from 1.30-3.30pm at Burton Leonard Village Hall to kickstart the fundraising.

Katie Heptonstall added:

“We have been overwhelmed with the level of support, so many people have messaged to contribute or support the event which means so much to us as a family.”

To donate to the cause click here.

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Study unlocks secrets of the Knaresborough Hoard

A university study has made some fascinating discoveries about the mysterious Knaresborough Hoard.

The hoard, which consists of 30 items discovered in 1864, is the only known example of a late Roman hoard of this type to be recovered from a bog or marsh in Britain.

Although it was found 150 years ago, there has never been any detailed analysis of the items and its discovery has never been fully understood.

Most of the items are on display in The Yorkshire Museum in York, having been donated in 1864 by Knaresborough ironmonger and town councillor Thomas Gott.

Now Newcastle University archaeology student Jessica De Maso has carried out the first comprehensive study of the hoard as part of her MA degree.

Ms De Maso’s research suggests the hoard was discovered in a boggy area near Farnham, approximately two miles north of Knaresborough.

Two Roman roads ran through the area, providing connections to York and Hadrian’s Wall, which suggests the items may have come from wealthy Romans in the area.

The research team thinks the items were to impress guests because when polished, the bronze would have resembled gold.

It is unknown why the items were together or in a bog. It could be for ritual or spiritual reasons, to hide them, or make them irretrievable.

The research also discovered more about Thomas Gott and his discovery. At the time he was Knaresborough improvement commissioner and knew the estate manager of land near Farnham.

The landowner commissioned work on drainage in a marshy part of his land, making it likely that is where the hoard was found.

They also found evidence that there were originally more items in the hoard when discovered, but many had been mistakenly melted down by Gott.

Ms De Maso said:

“The study of the Knaresborough Hoard at the Yorkshire Museum was an incredible opportunity to engage with the idea that endless avenues of research can be done on existing collections in museums. I found this to be especially engaging and wonderfully challenging.”

Kathy Allday, chair of Knaresborough Museum Association, said:

 “It is fantastic. It is one of the most important and historically significant artefacts in the country. All the work they have done is brilliant, it has an interesting story behind it and it was found only two miles away from Knaresborough.”

She added:

“It would be wonderful to return it, even on loan, but it is not something to happen in the short term.”

Large fluted bowl from the Knaresborough Hoard. Image: the Yorkshire Museum

James Gerrard, professor of Roman archaeology at Newcastle University, said:

“This project has shown the value in re-visiting old discoveries and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside the Yorkshire Museum to understand more about this extraordinary collection and who Thomas Gott was. It’s good to know that more than 150 years on, our research has helped tell a fascinating, if complex, part of the story about this remarkable discovery.”

Adam Parker, curator of archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum, said:

 “The Knaresborough Hoard is an exceptional collection of Roman copper alloys. The excellent work has unlocked the research potential of these objects for the first time and will allow us to tell their story more completely.”

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Former Ripon Grammar student breaks Atlantic rowing world record

A former Ripon Grammar School student has broken a rowing world record.

Bobbie Mellor, 34, was part of a three-strong female team that rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in 40 days, 10 hours and 51 minutes.

The Stray Ferret reported on the World’ Toughest Row challenge when it happened and now team Wavebreakers is the fastest female trio ever to row across the Atlantic.

The previous record, set in 2022, was 42 days, seven hours and 17 minutes.

The team has raised more than £80,000 for the charity WWF’s climate crisis fund and the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR‘s climate change charities. Their employer, Vodafone, has offered to double donations up to the team’s target of £140,000.

Ms Mellor who began as a novice was skipper, and she and teammates Hatty Carder and Katherine Antrobus finished 10th overall against 38 crews, including professional rowers.

The race began in La Gomera in the Canaries on December 13 and finished in the Caribbean island of Antigua on January 22.

Ms Mellor said:

“It’s been wild. We had a shaky start but then some magic happened.”

The team had a rocky start, capsising early in the race and battling sea sickness, sleepless nights and waves of up to 10 feet high.

Bobbie Mellor (centre) and her teammates Hatty Carder and Katherine Antrobus

Bobbie’s mother Bridget, from Burton Leonard, said:

“The girls did us proud, showing great resilience, courage and teamwork. I found their arrival very emotional and was so relieved they made it. I always knew Bobbie would be a great skipper, she’s so positive, cheerful and calm. It’s an inspiration to other girls to know anything is possible.”

Ripon Grammar School director of sport Adam Milner said:

“’I know Bobbie, who took up rowing for the first time during lockdown, has joked that her old PE teachers would be shocked at what she’s doing now, since she was never sporty at school.

“But whether you’re naturally sporty or not, it’s all about giving your best, which is what we encourage all our students to do – and Bobbie is clearly a shining example of that.

“We’re all incredibly proud of her achievement, she has given it her all.”

“Bobbie reminds us all that it’s never too late to try something new – it doesn’t have to be as big as a world record, or even winning medals, just being part of a team or achieving your own personal best is something to celebrate.”

For more information about the fundraiser click here.

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Major new bar planned for Harrogate’s Parliament Street

A company has revealed £750,000 plans to transform the former Jamie Oliver restaurant on Parliament Street in Harrogate into a large bar.

Newgate Pubs and Bars has applied for a premises licence to open The Mayfair Pub and Kitchen at the unoccupied venue in the heart of Harrogate’s night time scene.

The application is to open from 9am until 1.30am seven days of the week, play live music, have large TVs showing sport and allow dance performances.

Newgate Pubs and Bars, which was established five years ago, already operates bars under the Mayfair brand in Newcastle and Doncaster.

Director Joe Smith, who has been in the industry for 40 years, said although the company was small, it was “growing rapidly” and the Harrogate site would create 35 to 40 jobs.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate is a great town to be in and we see it being ideal for us. There is a gap in the market and it ticks all our demographics.

“I’m sure we’ll be well received. Our quality is superb and people will like what we do. We’ll see you soon.”

The building has struggled to find long-term tenants since Jamie’s Italian closed in 2018.

Since then it has operated as Wagyu Bar and Grill and Solita Foodhall but neither lasted long and the unit has been vacant since 2021. Plans to open a Tomahawk Steakhouse never materialised.

Mr Smith said he hoped this would be the right fit and the size of the unit didn’t faze him as the Mayfair in Newcastle was situated in a 12,000 sq ft building and that had worked well.

Parliament Street is home to a number of bars including Mojo, Manhatta and All Bar One. Mr Smith said there was enough trade for them all, adding:

“I don’t like the word ‘competition’, I think we will complement each other. We know our neighbours very well in Newcastle and we’ll fit in beside them here so we can complement each other and work together.”

Mr Smith said the company had looking at multiple sites in north England before choosing Harrogate.

There is no current opening date planned for the venue.

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Bubble tea shop to open in Knaresborough next month

A bubble tea shop called Mai Tea is set to open in Knaresborough market place next month.

Bubble tea, also known as boba, a Taiwanese variation of tea made by blending tea with milk, fruit and fruit juice and adding tapioca pearls.

The drink comes in many variations, flavours and colours and brings a new texture to tea with tapioca, edible translucent balls.

Bubble tea has been popular since the 80s but has seen a recent resurgence thanks to GenZ culture with the phrase bubble tea having almost 200k likes on TikTok.

Owner, Shun Wang, said:

“Knaresborough is an ideal location for a bubble tea shop since there’s currently none in the vicinity, and I think the residents would appreciate the novelty, especially with the abundance of coffee shops in the area.”

Ms Wang is originally from Guangzhou, China and now lives in Harrogate. When she arrived 24 years ago, she had dreams to open a bubble tea store. With growing interest in bubble tea, she has decided it would be the perfect time to open the store.

She began cooking and baking when she came to England which allowed her “to bond with people and bring joy to not only me but others”.

She now hopes this joy will be shared with Knaresborough through her store. She said:

“The inspiration for bubble tea stemmed from our family’s love for it. I have two adolescent daughters who, along with most of their friends, have a strong affection for bubble tea. I am confident that my business will primarily attract the younger generation, offering a fresh spot for the community to explore and, hopefully, relish. I aspire for the place to be a comfortable and safe environment.”

Ms Wang added that she wants to provide a welcoming place for young people, not only her customers but for employees to.

“I believe as long as you work conscientiously and responsibly, they deserve to get as much as an adult wage. We hope to provide a happy and harmonious working environment for young people.”

She said the store will offer “an extensive selection of flavours, including customisable options”, adding:

“I plan to share my authentic Chinese bubble waffle recipe, hoping others will enjoy it as much as my family does.

“I think bubble tea is often overlooked despite its diverse array of flavours and benefits.”

The average cost of bubble tea and waffles at Mai Tea is expected to be around £5.

Ms Wang said she was initially anxious about opening the store but after seeing positive feedback on local Facebook groups her “excitement has soared”.

Bubble tea facts:

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