A former Ripon Grammar School student is among an all-women team of three rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in one of the toughest races in the world.

They are taking on the World’ Toughest Row to raise money for charities that help against climate change. The team are raising money for charity as part of Your Planet campaign by Vodafone which is aiming to raise £1 million to help conservation and protect the planet.

The funds raised from the row will be split between WWF’s climate crisis fund which defends wild places, restores forests, and keeps our oceans healthy and UNHCR’s climate crisis work which provides humanitarian aid to refugees displaced by the climate crisis.

Bobbie Mellor, 34, former Ripon Grammar school student, confesses she was never sporty at school and only took up rowing during the pandemic. She has joked that her old PE teacher would be astounded to see her now.

Bobbie is global head of sustainability for Vodafone, and her Wavebreakers teammates Hatty Carder and Katherine Antrobus have been training for more than two years to join the ranks of fewer than 100 women in history to attempt the journey, which they hope to complete on January 27.

Having set off from La Gomera in the Canaries in December with a fleet of 38 other crews from around the world, the team are 2,000 miles into their journey as they make their way to Antigua in the Caribbean.

Team Wavebreakers, Left to right: Hatty, Bobbie, and Katherine. Image: World’s Toughest Row

Bobbie and the team she skippers have been battling sleep deprivation, salt sores, physical extremes, and the psychological challenges of the open ocean, with their sights set on raising money to help protect those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

In the past, she has cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Cancer Research, and she has also climbed Kilimanjaro for charity.

Bobbie said:

“I’m rowing the Atlantic in support of charities tackling the climate crisis. What better way to raise money and awareness, than to go back to basics and cross an ocean powered just by our own oars? I’ve always been quite adventurous, but the pandemic really gave me a new hunger to do big things with the life we have and jump on every opportunity that comes my way.”

Her mother, Bridget, who has been cheering her on from home in Burton Leonard and plans a welcome home party in February, has been fundraising and lighting candles at her local Catholic church as she prays for their safe return.

Bridget said:

“Bobbie has always had a sense of adventure and at first, I was absolutely terrified at the thought of them rowing unsupported. They row two hours on and two hours off through the night and have to swim under the boat to scrape off barnacles every two days.

“I am very proud of her, and all the girls in the team. They have worked really hard and done lots of training. It’s very uplifting to know there are still young people willing to push themselves to the limit and challenge themselves for good causes.”

Just getting to the start line required extensive technical, mental and physical preparation with the team completing many hours of training rows around the UK coastline to qualify for the start.

The team are tackling waves of up to 30 feet high, at one point their boat capsized and two of the team fell in the water but managed to get back on board once the vessel self-righted. The trio are surviving on freeze-dried food and drink ocean water filtered through a desalinator. Communication to home has also been extremely limited.

Bridget Mellor said:

 “I’ve had three emails and spoken on the phone on Christmas Day. What she misses most is good water, all she wants is a nice glass of sparkling water.”

“She seems to be in good spirits, they are just focused on getting across the ocean. She says the most annoying thing is getting hit in the face every night by flying fish.”

“Bobbie said it was like living in a live action movie for the first week. Everyone in Burton Leonard is in awe but I’ll be glad to see them back safe and well.”

Team Wavebreakers are currently sitting in 10th place overall and in second place for teams of three. They have reached £74,500 so far towards their £140,000 fundraising target for the two climate crisis charities close to their hearts.

Team Wavebreakers with 3,000 miles to go. Image: World’s Toughest Row

Facts about the challenge:

• Each team will row in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes over a race
• The waves the rowers will experience can measure up to 30ft high.
• At its deepest, the Atlantic Ocean is 8.5km/5.28 miles deep.
• Each rower needs to aim to consume 10 litres of water per day.
• There is no toilet on board – rowers use a bucket
• Each rower is expected to use 800 sheets of toilet paper during their crossing.
• Rowers burn in excess of 5,000 calories per day and lose an average of 8kg in weight
• The rowers will be eating highly calorific dehydrated meals (imagine astronaut food). which must be re-hydrated with boiling water

You can follow their progress here and donate here.

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A Harrogate man is taking on a 40,000-mile yacht race around the world.

Sean McPartland, 53, is taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race, which organisers describe as one of “the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other”.

The retired Birstwith resident is part of the Dare to Lead crew who are tackling the epic journey from the UK to South America on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.

Mr McPartland said in a video on the team’s website:

“I will be completing the full circumnavigation of the globe racing for 40,000 nautical miles. If you didn’t think that was mad enough, I have never sailed before.

“I just love challenges, the last challenge I did I cycled from the Arctic to Africa. I wanted to do something else and when I saw the Clipper race on YouTube I thought why not. I love inspiring people it is just a great adventure”.

The Clipper Round the World Race began on September 3 last year in Portsmouth and is divided into eight legs and between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings.

The team is halfway through its journey and is currently on the east coast of Australia.

The race, which first took place in 1996, was created by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. Since 1996 almost 6,000 race crew and over 60 nations have trained and raced as part of the Clipper Race.

Eleven identical racing yachts are supplied by the organisers and have fully qualified skippers and first mates to safely guide the crew. The crew complete four levels of intense ocean racer training before competing.

UNICEF is the charity partner for this year’s race and Sean said he was “proud to be raising money to support their vital work for children”.

You can track his progress here and find his fundraising page here.

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Wetherby Road Co-op in Knaresborough will close today (January 8) and then reopen as a new  Asda Express store two days later.

The move is part of Asda’s long-term plan to expand into the convenience market and become the second largest UK supermarket.

Asda acquired 132 sites from the Co-op in a £438 million deal in 2022 and plans to open 300 sites by 2026.

The new store will become the second Asda Express in Knaresborough following the opening of the Boroughbridge Road branch last year.

Andy Perry, vice president of convenience at Asda, said:

“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing our Asda value and quality to the Knaresborough community with the conversion of the Co-op site. The roll out marks an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market.”

A local Asda source, who asked not to be named, said:

“We have a full team that have all moved to Asda with a pay rise. Initially it will be mostly branded products and we may experience shortages for at least 10 weeks until Asda have enough sales data for accurate deliveries.

“Asda is the only major supermarket that currently doesn’t have a convenience range, so it’s a new concept for them too. We will have teething issues as with any new business but we urge our customers to be patient and look forward to seeing them on the other side.”

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North Bar in Harrogate is hosting a sober night out to promote Dry January.

The event will be hosted by North Yorkshire Connected Spaces, which was launched in September last year to provide support for the recovery community in North Yorkshire.

The 80s and 90s themed night is also supported by North Yorkshire Council and the Drink Drug Hub, which provides safety information about drink and drugs.

A spokesperson for NYCS said they “join together people and groups from all walks of life, meeting the needs for a stronger community, well-being, recovery from addiction and other harmful issues”. They added:

“Our aim is to get out in the community and run events so we can offer support for individuals involved with social issues connected with addiction. This includes homelessness, domestic violence, trauma, mental health, social care and probation.”

The group is working with the NYC public health team to tackle the harms associated with alcohol use.

NYCS said:

‘’North Yorkshire, connected spaces have been working with North Yorkshire Council on supporting their dry January campaign. As part of the campaign NYCS have organised the sober night out social event for people who are completing the month off booze.

“Dry January is a great opportunity for people to reflect on their relationship with alcohol.”

The event will be a “good chance to socialise with friends, have a boogie and meet new people – just without alcohol”.

North Bar will have  DJ for the night playing 80s and 90s hits in the function room and said the event will have the capacity to hold 45 people. Dress up is optional and anyone can buy food from Pizza Social next door and bring it into the venue.

The event takes place on January 19 from 7pm

Dry January facts:

• Dry January started in 2013 with 4,000 people and over 175,000 took part last year according to Alcohol Change UK
• Alcohol Change UK say a month going alcohol-free lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer
•  90% of people who participated in Dry January in 2018 saved money, 71%  slept better, 58% lost weight and 67% had more energy, according to a 2019 study by the University of Sussex

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A group supporting the siblings of disabled children is set to have its first meeting in Harrogate this month.

The Sibling Group is an organisation offering a safe space for children with siblings who are disabled or have special needs. The first event in the area is set to take place January 20 from 10am-12pm at Christ Church.

The group for children aged six to 11 aims to “support their wellbeing and happiness”. The event will include activities and games to build positive relationships.

Grace Williams, founder of The Sibling Group created the organisation to support families who have children and siblings with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

She has a younger brother with special educational needs who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and autism. Grace has become devoted to supporting other families in a similar situation. She has a degree in special education, is pursuing a masters degree in autism and inclusion, and currently works as a specialist key worker for the NHS.

She said

“Growing up there was not much support available and there was a lot of stigma around this. It was very challenging for my family and I, as we had to take on a care giving role and adapt to my brother’s needs very quickly.”

Grace grew up in Harrogate and her brother attends Springwater School. She says that despite the large SEND community in the area she has always been “aware of the lack of support for families”, so when creating The Sibling Group, she “thought it would be a good area to work in.”

“Siblings are not thought about when services are created and offered to families, and I want to change this. Siblings experience extreme stress, isolation and miss out on things other children their age are doing.”

“The Sibling Group offers a safe space for children to come and meet other children with similar experiences. We offer fun activities such as arts and crafts, singing and dancing, sports and games.”

The meetings are free of charge and will be running during the school holidays and on Saturdays. To book a place at the event click here.

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Georgina Johnstone was just one year old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and her family have been raising money and awareness to help children like her ever since.

In August 2022, Georgina became tired and grouchy and started to be sick each morning. Her mum, Issy Rowe, a teacher from Harrogate, thought recently prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection were to blame. But when the tablets stopped and the sickness continued, the family became worried.

Issy took her to the GP, who thought it might have been a virus or urinary tract infection. After five more days of sickness, Issy knew things weren’t right. They were referred to Harrogate District Hospital after their third visit to a doctor.

At first, the hospital had no major concerns and suggested a return visit a week later. Yet Issy persisted and an MRI scan was done the following day.

The scan found a significant cancerous mass on Georgina’s brain, and she was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary.

The SATS showed that the tumour was a quarter of the size of her brain. The tumour was cutting her brain off from her body and her family were told they would need to operate to remove it or Georgina would die.

The next day, the doctors operated on her for five hours and removed the 16cm tumour. After surgery, a 56-week treatment plan was put in place, involving high-dose chemotherapy, in seven cycles over eight weeks.

It all meant that going to nursery had to be put on hold until she was better. In December 2023, Georgina was given the all-clear.

Issy said:

“Its early days still – she only came off medication eight weeks ago, but her last scan was all clear. It’s been amazing to adjust back to family life and reality. She’s full of energy, which is lovely. You don’t realise how poorly they are until you see them better.”

Throughout her daughter’s treatment, Issy raised funds and awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity and friends and family also supported the fundraising. They have raised over £21,000 so far through completing the Three Peaks Challenge, sponsored runs, quizzes and a wellness retreat.

This year, the family have chosen to raise funds for Candlelighters, children’s cancer charity. Issy said they wanted funds to go to a local charity this year to directly help the children on the oncology ward at Leeds General Infirmary.

They have set a target to reach £5,000 – the same goal as last year – but are hoping to exceed it and even beat the £21,000 already raised.

Issy added:

“We definitely want to get more people involved and raise more money.”

They have a few fundraising events planned already involving the Three Peaks Challenge on May 11, another wellness weekend in October and one of their first events is set to be a sporting morning. The event is to be held on January 14 by Harrogate Strays Walking Football Club, a team for over-50s where Georgina’s grandfather, Derek Rowe, is a manager.

To donate to Georgina’s page click here.

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Thomas the Baker plans to open a store on Boroughbridge High Street, where the Cooplands bakery used to be.

Cooplands closed its Boroughbridge store last April following “an in-depth review of the business”, having opened it nearly three years ago in February 2021. The Scarborough-based chain’s closest store is now on Beulah Street, Harrogate.

Beulah Street Cooplands in Harrogate.

Thomas the Baker has submitted a planning application to North Yorkshire Council for a replacement shopfront including new non-illuminated fascia and projecting sign.

People can comment on the application concerning the new store at 33 High Street until this Sunday, January 7. The store would add to the current number of bakeries in the market tow, which include Gilchrist’s and Havenhands.

The family-owned bakery chain headquartered in Helmsley was established in 1981. The company has 30 shops across Yorkshire and the North-East, including: Ripon, Knaresborough, Thirsk, Acomb, Easingwold, Haxby, Kirbymoorside, Malton, Pickering, Scarborough, Selby and four in York.

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Train operator Northern has announced a flash sale of £1 tickets from Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York.

Five million tickets are on sale and people have until 4pm tomorrow (January 5) to purchase.

The tickets are valid for travel between Wednesday, January 10, and Friday, March 1, 2024 ,and must be booked at least seven days in advance of travel.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“The ‘Flash Sale’ extends to every corner of our network, with £1 tickets up for grabs for both local and longer, cross-country journeys.

“We hope the ‘Flash Sale’ will inspire people to get out and about across the region, for those moments that matter most – days out with the family, catch-ups with friends or for no reason other than to enjoy the beautiful countryside and coastlines our region has to offer.

“As always, customers should book early to avoid disappointment. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

People can buy the tickets online, on Northern’s website or its app.

Destinations along the Leeds line eligible for the discount are:

Bradford Forster Square, Carlisle, Chester, Doncaster, Halifax, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Ilkley, Knaresborough, Knottingley, Lancaster, Manchester Victoria, Morecambe, Nottingham, Selby, Sheffield, Skipton and York.

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Police seeking a wanted man from Harrogate today re-issued a plea for help finding him.

North Yorkshire Police is still searching for Bailey George Samuel Townend, 21, who has been recalled to prison and is believed to be evading arrest locally.

He was released from prison on licence on November 1 last year after being handed a 51-week custodial sentence for burglary and theft.

The Probation Service reported that Townend failed to reside at approved accommodation in Leeds, thereby breaching his licence.

Today’s police statement said:

“Police enquiries are ongoing in the Harrogate and Leeds areas in the effort to return Townend to prison.

“Townend is described as white, 5ft 8in tall, slim build, with short brown hair and green eyes.

If you can help us track him down, please report information to North Yorkshire Police on 101, option 4, and speak to the force control room.

“For immediate sightings, dial 999 to ensure a rapid response.”

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online. Quote reference number.

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