Reservoir parking charges reignite Washburn residents’ concerns

The newly introduced parking charges at Harrogate district reservoirs this week have reignited concerns about the impact on nearby areas.

The Stray Ferret reported that the new charges by Yorkshire Water for motorists at Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross reservoirs would begin yesterday.

Since we broke the news back in 2022 that charges would be in place we have reported on equipment installation and residents’ concerns about the plans.

Now that the charges are active, concerns remain that people will try to avoid the charges by parking on nearby roads and verges.

The reservoirs are situated near narrow rural roads, which has led to concerns about congestion, danger to pedestrians and blockages to farm machinery.

Victoria Oldham, the last mayor of the Harrogate borough who lives in the Washburn Valley close to Fewston and Swinsty, said she was “not overly happy with the decision”.

She said:

“If people are not prepared to pay they will park on the roadside, and it is very narrow. There is nowhere else unless you live locally”

“It was an issue in lockdown, because the car parks were closed. The roads became impossible to drive on and the police had to be summoned. They destroyed the verges driving there.

“Some people are prepared to take it on the chin. The annual charge sounds reasonable, but many people will be caught unawares and won’t come back. It is a shame, and we would’ve preferred not to, but you pay to visit any attraction.”

The Stray Ferret approached Yorkshire Water for comment on how the new system was working. A spokesperson said the charges had only come into force this week.

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Harrogate and Ripon chefs to appear on BBC’s Great British Menu tonight

Head chefs from Harrogate’s Rudding Park and Ripon’s Grantley Hall will compete tonight in the latest series of the BBC cooking competition, Great British Menu.

The 19th series starts at 8pm on BBC Two, with the north-east and Yorkshire being the first in the series to take part.

Adam Degg has been head chef at Rudding Park’s Horto restaurant since 2022 and Samira Effa, has been head chef at Grantley Hall’s Asian-inspired bar and restaurant EightyEight for two years.

This is Ms Effa’s third time competing on the BBC TV show, having previously taken part in the 2019 and 2020 series.

Ms Effa said:

“The fact that I’ve been asked back again is really humbling.

“The show has a fantastic following with viewers from not just the chef world, but further afield and I love to see it ignite excitement in food for so many people. It really demonstrates that food can bring people together in that shared enjoyment of an experience.”

Simon Crannage, executive chef at Grantley Hall, said Ms Effa would be “flying the flag for Yorkshire”, adding:

“I’m sure it will come across on your screens, but Samira champions Yorkshire produce wherever she can in her cooking, with so many fantastic ingredients coming out of the Yorkshire region to use.”

Samira Effa in her kitchen at EightyEight, Grantley Hall

It will be Mr Degg’s first appearance on the show tonight.

He began his culinary journey aged 16 and has worked in award-winning kitchens throughout his career.

He was recently awarded Michelin green star recognition for sustainable practices for drawing inspiration from the kitchen gardens at the luxury hotel.

Mr Degg commented:

“Great British Menu is without doubt, the single most exciting and terrifying experience of my career to date! Having said that, it’s so important to push yourself out of your comfort zone and I thrived on the challenge.”

The Great British Menu showcases the best of British cuisine and sees top chefs from across the UK create mouthwatering dishes.

The series theme is celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics and is presented by TV chef Andi Oliver alongside regular judges Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona and Ed Gamble.

Tonight’s contestants on Great British Menu.

Tonight will see the two chefs battle it out against each other and Cal Byerley, chef Patron of Pine, East Wallhouses, and Scott John-Hodgson head chef for Solstice, Newcastle for a place in finals week and the chance to devise an Olympic-themed banquet.

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Parking charges to begin at Harrogate reservoirs next week

Parking charges at reservoirs in the Harrogate district are being introduced next week.

The Stray Ferret broke the news in June 2022 that Yorkshire Water planned to charge motorists at Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross reservoirs. Since then we have raised residents’ concerns about parking and in November last year reported the equipment was being installed.

Today, Yorkshire Water announced the fees would start on Monday, January 22. The costs are:

ANPR camera technology will monitor motorists who visit the reservoirs.

Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross are popular recreational sites which local dog walkers visit regularly.

Yorkshire Water said the charges will be reinvested on initiatives including the creation of the company’s first ever in-house ranger team.

The nine-strong team will undertake countryside management and biodiversity projects and “ensure visitors have a positive experience on site”, Yorkshire Water said.

A spokesperson added:

“We looked thoroughly into how people use our sites and we believe a small parking fee and increased security will help to dissuade anti-social behaviour, such as fly-tipping, at our sites but also have a long-term positive impact in terms of the projects we can deliver in the future.

“We’ve also collaborated with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure our visitors are aware of these changes prior to the charges going live, and we’re making it as easy as possible for people to pay, whether it’s via card payment on site, the Ring Go app or even by telephone.”

Blue badge holders

Yorkshire Water urged blue badge holders to apply for their free parking permit ahead of the charges being introduced.

The spokesperson added:

“We want to encourage our blue badge visitors to register and receive a permit. If you don’t have a permit, you will have to pay. It’s easy to apply and you can do so via our dedicated website.”

Blue badge visitors can register on the website and complete the following form. Once accepted, a permit will be issued which is valid for a year, exempting the registered vehicle from being liable to the charges.

Bransby Wilson Parking Solutions will operate the parking meters.

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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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Former Ripon Grammar student rows the Atlantic

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:

You can follow their progress here and donate here.

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New Harrogate bakery and coffee shop will be ‘a game changer’, says owner

A man with a background in designer fashion has pledged to open “arguably the coolest and most stylish boutique bakery and deli in Harrogate centre”.

Rod Harman plans to fuse fashion and food at Grane Coffee and Bakery, which is set to open on Station Parade on January 30.

Mr Hardman said the business, which will be in the unit formerly occupied by The Chocolate Works next to Everyman Cinema, will have designer foods displayed in a deli “rather like Selfridges” and a “beautiful state of the art Vostok coffee machine” all the way from Naples.

The artisan bakery will open seven days a week and have freshly baked patisserie products with “a New York laid back feel” on Sundays, he added.

Mr Hardman said he was aiming for the café to be the “talk of Harrogate”, adding:

“The response so far has been quite overwhelming, and we hope to attract a younger, cooler, trendier crowd.

“After speaking with younger people in Harrogate it became apparent they feel forgotten about, they wouldn’t be interested in visiting the more traditional outlets. They told us there isn’t anywhere for them to go that doesn’t include alcohol. We aim to change that and will most definitely be opening later into the early evenings, and hope to gain a younger mindset.”

Mr Hardman has worked with brands including Hugo Boss, Missoni and Prada, which he said had heavily influenced the vision for the store.

He said:

“I feel fashion and food are starting to work together more and more. Our team are heavily influenced in music, art, theatre and the local food scene. We have already secured the Dolce and Gabbanna pasta range for example and expect many more over the coming days.

“Hopefully Harrogate will love what we are trying to achieve.”

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Harrogate man takes on round the world yacht race

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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Asda set to open new Express store in Knaresborough

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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Harrogate bar hosts sober night out for Dry January

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:

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Group supporting siblings of disabled children comes to Harrogate

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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