A man had to be rescued from a toilet cubicle in Knaresborough today.

This is the second time firefighters have been called out to free a man from public conveniences in the town in the last six months.

Today’s incident took place on Waterside just after 8am.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“Knaresborough fire crew released a male trapped in a toilet cubicle due to a faulty locking mechanism.

“Crews used small tools only.”

The previous incident took place in the York Place car park in August last year.

Firefighters used a door enforcer on that occasion.

No similar incidents in other Harrogate district toilets have been reported recently.

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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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Ripon firm Econ Engineering has announced a landmark deal for the first fully electric-powered gritter.

The Stray Ferret reported when the firm launched the gritter last year.

A year later, Econ has secured a contract with UK highways specialist Ringway, which has signed up to take delivery of the revolutionary Electric Quick-Change Body (E-QCB) model.

The E-QCB enables the vehicle’s bodywork to be easily switched between gritter, tipper or caged body modes.

Jonathan Lupton, managing director at Econ Engineering, said:

“We are delighted to extend what is already a strong relationship with Ringway by adding the E-QCB to its fleet. We are confident the vehicle will continue to impress and that its benefits will soon result in more deals of this kind.”

Econ supplies gritters, hot boxes and tippers to local councils and contractors across the UK.

The vehicle utilises sustainable technology, helping customers cut their emissions footprint.

The E-QCB model is built on a 19-tonne Volvo FE Electric 4×2 chassis.

The vehicle was taken on a demonstration tour and gritted rural routes on a snowy day at Sutton Bank. A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said afterwards:

“The vehicle impressed us, especially coping with the hills and had excellent range for an electric vehicle.”

Ringway is responsible for looking after more than 50,000kms of the UKs highways network and has a long-term strategic fleet partnership with Econ. It is the first contractor to sign up to a deal for the E-QCB.

Dave Olley, operations manager at Ringway said:

“Working with Econ Engineering we trialled the fully electric E-QCB multi-purpose vehicle and are now looking forward to adding it to our fleet and putting it to use on the UK’s road network.”

The vehicle can be fully charged in less than two hours, runs near silent with a range of up to 170 miles, and with no exhaust gases produced, can make deliveries in zero emission zones.

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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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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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North Yorkshire Council has unveiled proposals to reduce spending on school transport by £3.2 million.

About 10,500 of 75,000 pupils in North Yorkshire currently receive free transport, according to a council report. It says the proposals could affect 1,866 children over seven years.

The report says the cost of providing home to school travel is the council’s third largest spending item after adult social care and waste management. It has increased from £20 million in 2015/16 to a forecasted £42.1 million in 2023/24.

It says this is mainly due to an increase in the number of pupils eligible and the rising costs of providing the service.

It plans to run a 28-day consultation from February 5 to March 20 on the proposed changes, which could mainly affect families whose children do not attend the nearest schools to their homes.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Brodigan who represents Ripon Ure Bank and Spa division and is on the the council’s appeals committee for home to school transport.

She said that councillors will not know the exact details of the policy until after the consultation, but “there are very specific guidelines from the Department for Education” for the council to follow.

Cllr Brodigan said:

“We should know imminently but it is difficult to say what the impact will be at this stage, there will be gains and disadvantages.

“We know there are some changes and only funding for catchment areas has been withdrawn. Depending on circumstance it is now only the nearest school that funded transport is provided for.”

Cllr Brodigan said sending children to schools that are not closest to home was often down to “parental choice”.

But she added:

“There are always winners and losers, I’m afraid. The criteria for catchment areas have seen a lot of ambiguity. It is often difficult for parents to understand and there could be anomalies.”

Cllr Brodigan says this has been an issue previously with children living on the borders of towns and counties.

She said:

“Home to school transport is one of the largest parts of the education budget and it is increasing as more rural schools close. The authority still has an obligation.

“There are advantages and disadvantages in the current economic climate when all councils are struggling there are financial impacts.”

What is being considered?

The North Yorkshire Council website states the upcoming consultations should include:

• Retention of early eligibility in the Reception year
• Retention of extended eligibility in Year 3
• Amendment to the main eligibility criterion to be ‘nearest school (with places available)’ to match the statutory requirement
• Removal of eligibility on the basis on 50/50 second address
• Removal of eligibility for the primary phase on low-income denominational grounds
• Removal of blanket eligibility to transport support for 2 days SEND transitions

The Department for Education’s 2023 statutory guide for local authorities states a child is eligible to free home to school travel if “they are of compulsory school age, attend their nearest suitable school and live more than the statutory walking distance from that school.”

The guide clarifies:

“Suitable school’ does not mean the most suitable school for a child. Schools are able to meet a wide range of needs. The nearest secondary school to the home of a child of secondary school age, for example, will almost always be their nearest suitable school (provided it would be able to admit them).”

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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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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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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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The Mitre on Station Road in Knaresborough has been put on the market.

The pub, which is next to Knaresborough Train Station, opened in 1923 and closed last year after trading for approximately 100 years. It has not reopened.

The historic building has four ensuite rooms, a function room a terrace and traditional hand pumps for real ales. The philanthropist George A Moore was born there in 1928.

Market Town Taverns, which operates a chain of pubs covering Yorkshire and the north-west of England, leases the property and is now trying to sell it.

The Stray Ferret spoke to leisure property specialists and surveyors Fleurets, which is handling the sale of the lease on behalf of Market Town Taverns.

The Stray Ferret understands Market Town Taverns had to close the pub before Christmas when the managers and staff left and a new team could not be recruited.

A Fleurets spokesperson said:

“They are selling their lease and don’t have any immediate plans to reopen.

“We hope to have a buyer in place as soon as possible, albeit a sale of a leasehold business is not a quick process.”

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