Newsroom, Author at The Stray Ferret

Blow for Tockwith as firework display cancelled

Firework displays will be in short supply this year after social distancing regulations prevented many of them from going ahead.

This comes as a double blow for Tockwith and District Agricultural Society, which organises the event.

The annual agricultural show was cancelled in August, and this is the second year in a row the fireworks display has not gone ahead, thanks to poor weather conditions in 2019.

Norman Waller, who represents Marston Moor on Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Unfortunately because of safety issues and our inability to organise refreshments or catering, there will be no bonfire and firework display. Obviously we are devastated, as in normal times it is a key fundraiser to help with cash flow for the staging of the show.

This combined with the cancellation of other fundraising events this year [means] we forecast that potentially we have lost income in the region of £8,000.”

Meanwhile, the annual Harrogate Charity Stray Bonfire has already postponed its 50th anniversary bonfire until 2021. Now many other organisers in the district are following suit.

The Stray Ferret spoke to groups that have previously organised an annual fireworks display, and nine organisers have confirmed that due to coronavirus they have cancelled this year’s display. We could not find any which were still expecting to go ahead.

Among the firework displays to be cancelled are those at Bilton Cricket Club, Lightwater Valley, Scotton Cricket Club and Stockeld Park.

Harewood House awarded funding boost

Harewood House Trust has been awarded £695,556 by the Cultural Recovery Fund.

It is the latest grant in the fight to support the stately home through the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, Harewood was given £296,128 by Historic England and DCMS to fund the restoration of its Terrace balustrade. It was also awarded an emergency National Heritage Lottery Fund grant to support re-opening earlier in the year.

The charity has now received more than £1 million to help survive and recover from its coronavirus-enforced closure.

Lockdown forced Harewood to close its doors for 14 weeks this year – more than a third of its open season. This resulted in losses of £1.2 million, as an estimated 80,000 people were unable to visit.

Trust director Jane Marriott said:

“Like many of our colleagues, Harewood’s total closure earlier in the year placed us in such a difficult financial situation, facing over £1 million in losses. However, the combination of our visitors’ support and a significant grant from the Culture Recovery Fund has secured Harewood’s future recovery, so that we can continue to do ambitious programming, and to make certain that this wonderful place can continue to be enjoyed by as many as possible.

“The national funding bodies’ confidence in Harewood’s work is very much needed and appreciated. We are now in a position to improve the site, develop our learning programme, continue to work with artists and maintain our ambitious visitor experience, looking once again to our future.”

The grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund will support a series of family friendly activities, invest in Harewood’s technology infrastructure, and provide canopies for outdoor spaces. This will provide cover for weddings and private hire events, in turn generating vital income for the charity.

Harrogate Hospital releases charity calendar

To recognise the hard work of NHS staff during the coronavirus pandemic a Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity calendar is being released.

Now on sale, the calendar is raising money for the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT).

The calendar showcases the winning entries of a photo competition run by the charity. The selection includes uplifting images of staff at work, as well as photos of the Harrogate district.

The HHCC team with some of the new calendars.

Ben Windass, materials management procurement officer at HDFT, took the winning image on the front of the calendar. He said:

“I named this piece of work ‘Rainbow’ because of the general theme around national support for the NHS and I feel this picture really encapsulates this. Incidentally, these crocheted rainbows were kindly donated to the Trust, which also reinforces the theme of support and positivity towards HDFT, and the NHS as a whole.

“Any money raised by the sale of these calendars would be greatly appreciated. On a personal level, it feels warming that I have been able to contribute towards this project and hope that it will in turn contribute to supporting our fabulous Trust and all the communities we serve.”

Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager, said:

“We are so proud to be launching the 2020/21 calendar. The images used to develop it are absolutely amazing and really capture the spirit of the NHS in the north and what it means to be a part of team HDFT.

“It’s been a tough year for both colleagues and service users at the Trust, and we are really keen to raise as much as we can following the success of last year’s calendar in order to continue improving what the Trust can do for its local communities.”

The calendars are available for a suggested £10 donation, with all proceeds going to HDFT. This is thanks to sponsorship from Living and Home, a homeware store based in Manchester, whose director has strong ties to the trust after his daughter was born at Harrogate District Hospital.

The Trust will use the funds to provide electronic tablets for patients to video call relatives while in hospital. It will also use them to improve its services, training and facilities.

Firms get moving to raise money for local hospices

Two businesses in the Harrogate district are challenging themselves to get moving in order to raise money for charity.

Harrogate firm, High Street TV, is aiming to cover 500km in two hours today. Fifty members of staff will take part- walking and running however far they can to make the total distance.

Their ‘Keep on Moving’ challenge has raised £2,450 so far for Saint Michael’s Hospice, 163% of their original target.

Speaking about why the company chose to do this challenge, fundraising coordinator Lisa Dallas said:

“We haven’t been able to fundraise recently because of the current covid situation, so we needed to do something a little bit different. We had to think outside the box, because we had to do something where we wouldn’t be in a group.”

Over the years, High Street TV have raised £41,710 for Saint Michael’s Hospice and are a member of their Guild of Patrons.

Staff from Yorkshire letting agent Linley & Simpson have already begun their attempt to get “Around the World in 80 Days”, which is raising money for Martin House Hospice.

To reach their target of covering 40,075km, staff from the Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough branches are running, walking or cycling. A combined daily distance of 505km will have to be recorded via a smartphone tracking app in order for them to make their goal.

Martin House, based in Boston Spa, supports families North, West and East Yorkshire. They provide palliative care to children and young people with life limiting conditions.

Will Linley, left and Nick Simpson.

Will Linley, Linley & Simpson chief executive and co-founder, said:

“Because Covid has denied us the opportunity of taking part in a series of planned fundraising activities for Martin House, we have now devised this challenge as our grand sponsored finale of 2020.

“Martin house is an incredible charity, and one that we are delighted to be supporting for at least another 12 months. Over the last five years we have raised more than £100,000, and to mark our 24th year in business we have now set ourselves a £24,000 target over the next 12 months.”

To donate to the High Street TV “Keep on Moving” challenge, click here.

Fireworks season could be worst for animals in decades

Fireworks displays in the Harrogate district may have been cancelled this year but a local vet and the RSPCA have warned it could still be the worst period for pets in decades.

The absence of large organised events is expected to lead to an increase in backyard firework displays, bringing noise much closer to pets at home.

Katy Bell, a vet at the Rae, Bean & Partners practice in Boroughbridge told the Stray Ferret:

“A big display will be organised on a certain date, at a certain time, so pet owners can be prepared for that event.

“However, if home-organised events can be a lot more spread out over an evening, and have a bigger negative impact on the animal.”

Ms Bell encourages worried pet owners to start preparing now: she advised playing firework training CDs to pets in the run-up to November 5, starting at a low volume and increasing as necessary.

On Bonfire Night itself, Ms Bell recommends not leaving your pet alone, and ensuring it has somewhere safe and dark to hide.

A RSPCA spokesperson said this fireworks season could be the worst for animals in decades.

The charity advised pet owners to close windows and curtains to muffle noise, and bring smaller pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs inside.

Around 62% of dogs and 54% of cats in the UK show signs of anxiety when they hear fireworks, according to the RSPCA.

Fire services’ advice

Station manager Tony Peel, from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said bonfire night was usually a quiet one for fire services in the county “and we’d love it to be the same this year”. He added:

“Please follow our safety tips if you are planning a display at home and help reduce the pressure not only on the fire service, but also on our colleagues in the ambulance service and police.

“Some people and animals are scared by firework noise so if you’re planning to let off fireworks please tell your neighbours and avoid buying really noisy ones.”

Mr Peel said anyone planning a home display should ensure it finishes before 11pm, always light the firework at arms length and only buy fireworks that carry the CE mark.

Harrogate district attractions still open during half-term

Despite rising covid levels, many popular venues in the Harrogate district are still planning to hold half-term activities.

From wicked woodland walks to Halloween haunted villages, events are still scheduled to go ahead.

Many require pre-booked tickets, and have made covid-compliant adjustments.

Fountains Abbey is going ahead with its annual Fountains by Floodlight event, which will take place every evening between October 19 and 25. However, this year it will replace the usual choir with recorded music.

Jennifer Taylor, senior visitor experience officer at the site, said:

“We have worked hard to adapt the event to keep everybody safe.

“There are a few changes this year. We have limited tickets which must be booked in advance and only the abbey ruins will be illuminated.”

Other attractions have adopted a spookier theme.

Newby Hall, near Ripon, is turning its miniature railway into a ghost train and Lightwater Valley, which is also near Ripon, is opening up a Halloween trick or treat street as well as its usual rides.

In Knaresborough, Mother Shipton’s Cave is offering a spooky forest and haunted village experience, while Birchfield Farm in Summerbridge is inviting families to pick their own pumpkins during October.

Stump Cross Caverns, in Greenhow Hill, is running potion workshops on October 31 and November 1.

With covid restrictions liable to change, do check with the venues to see if their plans change.

Pub champion backs campaign to save Kirkby Malzeard inn

A campaign to save a historic village pub received a boost when Greg Mulholland, founder of the All-party Parliamentary Group Save the Pub, visited the site this week.

Mr Mulholland, the former Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, visited the disused Henry Jenkins Inn in Kirkby Malzeard on Sunday to help launch a new associate membership scheme.

Locals are purchasing community shares to buy the inn, which is named after a farm worker and butler who died in 1669, reputedly at the age of 169.

The associate membership scheme allows those unable to buy shares to contribute in other ways, such as by fundraising or doing refurbishment.

So far 180 villagers have raised £210,250 from share pledges towards the £230,000 target to buy and refurbish the inn.

Pub champion Greg Mulholland (centre), of Campaign for Pubs, with supporters of the Henry Jenkins community pub initiative outside the Henry Jenkins in Kirkby Malzeard

Mr Mulholland, who is also campaign director for Campaign to Pubs, said:

“In these extraordinary times it is more important than ever that we save pubs in rural communities and the Campaign for Pubs fully supports the campaign to save the Henry Jenkins Inn.

“The community in Kirkby Malzeard has been heroic in its campaign and fundraising to save this important historic village pub and preserve a part of local history and heritage.”

The Henry Jenkins Community Pub Ltd has had four offers to buy the pub rejected by the owner, who would prefer to sell it for housing.

Campaign for Pubs is lobbying for a change in the law so that no historic pub can be demolished or converted when a group or individual is prepared to buy it as a pub at the independently assessed value.

Dave Robinson, chairman of the Henry Jenkins Community Pub Ltd, said:

“We’re delighted to have Greg’s support and we look forward to working with Campaign for Pubs to help secure the future of the Henry Jenkins and other much-loved pubs in Yorkshire and beyond.”

Wedding venue transforms into ski lodge to save staff

A luxury Harrogate wedding venue is transforming into a ski lodge restaurant to keep staff in work this winter.

Current covid restrictions limit weddings to a maximum of 15 guests.

This has had a huge impact on venues like Wharfedale Grange, near Harewood, which is able to seat 270 wedding guests and can cater for 165 people in its restaurant.

It hopes that by adapting the use of its barn it will be able to retain staff, especially with the furlough scheme ending this month.

Claire Thomas, managing director of Wharfedale Grange, said:

“We’ve got 18 full-time staff and 12 part-time staff so we’re effectively keeping 30 people in work by converting to a restaurant and not making them redundant.”

Described as ‘La Folie Douce meets Yorkshire’, the restaurant — called Apres Bar & Grill — will incorporate elements of ski lodge resorts.

It is due to open from November 1 to the end of March.

Harlow Carr set to open new Friendship Bridge

A new bridge will be unveiled at RHS Garden Harlow Carr on Monday.

The bridge, which was built by Harrogate dry stone waller Neil Beasley in four months over lockdown, has been named the Friendship Bridge.

The name is in recognition of a £10,000 donation from the Friends of Harlow Carr, which paid for half of the £20,000 costs.

The Royal Horticultural Society, which is the gardening charity that owns RHS Garden Harlow Carr, paid for the other half.

The centerpiece of the design, which was drawn up by Leeds master craftsman David Griffiths, represents the head of a flower, with stone petals surrounding a central stonework arch,

The Geoffrey Smith memorial stone is positioned at one end of the bridge wall as a lasting testament to the former garden curator, who died in 2009.

Paul Cook, curator at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, said:

“We now have a beautiful new piece of artwork, which has been handcrafted in Yorkshire stone using traditional dry stone walling techniques.

“As well as being a thing of beauty in itself, the work will help to alleviate surface flooding problems.”

The new bridge was built with freshly quarried Yorkshire stone along with stone from the structure that it replaced.

Mr Beasley previously created Harlow Carr’s garden entrance feature and monoliths on the corner of Crag Lane and Otley Road, which were also designed by David Griffiths.

Community spirit thrives despite covid crisis

Coronavirus has devastated many lives this year but for one Harrogate street, the pandemic has at least brought neighbours closer together.

Since lockdown in March, residents of St Helen’s Road have been using a WhatsApp group to help each other out.

People have used the group to offer help with shopping, look out for neighbours who are shielding or share unwanted items.

Six months on the group, set up by Holly Jones, continues to foster community spirit during these dark times in the street, which is near St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

Colette Lain, who lives on St Helen’s Road, said:

“The street has gone from a fairly anonymous place before lockdown to a really lively and supportive neighbourhood.

“It gave you the security that there were people that cared, and that was fantastic.”

Ms Lain decided to make the most of the community spirit by organising a street charity raffle to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Ms Lain volunteers for the charity but was unable to do so during the pandemic.

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Friends and neighbours donated prizes, and residents bought tickets by posting money and their addresses through Ms Lain’s front door.

Colette Lain, picking the winner of the raffle.

She raised £250 for the air ambulance, and has plans to generate more through a bumper Christmas raffle in December.

Jane Kennerly and Holly Jones have also set up a book swap in a telephone box on the street in another move to bring neighbours together.

The Stray Ferret wonders how many other streets in the Harrogate district have come together in this way during the pandemic.

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Fire services’ advice

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