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.

Read more: 

• Covid restrictions won’t stop ‘beautiful’ weddings, says Harrogate celebrant
• Harrogate couple cancel wedding for third time

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. 

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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.

A Knaresborough woman will attempt to break a world record tomorrow for the most netball goals scored in one hour. 

To set the record, Sue Hobson, who plays goal shooter for the Hawks netball club in Harrogate, needs to shoot more than 756 goals – more than 12 goals a minute.

Sue is aiming to reach more than 900 goals in total and has already raised more than £1,100 for Saint Michael’s Hospice in the process. To support Sue, click here. 

Speaking about why she has chosen to fundraise for the charity, Sue said: 

“It just felt too unusual or quirky an activity to not try and use it for something positive, especially when there’s not a lot of positivity in the world at the moment.

“Living in the Harrogate and Knaresborough area I know people that have been helped by Saint Michael’s Hospice, and it seems like a great local charity.”

Sue has been training for this challenge since the beginning of lockdown, when her regular netball training sessions and matches stopped.

After setting herself challenges in her back garden, such as scoring 100 goals in a row, she began researching world records for netball. 

Sue said the support from other local organisations, such as King James’s School and Harrogate Netball League, have spurred her on to complete the challenge.

Read more: 

• Nidderdale vicar sets new world record
• St Michael’s has doubled its November Superdraw to over £2000 to thanks its supporters.

As part of this year’s World Mental Health Day, the Harrogate Samaritans is asking the public to look out for one another. This comes after a long six months of social distancing, leaving many people isolated. 

This year’s theme is ‘mental health for all’. 

The charity will be sharing advice today to help spot the signs of someone that is struggling on social media, and asks that you join in the conversation using #WMHD.  

Other resources can be found on the Samaritans website. These supply information on how to help someone having suicidal thoughts, and provide advice on looking after your emotional wellbeing. 

Branch director at Harrogate Samaritans, Liz Wilson said: 

“As the pandemic continues and we face potential new restrictions, we must remember to prioritise our mental health and stay connected with others. The age of social distancing has meant people are having less face to face contact so it can be much harder to spot signs that someone might be struggling.”

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Meanwhile, Yorkshire Water will be marking World Mental Health Day by placing signs at Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs that encourage mindfulness.

The signs include a quote that explains how “mindfulness is about being in the present” and offers an example of a mindfulness exercise for visitors to try.  

The Saint Michael’s community lottery is to double its jackpot as a way of thanking players for helping it raise £200,000 a year.

Established in 2000, money raised by the lottery helps the Harrogate hospice provide care and support to families affected by terminal illness and bereavement. 

To mark the lottery’s 20th year, Saint Michael’s has launched a Big Thank You Superdraw with a prize of £2,020. Its usual weekly jackpot is £1,000.

The superdraw will be held on November 4. Current lottery members will be automatically entered but newcomers are welcome to join.

Tina Hedges, deputy chief executive of Saint Michael’s said: 

“Regular and dependable income, such as the lottery, has never been more important, and in recent times has given us the ability to innovate and adapt to help our community throughout the pandemic.

“It is therefore apt that we offer our Big Thank You Superdraw during a year when we couldn’t be more grateful for the ongoing support of our community.”

Visit the charity’s website or call 01423 878628 to take part in the lottery.

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The Harrogate branch of the pregnancy crisis support charity Reflect is asking people to light candles next week to remember babies that died during pregnancy.

The candles will form a virtual wave of life during Baby Loss Awareness Week, which begins tomorrow.

The week raises awareness of pregnancy and baby death in the UK.

This year will focus on the isolation many people experience after pregnancy and baby loss – women, partners, other family members and friends, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 

To get involved, Reflect is asking people to light a candle at 7pm on October 15 and share a photo of it online, accompanied by the hashtag #WaveofLight.

Landmarks across the UK will light up blue and pink, and virtual services will be held as part of the week-long activities.

Tanya Allen, manager of Reflect Harrogate said: 

“We hope that Baby Loss Awareness Week will spark conversations about baby loss and give local bereaved parents and families an opportunity to talk about their precious babies.

“For some people Covid has meant that they have felt more isolated in their loss, and for others the slowdown has caused the past pain of loss to surface, which they may now need to process.”

Tanya Allen, manager of Reflect

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Reflect provides free and confidential support services for individuals and couples to help them cope with their bereavement. 

For further information about Baby Loss Awareness Week visit: www.babyloss-awareness.org

A Harrogate teenager will attempt to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks in December as a tribute to her grandmother, who died of sepsis.

Leah Gresty undertook the challenge, which will raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust, in honour of Elizabeth Simmonite, who died on September 29. 

Elizabeth was a former butcher and baker on Knaresborough Road, Harrogate.

Leah said:

“She always liked being with nature and going for walks, so it seemed quite fitting, and it’s something that she would have liked to do herself.” 

Leah’s grandmother, Elizabeth, enjoying the outdoors

There are about 48,000 deaths from sepsis every year in the UK. 

Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates. Leah, who has so far raised more than £500, hopes her challenge will spread the message.

The tough Three Peaks challenge involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in less than 12 hours – a particularly difficult feat in the darkness of winter.

You can donate here to Leah’s JustGiving fundraising page.

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How to spot Spesis:

Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs, causing organ failure and death if not treated quickly. 

www.nhs.uk advises you to call 999 or visit A&E if an adult or older child experiences any of these symptoms: 

• Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense. 
• Blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue.
• A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it.
• Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast.

The owner of a pre-loved clothing shop has closed the doors in order to focus her efforts online. 

Carolyn Duggan has been running Still Gorgeous on Cold Bath Road since 2017. The shop offered a selection of pre-loved designer and high street womenswear. 

Having closed in March, Still Gorgeous reopened in July as government restrictions eased, but faced multiple challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The shop relied on business from tourists, which has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, and the owner said she experienced a lack of compassion from her landlord. She said: 

“I did not get any sympathy from my landlord. I was just told to pay them the money. I know others who received a 20-30% monthly rent reduction or complete rent holidays for 2-3 months.

“They also increased the rent for the new tenant, so when I was leaving I did not have the option to change my mind.” 

The business moves at a time when other Harrogate businesses like A P & K Stothard, Bookstall Newsagents and Gambaru Fitness close their doors.

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However, Carolyn still feels positive about the change of direction at Still Gorgeous. She added: 

“I’m quite excited, to be honest – it is the way forward. You have to adapt to the situation and diversify. I am changing strategy to reach a more diverse customer base. I am engaging more with different channels like social media.

“I am feeling positive about the next stage. I have already reached people down south and abroad.” 

Carolyn’s Facebook page has already received many posts from customers wishing her luck in her new venture.  

The Harrogate parent group Ready Steady Mums will hold its final walk today before the government’s new ‘rule of six’ forces it to stop. 

Ready Steady Mums, which was formed in 2016, provides parents with the opportunity to stay fit and socialise.

The group usually meets at St Mark’s Church at 10am on Fridays, does a group walk then enjoys refreshments.  

The Stray Ferret recently reported that the parents were able to meet up again following the easing of restrictions.  

However, the group’s meetings are set to be cancelled once again due to the new restrictions, which state that from Monday it will be illegal in most circumstances to gather socially in groups of more than six people.  

Laura Brett, group leader, said: 

“We just can’t justify it. We don’t want to do anything wrong. That being said, we are very disappointed. Particularly as Professor Chris Whitty is emphasising how coronavirus is more dangerous when you are unfit. Our group helps mothers to stay physically fit and it helps their mental health.” 

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The new rules take away other benefits of Ready Steady Mums – besides promoting mental and physical health, the group provides a network to help navigate parenthood. 

Ms Brett believes groups like hers should be exempt from the rules because of their health benefits and intends to seek clarification from the government on this matter. She said:

“Mums have lost the opportunity to make friends. Some of our members have just moved to the area and haven’t had the chance to meet anybody. The group also provides encouragement, as it is easy to lose confidence in any circumstance, never mind in the current situation. Many of the volunteers were previously midwives, which means that the group allows us to signpost concerns and guide the members to professional help if they need it.” 

The group attempted to stay in touch during lockdown to support each other. However, its activities now fall foul of the new rule.

After the final session on Friday the network will still encourage members to meet in smaller groups.