A pop-up shop inside Harrogate District Hospital has launched a craft and sewing competition to boost donations.

Volunteers run the Harrogate Hospital Pop-Up Shop five days a week to give donated groceries to hospital staff. It first opened in March to support those working at the hospital during coronavirus who were unable to get to supermarkets or found the shelves bare after long shifts.

Volunteer Fiona Ryan said:

“Since children broke up from schools we have had a drop in support. We reckon that at least 80 hospital staff come to us daily for groceries and we send parcels out to staff at home with covid symptoms. We also send boxes up to the covid wards.”

The Harrogate Pop Up Sewing Bee is asking for photographs of sewn or crafted clothing which represent this year’s pandemic.

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The competition is split into age categories and entries are to be submitted with a £2 donation. When the competition closes on August 30, all photographs will be arranged into a collage for Harrogate District Hospital.

Entries will be judged by Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District Foundation Trust, Captain Rummage (Chris Powell) from Bettys & Taylors recycling project The Cone Exchange, and Fran Taylor who set up the Harrogate Scrubbers group to address a national scrubs shortage through coronavirus.

All submissions have the chance to win one of multiple prizes donated by Harrogate businesses. These include a meal at The Fat Badger, a Neom Organics candle and other goodies from The Harrogate Cookie Company and Little Breads.

Ms Ryan said:

“People are starting to believe that covid has gone away, which isn’t the case. The hospital is busier than ever. This competition will really support us.”

To enter, donate £2 to the pop-up shop’s PayPal and send your photo to their Facebook group, or for non-Facebook users, email Fiona Ryan at fionaryan2812@icloud.com.

A local business agrees. Tanya Umpleby, owner of Cooking Fantastic and The Cud Life Campsite and Holiday Cottages said:

“We have a lot of families who stay and want to go out cycling, but won’t because of how busy the A61 road is and there’s only one tiny footpath.”

A Harrogate bed and breakfast has altered the way they work to maintain high booking numbers through coronavirus.

As of today, Acorn Lodge owners Ali and Phil Standen will be starting a new initiative. Future guests will now be able to book out the whole property for a family stay rather than just bed and breakfast. The couple are calling it “Acorn Lodge – Your Way”.

Ali, deputy chair of the Harrogate District Hotel & Guest House Association, said:

“All members are struggling. This week we should have been at 90% capacity and welcoming guests with the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, but we’re only at 40% and we’ve lost £1000 from September cancellations. We’ve never seen anything like this.”

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The change in their business has already brought bookings in for the 16-year-old guesthouse. But Ali is worried tourists know very little about what the Harrogate district has to offer.

Ali said:

“If you look at places like Keswick, it’s bustling. We’re on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, we should still be welcoming heaps of tourists. Harrogate needs to get on the map!”

Ali said:

“We thought bed and breakfasts would be okay because we’re smaller, so people would feel safer, but some hotels in Harrogate are continuing to do so well and the smaller guesthouses are struggling.”

Hundreds of meteors will fall over Harrogate skies tonight.

Around 60 to 100 meteors will fall from the sky every hour, but stargazers may struggle with finding somewhere clear to view them because of predicted thunderstorms.

The event is called the Perseid meteor shower and happens every year.

It is expected to be most visible in the early hours of tomorrow morning between midnight and 5am.

Tristan Campbell, an astrophotographer from Harrogate said:

“The weather doesn’t currently look as though it’s going to be clear until at least 1am and unfortunately the moon rises around then which makes the meteors harder to see.”

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Meteors, more commonly known as shooting stars, are formed as debris falls from the tail of a comet. Since July 14, earth has been ploughing through particles left behind from the Swift-Tuttle comet, which turn into bright falling specks.

As Perseid meteors are so bright, Tristan said if the skies remain clear they will be visible from most gardens, although a better location would be somewhere dark with little light pollution. Tristan’s personal favourite spot to shoot is in Crimple Valley.

He said:

“If I’m feeling more adventurous I’ll head out to Nidderdale for much darker skies.”

The shower can be seen across the whole of the UK and is expected to continue until August 24. More information can be found on the Royal Museums Greenwich website.

Yorkshire Water has announced a starter scheme to get young farm workers renting land.

The project is titled Beyond Nature. Plots will be rented out to young farmers and anyone under 40 with an interest in farm ownership.

In the European Union, only 11% of farms are run by those under 40. The largest barriers for young farmers who want to run their own farm is expense and how often land becomes available.

The first farm announced in the scheme is Scow Hall Farm, located behind Swinsty reservoir in Washburn Valley.

Lisa Harrowsmith, lead surveyor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“After the first five-year lease, we will let the farm to another young farmer, therefore creating a cycle of opportunity for the next generation of farmers. Once the tenancy is up, we will assist that farmer with finding new opportunities on a permanent holding or elsewhere within the agricultural industry.”

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Yorkshire Water’s intention is to give young farmers the tools to create sustainable farms on their 70,000 acres of land. Mentorship, training and business advice will be provided.

Ellie Britton, 22, who was brought up on her parents farm in Ripon, said:

“My dad has a farm with his brother and they both have sons. Their options are to either continue working together or split up into pairs to buy a farm. Farmers often keep farms and hand them down for generations. If they do come up they are unattainably expensive or need a lot of renovation work. I think the Yorkshire Water scheme is a good idea to get people going with experience.”

Applications for Scow Hall Farm will open in late August. More information can be found on the Yorkshire Water website or via their social media pages.

A Harrogate charity chief executive has seen an influx of working requests despite coronavirus.

Disability Action Yorkshire has filled more frontline staff positions in the past two months than in the previous two years.

Jackie Snape, chief executive at Disability Action Yorkshire said:

“One thing coronavirus did was to shine a light on the care sector, and in particular the staff working within it. They have become the nation’s superheroes.

“As a result, the amount of people now wanting to work in the industry is quite extraordinary, it has helped give a shot in the arm to Harrogate’s voluntary sector too.”

The charity and social enterprise has seen a surge in volunteer requests, with an extraordinary number applying to work at its Claro Road care home and Hornbeam Park furniture showroom and training centre.

It is a demand that Ms Snape hopes will continue post-covid.

“Coronavirus has taught how vital the care industry is, and how millions of people rely on the support – and friendship – of its paid employees, and those who give up a few hours a week in a voluntary capacity.”

A woman from Harrogate has organised a golf event at Rudding Park to raise money for Saint Michaels Hospice.

Patricia Blenkinsop decided to start raising money for Saint Michael’s Hospice two years ago after her father was cared for by the team.

The golf competition is just one of a number of events she has organised in the hope of raising money for the charity.

The event, which was supposed to have taken place in April, has been rescheduled for October. Participants will be in teams of four and will complete a round of golf at Rudding Park followed by lunch, a raffle and a silent auction.

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Patricia was also supposed to be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro last month, but due to covid had to rearrange her trek for next June. She told the Stray Ferret:

“The change of date for both events has definitely allowed me more time to fundraise. I was just starting to gear up to really get into training to climb Kilimanjaro and then lockdown came.

“When you’re training to climb the world’s tallest free standing mountain, it is difficult because nowhere in England is that high! All you can do is be as fit as you can.”

Saint Michael’s Hospice offers specialist care and support to people with terminal illnesses.

In 2016, Patricia trekked the Grand Canyon to raise money for the hospice and this year wanted to take on a new challenge. Having got the idea to climb Kilimanjaro a number of years ago when she saw it from the window of a plane, she decided to make it her next target.

The golf event at Rudding Park will take place on October 8. To reserve your team or for more information, email Patricia or visit her JustGiving page.

A contemporary art gallery has relocated from Kirbymoorside to Harrogate.

Bils & Rye on John Street specialise in 3D works such as sculptures and ceramics, as well as abstract paintings. The owner said there’s room in the market and he hopes the move will add to Harrogate’s rich culture scene.

The owner, Nick Bentley, decided to move his gallery to Harrogate as a result of taking part in an arts festival in 2015. He told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate has great competition for art galleries and he would much rather position himself among his idols in the business.

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He said:

“Harrogate has always been a top destination and the strength of the competition here is brilliant. I think there’s room in the market. We have a very different offering to other galleries, yet I think we can work quite well together and put Harrogate on the map as an art destination.

The gallery will be selling sculptures by Simon Gudgen, as well as internationally acclaimed contemporary British painter Dion Salvador Lloyd.

Despite opening up during a pandemic, Nick told the Stray Ferret that covid has given him more opportunities. He said:

“For me, corona was like a gift of time – it really gave me time to think and realise that this is what I want to do. Because I am relocating the business it gave me chance to say ‘lets do it, but let’s do it right’.”

The gallery will open its doors for the first time in Harrogate this weekend and visitors are advised to pre book an appointment.

Despite major roadworks happening outside a fish and chip shop in Harrogate, the owner said it is still surviving.

Harrogate Fisheries on Skipton Road remained open throughout lockdown. However, major roadworks lasting 14 weeks have now started right outside the shop.

Despite parking issues during the day affecting lunch time service, owner Tim Phillips told the Stray Ferret that it “could have been a lot worse.” He said:

“Parking is difficult here at the best of times so people are just not coming during the day, its chaos. In the evenings though the traffic dies down so business becomes much better.”

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The fish and chip shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30am – 8pm.

Tim said that they were given a warning a week before, but it didn’t highlight the extent of the work taking place. During lockdown, the fish and chip shop has been delivering meals to the elderly and care homes. He is optimistic the shop will survive

“We are heading in the right direction; we just aren’t there yet. We are surviving, the team are getting paid and the elderly are getting their food. We have a very loyal customer base and it’s great to see people coming back to the shop again.”

Despite Harrogate welcoming the Eat Out to Help Out scheme this week, Tim says it has not had an impact on his takeaway business. He told the Stray Ferret that he has seen record numbers this week from Monday to Wednesday.

Residents in two specialist dementia care homes in Harrogate have seen improvements in their health and wellbeing thanks to a new programme of stretching classes.

The initiative was launched by Vida Healthcare in its two Harrogate homes, Vida Hall and Vida Grange, and has proven successful since it began in June.

Research shows that staying active and incorporating movement into daily routines can significantly improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Charlotte Gibbs, wellbeing lead at Vida Hall, has seen the positive impact the classes have had on those involved. She said:

“Residents are keen to take part and they remember the time of the stretching classes and are able to memorise and maintain basic stretching routines. This is a significant milestone for many of our residents, especially those living in the later stages of dementia.”

Emma is currently a tutor in acting and movement at the Drama Studio London.

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One resident who broke their shoulder three years ago has also increased their range of movement since taking part in the classes.

The classes are taught virtually by ex-West End star Emma Flett, who has appeared in shows including West Side Story and Goodnight Mr Tom. She said:

“Residents really enjoy the sessions and I can see improvements each week. This time gives both staff and residents the opportunity to do something different and strengthen their bond, which has been especially important during lockdown when loved ones haven’t been able to visit.”