Newsroom, Author at The Stray Ferret

UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home show to come to Harrogate

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate has been chosen to host the UK’s biggest trade show for holiday homes, caravans and motorhomes next year.

The Great Holiday Home Show will see major manufacturers launch their latest models to the public as well as to parks, dealers and distributors from across the country.

The show will be held from Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10 for the public, followed by a trade-only show from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14.

The event, which was first held as The Lawns Show in 1976, is organised by the Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Caravan Manufacturers’ Association.

The show is moving from Hull, which is the epicentre of the UK caravan industry, to the 250-acre Great Yorkshire Showground to allow more manufacturers to attend than in previous years.

Richard Jones, chairman of HERCMA, said:

“This is an exciting time for the industry as we bring everyone together to put on a comprehensive show, in a central location for an industry that is constantly evolving. The show will be managed for us by the organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show, one of the UK’s biggest events.”

Heather Parry, managing director of the Great Yorkshire Showground, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting and managing The Great Holiday Home Show, this is a significant event for the industry, set in the heart of the UK at a venue that boasts acres of outdoor space along quality indoor space too. Happily, David Ritchie, who has managed the event for over 20 years, will continue to work with us as the show adviser as the show moves to its new venue.”

Event manager David Ritchie said:

“This show is in my blood and it is wonderful to see it develop at a new venue and work with a new team as it continues to expand”.

According to the National Caravan Council, there are more than a million caravan and motor homes in the UK, and around 50 million nights are spent in them each year. The caravan industry contributes more than £6 billion a year to the UK economy.

Metals recovered from council cremations raise £12,000 for bereavement charity

Our Angels, a charity set up by grieving parents, has received a cheque for £12,000 raised by recycling metals recovered from cremations.

The money was donated by Harrogate Borough Council, whose bereavement services sell off the metals twice a year, with consent from bereaved families.

The recycled metals include those used in the construction of the coffins and in orthopaedic implants such as replacements hips and knees and replacement joints.

Our Angels was formed in January 2009 when a group of bereaved parents joined together to support families who had lost a baby.

Emma Lofthouse, chairperson of Our Angels, said:

“Without generous donations like this one from Harrogate Borough Council, Our Angels would not be able to provide its vital support services for bereaved parents.

“Although, sadly, we can’t stop the loss of a baby, we can make sure that every family who faces a loss knows that there is support out there for them.

“Every penny we receive goes into caring for families in their hardest moments, from the memory boxes, sibling support packs, miscarriage care packs, right through to the vital equipment we supply to the Harrogate hospital maternity ward.”

Cllr Sam Gibbs, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“I’d like to thank those families who, during a difficult time, have consented to us recycling metals recovered. By raising this money, everyone involved has done their bit to helping local charities such as Our Angels.”

Harrogate borough mayor Cllr Victoria Oldham said:

“Our Angels support so many bereaved parents at what must be such a difficult time. I hope these valuable funds will help them make a difference to the lives of people they support across the Harrogate district.”

The photo shows commercial and community development manager Jon Clubb, Harrogate mayor Cllr Victoria Oldham, chairperson of Our Angels Emma Lofthouse, Harrogate deputy mayor Cllr Robert Windass and bereavement services manager Stephen Hemsworth.

Final appeal for donations towards £10k cost of Harrogate bonfire

The organisers of the Stray Bonfire are appealing for help to meet the costs of putting on one of Harrogate’s best-loved events tomorrow.

Harrogate Round Table has set a £10,000 fundraising target, but so far less than a tenth of that has been pledged.

The Stray Bonfire event costs about £13,500 to stage, with £5,000 spent on fireworks alone. Organiser Andy Rickard said:

“We run the event as volunteers, but there are costs we can’t avoid, such as parking, medical care and closing roads. It’s free to attend and we’d like to keep it that way, so if you can afford to help out with the costs it would be very much appreciated.”

The event, which starts at 5pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 5) and finishes with a fireworks finale at 7.15pm, will also feature music from three bands, hot food stalls, a licensed bar and – new this year – on-site toilets. The Met Office is forecasting an evening of dry weather.

The organisers had planned to ditch the traditional bonfire this year in favour of other entertainment, but changed their minds last week and reinstated it.

As well as individual donations, the team of volunteers is interested in hearing from any businesses or other organisations which might sponsor the event.

Mr Rickard said:

“If there are any companies that are interested, for £250 you can become a community sponsor and we’ll put your logo up on the big screen in front of about 10,000 people – right before Christmas.

“You can also donate at our GoFundMe page, or give £5 by texting BONFIRE to 70460.

“On the night we’ll even have card-readers, so you can donate that way, but we’ll only have four of them, so we’d urge people to bring cash, as we’ll have 60 bucket-shakers collecting donations.”

Any surplus funds will be donated to Harrogate Homeless Project, which marks 30 years in the town this year.

Mr Rickard added:

“We really wanted to celebrate Harrogate Homeless Project’s 30th anniversary, but also, the cost-of-living crisis is going to affect everybody, but the homeless are potentially the most vulnerable, so we wanted to help as much as we can as winter approaches.”

Knaresborough Christmas Market details revealed

The countdown to the festive season has started in Knaresborough, with just four weeks to go until the town holds its Christmas Market Weekend.

Centred on the huge Christmas tree in Market Place, the two-day shopping event, on Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, will feature almost 60 stalls, selling seasonal goods, decorations, cards, gifts and the best of locally sourced produce.

Hot roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and performances by a wide variety of local dancers, brass bands and choirs promise to add to the festive atmosphere.

The centre of Knaresborough will be largely pedestrianised for the event, but a free park and ride is available all weekend from the GSPK car park (HG5 8LF) on Manse Lane to Chapel Street, close to the market square.

Market chair Hazel Haas said:

“Last year’s market was a huge success and we were thrilled with the feedback from traders and visitors alike. There was such a buzz in the town. I think people were just so pleased to see the return of largescale town events after a difficult 18 months.

“The 2022 market promises to be even bigger and there has been a high demand from traders, with stalls selling out way ahead of time.”

Committee member Charlotte Gale said:

“We have a fantastic range of local independent shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants in town, not just in the market square, but on the surrounding streets and High Street.

“We hope that visitors to the market will also take the time to explore everything which Knaresborough has to offer. The businesses always make such an effort to decorate their windows for Christmas, which gives a wonderful festive feeling in town on the market weekend.”

The market weekend will close at 4.30pm on Sunday, December 4 with a firework finale, set against the dramatic backdrop of Knaresborough’s railway viaduct and the Nidd Gorge.

Ms Haas added:

“We are also keen that this year’s market benefits the town as a whole. Members of our volunteer committee have been liaising with other local organisations and businesses to ensure that we are promoting the full range of festive events taking place in Knaresborough over the market weekend.

“We are also supporting Rotary, Lions, St Michael’s Hospice, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Air Cadets, Girl Guides Association and Knaresborough Cricket Club, who are our charitable partners for this year.”

Business Breakfast: Kirkby Malzeard business group hosts free advice session

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A business group in Kirkby Malzeard will host a free pop-up advice session with some of North Yorkshire’s top business advisers on Monday.

David Kerfoot and David Poole feature in the line-up of consultants at the event, organised by Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Business/Community Group.

The advisers will be giving free advice on funding, networking, training and bespoke business strategy planning.

Mr Kerfoot, who comes from Northallerton and is a deputy lieutenant for North Yorkshire, is a successful businessman who founded a company in 1980 and built it into a £75m business, supplying oils to the food, cosmetics and aromatherapy industries.

Mr Poole, from Bishopdale, is a retired businessman who was formerly managing director and deputy chairman of Thalis plc, and is now a driving force in the Lower Wensleydale Business Network.

The KMLD Business/Community Group, which is part of the local parish council, aims to support rural businesses during challenging economic times and also a special interest in arts and crafts businesses due to the large number of artisans living and working in the area.

The pop-up session will be held from 10am to 11am on Monday, November 7 at St Andrew’s Church, Kirkby Malzeard.

Businesses take part in Harrogate College recruitment fair

Businesses from across the Harrogate district took part in a recruitment fair at Harrogate College this week.

Representatives from 10 businesses visited the college on Wednesday to meet with and interview local students.

Businesses from across the district met with and interviewed Harrogate College students.

Firms including Springfield Healthcare, West Park Care, Cairn Group, Disability Action Yorkshire, Vida Healthcare and Harrogate Healthcare Facilities Management Ltd (Harrogate Hospital) attended the event.

ATM Ltd, Arc Inspirations, Anchor Care Homes and Morrisons also took part.

Danny Wild, Harrogate College principal, said:

“We were delighted to have so many of our key local employers coming along to support this event, which attracted a lot of interest from our students.

“To have a couple of job offers being made on the day was fantastic, and I know that most of the participating businesses also took away contact details for a number of other students that they may well be back in touch with.

“This recruitment fair emerged following Harrogate College Employers’ Network feedback, and is part of our continuing push to ensure our training helps local businesses thrive.

“It was very encouraging to see the first one go so well and we look forward to holding more fairs, supported by our local business partners, as a regular part of the college’s calendar going forward.”

Harrogate swimming club seeks sponsor to keep head above water

Harrogate District Swimming Club is appealing for help from businesses to help it sustain its recent stellar run of successes in the pool.

Swimmers at the club have won armfuls of medals, and even broken a world record at competitions over the last couple of weeks. But club officials are keen to find a corporate sponsor to help it recoup the loss of thousands of pounds over the last three years.

Normally, the club would hold three weekend-long swimming galas a year at Harrogate Hydro and bank the profits, but the covid pandemic and the closure of the Hydro for its £11.8m refurbishment has seen that source of income all but dry up.

Team manager and communications officer Brian Charlton said:

“We’ve only been able to hold one gala in the last three years. So we’ve lost eight out of the nine galas we would have held, and about £2,000 each time. That’s a huge amount to make up.

“We’ve approached several of Harrogate’s larger companies, but with no luck so far. Hopefully we’ll be able to hold a gala in 2023, but until then we’d really like to find a sponsor to help us out.”

Gold rush in Sheffield

The world record-breaking female 4x200m front crawl 200-239 yrs team: Julie Hoyle, Jo Beardsworth, Karen Graham and Fiona Cryan.

Swimmers from HDSC recently competed with 1,000 others from across the country at the annual Swim England Senior/Masters National Championships in Sheffield, coming away with 14 gold medals, five silvers and three bronze, as well as four European/British records and even a world record for the ladies 4x200m front crawl 200-239 years team.

Younger swimmers were also in action at the second short course County Championships, also known as the ‘Yorkshires’. Overall, they achieved 34 top-ten finishes, including eight gold medals, four silvers and one bronze.

Obituary: John Abel, managing director of Harrogate International Hotel

John Abel, the founder and first managing director of the Harrogate International Hotel which is now the Crowne Plaza, has died after a short illness.

The son of a banker, Mr Abel attended Culford School in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and subsequently qualified as a chef from the Birmingham College of Food – although he never cooked at home – followed by a hotel management course.

He started his hotelier career in Norfolk, before moving to Harrogate in 1970 to become managing director of the St George Hotel.

Following the sale of the hotel, the money was raised for building the then Harrogate International Hotel. Mr Abel, as its first managing director oversaw the construction of the hotel, which he proudly delivered on schedule and on budget, with it formally opening in January 1985.

Renowned for his genteel nature and sense of fun, he subsequently joined Allott and Associates as a new business manager and is credited with winning lots of new accounts, many of which are still active with the business today. Latterly, he was retained as an associate and oversaw the advertising department.

Outside work he enjoyed fine dining and horse racing. His passion for horse racing was caught from his wife Vivien and together they spent a lot of their spare time attending fixtures and he was a keen member of York Racecourse for over 45 years.

Ultimately, Mr Abel was a people person. He was passionate about Harrogate and protecting its heritage and where necessary he didn’t hold back from ensuring that those in elected office were aware of his concerns.

He was a church elder at St. Paul’s United Reformed Church in Harrogate and together with Vivien visited elderly people as far afield as Scarborough, to support them.

At home, Mr Abel loved gardening and visiting the eateries and shops in Harrogate.

Mr Abel died on October 4, aged 81. He is survived by his wife Vivien, who he was married to for 52 years, and his younger brother Guy, who lives in New Zealand.

This obituary was written by Philip Allott, founder of Allott and Associates.

Harrogate district autism charity celebrates 10th anniversary

A Harrogate district autism charity is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

Autism Angels hosts sessions for autistic children and their families at Throstle Nest Farm near Summerbridge.

The charity offers horse-riding therapy sessions along with kids’ clubs and day camps.

Sarah Kekoa, who founded the charity in 2012, said she believed that the charity had led to “breakthroughs” with children’s experiences.

Ms Kekoa added that they took a positive approach which was not always present in everyday life:

“A lot of people project on to them that they can’t do [things] and we don’t believe that. We believe they can do. It’s just how.”

The charity aims to teach life skills such as teamwork, kindness and feeling able to speak up.

It also uses the occasional unpredictability of the horses to help children address their fears and anxieties.

The organisation also works as a space for the parents to come together to talk about their experiences and share their advice.

For Ms Kekoa, the last decade has brought “breakthroughs” in terms of helping children.

However, she stressed, the end outcome was not the same for every child. She said:

“We had children coming last week who weren’t even in school and are now going back to school now in September… The aim isn’t always to get them back into school, but the aim is to always to keep their mental health and wellbeing a priority.”

To celebrate the anniversary, Autism Angels is hosting a party for those involved in the charity this weekend.

In April, some of the families undertook a 150-mile journey coast-to-coast journey and raised more than £10,000.

Sarah Kekoa, founder of the Autism Angels charity

Sarah Kekoa founded the Autism Angels charity in 2012 (photo: Autism Angels)

Time with “the Horse Whisperer”

Ms Kekoa was inspired to start the riding therapy after spending time with American horse trainer Monty Roberts, who is known as “the Horse Whisperer” in the United States.

She noticed similarities between the non-verbal communication methods of the horses and autistic children. She said:

“It’s the way that they move and behave which tells their story.”

‘She was a remarkable woman’ – Harrogate Neighbours pays tribute to the Queen

Staff and residents at care and assistance service Harrogate Neighbours have paid tribute to the Queen.

The CEO, Sue Cawthray, said she wanted to express her “deepfelt sorrow.” She added:

“We will all have our own personal memories of a remarkable woman and I am sure over the coming days and weeks we will gain strength as we come together to mourn as a nation.”

Residents have also recalled their past experiences and meetings with the Queen.

Kate Smith, 89, said:

“I remember sleeping on The Mall at the age of 19 years old to watch The Queen’s Coronation it was a wonderful experience and something that has stayed with me all my life. She was a remarkable woman.”

LIVE: Harrogate district church bells ring out to mark the Queen’s death

This sentiment was shared by Chris Taylor, who looks after maintenance and the grounds at the company’s The Cuttings retirement complex. He said:

“I served in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from 1976 to 1991. HM The Queen was my Colonel in Chief. On two occasions I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty.

“I was one of her escorts for a regimental tercentenary celebrations and in later years I was part of an armoured escort from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles Cathedrals. She made all of us feel at ease during her visits.”

Harrogate Neighbours have said that they ‘would like to thank Her Majesty The Queen for serving the people for over 70 years with commitment, dedication and unwavering and selfless loyalty to our country and the commonwealth.’

Ms Cawthray added that the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service which the team received in 2020 would be treasured.

She confirmed that the flag on the company’s site would be flown at half-mast during the mourning period.

‘It’s still too high’ – Harrogate residents on the government’s energy announcement

This morning, Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the government’s plans to deal with spiralling energy costs.

The Prime Minister announced the price cap would be frozen at £2,500 per year for the average household for the next two years.

The Stray Ferret asked people in Harrogate’s town centre what they thought of the announcement.

Of the seven people we spoke to, none of them thought the measures would be enough.

These are their thoughts:

Amandine Thomas and Lauren Keane

Lauren Keane and Amandine Thomas, from Harrogate, were out having lunch in the town centre.

Ms Keane wanted to know why the government had not been looked at other options for reducing bills:

“It’s still too high. It’s annoying to know that other countries have capped it at reasonable levels.”

“This is probably it [for price reductions]. They seem to care about profits compared to people.”

“We need to invest more in renewable energy.”

Ms Thomas added:

“I know at the moment [prices are high], obviously with the war in Ukraine and general inflation. Hopefully they won’t stay like that.”

Brian Hazell

Brian Hazell feared that people would suffer if more was not done to help people with their bills:

“[Prices] are too high. It’s got to [come down], or a lot of people are going to be poorly off this winter.”

“They need to make energy companies pay. [The government] will get us into debt and will have to pay it off for years if we’re not careful.”

Mr and Mrs Newall

On Cambridge Street, Mr and Mrs Newall placed the blame on the government. Mr Newall said:

“Typical Tory government helping their rich friends and the poor all pay the price. It won’t change until we get another government, but another government wouldn’t do much either. I don’t know how they sleep on a night.”

Mrs Newall added:

“People who stay in all day need to use more fuel than we probably do. We’re fixed until December [but then the bill will increase], won’t it?”

Courtney Nicholson

This sentiment was shared by Courtney Nicholson:

“It’s an insult to the public that they’re freezing them. They should be bringing them down. People are struggling. I can’t make a wage stretch a month anymore. Bills are going up. They should be actively trying to bring them down. It’s no way to live.”

Jane Schaffer

Jane Schaffer runs a pottery business which she brings to Harrogate’s farmers market.

She has seen the energy costs increase for the kiln she uses to make her pottery. She said:

“There’s a lot of hype around [the cost of energy]. I’m wondering about them going up. If they go up as predicted, it’ll be double the cost.

“The media have a lot to answer for – scaremongering.”

However, Ms Schaffer was concerned that the general increase in the cost of living may affect the number of people buying her items:

“One the one hand they’re essentials, on another they’re luxury items.”

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