The festive season is over, payday seems like a lifetime away and there is often a sense of pressure to make big life changes at this time of the year.

And all of that is made worse by the fact it is still cold, dark, wet and miserable outside, with months to go until summer comes around.

So it is no surprise that Blue Monday – the ‘most depressing day of the year’ — falls in January.

Blue Monday usually falls on the third Monday of January, which this year is the 17th.

It appears to have originated in 2005 after a press release from Sky Travel used an equation to calculate the dreaded date.

So what should we do this year to beat those Blue Monday blues?

Harrogate life coach Lisa Duffield, owner of the Lisa Duffield Centre, has four tips.

1 Comparison is the thief of joy

“I wanted to share a little insight I have found within the clients I work with.

“Individuals that are suffering from what is branded the ‘January blues’ are all so focused on comparison.

“Comparison of this month to last month, this year to last year…

“You and your family’s goals or plans, compared to the family next door, or the family who you spend all your time watching on Instagram that you will never meet. And from this insight I bring you my first pill-free prescription to beat the case of January blues.

“Comparison is the single biggest waste of your time.

“Next time you find yourself comparing yourself to others or your life to others etc. just stop take a breath and if you insist on comparing yourself at all, think about you, how far have you come, what have you learned since yesterday, last year or even an hour ago.”

Harrogate life coach, Lisa Duffield.

2 Make realistic goals

“January blues can also shine through goal setting and unrealistic expectations.

“For some reason many of us believe that when the clock strikes 12 on January 1, you change into a new person, fitter, healthier, wealthier.

“Old traditions even show that we wish our first foot “all the wealth, health and happiness” for the New Year. While this is very kind, it does not mean that you have to become an overnight fitness fad and a self-made billionaire.

“Here comes the second tip, make realistic goals that you know you are able to achieve.

“You may have a big dream and that is amazing, but break it down into incremental chunks.

“Make smaller goals that you know will get to. They could be ‘eat more green veg’ or ‘move for an extra 30 minutes per day’, rather than ‘complete a bodybuilding competition and win in three months’.”

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3 Surround yourself with positivity

“Spend time with those who make you happy.

“Over Christmas many of us spend a lot of time with family and friends, we make the effort to go and see relatives that we haven’t seen since the year previous, or we say Merry Christmas to people in the street and smile.

“This makes us happy because we have also made others feel happy. Why stop?

“You can still spend time with ones you love and you can still engage with people in the street. A simple good morning or hello will work wonders.”

4 Try something new

“Last but not least. We’ve all heard it. ‘Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results’.

“It’s time to try something new.

“If you are looking for a different result in 2022 and maybe you are feeling a little deflated, step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

“You will be surprised the paths this teeny act can lead to, you meet new people, learn and experience new things.”

4 ways to cheer yourself up on Blue Monday – by Nina Meads

1 Go for a walk

Nidd Gorge, is one of the many scenic walks that explore nature in the Harrogate district.

In the Harrogate district, we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by stunning countryside. We really are spoilt for choice and personal favourites are Thruscross Reservoir, Nidd Gorge and Hookstone Wood. You also can’t beat a walk around the grounds at Fountains Abbey or Knaresborough waterside.

So lace up those walking boots and head out into the great outdoors. Fresh air and being amongst nature will boost your mood.

If you’re at work, grab a coffee and go for a stroll on your lunch break.

2 Pamper yourself

Rudding Park Spa.

If you want to really spoil yourself, book into Harrogate’s Turkish Baths or enjoy a spa session at Rudding Park, Grantley Hall or Swinton Park.

If money or time is tight, nothing beats a good bath and a book.

3 Do some exercise and practice mindfulness at a Festival of Wellbeing in Harrogate

A ‘festival of wellbeing’ is being held in Harrogate.

While it’s not taking place on Blue Monday itself, OneWellness, in Mowbray Square, is hosting a second Festival of Wellbeing on Saturday, January 15, to help boost mental health.

The free festival from 9am until 4pm, which is being run in association with Mind Harrogate, Sweaty Betty and Hustle & Co, will offer a range of fitness, nutrition and health classes and talks.

From mindfulness and wellbeing, relax and de-stress yoga, to Pilates, barre, and dance cardio classes, the wellbeing experts at OneWellness have tailored each lesson to suit everyone and help boost physical fitness levels whilst increasing positive wellbeing.

4 Meet a friend for a cuppa and cake

Betty’s Harrogate.

The Harrogate district has some of the best coffee shops and tearooms in the country, including lots of amazing independents and the famous Betty’s.

Arrange to meet a friend for a catch-up and lots of laughs. After all, laughter is good for the soul. Oh and don’t forget the cake. That’s essential.

A Pilates and yoga studio aimed at bringing “a London feel” to Harrogate has opened in an old chapel on Skipton Road.

Alicja Palutkiewicz, launched Empowered Movement Space, which specialises in Reformer Pilates, after spending years teaching in community centres, halls and gyms across district.

Ms Palutkiewicz, who is originally from Poland and has lived in Harrogate for 14 years, started instructing Pilates in 2015, before qualifying as a yoga teacher a few years later.

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She said:

“I decided to open this studio to create a relaxed environment for my students where they can come along, socialise, meet like-minded people, move their bodies and clear their mind.

“Also I wanted to be able to teach from one place, have all my equipment stored there and ready to use whenever needed.”

The studio, based at The Old Chapel, offers mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates and yoga classes, as well as private one-to-one sessions.

The new studio is based in The Old Chapel on Skipton Road, Harrogate.

Ms Palutkiewicz said:

“I am a big fan of Reformer Pilates. I have had one Reformer for numbers of years and was teaching private classes only.

“It’s an amazing piece of apparatus and having a space in a studio allows me to have four of them and make it more accessible for everyone to join and try it.

“Also, when I was looking for a Reformer class, I felt there wasn’t one in Harrogate so I had to travel to Leeds to attend one.

“The main difference between mat and Reformer is that you work with your body weight on a mat and against the spring tension on Reformer, so it is more suitable for people with injuries.”

The Reformer Pilates machines in action.

Ms Palutkiewicz said the old church in which the studio is based provided lots of space and a “really good atmosphere”.

She added:

“I hope my studio will bring a little bit of a ‘London feel’ to Harrogate, as nearly every Pilates studio in London is equipped with Reformers.”

A popular family pub on the outskirts of Harrogate is set to get a luxury makeover.

The Old Spring Well, at Killinghall, will be rebranded as the Curious Cow and will reopen as part of the Revere Pub Company, which is the premium arm of Marston’s.

Marston’s has yet to provide further details of the refurbishment, but a spokeswoman from the pub company confirmed the move.

She said:

“The Curious Cow will be reopening as part of Revere which is the premium arm of Marston’s Pubs.”

A recruitment drive for chefs and bar and waiting staff is currently taking place, with the job advert from Revere stating:

“Our premium food and drink offering is at the heart of each experience with Josper charcoal-cooked steaks, crisp wood fired pizzas and hearty Sunday roasts always being part of the delicious seasonally changing menu.”

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The Foundry Project, in Harrogate, is also part of the Revere group, however the spokeswoman said this obviously operated more like a city centre bar than a pub, despite falling under the same brand.

A licensing application has been submitted to change the operating hours of the pub, which is currently still open, including until 1am on a Friday and Saturday.

The Old Spring Well was built on the site of the Travellers Rest pub, which was demolished about 10 years ago.

One thing Harrogate isn’t short of is independent coffee shops.

Once associated as a trendy hangout for hipsters, now the majority of the population are queuing up to get their caffeine fix – and it better be a decent flat white.

New venues on the scene include Swedish coffee house Fi:k, in the Montpellier Quarter, which has also recently opened a branch in Knaresborough, Cortado, on Leeds Road and Heal, also in the Montpellier. There is also Bamber & Brown, a barista bar at Birk Crag, where you can enjoy an artisan coffee in a tipi, and Constellation Coffee, which opened on East Parade last month. Another Swedish coffee shop, Nord, is also set to open on Otley Road.

But what is it about these coffee shops that everyone is going nuts for? And can the town handle the increasing number?

Opening its doors on Leeds Road in August last year, Cortado is one of the new kids on the block.

Meeting spot

Manager Erin Seelig said:

“We felt like the Leeds Road area was missing the market as most of them are directed towards town and this area really needed something.

“Coffee shops are now slowly starting to expand out into the neighbourhoods, which is great.

“It’s a hub and a meeting spot for a lot of people, especially in Harrogate.”

Erin said she believed each coffee shop in Harrogate had it’s own community and offered something slightly different, with Cortado focusing on takeaways to cater for an increase in the number of people who grab one and go for a stroll.

Find your niche

She said this was a habit that had been formed on the back of the lockdown daily walks.

“We see the same people – and their dogs – every day and for us it’s lovely to serve the community.

“For us we are trying to create our own identity. You have got to find your niche.

“If you look at the coffee shops in Harrogate, some focus on the cakes, some do brunch and they all attract different types of people.”

Manager Erin Seelig at Cortado on Leeds Road.

Erin said customers cared more about the different blends of coffee than ever before and often liked to know where the beans were roasted.

Affordable luxury

She said:

“It’s an affordable luxury and it’s a part of the day a lot of people look forward to as there is also the social element.

“I think there is plenty of room for new coffee shops as Harrogate has a big population of residents, as well as tourists. It’s always nice to have choice, and if one of them is full, you can pick another.

“All the independent coffee shops support each other as well. We get massive support from Bean and Bud, Hoxton North and No.35. They have been in here lots and we go to them. We can share ideas, which is really nice.”

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Matthew Edmonds and Oliver Highland Edmonds launched HealMedical and Wellness Spa around seven years ago and last month they added artisan coffee and gift shop to their business, which is based in the Montpellier Quarter.

Coffee and chat

Matthew said:

“The vision for the coffee shop is to enhance the wellness spa with a relaxing, calm space in which having a coffee and a chat becomes an integral part of your experience.

“The retail gifting area aims to highlight independent businesses who strive to give back, whether it be working with the learning difficulties community or supporting environmental causes. This sums up the ethos of Heal.”

Matthew Edmonds, owner of Heal.

Unique experience

Matthew agreed that all new coffee shops in Harrogate should bring the community a unique experience.

He added:

“This is what we are aiming to do at Heal by also stocking quirky gifts and cards that you don’t see everywhere.”

Heal’s coffee and gift shop in the Montpellier Quarter.

January can be a pretty depressing month.

Our finances have usually taken a hit thanks to Christmas, we feel run-down due to the impact the festive season has had on our nutrition and sleep and the cold, gloomy days don’t help either.

Add to that the effect the pandemic has, and continues to have, on our mental health, it comes as no surprise some of us just want to lie down in a dark room and hibernate until spring.

If the past year has been a slog, these breaks focusing on nutrition, yoga and mindfulness in the Harrogate district can help restore balance, health and creativity.

A total of 404 infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district today — down on yesterday’s daily record figure of 493.

However, the district’s seven-day average rate of infection has risen from 1,139 and now stands at 1,329 per 100,000 people.

North Yorkshire’s rate is 1,269 and the England rate is 1,508.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash remains the worst hit area, with 163 cases in the last seven days.

The number of people who have received a third or booster vaccine in the district stands at 101.983. A total of 364,100 vaccines have been administered.

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The dark sky above the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is one of the most beautiful and darkest in the country.

Being free from light pollution, it is the perfect place for families to stargaze.

Now, visitors to one of the area’s top tourist attractions are being invited to view the stars from a canoe at Scar House Reservoir as part of the seventh Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Park Dark Skies Festival.

How Stean Gorge is hosting a series of activities and pizza nights for the festival, which is returning from February 18 until March 6 after it was forced to go virtual last year due to covid restrictions.

It comes after the Yorkshire Dales National Park was officially granted the status of an ‘International Dark Sky Reserve’ at the end of 2020, making it one of the best places in the world to view the skies above.

Astronomy lovers will be able to glide and paddle a rafted canoe on the reservoir, one of three Dark Sky Discovery Sites in the Nidderdale AONB, surrounded by the moon and the stars.

Tony Liddy, head of outdoor education and estates manager at How Stean Gorge, said:

“Scar House Reservoir is one of the darkest places in the UK because there is no light pollution. When the weather is on your side, you can go up there and it is perfect – flat and calm and not a cloud in the sky.

“We do the trips with small numbers, with 16 for each trip, which last around 90 minutes. Saturdays have been booking up fast, so we have opened bookings for Fridays.

“The canoes are rafted together and you head out in groups of six or eight with an instructor. You can then use a pre-downloaded app on your phone to look at the constellations.

“Children from age seven can do the canoeing, so it’s great to do with the kids. Families often come back and do the other activities at How Stean.”

The canoe trips, which will be weather dependent, will take place in February from 7pm until 8.30pm on Saturday 19, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 and in March on Friday 4, Saturday 5, Friday 11 and Saturday 12.

If the canoeing is unable to go ahead, alternative activities, including gorge walking or caving, will be provided.

An International Dark Sky Reserve (IDA) is defined as a ‘public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment.’

Other sites that have protected status include the Grand Canyon and Death Valley National Parks in America, Mont-Mégantic National Park in Canada and NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia.

For more information and to book click here.

Villagers raised around £800 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance after the Hampsthwaite vs Birstwith tug of war competition made a welcome return.

Hundreds of people watched the annual event at Hampsthwaite cricket ground on New Year’s Day, which was cancelled last year due to covid restrictions.

The tradition dates back to the 1980s, but about eight years ago it became a competition between two pubs in the neighbouring villages; The Joiners Arms, in Hampsthwaite, and The Station Hotel, in Birstwith.

The crowd cheered as Hampsthwaite claimed the victory in both the men’s and women’s events, which were captained by Robin Hardcastle and Nicola Binns.

Hampsthwaite’s winning men’s team.

This was despite Birstwith putting up a strong fight.

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The event finished with children from the villages having a go – with a bit of help from the adults – before people headed to The Joiners Arms for pie and peas.

Rebecca Cranage, owner of the Joiners Arms, said:

“I would like to say thank you to everyone who came to the tug of war and who donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I would also like to thank Amy Howard, who organised both the Birstwith teams.”

Ms Cranage has lived in the village for 20 years and, like many villagers, has fond memories of watching the event.

It has evolved over the years after starting as a Brits vs Americans competition featuring men from the RAF Menwith Hill base.

Hampsthwaite’s winnning women’s team.

A raffle also raised funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Knaresborough’s Boxing Day tug of war was cancelled due to covid uncertainty, but organisers have said they are hopeful the event will be able to take place this year.

When it comes to fitness, it’s time to ditch those over-ambitious New Year’s resolutions, because at the end of the day it’s all about doing what you enjoy and staying consistent if you want to hit those goals.

However, there will always be fads – remember those trainers that claimed to give you Kim Kardashian glutes and those belts that gave you an electric shock?

But what have we got in store for 2022?

Two Harrogate personal trainers give their views on what fitness trends we will see in the New Year.

Lauren Randall 

PT Lauren Randall

Home training

You can see great results from callisthenic (body weight) training and using simple exercise kit at home. To see good results, you want to follow a plan that progressively overloads you. Doing random High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts will help your cardio to a certain level, but if your aim is long-term home training and progression, get yourself a structured plan.

3 Simple Home Kit Essentials:

• • Resistance bands
  • Kettlebell or dumbbells
  • Suspension trainer

Fitbit fanatic

Wearable fitness trackers have been huge for a while and they are great for getting people moving and increasing that daily step count. Incredible upgrades can now help track heart rates, split times, sleep, health markers and recovery like never before!

However, focusing on how many calories are burnt in a session is an ineffective method of progressing your strength and fitness. Not only can these trackers be inaccurate, exercise is about so much more than a number on a watch.

Mental and physical health, energy, confidence, performance and getting out of a chair at 99-years-old are all far more motivating long-term.

The great outdoors

Research shows that fresh air, sunlight and being surrounded by green nature has incredible benefits to our health such as lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, improved mood and healthier nervous systems. Working out in the fresh air leaves you feeling invigorated and energised. Yes even in the rain! Cold water exposure is extremely popular, with outdoor swimming and paddle boarding groups popping up in every town. Check out Wim Hof if you want to learn the crazy effects cold water can have on us.

Now more than ever people are conscious of their health and fitness. There is incredible access to all types of gyms, outdoor training centres, great home kit and technology that can help anyone, anywhere.

My top tip for anyone looking to improve their health this year: Do what you enjoy! It is the best way to remain consistent and have a good time while exercising – even if it is weighted hula hooping, which by the way won’t give you toned abs.

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Louise Roberts 

PT Louise Roberts

What does fitness have in store for us in 2022?

Much as I would love an aerobics revival (who didn’t love that in the 90s?!), I doubt that will happen any time soon.

2020 and 2021 were both equally bleak, yet innovative, years for the fitness industry.

I’ve lost clients to Peleton and other app-based classes and trainers, yet gained Zoom clients elsewhere in the country.

The best thing going forward is that people are now prioritising their health.

In my opinion fitness is not something you can churn out in an app like a sausage factory, people appreciate the personalised customised face-to-face approach.

I’m hoping for no more lockdowns or outdoor workouts. It’s too damned cold.

The main trend for 2022 should be finding the thing you love doing the most, as well as the person to train you that you trust and who motivates you. The stronger you can make yourself by training the right way, the better you can fight and recover from illness.

After the headache of the last few months of 2021, I’m sure we could all use a strong drink when the clock strikes midnight.

Whether you’re isolating and planning to live it up at a virtual zoom party or you’re just chilling out on the sofa watching Jools Holland, we rounded up three simple cocktail recipes from Harrogate bartenders that will help you enter 2022 in style.

So get dressed up (or don’t) and raise a glass to better days ahead.

Pink 75 – Banyan 

Jack Whiting, bar supervisor, said:

“This is a nice one for New Year as it includes prosecco and you serve it in a champagne flute. You can garnish it with orange or put a flower in it, so it looks quite nice. I make it at home with my family all the time. It’s quite easy so anyone can make it.”

Pink 75

Ingredients

15ml Tanqueray gin

15ml Chambord liqueur 

15ml lemon juice 

15ml sugar syrup

Prosecco to top it up

Method

Add all the ingredients, apart from the prosecco, to a cocktail shaker with ice (about half the shaker) and shake. If you don’t have sugar syrup, you can make this by mixing sugar with boiling water and cooling it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pour through a strainer into a champagne flute and top up with prosecco.

Garnish with a slice of orange or a flower.

Espresso martini – Foundry Project

Jody Shearer, bookings manager, said:

“It’s perfect for New Year’s Eve as it is easy to make and the caffeine kick keeps you going through the night!”

Espresso martini

Ingredients

25ml Kahlua 

25ml Absolut vodka 

12.5 ml vanilla syrup or vanilla vodka for an extra kick

50ml freshly ground coffee

Method

Measure all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake.

Pour through a strainer into a coupe cocktail glass and serve with a coffee bean garnish.

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White Stray – Three’s a Crowd

Francesco Deleo, bartender, said:

“This is a good one for New Year’s Eve as it’s a nice looking cocktail and it’s easy to make. People love Kahlua and Frangelico. Your friends will be jealous when you make it. You also don’t need a cocktail shaker.”

White Stray

Ingredients

20ml Jack Daniels 

20ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur 

20ml Kahlua

50ml (approx) double or squirty cream

Large marshmallow to garnish

Method

Pour the ingredients, apart from the cream, into a whisky tumbler, top with ice and stir.

Top-up with the double or squirty cream

If you have a chef’s blowtorch, use this to toast the marshmallow, if not use gas or a lighter, then serve it on top of the cream.

Francesco Deleo, bartender at Three’s a Crowd, makes a White Stray cocktail.