Sneak Peek: New women’s shoe store opens on Montpellier today

A new women’s shoe and accessory store is opening on Montpellier Mews today.

Aideen Fox has been working in fashion for multiple years, initially as a buyer for online stores before going going full-time with her business in October 2019.

Before that, Ms Fox set up Fennec and Darwin in 2018 by doing pop-up shops around the North of England.

She said it was her most recent pop-up in the Victoria Gate centre in Leeds that prompted her to look for her own shop. She said Harrogate was her “number one place to have a shop”.

Tucked away in the corner on one of Montpellier courtyards, next door to Montpellier Mews Antiques Centre, Fennec and Darwin has taken over the space giving it a fresh and elegant look with the shoes taking centre stage.

Ms Fox said:

“It’s an absolutely brilliant location, it just all fell into place and I fell in love with the space.

“I’m really excited to be in Harrogate, I’m based in Leeds so I visit Harrogate alot so it should be really good and I’m excited.”

Brands including Carmela and Vanessa Wu will be sold in the shop

Known to her friends and family as the “shoe monster” Ms Fox is excited to continue her online shop whilst also having a physical space for her customers to visit.

She will be stocking brands such as Carmela, Vanessa Wu and XTI. Customers can expect everything from trainers to knee-high boots to chunky sandals and wedges; something for all the seasons.

She added shoes would range from £25 to around £100 for leather boots.

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Going full-time just before the pandemic hit she said was “tough” but her background it online sales meant she was able to boost that side of her business.

Moving into a retail space of her own is something she’s looking forward to:

“I decided to just go for it myself and give it a go. Of course I love shoes so it just makes sense. I just hope people in Harrogate like what I have to offer, I think they will.”

The shop opens today at 10am.

More donation spots in Harrogate to help Ukrainians

An overwhelming number of people from the Harrogate district have offered donations to help Ukrainians following the Russian invasion.

We will update this blog with new donation spots as we hear about them. If you know about any more drop-off points or other Ukrainian initiatives please let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

6.15pm: Hampsthwaite’s donations heading to Ukraine

Villagers in Hampsthwaite have been donating goods over the past few days at the village church.

A post on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook page thanked the “incredible” effort of everyone involved. The donations have been dropped off at Hales Bar in Harrogate and will be on their way to Ukraine next week.

“The response for donations for Ukraine has been incredible to the extent that over the last three and a half days the baptistry of Hampsthwaite Church was completely crammed. One carload was taken on Monday to the collection centre on Claro Road, which has since become overwhelmed and they could not take any more goods.

“This afternoon, with the help of Debbie Bruce and Nick Beaton we transported all of the remaining donations to Hales Bar in town. We could not have managed this so efficiently had it not been for Acklams Motorcycles and the lovely Joel who volunteered the use of one of their vans to transport all of the donations. Your donations will be on their way early next week to the Polish/Ukraine border where they are much needed.”

Hampsthwaite has thanked Acklam’s Motorcycles for helping transport goods.

5.30pm: Charity dog walk organised

A group of professional dog walkers in Harrogate have organised a charity dog walk for Ukraine. It will start at Hookstone Car Park, HG2 8PN on Sunday March 27.

It costs £5 per dog and starts at 1pm.

For more information visit this Facebook page.

2.50pm: Ripon Cathedral sounds bells for peace

Ripon Cathedral took part in an initiative today to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Canon Michael talks to @joncowap on @BBCYork at 11.35am as we prepare to ring our bells at midday in solidarity with the people of #Ukraine. The bells ring for 7 minutes, 1 min for each day of the war. As they ring – we pray for peace @nickbaines @JulianSmithUK @churchofengland pic.twitter.com/wXg59taZbr

— Ripon Cathedral (@riponcathedral) March 3, 2022

1.58pm: New drop-off point in Harrogate

American-born Whitney Vauvelle, who now lives in Harrogate, has told us she is working with the Global Empowerment Mission to collect items for the Ukraine relief effort.

Items can be dropped off at 52 Cornwall Road, postcode HG1 2PP. Ms Vauvelle says:

“We have specific requests for warm clothes for women and children of all ages: thermals, jumpers, sweats, trousers, socks, nappies, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, hand sanitisers, backpacks and small suitcases.”

Ms Vauvelle is personal friends with Michael Capponi, the founder of Global Empowerment Mission. She said:

“Michael and his team have been in Poland on the border for the last week. The situation is becoming very challenging.

“We are also fundraising to cover further trucking and transportation costs for trucks from the UK to Poland.

“These people desperately need our help.

Ms Vauvelle adds that her great grandparents were Ukrainian and supposedly raised horses for Czar Nicholas II.

12.58pm: Business gives day’s takings to those in need

Bob Partridge, who owns VetDentist, which has a practice in Harrogate, has got in touch to say he was so moved by the plight of Ukrainians that his company donated a day’s takings to the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal.

He said many of his team also made personal donations.

British Red Cross donations are now being overseen by the Disasters Emergency Committee, which co-ordinates the aid agency response to crisis. You can give here.

10.30am – Hales Bar opens as donation drop-off point

Hales Bar in Harrogate has opened as a donation drop-off point for goods to be sent to Ukraine.

Owner Amanda Wilkinson said people can donate any time between 10am-10pm. Anyone arriving before 3pm is asked to go round the back and ring the bell as the bar itself isn’t open.

The most needed items:

Ms Wilkinson has a system in place to store the items in offices at the back of the bar before filling up a truck, which will be taken to a dry store unit.

She has requested people to only stick to items in the list to make the process as easy as possible.

10am – WATCH as Harrogate group prepare boxes of donations to send to Ukrainian refugees

A group of Harrogate residents began collecting donations last weekend in their front rooms, the incredible response from locals meant they had to take up a unit at Claro Business Centre to store teh “tonnes and tonnes of wonderful donations”.

This drop-off point has now stopped taking donations but will be shipping them to those in need tonight.

Joanna Papros, Kinga Goldsmith and Adam Goldsmith have made contact with a haulage company in Halifax which is owned by a Ukrainian man. He is sending over a shipment of clothes, toiletries and other essentials this tonight.

Harrogate social homes could see £100 milllion sustainable refit

The retrofitting of all social housing in Harrogate to zero-carbon standards could cost around £100m and take a decade to complete.

The task has been described as a “huge undertaking” by Harrogate Borough Council, which has revealed plans to upgrade almost 4,000 homes across the district as part of an overall aim to achieve a net zero-carbon economy by 2038.

It will involve more energy-efficient heating systems, insulation, glazing and solar panels being installed to make homes greener – with a pilot scheme on 85 properties starting this summer.

Vincent van der Meulen, operations manager at the council, said the pilot scheme would provide a better idea of the overall costs which are currently estimated to be over £98m.

He also said the council would take “every opportunity” to use government funding to cover the costs.

He told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday:

“Harrogate Borough Council has a target to achieve net-zero emissions for the borough by 2038.

“To ensure our housing stock supports that ambition, a comprehensive and costed programme is required. The plan is intended to create a coordinated approach with a clear evaluation of the combined measures.

“The current estimated cost is in excess of £98million. However, this figure will be refined.”

Making houses greener is a key government target in the fight against climate change as the UK has some of the least energy efficient housing in western Europe.

This comes as the cost of keeping homes warm and running has been brought into sharp focus during the ongoing energy crisis, which is being driven by a surge in global gas and oil prices.

£2.3m pilot scheme

Harrogate Borough Council said it has already taken action to upgrade some of its social homes, although it added this has been done on an “ad hoc” basis and that its latest plans will provide a more coordinated approach.

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The pilot scheme will cost around £2.3million and run until mid-2023.

If it proves to be a success, the retrofitting of all social homes will start soon after with a completion target of mid-2033.

Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, said the plans should be made a high priority by the new North Yorkshire Council, which will take control of all services across the county from April 2023.

He said:

“We already have a stock of just short of 4,000 homes – all of which are above the government’s decent homes standard.

“I’m hopeful as we move forward we will be seen as leading in the field.

“Careful coordination will be needed when we come to the new North Yorkshire Council, particularly as we are only one of three councils in the county holding housing stock.

“We will make sure we provide a lead which others are keen to follow.”

Sneak Peek: Cheese, wine and charcuterie bar opens today in Harrogate

A new cheese, wine and charcuterie bar will open on King’s Road in Harrogate today.

The aptly-named Barcuterie is the latest project by Cold Bath Brewing Co, which operates a pub and brewery opposite Harrogate Convention Centre.

Barcuterie is situated in Cold Bath Clubhouse next door to the brewery and is described by the owners as a “space for flavour experimentation as well as showcasing artisanal food and drink”.

As well as local cheeses, fine wines and meat dishes, the menu will include barrel-aged cocktails and, of course, craft beer from the brewery next door.

Pic credit: Michael Mossman

As the name suggests, the brewery was originally set up on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road before moving to King’s Road.

Jim Mossman, Cold Bath Brewing Co founder described the venue as “a space with enormous potential for a life and identity all of its own and brings another dimension to the Cold Bath experience”.

He said the company had worked with “some wonderful people in a series of pop-ups”, adding:

“Now we feel it is time to really reclaim the space as our own. With that, the concept of The Barcuterie was born.”

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Recently, the clubhouse was home to Paradise Tap n’ Taco which closed after 16 months of residency.

Mr Mossman added:

“Our Barcuterie is a showcase of independent, hand crafted food, drinks and products of our own and from around the country.”

Pic credit: Michael Mossman

The bar is due to open tonight from 4pm to 10pm and will then open on Wednesday and Thursday from 4pm-10pm, on Friday from 4pm-11.30pm, on Saturday from 12pm-11.30pm and on Sunday from 12pm-8pm.

Mother Shipton’s delays reopening again due to landslide

Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough has been forced to delay its reopening again after heavy flooding caused a landslide onto a path.

The famous tourist attraction was due to reopen this weekend after clearing up the debris from recent floods but has now had to delay its reopening for a second time until March 19.

The “slight landslide” has fallen onto Beech Avenue, which is the site of some of the oldest and tallest beech trees in the country, from a bank above.

The landslide has left the well-trodden footpath, which runs from the steps used to access the petrifying well to the entrance of the museum, impassable. Therefore the decision has been taken to delay reopening for another week until the footpath can be made safe.

Jay Stelling, marketing coordinator, said supporting structures were installed last year to prevent damage like this but the strength of the recent storms meant the landslide couldn’t be avoided, adding:

“Our maintenance team had been attempting to clear the pathway and put plans in place to prevent further problems with landslides while we were closed during the winter.

“To rectify this issue permanently we are waiting on permission from the council to gain access above Beech Avenue to assess and establish the remedial work required in order to prevent this problem in the future.”

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Ms Stelling said the slope had experienced a “noticeable shift” in recent years due to climate change. She added:

“We are devastated that this is the case and we are doing everything we can to get the site safe and on top form to welcome back visitors.”

The attraction will open on weekends from March 19 and on weekends and weekdays from April.

WATCH: Harrogate residents prepare to ship donations to Ukrainian refugees

A group of Harrogate residents are working hard to get tonnes of donations ready to ship to Poland to help Ukranian refugees.

Kinga Goldsmith, Adam Goldsmith and Joanna Papros started collecting donations of clothes and toiletries at Ms Papros’ Sowa Polish shop on Bower Road.

She said the response was “overwhelming” and the team quickly had to find a space big enough to store all the donated supplies. They have since been storing the donations in a unit at Claro Business Centre.

Clothes, toiletries, nappies and torches are the most requested items for refugees.

As Polish nationals, Ms Goldsmith and Ms Papros have heard from friends of the number of people trying to cross the border for safety. They wanted to help and are grateful to the people of Harrogate for getting behind them.

The donations are due to be driven to Halifax tonight and then later on will be shipped to Poland.

Ms Papros said:

“The people in Harrogate and around have always been so supportive, it’s not a surprise we’ve had such a response. There’s no question we just have to help.”

The group said they’re monitoring the situation and in contact with people on the ground, they said if the need is there they will launch another appeal for donations.

Volunteers sorting through donations. Photograph: Joanna Papros

Traffic and Travel Alert: Traffic is queuing in Killinghall due to temporary lights outside the new Tesco

Traffic is reportedly queuing in Killinghall this morning due to the temporary lights outside of the new Tesco store in the centre of town.

Yorkshire Water is responsible for the works. It says they will be in place until the end of today.

Delays are currently around six minutes on Ripon Road, A61.

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

More than 100 stand in solidarity with Ukraine during 24-hour Harrogate vigil

A 24-hour vigil at Harrogate’s war memorial was attended by more than 100 people wanting to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Since 10am yesterday, people stood strong against the rain and through a cold night to show their support for Ukrainians.

Organisers Lindis Percy and Shan Oakes, stood for the full 24 hours with around five people joining them each hour.

Overnight, people made a bed up on the steps of the memorial and each took a turn to get inside for warmth. They also relied on the generosity of local businesses including The Yorkshire Hotel and Bettys for hot drinks and toilet facilities.

The organisers said they were very pleased with the turnout and thanked the people of Harrogate for supporting the cause.

Each felt “helpless” sat at home and wanted to do something to show their support. They said people from Ukraine and other neighbouring countries, such as Lithuania, came to join the vigil and told stories of their families still stuck in the war torn country.

Shan Oakes, local green party member, said:

“We had a lot of people coming and going and a lot of interesting conversations. It was really horrific to hear from people who have family in Ukraine. the whole world needs to be worried.

“We wanted to stand in solidarity, it’s the least we can do to stand outside for 24 hours. We have our homes to go back to, it was just a gesture of solidarity really. The turnout just shows there is real support in Harrogate for the Ukrainian people, everyone wants to help.”

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The pair are now calling on local residents to contact Harrogate Borough Council to ask for Ukrainian flags to be flown on the flag poles at the front of the war memorial.

A Ukrainian flag is set to be flown at the council’s buildings, but Ms Oakes and Ms Percy said there needs to be a show of support in the town centre too.

Knaresborough Bed Race extend entry period due to low numbers

Organisers of Knaresborough Bed Race have extended the entry period after failing to get its usual number of entrants.

The historic event which sees teams take part in a 2.4 mile course through the town in fancy dress, pushing a bed, before finishig with an icy swim through the River Nidd.

Each year more than 90 teams enter the race however this year just 83 teams have signed up to take part.

Bed Race chairman Kevin Lloyd said after two years away, due to covid, the organisers want to make sure this event is better than the last so will keep the entry period open until they get 90 teams:

“We are keeping the doors open on a first-come, first-served basis. But teams should be sharpish as we need only a few to reach the 90 figure.

“We normally have more than 90 teams enter, sometimes as many as 140 or 150, and we hold a lottery to decide on the 90 who can run. This year will be different. We have just over 80 and this gives us the opportunity to keep receiving entries for a few more weeks.”

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As many as 30,000 people line the streets for the event which is due to return on June 11. Since the first in 1966 the tradition has been picked up across the world with similar events being held in USA, Germany and New Zealand.

This year’s competitors will have to base their costume and bed design on the theme ‘The Environment: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. 

Activities announced for Battle of Boroughbridge anniversary day

Re-enactments and guided tours will take place in a fortnight to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Boroughbridge.

The battle in 1322 was fought between a rebellious group of barons and supporters of Edward II. The rebels, led by Thomas, Ear of Lancaster, were defeated at Boroughbridge by the king’s army.

The battle itself took place over a timber bridge, thought to have been close to the site of the current bridge over the River Ure in Boroughbridge, and a ford thought to be in the Milby area.

An event to commemorate the battle will be held in the town on March 12 between 10 and 4pm. Members of the public can attend the living history event on the field next to Back Lane carpark throughout the day.

The display will include a combat and weapon demonstration by 3 Swords medieval history group at 10.30am and 2pm on the field as well as numerous other activities throughout the day.

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Guided tours around the town will take place at 11.30am and 3pm. Louise Whittaker, from the Battlefields Trust, will lead the hour-long tours, which will take in the sites connected to the battle, including the bridge.

There will also be an art display curated by students at Boroughbridge Primary School held in the library.

The event is being put together by Boroughbridge Historical Society and the Battlefields Trust.