Calls for more police as anti-semitic graffiti remains in Knaresborough

Anti-semitic graffiti is still covering some of Knaresborough’s key monuments, amid calls for more police officers to patrol the streets.

The town’s 12th century castle and statues of Blind Jack and Mother Shipton on Market Place were defaced in an overnight attack on Saturday night.

Crude images and Nazi swastikas remain sprayed on the side of the castle and the bronze statues in the Market Place are still discoloured.

The castle graffiti is situated in full view of Knaresborough police station, which has cameras on top of the roof.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:

“We have launched an investigation in to the graffiti from the Castlegate area of Knaresborough. All lines of enquiry are currently been pursued.

“North Yorkshire Police takes all reports of hate crime seriously. Anyone who is the victim of a hate crime is encouraged to report the incident to police via 101.”

Harrogate Borough Council said in a statement today it was aware of the vandalism and was looking into the best way for it to be removed but gave no timeframe.

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Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“It is incredibly disappointing that someone, or a group of individuals, have found it appropriate to deface the heritage of Knaresborough in this way and we will be doing what we can to identify those responsible.

“If any members of the public witnessed any of the damage being carried out, or if any businesses have their own CCTV in the area that has captured any relevant footage, I would encourage them to contact North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible.”

Steve Teggin, a local business owner and the chair of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said anti-social behaviour was becoming a serious concern for local businesses.

He said further action needed to be taken, including more police officers in the town:

“The chamber and traders are getting quite concerned. Ninety per cent of people visiting Knaresborough are great and contribute to the economy but there are some letting us down. There just isn’t enough police presence and people thing they can get away with stuff.

“We need more police on the streets.”

Vintage tractors on show in Ripon next weekend

A collection of around 30 vintage tractors and engines will take over a Ripon garden centre next weekend.

The event organised by the West Yorkshire Vintage Tractor and Engine Club, based in Harrogate, is to encourage its members and the public to enjoy outdoor events once more.

In previous years the club has hosted a wealth of events but coronavirus put a stop to that. Members have frequently put their tractors on display at Newby Hall’s Tractor Fest.

However, next weekend chairman Mark Nicholson said members are travelling from across the area with their machinery.

Tractors and stationary engines will be running throughout the day for people to take a look.

The entry is free and he is encouraging people with an interest to come down and have a look. He said:

“Some of our members have worked with the machinery for decades so have hug amounts of knowledge. We are running it so people can get out again and just have a chat.”

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The event is free and will be open fro 9am to 4pm next Saturday, September 25 at Tate’s garden centre.

The club has been going for 51 years with some of the founding members still involved. The group meets once a month to talk about their shared interest in vintage machinery.

‘It’s allowed me to live’: Ripon women tell their stories of organ donation

Two women from Ripon have come together to spread the message of organ donation after experiencing first-hand how important it is.

Ahead of Organ Donation Week next week, Dr Claire Corps and Verity Blackman have shared their stories.

Dr Claire Corps is a double organ recipient and Ms Blackman agreed for her husband’s organs to be donated when he died last year.

Claire’s Story: 

Claire is a senior research scientist in the transplant team at St James’s Hospital, Leeds, and a kidney and liver transplant recipient.

At eight-years-old she had to have a kidney transplant after going into renal failure and then 21 years later at 29 she became very ill once again and had to have a liver transplant.

She says her experiences as an organ recipient and working within the transplant team have shown her how much of a gift organ donation is. She said:

“My transplants allowed me to live. When I was waiting for my liver transplant my nephew was two and I didn’t know if I’d see him grow up but I have and now I have more nieces and nephews.

“People need to have these conversations with their next of kin, let them know your wishes. We lose a lot of organs because relatives don’t know what their loved ones want.”

In May 2020 the law for organ donation in England changed. It means if you are over 18, are not in an excluded group and haven’t opted out,  you are considered an organ donor. Your family will still be consulted by doctors.

Verity’s Story

Verity Blackman’s husband Geoff died in September last year after suffering a heart attack. Ms Blackman had already discussed with Geoff what his wishes were and was able to donate his kidneys and cornea for transplant.

She said:

“My husband is dead and two people are alive because of him and that’s miraculous.

“It helps a little knowing two people are able to live their life because of my husband. It’s so important to have these conversations.”

Verity and Geoff on their wedding day in 1969.

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The two are supporters of the Harrogate Network for Organ Donation Support; a local group bringing those affected by organ donation together.

The group is arranging a walk around Valley Gardens next weekend to raise awareness locally.

Harrogate woman discovers she’s pregnant and has cancer within a month

A young woman from Harrogate has urged people to check themselves after finding out she was pregnant and had breast cancer within a month.

Nicky Davis, 38, found out she was pregnant with her “miracle baby” on April 14 after three failed rounds of IVF.

But exactly a month later she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after finding a lump.

At first she thought the lump could be related to her pregnancy but it wasn’t. The cancer was in her breast and spread to the skin causing an orange peel effect.

She began chemotherapy in June when she was 11 weeks pregnant and will keep going until November before giving birth.

Nicky said:

“We’d been trying for a baby for a long time so it was an absolute miracle.

“My cancer is hormone-responsive so it’s likely I’ve always had cancerous cells but the pregnancy had a huge impact. Without the baby I may never have known, this baby basically saved my life.

“We went from the highest of highs then to the lowest of lows.”

A week ago, Nicky had a single mastectomy to remove her breast and several lymph nodes to prevent the cancer spreading.

Due to her high risk pregnancy, Nicky will be delivering her baby girl early in November. After this she will continue chemotherapy and then move onto radiotherapy.

Nicky with her husband Mark on their wedding day in August.

Despite all of this she wants to raise awareness and encourage people to check themselves regularly:

“Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are or how old you are. I had no family history and I’m still young.

“Even if people set a reminder in their phones to check themselves every few weeks, it’s so so important and we all need to do it.”

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Nicky is very grateful for all the “incredible” care received at Harrogate District Hospital but said it has made her more aware of the difference is healthcare in different countries.

She is now working with her family to fundraise for Breast Cancer Support. The charity works with breast cancer patients across the world who can’t afford medication or treatment.

Her family are arranging a walk of the Harrogate Ringway, around 20 miles, in hopes of raising money for the charity. Nicky is hoping to take part in the final few miles on October 30.

To support Nicky’s fundraising, click here.

 

TV signal in Harrogate district could return early October

TV signal could return by next month as works on the Bilsdale replacement mast are set to be complete by October 5, says telecommunications company Arqiva.

The temporary mast is replacing the Bilsdale mast after it was damaged in a fire in August.

Since then residents across the Harrogate district have been without TV signal or had a reduced channel list. Some have also experienced channels come and go.

But now Arqiva has told residents the temporary mast should be complete by October 5, three weeks after work began.

The temporary mast will be 80 metres high and provides Freeview TV signals to 90% of homes which were covered the Bilsdale mast. It has been built in a quarry near to the original mast.

Adrian Twyning, chief of operations at Arqiva, said:

“Our team is working tirelessly to deliver our recovery plan at Bilsdale, and to date we have been able to return a signal to upwards of 500,000 households using existing and temporary infrastructure around the area usually served by the Bilsdale mast.

“Due to the nature of the site, the build is heavily reliant on helicopter operations and working at height, which makes it weather dependent, but is expected to take 21 days to complete.”

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Two new portable speed cameras to patrol Ripon

Ripon City Council has announced two speeding signs will be purchased for the city.

The initiative is in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council and will see two vehicle activated speed signs for the city.

The signs show the speed of the car as it approaches.

The council has identified a number of roads with cars often spotted going too fast. The roads are heavily used, often with children and families walking on pavements at peak hours.

These include:

The signs will move around these roads from next week.

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Inspector Alex Langley of North Yorkshire Police welcomed the initiative, commenting that the implementation of this new technology should remind the road users of Ripon about excess speed and hopefully educate and encourage them to slow down.

He said:

“North Yorkshire Police fully supports this campaign and we will continue to take positive action against those road users that continue to speed and commit driving offence.”

Council backs Knaresborough BID plan with 28 votes

Harrogate Borough Council will vote in favour of plans to turn Knaresborough town centre into a Business Improvement District (BID) despite a plea to let firms “decide for themselves”.

Members of the council’s cabinet last night agreed to cast 28 votes in favour of the plans which if approved would see businesses pay an annual levy to the proposed BID body for projects to create a better promoted town centre.

The council can cast that many votes because it owns 28 rate-paying properties in the town – and the decision was made despite a plea for it to not take part in the voting process.

Speaking at a meeting last night, Julie Gillett, revenues, welfare and customer services officer at the council, said:

“A letter has been received by 17 Knaresborough businesses asking that the council abstain from voting in order to let businesses decide for themselves.

“However, officer recommendation remains the same that we should support the ballot stage as our support in this will help businesses to help themselves.”

More than 300 firms are eligible to take part in the vote which started last week and will run until 8 October. The results will be announced the following day.

A group of business leaders have been working on the plans since 2019 and will generate £700,000 in funding over the next five years if the vote is a success.

Before voting got underway, Harrogate Borough Council previously agreed to lend £27,000 for start-up costs and will contribute around the same amount in levy charges if the BID goes ahead.

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There are mixed feelings amongst the business community, with some firms raising questions over how the BID is being created and how much of a difference it could actually make.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, owner of The Crystal Buddha gift shop, previously said there has been a “real lack of transparency” in the planning process, while Tracey Bell, owner of Ruebury Flowers, also said she fears the BID could be a “wasted opportunity”.

For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all properties, must be in favour.

The council’s 28 votes represents around 9% of the total number of businesses and 6% of the overall rateable value.

Boost to Nidderdale Greenway extension plans

Harrogate Borough Council has pledged to support plans to extend the Nidderdale Greenway by up to 23 miles.

The authority has agreed to join a steering group leading on the plans, which would see the four mile cycling and walking route from Harrogate to Ripley extended through the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Scar House Reservoir.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting last night, councillor Stanley Lumley, who represents the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Moors ward, said:

“These plans have been approached on several occasions, but this is the first time it has got real credence.

“The first part of the Nidderdale Greenway has proved to be an enormous success creating a safe cycling and walking route.

“The ambition to extend it through Nidderdale to Pateley Bridge would have great benefits for businesses and residents. It would also be a great asset to Nidderdale and the district as a whole.”

Councillor Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, added:

“Sustainable transport is a key priority of this council and opportunities such as this should be supported.

“We do need representation on the steering group otherwise we would have no input into the development and delivery of the project.”

Councils, campaigners and residents will make up the steering group which could be officially formed by this autumn.

It is being led by cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis, who long before the greenway opened in 2013 has always held an ambition of extending the route, which is used by an estimated 200,000 people every year.

Mr Margolis worked with Sustrans, a national charity that lobbies for and helps build cycling infrastructure, to produce a feasibility study for the extension plans before the pandemic struck and caused some delays in moving the project forward.

The plan though does have its detractors with some landowners in Nidderdale calling it a “Blackway”, arguing it will urbanise the rural footpaths.

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The steering group will oversee the next stages of the project, including route planning and further talks with landowners. The aim is for the route to follow disused railway lines or existing rights of way wherever possible.

Mr Margolis previously said he hoped the route would be “substantially built” within the next five years and be funded by government grants and fundraising.

Bettys closes York shop after 50 years

Bettys has announced the closure of its smallest branch in York, leaving nine jobs at risk.

The shop, known as Little Bettys, is on Stonegate, just around the corner from the Harrogate-based company’s larger tearoom on St Helen’s Square.

The decision to close follows a three week consultation with staff.

Little Bettys’ upstairs cafe closed in March, which affected 34 employees.

The company said in a statement today it was “an increasingly challenging environment to operate in, and the least commercially viable of the branches”.

Simon Eyles, managing director of Bettys, said:

“This has been a very tough decision, but one we have made for the long-term future of our business.

“Our people are our strength and we are focussing our energy now to find opportunities for the Little Bettys team in other roles within the business.

“We hope people will be able to pay us a last visit at Little Bettys and that we can help them create new memories in our other branches over the years to come.”

A final closing date is yet to be confirmed.

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Bettys’ other tearooms in Harrogate, Harlow Carr, Ilkley, Northallerton and York remain open.

Earlier this year Bettys said it faced its worst recruitment crisis in recent years, forcing it to close its Harrogate store four hours earlier than usual.

Charity donations set on fire behind Knaresborough shop

Stolen clothes that were left as donations to a charity shop have been set on fire behind a shop on Knaresborough high street.

The ashes from the fire were discovered at the back of The Clothing Store of Knaresborough on Saturday morning.

Shop owner Rebecca Lombardi later learned the clothing was taken from outside St Vincent’s charity shop, over the road on the high street.

It happened just weeks after Blind Jack’s pub, on Market Place, was damaged in an overnight fire.

Ms Lombardi posted about the incident on social media to warn other businesses and attempt to gather more information.

She said:

“It could have been really dangerous, it was close to the bins and if it had got out of control I would worry for the two flats upstairs.

“I was shocked initially but then I started thinking about Blind Jack’s a couple of weeks ago and lots of thoughts were rushing round my head.

“Hopefully it was just a one-off.”

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Ms Lombardi said police initially told her it was a civil matter because there wasn’t a witness but Knaresborough resident Philip Allott, who is North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said he had escalated the investigation within North Yorkshire Police.

Mrs Lombardi said the police subsequently requested CCTV footage of the entrance to the back area.

She said she felt better after putting details of the incident social media because she knows other businesses are now aware.

North Yorkshire Police has not responded to requests for further information.