A further 72 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today.

The infections takes the total since the pandemic began to 13,813, according to figures from Public Health England.

The district’s weekly infection rate has risen again to 372 cases per 100,000 people.

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It remains above the North Yorkshire rate of 332 and the England average of 312.

No coronavirus deaths were reported at Harrogate District Hospital today. The number of covid-related fatalities since March last year remains at 184.

Ashville College has said it has commenced court proceedings to evict a number of travellers after they returned this weekend.

About six caravans drove onto Ashville’s sports playing fields, near the boarding houses, on Yew Tree Lane.

It is believed it is the same group that pitched up two weeks ago.

Ashville College said in a statement it is a major safeguarding concern as boarding pupils have now moved back in ready for the new school term to begin this week.

It added it had begun court proceedings to have the group removed.

A spokesman for Ashville College said:

“A group of travellers who illegally moved on to our sports fields two weeks ago have regrettably returned.

“With our boarding pupils now here for the start of the new school year, and day pupils returning in just a few days, this is a major concern for us.

“We have once again called the police, and have alerted our solicitors to begin court proceedings to have them evicted.”

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When the travellers arrived two weeks ago, they told school staff they were on their way to a wedding in Ireland after attending the annual Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria.

The travellers said if the school paid them £5,000 they were prepared to leave immediately without causing any damage.

They left leaving no damage three days later.

A further 106 covid cases were confirmed in the Harrogate district today — the highest daily figure recorded in the district since July 19.

It takes the total since the start of the pandemic to 13,741, according to today’s Pubic Health England figures.

The district’s weekly infection rate now stands at 348.2 per 100,000 people, which is above the North Yorkshire rate of 317.8 and the England average of 305.5.

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No coronavirus deaths were reported at Harrogate District Hospital today, the total since March 2020 stands at 184.

Meanwhile, 127,079 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 116,014 have had a second dose.

Bettys managers are considering plans to close one of its York stores after failing to find a “workable option” to keep the 50-year-old store open.

The store, known as Little Bettys, in York’s Stonegate lost its upstairs cafe in March but now the company is looking into the future of the shop too.

When the Stonegate cafe closed earlier in the year 34 employees were affected.

If the shop were to close as well, nine members of staff would be at risk of losing their jobs.

In a statement, a Bettys spokeswoman admitted the store had been the “most operationally and commercially challenging of our branches”.

She added every effort had been made to re-deploy staff elsewhere in the company and a final decision was yet to be reached.

“Earlier this year we took the decision to permanently close the upstairs café, but kept the small downstairs shop open with a plan to look at different options and formats for the building.

“Sadly, to date, we’ve been unable to find a workable option, so we’ve made the team aware of a proposal to close the entire branch.”

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The spokeswoman said none of Bettys’ other tearooms in Harrogate, Harlow Carr, Ilkley, Northallerton and York were at risk of closure.

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

Kirkby Malzeard Flower and Produce Show returns today after a two-year absence.

The show, held at the Mechanics Institute, features 115 classes, including floral bouquets, photography and wonkiest vegetable.

Now in its 39th year, the event was originally known as The Marrow Show and saw local growers present their biggest marrows in the local pub.

Tomorrow’s event is open to the public between 1.30pm and 4.30pm. Entry is 50p.

Exhibitors can drop off their entries from 7.30am ready for judging later in the day.

Cash prizes are being offered thanks to funding from local businesses and people.

Committee member Heather Clark-Kelly said:

“It’s a village tradition, everyone loves getting involved. This year we have new categories including the showstopper, like from Bake Off, and new children’s categories too”.

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Long-standing volunteer Arnie Clements will be handing out the awards at the end of the day. Mr Clements has been involved in the show since it first started as The Marrow Show but this year is his last.

After the prizes are awarded all leftover produce and floral displays are auctioned off to the public.

One of Harrogate’s best known clothing retailers, Paul Lown, has just relocated his latest store to Swan Road.

Prey Four opened four years ago on Parliament Street but moved to its new site this week.

The shop sells a range of women’s and men’s clothing and also has an interiors area.

The move was prompted by his previous tenancy coming to an end and Mr Lown admitted he was apprehensive about heading further out of the town centre. But he hoped his committed client base will follow.

He said that after 40 years of trading in Harrogate he has men aged in their 40s coming into his shop who bought clothes off him in their teens.

Inside the shop on Swan Road, across from Fashion House Bistro

Many local residents will remember Mr Lown from his time owning the clothing store Leopard.

Leopard was based in multiple Harrogate units during the 1980s and 1990s, including what is now McDonald’s and the site on which Victoria Shopping Centre now stands.

After leaving Harrogate in the late 1990s for a short period, he returned and went into partnership to open Owl Store in Montpellier. But now he is focused on his own project, Prey Four.

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He said the past 18 months had “been like no-one could have predicted” in his long career and that he could now see the high street changing with more people heading to certain shops rather than to browse.

“People aren’t wandering around aimlessly anymore; you know what you’re getting and from where.

“People need to support the independents if they want them to stick around. Whatever they sell, people need to support them. Covid has really hurt all of us.”

The shop has interior pieces for sale downstairs

Harrogate district residents are becoming increasingly angry about the amount of time it is taking to restore their TV and radio signals.

More than three weeks have passed since the Bilsdale transmitter near Helmsley caught fire, causing about 500,000 homes in the north-east, including many in the Harrogate district, to lose their TV and radio signal.

Although some channels have returned for some, others are still staring at a black screen.

Frustration is growing at the apparent lack of progress and several people have contacted the Stray Ferret to express their anger.

Terry Sherwood, from Harrogate, is among those still without a TV signal. He said:

“I try twice a day to retune, but I’ve heard from nobody. It’s very boring as my brother has covid and I had to isolate last week. I live on my own in a bedsit and it’s had a big effect on me.

“It’s been frustrating and extremely boring. I resorted to re-reading the few books I had as I couldn’t go to library.”

Some people told the Stray Ferret they were disappointed at not receiving any communication directly from Arqiva, the telecommunications company that manages the mast, or Freeview. They were instead waiting for updates online.

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Another district resident, Siobhan Mckenna, said elderly neighbours had come to her for help after first thinking their TVs were broken.

‘Surely a temporary signal could have been provided?’

Some of Ms Mckenna’s channels have returned but these are all BBC and radio. She said:

“I work in a school and I work until 7.30pm so I don’t really watch TV, apart from the news. I really look forward to catching up on certain shows in the summer and now we are back and people are asking ‘did you see this, did you see that?’ I feel out of the loop.

“I also have to keep retuning due to the fact it will freeze during a programme and I refuse to pay the £30 to £50 that others have paid to change their aerial direction.

“I would like to ask the companies, that in this day and age why has it taken so long? Surely a temporary signal could have been provided.”

Arqiva’s latest update on its website six days ago said:

“We continue to work through the process to enable access to the Bilsdale site to build the temporary mast. There is no specific new detail to share at this point but we are continuing to work round the clock to find a way forward.

“Meanwhile, this week has seen the successful restoration of some Freeview television services for those who receive signals from the smaller relay sites in the following areas:

The Stray Ferret asked Arqiva for a further update but did not receive a response.

After a long time grounded due to covid, Harrogate air cadets have finally been able to take to the sky and enjoy their first flights in a glider.

Along with other cadets from York and Church Fenton, the cadets set off at 5am one morning recently to RAF Syerston near Newark.

Morning weather conditions meant the flights were initially cancelled and the cadets were offered a tour of the hanger instead. However, once the skies brightened in the afternoon the cadets could finally do what they came for.

Ten cadets took part in the exercise and for nine of them it was their first cadet flight.

Flying alongside an instructor over Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the cadets were able to take control of the Viking glider for about 20 minutes.

All 10 cadets present enjoyed two trips each.

A Viking glider in action

There are 40,000 air cadets aged 12 to 20 in the UK. The 58 (Harrogate) Squadron is based at Strawberry Dale in Harrogate.

Sponsored by the Royal Air Force, recruits receive hands-on experience of activities and courses that challenge and develop skills.

Corporals George Sharratt and Adam Mir ,of 58 (Harrogate) Squadron, said in a statement:

“After waiting over a year to go flying, being able to take control of the glider on our first flight, was one of those moments we will never forget.

“But it would not be possible without both the help from RAF Syerston’s ground and air crew and from two of the volunteers from the Wing who organised the trip, got up at 5am and transported us back and forth over 200 miles.”

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A Harrogate mum said she was left in tears after she was refused entry to Rawcliffes school uniform shop for not wearing a mask.

Jude Humphrey, who is medically exempt from wearing a mask due to anxiety, claims she was told to stand outside the uniform shop despite masks no longer being a legal requirement .

Ms Humphrey had booked an appointment at the East Parade shop on a recent Saturday morning so she and her husband could take their daughter to buy her new uniform for next week’s return to school.

She said it was an “awful experience”:

“She said instantly ‘Where’s your mask?’ and then said ‘You either have one or you leave’ I explained I was medically exempt but it didn’t matter, she made me leave.

“I burst into tears outside, it was so disrespectful. My daughter had to keep coming out to show me the uniform.

“It left me feeling anxious and panicky, just a really awful experience.”

Ms Humphrey and her husband Keith said the most confusing part was that the shop worker herself wasn’t wearing a mask, insisting she was double-jabbed so didn’t need to.

Mr Humphrey questioned this once his wife had left the shop and the shop worker said she was insistent on masks to “protect her younger staff”.

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Mr Humphrey said:

“I was so upset for Jude. We rushed through the whole experience, which was such a shame because it’s meant to be a memory getting your child’s first uniform.

“I just think it’s ridiculous, how can they insist on mask wearing but not wear one themselves?”

Rawcliffes Schoolwear declined to comment on the Humphreys’ claims when contacted by the Stray Ferret.

A note on its website requests customers to wear face masks.

Roadworks are set to begin tomorrow morning on North Park Road, which is one of the main routes serving Harrogate town centre.

The works, which involve replacing street lights, are set to continue until Friday next week.

Stop and go boards will be used to control traffic along the street.

The works, carried out on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, are likely to cause delays.

Further works are set to arrive further up the road on September 9.

A county council spokeswoman said:

“The work is part of a street lighting column replacement programme. It will be closed from Marlborough Road to Knaresborough Road.”

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Keep an eye on the morning’s delays via our live traffic blog updated every 30 minutes.