Mental health a priority as Harrogate Grammar students return

Harrogate Grammar School‘s deputy headteacher has said he hopes his new masters degree in mental health and wellbeing can be used to support pupils when they return to school next week.

Recent data from NHS England shows one in six children aged 5 to 16 has a mental health disorder.

The school said data like this and the impact of the pandemic explained why it had made mental health and wellbeing a key focus.

The Leadership of School Mental Health and Wellbeing course at Leeds Beckett University, which deputy headteacher Tim Milburn has just completed, is the first of its kind in the country.

Mr Milburn hopes the skills he has acquired will help students after the latest lockdown ends. He said;

“This has been a great experience and it has given me the understanding and confidence to effectively lead whole mental health within school using the latest research.

“The content of the course has also enabled me to adopt best practice so that the mental health and wellbeing of both staff and students is supported and strengthened.”

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Mr Milburn was writing his dissertation last year when schools were closed when he changed his focus to look at how technology can be utilised to support young people with their mental health.

The school is part of the Red Kite Learning Trust, which serves over 8,000 students in Harrogate and Leeds, and Mr Milburn plans to share his knowledge with other schools in the trust to help support thousands of young people locally. He said:

“I have been very fortunate that Harrogate Grammar School and Red Kite Learning Trust have supported me to complete this course and I am really looking forward to paying back that investment by working with colleagues across the trust to continue the important work on mental health and wellbeing.”

Two-thirds support Knaresborough leisure centre site

A total of 69 per cent of survey respondents “strongly agree” the new leisure centre should be built on the existing site.

Harrogate Borough Council chose the current site on King James Road as its preferred option in November.

The subsequent six-week consultation, which attracted 471 responses, found widespread agreement.

Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park were the other options.

A thousand residents signed a petition to save Conyngham Hall when it was named as a possible location.

Plans for the new leisure centre, which could be built by the end of 2023, include a 25-metre pool and a gym.

Several supportive comments said using the same site would protect green spaces elsewhere from development.

Another response described it as the “perfect location .. best location for this development …the site is already there”.

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Some people suggested other locations would better suit the development. They included the new housing developments on Boroughbridge Road and St James retail park.

Knaresborough Pool is set to remain closed for the foreseeable, despite new lockdown measures. The council has said engineers from Spain are unable to travel to the town to make the repairs.

How do you feel about the new leisure centre in Knaresborough? Do you agree with the preferred location or are changes needed? Let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Stray Foodie recipe: Salty fingers, samphire, leek & mussel

Stray Foodie Lockdown Recipes are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

“I’ll be bringing you some of my favourite recipes each week. I’d love to see how you make the recipes your own – let me know by using #StrayFoodie or tagging @thestrayferret in your social media posts.”

 

For those not in the know, Harrogate now has a wonderful fish shop, Tarbett’s on Commercial Road. Their service is exemplary and their fish a joy to behold.

Salty fingers is a coastal succulent (salicomia). Like samphire, any good fishmonger sells it, and it has a delicious salty, juicy flavour which compliments fish dishes beautifully – as well as many other foods.

Salty Fingers

Leeks – where would we be without a Leek? A fabulous vegetable that can be the base for a sauce, especially with mussels, or as a starter eek vinaigrette, or as a vegetable crumble with lentils. The list is endless and they are always something I have in my flavour tool box.

This weeks’ recipe shows poached cod, leek & mussel finished with salty fingers, samphire and sea vegetables. Broken down, a very simple dish to execute and a great dish to put with all those spring vegetables that will soon be available.

You will need:

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Method:

Season the cod and steam or poach, this should take no longer than five minutes and the cod should be opaque.

Wash and finely chop the leek, sweat off in a little butter and a tablespoon of water until very soft. Unlike any other vegetables, leeks should always be well cooked, otherwise they can be chewy!

While the leek is cooking, wash the mussels thoroughly and discard any that have a hole, are cracked or slightly open. This is important as these are not usable.

Heat a pan until very hot, put in the white wine, chopped shallot, some thyme and the mussels and put the lid on.

Steam the mussels in the white wine until they open.

When opened, cool and remove from shell.

Strain the juice into the softened leeks, and blend.

Pass through a sieve then add the cream, bring to the boil and finish with a knob of butter.

Place the finished sauce on the plate.

Place the cod in the centre with the mussels around.

Garnish with washed salty fingers, samphire and sea vegetables.

In the photograph you will see I have also used crispy potato balls. It is up to you – but perhaps some jersey royals would be preferred at this time of year.

To finish your meal, why not try some specialist cheese from The Cheese Board opposite the fish shop – a cheese lovers heaven!

Cycling and crime concerns raised at Station Gateway consultation

The first consultation event into Harrogate’s Station Gateway project last night saw  concerns raised about the need for more cycling lanes as well as an increase in anti-social behaviour.

The online event enabled people to ask questions about the £7.8 million town centre project, which is being funded from the government’s £317 million Transforming Cities Fund.

Representatives from Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, as well as engineering consultants, discussed the plans and answered questions.

If the current proposals are approved, the area around the town’s bus and train stations on Station Parade will look vastly different.

Traffic would be reduced a single lane to create more space for cycling, walking and public transport.

How Station Parade might look under the new Station Gateway proposals.

One member of the public asked if the design and reduced amount of traffic would increase anti-social behaviour.

Aidan Rayner, Transforming Cities Fund delivery project manager at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“One of the main parts of this proposal is to improve public experience. We don’t believe that these plans would impact public safety”.

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Another member of the public asked what evidence there was to support the increased demand for cycling. In response, Matthew Roberts an economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Increasing recognition of the climate emergency and the need to make healthier choices is generating more demand. Faster cycling routes, I think, will mean more will choose to cycle.

“We have 79,000 people living within a 20-minute cycle ride to the town centre.”

Mr Roberts said high streets were changing and Harrogate needed to adapt to continue attracting visitors.

Those behind the proposals said the suggestions at the event would be taken forward in further discussions.

A second public consultation is due to take place next week on March 10.

The plans will then be considered in detail before work begins. Mr Rayner said he hoped construction could begin in spring next year.

He added disruption would be limited as much as possible.

What’s your view of the Station Gateway proposal? Email letters@thestrayferret.co.uk with your thoughts and we may include it on our letters page, Stray Views, published each Sunday.

Long Lands Common set to open to public this summer

The committee behind the scheme to buy Long Lands Common has said it hopes to open the site to public access this summer.

The Long Lands Common appeal raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway and protect it from development. About 3,000 people bought shares in the land.

Shareholders were due to take ownership of the land yesterday but a delay in legal proceedings means this has been put back until the end of the month.

Despite this, Long Lands Common Ltd, the community benefit society overseeing the project, still expects to welcome visitors this summer, when lockdown restrictions ease.

An access track near the green bridge on the Nidderdale Greenway will be used by visitors. The current access point on Bogs Lane will be restricted to disabled people and maintenance and emergency vehicles.

No permanent paths will be laid this year — the committee has said it wants people to get used to the land and give their opinions before implementing changes.

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Chris Kitson, secretary of Long Lands Common Ltd, said the delay in shareholders taking ownership was “not a drastic setback”, adding:

“We need to make sure all these agreements are in place to make sure we do what we say we will.

“We are extremely pleased with the way things are going. The first aim is to get safe access so people can enjoy the area by the end of spring.”

The future of Long Lands Common, once earmarked for a relief road, finally looks secure for wildlife.

It is first and foremost a nature reserve but the goal is for the public to enjoy it too.

Ideas for the land include a duck pond but shareholders are invited to submit their own proposals.

Ripley Castle awarded £343,000 to repair garden buildings

Historic England has awarded a grant of £343,000 to Ripley Castle to carry out a series of much-needed repairs of its garden buildings.

The money will go towards to repairs of the Grade II listed orangery and a number of adjoining buildings in the grounds of the 15th century country house.

The Fire Engine House, pavillions and bothies, shelters, will also be repaired.

This group of garden buildings are thought to have been designed in around 1785 by York-born architect William Belwood for Sir John Ingilby.

It is hoped, once completed, the works will ensure the buildings are removed from Historic England’s heritage at risk register. Owners say this will secure the buildings for future generations.

The castle owners have said specialist craftsmen and contractors will be used to complete the works. Once repaired, the buildings will be used for educational and leisure activities.

Sir Thomas Ingilby, owner of Ripley Castle, said:

‘‘The restoration of these buildings will be a big step forward in the ambitious programme to restore the walled gardens at Ripley Castle to their former glory.

We are enormously grateful to Historic England for their help and support for this project, which will, when completed, help a lot of people to overcome the financial and mental trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic’’

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Giles Proctor from Historic England said:

“These handsome historic garden buildings form the centrepiece of Ripley Castle’s beautiful grounds. Their restoration will improve the experience of the tens of thousands of people who visit every year, as well as provide educational and leisure opportunities.”

Great Yorkshire Show set to go ahead in July

The organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show announced today this year’s event will go ahead in Harrogate.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society said last week’s government roadmap out of lockdown paved the way for it to plan to stage the three-day show from July 13 to 15.

This will be the 162nd show, which showcases farming, food and the countryside at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

The 2019 event attracted over 135,000 visitors. Last year’s was cancelled due to covid.

If the roadmap stays on track large events should be able to go ahead by the end of June.

YAS said in a statement it was looking into ways to hold the show safely and that further updates, including ticket sales, would be out on its website and social media.

Charles Mills, honorary show director of the Great Yorkshire Show said:

“Following the publication of the government’s roadmap we are pleased to confirm that we are planning to hold the Great Yorkshire Show on 13-15 July 2021.

“This will, of course, have to be reviewed regularly and is based on the assumption that the whole country successfully moves from the current lockdown to step 4 in the government’s roadmap on June 21.

“We will only go ahead with the show if we can do so safely for all concerned.”

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The 2020 Great Yorkshire Show was held virtually.

It was the first time the entire show had been cancelled since the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.

The last two days in 2012 were cancelled due to flooding.

The Yorkshire Event Centre at the showground is currently being used as a vaccination centre. It is not clear what impact, if any, today’s announcement will have on this.

Harrogate primary school joins catholic academy trust

St Robert’s Primary School has today become the third school in the Harrogate district to join a catholic academy trust based in Leeds.

The primary school, on Ainsty Road in Harrogate, is now part of the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust. 

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Knaresborough already belong to the trust, which now has 11 schools in north and west Yorkshire.

St Robert’s has 276 pupils, aged 5-11. Although many are catholic, it admits children of all faiths.

Headteacher Jill Collins said:

“The support and care we have been given over the last year shows how the trust will enable St Robert’s to continue providing an outstanding Catholic education to our children.”

The school was rated ‘outstanding’ in its latest Ofsted inspection. Chair of governors, Dr Matt Blackamore said:

“We are so pleased to be joining our fellow Catholic schools in the Bishop Wheeler Trust and we are looking forward to working closely with them to continue providing great education together.”

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Darren Beardsley, interim chief executive of the trust, said bringing another school into the trust helped to fulfil the vision of the Bishop of Leeds, the Right Reverend Marcus Stock, of a family of schools working together to share resources and raise education standards.

The trust is named after Bishop William Gordon Wheeler, who was Bishop of Leeds from 1966 to 1985.

It is one of five multi-academy trusts in the Diocese of Leeds. It plans to expand in the next few years to include 18 Catholic schools in the area.

Knaresborough pool stays closed with engineers stuck in Spain

Knaresborough swimming pool is set to remain closed for the coming months with engineers unable to travel due to covid restrictions.

Harrogate Borough Council said, in a residents’ newsletter released yesterday, that the equipment was in need of urgent repairs.

The council added that manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers over to fix the equipment due to the current travel bans.

It has said the pool will remain closed until further notice.

Under the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown the ban on international travel is set to be reviewed in the third stage on May 17. This could leave Knaresborough residents without their pool for another three months.

In the meantime, the Hydro in Harrogate, Nidderdale leisure centre and pool and Ripon leisure centre will open on 12 April.

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The council has also said it won’t be able to reopen Ripon Spa or Starbeck Baths from April 12. This is because many of the staff have been redeployed to frontline services.

The council didn’t offer a further comment at the time of publication.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s almost the weekend. It’s Suzannah here for the last time this week with your 15 minute road and rail line updates.

These morning blogs are designed to keep the Harrogate district moving. If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then I will let you know.

The gritters were out overnight so take care on the roads.

Send me any updates via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or leave a comment on our new travel Facebook page, ‘Harrogate district traffic and travel’.

Stay tuned for updates until 9am this morning. Have a great day.

Full Update – 9am 

That’s it from me this morning, thanks for getting involved with the blog this week. Please keep me updated with anything going on near you.

My colleague Connor will be on the travel desk next week. He’ll be back bright and early 6.30am on Monday.

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Full Update – 8.45am

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Full Update – 8.30am 

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Full Update – 8.15am 

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Full Update – 8am 

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Full Update – 7.45am 

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Full Update – 7.30am 

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Full Update – 7.15am

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Full Update – 7am 

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Full Update – 6.45am 

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Full Update – 6.30am 

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