An unlucky fox was rescued by RSPCA officers on Friday afternoon after finding itself stuck in netting left on a Harrogate school field.

The fox got stuck in some football netting on Rossett school field. With the help of an RSPCA officer it was able to be released.

The animal was found unharmed but just a little muddy.

The charity used the image to ask people to put any netting away when it isn’t being used to avoid other animals getting themselves stuck in the gaps.

Please put #netting away when not in use! ARO Holgate attended this #fox who had got itself in a spot of bother at a school in #Harrogate. Luckily the fox was unharmed & was released on site 🙌🏼 @RSPCA_official 49 pic.twitter.com/cxAPknpeVd

— RSPCA Frontline (@RSPCA_Frontline) February 5, 2021

“This poor fox was well and truly tangled in football netting. I managed to cut him free and then checked him over and thankfully he wasn’t injured so I was able to release him back to the wild.

“I advised the groundsman of the school to remove the netting whilst it is not in use. Unfortunately, people may not realise that netting such as goal nets pose a real hazard to our wildlife and many wild animals get trapped in them.”

Read more:

• Ripon farming sisters looking back on 2020 – the highs and lows.
• The Stray Pets Rescue Club returns with a dog, a cockatiel and three degus in need of homes.

Each year the RSPCA gets around 2,500 calls each year about animals trapped in netting.

As many of these animals are nocturnal the RSPCA says that many are left trapped and struggling overnight so often need veterinary treatment before they can be released.

Starbeck could have an addition to its high street if planning permission is approved to open a new bar.

Local pub company Appetite for Life is planning to open its eighth bar at the former Greenalls carpet shop at the junction with Spa Lane.

It already runs a number of bars in the Harrogate district including the So Bars in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, and the Tap on Tower Street.

The owners said they hope to be open in May if covid restrictions are eased and that the new venue will offer something for everyone, including live music.

The building, 34 High Street, was previously occupied by Greenalls and Your Factory Bed Shop, but has stood empty for some time.

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• Harrogate Borough Council set to support a Knaresborough BID to benefit local business
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Robert Thompson, director of Appetite for Life, hopes to open a brand new “quality independent cafe bar” called The Waiting Room, tying in to its location near Starbeck railway station.

If all plans are approved, the space will become a licensed craft beer and coffee shop, with a deli counter open during the day. At night the owners say it will have more of a bar feel.

Mr Thompson said it will have a modern feel which he hopes will appeal to people from across the district and create a buzz in Starbeck, adding:

“We have had Starbeck in our sights for a long time. We see it as a bustling, up-and-coming area within Harrogate that offers a vibrant retail, commercial and residential market for us to expand in.

“We feel that there is an opportunity to open a quality independent cafe bar and really add to the development of Starbeck.”

If approved, the plans will see the unit returned to one open space with the removal of a partition wall. An area to the rear will also be converted into a storage room from a bathroom.

Mr Thompson’s application for an alcohol and music licence will be heard by Harrogate Borough Council next week. An application has also been submitted for a change of use of the building from a shop to a restaurant/cafe and take-away.

An unlit corner of Pateley Bridge has become an ongoing cause of concern in the Nidderdale town.

The King Street junction at the bottom of the town’s high street has been under a cloak of darkness throughout the winter months due to a faulty street light.

Now, after a spate of falls by residents, the town’s mayor is calling for the light to be fixed.

The light shines in a popular area of town for residents. The area is also prone to flooding when the River Nidd bursts its banks.

The Stray Ferret first reported concerns about the faulty light in November when local man Roger Jefferson spoke out after hearing someone had slipped over. He said the light had been out “since summer”.

Since then it is believed two more older people have fallen and another person has been struck by a car wing mirror.

The Mayor, councillor Mike Holt, talked to a North Yorkshire County Council engineer in December about the problem.

The engineer told him the light needed to be re-wired with help from Northern Powergrid, which made the timeframe difficult to predict. But the matter remains unresolved.

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North Yorkshire County Council told the Strat Ferret the repair had been raised and would be carried out soon.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said it acted on complaints “as swiftly as possible”. She added:

“An order has been raised to replace the control box on the light before the electric company can carry out repairs.

“Our officers have been incredibly busy with their winter duties but please be assured the work will be carried out as soon as possible. We will update the public when we have a scheduled date for repair.”

Mr Jefferson and Mr Holt said they were pleased to hear repair work was in the pipeline and hoped for a speedy resolution.

A Harrogate prep school has launched a charity book to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support after one of its students completed his cancer treatment.

Highfield Prep School wanted to celebrate head boy Ralph Tasker’s end of treatment whilst raising money for the charity.

The Highfield Joke Book is packed full of jokes written by the pupils covering everything from food to animals.

Channel 4 presenter Sandi Toksvig, star of the Great British Bake Off and QI, loved the idea of the book and wrote a humorous foreword. She said:

“People have always had it in common that we could do with a laugh. I think a day without laughter is like a day without biscuits.

“It’s also a double whammy of a winner because not only will it do you good, it will also raise money for Macmillan so even people who haven’t read it will feel better. How marvellous. Well done”.

Read more:

• Two boys from Boroughbridge were fed up of seeing litter on their streets so decided to do something about it.
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The pupils have already raised £2,000 for Macmillan through fundraising events held last term on ‘Ralph Day’. They now hope they can boost this will the sale of the joke book.

The book will be on sale within the school for £5, with at least £4 from each copy going to Macmillan.

Knaresborough Chamber of Trade has received £3,000 sponsorship from engineering company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

MHI initially sponsored Party in the Castle, the chamber-organised family fun day in 2019.

Since then a director of the company, John Billson, has kept in touch with chamber president Steve Teggin to discuss further support.

Mr Billson, who works in the air conditioning side of the international business, met Mr Teggin, a hairdresser, when he was having his hair cut.

Being a local man, Mr Billson said he he was keen to support Knaresborough businesses while achieving brand awareness for the company.

The £3,000 award will support the chamber’s work over the next 12 months.

Mr Teggin said:

“We are very pleased to be able to work with John and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The money will help us to continue supporting our local businesses and charities.

“It also means there’s a little more available for the community so we can look into other projects, such as expanding what we do at Christmas.”

John Billson

Read more:

• Harrogate Borough Council set to offer £27,000 loan to set up a Knaresborough BID.
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Mr Billson, who is managing director of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Specifications, said.

“It’s all about brand awareness for us plus I’m local to the area so being able to support local trade and commerce is a bonus too.”

Harrogate Neighbours and a Bilton primary school have joined forces to tackle isolation during National Storytelling Week.

Lockdown has left many people of all ages feeling lonely. Studies suggest intergenerational activities can have a positive impact on mental health in both older and younger people.

Older people have been more isolated than ever during lockdown and many younger people who have been unable to attend school have spent more time alone staring at screens.

Harrogate Neighbours, a charity that helps older people, and Richard Taylor Primary School have collaborated by exchanging stories during National Storytelling Week, which ends on Saturday.

Ten pupils from the school will record a short story or poem, which will be played this week to residents looked after by Harrogate Neighbours.

The residents will also record messages about the past for the pupils.

It is hoped the activity will be fun and break down barriers between generations.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said:

“Storytelling in all forms is a key part of caring for the elderly and we know what a positive impact it has on our residents when they engage with the younger generation.

“We hope this initiative will be mutually beneficial to both our residents and the children taking part.”

Read more:

• Harrogate teenagers raises money for wild adventure to Canada.
• A couple from Starbeck celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary.

Andrew Symonds, head teacher at Richard Taylor, said:

“We were delighted when Harrogate Neighbours contacted us about the initiative. Storytelling is central to our curriculum.

“As a school, we are heavily involved in the community and pre-lockdown we would invite elderly members of the community into school for tea and a talk with our pupils. We believe strongly in the importance of intergenerational activities.”

A 73-year-old woman became the first person to be inoculated at Ripon’s new vaccination centre yesterday.

Snow delayed the opening until 1.30pm when a steady stream of people began to arrive.

The first was Maureen Lambden, from Ripon, who described the experience as “fantastic”. She said she was “very, very grateful” to receive the vaccine.

The centre is being staffed by doctors and nurses from local GP surgeries.

Volunteer marshals, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the racecourse’s own team are also on site helping.

Ripon’s testing centre has the capacity to vaccinate between 500 and 600 people at the racecourse daily.

It is thought the centre will open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but a press briefing today of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, the organisation that represents agencies leading the county’s response to covid, heard opening times will depend on vaccine supply.

Dr Richard Fletcher, from Dr Ingram and Partners in Ripon and clinical director of Ripon and Masham Primary Care Network, said:

“We’re grateful to Ripon racecourse for stepping forward to offer their site for this, as it solves many of the problems presented by other locations.

“It is another significant step in increasing coverage in the region.”

Read more:

• Ripon’s covid vaccine centre opens to the public.
• Pateley Bridge man thanks the team at Harrogate’s new vaccination centre.

A Bishop Monkton choir group has gone viral with their lockdown twist on the 1960s Petula Clark hit ‘Downtown’.

The group leader of Bishop Monkton Singing for Fun group, Angie Archbold, set her members the task of re-writing a verse for the tune they renamed ‘Lockdown’.

A couple of members took on the challenge, but one by Pauline Beecroft stood out to members. Pauline was inspired by the new restrictions and ways of life coronavirus has forced upon us.

One of her re-written verses goes:

Walks in the countryside are not to be missed when we are all stuck in LOCKDOWN.You’ll notice things you never thought could exist, embracing everything – LOCKDOWN.

Traffic noise is non-existent, some say ‘more’s the pity’, No pollution anywhere, they’ve sanitised our city.

Now wash your hands! Remember your personal space!

We can forget touching noses, our eyes and our face, While in – LOCKDOWN

Furlough will rescue you – LOCKDOWN. Zoom meetings welcome you – LOCKDOWN

During one of the choir’s zoom rehearsals.

Pauline and Angie have since appeared on BBC Look North, Radio York and BBC 5 live to talk about the ‘Lockdown’ re-write challenge.

The choir is now trying to get in touch with Petula Clark, who originally sang the song, to ask her what she thinks of their version.

Read more:

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The group have been meeting online once a week since April last year. One of the organisers, Colin Philpott, said it has meant some older members of the village can now join in.

“It’s a good example of keeping in touch. We had a number of members who acquired iPads to take part. It’s great fun, we meet every Thursday and sing songs from the 1940s right through to today.”

Self-employed delivery drivers in Harrogate say tensions are rising with rival drivers coming into the area to make money during lockdown, despite the risk of spreading covid.

The Stray Ferret has spoken to four Harrogate delivery drivers about the issue. One said the situation has led to drivers coming to blows.

The local drivers say about 30 drivers from areas such as Leeds and Bradford are coming to Harrogate each day for work. They added this didn’t occur before lockdown.

Delivery drivers are able to travel during lockdown but the ones we spoke to in Harrogate said this posed covid risks, as well as threatening the earnings of locals.

The drivers are self-employed and work on apps to find takeaway deliveries near to them. Whoever responds first to the notifications on the app gets to deliver the order.

They are paid per job and Harrogate is regarded as a better location to make money than many larger nearby places.

The drivers have reported their grievances to Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police. Both told the Stray Ferret it wasn’t a matter for them.

‘Spreading the virus’

One local driver, Christian Mihailpo, said:

“I am afraid for Harrogate because they could be spreading the virus.

“I have spoken to some of the drivers and they have just said they don’t understand the issue. We can travel for our jobs but they shouldn’t be doing this in the lockdown.”

Another of the drivers, who wished to remain anonymous, said:

“I have health issues myself so it is a worry. We just want to work safely. I would say I’ve lost between 60-70 per cent of earnings because there’s not enough to cover everyone that is working here now.”

He added it was causing tension and a clear divide was emerging between local and outside drivers.

All the drivers said this issue has worsened during the current lockdown and that they were losing income because of it.

Read more:

• Ripon’s Grantley Hall restaurant is awarded a Michelin star.
• The Harrogate district bucks national trend for unemployment.

Losing money

They added some of the drivers from outside Harrogate often call family or friends to work here.

Local driver Ali Mahyrt said:

“We aren’t happy about what is happening and we want to try and stop it. We are losing money but our health is impacted too.

“I understand they need to make money but they should take into account local people’s health.”

Victor Foca, who is also based locally, added:

“The regulations should mean they stay in their home city. The risk is when they go to houses to deliver food.”

The Great British Dig, Channel 4’s new archeology documentary, has unearthed Masham’s hidden past.

The show includes four episodes running through February and March and Masham is the focus of episode two. The show works with local people to dig up their back gardens in search of hidden parts of history.

The show is hosted by actor and comedian Hugh Dennis who is working with a team of archeologists.

The production company behind the show, Strawberry Blond, had to work around lockdowns to film. Executive Producer, Steve Wynne, said the people of Masham were eager to get involved.

The researchers knocked on numerous doors in Masham in hope everyone would say yes to archaeologists digging up their gardens.

The production team knew of a lost cemetery in Masham and wanted to see what could be unearthed around the rest of the town. They used the Town Hall and the square as their base and began their dig.

Hugh Dennis stood in front of Masham’s blue plaque for the lost cemetery. Photograph: Strawberry Blond TV

The show promises to reveal “incredible discoveries” including a number of skeletons. Some were used to show how people lived 1000 years ago.

Steve Wynne said:

“I cannot tell you how incredibly warm and welcoming the people of Masham were.  From the amazing bacon sandwiches from Lucy at Bordar House Teas, to Colin at Johnny Baghdad’s on the Square.

“The residents were only too happy for us to turf up their gardens (and beer garden at The Bruce Arms).  The team at the Town Hall gave us the run of the place for our unit base, and the local vicar was a fountain of knowledge about the history of the town.”

Read more:

• Primary school near Masham, with only six pupils, set to close.
• Crowdfunder for Knaresborough’s new museum launches.

The episode featuring Masham will air on More 4 on February 24.

The series also features digs in South Shields, Nottingham and Newcastle.