A lady from Hutton Conyers, near Ripon, has earnt the title locally as Mrs Claus after organising Christmas lights displays on her house for the past decade.

Rosamund Robinson, known as Roz, lives with her husband Bill and is a Christmas fanatic.

During the festive season you will often find her dressed in a sparkly jumper or even as a reindeer going round the village delivering presents to children.

Christmas is her favourite time of the year and despite being a 77 year-old retiree she has no plans to slow down.

She says she “has a good few years left of lights in me” and with the help of her family, including three daughters, she will continue putting on her light displays.

Roz was nominated for the Stray Ferret’s Christmas Lights Competition by her granddaughter Lauren Kelly. The competition was sponsored by Yorkshire Lighting and Electrical Services.

She was announced as the winner on Tuesday night.

She said:

“I think it’s brilliant, more people have come to look at the lights which means more donations for the hospital. Even the bin men that came this morning recognised me from the Facebook live!”

Roz was “so pleased” to win the Christmas lights competition.

This is the first year Roz has put a collection box out for the lights. She wanted to raise money for Ripon Hospital as a way to thank them for looking after several members of her family in previous years. She added:

“They’re amazing at the hospital every time I visit I feel like I’ve known the staff for years. They are so lovely and this year they have worked so hard that they deserved a little boost.”

Her collection pot currently stands at £1,000.

For winning the competition Roz was gifted a £150 Lights4Fun voucher which she said is also going to the hospital to allow them to buy some new lights for next Christmas.

Read more:

• A Harrogate community group is encouraging those who may be lonely over Christmas to get involved with its activities.
• Harrogate primary school children brought some festive cheer by singing carols to care home residents.

The lights were put up on November, 1 and are lit up from 4.30pm to 9pm every day.

After New Years Day Roz brings a team together to bring them all down, which she says takes a few days.

“I’ve already started thinking about next year’s display. After doing it for so long people expect me to keep it going. I just really love Christmas and the fact I’ve been able to raise money doing something I love is great.”

The United Colors of Benetton shop on Montpellier Parade is to close.

The shop confirmed the news when asked by the Stray Ferret, but declined to give further details so the closure date is unknown.

Many products are on sale and some shelves are light on stock as the final items are sold.

Benetton Group, which is based in Italy, has about 5,000 stores worldwide.

The Stray Ferret asked the group for details of the Harrogate store closure and received this response:

“The store belongs to an independent partner of Benetton Group.”

This closure is the latest high street casualty in Harrogate’s. Department store Debenhams has gone into liquidation and looks set to close its stores.

Read more:

• WATCH as people in Harrogate tell us why they will miss Debenhams. 
• Harrogate businessman sets up a company if Ireland in case Brexit talks “go horribly wrong”.

A caravan park in Great Ouseburn could double in size if planning is approved by Harrogate Borough Council.

The Burrows Park currently hosts 60 pitches for campers and caravaners but if plans were approved it would have capacity for approximately 100 pitches.

The park’s co-owner, Richard Kay, said this year had been “challenging” but over summer the park saw an influx of visitors as the staycation trend grew.

The 4 acres of land signposted for planning is already owned by the caravan park and currently used as an overspill area.

The plans include 57 further pitches, improved access, a toilet and shower block and a reception building.

The park said it has many eager people waiting to book a holiday and hoped this planning would allow it to facilitate everyone.

Mr Kay said:

“We’ve been talking about the plans for two years, my daughter only has one year left at college and she’s eager to get involved in the site so it seemed like the right time. Once it’s done it should look great and it’ll offer a mixture of seasonal and touring pitches.”

“We had a very busy summer especially with new caravaners which was great to see. But it has been a challenging year too, so we will just have to see how next year goes.”

Mr Kay has co-owned the site with his wife for seven years. As an avid caravaner himself he hopes the plans will bring more visitors to boost the local area.

Read more:

• Planning for an old site in Ripon has been refused due to the impact on local heritage. 
• Plans for a new business park in Knaresborough could support 2,000 jobs. 

A mother from Knaresborough fears children’s education at a special needs school will suffer after eight teachers were made redundant.

Kay Heffron’s son Anthony has been at Springwell Harrogate, formerly known as The Grove Academy, for almost two years.

Anthony’s behavioural issues mean he works better in smaller class sizes with more one-to-one attention.

But eight members of staff are leaving at Christmas in the wake of budget cuts and class sizes will increase. It brings the total number of staff lost to 14 in the last two years.

Ms Heffron is worried about the impact of this on the education of her son and other pupils.

She said:

“It will have a long-term impact. He doesn’t want to go back because his favourite teachers are leaving. He will fall back again and his behaviour will likely deteriorate. They will miss out on the education they deserve.

“The teachers were fantastic and always went above and beyond. But now it just isn’t the same because there aren’t as many staff. I’m quite sad that it can’t continue as it was — their education will be affected.”

Ms Heffron’s daughter, Abbie, who has autism, also attended Springwell Harrogate for two years but now goes to another specialist school.

Read more:

• Three local schools are set to expand. 
• A speed sign is to be installed outside Western Primary School following a long-running campaign. 

The school came under the management of Wellspring Academy Trust in April 2020.

The trust has said changes to funding occurred before it took over and it has been restructuring. It added:

“All the changes that have been implemented at Springwell Harrogate are in line with Wellspring’s standard delivery model across the trust and have been proven highly effective in our seven successful alternative academies.

“This includes the adult – pupil ratios that are benchmarked against Department for Education best practice. The ratios at Springwell Harrogate meet the DfE’s recommendations.

“Leaders at the school are always happy to talk with parents and carers who have any concerns and will always consider the individual learning, social and emotional needs of Springwell Harrogate pupils.”

Harrogate College is offering 50 free courses to people who have been made redundant, are unemployed or on furlough.

The college, which is based at Hornbeam Park, announced the move yesterday to help the district’s economic recovery.

Topics include media marketing, accounting, interior design and counselling. Courses begin in January.

The college said the courses had been chosen in line with local employer demands and would boost job prospects.

Figures published yesterday showed the number of people claiming out of work benefits in the Harrogate district in November was 3,625. This was a slight rise on the previous month’s figure of 3,595.

Danny Wild, principal at Harrogate College, said:

“We appreciate how challenging this year has been for many. We’re dedicated to supporting people to up-skill and re-skill, enabling them to progress in current jobs or return to work following the increase in furlough job losses across the district.

“We hope to give those who have been most affected an opportunity to take control of their future and work towards something to be proud of.”

The courses will be held online and face-to-face with some of the students going into college to use its facilities. The college has said all sessions will be run in line with covid guidelines.

To find out more about the courses on offer, click here.

Read more:

• A Nidderdale school has donated over 500 books to a local campaign to improve children’s literacy. 
• A school in Knaresborough has said it is spending an extra £7,000 each week tackling covid. 

North Yorkshire GP practices administered their first covid vaccines today.

A handful of practices are believed to have begun the process, although none from the Harrogate district are believed to have done so yet.

The district is still awaiting news of the first person to be vaccinated.

The closest hospital to have administered the vaccine so far is Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Now GPs are joining the mass vaccination effort.

The Stray Ferret revealed today the Great Yorkshire Showground will be used as a vaccination site from next week.

Local vaccination services, which are based on Primary Care Network groupings, will be delivering the vaccine from all types of venues, from GP practices and health centres, to sports halls and community venues.

Dr Charles Parker, clinical chair of NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys medicines for the county, said:

“This is a significant milestone in the vaccination programme, but just the start of a process that will likely take several months.

“It’s been a successful first day, with patients commenting on how well organised clinics have been.”

The NHS is asking patients not to contact their GP practices directly for a vaccine appointment.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire CCG accountable officer, said:

“We understand patients’ enthusiasm to have the covid vaccine but it’s important those at most risk from coronavirus are vaccinated first.

“Please do not contact your local GP practice or local hospital to ask for an appointment for a vaccination and please do not turn up at your surgery or hospital – the NHS will proactively contact individuals as part of the vaccination programme and nobody will miss out.”

Have you had the covid vaccine? Or have you been offered a vaccination appointment? If you’re happy to tell us about your experiences please get in touch via email on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk/ 

Read more:

• Harrogate researcher finds two-thirds of people will take the covid vaccine.
• NHS worker becomes first person to receive the covid vaccine in nearby Leeds.

It’s lights, camera, action for this year’s Knaresborough nativity, which has been made into a film for the first time this year.

The nativity is usually performed live in the town’s Market Square on Christmas Eve. But covid forced plans to change this year.

The film will feature familiar faces from local dramatic society Christians Together.

The society has been filming since September, bringing the production to life by using local backdrops.

Viewers will see the wise men following the star over the Stray and buying gifts from Knaresborough shops. The final manger scene is set inside the bar Six Poor Folk.

Peter Lacey, the producer, said:

“It felt obvious in the summer that a Christmas gathering of over 400 people rubbing shoulders and shaking hands was unlikely to be sensible in the context of covid, and so we set out on our own journey.

“We’ve had to negotiate lockdowns and ensure all filming has been covid-secure, but we’re delighted with the outcome”.

Some of this year’s cast during filming.

Read more:

• Knaresborough encourages shoppers with a free map of all its Christmas trees.
• Masham is to hold outdoor services this Christmas. 

The society hopes to have the film available on its website by the end of the week. It will be uploaded here.

A community showing has also been arranged for December, 24 at 5.15pm – household can receive the zoom link by booking on the website.

A special needs school in Harrogate is set to make eight members of staff redundant this Christmas after budget cuts.

The cuts have prompted fears that Springwell Harrogate, which was previously known as The Grove Academy, will offer a “dramatically reduced service” for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

The school, on Grove Road, became part of Wellspring Academy Trust in spring after previously being run by North Yorkshire County Council and Delta Academies Trust.

Demand for the additional support provided by the school is rising but the reduction in the budget, which it is believed has been halved, has prompted concerns from campaigners and councillors.

Alex Boyce, spokesperson for Save the Grove, which was set up two years ago amid fears the school might close, said it was a “tremendous relief” the school would stay open but added:

“From January it will only be able to offer a dramatically reduced service. Highly skilled staff with decades of experience will be lost and the curriculum will have to narrow.

“The crisis will have a significant knock-on effect for local mainstream schools. With insufficient funding to manage the complex needs of some students and a dire lack of alternative schools, like the Grove, their hands are tied.

“Many similar services across the county, which rely on funding from the special needs budget have suffered a similar fate.”

John Warren, outgoing headteacher of Springwell Harrogate, said:

“The whole system is buckling through years of chronic underfunding.

“The pandemic has shown the stark truth of just how many desperate families are out there needing help.

“I fear that some specialist provisions may fail in the next year or so because they are no longer financially viable, despite a time of national need for more community resources to support struggling children.”

Read more:

• Harrogate school boosts local climate by planting 500 trees.
• Speed sign to be installed outside Western Primary School. 

Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Starbeck on North Yorkshire County Council, said:

” I could not support the closure and restructuring of the Grove Academy and have concerns about the viability of the new Springwell Academy.

“My main concerns are the staffing levels as they are now considerably reduced.

Wellspring Academy Trust said in a statement that changes to funding occurred when the school was under the management of the previous trust. It added:

“There have been no reductions in funding since Springwell Harrogate became part of the Wellspring community. Any legacy budgeting challenges have been overcome and the school is now on a firm financial footing.

“We are all focused on the future, and determined to deliver the exceptional levels of education our pupils in Harrogate deserve.”

If you or your child have attended schools such as Springwell Harrogate and you would be happy to talk about your experiences. Please get in touch with us via email on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk 

Tucked away down Church Lane in Knaresborough is every child’s dream: rooms full of toys to pick from.

Based in St Mary’s Church, the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library has been around for decades but still remains unknown to some parents and guardians across the district.

Stacked high with doll houses, dinosaurs and board games, the library’s store room would make any child’s imagination run wild.

Before the pandemic, children could come in and pick two new toys to take home every other week. The toys were then returned and swapped for others.

It meant they can play with new and fun toys in a sustainable way.

Now, the toys are picked via the online library and picked up using click and collect.

The library has hundreds of toys ready to be enjoyed by local children.

For a £30 membership fee each year, the charity offers something for every child no matter their age, gender or interests, with the main aim being for them to have fun.

The charity also wants to help people who may be struggling to buy their children presents, especially this Christmas.

Lauren Rogerson has been working for the charity for three years. She said:

“If someone was struggling we’d try our best to help. We’re really passionate here about helping everyone in our community.”

Over lockdown, it has received toy donations and says it can put together bundles for children based on their age and interests to give as presents on Christmas Day.

A handful of the donations ready for new homes.

Lauren and her colleague, Rachael Bolton, run the toy library with a board of trustees. It is clear to see the pair are passionate about what they do.

Rachael added:

“We want to make sure out toys are educational too. Parents can pick up story packs with a book inside and toys to match or one of our pre-school packs.”

Read More:

• Harrogate family hit by childhood cancer urges charity support
• Ripon charity uses robot cats to help dementia sufferers

As well as the toy library the charity offers play sessions for parents and children, but these have been suspended due to covid.

Lauren identified a gap in social support for new mums during the pandemic. She set up a new mother and baby group to help women socialise and feel supported.

The group is running from Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough and she hopes it will continue in the new year.

Prior to lockdown, the charity’s members enjoyed play sessions.

The charity buys most of its toys second-hand or from online sellers with a few being bought brand new. The duo are hoping to go from strength to strength and become a real community hub for parents and guardians.

To donate to the charity, click here, or to become a member click here.

Knaresborough is getting into the festive spirit despite restrictions this year, with groups joining forces to put events on safely.

Each year the town hosts a number of festive events to draw in thousands of visitors, but this year it has had to adapt.

Representatives from St John the Baptist Church, Knaresborough Rotary, Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Knaresborough Town Council have put their heads together and come up with a plan.

To ensure all the town’s Christmas trees and decorations can be admired, a map has been designed to direct people to the 20 different trees around the trail.

The map means visitors who feel safer staying outdoors can still get into the festive spirit. Credit: Matthew Bourne.

The church’s annual Christmas tree festival is always a hit with visitors and tickets are selling fast for this year too. The group has limited the festival to only 40 trees to allow for social distancing, where previous years have seen up to 100 trees on display.

Visitors have to book online here prior to visiting. The festival will run from tomorrow, Saturday, December 12 to Wednesday, January 6, except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Reverend Garry Hinchcliffe, the rector at St John the Baptist, said:

“It’s become a real go-to event and we didn’t want people to miss out. After such a miserable year for so many, we wanted to show the light and hope of Christmas time.”

Read more:

• Knaresborough’s shops were excited to reopen after the second lockdown. 
• Church in Blubberhouses sets up a Christmas tree festival. 

The organisers have also got local schoolchildren involved by asking them to decorate Christmas stars to display in the windows.

Bill Taylor, treasurer of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said:

“We wanted to make sure we still offered something to the town, in line with restrictions. We hope this will encourage people to come and give a boost to the town.”

Contactless stickers have also been placed throughout the town so people can make donations safely. The money will go towards the church and Cancer Research UK.