Tamsin O'Brien, Author at The Stray Ferret

Do you believe in ghosts? There’s a job for you in Ripon…

Do you believe in ghosts? Have a lively sense of humour? Can be a bit spooky? If the answer is yes to these questions then the Ripon Ghost Walking Team want to hear from you.

The group is looking for new volunteers to take the unafraid on evening tours of the city.

The tours cost £3 per person, are held on the last Thursday of the month and all proceeds are donated to Ripon Museums.

Having stopped due to covid, the tours are to resume this month but a few members have retired so the team is looking for new recruits.

Richard Pratt from the Ripon Ghost Walk Team said:

“We’re looking for someone who is out-going, can talk to people and judge their audience well. The ability to be spooky would be a bonus and you need a good sense of humour.”

The tour starts in the Market Square and takes visitors to the cathedral grounds to hear the story of a keen fisherman who drowned and is seen wandering around the area he is buried. It also encompasses the Workhouse Museum, which Mr Pratt said “was one of the most haunted places in England” given its grim history.

The thoroughly spooked group ends back at Market Square in time to hear the Hornblower at 9pm.

The next tour starts on May 20 at 7.15pm. For more information on the Ripon Ghost Walks and how to apply to be a volunteer visit the Ripon Museums website.

The faint hearted need not apply.

Did you know?

The Stray Ferret and the Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) have worked with historian Malcolm Neesam to produce two fantastic audio tours of Harrogate. Both last about an hour and are easy to do. The first will take you back to the golden age of Harrogate’s Victorian Spa days, the second will take you through the heart of the shopping district, stopping to learn about historic buildings as you go. To take a look click here.

MPs watch: third jobs, dining on the Stray and vaccination passports

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In April, normality began to return to the district as retail, leisure and outdoor hospitality reopened. On April 9, Prince Philip died and the three district Conservative MPs paid tributes to him.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

Andrew Jones, Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones spoke out against ‘restrictive’ guidance which means residents who leave care homes must isolate for 14 days. He published this on his Community News website, which hosts articles by local Conservatives.
The Harrogate MP threw his weight behind a campaign to allow outdoor dining on the Stray.
In Parliament he welcomed government plans to keep VAT on hospitality at a reduced rate of 5% until September, noting that this sector is particularly important for Harrogate and Knaresborough. In the same debate he supported measures to freeze income tax and personal allowance thresholds. This measure will bring more low-paid people into the income tax system, but the Government claim it is necessary to increase revenues. Mr Jones later supported calls to extend the reduced hospitality VAT rate until March next year.
On his website, the MP spoke out against rumoured plans for vaccine passports, describing them as ‘extremely problematic.’
Mr Jones (and the other two local MPs) voted against a Lords amendment to the Fire Safety Bill, which would have prevented leaseholders from paying for the costs of the cladding crisis. Thirty-two Conservative MPs rebelled to support the amendment, which was defeated.
The MP wrote a vaccination update, praising the success of the programme locally and nationally. He noted that while there would be supply difficulties in April, increased stocks should be available from May.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith began a new job as an advisor to MJM Marine Ltd, a cruise ship refurbishment company based in County Down, Northern Ireland. He will receive £60,000 for 30 to 40 hours of work over the next year.
The Stray Ferret reported that taking all his three advisory roles together Mr Smith is now the highest-paid MP in Yorkshire, and among the biggest earners in Parliament.
In his constituency, the MP met with representatives from Ripon City of Sanctuary to discuss how they are supporting refugees. He also met with owners of newly-reopened businesses, and had an online session with pupils from Kirby Hill primary school, answering their questions about politics.
Mr Smith tweeted 19 times about Northern Ireland, 11 times about his constituency and 14 times about other matters. He also spoke on Radio 4’s Today programme about Northern Ireland politics.
The MP has not spoken in the Commons since February 10.
On Facebook he welcomed the news that eight organisations in Ripon and Skipton, including Ripon Cathedral, received £750,000 from the Culture Recovery Fund.

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

The Selby and Ainsty MP was dubious about the proposed European Super League, tweeting “This sounds like a terrible idea but not at all surprising.” Two days later, when it was announced that all six English clubs had pulled out, he tweeted “Common sense prevails.”
On 8 April the Minister for Asia met with Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn. The ambassador was locked out of his embassy after he supported the democratically-elected government over the military junta, and had to sleep in his car the night before the meeting with Adams. He has been offered temporary refuge by the British Government.
The MP spoke in the Commons on Chinese government sanctions on UK citizens, sanctions on Myanmar, and human rights in Xinjiang.
He also updated the House of Commons on medical support the UK has sent to India to help with the covid crisis, including 200 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators.
Mr Adams described Selby Town FC’s new website as “great.”

Stray Foodie: In search of the perfect loaf….

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’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.”

Having for years made my own bread domestically, I recently decided that it was taking up too much of my time that could be used more productively elsewhere. I bought a bread machine, on the recommendation of so many of my friends but found having to poke the paddle out of the centre of the finished loaf exceeding naff and the appearance not good!

With the excitement of our hospitality industry opening up again, Harrogate has been amazing with venue’s like The Fat Badger, The Yorkshire Hotel, William & Vics and many more offering such imaginative and creative outside venue’s in which to consume well established great food and drink.

I came across Tilly Peppers up Cold Bath Road now run by a lady called Jessica and received such a warm and vibrant welcome. A young creative menu serving imaginative Breakfast and Lunches. Such as her Cowboy Beans with Pulled Pork and for Lunch her Falafel with Spinach and Mango Chutney. Her lovely homemade breads are available to take away or eat in. These breads are different flavours with imaginative fillings. Quite delicious!

Homemade bread from Tilly Peppers

Across the road is Manna Bakery. A very efficient looking and commercial shop where I bought a Sourdough Loaf that was perfect in every way, available alongside Croissants and happy looking Preserves. Who needs a bread machine?

Sourdough from Manna Bakery

At the bottom of Cold Bath Road is Gron, a Scandinavian Café and takeaway, the name meaning quite literally Green. It is now coming into its’ own unique style as the rules relax further. This is well worth a visit to experience a Beetroot, Avocado and Pickled Cabbage ‘Poke’ Bowl – eat out with a difference! Or perhaps a Gron Breakfast Bagel with a Vegan Sausage Pate, Avocado, Mozzarella, Spinach and a Cashew Mayo.

These delightful young Cafés seem to be a new way of eating with good fresh ingredients and different breads, which is exciting and hope will soon give Harrogate a whole new culinary reputation.

Gron Kafe, Royal Parade

Harrogate hospital completes second jabs for frontline staff

Today is the last day of second vaccine appointments for frontline healthcare and social worker staff at Harrogate District Hospital.

Meanwhile, Public Health England has announced that only one more case of covid has been confirmed in the district, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 7,643.

The district’s seven-day rate has declined slightly to 20.5. This is lower than the Yorkshire and the England rate, which both stand at 23.9.

No more deaths were reported in the district today.

The covid death toll at the hospital is therefore still at 179 in total.

Wetherby Road newsagent to be converted to hairdressers

The closure of another newsagent during the pandemic has raised concern about the loss of these local community stores.

A planning application has been lodged to change the use of Wilkinson’s newsagent, at 137 Wetherby Road, near Woodlands junction. The newsagent, which closed last year when the owner Alan Wilkinson retired, will become a hairdresser and beauty salon with five treatment rooms.

Councillor Pat Marsh, whose ward the newsagents is located in, recalls that the building was used as a sweet shop as far back as 1956, when she moved to the area. It has been a newsagents since at least 1977.

Cllr Marsh said that the shop had been a “wonderful asset to the community”:

“There is a problem in Harrogate about a lack of small community shops – but where does the blame lie? It lies with us, we do our shopping in the supermarkets, it’s just the way life has turned.”

Last year also saw the closure of the newsagent at Harrogate railway station, run by Brian Moses. This reflects a national trend of declining numbers of newsagents, driven by lower tobacco and newspaper sales.

The application also includes the demolition of a garage on the premises and an increase in the number of parking spaces, from three to five.

The planning officer will make a decision on the application by 27th May.

Council hopes to reopen Ripon and Starbeck Baths next month

A senior Harrogate councillor says he hopes Ripon and Starbeck Baths will reopen next month.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport at Harrogate Borough, said the swimming pools were currently closed despite a government go-ahead to reopen because of staffing shortages and “challenges” around social distancing.

He added the council is “hoping” they can reopen in May, although Knaresborough Pool will stay shut due to maintenance problems.

“We are hoping to open Ripon Pool in May and providing we have got staff availability, very soon after that we will be opening Starbeck,” he told a meeting last night.

“Staff shortages are a problem – there was no point recruiting stuff during the pandemic for obvious reasons and now we are on a campaign to recruit.

“We do hope to open the pools as soon as possible… providing nothing changes with government guidelines or we have any serious staffing shortages.”

Under the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, swimming pools and gyms were allowed to reopen on 12 April when the Hydro in Harrogate and Nidderdale Pool in Pateley Bridge welcomed back customers.

Knaresborough Pool has been closed since the end of last year and will remain shut longer as repairs due to be carried out by specialist engineers from Spain have been halted by travel restrictions, the council previously said.

It said there is an “ongoing” issue with the pool filter and that it was trying to find a UK-based firm to fix the problem.

It comes as the council is pushing ahead with plans to demolish Knaresborough Pool and build a replacement leisure centre at the same site, while a major refurbishment of Ripon Leisure Centre is due for completion “before the end of the year,” councillor Lumley said.

After construction delays, the “multi-million pound” Ripon project had previously been scheduled for completion in November, and the final costs are not yet known.

The upgrades are being carried out as a replacement for the 116-year-old Ripon Spa Baths which has been put up for sale for an undisclosed sum.

The move has been met with opposition from residents and councillors, with councillor Pauline McHardy last night making calls for the sale to be withdrawn while work on the city’s regeneration masterplan is underway.

“This is a golden opportunity for Ripon to try to maintain and hold onto the swimming pool site to be used as something else,

“It’s no good us trying to come up with ideas of what it can be used for if you are going to sell it from right under our noses.”

Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, responded:

“This council several years ago made a commitment to spend considerable sums of money in investing in leisure facilities in Ripon.

“We have to fund that and one of the investments we have made very clear now for several years is the sale of the current swimming pool.

“It will definitely be available for commercial use or for bidding for public use. The Ripon Renewal Project is full steam ahead and all ideas are extremely welcome.”

Stray Foodie recipe: Spring Vegetable & Herb Delice

“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.”

Since outside hospitality has been allowed, Harrogate has got back it’s great vibe!

There are so many small hospitality businesses popping up, exciting delis with pavement seating springing up everywhere. On a grander scale, astro turf is making an appearance as never before.

Don’t forget with the amenities that are locally offered, takeaways are also still a safe option to be enjoyed within your bubble in this lovely weather. It has been a saving grace giving hospitality a kick start back in to life again and I think we are all looking forward to 17 May when we can safely enjoy what we do so well locally, with all our super hostelries and eat indoors.

For the moment outside dining can be enjoyed by us all, and in warmer climates lighter food is favourite. This week’s recipe is a Spring Vegetable and Herb Delice. I like to think all my recipes are versatile and this dish is great to go with a BBQ when entertaining. You essentially make the base cake and pile it high with vegetables with a little chilli aioli to finish off. It suffices as an accompaniment or a dish in its own right.

Spring Vegetable & Herb Delice

Frances’ spring vegetable and herb delice

You will need:

1 x Medium size Hispi, pointed cabbage
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
120g Sourdough Crumb
15g Parsley
10g Tarragon
500g Philadelphia Cheese or Goats Curd
1 x Egg
A Pinch of Chilli Powder (optional)
A Grating of Nutmeg

Method:

Cut the cabbage into 4 and season and oil it.

Place in the oven at 200c for 20 minutes. The cabbage should be crunchy.

Remove the outer burnt leaves and chop the centre of the cabbage finely.

Add the goats curd or cheese.

In your food blender whizz your green crumb with your parsley and tarragon (or any other fresh herb you have to hand).

Add the egg to the cabbage mixture, and season with the chilli powder and nutmeg.

Place in a silicone lined cake mould, approx. 120cm.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes at 160c.

Remove from oven and top the cake with fresh vegetables, herbs.

Pipe on chilli aioli, mayonnaise or spiced yoghurt.

Harrogate smart parking scheme set for extension after trial success

Harrogate’s smart parking scheme looks set to be extended until at least 2023 after positive results from a two-year trail.

AppyParking – which uses sensors to give app users a real-time map of available spaces – was said to be the first of its kind in any UK town when it was launched in 2019.

The app allows motorists to pay for the exact minutes they are parked and now looks set for an extension. Council figures showed there is strong support for it to be made a permanent solution with 93% of users saying they found it easier than pay and display.

This is according to a report to a North Yorkshire County Council meeting on Friday which also says there has been a boost to the economy with some users spending up to 50 minutes longer in the town.

Jon Savage, project manager at the ncounty council, said in the report that given its success there is a recommendation for AppyParking to be extended between two to four years in Harrogate and that it could also be introduced in other North Yorkshire towns.

He said:

“Smart parking is more convenient for the customer, increases dwell time in Harrogate town centre and enhances its offer.

“The recommended option to put in place a smart parking provision on a medium-term basis maintains delivery of the identified benefits and enables planning for a longer-term, scalable solution.”

There are more than 2,200 sensors with a lifespan of 10 years installed at on-street and off-street parking bays in Harrogate but it is only proposed to extend the scheme for an initial two-year period because of plans to end North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils.

By 2023, the county council and seven district councils could be abolished under government proposals to hand over control of all services including parking to a new unitary structure.

Mr Savage said the planned changes have caused “uncertainty” over the future of how parking will be managed and that a review of AppyParking would be needed at a later date.

At Friday’s meeting, councillors will be asked to support the proposed extension before Harrogate Borough Council will look to appoint a new contractor to run the system at an estimated annual cost of around £18,000.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access, said he hoped councillors would support the scheme which he described as a “great success”.

He said:

“AppyParking is convenient for users but also for us as the local authority as it means we don’t have to go around collecting as much cash from ticket machines.

“The great benefit to users is being able to visually check if parking spaces are available even before they reach Harrogate, plus it can all be booked and paid for from inside the car.

“Anything that can make parking more convenient is always good news for the town.”

Cllr Mackenzie, who represents the Harrogate Saltergate division, also said the scheme had shown parking remained a priority for the council as it pushes ahead with other plans to support cycling and walking.

“We always encourage people not to bring their cars into town if they are taking short journeys but we also understand the importance of having parking spaces available.

“North Yorkshire County Council clearly supports active travel schemes and projects like the Gateway transformation but nevertheless I still hear what businesses are saying in that around 90% of their customers travel by car.

“We have to have these arrangements in place for this, especially for people who are travelling long distances.”

Will Lightwater Valley ever reopen rollercoaster The Ultimate?

Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon opened this weekend after more than four months of lockdown. But much-loved rollercoaster The Ultimate, the longest in Europe, remained shut.

Now doubts have been raised as to whether it will ever re-open, as the park re-orients towards a younger audience.

Lightwater Valley welcomed back families and children with new rides such as Go Safari, Hot Air Balloons, and Treetop Trails saying it was wonderful to have visitors return.

However a spokesperson for the park said:

“Whilst the Ultimate will remain at the Park it will not run for the 2021 season. This is part of a wider development plan for the Park where Lightwater Valley are re-calibrating the visitor experience to more fully encompass families with younger children. Their aim is to offer an exciting, new series of fun adventures and entertainments for an audience which has so often been overlooked.”

The last few years have seen ups and downs for Lightwater Valley, even before being forced to close because of the covid pandemic.

Lightwater Valley’s strategic report for 2019-20 revealed how an accident in May 2019 accident on the Twister ride was a major reason for a significant fall in visitor numbers. The company was later fined £350,000 for health and safety breaches.

Following the incident the company said it had :

“Undertaken a root and branch review of all its Health and Safety procedures and controls and implemented a range of new initiatives to maximise safety for customers and staff as well as ceasing operation of all the major ‘thrill’ rides.”

Stray Foodie recipe: Mushroom Tart with Lovage

There used to be a time where, when dining in expensive and elegant restaurants, the waiter would provide you with a stool to sit your grand handbag on! In certain circles it was, of course, most important that the handbag was an exclusive design. With times changing and with outside dining only at present, restaurants are using every inch of fresh air space that they have. When all the excitement has died down will your designer rug replace the handbag stool?

These are exciting times in the hospitality industry, apart from restaurateurs fighting for survival and needing all the support they can get, and Café culture is developing in all shapes and sizes. I am so looking forward to sampling some of these imaginative venues and I am sure great seasonal offerings will blossom out of this.

Seasonal Lovage

Fresh asparagus is now beginning to appear alongside the first shoots of lovage. Lovage is such a valuable addition to the garden: it is a fiercely strong perennial whether wild or cultivated, and when in flower, its seeds make a great garnish. Its leaves are a terrific flavour and its roots braised in a cream sauce make a fabulous accompaniment. It is a very English plant with great historic culinary interest. Beware a little goes a long way!

For a warming and delicious dish to eat late at night after the pub, try an asparagus and lovage soup, followed by a delicious mushroom tart. Make the soup using just the stalks, and keep the tips to garnish the tart along with bacon or salad.

Morel Mushrooms

For the Mushroom Tart you will need:

33g Unsalted Butter
68g Shallots, finely chopped
150g Flat Mushrooms – gills removed and peeled
50g Dried Morel Mushrooms (Reconstituted in a little Brandy!)
100ml Whipping Cream
5 Egg Yolks

Method:

In a small saucepan melt the butter and soften the shallots until translucent over a medium heat.

Slice the flat mushrooms and add them with the morel mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5 – 7 minutes until the pan is almost dry.

Add the cream to the pan and reduce the volume by ¼ over a medium heat.

Allow to cool slightly.

Add 18ml of the juice from the dried mushrooms and the 5 egg yolks and blend until smooth.

Place the mixture into your pastry case and bake in the oven for 5 -7 minutes until set at 150c.

Frances’ mushroom tart

These can be made in advance and heated through, making them very versatile with whatever you serve with it at that time of night!

Read More:

Did you know?

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Spring Vegetable & Herb Delice

Read more:

Read More:

For the Mushroom Tart you will need:

Method:

Read More: