Tamsin O'Brien, Author at The Stray Ferret

Column: A year that’s highlighted inequalities but also kindness and hope

Today marks a year since the start of the first lockdown and a National Day of Reflection. The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev’d Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, writes for the Stray Ferret and considers how hard the year has been but why she still has kept an abiding sense of hope.

What were you doing a year ago today? A glance at my diary on March 23, 2020 includes prominent use of the following words: ‘postponed’, ‘cancelled’, ‘Zoom’ and ‘evening prayer dial-in’. Certainly a contrast to the diary appointments of the previous week. On March 23^rd 2020 we entered lockdown 1.

I am sure I am not the only one who never imagined that a year later we would still be in a lockdown, with 4.26 million people having been infected with COVID, and as of the time of writing, 125,516 tragically dead in the UK. The specificity of that number is important, because each life matters. It makes for grim reading, and the reality is that so many more lives have been impacted in ways that don’t make the headlines. In recent days, the Stray Ferret has been featuring moving tributes to those who have died during the pandemic. It is significant that not all of those lives were lost to the virus. There are heartbreaking stories of people who have died without their loved ones at their side, with goodbyes said on the wavering screen of a tablet or smartphone. And funeral services with limited loved ones present; that’s been so hard too. We’ve had to get used to face-masks, distancing, and the words ‘you’re on mute’ have become rather over-used in my vocabulary.

I’m acutely aware of how local businesses have been impacted; incomes and long worked-for livelihoods decimated. The road to recovery in that regard is a long and winding one. On a personal note, I haven’t hugged my parents in over a year, and haven’t seen them face-to-face since October last year. Their medical challenges and emergency hospital stays in the interim have been hard to navigate at a distance, and I’ve been grateful for the kindness of their neighbours who have kept an eye on them. And I can’t forget the delivery drivers who have brought flowers and treats to their front door. Perhaps it’s those little things I have learnt to appreciate all the more? Perhaps it’s the realisation also of how much our lives are bound up with those of our neighbours? And there’s the recognition of my own mortality, accompanied by the question ‘do I really need all this stuff around me?’ Maybe you have your own thoughts and experiences too? One thing that has been persistent through all these wonderings and experiences however is an abiding hope. This isn’t a naïve wishful musing; it’s grounded in my faith (hopefully you won’t be surprised to hear me say that). A famous theologian is reputed to have once said: ‘even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree’.

During this past year, a light has been shone on many things, exposing raw inequalities in our communities and in society. These cannot be ignored. That light however has also illuminated kindness and compassion, and the many examples we have witnessed in that regard cannot be ignored either. Hope is the bridge we have to get us into the next day, and the day after that. Hope is the vaccine, the fruit of scientific endeavour and medical expertise. One thing I am really sure of, is that despite our best efforts at times, we really are all in this together. So much has changed this past year, yet I have been consistently amazed at the resilience of local communities. For that I give thanks. Strength is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. Now where’s that apple tree? I need to go and get it planted!

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Eleven new coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

The district has recorded 11 new covid cases in the past 24 hours according to data from the NHS. 7,518 people in the district have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago.

This Tuesday marks the first year anniversary since the start of the first lockdown on March 23 2020 and many will mark a National Day of Reflection, remembering those who have died.

The total number of patients who have died at Harrogate District Hospital after testing positive for covid stands at 177. There have been no new recorded deaths of the illness in the district today.

The 7 day average of cases per 100,000 in the Harrogate district is now 45.4 (latest figures dated March 18) which is above the North Yorkshire average of 45.1. The highest 7 day rate in the county is Selby at 70.6. The England average is 56.

It was revealed this week that Harrogate’s coronavirus testing centre is to be moved from the Dragon Road car park to a new location “within the next few months”.

This is because the car park is used by Harrogate Convention Centre which is planning to reopen in June.

Kim’s Canines: Protecting your pooch from dog theft

This column is written for the Stray Ferret by Kimberley Metcalfe. Kimberley has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Her company Pooches Galore is based in Harrogate and specialises in dog training and resolving canine behavioural problems.

There has been so much in the media recently regarding the rise of dog thefts, and the fear of dog thefts has been a hot topic across all social media for a few months now.

Many dog owners have been taking extra precautions to keep their dogs safe. This rise may be in part due to the huge increase in the number of people taking on a dog during the lockdowns of the past year – The Kennel Club reported a 168% increase in people searching for puppies from the start of lockdown compared to 2019! This huge boom has led to dogs selling for more and more, so it is perhaps unsurprising that thefts have seen a double-digit increase compared to the year before.

When I asked my Instagram followers if they were concerned about this increase in dog thefts and what they were doing to keep themselves and their dog safe. I was almost overwhelmed by how worried people were about their dog being stolen and the steps people were taking to keep their dog safe.

The police and the RSPCA suggest measures that people can take to keep their dogs safe. These include:

Neutering your dog or telling people that your dog is neutered.
Ensuring their microchip details are up to date.
Not putting their name on the collar, but making sure your phone number and address is on the collar.
Not leaving them alone outside shops or in the garden.
Being wary of people who take too much interest in your dog.
Varying your walking route and patterns.
If you post about your dog on social media, not uploading your location while you are there.

If your dog is stolen you need to immediately notify your microchip database and inform the police. Send your dog’s details to DogLost and Animal Search UK and post all over social media to raise awareness. If you think your dog is lost, retrace your steps, inform the local dog warden, and speak to people on your walks to see if anyone has seen your dog.

Please remember that although the numbers of dog thefts have been on the rise, such crimes are still rare and the chances of your dog being lost or stolen are slim.

Stray Foodie recipe: for the love of lemons

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.”

It was a sunny day and the lemon trees arrived at Daleside Nurseries, what a joy to behold! As they were unpacked, the aroma was exotic.

This time of year we start to think about lemons. Maybe it’s the colour, but certainly the flavour enhances our spring foods. The lemon that we so take for granted and is so beneficial to our diet is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, and is one of the few fruits that gives both a sweet and sour taste. It is a rich source of Vitamin C and many other health benefits. In Morocco, lemons are preserved in jars or barrels of salt; the salt penetrates the peel and rind, preserving them, which makes an invaluable contribution to so many dishes.

Our speedy recipe for preserved lemon:

Take 3 unwaxed lemons and wash well.
Place in a pan of cold water.
Boil them until they are soft right the way through. This should take about 20 minutes.
Cool.
Cut in half and scrape out the pith and the flesh.
Push through a sieve, discarding the pips and pith.
Finely shred the skin and add to the sieved flesh.
Add a teaspoon full of salt and place back in just enough boiled water to cover the lemon, and then reduce.

Frances’ lemon tart with ice cream sorbet and fruit

This makes a lovely lemon preserve to keep in your fridge and to enhance your daily cooking. You could use it in a savoury lemon jelly or a lemon tart, which are great standbys for starters and desserts, or as a main such as fish or chicken steamed with lemon, garlic and herbs.

Lemon Verbena is a herb which makes wonderful lemon tea and takes the smell and taste of a lemon. Lemon balm, lemon thyme, certain mints and magnolia grande flora tree flowers all have the same beautiful flavour. Bergamot, which I adore, are grown in Italy and are termed as an orange although they are very similar to a lemon: the tree blossoms during the winter, the juice is less sour than the lemon, and the perfume is sensational.

These are all cooks tools to be valued and enjoyed when cooking.

Teacher jailed for spycam images of pupil at Harrogate district school

A teacher at an independent school in the Harrogate district has been jailed for using a spy camera to take covert video footage of a pupil taking a shower. The court heard how he had tried to pin the blame on other staff members

Thomas David Ball, 30, who was senior house master at Queen Ethelburga’s, near Boroughbridge, also downloaded images of young children being raped, bound and tortured.

York Crown Court heard that Ball became “infatuated” with the teenage boy who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Ball hunted for social-media snaps of the victim and made “29 separate (Google) searches” for the boy about a month before the spycam incident, said prosecutor Paul Newcombe.

He said Ball had installed the camera in a bathroom at the school.

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The boy had just returned from registration when Ball asked him to take a shower. While showering, the boy noticed wires beneath the sink which were connected to a spy camera whose lights were on to show it was active.

The boy, who was suspicious, informed his mother and Ball – who had just been promoted to a role overseeing pupils’ wellbeing – later admitted to the school’s deputy safeguarding leader that he had made a “stupid mistake”.

Ball ultimately admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and downloading prohibited images but initially denied taking covert video footage of the boy, installing the camera and voyeurism at the school.

He only changed his pleas to guilty about a month before a trial was due to take place. The offences occurred in the summer of 2018.

Judge Simon Hickey told Ball his offences against the “vulnerable” boy were a “gross breach of trust”, adding: “Parents expect their children to be looked after and not spied upon and filmed.”

North Yorkshire Police Detective Constable, Adam Fenwick, said:

“He is a cold and calculating individual who carefully planned and premeditated his actions. He clearly poses a risk to young people and we hope his sentencing will give some closure to the victim and their family.”

A spokesperson from Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate said:

“In accordance with our robust safeguarding policies and procedures, Mr Ball was reported to the Police and immediately suspended; his employment was terminated shortly thereafter. The Collegiate has supported the police throughout their investigation.”

Ball was jailed for 20 months, of which he will serve half behind bars before being released on licence. He was also placed on the sex-offenders’ register for 10 years and made subject to a sexual-harm prevention order to curb his internet activities and limit his contact with children.

Harrogate police officer injured whilst approaching suspicious car

A police officer was been injured as he investigated a suspicious car in Harrogate

The incident happened at 3.20pm this afternoon as officers approached a suspicious car containing three people in Bewerley Road.

Police said the green Vauxhall Insignia, collided with one police officer who fell over. He has been taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.

The vehicle made off but was found a short time later.

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Three people aged 24, 30 and 35, all from Leeds, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police. Dial 101, press 1 and ask to speak to the Force Control Room. Please quote reference number 12210078916 when passing on any information.

The Stray Gardener: Spring Stirrings

The Stray Gardener is written by Rudding Park’s Kitchen Gardener, Fiona Slight.

Fiona has worked in horticulture for over 30 years in the UK and abroad, and specialises in growing fruit and vegetables for fine dining.

We’ve made it! March is when things really start to spring in to action in the garden. The bleak winter is over and with lighter days plants start to come to life.

Spring flowering plants are especially important as a little more warmth in the air means honey bees, bumble bees and other pollinating insects start to get going and they need the early flowers to start their amazing lifecycles. Not only that, they lift our spirits and send a message letting us know that good weather is on the way and things can only get better. I have included a few of the plants that really lift my spirits and make me feel good as I work in the garden at this time.

A magnolia bud

Flowering shrub wise, my absolute favourite are Magnolias. They start tempting you with the wonderful show that is going to come at the end of March and in to April with their beautiful velvety furry buds that gradually get larger and swell before the white, pink, cream or purple petals finally burst forth. My favourites are good, old fashioned M. stellata and M. loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ which are perfect for a small garden, and M. soulangeana ‘Black Tulip’ which has wonderfully dark purple flowers and could still be grown in a smaller sized garden, eventually growing to around eight metres in time.

Looking closer to the ground, you can’t avoid the wonderful creamy/white flowers of the Primrose (Primula vulgaris), my favourite flower of all time and a real magnet for pollinating insects. You need to get down on your knees and up close with this beauty as it has the most beautiful scent and should not be missed when in full flower. Plus, even better, the flowers are edible and can be used for decoration on cakes and even as a botanical in gin. What’s not to love about that!

Cyclamen hederifolium

However, even before the Primulas gets going, Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemallis) hold up their wonderful yellow heads, and not long after come the Cyclamen with their fantastic white, pink or purple flowers, followed by the many wonderful different types and colours of Helleborus. H. argutifolius is a particularly hardy and lovely choice with pale green/cream flowers, with the many different types of orientalis also making an impact when not much else is around.

Helleborus orientalis

It doesn’t always have to be flowers that lift our spirits. In the vegetable garden, garlic plants are starting to produce the first of their leaves in preparation for their tasty cloves to develop later in the year. Purple sprouting broccoli start to produce the first of their wonderfully tender and sweet florets, and they don’t just produce one crop, oh no – they are cut and come again and will produce many florets over a few weeks in the spring.

March is a perfect time to get planting, so what’s stopping you? It’s a great way to see the flowers, ensuring you know you have chosen the colour and the type of plant you will really appreciate and love for years to come. I know I do!

Happy planting!

Harrogate Hospital Radio celebrates 200 combined years of service

Harrogate Hospital Radio is to celebrate a group of volunteers who have given more than 200 combined years of service to the station.

Eight members of the society, which first took to the air in October 1977, will be ‘presented’ with long service certificates at its AGM by Hospital Broadcasting Association President, June Snowden.

The broadcaster was Harrogate’s first dedicated radio station, and will recognise those volunteers who have been members of the charity for ten years and longer, including one for 40 years.

However, because of covid restrictions, the meeting will be held online.

The members who are being honoured are:

Steve Pexton, 40 years, John Manning 35 years, Nicola Pollard, 30 years, David Simister 30 years, Bill Caw 20 years, Mike Streeton 15 years, Ellie Jackson 15 years, Simon Berger 10 years, Martin Fretwell 10 years.

Harrogate Hospital Radio Chairman Mark Oldfield said:

“Between them, these eight members have dedicated a magnificent 205 combined years’ service to Harrogate Hospital Radio.

“This is an incredible milestone, and I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their long and valued service to our great charity.

“All of our members give their time willingly and freely, and I’m grateful to them all for their individual contributions, which have helped us to be where we are today, one of the country’s most successful hospital radio stations.

He added:

“Without volunteers there would be no Harrogate Hospital Radio. Our members come from all ages and all backgrounds, and each one supports the charity in their own individual way, from presenting shows and collecting requests, to assisting in administrative duties and fundraising.”

Further information about Harrogate Hospital Radio is available at: http://www.harrogatehospitalradio.org.uk/

Stray Foodie recipes: Pea and Wild Herb Tart

When fresh peas in the pod start appearing on our greengrocers shelves along with delightful baby broad beans, one really does feel that spring has arrived.

One of Britain’s favourite legumes marries so well with all our little baby hedgerow herbs that are beginning to show their faces. Sweet cicely, wild mint, wild garlic, baby nettles to mention just a few enhance the flavour and add an earthiness to this great legume. High in many nutrients and anti-oxidants, they are a great source of protein.

At the height of the season the best and prime peas are often frozen which enables us to enjoy them throughout the winter season. As a cook I always try to make the best use of them. At this time of the year the fresh peas are so sweet and sensational that they hardly need any cooking and indeed I use them as a garnish to many of my dishes. Their versatility is almost unique.

This Pea Tart recipe is great for a supper that can be made in advance. As always, I think it is so important to be able to put a variation on a basic recipe, so you can add to it as much or as little as you like, such as Parma ham, smoked salmon, walnuts, cobnuts, leeks or preserved citrus.

Ingredients for my Pea & Wild Herb Tart:

A Puff Pastry Shell Case
200g Frozen Peas
80g White Wine
7g Salt
60g Mayonnaise
80g Philadelphia Whole Fat Cheese
80g Whipped Cream
2 Leaves of Gelatine of your choice
A small bunch of fresh mint and sweet cicely

For the garnish:

Parma Ham
Peas
Broad Beans
Wild Herbs
Vinaigrette

Method

Pour boiling water over the peas.

Drain and let stand for a few minutes.

Drain well again and squeeze any excess water out of them.

Pop them in the food processor with the salt and cream cheese.

Warm and soften the gelatine in the white wine and blend with the peas.

Fold in the mayonnaise.

Chop the mint and sweet cicely with ½ teaspoon of sugar and add to the mayonnaise.

Finally fold in the cream.

Pour into your crisp puff pastry shell and place in the fridge to set up.

Garnish with Parma Ham, fresh Legumes, vinaigrette and other ingredients of your choice.

Harrogate District Hospital records another covid death

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another death of a patient who tested positive for covid. It brings the total number of hospital deaths in the district from covid to 160. The patient’s death was recorded yesterday, February 27.

Across the district another 15 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. It means 7,295 people have tested positive for covid since the pandemic began.

The 7 day average rate in Harrogate has fallen to 72.1 per 100,000 – this is compared with an England wide average of 96.4.

This weekend there were queues around the car park when a new vaccine centre opened in Knaresborough. Depending on supply, the centre can give out 1,200 jabs in a day.

We’d like to thank everyone who has sent us tributes to their loved ones who have died of covid in the past year. We will be publishing them in the week starting March 8. If you have lost a family or friend to the virus and wish them to be remembered publicly then get in touch on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we can tell their story.