‘Quirky’ Starbeck mural could see Marc Almond floating on a teabag

A “quirky” mural has been proposed for a wall in Starbeck that could see famous former residents, such as the 14th-century Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond, painted as if they are floating on teabags.

Mark Leicester, who owns a block of buildings on Starbeck High Street, said such a mural would liven up a wall that was formerly the side of a launderette and joins Camwal Road.

Mr Leicester told the Stray Ferret his vision for the mural includes making the windows look like car windscreens and underneath depicting famous ex-residents flying on teabags as if they are magic carpets.

He said he wants the artwork to offer something different from the norm.

“We’re proud of Starbeck. A lot of unsung heroes have lived here.”

“We’re trying to do something that isn’t just a landscape, we want it to be quirky and interesting too.”

The mural would be painted on this wall.

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Mr Leicester has asked local residents to suggest famous people who lived in Starbeck that could be included on the mural.

Suggestions so far include John of Gaunt, William Slingsby, pub owner Sam Smith, Marc Almond and Henry Peacock.

Colourful murals have become increasingly popular in the area.

Local artist Sam Porter recently finished working on a nature mural at Cheapside in Knaresborough and a fox-themed mural was painted on the iron bridge at Bilton this month.

Mr Leicester said his son, who is an animator, has volunteered to help with the design and he is in discussions with local mural artists that might be able to do the work.

He added:

“I want it to make people smile when they see it. And for them to see Starbeck as a nice place.”

Work could begin on the mural this summer.

Harrogate council publishes heavily redacted Turkish Baths responses

Harrogate Borough Council has today published heavily redacted responses to its consultation on single-sex sessions at the town’s Turkish Baths, after previously saying the information was restricted.

The council considered banning single-sex sessions at the 124-year-old council-owned baths but changed its mind after the consultation revealed 92% opposed the move.

A summary of the consultation’s 325 responses was published this month. But the council took the unusual step of not revealing individual responses on the grounds that they contained personal information.

After being questioned about this, the council today released a statement saying that because of its commitment to being “open and transparent”, it had decided to disclose the information after all.

But many of the responses are heavily redacted in black type.

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One person said:

“Single sex sessions are invaluable and help women feel that they can fully relax and enjoy the experience. It would be a huge loss for women if those sessions were removed.”

Another said:

“Don’t let down the majority by slavishly following a trend that may be short-lived. Harrogate has had the courage of its convictions for centuries.”

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“When someone takes part in one of our consultations, they do so on the basis that the information they provide will be kept secure and treated in accordance with data protection laws.

“We also owe them a duty of care to treat their responses as private and confidential.

“In the case of this consultation, responses included highly sensitive information including stories from victims of violent crimes.

“However, in recognition of our commitment to be an open and transparent council, a redacted version of the responses has been published in the Have Your Say section of our website.

“All personal data, identifying or confidential information has been removed to maintain respondents’ anonymity.”

Harrogate transparency campaigner Peter Lilley, a long-time critic of the council, called the number of redactions in the document “ludicrous”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate Borough Council makes itself look more and more ridiculous every day.

“Considering council officers have had seven or eight months to process the information it received from the consultation on proposed changes at Harrogate’s Turkish Baths, it’s hard to imagine how the responses could have been presented more unattractively; with so many comments ‘blacked out’ that, in places, the document is totally unintelligible and unreadable.

“The sheer number of redactions is ludicrous. They must amount to several hundred – and on what grounds? The council has even blacked out answers to the question: how often do you visit the baths? How can that possibly be considered sensitive information?”

Fresh plans for housing at former Ripon timber yard

New plans have been submitted to build 13 homes at the former NY Timber yard in Ripon.

Harrogate Borough Council refused previous plans in December when chief planner John Worthington said the scheme by Red Tree Developments would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area.

The site is adjacent to the listed buildings The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church.

Christopher Hughes, chairman of the Ripon Civic Society also objected to the plans and said the structure should be retained due to its historical importance.

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The building in 1929.

For its latest application, the developer has included a document prepared by planning consultancy firm mb Heritage & Planning, which specialises in historic buildings.

The document, which evaluates the importance of the site as well as its impact on local landmarks, concluded that whilst the existing buildings have ‘some heritage value’ a scheme that involved retaining the original buildings was not financially viable.

Planning consultant Jay Everett also supported the application on behalf of the developer. He said:

“In my view, the proposed development represents the optimum viable re-use of the site, which will deliver substantial public benefits that outweigh the ‘less than substantial harm’ arising from the demolition of the existing building.”

Harrogate Borough Council will now decide whether to accept the application.

Ripon taxi driver ‘dumbfounded’ by lack of mask-wearing in cabs

A taxi driver from Ripon has pleaded with customers to wear facemasks and protect drivers from covid as too many passengers are ignoring the rules.

Richard Fieldman, who has been a cabbie in Ripon for 28 years, said the last 12 months had been “absolutely horrendous” for the trade.

After not working since New Year’s Eve, the owner of A1 Cars recently began taking passengers again.

However, he told the Stray Ferret he’s been disappointed by the number of people who either don’t get in his taxi with a mask, or don’t wear one properly.

Taxi passengers must wear face coverings unless they have an exemption.

Mr Fieldman said:

“You ask them to put their masks on when they get in the taxi, but they pull it down as soon as the car sets off.”

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Mr Fieldman said he was “dumbfounded” by customers claiming they forgot their masks, adding that he believed many people didn’t think being in a taxi posed the same risk as being in a shop.

He estimated that seven out of 10 passengers wore masks, and the large minority that didn’t included many older people. He said:

“They’re just as bad. You can’t blame it on young people flouting the rules.”

He added:

“I had two lads get in with masks last week. The next minute I look in the mirror they’re chomping on sandwiches.

“People think with covid it’s game over, but it’s not.”

Knaresborough Road betting shop could become piri-piri chicken restaurant

Plans have been submitted to convert the former Coral bookmakers on Knaresborough Road in Harrogate into a piri-piri chicken restaurant.

Planning documents indicate the restaurant would open as part of the franchise Pepe’s Piri Piri, which has 132 restaurants in the country including in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield.

The chain specialises in flame-grilled fried chicken.

The company Foodie Zone Ltd applied to Harrogate Borough Council last week to open the restaurant. The application said it would create 15 full-time jobs.

Documents say the restaurant would provide family-friendly ‘healthy grilled food’. They add:

“The proposed restaurant will provide a family-friendly dining experience with family seating areas, providing healthy grilled food, as part of the new healthy style of living, something which is limited in the area and would be very successful.”

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Kids’ football camps kick off half term at Harrogate Town

Harrogate Town FC will run football camps for children throughout the May half-term holiday at St John Fisher High School.

The club’s camps are designed to provide boys and girls with high-quality coaching through exciting activities in a fun and safe environment.

Children aged six to 14 can attend from Monday May 31 to Thursday June 3.

It costs £28 per day, or £24 per day for members of the club’s Player Development Centre.

Alternatively, all four days of one camp week can be purchased for £95, or £82 if a member of the PDC.

More information about the camps can be found here or you can email Josh Falkingham with any questions.

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Harrogate to host climate change conference ahead of COP26

Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC) will host a conference in October that aims to highlight how local businesses can do their bit to tackle climate change.

The event will take place on Friday October 15 at Harrogate Convention Centre in the run-up to COP26 — a major international climate change conference run by the United Nations that will take place in Glasgow.

HDCCC says its Harrogate event will include expert speakers and workshops from businesses that have successfully decarbonised their operations or supply chains.  

The coalition was set up by Harrogate Borough Council to bring together local government, green groups and businesses. In February, its members voted to become an independent organisation from the council.

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The event will be part of the Climate Action Festival (CAFé) that will include several events over three weeks in Harrogate in October.

Kirsty Hallett, communications lead for HDCCC, said she hoped the festival will be fun and encourage people to act to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, help to limit climate change, and benefit nature and wildlife.

Ms Hallett added:

“We aim to involve the skills, energy and ideas of as many of our fabulous local people and organisations as possible.

“We hope the CAFé becomes an exciting period of climate-focused events, which reach multiple audiences and inspire a wide range of climate actions.”

If you would like an exhibition space, to provide a speaker, participate in a panel discussion or can offer sponsorship to the conference, email HDCCC here.

Harrogate musician’s pride at playing Last Post at Prince Philip’s funeral

Harrogate bugler Hayley Stead has expressed her pride at playing the Last Post at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral last Saturday.

The former Rossett high school pupil’s job title is Lance Corporal Bugler and she plays with the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Plymouth.

Her primary job with the Marines is to play the Last Post for men and women who have served in the military and passed away.

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle on April 9, and the official two-week mourning period for the royal family ends today.

L Cpl Bugler Stead was on Easter leave when she got the call to be part of the funeral. She told the Stray Ferret:

“Pride was an understatement”.

The band spent all week in rehearsals, which included a dress rehearsal on Thursday and a final run-through on Friday.

L Cpl Bugler Stead said over the past year she has been redeployed to help vaccinate and test people alongside the NHS. She said “it was so good to play again”, even if it was for such a sad occasion.

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She added:

“To play on the day it still feels surreal. I was very honoured and proud to be there.”

Passion for music

At the age of 12 L Cpl Bugler Stead joined the Harrogate and District Sea Cadets, where she played in the band and developed a passion for music.

After working for Bettys in her 20s, she decided on a complete career change and to follow her dream of playing music for a living. She said she’s “never looked back” since joining the Marines.

Harrogate cowboy builder James Moss ordered to repay deposit by courts

Harrogate builder James Moss has been ordered by a judge to repay a man from Knaresborough £1,275, after he took a deposit but failed to show up on a job.

The Harrogate Justice Centre held a virtual hearing yesterday with claimant David King. Mr Moss failed to attend.

District Judge William Josling read out an email sent by Mr Moss to the court on April 16. It said the business that he claimed provided the work, DBL Yorkshire, has now ceased trading and he has no association with it any longer.

The judge said he had also submitted a defence of bad weather and supply.

However, this was not accepted by Judge Josling who proceeded to hear the case in the builder’s absence.

Mr King, of Beech Grove in Knaresborough, told the court that he had paid £1,275 in a deposit in June 2020 for building work that was never started.

He said a date was set to begin the work in August 2020 “which came and went”.

He added:

“The excuses came in, he said there was problems with the weather and the scaffolding. Then he ceased communications.”

Judge Josling ordered Mr Moss to pay Mr King the full £1,275 plus costs.

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Three different claimants have now won cases in the county court against Mr Moss in 2021 alone.

In January, he was told to pay £11,495 to a woman who was unhappy about the quality of his work.

In February, he was ordered to repay money after a £30,000 garage conversion was so poor it had to be partly demolished.

Last year, the Stray Ferret heard how two other women also won cases against Mr Moss in the civil court for poor workmanship.

None of them have received any money from James Moss.

North Yorkshire County Council’s trading standards department has been criticised for its response to the builder.

Meet Coco: Harrogate’s tea drinking, Only Fools quoting parrot

Donna Greig from Harrogate has wanted a parrot since she was a child and said it was “love at first sight” when she first saw 13-year-old Coco.

After taking the Congo African Grey parrot home from Knaresborough Exotic Pet Rescue in December, it’s been a whirlwind few months for Coco and her new owner.

Some studies suggest that parrots are one of the most intelligent species of bird on the planet. Donna said Coco needs a lot of stimulation and needs to be out of her cage for up to six hours a day.

She said:

“When she wont get the attention she thinks she deserves, she creates absolute havoc.

“They are mini destructor weapons. You don’t need a paper shredder when you have a parrot.”

But Coco has a favourite drink that helps get her head right.

“She likes a nice cup of chamomile tea to help calm her down.”

Donna says she feeds Coco vegetables and fruit but she can be particular.

“I get a dirty look if I don’t give her pine nuts and pomegranates. It’s like being ruled by a mini-dictator!”

What a plonker

Parrots are famous for mimicking human speech which they learn through repetition.

Coco is no different, and when Donna comes home from work she sings away to the radio “having a whale of a time.”

She said she also “has the beep of my washing machine down to a tee”.

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Donna said:

“Coco likes pop music and is a massive fan of Disney. She absolutely loves the song Let It Go and also gets quite excited at Prince and Miley Cyrus.”

“But I’ve have been good not to teach her swear words. I’ve gone into mummy mode”.

Coco has even picked up on a phrase from Donna’s favourite TV show.

“I watch Only Fools and Horses all the time so she calls me a plonker.”

Perfect companion

Donna lives on her own and says Coco has been the perfect companion during lockdown.

She said the bird makes her laugh every day, but bathtime can be difficult.

“Coco is a water dodger and when I take her into the bathroom she says, ‘no, I’m not having this’, and flies into the bedroom.”

Despite the occasional temper tantrums, Donna said she has no regrets and has recently created a Facebook page for fellow parrot owners in Harrogate to discuss their feathered pets.

She added:

“Getting Coco was the best decision I ever made”.