The much-loved Harrogate Town matchday commentator for BBC Radio York has hung up his microphone after a four-decade career with the BBC.
Barry Parker is a familiar and idiosyncratic voice to Harrogate Town fans, commentating on the club’s games since 2015.
He also featured on Town’s live matchday stream, which was a lifeline to many fans during the covid pandemic when they weren’t allowed into the grounds.
His last game was at the weekend when Harrogate Town lost 2-0 at home to Sutton United. Fans paid tribute to Mr Parker by chanting his name at half-time.
Looking back on his career, Mr Parker said:
“When I came out of college in 1979 I had no idea what I was going to do.
“I’ve had 40 wonderful years doing a job that I loved and being paid for it — I’ve been so lucky.
“If I’ve done the job well, it gets appreciated not by one or two people but by thousands, which is very heart-warming.”
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The commentator was praised by Town boss Simon Weaver, who said he has been “absolutely magnificent” for the club.
He said:
“Absolutely brilliant commentary – and sometimes totally biased in our favour! I really do appreciate him, as do all the players and the faithful who haven’t been able to travel, especially due to the pandemic. Barry has been immense for the football club. Thank you so much Barry – you are always welcome at Harrogate Town.”
BBC Radio York’s executive producer Anna Evans added:
Knaresborough to host Jubilee flag-making workshop for kids“Barry’s career with the BBC has been immense, spanning four decades. It’s rare to find someone so passionate about sport and radio. Following his final commentary game, we received so many messages from listeners sharing memories and wishing him well. It’s been an honour to have him as part of our team. We will miss him here at BBC Radio York.”
As part of Knaresborough’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, there will be a free Union Jack flag-making workshop for kids who can take their flag on a procession through the town.
It’s been organised by the people who usually run the lantern-making workshops at Christmas. It will take place on Saturday June 4 at Gracious Street Methodist Church from 10am to 11am.
The event is free and there will be refreshments at the workshop although there will be a donations box. All materials will be provided and children must be accompanied by an adult.
The procession will led by the Town Crier from the Market Place at 11.30am to the grounds of Knaresborough House for the Jubilee Garden Party.
Knaresborough’s Jubilee plans
Starting on Thursday June 2, Knaresborough will light a beacon on the top of the castle, along with 1,500 locations across the UK.
On Saturday June 4 at Knaresborough House, there will be an artisan market in the morning followed in the afternoon by a community garden party and performances event. There will also be a tea dance at St Mary’s Church Hall.
On Sunday June 5 organisers hope to hold a thanksgiving service. Sunday is also set aside for street parties.
Throughout the weekend the new Knaresborough Museum will open in the former Castle Girls’ School with a special community history event to mark the jubilee.
For information about what’s on across the district over the big weekend. Click the box below.
Masham Bridge repairs to begin next month
Delayed works to repair Masham Bridge look set to begin in June.
The Grade II listed bridge was damaged after a car ploughed through a wall and almost ended up in the River Ure in December.
After the incident, a police spokesman said a man in his 30s was very lucky to escape without any injuries.
Since December, temporary traffic lights have caused disruption to motorists crossing the bridge.
North Yorkshire County Council said it has been unable to retrieve stones from the collapsed wall that sunk in the river due to high water levels.
Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at NYCC, said the authority hopes work to repair the bridge will begin in June in time for the summer tourist season.
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Ms Burnham said:
“We appreciate the disruption that the temporary traffic lights on Masham Bridge are causing and are doing all we can to repair the bridge and have both lanes reopen ahead of the busy summer season.
“Unfortunately starting the repairs have taken longer than expected. High river levels during the winter months and the need to access third party land delayed retrieving the stone. This has now been completed and we are working with contractors to decide on the best method of repairs with minimum disruption to the public.
“We will liaise with the town council before a start date is scheduled. However, we look to carry out the repairs in June. We hope to keep the road open under traffic management and will keep the public updated in due course.”
Hong Kong residents choosing Harrogate for a new life
It has been a volatile few years in Hong Kong with protests, the jailing of opposition politicians and the closure of media outlets.
Now according to a local estate agent, an increasing number of people from Hong Kong are moving to Harrogate as Chinese rule has led to a crackdown on freedom and democracy.
In January last year, the UK government offered a new visa to residents of its former colony. It expects that 300,000 Hong Kongers will make the move in the next five years. Around 100,000 applied for the visa in 2021 alone.
Three of them are members of a family that moved to Harrogate last year.
Candy Yip and her husband Man Wong, both 44, brought with them bubble tea and opened a cafe called Sweet Pearl House on Commercial Street in January. It also sells traditional Hong Kong egg waffles.
Ms Yip said she wanted their daughter, 16, to have more freedom and a better education than what was possible in Hong Kong.
She said she has been impressed with the town’s safe surroundings and friendly people since making the move.
“Harrogate’s environment is very lovely and I feel very safe when I live here. People are very friendly.
“When we live in Harrogate, we can feel no stress. The people here enjoy their life and I can also feel the relaxing atmosphere.”
More fresh air
Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers above 150 metres in the world with 518.
Space is at a premium and many families live in cramped apartment buildings high up in the sky.
Harrogate’s tallest building is The Exchange on Station Parade which stands at a humble 42 metres.
There is also decidedly less hustle and less bustle than the Asian metropolis, which has almost 8 million residents.
Ms Yip said the lower building density in Harrogate coupled with much more open space makes it an appealing contrast to back home in Hong Kong.
She said:
“I think Harrogate is a popular place for Hong Kongers to live in is because Harrogate has not many tall buildings. It makes people feel more comfortable because Hong Kong has too many tall buildings and here we can get more fresh air.
“Harrogate has lots of countryside and we can also see different kinds of animals such as sheep and horses. It is really beautiful.”
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Global property map
Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post published an article in March that said Hong Kongers are ‘turbocharging’ the UK’s already red-hot housing market.
David Waddington, director at Linley & Simpson, said since the start of the year the estate agent has seen an increase in people from Hong Kong looking to move to the Harrogate district.
Many Hong Kong exiles have sold their property or businesses in the city before moving to the UK, which means they can afford the district’s high house prices.
Mr Waddington said in one new development in the area as many as 15% of the properties were sold to families relocating from Hong Kong.
“Since the turn of the year we have seen people moving from Hong Kong to start a new life in the Harrogate district in ever-increasing numbers.
“In one new homes development we launched to market recently, three of the twenty properties have been sold to families relocating from Hong Kong.
“Hits on our website from Hong Kong have witnessed a notable uptick too. While Harrogate is a magnet for home buyers from a diverse number of international countries, its name and ‘brand’ is well-known to many in Hong Kong.”
An attractive destination
HK UK Support Ltd is a company that specialises in helping people from Hong Kong relocate to the UK.
Last month it published a Q&A on its YouTube channel with Sue Brandom, inward investment officer at Harrogate Borough Council.
Ms Brandom cited Betty’s, Knaresborough and the Nidderdale countryside as reasons why the district can be an attractive destination for Hong Kongers looking to make the move.
They are all points that are hard to disagree with, although new district resident Candy Yip said Harrogate would be “perfect” if it had just a few more Asian food options.
Spate of deer killed by motorists in Harrogate“I miss my family and friends and also the food in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has more options of food for people such as Korean food. I think if Harrogate can have more variety of food, it will be perfect.”
North Yorkshire Police has issued a warning to motorists after four deer were killed by motorists in the Harrogate district over the last month.
Collisions involving deer usually increase in spring, when young buck roe deer move to new areas.
A police spokesperson said motorists should look out for deer on roads close to wooded areas.
They added if you hit a deer, you should park in a safe place with the hazard lights on and call the police on 101 and not approach the animal.
A spokesperson added:
“So please look out for deer warning road signs and take particular care in forested areas and at ‘peak’ times (from sunset to midnight, and the hours shortly before and after sunrise).”
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Stunning Green win in Ouseburn sets blueprint for future collaborations
New Green Party councillor for the Ouseburn division, Arnold Warneken, said he is looking forward to working with other political parties in the new North Yorkshire Council.
Cllr Warneken beat Conservative candidate Richard Musgrave decisively, by 1,328 votes to 586 in a two-horse race.
There was no Liberal Democrat candidate standing after the party agreed to step aside to help the Greens unseat Mr Musgrave.
In Cllr Warneken’s acceptance speech, he suggested the local Conservative Party had “lost their conscience” and the result sent a message to other parties to work together around a common purpose based on decency.
He said:
“I will work with anybody, whatever their party is, as long as they are honest, transparent, have integrity and tell the truth.”
A blank canvas
Cllr Warneken told the Stray Ferret afterwards that the result has given him hope that environmental issues are now vote winners.
He said:
“There are all sorts of challenges and it’s a blank canvas.”
Cllr Warneken was a Green Party councillor in the 1990s and will join his old friend, the Lib Dem councillor Pat Marsh, in the new chamber.
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Cllr Warneken said he believes he still would have won even if the Liberal Democrats had put a candidate forward, due to his huge majority. He said the Tory candidate was “complacent” throughout the campaign.
Mr Musgrave did not attend the count to hear the verdict.
Echoing the words of Labour’s Margaret Smith during her speech at the election count, after failing to win Oatlands and Pannal, Cllr Warneken said the time had come for a proportional representation voting system.
He said:
“If we had PR we’d have more candidates from minor parties.”
Collaborate
Next door to the count in the Harrogate Convention Centre yesterday was The Assemblies of God conference, where over 500 different churches were meeting.
In previous local council elections, it has felt like most Green candidates haven’t had a prayer of winning.
But Shan Oakes, the local party coordinator, said Mr Warneken’s win was “a real story” locally.
He will join four other North Yorkshire-based Green Party councillors on the new authority.
Ms Oakes added:
“The world is coming to its senses. It’s given us hope.
“We face serious existential issues. We have the climate crisis and we have to green up out town.”
Ms Oakes said she hopes parties can agree to step aside in future, but thinks it will be a tough ask.
What cost the Tories votes in the Harrogate district?“It was a real struggle to get the one that we did.”
It was a dire set of results on the whole for the Conservative Party in the district.
Several high-profile councillors including Graham Swift, Stan Lumley and Phil Ireland failed to win a seat on the new North Yorkshire Council and became major scalps for the Liberal Democrats.
Out of the 21 divisions up for grabs in the present Harrogate district area, the Conservatives will now have 9 councillors. It means they will be a much less powerful force locally.
The ‘partygate’ scandal involving Boris Johnson has dominated the news for months. But some of the Harrogate district’s winning Conservatives gave diplomatic responses when asked by the Stray Ferret if that had been a factor in the party’s poor performance.
Nathan Hull, the new Tory councillor for Washburn and Birstwith, picked his words carefully:
He said:
“It’s up to MPs to look at how the party collectively operates. I can do nothing about that.”
Cllr Nathan Hull
Mr Hull said he is up for working with other parties on local issues.
“I’m focused on rural issues and schools. I’ll try not to be too partisan. We all want the same thing.”
Andrew Paraskos, the new Conservative councillor for Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale and Tockwith, said he was pleased to win, despite a bad day for many of his colleagues.
Cllr Andrew Paraskos
“It was a mixed bag on the doorstep. It was mainly the cost of living crisis and general unhappiness.”
Paul Haslam, the winning Conservative candidate for Bilton & Nidd Gorge, said he focused on local issues such as the closure of Woodfield school and anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Paul Haslam
He said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to have been supported. I will continue to fight for the people of Bilton.”
On why the Conservatives had difficult results. He added:
“It’s a tricky question. The national picture is difficult. On Boris Johnson, there had been feedback on the doorstep that suggested people are not happy.”
On the doorstep
Several of the victorious Liberal Democrats candidates said Boris Johnson was not the main issue from residents on the doorstep.
Rather, they said people were angry at the way the Conservative-led Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council had handled things like housing and the state of Harrogate town centre.
Veteran Lib Dem councillor Pat Marsh, who won Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, said:
Cllr Pat Marsh
“On the doorstep we didn’t get so much about Boris Johnson. What we got was the state of the town centre, litter, street cleaning and no new investment. What have they done in 20 years?”
Monika Slater, the new Lib Dem councillor for Bilton Grange and New Park added:
“It’s a mix. Boris Johnson played a part but people in Harrogate are really fed up. They see Harrogate in decline and think things need to change.”
Cllr Monika Slater
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Major scalp
Conservative Graham Swift was tipped as a potential leader of the new North Yorkshire Council.
But his defeat now likely spells the end of his political career once Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.
Cllr Swift has been council leader Richard Cooper’s deputy at HBC and has been a forceful presence in the council chamber.
He gave a gracious speech that congratulated the new Lib Dem councillor for Coppice Valley & Duchy, Peter Lacey, but he knew the result well before it was announced and looked ashen-faced whilst he sat with other Conservatives.
The independent candidate in the division, Daniel Thompson, won 199 votes. He said he “got what he wanted” with Cllr Swift losing the vote, despite not winning himself.
Cllr Swift declined to speak to the Stray Ferret.
What does this mean for Andrew Jones MP?
Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough, Andrew Jones, looked on as HBC chief executive Wallace Sampson announced the results.
Daniel Thompson said “look out Andrew Jones” during his concession speech, which reflected the feeling of several Liberal Democrat councillors who were buoyed by their wins.
Phil Willis, the last and only Liberal Democrat MP in Harrogate & Knaresborough, tweeted that the result in Harrogate was “sensational”.
Retiring Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie optimistically told the Stray Ferret he expects the national picture to be different when the next general election comes around.
“Covid and the cost of living crisis, these things will settle down. When it comes to the general election it will be a much more benign national picture”.
Mr Jones was at the count but declined to talk to the Stray Ferret, waving us away without saying a word.
Andrew Jones MP
Anti-terrorism measures for Harrogate Christmas Fayre cost £15,000, with Harrogate Borough Council paying half.
The inaugural event was run by the council in the town centre in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester.
It saw stalls and stands selling food, drink and gifts around Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.
The fayre was organised after the original Harrogate Christmas Market, on Montpellier Hill, was cancelled after the council refused to sign off the organisers’ event management plan.
The council had raised concerns with co-organiser Brian Dunsby that the plan didn’t adequately address the threat from terrorists.
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In 2016, terrorists drove a truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, leaving 12 people dead.
Since then, Christmas markets across the UK have beefed up security to thwart any similar attempts.
The Harrogate Christmas Fayre saw temporary bollards on both ends of Cambridge Street and in other locations in the town centre to stop vehicles from entering.
The council’s publicly available list of payments over £250 includes a payment of £7,453.83 to Market Place, which a council spokesperson said was to pay for the bollards. The final bill was split 50/50 with the company.
The spokesperson said:
St Aidan’s new 3G pitch set to be open until 8pm“As part of the event delivery plan for Harrogate Christmas Fayre, and following guidance and advice from North Yorkshire Police, we wanted to ensure a safe and enjoyable market was delivered, especially following incidents in other cities previously.
“Therefore, to ensure the safety of residents, traders and visitors of the fayre, we agreed to split the costs of anti-terrorism measures with Market Place Europe to mitigate any potential risks.
“As this was organised via Market Place Europe, our share was paid to them rather than the supplier.”
St Aidan’s Church of England High School’s new floodlit artificial sports pitch is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.
The school has launched a consultation on when the FIFA-approved pitch can be hired, as well as the type of floodlights that will be built.
Last January councillors gave the school permission to build the pitch, despite the council’s own report recommending refusal.
Some nearby residents had complained that the 15-metre high floodlights would cause light pollution to their homes and the Stray.
However, the application attracted a huge amount of support from Harrogate residents, with some hailing “people power” for helping to influence councillors’ decisions.
Hours of use
The consultation document proposes the pitch will be available from 6pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday.
On Saturdays, it would be available for hire from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 10am to 2pm.
During school holidays, the pitch would be available to be booked from 9am to 4pm.
It says prices will be similar to other council-run facilities in the Harrogate area.
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The school will employ its own staff to manage and operate the facility and a committee will review its hours of use every year.
There has been a lack of 3G pitches available in Harrogate since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs following promotion to the English Football League two years ago.
County council says Bilton housing scheme ‘should be refused’North Yorkshire County Council has said the layout of a 53-home development in Bilton is ‘not acceptable’ and the plan should be refused unless the developer agrees to pay for the widening of Knox Lane.
North East firm Jomast wants to build the homes on a field on Knox Lane in an application that has been reduced from 73 homes.
The county council, which is in charge of the Harrogate district’s roads, has submitted a response to the application as part of the consultation process.
It warned the development does not comply with standards it sets around roads and new housing schemes.
The section of Knox Lane where the homes would be built is narrow and leads towards a popular beauty spot.
Residents have long argued the road is unsuitable for any extra traffic the homes would bring but the developer’s transport report concluded the development would not lead to congestion.
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Paul Roberts, the county council’s highways officer, wrote to Harrogate Borough Council last week and said the development should be refused unless changes are made to Knox Lane as well as private roads within the site.
He wrote:
“The highway authority therefore advise that the application should be refused unless further information is provided by the developer. The layout of the site is not acceptable and will need to be amended to comply with the highway authority guidance/standards.”
Mr Roberts said Knox Lane should be widened to 5.5 metres with a two-metre footpath.
He added:
“This work shall be implemented as part of the project and if the application is approved implemented under a S278 agreement with the highway authority which the authority may wish to lead on.”
Residents’ concerns
The Stray Ferret met a group of Bilton residents in February who raised their concerns about the development and its impact on local roads.
With the busy Skipton Road nearby, and Knox Lane itself a narrow thoroughfare, Bob Wrightson said the roads surrounding the development would soon be gridlocked.
Mr Wrightson said:
“Fifty-two houses — a lot of people have cars, which has not been addressed. There might be another 100 cars using these roads and it will be gridlock.”
In February, Jomast and planning consultants Spawforths issued the following joint statement to the Stray Ferret:
“The planning application is supported by a number of specialist technical reports, including a transport assessment, which demonstrates the proposed development would not lead to any additional congestion of the local roads.”
Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will decide on the application.