Harrogate Borough Council‘s tourism body, Destination Harrogate, will use social media influencers again this year to promote the town’s Christmas festivities.

Julia Lumley, place marketing manager at Destination Harrogate, gave a presentation to Harrogate BID members at the Yorkshire Hotel on Thursday. She described how the body will be trying to attract visitors to the town during November and December.

Initiatives include a dedicated Christmas website where businesses can upload events, a printed guide, online campaigns, videos and photography, as well as competitions.

Ms Lumley also confirmed Destination Harrogate will be paying influencers to visit the town throughout the Christmas period.

The aim is for influencers to help reach audiences in a way that is more organic and personal than traditional advertising campaigns.

Last year, the Stray Ferret revealed Destination Harrogate paid influencer Heather Cowper £700 to make several posts about Christmas in Harrogate.

Read more:

• ‘Winter wonderland’ plans to boost Harrogate this Christmas
• Ripon plans some light relief this Christmas

But her posts performed poorly, raising questions over whether the fee represented value for money. A Liberal Democrat councillor branded the spend a “waste of money”.

However, the criticism hasn’t put Destination Harrogate off using influencers again.

On Friday, it Tweeted that it recently used vlogger Amy Berry to promote the town. She has 135,000 followers on Instagram.

Ms Berry’s video about a trip to Harrogate has proved to be popular. It includes visits to the Turkish Baths and Rudding Park and has been liked over 1,200 times in 24 hours.

Although Destination Harrogate will return to using social media influencers over Christmas, another campaign from last year won’t be returning.

Following a question from a member of the audience at the BID meeting, Ms Lumley said the £5,000 snow globe at Kings Cross will not be used again.

Who and what are Quakers?

There are about 210,000 Quakers across the world including a small community who practice the religion, formally known as the Religious Society of Friends, in Harrogate.

Gilly Charters has been one for 35 years after being brought up by atheist parents.

She and around 40 others worship once a week at the Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade.

Ms Charters explains what drew her to the Christian denomination:

“I came to the Quakers because I needed a place to explore my spiritual life where I wasn’t told how to think or made to sign up to rules or regulations. It provided a place for quiet discernment.

“The whole of life is sacred and we as human beings are sacred. I feel very strongly that true religion leads to respect for the earth and all life on it. These are the really important things for Quakers.”

Quakerism dates back centuries and has its origins in 17th century England. Many Quakers migrated to the USA and the religion is also practiced there.

But its sometimes old-fashioned image has been difficult to shake off.

Some people will have an image of the Quaker Porridge Oats man, with long hair, traditional clothing and hat. Ms Charters said that view of the religion belongs to the past.

“That image tends to mean Quakers are dead and gone or are a very old fashioned people, that we can’t exist anymore.

“But we do exist, there are not huge numbers of Quakers, but we are still active”.

The Friends Meeting House in Harrogate

At a Quaker meeting in Harrogate, Ms Charters says people worship together in silence before speaking messages to each other.

She explained:

“It can be about almost anything. Sometimes people will talk about what things are upsetting to them, for example, people who have experienced bereavement might talk about what that person meant to them in their life.

“Someone might talk about how important the environment is to them, or about what that person is doing to work for a better world. It’s all sort of things.”

Read more:

• Searching for inner peace with Harrogate’s Buddhists
• Christian prayers at Harrogate council ‘exclusionary’

Quakers are not necessarily Christians and they don’t all worship the Bible.

Ms Charters added:

“A lot of Quakers would say they are Christians, it’s about having a sense of God’s presence. What people mean by God can be different. It’s a source of a lot of conservation between people. It’s finding a sense of what’s bigger than us. 

“A lot of Quakers believe in Jesus as a historical figure, but their route to this deeper sense of being is not through the life of Jesus, it’s not through death and resurrection. There’s a big variety.”

This weekend the Quakers along with HUFUD (Humanity United for Universal Demilitarisation) are organising a peace conference at the Friends Meeting House.

Many wars have been fought in the name of religion but the peace movement is something that the Quakers strongly identify with.

“I can’t believe in the death penalty because if everyone is unique and precious then how can I be part of a state that sanctions that? The same with war, how can I go and fight against a presence of equal being? 

“When people ask me, Why are you a Quaker, I say living on this is earth is hard work so when you’re working you need to be alongside a group of people who work in the same way. It helps keep me grounded.”

To find out more about the Harrogate Quakers, visit their website.

A missing cat has been reunited with its owner after somehow making its way all the way to Harrogate from Lancashire.

The mog, called Bea, was found frightened by the side of a busy road in the town centre.

A couple took her to Harrogate New Park Vets4Pets to check if she was microchipped.

Vet Fernando Smit Cordeiro was locking up the practice and rushing to go to a fitness class when Bea arrived.

Her scanned her and was relieved to find the crucial microchip, so he was able to track down the pet’s owner.

He said:

“I picked up the phone and called. After the courtesy greetings I asked, ‘is Bea missing?’ And the gentleman replied, ‘yes’!

“Bea’s dad was relieved and surprised that she was found almost two hours drive away from home”.

Read more:

• Harrogate family reunited with missing cat after five years
• Harrogate Cat Rescue’s urgent appeal to save Pedro the kitten

The owners drove over from Lancashire later that evening to collect their pet. They suspected Bea snuck into a delivery van and hitchhiked her way to Harrogate.

Mr Cordeiro added:

“It’s always wonderful to reunite stray or lost pets with their worried parents.”

The vet urged cat owners to get their cat microchipped if they haven’t already. It’s currently not compulsory but the law is set to change soon.

Under the new plans, all cat owners must ensure their pet is microchipped before they reach 20 weeks. Owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted or may face a fine of up to £500.

The annual Masham Sheep Fair will return to the town on Saturday and Sunday.

The fair commemorates Masham’s rich history of sheep farming and is one of the biggest events in the Harrogate district.

Susan Cunliffe-Lister and other volunteers started the sheep fair 30 years ago, initially as a one-off event to raise money for farmers in Africa.

It raised £7,950 and became an annual event, now raising £159,000 for Yorkshire charities.

She wanted to bring back an old tradition. Until the First World War, sheep farmers from across the Dales used to come to Masham each year to buy and sell as many as 80,000 sheep over the course of a few days.

Nowadays sheep farmers from across the UK come to Masham to compete. There are other events like sheepdog trials, tours of Theakstons and Black Sheep breweries, morris dancing, fleece stalls and even sheep racing to keep the crowds entertained.

Read more:

• County’s first recycled plastic bridge installed at Masham

• Business Breakfast: Masham brewery to mark 30th anniversary

The schedule for the fair is below:

Saturday:

Sunday:

10.00 – Town Hall & School exhibitions open
10.30 – Morning Service in Methodist Chapel
10.45 – Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Service at St. Mary’s Church
10.45 – Judging of Sheep Show commences
11.30 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
12.00 – Flower Festival opens in St. Mary’s Church
12.00 – Trips around Theakston’s & Black Sheep Breweries start
12.00 – Sheep racing in field beyond churchyard
12.00 – Refreshments start at Methodist Church
12.30 – Sheepdog demonstrations in field beyond churchyard
13.00 – Judging of Supreme Champion in Sheep Show
13.45 – Bishop Blaize procession from Maple Creek to the Square
14.00 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
14.30 – Sheep racing over the sticks
15.00 – Sheepdog demonstration in field beyond churchyard
15.00 – Handbell ringing in Church
15.30 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
18.30 – Songs of Praise service in Methodist Chapel

An ice rink and a big wheel are set to come to Harrogate as part of this year’s Christmas festivities in the town.

Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe and John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, told Harrogate BID members last night about how Christmas will look in the town this year.

A “winter wonderland” will be created in Crescent Gardens, which will include the ice rink, apres ski, carousel and children’s rides.

Mr Rhodes said an expanded Christmas market will run from December 2 to December 11 with stalls on Cambridge Street, as well as “probably” Oxford Street and Cambridge Crescent.

Last year was the first event run together by the two organisations. Mr McGivern acknowledged there were some “teething problems” but said staff were working hard to make it bigger and better this year.

He said 90% of stallholders from last year have said they would like to return.

Mr McGivern said there was some feedback from last year about a lack of atmosphere but that covid hampered what they were able to offer.

He said this year will have more of a Christmas feel with the addition of carol singers, among other plans.

The popular Candy Cane Express road train will be back, but there will be two trains this year instead of one due to high demand.

The location is yet to be confirmed, but a 32m big wheel is likely to be placed at Harrogate’s war memorial where the helter skelter was last year.

The big wheel, ice rink, carousel and rides will be in place until January 8.

Read More: 

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate’s Christmas plans revealed this week

• Ripon plans some light relief this Christmas

This article is sponsored by Kliniken.

Keen runners who regularly pound the pavements know that aches and pains in the knees can be a real problem.

Kliniken, Yorkshire’s state-of-the-art day surgery clinic, has introduced a new procedure that uses stem cells extracted from fat to help heal osteoarthritis or joint pain in the knee and avoid painful knee replacement surgery.

It means that keen runners who are experiencing pain now can have treatment that allows them to run pain-free for longer without having to experience more pain or having to suffer a knee replacement later in life.

How does it work?

The procedure itself focuses on utilising fat stem cells to aid regeneration within the area affected, through use of targeted injections at the problem regions and joints.

This can help those suffering on the spectrum of pain, from a mild ache all the way up to those who may be due to have knee replacements using metal – a far more invasive form of surgery.

If you are experiencing any pain when running then contact Kliniken to see if this stem cell treatment might be the right thing for you.

The treatment avoids painful knee surgery.

Life-changing procedure

The UK’s leading surgeon on stem cell treatment is delighted to be bringing a life-changing procedure to Yorkshire.

Mr Mallappa Kolar’s expertise in stem cell treatments has allowed him to pioneer this procedure for the first time within the UK, aiding patients with often crippling, painful osteoarthritis.

Mr Kolar said:

“Kliniken is the only location within the UK to offer this type of (fat) stem cell procedures. Unlike other procedures available, these pioneering stem cell injection treatments mean the body is healing the body, and it does not involve any metal insertion into the patient’s body.

“Unfortunately, knee replacements cannot be reversed and most younger people who have to get a replacement are more likely to need a revision later in life which is a major undertaking.”

Please call us on 01423 206388 or visit our website at kliniken.co.uk for more information.

The owners of Ainsty Farm Shop have said if a new Prime Minister had been appointed sooner it could have saved their business.

This morning, the government announced a huge package of support for businesses that will see energy bills cut in half for the next six months.

Despite the energy crisis growing all summer, the measures were only announced after the two-month Conservative Party leadership battle between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

For the farm shop off the A59, which closed last week, it’s come too late.

The Stray Ferret reported in August how farmers Lily and Stuart Beaton had run the popular store for 22 years but planned to close due to spiralling bills.

They had been given an energy quote of £90,000 — a massive increase from the £20,000 a year they had previously been paying.

Ms Beaton said:

“In all honesty, if they’d got on with choosing the Prime Minister quicker, and made the announcement [on energy bills] sooner, we might have sat down and worked out the figures and looked if we’d be able to go on. gone on.

“I think we would have had a go at putting our prices up and seeing what the reaction was from people.”

Read more:

• Cost of living crisis fund launched for North Yorkshire
• £70,000 energy bill increase forces Harrogate district farm shop to close

The package of support will last for six months, which Ms Beaton described as a “stay of execution”.

She is worried that next winter, businesses could again be placed in a perilous position with no guarantee of another government bailout.

She added:

“I think there are a lot of businesses that will benefit but I feel it’s moving the problem on. In six months time we won’t have all the renewable power in place, that’s the way we need to go.”

The couple are now busy removing the fridges, tills and shelving from the store as they prepare to simplify their business.

They will continue to sell meat and produce from their farm via an online mailing list and through their online shop.

A 90-year-old man from Harrogate will perform a skydive to help buy wheelchairs at a care home where his wife lives.

Frank Ward’s wife Margie has vascular dementia and lives at Berwick Grange care home on Wetherby Road.

As Mr Ward approached his 90th birthday in November, he decided to mark it by doing something special.

The energy crisis has increased costs at the care home for heating and food and Mr Ward hopes the fundraiser will help it buy some much-needed wheelchairs for residents.

He is especially looking forward to the jump because the last time he did a skydive was in the 1950s during National Service.

Mr Ward said:

“It occurred to me that a skydive would be a nice thing to do to mark my 90th — and I could try and do some good at the same time. 

“I’ve raised over £1,500 so far, that’s marvellous and will buy a lot of wheelchairs. 

“If I get to 95 I might do another one!”

To donate, visit the JustGiving page.

Read more:

• Richard Taylor school in Bilton receives ‘good’ Ofsted rating
• Action to tackle Yorkshire Dales second homes receives ‘overwhelming support’

John Shackleton, 83, is preparing to deliver an ambulance to a humanitarian organisation in Moldova next month.

If you’re not familiar with Mr Shackleton’s work, he’s been delivering ambulances to hospices and hospitals in Europe since 1990.

The Harrogate man has since delivered 47 of them to an exhaustive list of countries, including Albania, Kazakstan, Armenia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.

To raise money to pay for the ambulances, John and his team chop down trees in need of felling all over Harrogate that they dry out before selling as firewood.

He’s currently selling a large barrow bag of oak for £90, much lower than the market rate, and it includes delivery within the Harrogate area.

He said:

“I’ve been chopping logs this morning. At my age, and after my heart attack, it’s hard work.”

The price of second-hand ambulances has risen sharply since the covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine from around €12,000 to €24,000.

Mr Shackleton sources ambulances in the Netherlands but he’s struggled to buy one due to a shortage.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s John Shackleton hoping to deliver ambulance to Ukraine
• John Shackleton, 83, hoping to deliver one final ambulance to Eastern Europe

In a couple of weeks he will set off to Europe, with a crew that includes his grandson and a German TV crew, and he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to buy one in time.

He added:

“We’re going to quite a big Christian organisation in Moldova. I’ve got my team, all we need now is an ambulance.

“I never thought I wouldn’t be able to buy one. But the story of my life is I’m always optimistic”.

If you’d like to buy some firewood from John to help him buy an ambulance, give him a ring on 01423 871255 or email johnshackleton@aidtoeasterneurope.co.uk

A conference will take place in Harrogate on September 24 based around the themes of peace and demilitarisation.

It will happen from 10am to 6pm at Friends Meeting House on Queen Parade and has been organised by Harrogate Quakers and HUFUD (Humanity United for Universal Demilitarisation).

The wars in Ukraine and Yemen are expected to be touched upon and speakers will also discuss the environmental impact of war.

Speakers include Columbian human rights activist Angelo Cardona, Shan Oakes & Victoria Wild from Extinction Rebellion Harrogate, Martin Schweiger from Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and artist and peace campaigner Shahina Jaffer.

It’s free to attend and for a full list of speakers click here.

The day will end at 6pm with a 30-minute peace concert by musicians from the Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra and guests.

Paul Whitmore from Harrogate Quakers said:

“This will be a good conference to learn more about how the world and individuals are affected by militarism and what you can do to counteract it.”

Read more:

• Work begins to create Harrogate’s first mosque
• County council set to reject climate change action appeal