Green Shoots: Knaresborough mum sells eco alternative to clingfilm

Knaresborough mum Jade Lapsley has set up her own eco-business selling an environmentally-friendly and homemade alternative to clingfilm.

Mamas Eco Journal Wax Wraps are made using plant wax, coconut oil and pine resin, which Ms Lapsley melts and then paints onto pieces onto colourful pieces of cotton.

She said her product has two key environmental benefits: it helps food to last longer, which cuts down on food waste, and it stops single-use plastic from ending up in landfill.

She said:

“They’re designed to be used instead of clingfilm, which isn’t reusable, doesn’t biodegrade and will be sat in landfills for thousands of years.”

Parents can go through cling film extremely quickly when trying to preserve their children’s food, and Ms Lapsley decided to launch her business after she had her first child just before lockdown.

She was inspired after taking classes in how to make wraps out of beeswax, and learnt more about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

“I thought, I can do that as a business.

“I started living an environmental lifestyle, using less plastic and shopping consciously.”

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For her own product she decided to not use beeswax and make it vegan friendly. She was surprised at how easy the process was.

She said:

“I found that amazing, it’s so simple. People think it can be really hard to be eco, but it’s easy.

“The ingredients are all completely natural. They are compostable, too. Nothing goes to waste.”

This dinosaur wax wrap costs £3 for 15cm.

Ms Lapsley sells her products through the crafts website Etsy as well as at an artisan market in Alwoodley in Leeds.

She hopes one day to get a stall on Knaresborough Market or open her own eco-shop, similar to the Refilling Station on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.

Major Harrogate district companies such as Taylors of Harrogate or Harrogate Bus Company often shout loud about their green credentials, but Ms Lapsley says smaller businesses trying to improve the environment deserve support too.

“You need to support small business, even a ‘like’ and sharing a comment is the way it can survive.”

Knaresborough mum tackles trauma of miscarriage through music

Knaresborough mum-of-three and musician Clare-Lucy Pascall is releasing an album of songs about the trauma of miscarriage.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, which is taking place for the 19th year, aims to offer families who have suffered pregnancy and baby loss a supportive space to share their experiences and feel they are not alone.

Ms Pascall, who suffered a miscarriage in 2018, said writing music has helped her come to terms with her experience.

“It sounds terrible, but I call it creation from devastation. That’s where it comes from. When you’ve gone through trauma, creating something worked so well so I could come to terms with it.”

‘An awful moment’

In 2018, Ms Pascall went for her 12-week scan, which she said had “always been the fun part” of pregnancy as it had been the first time she and her husband Harry could see and hear their new child.

But the couple were dealt the devastating news that the baby had no heartbeat.

She said:

“It was a weird, awful and a nothing moment. I could see her. That was the hard part. She still looked like a baby.”

Ms Pascall then had to go through months of uncomfortable hospital procedures.

“My body didn’t play ball. I spent April to July going to hospital visits, having scans and doing things you don’t want to do when you know you’re not having a baby.”

A naturally outgoing and gregarious person, Ms Pascall said she was “physically speechless” and unable to speak to anyone about what she’d been through.

“I didn’t give myself a chance to grieve the loss. I locked it away and put it on the backburner. I couldn’t cope with it.”

“At the same time I was doing everything i normally do, and not telling anybody.”

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Ms Pascall said her husband Harry was “her rock” throughout the period but it took a year before she was ready to go to a counsellor to help her through the emotional trauma.

To remember her daughter, she takes flowers to Stonefall Cemetery, which is where babies that have miscarried are cremated.

“Remembering sounds like such a random thing when you didn’t get through a pregnancy. But I could see the scan, she was there, I knew she existed.”

Debut album

Ms Pascall’s debut album, which is called “Dear Friend, Who Am I?” will be released on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.

She said:

“In my music and my songs, she comes out in them all the time. It feels like an imagined memory, what it would have been.”

Ms Pascall will hold an album launch party at Fashion House Bistro on November 8th — the date that would have been her daughter’s third birthday.

“The 8th was her due date, so it’s quite a big thing.

“It’s awareness and acknowledgement [about miscarriage] but also about the creativity that has risen from that devastating loss.”

Listen to her album here.

127 more positive covid cases in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported a further 127 cases today, Public Health England has confirmed.

Thursday saw a record high since the start of the pandemic when 202 cases were reported.

The district’s seven-day covid rate currently stands at 682 per 100,000.

The North Yorkshire average is 509 and the England rate stands at 408.

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No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 18 covid patients — the most since March this year when the hospital was recovering from its busiest coronavirus period

Jaeger to return to Harrogate inside Marks and Spencer

Women’s fashion brand Jaeger is set to return to Harrogate with a section inside Marks & Spencer on Cambridge Street.

Jaeger went into administration last year and was then taken over by M&S in January.

Harrogate’s Jaeger store, which was on Cambridge Crescent by the war memorial, closed shortly after the takeover.

But M&S is set to bring the brand back to 12 of its UK stores, including Harrogate, from October 30.

A total of 300 Jaeger product lines will be available to view in M&S, which can then be ordered and delivered either to the store or the customer’s home.

Two full-time and two part-time jobs will be be created.

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199 more covid cases recorded today in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported a further 199 cases today, Public Health England has confirmed.

Yesterday saw a record high since the start of the pandemic when 202 cases were reported.

The district’s seven-day covid rate continues to rise sharply and currently stands at 682 per 100,000.

The North Yorkshire average is 509 and the England rate stands at 406.

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No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 18 covid patients — the most since March this year when the hospital was recovering from its busiest coronavirus period

Harrogate businesses come together to target net-zero emissions

Harrogate’s business community met today to discuss how to meet the challenges of climate change and net-zero emissions.

The Business Net Zero Conference is being held all day at the Harrogate Convention Centre and has been organised by Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition.

It’s part of the Climate Action Festival that is taking place all month in the district in the run up to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

Today’s speakers included representatives from Techbuyer, Transdev, Yorkshire Water and Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate.

‘A sign of hope’

The Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, opened the day by challenging business people in the room whether their goal was profit “at all costs” or developing a social and environmental mission.

She said:

“Today’s conference is a sign of hope but we shouldn’t underestimate the challenges.”

Harrogate-resident Professor Piers Forster, from the University of Leeds, offered a scientific grounding to the debate during his speech.

Prof Forster sits on the UK government’s climate change committee and will be heading to the COP26 summit to help negotiate ambitious climate targets with other governments.

He showed a video of frightening wildfires in Canada caused by greenhouse gas emissions. However, he emphasised that he is optimistic that change can happen if businesses get on board.

“It’s within our power to change where we end up together.”

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Decentralisation of energy

Jennifer Woodhall, marketing director of Harrogate firm Chameleon Technology also spoke. The company is a Harrogate success story as its smart meters are in seven million homes across the UK.

Ms Woodhall said decentralisation of energy was essential to avoid the volatility that is currently engulfing the market.

“We can’t rely on a few, large sources of power.”

Paul Haslam, a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, as well as a Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition member, told the Stray Ferret he hoped the conference would become an annual event.

“It’s great we’ve got to this point. I’m delighted and we’ve got some fantastic speakers. It will be bigger and better next year.”

Pictured are: (from left) Jemima Parker, Cllr Paul Haslam, Prof Neil Coles, the Bishop of Ripon, Jennifer Woodhall, Cllr Phil Ireland, Jade Boggost, Kirsty Hallett, Prof Piers Forster

Knaresborough memorial golf event raises £1,200 for hospital

An annual event held in remembrance of an avid golfer has raised over £1,200 for Harrogate District Hospital’s Intensive Treatment Unit.

Golfers from across the region descended on Knaresborough Golf Club to compete in the 12th annual Lee Flintoft Memorial Trophy Golf Event.

Mr Flintoft died after being stabbed aged 37 in 2009. He worked for SB Utilities in Knaresborough, which would hold frequent golf days to increase networking opportunities for the company.

Lee Flintoft (left)

Lee Flintoft (left), pictured in 2008 with Andrew Cooke and Robert Harris.

After his death, the corporate event became a charity fundraiser in his memory and has raised over £6,000 to date for local charities.

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This year’s competition was won by Gordon Dunn, who took home the coveted trophy.

Mr Flintoft’s sister, Tina Harris said:

“As a family, we think it is wonderful that everyone involved is fundraising for such a fantastic cause.

“Lee meant so much to his family and friends that they have continued to fundraise in his name for the last 12 years for the care he received at HDFT.

“This year we raised £1,200 at the golf day. Darren Swales, commercial manager at Knaresborough Golf Club, puts a lot of time and effort into this event every year and I would like to thank him for his help.”

Harrogate’s Victoria Road scheme delayed due to bin wagon concerns

A scheme to stop vehicles in Harrogate turning from Victoria Road onto Otley Road has been delayed because bin wagons will find it difficult to turn.

North Yorkshire County Council was due to introduce the initiative before the end of September as an 18-month trial to improve safety for cyclists using the forthcoming Otley Road cycle route.

A barrier would have been placed at the junction, and one-way only and no entry signs installed.

However, the scheme has been delayed while the council draws up a new design that accommodates turning bin wagons. The council does not know when the project will now be introduced.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the council, said:

“The original design needs to be amended to accommodate the safe turning and manoeuvring of bin wagons and making sure the proposed one-way filter lane doesn’t have any other impacts on waste services.

“We anticipated this design stage to be concluded by the end of September.

“We are currently working with Harrogate Borough Council to agree a revised design before the introduction of the 18-month trial of a one-way filter lane on Victoria Road.

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The council wants the Victoria Road scheme to join up with other active travel schemes in the town, including the nearby Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood, the scheduled new cycle path on Victoria Avenue, and the Harrogate Station Gateway project.

Construction on the much-delayed Otley Road cycle route began last month.

There are still uncertainties over when the project will be completed due to negotiations with the government and the Duchy of Lancaster – the landowners of the Stray – over the use of grass verges protected by law.

New Ripon pool to open on December 8

Ripon’s new swimming pool will open on December 8, Harrogate Borough Council announced today.

The new facility on Dallamires Lane will include a six-lane 25-metre pool, sauna suite and electric car charging points.

An AngelEye pool safety system using underwater cameras will help lifeguards detect whether swimmers are in danger or drowning.

Ripon Spa Baths will close on Sunday November 7 so staff can be transferred across to the new facility and receive training ahead of the opening.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, the council’s new arms-length leisure company that will run the pool, said:

“This amazing new facility will provide residents with local access to great swimming experiences for a generation to come.

“I’d like to thank Harrogate Borough Council for their bold and brave vision to provide unprecedented levels of investment into leisure and wellbeing across the district.”

Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of Brimhams Active, added:

“The addition of the new swimming pool is a major development for Ripon and the surrounding area and I’m delighted to announce that it will be officially opened this December.”

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£3m over budget

The Stray Ferret revealed that the new pool is more than £3 million pounds over budget.

The running total for the scheme is now in excess of £13.5 million and that figure is likely to increase.

There has also been growing concern over the project after a ‘void’ was discovered while digging foundations at the entrance of the leisure centre.

Derelict workshop near Harrogate Asda to be converted to flats

A derelict former workshop opposite Harrogate’s Asda supermarket will be converted into six flats.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved an application this week from TRG Developments to convert the building on Back Dragon Parade, which is visible as you drive into the supermarket from Bower Road.

The flats will provide rental accommodation for care staff working for Vida Healthcare, which the applicant is associated with.

The building was previously used by ironmongers Beardmore Dobson and Sons, which ceased trading in 2017 after 82 years.

In 2015, the council approved an application to demolish several commercial buildings on Back Dragon Parade and convert them into 14 flats.

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