Harrogate district has highest covid rate in North Yorkshire

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has increased to 457 per 100,000 people, which is the highest in North Yorkshire.

Selby is second highest in the county with a rate of 418 and the average rate for England is 310.

Meanwhile, a further 143 covid cases have been reported in the district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

This week Harrogate District Hospital recorded another death of a patient who tested positive for covid.

It takes the death toll from covid at the hospital since March 2020 to 188.

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Ticketing problems at Harrogate Town leave some fans unable to attend

Ticketing problems at Harrogate Town left some fans unable to attend today’s home game against Stevenage.

At around midday the club posted on its social media channels that their online ticket booking system was down so they could not sell any more tickets.

It led to disappointment for fans who were yet to buy a ticket for the game. The club’s box office closed at 11am.

One fan, who had hoped to attend the game but was unable to buy a ticket, told the Stray Ferret the situation was “a farce”.

The club apologised for any inconvenience caused.

https://twitter.com/HarrogateTown/status/1441705641282658308

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Video shows memories of the 1977 Knaresborough Bed Race

A video was posted on the British Film Institute’s (BFI) Facebook page this week showing the Knaresborough Bed Race from 1977.

The Bed Race is a pageant of decorated beds, passengers and runners, combined with a 2.4-mile race through the town. Thousands of pounds are raised for charity every year and it’s been a fixture in the calendar of Knaresborians since 1966.

Watch the video below — do you recognise anybody?

The Bed Race was cancelled in 2020 and again in 2021 due to the covid pandemic.

The video is owned by charity the Yorkshire Film Archive. Its website hosts several other videos from the past from around the Harrogate district.

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Excitement builds for Masham Sheep Fair this weekend

Masham Sheep Fair will take place this weekend and promises to be a celebration of all things sheep farming.

The fair, which commemorates Masham’s rich history of sheep farming, is one of the biggest annual events in the Harrogate district and provides a major boost for tourism in the Dales’ town.

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.

Attractions include sheep racing, sheepdog demonstrations, craft and fleece stalls, Morris dancers, tours of Masham’s Theakston and Black Sheep breweries and a children’s fair.

There is also a large sheep show in which various breeds are judged and supreme champions decided.

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The schedule for the sheep fair is below.

Saturday

10.00 – Town Hall & School exhibitions open
10.00 – Harvest display & refreshments in Methodist Chapel
10.45 – Judging of Sheep Show commences
10.45 – Flower Festival opens in St. Mary’s Church
11.30 – Sheep Show on trailer in front of Town Hall
12.00 – Trips around Theakston’s & Black Sheep Breweries start
12.00 – Sheep racing in field beyond churchyard
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

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

Tesco launches plans for major Skipton Road supermarket

Tesco has today launched a public consultation on plans to build a major new supermarket on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret revealed this month that the company had revived plans to open a supermarket on the former gasworks site close to the New Park Roundabout.

Further details of the proposals have now been published on the consultation website.

The new store, which is yet to be granted planning permission, would be 38,795 square feet and include a petrol filling station, 200 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points and 24 cycle spaces. Tesco says 100 new jobs would be created.

For access, a new roundabout would be created on Skipton Road.

The supermarket would be built here on Skipton Road

The website says:

“The proposals for this store are significantly different to the previous planning consent.

“A new planning application will be submitted and if granted, Tesco will start construction as soon as possible.”

Reduce car journeys

There has been an unprecedented level of housebuilding on Skipton Road and Killinghall in recent years and Tesco said the new supermarket would help reduce car journeys across Harrogate.

Andy Boucher, development executive at Tesco, said:

“We are delighted to share our plans with the public for our new store and we look forward to hearing the views of local residents.

“We know there is demand for a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate and this store will meet the needs of the local community.

“This will be fantastic new store which will provide a wide-range of high-quality food and non-food goods, cater for all budgets and deliver benefits for the local community.”

The public can comment on the proposals here until October 10.

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A 20-year history

Tesco has harboured ambitions to build a supermarket on the site for almost 20 years.

The Stray Ferret obtained Land Registry documents that reveal Tesco bought the site for £2.8m in 2003.

It submitted a proposal to build a supermarket there in 2009, which was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in 2012.

However, Tesco pulled out in 2016 following a changing retail landscape and years of opposition from retailers, which said the supermarket would damage local trade. An Aldi supermarket opened on the retail park just off Skipton Road in 2016.

In 2021, Tesco has signalled its intention to return to opening new large-scale supermarkets in the UK.

This year, it opened its first new superstore in six years in Penwortham, Lancashire. Four more supermarkets are scheduled to open this year.

Your chance to be a DJ at Harrogate Hospital Radio

Harrogate Hospital Radio is inviting people to tour the station and even try being a DJ on air.

The charity broadcaster, which is run by volunteers and based in Harrogate District Hospital, will host an open day from 9am to 6pm on Saturday, October 2,

Visitors will be given a tour of the studios, have the opportunity to watch a show being broadcast live and have the chance to get behind a microphone and take on the role of a presenter.

At the beginning of September, Harrogate Hospital Radio became one of the first hospital radio stations to broadcast on FM.

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Harrogate Hospital Radio chairman Mark Oldfield said:

“This open day is aimed at informing the public of the role we provide to patients within the hospital, as well as hopefully recruiting new members.

“They will be able to find out about our broadcasting journey today, which has taken us from broadcasting from a single room with one turntable, one reel-to-reel tape player and one microphone, to the state-of-the-art studios we have now.

“For those interested in a broadcasting career, Hospital Radio is a great place to start. Some of the country’s best-known presenters, including Chris Evans, began their career this way.

“For those who aren’t looking for a presenting role, we have plenty of opportunities to help behind the scenes. Request collecting is one of the most important and rewarding roles there is.”

You can book a time slot to attend by contacting events@harrogatehospitalradio.org.uk.

Harrogate car club used over 900 times in first year

Harrogate Borough Council‘s car hire club has been used 927 times over the past year, with 100 members clocking up 38,590 miles.

The council launched the initiative in August last year in partnership with car club operator Co-Wheels. It aims to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions.

The fleet of nine hybrid cars in Harrogate town centre offers pay-as-you-go hire ranging from 30 minutes to a week.

Hybrid cars combine petrol or diesel engine with electric motors. Electric power can be activated in urban areas to reduce air pollution.

The council said in a statement the scheme has removed 2.9 tonnes of CO2 compared to driving personal cars.

Each car is based in a designated zone and comes with a parking permit that allows parking anywhere in Harrogate.

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Conservative councillor Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

“Despite a difficult 18 months for everyone, the figures from the past 12 months are encouraging to see and show people have a desire to help reduce carbon emission across the Harrogate district.

“I hope more people utilise this scheme moving forward and reduce the number of cars in their household as well as the dependency of owning a car.”

Richard Falconer, managing director of Co Wheels, added: 

“There’s a lot of great work going on to reduce carbon emissions in Harrogate and we are pleased to see membership increasing and usage of the vehicles start so strongly during the first 12 months.”

Harrogate Town Supporters Trust admits mistakes in early days

Harrogate Town Supporters Trust has admitted making mistakes in the early days of its existence, which led to a fierce backlash from some Town fans.

The trust was set-up by the club in July to give fans a say in running the club.

But some members of the independent Harrogate Town Supporters Club, which has been in existence for more than a decade, believed the trust was an attempt to undermine its work.

Other football league clubs, such as Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City, already have fans trusts, which are democratically run and governed by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Tensions emerged in July when Clare Bridge, chair of the trust, told the Stray Ferret the group would put on coach trips to away matches due to the “drunken behaviour” of members of the supporters club on their coaches — a claim the supporters club disputed.

Communication ‘could have been better’

Leaked minutes of a trust meeting on September 2 reveal the group has 45 members so far, including one fan in Toronto.

Much of the meeting was take up by discussion of the two fan groups. The minutes say:

“It was acknowledged that the existing supporters club are feeling threatened. We are not working against them but we are hoping to work with them to grow the supporter base and to encourage more away supporters.

“It was acknowledged that the communication could have been done better, especially with the supporters club. Time and covid were major hurdles we were trying to overcome, and in hindsight, things could’ve been done better.

“The teething problems setting up the trust were acknowledged.”

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The minutes add that Murgatroyd Coaches would subsidise away travel to encourage take-up and that trust members should expect to “receive some stick” from the supporters club on away days.

They add there should be an effort to “build bridges” with the group:

“There has to be willingness on the part of every party to communicate. A lot of work will need to be done to build a bridge. However, we will have to accept that some individuals will not change their minds.”

Fans Forum

Next Wednesday evening, the Cedar Court Hotel will host a fans forum. Fans will be able to hear news from club representatives, the community foundation, the independent supporters club, the supporters trust and first team manager Simon Weaver.

For information on attending, email Phill Holdsworth, supporter liaison officer, on phillholdsworth@harrogatetownafc.com

Harrogate’s Geek Retreat to create autism-friendly space

Local not-for-profit organisation Pride in Diversity has teamed up with Harrogate shop Geek Retreat to create an inclusive space for people with autism.

Geek Retreat describes itself as a ‘geek culture’ venue that specialises in items such as comics, trading card games, board games and video games.

It recently opened a branch on Oxford Street in the unit that housed the Early Learning Centre for years.

Pride in Diversity, which promotes diversity, will train Geek Retreat staff about how to ensure autistic people have a positive time whilst visiting.

It will also build a stim kit to help relieve tension for autistic people and an autism-inclusive activity time will take place on Sundays along with LGBTQIA evenings on Tuesdays.

Geek Retreat will host art from Pride in Diversity’s Speaking Out campaign, which includes oral history recordings, objects and photographs from Harrogate’s LGBTQIA community.

Laura Hellfield, a director at Pride in Diversity, said:

“The partnership between us at Pride in Diversity and Geek Retreat was a quick decision as we share a vision of creating inclusive and accepting spaces. Soon we will be launching an Autism Inclusive session on Sundays. Inclusive sessions let those in the Autistic community know that they matter and deserve a place to enjoy and that has been adjusted to meet their needs.

“These sessions will be incredibly valuable for those coming to make like-minded friendships and to simply have fun while crafting and playing board games together.”

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Ripon firm warns of New Year’s Eve firework shortages

A Ripon firm has warned people planning New Year’s Eve fireworks to stock up now because the supply chain crisis gripping the UK could lead to shortages.

Steve Raper, a consultant for Brightstar Fireworks in Melmerby, near Ripon, and chair of the British Fireworks Association told the Stray Ferret that a combination of factors, including driver shortages, high demand, extreme weather and even the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Chinese Communist Party were to blame.

Brightstar imports about 120 shipping containers of fireworks every year from China, which closed many factories over summer due to extreme heat.

The country’s leader Xi Jinping gave factory workers time off to celebrate the communist party’s anniversary, which has further squeezed the supply chain.

Mr Raper said the United States also lit more fireworks than usual for a bumper July 4th celebration this year.

He said:

“It’s not all doom and gloom but it’s bad. People will have to go out early and order their fireworks earlier from their supplier.

“We won’t see a major impact over bonfire season, it will be around New Year.”

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Mr Raper said covid led to increased demand for fireworks last year, which had led to supply issues this year.

He said the cost of importing a shipping container had also increased from around £8,000 to over £30,000.

He added:

“Because of covid, everybody was locked down hacked off and depressed, so they let fireworks off in their garden. There was lots of knock on effects. The demand was immense.

“However I’d much prefer to see a shortage of fireworks than health or medical supplies.

“The industry is doing everything it can to meet that demand.”