Ripon A-Level student who battled tumour aims to become a doctor

A Ripon student diagnosed with an ovarian tumour during her A-Levels has achieved the grades she needed to go to university and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

Amy Goodwin, who studied at Ripon Grammar School, missed several weeks of school and underwent surgery. Today she was awarded an A*, two As and a B in maths, biology, chemistry and physics.

She said staff at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton had inspired her:

“I had such good doctors and nurses who looked after me well and put me at ease”.

Ms Goodwin had to wait nine weeks for confirmation her tumour was benign. Having made a good recovery, she is now looking forward to starting her course in medicine at the University of Sheffield in September.

She said her experience had given her new insight into her future career:

“It made me think about how doctors come across to patients and how they present information to them.

“I have always been interested in being a doctor, mainly because I want to be able to help people.”

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Meanwhile, fellow Ripon Grammar pupil Mena Scatchard will travel to the USA on a £250,000 sports scholarship after receiving an A* in geography and As in biology and chemistry.

Ms Scatchard is one of the fastest young middle-distance runners in the UK and will study liberal arts at the prestigious Ivy League university Princeton.

Mena Scatchard

Middle distance runner Mena Scatchard, who is off to America.

Harrogate man’s mission to grow record-breaking jumbo pumpkins

Harrogate man Nick Bailey is on a mission to grow jumbo-sized pumpkins at his Bilton allotment.

The scaffolder, who is 59, has been visiting Pine Street Allotments in Bilton every night for almost 30 years tending to his fruit and vegetables.

It’s not just super-sized pumpkins he grows: he has previously cultivated a 2lb tomato and a two-and-a-half-stone marrow.

Mr Bailey said:

“I just love it. It’s peaceful on an evening with a glass of wine.”

He has a couple of promisingly large pumpkins that will be ready for harvesting in October. He hopes one of them will beat his personal record, which weighed 7st 6lbs.

“I’m trying to beat my record this year. I just like the size of them”.

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With the signs looking good for this year, Mr Bailey hopes to enter the competitive pumpkin circuit and try and win a prize for his efforts.

He is inspired by the United States, where giant fruit and vegetable competitions are big business.

In 2013, one pumpkin seed from the then world record pumpkin, which weighed close to a tonne, fetched $1,600 at auction.

Mr Bailey said it’s not possible to grow giant pumpkins organically but wouldn’t divulge his top-secret tricks when asked.

He said:

“I’m not telling you! It’s taken me years to do it!”

Grab-a-Jab walk-in vaccinations available in Knaresborough all week

Walk-in covid vaccines are being offered at the former Lidl site in Knaresborough all week from 8am to 5pm.

First and second doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs will be available at the site on York Road from today until Saturday without a booking. Moderna is not being offered.

Latest government figures show that in the Harrogate district, 86% of adults have had their first jab and 76% have had both.

The district is below the UK average for first doses, which is 89%. Across the country, 75% of people have had both doses.

Elsewhere in the district, walk-in vaccinations for Pfizer and AstraZeneca will be offered on Saturday at Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge.

Earlier this week, Homecare Pharmacy, which runs the site in Knaresborough, reassured patients it was still offering covid jabs after a technical glitch sent messages cancelling appointments.

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Pateley Bridge says thank you to vaccine volunteers

Vaccination volunteer marshals from across Nidderdale and the Washburn Valley came to Pateley Bridge for a ‘Thank You Lunch’ organised by Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Since the beginning of the year, the charity has been coordinating volunteers from the area to go to the mass vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon by bus.

Now that the two sites have closed, over 50 of the 90 volunteers attended Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge on August 1 to enjoy a covid-safe, afternoon-tea-in-a-box that had been freshly made by the Nidderdale Way Cafe at Studfold.

Helen Flynn, executive director at Nidderdale Plus said,

“Now that the mass sites in Harrogate and Ripon have closed we did not want to lose the opportunity to thank all our wonderful volunteer marshals who came from all over Nidderdale and Washburn Valley to help in the current crisis.”

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The vaccine site at Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge remains open for vaccinations, as does the former Lidl site in Knaresborough.

Both sites have been offering walk-in vaccines at weekends for people who have not had their first or second jab yet.

There has not been an announcement if any new vaccine sites will reopen in the Harrogate district to coincide with the expected round of booster vaccines later this year.

54 more positive covid cases in Harrogate district

Public Health England figures show that the Harrogate district has recorded another 54 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 280 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 262 and the England average is 291.5.

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However, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported a covid-related death in nearly four months. The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the covid death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

123,253 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 106,664 have had a second dose.

Harrogate Town removes ticket sales from website for tomorrow’s match

Harrogate Town have taken down a link to purchase tickets for their Carabao Cup first round game against Rochdale AFC tomorrow night.

The move has led to speculation that the club has again run into problems with North Yorkshire County Council around ground safety.

Fans had been able to purchase tickets for tomorrow’s match through the club website until the option was removed. Rochdale fans are also unable to buy tickets through their website.

Some fans have reported online that they were able to purchase tickets at the club’s shop on Commercial Street today.

The Stray Ferret approached Harrogate Town for comment several times this afternoon but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

We also asked the county council if it has issued the club with a safety certificate for the game but did not receive a response.

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It is the latest twist in the safety saga, which it appeared had been resolved.

North Yorkshire County Council banned fans from attending a friendly against Sunderland on July 24 after identifying 17 “unacceptable risks” for fan safety at the club’s EnviroVent Stadium on Wetherby Road.

These included problems with the CCTV system, the ground’s control room and stewarding.

With less than three days to go until the club’s first league game of the season on Saturday, which coincidentally was also against Rochdale, the county council issued a safety certificate and fans from both clubs were able to attend.

Supporters had hoped this was the end of the matter but the situation appears confused again now.

Starbeck all set for community day on August bank holiday

Starbeck Community Day will return this month after being cancelled last year due to covid.

The free bank holiday event on Monday August 30 will be held at Harrogate Railway’s Station View ground and will offer stalls, live music and a bouncy castle.

Chrissie Holmes, who organises the event as well as the Starbeck Christmas Lights appeal, said she has been inundated with messages from local residents excited about the family get-together taking place again.

She added she wanted the event, which is in its fifth year, to be about thanking people for their efforts during the last 18 months.

She said:

“It’s our way of paying people back for the pandemic.”

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There will be stalls selling craft and homemade goods as well as a bungee trampoline and bouncy castle for children. Barbecue food will be served and there will be a bar selling drinks.

There will also be performances from Harrogate Spa Town Ukes and Summerbell Dance Academy and a new Starbeck King and Queen as well as Prince and Princess will be crowned.

The event will take place from 12pm to 4pm.

Ferrari towed away in Harrogate in police supercar clampdown

Police ordered a Ferrari sports car to be towed away outside Harrogate Convention Centre over the weekend as part of a supercar crackdown.

Operation Chrome, which North Yorkshire Police launched this summer, targets speeding, illegally modified vehicles and vehicles that shouldn’t be on the road.

The Ferrari driver was reported on suspicion of driving without insurance and failing to display a front number plate.

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Operation Chrome launched this summer with a police pledge to keep up on “the irresponsible behaviour of some drivers which is not only unsafe but also highly disruptive”.

Harrogate often attracts drivers, sometimes in modified vehicles, racing around the main roads, particularly during summer.

Superintendent Steve Thomas said:

“Residents and visitors should not have to fear for their safety or have their days blighted by this excessive noise.

“We are taking a zero tolerance approach to this dangerous behaviour.”

 

Plans to convert former Smarties nursery in Ripley into home

The aristocratic owner of the building that housed Smarties Day Nursery and Pre-School in Ripley for over 30 years has applied to turn it into a three bedroom home for his son and family.

Smarties opened in 1987 and catered for 52 children. The building, which is called Wood Close, is part of the Ripley estate and is owned by Sir Thomas and Lady Emma Ingilby. They served notice to the owners of the nursery earlier this year.

Its closure promoted an emotional response from many parents on the Stray Ferret’s Facebook page, with one saying she was “absolutely gutted” and another calling it “really sad news”.

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A planning application submitted to Harrogate Borough Council by Sir Thomas asks to change Wood Close’s use from a children’s nursery to a home as the Ingelby’s son and family plans to move there from Ripley Castle.

Meanwhile, the management of Smarties recently applied to HBC to convert the former Spotty Dog Boarding Kennels in Brearton, which closed in April, into a new nursery.

As part of the application, a letter was sent to the council by Smarties’ management, which called the site in Brearton “a perfect setting for a children’s nursery” with indoor and secure outdoor play.

Coronation Street actor’s pride at inspecting Harrogate’s graduating soldiers

Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton said yesterday was one of the “proudest days of his life” as he inspected graduating soldiers at the Army Foundation College.

The college on Pennypot Lane recruits about 1,500 men and women each year. It’s the only British Army establishment that delivers military training to junior soldiers aged 16 and 17.

Around 750 soldiers graduated yesterday and the accompanying parade, which is the largest of its kind in Europe, featured a flypast from an RAF Typhoon.

The actor, who is gay and a LGBT campaigner, was invited to the event by the British Army and tweeted his pride at being asked:

“To think that 20 years ago a man like me wasn’t even allowed to serve, let alone officially inspect a pass off on the parade square. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the British Army’s tribe.”

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It was the first graduation to take place where soldiers walked under a memorial walkway dedicated to Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Lieutenant Colonel Farebrother MC, commanding officer at the AFC, praised the graduating soldiers.

He said:

“They have had an extremely tough year, coping with long periods away from their families and loved ones whilst becoming the trained soldiers you see before you today.”