Fire crews were called to Pannal yesterday when smouldering ashes from a barbecue set a garage alight.

Firefighters from Harrogate, Wetherby and Knaresborough used breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire and ensure the fire had not spread to the attached bungalow.

The incident happened at Crimple Meadows shortly after 2pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said:

“The cause of the fire is believed to be hot barbecue ashes stored in the garage overnight.”

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Simon Warwick was instrumental in turning a working gravel quarry near Ripon into Nosterfield Nature Reserve in 1997.

Almost 25 years later it has become a nationally recognised haven for birds and nature.

He said:

“We fought hard to for things to develop naturally.”

The Sharow resident has had a lifelong passion for wildlife and nature. When the Stray Ferret came to visit on a cold and blustery day in early May, he doesn’t stop smiling when he describes the bittern, arctic tern, lapwing and other species of bird that have recently been spotted there.

Whilst the covid pandemic has put restrictions on all of our lives, nature has carried on regardless, and at Nosterfield it has thrived.

Simon described the reserve as like a “motorway service station” for birds who will stop in the lake whilst they migrate.

Top birder

The reserve has become a place of discovery for birdwatchers.

At one of its purpose-built bird hides, we were greeted by one of the reserve’s ‘top birders’ Martin. He beamed when he tells us he has just spotted a turnstone, which is the 150th different species of bird so far this year.

Another milestone was when the avocet, which is the distinctive symbol of the RSPB, first began breeding on the lake.

Simon said:

“It was very exciting. We were there when she lifted off the nest and the chick appeared. A cheer went up in the bird hide.”

Read more:

• Ripon nature reserve gets £132,000 government boost
• Sharow church sets the public a biodiversity challenge

Breaking new ground

The reserve is not only a haven for birds, volunteers also grow plants that used to grow in wetlands in the Ure Valley but were made extinct due to farming and drainage techniques.

These include slender sledge, tower mustard and great fen sedge.

Pan and Laurie bring expertise and passion to the project after retiring from running a horticulture business.

Volunteers Pan and Laurie

Pan said:

“These plants want to be here again. Being able to bring them back is the buzz we all enjoy.

“It’s not being done anywhere else. We are breaking new ground.”

“You can really make a difference. It’s very satisfying to introduce plants that have been lost.”

The holy grail

In 2006 Simon was awarded an MBE for services to nature conservation in North Yorkshire. It’s not always been plain sailing, however, and in the early days, he received abuse from local residents who opposed the creation of the reserve.

Nosterfield is run by the charity, Lower Ure Conservation Trust, which recently appointed environment specialist Emma Higgs to work on its projects after receiving £132,000 from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

With its future secure for future generations of birdwatchers, and birds, Simon said the “holy grail” would be to see a visit from the majestic crane.

The huge wetland bird died out in Britain in around 1600. They were absent until a pair turned up in the Norfolk Broads in 1979.

“A crane would be the holy grail. It captures the essence and soundscape of the neolithic era.”

An application to allow HGVs to enter the Hambleton Grove Industrial Estate in Knaresborough from 7am, six days a week, has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

However, objections have been raised by the council’s environmental health department due to the “bang and crashes” associated with the movement of goods.

Currently, HGVs can enter the industrial estate through the residential street Hambleton Grove from 8am.

Planning documents submitted by the builder’s merchants Myers Group, which uses the site, said it needs to start earlier in the morning as construction companies require early morning deliveries to ensure materials are available for the day ahead.

Mark Lee, environmental health officer at HBC, submitted a letter of objection to the proposal due to the noise implications. He also said the application has not been supported by a report that assesses its likely noise impact.

He wrote:

“Whilst the reason given to extend their hours is for the loading and dispatch of one dispatch vehicle this will result in six early mornings a week when forklift trucks will be in use and the associated engine noise, alarms, bang and crashes associated with the external movement of goods.”

Residents in Knaresborough have already launched a campaign to stop HGVs from using the industrial estate.

Stephen Mckenzie, who lives on Hambleton Grove, told the Stray Ferret:

“People in the neighbourhood are deeply concerned by this attempt to subvert the original planning conditions.

“Residents applaud the response of Environmental Health and hope Highways and then Planning have the same courage of conviction.

“It is time planning and local representatives actually represented the rate payers of Knaresborough.”

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In documents, planning consultant Jay Everitt wrote on behalf of Myers Group that the variation “will have no impact” on nearby residents.

He wrote:

“The variation sought will only allow for the loading and departure of a single wagon which will not return to the site before 8am.

“The loading of the wagon takes place with a fork-lift truck which is fitted with white noise reverse alarms and the loading activity is not audible from Hambleton Grove.”

The Stray Ferret asked Myers Group for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In May, lockdown restrictions eased again and life in the district slowly began to return back to normal.

We asked Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• In the House of Commons, Mr Jones revealed that he was enlisted by the Conservative Party to knock on doors in Hartlepool for the May 6 by-election. The seat was won by the party for the first time in its history.
• He spoke about the sub-postmaster scandal in the House of Commons on May 19, saying: “Trust is central to a thriving Post Office and trust is necessary for people to take on the role of sub-postmaster or sub-postmistress with any certainty or security”.
• Following the latest unemployment figures that revealed 2,530 people in Harrogate & Knaresborough were claiming unemployment-related benefits, the MP wrote on his website encouraging local employers to take part in the government’s Kickstart scheme.
• On May 25 in the House of Commons, he raised the issue of community choirs being unable to rehearse indoors following the latest relaxation of restrictions. It prompted The Times’ sketch writer Quentin Letts to describe the MP in the newspaper as a “timid flower”.
• Writing on his local “news” website, Community News, Mr Jones looked forward to better times ahead: “Our country is turning its sights to a post-COVID future, a more digital and greener future. That is good news for us all”.
• On May 26 he voted down several clauses put forward by opposition parties for the Environment Bill. These included stopping peat burning in upland areas and making it a duty to create a tree strategy in England.
• On May 27 in Parliament, he raised the fact that Knaresborough no longer has a bank.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• In early May, Mr Smith attended a meeting with North Yorkshire County Council about the local Transforming Cities Fund proposals in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.
• With museums reopening in May, he visited the gardens at the Ripon Workhouse Museum which is part of Ripon Museums.
• On May 19, he gave an online talk to children at Beckwithshaw Primary School. Writing on his website, he said the pupils were interested in local issues and asked him questions on covid and climate change.
• Last week, Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, described the claims by the Prime Minister’s former chief advisor Dominic Cummings over the government’s handling of the covid pandemic as “for the birds”.
• Five of Mr Smith’s 11 tweets were related to Northern Ireland politics. He tweeted about the Ballymurphy inquest that exonerated those shot dead by British Army forces in 1971: “All thoughts & prayers with the families of those killed at Ballymurphy.”

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

• On Twitter, he posted his own Eurovision Song Contest scorecard. He gave the UK entry, James Newman, a generous 24 points out of 40. In the actual competition, the song received no points and came last.
• A story published in The Times on May 9 revealed that Mr Adams received financial donations and luxury trips abroad from controversial Indian businessman Sanjeev Gupta. Mr Gupta has links to the biomass industry and, Drax Power Station, which burns the wood pellets to create energy, is in his constituency.
• The Minister for Asia tweeted that the foreign office will spend more money on the BBC World Service to help tackle fake news around the world.
• In ministerial written answers, he wrote about India’s covid outbreak that ripped through the country in May: “We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner in the fight against Covid-19, and send our solidarity and condolences to the Indian people at this difficult time.”
• He tweeted 17 times in May.

Rival homing pigeons who race against the clock across the UK have been banned from starting their race from Ripon Racecourse after a wagon used to house the birds got stuck on sodden grass.

Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing trained pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance.

Specially designed wagons collect up to 1,000 pigeons before releasing them at Ripon Racecourse in what is known as “pigeon liberation”.

The aerodynamic birds then use a built in homing system to hurtle through the sky and reach home. They are microchipped and their times are recorded.

But following some recent wet weather, the trucks got stuck on the grass — which led to an upset racecourse having to call a local recovery firm to rescue it.

A pigeon liberation

James Hutchinson, managing director and clerk of the course at Ripon, told the Stray Ferret there have been two incidents where drivers drove the heavy wagons “without due consideration” onto the sodden grass, leaving them stranded.

He added:

“We attempted to help extracting these vehicles but due to their size we were unsuccessful. A local recovery firm had to be called to complete the job and we were left with damage to repair to the grass car park.”

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The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) tweeted earlier this week that it had received notice from the racecourse that pigeon liberations can no longer be accommodated from June 1 and the site “has been cancelled”.

It warned pigeon fanciers that the nearest alternatives are 10 miles away in Harrogate and 29 miles away in Malton.

However, homing pigeons flying above the cathedral city could return soon after it appears the racecourse has had a change of heart.

Mr Hutchinson added that discussions with the RPRA are underway to consider the resumption of pigeon liberations “at the earliest opportunity”.

An RPRA spokesperson told the Stray Ferret they hope to be able to resume pigeon liberations in Ripon in the future.

The owner of the Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate has filed for liquidation amid over £3.5m debts to local companies as well as HM Revenue and Customs.

Insolvency firm Booth & Co was appointed to wind up Denison 2 earlier this week.

In December 2020 the hotel announced it had permanently closed due to the impact of covid.

Its sole director, Stewart Lewis, is still a director of several other hospitality and property companies that are still trading.

There are 80 entries on Denison 2’s list of creditors totalling £3.5m. £2.6m of this is to its sister company Denison which has the same registered address in York.

Other creditors include HM Revenue and Customs for £338,935 and Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) for £1,380. Almost £27,000 is also owed to staff in holiday pay.

The Stray Ferret emailed Mr Lewis for a response and for information on the future of the hotel but we did not receive a reply.

Read more:

• Hospitality has lost ‘sexiness’ due to covid, says Harrogate hotel boss

• The man hired to revive one of Harrogate’s most historic hotels

The 70-bedroom, four-star hotel, close to Harrogate Convention Centre on King’s Road, had been welcoming guests for over 50 years.

A post on the hotel’s social media channels in December said:

“It comes with a heavy heart that we have to tell all our loyal guests and friends that due to the financial position caused by covid, we unfortunately have to close the hotel.

“We sincerely thank everyone, customers and staff alike, that have supported us over the years and regret deeply that covid placed us in a situation that we cannot recover from.”

The Kimberley Hotel opened in the 1960s when five townhouses dating back to the turn of the 20th century were converted.

It benefitted from the opening of what was then called the Harrogate Conference Centre in 1982, which is a short walk away.

The properties were originally built as homes for some of the wealthier families in Harrogate during its Victorian expansion.

A Tik Tok craze where teenagers squeeze themselves into a children’s swing and film it, unwittingly getting stuck in the process resulting in an embarrassing rescue by firefighters, has made its way to Harrogate.

On Wednesday evening, a fire crew based at Harrogate Fire Station rescued a 14-year-old girl from a swing at a park in Jennyfields who was taking part in the challenge.

Firefighters had to prize her out of the seat using small tools and fortunately, the swing was not damaged. She was advised on her future behaviour.

It’s a phenomenon that started last year but firefighters have noticed a resurgence in the UK in recent weeks.

A number of other fire and rescue services have spoken out against it. Footage is shared on the social media platform in the hope it will go viral.

A video of a girl in Oxfordshire getting stuck in a swing and rescued by firefighters was posted online by SWNS last year.

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Earlier this month, London Fire Brigade’s Commissioner for Fire Stations, Jane Philpott, urged teenagers to think twice before getting stuck and wasting firefighters’ time.

She said the pursuit of ‘TikTok fame’ is stopping firefighters from attending emergencies.

“We would ask people to please just think twice before taking part in this challenge – think of the injuries you could cause yourself, the damage to the swings which have to be cut apart and most of all the fact you’re tying up resources which could be needed for a genuine emergency.

“It might be a fun story for your friends, but wasting the time of emergency services is serious.”

Local environmental group Zero Carbon Harrogate is encouraging children in the Harrogate district to walk to school on Friday June 18.

Road transport is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the district, and the group hopes the day will help improve the environment whilst boosting children’s physical and mental health.

Children that use public transport or car for part of the journey can ‘park and stride’ the last mile of their trip to school.

ZCH said it will be a regular event taking place once every half term:

“We need to build better transport habits within our community and help combat the effects of climate change and protect our planet! That is why we are launching this regular, half-termly event.”

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• Who is the mystery Good Samaritan carving seats in Nidd Gorge?
• Harrogate to get £1.5m to improve net-zero energy infrastructure

ZCH wants to add some healthy competition to the day and will be logging the miles walked, or cycled, and carbon saved by schools across our district and putting them on a leaderboard.

​For more information and an event pack contact schools.zch@gmail.com

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott will address growing concerns about dog theft in a public meeting on the Stray tomorrow.

The session will be held between 1pm and 2pm on the section of the Stray near Harrogate District Hospital.

Dog owners will be able to air their feelings and find out more about what is being planned to tackle the problem.

Mr Allott, who lives in Knaresborough, said tackling dog theft would be one of his top priorities during his campaign to become the new commissioner.

He highlighted a survey showing dog thefts increased by 250% last year due to gangs cashing in on the demand for puppies during lockdown.

Sought-after breeds, such as French bulldogs, can sell for more than £5,000 and a litter can fetch £35,000.

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• North Yorks Police urges dog owners not to carry weapons on walks
• Kim’s Canines: Has the last year made our dogs more reactive?

A local firm has stepped in to restore the information plaque in Harrogate’s Stonefall Park after it was damaged by vandals.

The plaque, which gives visitors information on the history of the park, including Queen Victoria passing on the former train line that ran alongside it, is thought to have been smashed with a rock on March 20 or 21 this year.

Police said it was hit with “considerable force”. At the time, it was estimated it would cost £300 to repair.

However, a local firm Platinum Print, came forward and offered to repair the damage for free.

Read More:

• Free tours of Harrogate’s Stonefall cemetery as covid puts focus on British war graves
• Increased police patrols after vandalism at Stonefall park

Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh, whose Hookstone ward includes the park, said the move had restored her faith in the local community.

She said:

“Hookstone and Stonefall Action Group were totally taken aback by such a generous offer and now the results of that work are clear for everyone to see and enjoy again. It has restored our faith in our community.

“When we saw the devastation created by these mindless people, we thought it would take a lot of time to fundraise to repair but Platinum Print came to our rescue and we and the wider community, cannot thank them enough.”