Boost for digital businesses in Harrogate district

A series of free virtual events is being organised to boost digital and technology businesses across the Harrogate district.

Harrogate Digital is staging a week of online events, covering everything from digital connectivity to delivering complex projects. Each event will be delivered by experts in their fields.

Forming part of Leeds Digital Festival, it runs from September 28 to October 1.

Alistair Forbes, who works with Harrogate Borough Council to support local business growth, said plans for a full day of Harrogate talks had to be put on hold in March because of the coronavirus crisis.

However, the new online-only programme, spread over a week, has more speakers than the original and will allow for a larger audience.

He said:

“The original idea was to run an in-person event as part of Leeds Digital Festival in March. The majority of speakers were all signed up to have a day of talks in a venue in the town centre. We just had to postpone that.

“We did consider an in-person event, because there will be some held as part of Leeds Digital Festival. But being online makes it much more accessible.”

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Harrogate Digital was founded in 2017 with the aim of supporting tech businesses in the district to grow, helping bring the best professionals to the area, and offering networking opportunities between businesses in the sector.

It is run by Martin Whincup from law firm Berwins, tech entrepreneur and business mentor Sanjay Parekh, and Mr Forbes, in his role as SME growth manager for Harrogate Borough Council and Leeds City Region LEP.

Harrogate Digital held events in the Everyman Cinema

Prior to the covid lockdown, Harrogate Digital held various events, including one in 2019 focused on women in technology at the Everyman Cinema

He said:

“It was a relatively quick and easy thing to set up, with the intention of not trying to replicate something already started, but with the goal to create a dedicated network for people that work in digital, technology and creative. That didn’t really exist in Harrogate.

“There are lots of great networking groups, but they’re quite general and don’t necessarily fulfil the needs of digital and tech businesses.”

Incubator hub

Having spent three years working with businesses in the sector, Mr Forbes will use the week of events at the end of the month to outline the next steps in Harrogate Digital’s plans.

It will be rebranded as Co-Lab, a new community for tech people and businesses which will offer advice and support to tech businesses. Plans to refurbish Springfield House within the Harrogate Convention Centre site and turn it into an incubator hub have been delayed by the venue’s use as a Nightingale hospital, but Mr Forbes said he is hopeful that the hub will open in the first half of 2021.

Funding of £500,000 has already been secured for the initial plans through Leeds City Region business rates pool. Any further funding achieved will be used to expand the support programme offered by Co-Lab.

Mr Forbes said demand for support from new and growing businesses has been high over the summer, giving him hope for the future of the district’s economy.

“We have had all sorts of different enquiries and ideas come forward from existing businesses I was already working with for new businesses or divisions.

“There are also people who have been made redundant from previous roles and want to start up a new tech-related business. That appears to be as strong as ever.

“Harrogate has been well-known as a place to start a business even if it’s based from home, but there has been a resurgence over the summer in terms of people with new ideas and starting businesses.”

Man avoids jail for threatening ex-girlfriend and breaking policeman’s nose

A man who broke a policeman’s nose and cheekbone in a “disgraceful” attack at his home in Harrogate has narrowly avoided jail.

Joel Adam Rushton, 37, was resisting arrest when he struck one of the officers repeatedly, York Crown Court heard.

The officer received specialist hospital treatment for facial fractures and made a full physical recovery, but still suffered from the physical and mental effects of the incident on January 3, said prosecutor James Howard.

The policeman, who was named in court, had gone to Rushton’s address to arrest him for his behaviour towards his ex-partner, added Mr Howard. Six months after they broke up, she received a barrage of threatening phone calls from Rushton, who told her:

“I’m going to smash your head in; I’m going to kill you. I’m going to find you. I’m going to your mum’s to put my foot through the door. I want you dead.”

She hung up but he called back repeatedly, whereupon she called the police. Mr Howard added:

“She received a call from her mother who said that (Rushton) had been to (her) property and had been kicking the door and asking where (the victim) was.”

Turned violent

The victim – whose fraught relationship with Rushton ended in June last year – was so frightened of what he might do to her that she sought refuge at Harrogate Police Station.

When police turned up at Rushton’s home, he refused to be put in handcuffs and turned so violent that officers had to use pepper spray in an attempt to subdue him, amid screams from Rushton’s “highly agitated” new girlfriend, who was also sprayed accidentally.

Rushton “made a beeline” for one of the officers, whom he punched repeatedly in the face. The scuffle spilled out onto the street where Rushton grabbed one of the officer’s batons.

The injured officer had an X-ray six days later which showed he had fractures to his nose and cheekbone. He also suffered nasal bleeding.

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Rushton, of Grove Park Lane, Harrogate, appeared for sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to assaulting the officer occasioning actual bodily harm and making threatening phone calls to his ex-partner – an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.

In a victim impact statement, Rushton’s ex-girlfriend said she had been left feeling “anxious and distressed” which had resulted in her leaving the job she loved.

The officer who was seriously injured at Rushton’s home said he had suffered from depression, sleep problems and physical pain since the attack in January. He was put on restricted duties for weeks following the attack and was afraid to leave his house. Mr Howard said:

“He says the entire ordeal has left him (and his family) distressed and upset.”

Previous convictions

The court heard that Rushton, a father of four, had two previous convictions for three offences including public disorder.

Defence barrister Keith Allen said that Rushton, who worked as a fireplace installer, “lost emotional control” on the day in question while in a “primal state” born of “extreme anger”. He had behaved “completely out of character” when the officers came to arrest him and had since received cognitive therapy from a mental health nurse.

Recorder Margia Mostafa branded Rushton’s behaviour towards his ex-partner “disgraceful”, particularly his threats to kill her. She added:

“She must have believed what you were saying because she had to go to Harrogate Police Station as a place of safety.”

She noted, however, the “glowing” character references including one from Rushton’s employer, which “could not be further from the man that assaulted police and behaved in a dreadful fashion towards his former partner”, and others which described him as a “completely different man: a dedicated, loving father”.

Rushton’s 22-month jail sentence was suspended for two years but Ms Mostafa said he had “come close” to going straight to prison “because assaults against police officers are not acceptable”.

Rushton was also given a 12-month restraining order banning him from contacting or approaching his ex-partner. He was also placed on a nine-month, nightly curfew and ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work.

In addition, Rushton was ordered to complete a 25-day rehabilitation programme and pay £1,500 compensation to the injured police officer.

Graffiti daubed on wall near Ripon Cathedral

Police have appealed for information after graffiti appeared on a wall opposite Ripon Cathedral.

The daubed lettering, targeting the Conservatives with an expletive, appeared over night on Minster Road in the heart of the city.

It is just metres from the historic Cathedral, on the opposite side of the road.

Graffiti on the wall along Mister Road, opposite Ripon Cathedral

The graffiti appeared in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral last night

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“The graffiti was reported to police by a member of the public around 7am this morning. Officers are liaising with individuals at the cathedral about this. Anyone with information that could help police establish the full circumstances of the incident should call 101 quoting reference NYP–28082020-068.”

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Stray FM broadcasts its final shows before national take-over

The Stray FM brand will disappear from the airwaves this weekend as owners Bauer Media merge it with national station Greatest Hits Radio.

The station, which was founded in Harrogate in 1994, will lose its local presenters in favour of national programming, with one regional drive time show each day.

it means familiar voices on the airwaves, including breakfast show presenter Nick Hancock, will today give their final broadcasts to audiences across the Harrogate district. Community groups have expressed their sadness at the loss of the station’s local support for many vital events and services.

John Fox, who has worked with Stray FM over many years to fundraise for Harrogate’s Christmas lights as well as organising the Volunteer Oscars, said the loss will be felt by many in the community.

“It’s very sad. It was the best local radio and part of the community.

“They supported small organisations and individuals, and they were also there when the community needed them for inclement weather like snow or flooding. They’re the ones who got us to work and home again. On top of that, they were committed to supporting local businesses – they were passionate about it. It’s a great loss.

“I was overjoyed when we got the licence for a local station – I felt Harrogate was on the map with its own proper radio station. This is a sad day for Harrogate.”

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After news of the closure was announced in May, the Liberal Democrats set up a petition to save it, gaining 2,000 signatures in the first week. Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, voiced his concerns about the planned changes and said he “cautiously welcomed” Bauer’s response to a letter he sent.

In it, Bauer promised that Stray FM would still cover local news and issues with a local team of journalists, and would have “improved options” for businesses to target audiences through advertising.

However, the company has not yet confirmed what the new local team will look like and how many, if any, of the local events covered by Stray FM will continue to receive the same level of support. A spokesman told the Stray Ferret it will continue to support Bauer’s national charities and will launch a new Getting North Yorkshire Back to Work campaign. She added:

“We have made no decisions as yet on buildings, however the station will retain local content and services and a presence in Harrogate.”

Will Smith, Nick Hancock and Sarah Barry of Stray FM at Knaresborough Bed Race in 2017

Will Smith, Nick Hancock and Sarah Barry at the Knaresborough Bed Race in 2017

Stray FM broadcast live from many events, including Bilton Gala and the Knaresborough Bed Race. Kevin Lloyd, bed race chairman for Knaresborough Lions, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is terrible news for us and other charities and organisations across the district. As a community-focused radio station, they have been fantastic advocates for all kinds of causes from their local heroes awards to the incredible support that they have given us over the years in making the bed race the highly successful and much-enjoyed event that it is today.”

Harrogate’s Christmas lantern parade cancelled for 2020

A Christmas lantern parade held annually to draw shoppers into Harrogate town centre has been called off this year.

The Harrogate at Christmas group said it is unable to bring together the parade of local school children safely under the continuing covid-19 restrictions.

Since 2017, the lantern parade has seen local schools create brightly-coloured displays to walk through the town centre, watched by friends and family. The organisers aim to bring more people into town in order to use local shops, restaurants and cafes in the run-up to Christmas.

Group chairman John Fox said:

“It is disappointing that we have had to cancel this year’s event. With more schools wanting to participate, together with more local musicians we just cannot make it covid compliant.”

The lantern parade was first held as part of the Big Switch-On of the Christmas lights in 2017, when the event was filmed as part of a programme about Harrogate’s festive preparations. Harrogate: A Great Yorkshire Christmas was shown on Channel 5.

The parade was later moved to be held separately from the lights switch-on, aiming to spread the crowds coming into Harrogate over a number of nights. This year’s event would have taken place on Thursday, December 3.

Last year, nearly 200 children, parents, friends, musicians and staff from St Peter’s and Western primary schools took part in the parade, led by Reincantation Choir. The event is managed by Red Cape, whose managing director Martin Ballard said:

“We are disappointed that the event is cancelled, but we have agreed with the Harrogate at Christmas Group that we will make the Christmas Lantern Parade bigger and better in 2021.”

Russell Crowe backs Harrogate student’s drama school fundraiser

A Hollywood superstar has given his backing to a crowdfunder campaign to help an aspiring Harrogate actor take up his place at drama school.

Harry Pritchard needs to raise £13,799 in order to pay the fees for LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), where he won a place earlier this month for a year-long course.

Now, the former Harrogate Grammar School student’s cause has been given an incredible boost by actor Russell Crowe. The Oscar-winning actor not only shared Harry’s fundraiser, but donated £2,741 – almost enough to pay the deposit for the course by this Thursday’s deadline.

Harry said:

“My mum told me to check the Go Fund Me page. I saw Russell Crowe’s name and I saw his incredibly amazing, generous donation and I was speechless for about 20 minutes.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was just in total shock and amazement and so many feelings. I grew up watching Russell Crowe – I never thought he would interact in some capacity with me and to think he is helping out and donating is just unimaginable. It’s insane.”

There’s a lot of plans and dreams being shattered these days … Will Harry succeed?

He comes from Harrogate home of @YorkshireTea and I’m hoping he’s @LUFC.
Thoughts ⁦@TerryGeorge⁩ ?
Fundraiser by Harry Pritchard : Get Harry to LAMDA Drama School https://t.co/oiSvb0ydxi

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 24, 2020

The fundraiser has also been supported by Leeds entrepreneur Terry George, who told the Stray Ferret he wanted to be an actor himself as a child growing up in a poor family. He used to interview celebrities for a hobby and was given £30 by actor Dick Emery to fund elocution lessons to get him started.

Though the lessons never happened, Mr George said he always remembered how the contribution to his future made him feel and tries to do the same for others when he can. He said:

“I’m friends with Russell Crowe and he tagged me in the post. I’m a Yorkshire boy myself and had a read of what Harry was doing and thought, ‘Wow, what an inspiration, putting himself out there to get funding’.

“If Russell has done it to get worldwide appeal, I’m a Yorkshire lad and I thought, if I can put something towards it, it might help other people do that too.”

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Mr George said he hopes Yorkshire Tea and Leeds United – tagged on Twitter by Mr Crowe, who is a fan of both – will also do something to support Harry’s cause. The aspiring young actor said he was very grateful to both supporters, not just for their donations but for helping to spread the word.

Since Mr Crowe and Mr George donated to Harry’s fundraiser, the total has risen steadily and now sits at almost £7,500. Mr George said the Hollywood superstar’s donation could help in other ways, too.

“I know Russell really well and if he sees a part that would fit Harry, he would try to get him cast. That’s the type of man he is.”

In response, Harry added:

“That would be amazing. I hate to get ahead of myself, but that would be a huge, exciting, fantastic opportunity.

“It’s hugely encouraging and makes me feel like I’m not alone and I’m on a good path and people want to help me up. For something like this to be the launch into it, it doesn’t mean it’s going to shoot off on the right trajectory, but it says to me there are people who will help you – you just have to find them and put in the work.”

Central Harrogate bank to close by December

The Co-operative Bank in central Harrogate will close before the end of the year as a result of national cuts.

The Prospect Crescent bank is one of 18 branches to be closed by the Cooperative, with 350 jobs set to be lost as a result.

The bank said the decision was made based on footfall during 2019 and was unrelated to the coronavirus lockdown.

Co-operative Bank chief executive Andrew Bester said:

“Our people have shown great dedication and commitment to our customers over the past few months, so we are very sorry to announce this news today.

“Unfortunately, we’re not immune to the impact of recent events, with the historically low base rate affecting the income of all banks and a period of prolonged economic uncertainty ahead, which means it’s important we reduce costs and have the right-sized operating model in place for the future.

“At the same time, we are responding to the continuing shift of more and more customers choosing to bank online, with lower levels of transactions in branches, a trend which has been increasing for some time, across the banking sector and more broadly.

“The bank is in a resilient position given the significant progress we’ve made in recent years, and our focus is on maintaining this as we continue to support our customers through the crisis. We will do all we can to support colleagues through the process with fairness and respect.”

The branch closure will be completed by December 1 and customers who are affected will be contacted directly by the bank with information about alternative options.

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Four homes planned for garage site near Ripon Cathedral

A planning application has been submitted to replace four garages with townhouses in the centre of Ripon.

The garages, to the north of Court Terrace just off Kirkgate, would be demolished so the four two-bedroomed townhouses could be built.

Each of the four homes would have a small courtyard of around 9 square metres to the rear, along with a cobble-set frontage of 13.5 square metres. There would be space for four cars to be parked outside.

An application submitted last year was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council over fears that the area, known for gypsum deposits, was not proven to be stable for development. Although the applicant, Mike Kell, provided a report from an environmental consultancy, the council’s decision notice said:

“The submitted gypsum report and associated declaration form are not considered to comply with Policy NE9 of the emerging local plan by virtue that they do not sufficiently demonstrate that the site can be developed without creating issues of ground instability and the signatory does not meet the definitition of a ‘competent person’ within this policy.”

A new geotechnical report on the site has been submitted with the current application.

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Objections to the original plans for three-storey homes were raised by Historic England, leading the applicant to submit new plans for two-storey homes instead. Planners acknowledged the run-down appearance of the site was out of keeping with the historic surroundings, less than 100m from Ripon Cathedral. Their 2019 report said:

“The design is similar to that of the cottages to the south of the site and is considered to be an improvement on the overall appearance of the local area and would have a positive impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

The new application can be viewed in full on the planning pages of Harrogate Borough Council’s website using reference 20/02809/FUL.

Golden wedding anniversary necklace stolen from 95-year-old in Harrogate

An elderly woman had a necklace of high sentimental value stolen in a distraction theft in the centre of Harrogate.

The necklace – which was given to her by her husband on their golden wedding anniversary – was taken when the 95-year-old victim was near the HSBC Bank in Cambridge Street.

The woman was with her husband near the HSBC Bank on Cambridge Street when she was approached by two women who attempted to engage the couple in conversation. After the women had left, the victim realised her necklace was gone.

The incident happened on Tuesday, August 11 at around 11.15am and police are now appealing for help to trace two suspects from CCTV images. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the people in the CCTV images as they believe they may have information which could help the investigation.”

Police want to speak to this woman following a distraction theft in Harrogate town centre.

Police are trying to trace this woman following a distraction theft in Harrogate town centre.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Colin Steele or email Colin.Steele@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk. To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12200139244 when passing on information.

Harrogate Christmas Market set to be called off

Harrogate Christmas Market is set to be called off this year, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, is set to be cancelled for the first time in its history next week because of continuing covid restrictions.

Public health officials for North Yorkshire are expected to meet on Monday to discuss restrictions which would need to be in place for outdoor events to go ahead. However, with crowds of up to 60,000 coming from across the country – including coaches filled with day-trippers – it is expected that Harrogate Christmas Market will not be able to meet the requirements.

The news comes as a further blow to local businesses, including retailers, restaurants and bars, which have reported increased footfall during the market in previous years. Organisers say the event is designed to bring visitors into the town centre at a vital time for the local economy – and this year could have been more important than ever.

Harrogate BID acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“The Christmas Market brings thousands of shoppers into Harrogate over its four days, and if it were to be cancelled this year, it would be another blow to the town’s retailers.

“I know the organisers, who have worked incredibly hard to make it the success it is, will be trying their hardest to comply with all the health and safety requirements brought about by coronavirus.”

With events at Harrogate Convention Centre not possible because of its continued use as a Nightingale hospital, it is the latest in a string of major events in the Harrogate calendar to be forced to cancel.

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Andrew Armstrong, who runs Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments on Kings Road, told the Stray Ferret he would have liked the opportunity for local businesses to come together and see what could be done to save the event. He said it could have been moved into the town centre and set up in smaller clusters, with masks mandatory, in order to limit crowds.

“We would normally be full with tourists and visitors coming for the weekend. At the moment, we’ve only got a couple of bookings in for that weekend – we’re finding that the booking window is getting shorter and shorter, because nobody dares commit to booking in case something happens.

“It’s quite frightening. It’s the same for all accommodation businesses – nobody knows that’s going to happen. We rely on the business element during the darker winter seasons, because you just don’t get people wanting to come when it’s cold, windy or snowing. 50% of our business in winter is from Harrogate Convention Centre and events like this.”

Mr Armstrong said he has had one booking for this year’s dates called off already, with the visitor asking to move to next year’s provisional dates. However, he said putting bookings back by a year would be no help to those hospitality businesses struggling to make ends meet in the coming weeks and months.

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate

Unlike others around the country, Harrogate’s Christmas market focuses on Yorkshire products. As well as individual stalls around the aisles, it features a craft and gifts marquee and a food and drink marquee – though the latter was not expected to feature in this year’s event because of covid restrictions.

In July, organisers confirmed they were awaiting a licence being awarded by Harrogate Borough Council for this year’s event, which takes place on Stray land, for which the council has responsibility.

Guidance on the government website says:

“Where the council is the landowner, they could refuse permission to allow the use of the land for an event without the need to issue a direction.

“Beyond this, however, it seems broadly that the intention is that outdoor events should take place where it is safe to do so with the focus on these being supported to operate safely, rather than blocked.”

However, the guidance also states that events can be called off by authorities if there is a rise in cases in the locality. This happened last week in Leeds, when a funfair was banned less than 24 hours before it was due to open because of a cluster of new cases in the surrounding area.

The Stray Ferret understands organisers are keen for Harrogate Christmas Market to return as usual next year.