Nidec SR Drives relocates to Hornbeam Park

Nidec SR Drives will relocate across Harrogate from its current premises on Otley Road to Hornbeam Park.

The company, which is part of the Japanese electric motors firm Nidec, has signed a long-term lease on an 8,184 square foot unit at Hornbeam Park.

It will be adding additional offices, lab space and upgrading the power supply.

The company employs 18 people in Harrogate. It has been at its Otley Road site since 1996 after relocating from Leeds.

Paul Rawlins, financial director at Nidec, said:

“It’s a perfect location for the business to relocate to due to its close proximity to our existing workforce.”

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Puppy scammers target Harrogate mum and disabled daughter

A Harrogate mum lost £100 on a deposit for a Labrador puppy that she later discovered didn’t actually exist.

Jade Lockyer initially wanted a mobility support dog for her daughter Lacey, seven, who has spina bifida.

However, after struggling to find one she decided to get her daughter a puppy that could then be trained.

Ms Lockyer found an advert on the website Pets4Homes for puppies for £1,000, which she thought was a good price.

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A picture Jade received from the seller over WhatsApp

The seller said she was in Wakefield and when Ms Lockyer inquired she was told there was only one puppy left –  a golden female. She agreed to buy it, subject to viewing. She added:

“She said that I had to pay a deposit otherwise the puppy would go, as they are in such high demand at the moment.

“I didn’t feel too happy about this but my daughter had fallen in love with the photos and the woman really reassured me on the phone. She wanted £250 but we agreed on £100. I paid it and then asked for some more videos as we were so excited. She went very quiet on me and then when she did send a video, I just sensed something fishy.

“My daughter looked on YouTube and the same video was on there from 13 years ago. As soon as I asked her about it she blocked me.”

Lacey was “devastated” when she was given the news, said Ms Lockyer:

“She had named her and everything. Thinking back I actually think the scammer played up to the fact that my daughter was disabled, as I had told her all about what we wanted the puppy for and she knew how badly we wanted one.”

Miss Mollies Rescue charity said puppy scams were increasing due to covid.

Jeanne Thompson owner of the Harrogate dog rescue charity Miss Mollies Rescue, said covid had caused an increase in puppy scams. She added:

“It has risen because people are at home with more time on their hands, decide to get a puppy and there are not enough puppies to match the demand, so scammers are trying to profit on this.”

Ms Thompson advised potential owners:

She added:

 “Most of the puppy scammers don’t actually have the puppies but the ones that do actually exist are being brought over from Ireland and abroad, so make sure the mother is there.”

With coronavirus cases set to rise this winter, the charity is urging puppy buyers to be vigilant.

A Pets4Homes spokesperson said more than seven million users looked for a pet on its website each month and it had the most rigorous systems in place of any comparable marketplace in the UK.

The spokesperson added:

“Pets4Homes has a zero tolerance approach to the unethical sale of animals and to any individuals behaving inappropriately.

“More than 225,000 animals were rehomed through Pets4Homes between June and August, and of the 0.1% of issues (concerning various matters) that were raised with its trust and safety team during this time, following investigation, there has not been a single confirmed report of puppy farming.”

West Park Stray — 12 months of mud, repair and debate

This week marks one year since the end of the UCI World Championships and the serious damage to West Park Stray.

It has taken almost a year for it to turn green again. Harrogate Borough Council said as the repair works began that West Park Stray would “return to its former glory” – however the Stray Defence Association (SDA) has said it believes the work has not fully repaired the damage and said it remains “dangerous” with surface stones and ruts.

West Park Stray: A year at a glance

A year to forget on West Park Stray.

When restrictions were lifted for the UCI Championships to be held, the council was given a legal duty to return the Stray to how it was before the event.

The council said it would spend £130,000 on the restoration and outsourced the work to Lancashire-based contractors Glendale Services.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI World Cycling Championships, agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

Arrests after heroin and crack cocaine seized in Harrogate

A 20-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were arrested in Harrogate on Saturday after being found carrying large quantities of class A drugs.

North Yorkshire Police said the pair were seen acting suspiciously in the Library Gardens area of town.

Officers from the force’s Operation Expedite team, which tackles drug crime, stopped the males.

A large quantity of suspected heroin and crack cocaine was seized and the pair were arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

The 20-year-old was later released on bail and the 16-year-old released while under investigation. The police said enquiries are continuing.

This arrest was part of North Yorkshire Police’s attempts to disrupt county lines drug dealing.

The drugs found on the pair were suspected class A drugs.

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County lines dealing is when dealers travel from outside the county to bring drugs into its towns. Vulnerable and young people are often forced to sell the drugs.

To report information of drug dealing in the area, call North Yorkshire Police on 101. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or contact them online here.

Harrogate care homes urged to end routine visits in October

Care homes in Harrogate have been advised to halt routine visits throughout October to protect residents from covid.

North Yorkshire County Council director of health and adult services Richard Webb has written to every care provider in the county asking them to introduce the restriction from Thursday due to rising coronavirus infection rates.

Mr Webb recommended that families and friends visiting residents at the end of their lives should still be allowed to do so.

A similar restriction was brought in earlier this month for seven days.

Mr Webb tweeted:

“This is a step I was very reluctant to take but against a backdrop of rising community infection rates, we need to act now.”

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Mr Webb said in future he would like care homes to operate a nominated visitor scheme whereby a named visitor gets tested regularly so they can continue visiting.

However, he said national problems with testing availability “make that unrealistic at the moment”.

Mr Webb added on Twitter:

“We will look at alternative options to see what we can do to help providers find a better way forward. Balancing #Covid protection versus residents’ #mentalhealth is one of the toughest dilemmas.”

Mike Padgham, chair of the provider organisation The Independent Care Group, said:

“It is regrettable that home visits have to stop but we have to do everything we can, with North Yorkshire County Council, to prevent the spread of coronavirus to the older and vulnerable people we care for.”

Free digital business events begin in Harrogate district today

A week of free digital events for businesses across the Harrogate district gets under way today.

Harrogate Digital will cover digital connectivity, sustainability of data and how to grow a start-up during lockdown. It concludes with a round-table discussion about ways to grow the tech community in the Harrogate district.

The events form part of the wider Leeds Digital Festival, which began last week.

Harrogate Digital has previously run face-to-face events, but decided to move online to enable more people to attend and avoid coronavirus restrictions. All events are free and can be booked via the Harrogate Digital website.

The events have been organised by Harrogate Borough Council’s SME growth manager Alistair Forbes, along with Martin Whincup from Berwins, and tech entrepreneur and mentor Sanjay Parekh.

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The week will also see the launch of Co-Lab, a new incubator hub being run by Harrogate Borough Council from Springfield House. While use of the offices has been delayed by covid, support is being offered to new and growing businesses in the tech and digital sector.

Mr Forbes said there is already evidence that new businesses are being formed during lockdown and people are using their time creatively.

“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.”

Strayside Sunday: Now is the time to seek a better future for our children

Strayside Sunday is our weekly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

Something different this week from me this week.  A bit of a manifesto actually.

Having spent the last two weekends in the company of my adult daughters, I’m struck by the uncertainties they now face.  When covid struck, Daughter 1 was furloughed; then, when it was realised that her employment had commenced too late to participate in the scheme, she was placed on 50% salary. And then, perhaps inevitably, she was made redundant.  In the past month she has applied for more than 100 jobs, but to no avail; I suspect her experience is no different from that of hundreds of thousands of young people across the country.

Daughter 2 is now well into her third year of drama school; a middle-class child at a private university.  She’s a worker (her father is from mill working stock) and earns money in her spare time working behind the bar at a pub.  I’m afraid she’d better get used to it. As things currently stand, little opportunity for graduates is afforded by the arts and culture sector.  In common with so many others, her sector is in crisis.

As a parent, I encourage, I console and I subsidise.

So, instead of sounding off from the cheap seats about the actions and intentions of others I feel compelled to set down some of my own views, such as they are, about how, in the age of covid, we need to think about repairing and renewing ourselves, each other and our society.  And make no mistake, the economic and knock on social consequences of the pandemic will last at least a generation.  We are emphatically not “post” covid and we won’t be for a very long time.

My view is that we need to take this time to think on and think deep, to re-examine the beliefs we have lived by heretofore and to ask ourselves whether or not they are fit for purpose, let alone fit to create a world we would want for our children and theirs.

My daughters, and yours, face a new reality.  Their vista is nowhere near as pretty and compelling as my own was, thirty years ago.  Surely we have a responsibility to ask ourselves what can we do to make things better for them?

In this column I want to outline three broad subject areas – inclusive growth, health and wellbeing and justice – to which I’ll return in future weeks, to explore in more detail and to place in local context.  Additionally, in the age of the NHS Test & Trace App, I will touch on the dangers of the disruption caused by data and technology, if its benefits for capital are not balanced by a consideration for people.  Technology is here, let’s give it a purpose.

So, for the record, I believe a good and prosperous society is one where economic growth is not, de facto, good.  Inclusive economic growth – in which people can participate and engage actively in meaningful work, benefit fully from the fruits of that work,  and be valued by both employer and government, with true agency in their economic and social relationships – builds better communities. Communities that thrive, rather than simply grow.

I believe that good health and wellbeing for people and children is a right to enjoy; governments and business are responsible for that achievement. Those rights bring responsibilities, so people must play their full part in looking after themselves.  If covid has taught us anything, we must cherish our NHS, it’s our first and foremost democratic privilege. It is not simply an entitlement.

And I believe that justice should be available equally and for all, unconstrained by means, social standing or personal health histories. In turn, people have a responsibility to do the right thing.  During lockdown most of us behaved properly (most of the time).  Now, as we begin to feel the vice grip of restriction tighten on our movements and liberty; behavioural compliance is slipping – part fatigue, part defiance, on any view, wrong.

As we seek to build a good society, technology, data and artificial Intelligence are revolutionising democracy, the work of government, public service provision, human relationships and community fabric (whether these are ‘place-based’ or ‘of interest’). Further, data and technology are revolutionising traditional business models, their fundamental economics and the value-exchange (what we each get from the deal) they provide with consumers like you and me.

At the moment, technology is being harnessed almost exclusively for the good of capital.  This balance needs to change; because technology offers us opportunities to make things better for all by connecting people through technology to tackle social exclusion blight, solitude and unwarranted loneliness; by using data insights and understanding  to strengthen the human “ties that bind” people together in community; and by promoting data rights and agency to empower people in our new digital economy and in their relationship with government.

I could be wrong. I often am. But if we don’t anchor our values and the way we behave in new modes of thinking, the future looks bleak indeed.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

Next Sunday Paul will be taking a break –  Strayside Sunday will return on October 11th. 

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Have your say on the future of Harrogate town centre

We want to hear your opinions on all things Harrogate. From public transport to shopping, parking to nightlife.

The town is known for its independent shops and wide range of bars and restaurants, ass well as its beautiful scenery across the Stray and beyond.

But, even without covid, times are changing, and some businesses have struggled. The Stray Ferret has reported on several well-known shops having to close down in recent months, with existing struggles compounded by lockdown.

Our big Harrogate survey is still open to everyone over 18 from across the district who uses the town centre for work or leisure.

By clicking here to complete this survey you have the opportunity to give your views on what the town needs, what it can change and what you love about it.

Harrogate town centre - what do you want form Harrogate?

The survey takes about 10 minutes and everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw with free gifts – a Stray Ferret umbrella or a 12 pack of special Stray Ferret beer brewed by Harrogate-based Roosters.

The results will be published on The Stray Ferret website to continue the debate about the future of our town.

Stray Foodie: Vista View Bistro at How Stean Gorge, Nidderdale

Stray Foodie is a bi-monthly food review written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. 

In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years.

 

Vista View Bistro, How Stean Gorge, Nidderdale 

It was a dreak night and I was in one of the most beautiful parts of deepest Nidderdale; How Stean Gorge is a place of such outstanding natural beauty, especially on clear sunny days of which we rarely have. This was not the case on this occasion, as we bumped along a windy road to our destination. Ahead of us rose an amazing, stilted building that towered over dramatic turbulent water with lustrous jungle land and deep vegetation.

A vision of creative owners, Mr & Mrs Stanley Beer who have developed their Gorge with great dedication over many years to its current acclaim. What a beautiful place to live and continue to develop a business. Full of exciting opportunity in this new world of hospitality that we find ourselves in. Exciting outdoor pursuits with fresh, tasty, good food seems to be the order of the day.

The glass viewing area at How Stean Gorge.

My old man and I were there for an early dinner and we felt lucky, as How Stean – as it is known locally – is not often open in the evenings. Like a lot of people, it was the first time out for us for some time. As we entered, the feeling of cleanliness was exemplary and made us feel very safe.

Would you like Frances to review your restaurant or cafe? 

From pop-up to fine dining, Frances would like to hear from you. If you’d like her to write a review on your food, send her an email to: foodie@thestrayferret.co.uk.

My old man’s face was a picture of sheer contentment as he devoured a very beautiful Prawn Cocktail. I examined a starter of vegetables and thought, here we have some style. Jowayne, a young and ambitious Chef has given his food a lot of love shown by a neat, clean hand and a good balance of flavour. Although I would have been happy to see or feel more colour and excitement with the menu. Having said that, to find such honest food in the depths of this fine country is a plus. Maybe I was being over-influenced and relaxed by the Spa-themed music during dinner which was ethereal and stark.

Two Vista View Bistro chefs pictured, including its head chef, Jowayne Marshall (left).

The time to visit is obviously during the day with all the lovely Autumnal hues. You will sit and gasp at the extraordinary views over a glass or savour the very good and satisfying local beef or feel spoilt by what’s on offer on the menu; something for all tastes, I am told. Let’s hope Chef puts his Fruit Mousse Spoon on the dessert menu – something I have come across before – and of course it was well worth the drive up the Dale.

Whenever you decide to visit, which is a must during these times, you will be rewarded by friendly Yorkshire hospitality that stimulates you and gives you the good feeling of being British. My little journey for dinner x2, three courses and a glass of wine each cost £85.20 excluding service. Don’t be afraid, there are more economic ways of enjoying this treasure.

To find out more about Vista View Bistro click here.

To read more about Frances’ fantastic career click here.

Harrogate parents form ‘bubbles’ to resume weekly walks

Harrogate parents’ group Ready Steady Mums has been given the green light to resume its weekly walks, as they fit under the “support group” category within the government guidelines.

The group was forced to call a halt for the second time in early September when the “rule of six” came into place, which meant that, in most circumstances, groups of more than six could not gather.

However, after making contact with the office Andrew Jones MP to ask if it could keep going, Ready Steady Mums has been reassured it isn’t breaking any rules as it is a support group for new parents. The group split into ‘bubbles’ of seven parents with babies plus one volunteer and headed out onto the Stray again yesterday morning, in line with the limit of 15 people gathering for organised outdoor events.

Laura Brett, a former mental health midwife who founded the group, said:

“It was so good to be out again. It’s not a lot different to what we usually do – people often split into smaller groups as we go along – but it’s just being intentional about it. We give it a good two or three minutes between each group setting off to keep a certain amount of distance, and we stayed in those groups even for tea and biscuits afterwards.”

In good weather, the group sits out on the Stray for a socially-distanced picnic after the walk

Formed in 2016, Ready Steady Mums provides people with the opportunity to stay fit and socialise during the early weeks and months of parenthood. 

The group usually meets at St Mark’s Church at 10am on Friday, walks together around the Stray and then enjoys tea, coffee and cake inside the church. Resuming after lockdown, the refreshments became a picnic outside, in line with social distancing requirements.

From her background in mental health midwifery, and her new role in fundraising and promotions for Harrogate charity Wellspring, Laura said the group is even more important now than ever. New mums and dads don’t get as many chances to meet and talk to others in the same position, and people are finding their mental health is suffering.

“I’m very serious about the whole covid thing – I had it and I know how awful it is – but I think the mental health epidemic and isolation are also really worrying.

“I walked with one woman today who said, ‘I love it – it’s free, I don’t have to commit, and it’s just so inclusive’. She had moved into Harrogate over lockdown with a new baby.

“Even if we just do it for her, it’s so worthwhile.”

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