The owner of Harrogate’s Grove House has said he is “absolutely delighted” after planners finally gave the go-ahead to convert the grade two listed building into a luxury care facility.

Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield Healthcare, bought Grove House for £3 million in 2019 and then spent five years working on plans to transform it into what he calls “the holy grail of care”.

North Yorkshire Council finally granted approval this month, which means the former home of Harrogate mayor, inventor and philanthropist Samson Fox will be converted into a care home consisting of 24 flats. In addition, a 62-bed care home and eight houses providing supported living for over-65s will be built on adjoining land.

Mr Lee, whose company already owns seven care homes, including Harcourt Gardens in Harrogate and the Chocolate Works in York, said:

“I’m absolutely delighted that after a five-year journey we can now bring to life what I believe is going to be the most innovative and unique intergenerational care scheme.

“When we did Chocolate Works I wondered how we would top that. But this will.

“Grove House will be restored to its former glory. The building, which has lots of leaks, will be given some TLC. The grand hall and billiards room will remain. We will bring it back to life and reforge the spirit of Samson Fox.”

Mr Lee admitted there were doubts about whether the scheme would go ahead because of the length of the planning process. He added the cost had risen from £15 million to £20 million due to inflation and the cost of living increase.

An artist’s impression of part of the new care facility.

An aerial view showing Grove House opposite the fire station on Skipton Road.

Mr Lee, who lives in Harrogate, said he hoped to appoint a contractor — probably Simpsons of York, which undertook Harcourt Gardens and the Chocolate Works — by spring and then begin work in summer. He added the scheme would be built in phases, with a planned opening date of summer 2026.

The six-acre site, which has been unused for years, will host an annual community day and be used widely by pupils at nearby Grove Road Community Primary School.Children will hold lessons on site and build relationships with residents with dementia to make the project a pioneering multi-generational scheme, Me Lee said.

They will also be able to track wildlife such as foxes and badgers on site through hidden cameras and use a new wildlife pond for study.

Read more:

• £15m bid to transform Harrogate’s Grove House into care home approved
• Hot Seat: The Harrogate man leading the way in luxury care
• Harrogate care home opens nine-hole putting green

To celebrate New Year’s Eve this week, we have a selection of photographs showcasing rainbows across the Harrogate district.

Photo of the Week will take centre stage from January 2 in our new-look nightly email newsletter. The newsletter drops into your inbox every evening at 6pm with all the day’s stories and more. 
To subscribe click here.

Andrew Graham

George Jesper

Parent of Western Primary

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

King Charles III celebrated his coronation this year – and the Harrogate district certainly celebrated with him.

From street parties and parades to afternoon tea and live music, people went all out to mark the new king in May.

See our gallery below to look back on the royal celebrations near you.

Harrogate

Over the three-day weekend, Harrogate saw a range of celebratory events.

People gathered for an afternoon tea at the Oatlands Community Centre, others watched a livestream on the big screen in the Valley Gardens.

Local businesses also showed their colours — and some four-legged friends even waved the flag for the day.

Afternoon tea at Oatlands Community Centre.

The Valley Gardens was also looking patriotic for the occasion.

People watched a livestream in the Valley Gardens.

Local businesses got into the royal spirit.

Betsy got coronation ready too!

Ripon

Ripon kicked off the royal celebrations with a live performance from Complete Madness in the Market Square.

Services in the cathedral and street parties followed, and surrounding villages gathered to mark the occasion too.

Former Ripon Grammar School student, 72-year-old Bruce Oldfield, even designed Queen Camilla’s coronation dress.

Fountains Abbey was lit up in honour of the King.

Floral displays created by the Ripon Cathedral Flower Guild and Ripon Flower Club. 

Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Ms Jo Ropner and the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson.

Complete Madness kicking off the celebrations.

Residents of Carr Close threw a street party.

Around 100 people partied on the street.

Masham and Kirkby Malzeard

Masham and Kirkby Malzeard residents came out in their droves to celebrate the royal event.

There was a car rally, a float parade, BBQs, maypole dancing and more.

Masham had a float parade.

Maypole dancing in Kirkby Malzeard.

Vintage cars also rallied as part of the parade.

Knaresborough

Knaresborough House held a livestream of the coronation service, as well as a Coronation Concert over the weekend.

The concert, which was held at Knaresborough Castle, celebrated at music through time and people smiled as the sun shone down.

Livestream at Knaresborough House.

Hundreds gathered for the Coronation Concert.

Knitting Pretty and Number Thirteen in Knaresborough were decorated for the coronation.

Read more:

• As it happened: Harrogate district celebrates King Charles II coronation
• As it happened: Second day of coronation celebrations in Harrogate district

As 2023 winds down and we start to look to the year ahead, there are some things we can be fairly certain will come our way over the next 12 months.

North Yorkshire will go to the polls in May to elect its first ever Mayor, and there will probably be a General Election too. One has to be held by January 28, 2025, but sometime in 2024 – May or November, perhaps – seems far more likely.

The Bank of England expects inflation to continue to fall over the coming year, and so too will house prices, according to most forecasters.

Locally, though, individual people in business have their own forecasts – and hopes – for the year ahead. So we asked a cross-section of the district’s business community what their aspirations and expectations are for 2024. From electric gritters to selling beer in Taiwan, here’s what they had to say:

Katie and Paul Rawlinson – owners, Baltzersen’s and Bakeri Baltzersen

“Small business owners have to be optimists by nature, so we’ll enter 2024 full of determination to make it our best year yet.

“We’ll invest further in making sure Baltzersen’s can compete with a growing number of really great venues in Harrogate.

“We’re also planning to raise our game in the bakery, Bakeri Baltzersen, with refinements and improvements planned across our whole range of bread and pastry, including a good number of new products and the launch of our first vegan range.”

Photo: Matthew Lloyd.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill – owner, The Crystal Buddha, Knaresborough

“I’m very excited for what 2024 will bring for The Crystal Buddha.

“I have so many things planned for next year, including organising the Knaresborough Wellness Festival on March 24, which is a celebration of lots of lovely local holistic businesses, where anyone can come along and sample what they have to offer!

“We have talks and workshops, stalls and an opportunity to experience a sound bath or aura photography alongside some self-care and retail therapy.”

Simon Eyles – managing director, Bettys

“As with the last few years, I am sure this next year will bring lots of uncertainty, challenge, and change. One thing that is for certain, Bettys will continue to focus on delighting every single customer.

“I’m expecting customers to be increasingly selective in where they spend their money, so we will ensure we provide a brilliant Bettys experience like no other.

“I’m also looking forward to some amazing new menu items and delicious new products from our craft bakery. Look out for those!”

Matthew Chapman – manager, Harrogate BID

“Looking ahead to 2024, as we launch the new objectives within our term 2 business plan of pride in our town, a vibrant town and voice and vision is looking as positive. Dates for events are set, promotional plans for our town taking shape and proactive Harrogate BID teams on the street likely to be expanded.

“Strategically, we would like to see the Government follow up on a policy announced in May 2022 on local leaders being given more power within long-term commercial vacant units.

“We are also keen to continue our positive collaboration with the local authority and future North Yorkshire Mayor as we head towards devolution that should provide more local powers, decision making and funding.”

Zakaria Battal – owner, Kurdish Kitchen, Harrogate

“I think my business will carry on growing in 2024.

“It can be hard to get bookings, and when I do, there’s so much paperwork, but that’s actually good, as it makes me more experienced.

“It also makes it safer for people – I have a five-star food hygiene rating.

“My dream is to open a Kurdish Kitchen restaurant here in Harrogate, so hopefully I’ll get closer to doing that. I’m starting small and slowly getting bigger, one step at a time.”

Sharon Canavar – chief executive, Harrogate International Festivals

“2024 will be the first year we have the Harrogate International Festivals team back up to full strength post-Covid, so I am looking forward to an amazing year of events and festivals.

“We have our usual programmes with one or two very special events including a free light festival across Harrogate town centre, as well as the return of the Spiegeltent – so lots to celebrate.

“We know times are hard for everyone, so I hope that the range of work we do will touch everyone in some way, bringing a little joy or fun into their lives and the community which we serve.”

Richard Bradbury – managing director, T&R Theakston

“At Theakstons, we expect to see continued growth for our major brands like the iconic Old Peculier and some of the new beers which have been going down incredibly well as increasing numbers of pubs and supermarkets choose to stock our beers. Although prices continue to increase, the fact that the rate of increase is much lower than 12 months ago gives us confidence that we can continue to keep our beers affordable for drinkers, wherever they’re purchased. 

“As a business, our focus for 2024 will continue to place beer quality at the centre of everything we do. As a result, we are substantially growing our investment into the brewery to keep this at the heart of our business and honour our commitment to drinkers. 

“Turning further afield, having re-entered the US market in 2023, we’ve been buoyed by the growing worldwide demand for our beers and are looking forward to building new distributor relationships in countries including Poland, Sweden and Taiwan.”

Lee Bellwood – co-owner, Major Tom’s Social

“Being an independent in the bar and restaurant trade is always challenging. With various terrible things happening around the world, I’m happy if we can keep our heads above water. We are in a fortunate situation compared to lots of others. 

“At Major Tom’s Social we are looking at extended opening hours and organising some more social educational events. 

“Hopefully, Harrogate will still attract visitors and tourists even with its dwindling high-street presence.”

Paula Lorimer – director, Harrogate Convention Centre

“Future forward bookings for the year ahead look promising and we are expecting to exceed driving £40 million of economic impact in 2024/25 to support businesses.

“I would like to thank businesses across the borough, especially the hotels and restaurants who support our clients and make event organisers and delegates feel so welcome in our spa town. If Harrogate Convention Centre is successful in making the business case for further investment, then the sky’s the limit to what we can achieve!”

Charlene Lyons – CEO, Black Sheep Brewery

“It goes without saying that 2023 has been a turbulent year, with inflated prices and the cost-of-living crisis impacting us and so many businesses across the Harrogate district. However, Black Sheep Brewery is still moving forwards and we’re hopeful for a much stronger 2024 with some positive changes coming soon. We remain committed to securing local employment as well as continuing to innovate and produce high-quality beers, brewed right here in Yorkshire.

“There have been many positive things that have happened at the brewery in recent months that have helped the team finish strongly for the year. This includes the opportunity to collaborate with and raise funds for Rugby legend Rob Burrow MBE with the launch of ‘Burrow’s Blonde’, a delicious new beer now on tap in your local pub that is already proving to be one our most popular brews.

“In 2024, we also plan on further cementing partnerships with pubs and retailers both across Yorkshire and the wider country, as well as supporting our local communities by renewing sponsorships with grassroots sports clubs such as Harrogate Town AFC.”

Jonathan Lupton – managing director, Econ Engineering, Ripon 

“This year has seen Econ continue to develop and demonstrate the UKs first ever fully electric gritter, the E-QCB, which is currently being used at various sites across the country. A major stride in the push for a more sustainable solution to our nation’s working fleet of vehicles, we look forward to working with councils and contractors in 2024, helping them to cut their emissions footprint. 

“The E-QCB, which has a unique swap-body system allowing it to be used all-year round as a gritter, tipper and caged body vehicle, has already made quite an impact and is a major game-changer when it comes to the environmental impact of fleet operations up and down the UK. We hope 2024 will see us build on that initial success.” 

Peter Lacey – joint managing director, Whole Systems Partnership; executive team member, Knaresborough & District Chamber

“During 2023, Knaresborough & District Chamber, along with other groups in the town, planted the seeds for what I hope will be a year in which we begin to realise the full potential of our fantastic town.

“Securing funds from North Yorkshire Council to explore exciting new ventures will enable us to find our voice for the benefit of businesses and the wider wellbeing of residents and visitors alike.

“The Whole Systems Partnership is in the business of helping the health and care systems across the country to deliver the best possible services for their local populations. For example, early in 2024 we’re looking forward to spreading our wings across the Pennines to help Lancashire County Council work more closely with the different NHS organisations in their area.

“The great thing about being in Knaresborough, however, if that the lessons we learn elsewhere can also be applied in our town, something we’ve supported through Covid and in our support to Knaresborough Connectors in their work to make the town an even better place to live, visit or work in.”

Read more:

• First day of Christmas fayre was Harrogate’s busiest for six months
• New bridal boutique to open in Ripon

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we’re looking at the council’s £47.9 million investment into local leisure centres.

The Harrogate district has undergone something of a council leisure centre revolution in recent years – with Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon all boasting multi-million pound developments.

The process has certainly not been plain sailing. From sink holes and temporary gyms to delays, North Yorkshire Council’s fitness projects have rarely been out of the Stray Ferret news.

But by the end of the year it was hard to dispute the view of Mark Tweedie, the managing director of Brimhams Active, which runs leisure facilities on behalf of the council, that the district’s facilities were the envy of North Yorkshire.

In a further twist, however, the new North Yorkshire Council has now said it is to scrap Brimhams and bring all of the county’s leisure services back in-house.

Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre

The former Harrogate Hydro, now known as the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, opened in September following an almost 18-month transformation.

The £13.5 million refurbishment included a 400-square metre fitness centre, a new sauna and steam room, improved reception area and café, as well as an overhaul of the existing gym, spin, leisure and swimming facilities.

The Brimhams Active-run site boasts three swimming pools: a 25-metre lane pool, a diving pool and a children’s pool.

People can also attend fitness classes, including an immersive spin class, pilates and yoga.

The opening was well-received. When the Stray Ferret reported on it, one person’s comment on social media summed up how many felt:

“It’s amazing, we are so lucky to have theses facilities in Harrogate.”

In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had increased from a budgeted £11.9 million.

Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre

The long-awaited Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre opened its doors in December.

Work began on the site, which is next to the former Knaresborough Pool, in April 2022 after plans were approved the month before.

It was originally expected to open in summer, however, the opening date was repeatedly delayed until this month.

The transformed centre now offers a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool and slide, and a 60-station fitness suite.

Like the Harrogate site, there is also a sauna and steam room, a café, a group cycling studio and a studio for fitness classes.

The outdoor children’s play area is still in the works but is expected to open in January.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts, culture and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, told the Stray Ferret ahead of its opening:

“You come over the brow of the hill in Knaresborough and see the leisure centre building – it is such an attractive building.

“It sits so well in its space, it’s full of light and the facilities are fantastic.

“This is what local authorities can achieve. It’s a real asset to Knaresborough.”

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, Ripon

The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, in Ripon, has not only faced the most bumps – or holes – in the road, but also the biggest expenditure of the three.

Although the site officially reopened in March last year, Ripon residents are yet to see the full transformation.

The old part of the site is locked in a sinkhole groundhog day of never-ending work on a “void” beneath the building, which remains closed.

Following the discovery of the void, which is believed to have been there for several years, the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council submitted a planning application to install a temporary gym in the centre’s car park in July 2022.

This was to enable the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old building, which was found to require £3.5 million worth of ground stabilisation works.

The temporary structure was supposed to open that autumn – just months after the application was submitted – however, the installation was continually delayed.

It was not until April this year that the £300,000 building, which houses the temporary gym, was installed.

The stabilisation work, which began in June, brought the cost to £18 million — £8 million over budget.

However, that too has not come without challenges.

North Yorkshire Council said in October its movement checks revealed multiple cracks up to 10mm long.

It said the cracks have affected the “weather tightness of the building and the operation of doors and windows” but added specialists had said there were no safety concerns.

The council said at the time the estimated completion date and costs were “under review”.

Works at the site.

‘Stop throwing good money after bad’

Councillor Andrew Williams, a member of the Conservative and Independents group at the council and leader of Ripon City Council, said last year it was time to stop “throwing good money after bad” and to “look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land”.

In response to the discovery of the cracks, Cllr Williams said:

“The building is under very close monitoring to ensure that there is no movement as the works progress, if there is movement then the position will have to be reviewed in the light of that information.

“The situation is far from ideal and I hope that it will prove possible to complete these works because the bottom line is that Ripon needs a functioning leisure centre.”

The new building, which includes the swimming pool, sauna and steam room, has remained open throughout.

However, it looks like members will be using the temporary gym and attending group classes at Hugh Ripley Hall in the city centre well into 2024…

Read more:

• VIDEO: First look at new £17.5m Knaresborough leisure centre
• ‘Multiple cracks’ detected at Ripon leisure centre
• ‘Our leisure centres will be the envy of North Yorkshire’

A Harrogate hospice leader has been awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List.

Tony Collins, who is chief executive of Saint Michael’s Hospice, has been awarded the honour for service to the community.

Mr Collins, who is also chief executive of specialist bereavement and emotional wellbeing service Just ‘B’ and Hambleton and Richmondshire-based Herriot Hospice Homecare, has been a leader in the hospice community in Yorkshire and the North East for 27 years, and also sits on the board of national charity Hospice UK.

He has been at the forefront of increasing hospice care at home, increasing accessibility to hospice care for people in rural areas and introducing Yorkshire’s first specialised community bereavement service – Just ‘B’ – in 2009.

Saint Michael’s provides care and support for families living with terminal illness and bereavement across the Harrogate district. It does this from its hospice building, as well as in the community. Alongside Just ‘B’ and Herriot Hospice Homecare, it makes up registered charity North Yorkshire Hospice Care.

Joint chairs of trustees for the charity, Colin Tweedie and Joanne Crewe, praised Mr Collins’ “commitment and dedication to ensuring people across North Yorkshire and beyond have access to high quality care and support at the right time, and in the right place” in a statement.

Read more:

• Nidderdale lollipop lady receives BEM in King’s New Year Honours
• Tory council leader Carl Les receives OBE

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look at the formation of North Yorkshire Council and its new agenda.

The past 12 months have seen a seismic change in how the Harrogate district is governed.

In April, we said goodbye to Harrogate Borough Council as it was swept aside to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.

Along the way, many of the local senior politicians also left. Borough council leader, Richard Cooper, stepped away from politics and Graham Swift failed in a bid to represent his Duchy division.

Instead, the last eight months have seen a shift in both how the district is governed and who calls the shots.

The new council has wasted little time in imposing its vision on the county.

Recently, it announced a new shake-up of leisure services – the second time in three years for facilities in the Harrogate area.

Planning decisions have also been divided up into constituency areas.

Although, if you ask some councillors in Harrogate, they’ll point out that there hasn’t been any decisions to make since September.

It has also introduced a new taxi licensing policy, scrapping the previous seven district zones in favour of one county-wide zone.

Read more:

• Harrogate man to lead set-up of North Yorkshire combined authority
• Explained: What is North Yorkshire’s combined authority?

However, some areas remain the same.

Residents, campaigners and the council remain at loggerheads over the £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

The scheme has been rolled back, but remains in limbo.

The major housing project known as Maltkiln has not progressed since the borough council was abolished, partly due to landowners withdrawing land.

Devolution on the horizon

Meanwhile, the change in the political landscape is expected to change further.

A combined authority for York and North Yorkshire is expected to come into force in the new year as part of a devolution deal for the county.

There is also an election on the horizon for a Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, which will be held in May.

Some may argue that, when it comes to the new council, the new boss is the same as the old boss. 

But, whatever the perception of the new authority, the governance of the district has changed in 2023.

A man has overcome his phobia of balloons bursting to launch his own balloon modelling venture. 

James Massey has had ligyrophobia, an irrational fear of loud noises that can cause anxiety and panic, all his life. 

He was around a year old when a party popper went off in his great-grandfather’s face, causing him to yell out in shock. Although his great-grandfather was uninjured, the incident scared James so much it triggered a fear of balloons, party poppers and fireworks.

James, 25, who lives in Killinghall, said:

“My anxiety had a big impact on my childhood. I remember hiding under the table at my sister’s birthday party and eventually I started avoiding parties altogether. On Bonfire Night I always stayed inside because I was afraid to go out. And when I was a teenager, I used to be on edge when I was out with my friends. It was the anticipation of what might happen.” 

Globophobia is a fear of balloons bursting, although people can also be triggered by the texture and smell. Having unsuccessfully tried cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), James went for hypnotherapy sessions which went some way to helping him manage his phobia.

He also decided to try to view balloons in a less threatening way, and became drawn to YouTube tutorials on balloon modelling. Soon he found he was more focused on the design and construction of the models than he was on the fear the balloons might burst. 

“I started to think they look nice, rather than seeing them as a threat and worrying all the time that they were going to pop. Then a few months ago I made a balloon column that I was really proud of and I thought I could give it away for free to someone who would enjoy it. So I posted it on Facebook Marketplace and it got snapped up straight away. I put another three on and they’d gone within a few minutes. And then I had people messaging me asking if I would make them one and they would pay me for it. It felt amazing.”

Since then, James has set up a Facebook page under the name The Balloon Stop and has made columns and arches for parties and other celebrations, charging a modest amount mainly to cover the cost of materials. He’s constantly learning new designs and is hoping to grow the venture further next year.  

“It’s been a massive turnaround from not even being able to blow up a balloon. The fear is still there but I can control it now. Balloon modelling is fun and I love the creativity. I find it relaxing now, I’m thinking about the design and the colours. I see beauty in it.”

Read more:

• Ripon coffee shop Messy Buns closes
• Harrogate restaurant and hotel under new ownership

A missing 87-year-old man from Harrogate has been found safe, police said this morning.

North Yorkshire Police issued a statement last night saying the man had not been seen by his family for about 24 hours and had been unable to contact him.

Officers said they were “very concerned for his safety”.

But police issued a new statement this morning, which said:

“Yesterday evening (29 December) we issued an appeal to help find a missing 87-year-old man from Harrogate.

“We are very pleased to report that he has been found safe and well, but cold.”

We have amended our coverage to anonymise the man’s details.

Read more:

• Outrage as Harrogate hospital parking firm ‘incorrectly’ issues fine
• Young farmers to collect Christmas trees in Harrogate and Knaresborough

It’s in the nature of news that a lot of the stories we read are, well, not very uplifting – robberies, redundancies and road accidents are not exactly mood-enhancers. 

But there is another, lighter side to the news, so as we turn our backs on the last 12 months, we thought we’d take one last look at some of the funnier stories that raised a smile in 2023. 

The horse that wasn’t a horse 

Back in January, firefighters were called to rescue a horse from floodwaters near Ripon, only to discover it was a metal sculpture. 

Group manager Bob Hoskins, who works for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, tweeted: 

“An officer trotted off to check out the situation and discovered a statue of a horse in the middle of the field. 

“There was ‘neigh’ further assistance required on this occasion.” 

The silhouette sculpture of a war-weary soldier and his horse was placed in the field in 2018 as part of a programme of events and commemorations to mark the centenary of the Great War.

The bossy steps 

In April, a set of steps at Harrogate railway station came to national attention when All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West tweeted that he felt “slightly harassed” by it. 

The steps feature various injunctions, such as “Watch your step”, “Keep the left”, and “Don’t use mobile phones on stairs”, leading one X (formerly Twitter) user to call them a “seriously bossy set of steps”. 

Several said they would be too worried about tripping to read all the messages. 

A spokesperson for rail operator Northern said: 

“We carry out regular inspections of the stations across our network and we’ll certainly take this into consideration.” 

The £2,000 cowpat 

In May, a fresh cowpat helped Masham woman Kathryn Driver hit paydirt. 

Kathryn scooped £2,000 when she won Masham Community Office’s Cow Pat Competition, which was the surprise hit of the town’s coronation bank holiday celebrations. 

The competition saw four cows (see main image), named for the occasion Storm Pooper, Harry Plopper, Poo Patrol and Daisy Dung, let out to roam around a fenced-off piece of land. 

The land had been divided into squares, and tickets sold in advance at £1 per square. The winner would be whoever held the ticket corresponding to the square the first cowpat landed on. 

Hundreds of people turned out to watch, and after nearly an hour’s wait it was Storm Pooper who produced the goods on Kathryn’s square. She said:  

“I can’t believe it! It’s amazing. My mum got the ticket for me, so I’m going to use the money to pay for a holiday and take my mum away.” 

The event raised £5,000, which went towards the purchase of Masham Community Office’s building, The Old Police Station, retaining it as a community hub. 

Hayley Jackson, community office manager, said:  

“Who would have thought cowpats would bring the community together like this?” 

Have we got nudes for you 

More than 80 people shed their clothes in July to take part in the first ever naked walk around the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, near Masham. 

The two-kilometre hike for over-18s was one of a series of fundraising Naked Heart Walks organised over the summer by British Naturism, which promotes naturism. 

The walks at stately homes and gardens were advertised as opportunities to let people “feel the breeze on your skin as you raise money for the British Heart Foundation”. 

Sasha Jackson-Brown, estate and operations manager at the Himalayan garden, said the venue’s remote location made it suitable and the event attracted a good turnout, even though “the weather could have been a bit warmer for them”. 

The cow in the park 

In August, people enjoying the sunny weather in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate were shocked to see a loose cow casually ambling towards the Magnesia Well Tea Room. 

Dog-walker Lucy Emma Renshaw-Martin told the Stray Ferret she had no idea how the cow, which appeared to be a Holstein or Friesian, ended up in the park, which is nowhere near any fields. 

That mystery was not solved by a statement issued later by North Yorkshire Police, which simply said that “the cow was reunited with its owner”. 

However, Harrogate Writers’ Circle member Carole Keegan came up with a wordier response, penning a poem to mark the event.

The sleepless celebrity 

TV personality Gyles Brandreth took to Twitter (now X) after enduring a sleepless night on a tilting bed in Harrogate. 

The author and raconteur was appearing in September at the Royal Hall for his one-man show Gyles Brandreth Can’t Stop Talking. 

At 7am the next morning, he tweeted: 

“The view from right here right now… very little sleep on a bed that tilted to the left so that I had to cling on all night. The hotel is in King’s Road but has no number so in the dark we couldn’t find it. Taxi couldn’t find it either. Eventually we did. Rather wish we hadn’t.” 

The bed was so bad, he even tried to book into a different hotel in the dead of night, only to find it was full. 

Mr Brandreth declined to name and shame the establishment to his 208,000 followers. 

After his show, he hailed the “warm and wonderful audience” and said it was “a privilege to be on the stage that both Ken Dodd & Marlene Dietrich once appeared on. Not together. (Though wouldn’t that have been glorious?)”. 

Gyles Brandreth at The Ivy in Harrogate – before his sleepless night.

Read more:

• First day of Christmas fayre was Harrogate’s busiest for six months
• New bridal boutique to open in Ripon