Storm Pia to bring 61mph gusts to Harrogate district

The Harrogate district could see gusts of up to 61mph as Storm Pia moves in tonight and tomorrow.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning from midnight tonight until 9pm tomorrow.

The forecast shows Pateley Bridge will see the worst of the storm, with gusts reaching 61mph in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Winds will reach 54mph in Masham, while Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon will see up to 50mph.

Disruption

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday on the disruption already caused by the wind throughout the Harrogate district — now another local attraction has followed suit.

The National Trust announced on social media today that Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, will also be closed tomorrow. It said:

“It’s already getting rather breezy here at Fountains. With wind speeds set to increase overnight and throughout tomorrow we’ve made the decision to close the site tomorrow, Thursday 21 December.

“We don’t like to disappoint anyone, but the safety of our visitors and team is always our top priority.”

The charity advised people to “check our social media channels and website” for updates.

It comes after Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough announced yesterday it will close tomorrow, while Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr cancelled its Glow event amid the weather warning.

The weather warning is in place for the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Stray Ferret Business Awards: Are you the best employer in the district?

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2024 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

Over the next few weeks we will reveal what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

Next up is the Best Employer Award, which is sponsored by Jones Myers.

Best Employers embrace a culture of high performance, stress company values and have systems in place to inspire their workforce to do their best.

This award is designed to showcase your business values and culture which have lead to creating an environment where employees feel respected, safe and supported as well as highlighting the employee successes as a result of company ethos.

Those looking to enter or nominate need to provide details of company values and cuture, including how these have supported employee success.

Does your business deserve to win the Best Employer Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close on January 19. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

First day of Christmas fayre was Harrogate’s busiest for six months

The opening of this year’s Harrogate Christmas Fayre was the town’s busiest day for six months, Harrogate Business Improvement District said today.

New footfall data shows that on Friday, December 1 — the launch of the fayre — 126,522 people passed through the town centre.

The data, which is based on locations settings on mobile phones, also suggested the town centre has had a busier 2023 than 2022.

It showed 23,246,734 passed through Harrogate up to December 9 this year, compared to a total of 21,631,852 throughout 2022.

Harrogate BID is working with place monitoring platform HUQ to analyse data on the town’s footfall and dwell time over specified periods.

The BID will use the data, which covers 98% of the population, to develop strategies to encourage more people to visit the town centre. Town centre businesses voted in favour of continuing to pay a levy on their business rates this summer to fund the BID for another five years,

Santa was among the visitors to the fayre.

The data is believed to be more accurate than that used previously to measure footfall at Harrogate events because a person is only counted once if they re-enter the specified area.

Matthew Chapman, manager of the BID, said:

“We are very excited to get our teeth stuck into HUQ, which is used in many towns and cities around the UK.

“The system allows us as the BID, along with partners, to look at high street trends and results to evidence even more return on investment from the projects we deliver.

“Understanding where people come to Harrogate from, as well as how long they spend here,will allow us to promote our town more strategically at targeted periods throughout the year.”

Ed Horner, Harrogate BID’s new PR and communications officer, will analyse the HUQ figures to inform future projects, campaigns and events.

Density data statistics allow the BID to track the movement of people in the BID area and create a map showing the most frequently visited sites.

Green indicates less busy areas, while red highlights hotspots.

Cambridge Street, where the traders and stalls were located, was among the fayre hotspots.

The data also allows the BID to track where visitors are coming from and how long they stay in the town centre.

Unexpectedly, according to the BID, visitors have spent the most time in the town centre on Sundays in 2023 so far, with an average of 2 hours and 50 minutes.

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Yorkshire Water to install solar panels at three Harrogate wastewater treatment works

Yorkshire Water is set to install solar panels at three wastewater treatment works in the Harrogate area.

Planning approval has been granted for panels at Harrogate North, Harrogate South and Staveley works.

The company said the move will help to contribute to its carbon net zero targets.

The three sites are part of the first phase of solar panel installations across 28 sites across Yorkshire.

Daniel Oxley, Yorkshire Water commercial manager, said: 

“This project is a significant step in reaching our carbon net zero target by 2030. A number of our treatment works have surplus operational land due to changes in our treatment processes. Installing solar panels in these areas will put the land to good use and help us to generate electricity we can use without our sites.

“Once completed, the first deployment of solar panels at the 28 sites earmarked for solar panels will generate 4% of our annual power needs. Not only will the panels in Harrogate help increase our renewable energy use, but they will also reduce our exposure to energy price volatility, providing a more stable long-term base for a major operating cost, which will provide better value for money for our customers.”

The sites are expected to generate renewable electricity in July 2024 following enabling work, installation and commissioning.

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Council approves former Harrogate guest house conversion

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to convert a former guest house in Harrogate into seven flats.

Leeds-based Abbeycrown Ltd tabled proposals to the council to change the property at 6 Dragon Parade, which is known as Dragon House, into co-living accommodation.

In documents submitted the council, the developer said the guest house had seen a downturn in trade during the covid pandemic.

It added that, as a result, the property was “unviable as a guest house”.

The proposal would see the building converted into a seven-bedroom house of multiple occupation.

The developer said in its planning statement:

“The applicant is looking to address the need of high quality co-living facilities in the area to create rooms for professionals and public sector workers.”

It added that tenants would be “fully vetted and verified people” and would not have a detrimental impact on the surrounding area and neighbours.

A house in multiple occupation is a property rented out by at least three people who are not from the same household, but share facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom.

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Call for lessons to be learned after Ripon mum dies from sepsis at Harrogate hospital

A Ripon family has called for lessons to be learned after a mother died from sepsis at Harrogate District Hospital.

Angela Laybourn was admitted to the hospital on January 17, 2022, after suffering from lack of appetite and dehydration for around a week.

Blood tests showed she had metabolic acidosis – a build-up of acid in the body. However, this was not documented when she was assessed on a ward, an NHS investigation found.

Ms Laybourn was wrongly sent home three days after being admitted. However, she was readmitted to Harrogate hospital on January 22. She was incoherent and disorientated.

Further blood tests indicating metabolic acidosis weren’t acted upon. She died aged 62 in the early hours of January 24.

Following Angela’s death, husband David, instructed medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his wife’s care under Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

David, aged 64, has now joined his legal team at Irwin Mitchell in calling for lessons to be learned.

Megan Walker, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing David, said:

“Angela was a much-loved wife, mum and grandma, whose death has had a profound effect on all her family.

“Sadly, worrying issues in the care she received, and which contributed to her death, have been identified.

“While nothing can make up for what’s happened it’s now vital that the hospital trust learns lessons from the issues in this case to improve patient safety for others.

“We continue to support David and his family at this distressing time.”

Call for lessons to be learned

Ms Laybourn, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999 and was paralysed from the neck down, died in the early hours of 24 January, 2022, after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Her cause of death was sepsis and metabolic acidosis caused by kidney stones. 

She had a history of kidney stones. In December 2021 she underwent surgery to try and remove them. However, doctors were unable to remove all of the stones because of the complexity of the procedure.

Following legal submissions by Irwin Mitchell, the trust admitted that there was a failure to recognise and treat metabolic acidosis following her first admission on January 17. She shouldn’t have been discharged on 20 January, the trust acknowledged.

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An internal investigation report by the hospital trust into Angela’s care identified a total of 18 key findings, root causes and contributory factors into her care.

These included that blood tests that showed metabolic acidosis following her initial hospital admission were not documented when Angela was assessed on a ward.

Mr Laybourn, who was Angela’s carer for 15 years, added: 

“The only way I could describe losing Angela was total devastation. As a family, we couldn’t believe that she was really gone. The grandchildren were knocked for six. Angela’s whole life was based around her grandkids and kids, everything she did was child orientated. She has been taken from all of us.

“The first time that I was aware that Angela had been suffering from metabolic acidosis, was when we received her death certificate. We searched online for the term and were just in complete shock as looking at the symptoms that Angela had they fit the box of metabolic acidosis.

“We just felt let down that no one had picked up on this and that Angela could have been treated for this.

“I miss her all the time. The loss of Angela has created an emptiness in my life which will never be filled. All I can hope for is that by speaking out improvements in care can be made as I wouldn’t want others to go through the pain our family is.”

Trust apologises

Dr Jacqueline Andrews, executive medical director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mrs Laybourn.

“We failed to deliver the level of care Mrs Laybourn and her family should have been able to expect and for this we would like to sincerely apologise.

“We are committed to learning from what has happened and are implementing new systems and processes to reduce the likelihood of important blood test results being missed to ensure we do all we can to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.”

Wreath laid in Killinghall to honour heroic Harrogate airman

A wreath was laid in a churchyard in Killinghall on Sunday to mark the 80th anniversary of the death of a local RAF pilot in the Second World War.

Flying officer Ted Thackway lost his life on Black Thursday — the worst night in British military aviation history. He was just 23 years old.

Bilton-born Ted was part of the elite RAF Pathfinder force that guided British bombers to their targets.

He was one of five men killed flying back to Britain from Berlin when their Lancaster crashed in dense fog near Hardwick, east of their home airfield of RAF Station Bourn. Two members of the crew survived. Fifty members of the Pathfinders crews died on the night of December 16 and 17 due to fog and low cloud.

Ted Thackway. Pic: rafpathfinders.com

Relatives laid a wreath on Ted’s grave at St Thomas the Apostle in Killinghall, where his headstone is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Debbie Havercroft said her father, who died in 2021, brought them up on tales about Ted, whose youthfulness and modest upbringing made him something of a rarity among RAF officers.

Nick Wrightson, who lives in Birstwirth, said Ted grew up in Killinghall and Bilton and left school at 15 before joining the RAF in 1939 aged 19.

Ted (left) with his family in Bilton in 1938. Pic: www.rafpathfinders.com

His funeral was held at St John’s in Bilton, where Ted had been a choir boy, and later that day he was buried at Killinghall, where his mother had grown up. His grandfather had been churchwarden at St Thomas.

Ted’s mother Elsie met a Canadian after the war, remarried and moved to a town called Egansville, where a commemoration also took place marking the 80th anniversary of his death.

You can read more about Ted and Black Thursday here.

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Children’s Corner is the only double winner at Family Business Awards

This story is sponsored by Children’s Corner Childcare.

Companies from across the region were recognised at the Yorkshire & Humber Family Business Awards last month, but none had a better night than Children’s Corner Childcare. 

The group, which runs 10 childcare settings, including one in Harrogate, all rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, was the only double winner of the evening. 

It not only scooped the Business Services award, but operations manager Nicola Stanworth also won the only individual award of the evening, for Employee of the Year. 

Nicola beat a field of 16 finalists from every sector across the region. She said: 

“I was over the moon – I never expected to be singled out like that for doing what I do. To know that other people recognised all the effort I put in was an amazing feeling. 

“I’m completely dedicated to Children’s Corner. I started working here as a 15-year-old while doing my GCSEs, and had a part-time role here while I was doing my teaching degree at Leeds Metropolitan University. Once I’d graduated, Early Years education called me, and I came here full-time. 

“I have a diverse role, looking after all the operations and logistics, and I never switch off – it’s just how I’m built!” 

Children’s Corner was set up in 1995 by former police officer Lesley Dawson and her husband Allan when they couldn’t find a nursery they liked for their first son. Nearly 30 years later, two of their three sons also now work in the company, making it a truly family-run enterprise. 

A photo of Nicola Stanworth of Children's Corner playing with her children.

Nicola Stanworth was named Employee of the Year at the Family Business Awards.

Nicola said: 

“We treat all the children as individuals and focus on making them independent, to prepare them for their next steps in life. We keep our sites fresh, and replace all the resources regularly, and everything’s included in the price, such as healthy meals, milk and nappies.

“Parents can even keep up to date with their children’s progress with the Children’s Corner app. 

“A lot of people say our nurseries feel like a home from home.” 

Children’s Corner is now recruiting across all its nurseries, and is looking for only the best candidates with a small number of opportunities still available at their Harrogate nursery. 

Children’s Corner Harrogate is currently hiring for an Early Years Educator. Click or tap here to apply.

All the company’s key staff have recognised childcare qualifications however Children’s Corner were also recognised at the House of Commons this year as one of the Top 50 SME’s in the UK offering Apprenticeships with a number of apprenticeship opportunities also available for anyone looking to get into the Early Years sector.

Nicola said: 

“Working at Children’s Corner is fantastic anyway, but in addition to the usual benefits, we offer childcare discount, a four-day working week, and even the possibility of study trips abroad, through our charity arm in Malawi. If you’ve got the skills and qualifications join the best nursery group in the region, get in touch.”

Find out more: 

For more information about childcare with Children’s Corner, go to www.childrenscornerchildcare.co.uk. 

If you’re a childcare professional and are interested in joining the Harrogate team, take a look at our current vacancies. 

Police release CCTV image after Harrogate bike theft

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to after the theft of a bike in Jennyfields.

The incident happened outside the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre on Jenny Field Drive at 10.45am on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

The victim locked his electric bike in the bike rack and when they returned they discovered that the bike had been stolen.

A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to, as he may have information that could help the investigation.

“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email stephen.mangham@northyorkshire.police.uk You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Stephen Mangham.

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12230192233.”

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Harrogate gallery owner plans new woodland after Sycamore Gap success

A North Yorkshire-based artist plans to plant a new woodland after the success of her Sycamore Gap tree painting.

Lucy Pittaway, who owns a gallery on Harrogate’s James Street, painted an image of the famous tree with a Northern Lights backdrop after being moved by its destruction in September.

She pledged to plant a tree for every print sold. In just eight weeks, she sold almost 1,500 copies.

Now, Ms Pittaway wants to team up with a landowner to use the trees to create a public woodland.

She said:

“The Sycamore Gap tree was one of the most iconic features of the northern landscape and its felling has had a deep impact on many people,

“The tree can never be replaced but hopefully we can do something to ensure its legacy lives on.”

She has a vision of the new woodland being used for recreation and education. Features might include a forest school which children can visit to learn about nature, woodland walks, picnic areas and areas for quiet reflection.

Nicki Wilkinson, who is business development manager and has previously managed two of Ms Pittaway’s galleries, said: 

“The response has been phenomenal, firstly from people getting in touch to ask Lucy to paint something in memory of the tree and then secondly in response to the painting with almost 1,500 prints sold in the first eight weeks.

“Hopefully something positive can come out of what has been such a sad event which has impacted so many people.”

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