Harrogate hotel employee rewarded for 35 years’ service

A long-serving employee at one of Harrogate’s best-known hotels was joined by colleagues recently to mark a major career milestone. 

Dave Johnson, who is events operations manager at the Majestic Hotel, celebrated 35 years in the job with prosecco and a cake baked by his wife Joanne, who is sous chef there.

He was also presented with a special golden ‘35 years’ pin-badge and given a two-day stay at the Redworth Hall Hotel near his hometown in County Durham. 

He said: 

“I first came to Harrogate as an 18-year-old from Shildon and thought ‘what a wonderful place’, so I stayed. I started at the Majestic as a night porter and have held quite a few positions since then. 

“I even met and married Joanne here, so the Majestic has been a big part of my life.” 

When Dave first started work at the hotel, the world was a very different place. The Cold War had yet to thaw, the digital revolution hadn’t even begun, and Margaret Thatcher was in No 10. In fact, she visited the Majestic twice as Prime Minister when Dave was there. He said: 

“There were police on the front desk for three weeks before she came, vetting everyone who came in. Security was very tight.” 

Mrs Thatcher was far from the only VIP Dave has met over the course of his career at the hotel. He met England cricketing hero Ian Botham on his first day in the job and has met lots of other famous people since then, including Prince Charles, Rudolph Giuliani, Lenny Henry, Princess Anne, Rick Astley and many others. 

In 1988, the hotel was owned by Trusthouse Forte and changed hands several times until it was finally bought by the Cairn Group in 2016 and rebranded as the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel & Spa. Dave said: 

“That was a great boost to morale. They invested £15 million in refurbishing the hotel, and our wages went up. The perks of working here now are brilliant, and we have a greater choice of hotels to stay at when we take time off. Flying the flag for Hilton also brings a lot more customers in.” 

Dave may have put in a long stint at the Majestic, but at 53, he’s not ready to quit any time soon. He said:

“I just like looking after customers and meeting such a wide range of people. Maybe some day I’ll move to sunnier climes, but I’ve got no plans to move just yet.” 

Read more:

 

High levels of faecal bacteria in River Nidd confirmed

A second round of water sampling on the River Nidd has confirmed high levels of the faecal bacteria E.coli.

Volunteers tested for E.coli levels along the length of the Nidd as part of a clean-up campaign amid concerns about the state of the river and reports of bathers at Knaresborough Lido suffering sickness and diarrhoea.

The first round of sampling took place in August and the laboratory results of the second round, which took place a fortnight ago, were released last week.

David Clayden, chairman of Nidd Action Group, which coordinated the sampling, said the latest results confirmed the previous findings, which showed concentrations of E. coli bacteria were above acceptable limits.

He added the locations identified as E.coli hotspots in August once again produced the most concerning results.

Tributaries in the middle and lower Nidd catchment, including Ripley Beck, Oak Beck and Crimple Beck, had the highest concentrations of E.coli, with Bilton Beck the worst.

Sampling at Oak Beck in August.

In general, concentrations of E. coli were much lower in the upper catchment of the river from Pateley Bridge to Birstwith, than in the middle and lower catchments.

Knaresborough sampling locations revealed concentrations above the levels deemed sufficient for inland bathing water.

The Nidd Action Group committee met on Friday to talk about next steps, which will include organising a second public meeting to discuss progress and plans for 2024.

Mr Clayden said the meeting will be held in Knaresborough in early December and would follow a similar format to the one staged in March this year.

Meanwhile, Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is expected to submit a bid to the government in the next few days to designate bathing water status on the Nidd.

If accepted, agencies will be obliged to undertake measures to clean the Nidd, as has happened on the River Wharfe in Ilkley.

Read more:

 

Solar farm at Wetherby Services could power EV charging points

Wetherby Services has submitted plans for a solar farm on land next to the A1 (M) service station — with the renewable energy it generates used to power the site’s electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The land north of the service station, which is currently used for agricultural purposes, spans more than five hectares but it would be turned over to solar panels under plans submitted by Moto Services to North Yorkshire Council this month.

According to planning documents, the proposal forms part of Moto’s strategy to bring forward solar farms on land next to Moto’s existing service stations.

Moto Services is the UK’s largest motorway service station operator with 59 sites.

It is expected the solar panels would be able to generate up to 7MW of renewable energy.

The screening opinion application asks the council if an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should be submitted for a future full planning application for the solar farm.

The majority of the site is in a zone with a low flood zone risk. However, as part of it is also located in areas with medium to high risk of flooding, North Yorkshire Council has recommended that its flooding department is consulted on the proposal.

The solar farm application follows the launch of 12 EV charging points at Wetherby Services last year.

Planning documents state: 

“The proposed development is deemed crucial for the ongoing functionality of the associated Wetherby MSA. Electric vehicles will play a big part in the transition to zero emission transport, but to achieve these targets, it is imperative that suitable infrastructure is provided to support electric vehicles.

“The proposed development forms part of Moto’s wider strategy to bring forward solar farms on land adjacent to Moto’s existing MSAs, which will generate much needed electricity to power the EV Chargers at their services.”

In May, neighbouring authority Leeds City Council approved plans for 762 homes just 600m south of the site.

However, Moto says considering the “scale and nature” of the proposed solar farm development it would “unlikely lead to significant adverse effects” on the housing development.

Read more:

 

Harrogate man to fight in boxing match in aid of charity

A Harrogate man is set to compete in a boxing match to raise money for charity.

Liam Brown is set to take part in the Ultra White Collar event at the Majestic Hotel on Ripon Road on November 26.

Mr Brown said he wanted to compete in the match to get back fit, but also to “give back more”.

He said he was inspired to embark on the fundraising campaign after recently saving a babies life on the M62.

Mr Brown, who works for Harrogate Automation Ltd, was stuck traffic on the motorway with his boss, Alex Eadington, on their way to a supplier in Warrington when they noticed a woman had pulled in the hard shoulder screaming for help.

He realised that her baby was choking and ran in to help and pulled a wrapper from its mouth.

Now, he hopes to give back more and has set up a JustGiving page to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

He hopes to raise money for the charity after his grandad died from cancer.

Mr Brown said:

“This charity is close to my heart after my grandad passed from pancreatic cancer .

“I would love to raise as much as possible to have a huge impact on the money needed to research a cure for this disease.”

The Ultra White Collar boxing match is aimed at beginners and encourages those taking part to raise money for charity.

The organisation, which was founded in 2013, holds events across the country and aims to raise thousands for charities each month.

Read more:

 

Tickets for 2024 Great Yorkshire Show set to go on sale

Tickets for next year’s Great Yorkshire Show will be available to buy from Wednesday, November 1.

Since 2021 tickets are only sold in advance with visitor numbers capped at 35,000 a day.

Next year’s 165th show will run from Tuesday, July 9, to Friday, July 12.  Last year tickets sold out a week before the event started.

The Great Yorkshire Show 2024 will be the final one for current show director, Charles Mills, as he comes to the end of his tenure.

Mr Mills said:

“This will be a very special show for me personally as it will be my ninth and final show as show director.

“Be sure, it will be full of entertainment, superb competition and the best animals in the UK coming together to celebrate farming, food and agriculture.”

Ticket prices for 2024 have risen for adults from £32 this year, to £35, children’s tickets remain at £13 – a family ticket has risen from £80 to £86. Under 5’s are free.

Read More: 

 

Let Grantley Hall bring your Christmas wishes to life this year

This story is sponsored by Grantley Hall

If you’re looking for a touch of magic this Christmas, Grantley Hall is on hand to make all your Christmas wishes come true.

As the most wonderful time of the year fast approaches, the five-star options on offer at the hotel will bring friends and families a taste of luxury and is just on the district’s doorstep.

From festive parties and Christmas lunches to festive afternoon tea and New Year celebrations, Christmas at Grantley Hall promises to be nothing short of perfection.

Festive Dining

Grantley Hall, better know as indulgence on our doorstep, will boast range of festive dining options to be enjoyed by locals and hotel guests this Christmas.

Whether you’re looking for a long lunch with friends or a seasonal afternoon tea with family, the hotel can guarantee you will leave with a belly full of Christmas spirit!

Why not kick-start December with a reservation at the festive champagne lunch on 2 December. This lunch combines a three-course lunch crafted by Grantley’s top chefs including a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot per person. Whilst enjoying the delightful food, a DJ and saxophonist will entertain.

From edible Christmas trees and chocolate reindeer to French fancies and glittering bauble cakes, the Festive Afternoon Tea will truly make you wish it was Christmas everyday.

Experience a magical Grantley Hall Christmas

Après at the Orchard

The Après alpine winter wonderland at the Orchard is reopening on 4 November. Dine in a cosy winter themed restaurant whilst enjoying the new menu as well as indulge in the Möet & Chandon champagne cocktails which have been created specifically to pair with the menu. Book to attend the spectacular launch event on 3 November.

The hughely popular Sunday sessions will be returning over the winter months.

Christmas Parties

Picture this: Champagne flowing, friends laughing and snowflakes glistening. Well, with Grantley Hall’s Christmas Parties, that can soon become a reality.

Who needs to travel when the Grantley Suite can become a magical winter wonderland?

With a private bar, dance floor and terrace area, up to 150 guests can dance the night away and celebrate the party season in style.

If that wasn’t enough, guests can expect a four-course dinner including Braised Blade of Limousin Beef and a Glazed Raspberry Délice in between the partying.

Let Grantley Hall work its magic and make it a Christmas to remember with their seasonal celebrations.

All Christmas bookings can be made now on Grantley Hall’s website or by emailing either dine@grantleyhall.co.uk or events@grantleyhall.co.uk.

New Year’s Eve Gala Ball

As a fairy Godmother once said: you will go to the ball.

Ditch the midnight countdown from your sofa and get your glad rags on, as the Grantley Hall New Year’s Eve Gala Ball fast approaches!

Expect an evening of exquisite food, including Dressed Crab and Yorkshire Salt Aged Beef Fillet, flowing drinks and only the happiest of memories.

This dazzling event will whisk you and your loved ones into 2024 with the sounds of a traditional pipes, a live firework display and even more bubbly at midnight.

Just a short taxi ride from Harrogate and Ripon, embrace the luxury on offer at Grantley Hall — after all, that level of enjoyment is hard to put a price on.

Celebrate the arrival of 2024 in style at the Grantley Hall New Year’s Eve House Party!

For those looking to go the extra mile this Christmas or New Year, Grantley Hall also offers two or three-night stays with its Christmas House Party and New Year House Party Packages — who says you have to travel far for ultimate grandeur?

The packages include five-star accommodation, food and spa access, with added bonuses of National Trust visits and entertainment.

So, whether you’re looking for a festive getaway, a family affair or just a good old knees up, Grantley Hall is guaranteed to bring you and your loved ones a Christmas or New Year that is nothing short of perfection.

Find out more about the packages or non-residential options available at Grantley Hall at grantleyhall.co.uk

Yemi’s Food Stories: A visit to the Harrogate pop-up Afghan Kitchen

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

 

I first learnt about Afghanistan’s national dish kabuli pulao – which consists of rice cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb – back in 2021. I followed a recipe to create it and it was one of the most delicious, aromatic rice dishes I’d ever tasted.

The char masala mix that goes into the dish is made up of only four spices: cumin, cinnamon, black cardamom, and cloves in equal proportions. Other recipes include green cardamom and black pepper corns, but I am told the secret is the black cardamom.

When I got the invitation to the pop-up restaurant, Afghan Kitchen in Harrogate, I knew I was in for a treat. I was excited to taste the authentic version from people who have cooked and eaten this dish their entire lives.

The Afghan Kitchen is the vision of Nahid Hamidi, a wife and mother who had to flee Afghanistan with her family, leaving behind a successful charitable organisation she had built and everything else they owned.

She and some other refugee families now live in the Harrogate district – working hard to rebuild their lives. Nahid’s desire to help her fellow women led to this venture; she wanted to help them settle into their new environment and earn some income.

The women get a chance to use their skills and share their food, with the added benefit of meeting people in the community.

Yemi enjoyed Afghanistan’s national dish Kabuli Pulao.

The dining experience started when we were welcomed at the door with sugared almonds that looked wintery and tasted delicious.

The starter was crispy Afghan rolls. The filling included shredded carrots, onions and other vegetables served with a hot dipping sauce made from tomato, garlic, lemon juice and chilli – which added a lovely hint of sweetness.

The anticipated main course was fragrant rice steamed in a vegetable stock with onions, julienne carrots, and plump raisins. This dish is the main attraction of any dining table. The rice was fluffy and tasty, and although it looked oily, it didn’t taste oily. I surprisingly enjoyed the raisins and carrots that brought an extra sweetness.

It was a dish that could be enjoyed on its own, but it was served with a choice of chicken dopiaza or qorma-e-lubia for vegetarians. The chicken — spiced with garlic, cumin, turmeric, and lemon juice — was made with twice-cooked braised onions, peppers and tomatoes. The golden yellow broth was beautifully seasoned and I enjoyed mopping it up with flatbread.

The vegetarian qorma-e-lubia reminded me of a bean dish we cook in Nigeria – using brown or black-eyed beans. The Afghan version is made by cooking kidney beans with fried onions, tomatoes, turmeric, coriander and garlic. This was comforting and delicious, and was the perfect accompaniment for the flatbread and rice.

Side dishes included sabzi — a vegan dish made from chopped spinach, leeks and spring onions — Afghan naan, which was freshly baked, and a fresh salad which included cucumber and red onions dressed with lemon juice.

When I was told the dessert was a cold milk pudding called Firni (also spelt Ferini), I wasn’t too excited as I’m not a huge fan of milk. However, I was blown away by how delicious it was. I tasted it and kept going back for more until it was finished.

This Afghan delight was flavoured with cardamon and finished with chopped pistachios and almonds. The dessert is served hot or cold across many parts of the Middle East, but the Afghan version is always served cold.

Green tea flavoured with cardamom and baklava were served to end the heartwarming and indulgent experience.

Nahid and her team will continue running the pop-up kitchen in Knaresborough and Harrogate whilst looking at other locations.

The price for this experience is £25 per person.

The team can be contacted via email: theafghankitchenyorkshire@gmail.com

Read more:

 

Police and fire HQ evacuated after person hands in grenades

North Yorkshire’s police and fire service headquarters was evacuated when a member of the public handed in a box of grenades yesterday.

The unnamed person is believed to have found the grenades while clearing their house, North Yorkshire Police said in a brief statement today.

When they were handed in to reception, staff were told to leave the Alverton Court building at Northallerton and bomb disposal experts called in.

The statement does not give further details on how the mix-up occurred other than to say they believed the grenades were handed in “in good faith”.

Staff returned to their desks more than two hours later.

Between 400 and 500 staff from North Yorkshire Police transferred from the previous headquarters at Newby Wiske Hall to Alverton Court in 2017 in a £7 million move. The building was previously home to the Rural Payments Agency.

Read more:

Here is the police statement in full.

“The headquarters of North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in Northallerton was evacuated at around 1.50pm on the afternoon of Friday 27 October.

“In good faith, a member of the public handed a box of what were believed to be grenades, found during a house clearance, into the police station reception.

“North Yorkshire Police evacuated the building, put a cordon in place to protect staff and members of the public, and contacted the army’s explosive ordnance disposal team.

“The EOD team arrived and removed the items, and staff were able to return to the building. No-one was injured during the incident that concluded at around 3.45pm.”

Ripon drink driver banned after police chase near Harrogate

A drunk driver from Ripon who failed to stop for police in a village near Harrogate has been banned from driving for 14 months.

Jonathan Michael Peter Harrison, 42, of Risplith, near Ripon, led officers on a pursuit along winding, wet country roads in Killinghall.

He was arrested after his manner of driving caught the eye of officers on patrol in Killinghall in the early hours of November 26 last year.

According to North Yorkshire Police, Harrison failed to stop when requested and drove his pick-up erratically along country roads for about 20 minutes. His vehicle finally came to a stop when he drove onto the driveway of a farm.

He refused to get out and officers had to use force to extract him. He smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred.

He refused to provide a breath test at the scene and was taken to hospital to be checked over, where he agreed to provide a specimen of blood that showed his alcohol level to be almost 50 percent over the legal limit.

He was charged with drink driving, driving without due care and attention, failing to stop for a police officer and obstructing a police officer.

He pleaded guilty to all offences and was sentenced on Thursday this week.

Investigating Officer, PC Lewis Grainge of North Yorkshire Police’s specialist operations unit, said:

“Mr Harrison put other road users in danger through his drunk and erratic driving. The result is that he has now lost his licence and must take an extended driving test.

“He had no consideration for other members of the public using the roads or those living in the residential areas in which he drove through. It was fortunate that no-one was injured during this incident and Mr Harrison facing more serious charges.”

Read more:

 

Ripon man denies impersonating police officer to steal scooter

A Ripon man has denied impersonating a police officer to steal an electric scooter.

Harley Stacey, 18, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning (October 27) and spoke only to confirm his name, address and enter a plea.

He denied a charge of impersonating a police constable with intent to deceive in Harrogate on March 18 this year.

Stacey also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly making a false representation as an officer to steal an electric scooter for himself on the same date.

In a statement at the time, North Yorkshire Police said the alleged incident happened in Bilton.

The 18-year-old, of Cedar Close in Ripon, was granted conditional bail ahead of his next hearing.

Magistrates set a trial date of January 16 and 17 at York Magistrates Court.

Read more: