Stray Views: Dog attack victim says Harrogate owners need to control their pets

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Nearly daily the news reports serious dog attacks and fatalities. Almost dying because of a dog attack myself, I know how serious the dog problem in the Pinewoods and Valley Gardens could be. I was about seven years of age, just playing in the street with friends when I was attacked by a Spaniel, a neighbour’s family pet.

In my experience, most dog owners are responsible by always keeping their dogs under close control and removing their dog deposits. Most days, dogs running wild and even out of sight of their owners can be seen in these locations. Poo bags are being left on the ground or hanging in trees which is a health risk and another sign of irresponsible dog ownership. This is bad enough, but my main concern is lack of effective control of their dogs by some owners which could result in a serious incident with life changing consequences. I have owned dogs myself in the past and I know how attached owners are to their dogs. I am sure most owners feel their dogs are harmless and they would never attack anyone. The owners of the dog which attacked me, said the same thing.

I am asking all dog owners to consider what I have said and to keep their dogs under close control, in their sight at all times and to remove their dog deposits. I would like to thank the council’s dog warden who has been very helpful in recent years with dog problems in the Pinewoods and Valley Gardens. Having said that, as the council must accept some responsibility for the safety of visitors to these areas, I am calling on them to take note of this very real threat and to take action to prevent irresponsible dog owners.

Lyndon Wallace, Harrogate

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Bog Lanes closure

Would be interested to find out from the council/NYCC whether the road will be one way or two way when it reopens. Looking at the finished junction to the new housing estate, any vehicle wishing to turn left as they exit the new development on to Bogs Lane is going to find it impossible. 

I can only presume that the final decision when its announced will be a permanent closure to through traffic. Personally, I think a closure would be the best outcome. 

The increasing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists using the road, and the width of the roadway, necessitate its permanent closure on health and safety grounds alone. But is this yet another case of public bodies reluctant to make a decision?

Stephen Huxley, Harrogate

Harrogate funeral directors appeals for army photos for Remembrance Day

A Harrogate funeral directors has appealed for pictures of army veterans to help commemorate Remembrance Day.

Neil and Sonya Milsted Funeral Directors, which is based on Hookstone Chase, plans to put up a window display featuring old photographs of servicemen this year.

Ms Milsted told the Stray Ferret that she had appealed to the community to submit pictures of their loved ones who served in the armed forces to be featured.

The funeral directors puts on a remembrance display every year. However, this year Ms Milsted said she wanted to try something different.

She said:

“I am looking for photos of people who have served in any of the forces or are still serving to display on an easel in our window for Remembrance Day. 

“Every year we make an effort to remember those who we have lost and this year I would like local people to help by sending us photos.”

The pictures can be submitted via email on info@nandsmilsted.co.uk or scanned and brought into the funeral directors.

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Plans submitted to convert Harrogate music studio into magic show venue

A planning application has been submitted to convert a former Harrogate music studio into an immersive magic show venue.

Magician Neil Bradley-Smith applied for a change of use of the Blue Sky Music Studio, on Mayfield Grove, which was previously occupied by a piano teacher.

Mr Bradley-Smith has proposed to turn the site into a “speakeasy-style” entertainment venue to perform live shows.

These would be ticketed events.

He told the Stray Ferret he provisionally took the lease on in August, but said he’d only commit to the property providing his planning application is successful.

He added:

“I’d like to partition the venue and make the first room an entirely interactive magic show.

“For example, I’d have a deck of cards stuck to the wall which would then be used in the show later on.

“Then, the other half of the venue would become a 1920s-style parlour where I’d perform traditional card tricks.”

The application, which was submitted to North Yorkshire Council in September, outlines the change of use from retail to sui generis, which means the use of the venue does not fall into a particular category due to it being unusual.

Mr Bradley-Smith said he was inspired by a friend who runs a similar venue in Durham, adding:

“It would be a new venture for me, but I’ve been thinking about it for around the last 5 years.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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Photo of the Week: Crimple Valley Viaduct

This week’s photograph was taken by Benedict Roberts, showcasing Crimple Valley Viaduct in the sun this week.

Benedict Roberts

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.

Police find missing Harrogate boy

Police have confirmed that a missing boy from Harrogate has been found safe and well.

The force issued an appeal for a 13-year-boy over the weekend.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed that the boy has since been found.

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North Yorkshire fire service ‘improving’ despite rising response times, says commissioner

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has said the county’s fire service is improving despite rising response times.

Conservative commissioner Zoe Metcalfe said the service had been working “at pace to make considerable progress” over the eight recommendations linked to concerns highlighted by government inspectors.

Inspectors rated the fire service as “inadequate” and “requires improvement” last year.

Ms Metcalfe told a meeting of North Yorkshire and York’s police, fire and crime panel that following two further inspections to assess progress this year, “initial feedback has been positive” and that the inspectorate was set to publish its findings next week.

She added that areas identified for improvement were on track for completion and the remaining causes of concern were being prioritised.

Ms Metcalfe said following the introduction of a new risk and resource model for the service, “a targeted approach to prevention activities” had been undertaken in the Huntington area, where a controversial move to change the staffing of the station from full-time to on-call is being completed.

However, York councillor Danny Myers told the meeting that according to the latest figures the service had the slowest response time in the country last year.

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In the areas covered by the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, people had to wait for an average of 13 minutes and nine seconds for firefighters to respond to incidents.

This includes time spent on the phone reporting the incident, the crew’s preparation and their journey time.

The response time was up on 11 minutes and 37 seconds the year before.

He told the commissioner: 

“It is a serious concern. The direction of travel is not good.”

Cllr Myers said while Huntington was losing its full-time crew and moving to an on-call station it remained unclear what the impact on response times would be.

He added council tax payers in York paid out more than was spent on the fire and rescue service in the city due to the cost of providing the service across the vast rural expanse of North Yorkshire.

Mrs Metcalfe replied that last year she had consulted widely over the risk and resource model and that she had provided information to the panel in “a very full and transparent way”.

Chief fire officer Jonathan Dyson said “it was very easy to get misled by attendance times” as the North Yorkshire was the country’s largest county, spanning some 2,608 square miles.

He said while the service for Devon and Somerset covered a slightly larger area and had 84 fire stations, North Yorkshire had just 38.

Mr Dyson said he agreed that attendance times were important, but they did not take into account fire engines getting stuck behind tractors on rural roads or that on-call firefighters had to travel to the station before travelling to the emergency.

He said the service was working on “prevention protection” for the most vulnerable.

The chief fire officer added if he had millions of pounds extra he would put them into prevention and protection rather than responses, as he would be “faithfully filing every member of the public by not protecting them”.

Council to bid for government funding to progress Harrogate social housing schemes

North Yorkshire Council is set to bid for government funding to progress five social housing schemes in the Harrogate district.

The authority is set to apply for a grant from Homes England to help fund the projects, which include new build houses and conversion of a former Robert Street homeless hostel.

In a report due before senior councillors on Tuesday, council officers said the move would help to meet “huge demand” for social rented housing in Harrogate.

Currently, the council has 2,196 households on its housing waiting list in Harrogate alone.

Vicky Young, the council’s housing policy and strategy officer, said in her report:

“The tenure of the new build units will be social rent. 

“There is huge demand for social rented accommodation in the Harrogate locality, with 2,196 households currently registered on the Harrogate waiting list.”

Among the projects in the councils bid include new build homes on Poplar Grove and Gascoigne Crescent in Harrogate, Springfield Drive in Boroughbridge and Kingsway in Huby.

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Each of the homes are estimated to cost £375,000 to construct.

Meanwhile, the council also estimates that a plan to convert Cavendish House on Harrogate’s Robert Street into six flats would cost £400,000.

The former homeless hostel will be converted into a shared ownership property.

Councillors approved the conversion of the hostel in September. At the time, the council said in a report that the property would help to deliver “much needed affordable housing”.

It said:

“The building has been empty since November 2021. As such, it has a negative impact on residential amenity and increasingly risks attracting anti-social behaviour.

“The development proposals will deliver much needed affordable accommodation in a redundant building and a highly sustainable location, complying full with national and local planning policy guidance.”

The bid to Homes England would help towards 30% of the total cost of the five schemes.

According to the report, the projects would cost £1.9 million to build.

Senior councillors will discuss the bid at a council executive meeting on October 17.

Charity Christmas shopping event to return to Hampsthwaite

A Christmas shopping event will be held in Hampsthwaite for another year to raise money for The Roddy Scott Foundation.

Lovingly Made in the Dales will make its return to the Harrogate village to showcase the work of local artisans and artists.

Guests can expect locally-made candles, jewellery, art and glass decorations, as well as a raffle and festive food and drinks.

The foundation is an educational charity that is dedicated to teaching English and providing career opportunities to the children of the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia.

Roddy Scott was a BBC journalist who was killed there while reporting on the second Chechen war – his family live near Pateley Bridge.

Founder Katie Andrew held the first event last Christmas raising £900 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

She said:

“It will be a fun evening to enjoy with friends, whilst doing your Christmas shopping, supporting local artists & makers, and the amazing charity, The Roddy Scott Foundation.”

Those that would like to be involved in showcasing their work can contact Katie on 0777 5630 260.

The event will take place in Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall on Thursday, December 7, from 6pm – 9pm.

Tickets, which can be bought by contacting Katie, cost £10 per adult and includes a glass of wine, nibbles and a raffle ticket.

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Harrogate family to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for local charity

A Harrogate family is preparing to climb Africa’s highest mountain in aid of a local charity.

Richard Pughe, who is a partner at Begbies Traynor Group, will take on the 19,340 ft climb next February alongside his wife Nikki Sutcliffe, his son and stepson, as well as his friend.

The family visited Artizan Café in Harrogate, which employs and supports 23 people with various disabilities, and was inspired by its “fantastic work”.

They then chose to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Artizan International.

Mr Pughe said:

“The passion and joy with which both the trainees and trainers work is incredible.

“They’re making a tremendous difference to people’s lives, both here in Harrogate with their café and creative workshop and through projects in Ecuador and Peru.

“We were looking to take on a fundraising challenge to mark a few different significant birthdays that are happening next year in our family, and we were so impressed by Artizan International that we wanted to help them.”

The family is training for the eight-day expedition across the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, as well as hiking in the French Alps this summer.

They hope to raise at least £1,500 for the charity.

Mr Pughe added:

“Without doubt, coping with the altitude and low oxygen levels will be the most challenging aspect of the climb.

“We are doing as many high-level walks as we can and all trying to increase our fitness in preparation for February’s trip.

“We want to raise as much money as possible for Artizan International and it would be brilliant if our expedition inspires people to sponsor us.”

The charity was launched in Harrogate in 2013 after founder, Susie Hart MBE, set up a social centre in Tanzania to support and employ local people with disabilities.

Ms Hart also said:

“We’re tremendously grateful to Richard, Nikki and family for choosing to support our work with differently-abled people locally and overseas in this way and the funds they raise will make a huge difference.

“We’ll be able to provide training and support that’s literally life-changing, for many more people with disabilities, thanks to their support. We’ll be cheering them on, all the way.”

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Starbeck Working Men’s Club changes name in ‘family-friendly’ move

Starbeck Working Men’s Club (WMC) has become the latest social club in Harrogate to change its name. 

Now known as the Forest Club, it was founded in 1901 and has played a pivotal role in community life ever since. 

The newly rebranded club does everything the WMC did, but members felt they should move with the times and voted overwhelmingly to rebrand at the club’s annual general meeting back in April. 

The club is working with the CIU (Club and Institute Union) to change the name officially by the end of the year, and in the meantime will be developing a new website, email and logo. 

Club secretary Catriona Patterson said:

“People have an image of what a Working Men’s Club is, and we’re not that – we’re trying to distance ourselves from it. 

“We want to be more family-friendly. We’ve got a large function room, which we’ve used for big family events such as the King’s coronation and a beach party on the August bank holiday. 

“We’re planning to hold another big one on New Year’s Eve, with games for the children and a big screen showing the countdown live from London. People often struggle to get babysitters on New Year’s Eve, so this will allow the whole family to come out and celebrate.” 

She said the name change was a response to a wider cultural shift that has seen many licensed premises – including Working Men’s Clubs – fall victim to the growing trend for home drinking, exacerbated in part by increases in beer duty. She said:

“Covid hit us hard, and habits changed – people just don’t go out as much as they used to – so we had to do something. 

“There isn’t a Working Men’s Club in the country that isn’t struggling, and we need to attract younger members. A name-change will help bring us into a new era.” 

But she stressed that the Forest Club was not about to lose touch with its roots as a Working Men’s Club with over a century of service to the community. She said: 

“We’re rebranding our lounge as the Heritage Lounge, and we’ll be keeping all the old WMC memorabilia there. It’s an important part of our history, and we shouldn’t forget it.” 

The Forest Club’s name change, which reflects its location in the ancient Forest of Knaresborough, is part of a wider trend. Last year, Bilton Working Men’s Club slimmed its name down to simply Bilton Club, and a few months later, High Harrogate Working Men’s Club on Skipton Road rebranded to High Harrogate Bar and Lounge. 

Working Men’s Clubs were first created in the mid-19th century, predominantly in industrial areas outside the south of England, to provide recreation and education for working-class men and their families. 

There are several in our district, including those in High Harrogate and Bilton, as well as Harlow Hill Club, Knaresborough WMC, The Oatlands, and Boroughbridge Social Club. 

The Forest Club will be holding a Disco Inferno night of 70s, 80s and 90s disco classics – for members and non-members – on Saturday, October 28 from 7pm till late. 

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