Little Bird markets to light up Christmas across the Harrogate district
This article is sponsored by Little Bird Made.
From the garden of the Magdalens Pub in Ripon to the stately splendour of the Harewood estate, it has been a remarkable journey for Jackie Crozier and the Little Bird Made venture that she launched five years ago in her home city.
In 2018, Jackie’s first artisan market was held just a stone’s throw from Ripon’s magnificent cathedral, providing a platform for 20 local traders to showcase and sell their hand-crafted goods.
Since then, Little Bird has spread its wings, increasing year on year the number of historic Yorkshire towns and cities where its markets are held.
As Christmas approaches, a very busy period lies ahead, beginning with their biggest event of the season on the North Park Walk at Harewood House.
Visitors flocked to the 2022 Winter Market curated by Little Bird at Harewood House
Over five days between November 8 and 12, the home to Earls and Countesses since the 18th century, will be the exquisite backdrop for a very special winter market, curated for the second successive year by Jackie and her 14-strong team of professional event managers.
It will feature 130 local makers, crafters and producers and with pre-booked entry available at the reduced price of £5, those visiting the market will also be able to explore Harewood’s 150 acres of stunning grounds, including the Terrace Garden, Himalayan Garden, Walled Garden, Farm Experience and Adventure Playground.
For the energetic, there’s a three-mile walking trail across the North Park, South Park and Lakeside.
Little Bird will also be back by popular demand for the third year running to curate the Christmas Markets being held in the elegant setting of the Sun Colonnade at Harrogate’s glorious Valley Gardens. These will take place over three consecutive weekends on December 2,3, 9,10 and 16, 17.
The Christmas markets in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens will be held over three consecutive weekends
On November 25 and 26, Harrogate Horticultural Nursery is the venue for a Christmas market staged by Little Bird and further festive markets will also be held in Northallerton, Easingwold, Richmond, Leyburn, Thirsk, Wetherby and, of course, Ripon.
A birthday celebration
Before the festive season gets into full swing, Sunday October 22 will see Little Bird’s fifth birthday celebrated with an artisan market on Ripon’s Market Square.
The day will be dedicated to Jackie’s late parents David and Marilyn, who ran the former Fleece Pub on St Mary’s Gate for ten years.
Jackie, said:
“I think about them every day and know that they would be proud of what I have achieved since returning to the city where I was born and bred and am now an Independent member of the city council.
“I had been away for more than 20 years, working as the Director of the Manchester Pride Festival and later working on high-profile events including the London 2012 Olympics, Manchester’s Parklife Festival and the Download Festival at Donnington Park.”
Jackie, added:
“Dad’s nickname was Crow and I was known as Little Crow – so that’s how the Little Bird name came about, though sadly he didn’t live to see my fledgling venture get off the ground,
“Mum was in the intensive treatment unit at Harrogate Hospital for much of the time when I was setting up the business. I visited her every day and though she was very poorly, she never failed to take an interest and offer me words of advice and encouragement.
“That meant so much to me and has made me determined to use the expertise that I have gained through 25 years in event management, to make the Harrogate district and neighbouring areas a Mecca for artisan markets which support independent traders, while bringing increased footfall and economic benefits to the communities where they are staged.”
Visiting a Little Bird Made market is a great way to support local businesses and find unique Christmas gifts.
Here’s when you can visit a market near you:
Graveleys of Harrogate for sale eight months after reopeningHarrogate fish and chip restaurant and takeaway Graveleys has been listed for sale for £195,000.
Graveleys established a reputation as Harrogate’s best-known fish and chip shop, popular with theatre goers and famous visitors.
But the family-run business, on Cheltenham Parade, was bought by Catch Seafood in 2019 and rebranded as part a radical makeover.
However, after Catch went into administration, Simon Pilkington, the son of the former Graveleys owner, reopened it in February this year.
The listing by commercial property agent Ernest Wilson says the business has an annual turnover of £702,000 with “excellent profit margins”. The asking price is £195,000 and stock valued at £7,000 is also available.
The agent describes Graveleys as “a local landmark” and “one of the north’s most famous fish and chips restaurants”, adding the sale includes:
“Superb commercial kitchen to the rear with an extensive range of high-quality catering equipment, pot wash area. Basement prep and storage areas with walk-in cold room.”
The Stray Ferret contacted Graveleys for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
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Harrogate hospital postpones 41 operations due to strikesHarrogate District Hospital postponed 41 operations as a result of last week’s consultants and junior doctors strikes.
Members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association and British Medical Association walked out from 7am on Monday, October 2, until 7am on Thursday, October 5.
Both junior doctors and consultants held the industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed 41 outpatient appointments were cancelled across a range of hospital services due to the walkout last week.
A spokesperson for the trust added:
“These have been re-arranged as a matter of priority. We are in discussions with six patients to confirm new dates for their operations.”
The trust confirmed that internal and bank staff were used to cover the strikes.
Bank staff are temporary workers who agree to work flexible shifts with a hospital trust. Some trusts keep a record of their own bank staff to call upon for shifts.
However, a trust spokesperson added that a total figure for the cost of staffing will not be available until the end of the month.
It comes as Harrogate hospital has been hit by numerous strike action this past year.
Between April 1 and August 31, junior doctors and consultants have staged multiple walkouts with some lasting as long as 48 hours.
The Stray Ferret reported last month that the trust spent £923,000 on staff cover for industrial action in the same time period.
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate estate agent expands sales departmentThe Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10 am.
The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate estate agent has expanded its sales department with two new appointments.
Verity Frearson, which is based on Albert Street, has hired Katie Dolamore and Fiona Moore as its new sales negotiators.
Katie joins the team after spending 16 years as a primary school teacher, while Fiona has worked in both lettings and sales at a local estate agents.
Matthew Stamford, director at Verity Frearson, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Katie & Fiona to the team.
“Although this year hasn’t been without it’s challenges, we’re optimistic that the Harrogate market will continue to be resilient.”
Harrogate law firm to host mock menopause employment tribunal
A Harrogate law firm is to hold a mock employment tribunal to help employers understand legal claims which could be made by employees going through the menopause.
LCF Law, which has an office on Station Parade, will host the free event at Hays Recruitment’s Leeds city centre office on Thursday (October 12).
The demonstration aims to show employers how a tribunal works and to teach them the types of claims that someone going through the menopause may be able to bring and how they might be defended.
James Austin, partner and employment lawyer at LCF Law.
The session will also cover how to treat an employee if they are going through the menopause, and how to make sure supportive steps are taken, which will help to minimise the number of claims bought against a business.
James Austin, partner at LCF Law, said:
“The mock tribunal will see an employee, who feels she has been discriminated against because she is going through the menopause, bring a claim against her employer.
“We will go through each step of the legal employment tribunal process and attendees will be able to ask questions of the ‘witnesses’ and help decide the outcome of the case.”
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The Chocolate Works closes in Harrogate after just six monthsThe Chocolate Works has closed its Harrogate site, just six months after opening.
The café on Station Parade served chocolates, sweet treats, coffees and Belgian hot chocolate.
It was the third venture of its kind run by owner Guy Middleton, who also operates sites in Skipton and Clitheroe. But Mr Middleton said the Harrogate shop, which opened in April, “floundered from the beginning”.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“There is no one more gutted that I am.
“I was so excited to open in Harrogate following the success of Skipton, which opened mid-pandemic in 2020, but it just didn’t work out.”
He said the closure was predominantly due to a lack of footfall, adding:
“Perhaps a different location would’ve changed things – but no one knows these things.
“All our neighbouring businesses were so supportive, and we had such a great team.”
The Harrogate unit, which ceased trading on September 27, was previously intended to house the vegan restaurant Vertigo but the company went out of business a year ago before the Station Parade site opened.
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Brimhams Active forecasts £330,000 loss after leisure centre delaysBrimhams Active is forecasting a £330,000 loss at the end of the year due to delays in opening new leisure centre projects in the Harrogate district.
The company, which is wholly owned by North Yorkshire Council, operates leisure facilities in the district.
Its sites include Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon and Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre in Pateley Bridge.
According to a council report, the company is forecast to record a £330,000 loss by the end of the 2023/24 financial year.
The shortfall is attributed to the delayed openings of both the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre which has “negatively affected trading projections”.
Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre
The £13.5 million Harrogate scheme on Jenny Field Drive was due to open in January, but did not do so until September.
The Knaresborough facility, which is set to cost £17 million, was scheduled to open at the end of summer but is now not due to welcome customers until November.
A council report said:
“The delayed opening of two facilities, Harrogate Leisure and Wellness and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness, has been brought about by construction delays and has negatively affected trading projections for the remainder of the year.”
However, the report added that income from the reopening may reduce losses before the end of the year.
In an interview with the Stray Ferret last month, Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, admitted the delays at the sites had been frustrating.
However, he said the benefits of the investment would soon be felt across the district.
He said:
“We will have an estate that will be the envy of North Yorkshire. The investment that’s gone in is unprecedented and significant.”
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Harrogate music event to be ‘three days of non-stop fun’, says organiser
This story is sponsored by Harrogate Business Improvement District.
Summer may be over, but Harrogate Business Improvement District’s newest event will bring the town that feeling of non-stop fun and dancing back this month.
The inaugural Harrogate Music Weekender will showcase an array of local performers and cater to everyone’s tastes. From Mariachi bands and live DJs to rock legends and acoustic live sets, the event promises to be nothing short of spectacular.
Local hospitality businesses told the BID that trade often slows down between the summer and Christmas period, so the organisation worked its well-known creative magic and is bringing Harrogate the ultimate musical weekend to boost footfall and get people spending at the venues.
The opening Ibiza-themed night will transport you to the white sandy beaches of the Balearic Coast. If you’ve been dreaming of a sundowner at Café Mambo, then you’re in luck! The event, which will be held at The Yorkshire Hotel, will be soundtracked by DJ Mark Green’s chilled house beats. So, grab your friends and your sunglasses because you’ll never experience Ibiza so cheap again…
The following night will welcome Singo Bingo at The Crown Hotel and promises to be a night of non-stop laughter. It’s bingo with a twist and swaps pencils for music. Expect throwback hits, chart-topping anthems, and lots of prizes to be won with a new favourite party game. Get your singing voices ready and have the time of your life at Harrogate BID’s second night to remember.
But the weekend doesn’t end there…
Discover the ABBA Tribute Night at Doubletree by Hilton Majestic Hotel & Spa; live DJs at Piccolino and Foundry Project; local indie performers at Husk, Manahatta and The Den; a performance from an inclusive band at Artizan Café – and so much more!
Bethany Allen, Business and Marketing Executive at Harrogate BID, said:
“A number of our BID members fed back to us that October can sometimes be a bit of a challenging gap between the summer and Christmas.
“With the confidence of a new 5-year term the BID team set about launching a new fun and exciting campaign that will showcase Harrogate in a different light.
“We are very excited to launch the first ever Harrogate Music Weekender and, with around 30 venues showing interest in being involved, it should be a weekend to remember!”
Visitors from near and far can expect to see a spotlight on Harrogate’s spectacular range of hospitality sites, a weekend of rolling music, and lots of special offers along the way too.
Bethany continued:
“People can expect three days of non-stop fun!”
Harrogate Music Weekender will also offer immersive performances and street entertainment – including a walking DJ booth.
Bobs Cormak, Manager at The Den, added:
“I can’t wait for the Harrogate Music Weekender!
“It’s awesome to see our town rallying behind musicians, especially the venues that are taking on the challenge of hosting live music for the first time.
“I’ll, of course, be busy down in The Den – I’m very jealous of everyone who gets to explore the town centre, catching the fantastic acts along the way! It’s going to be an incredible weekend.”
Harrogate Music Weekender will take place on Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 15.
Tickets can be bought online now for the Ibiza and Singo Bingo events — both events are 18+.
Prices start at £5 and include one free drink. Those wishing to attend both events can get a special offer ticket for just £8. The rest of the events are free to attend.
To view the full schedule for Harrogate Music Weekender click here.
To find out more about Harrogate BID and its dedication to the town centre, visit harrogatebid.co.uk, or call 01423 582030 to speak to the team directly.
Long-term roadworks as Harrogate office block refurbishedWork on Station Bridge in Harrogate looks set to continue indefinitely as a major office block is refurbished.
Construction work is being carried out by HACS to refurbish and redevelop Copthall Bridge House.
Businesses operating in the premises were told to vacate the building in November 2018.
A proposal to re-clad the ground floor and repaint the upper floors was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in November last year.
The application, which was submitted by a company called Rural Offices LLP, said the plans would help to “assist in attracting occupiers which will further enhance the area”.
It added:
“The building has been vacant for some time and the applicant in keen to see in brought back into active use as quickly as possible.”
As a result, one lane on Station Bridge has been closed and the footpath next to Copthall Bridge House has been closed.
According to North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map, a notice of the works runs until April 2, 2024.
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Balaclava-clad burglars target homes in HarrogatePolice are seeking three men wearing balaclavas who attempted to break into a house in Harrogate.
According to North Yorkshire Police, the would-be burglars were disturbed when they entered a home on Azerley Grove in the Jennyfields area.
The incident happened between midnight and 3am last Saturday (October 7).
The force today appealed for witnesses and information. It said in a statement:
“On the same night, three men were seen on ring doorbell footage approaching a second property nearby.
“One of the men was described as wearing a striped body warmer over a long-sleeved top, he was wearing dark joggers and dark trainers.
“A second man was described as wearing a tracksuit with reflective stripes on the lower legs. All three men were wearing balaclavas.”
The statement urged anyone with information or doorbell footage to email ruby.rutter@northyorkshire.police.uk or call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Ruby Rutter.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12230190164.
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Alley sex attack ‘would never have happened’ if gates had been allowed earlier, says Harrogate store managerThe manager of Clarks shoes in Harrogate has said a serious sexual assault in an alleyway behind the store would ‘never have happened’ if gates had gone up earlier to block it off.
The alleyway behind James Street and Market Place was the scene of a serious sexual assault last week.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Clarks manager Emily Woodcock said that for the past three years nearby businesses had been asking the former North Yorkshire County Council highways department to take action and give permission to put gates up but had got nowhere.
This week gates are being fitted at either end of the narrow alley where the stores have their waste bins. But the gates have not been installed as a result of the recent attack but because the area has long been a hotspot for serious anti-social behaviour and store managers have been calling for them for years.
The police cordon on Petergate last week.
Ms Woodcock said she told colleagues that one day they were going to find someone dead from an overdose in the alley:
“It ranged from minor crimes, people setting fire to bins or kids climbing on the back of buildings, to the more serious end of drug use with needles everywhere. There was rough sleeping and people going to the toilet in the back area.
“During the winter none of us would go and put the bins out in the dark, it wasn’t safe.”
Clarks, she said, offered to help pay for gates but the council wasn’t interested. The store had to relocate its fire exit to block up an alcove at the back of its unit that attracted drug users. Suggestions of putting up lighting didn’t get heard either.
Ms Woodcock then contacted Harrogate BID which managed to get approval for the gates and has paid for them.
The gate has been erected in an alley off Petergate (pictured here).
Ms Woodcock said the BID has done a good job but gates were too late to prevent this attack:
“All managers got involved and spoke to their head offices and got permission, the landlords were on board but there was a delay getting the gates up because of a shortage of materials. It was meant to go up back in May but the date kept moving.
“When I saw the Stray Ferret story I said to staff ‘that gate should have gone up years ago’. The fight has been going on for too long and then this poor woman gets attacked and the gate goes up a two days after. It’s just so unfortunate. It should have been the council paying for it.”
Nobody has been arrested in relation to last week’s incident, which North Yorkshire Police described as a “serious sexual assault”.
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