Harrogate Theatre boilers to be replaced by December

North Yorkshire Council is set to replace Harrogate Theatre’s boilers by December after a fault was found.

The authority, which is the landlord of the building on Oxford Street, said a routine inspection found the aging facilities had to be replaced.

David Bown, chief executive of the theatre, told the Stray Ferret that an issue with the boiler was identified in the summer.

As a result, temporary heaters have been put in place for shows to continue.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council how much the replacement boiler will cost the authority and when it would be installed.

Kerry Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director property, procurement and commercial, said:

“As the theatre’s landlords it is our duty to ensure the building has a safe heating system.

“During a routine service visit, the theatre’s boilers were found to be faulty, so they had to be capped off in line with Gas Safe standards.

“Due to the age of the existing boilers, there was no option but to fully replace them. Given the building’s age and the complex work involved, it raised the cost to a level where we had to put the replacement out to a competitive tender process.

“This process has now been completed and work to install the new boilers has begun. The work is due to be completed in December. The work has been budgeted for and final cost estimates are currently being compiled.

“Arrangements are in place for temporary heaters to be used to allow the theatre to function as normal and for shows to continue.”

The work is the latest to take place at the theatre in last few years.

Last year, a £1 million project to replace the 120-year-old roof at the building was completed. The works were initially meant to be completed in September 2021, but were delayed due to covid and labour shortages.

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Emergency services called to person trapped in barbed wire in Harrogate

Police and firefighters were called to deal with a person trapped in barbed wire in Harrogate yesterday.

Harrogate firefighters were summoned to assist police at Ripon Way, which runs alongside the former gasworks site earmarked for the new Tesco supermarket, at 9.06pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“Harrogate crews responded to assist police with a person trapped in barbed wire.

“The person was released prior to fire service arrival with no action taken by crews.”

No details of how the person became trapped, the extent of any injuries or the precise location on Ripon Way, have been released.

Firefighters also dealt with a fire at premises on Scriven Road in Knaresborough at 3.06am this morning.

The incident report said a gas pipe had caught fire. It added:

“Fire extinguished using two breathing apparatus and one hose reel. Incident handed into care of gas board.”

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Northern Lights captured near Ripon

The skies above the Harrogate district turned green and red last night as the Northern Lights made another appearance.

The aurora borealis was visible across the country for a second night running.

Photographer Paul Oldham took this stunning image over Grantley Hall, near Ripon, at about 6.30pm.

It was not the first time Mr Oldham has captured the natural light display, which appears during geomagnetic storms.

In September, he took this shot above How Hill in Ripon.

Paul Oldham’s Northern Lights photo in September.

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Do these two things to save lives, urges Harrogate teenage cancer patient

A Harrogate schoolboy receiving treatment for leukaemia is urging people to do two things that could save the lives of people like him. 

Harry Brown, 17, says that donating blood and signing up to the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register could make the difference between life and death for hundreds of patients, and is calling on anyone eligible to volunteer.  

Harry, a sixth former at St Aidan’s CE High School, was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in July this year, and has been receiving intense chemotherapy and immunotherapy at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

He told the Stray Ferret: 

“Unfortunately, I still have some disease left, so will need a stem cell transplant to achieve a cure. This is providing we manage to find a suitable donor.  

“I therefore feel it is incredibly important that the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register is promoted to as wide an audience as possible as signing up is something very simple that anyone aged 16 to 30 can do but might just save the life of someone with blood cancer like me.  

“I also feel that the issue of blood donation requires increased awareness and promotion as I have received countless life-saving platelet and blood transfusions, which can only happen if people donate. 

“My message is that you can do something extraordinary – you can save a life by doing two simple things which can make such a huge difference to people like me.” 

Photo of Harrogate sixth-former Harry Brown, who is urging people to give blood and join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.

Harry in the atrium of the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

In the UK, there is a long-standing shortage of blood donors. According to NHS Blood and Transplant, 140,000 new donors are needed each year just to meet demand. 

But the rewards are incalculable – in just one hour, a blood donor can save three lives. 

Nine out of 10 people joining the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Register who donate their stem cells do so through their blood within just a few hours; the other 10% donate by giving bone marrow. 

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Before his diagnosis, Harry played the tuba with Tewit Youth Band and volunteered as a Young Leader with 16th Harrogate Scouts, as well as studying for A levels in English language and literature, geography and politics. But he is now taking a break from school while he concentrates on dealing with leukaemia, with the support of his family, friends, and St Aidan’s.

He says that illnesses such as ALL are not just “something that happens to other people”. He said: 

“I just felt a bit sick and off-colour, but within a week I’d been diagnosed with ALL. 

“Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone when you least expect it. I went from climbing up volcanoes on a school trip to Iceland one week to having an emergency procedure to remove my white blood cells the next. 

“Having a cancer diagnosis when you’re young is hard; it tips your life upside-down, and there’s no getting away from that. There were some days where I wondered whether I would have the energy to make it through the day, particularly when I was on daily chemotherapy. But it was people like my clinical nurse specialist and the youth support coordinator who picked me up and motivated me to keep fighting it, one cell at a time.  

“It also puts a whole new perspective on life and what is important, and it makes me more determined to see a future where nobody, especially children, has to experience the gruelling treatment of cancer.” 

To find out more about giving blood, visit the NHS Give Blood website, and for more information about how to donate stem cells, go to the Anthony Nolan website. 

Yorkshire antique-valuer opens Harrogate office

A Yorkshire-based auctioneer and antique-valuer has opened a Harrogate office.

David Duggleby, which opened in 1996, has opened a salesroom on Raglan Street, making it the third of its kind alongside York and Scarborough.

The Harrogate site will host a number of dedicated valuation days, specialising in antiques, collectors’ items, jewellery and fine art.

Managing director, Will Duggleby, said:

“We’ve been looking at having a presence in Harrogate for a while, so we’re delighted that everything has come together – the right office, in the right place, at the right time for the business – and with the right person available to run it.”

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The firm has also appointed a jewellery specialist for the Harrogate office, but Mr Duggleby added “anyone can bring anything it to get it assessed and valued”.

He said:

“Sometimes people bring in family heirlooms that they simply want to learn more about.

“Others may want to know if an antique or collectable is worth selling.

“And there are, of course, occasions when people have absolutely no idea that they have something rather special – in which case the valuation can come as something of a shock.”

Mr Duggleby also said items consigned for sale will be directed into one of the firm’s “specialist auctions”.

Valuations and advice are free of charge.

David Duggleby Harrogate will be open each weekday except for Wednesday from 9am – 4pm.

Business Breakfast: Family business event to feature spa hotel and chocolate-maker

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

The Institute of Directors and the Family Business Community have teamed up to hold an event around the theme of “the art of decision-making”.

Sponsored by Harrogate firm LCF Law, the evening event will feature speakers from two North Yorkshire family businesses: Rudding Park, in Harrogate, and Skipton-based Whitakers Chocolates.

Rudding Park director Matthew Mackaness will share insights into his family’s 50 years of ownership of the estate and some of the decisions that had to be made to sustain the growth and ambition of the business.

Rudding Park now has 90 bedrooms and suites, a spa, two restaurants, two golf courses, a private cinema, and conference and events space set in 300 acres of grounds. Earlier this year, it revealed plans to create Yorkshire’s first ever five-star country club at a cost of “between £30 million and £40 million”.

The Whitaker family has been in the chocolate business for over 135 years; they started with a small greengrocer’s shop and now have a factory making over 10 million chocolates per week.

In recent years, managing director William Whitaker had a key decision to make. At this event, he will play back his scenario to a team of business owners and gain their perspectives before revealing the decision he actually made.

‘When you run a family business don’t be afraid to make decisions’ will be held from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday, November 16 at Rudding Park.

Tickets cost £25 and include drinks and canapés throughout the evening. Booking fees apply.

Roosters celebrates anniversary with new supermarket listing

Harrogate‘s Rooster’s Brewing Co is celebrating a decade of selling its flagship IPA with a new supermarket listing.

From today, Waitrose will stock 440ml cans of the international award-winning Baby-Faced Assassin, which is already available at Asda and Morrisons.

Baby-Faced Assassin was first brewed as a hobby homebrew recipe by Rooster’s commercial director, Tom Fozard, in 2011 while he was working at a local specialist beer shop in Leeds, and the 6.1% ABV brew gained some notoriety among fellow enthusiasts due to its strength. Later that year, Tom, alongside twin brother Oliver, now Rooster’s head brewer, joined Rooster’s as part of an eventual change of ownership spearheaded by their father, Ian.

The first commercial, cask-only batch of Baby-Faced Assassin was released in November 2013 and eventually added to Rooster’s core range in 2014. It went on to pick up awards at the International Brewing Awards in 2015, 2017 and 2021.

Tom Fozard said:

“Having first created Baby-Faced Assassin as a homebrew recipe back in 2011, I never could have imagined the success the beer would go on to enjoy in the years since. As a small, family-owned, independent brewery, we’re delighted to mark its 10th year of being a Rooster’s beer with the news of its continued success.”

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Stray Views: ‘Ridiculous difficulty’ parking at Harrogate hospital

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.

How many people are late for their Harrogate District Hospital appointments or simply go home due to the ridiculous difficulty parking? I was there this afternoon and an elderly woman said she had been driving around for an hour looking for a space.

You now have to arrive a good 45 minutes early and even then you may not be parked in time. It took numerous circuits last week before I found a space. 

The parking fee has been hiked to £4 for a couple of hours, it’s daylight robbery, particularly when all you are doing is driving around aimlessly, competing with other drivers for non existent spaces. Using two buses to get there isn’t an option for most people.

It’s time to reinstate the barrier so that people only enter the hospital car park when there is actually a space.

Liz Carnell, Harrogate

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Leeds Bradford Airport needs covered walkway

I note your report on Leeds Bradford Airport upgrading the terminal at cost of £100 million.

It would be great if they could spare a few pounds and construct a covered walkway for the drop-off point to the terminal so passengers can arrive dry into the booking in departure area.

Paul Smith, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Community fitness group runs for Harrogate Homeless Project

A community fitness group has raised money for Harrogate Homeless Project.

Community Fit took part in the charity’s initiative which invited people to run either 5km or 10km in September.

The group decided to complete the run together and were joined by some of the Harrogate Homeless staff on the night.

They raised £275 for the charity which will go towards providing vital day-to-day care, emergency housing and support programmes.

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Members of Community Fit meet every Wednesday and either run, walk or cycle to their chosen charity. Its aim is to connect activity and community.

It is a collaborative project between North Yorkshire Sport and Harrogate & District Community Action, supported by an NHS grant received via Community First Yorkshire.

The group have recently helped to clear and tidy the garden at the Harrogate Homeless Project, as well as prepare the Cenotaph Exhibition at West Park Church.

Photo of the Week: Hookstone Wood

This week’s photograph was taken by John Lorimer, capturing the light breaking through the trees in Hookstone Woods.

John Lorimer

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.

Air ambulance rescues horse rider in Bishop Thornton

Air ambulance and mountain rescuers came to the aid of a woman who fell off a horse in Bishop Thornton.

Volunteers from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association were called to the village, which is between Harrogate and Ripon, early on Friday evening.

According to its incident report. Yorkshire Air Ambulance was also on the scene and providing care.

Its report added:

“Once stable, the team assisted in lifting the rider on to a stretcher and in to an ambulance for onward travel to hospital.”

No further details, including the extent of the injuries, were provided.

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