Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 285 of 1076

Secret Bakery set to open new shop in Harrogate station

An established bakery is set to open a third outlet in the entrance to Harrogate railway station.

The Secret Bakery, which has been based on Knaresborough Road since before the covid pandemic, is hoping to open the doors of its new shop next Friday, August 25.

Owners Jane and James Spencer said they hope it will prove popular with office staff, commuters and visitors to town – and they are looking forward to the Station Gateway project.

James told the Stray Ferret:

“Because of the changes the council is planning, we’re hoping to take the front of the shop out and put concertina doors in.

“Then we could have it open and some pavement cafe seating.”

The couple took over The Secret Bakery in October 2020, after it was originally founded in a domestic kitchen in the Saints area of Harrogate.

Despite the ongoing covid restrictions, James said it was a busy time, as many customers liked to buy from a small business and avoid the supermarkets.

The new outlet on Station Parade will offer the same range of sandwiches, cakes and drinks for which the Secret Bakery is known.

A second baker has already been recruited to increase capacity behind the scenes, and staff from elsewhere in the business will be moving to work in the central Harrogate shop.

The secret bakery on Knaresborough Road

The bakery on Knaresborough Road will remain open, as will a second unit in Knaresborough‘s Market Place, which opened last October.

James said the Knaresborough shop had a strong start last autumn but has been quieter this year, perhaps down to lower than expected levels of tourism across the town.

However, he is hopeful that being in the centre of Harrogate, close to other businesses and transport links, will prove successful.

The unit was previously occupied by a cafe, but closed around eight months ago. James said the owner of the neighbouring shoe repair and key cutting shop had already been in touch to welcome the new business.

Its opening hours will be long than the other two Secret Bakery shops, with James and Jane hoping to catch commuters from 7am until 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

James added:

“I saw this place originally and didn’t think much of it, but then the cogs started turning. It means we’re in town rather than the outskirts.

“It’s in the process of being refurbished. We weren’t planning on doing much, but then we thought, ‘let’s do it properly before we open’.

“They’re due to finish soon, then we need to get the fridges and things in, and we’re hoping to be open next Friday.”

Ukrainian twin sisters in Harrogate excel in A levels

Twin sisters at Harrogate Ladies’ College are celebrating top A level grades today – from their home in Ukraine.

Diana and Sofiia Shypovych, from Cherkasy in Central Ukraine, achieved A*A*A* and A*A*A respectively.

The sisters arrived at Harrogate Ladies’ College to study as boarding pupils in September 2021. But just a few months later, Russia invaded Ukraine and the girls found themselves unable to return home to their parents.

Sofiia said she was delighted with her results:

“I am so happy about my results – and I am so grateful to my school for supporting me through the last two years. It was difficult being away from my family, but school actively promotes inclusion, diversity and being yourself. That really helped me.”

Diana added:

“University will be our next exciting chapter. Despite everything that has been happening in Ukraine, school has given me and my sister the confidence to mature into independent adults through the opportunities, challenges and freedoms it has offered. Living at school showed us the importance of contributing to the community and respecting our shared responsibilities.”

Following the invasion of their country, both sisters ran campaigns in Harrogate to fundraise for Ukrainians and helped Ukrainian families on the Homes for Ukraine scheme to settle into the community. They were also voted by their fellow pupils and teachers to be prefects at the school during their time in the sixth form.

Sylvia Brett, principal of Harrogate Ladies’ College, paid tribute to the sisters’ hard-working ethos and commitment to school life against the backdrop of war in their home country. She said:

“We’re incredibly proud of all of our pupils, but Sofiia and Diana deserve special recognition for the circumstances under which they’ve been studying for the last two years. Being here at the time of the outbreak of the war and knowing their family and friends were facing real dangers, was extraordinarily hard for the girls but they never lost focus on their studies or their optimism for the future.

“They are truly remarkable young women who always looked out for others in school and organised events such as the Ukraine Cultural Day to help us all understand and support their country.”

The sisters chose to return to Ukraine after finishing their exams this summer to await their results with their family and friends, despite ongoing security concerns. Cherkasy lies 200km south-east of Kyiv and the region is still frequently subjected to missile attack by Russia.

Speaking from Ukraine, the girls’ mother, Iana Shypovych, said she was thrilled by their results:

“When our then 16-year old daughters left Ukraine to study in Harrogate we were a little worried about how they would adapt to living so far away from home, but our concerns never came true. When the war broke out we were truly grateful that they were safe and being cared for. They were so warmly welcomed and supported by the school staff and the people of Harrogate.”

Harrogate Ladies’ College achieved 41% A*-A grades across the board – a 17% increase on the comparable figures from 2019.

Ripon man jailed for two crazy police chases

A man high on cocaine rammed his car into a police vehicle, ripping off its registration plate, during a death-defying chase through Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Craig Harper, 34, reversed his Vauxhall Astra into the police car, causing the two vehicles to become “wedged” together, York Crown Court heard.

He then stepped on the accelerator, moving the car back and forth, which caused the front of the police vehicle to lift up and its registration plate to fly off.

Prosecutor Beatrice Allsop said that Harper — who was 16 times over the specified limit for cocaine — was on bail at the time and banned from driving, having been arrested and charged with dangerous and drug-driving following a previous police chase on New Year’s Eve 2022.

That first chase occurred in the early hours of December 31 when two traffic officers on the A59 Harrogate Road in Knaresborough were radioed by a colleague telling them that a man in a VW Golf had failed to stop for officers in Harrogate.

They drove to the location in Bogs Lane and saw the Volkswagen driving towards them with its light off. Three males were inside the car which sped towards the A59 towards Knaresborough.

Harper went along Bogs Lane.

Harper took a roundabout on the A61 the wrong way then headed towards Ripley, South Stainley and Ripon.

Ms Allsop said the conditions were so wet there were “large areas of standing water” on the road. Harper lost control on one of these pools of water and veered across the centre white lines before careering off the road and “rebounding” back into the carriageway.

Undeterred, he stepped on the gas again, heading towards Ripon at speeds of up to 75mph while cutting corners, driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding round blind bends and at one stage narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle.

He then revved up to about 80mph in a restricted speed zone and overtook a line of cars near a bend as he bombed down the A61 and into Ripon.

He sped down Harrogate Road, a 30mph zone, at double the speed limit and into Ripon town centre, shooting through red lights and going the wrong way around a roundabout. He then sped down a one-way street near Ripon Cathedral, shot through red lights again and went down another one-way street in the wrong direction.

He then turned into North Street and sped out of the town and through a village where police tried to box him in.

Harper’s vehicle was brought to a stop next to a grass verge. Officers ran over to the vehicle, but Harper put up a struggle as they tried to restrain him.

He was arrested and taken into custody where a drug-drive test revealed he had a “shockingly high” 800mcg of cocaine per litre of blood, the specified limit being 50mcg.

Ms Allsop said the chase, through towns and villages including Masham, lasted over 20 minutes.

Back causing ‘mayhem’

Harper admitted dangerous and drug driving and was bailed and given an interim motoring ban, but on May 2 he was back out on the roads in a different car but causing the same “mayhem”.

Ms Allsop said two patrol officers in an unmarked police car in Leeds spotted him driving a Vauxhall Astra.

They followed the vehicle after Harper, who had a male passenger, turned onto Lady Pit Lane and then into St Francis Close, where he stopped the car and reversed “at speed” towards the police vehicle. The Astra collided with the front offside of the police car, causing it to “jolt and shake”.

Ms Allsop added:

“The Astra became wedged onto the front of the police vehicle.

“Officers shouted at him, telling him to turn the engine off. They could tell he was under the influence of (substances) as his eyes were glazed and vacant.

“He was trying to free the (Astra) from the police vehicle by going forward and into reverse. At one point, (the Astra) lifted the front end of the police vehicle.

“He managed to free the car by driving forward at speed, causing the wheels to spin. Part of the police registration plate flew off.”

Once free from the police vehicle, Harper turned right into a cul-de-sac and came to a dead end. He put the car into reverse again as officers caught up with him and rammed the Astra into the police vehicle.

The Astra again collided with the front offside of the police car. The officer got out of the vehicle and ran to the driver’s side of the Astra.

Harper tried to escape but police smashed the driver’s window with a baton, opened the door and tried to drag him out, but the engine was still running and he was still trying to drive away.

They finally took him to ground after using reasonable force and cuffed Harper who refused a roadside breath test. He was taken into custody at a police station in Leeds and again refused to have a toxicology test.

Harper, of Holbeck Close, was charged with dangerous driving, causing over £1,600 of damage to the police vehicle, driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He admitted this second set of offences and appeared for sentence via video link yesterday after being remanded in custody.

61 previous convictions

The court heard he had 61 previous convictions for over 100 offences including driving while over the limit for drink and drugs, driving while disqualified and aggravated vehicle-taking. At the time of his latest offences, he was on a community order for assaulting an emergency worker.

Defence barrister Matthew Stewart said the father-of-three started abusing drugs after losing his job and was now on benefits.

Judge Simon Hickey told Harper he had caused “mayhem” on the county’s roads and described his criminal record as “shocking”.

Harper was jailed for two years and two months and slapped with a five-year driving ban.

Union criticises Harrogate hospital for spending £1.2m on management consultants

One of Britain’s biggest trade unions has weighed in on Harrogate hospital’s decision to spend £1.2 million on hiring management consultants to develop a “culture of continuous improvement”.

Unite the Union, which has more than 1.2 million members in the UK and Ireland, said “paying consultants to produce a report that will gather dust on a shelf” was “not a good use of taxpayers’ money” and urged Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust to urgently review the decision.

The trust signed a contract with KPMG and Catalysis in March, which will run for 18 months to September 2024.

KPMG is one of the world’s largest multinational professional services companies, and Catalysis is a Wisconsin-based not-for-profit organisation that works to help healthcare bodies become more efficient.

Unite’s national officer for health, Colenzo Jarrett Thorpe, told the Stray Ferret:

“The board of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust needs an urgent review of this decision since it is not a good use of taxpayers’ money. Consultants are called in to tell the organisation what they already know or what they want to hear, without having the foresight to have the discussion with key stakeholders such as staff and trade unions and patient groups first.

“The £1.2 million would be better spent cutting agency spend, improving flexible working for all employees, and reducing the vacancy rates across the trust, rather than paying consultants to produce a report that will gather dust on a shelf and will not impact anyone.”

The trust has said its continuous improvement programme, called HDFT Impact, will ultimately involve all 5,000-plus employees, who will be encouraged to share knowledge with each other and come up with ways to improve the way the Trust delivers its services.

Mr Jarrett-Thorpe said:

“If the trust wanted to involve all employees, why doesn’t it improve and strengthen access and facilities to trade union representatives in the trust? Trade unions representatives can help retention of NHS staff, staff morale, improve safety at work, increase staff engagement, productivity and learning opportunities.”

The trust argues its continuous improvement agenda has brought about positive change over the last decade. KPMG and Catalysis are also reported to have helped other hospital trusts save hundreds of thousands of pounds in efficiencies, increase surgeries, reduce patient falls, and improve care outcomes.

In a statement issued earlier this month, the trust said:

“Continuous improvement is not a new concept at HDFT. It has been integral in helping us to develop our services and bring improvements for patients and colleagues for a long time – we have been using a lean quality improvement approach for over 10 years. We know this approach works and we’ve seen the improvements it can bring for patients and colleagues.”

World Cup hero Rachel Daly in line for player of year award

Rachel Daly probably thought her day could not get any better when she helped England reach the final of the Women’s World Cup.

But the Harrogate hotshot has also been nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.

Daly, 31, is one of six nominees for the award, which is voted for by other players.

She won the Golden Boot for finishing as the leading scorer in the Women’s Super League, netting 22 times for Aston Villa Women after signing from Houston Dash last summer.

Daly, who has 381,000 followers on Instagram, is up against:

Ona Batlle – Manchester United

Sam Kerr – Chelsea

Frida Maanum – Arsenal

Guro Reiten – Chelsea

Khadija Shaw – Manchester City

The winner will be announced at 50th PFA awards ceremony on August 29.

In the meantime, Daly has the small matter of a World Cup final against Spain to look forward to at 11am on Sunday after helping the Lionesses defeat hosts Australia in today’s semi-final.

Woman treated for shock after crash near Ripon

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has been in action twice in our area today, once for a road traffic accident and once to rescue an injured women.

At just after 8am, crews from Ripon and Harrogate were called to a two-car road collision on Studley Road in Ripon.

One car had driven into the back of the other, and one of the drivers, who were both women aged about 20, was treated by fire crew for shock before an ambulance arrived at the scene.

Later in the day, at 2.46pm, police asked Harrogate fire crew to gain entry to a locked premises on Stanhope Drive, off Knaresborough Road in Harrogate, as they had concerns for the occupant.

Firefighters broke into the building using a lock-extractor and found that the occupant had fallen and suffered a broken arm.

The fire crew administered oxygen therapy and left the unnamed 64-year-old woman in the care of the police, awaiting an ambulance.

Harrogate autism school could save £4m a year

A proposal to convert a former Harrogate primary school into a secondary school for 80 autistic children could save up to £4 million over five years, it has emerged.

North Yorkshire Council’s ruling executive will next week discuss the findings of a six-week consultation into proposals to spend £3.5 million repurposing Woodfield Community Primary School.

A report on the consultation, published before the meeting, revealed considerable support for the scheme, with 86 per cent of 105 responses in favour.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Councillor Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said the proposal was a good outcome.

He said:

“The community was severely disappointed when the primary school closed, however we are delighted a new school will be here to provide provision for children with special educational needs.

“It’s a great green location with good air quality and facilities and as the primary school had 50 per cent special needs pupils, the area is used to providing that type of care.”

Special needs rocketing

Since 2016, the number of children in North Yorkshire with identified special educational needs and disability and a legally-binding education, health and care plan has increased by more than 110 per cent, leading to a shortage of special school places and numerous children being taught by independent providers.

As independent day sector placements typically cost the public purse up to £70,000 annually and the average cost of a special school placement is about £23,000.

The council is therefore forecasting savings of up to £4 million over the first five years of the new school.

Woodfield school closed in December.

Woodfield school closed at the end of last year, with the council claiming it had “exhausted all options” after years of falling pupil numbers and an inadequate Ofsted rating. It is hoped the new school will open in September next year.

Numerous consultation respondents said the specialist school was “desperately” needed in the area, with one parent highlighting how their child had to travel to Darlington for autism provision.

Respondents said many children with autism failed to do as well as they could because they were not in the correct setting to flourish.

A headteacher of a local primary school, who is not named, told the consultation:

“This is very good news indeed, especially when we consider the number of pupils attending private placements alongside the skyrocketing levels of need. It is very good to feel heard by the local authority.”

Some respondents questioned whether the funding should have been focused on improving or extending other specialist schools, including Springwater School in Starbeck and the Forest School in Knaresborough, with one claiming it was “too little too late for the academic autistic community”.

Hollywood star’s son to unveil plaque to famous father in Harrogate

A Hollywood star with strong connections to Harrogate is to be commemorated with a plaque next month.

Michael Rennie was once a household name, and in 1946 became the highest-paid filmstar in Britain.

He acted with such Hollywood greats as Orson Welles, Richard Burton, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando and Bette Davis. His most famous role was perhaps the lead in the 1951 sci-fi blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Rennie was born in 1909 in Idle, near Bradford, and schooled in Cambridgeshire, but his family home was on Otley Road in Harrogate, where he died in 1971. His headstone can be seen at Harlow Hill Cemetery.

The brown plaque, which has been created by Harrogate Civic Society, will be unveiled at 1 Otley Road – the Rennie family’s former home – by Rennie’s son, David, on Saturday, September 9, at 11am. Well-wishers are welcome.

David Rennie, a high court judge whose godmother was Elizabeth Taylor, told the Stray Ferret:

“This plaque means a lot to me, because I didn’t know my father as well as I would have liked. I really got to know him – the way he moved, the sound of his voice – by watching his films.

“When I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual to meet people who knew of him and his roles, especially after he played Harry Lime in the TV series of The Third Man, and I always got the feeling that he was very much liked and admired.

“When he wasn’t in Hollywood, London or Geneva, he came to Yorkshire. I’m confident that although he had this glamorous life, the fact that he always kept on coming back to the family home in Harrogate meant that the connection mattered to him, and I wanted to mark that.”

Harrogate Civic Society is currently considering creating plaques for two other local figures of note: Charles Taylor, who founded Taylor’s Tea; and Claude Verity, who worked from a studio in Harrogate and is believed to have been the first person to add a soundtrack to film.

Harewood Bridge set to reopen early?

Harewood Bridge near Harrogate could re-open earlier than expected after undergoing essential maintenance.

The grade-II listed structure, which is used by 17,000 vehicles a day, closed on July 26 and is due to reopen on August 24.

Its closure has led to 15-mile diversions and added 30 minutes to journey times.

The Stray Ferret contacted Leeds City Council today after hearing unofficial reports work was ahead of schedule and the bridge was on course to reopen a week early.

The council refused to rule out an early reopening but said nothing has been decided yet.

A spokesperson said:

“We are confident works to Harewood Bridge will be completed by the programmes original completion date of August 24 at the latest, subject to good weather and ground conditions.

“Should the work be completed ahead of this date this will be communicated. We would like to continue to thank people for their patience and apologise for any disruption to their journeys.”

The bridge over the River Wharfe on the A61 is a main route between Harrogate and Leeds.

Leeds City Council closed it for waterproofing, resurfacing and footpath repair work. The footway across the bridge has remained open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP calls for police talks on remembrance parades

Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP Andrew Jones has written to North Yorkshire’s chief constable asking her to reconsider the force’s approach to this year’s remembrance parades.

North Yorkshire Police has said it will no longer provide traffic management for parades, including those on Remembrance Sunday, ending a practice that has lasted for decades.

Knaresborough Royal British Legion has said the decision threatened this year’s parade in the town from taking place.

Mr Jones has called for the police to continue to provide the service this year, as there is little time for alternative arrangements, and then work with community groups so they can take over in future.

North Yorkshire Police claims its decision is due to changes to the law in 2004 and subsequent guidance from professional bodies representing police. It also says it is now out-of-step with other police forces which ceased traffic management of remembrance parades many years ago.

Remembrance Sunday in Knaresboroug. Picture: Charlotte Gale

Mr Jones wrote to North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe asking her to review the force’s decision and reinstate police support at remembrance parades.

His office said today chief constable Lisa Winward had replied “outlining the legal position and the guidance from professional bodies”.

Mr Jones has asked the chief constable asking her to reinstate police traffic management for remembrance parades this year.

He said:

“Remembrance is about our public services coming together and facilitating a collective act of tribute not just to those who have fallen in our armed forces but those in the emergency services who have given their lives that we can be free.

“The parades are an integral part of this and an important tradition that will be lost without traffic management.

“The sudden decision by North Yorkshire Police has endangered that tradition and left little time to put in place alternative arrangements.”

Recognising the police want to stop traffic management duties, Mr Jones has asked Ms Winward to meet with him and parade organisers to discuss “a managed handover of traffic management to volunteers, community groups or council staff”.

He said:

“If the police want to stop traffic management for remembrance it is an operational decision. I think it is a poor decision but in the final analysis it is their decision to take.

“But the sudden announcement means there is little opportunity to save this year’s parades. That is why I am asking them to reconsider the approach for this year and then work with community groups to ensure they have the capacity and knowledge to provide the support for future years.

“I am hopeful that by taking a constructive and collaborative approach we can save these much-loved parts of our remembrance in which the police join and in which we remember the fallen among their number too.”

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Back causing ‘mayhem’

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61 previous convictions

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Special needs rocketing

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