Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 344 of 1040

New boutique in Harrogate aims to cater for all brides

The founder of a bridal company said the opening of a shop in Harrogate will honour a family link to the town dating back many years.

Joanne Wilson founded Elite Bridal almost 20 years ago in Hull, before expanding to Brighouse, Hessle and Castleford.

As the company grew, it became a family enterprise: husband Richard, daughter Holly-Ann, and sons Joshua and Ben all have roles in its boutiques, outlets and international wholesale trade.

Putting the finishing touches to the new boutique on West Park today, before its opening tomorrow, Joanne said:

“For years, I used to come here with my mum and my daughter. My mum just loved Harrogate – any special day, we came to Harrogate. I lost my mum three years ago.

“Richard and I came to Harrogate one day and saw the shop and I said, ‘that’s my shop’. It was up for rent and we contacted the agent immediately and they said, ‘do you want to look around?’

“I said, ‘you can show me round later, but we’re having it’.”

The Wilson family

She described the former Orvis store as the “perfect” location, offering views of the Stray, as well as options for brides and their friends and families to enjoy lunch or drinks nearby after finding their dream dress.

Many weeks of hard work have gone into transforming the shop and it is now completely unrecognisable.

A lounge area with cosy sofas and a fireplace sits next to the bar, offering drinks to visitors. As well as long rails of bridal gowns, there are three private suites for brides to try on the dresses and their closest friends and family members to help them make that final choice.

A comfy lounge for visitors

The range of gowns at Elite is designed by Joanne and Holly-Ann, meaning brides can choose one from the existing range, or ask for exactly what they want. She said:

“Sometimes when you go into a bridal store, you can only buy what they sell. I can design anything for you. You can have something really bespoke.”

However, Joanne is keen to ensure the business is not just for those with the biggest budgets: off-the-peg options start from around £300.

Whatever the cost of the dress, she knows the experience of finding the right one is just as important to many brides. The team at the Harrogate boutique will be offering VIP appointments, complete with bubbly, cake and a goody bag to take away, to ensure it’s a memorable occasion.

The boutique has three suites for brides to try on their gowns while friends relax

The bridal advisors have a trained eye to understand what will suit different body shapes and find something from the range in the shop.

With sizes six to 26 catered for by Elite, and a warehouse of 11,000 gowns to choose from alongside the option of a bespoke design, Joanne is confident the boutique will prove a hit with customers – just as it has with potential employees.

“I’ve been inundated with ladies asking me for a job. A bridal shop is a nice job to have.”

Knaresborough Forest and Long Lands Common campaigns to join forces

Two schemes to protect land between Harrogate and Knaresborough from development are to form a partnership.

The Knaresborough Forest Park campaign enabled 61 acres of farmland to be bought last month and turned into a green space and nature reserve.

It followed the Long Lands Common campaign in which 3,000 people bought shares to raise £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway.

Land involved in the two projects meets at Bilton Hall Drive and the those involved now plan to work together on developing a wider vision for how it can best be managed for nature and the community.

Shan Oakes, from the Knaresborough Forest Park group, told a Knaresborough & District Chamber meeting last week it made sense for the initiatives to join forces as they had similar aims.

Ms Oakes added that because Long Lands had already been through the share buying process, it could take ownership of the legal process to buy and restore land in the ancient Knaresborough Forest, just outside the town.

George Eglese, who is also part of the Knaresborough Forest project, told the meeting the Long Lands initiative had inspired the “rebirth of Knaresborough Forest” and together the schemes would “create a barrier against development across the greenbelt”.

Celebratory walk

To celebrate the partnership, a walk and picnic will take place on April 29 from Nidd viaduct through Long Lands Common and Knaresborough Forest Park.

The walk will end at The Mitre pub in Knaresborough, where George Moore was born in 1928.

The Mitre

Mr Moore, who died in 2016, was a philanthropist and the George A Moore Foundation set up in his memory donated £410,000 to the Knaresborough Forest Campaign.

Mr Eglese said the community initiatives could, in the future, look at bringing together the greenbelt under a “unifying vision” that could encompass areas such as Nidd Gorge and Horseshoe Fields, all of which either adjoin the land being bought or are close to it.

Update: the walk on April 29 has been postponed until a later date

Harrogate man given two weeks to live calls for more blood cancer research

A man from a village near Harrogate who was told he had two weeks to live is backing a research project to find new treatments for cancer.

Stephen Young, 73, who lives in Brackenthwaite, experienced unusual symptoms last summer including a constantly bleeding nose, a rash on his face, mouth ulcers and shortness of breath.

His GP initially treated him for rosacea and gave him a nasal cream, but the symptoms worsened.

When Stephen returned to the doctor, he had blood tests and was offered a chest x-ray – which revealed a major infection in his lungs.

After being sent by ambulance to A&E at Harrogate District Hospital, company chairman Stephen was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The blood cancer claims more than 2,600 lives a year in the UK – and Stephen’s case was so advanced he was told that, without treatment, he had just two weeks to live.

He said:

“Treatment began at 2am in the morning on July 2. By 4am, the team had started my first round of chemo and treatment for my chest infection which remained a stubborn complication for a further three weeks.

“It was touch and go whether I would pull through.”

Fortunately, the treatment was effective and, nine months on, Stephen is in remission and is hoping for a stem cell transplant later this year to improve his long-term prognosis.

However, the impact on his life continues. He said:

“AML treatment compromises the immune system and makes you very vulnerable to any and all infections. The threat of sepsis is ever-present.

“The need for social distancing between me and my loved ones, and being unable to hug and play with my grandchildren is, for me, AML’s greatest torment.”

With World AML Day being marked next Friday, April 21, Leukaemia UK is calling on people to help fund more research into the disease and improve the survival rates. Chief executive Fiona Hazell said:

“Important discoveries are happening all the time within leukaemia research.

“With just 15% of AML patients surviving longer than five years after their diagnosis, it’s clear that more effective, kinder, targeted treatments are critically needed. At Leukaemia UK, we know that research has the power to one day stop leukaemia devastating lives.”

Funding from Leukaemia UK has already helped Dr Konstantinos Tzelepis at a research team at the University of Cambridge to discover a new drug which targets a key protein involved in AML growth and survival.

The charity has now announced funding for a new project which will look at ways to target another protein in the disease.

Stephen’s wife Eugenie said:

“We were completely traumatised when the doctor told us Steve had acute myeloid leukaemia. That’s why I am so committed to joining the campaign to raise awareness about blood cancer symptoms.

“The earlier the disease is spotted the better the chance of successful treatment, prognosis and quality of life.”

As well as helping to fund research, Leukaemia UK is urging people to be aware of the symptoms and visit their GP if they are concerned. Diagnosis can often be delayed, frequently happening in A&E when a patient is severely unwell, because the signs can be confused with other, more common symptoms.

Ms Hazell added:

“As with many diseases, earlier diagnosis improves the chances of successful treatment.

“We want to encourage people to trust their instincts when something is wrong and visit their GP to push for that all important blood test, which is the only way to properly diagnose AML.”

Ex-staff at failed Harrogate firm CNG set to receive £43,000

Former staff at CNG Group look set to receive £43,200 in claims against the failed Harrogate firm.

CNG, which employed about 145 staff, blamed spiralling wholesale gas and electricity prices for going out of business in 2021.

Administrators Interpath Advisory has published a progress report, which was uploaded on the Companies House website this week, for the period from September 2 last year to March 1.

It said staff — classed as ordinary preferential claimants — claimed £43,200 for arrears of wages up to a maximum of £800 a week, accrued holiday pay and pension benefits.

The report by joint administrators Timothy Bateson and Christopher Pole added:

“We anticipate that ordinary preferential creditors should receive a dividend of 100p in the £.”

Administrators paid £635 an hour

The report also revealed Interpath is being paid £635 an hour for handling the administration. It said:

“We have incurred time costs of £153,269. These represent 241 hours at an average rate of £635 per hour.”

Interpath’s final fee by the time administration is due to end on March 1 next year is expected to be £298,759.

Preferential creditors are expected to be paid in full, the report said, and “it is likely that the unsecured creditors will receive a dividend” although the amount is unknown.

The timing of payments is also unclear.

The report described the company’s primary assets as “inter-company debtor balances and investments in others groups”.

These are expected to generate “significant realisations” but the administrators added:

“The flow of funds between the CNG group of companies is complex and will depend on each company within the group resolving matters which are currently preventing distributions being made to the company.”

Plans for 9 more warehouses at business park near A1(M)

Plans have been submitted for a further expansion of the Harrogate 47 business park next to the A1 (M) near Knaresborough.

Described as a “sustainable employment development,” the site is off junction 47 of the motorway and once completed will include employment space for office, hi-tech and logistics businesses.

It’s one of the key employment sites in the former Harrogate Borough Council Local Plan with the potential to bring 2,000 jobs to the district.

The development is being brought forward by Flaxby Investment LLP, which is a joint venture between Opus North and Bridges Fund Management.

The developer won planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council to develop part of the site last year.
It is bringing the development forward in stages and is now seeking permission to build nine further warehouses with a total size of 129,953 sq ft.

The first four warehouses would be located close to the Flaxby roundabout that was completed in 2014. These will be smaller starter units for business with a size of under 5,000 sq. ft each. The remaining larger units would be situated close to the Ilke Homes factory which produces modular homes. The plans include 72 car parking spaces that would also be added to the site.

Speaking previously about the scheme, Ryan Unsworth, development director at Opus North said:

“This development is key for the Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire economy due to its capacity to transform vacant land into office and industrial space for local, regional and national occupiers, and the vast job-creating potential it has.

“The delivery of Harrogate 47 will allow local companies to expand and grow within the region in addition to attracting inward investment into the district.”

The application will be decided by North Yorkshire Council at a later date.

Anger management order for Knaresborough man who assaulted taxi driver

A former member of the armed services has been handed a community order for assaulting a taxi driver near Knaresborough.

Cameron Michael Dumsday, of Hawthorn Avenue in the town, pleaded guilty to common assault at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard he had taken a taxi from outside McDonald’s in Harrogate, along with another man, on Thursday, March 23.

During the journey to Knaresborough, the other passenger began to challenge the way the taxi was being driven, alleging the driver was speeding and cutting across junctions.

When the driver pulled over into a lay-by, the court heard Dumsday, 26, was trying to calm the situation down, but the other passenger called the police.

Dumsday then lost his temper and began making threats towards the driver, who had locked himself in the car. Prosecuting, Alison Whiteley said:

“He was telling the police that if they didn’t get there very soon, he would assault the taxi driver. He said, ‘I’ve been done for assault before and I don’t mind being done again’.”

The driver then decided to try to run away, and the defendant chased him across a busy road three times before police arrived.

Defending, Andrew Tinning said Dumsday had drunk six or seven pints in Harrogate, but it had been an untroubled evening until they became concerned about the way the taxi was being driven on the way home.

Dumsday acknowledged he should not have lost his temper in the way he did, said Mr Tinning, adding:

“Fortunately, he doesn’t touch [the taxi driver]. He is here for assault on the basis the taxi driver feared he was going to use violence against him.”

The court heard Dumsday, who had served four years in the army and now worked as a lorry driver, had “a short fuse” and could lose his temper when he felt he needed to defend those around him. He had two previous convictions for assaulting police officers in 2018, for which he received fines.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order with the requirement to undertake 20 days on a programme to help him manage his emotions.

He was fined £710 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £114, costs of £85, and compensation of £6.80 for the taxi fare and £100 for the distress caused to the taxi driver.

No Harrogate district roads included in county surface dressing programme

The new North Yorkshire Council is beginning its annual surface dressing programme — but it doesn’t include any roads in the Harrogate district.

Hundreds of miles of roads across England’s largest county are to be treated this spring and summer.

The work makes roads more skid-resistant and waterproof. It also prevents potholes, and can extend the life of a road by up to 10 years.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said £8 million of surface dressing would be carried out this year — £2.6 million more than last year.

But Harrogate is the only district in North Yorkshire not to be included in this year’s programme.

Work is due to begin mid-April in the Hambleton, Selby and Scarborough districts.

It is due to carry on in Ryedale and Richmondshire in May and finish in the Craven district in early June.

Cllr Duncan said:

“Careful prioritisation of works, additional investment and close cooperation with our contractors means we will be delivering an extra £2.6 million worth of surface dressing schemes this year, the equivalent of an extra 60 miles.”

In this year’s Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt awarded North Yorkshire £6.5 million from a £700 million fund to tackle potholes.

Details of North Yorkshire roadworks are available here.

Business Breakfast: Senior appointment at Harrogate law firm

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate law firm, LCF Law, has appointed a new business development and marketing director.

Nick Greenwood has spent the past 25 years working for banking, accountancy, and legal firms across Yorkshire.

In his new role, Mr Greenwood will head a broad spectrum of business development and marketing projects at LCF Law and oversee the firm’s overall growth strategy.

He said:

“I started my career at Barclays as a branch manager in both the Leeds and Bradford flagship branches, soon progressing through SME into corporate banking and agriculture, supporting all types of businesses with their financial needs.

“After that, I became part of the senior leadership team at a mid-tier accountancy firm as head of sectors, and then moved to a business development role at a 48 partner law firm supporting its achievement to become one of the most profitable law firms in the east of England.

“Whether it be providing finance, accountancy, or legal services, the key is always to focus on how firms can solve problems for their clients and deliver cost-effective solutions that help them achieve their business and personal goals.”

Simon Stell, managing partner at LCF Law, said:

“We have significant growth aspirations and Nick’s expertise and enthusiasm will help us to deliver those. At the heart of any good business are its people. We recruit great people and help them to achieve their potential and career ambitions. The addition of Nick to the team will help the business and our lawyers meet our goals..

“Nick’s appointment will help us to reach even more clients across a broad spectrum including the manufacturing, agricultural, healthcare, digital and charity sectors.”

Harrogate BID funds town spring clean

Harrogate’s Business Improvement District has completed a spring clean as part of its business objective to keep the town ‘safe, clean and welcoming’.

The 150-hour long clean-up operation saw hot steam and pressure jet washing of pavements on Cambridge Street, Beulah Street, Oxford Street, Cambridge Road, James Street, Parliament Street, West Park, John Street, The Ginnel, Montpellier Mews, Kings Road and Station Parade.

The work was backed up by Chris Ashby, the BID’s in-house street ranger, who recently won the Unsung Hero Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023, in recognition of his hard work and dedication to keeping the town spotless.

Matthew Chapman, BID manager, said:

“First impressions really do count, which is why we ensure our streets are cleaned on a regular basis.

“It is clear to see from the before and after pictures that the deep cleans make a huge difference to the aesthetic appearance of the town for all who visit it.

“I would encourage all businesses who are part of the BID community to make the most of the additional services the street ranger team offers over and above the deep cleaning.

“We provide reactive support for improvements to properties within the BID radius, to make sure they look professional, clean and inviting. Anyone wanting to make the most of this offering should email info@harrogatebid.co.uk.”

Harrogate hospital food rated worst in country by patients

Hospital food in Harrogate is the worst in the country, according to patients.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust received the lowest rating of all the hospital trusts assessed in the NHS survey.

Patients awarded the trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital, 72% for food quality.

The next lowest was Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with 74%, closely followed by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Private provider Bupa rated the highest with 100%.

NHS Digital published the figures as part of its 2022 Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment programme.

PLACE assessments are an annual appraisal of the non-clinical aspects of NHS and independent/private healthcare settings.

Harrogate fared better on cleanliness, ranking 53rd of the 222 organisations with a score of 99.49%.

But it was a lowly 192nd on privacy, dignity and wellbeing with a score of 81%.

Hospital issues apology

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We strive to provide the best possible levels of service for those people in our care and we are extremely disappointed that we were unable to meet the expectations of our patients when the assessment took place.

“We would like to apologise to anyone who has been dissatisfied by the service we provided.

“It is important that we learn lessons from these findings as food is an important part of a patient’s hospital experience. The quality of food provided to our patients has always been high, but there is the opportunity to improve on the levels of service.

“We take such assessments extremely seriously and have already started to make improvements to address the concerns that have been raised.”

“These improvements have already had a significant impact and we will continue to make further changes to ensure we are meeting our patients’ expectations.”

Driver fined for seriously injuring pedestrian in Killinghall

A woman has been fined for a collision in Killinghall which left a father of young children with serious injuries.

Susan Marshall hit the man with her car as he used the pedestrian crossing near the Tesco Express shop in the village at around 5.15pm on Monday, January 30 this year.

She pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court today.

The man, who was named in court, had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. His ankle was broken in several places and he had significant bruising to his hip, as well as a haematoma on his brain.

He had to have an operation to insert two plates into his ankle and was kept in hospital for four days for observation.

The cast on his ankle had only recently been removed and he was still having physiotherapy, the court heard.

Prosecutor Alison Whiteley said:

“He was previously very active and athletic. Now, of course, he has difficulty walking, let alone running, and it impacts on his driving ability.

“He needs to drive as part of his job. In addition to that, he lives alone with young children and of course he needs his car to ferry them about and look after them.”

The court heard the collision took place in the dark in heavy traffic, when weather conditions were good. Ms Marshall, 56, pulled out of the Tesco car park to turn right and travel north on the A61 towards Ripley.

A passenger in the car behind said the lights on the pedestrian crossing ahead of her turned red, but Mrs Marshall failed to slow down. She collided with the pedestrian, who was knocked to the ground.

Defending, Andrew Coleman of Watson Woodhouse solicitors said Ms Marshall’s record to that point was otherwise unblemished, without even any points on her driving licence.

Describing the collision as a “momentary lapse in concentration”, he said:

“She was concentrating on the traffic and she didn’t see the red light.

“She stopped immediately and went straight to the victim to see if he was OK. She didn’t realise the extent of his injuries.

“She shouted immediately for someone to assist in calling an ambulance. She stayed until the emergency services came.”

He told the court she had worked as a carer for 30 years and, faced with losing her licence, was determined to continue in her job, despite a two-mile walk from her home in Town Street, Shaw Mills, to the nearest bus route.

Magistrates imposed a £500 fine, £200 victim surcharge and £85 costs on Ms Marshall, along with a 12-month driving ban.

They said compensation for the victim was not for the court to decide and would be arranged through their insurance companies.

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