Harrogate man jailed for possessing ‘madball’ at convention centre

A Harrogate man has been jailed for five months for possessing a glass ball in a sock.

John Donaldson, 32, of Cheltenham Crescent, had the improvised weapon, known as a madball, at Harrogate Convention Centre on November 15 last year.

He admitted the offence at Harrogate Magistrates Court last week.

Court documents say Donaldson was jailed because of the seriousness of the offence and for his previous record of offending.

He was also ordered to pay a £154 surcharge to fund victims’ services and a £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

glass ball in sock madball

A police picture of a glass ball in a sock — not the one referred to in this case.

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‘Radical reform’ needed for North Yorkshire NHS dentists, says councillor

A senior councillor has called for radical reform of NHS dentistry in North Yorkshire amid concern over access to appointments.

Cllr Andrew Lee, chair of North Yorkshire County Council’s health scrutiny panel, has written to the government’s health and social committee with evidence over “extremely problematic” access to dentists.

The Stray Ferret has highlighted long waiting lists for NHS dentistry in the Harrogate district in recent years.

Cllr Lee has written to Steve Brine MP, chair of the national health committee, who has called for evidence to support a public inquiry into the matter.

Cllr Lee said:

“For some years, the issues with being able to access an NHS dentist has been a high priority on the agenda for the scrutiny of health committee.

“Feedback consistently indicates it being extremely problematic to find, access and retain an NHS dentist.”

The move comes as North Yorkshire’s health scrutiny committee heard of inequalities in accessing dentists across the county.

For example, in North Yorkshire, Scarborough residents have a greater challenge in accessing dentistry than those in Harrogate, due, in part, to the difference in demographics.

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However, a review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found that there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Lee added:

“Radical reform is absolutely needed. The solution lies in the management of dental services. Recruitment and retention remain difficult, and dentists themselves are frustrated with the service they can provide.

“The problem does not lie with recruiting dentists, the problem lies with a broken and dysfunctional dental contract with severe underfunding. Dentists themselves cannot rectify this and it is creating by default a two-tier system whereby those that can afford to go private do so and others struggle to access any kind of care.”

Business Breakfast: Ripon engineering firm partners with The British Heart Foundation

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. 

Econ Engineering has launched a new charity partnership with The British Heart Foundation. The Ripon engineering firm makes more than eight out of 10 winter maintenance vehicles on UK roads.

The charity partnership will run throughout February – National Heart Month – until the end of 2023, with the aim to raise £20,000.

The money raised by Econ will help the BHF to fund research into heart and circulatory conditions such as coronary heart disease, strokes and vascular dementia.

Econ’s involvement with the charity stemmed from the death of one of the company’s managing directors, Andrew Lupton, who suffered a heart attack last year.

Andrew’s brother, Jonathan, who is now the sole managing director of the firm, said:

“We are proud to be partnering with the British Heart Foundation and are looking forward to supporting with its ongoing campaign to beat heartbreak forever”.

Employees will have the opportunity to participate in several BHF-supported health and wellbeing engagement activities, to ensure a healthier workforce.

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Knaresborough shops encouraged to bring a floral look to the town

Knaresborough and District Chamber is urging shops to order hanging baskets to maintain the town’s floral look this summer.

The baskets are created by Harrogate Borough Council, which waters them twice a week.

For the last decade, the chamber has taken orders for baskets directly from shop keepers. It has subsidised the cost to members and charged non-members the price charged by the council.

But the council has set up an online payment system this year and the chamber is concerned it might lead to a lower take-up.

Chamber member and hairdresser, Kelly Teggin, who was in charge of basket sales last year, said:

“The town looks so lovely when it’s in full bloom. I fear if it’s left to the shop keepers, we may not see as many baskets, so we want to encourage it as much as possible.”

Further details are available here.

Hair & beauty salon, Kelly Teggin, displaying its hanging basket.

Stray Views: Memories of Harrogate’s St George Hotel

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.

I was very sad to read of the recent closure of the St George Hotel in Harrogate. My father, Bill Pritchard, worked there for around 40 years, starting as a hall porter and later acquiring the grand title of front of house manager. I think he would certainly have agreed with Mr Donkin that hospitality was ‘the best job in the world’. 

The hotel changed a lot over the years, but the front desk, as it was then (see photo taken in 1954) has long gone. However, at the time, it was the first thing you saw as you went through the rotating doors into the lobby and it was where guests checked in and out and collected their room keys, messages etc. There was also an old-fashioned switchboard where each call had to be put through to a room or the office. 

Though my father’s job changed over the years he still maintained customer contact and no more so than when a trade fair was taking place in the town. Toy Fair, for example, was held in Harrogate and I recall being the lucky recipient of a very nice doll or two – thanks to my father’s hard work assisting the sales representatives staying at the hotel.

from L to R: Bill Pritchard, May Barker, Eddie Jack (Head Porter) and Jack)

(From left to right) Bill Pritchard, May Barker, Eddie Jack (head porter) and Jack pictured on New Years 1954.

My mother sometimes worked at the hotel too, as what I think was called at the time an extra duck. My understanding of this is that they were brought in as extra waitresses for big events, such as banquets and balls. I will always remember how smart both my parents looked for work. My mother wore a black skirt and top with white cuffs, collar, hat and apron. My father always dressed smartly; I never saw him looking scruffy. He never owned a pair of jeans or a T-shirt and always polished his shoes.

When The Kinks were staying at the hotel, my father came home with Ray Davies’ autograph for me. Other famous people were guests and he often mentioned that he had met Sir Laurence Olivier.

I don’t recall a car park at the hotel but there may have been some limited parking at the side. My father sometimes mentioned assisting guests by instructing them as they manoeuvred into a space. I’ve always wondered how he did that, as he couldn’t drive and never owned a car.

Kathleen Mitchell

Further blow for Kingsley area

Thank you for giving us residents in the Kingsley area a voice with all that is going on with all the houses being built in the Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane junction area. To read that a sixth housing plot has now been agreed was a further blow as the area can’t even handle the other five – and five that are not even fully populated yet.

Although the infrastructure is not set up in the area for nurseries, schools, hospitals, doctors, dentists etc. (and in my opinion never will be) I am currently more concerned about the effect of the “normal” day to day basics that impact the “everyday person”. Such as getting to their destinations or commute to work, the impact on air quality because it’s just one constant traffic jam, the impact when ambulances can’t get through and the danger to pedestrians crossing.

The through road access between Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane has now been closed several times over the last couple of years which we have had to put up with. Why? So us pesky residents in our cars going about our day to day business in the area that we have brought houses didn’t get in the way of the construction vehicles, so the amenity suppliers could dig the road up over and over again because a long term housing plan hadn’t been thought of by council “planners”? 

But we put up with this. Then they resurfaced Bogs Lane – but not Kingsley Road or the bridge that has been wreaked by the lorries – to the point of being dangerous.

Dee Downton, Kingsley

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Harrogate drivers to lose out under new regulations

I have just read the information on your website about the new taxi regulations and find myself surprised as to the lack of detail on the impact on Harrogate taxi drivers.

You have failed to mention that prior to the WAV revolution some two years ago, Hackney carriage plates were sold privately amongst interested parties.

These plates were valued at somewhere in the region of £15,000, and often sold for more. Their value now will be nothing, resulting in all Harrogate taxi drivers to lose £15,000 immediately as the new North Yorkshire merge is completed.

Once again, unqualified decision makers with a lack of common sense and knowledge of the taxi trade are failing both local taxi drivers and their loyal passengers.

I dread to think the number of complaints which will arise for OTT taxi fares, when “out of town drivers” fail in their capacity to be able to navigate the numerous roadworks which cause chaos in our day to day operation.

The list is endless as to why not employing local taxi drivers is beneficial.

Peter Brown, Harrogate

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.

Road safety charity lodges complaint against North Yorkshire transport chief

A war of words has erupted over calls to introduce a default 20mph zone across North Yorkhire’s built-up areas, with the founder of a campaign group lodging a standards complaint against the county’s transport chief.

Road safety charity 20’s Plenty is focussing pressure on Cllr Keane Duncan after he questioned the group’s claims, accused them of using increasingly ruthless tactics and asked for time to thoroughly consider whether 20mph zones should become standard in towns and villages.

The authority’s executive member for highways and transport issued the statement ahead of a meeting of Conservative-led North Yorkshire County Council’s Thirsk and Malton Constituency Committee on February 3.

The meeting is scheduled to see a notice of motion proposed by opposition councillors considered, which calls to extend a proposed trial of default 20mph zones across the vast constituency.

The council, which last year sought to relax rules about setting up 20mph zones, is already examining a proposal to trial default 20mph zones in built-up areas around Harrogate, but its leaders have warned introducing it would cost about £1m and impact on its ability to fund road repairs across the county.

The charity’s founder and campaign director Rod King has declined to specify the nature of the complaint to the council. Campaigners in the group have stated it is based on criticisms Cllr Duncan made about the campaign group’s claims.

A 20s Plenty for North Yorkshire spokesperson said the complaint was “on the grounds of Cllr Duncan’s attempts to influence the due democratic process in the committee ahead of this Friday’s meeting  by means of unfounded claims on our integrity”.

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Members of the campaign group have suggested the outstanding standards issue would mean Cllr Duncan will not be able to vote on a notice of motion about 20mph limits at Friday’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee meeting.

Responding to the suggestion, a county council spokesman said: 

“In the event of any complaint against a councillor, we would follow the relevant members complaints procedure.

“It would usually be a matter for a member to determine themselves whether they take part in a debate.”

‘Exaggerating opposition’

Ian Conlan, 20’s Plenty campaigner, who is also Mayor of Malton, said the group had consistently had 70% support over the years and its local surveys in North Yorkshire had backed that up and that Cllr Duncan was exaggerating the opposition to 20s Plenty.

He said 20s Plenty were pushing the issue at the moment in the hope of getting funding agreed for the pilot scheme in this year’s council budget.

Cllr Conlan said the council had had years to consider default 20mph zones and did not need more time to consider the issue and that Cllr Duncan was trying to influence the democratic process by spreading misinformation about 20s Plenty.

Cllr Duncan said rather than welcoming democratic challenge, the leadership of 20’s Plenty had “resorted to issuing a formal complaint against me and are attempting to block me from voting at Friday’s meeting”.

He added: 

“I will not be intimidated by what I consider to be heavy-handed tactics and I will continue to publicly challenge any misleading and exaggerated claims made.

“Most importantly, I will not allow the council’s review of 20mph limits to be rushed or unduly prejudiced. We will look at all factors thoroughly and only then will we make considered recommendations to improve road safety in North Yorkshire.”

Photo of the Week: Comet ZTF

This week’s photograph was taken by Thomas Russell, who captured an eye-catching green comet as it flew through the night sky for the first time in 50,000 years. Thomas was able to capture this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime image from his front garden in Harrogate.

Comet C/2022 E3(ZTF) by Thomas Russell

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.

Bus route changes ‘could leave vulnerable more isolated’ in Harrogate

Some of the most vulnerable members of the community could be left isolated if planned changes to bus routes come into effect later this month, according to opponents.

The number 6 on Harlow Hill and the 2a and 2b in Bilton are both being changed by operator The Harrogate Bus Company, part of Transdev, from Sunday, February 19.

Residents on Harlow Hill said they have been told their nearest bus stop will be just a three-minute walk away – but they say that is not true for the many elderly and disabled people who rely on the service.

At the weekly Music and Movement group, which meets at the Green Hut on Harlow Avenue, there is serious concern about the impact of changes.

As the 20 members enjoyed tea and biscuits at the end of the session, volunteer Margaret Willis told the Stray Ferret:

“The ladies who come here are very able and capable, but they are also vulnerable. Many of them live on their own.

“They need to come out and socialise and exercise otherwise they are at risk of becoming isolated.”

The route changes will see the number 6 no longer serving Harlow Avenue or stops down Otley Road between its junctions with Beckwith Road and Pannal Ash Road.

Instead, it will travel up Otley Road, along Beckwith Road and straight back down Pannal Ash Road to join Otley Road.

The current and proposed route of the number 6 bus on Harlow HillThe existing route of the 6, left, and the planned new route.

Crucially, the stop immediately outside the Green Hut will no longer be in use. Many of the Music and Movement group’s members arrive and depart by bus, and some are unable to reach the bus stops that will be on the new route.

The closest stops are 280m away on Beckwith Road up a slight incline, 500m away on Otley Road, and 450m away on Pannal Ash Road along a route that is partially uphill, which many group members said they could not manage.

Members of the Music and Movement group at the Green Hut on Harlow HillMembers of the Music and Movement group

One 92-year-old with mobility problems said she timed the supposed three-minute walk to the bus stop and it took her 20 minutes, even without carrying any bags.

Not only could the changes stop people getting to the Green Hut – putting some of its events at risk – but they could also affect people living on Harlow Hill travelling to medical and other appointments.

Volunteer Charlotte South added:

“I can’t tell you the upset this has caused.

“We want someone from Transdev to come and walk the route with our group and see what the changes really mean for people.”

The members of Music and Movement said they would be happy for an hourly bus, instead of half-hourly, if it meant the route was kept as it is now. They also said they would be happy to pay towards their journeys in order to make the service viable.

Bilton buses

In Bilton, the 2A and 2B buses will be combined to make a single service, which some people have said will prevent them from accessing local shops and services on King Edward’s Drive.

The current 2A loop allows people living on Dene Park and Woodfield Road to use the bus to visit the chemist, Post Office or doctor’s surgery, and catch it back from the opposite side of the road.

When the changes come into effect, they will have to take the bus into town, and catch the next bus back out towards Bilton in order to get to King Edward’s Drive.

The current and proposed route of the number 2 bus in BiltonThe current 2A and 2B routes, left, and the proposed single route of the 2 around Bilton and Woodfield.

Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been contacted by a number of residents very concerned about the impact of the changes.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“My view is that it’s not ideal. I’m trying to change it back to keep it as it is – even if the service isn’t as frequent, at least it would still exist.

“One of the challenges is that Transdev are saying the numbers aren’t there. I understand their challenge which is why I’ve gone to North Yorkshire as well.”

He said he had been given hope by the news that the 24 bus through Nidderdale had been saved by funding from the county council when Transdev said it would have to drastically reduce the service.

“I would ideally like to see that route maintained. I think it’s important and I’m doing everything I can to try and keep it.”

The shops on King Edwards Drive in BiltonThe shops on King Edward’s Drive

However, for one business owner, the changes are welcome.

Andrew Hart, who runs the Red Box gift shop and Post Office on King Edward’s Drive, said:

“My view is controversial because that bus stop outside is a hub for anti-social behaviour, which we catch on CCTV.

“I’m quite happy that the bus stop and the bus route will be going. The buses that go around those two routes are far too big anyway and very rarely more than a quarter or a third full.

“I think the reduction of the route is a very sensible move. People will soon get used to the idea. Quite often, the buses don’t turn up, so most of [the customers] will walk through.”

The Stray Ferret approached Transdev about the concerns over the proposed changes, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Information published when the route changes were announced last month said the company was prioritising “the busiest stops” and leaving out those used less frequently in order to “speed up journey times”.

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Lib Dems confirm Harrogate and Knaresborough candidate for next election

The Liberal Democrats have chosen Tom Gordon as their prospective parliamentary candidate in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the next general election.

The selection was confirmed at the local party’s annual dinner last night, following a ballot of its members in January.

Mr Gordon has campaigned for the Liberal Democrats around the country and supported Judith Rogerson in Harrogate and Knaresborough at the last general election.

He works as an advisor for a national carers charity, was born and raised in Yorkshire, and previously stood for the Lib Dems in the Batley and Spen by-election in 2021.

In a statement the Lib Dems said Mr Gordon had stood up for local health services, fought for Yorkshire devolution and for better transport links across the region.   The party said he would be “running a passionate campaign to improve health services, tackle sewage and uncleanliness in our local environment and fighting for infrastructure and investment into our local services”.

Mr Gordon stood against Lib Dem Knaresborough West councillor Matt Walker in the contest.

The selection process has been lengthy for the party, having initially begun last June. It was abandoned two months later when the constituency was made a “target seat” by the national party.

Phil Willis, Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough from 1997 until 2010, welcomed Tom Gordon’s selection:

“Tom would make a fantastic Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough. I have seen first hand how passionate he is about delivering change for local people across the region and know he will be a strong voice standing up for the constituency.

“Across the country, people are turning to the Liberal Democrats to oust out of touch Conservative MPs. People are fed up with being taken for granted by the Conservative party and I’ve heard this loud and clear from people across Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

Tom Gordon said:

“I am truly honoured to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough. As your next MP, I will fight tirelessly to give local people a strong voice, both here and in Westminster.

“This is a beautiful and iconic part of the country with a strong sense of community. We need an independent voice who will listen to concerns and stand up for local people.

“People tell me our area deserves a fair deal. I’ll be the candidate that champions our area, standing up for local health services, tackling sewage in our rivers and demanding action on the cost of living crisis.

“Residents in our area deserve better than chaos and incompetence that we see in Westminster at the moment. At the next election here, it will be a choice between four more years of a Conservative government taking them for granted or a Liberal Democrat MP being your local champion.”

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The Green Party is the only other party to have announced its PPC for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Paul Ko Ferrigno has lived in Harrogate since 2007 and is involved in several community football teams as well as being a governor at Oatlands Junior School.

Meanwhile, the local Labour party has been going through the national selection procedure to find its candidate.

The Conservatives have not yet confirmed whether current MP Andrew Jones will stand to be elected in the constituency for the fifth time since 2010.

There has been no word on candidates for parties in Skipton and Ripon, where Julian Smith has been the Conservative MP since 2010.

The Selby and Ainsty Conservative MP, Nigel Adams, has already announced he will stand down at the next election.

His seat looks likely to be broken up in the constituency shake-up being carried out by the Boundary Commission, though this will not be confirmed until later in the year.

A general election must be held by January 24, 2025, at the latest.

Harrogate Restaurant Week: keep your tummy and bank balance happy

On Monday 5 February, Harrogate Restaurant Week will begin. Restaurants in and around Harrogate are taking part in a promotional week, serving up some tasty discounts and helping us enjoy the luxury of dining out for less.

Restaurant Week is running from Monday 6 – Friday 10 February.

To help you save your pennies, we have curated a list of six participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week offers.

The Fat Badger

The Fat Badger is offering a homemade pie with a pint of bitter for just £10 during the promotional week.

Customers can enjoy a hearty steak, mushroom and ale pie, washed down with Tetley’s Best.

For more information on the restaurant, visit here.

The West Park Hotel

The West Park Hotel is offering two courses for £15, or three courses for £20 during Restaurant Week.

Customers can choose their courses from the new Restaurant Week menu.

Click to find more information on The West Park Hotel. 

The West Park Hotel will have a specific Restaurant Week menu.

Cosy Club

Cosy Club is offering customers a main and dessert for £15.

The Restaurant Week menu includes buttermilk fried chicken with fries, coleslaw and smoked red pepper aioli, along with a vegan baked vanilla cheesecake with raspberries.

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William & Victoria

William & Victoria will also be partaking in Restaurant Week, offering customers two courses for £15, or three courses for £20.

Customers can expect to see dishes such as honey glazed goats cheese, fresh Moules Marinière and affogato on the promotional menu.

The menu will be available during both lunch service from 12pm – 2.30pm, and dinner service from 5pm – 9m.

Rudding Park Hotel

Rudding Park Hotel’s Clocktower Brasserie is offering two courses and a glass of Prosecco for £20 during Restaurant Week.

The offer will be available from 12pm – 5pm during the promotional week.

Customers can choose their courses from the Restaurant Week menu.

For more information, click here.

The Clocktower Brasserie will be participating in Restaurant Week.

The Inn, South Stainley 

The Inn, South Stainley between Harrogate and Ripon is also offering a starter and main course for £20.

The offer is available during lunch and dinner services.

The Restaurant Week menu includes a homemade soup and giant Yorkshire puddings.

Harrogate gaming cafe launches fundraiser for autism calm space

A gaming café in Harrogate is raising money to create a calm space in its store designed specially for autistic customers. 

Geek Retreat has teamed up with autism support specialist KoKoPie Families to hit its £250 fundraising target and is already a third of the way there.  

Supporters can make a donation to guess the number of sweets in a large jar in-store or enter a prize draw to win a hamper. 

The initiative will culminate on Saturday, February 25, when the Geek Retreat will hold its main fundraising event at its Oxford Street premises, with a bake sale, portrait-drawing and game-play. 

Geek Retreat staff member Maddy said: 

“It’s really important to me and the team at Geek Retreat that everyone has a space where they feel safe and wanted. I already see this happening at Geek Retreat, and can’t wait to see how the fundraiser makes that goal include as many people as possible.” 

The funds will be used to supply sensory equipment, a film-screening licence and equipment, bean-bags, stim-kits, and inclusive books to add to the café’s diversity library. 

Nurse consultant Laura Hellfeld, who runs KoKoPie Families, said:  

“Partnering with Geek Retreat was a quick decision as we share a vision of creating inclusive and accepting spaces. The resources bought through this fundraiser will be incredibly valuable for ensuring even more community members know that they are valued and welcomed into a café that has been adjusted to fit their needs.” 

Geek Retreat is a national franchise operation, with about 50 stores across Britain. 

To donate to Geek Retreat’s inclusive calm space fundraiser online, go to its JustGiving page.

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