Local Harrogate News & Views around the district - Page 411 of 1176

Help fund life-changing tech for ‘little diamond’ Harrogate teen

The parents of a Harrogate teenager with cerebral palsy are aiming to raise £10,000 to fund a “life-changing” piece of equipment.

Piran, 15, is non-verbal and lives with agonising muscle spasms which he is unable to explain to his parents, John and Maria Smith.

The family is hoping to buy a Tobii Eyegaze, which would recognise Piran’s eye movements and enable him to communicate, as well as using learning apps and social media.

Maria told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s something he has used over the years, but it’s not very easily funded by the local authority. We’ve had a trial and borrowed it in the holidays, and he’s used it at school.

“They’re a lot of money, but they’re really worth it. If you can imagine never having told anybody anything, shared any feelings or concerns – even choosing is really difficult for him.

“It’s literally going to give him a way to share his personality with the world. It’s really life-changing kit.”

Piran was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after being born three months premature.

He was able to speak when he was a toddler, and could walk with a frame when he was young. He attended Willow Tree Primary School up until year six.

Now a pupil at Springwater School in Starbeck, Piran especially enjoys swimming.

However, as his body as grown, he has lost some of his abilities and is now in a wheelchair. He has also developed other health issues over the years including dystonia, which gives him cramps and spasms throughout his body.

Maria said:

“He isn’t in a good way physically, but he shines like a little diamond. He is the most bubbly, cheeky, wonderful boy, and he has a wicked sense of humour.

“At Willow Tree, he made friends with everybody. He loves music – he listens to everything from The Doors to Iron Maiden to Pavarotti.”

Maria and Piran

The couple’s first fundraising event was a walk of more than 40 miles, covering the Harrogate and Knaresborough Ringways.

It took place last weekend, during heavy thunderstorms, and saw them camp out over night in a two-man tent along the route.

Maria said:

“It’s a long, tough, hard battle as a family. You’re doctor, physio and everything else – you wear lots of different hats through the day. You do feel quite lonely, and every disabled family feels the same.

“For the first walk, everyone said, ‘we’ll do it with you’, but we wanted to do it alone.”

However, there are plans in place for a group walk in September, this time covering just 20 miles, and Marian and John have opened it to anyone who wants to take part.

Next year, she’s hoping to draw on her experience in motorsport to organise more events to raise funds and awareness for people with conditions like Piran.

To find out more about upcoming events, visit the Walk for Piran Facebook group. To donate to the family’s fundraising, visit the Go Fund Me page.

Missing Harrogate woman found metres from search area, inquest hears

A woman who went missing from her care home in Harrogate last summer was found two weeks later just metres away from a police search area, an inquest heard today.

Judith Holliday was 73 when she left her care home in Harrogate on the morning of Saturday, August 27.

Her body was found two weeks later, on Saturday, September 10, along the railway embankment at Weeton.

At an inquest held in Northallerton this morning, coroner Jonathan Heath heard a post-mortem was unable to ascertain a cause of death. However, the pathologist who carried it out said it was likely she died from hypothermia not long after she was last seen.

The inquest heard the alarm was raised after Ms Holliday, who had a condition affecting her brain after suffering two haemorrhages since 2015, left Harcourt Gardens around 10.30am on Saturday, August 27.

She said she was going to visit her niece, who lived nearby, but she never arrived, and police were contacted later that day. Mr Heath said:

“The reason that she left and signed herself out will, regretfully, never be known.”

The inquest heard a member of staff at Harrogate Bus Station saw an appeal for information and quickly passed CCTV footage of Judith passing by to North Yorkshire Police.

Further footage of her on Station Parade was then found, but the trail went cold after that.

Ms Holliday was seen on CCTV along Station Parade

Over the following days, as the appeal for information reached more people, a number of sightings of Judith were reported in North Rigton.

She had flagged down a car in south Harrogate around 2.40pm and the occupants had given her a lift to the village. The front-seat passenger, who was named in court, said Ms Holliday told them she was going to meet her friend, but later that she was going to visit her grandparents.

In a report read out during the inquest, the passenger said:

“She seemed very calm, quiet and composed when she got into the car.”

The occupants dropped her at the Square and Compass pub, where a waitress also reported seeing her at about 3.30pm.

Ms Holliday was reported to have walked through the pub and back out of the door, staying around two minutes. The waitress did not see which way she went after leaving.

The new information moved the police search to centre around the pub. Over the following days, the search expanded, following paths and routes away from the village and stretching down as far as the A658, which runs adjacent to the railway line south of the village.

During the inquest, Ms Holliday’s family said they were grateful for everyone’s help in the search, but asked why it had not extended further, to include the railway line.

PC Dan Preston, a specialist search advisor, said research showed that physical barriers in the land often stop people who are missing and unsure where they are. He said the road was 500m from the pub where she was last seen, adding:

“We have to draw a line and unfortunately that’s the line we draw at that point. I can’t offer you more than that, unfortunately.

“We got so close because of all the statistics we have… I understand you want the answers. It’s frustrating, because we were so close.

“I don’t think it would have changed the outcome, unfortunately.”

Meanwhile, a woman who saw the appeals for information to trace Ms Holliday made a report to police in the week following her disappearance.

She said she had seen a woman on the embankment adjacent to the railway near North Rigton around 6.20pm on the Saturday, as she travelled on the train from Kings Cross to Harrogate. In a statement read out at the inquest, the passenger said:

“I guessed she must be picking blackberries, though I did think it was strange she was in that location.”

However, officers who had been involved in organising the search told the hearing they had not been passed the details of that reported sighting.

The Dunckeswick Lane level crossing. Photo: Roger Templeman/Geograph

On Saturday, September 10, another passenger on a train between Harrogate and Leeds called police to report seeing what they believed was a body in the undergrowth.

Officers arrived and found Ms Holliday’s body around 200m west of the level crossing at Dunkeswick Lane.

She had moved into Harcourt Gardens in early June, where the inquest heard she had settled well. Mr Heath added:

“She had a loving and supportive family and, regretfully, in the latter part of her life she had had some health issues that meant that, effectively, she couldn’t live on her own.

“It would appear from what I’ve read that that was a good move for her, in that she quickly settled, she found friends and her communication skills improved.”

Mr Heath delivered a narrative conclusion, used when there is no clear evidence of a single cause of death.

He said the cause of Ms Holliday’s death was unascertained, but that it was confirmed when she was found by the railway line at Weeton on September 10, after she went missing on August 27.

St Aidan’s students bring a taste of Italy to Great Yorkshire Show

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Pupils of St Aidan’s School wowed the show crowds with a live cooking demonstration.

The Harrogate school was invited by Yorkshire Agricultural Society to demonstrate two “complex and highly skilled dishes” on the Great Yorkshire Food Theatre stage.

The year 10 GCSE food and nutrition students competed for a place in the spotlight and were tasked to make a challenging dish by teachers.

Teacher, Jenny Bettridge, said the judging was based on “the skill of the dish, as well as how well they presented it to the class – including discussing the dish they made.”

The four winners – Harriet, Grace, Izzy and Charlotte – cooked up a sweet and savoury open tart for the audience.

The pupils’ tarts.

Harriet and Grace produced an Italy-based pastry, baking the puff pastry from scratch, and topping it with tomatoes, pesto, ricotta, and serrano ham. Sue Nelson, host of the show’s food theatre, described it as “better than my own”.

Meanwhile, Izzy and Charlotte baked a fresh tart topped with custard, kiwi, summer berries, and topped with a strawberry coulis.

The students had pre-baked their pastry base but made fresh custard from scratch.

The girls demonstrated culinary skills and scientific knowledge of cooking, as Izzy made sure her custard “didn’t coagulate and become scrambled egg!”

Ms Betteridge told the Stray Ferret:

“I feel immensely proud that the pupils get to do this.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for young students and it’s a big thing to get on that stage.”

The girls attracted a crowd of hungry people who couldn’t wait to try their delicious dishes once finished.

Harrogate village bridge repairs set to last five weeks

Repairs to a Harrogate village bridge which has been closed since June are set to last five weeks.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on June 2.

The closure came after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge following a vehicle collision, prompting safety concerns.

Council officials have confirmed that repairs will start on the bridge on July 24 and last for five weeks. It will be closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the work.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, said:

“The maintenance of our often historic bridges across the county is a huge task for our officers and unfortunately there are times when we encounter unforeseen repair work.

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.”

PBS Construction (North East) Ltd has been awarded a £50,567 contract to carry out repairs on the bridge.

The company was also hired to construct the first phase Otley Road cycle path in September 2021.

Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Hampsthwaite on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible.

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.”

Call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land ‘waste of time’, says former animal welfare campaigner

A former animal welfare campaigner has described a call to ban trail hunting on North Yorkshire Council land as a “colossal waste of time”.

Jim Barrington, who is a former director at the League Against Cruel Sports but now advises the Countryside Alliance, said the motion which will be put before the authority next week “would do nothing to help animal welfare”.

At a meeting next week, Labour councillor Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, and Green councillor Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn, will table a motion calling for the practice to be prohibited.

Trail hunting involves laying an animal scent, usually urine, for hounds to track and is followed by a group on foot or horseback.

The practice is legal, but organisations such as animal welfare charity the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports have called for it to be banned.

At a meeting in May, Cllr Gareth Dadd, deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, said the council “can’t confirm” whether or not trail hunts take place on its land.

In their motion, Cllr Maw and Warneken said the hunts had been used as a “loophole to carry on hunting foxes and other animals”.

However, Mr Barrington said the move would only “fuel prejudice” against rural communities.

He said:

“This motion does nothing to help animal welfare, but everything to fuel prejudice against rural people. Submitting this motion is a colossal waste of time, when there are so many genuine issues facing people living across North Yorkshire, not least the cost-of-living crisis.

“We sincerely hope councillors from across North Yorkshire reject this anti-rural motion in the first instance. There can simply be no justification whatsoever to ban a lawful activity on council owned land.”

Meanwhile, the Countryside Alliance has said it will be contacting North Yorkshire councillors calling on them to reject the motion at the meeting on July 19.

The move comes as other organisations have called on the government to change the law on trail hunting.

A pressure group called Time For Change, which is led by the League Against Cruel Sports, was set up last month to lobby ministers to strengthen the Hunting Act.

It includes 32 animal welfare charity groups such as the RSPCA, Human Society International UK, Cats Protection and PETA.

Andy Knott, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports, said:

“We’ve known since very soon after the Hunting Act 2004 was introduced that hunts were using its many exemptions – and something they call trail hunting – to carry on chasing and killing wildlife with hounds.

“We and other like-minded organisations have been calling out for the law to be strengthened, for its many exemptions to be removed, and for trail hunting to be outlawed.”

Three schools near Harrogate to share executive head under new agreement

Three village schools near Harrogate and Knaresborough have agreed to work in partnership in a move leaders say will benefit pupils and staff.

Goldsborough Church of England Primary School and Sicklinghall Community Primary School formed the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation in 2015.

Now the federation has entered into a less formal “collaborative agreement” with Admiral Long Church of England Primary School at Burnt Yates.

The move will see federation executive headteacher Zoe Ellis also become executive headteacher at Admiral Long in September and work across all three sites.

Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates.

A letter from to parents from Cerys Townend, chair of the federation’s governing board, said it was “approached by the local authority to enter into a collaborative agreement with another small school”.

It added the move “provides an exciting new opportunity to learn and develop as well as building the financial resilience of all three schools”.

The letter said the schools “share core values rooted in Christian beliefs and practice” and “high quality learning opportunities”. It added:

“By sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources, the schools can enhance their educational offerings and provide a more enriching experience for their pupils.

“Collaboration enables the schools to pool their strengths, resulting in a wider range of learning opportunities, improved teaching practices, and a more comprehensive curriculum.”

Admiral Long is 11 miles from Goldsborough and 10 miles from Sicklinghall.

‘Exciting opportunity’

The Stray Ferret asked the council why the collaboration was happening and what impact it will have on staffing and finances.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at the council, replied in a statement:

“This is an exciting opportunity for Admiral Long CE Primary School to work in collaboration with the Goldsborough Sicklinghall Federation, led by executive headteacher Zoe Ellis and her team from the start of September.

“The collaboration will help the schools to work together, share expertise and resources for the benefit of pupils, staff and the wider school communities.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate care company appoints new chief executive

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate district care company has appointed a new chief executive.

Homes Together, which is based on Victoria Avenue, provides accommodation for disabled people across Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

The company has appointed David Ashton-Jones as its new chief executive, as well as restructuring its senior management team.

Mr Ashton-Jones said:

“I am incredibly proud to take on the role of chief executive at Homes Together.

“This is an organisation that means a lot to me and I look forward to helping drive exceptional residential care for disabled young adults across our 13 different services in both Harrogate District and Gateshead.”

Meanwhile, the firm has also unveiled plans to invest in its training, infrastructure and technology in an effort to improve its services.

Harrogate company reaches sustainability targets

A Harrogate company has celebrated achieving three of its sustainability targets.

Techbuyer, which is based on Hornbeam Park, set nine targets including responsible consumption and production, quality education and good health and wellbeing.

The targets were set in line with the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, which were drawn up in 2015.

Steve Sexton, group managing director of Techbuyer.

Techbuyer has now reached three of the goals ahead of its 2025 deadline.

Of those it has achieved include logging 15,000 hours of staff physical activity, £3 million in savings for educational institutions and promoting sustainable technology to 5,000 organisations.

Steve Sexton, group managing director at Techbuyer, said:

“As a global organisation we are proud to be able to align our own ESG efforts with a number of the UN Sustainability Development Goals focused specifically on where we feel we can take meaningful action and make a real difference.”

GALLERY: The animals stole the show on day 3 of Great Yorkshire Show

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID

Day 3 of the Great Yorkshire Show saw showjumping champions, celebrity specials, and award-winning livestock.

The long-awaited Ripon Select Foods Cock O’ the North drew in hundreds as the day came to a close. The event saw four trebles cleared by the end, but it was Annabel Shields on Creevagh Carisma, of County Durham, who took home title with more than two seconds in hand over the other three treble clears.

Ms Shields said:

“When you grow up in this area, it is the only thing you want to win.

“I never thought I would ride in it, let alone win it!”

TV presenter, Matt Baker MBE took centre stage at the Cheese and Dairy Show, while Peter Wright, the Yorkshire Vet, was a special guest in the Garden Show. Both also took a trip to the Forestry section and tried their hands horse logging and stick making.

The day also saw more award-winning cattle. The Blythewood Dairy Pairs title went to Messrs DN Lindsay’s Ayrshine junior cow, Mid Ascog Patricia III, while the Dairy Supreme Championship was taken home by Ian Collins and Partners.

The Supreme Beef Championship was won by a six-year-old British Simmental.

With more than 3,000 entries in sheep classes this year — a record number of entries — both MV and non-MV sheep went head-to-head in the Overall Supreme Championship, which was won by Suffolk from Stockport.

Julian Collings, of Cornwall, has been showing his pigs for 53 years and, today, took home The Supreme Pig Championship award with British Lop sow, Liskeard Lulu 59. This was Mr Collings’s first inter-breed win.

Charity, Sheffield Environmental Movement, were also at the show and brought a group of pupils from Fir Vale School in the city. A member of the charity, Maxwell Ayamba, regularly invites other groups from the area to the show, including Roshni Asian Women’s Resource Centre and Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association.

The final day of the Great Yorkshire Show is sold out – tickets will not be sold on the door.

The opening times are 8am to 6pm on all four days. Find out what’s on tomorrow here.

If you missed the show today, take a look at our gallery below for a sneak peek.

The Yorkshire Vet strutting his stuff on the catwalk. Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

TV stars Peter Wright and Matt Baker MBE. Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

Pic: Great Yorkshire Show Website.

No trains on Harrogate line for two days next week amid strikes

No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough next week as staff stage further walkouts.

Members of the RMT Union are set to strike on Thursday, July 20, and Saturday, July 22, over a pay dispute.

A further walkout will take place on Saturday, July 29.

Northern, which operates trains between York and Leeds through Harrogate, has announced that the industrial action will affect services.

The company has said no trains will run on strike days and early morning services on Friday (July 21) and Sunday (July 23) are also expected to be disrupted.

Northern has urged people to check train times ahead of planning a journey.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“Yet again, thousands of our customers will be inconvenienced as a result of this action by the RMT union.

“We all want to see an end to this dispute and the uncertainty that on-going strike action causes to people’s confidence in the railway.”

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said the strike was a result of ministers failing to put forward a “package that can settle this dispute”.

He said:

“This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.

“My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers.

“Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution.”

Councillors raise concerns about role of planning committees on North Yorkshire Council

Councillors have raised concerns about how planning committees have been operating on the new North Yorkshire Council, with some meetings being cancelled due to a lack of suitable applications.

North Yorkshire Council created six planning committees organised by parliamentary constituency areas where a group of cross-party councillors meet around once every six weeks to approve, refuse or defer large or controversial planning applications.

Previous planning committees held on the old district councils would regularly have an agenda of three or more applications for councillors to debate.

But the Skipton & Ripon planning committee last week had just one application for a garage conversion and other committees including Harrogate & Knaresborough and Selby & Ainsty have had meetings cancelled altogether as nothing was brought forward by officers.

Conservative councillor for Bentham & Ingleton, David Ireton, said he believes the current situation is unsustainable.

He said:

“If we’re getting so few applications we will in my view see amalgamation of planning committees.

“By the time you’ve travelled, you’ve spent an afternoon to discuss one application. We’re in danger of losing our identity as a constituency planning committee.”

Councillors who sit on planning committees are able to ‘call in’ particularly contentious applications in their areas, but only if there are sound planning reasons.

North Yorkshire Council planning officer Neville Watson said more applications are now being decided by officers but promised that councillors will still be able to bring forward applications to committee if they meet the threshold.

He said:

“You will end up with a reduced number of applications but they will be the more contentious or difficult applications and the planning committee is the proper forum for that.

“That’s the way things are moving.”

This appeared to frustrate Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, Andy Brown, who said:

“I do want my say. I think I’m entitled to that because I’ve been elected.”

Conservative councillor for Wathvale & Bishop Monkton, Nick Brown, suggested that planning officers had been too powerful on Harrogate Borough Council and said he hoped councillors would be trusted to make key planning decisions on the new authority.

He said:

“I do think from past experience in Harrogate that councillors were not thought of in a helpful light. If a member knows there’s an application that should be contentious then their view should be held.”

The next Harrogate & Knaresborough planning committee is on July 25 and Skipton & Ripon will be on August 1.

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‘Exciting opportunity’

Harrogate company reaches sustainability targets

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