A plan to convert a former Cold Bath Road shop in Harrogate into a bar has been approved.

The proposal, which has been tabled by 17 Miles Ltd, will see the former store at 17 Cold Bath Road converted.

The building, next door to Lunns Blinds and Curtains, was previously occupied by Scandinavian clothes shop Bias, which has since moved to Montpellier Parade.

Now, North Yorkshire Council has approved a plan to convert it into a bar and cafe.

Documents submitted to the authority propose opening times from 4pm to 11pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 12pm to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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However, further details, including the name, have yet to be revealed.

Cold Bath Road already has a selection of pubs and bars, including the Fat Badger, District Bar and The Last Post.

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.

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has won a King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

The awards programme is presented by His Majesty King Charles III recognises outstanding UK business.

It has four categories including International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.

Garry Nield, international director for Taylors, said:

“We are honoured to have been recognised with this prestigious Award, especially in the year of His Majesty The King’s Coronation.

“Over the last six years the International Team at Taylors has worked extremely hard and showed unwavering commitment to share our Yorkshire passion for top quality tea and coffee with the world, building genuine, lasting relationships along the way.

“We have overcome challenges such as successfully delivering the adaptation of our packaging in advance of Brexit, not to mention the difficulties presented by the covid-19 pandemic.”

Harrogate BID showcases pop-up garden

Harrogate Business Improvement District showcased a pop-up garden at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show this past week.

The garden was on show for the full four days and was made in partnership with Harrogate International Partnerships.

Harrogate BID Manager, Matthew Chapman with BID Project Manager, Jo Caswell at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show with other representatives.

The arrival of a pop-up garden at the Spring Flower Show, marks Harrogate BID’s launch of this year’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration, a two-week long campaign which will run from July 12 to August 4.

Harrogate BID Manager, Matthew Chapman said: 

“After winning gold in last year’s Yorkshire in Bloom, and now being named as a finalist in this year’s 2023 RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals, we are on a roll in helping the town regain its floral crown and are ready to rise to the challenge!

“Harrogate is famed as a floral town, and over the years has won many accolades. Our floral campaign, delivered by BID Project Manager Jo Caswell, is designed to celebrate our floral heritage and international relations.

“This year’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration theme will focus on the international connections our great town has around the world, told through a series of unique displays.”

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A freelance entertainer is hoping to explore some of Harrogate’s most haunted places when he launches a series of ghost hunts this month. 

Paul Forster is a mind-reader, magician and tour guide and has already led almost 2,000 paying visitors around Harrogate’s haunted hotspots – or rather, cold spots – over the past 18 months during his twice-monthly ghost walks. 

He is now offering tickets for a ghost hunt at the historic Crown Hotel, and has been given exclusive access to some of its darker recesses. 

He said: 

“People always want to know what’s waiting for them behind the doors they’re not allowed to open, and now we can take them there.

“The Crown Hotel has some really interesting hauntings. Second World War RAF airmen have been sighted there, disembodied voices have been heard, and there has even been poltergeist activity in the cellar.

“This will be the first time the hotel has been investigated, so it will be fascinating to see what we turn up.”

The ghost hunt will take place between 9pm and 1am, with 30 guests splitting into small groups in the hopes of capturing evidence of unusual activity.

Paul will be working in conjunction with paranormal investigation firm Angelic Forces, using techniques including table-tipping and glass divining, as well as specialist equipment such as digital thermometers and thermal imaging cameras to measure temperature, humidity, and electromagnetic fields. 

There are just six tickets left for the event on April 29, but Paul has already scheduled further events at the Crown Hotel on June 10 and at the Turkish Baths on June 16. 

He said:  

“I’d always sat on the fence when it came to paranormal activity, but then I went to the Turkish Baths to speak to members of staff who had seen some apparitions, and I saw my first ever ghost when I was there. I even heard her laugh. It changed my entire belief system.” 

Paul – whose book, Haunted Harrogate, was published last year – now believes some apparitions may simply be an imprint, or “recording”, of one moment in someone’s life, rendered visible because energy has been left behind in objects, such as stone – a phenomenon described by the “Stone Tape Theory”. 

He hopes the events will attract both die-hard ghost-hunters and curious sceptics, but says whatever happens, the events will be unlike anything else. He said: 

“It’ll be interesting, different and exciting, and that’s just what Harrogate is. There are a lot of ‘stone tape’ ghosts in Harrogate. Because it’s a spa town, I think it may be something to do with the water flowing beneath us – it acts like a plug socket, giving them energy.  

“We can’t guarantee we’ll see some ghosts on the night, but, having spent time in these places myself, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we did.” 

Tickets for the Harrogate Ghost Hunt cost £49 and be booked online at www.harrogateghostwalk.com. 

Read more:

• Ghost hunt to be held at Harrogate’s Odeon
• Author on the hunt for Harrogate ghost stories
• Ghosthunting with a paranormal investigator on the Stray

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.

It is absolutely unbelievable that anyone can possibly see any reason to build houses on that site. We need a green space between Harrogate and Pannal.

The access onto that busy steep hill would be incredibly dangerous, so do no building there at all.

Alison Roscoe, Burn Bridge

Read More:

Time for a ‘rethink’ on Harrogate’s roads

It has been written and discussed recently that the council has been unable to deliver on active travel projects in Harrogate. This is largely true, apart from the Otley Road cycle path, but we might be best to leave that there.

There have been consultations and bids for various projects that might improve active travel in the town, but very few have come to fruition. Now that North Yorkshire Council are in charge, maybe it’s time for a short to mid-term rethink.

I have often believed many cycle schemes are veiled road improvements that are being paid for by active travel schemes. But things have come to a point whereby the roads are now becoming unsafe to cycle on due to the state of the road, not because of the vehicles.

Many roads around Harrogate have deep holes in them that a bit of surface dressing will not fix. The stones and small rocks that are coming out of the pot holes litter the road and the gutter is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate safely.

The road surface is dangerously pitted and uneven making it doubly dangerous for a cyclist to traverse. These road hazards are causing cyclists to swerve or take a different line on the road and this adds further dangers to all concerned. If you need a good example, look at Pannal Ash Road. This is a road with schools on it, where we expect our children to ride their bikes.

I don’t think there will be many arguments with these statements. What I would like to see in the short to mid term is for the council to make a concerted effort to return our roads to a state whereby they don’t cause risk or damage just by using them. Resurface badly damaged roads properly (not just surface dressing), sweep the gutters to remove the debris, and at least allow all road users to be able to travel safely. Active travel schemes are nice to have, but let’s not forget about what have already.

Scott Mordue, 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.

The Royal Hall in Harrogate is to host a six-hour long free event on May 27 to celebrate its 120th anniversary.

The 950-seat venue, which was originally called the Kursaal, was re-opened by then Prince Charles in 2008 following an £10.7 million restoration.

The Beatles, Yehudi Menuhin and Frankie Howerd are among the stars to have played there.

Music ranging from classical to pop to Gilbert and Sullivan will showcase the diverse acts the Edwardian venue has hosted since it opened in 1903.

Inside the Royal Hall. Pic by Jim Counter

The event, organised by the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, will begin at 10am with music and singing.

From 2pm, the Darren Busby Duo will provide music for line dancing and for those who prefer to waltz and foxtrot, the Harrogate Symphony String Quartet will play from 3pm to 4pm.

Gay Steel, of the restoration trust, said:

“Sit for a while in the grand circle or dress circle and let your imagination take you back to the hall’s Edwardian heyday when visitors would stroll around the building listening to the entertainment on offer.

“The grand hall’s sprung dance floor will be cleared for dancing apart from tables for afternoon tea.”

The dressing rooms will also be open to explore on the day.

The event is free but donations to the restoration trust will be welcomed.

Afternoon tea bookings can be made via the Royal Hall Restoration Trust website here. Alternatively, telephone 01423500500 or email enquiries@rhrt.org.uk.

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The head of a Nidderdale school will take part in today’s London Marathon to support a family affected by blood cancer.

Nathan Sadler, headmaster of Belmont Grosvenor School in Birstwith, will be taking to the streets of the capital this morning to raise money for Blood Cancer UK.

He’s running in memory of Philippa Badger, whose three children were pupils at Belmont Grosvenor, who was just 42 when she died from acute myeloid leukaemia last year.

Mr Sadler is raising money to support her widow James, who is aiming to raise £300,000 for research into the condition.

At the same time as the marathon begins, Mr Badger will be setting off on an eight-day cycle ride from Lands End to John o’Groats with three friends.

Mr Sadler said:

“As a school community we want to do as much as we can to support James and his family in their fund-raising efforts in memory of Philippa.

“James is a truly inspirational man who is driven to raise the funds needed for what could be a life-changing research project. All money raised on my JustGiving page will get added directly to James Badger’s fundraising pot, to help reach his target.

“I am proud to wear the Blood Cancer UK colours and am looking forward to the electric atmosphere on Sunday, especially as other members of the BGS Community will be running and spectating in London as well.”

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A keen runner who has already completed seven marathons, Mr Sadler will be taking on three more in the next four weeks. As well as London, he will be running in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on May 14 and a final 26.2 miles at Windermere on May 21.

To support Mr Sadler’s marathon efforts, click here.

Mrs Badger died just 36 hours after being diagnosed with AML on April 22 last year. Her children were aged 12, 10 and six at the time.

AML has a survival rate of just 10% and husband James is hoping to fund a three-year research project to improve its understanding and treatment.

Along with Richard Baldwin, Adam Ellis and Anthony Fraser, Mr Sadler is aiming to raise £100,000 through the 1,600km bike ride alone. He has already reached three-quarters of that target on his JustGiving page.

Firefighters were called to Harrogate District Hospital last night to remove a ring from the finger of an 11-year-old girl.

An appliance from Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road was summoned to the hospital ay 6.16pm last night.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log this morning said:

“A Harrogate fire appliance attended A&E to use an electric saw to remove a ring from the finger of an 11-year-old girl.”

It added the request to attend was made by medical staff and the unnamed child and mother were unable to travel to Harrogate fire station.

Last night also saw Knaresborough firefighters respond to a fire in a back garden on Whincup Avenue at 9.42pm.

The incident log said household items were being burned and advice was given.

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Ambitious plans to transform one of Harrogate’s most historic buildings into a care home and community facility look set to be determined within weeks.

Grove House, a grade two listed building off Skipton Road, was the home of Victorian inventor, philanthropist and mayor Samson Fox.

Harrogate businessman Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield Healthcare, bought the disused six-acre site four years ago for more than £3m.

Mr Lee plans to convert Grove House into 23 independent living apartments and build a 70-bed care home and eight houses providing supported living for over-65s on land alongside it.

How the 70-bed facility alongside Grove House will look.

He also wants to host an annual garden party for locals and let schoolchildren from nearby Grove Road Community Primary School participate in activities alongside residents and use the gardens for study and play as part of his vision for a new type of inter-generational and community care facility.

After months of delays in the planning process, Mr Lee said he was expecting a decision in the next month or two. He added:

“This a great opportunity for the council to bring this gem of a building back to life. The history around it is amazing.

“It will be brilliant for the community and would be a great way of honouring Samson Fox’s legacy.”

An artist’s impression of how Grove House would look.

It would be Springfield Healthcare’s eighth care home in northern England and second in Harrogate.

Mr Lee, whose company employs 1,600 staff, said he hoped work would start in autumn or winter and be completed by September 2025.

He said:

“The quicker we can get this under development the better. Grove House is deteriorating at a rapid rate and it would be a travesty if it didn’t happen.”

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A woman from Harrogate has been jailed for six months for threatening a person with a hammer.

Angela Gromett, 53, of Wetherby Road, pleaded not guilty to the offence, which occurred at her home in December last year.

But Gromett, who also uses the name Angela Bennett, was found guilty following a summary trial and was sentenced on Thursday at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

Court documents say she was jailed because it was “an unprovoked attack of a serious nature”.

Gromett was also ordered to pay £156 towards victim services.

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A Harrogate woman has published her first book, focussing on coercive control.

Emily Trisk wrote the novel, called Fractured Lives, to raise awareness of the issue.

The book focuses on Kate McConell, a mother of a 16-year-old, who realises that her life has been made unbearable by her abusive partner.

While the novel is not the story of Emily’s own experience, she hopes it will help to bring the issue to the forefront of people’s minds.

She said:

“Coercive control is an extremely important subject, the signs of which everyone should become more aware of.”

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Emily, a qualified teacher of children with severe learning disabilities, was the victim of domestic abuse herself.

However, despite the trauma, she said she “has always tried to look on the bright side of life”.

The novel is Emily’s first and she is currently researching material for her second book.

Fractured Lives is available on Amazon now. You can find out more information here.