Update: The match has been postponed for a week until Monday, August 7 due to the weather. Play will begin at Knaresborough Cricket Club at 6pm.

Beckwithshaw will take on Goldsborough in the final of cricket’s 20-over Addison Cup in Knaresborough tonight — weather permitting.

The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.

Burnt Yates won the centenary final last year at Follifoot Cricket Club.

Byron Boshoff was named man of the match in last year’s final.

Beckwithshaw have lifted the cup 18 times — a joint record with Bilton. The village team first won the trophy in 1924 and did so most recently in 2017.

They recently rejoined the league after a short break and are currently top of Division 3, having gone through the season undefeated so far.

By contrast, Goldsborough have appeared in two previous finals but have never lifted the trophy. They are joint second in Division 1.

Tonight’s match, which is free to attend, begins at 6.15pm at Knaresborough Cricket Club on Aspin Lane.

If the match is postponed due to weather it will be rearranged shortly afterwards.

Knaresborough Cricket Club

Can you solve the mystery of the 1930 trophy?

Last year Eric Wainwright discovered a winner’s medal from the first ever Addison Cup final whilst clearing out his father’s house.

This year Peter Horsman, secretary and treasurer of the league, was contacted by an antiques dealer in Canada who found an individual winner’s replica cup which it is thought was given to each team member from the final in 1930.

The antique dealer searched online to find out more about the Addison Cup and read about it in an article on the Stray Ferret.

The individual replica (pictured below) is an exact smaller copy of the main cup and is about three inches tall.

Mr Horsman said:

“In 1930 the winners of the cup were Woodlands, who went on to win it five years in a row from 1929 to 1933.

“It would be interesting to hear if anyone knew of somebody who played for Woodlands CC and who later moved to Canada so that we could trace who was presented with the individual replica.”

If you have information about the Woodlands team you can call Mr Horsman on 07798 582792 or email him at peter_horsman@hotmail.co.uk.

Read more:

• Burnt Yates beat Knaresborough in cricket’s Addison Cup final
• Sun shines on Yorkshire-Lancashire match in Harrogate

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In July, Labour’s Keir Mather became the new MP for Selby and Ainsty after overturning a 20,000 majority to unseat the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, the debate over the River Nidd bathing water status campaign continued and the Tories selected current North Yorkshire councillor, Keane Duncan, as their candidate for mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

We asked Ripon MP Julian Smith if he would like to highlight anything in particular, but did not receive a response.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• On July 5, Mr Jones welcomed the decision by rail companies not to close Harrogate station ticket office as part of plans to close hundreds of kiosks across the country.
• He also called for an apology from Lib Dem candidate Tom Gordon after he wrongly claimed the ticket office was due to close.
• Mr Jones called for a debate in parliament on July 13 over electric vehicle charging infrastructure. He said progress across the country had been “quite mixed”.
• On July 13, Mr Jones posted on his community news website that he hosted pupils from Harrogate Ladies College and St Aidan’s Church of England High School in parliament.
• Mr Jones welcomed the confirmation of Keane Duncan as Conservative candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire on July 17.
• On July 25, Mr Jones defended his involvement in a campaign to designate the River Nidd at Knaresborough bathing water status after Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Walker accused him of using it as a “political tool”.
• Mr Jones also welcomed North Yorkshire Council’s backing for the campaign.
• On July 25, Mr Jones posted a video of him taking part in a “Take The Bus” campaign, which encourages more disabled and older people to use free bus travel.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent a list of his engagements for July.

They included holding constituency surgeries, hosting a reception in Parliament on behalf the Rail Delivery Group to increase awareness of sexual harassment on the rail network and visiting Springwater School to meet with the headteacher and chair of governors. 

Others included visiting GirlGuiding West’s new headquarters development on Cornwall Road and hosting a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport across the North to discuss the new strategic transport plan.  

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons in July.
• On July 21, Mr Smith met with the Ripon Military Heritage Trust to discuss the trust’s plans to preserve military heritage in the city.
• On July 22, Mr Smith tweeted his congratulations to Labour’s Keir Mather after his victory in the Selby and Ainsty by-election. 
• Mr Smith posted 15 tweets on his Twitter account in July, which included promoting government grants and national funding announcements.

Read more:

• Labour overturns huge Tory majority to win Selby and Ainsty by-election
• Knaresborough councillor accuses MP of using Nidd sewage campaign as ‘political tool’

Two Harrogate business groups are to host a summer social to help firms strengthen collaboration together.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Business Improvement District are set to host the event at the Harrogate Inn on August 14.

The meeting will be held from 5.30pm until 8pm and include a networking session and drinks.

The event is open to members of the chamber and BID levy payers only.

For more information and to reserve a place, visit the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce website here.

Harrogate care company among top recommended providers

A Harrogate care company has been recognised as one of the top 20 in the UK at an industry awards.

Carefound Home Care, which has a branch in Harrogate, won the award at the homecare.co.uk awards.

recognised as a Top 20 home care group in the UK.

The company was among the top 20 most recommended care providers based on reviews at the website.

Reviews were also submitted by friends and relatives of people receiving home care in the UK, with the rankings intended to help people find home care that is right for their needs, location and budget.

Oliver Stirk, managing director of Carefound Home Care, said:

“Homecare.co.uk is the UK’s leading home care reviews site and plays an important role in giving families transparency when seeking support for loved ones.”

“We are enormously proud to have won this award for the second year running at Carefound Home Care.”

Read more:

• Councillors approve gambling arcade in Knaresborough despite addiction concerns
• Friday night live music returns to Montey’s in Harrogate

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.

Can anything be done to curb the increasing use of our pavements by cyclists and now e-scooters? 

“The other morning I was nearly knocked over near the Odeon by a youth riding an electric scooter at some speed on the pavement and last night a cyclist brushed past me from behind on the pavement in North Park Road. 

I am a fairly alert 72 year-old but I fear that one of our older residents or those harder of hearing will be injured or worse if something is not done. You just don’t hear them coming.

Stephen Oliver, Harrogate

‘Scruffy’ displays in Harrogate

Come on, Harrogate, this is not good enough.

One-hundred yards from the town centre and otherwise well-kept flower displays. This is not re-wilding – it is scruffy.

Picture and letter by Chris Graville, 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.

Read more: 

• Stray Views: Role of Mayor is bureaucracy “gone mad”
• Stray Views: Unelected council officers should not be making planning decisions

Thousands flocked to Harrogate town centre this morning for the Harrogate Carnival.

Starting at the war memorial and making its way down to Valley Gardens, a parade of dance, music and colour turned the town into a cultural hub.

Launched in 2019, the carnival is commissioned by Visit Harrogate – a tourism organisation run by North Yorkshire Council and produced by Harrogate International Festivals.

Cuisines from around the world, from Greek gyros to Japanese rice dishes to Turkish kebabs and churros were also available for foodies in the Valley Gardens.

Here is a selection of pictures from this morning’s parade.

Read more:

• Postman Pat illustrator to display work during Knaresborough arts festival
• Friday night live music returns to Montey’s in Harrogate

Staff from Harrogate District Hospital will be taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for new equipment.

Team ICU has set a fundraising target of £13,500 for the hospital’s intensive care unit, including a new MRI ventilator.

Eve Geldart, lead critical care nurse in the ICU, told the Stray Ferret how important the equipment is:

“As a service that is required to provide urgent lifesaving treatments to patients, it is important that we are able to perform specialised investigations like MRI in a timely manner.

“Currently, we would need to transfer intensive care patients to another hospital to get an MRI as we don’t have the specialised equipment that is needed to monitor and support their breathing during the test.

“An MRI compatible ventilator and patient monitoring system will allow us to provide this investigation for our patients at Harrogate District Hospital for the first time ever.”

Read More:

• Free rehabilitation offered to chronic pain sufferers in Harrogate
• Hard up Harrogate hospital staff sell back 2,000 days off in six months

The National Three Peaks Challenge involves tackling the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in just 24 hours.

Beginning at Ben Nevis in Scotland on 3 October, the team will cover a total distance of 23 miles, with an ascent of 3064 metres.

After taking on Scafell Pike in England, the team will finish their challenge the next morning by climbing Snowdon, in Wales, just before sunrise.

Sammy Lambert, who is taking part in the challenge, said:

“I’m excited to be taking part in the National Three Peaks challenge and can’t wait to start training and fundraising to raise vital funds, going above and beyond the provision of the NHS!

“Three years ago I had a horrendous injury and dislocated both my ankles.

“Following surgery to get me back on the road to recovery, I’m looking forward to this challenge and hoping to stay upright!”

To find out more and to donate click here

Harrogate man Adam Prentis loves a project.

Whether it be helping to set up Harrogate’s Parkrun on the Stray or trekking through the Sahara Desert in a feat of endurance, he has a taste for the more difficult tasks.

A keen runner, Adam took up the sport quite late in life when he was 46 years old.

From there, he’s chaired his local running club, set up a community park run and even been selected for Britain in the triathlon and duathlon events.

“I like doing things that are difficult,” he says.

But what motivates him to take on such projects and how did he arrive at the idea of setting up Parkrun?

Starting out

While some athletes are born to run and take on feats of endurance such as marathons, Adam’s story is slightly different.

Born in Bramhope before moving to Harrogate in the year 2000, Adam was, by his own admission, not “particularly fit” before he took up running.

“I was a typical businessman of the 80s and 90s who did a lot of corporate lunching and all of the business type stuff. I wasn’t particularly fit.”

In 2009, Adam’s friend had the New York Marathon down on his bucket list.

He set about training for the marathon. The schedule was tough and left him with injuries.

“In my particular case through my life choices and lifestyle, I’d been sitting in a chair a lot for most of my working career or sitting in a car.

“It took about two years for everything to settle down.”

Despite the hurdles starting out, Adam came up with a schedule for the New York Marathon and completed in November 2009 – an achievement which he describes as “life affirming”.

Adam competing for Great Britain.

But, for Adam, the marathons did not stop there. He is constantly on the lookout for new challenges.

“They are projects. I think if they were easy, then everyone would do them.

“But, if they are hard then they take an awful lot of project planning, training and effort. They give you structure and I happen to like structure in my life.

“For a good training programme, you know what you’re doing every day and every week for a long period of time and then you execute at the end of it. That execution might go well or it might go badly.”

Adam has since gone on to run the five marathon majors in Berlin, Boston, London, Chicago and New York – which he went back to run again three times.

‘The toughest footrace on earth’

Perhaps one of Adam’s most remarkable projects was the Marathon des Sables in 2013.

The feat of endurance tasks participants with six marathons in six days through the unforgiving climate and terrain of the Sahara Desert.

“You have to be absolutely off your rocker to sign up for it, really.”

Adam first came across the event when he was looking for his next project in 2012. 

He read a news article about the Marathon des Sables, which describes itself as the “toughest footrace on earth”, and that was enough to make him sign up.

The race is self supporting, meaning those taking part have to carry their own food, clothes and medical supplies for the week.

Adam flew in through Morocco for the event and took it on for his 50th birthday. 

“It’s an incredibly arduous event over six days in extreme temperatures. Your body falls apart slowly over those six days if you get it wrong.

“For anyone who has done it, it remains a marker in their life.”

The experience drove him to other projects, such as climbing Mount Everest in 2019.

Adam and his mountaineer friend, Chris Brown, climbed the mountain to base camp before running a marathon back down to the finish line at Namche Bazar in Nepal.

“It’s like running around a quarry, there’s a lot of broken debris under your feet.

“It’s incredibly arduous as an event. Just getting to the start line is arduous, a lot of people don’t get to the start line because they get altitude sickness.”

Adam pictured running the Everest marathon from base camp.

The terrain, temperature and environment around the Everest marathon is too much for some to handle.

Climbing the mountain to base camp took the pair two weeks to complete.

Meanwhile, the overnight temperatures dropped to -18 degrees and the diet on Everest saw Adam suffer some muscle wastage.

“For most people, once they get to base camp and they are there and they haven’t suffered altitude sickness too badly, they want to get down as quickly as possible.”

In between his projects, Adam has competed for Great Britain at triathlon and duathlon in his age category.

In 2018, he finished second in the World Championships in duathlon at the age of 55.

But, one of Adam’s proudest projects lies closer to home and can be seen in practice every Saturday morning.

Founding Harrogate Parkrun

In 2011, Adam secured a trial in Harrogate for a Parkrun.

The idea came to him when he was stood watching his son play football one Saturday morning on the Stray.

He had not long been running, but saw an opportunity to create something that people of all ages and abilities could take part in.

“I thought that Harrogate could have a Parkrun, why have we not got a Parkrun? So I set about investigating it.”

A Parkrun in Harrogate from 2015.

Adam approached Harrogate Borough Council about using the land near Empress roundabout, which was only used for football and dog walking at the time.

The council offered him a trial licence for the event.

“They came round and watched it and thought it was wonderful. They gave us a licence to start and it’s about 12 and a half years old now.

“It’s phenomenal, it’s been a really great success.”

Parkrun takes place every Saturday morning and sees men and women from beginners to aspiring athletes take part.

The success of Harrogate also saw Adam set up the Fountains Abby parkrun near Ripon.

Both now see on average 400 people take part each week.

For Adam, part of the reason for setting up the initiative in the first place was to offer something for everyone to take part in.

‘Harrogate needs a running track’

Recently, Adam has been looking for his next project.

This year, he stood down as chairman of the Harrogate Harriers running club after four years in post.

While there, he helped oversee the club through covid and the development of the junior and senior runners.

Now, he has his eye on a legacy project for the town – a running track.

“If you know anything about sport in Harrogate, it is lacking a running track.

“It is one of the only major towns in the country that doesn’t have a running facility that is accessible.”

Read more: 

• How Pateley Bridge man won two league titles with Leeds United
• Knaresborough Town pair championing women’s football after remarkable season
• Harrogate cricket club captain aiming for success after relegation survival

The town has two running tracks at the Army Foundation College and RAF Menwith Hill, but both are inaccessible to the general public.

For Adam, the lack of a facility is letting down potential athletes in the town who are forced to drive some 23 miles to York to train.

“I have a bee in my bonnet about it.

“Not because of my interest in running, particularly. But because we have an awful lot of football pitches and yet there aren’t a lot of Premier League stars coming out of Harrogate. We have cricket pitches everywhere, but there aren’t that many people who bat for England who come out of Harrogate.

“We have some really high national standard athletes in Harrogate and we do not have a facility that would be good for them to train on.”

Adam points out that a running track is not just about running, but also field athletics such as javelin, high jump and shot put.

He has tried for four years to make the project happen and get schools, landowners and the council on board to push it forward – but to no avail, so far.

But, despite the setbacks, it is still his ambition to try and get people interested in the idea and to create a facility for future generations.

“If I’ve got any ambitions at all, it’s that we build a legacy in town for athletics and sport.”

If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

A well-known Harrogate coffee shop has been put up for sale.

Brew Bar Harrogate, located on St Winifred’s Avenue near the Stray, offers a variety of coffees and breakfast foods, baked goods and a small retail shop. It’s a popular cafe for dog walkers and staff from nearby Harrogate Hospital.

The café opened in 2018 and then expanded into the next door unit. The owners have since opened another site in the centre of town called &…Harrogate.

The sale of the business comes as the owners “wish to concentrate their efforts on other business opportunities”, according to the listing agent.

The sale will set the buyer back £74,950 plus stock at valuation.

Read more:

• Brew Bar owner opens new Harrogate coffee shop
• A-ha’s sound man opens record shop and bar in Harrogate

The listing, represented by Alan J Picken The Business Transfer Agents, reports a turnover of £219,458 on 2023 accounts, as well as a net profit of around £60,000.

The listing says:

“Currently run on civilised day time hours, however offers immense scope to extend opening hours later into the evening or on weekends to take full advantage of its prime trading position and alcohol license in place, to increase sales and maximise profits.”

Brew Bar declined to comment when contacted by the Stray Ferret.

Harrogate has been in full bloom this week following the Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration, coordinated by Harrogate BID.

Nine innovative floral displays have been installed to represent the town’s international links, including its twinning with Luchon in France, Barrie in Canada and New Zealand in Wellington.

They displays follow the BID’s success at Yorkshire in Bloom 2022. Harrogate won overall winner in the Yorkshire Rose Town/City Centre BID category and was a finalist in this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals.

It is in partnership with Helen James Flowers — who won a gold medal in the Floristry Awards at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

The summery showcase will be on display until Friday, August 4.

Take a look at our gallery below in case you missed it.

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

Read more:

• Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration blossoms across town
• Businesses vote ‘yes’ to continue Harrogate BID