Celebrities and cosplay fans were in Harrogate at the weekend for the two-day Comic Con Yorkshire.

John Cleese led the line-up of comic, TV and film stars at Yorkshire Event Centre, which is situated at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Comic Cons enable fans to meet their heroes and cosplay as their favourite characters.

They have been held around the world for years but this was the first such venture in Harrogate.

Here are some photos of the event.

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• Hope for tourism boost as John Cleese heads to Comic-Con in Harrogate
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All images by Tyler Parker

A Harrogate man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after magistrates told him they were giving him a chance to avoid getting into more trouble.

Aaron Peter Wilson, 44, of Russell Street, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court to be sentenced on 16 charges on Friday.

The offences were committed on six separate dates between July 2022 and March this year.

They included six counts of assaulting people by beating them and one of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence.

There were also eight counts of criminal damage, all of which were committed on cars in Harrogate and Knaresborough. The value of the damage caused ranged from £11.85 to £510.

Prosecuting, Alison Whitely told magistrates the victims had often encountered Wilson in the street:

“These people are members of the public minding their own business who have been randomly picked on, either by their property being damaged or being assaulted.”

Ms Whiteley highlighted Wilson’s history, which included 26 previous offences.

She said some of the crimes he was being sentenced for on Friday were committed while he was subject to a community order for a separate offence.

Read more:

• Harrogate man jailed for perverting course of justice
• Knaresborough luxury car dealer faces 16 fraud charges

However, in defence, Martin Townend of Watson Woodhouse Solicitors told the court that most of the offences took place between July and September 2022, with just one incident in March 2023.

He said Wilson had been out of trouble since his last conviction in 2018, a period when he was “in a good state of health”.

He said:

“Mr Wilson has been diagnosed with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. When he was younger, he did some voluntary work in Bosnia when the conflict was in force.

“He saw things in that country that have affected his mental health. When he has flashbacks, he drinks to make those flashbacks stop.”

Drinking problems

Mr Townend said all Wilson’s offending had occurred when he had been drinking. He often then made loud comments in public, such as accusing people of being drug dealers or paedophiles, causing strangers to object, which led him to lash out.

Since the last offence, Mr Townend said Wilson had found work through one local charity and was volunteering with another. He had also joined an organisation offering support with staying sober.

Mr Townend added:

“In the main, he is sticking to not drinking, because he realises the drink is the catalyst for this behaviour… he has started to look at himself, not really like what he has seen, and he has taken steps himself to do something about it.”

The magistrates were given a lengthy report to consider, including psychiatric assessments, before deciding how to sentence Wilson.

For all 16 offences, he was given a total prison sentence of 26 weeks, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to wear an alcohol tag for 120 days, meaning if he drinks during that time he will be made to return to court if he drinks. He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity.

Magistrates imposed a victim surcharge of £154, but did not award costs because of Wilson’s limited means. Nor did they award compensation, saying no invoices had been submitted to account for the value of the damage done to the cars.

Wilson was warned that some of the three magistrates had wanted to send him straight to prison. The suspended sentence, he was told, was a “very serious order” and if he got in any trouble during its term, or failed to comply with the other requirements, he would be jailed.

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm.

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

A sales manager is celebrating reaching a milestone 20 years working at a Harrogate district estate agents.

Alison Reilly has worked at the Pateley Bridge office of Dacre, Son & Hartley since 2003.

Since then, she has sold hundreds of properties throughout Nidderdale and is currently working on a £1.5m property which would be her most expensive to date.

Ms Reilly, who grew up and lives in Pateley Bridge, said:

“Over the years I have helped bring many amazing properties to the market, but the most memorable has to be The Temple at Glasshouses. 

“The tiny circular building with a pointed roof had planning consent to be converted into a one-bedroom holiday let. It was a stable at one point and sits beside the River Nidd, close to the weir on the footpath from Glasshouses to Pateley Bridge and it was unlike anything I had ever brought to the market before.”

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley, said: 

“Alison has her finger on the pulse of Pateley Bridge and is a real professional, who is dedicated to our business and our clients.”

Harrogate environmental firm appoints new director

A Harrogate environmental company has appointed a new director to the firm.

Adler and Allan, which is based off Station Parade, has announced Mike Williamson as managing director of its new water services division.

Mike Williamson, new director at Adler and Allan.

Mr Williamson joins the company from Severn Trent Services, the commercial arm of Severn Trent Plc, where he was managing director for four years.

On his new appointment, he said:

“I am delighted to be joining Adler and Allan at what feels like a critical moment.

“They have a rich history and are rightly respected as a premier provider of environmental services in certain sectors of the UK market. But they have also been transforming through acquisition over the last two years.

“We now have an exciting opportunity to bring all of this together to become the leading provider of environmental services across the water sector.”

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Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate is appealing for sponsors to support a major new exhibition this summer. 

The show, called Total Recall: Myth and Memory, will feature archive works and new acquisitions, as well as some contemporary works by five young Northern artists.  

Co-curator Joe Nickols said: 

“We are exhibiting some highlights from our collections, including John Piper prints, paintings of Harrogate by  John Atkinson Grimshaw, and intriguing works by Cândido Portinari.

“New acquisitions come from Lisa Dracup, Kate Mellor, Caroline Walker, Dorothy Cross, and Martin Creed. To complement this we are working with five contemporary Northern artists to further the exhibitions resonance to our area and explore how art is developing. These artists are: Sally Barker, Ka Bird, Jill McKnight, K Walker, and Hang Zhang.

“The exhibition is a great opportunity for these new artists to show their work in a public gallery. We are hoping to grow a budget of around £2,000, which will go to support the artists, transportation of artwork, and outreach production costs. The Mercer Art Gallery is striving to be more inclusive and grow engagement with the local community, and this exhibition is part of this progression.”

A detail from plmvlt, a 2021 work by Newcastle artist Ka Bird.

The exhibition, due to run from July 13 to the end of October, will feature some pieces that have been seldom seen, as well as others which may be more familiar to viewers, such as a copy of Work No. 88 by Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed. The work caused considerable controversy and made headlines internationally when it was first unveiled in 1995, as it consists simply of a “sheet of A4 paper crumpled into a ball”. 

Joe said: 

“Some people don’t enjoy that piece, but it does ask a lot of questions. What was it? What memory was inside it? What does it contain?” 

Mercer Art Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of works by Yorkshire-born Martin Creed, in collaboration with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. 

Creed’s Work No. 370 Balls 2004 fills the entire main gallery at the Mercer. The vast installation features nearly 1,000 balls of different scale, weight and texture. Visitors will also be able to see Creed’s iconic neon Work No. 890: Don’t Worry 2008 alongside Work No. 1340 2012, a large-scale wall painting of diagonal stripes. 

Artist Rooms Martin Creed runs until July 2, and admission is free. 

For information on Mercer Art Gallery and its exhibitions, go to its page on the North Yorkshire Council website. 

Read more:

• Turner Prize winner’s work to go on display in Harrogate
• Just 1% of Harrogate council’s art collection on public display
• New exhibition at Mercer shows work of artists with disabilities

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.

As a long-term resident of the Boroughbridge Road area I am ‘pre-warning’ of a potential major accident in the stretch between Stockwell Road junction and Bar Lane Roundabout.

Forgive my ‘remembrance’ but the last time I consulted the Highway Code it stated that “bar special circumstances”, it is illegal to park within 10m of a junction.

There is a constant presence of vans, cars, trucks and 4WD monsters parked on Boroughbridge Road opposite to Somerley Lane, Norwood Court, Norwood Close and even Chain Lane.

Which means that traffic emerging from these roads has to take account of the fact that heavy traffic headed towards Boroughbridge has to divert to lane two to avoid the illegally parked traffic and the traffic heading Knaresborough bound has to both award the turning traffic and the oncoming traffic.

As a vast amount of this traffic is HGV and white vans, there will be a major disaster.

In any event parking on the pavement is also illegal. A good case for lots of yellow lines.

Maurice Johnson, Knaresborough

Motorbikes on the Greenway

Just a quick note to inform that there are now regular instances of motorbikes being ridden on these paths. We back onto the paths at the top end of Bilton Lane and almost daily hear and partially observe the mask-wearing so-and-so’s disregarding other users. Usually in small groups, particularly in the evening.

Would be useful to get this on the police radar before any person or pet are injured.

Richard Chester, Harrogate

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A Harrogate homeless man has been given an 18-week suspended prison sentence for threatening to kill a policeman.

Ryan Hopper, 20, admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Harrogate on Thursday.

Hopper, of Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, threatened the officer on Rudbeck Drive in Harrogate on May 14 this year.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting the same officer on the same day on Dalby Avenue.

Court documents said he was given a custodial sentence because of his previous record and the fact the offences were committed while he was subject to a community order. He was also fined £240.

However, the prison sentence was suspended for 18 months because there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”, the documents added.

Hopper received a community order on January 5 this year for affray, possessing class B drugs, possessing an offensive weapon and threatening violence on Bower Street.

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A Harrogate barrister has been announced as the youngest ever black and minority ethnic crown court judge in the UK.

Ayesha Smart, 34, can now sit as a Recorder in crown courts across the north east of England.

As well as being the youngest non-white person to take up the role, she will be the third youngest person from any background to be selected.

The process of becoming a judge is complex, involving two sets of exams, a role play exercise and an interview – and the final approval has to be given by the King.

Ayesha told the Stray Ferret:

“Everybody says it takes several goes at the process to get through, so I thought I would give it a go and at least I know what it’s like.

“I anticipated I might be one of the youngest ones in the exams, so I assumed I wouldn’t get anywhere. It was a bit of a nice surprise when I got it!”

Ayesha, who lives near Killinghall, attended Ashville College when she moved to Nidderdale with her family when she was 14.

She went on to study A levels in biology, chemistry and maths, as well as music which she sat early, at St Aidan’s and St John Fisher Associated Sixth Form, before completing an undergraduate degree in medical sciences at the University of Leeds.

Her first professional job was as a pathologist at Harrogate District Hospital, but she decided to turn to the law and completed a conversion course in Leeds.

Quickly securing a pupilage place to complete her training, she was called to the bar in 2014, and has since been working in crown courts around Yorkshire.

Her appointment as Recorder, confirmed on Wednesday this week, means she will undertake an induction before sitting in the role for at least 30 days a year.

Ayesha says she is not nervous about the appointment, adding:

“I come from a science background before I went into law. For me, analysing things and coming to a decision is the bit I find easier.

“For the induction course, we get packed up in a group of other Recorders. Having to do it all in front of them will be slightly nerve-wracking!

“I’m kind of excited – I just want to get going.”

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To begin with, Ayesha will continue to work as a barrister part-time. She can then decide whether to continue the dual role or move to be a full-time judge.

She hopes she will help the justice service to tackle a huge backlog of cases that has built up in recent years. She added:

“One of the two-day trials I’m working on, the earliest date we could get for the trial was next October. That’s how backlogged everything is at the moment.

“If one of my trials [as a barrister] collapses and I end up with a bunch of dates free, they may say, ‘we’ve got some cases you can hear’.”

And that is not the only way in which Ayesha hopes to make a difference.

As a pioneering BAME woman, she is aware that her presence will be noticed by the people in front of her.

She said:

“The bar, as a profession, is all old, white, posh people. At least with people like me coming through, it’s a bit more representative of society.

“So many defendants aren’t white. If they see people more like them, it just helps in giving a better perception of fairness.

“Having somebody slightly younger probably helps as well – a more modern way of thinking rather than an old-fashioned approach to everything.

“The drug sentencing guidelines, they’ve had to put a reminder to judges that Blacks and Asians typically get a harsher sentence and ask them to remember that.

“Having someone who appreciates cultural differences and biases, you are a bit more alive to making sure people are treated equally.”

North Yorkshire Council has revealed the spend for councillor’s locality budgets for the last financial year.

Each councillor on the authority is given a budget of £10,000 to spend in the area they represent.

The money is spent on small schemes which “promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent”.

This can include items for local charities, maintaining public footpaths and cleaning memorials or attractions.

Projects and activities can include services provided by the council provided that these are additional to normal service levels and do not create an ongoing expenditure commitment for the council

Here is a breakdown on what councillors in the Harrogate district spent in the last financial year.

Cllr Chris Aldred – High Harrogate and Kingsley

£2,000 Provision of essential items for the Winter Warmth Project / Harrogate District Foodbank

£1,000 Fund the purchase and planting of new trees on the Stray in Harrogate / Harrogate Borough Council Parks and Environmental Services

£750 Fund the children’s visit and travel costs to the Elf Village in Harrogate / Grove Road Community Primary School

£2,000 Purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & District Community Action

£3,000 Provide a contribution towards the creation of the sensory garden / Harrogate Neighbours

£1,250 Fund the Willow workshop, Willow planting and pond development at the school / Northern Star Academies Trust at Harrogate High School

Cllr Margaret Atkinson – Masham and Fountains

£1,090 Fund the rent increase and purchase of projector and trolley / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Atkinson died last year while serving as a councillor

Cllr Philip Broadbank – Fairfax and Starbeck

£5,000 Fund phase two of new playground equipment at the school / Willow Tree School Parent Teachers Association.

£5,000 Fund the replacing of the door to the ground floor side entrance at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

Cllr Barbara Brodigan – Ripon Ure Bank and Spa

£1,195 Purchase of tools, equipment and a customised picnic bench / Ripon Community Link.

£500 Fund the cutting of the grass verges and planting flowering bulbs along Ripon by-pass / Ripon Rotary Club.

£500 Fund the venue hire and equipment for the 5th Poetry Festival in Ripon / Ripon Poetry Festival £1,000 Fund the provision of financial literacy advice and guidance for the community hub / Ripon Community House.

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the materials for children’s workshops and activities in Ripon Library / Ripon Theatre Festival.

£1,000 Fund the wool and fixings for the knitted displays around Ripon / Ripon Community Poppy Project.

£1,009 Purchase of a digital printer for the students / Evolve.

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Cllr Nick Brown – Wathvale and Bishop Monkton

£2,000 Provision of a traffic management scheme with a 40mph speed limit in Cundall Village / Cundall and Norton le Clay Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of a VAS for Sharow Village / Sharow Parish Council.

£1,500 Fund the purchase of materials and equipment for the creation of a Garden of Sanctuary/Bishop Monkton CE Primary School.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Marton Le Moor Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Hewick and Hutton Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Roecliffe and Westwick Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Wath and Norton Conyers Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / North Stainley with Sleningford Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Cundall and Norton Le Clay Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Langthorpe Parish Council.

£312.50 Purchase of food, refreshments, prizes and decorations for the village community Coronation event / Rainton with Newby Parish Council.

Councillor Sam Gibbs (centre) at the installation of tree lights in Harrogate

Cllr Sam Gibbs – Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

£1,500 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£3,000 Fund the materials to carry out building and plumbing repairs and install LED lights / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£4,000 Purchase and installation of ‘ball catch’ netting and a rope barrier / Harrogate Pythons RUFC £1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow – Knaresborough East

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites.

£1,000 Fund the staffing costs for the kiosk at Conyngham Hall / Chain Lane Community Hub. £1,250 Fund the purchase of a replacement cooker for the Wellbeing Hub’s kitchen /Knaresborough Wellbeing Hub.

£750 Provision of funding for the festive tea party, catering and Christmas project / Knaresborough Lions Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,500 Fund the support for the running costs of the Junior Youth Club / Inspire Youth Yorkshire. £1,000 Installation of a defibrillator and cabinet in Old Scriven Village, Knaresborough / Scriven Parish Council.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Michael Harrison – Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate

£500 Purchase of reusable plastic glasses for the event in July / Hampsthwaite Feast.

£1,000 Fund the restoration of the flagpole at the village church / Hampsthwaite PCC.

£1,160 Fund the improvements to PROW 15.65/18/1 at Crag Lane Killinghall to improve safety and accessibility / NYCC PRoW.

£1,340 Provide a contribution to the operational costs of the No 24 Winter Bus Service / Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£750 Fund the preparation of drawings for the expansion project / Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall.

£300 Fund a contribution to the running costs and white goods replacement / Hampsthwaite Village Room.

£3,950 Fund the resurfacing of the public footpath in the churchyard forming the Medieval Way/Hampsthwaite – Thomas a Becket Church.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of various potential initiatives in the parish / Killinghall Parish Council.

£500 Fund a contribution to the cost of the digital champion / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library

Cllr Paul Haslam – Bilton and Nidd Gorge

£2,558 Fund the room hire and volunteer costs for the weekly support group / New Beginnings.£3,438 Provide a contribution to the running costs of New Park Grocery / New Park Resurrected Bites.

£749 Fund the purchase of essential cleaning products and accessories for the River Nidd water improvement project / Bilton Conservation Group.

£750 Fund 6 months of rent for Dean Park Community Group / St Johns Church Bilton.

£345 Purchase a replacement folding table and banner for the library / Bilton and Woodfield Library.

£2,160 Purchase fleeces for the volunteers and 2 months fresh fruit & veg / Harrogate Foodbank.

Cllr Peter Lacy – Coppice Valley and Duchy

£1,500 Purchase soft furnishings and equipment for the ‘Warm & Well’ space / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the Pikorua sculpture in the New Zealand Garden in the Valley Gardens in Harrogate /Harrogate International Partnerships.

£1,500 Fund the trip to Harrogate Theatre for pupils to see the pantomime / Coppice Valley Primary School.

£1,000 Purchase a vehicle activated sign for the village / Duchy Residents Association.

£2,960 Purchase of furniture and fittings for Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre / Birk Crag Girl Guiding Centre.

£982 Fund the plants, materials and labour for the Bog Garden at Coppice Valley Primary School / Horticap Nursery.

£558 Fund the cost of converting Harrogate Community House to high quality LED lighting with individual controls / Harrogate & District Community Action.

Cllr John Mann – Oatlands and Pannal

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£4,000 Funding of the general running costs for Oatlands Community Centre / The Trustees of Oatlands Community Centre CIO.

£1,500 Purchase and installation of a commemorative bench for Queen Elizabeth II / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

£3,500 Fund the re-furbishment, replacing and provision of additional lights within the 7-8 trees on the Green / Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council.

Cllr Pat Marsh – Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone

£300 Purchase of training balls and match balls, with any remainder put towards coach transport to away matches / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£500 Fund the minibus hire and activities to support people with Dementia / Dementia Forward.

£300 Purchase of gardening equipment for junior school children / Hookstone Chase Primary School £380 Purchase a speed radar gun / The Langcliffe Community Group.

£1,000 Fund the WOW walk to school scheme / Oatlands Infant and Junior Schools.

£2,000 Fund the purchase and installation of LED lighting at Harrogate Community House / Harrogate & Area Council for Voluntary Service Ltd.

£500 Fund the heating costs for the Warm Wednesday community club / Oatlands Community Group.

Cllr Andrew Murday – Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale

£1,500 Fund the co-ordination of the community transport service/Nidd Plus Partnership.

£750 Fund the accommodation, transport, catering, tutors’ fees, venue hire, music purchase and hire for the winter residential course / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£1,500 Fund the winter Sunday service on bus route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge/Dales & Bowland Community Interest Co.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a servery with disabled access in the foyer of the Playhouse/Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£725 Purchase of materials to enclose the kitchen in the workshop / Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed CIO.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of materials for the redecoration of the Pateley Playhouse / Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society.

£1,000 Fund the maintenance of the Christmas lights / Pateley Bridge Town Council.

£1,000 Fund the resurfacing of the courts at Dacre Tennis Club / Dacre Tennis Club.

£1,000 Purchase a replacement oven for the village hall kitchen / Dacre and Hartwith Village Hall.£525 Fund a contribution towards the Digital Champion Coordinator’s salary / Nidderdale Plus Community Hub.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos – Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale & Tockwith

£300 To purchase a replacement battery for the defibrillator / Wighill Parish Council

£1,000 Fund the materials and hire of the petting farm for the show / Tockwith and District Agricultural Society.

£500 Fund the printing of the parish and village Christmas edition of the magazine / The Church of the Epiphany.

£300 Provision of an ice cream van for the pupils on the last day of term / Tockwith CE Primary School.

£1,000 Fund the replacement and installation of new equipment for the play area / Kirkby Overblow Summer Arts Festival.

£300 Fund the coach hire for the ladies’ team away games / Harrogate Rugby Club.

£400 Fund the purchase of a Christmas tree and refreshments for the carol service / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a second defibrillator at the other end of the village / Kirk Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the room hire for the weekly sewing and chatting club / The Crafty Hens.

£800 Purchase and install a new notice board for the village / North Deighton Parish Council.

£300 Fund the production and printing of the by-monthly parish magazine / Wighill Parish Council. £300 Purchase of food for the Christmas Party / Tockwith Community Hub.

£1,000 Purchase and installation of a white gate on the verge next to the highway / Sicklinghall Parish Council.

£1,000 Purchase and install a new defibrillator / Little Ribston Village Hall Committee.

£500 Fund the purchase of a new bench for Follifield Play Area / Follifoot Parish Council.

£1,000 Fund the installation of a new bench / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

Rossett Acre Primary School

Cllr Michael Schofield – Harlow & St Georges

£450.99 Purchase a hammer drill, dummy CCTV camera, promotion table, cloth and printing / Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA).

£875 Purchase 6 copies of each of the Phase 2 Phonics Books so to provide “Guided Reading” in Reception / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,500 Fund the swimming for the pupils at the school / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£5,000 Fund the installation of strengthened glass on the balcony at Harrogate Cricket Club / Little Crickets Nursery.

£400 Purchase sensory equipment to aid in the development of children at the nursery / Little Crickets Nursery.

£750 Funding the Green Elf production for the children to educate them on and around ecological issues / Rossett Acre Primary School.

£1,024.01 Fund the Year 6 pupils’ residential trip to East Barnby / Rossett Acre Primary School.

Cllr Monika Slater – Bilton Grange & New Park

£1,872.84 Purchase equipment for the polycom system to evolve the digital activities / Open Country .

£476 Fund the van hire and fuel for the Jamboree trip / 16th Harrogate Club Scout Group.

£5,000 To extend the footpath from Redhill Road up to the corner of Knox Avenue / NYCC Highways. 

£302 Fund the purchase of a wheelchair ramp and kitchen equipment for the Big Breakfasts / Bilton Community Centre.

£1,500 Purchase of 13 new mattresses / Harrogate Homeless Project.

£849.16 Fund the purchase of 3 x eDNA bacteria testing kits from Nature Metric / Bilton Conservation Group.

Cllr Matt Walker – Knaresborough West

£2,000 Fund the printing costs of the Harrogate District Breakfree Pack / Open Country.

£500 Fund the purchase of a lawn mower cartridge to rake the grass / Crown Green Bowling Club.

£1,000 Fund the purchase of flags and bunting for the Arts Trail and Entertainment / FEVA.

£500 Purchase of garden supplies for the creation of the community garden at Conyngham Hall/Knaresborough Connectors.

£1,000 Provision of weekly food supplies from Fareshare / Resurrected Bites

£1,000 Fund the purchase of replacement benches for Jacob Smith Park, Knaresborough / Friends of Jacob Smith Park.

£1,000 Purchase a new cooker, hood and extractor fan for the Scout Hut / 1st Knaresborough Scout Group.

£2,500 Provision of 4 Vehicle Activated Speed signs for Knaresborough / Knaresborough Town Council.

£500 Fund the coach hire and entrance fees for the day trips / Harrogate & District Over 50s Forum.

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Cllr Arnold Warneken – Ouseburn

£400 Fund the materials for the Jurassic beach at the show / Tockwith Show.

£684 Fund the cleaning of the village war memorial and plaque / Kirk Hammerton Parish Council.

£715.20 Provision of a solar pavilion clock / Whixley Cricket Club.

£992.75 Fund a contribution towards the production of Treasure Island the panto / Badapple Youth Theatre Group.

£1,000 Purchase and install a parish council noticeboard / Nun Monkton Parish Council.

£672 Fund the groundworks and labour for the Parish Woodland Restoration project / Marton cum Grafton Parish Council.

£2,141.90 Fund the purchase of materials and tools for the wildlife haven at Goosemoor Nature Reserve/Cowthorpe Community Forum.

£2,250 Fund the supply and installation of a defibrillator at Prince Rupert Drive Tockwith / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

£500 Fund the purchase of food and drink for the Green Hammerton Warm Hub and Support Hub /Green Hammerton Parish Council.

£644.15 Purchase a memorial bench for former councillors / Tockwith with Wilstrop Parish Council.

St Wilfrid’s Procession

Cllr Andrew Williams – Ripon Minster and Moorside

£2,500 Fund the services of a youth leader at the drop-in sessions / Ripon YMCA.

£1,000 Fund the support for the scouts to attend the 25th World Scout Jamboree / 6th Ripon Scout Group.

£500 Fund the travel and venue hire costs for the concerts / Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO).

£2,000 Fund the children’s activities on Ripon Market Place / St Wilfrid’s Procession Committee.

£1,000 Funding towards events and staging of the Poetry Festival / Ripon Poetry Festival.

£1,000 Funding towards the events and activities at the library / Ripon Library Volunteer Management Group.

£2,000 Fund the fireworks finale at the coronation event / Ripon City Council.

Cllr Robert Windass – Boroughbridge and Claro

£2,500 Fund the repair and refurbishment of the clock in the Church Tower / St Bartholomew’s Church Arkendale.

£1,953 To purchase and install a defibrillator for Flaxby / Goldsborough & Flaxby Parish Council.

£3,000 To purchase and install VAS units and laptop computer within the village / Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council.

£2,000 Purchase and installation of an outdoor canopy for the outdoor learning area / Scotton & Lingerfield Primary School PTA.

Junior soldiers from Harrogate’s Army Foundation College will take part in a parade through the town centre next weekend.

The Freedom Parade will take place on West Park and Montpellier Hill.

The event allows junior soldiers to exercise their right to the Freedom of the Borough of Harrogate.

It was last held in May 2019 and saw hundreds of soldiers march through the town centre.

The closure means that West Park, Parliament Street and Montpellier Hill will be closed from 11am until 12pm on Sunday (June 11).

The streets will reopen as soon as the parade has passed.

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