The first blast of winter has left many Harrogate district people worried about the cost of staying warm.

We have therefore compiled information about warm spaces available in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. If you know of any others in these places or in Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham let us know and we will add them. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

The information has been provided by community groups across the district.

Netmakers, formerly known as Harrogate Hub, is a movement of local churches working together to make a difference in the community.

Its website has details of the following places in Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough offering, warm and welcoming safe places to go.

Information provided by Netmakers

Further details are available here on the Netmakers website.

The community benefit society Knaresborough Connectors has also devised details of warm spaces in Knaresborough. ]

Knaresborough Connectors’ list

More details of the locations, known as public living rooms, are available here.

Numerous public buildings in and around Ripon are throwing open their doors for free in Ripon each day, including Ripon Library and Allhallowgate Methodist Church.

Ripon Cathedral has compiled details here.

Wynn James, senior pastor of Life Destiny Church in Starbeck and trustee of Harrogate District Foodbank said:

“Our doors are open. We want our community to know that we are here to help. By working together across our area we hope to offer spaces in every corner of our community.

“I urge people to use the warm spaces and not to feel alone at this tough time.”

Read more:

• 150-year-old Harrogate church could be turned into house
• Grants up to £3,000 available to Harrogate district community groups

Links to all of the organisations providing warm spaces, along with details of voluntary organisations that are at the forefront of the campaign to help people who are struggling this winter, are available on the Harrogate & District Community Action website.

Frances Elliot, chief executive of HADCA, said:

“Please do check out where to turn in your area, through churches or through other community organisations and encourage anyone you come across who feels reluctant about speaking up to do so, this particularly hard winter”

Harrogate ice cream seller John Taylor is in line for another industry award.

Mr Taylor, whose van is parked outside Victoria Shopping Centre most days from March to September, is one of the most familiar faces in Harrogate.

Besides selling in Harrogate town centre, he takes his van to events across the district and to the streets of Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge during summer.

He has now been named in the final three in the mobiler of the year category at the  Ice Cream Alliance‘s Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, which will be held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate in February.

The mobiler category recognises all aspects of running an ice cream van. Last year Mr Taylor scooped the gold award at the same event for the taste of his Mr Whippy ice cream but he thinks winning the mobiler category would top that.

Although the number of vans has decreased significantly in recent decades, Mr Taylor, who runs C and M Ices, said there were still about 3,000 to 4,000 operating and he was thrilled to be recognised in the top three by his trade association:

“This is our equivalent of the Oscars or the Premier League. It is the highest accolade you can win.”

Read more:

• Harrogate’s award-winning ice-cream man keeps up the family tradition
• Harrogate M&S manager calls for longer Christmas fayre to bolster town centre

The three finalists will go in front of a five-person judging panel.

Harrogate born and bred Mr Taylor, whose family has been selling ice cream since 1889, said 2022 had been a better year due to the warm summer and he hoped to be back outside the Victoria Shopping Centre in spring. He added:

“The weather is our kingmaker. Whatever happens to the economy, and things like covid, if the weather is not good you can’t make a living.”

When you are looking to get recognition for your business, it is key that those on the judging panel are the best of the best.

That’s why we have enlisted the help of leaders from the top business and organisations for the inaugural Stray Ferret Business Awards sponsored by Prosperis, culminating with an awards dinner on March 9, 2023.

There is representation from across the Harrogate district and beyond with Black Sheep Brewery from Masham, Reed Boardall from Boroughbridge, Cloud Nine from Harrogate and the York and North Yorkshire LEP from Northallerton.

We have chosen these judges for their expertise, experience and positions in a wide variety of sectors.

Each judge kindly gives their free time to participate in the process. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a particular category will step away for the duration of those discussions.

We really do have representation from top businesses on board. So it’s time to meet the judges:

Charlene Lyons, CEO of Black Sheep Brewery

Charlene Lyons, an experienced management consultant, became CEO of Black Sheep Brewery in early 2020 after a period as a consultant, helping the business evolve and grow its position as a famous Yorkshire brand.

Marcus Boardall, CEO of Reed Boardall

Marcus Boardall, a qualified Chartered Accountant, joined the family business, Reed Boardall in 2003 where he continues his father’s legacy of supporting and encouraging his colleagues in the pursuit of excellence.

Martin Rae, CEO of Cloud Nine

Martin Rae is the CEO and Founder of Cloud Nine – a Harrogate-based international haircare brand founded by Martin, his brother and stepdad. Cloud Nine was founded in 2008 with a small team but it is now a global brand.

James Farrar, COO of York and North Yorkshire LEP

James works with the York and North Yorksire Local Enterprise Partnership partners and Board to mobilise the team into action. His experience includes leading responses to recession, grown his own professional services business allowing him to have an understanding of business needs and how to encourage economic growth.

Once the deadline for entries has passed, the judges will assess each entry in the same format and without any material that goes against the terms and conditions.

The judges score the entry according to the criteria of each category. The judges will then meet to discuss their scores and make a final decision during a single day of judging. The judging process is final and all decisions are final.

It’s free and easy to enter. We will profile the great work of all the finalists, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 16.

Retailers and a business group have said the Harrogate Christmas Fayre had a significant impact on town centre footfall.

The fayre, which ended on Sunday after 10 days, included about 50 stalls on Cambridge Street and Market Place.

It was operated by Market Place Europe in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Business Improvement District.

It was part of a wider Christmas offering that also included an ice skating rink, an après ski bar and a 32-metre ferris wheel.

Although the market stalls have been disbanded, the other attractions will continue into January.

Mark Robson, store manager at Harrogate Marks and Spencer, called for the market to be held for longer next year.

He said:

“I am super positive about the impact of the market, we saw a very clear impact on improved footfall into store and spending.

“All of the comments I heard from customers and my store colleagues were about how good it was.

“My view is that we should aim to do the same again in future years, and ideally for a longer period of time. We should also have confidence to go bolder with future marketing if the event.”

The ferris wheel in Harrogate town centre.

Simon Midgley, owner of Starling Bar and Kitchen on Oxford Street, said the market helped to “bolster” business.

He said:

“I think the Christmas market was much better than previous years coupled with the other attractions of the big wheel, ice rink, etc. It made it more of a reason to come into Harrogate from out of town.

“Starling has been nice and busy since reopening four weeks ago and I do believe our business has been bolstered by some trade from those visiting the Christmas market. Bookings in the run up to Christmas look strong for us.”

Read more:

• Plans resubmitted for Starbeck micropub
• Viper Rooms: council issues statement after repossessing Harrogate nightclub

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District, which was also a partner in the Christmas activities, said: 

“Harrogate’s great all year round offering, plus this year’s fabulous Christmas attractions, has seen town phenomenally busy — and not just at weekends.

“The BID team has been receiving really positive comments, with the general consensus that footfall and spend has been very much up. The manager of one national retailer told me her takings were more than 50% up compared to this time last year, which is fantastic to hear.

“The Christmas fayre has definitely helped with the pull factor, and having it in town for ten days has helped attract shoppers during the earlier part of the week. So too did the BID-funded Candy Cane Express.”

Pubs in the Harrogate district are set to be invaded by a group of scruffy urchins from Knaresborough this Christmas.

Knaresborough Mummers will perform five-minute plays at pubs around Knaresborough this Saturday before moving on to other parts of the district.

Mummers plays, which date back to the 1700s, were originally performed by peasants and beggars to make money at Christmas and Easter.

Knaresborough Mummers, which was founded in 1974 and performed annually prior to covid, donates proceeds from a whip-round at the end to charities.

They will give a version of the Blue Stots play, which is a Mummers play from the Vale of York traditionally presented by agricultural workers in tattered coats and dirty faces, with trousers tied at the knees to stop rats running up them.

Leader John Burrell said the 10-strong team was anxious to get back to playing in local hostelries again after a break due to covid.

He added re-establishing their 40-year-old tours had not been easy as some pubs have closed and others have changed into restaurants, but gradually a full programme of five tours was put together. Details of venues are here.

Mr Burrell, who used to run a folk music club in Knaresborough, said the group was keen to accept new members.

He said no experience was necessary besides “a sense of humour and not minding going into a pub and acting daft”. 

Money raised from this year’s plays will go to Jennyruth Workshops, Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group, Greatt North Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Martin House hospice.

Read more:

• Man jailed for setting fire to historic Knaresborough pub 
• £405,000 campaign to restore public access to 41 acres of the old Knaresborough Forest

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky speaks to a local family who suddenly found themselves without enough money to buy basic supplies. 

Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help. 

“People were really shocked to find out we were struggling. We had struggled very quietly.”  

Ickle Mills and her partner Paul Hobrough were managing well until 2021. 

He worked as a refrigeration engineer, while she had two jobs: one at Hotel Chocolat and the other at the Odeon. 

Suddenly, a change in circumstances meant they were struggling to afford even the basics. 

“It surprised a lot of people we went to Resurrected Bites. On the outside, to look at, Paul has got a fairly good job. 

“I had gone on maternity leave at work and I hadn’t realised having two jobs can be problematic. 

“All of a sudden, we were hundreds of pounds down a month on what I would have earned.  

“We were at the point of incurring a lot of debt. Thanks to Resurrected Bites, we didn’t. It was the only thing that kept us from having to fall into quite bad debt.” 

With a young son to look after, the couple were struggling to afford to feed themselves. 

Paul and Ickle became customers of the community interest company’s New Park Community Grocery in Harrogate. They paid £3 a week for a shop of around 20 items, including fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned food, and toiletries including nappies. 

The counters at the community groceries show how many of each kind of item can be bought in each shop

Ickle said: 

“We could do our food shop there and get stuff for the baby.  

“I had real problems breastfeeding and had to buy powdered milk. One of my items [from the grocery] was a £12 tub of baby milk.  

“If we hadn’t been able to use them, we would have gone really short. We went short as it was, but it meant we could get stuff for ourselves.” 

Not only did it help the family out financially, it also became a community for Ickle while she was on maternity leave. 

The warm welcome from grocery manager Sophia and volunteers helped her out on days when she was struggling. 

She has also got to know many of her neighbours better through going to the grocery, and has been able to bring food she may not have got while shopping on a budget elsewhere. 

As a result, son Kenobi has been able to try all kinds of new tastes, and Ickle knows she is also helping to reduce the “ridiculous” amount of perfectly good food going into landfill. 

Read more:

• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: ‘My life collapsed like a wicket’
• Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: Making hearty meals from food waste

Now, Ickle is giving up her own time to help run the grocery, covering shifts when others are unavailable.  

She is back at work and the family still receives Universal Credit, which also allows them to get help with the costs of childcare, enabling her to continue in the jobs she loves. 

Her experiences have made her a passionate advocate of spreading the word about organisations like Resurrected Bites and being honest about how many people are relying on them. 

She said: 

“It’s the state of things now, and how much all the bills are going up is a massive worry to everybody.

“A lot of people are far too proud to say, especially in this town.

“I know my situation isn’t nearly as desperate as some others. I think the more people that talk about using places like these, the less people will be reluctant to use them.”

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas. 

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it. 

Click here to contribute now. Thank you. 

North Yorkshire’s transport chief has admitted partially repainted bus stop markings on the A59 Skipton Road in Harrogate “look silly”.

The work was pointed out by local resident Alan Huddart on social media, who criticised it as a sign of “broken Britain”.

The bus stop in New Park is next to Kdcarpets and looks worn and faded.

In the middle, contractors have carried out work to reinstate a trench but appear to have only repainted where the work has been carried out.

Mr Huddart took to social media to ask Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, why the contractor could not have completed the rest of the markings.

He asked:

“Surely they could have done the rest?”

The bus markings pictured this afternoon. Picture: Lisa Galinsky.

In response, Cllr Duncan admitted that the work had left the stop looking “silly”.

He said:

“This really does look silly. Leave it with me.”

Read more:

• Northern bans e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards on all trains
• Harrogate train station becomes mobility scooter-friendly

Mr Huddart told the Stray Ferret that the work had yet to be fixed.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council whether contractors would be returning to the area to finish the work.

In response, Melisa Burnham, highways area manager, said:

“Utility companies are only mandated to replace lining on the section of road that they have excavated and reinstated.

“However, in this case the bus stop is no longer in use and the lining will therefore be removed as soon as possible.”

This article is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law.

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse in which a person attempts to exert an unreasonable, oppressive amount of control over their partner’s life.

Harrogate Family Law are specialists in this area and they are helping a growing number to resolve the difficult situation.

Abuse does not have to be physical or sexual to be an offence. Coercive control can include emotional and psychological abuse and can be very subtle, so is harder to identify.

By its very nature, coercive control can instil confusion and self-doubt in the victim, but Harrogate Family Law can help you be clear about what is taking place and prepare a safe route out of the situation for you and your family.

Andrew Meehan, director of Harrogate Family Law, said:

“We are getting clients from all over the country who are married to a controlling, narcissistic spouse. They have often been controlled financially and emotionally and have been kept in the dark about money. They often don’t have a clear picture of how much things cost and how they can afford to pay for things.

“We can offer advice and help them to move forward with a secure financial future.”

What are the signs of coercive control?

There are clear indications that the relationship you are in has spiralled towards coercive control, even if you have received no physical harm and the relationship is not necessarily “toxic”.

Coercive control happens when:

• You are isolated from your support system, i.e. family and friends
• Your activity is being monitored all day everyday – known as invasive surveillance
• Your freedom and autonomy is being denied – such as access to money or health and body freedom
• You are subjected to name-calling, shaming or criticism
• Your children are being turned against you, known as parental alienation
• You are subjected to jealous accusations

Mr Meehan has offered his three top tips on what to do if you think you are a victim of coercive control.

You are not alone

“There are a lot of people in the same situation. They are often conditioned to think there is no way out for them and they are effectively trapped.

“But their situation is something we see a lot of and something we can sort out for them. The situation is not hopeless.”

Get legal advice early 

“We have a niche in dealing with people who have been controlled by spouses or those who are married to a narcissist. We have got clients from all over the country and overseas looking for our expertise.

“Speak to a solicitor who understands how to deal with these kinds of people.”

Everyone’s situation is different

“Try to come to your first meeting as prepared as possible so that the advice we give can be as tailored to your circumstances as much as possible.

“This is difficult if your finances are being controlled. However, have a think about what you do know and we can take things from there. We can then be prepared to deal with what is most important to you.”

For a confidential chat with one of Harrogate Family Law’s expert solicitors regarding coercive control, call 01423 594 680 or email enquiries@harrogatefamilylaw.co.uk

North Yorkshire County Council has agreed to create a county-wide local plan that will plot where housing and development can take place over the next 30 years.

Conservative councillors on the authority’s executive met today to approve the creation of the document, which must be finalised within five years of the new North Yorkshire Council forming on April 1.

It will replace the seven local plans that are currently used by the soon-to-be abolished district councils.

This also means the reviews that are under way on the plans for Harrogate Borough Council and Craven District Council will be halted. However, both documents will still guide planning decisions until the new local plan is created.

Harrogate Borough Council’s local plan says around 13,000 homes can be built across the district between 2014 and 2034.

Conservative Mid-Craven councillor Simon Myers, executive member for planning for growth, told the meeting that the local plan will be “hugely important to the economic vitality of the county”.

He said:

“It’s hugely important for the provision of housing and for many strategic matters. It is imperative we have an ambitious local plan for North Yorkshire and that planning committees abide by it.”

Cllr Myers confirmed that the new council will create six new planning committees to oversee decisions across parliamentary constituency areas, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Skipton and Ripon.

Linda Marfitt, acting head of place-shaping and economic growth at the council, said the creation of a new local plan is a “great opportunity to deliver some of the ambitions the new council will have”.

She said:

“A plan-led approach will ensure the new council is in the best possible place to guide quality development and infrastructure.”

Maltkiln

While a review into Harrogate council’s local plan will now not take place, work on the Maltkiln development plan document will continue.

Maltkiln is the name of a new settlement proposed by the Oakgate Group around Cattal railway station.

It is set to have between 3,000 and 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

Read more:

• New housing plan to be created for Harrogate district
• New Harrogate district housing plan should not be ‘tickbox exercise’, says councillor
• ‘Real solutions’ needed to west of Harrogate congestion, say residents

The development plan is in the latter stages of development, after being worked on for the last two years. It sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how Maltkiln is designed and developed.

However, Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn division, described the process of forming it as “rushed” and said residents have unanswered questions over the boundary of the settlement as well as the position of a new relief road.

He said:

“The whole process, from my perspective and the eight parish councils it will affect, has been rushed. I’m really, really keen that if this settlement goes ahead it becomes the exemplar it’s meant to be. 

“I don’t want it to be rushed, I want it to be right. I want to exercise caution before the inspector gets his hands on it”.

In response, Cllr Michael Harrison, Conservative councillor for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite & Saltergate as well as executive member for health and adult said: 

“We want the Maltkiln DPD to be right and planning in Harrogate could never be described as rushed.”

He added: 

“If we pause progression of DPD it ceases to be a plan-led approach in the local area. 

“The worst thing we could do is to stop the Maltkiln DPD because we’d still have to determine those planning applications.”

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for North Yorkshire amid freezing temperatures this week.

Lasting until Thursday lunchtime, the warning is for snow and ice which could lead to travel disruption.

In its warning, the Met Office said:

“Snow showers and icy surfaces will bring some travel disruption, [including] some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services, some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces, [and] probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.”

The forecast for this week suggests temperatures are unlikely to rise more than one or two degrees above freezing during the day, with night-time temperatures dropping as much as five degrees below zero on Thursday night.

After the home match against Northampton Town last weekend was called off thanks to a frozen pitch, Harrogate Town is warning that its away game at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday could also fall foul of the weather. Supporters are asked to check for updates before travelling – and are being warned not to travel by train because of planned industrial action.

Read more:

• Christmas market cruise heading to Ripon
• Ferris wheel goes up as Harrogate Christmas countdown begins

In the second half of the weekend, the forecast begins to change.

There is the possibility of some snow early on Sunday morning, before temperatures are expected to rise throughout the day and reach 10C overnight on Sunday.

At present, the forecast in the week up to Christmas suggests the weather will be warmer and wetter. Temperatures could rise to around 6C during the day and drop to 3C at night.

The likelihood of a white Christmas in the Harrogate district remains uncertain at this stage, though in the wake of the recent cold weather, bookies have slashed the odds of a white Christmas being reported somewhere in the UK.