Halls of Ripon celebrate a sparkling anniversary year

This story is sponsored by Halls of Ripon.

It has been a sparkling first year for the 20 plus independent retailers at Halls of Ripon.

At Red Buttons – one of the jewels in the department store’s crown – the celebrations continue for owners Mike and Liz Cooper as they will soon reach a golden milestone, having married in August 1972.

The couple, along with Hedley Hall, Ben Butler and Lloyd Sheard, were instrumental in the re-birth and re-invention of the unique retail destination on Fishergate, under the famous Halls name, so fondly remembered in Ripon and across the Harrogate district, for the quality of its goods and the excellence of its service.

In their own golden wedding anniversary year, Mike and Liz have launched a sale of select rings and other jewellery items, offered at discounted prices that customers can purchase to mark their own special occasions, from silver to gold, diamond and platinum.

Jewellery sale at Red Buttons

The special anniversary sale of select jewellery items is now on at Red Buttons

Mike, who worked for more than 40 years in senior management at some of the best-known jewellers on the UK high street, said:

“Jewellery is a personal, emotional and sentimental gift that carries deep meaning and lifelong memories.

“Over the years it has been a pleasure to share in everything from marriages and the earliest wedding anniversaries, to the birth of a child, by helping people to find the appropriate piece or pieces of jewellery.”

Mike pointed out:

“For some customers, diamonds have been selected as the mile-stones that tell the story of their lives.

“The sentimental value goes on when single items or entire collections are left to loved ones and become treasured heirlooms that will be passed on to future generations.”

Creating customised Jewellery

Red Buttons takes pride in providing a personalised service and experience for customers, supported by designers and craftsman jewellers who can create customised pieces, often involving the recycling of a family’s redundant and damaged items.

Mike explains:

“A lady brought gold rings inherited from her parents, that she was unable to wear and within a matter of days we transformed them into a simple, but stylish cross that can be worn every day.

Gold and Diamond heart

The gold heart with diamonds, created from wedding rings and an engagement ring

“For another customer, the wedding ring of her late mother and grandmother’s diamond engagement and wedding rings, were united in a single gold and diamond heart, whose sentimental value is beyond price.”

Red Buttons’ services include free jewellery cleaning and inspection, re-sizing, stone replacement, claw re-tipping and replacement. Part exchange is also available for customers with items that they wish to trade.

A community of independent retailers 

Liz Cooper, said:

“Our independent retailers cover all ages, from clothes for babies and children to hand-made furniture and a newly-introduced repair shop where classic sofas and chairs are re-upholstered and returned to use.

“All traders have expanded over the past year and each has something special to offer that adds to the department store experience. The coffee, homemade cakes and sandwiches at The Hive cafe within the store are highly recommended.”

St Aidan’s school in Harrogate receives ‘good’ Ofsted rating

St. Aidan’s Church of England High School has received a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted, six months after being rated ‘inadequate’.

The inadequate rating came as a shock to many staff and parents, as the school had previously been graded ‘outstanding’.

When a school is rated inadequate it has to wait up to three years before another full inspection and is subject to regular monitoring visits to check on progress.

But after the first monitoring visit at St Aidan’s in May, inspectors felt the rating “was not a fair reflection of the school” and returned two days later for a full three-day inspection.

In the previous report, published in January, the school was rated ‘good’ in all areas except leadership and management, which was rated ‘inadequate’ and meant it automatically achieved the same overall outcome.

It was highly critical of the school’s safeguarding policies and said pupils were “at risk of harm”. However, the new report said the school has “robust systems in place” for safeguarding.

It praised leaders for “swiftly” addressing the concerns raised in the prior report.

The report added:

“Staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm. Adults promptly report any concerns they have. Leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils are safe.

“Where necessary, leaders refer concerns to appropriate external agencies.”

Nurturing environment

The secondary school has over 2,500 pupils, which includes those in a shared sixth form with St John Fisher Catholic High School.

The report said the sixth form provision was ‘outstanding’ and pupils “demonstrate a real love of learning”.

The new Ofsted report also gave an ‘outstanding’ rating to behaviour and attitudes at St Aidan’s, calling it a “happy school with a positive and nurturing environment where pupils flourish.”

It added:

“Pupils enjoy their lessons and value teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. Leaders have established clear routines that result in calm lessons. This enables pupils to focus on their work. They are keen to succeed.”

Quality of education and personal development were rated ‘good’.

The report said:

“Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They bring their subject to life for pupils with the clarity of their explanations and richness of examples. Pupils are captivated in lessons and are keen to answer the questions that teachers ask.”

The school’s response

Chris Ives, the school’s acting headteacher, said:

“This is an outcome that we think is a much fairer reflection of our school. In saying that, it is important to stress that changes have been made since the initial inspection outcome. We have collectively worked tirelessly to ensure that our approaches mirror what is required under the Ofsted framework.

“We have always believed in what we do and how we do it, and the process we have been through ensures that is fully in line with every expectation that is placed on us.”

Jo Wicks, chair of governors, said:

“After a period where we hadn’t been inspected in 15 years, to have three inspections in the matter of months has been challenging.

“There have, however, been real positives through this journey. The support we have had from our immediate community has been heartening, and the impact it has had on our school is immeasurable. Our staff have been unbelievably focused and determined to do their very best to ensure our school got the grading it deserved. The Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust has given their unwavering and constructive support.

“Most importantly, our students have not let this distract them from achieving their own goals and thriving as individuals. They continue to impress with their generosity of spirit and sharpness of their aspiration.

“We are truly delighted that we can end the year so positively and hope that we can build on the recent success when Ofsted next visit us to secure an outstanding judgement overall.”

Two primary schools planned for new 3,000-home Harrogate district settlement

Two primary schools and land for a secondary school form part of proposals for a new 3,000-home village between Harrogate and York.

The settlement, to be named Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area. New details of the major scheme have been revealed this week.

A development plan document from Harrogate Borough Council shows there are proposals for two 420-place primary schools – one of which would be able to expand with room for 630 pupils.

The plan also said because the village is not large enough to “generate sufficient pupils” for a secondary school, around £10.5 million would be provided to fund an expansion of 11 new classrooms at Boroughbridge High School.

However, it added that land within Maltkiln has been designated for “future secondary provision should this be required in the future”.

The plan said: 

“The council has been working with the education authority, North Yorkshire County Council, in order to identify the educational infrastructure required to support the level of growth proposed in Maltkiln.

“NYCC have indicated that the development is not projected to generate sufficient numbers of pupils to warrant the need for a secondary school on-site.

“Nevertheless, for the proper and long-term planning of the area, the council consider a cautious approach should be taken and have safeguarded land for a secondary school if it is needed.”

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It is estimated that more than 8,000 residents will occupy the village, which may not be completed until at least 2038.

A six-week consultation on the development plan document is planned for October, when residents will be asked to share their views on areas including roads and public transport.

After this, the document will then be submitted to the government for public examination.

Maltkiln is centred around Cattal train station which links York, Harrogate and Leeds – and Harrogate Borough Council hopes this location will “steer development away” from residents living in surrounding villages who have objected to the proposals.

The council also said facilities including shops, employment space and a GP surgery should be built around this central location.

It said: 

“A new community of over 8,000 residents will generate a need for significant new local facilities and these should be located at the heart of the settlement directly adjacent to Cattal railway station.

“The mixed-use local centre will provide a diverse and vibrant space at the heart of Maltkiln.”

A meeting of the council’s cabinet will be held next Wednesday when senior councillors will be asked to agree to the launch of the consultation on the development plan document.

A report to the meeting said the publication of the plan is a “key milestone” and that once approved it will provide “a 30 year vision for Maltkiln”.

The report added: 

“The development plan document provides the starting point to guide the development and delivery of Maltkiln.

“Proposals will need to go through the planning application process and there will be further opportunities for communities and stakeholders to be involved in more detailed master-planning.

“The council is also exploring a range of governance and stewardship options to ensure that residents will have a say in how community facilities are run.”

Yorkshire Ambulance Service declares ‘critical incident’ status

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has urged people to only call 999 for serious or life threatening injuries because it is under “extreme pressure”.

YAS, which covers the Harrogate district, said in a statement it was operating on Resource Escalation Plan 4.

This is the equivalent to Black Alert for hospitals and is only declared when an ambulance service can no longer effectively deliver a service due, typically due to a major incident

All 10 ambulance trusts in the country have now declared a similar status.

Staff shortages and hot weather are among the reasons.

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YAS has asked people to consider contacting their GP, pharmacy or practise self-care as alternative options to the ambulance service.

A spokesperson for YAS said:

“An extremely high volume of calls is currently having a significant impact on both our 999 and NHS 111 operations.

“We have taken the decision to move to REAP Level 4, our highest level of escalation, and while the situation is being managed in line with the plans that we have in place to protect our core services, unfortunately there are patients who are facing delays and we are very sorry that we are unable to respond to them as quickly as we would like.

“All emergency calls are categorised according to the nature of a patient’s illness or injury and those in a life-threatening condition are always prioritised. It’s important that members of the public only call 999 for an ambulance when it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. This will help us to focus our efforts on our most poorly patients.

“You can also help us by not calling back to check where the ambulance is as we need those phone lines to be free for those in a life-threatening condition. However, if the condition of the patient changes or if you feel you no longer need an ambulance, it’s important that you let us know.

“For anyone with less serious illnesses and injuries, they should consider self-care, their local pharmacy, GP surgery, urgent care centre or making their own way to the emergency department. Our NHS 111 service is also available online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and thank all our hard-working staff and volunteers for their efforts at this challenging time.”

No increase in wheelchair accessible taxis in Harrogate district

There has been no increase in the number of wheelchair accessible taxis in the Harrogate district despite licensing changes to boost travel options for disabled people.

Harrogate Borough Council removed a limit on the number of licenses available for these vehicles last June after complaints that wheelchair users were being “cut off from society”.

There were just 22 wheelchair accessible taxis in the district at the time – and now that figure remains the same.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said while the Harrogate-based charity appreciated the efforts made by the council, wheelchair users were stuck facing the same travel issues that they have had for “many years”.

She said: 

“Disabled people are still facing unnecessary barriers to living their daily lives with one in three disabled people saying that they just don’t make journeys due to transport challenges.

“We have many examples of people missing medical appointments and social events because they just couldn’t get there.

“In recent times, due to the risk of covid, many disabled people are reluctant to travel on public transport, viewing taxis as a much safer option – if they were available.

“Reliable, accessible, transport is key to an independent life. There is still much that can be done in all areas of public transport to improve this.

“We have an amazing district and it would be so good to be able to promote this as accessible to all.”

Ms Snape added there is “very low” availability of wheelchair accessible taxis at peak times and during evenings in a problem which she previously described as a “cab curfew” on disabled people.

These concerns were first raised in a council-run study which concluded wheelchair users were suffering from a “great deal of anxiety” over worries they could be left stranded.

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Before the licensing changes were introduced last June, taxi drivers were worried that an unlimited number of licences could “deregulate” the trade.

However, those fears that a wave of new drivers could flood into Harrogate have not been realised.

Harrogate Borough Council said while the overall number of wheelchair accessible taxis has not increased, there are now more hackney carriages than private hire vehicles, which gives disabled people “greater flexibility” as these can be hailed at ranks without the need to pre-book.

A council spokesman said:

“There is no easy way to encourage both private vehicles and hackney carriages to provide wheelchair accessible vehicles

“But we hope over the coming months, the figure will increase to further allow customers who use wheelchairs to go about their lives.

“The demand for new wheelchair accessible vehicle plates is self-limiting by virtue of the upfront cost of the vehicle and cost of maintenance. And from our initial observations, there has been no devastating impact on trade, as suggested.

“We will continue to promote wheelchair accessible vehicle plates to both private vehicles and hackney carriage holders to ensure the current demand for the service is met.”

Harrogate’s Rossett School could swap three tennis courts for 3G pitch

Rossett School is planning to remove three tennis courts and replace them with a new artificial 3G football pitch.

The school has submitted a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council that would see football facilities improve at Rossett Sports Centre.

There is currently a high demand for 3G pitches in the area, particularly since Harrogate Town were forced to remove theirs after promotion to the English Football League two years ago.

Last year, the school raised £10,000 through a fundraiser to replace its current 3G pitch.

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3G pitches are a way for schools to make extra income by hiring out the facility to local teams.

St Aidan’s Church of England High School has planning permission to build a new 3G pitch, which is set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.

St John Fisher Catholic High School also has a 3G pitch available for hire and Ashville College has an astroturf pitch.

The Stray Ferret asked Rossett for further details on its plans but a spokesperson declined to comment.

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Andrew Jones MP: ‘I’m backing Rishi Sunak’

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has declared his support for Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership contest.

Former Chancellor Mr Sunak is regarded as the front runner of eight candidates vying to become party leader and the next Prime Minister.

Mr Jones said he supported the Richmond MP even though he, along with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had received a fine for breaching covid regulations.

Mr Jones previously said of Mr Johnson that “lawbreakers can’t be lawbreakers” but he said Mr Sunak’s situation was different:

“For most people that was a surprise as he turned up at Number 10 for a meeting and walked into the Cabinet room as the Prime Minister was being presented with a cake.  Once he received the fine he paid it.

“There was no dissembling, no denial and no appeal even though many thought it was harsh.  He accepted the ruling.  I think people understand the difference between that and the many months of changing claims that preceded the Prime Minister’s fine.”

Writing on his Community News website, Mr Jones added:

“We face challenging times so we need a Prime Minister who is strong and with proven economic ability and business credibility.

“In the field of foreign affairs we need someone already known and respected on the international stage to keep the pressure on Russia to quit Ukraine.

“The country needs someone who is consistent and transparent to reinvigorate trust in politics.

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Mr Sunak’s rivals have pledged tax cuts but he has warned against “comforting fairytales” and promised fiscal prudence instead.

Mr Jones’ comments do not mention tax cuts but address inflation at length.

“The new Prime Minister needs to look at those structural imbalances in our economy that make us susceptible to inflation.

“That means addressing our dependence on fossil fuels and boosting the productivity and capacity of the economy.

“While addressing these long-term structural problems he or she needs to protect those most affected by rapidly rising prices.  This may be through the benefits system, through increasing the living wage, through education in how to lower personal and household costs or through a variety of other means.”

Conservative MPs will vote in a secret leadership ballot today. Candidates who fail to get 30 votes will be eliminated. A new leader will be decided on September 5.

Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP, and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP, whose constituencies both include parts of the Harrogate district, have yet to publicly say who they support.

 

 

 

Hand grenade detonated in Harrogate

A controlled explosion took place in the Harrogate area after a person found a hand grenade.

North Yorkshire Police revealed it was one of two suspected explosives found in Harrogate over the weekend.

The other, which was fished out of a river by an angler, turned out to be harmless.

Police were alerted to the hand grenade at 9.30pm on Friday night. The force said in a statement:

“A member of the public rang us having found a hand grenade in the Harrogate area. We attended immediately and were at the scene a few minutes later.

“A cordon and scene guard were put in place to keep everyone safe while we contacted our colleagues at explosive ordnance disposal.

“A farmer kindly allowed us to use his field, and explosive ordnance disposal attended and safely detonated the grenade in daylight hours the following day.”

The angler’s metal object, discovered on Sunday, turned out to be nothing fishy.

But North Yorkshire Police received reports of a third suspicious item by a man clearing a barn in Craven. This one required detonating.

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Police said in a statement:

“We dealt with three calls relating to suspected explosives unearthed over the weekend.

“The result: two of them were unexploded devices that needed to be detonated at a safe distance – the third was just a battered piece of metal.

“In all three incidents the finders did the right thing by contacting us.”

They advised anyone discovering suspicious looking items not to touch them, leave them alone and move at least 50 metres away before calling the police on 101.

“As we did over the weekend, we’ll assess what you’ve told us, and contact explosive ordnance disposal who can take any necessary action.”

 

Final approval for 133 Harrogate homes

Plans for 133 homes in one of Harrogate’s fastest growing areas have been granted final approval after concerns shifted from the discovery of badgers to road safety.

Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the Kingsley Road plans in 2019, but the authority was forced to reconsider the proposals after its decision was overturned at appeal.

Final plans were then submitted by the developers Redrow, however, local residents brought the development to a halt after using night vision cameras to discover six out of 11 badger setts in the area were active.

A wildlife consultant for Redrow told a council meeting today that after further badger surveys and through mitigation measures there would be “no damage or danger” to the protected mammals.

And while this allayed the concerns of councillors, their attention soon shifted to the safety of pedestrians on Kingsley Road on Bogs Lane.

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A new footpath connecting the two roads has been promised by the developers of another housing site in the Kinglsey area which overall is facing the construction of around 600 new homes.

However, detailed plans for the footpath have yet to come forward.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow said road safety was a “huge concern” and that having seen a mother and two children try to navigate the road earlier today, the “risk to life” was clear.

She suggested a temporary footpath be built within the Redrow site – and the developers agreed to submit proposals for this should the other footpath on the opposite side of Kingsley Road not be built before the new homes are.

Cllr Pat Marsh described the road as “very dangerous” and said a solution for pedestrians had to be treated as a priority.

She said: 

“The footpath opposite has still not been delivered and that is going to be very difficult, whereas the developers here have got an opportunity to do something within their own site.

“No one is asking for a fancy footpath, but one that means people can come off that road safely.”

Also at today’s meeting, John Hansard, a member of the Kingsley Ward Action Group, made repeated complaints about the disruptions that residents have faced from construction sites in the area as he also called on the council to step up enforcement action on developers.

He said: 

“We have had nearly five years of constant construction from developers intent on avoiding any safety measures for residents and when we complain to enforcement they do nothing.

“Trucks continue to leave the sites with uncovered loads, depositing waste all over Kingsley Road.

“We have also had three developments all of which were supposed to have wheel washing machines in situ, yet none have.”

Mr Hansard received sympathy from Cllr Marsh who agreed that the Kinglsey area has “suffered far too much”.

She said: 

“Hopefully this is the end of these developments here.”

Great Yorkshire Show: long delays at Kestrel roundabout

It’s been another busy morning on the roads on day two of the Great Yorkshire Show.

Here’s what has happened so far today.

10.02am – Traffic remains heavy at Kestrel roundabout

Motorists approaching from Knaresborough and Wetherby continue to encounter delays. Otherwise most show traffic appears to be running smoothly.

9.12am – Delays at Kestrel roundabout

There are currently 40 minute delays for traffic approaching the Kestrel roundabout from Spofforth. Traffic is also heavy on the A658 John Metcalf Way but nowhere near as bad. Rudding Lane is running smoothly.

8.50am – Reports of traffic backing up to Spofforth

Reports of traffic backing up all the way to Spofforth from the Kestrel roundabout. If you have up to date travel news message us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

8.45am – Kestrel roundabout traffic backing up

Traffic from the Kestrel roundabout is backing up on Wetherby Road as it approaches Rudding Lane. It is moving, but slowly.

8.40am – No access through Wetherby Road

This is the sign some motorists ignored yesterday on Wetherby Road. Once you pass Sainsbury’s, heading out of town, you have to turn left on to Forest Lane.

8.25am – A quiet Wetherby Road

Wetherby Road as it’s rarely seen at rush hour. We will shortly head along Rudding Lane and to the Kestrel roundabout, which was the pinch point yesterday morning, to check on traffic.

8.20am – Traffic running smoothly at Woodlands junction

Traffic at the Woodlands junction is flowing smoothly except on Hookstone Chase where it is backing up.

Skipton Road is slow pretty much all the way from New Park roundabout to the Empress roundabout. Wetherby Road is quieter but remember it becomes one way just after Sainsbury’s.

8am – Heavy traffic on Skipton Road

Hardly a new occurrence, but traffic is already heavy on Skipton Road, backing up quite a way from the BIlton Lane junction to New Park roundabout in the direction of the showground.

7.36pm: Extra traffic through Knaresborough this year

A helpful member of SEP Events, the Boroughbridge company overseeing traffic management, told us last night that more traffic was coming through Knaresborough this year because of the decision to keep the upgraded junction 47 of the A1(M) open this year.

Previously, more traffic came off the A1 at Boroughbridge. It’s resulting in more traffic ending up at the Kestrel roundabout, which was a bottleneck yesterday, but with so many vehicles travelling to the showground it’s a case of finding a balance of what works best. He added the first day is usually the worst as people get used to the travel arrangements so let’s hope today runs smoothly.

6.58am: Free shuttle bus operating

The free shuttle bus from stand 13 at the bus station in Harrogate town centre is operating again.

Passengers using the shuttle experienced delays getting to the show yesterday morning, especially after 9am until late morning, due to the volume of traffic and security measures for the royal visit.

shuttle bus to Great Yorkshire Show

6.30am: Traffic restrictions in place

Click here for details of the changes that are being implemented to keep vehicles moving during the four-day show.

Yesterday there were lengthy morning delays at the Kestrel roundabout. This was partly to do with the decision to keep junction 47 of the A1(M) open for the show this year now that it has been upgraded, which led to more traffic coming through Knaresborough and to the roundabout.