Three teenagers have pleaded guilty to causing £800 worth of damage after climbing on to the roof of Harrogate Theatre.
Police arrested the youths on January 25 after being called to reports of young people on the roof at the 122-year-old theatre on Cheltenham Parade.
The three males, who are aged 14, 15 and 17 and can’t be named for legal reasons, were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday. They all live in Harrogate.
They all admitted damaging scaffolding to the value of £300 and causing £500 damage to a Ford transit van belonging to nearby Scandinavian cafe Baltzersen’s.
The 15-year-old was referred to North Yorkshire youth offender panel for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 compensation.
The 17-year-old was referred to North Yorkshire youth offender panel for six months and ordered to pay £200 compensation.
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He also breached a 12-month conditional discharge order received in October for driving without insurance or due care and attention. No action was taken on this breach.
The 14-year-old received a six-month conditional discharge order and ordered to pay £200.
Harrogate firefighters and police attended the 4am incident on January 25.
The theatre is undergoing a £1 million refurbishment that is due to be completed this month. Scaffolding remains in place.
Police identify man who performed public sex act in HarrogateNorth Yorkshire Police says it has identified a man who performed a sex act in Starbeck.
The police issued an appeal yesterday to identify the man, who was captured on CCTV.
The incident happened on Saturday, January 29.
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- Police issue CCTV pics of 6 people after Harrogate assault
- Police appeal after ducks stolen in Hampsthwaite
Harrogate mum shares daughter’s brain tumour battle
A Harrogate mum has shared how her daughter overcame a brain tumour after being diagnosed aged two.
Marnie Downie-Keally, now seven, was diagnosed with a type of brain tumour called low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma in March 2017.
She underwent surgery to decompress cysts that were causing a build-up of pressure in her head, and also to do a biopsy.
In late 2018 after an MRI scan, Marnie began a course of chemotherapy that lasted 18 months.
Marnie having fun
March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, which raises money for research to find a cure for brain tumours.
Sally Downie said:
“There had always been something that wasn’t quite right and we had been back and forth to the GP with various things from swollen gums to strange jerky movements, but it always got put down to a virus.
“Marnie had never been a great sleeper, waking every couple of hours and then towards diagnosis, she was waking saying her head hurt and being sick. Finally a CT scan was done and that was when we found out she had a brain tumour.”
Enjoying life
Marnie is now doing well after finishing her treatment in June 2020. She is back at school and enjoys playing sports including football, gymnastics, paddle boarding and swimming.
Ms Downie said:
“Marnie’s last six-monthly MRI scan in January showed all is stable, and the doctor was very pleased with her progress. If all is well at her next scan in July, Marnie will move to yearly scans.
“She’s really happy that, now that her portacath is out, if she gets a temperature she doesn’t have to go to hospital to be checked. She’s doing really well, and is really enjoying being at school. She’s doing lots of activities, including football, gymnastics, paddle boarding and swimming.”
Marnie enjoys paddle boarding.
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Vital support
Marnie and her family have been supported by Candlelights, a Leeds-based charity that works with child cancer patients and their families across Yorkshire.
Candlelighters supported Marnie and her family right from their stay at the hospital, providing them with practical support and entertainment on the wards, wellbeing therapies, trips out and a holiday, as well as financial support.
Ms Downie added:
“There are far too many things to list that Candlelighters have done for us since Marnie’s diagnosis and unless you are being supported by them I don’t think you can ever fully appreciate what they do.
“The support provided by Candlelighters has been amazing for our wellbeing. There’s always a friendly face offering a cup of tea and a chat as well as endless entertainment and support for the children.”
To donate to Candlelighters visit this page.
Harrogate school offers ‘sound baths’ to boost wellbeingPupils at Harrogate independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor took part in their first-ever sound bath experience as part of the school’s wellbeing programme.
Sound meditation practitioner Sudeshna Sarkar visited the school in Birstwith to run a series of sound workshops during Children’s Mental Health Week.
The older children explored the science behind sound and to learn how sounds can have a healing effect on body and mind.
A sound bath is a meditative experience where you lie down and are ‘bathed’ in different sounds.
All pupils had a go at playing the gongs, Himalayan bowls, chimes, crystal bowls and other instruments before experiencing a brief sound bath.
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Ms Sarkar, who is a mum to two BGS pupils, said she was overwhelmed by the positive response to the workshop from pupils.
She said:
Harrogate’s Cloud Nine appoints new marketing manager“Participation in a sound bath requires no prior experience and is an excellent tool for children and adults alike to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, poor sleep and a range of conditions affecting the nervous system.”
Harrogate-based hair and beauty brand Cloud Nine has appointed a new brand and marketing manager.
Laura Proctor has taken up the role, which comes as part of an expansion of the workforce at the company.
Cloud Nine recently appointed a new HR business partner, Beth Daley.
Speaking on her new role, Ms Proctor said:
“Cloud Nine is a brand I am extremely passionate about and I’m thrilled to be joining the team – this is an exciting opportunity, and I can’t wait to support the brand on its growth journey.”
Harrogate agencies post record quarter
Paul Snape (centre) with (L to R) Caroline Joynson, Susan Reid, Sarah Hone, Richard Lee and Helen Brady.
Media and profile agencies Appeal and GBM posted a record quarter with £175,000 in sales – an increase of 54%.
The Harrogate-based companies, which are sister organisations, have also appointed two new senior consultants to deliver a raft of new projects for a range of firms, from regional software and technology businesses to professional services organisation.
Paul Snape, founder, said:“In 2020, we launched new services, leveraging our media coverage to generate inbound sales leads online for growing SMEs, and that has helped us expand the US work as more and more firms strive to get a foothold in the North American market.”
Ripon’s newest business is another First for Rebecca
Rebecca Crallan will open the doors to The GreenHouse – Ripon’s newest business – at 10am tomorrow..
Ms Crallan, who earned a Double First in biology at Cambridge University, before obtaining her PhD at York, is leaving the world of academia and research work behind her for a brand-new career in retail.
Rebecca Crallan with her environmentally-friendly Miniml refillables range of cleaning products
Latterly based in London, where she worked for four years at Cancer Research UK, she has returned to her native Ripon, to put her scientific know-how into creating the eco and environmentally-friendly indie business.
The Stray Ferret visited 11, North Street yesterday for a sneak peek of the products on offer, and to hear why Ms Crallan decided to launch her venture in the city where she was born and bred.
She said:
“I came up with the idea while working at home during the covid lockdown.
“We’re all aware of reports on how we are damaging our planet, polluting the earth, oceans and air with plastics and gases and causing climate change.
“But those reports all call for action: If we act now we can change the outcome.”
Blankets made from redundant yarns, reduce the amount of material going as waste to landfill
She added:
“My mission is to make it easier for people to choose the greener option. From household chores to home styling and everyday needs to luxury treats.”
The products on sale have been carefully selected and locally sourced to minimise the impact on the environment.
Items on sale have been chosen with eco and environmental considerations top of mind
In addition to a refillables range of eco-friendly cleaning products, Yorkshire-made blankets created from recycled or redundant yarns are on offer.
There are also home and garden goods, locally-produced artisan-made wrapping papers and cards. .
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In setting up the business, Ms Crallan was able to call on the retail expertise of her partner Patricio Maglio.
His day job is at ASDA head office in Leeds and on some nights he is on ceremonial duty, setting the watch on Ripon Market Square, as one of the city’s four hornblowers.
Opening hours for the GreenHouse are between 10am and 4pm from Wednesday to Saturday. .
The shop also sells takeaway coffee, served in biodegradable cups.
Police issue CCTV pics of 6 people after Harrogate assault
*Update* – North Yorkshire Police has now identified the six individuals in the CCTV pictures and they are assisting officers with their investigation.
Police have issued CCTV images of six people – three men and three women, they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.
The incident took place in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, February 13 at an unnamed bar on Cheltenham Parade.
A North Yorkshire Police press release tonight said:
“The incident involved a large group of people who were involved in an altercation, which resulted in a number of people in the bar being assaulted and receiving injuries.
“Despite enquiries with neighbouring police forces, the identity of the people captured in the CCTV images remains outstanding.
“Therefore, detectives from Harrogate criminal investigation department are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the people in the images, as they believe they hold important information which will help the investigation.”
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Police urged anyone who recognises the people in the images, or who has any information regarding the incident, to contact them by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking to speak to Detective Constable 604 Naomi Harris.
You can also email naomi.harris@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote reference number 12220025651 when passing on information.
Plan submitted to demolish Bilton garages for social housingHarrogate Borough Council has lodged plans to demolish 10 garages in Bilton to build two new houses.
The garages are on Woodfield Close, near the iron bridge in the Harrogate suburb.
As part of the proposal, two one-bedroom homes would be built on the site.
A council report in August said there were 24 garages on the site but only 12 were occupied. Of these, four were used by local residents.
The report proposed demolishing seven garages to allow for the new development but the number has now increased to 10.
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- Government rejects plan for new townhouses in Ripon
The council owns and rents out garages across the district and has increasingly looked at the pockets of land as a way to build social housing.
In planning documents, the council said the development would help to provide “much needed affordable homes”.
The move comes as the council approved plans to earmark the site for housing back in August 2021.
The authority also plans to build a two-bed property for social rented housing on grassland it maintains on the corner of Poplar Crescent and Poplar Grove
Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the Woodfield Close plan at a later date.
Harrogate library to close for two weeks on Saturday for maintenance workHarrogate library will close on Saturday for just over a fortnight to enable large-scale maintenance work to be carried out.
The project, which involves all three floors, includes remedial damp works, redecoration and the replacement of energy-efficient lighting.
The building will close at 4pm on Saturday and is scheduled to reopen at 9am on Monday, April 4. Customers will be able to borrow additional books to cover the closure period.
North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for libraries, announced the news today.
Neil Irving, assistant director for policy, partnerships and communities at the council, said:
“These much-needed improvements will have lasting benefits to Harrogate library; one of our largest and busiest in the county.
“We apologise for the inconvenience it will cause to library visitors but we are encouraging people to come and borrow a selection of books to keep them going over the closure period.”
Read more:
- Refurbishment reveals ‘ghost sign’ of former Harrogate library
- Bilton and Woodfield Community Library closed due to flooding
The nearest alternative libraries are Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library.
You can also browse, reserve and renew items and access your library account online here or via the library app.
The work was previously scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 7.
Harrogate school fundraiser raises over £500 for UkraineSt Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate has raised £504.98 for a Ukraine humanitarian appeal by selling crafts and old school uniforms.
St Robert’s has a large number of Eastern European children so the school wanted to do something to help at such a difficult time.
Mum Catherine Maguire made Ukraine-inspired crafts, including painted stones, cards, bookmarks, ribbons, pom-poms and cupcakes.
The school also donated all proceeds from a school uniform sale held at the same time to the Ukrainian disaster appeal run by the Catholic aid agency Cafod on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Some of the crafts that were on sale
Ms Maguire said:
“It’s about showing our support for them and their families. It’s not just about raising money”.
The school also created a prayer tree where children could write prayers on a sunflower and hang them.
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Headteacher Jill Collins added:
“St Robert’s Catholic Primary has lots of children from different countries and especially eastern European countries. We want to extend our love and support to our families who have relatives in Ukraine and nearby countries.
“The fundraising event is small way of letting people know we are truing to help and support in any way we can.”
Thankful for support
Ukrainian couple Taras and Viktoriia Jakubiak, whose daughter Isabella attends St Robert’s, said they were thankful to everyone at the school for holding the fundraiser, which took place on Friday afternoon.
The Jakubiak family at the fundraiser.
Mr Jakubiak also spoke about his fears for close family members who are encircled by Russian forces in Ukraine and unable to flee.
Read the full article here.
Yorkshire Agricultural Society appoints new chief executiveThe Yorkshire Agricultural Society has appointed Allister Nixon as its new chief executive.
Mr Nixon, who has been chief operating officer at Castle Howard Estate Limited for the past six years, will replace Nigel Pulling in the role.
He has also held positions at multinational companies, such as Global and Kanter Media Audiences.
Mr Pulling is retiring at the end of the month after 20 years in charge of the society, which organises the annual Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.
Its other businesses include Fodder, Yorkshire Event Centre, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Harrogate Caravan Park and Springtime Live.
Mr Nixon, who is a chartered accountant, said:
“I am delighted to be joining this outstanding organisation which does so much invaluable work for the agricultural industry. There is a lot of good work to continue and there are many opportunities for the society to develop still further.
“I am really looking forward to working with the trustees, staff and other stakeholders in the industry to ensure that, by supporting, promoting and celebrating the industry as effectively as possible, the exceptional reputation of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society continues to grow.”
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Nigel Pulling
Rob Copley, chairman of trustees, said:
“On behalf of all the Trustees, council members and all staff we would like to thank Nigel for his hard work, determination and expertise and we are looking forward to welcoming Allister and beginning the next phase of development under his leadership and direction.”