Harrogate’s new vegan restaurant venture collapses

A vegan restaurant chain that planned to open a location in Harrogate has ceased trading.

Vertigo took over the space on Station Parade next to Farmhouse in July 2021 and advertised in its window that it was ‘coming soon’.

Since then there has been no sign of movement. The building has remained vacant with only Vertigo branding visible to passers-by.

When the Stray Ferret sought an update in January, we were told the company couldn’t confirm a date for the Harrogate opening due to covid uncertainty.

However, Vertigo has now posted on social media that it has now gone out of business. It said:

“It is with a heavy heart we have to announce Vertigo is no more.

“Sadly, we have ceased trading at all of our sites. The pandemic really took its toll on us, and trade is still well behind what it was pre-March 2020; and now with significantly increased costs (especially utilities) it is no longer viable for us to operate.”

The chain operated three eateries in Manchester.

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TV architect George Clarke will bring buildings to life at Harrogate’s Royal Hall

TV architect George Clarke will share stories from a ‘Life in Amazing Architecture’ at Harrogate’s Royal Hall.

He will visit the town on October 18 as part of his debut live tour, which will give fans a glimpse behind the scenes of Mr Clarke’s hit series, including The Restoration Man, Amazing Spaces and Remarkable Renovations.

The live show will include audio-visual features, as Mr Clarke shares tales from his childhood, how he was inspired to pursue architecture, and how he stumbled into TV, as well as talking audiences through some of the architectural highlights of their local area.

The Sunderland-born architect is no stranger to Harrogate, having filmed a number of TV episodes in the town, including the restoration of The Chapel on Grove Road and the transformation of a 200-year-old dilapidated barn.

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Mr Clarke said:

“I’m just a storyteller, about people and about buildings. So to be going on tour, to be able to tell my story is amazing.

“I already felt like the luckiest boy in the world to do architecture, but to travel the country talking about architecture and my life – it’s off the scale amazing.”

Tickets for George Clarke’s Life In Amazing Architecture go on sale at 10am on Friday, March 11 from www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Ukraine crisis: Guide to how you can help locally

As the war in Ukraine wages on, the Harrogate district has stepped up its response to help those fleeing the conflict.

The Stray Ferret will be providing updates on where to give donations and how the district is responding to the ongoing war.

If you have any details on where to donate to those fleeing the conflict or any other information, write to us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate

Ukrainian woman opens house for donations 

Olga Whiting, from Ukraine, is opening up her home so she can take donations to be sent to her Mum’s village in Ukraine.

Ms Whiting now lives in Harrogate but is in regular contact with her mum who has said the items they’re most in need of are:

Ms Whiting has a friend who has been transporting donations into Ukraine every three weeks. Her friend will now add her native village of Nova Borava to his list of drop-off points.

People can drop donations off at anytime at 14 Yewdale Road, Harrogate, HG2 8NF. Ms Whiting has said if no one is in call her on 07307876103 and she will describe a safe place for them to be left.

Tiger Fifty 7 taking donations

The children’s store on Cold Bath Road has opened itself up as a drop-off point for donations.

It is asking for:

For anyone who would rather donate money via JustGiving link, click here.

Boroughbridge

Car dealer accepting donations

Charltons of Boroughbridge is accepting donations for those feeling the conflict in Ukraine.

Items collected will be sent to a large depot at Thirsk and then forward to Eastern Europe.

Organisers will accept:

The dealership has said it is open for donations from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 8.30am to 5pm.

New nursery set to open its doors in Harrogate

This article is sponsored by Children’s Corner Childcare. 

An innovative new nursery – complete with a refurbished loft space and a breakfast bar for parents – is opening its doors near RHS Harlow Carr Harrogate.

Launching in April, Children’s Corner will be based at Central House, on Otley Road, making it an ideal location for parents who work at the business park.

It will also serve commuters to and from Harrogate, as well as those living in nearby villages, including Beckwithshaw and Pannal.

Lesley Anne Dawson, CEO and owner of Children’s Corner Childcare, said:

“This purpose-built nursery is the first of its kind in the area. Bright and spacious, the modern open-plan space will allow plenty of opportunities for children to explore.

“Beyond the welcoming reception area are two large rooms divided into nursery and pre-school, with staff and activities tailored to different ages and abilities.

“We also have a beautifully-refurbished loft space that local baby and toddler classes will be using throughout the week. The nursery also benefits from a wonderful outdoor space which will be used for outdoor learning and play.”

The family-run nursery, set to open on April 4, will be able to welcome up to 50 children from aged six weeks to five, from 7.30am to 6pm all-year-round. It will also offer 15 and 30-hour funded places.

Its many stand-out approaches to childcare include a sustainable, eco-friendly ethos, a focus on outdoor learning and flexibility for parents in a modern working environment.

Lesley added:

“We have commissioned sustainable wooden play equipment for both in and outdoors, and lean towards open-ended natural resources to encourage children to create their own play. There is also a covered area to allow for all-weather play and outdoor learning.

“Spending lots of time outdoors has proven benefits to children’s health and development. Our garden is surrounded by mature trees and we will be encouraging wildlife – the animals and insects we share our home with provide endless opportunities for learning.”

To make drop-off run as smoothly as possible, the nursery’s welcoming reception area is aimed at helping to set families up for a happy day ahead.

Lesley said:

“On arrival, children will go in for breakfast and parents can stay for a coffee while they catch up on emails at the breakfast bar.

“There are ample parking spaces right outside. The Children’s Corner operations manager will also be based onsite, so parents always have a point of contact.

“We are keen to be an integral part of the local community and we are offering our lovely loft space to local baby and toddler groups, who will be offering classes throughout the week. We plan to work with local schools to offer wraparound care.”

Lesley said an emphasis was also placed on mealtimes, which is seen as a chance to sit down with friends, develop communication skills and learn healthy eating habits.

She added:

“Our seasonal dishes are always freshly prepared and we explore different aromas, tastes and textures every day, helping young children understand what good food is, how it grows and that it tastes delicious.”

During the pandemic, the nursery, which has six other branches in Leeds, created a unique ‘Flexi-Day Pass’ to support parents who were juggling childcare and working from home.

Lesley said:

“We wanted to offer parents reassurance during a difficult time of uncertainty.

“The pandemic has changed the way we work. Now that many companies are returning to the office or adopting the hybrid approach, we aim to continue to offer flexible childcare with just 24 hours notice.

“Parents book a minimum of three days per month, and can choose those days flexibly. As long as we have availability we will do our utmost to provide the days requested.”

The nursery follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and practices ‘in the moment planning’, which means that children are able to follow their interests.

Matthew Dawson, director of Chidren’s Corner Childcare, said:

“We cannot wait to open our first Children’s Corner nursery in Harrogate.

“Our goal is to offer the highest quality childcare to our families whilst also meeting the flexibility requirements parents need in the modern working environment.

“We want Children’s Corner Harrogate to feel like an extension of your own family and we will be running social events for parents who might not have been able to meet other parents because of the pandemic.

“We are a family-owned and operated business and love having that personal connection to all of the families in our care.”

The nursery is holding a series of open days in March, starting with an exclusive Central House show-round on Friday, March 11, where tenants can drop in for lunch between 12 and 2pm and meet the nursery manager.

It will be followed by two events for parents, who can enjoy a tour of the setting, on Saturday, March 12 and 19, between 10am and 2pm.

‘Community goodwill’ helped to overcome anti-mosque campaign, says Harrogate Islamic Association

Harrogate Islamic Association has said the “goodwill” of the local community helped it overcome a campaign against its plans to open the town’s first mosque.

The plans to convert the former Home Guard Club on Belford Road into a place of worship were approved last week after several residents received letters in January which said they should object because the mosque would “only serve one section of the community”.

Bristol-based planning lawyer Gavin Boby – who calls himself “the mosque buster” – also said in a YouTube video that he had been asked to help campaign against the plans.

Harrogate Islamic Association member Zahed Amanullah has now said he believes the support of most residents – and other religious groups – helped the association win approval from Harrogate Borough Council.

Mr Amanullah told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“We are very pleased the plans have been approved and particularly grateful to the Harrogate community for supporting us.

“We have spent many years building bridges with other faith groups and we have always felt welcome here.

“We have really relied on the goodwill of community members to address the campaign.

“We have also made sure that we are communicating with everyone effectively through social media. We want to have an ongoing dialogue with our neighbours and I think this really helped.”

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The planning application was submitted in October 2021 and has proved to be divisive, with 109 people writing to the council in support of the plans and 69 against.

The objections stem from concerns over parking and traffic on Belford Road which is a one-way residential street with a primary school.

The former Home Guard club in Harrogate.

The former Home Guard club in Harrogate.

In response, Harrogate Islamic Association said in its plans that the mosque “would not have an unacceptable impact” on the surrounding roads because it is near the town centre and there are public transport links.

The association – which currently meets in the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House – has been looking for a permanent home in Harrogate for around a decade.

Previous attempts to lay roots at other buildings have fallen through and the group has now raised around £400,000 of the £500,000 needed to buy the former Home Guard club.

The association said it wants to convert the boarded-up building into a space that can be used for religious, community and charitable events.

Mr Amanullah said additional funding will be needed to carry out these works as much of the roof structure and ground floor will have to be replaced.

He said: 

“Purchasing this building has meant raising additional funds to ensure that it is renovated sensitively and appropriately, given its history.

“This means we have to raise more money than we planned for, so we have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help us make up the difference.

“Fortunately, we have had pledges from community members that were contingent upon planning permission.

“However, we will need to raise more than that for emergency repairs, so we have set a target on our crowdfunding page of £200,000 to cover these costs.

“If all goes to plan, we hope to open the building, or at least part of it, by autumn.”

New woodland with 2,000 trees planted in Bilton

Over 2,000 trees have been planted on the edge of Nidd Gorge to form a new woodland for people to enjoy.

Bilton Conservation Group was helped by employees from Belzona Polymerics as well as members of Knox Valley Residents’ Association and the Scout movement to plant the trees at Bilton Fields during February.

Sixteen native broadleaf species were planted, including a specimen of the rare wild service tree.

The woodland is sponsored and paid for by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, a Catholic congregation of women that was founded in 1846.

Scout volunteers planting a tree

Four nuns, representing the order, came from Oxford and France to help on the second day.

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Bilton Conservation Group has planted over 20,000 trees in Bilton Fields since 1985.

Keith Wilkinson, of Bilton Conservation Group, said:

“We had hoped to plant them last year but the weather and covid got in the way.

“Fringed with blossom species such as wild cherry, crab apple, dog rose, hawthorn, blackthorn and rowan it will be magnificent in years to come, providing food and shelter for birds, butterflies and bees. It will look fantastic.”

Councillors approve ‘much-needed’ Harrogate pet crematorium

Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning committee has unanimously backed plans to build the district’s first pet crematorium.

The crematorium will be built inside a converted shipping container at Stonefall Cemetery on Wetherby Road, Harrogate.

There will also be a ‘goodbye room’ in a converted garage where owners can say final farewells to their pets.

The council, which approved its own plans for the crematorium yesterday, currently charges £36 to collect dead pets from people’s homes. The closest pet crematoriums are in Leeds, Thirsk and Skipton.

John Club, the council’s commercial and community development manager, told the meeting there are around 47,000 pets in the Harrogate district and that owners increasingly want to give them a dignified send-off after they die.

The move follows the lead of councils in north east Lincolnshire and Barnsley, which have already opened or started work on pet crematoriums.

This storage building will be converted into a ‘goodbye room’.

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Stephen Hemsworth, bereavement services manager at the council, took questions from councillors about the project.

Mr Hemsworth said it would cost around £50 for a rabbit to be cremated whereas a dog would cost over £200. He said revenue would be invested back into the council.

He added the facility would be used by the general public as well as local vets.

Good news for pet owners

Conservative councillor for Washburn ward, Victoria Oldham, who is also a farmer, said she fully supported the proposals.

She said:

“It’s much needed in the area. I’m jolly glad that it’s coming forward now. I am sure it will be well used. Having a goodbye room will mean an awful lot to pet owners.”

Harrogate marketing agency to oversee fashion week 

Harrogate marketing agency to oversee fashion week 

The team from Marketing Adventures.

A Harrogate marketing agency has been chosen to head-up Northern Fashion Week.

Marketing Adventures will oversee the marketing for the event, which takes place from July 7-9.

It is aimed at championing northern talent and will place a spotlight on the “vast opportunities” in the north.

Brogan Huntington, creative director of Marketing Adventures, said:

“We will be supporting all of the fashion powerhouses, influencers and designers in showcasing diversity, culture and the importance of Northern fashion.

“The fashion week is set to be the biggest and most exclusive event that has ever hit the North and we delighted to have the opportunity to be heading up the marketing.

“It is bringing a huge opportunity to Harrogate and the local areas for influencers, fashion designers and brands.”

Marketing Adventures is set to hold exclusive events in restaurants and bars in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool prior to the launch in June.

Solicitor Rachel Baul joins LCF Law

Rachel Baul

A family and matrimonial law solicitor from Harrogate with two decades of experience in the town has joined LCF Law.

Rachel Baul advises clients on divorce, judicial separation, the dissolution of civil partnerships and cohabitation law. She also specialises in drafting cohabitation, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements for people who have assets they want to protect.

Ms Baul has knowledge of agricultural valuations, subsidies, inheritance considerations, and how the courts approach these matters, means she regularly represents farming clients.

She also has a great deal of experience dealing with cases involving significant and complex financial assets on and offshore, and she also regularly represents sportspeople and medical professionals.

Ms Baul said:

“I wanted to move to LCF Law because I was keen to work at a progressive firm that values its team.

“Since expanding into Harrogate in 2015 with the acquisition of Barber Titleys, LCF Law has made a big impact in the town, and I have admired the firm’s drive to exceed client expectations, all whilst supporting its staff and the local community.”

Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea suspend trade with Russia

Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea said today they will cease trade with Russia with immediate effect.

The two Harrogate-based companies issued statements in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has so far claimed about 13,000 lives and forced two million people to flee their homes.

A Harrogate Spring Water spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Spring Water has made the decision to stop all exports to Russia with immediate effect.”

Russia has been one of Harrogate Spring Water’s biggest export markets in the past, according to multiple articles published in 2013.

An article in The Business Desk, published in 2013, said water sales in Russia has increased by 40% year-on-year.

The company itself tweeted an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin drinking a bottle of its water in 2013.

https://twitter.com/HarrogateSpring/status/375589127275560960?s=20&t=DQo5_CMsbRdj8AltJnys1g

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Yorkshire Tea is owned by Taylors of Harrogate, a 130-year-old company founded in Harrogate. It has a distributer in Moscow.

A spokesperson for Taylors of Harrogate said today:

“Like everyone, we’ve been deeply shocked and saddened by the invasion and our thoughts are with all those impacted.

“Our ethical trade and human rights policy states that our values guide how we work with suppliers, customers and distributors, including the provision that we will not trade with individuals, entities, regions or countries where UK sanctions have been applied.

“While Russia has been an export market for some of our teas for several years, as a result of the invasion and the subsequent sanctions we’ve suspended trade.”

All brands owned by Taylors of Harrogate, which also include coffee products, will no longer be exported to Russia.

Harrogate volunteers make second attempt to ship donations to Ukrainian refugees

Harrogate volunteers trying to ship donations to help Ukrainian refugees are to make a second attempt to send the goods this week.

Most of the donations were handed in by Harrogate residents to Sowa Polish Shop on Bower Road and Claro Court Business Centre.

Volunteers Joanna Papros, Adam Goldsmith and Kinga Goldsmith packed the donations last week. They were then taken in four vans to Halifax, where they were due to be moved on for shipping to refugees in Poland.

But the donations were turned away because the depot couldn’t cope with the volume of goods being moved on.

It meant the volunteers had to quickly come up with a Plan B. Over the weekend, they managed to find a new unit to store the donations and a Ukrainian man living in Harrogate who agreed to help with shipping.

Mr Goldsmith said:

“We thought it would be done and dusted, but when our drivers got there they said there were piles of donations outside and we just knew we couldn’t leave things out in the rain.

“I’m not even counting the hours we’ve spent organising this. It is what it is. I’m just grateful we’ve found another route for the donations.”

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Roman Kot, a local businessman with export experience, is the man helping with the shipping. He moved to the UK 10 years ago but still has family in Ukraine and some friends are fighting for the country.

Mr Kot said:

“They’re all still afraid — one of my cousins has said he’s going to get on a bus to try escape today. He’s got young kids so it’s just not safe.

“I’m Ukrainian. It’s in my blood, I can’t go over there and fight with them so hopefully this will still help them.

“Most people couldn’t see themselves in the military but so many are signing up, including friends. They want to fight for their freedom, they are determined not to live under Putin’s rule.”

Mr Kot has organised for 26 pallets worth of donations to be driven to Grimsby where they will then be shipped to Poland and distributed to Ukrainian refugees.

He added:

“There is a problem with bottleneck transport on the border because so many people are trying to send stuff out. We’re really hoping to get it shipped by the end of the week.”