Sirius is a new cafe on Beulah Street that offers homemade food inspired by Turkey.

Istanbul is said to have the world’s oldest cafe culture, and Cuneyt Yazicioglu wants to bring some flavours from his home city to Harrogate.

Dishes at Sirius include kumpir, which is a Turkish jacket potato with a wide range of toppings to choose from.

Homemade sweets include the pistachio-flavored baklava. Turkish coffee and tea are also available.

Inside Sirius on Beulah Street

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Mr Yazicioglu has lived in North Yorkshire for 24 years and previously ran a Turkish restaurant in Ripon.

Pictures of famous Turkish singers, actors and comedians adorn the walls of the cafe, which used to be a card shop and is next door to Costa.

It’s the ‘Turkish breakfast’ that takes top billing on the menu. It’s a twist on the English breakfast and includes feta cheese, olives, Turkish pepperoni and honey.

As well as offering Turkish treats, the kitchen serves English breakfast, sandwiches, pizza, paninis and omelettes.

Sirius is open from 9am to 5pm seven days a week at 9 Beulah Street, Harrogate.

Emergency services are dealing with a road traffic collision on the A59 between Harrogate and Menwith Hill.

Police at the scene have asked drivers to avoid the area whilst they help those involved.

The collision happened at the junction with White Hall Lane near Menwith Hill.

@your_harrogate @HgateAdvertiser @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @BBCYork @BBCYorkshire @itvcalendar

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) May 5, 2022

Drinkers will be able to finally reacquaint themselves with the Coach & Horses this summer after over two years.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, bought the pub in October last year.

It’s been closed since May 2020 after the previous landlord John Nelson had his licence revoked for breaching covid rules.

Provenance has been busy revamping the bar and kitchen area and reinstating the corner entrance.

The first floor is also being converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

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Scaffolding outside the building recently came down ahead of the Coach & Horses’ new era.

The company has designed a new logo for the pub but has promised to respect its long heritage with the refurbishment.

Provenance’s commercial manager Anthony Blundell said there is still work to do but he is hopeful the pub and restaurant will reopen in early July.

He said:

“Everyone is eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Coach and no one is more excited than us to get to know some of the previous patrons and, hopefully, some new ones too.”

Polling stations across the Harrogate district opened at 7am this morning as elections take place for the new North Yorkshire Council.

The unitary authority, which comes into existence on April 1 next year, will replace North Yorkshire County Council and seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council.

Councillors elected will serve on North Yorkshire County Council for its final year and then a further four years on North Yorkshire Council.

The political make-up of the council, which will be determined today by voters, will shape services for 600,000 people in North Yorkshire over the next five years.

A total of 310 candidates are contesting 90 seats in the county.

Polling stations close at 10pm tonight and results will be announced tomorrow.

The Stray Ferret will attend the declaration of results and provide full details as they happen.

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Two appointments at Roecliffe pub

A new chef and general manager have been appointed at the Crown Inn in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge.

The 16th century coaching inn was bought by the Coastal and Country Inns Group in September 2020 and was subsequently refurbished.

The group has hired chef Paul Murphy, who previously helped to establish the Timble Inn near Otley into a five-star hotel. He also worked with fellow chef Frances Atkins at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge.

Paul Bennington will also join the team as general manager.

Mr Binnington, who first teamed up with Paul Murphy at the Station Inn in Birstwith, previously ran the Black Lion in Thirsk.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns, said:

“These two appointments are crucially important for the future of the Crown. The two Pauls, who are both very experienced and very talented, are a true dream team. They work brilliantly together.”

Harrogate’s Duchy Hospital sends medical supplies to Ukraine

The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate has worked alongside a UK-based Ukrainian Doctor to deliver more than 110 tonnes of medical supplies to Ukraine.

Working with the Ukrainian doctors’ union and the British Red Cross, the Duchy Hospital has identified the supplies needed by war-hit hospitals.

The Duchy Hospital is one of 53 Circle Health Group hospitals that has stockpiled supplies such as ventilators, crutches, respiratory masks, scrubs, wound kits and operating tables for Ukrainian hospitals.

The latest delivery contained £185,500 of medical equipment loaded on 35 pallets.

Staff and doctors at Duchy Hospital have raised additional funds with a bake sale, food collection and a 12-hour continuous cycle, which have raised more than £2,000.

People in the Harrogate district will go to the polls tomorrow for perhaps the most important local elections for almost 50 years.

Voters will shape key services for 600,000 people in the county by deciding the political make-up of the new North Yorkshire Council.

The unitary authority, which comes into existence on April 1 next year, will replace North Yorkshire County Council and seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council.

Councillors elected tomorrow will serve the final year of North Yorkshire County Council and then a further four years on North Yorkshire Council.

It represents the biggest shake-up in local government in North Yorkshire since 1974, when the current structure of local government was introduced.

Tomorrow’s elections will see 310 candidates contest 90 seats in 89 electoral divisions.

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The Conservative Party, which currently controls North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, is fielding candidates in all 90 seats. There will also be 67 Labour and Co-operative Party candidates, 48 Green Party candidates, 45 Liberal Democrats and 45 Independents. The remaining 15 candidates will be from a range of other smaller parties.

Richard Flinton, the county returning officer for the election who is also the chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“This is an opportunity for everyone who is registered to vote to help decide on who they want to represent them at what is a defining moment for North Yorkshire.

“The importance of these elections is hugely significant, as it not only lays the foundations for the decision-makers for the new unitary authority, but it also paves the way for a devolution deal for North Yorkshire and York.”

The government has stipulated that a new unitary authority is a key requirement for any devolution deal for North Yorkshire, which could see an elected mayor with new powers.

Polling stations will be open across the county from 7am until 10pm tomorrow.

More details about the new electoral divisions and the May 5 county council elections are available here.

An event to encourage more women to take up cycling is being held in Harrogate this weekend.

Businesses in the town have teamed up to host three days of ‘personalised cycling support, skills and inspiration’.

Hosted by activewear store Sweaty Betty, health food café Hustle & Co and cycling firm The Personal Cyclist, women of all ages and abilities are invited to take part from Friday to Sunday.

Research by Sport England’s Active Lives Survey (May 2020 – May 2021), revealed that 8.3 million adults cycle regularly in England, with only 13 per cent of these being women.

The weekend is being supported by the Electric Bike Shop, on Leeds Road, which will provide a fleet of test bikes and pre-bookable safety checks for all appointments during the weekend.

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Whilst the physical and mental benefits of exercising outdoors are undisputed, British Cycling coach Kate Auld, founder of the Personal Cyclist, said:

“Some of cycling’s special magic lies in its sociability, sustainability and the almost childlike joy it brings out in people. Not forgetting fabulous coffee and cake stops. But it can sometimes feel intimidating to get going.

“Together with Hustle & Co and Sweaty Betty, we want to empower everyone with the confidence and skills to cycle safely.

“Whether it’s for fitness, commuting or errands around town, we’re building healthy habits around busy lives, without judgement or jargon.”

Nici Routledge, co-owner of Hustle & Co, said she loved the idea of cycling around Harrogate, but admitted she was “a bit scared”.

She said:

“What should I wear? What about punctures? Where are the best routes? I needed some hand-holding to help me out, starting with the right bike for my budget.”

Pre-bookable appointments, costing £20 per person, are available Friday 6 to Sunday, May 8 and last around 40 minutes. A bike is not essential.

Email thepersonalcyclist@gmail.com to book.

Two new smart bins branded an ‘eyesore’ outside Harrogate’s Valley Gardens are to be moved.

Harrogate Borough Council said today it would “find a more suitable location for the bins”, which it revealed cost £4,350 each.

The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.

Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens both called for the bins to be relocated this week because of their visual impact on the conservation area.

The council has installed six smart bins, costing a total of £26,1000, in Valley Gardens. But it is the two outside the main entrance that have attracted criticism.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.

Ann Beeby, secretary of the Friends of Valley Gardens charity, said it has aesthetic concerns and had asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance.

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A council spokesman said today:

“The location of the bins was chosen in areas where footfall is high and where in peak season bins require emptying multiple times a day.

“We’d like to thank Harrogate district residents and Harrogate Civic Society for sharing their comments on the bins. And following feedback from the civic society, we will work with them to find a more suitable location for the bins outside Valley Gardens to preserve the heritage of the town while maintaining a high footfall area.”

Smart bins ‘improve efficiency and increase recycling’

Two bins have also been installed in the children’s play area.

The council spokesperson said the new solar-powered compacting public bins would “improve efficiency and increase recycling”.

They added:

“Each self-contained 240l bin, that prevents birds and vermin from entering, can compact the volume of up to 10 standard bins.

“Resulting in each pair accommodating a total of up to 4,800 litres of waste and recycling and a reduction in the time and cost of emptying bins, as well as a reduction in fuel costs and carbon emissions.

“Meaning we can spend more time litter picking and keeping the district clean and looking its best.

“The allowance for recycling glass, plastic and cans means that these items can be removed from general waste and increase the district’s recycling rates.

“Much like the standard bins that have recently been retrofitted with a sensor, we are also able to monitor fill levels and are alerted if there are issues with the bin, or the bin becomes full before its next collection, ensuring litter is kept to a minimum and we can ensure the district is kept clean and tidy.”

A Harrogate man asked a 13-year-old ‘girl’ for nude photos during online chats, a court heard.

Thomas Fryer, 36, contacted the ‘girl’ on a messenger app, not realising he was in fact chatting with an adult decoy who was working undercover to trap online predators.

Prosecutor Ashleigh Metcalfe told York Crown Court that a vigilante group called Keeping Kids Safe was behind the sting, which ended with a “confrontation” at Fryer’s home that was live-streamed on social media.

She said the volunteer decoy – a man who was named in court – set up a fake profile purporting to be a teenage girl.

Fryer made contact under the username ‘Tom Fryer 1’. On the ‘girl’s’ profile it said she was 19 years of age, but when he contacted her, she told him she was 13 years old.

Thus began a series of debauched chats on the Oasis and KIK apps, culminating in the “confrontation” at Fryer’s home where the vigilantes called in police.

Officers arrived on the scene and seized Fryer’s iPhone, which showed messages between him and the ‘girl’, including one in which he asked her if she “goes nude” and encouraged her to take naked photos of herself. Ms Metcalfe said:

‘She’ sent him two photos, whereupon Fryer called her a ‘cute girl’.”

He then asked ‘her’ if she had any photos of her young friend and if this girl was sexually active.

He then asked ‘her’:

“Why don’t you kiss your ‘bestie’ for the experience?”

In subsequent chats, he asked for more pictures from the ‘girl’ and told ‘her’:

“It’s probably better to keep this between you and me. Don’t tell anyone about the (pictures) LOL.”

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Ms Metcalfe said the chats occurred over a five-day period between May 28 and June 1, 2020.

Never been in trouble before

Fryer, of Dragon Parade, was quizzed by police but remained largely silent. However, he ultimately admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

They were charged as ‘attempts’ because the ‘girl’ was in fact an adult decoy.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said Fryer had never been in trouble before.

Judge Simon Hickey said it was better for Fryer to get the help he needed in the community rather than any custodial sentence.

Fryer was given an 18-month community order with a 40-day rehabilitation programme. He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work.

He was placed on the sex-offenders’ register for five years and made subject to a five-year sexual-harm prevention order, mainly to curb his internet activities.

A quirky café where you can grab a slice of cake and cuddle a chihuahua is set to open in Harrogate this month.

Billed as ‘England’s first interactive chihuahua experience’, The Chihuahua Lounge is aimed at boosting mental health with pet assisted therapy.

The venue, on Knaresborough Road, is expected to open on weekends from Saturday, May 14.

Customers will be able to book a 50-minute session at the café, on Knaresborough Road, and chill out with a coffee in the company of six cute long-haired chihuahuas.

Picnic and her puppies Badger, Lambie, Potter, Peony and Lucy, all bred and raised by café founder Caroline Leather, will roam free within the building.

Ms Leather said she wanted to share the benefits that she gains from her own affectionate pack of chihuahuas.

She explained that this is how the concept of a ‘home-from-home interactive chihuahua experience’ with lounge seating, coffee, cakes and cuddles was born.

Ms Leather said:

“The Chihuahua Lounge is a friendly, safe haven, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

“We are passionate about animal assisted therapy, which has shown that spending time with dogs not only reduces your heart rate and blood pressure, but is good for mental health.

“We offer an extensive menu of hot and cold drinks, freshly baked cakes and have cosy sofas, arm chairs and foot stools, so you can kick off your shoes and curl up for a cuddle.”

The experience costs £10 per person. This contributes towards the cost of the specific qualifications needed to exhibit the animals, as well as the strict animal welfare and licensing laws.

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For the safety of the dogs, only children over the age of six are permitted.

Ms Leather said:

“Our dogs love human attention and we have made sure that the café is a home-from-home for them.

“They also have their own private room where they are free to wander in and out as they please.

“We do not force our dogs to be in the lounge area with our guests. When the dogs are in the lounge space, they are there out of choice, and we intend to always keep it that way.

Ms Leather explained that the dogs also have weekly health checks and  behavioural studies are conducted on each animal regularly to ensure their behaviour in the café demonstrates that of a happy and relaxed dog.

She added:

“If it does not, we take them out of the café environment.

“We have a set of house rules to protect the dogs welfare that have to be adhered to by all customers.

“We also limit the capacity of our café to ensure the dogs are not overcrowded.”