Harrogate’s Turkish Baths will celebrate its 125th birthday this weekend.

The Harrogate Borough Council-run leisure facility was opened on July 23, 1897 by Duke of Cambridge Prince George and cost £120,000 to build.

In its early days, water was pumped to the baths from several different springs, with treatments for conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis and sciatica being offered.

Facilities available during the baths’ Victorian heyday included dispensing of medicinal waters, hydrotherapy departments, mud baths and steam rooms as well as consulting doctors.

The baths were popular with members of royal families from around the world and a particular favourite of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters – Princess Alix and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine.

Although Turkish baths were common in Victorian times, only seven remain that date back to the 19th century.

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To help celebrate the baths’ 125th birthday, heritage experts will be at Victoria Shopping Centre all this week from 10am until 3pm.

They will be sharing archive images and fascinating details about the original Victorian relaxation and health treatments, as well as information about the baths experience and treatments available today.

Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council‘s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at council-owned leisure company Brimhams Active, said:

“In a year of celebration, it’s fantastic that Turkish Baths Harrogate has reached such a significant milestone.

“It truly is a jewel in Harrogate’s crown, and each year tens of thousands of people visit us to enjoy a unique journey of heating, cooling and cleansing treatments, just as our Victorian ancestors did.

“And following our investment in 2018 and our ongoing commitment to the baths, customers can continue to enjoy both traditional and modern wellness experiences in such a historic setting.

“Here’s to another 125 years perfecting the art of relaxation in Britain’s most fully restored Victorian Turkish baths.”

Council officials have said a contractor to build the second phase of the Otley Road cycle route in Harrogate is expected to be appointed in the autumn.

But it is still unclear when work on the project will start.

The first phase of the route, which runs from Harlow Moor Road to Cold Bath Road, was completed in January.

However, residents raised concerns over its design and the length of time it took to complete the project.

As a result, county council officials delayed progress on the second phase to review its designs.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council when the next phase of the route will be built and whether a contractor had been procured.

Melissa Burnham, highway area manager at the county council, said:

“Final detailed designs for phase two of the Otley Road cycle route are due to be approved within the next few weeks, with the contract expected to go out to tender during August.

“It is expected the contract will be awarded to the successful provider during the autumn.”

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• Calls to reduce ‘plethora’ of Otley Road cycle path signs
• Residents may ask council to reconsider Otley Road cycle path

However, she did not respond to another question enquiring when construction is expected to start.

Council officials had previously set that procurement for a contractor would begin in June.

The second phase of the cycle lane will run from Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove.

Costs have yet to be revealed for the next section of the route, but Hull-based PBS Construction was awarded a contract worth £827,000 for the first phase.

The third and final phase of the scheme, which will run from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park, is expected to be funded via contributions from housing developers.

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

Integral IT in Knaresborough has accelerated its growth strategy in cyber security and managed IT services by acquiring Digital Media Infrastructure.

Under the terms of the deal, two engineers Tom Roberts and Andrew Johnson have been welcomed into the 10-strong Integral IT support team along with their clients who between them represent 350 clients including accountants, solicitors, estate agents and recruiters.

The acquisition is Integral IT’s first since the company moved to larger premises in the heart of Knaresborough’s, Manse Lane and since Founder Jonathan Edwards started the business back in 2004.

Jonathan Edwards, Integral IT’’s founder said:

“I’m delighted to welcome the team and its clients to the Integral IT team. Nicholas Sumner and his team have done a phenomenal job for their clients since 2006, building a business of excellence that perfectly aligns with our own values.”

Andrew Johnson, support manager at DMI commented:

“It was important for Tom and I to partner with an organisation that shared our core values of putting the client’s needs at the centre of everything we do. It was clear from our first meeting this carried over to Integral IT’s ethos and core values. We will be able to strengthen our service proposition, improve response times to customers and to be a beneficial partner to our clients”

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McCormicks expands crime department

Harrogate Law firm McCormicks Solicitors has added additional expertise to its expanding Crime and Fraud department with two new faces.

Mark Fowler is a solicitor specialising in serious fraud, particularly tax fraud, and the proceeds of crime work connected to such cases.

Mr Fowler has been dealing with serious VAT fraud cases since the early 1990’s, building extensive knowledge and expertise on the subject. He has experience of cases of VAT fraud such as precious metals, mobile telephones, computer chips, scrap metal and the film industry.

Ismael Uddin is a qualified Barrister and police station representative with more than 24 years’ experience in criminal and regulatory law.

Mr Uddin has been involved in prosecuting and defending cases for the Government, public and private sector organisations, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, HMRC, and Environment Agency, but now exclusively defends in all cases.

His experience means he is familiar with Government procedures from the Crown Prosecution Service and cases involving the various Government bodies.

Mark Fowler (L) and Ismael Uddin (R).

The £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway will boost business, increase house prices and reduce congestion, according to an economic report published today.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the controversial scheme, has opened a third round of consultation.

As part of this, it published an economic case report showing the impact of the scheme.

The document says there is evidence that town centre retail is at risk of decline and ‘the proposed scheme contributes to increasing investment, job creation and productivity’.

It says the project would also create better opportunities to travel by foot and bike, attract more shoppers, increase land prices and ‘act as a catalyst to urban redevelopment and wider town centre regeneration’.

Businesses have expressed concerns about the impact of the scheme on trade.

They fear the loss of parking spaces, particularly on a part-pedestrianised James Street, and extra traffic caused by reducing some of Station Parade to single lane traffic will deter shoppers, as well as the impact of lengthy construction work.

How James Street will look.

But the economic case report says a survey of James Street users ‘indicates that over 90% of those doing business on the street would be unaffected by the removal of parking’.

It adds:

“Of the 10% or less that are parking, less than 20% were of the opinion that they would take their business elsewhere.

“In combination, were the parking to be removed from James Street, the impact on current shopping/business visitors could be expected to be less than 2%.”

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The findings are based on interviews with 294 people entering or leaving shops or businesses on James Street in October last year.

The report says the ‘overall impact on retail footfall is expected to be positive’ and that ‘research has also shown that station enhancements tend to increase the value of existing land and properties within certain radii surrounding the station’.

Congestion fears

North Yorkshire County Council said last week the scheme would extend the average journey time around town by 73 seconds at peak times. Some opponents fear the reality will be worse and the extra congestion will reduce property prices.

But today’s report rejects this. It says offices near the station are in high demand, adding the 11-storey Exchange tower on Station Parade has 99% occupancy and commanded office rents of approximately £25 per square foot.

Conservative councillors Keane Duncan and Phil Ireland at Station Parade last week.

Houses within 500 metres of the station could expect a 10% increase in value and houses within 1,000 and 1,500 metres could expect an uplift of up to 5%.

The report concludes:

“Based on local conditions, academic studies and case study evidence there is a strong economic case for the Harrogate Station Gateway.”

“The scheme is considered to support inclusive growth by presenting new opportunities to access jobs, education and training – that will serve to support a sustainable labour force in the district.

“This document has reviewed what is a large body of evidence and the strong precedents that indicate the Transforming Cities Fund scheme is likely to increase footfall and retail performance, increase property/land values and increase business investment.”

The project, which is not due to start until at least late spring next year, is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to promote active travel.

Today’s economic case report comes after Harrogate property developer Chris Bentley, who owns Hornbeam Park Developments, expressed concerns about the legality of the consultation process and said he was considering a judicial review.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority all support the gateway.

You can take part in the consultation here.

She was one of Britain’s first female chefs to win a Michelin star. Now, Frances Atkins could be in the running for the prestigious accolade again.

Paradise Cafe at Daleside Nurseries, in Killinghall, has been chosen as one of six of the inspectors’ favourite new additions to appear in the Michelin Guide this month.

This means the lakeside restaurant, which only opened its doors in April, could now be up for a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand.

Ms Atkins said:

“As a new business, we are delighted.

“It doesn’t make any difference in terms of what we offer. We will continue to to do what we do, which is to use fresh foods we produce ourselves, grown here at Daleside.”

A scallops dish.

Ms Atkins held a coveted star for 16 of the 23 years she was chef-patron of The Yorke Arms at Ramsgill in Nidderdale. Although she sold the business in 2017, she continued to work for its new owner until 2020, when it closed as a restaurant as a result of the pandemic.

With two long-term Yorke Arms colleagues, John Tullett, general manager and front of house, and head chef Roger Olive, she bought a silver Airstream caravan and parked it at Daleside.

The Paradise Cafe Airstream caravan.

From here, the trio served  began serving food on disposable bamboo plates for 18 months, before moving into the long-planned 80-seat cafe.

The Michelin Guide entry says:

“It may be a garden centre café, but this is not just any old garden centre café: it’s located in a separate building for a start – a spacious and smart modern space with a jewel of a terrace overlooking a lake.

“And then there’s the food: a frequently changing, seasonal menu bursting with delightful dishes which are fresh, unfussy and full of flavour.

“Come for coffee and cake, breakfast, brunch or lunch; there’s plenty for vegetarians and vegans – and a chef’s table if you’d like to watch and chat to the chefs as they work. Do book ahead, as the aptly named café is likely to be busy.”

Paradise Cafe is open Tuesday until Sunday, from 10am until 4pm.

Dinner is available on Friday evenings from 7pm.

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• Sneak Peak: Paradise arrives in Killinghall
• Michelin-starred chef’s new cafe to open at Killinghall nursery this month

A Harrogate blogger who was blackmailed by scammers is relieved today after managing to get back into her Instagram account.

Lucy Playford has run the Harrogate Mama blog and social media channels for six years and provides updates on family life in the town and visits to local businesses.

But Turkey-based scammers tricked their way into her Instagram account, which has 6,000 followers, and demanded money to hand it back. She feared the account was lost forever.

However, there has been a twist in the tale — a day after a Stray Ferret article highlighted the blogger’s plight, she has managed to get back into her account.

Ms Playford described yesterday how it happened:

“The hackers posted on my account tonight at a little after 9pm, thankfully due to your reporting and so many people knowing I’d been hacked lots of people contacted me to let me know the hackers were posting.

“This quick alerting led me being able to see the hackers had changed the name of my account to HarrogetaMama (deliberately spelled wrong to trick people) – and they were trying to extort money from my followers asking for investment.”

The suspicious Instagram post posted last night.

Ms Playford added:

“This meant now I could see what the account had been re-named, I could go through the verification process with Instagram again. This time the selfie verification process worked and I received retrieval codes from Instagram, albeit in Turkish, so Google Translate came in handy!

“After over two hours’ work between my husband and myself we managed to get back into the account. We have now changed the username back to HarrogateMama, changed the email address and set up the two-factor authentication.

“The swift action of so many people alerting me to the hackers posting meant I could get my account back.

“Lessons learned and message to spread about ALWAYS setting up two-factor authentication.”

EnviroVent has extended its stadium sponsorship of Harrogate Town for another two seasons.

The deal will see the company sponsor the Wetherby Road ground until 2023/24.

It will also see EnviroVent work with the Harrogate Town Community Foundation to teach children about climate change as part of the club’s environment programme.

Iain Service, head of foundation for Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation: 

“We are absolutely thrilled that EnviroVent will be helping the community foundation to deliver our new environmental sustainability projects.

“Activities, workshops and campaigns will highlight the importance of climate change, recycling and other ways in which we can do our bit to safeguard our planet for future generations.”

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The Harrogate-based company manufactures ventilations for house builders and employs more than 250 people at its manufacturing plant, training suite and head office on Hornbeam Park.

EnviroVent is due to move to a new state of the art headquarters on PennyPot Lane.

It has sponsored Harrogate Town for the last nine seasons.

Andy Makin EnviroVent MD, with past winners and runners up (from 2021/22) of the Enviro Way Awards, an internal award voted for by staff members.

Andy Makin, managing director at EnviroVent, said: 

“As a local business with shared ideals, EnviroVent is delighted to announce a further two-year commitment in our partnership with Harrogate Town AFC.   

“We were excited to become stadium sponsor when the club was promoted to the National League and now, two years on, we are very happy at the prospect of building further on our relationship. This will allow closer links with the club on the pitch and its great work, off the pitch, in our local community.”

Joanne Towler, commercial director at Harrogate Town AFC, said:

“We are delighted EnviroVent is continuing its partnership with the Club as Stadium Sponsors, our like-minded values create an enjoyable and rewarding working relationship.

“We are very fortunate and thankful to have EnviroVent behind us, the company’s commitment to the club is invaluable.”

Harrogate District Hospital recorded an increase in heat-related illnesses during this week’s record-breaking temperatures as it also warned of extra pressures from a further rise in covid patients.

The hospital saw a 10% increase in visitors with conditions such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, while covid patient numbers have tripled to 33 since the end of June.

Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said demand on services was “higher than we would typically expect” for summer and that there is “no doubt” much of this was due to the pandemic.

He added: 

“Extreme weather, such as heatwaves, also adds additional pressure on hospital services.

“We need to ensure that the people in our care and our staff are not unduly affected by increasing temperatures and we have severe weather plans in place to address any issues.

“Waiting times to be seen during these times can also be longer than usual due to demand.”

Temperatures are easing today after approaching 40 degrees in the district yesterday when North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a ‘major incident’ on the hottest day ever recorded in the county. It said today it had ‘stood down’ this status.

Gosh it was a hot one yesterday! ☀️ As you know we, like most other fire services around the country, declared a major incident due to the level of demand. The good news is we have now stood down this status and have returned to expected levels of demand.

— North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (@NorthYorksFire) July 20, 2022

As well as causing a surge in demand for emergency services, the heatwave also led to cancellations for train services and forced some schools to shut.

The forecast for today is still warm, but cooler on Thursday and Friday with highs of 19C in Harrogate.

Covid pressures

Covid infections and hospital admissions have been creeping up since the end of spring and after the emergence of the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron.

Dr Shepherd said while most patients are not falling seriously ill with the virus, it was still causing pressure for the hospital which is battling long backlogs.

He said: 

“Since we emerged from lockdown, our priority has been to reduce the backlog for operations and treatment.

“The increased number of planned operations being performed has added to the pressures, but it has meant we have been able to reduce our waiting lists and no longer have any patients who have been waiting over two years for treatment.”

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• Yorkshire Ambulance Service declares ‘critical incident’ status

The Harrogate district’s weekly infection rate has been climbing steadily over the last few months and currently stands at 288 cases per 100,000 people.

The latest figure is up from 52 in May, but well below the previous peak of 1,007 in March.

The increase comes as the government has announced that everyone aged 50 and over will be offered a booster vaccine this autumn to top up their immunity.

Younger people at high risk from covid, as well as health and social care staff, will also get the booster.

Dr Shepherd added: 

“Covid vaccinations have been extremely successful in reducing the severity of the virus, however, the highly infectious nature of the new variants is having an impact at our hospital.

“Thankfully, most patients who have tested positive are here for other medical issues or surgical procedures rather than having acute covid symptoms.

“However, in most cases it does mean that their treatment cannot be progressed until they test negative, which increases the time they need to stay in hospital and reduces the number of beds we have available.

“Whilst we are much better prepared at treating covid than we were two years ago, this virus has not gone away and it still has a significant impact on the hospital and is still a threat to people’s health – particularly vulnerable or unvaccinated patients.”

North Yorkshire Police has said it will refer the owner of four dogs who were left inside a baking hot car to the RSCPA.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that bystanders at Oak Beck Retail Park off Skipton Road had to smash a Land Rover Discovery window to free the dogs.

They had been trapped for over half an hour without even a window open.

Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Vets4Pets, which is inside Pets At Home.

The Labradors were given treatment and after a health check that showed they were OK, were handed back to the owner.

But that might not be the end of the matter. A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson has confirmed that an officer spoke to the male owner and will refer the incident to the RSPCA.

A spokesperson said:

“Members of the public witnessed the dogs being left unattended with the windows up and seemingly without air conditioning for around 30 minutes.

“One of them smashed a window on the vehicle and the dogs were taken into the care of a vet.

“Police spoke to the owner of the dogs and are due to report him to the RSPCA.”

Read more:

• Four dogs rescued from hot car in Harrogate given back to owner
• Bystanders smash car window to rescue four dogs in Harrogate

What powers does the RSPCA have?

A care provider has pledged that none of its residents will be forced to move when it ends leases at three council-owned buildings in Harrogate.

Anchor Hanover has decided to give notice on buildings on Kings Road, York Place and Brunswick Drive which are owned by Harrogate Borough Council and used as retirement homes.

Joanne Hanson, regional head of housing at the care company, said it made the decision as the buildings require “extensive works…. to suit the needs of older residents”.

She added no one will be required to move out, while the council has confirmed it will take on the properties as affordable housing.

Ms Hanson said: 

“We have a long history of working closely with Harrogate Borough Council to provide good quality retirement housing, providing valued services to residents and the local community.

“We regularly review all of our locations looking at financial viability, the investment required and the needs of current and potential customers, both now and in the future.

“After carrying out a review of this nature here, we have identified that extensive works are required to modernise these properties to suit the needs of older residents.

“Our priority is the welfare of our residents and we will be working closely with the council to effect a smooth transition.”

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The leases have been in place since the 1980s and are worth £6,000 per year for all three buildings.

The retirement homes range from nine to six bedrooms which are rented out by people over the age of 55 who receive different levels of care.