It’s live! Boundless Networks is ready to install full fibre broadband in your home

This advertorial is sponsored by Boundless Networks

Boundless Networks is now connecting customers to its Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband, with speeds of up to 900Mbps, in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Now, you may be thinking “I already have fibre broadband, what is the difference?” but it is likely you just have Partial-Fibre broadband rather than Full Fibre.

Partial-Fibre broadband takes a fibre cable to a local cabinet but only uses a copper cable to your home, copper is not able to deliver the fast speeds reached on full fibre networks.

Using CityFibre’s FTTP network, Full Fibre from Boundless is future-proof and its technology is capable of much faster speeds so your broadband connection is ready for the future and not just today.

Why choose Boundless?

Boundless Networks is different to the big guys with real people delivering excellent customer service. There are no hidden fees either, Boundless will always be upfront about how much you’re going to be paying.

Unlike larger companies, they don’t sentence you to a contract for years. Instead, they believe in just providing a good service. Offering a rolling monthly contract and saying that people stay because they want to; not because they have to.

The product speaks for itself, with a top package of 900Mbps you can rely on Boundless to give you fast and reliable broadband. If something does go wrong, simply give customer service a call and, with their customers being 358% more likely to recommend them to friends and family than the industry average, they will be sure to work all avenues until your broadband works again.

The Boundless customer service team are always on hand to help

Stress-free installation 

Once ordered, installations dates are typically available within six days, but if you aren’t quite ready you can book your installation over a month in advance.

You can choose the date and time of the installation and will get a text from the engineer with an estimated arrival time. The actual installation is stress-free for the customer and once completed you will be fully functional and able to connect.

Customer testimonial 

Don’t just take it from Boundless themselves, Graham Allwood was the first person to get connected with Boundless on CityFibre’s FTTP network. Here are some questions Boundless put to Graham:

“They were a local business offering something others do not, namely a one month contract with the aim of good service in order to keep customers.”

“Yes. The speeds are fantastic. I cannot fault it one little bit.”

“Installation went smoothly. They turned up when they said they would, very polite and kept me informed every step of the way. As it was a new install, they were often asking me my preference for where I would like the new cable to be placed.”

“Not had to use it much, but on the few times I have, they were responsive and quick to resolve my questions.”

“Go for it! It’s nice to see a local business trying hard to improve customers experience with such a unique package. I would definitely recommend Boundless Networks should anyone ask me.”

As the network is still being built, more and more homes are connected on a weekly basis. Click here to check your availability now.

New councillors urged to back creation of North Yorkshire Mayor

There have been fresh calls to create a mayor for North Yorkshire following the election of new councillors last week.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, has written to each of the county’s 91 newly elected councillors urging them to back a devolution deal that includes the creation of a metro mayor.

Mr Murison, who went to school in Boroughbridge and Harrogate, said the move could unlock “a huge amount” of funding for the county, with the mayor responsible for allocating much of it.

He or she would assume control over areas such as transport and economic development for the whole of North Yorkshire. The mayoral office could also swallow up the role of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Murison’s letter, which has been shared with the Stray Ferret, said:

“The maximum powers and funding are only available for a devolution deal with a directly elected mayor. As the Tees Valley has proven, a large urban metropolitan area is not a prerequisite and the mayoral model can prove hugely successful in areas where the economic geography is dominated by towns.

“Locally-led economic growth strategies to raise productivity in areas such as these are vital. The North of Tyne Combined Authority shares much of its geography with the Borderlands Growth Deal, which included Carlisle, parts of Scotland and rural Northumberland – and these places are already reaping the benefits.”

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The government’s Levelling Up White Paper was published in February and cited the creation of strong, local mayors as a key part of its levelling up agenda.

It said the government would open up negotiations over a devolution deal, including a mayor, with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council. However, a deal is yet to be signed off.

York council is run by the Liberal Democrats whereas NYCC is controlled by the Conservatives.

“Metro mayors are needed”

Labour’s Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester is often cited as an example of a mayor who has used his platform to win more funding from government and put a spotlight on the region.

Conservatives mayor for Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has also built a strong reputation for making the most of his region’s devolution deal.

But others, like Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees, have been divisive. Bristol residents voted last week in a referendum to scrap the position from 2024.

Mr Murison added:

“Devolution is flourishing in some places (South Yorkshire has just elected its second Metro Mayor) while stalling in others. It is not right that Cumbria or North Yorkshire should miss out on empowered local leadership – nor the government funding which goes hand in hand with it.

“Metro mayors are needed for cities, towns, and rural areas alike if we are serious about building a truly productive, prosperous Northern Powerhouse.”

Simon Pegg shoots new film in Harrogate

Actor Simon Pegg was in Harrogate last night shooting a new film.

The Cornetto trilogy star was on Crown Place, the cobbled street between the Crown Hotel and the Royal Pump Room Museum.

He was working an upcoming movie called Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose, which also stars Minnie Driver, Tim Downie and Paul Kaye.

The film, described as a dark comedy, is based on a 1935 investigation by para-psychologist Nandor Fodor into claims of a talking mongoose.

Fake rain and smoke gave Crown Place an atmospheric air as the crew took several takes of Mr Pegg walking beneath an umbrella (pictured below) and entering a side entrance to the Crown Hotel.

Simon Pegg pictured filming in Crown Plaza in Harrogate.

Simon Pegg pictured filming in Crown Place in Harrogate.

Filming finished at about 10.30pm, when the crew retired to the Crown Hotel.

Shooting is expected to continue today in Leeds before returning to Harrogate.

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Film crews have been almost a permanent fixture in Harrogate in recent weeks, prompting jokes that it’s the new Hollywood.

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has been shooting a horror film in Nidderdale; Sir Patrick Stewart filmed a Yorkshire Tea advert at Cardale Park and Netflix film ‘Bank of Dave’, featuring Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, was shot at the former Harrogate Borough Council offices in Crescent Gardens.

Shooting for All Creatures Great and Small also took place at Crescent Gardens over the last bank holiday weekend.

Harrogate mum hosting family fun day to mark daughter’s legacy

A Harrogate mum is hosting a family fun day in June to raise money for two organisations that supported her daughter before she died 13 years ago.

Katie Beadle gave birth to her daughter Millie in August 2009. But immediately after she was born, she knew something wasn’t right.

Millie was diagnosed with hypoxia, a condition that results in low oxygen levels in the blood. It can lead to multiple medical conditions and requires around-the-clock care.

Ms Beadle said:

“Most of Millie’s time with us was spent in Manchester St Mary’s Children’s Hospital in the beginning. When she was allowed back to Harrogate, we spent a few days on Special Care Baby Unit at Harrogate District Hospital, before finding a new way of living on Woodlands Ward.”

Millie spent a few weeks at home before she contracted an infection. The family returned to the Woodlands, which is the hospital’s children’s ward, before they were told the devastating news:

“Millie has suffered a substantial amount of trauma at such a young age, her body is tired and I’m afraid this time she isn’t strong enough to fight this one off. It’s only a matter of time, so enjoy your final days with your precious daughter.”

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Millie wasn’t strong enough to travel to Martin House Hospice in Wetherby, so the hospice came to them and set up a room for her on the ward until she passed away in December 2009.

She would have been coming up to her 13th birthday in August so her mum wants to mark her legacy by raising funds for Martin House and Harrogate hospital’s children’s ward.

The family fun day will be held at Knaresborough Rugby Club on June 25 from 11am where there will be a bouncy castle, live music, face painting, stalls, food and drink, rides and more.

Ms Beadle added:

“I am arranging Millie’s 13th birthday party with an open invite for everyone! It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, stress and required copious amounts of coffee & fizz, however, things are just about finalised and it should be a grand day for all.”

“An incredible job”

The two organisations both paid tribute to Ms Beadle for her fundraising efforts.

Chris Verney, regional fundraiser for Martin House, said:

“Katie has done an incredible job in organising this event and we hope everything goes well for her.  Fundraising like this makes a huge difference to the families with seriously ill children that we support across West, North and East Yorkshire.”

Victoria Lister, manager of acute paediatrics at Harrogate District Foundation Trust, said:

“Katie has worked tirelessly to organise this event to help support our unit. We as a ward are so grateful for her hard work and preparation for Millie’s Fun Day in June. The funds raised will help transform the ward into a more welcoming, bright environment for the children attending Woodlands at HDFT.”

There are still some spaces to hold a stall on the day. If anyone would like more information email Katie-beadle92@hotmail.com

 

Conservative leader says ‘send Boris a message theme was clear’ in local elections

The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has spoken out after his Conservative party were left bruised during last week’s elections to the new North Yorkshire Council.

Councillor Richard Cooper – who was not standing for re-election – partly blamed Boris Johnson for the election results which saw the Liberal Democrats win the most seats in the Harrogate district after more than a decade of Conservative control.

Councillor Cooper said:

“It is right to reflect when you have results that don’t go as you would have wished and I have been in local politics long enough to have seen results go both ways; sometimes with the trend and sometimes against.

“A knee-jerk reaction is seldom the right one although it is clear that the opposition’s oft-repeated ‘send Boris a message’ theme was clear and had some degree of resonance to put it mildly.

“We will need to reflect too on local issues although they did not seem to be the dominant theme of the literature or social media activity during the campaign.

“But while that reflection occurs, as an outgoing council leader and someone who announced his retirement from representative politics some time ago, I would like to congratulate the winners of all parties, commiserate with the losers and look forward to them all promoting our fantastic area in a constructive way for the next five years.”

Councillor Cooper last year announced he will stand down after 24 years of service when the borough council is abolished in April 2023.

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And although the new North Yorkshire Council will remain a Tory majority, the party have suffered some big losses in Harrogate where several senior councillors – including deputy leader Graham Swift – were defeated in last Thursday’s elections.

Previously, the Conservatives had 16 Harrogate district seats on North Yorkshire County Council compared to just two for the Lib Dems.

Now, they have nine while the Lib Dems have taken 10 in what marks a significant swing of power.

Meanwhile, one Independent and one Green councillor were also elected.

Speaking after the results were announced on Friday, Lib Dem leader Pat Marsh – who was voted in to represent the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division – said the Conservatives “should realise that being elected isn’t just about having the title of councillor”.

She said:

“You have got to be on the council for a reason – and that is to improve the area you represent.”.

Harrogate law firm announces merger

Harrogate-based law firm Haddletons has announced a merger with Leeds firm SCE Solicitors.

SCE provides specialist employment, HR support and health and safety services.

The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to bolster the range of services it offers to clients.

The company will trade under the name of Haddletons

The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to grow, strengthen and further develop the range of services offered to clients.

James Haddleton, chief executive of Haddletons, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Samira and the SCE team into the Haddletons family.

“At both SCE and Haddletons we know our clients well and we know what we want to offer them. For that reason, the tie-up is a strategic and mutually beneficial move for both our firms’ clients, bringing them excellent practical support borne of decades of experience. We can’t wait to get going with our extended team.”

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Harrogate business group celebrates 125th birthday

Robert OgdenMore than 100 business people attended the 125th birthday celebration for Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce last night.

The event, which was held at Roosters taproom at Hornbeam Park, included the presentation of several awards, including the President’s Cup, which was given to Robert Ogden (pictured above) of jewellers Ogden of Harrogate for services to the town.

The chamber’s 125 birthday was actually last year but the celebration was postponed for 12 months due to covid.

Chamber meeting

Harrogate Town commentator hangs up microphone after 40 years

The much-loved Harrogate Town matchday commentator for BBC Radio York has hung up his microphone after a four-decade career with the BBC.

Barry Parker is a familiar and idiosyncratic voice to Harrogate Town fans, commentating on the club’s games since 2015.

He also featured on Town’s live matchday stream, which was a lifeline to many fans during the covid pandemic when they weren’t allowed into the grounds.

His last game was at the weekend when Harrogate Town lost 2-0 at home to Sutton United. Fans paid tribute to Mr Parker by chanting his name at half-time.

Looking back on his career, Mr Parker said:

“When I came out of college in 1979 I had no idea what I was going to do.

“I’ve had 40 wonderful years doing a job that I loved and being paid for it — I’ve been so lucky.

“If I’ve done the job well, it gets appreciated not by one or two people but by thousands, which is very heart-warming.”

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The commentator was praised by Town boss Simon Weaver, who said he has been “absolutely magnificent” for the club.

He said:

“Absolutely brilliant commentary – and sometimes totally biased in our favour! I really do appreciate him, as do all the players and the faithful who haven’t been able to travel, especially due to the pandemic. Barry has been immense for the football club. Thank you so much Barry – you are always welcome at Harrogate Town.”

BBC Radio York’s executive producer Anna Evans added:

“Barry’s career with the BBC has been immense, spanning four decades. It’s rare to find someone so passionate about sport and radio. Following his final commentary game, we received so many messages from listeners sharing memories and wishing him well. It’s been an honour to have him as part of our team. We will miss him here at BBC Radio York.”

Stray Ferret’s election coverage attracts record audience

The Stray Ferret’s live election blog on Friday attracted the highest daily traffic ever to the site.

A total of 23,000 unique users logged on to the site on Friday, generating 65,000 page views.

Of these, 26,000 were for our live election blog, which provided regular updates from the count on a dramatic day of local politics.

The Stray Ferret provided the most comprehensive coverage of the historic election for the new North Yorkshire Council, profiling all candidates in the 21 Harrogate district divisions, as well as staging a local hustings event that put readers’ questions to candidates.

Tamsin O’Brien, director of the Stray Ferret, said:

“One of the reasons the site was founded was to increase interest in local democracy and the large blog following shows just how many people are engaged in political issues.

“We look forward to providing detailed political coverage of the new North Yorkshire Council as it comes into existence in 10 months time, replacing Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.”

 

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New Conservative Wathvale councillor puts young people at top of agenda

Amid the frenzy of Friday’s election results for the new North Yorkshire Council, a new Harrogate borough councillor was voted in.

Conservative Sam Green was elected to represent the Wathvale ward for the final year of Harrogate Borough Council before the authority is abolished in April 2023.

He beat his closest rival Liberal Democrat Chris Knight by 365 votes, while the Green Party’s Hannah Corlett came in third place.

Speaking after his by-election win, Cllr Green, who is 26-years-old and a former Harrogate Grammar School student, pledged to put young people at the top of his agenda.

He said:

“This is my first time standing for election, so I’m of course delighted to have been elected to represent the people of Wathvale.

“I’ll strive unceasingly to try to fulfil the trust and confidence that the people of Wathvale have placed in me and the things in which I believe.

“It is my ambition to encourage greater engagement by younger voters and to try and address the fundamental issues affecting our future generations, including a need for more genuinely affordable homes.”

The by-election was held following the resignation of Conservative councillor Bernard Bateman who held the Wathvale seat since 2016.

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Cllr Green, who owns a financial and real estate company in the town, is now the youngest of the borough council’s 39 members.

He added: 

“I know first hand from my peers that many young people simply cannot afford to remain in the rural villages and locations in which they have grown up in, in many instances due to the cost of housing or lack of suitable supply.

“This is a critical issue not only for these people and their families, but also for the future of the settlements themselves.

“Without fresh blood and ideas, villages and settlements slowly become less and less sustainable, with the resulting loss of services and facilities.

“Moreover, if our young people are then forced to move out of the borough to meet their housing needs in lower value areas, this creates a needless brain drain and will have several knock on effects across the borough.

“The answer is not simple, but this is something I feel very passionately has to be looked at properly and every viable avenue explored to try and address the issue.”

The turnout for the by-election vote was 38%.

Meanwhile, Conservative Nick Brown was voted in to represent the Wathvale and Bishop Monkton division on the new North Yorkshire Council in last Thursday’s local elections.

His victory was one of a few reasons to celebrate for the Tories, which loosened their grip on Harrogate by winning nine seats on the new unitary authority compared to 10 for the Liberal Democrats.

One Green Party candidate and one Independent were also elected in the district.

Tories appoint leader for new North Yorkshire Council

Former service station owner and ex-butcher Carl Les has been selected to lead the new Conservative-run North Yorkshire Council.

The Catterick councillor faced no opposition from the 46 other Tory councillors at the North Yorkshire County Council Conservative group’s annual meeting at Northallerton Methodist Church Hall yesterday.

Cllr Les, 72, is the current leader of North Yorkshire County Council, which is being abolished along with the seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, next year.

It means he will solidify his position as the most powerful politician in the Harrogate district and the rest of North Yorkshire.

Cllr Les’ name will be put forward as leader of the authority at the first meeting of its 90 elected members on Wednesday next week.

If, as expected, he is elected he will then go on to select councillors to serve on the authority’s decision-making executive.

It is not known whether any from Harrogate will hold senior posts. Harrogate-based Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access at the county council, did not seek re-election at last week’s election.

Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper also did not seek re-election and his deputy, Graham Swift, lost the vote in his division.

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Cllr Les has been at the helm of the county council since 2015, having sold his business Leeming Bar Services, near Bedale, to Moto the year before.

He has also played a leading role in a spectrum of influential bodies including North Yorkshire Youth, Welcome to Yorkshire, the Local Enterprise Partnership, Citizens Advice and the Police and Crime Panel.

Thirsk’s Gareth Dadd to be deputy leader 

After a challenge from a Conservative member who has not been named, the Tory group meeting saw Thirsk councillor Gareth Dadd elected as its deputy leader, a role which he has also held for seven years.

Gareth Dadd

Following the meeting, senior Tories said they hoped the decisions would end the district and borough councillor versus county councillor rivalries that have existed for decades within Conservative ranks in North Yorkshire.

Political commentators have described the pair as “pragmatic One Nation Conservatives who above all prioritise vulnerable people who are unable to help themselves”.

They have stated the top of their agenda is to ensure a smooth transition to the new unitary authority next May, squeezing out savings from the reorganisation and to get devolution.

The meeting also saw councillors Tom Jones, of Bedale, Tim Grogan, of Monk Fryston and South Milford, and Esk Valley member Clive Pearson appointed to serve as whips, acting as the leadership’s “eyes and ears” in the Tory group, which has seen its majority shrink by about 20 per cent.

When asked if the group’s whips would be busier due to the decreased majority, Cllr Les said:

“They will have work to do to make sure people are getting to meetings or whatever.

“Not only do we have a majority over all the other parties, albeit a slim one of only two, but not everybody who is not a Conservative is against the Conservative proposals. As I did for the previous five years I will be reaching out to other members and groups to work on a common agenda as we are all there to serve the people of North Yorkshire.”