Harrogate’s home for witches, spells and crystal balls

Mystical Ways in Westminster Arcade is not your typical high street shop.

This month it moved to a bigger location in the arcade on Parliament Street to accommodate Harrogate’s first tarot card reading room.

It’s owned by Jay Clarke and Joanne Mayben, self-declared witches who say they can summon energy and communicate with spirits.

Believers can buy dreamcatchers to ward off nightmares, crystals to summon good energy and incense, which can help cast spells that attract money, love, protection or light.

Ms Mayben said she gave up a potential job with the police to follow her dream of being a spiritual medium and tarot card reader full time, but some people in her home of Pateley Bridge were critical of her choice.

“Someone said ‘oh my god, you shouldn’t be practicing the arts of the devil!’

“Movies have made witches evil. I’m an electric witch. I’m drawn to fire, crystals and candles.”

The two are dressed head to toe in black, but Mr Clarke insists it’s nothing to fear:

“We wear black not because we’re gothy or scary. People are scared of black, but it’s the best colour for repelling negative energy.

“In life, there is no light without dark, you have to have that balance.”

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Mr Clarke said Harrogate has an undercover community of people into spiritualism and mediumship.

“Some people are ‘in the closet’ and they might sneak in to buy a crystal.”

They say there is a big demand for tarot readings, which are available Monday to Saturday from 10am until 4pm, costing £25 for 30 minutes.

Practitioners such as Ms Mayben use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into someone’s past, present or future.

Mr Clarke said:

“We don’t bullshit. The cards don’t lie and we don’t either, if something negative appears in the cards we’d work you through that.”

Ms Mayben saw the Stray Ferret reporter’s white dog in her crystal ball

Skeptics say tarot readings are fake, and some people are put off by negative experiences with mediums on Scarborough seafront, but Ms Mayben encourages anyone visiting the shop to have an open mind.

She says she can also communicate with spirits — just don’t call them dead people.

“I have been poked and pushed in the face by a spirit, sometimes I get clear words”.

Ms Mayben says one of her gifts is summoning and understanding energy, so what sort of energy does Harrogate have?

She says:

“Harrogate could be so much more. Everything is asleep and it’s laying dormant, but we are here to wake it up.”

Harrogate train line boost with extra service every hour

Northern has introduced an additional service on the Leeds, Harrogate and York line, meaning there will now be two trains every hour.

The train provider held a launch event yesterday at Knaresborough station, which is one of the stations to benefit from the extra capacity.

Representatives from North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones attended.

Network Rail carried out a £9.8 million upgrade of the signalling system and track layout to facilitate extra trains this time last year.

York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership secured £9.6m for the work from the government’s Local Growth Fund.

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Mr Jones said:

“This investment in local rail is much-needed and welcomed.

“The signalling upgrade and the improvement project will see more and faster services operating between Leeds, Harrogate and York.

“This is one more in a long list of improvements in our rail services which have seen more direct services to and from London and improved rolling stock on the local line.

“It is fantastic news that we have been able to double the capacity on this section of the line.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“This timetable improvement, which owes much to the county council’s £10m track and signals upgrade scheme of last year, complements our transport priority of improving east-west connectivity across the county and region.

“The enhanced timetable is another step towards encouraging people to use public transport rather than their cars. It also supports the visitor economy and anticipates growth in residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor.”

Pictured are: (left to right) Andrew Jones MP, David Dickson (chair of York and North Yorkshire LEP), Cllr Don Mackenzie (North Yorkshire County Council), Tony Baxter (Northern regional director) and Wallace Sampson (Chief Exec at Harrogate Borough Council).

Harrogate hotel suffers £100,000 cancellations due to Omicron

A Harrogate hospitality business has claimed the government has thrown the industry “under the bus” since the Omicron variant hit the country.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa, said his business had seen £100,000 worth of cancellations due to covid recently.

He blamed mixed messaging from government and called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to offer more support to hospitality businesses.

Mr Banks told the Stray Ferret:

“The government’s lack of clarity has thrown the hospitality industry under the bus.

“They need to make a decision. They either come out with a clear message, go out or do not go out.

“I’m lucky that I have a wide enough base of business to draw upon, but there will be businesses that will struggle.”

Mr Banks added that most of his cancellations were corporate clients worried about the possibility of spreading covid among their employees.

He echoed calls from other hospitality firms across the country, which have urged Mr Sunak to offer more support, such as an extension to the VAT cut and business rates relief, to help the industry.

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Mr Banks said hospitality firms, especially those in city and town centres, “could do with some assistance”.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District and owner of two local restaurants, said cancellation of Christmas parties was having a financial impact on Harrogate’s key hospitality sector.

She said:

“As soon the Prime Minister announced wearing masks in shops and on public transport was mandatory, hospitality industry trade began dropping away. And this was made worse with the work from home message.

“Christmas parties being cancelled at short notice is proving a financial nightmare, particularly as venues will have already ordered in the food and drink, and there’s no one taking these places.

“December is usually boom time for the hospitality trade, and many businesses rely on the takings from this month to see them through the quieter months of January and February.

“Sadly, for many this won’t be the case this year, and I fear that a number of businesses will be forced to close their doors come the new year.”

Ms Ferguson, who owns Sasso and Caffe Marconi, agreed that the industry needed support from Mr Sunak. She said:

“While there is no official lockdown yet, the message from politicians has resulted in the public shutting themselves away, and as a result there definitely needs to be some sort of financial support offered to the hospitality industry.”

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Walking through town this lunchtime there were plenty of empty tables in pubs, bard and restaurants.

“Within hours of the Prime Minister announcing we all had to wear facemasks in shops and on buses and trains, businesses started cancelling their staff Christmas parties at hotels. And that is continuing at a pace.

“However, it’s not just the venues themselves who have lost vital revenue from food and drink sales, it’s the suppliers and staff who are out of pocket too.

“And come January, when ‘bounce back’ loans start to be repaid, I think we could see a lot of businesses in real trouble.

“The health of the economy is in a critical condition, and there needs to be some form of emergency financial aid for these businesses who are suffering through to no fault of their own.”

Chancellor urged to support hospitality

Yesterday, the chancellor cut short a trip to California after holding talks with hospitality firms via video link.

Mr Sunak has been under growing pressure to come up with support for hospitality as record covid numbers hammer takings.

Previous support offered to businesses, such as furlough, has already ended, while a 12.5% VAT cut is set to finish in March.

UK Hospitality, which represents firms across the country, has also called for business rates in the first quarter of 2022 to be deferred.

The government has not placed any restrictions on hospitality firms amid rising covid cases. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people on Wednesday to “think carefully” before socialising.

200 people sign petition to save Harrogate M&S cafe

More than 200 people have signed a petition opposing the closure of the cafe in Marks & Spencer‘s store on Leeds Road, Harrogate.

The company wants to increase the size of its food hall at Oatlands by more than 70% and extend into the neighbouring Sofa.com retail unit.

But the plans would also see the closure of the cafe, which is a popular meeting point.

The petition, sent to the Stray Ferret by one of the signatories, says:

“There is such strong feeling about the cafe. Your customers really appreciate the service and feeling of community there. The staff are also so kind and friendly.

“The customers see it as a wonderful meeting place, a resource which is convenient for shopping and a place for parents and children to meet up before and after school.

“The elderly and lonely also find friendship in the cafe. Plus the food and drink is excellent! I really hope you will read all the comments and reconsider closing the cafe.”

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The petition has also been sent to Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

If M&S’ plans are approved by Harrogate Borough Council, the expanded store will include an in-store bakery, wine shop, fill your own section to reduce waste and new decor throughout.

The retailer said in a statement:

“Our expansion plans at M&S Harrogate Oatlands are designed to deliver a bigger, better and fresher new-look food hall for shoppers and mark a significant investment in the local area.

“Whilst these plans involve closing the in-store café, they will allow us to transform the store to deliver the very best of M&S for our customers in Harrogate, with a bigger range of M&S food products than ever before.”

Four Harrogate district parish councils join campaign for 20mph limit

A prominent environmental campaigner from Harrogate is urging more parish councils to support an initiative to reduce some speeds limits from 30mph to 20mph.

Malcolm Margolis has been lobbying parish councils since September to join the 20’s Plenty for Us movement.

The movement consists of 500 local groups campaigning for 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres

So far, four parish councils in the Harrogate district have signed up for the initiative. They include Bishop Thornton, Shaw Mills and Warsill, Tockwith with Wilstrop, Goldborough and Flaxby and Haverah Park with Beckwithshaw which have pledged support to 20’s Plenty.

Malcolm Margolis

Mr Margolis said he does not believe every 30 mph limit should be reduced to 20mph but that the move would be welcome on roads where people live, work and go to school. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am definitely hoping to get more parish councils signed up. There are a few councils which will be debating the matter at their next meetings.

“We are confident there is huge, overwhelming support across North Yorkshire. Not only would it save lives but it would also reduce air pollution.

“I do not understand the reasons North Yorkshire County Council has given as to why it could not do this. It would not cost very much and would be policed as much as 30mph roads.

“Unfortunately all that is stopping the movement is a few people, mainly politicians.”

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However, North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, said it has consulted with North Yorkshire Police and other interested parties and does not believe speed reductions would be appropriate.

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services, said:

“We are committed to making the network as safe and accessible as possible for all road users and will continue to talk to communities to consider options to allay road safety concerns.

“A revised 20mph speed limit policy is currently going through its approval process following a review by a task group set up by the Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

“This review, which reported its conclusions this year, heard from traffic engineers, road safety and public health officers, North Yorkshire Police and the 20’s Plenty campaign group.

“The task group resolved that it is not appropriate to apply a countywide default 20mph speed limit.”

Mr Battersby added that speed is not a major cause of collisions in North Yorkshire and that it would require significant investment, as well as future maintenance costs.

Organisers ‘hopeful’ Hampsthwaite v Birstwith tug of war can go ahead

The organisers of the annual News Year’s Day Hampsthwaite vs Birstwith tug of war competition have said they’re keeping their fingers crossed it will go ahead in a fortnight’s time.

The tradition dates back to the 1980s, but about eight years ago it became a competition between two pubs in the neighbouring villages; The Joiners Arms in Hampsthwaite and The Station Hotel in Birstwith.

Hundreds of people often watch the competition at Hampsthwaite cricket ground before heading to The Joiners Arms.

The event had to be cancelled this year due to coronavirus restrictions. Knaresborough’s Boxing Day tug of war has been cancelled this year but organisers have said they’re hopeful the event will be able to take place on the first day of next year.

Rebecca Cranage, the owner of Joiners Arms, said:

“We thought we’d definitely be OK for this year, we are just hoping it can still go ahead. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

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Ms Cranage has lived in the village for 20 years and, like many villagers, has fond memories of watching the event.

It has evolved over the years after starting as a Brits vs Americans competition featuring men from the RAF Menwith Hill base.

The upcoming event is due to include men’s and women’s teams, with 10 people on each end of the rope pulling for victory.

There will also be a raffle to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Harrogate transplant patient completes 850-mile charity walk

A double transplant patient from Harrogate received a warm welcome at the hospital today when he completed a year-long 850-mile charity walk.

Mark Smith, who received a new kidney and pancreas, is a keen walker and has completed various challenges raising £17,000 in total but this latest feat was his most difficult yet.

Hospital staff, representatives of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, as well as Harrogate borough mayor and mayoress Trevor and Janet Chapman cheered as he arrived at the hospital this afternoon.

His 850-mile target represented the 850 million people who suffer with kidney disease across the world.

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His latest challenge has raised £615 for Kidney Care UK and Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity. You can donate by clicking or tapping here.

Mr Smith told the Stray Ferret:

“My favourite walk was a 23-mile walk from my home in Jennyfields. I first went to Ripley then all the way out to Birstwith and then to Winksley and back. I got some ice cream on the way.

“It’s about determination and resilience. You can’t think about the ‘what ifs’. Life is short. The transplants have not stopped me and neither have my other conditions.

“When you go on the organ donor register you are not just saving someone’s life but you give them the chance to lead a better life they never imagined.”

The Knox pub in Harrogate: more than just a watering hole

This article is sponsored by The Knox Harrogate

Tucked away on the outskirts of Bilton is The Knox, a stylish and welcoming pub.

Once a working dairy farm, it’s now a popular spot for locals and visitors alike, thanks to the stellar reputation it has built.

The kitchen serves a delicious locally sourced menu, alongside a broad selection of quality beers, ales, and international wines.

The Wednesday steak night is a particular customer-favourite; order two meals of sirloin pave steak with all the trimmings (including a homemade creamy peppercorn sauce), and you’ll receive a complimentary bottle of wine.

The traditional home-cooked Sunday lunch is spectacular. Choose from roast beef, roast turkey, or a vegan mushroom wellington, served with seasonal vegetables, roast and mashed potato, homemade Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

Alongside the traditional kitchen, The Knox has a dedicated pizza kitchen to create hand stretched, cooked-to-order Italian pizzas.

Beyond the food though, it’s the entertainment and events that really make The Knox stand out.

With two massive screens, The Knox is a fantastic place to watch major sports fixtures, while the monthly live music nights always bring a great vibe to the pub.

The Knox is available to hire for private functions, with access to the pizza kitchen and extensive beer garden (complete with barbecue facility). Full catering can be provided, and with a large, private car park there’s plenty of space for everyone to attend your birthday, wedding, or corporate celebrations.

Fill your Tuesday nights with the weekly Knox pub quiz to be in with a chance of winning one of many cash prizes. Hosted by local singer Micky Stockburn, the categories change each week but might include general knowledge, sports, music or a picture round. There’s a £1 entry fee which is added to the prize pot, with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and second-to-last place winnings up for grabs – along with gongs for extra games like play your cards right.

 

Visit The Knox on Knox Lane, Harrogate, HG1 3AP, or find more details at theknoxharrogate.co.uk.

Harrogate district vaccine centres could open on Christmas Day

Vaccination centres in the Harrogate district could open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as part of the government drive to offer all adults a booster by the end of the year.

Firefighters are delivering vaccines in another bid to speed up the programme, public health officials in North Yorkshire revealed at a press conference today.

The officials said things were changing “very rapidly” across the country and although there were still no confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the Harrogate district, they added it was likely to be present and spreading fast.

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Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told the press conference:

“The NHS is already experiencing high demand from patients. I would continue to ask people to be patient and respectful.

“We are expecting that a number of staff leave will be cancelled to mitigate the continued pressures. They are going to be working longer hours to get everyone through.

“In terms of the booster programme. This is the most complex phase yet, we are now moving with pace. We are looking at how best to increase capacity.

“All sites are increasing capacity on a daily basis. You can now access a vaccine very early in the morning to very late at night.

“We anticipate sites being open across the county every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day but if we need to look at demand on those days we will do so.”

We have compiled a list of the sites in the Harrogate district where you can get a vaccine. You can see it by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate District Hospital is set to open a vaccine centre tomorrow, which will only have capacity for booked appointments.

It is unclear how many vaccinations the hospital will administer a day or what times it will be open.

Harrogate business groups call for Station Gateway to be revised

Three Harrogate business groups have called for the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme to be halted after the latest consultation found a majority was opposed to the scheme.

The results, published yesterday, revealed that of 1,320 people who replied to an online survey, 55% feel negatively towards the initiative, 39% feel positively and five per cent are neutral. One per cent said they didn’t know.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, is set to decide whether to proceed next month.

But a statement issued yesterday by the county council suggested it and Harrogate Borough Council, which is also behind the scheme, remain in favour.

A joint statement today from Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate, accused those behind the project of ignoring criticism and urged them to “put the brakes on”.

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The statement said:

“Despite concerns raised by businesses, the civic society and residents who will be directly affected by the proposed scheme, it’s full steam ahead.

“As we have said on many previous occasions that we welcome investment in the town centre and encourage active transport, and during the first round of consultation we put forward a number of alternative suggestions regarding the cycle lanes, James Street and the A61, which have been disregarded. Negative comments are also ignored.

“In the summer, we conducted our own poll, and the majority of those who responded were against reducing the A61 from Cheltenham Parade to Station Bridge to a single carriageway, and pedestrianising James Street.

“At last month’s Chamber meeting, an overwhelming number of those present were not in favour of the proposals.

“With covid having had such a massive impact on business, and our hospitality sector once again suffering due to the latest Omicron strain, can our town centre economy endure a further 12 months of disruption to deliver this project?

“We ask the county council to put the brakes on this scheme, take into account our views, and come back with a revised plan that the majority of business and the public will wholeheartedly support.”

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

The Harrogate scheme aims to make the town centre more attractive and encourage cycling and walking.

The most contentious aspects are plans to reduce a section of Station Parade to single lane traffic, part-pedestrianise James Street and re-route some traffic off Cheltenham Parade into neighbouring streets.

If the scheme goes ahead, work will begin by the middle of next year.