A robot polar bear and an 18 metre beached whale are among the attractions travelling round the Harrogate district this month as part of an environment-themed week of events.

Visit Harrogate, Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism body, has organised the week of events named ‘Our Planet, Your World’, to offer free acitivities for families with an over-arching message of protecting the environment.

Events will take place between Monday, February 21, to Saturday, February 26, in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and Pateley Bridge.

The week will begin in Boroughbridge with earth-themed storytelling sessions at the library between 10am and 1pm. On Tuesday, there will be sea inspired craft activities available to children at Masham Town Hall.

The Masham event is on between 11am and 4pm and children are encouraged to attend both days in fancy dress.

Robot polar bear to highlight the plastics crisis

On Wednesday February 23, an animatronic polar bear will roam Ripon’s Market Square with its keeper throughout the day. Visitors are also being invited to help an artist to create a five foot sculpture out of plastics, which will then be donated to a local school.

The two spectacles are there to highlight the urgent plastic crisis affecting the oceans. There will also be live music, face painting and crafts going on nearby between 11am and 4pm.

18 metre whale to arrive in Valley Gardens

Harrogate’s Valley Gardens is the venue for Thursday, February 24, which involves a 18 metre whale, two life-size kangaroo impersonators, The Roo’s and a huge animatronic tortoise all to fascinate visitors.

This day’s aim is to educate families about sea-life preservation. Alongside the three main attractions there will also be a sea fairy glob, with a magical sea fairy inside,  and Bob the Lobster to entertain children.

Craft activities will also be held throughout the day between 11am and 4pm.

Two life-size kangaroo impersonators will arrive in Harrogate.

On the Friday, an earth-themed craft session is being held in Pateley Bridge between 11am and 4pm.

The week concludes in Knaresborough Castle Grounds on Saturday. Boat-About, a life-size boat cruise with actors, will move around the grounds to entertain visitors between 11am and 4pm.

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• Wanted: entertainment with ‘wow factor’ for Harrogate town centre

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate said:

“Our Planet, Your World is the perfect family-friendly event to kick off what we hope will be an exciting year of live events across the Harrogate district. Events like this increase footfall to our town centres, and attract visitors from further afield, which in turn helps support our local businesses. I would encourage everyone to come along this February half term, enjoy the events, celebrate the world we live in and learn about how we can protect it.”

Organisers have said some activities are weather dependent so are asking visitors to follow the Visit Harrogate social media channels.

The event is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the government’s Welcome Back Fund.

NHS managers have written off £13 million after beds bought for Nightingale hospitals could not be used for patients on other wards.

The seven Nightingale sites included a facility at Harrogate Convention Centre — which cost £31.6 million to set up and run. However, it didn’t treat a single covid patient.

According to NHS England accounts, the beds bought for the sites were “bespoke beds for field hospitals” and did not meet the requirement for existing hospitals.

The figure also includes storage costs at the facilities.

The accounts say:

“After the closure of the Nightingale hospitals, it was deemed that the beds could not be used in any other existing hospitals as the specifications were not to the current standard as implemented in all hospitals.

“These beds are now subject to renewed plans for redeployment to the new field hospitals.”

The NHS has set up Nightingale surge hubs as part of its response to the Omicron covid variant. However, St James’ University Hospital in Leeds was chosen over Harrogate for a facility.

Read more:

• Inquiry reveals Harrogate Nightingale cost £31.6 million
• WATCH: NHS takes down Nightingale hospital in Harrogate

The 500-bed hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre was one of seven Nightingale hospitals set up at the start of the covid pandemic in March 2020. It was dismantled last year.

An inquiry revealed that of its £31.6 million costs, £17 million was spent on building and dismantling works, £10.4 million on running costs and £4.1 million on equipment.

A further £1.1 million was spent on security and around £500,000 on cleaning and food.

Members of West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee launched the inquiry into the hospital after raising questions over why it was not used to treat any covid patients and how it would have been staffed if needed.

The committee concluded that while these questions remain unanswered, the need for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK showed there was insufficient critical care capacity in regular hospitals.

Harrogate Borough Council is still encouraging staff to work from home despite covid guidance and restrictions being dropped.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an immediate end to work from home guidance on January 19.

The following week, the government dropped Plan B restrictions, including mandatory face masks and vaccine passports.

Despite the end to the guidance, council officials said the authority was still encouraging staff to work from home where possible due to high covid rates in the district.

Currently, the seven-day rate for the Harrogate district stands at 1,301 per 100,000 people.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“Covid infection rates continue to remain high across the Harrogate district. Therefore, staff are continuing to be encouraged to work from home where possible, however they are able to come into work if required.

“Our covid workplace safety plan is regularly updated to reflect the latest government guidance and local infection rates to ensure we can continue to keep our colleagues safe. We continue to review this on a regular basis.”

The council has staff working across the district, predominantly at its multi-million pound Knapping Mount headquarters which has space for 500 staff.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Ripon hospitals maintain visitor restrictions due to high covid rates
• Harrogate council to be asked to support return of assets to communities

The Stray Ferret asked the council how many staff it had working from its offices and how many were working from home.

It said the number of staff “differs day-by-day” and not all roles required offices as a work space.

A spokesperson added that the council’s headquarters at Knapping Mount was also designed to allow for staff to hot desk if they wished.

They said:

“As the number of colleagues using one of our offices differs day-by-day, and not all roles require an office setting it would be difficult to provide a comprehensive figure. Staff also come and go from the office depending on their job role, planning officers for example.

“And while covid has seen a significant increase in staff working from home – and rightly so – many staff were already able to work from home if they so wished.

“Agile working was something adopted by many local authorities and companies long before covid. In fact, the civic centre was designed in such a way that staff could hot desk if they so wish.”

Many charities in the Harrogate district rely significantly on Harrogate Borough Council for funding.

So the council’s abolition next year could pose a threat to the financial stability of some of the best-known voluntary organisations in the district.

Richard Cooper, the Conservative leader of the council, said last month it had been a generous funder of charities and urged organisations to prepare for the change in the local government, which will see a single new unitary authority called North Yorkshire Council come into existence next year.

He said:

“One of the key things voluntary organisations must do over the next year is build relationships.”

Local Fund 

One of the district’s main funding sources for charities is the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which was set up in 2018 as a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Last year the fund awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups. Applications for its next funding round open on Monday.

An event last year celebrating the Local Fund.

Last year Harrogate Borough Council gave £200,000 to Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the fund, to go towards an endowment so that the fund continues in perpetuity.

It also receives a steady stream of income from the Local Lotto — and the future of this is less certain because it is run by Harrogate Borough Council.

At least 60% from each £1 ticket sold on the lottery, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.

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Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said

“The Local Fund will continue and thrive as it is a fund with Two Ridings and out of any local government process.”

But Ms Garrill added she “could not comment” on the future of the Local Lotto because it is run by the council.

Who else could be affected?

Some charities also rely on council grants for funding.

When the Stray Ferret asked for a list of recipients, the council directed us to a report from October last year that listed five beneficiaries of its voluntary and community sector strategic funding programme, which awards grants to charities to ‘deliver key services across the Harrogate district’. But it does provide other grants.

The recipients and sums received are:

Harrogate and District Community Action – £40,000

Harrogate and Craven Districts Citizens Advice – £60,000

Harrogate Homeless Project – £22,500

Nidderdale Plus Community Partnership – £8,000

Community First Yorkshire – £5,000

Frances Elliot, chief executive of Hadca, which supports other charities in the district, said that besides its £40,000 grant, it received a separate £32,000 grant from the council.

Frances Elliot

Ms Elliot said:

“It’s a difficult time for lots of organisations but it’s relatively early in the transition. I genuinely don’t know what will happen. We are optimistic for our funding over the next financial year and we will have to wait and see after that, People at the top don’t know what’s happening yet.

“We have a good relationship with both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council and we hope that continues.”

All the North Yorkshire councils facing abolition have various workstreams underway, considering what will happen after the shake-up. The voluntary sector is among the issues being discussed.

‘Don’t destroy a model that works well’

Pateley Bridge charity Nidderdale Plus works in partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council to provide services, such as a community library, a front desk for local council and police matters and a tourist information point.

It receives three council grants worth a total of £21,000, which helps it employ 2.5 staff and manage 150 volunteers to provide the services.

Chief executive Helen Flynn said:

“We hope we don’t have to destroy this community support model that has been working so well.

“We are starting to build relationships with North Yorkshire County Council. I do feel they want to work with us. They have been good at talking to us so far.

“I wouldn’t say I was relaxed but I am engaged with developments.”

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

It’s time Killinghall had a bypass

It’s time Killinghall had a bypass. We live in Killinghall on the A62. The noise/air pollution/risk to life and limb on this road is now a serious problem.

Lives and health are worth more than minimal loss of green space. The planners have allowed thousands of new builds in this village, using up suitable routes and causing additional congestion to the already heavy commercial traffic on the A61, without making any provision.

John Hirst, Killinghall

Another historic Harrogate tunnel

Thought the Brunswick Tunnel story was very interesting. I don’t know if you are aware there is a tunnel on Knox Lane. Harrogate. It was the Old Gasworks Line Bilton to New Park, the old abandoned railway embankment is in the opposite field.

Susan Wrightson, Harrogate

‘Horrific’ walk in Ripon

What a horrific walk in Ripon. ten dog mess, three trolleys, six road signs and two open bags of rubbish. Ripon councillors and the mayor should be held to account. That’s just 100 yards of river walk and Ripon should be ashamed.

I lived in Ripon all my life when I was small and love fishing on the River Skell. However today’s visit really shocked me the full length of the river from Williamson’s bridge to Fisher Green is a disgrace to everybody that lives in Ripon. I am contacting Harrogate Borough Council, the dog wardens need to film and fine heavily. It is a disgrace to think tourists would come to Ripon and leave with those images in their mind.

Paul Taylor, Ripon

Read more:

• Stray Views: Doubts remain about Harrogate Station Gateway
• Stray Views: Harrogate Tesco would be ‘horrendous’ for nearby residents

Can you help reunite a family with a long-lost relative?

We’re hoping that your readers can help us trace a long-lost relative as part of our increasingly complex task of reuniting descendants of 8 brothers born in Aberdeen just over a century ago.

What started as a favour to my mother-in-law during lockdown to help rediscover her Scottish family has included the formation of a private Facebook group where members can share and exchange all sorts of information, and this is helping to gradually fill in the many gaps.

One of these unknowns is Fred Smollet – one of my mother-in-law’s cousins – who would be around 74 years old, and whose last known address and contact details – although proven to be now out-of-date – show that he lived in Franklin Mount, Harrogate in the 2000s.

Fred lost his mother at a young age and spent a lot of time with his uncle Lewie and aunt Maisie, and his cousins Alistair (sadly no longer with us) and Ronnie (who recalls smoking together as teenagers).

Our research, primarily carried out using the resources accessible via the Ancestry and ScotlandsPeople websites, indicates that Fred married his first wife Catherine in the Claro area of the Yorkshire West Riding in 1968, and subsequently emigrated Down Under.

Reaching out to Facebook members with the Smollet surname has recently unearthed Fred’s two daughters, who were born, and still reside, in Australia. They have said to us that they would understand if he didn’t want to make contact, however if they knew that he was alive and well at the very least then that would be OK.

Fred, Catherine, Jackie and Jane returned to the UK in the late 1980s, but by the early 1990s they had divorced, with Catherine and the two girls returning to Australia, where she passed away in 2020.

Fred remained in the UK and later married, but then separated from, his second wife Patricia in the early 2000s.

The photo (above), taken at my mother-in-law’s grandfather’s funeral wake in Aberdeen in 1966, shows the eight Smollet brothers with their recently widowed mother Barbara.

Back Row (left to right): Fred (Senior, Fred’s father), Jock, Lewie, Jim (my mother-in-law’s father) and Doug; Middle Row (left to right): Dod, Don and Bill.

Fred’s father, also called Fred, lived for some time in Knaresborough, and passed away in the early 1980s, so there are apparently no family members in that branch of the tree other than Fred – hence this appeal for information!

We are happy to act as intermediaries if he doesn’t wish to have direct contact with his daughters.

Lee Everitt, Southampton

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

A men’s shed is being set up for Harlow Hill to boost mental health and tackle loneliness in the area.

Men’s sheds are part of a wider organisation of ‘sheds’ that began in Australia. Their goal is to create a space for older men to come together to create and build while making friends. Women are welcome, too.

Sheds have been created over the past couple of years in Harrogate, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.

Harlow Hill’s men’s shed is being set up by local resident John Hart. He told the Stray Ferret he hopes the space will help men become more active whilst sharing how they feel.

He said:

“What has become apparent since covid is with men in particular and mental health issues, we don’t talk much about until we commit suicide.

“We need to do something to try and prevent it.”

Read more:

• Ripon Men’s Shed opens door to new friendships
• Starbeck ‘Men’s Shed’ charity launches more mental health groups

Men’s sheds have traditionally focused on developing practical skills, such as woodwork or toolmaking.

Mr Hart said the Harlow Hill men’s shed could also offer a variety of activities, from art or rambling to computer literacy.

He is the chairman of the Harlow Hill Community Centre, also known as the Green Hut, which will be utilised as the ‘shed’.

However, Mr Hart is also on the lookout for potential workshops, barns or buildings that could be used too.

He encouraged anyone living locally to give the men’s shed a try:

“Tell your dad, uncle or the bloke down the pub, let’s have a go.”

Mr Hart expects the Harlow Hill men’s shed to begin on Tuesday afternoons from later this month. Anyone with questions or who is interested in joining can contact him: johnrhart@live.co.uk

Harrogate Theatre cancelled a performance of Kinky Boots at late notice last night due to another leak at the venue.

Harrogate Operatic Players was due to give its final performance of the musical, which has won six Tony Awards.

The show has taken place nightly in the town since Tuesday and had a matinee and evening performance lined up yesterday.

But the theatre cancelled the evening event at late notice, disappointing theatre goers, after a day of heavy rain.

The cast did come out to perform the finale to a standing ovation.

Harrogate Operatic Players posted on its Facebook page:

Second recent leak

The theatre said on social media a leak on stage had made the venue unsafe and apologised to customers.

“Unfortunately an onstage leak has made it unsafe to continue despite the company and the theatre’s best efforts.”

We’d like to extend our apologies to the audience, cast and crew of Kinky Boots for the late cancellation of the performance this evening. We know the huge effort, dedication and passion that goes into community performances and decisions to cancel are not taken lightly.

1/2

— Harrogate Theatre (@HGtheatre) February 5, 2022

It isn’t the first time the Victorian theatre, which is undergoing roof repairs, has called off a show due to a leak.

The recent pantomime season was also affected.

Work to replace the 121-year old theatre roof has been taking place since May. It was due to finish in September but this was put back to March.

Comments on the theatre’s Facebook page included:

“So gutted but also sad for the cast, safety comes first. You could tell they were devastated.”

And:

“I really feel for everyone involved as I know how much the last night is looked forward to and enjoyed by all.”

A toolkit which encourages self-care and aims to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of young people is now available to borrow from libraries across the Harrogate district.

The kit, which contains a variety of self-help activities, includes a portable collection of items and books for individuals or groups to share at home, in the library, or out in the community.

They also provide contact details for organisations, including Childline Mind and Health for Teens, that offer help and advice for young people.

Kits can borrowed for up to three weeks by library members, who can also borrow books, e-books, audiobooks and DVDs free of charge and use computers to access free online resources.

Cllr Greg White, executive North Yorkshire county councillor for libraries, said:

“We are delighted to be launching the self-care toolkits. The last two years have presented a number of challenges for us all – especially young people – with the impact highlighting more than ever the need and importance for all of us to look after our mental health.

“The self-care toolkits are a valuable addition to the wider health and wellbeing offer at your local library, including wellbeing bags for adults, Reading Well books on prescription and events and activities to support social connections.”

More details are available by clicking on this link.

Read more:

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• Tree planting across the Harrogate district to mark the Queen’s jubilee

Harrogate Town are set to face off against Bradford City today in the first Yorkshire derby of the season.

Simon Weaver’s men go into the game following a hard fought point against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night.

The two sides face each other for the first time after the fixture at Valley Parade was postponed on Boxing Day.

A bumper crowd is expected at the Envirovent Stadium as both teams look set to face each other twice in just over a fortnight.

Speaking to the media ahead of today’s game, Weaver said:

“We’re really looking forward to this fixture and been looking forward to it all season. We like the derby games, getting stuck into to the heat of the battle and they don’t come any bigger for us at this level than Bradford City.

“We’ve enjoyed them over the years, the battles with York City and now at this level we’re playing against the likes of Bradford with their rich history and the fanbase, they’ll bring in lots of fans.”

Simon Weaver, Harrogate Town manager. Picture: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town.

Weaver confirmed that centre-back Rory McArdle and Lewis Richards face fitness tests after picking up injuries against Mansfield.

Ryan Fallowfield and Simon Power remain sidelined with injury.

Bradford looking to avenge last season

Meanwhile, Bradford head into the fixture just three points above Town in the League Two table.

The Bantams will be looking to avenge the two defeats they suffered at the hands of Harrogate last season.

Read more:

• Green Shoots: Harrogate Town’s vegan footballer who is passionate about environment

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Bradford can expect a strong support at Wetherby Road after fans sold out their 550 ticket allocation within a minute.

City will be without Charles Vernam and Dion Pereira. But Nathan Delfouneso could make his debut and Luke Hendrie is available for selection.

Jamie Walker is also fit, despite going off injured against Leyton Orient.

Bradford manager Derek Adams said his side will be prepared for the occasion at Harrogate.

He said:

“We are looking forward to it, but we have to understand the environment of the game.

“We have a full capacity away crowd with us and they have a good following too. The atmosphere will be good.

“Harrogate have done really well since they have come up and will want to beat us, but we are going there to win the game.”

Time is running out for people in the Harrogate district to have their say on how they feel about the care they receive at local hospitals.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital, is carrying out a survey aimed at improving services and quality of care.

The survey runs until Monday and will be used to improve the experience for patients, highlight areas where the trust performs well and identify the areas where it needs to improve.

Matt Graham, the trust’s director of strategy said: 

“HDFT’s last strategy was created in 2014 and during this time the trust, the NHS, and our communities have changed significantly.

“The covid pandemic has meant that over the last two years we have had to adapt to the pressures we have faced and this has impacted upon the services we have been able to offer. It is important we now look to the future and create a strategy which delivers on our top priorities – to provide the highest quality of care for the people in our communities and the best possible experience for our patients.

“We need to get the perspective of our patients, carers and other members of the community so that we can understand what issues are important to them.

“We will then use this feedback to improve the care we offer over the next five years so that we are well placed to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future.”

Read more:

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• Harrogate hospital trust appoints new board chair

The trust has also conducted a focus group this month in collaboration with Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

The one-hour session gave people the opportunity to learn about why the trust is refreshing its strategy, comment on feedback received to date, and have their questions answered.

You can take part in the online survey here and for more information on attending a focus group email hdft.strategy@nhs.net.