The government faced a backlash this week over its scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds.

Leeds station is regularly used by commuters from Harrogate for changes to London, Manchester and elsewhere.

Ministers have outlined £96 billion plans to scrap the Birmingham to Leeds link of HS2 in favour of upgrades to the existing Manchester to Leeds line in an effort to “cut journey times”.

As far as U-turns go, the decision to scrap HS2 in favour of upgrades to rail track across the north has consequences for the district.

“Disappointed, but not really surprised”

The Harrogate line is one of the busiest lines run by Northern Rail.

Thousands of commuters use the line between York, Harrogate, Knaresborough and Leeds every day.

Leeds station is a connection for commuters to major cities and acts a vital piece of infrastructure for those travelling for both work and leisure.

So, the decision to scrap the eastern leg of HS2 has an impact on those who use the station every day.

While the project would have cut journey times from the north to London, it also would have freed up capacity for more shorter services – such as trains to Bradford and Halifax.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said he was “disappointed, but not really surprised” by the government’s decision.

However, he added that he felt it would be more important for commuters in Harrogate if ministers focused on improving the Northern Powerhouse rail link from Liverpool to Hull via Manchester, Bradford and Leeds.

He said:

“Harrogate passengers are now getting the benefit of a two-hourly service to London Kings Cross and in just three weeks’ time we will see the services between Leeds and York via Harrogate doubled – with the current Leeds-Knaresborough services extended all the way to York every half-hour.

“This east-west connection is I feel more important for Harrogate business and residents and visitors.

“It is not really worth while our passengers to London connecting via Leeds for a few minutes saving on the planned HS2 London services by changing at Leeds on to a proposed “new” high speed train. The convenience of a direct service is what we need.”

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While the news on HS2 will come as disappointment to some, the district is served by London trains. LNER announced earlier this year that it was planning significant changes to its Harrogate to London route.

The operator launched a consultation with a plan to change its timetable, which will see trains leave Harrogate earlier in the morning but also leave London earlier.

LNER said times between Harrogate and London would be about 10 minutes faster as part of the new timetable.

Harrogate MP on HS2

One of the strongest supporters of HS2 when it was announced was former Conservative rail minister and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones.

In February 2019, he told a Transport for the North conference that it would be a “betrayal of the north” if the Birmingham to Leeds line did not go ahead.

Mr Jones said in a statement on his Conservative-run site that he was “disappointed” at the decision, but added that the government’s plan was “complex”.

He said:

“My first impression is of the scale of the announcement. £96 billion in spending is a major investment. It is the largest rail investment ever made by any government. This is very positive.”

“The next thing to jump out at me is how many changes there are to previously published plans. I have long been a vocal supporter of HS2 and was disappointed when I read the media stories that HS2 Eastern leg had been cancelled, but it turns out that the picture is more complex.

“Complex because parts of the original plan will happen, for example between the east and west midlands – but then an enhanced midland mainline would bring HS2 services to Sheffield and Leeds rather than an eastern leg of the HS2 line.

“The plan is 160 pages and has only been published a couple of hours, so the opportunity for people to read it has been very limited. I will read it in detail over this weekend.”

“Woefully inadequate”

Mr Jones’ comments were at odds with other leaders in the north of England.

Cllr Louise Griffiths, interim-chair of Transport for the North, said the new scheme proposed by government was “woefully inadequate”.

She said:

“After decades of underfunding, the rail network in the north is not fit for purpose. It is largely twin-track Victorian infrastructure trying to cope with the demands of a 21st Century economy. 

“Leaders from across the north and from across the party political divide came together to ask for a network that would upgrade the North for this century and in line with the rest of the country.

“Our statutory advice asked for an over £40 billion network but the government has decided to provide even less than half of that.”

Government response

Ministers have said a “flexible approach” is needed and the the proposals for upgrades to the Manchester to Leeds line were “ambitious”.

The government has also denied that it has not fulfilled its promise on the eastern leg of HS2 and pointed to a proposal in its Integrated Rail Plan for a study to “look at the best way to take HS2 trains to Leeds”.

Mr Shapps said that the scheme outlined by government will also bring improvements to rail infrastructure in the north earlier than the HS2 project.

He said:

“Our plans go above and beyond the initial ambitions of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail by delivering benefits for communities no matter their size, right across the North and Midlands, up to 10 to 15 years earlier.”

Fascinating adverts placed inside Harrogate tourist brochures in the 1970s and 80s offer a glimpse into the town’s recent past.

The adverts are available to view upstairs in Harrogate Library on Victoria Avenue.

The retro adverts range from luxurious quilts made at the Dunlopillo factory in Pannal to swimming at the long-demolished Coppice Valley pool.

They also include staples of the era such as Carringtons nightclub on Station Parade and Pinocchio’s Italian restaurant on Cheltenham Parade.

Other businesses such as Olivers fish and chips on Cold Bath Road are still going strong.

Library supervisor Jane Trigoso has been posting some of the images on the library’s Facebook page.

Ms Trigoso said Pinocchio’s is the “number one” best remembered former Harrogate business.

She said:

“People have so much affection for some of these businesses. They like to reminisce about how it used to be.”

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View our image gallery below. How many do you remember?

Two Harrogate district men were fined over £4,000 today for selling a van with ‘potentially catastrophic’ faults to its brakes and structural parts.

North Yorkshire County Council’s Trading Standards team began an investigation after receiving a complaint from a resident who had bought the van in October last year to use in a long-distance house move.

The Iveco Daily van was listed on a Gumtree advert as “ready to work and runs perfect”.

However, an expert vehicle examiner found that on a road the van was dangerous because some components were corroded and there was excessive corrosion to the brake discs.

Paul Beesley, of Allotment Gardens, Harrogate and Andrew Birch, of The Green, Kirkby Malzeard, Ripon pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court to offences under the Road Traffic Act 198T8 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Mr Beesley and Mr Birch were each ordered to pay a total of £2,006 in fines and costs at the rate of £200 per month.

The two men are listed on Companies House as directors of Boroughbridge firm Boss Motorhome Hire.

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County Councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for Trading Standards, said:

“The resident relied on the description of this van in the advert he saw, and thought that he had bought a vehicle that he could use safely on an international journey.

“The nature of the faults on the van could have led to a terrible outcome for him, other road users or pedestrians, and for that reason trading standards officers will always take action where there is evidence that an unsafe vehicle has been supplied in the county.”

Ice Scoop Gelato on King’s Road in Harrogate has received a 5-star hygiene rating from Harrogate Borough Council, after receiving a 1-star rating last month.

An inspection took place yesterday by a food safety officer from the council to check that the food is safe to eat. 5 is the highest rating and indicates hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law.

It followed an inspection on October 8 that found the restaurant required ‘major improvement’ in the management of food safety and ‘improvement necessary’ in the cleanliness and condition of the building. It received a ‘generally satisfactory’ rating for the hygienic handling of food.

An anonymous source sent the Stray Ferret photos of the restaurant’s kitchen believed to have been taken before the October inspection. The photos show a dirty fridge and microwave.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The business has been working with the council to address the matters raised in the previous inspection. Follow up visits and inspections are part of the national working protocol to ensure improvement is made and maintained.”

Thomas Graham, manager of Ice Cream Gelato, confirmed to the Stray Ferret that both recent inspections had taken place.

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A decision is still to be made on whether to stage this year’s Mayor’s Carol Concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall.

The concert, which is traditionally held on Christmas Eve, is a popular part of the Harrogate district’s festive programme. Tickets are free but usually sell out well in advance.

The hall is open for business but with Christmas just five weeks away, Harrogate Borough Council still hasn’t given the carol concert the green light.

A council spokeswoman said:

“The council is currently working with public health to determine if and how the event can take place safely given the rising covid rates amongst school-age children who form the choir and orchestra for this event.”

The spokeswoman added the council hoped to be in a position to provide further details “in the near future”.

Last year’s concert was held remotely due to covid.

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Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata will be played by candlelight at a recital in Harrogate in aid of charity.

British pianist Warren Mailley-Smith (pictured above) will perform the sonata at the Wesley Centre on December 9.

The event will also feature music by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Gershwin.

The event is being held in aid of Artizan International, a charity that raises money for people with disabilities in the UK and the developing world.

Tickets are priced at £12 for adults and £5 for students. The concert will start at 7.30pm.

For more information, visit the Ticketsource website.

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Residents are being invited to attend a meeting on December 2 to discuss the gas leak that affected 3,500 homes in Harrogate.

Northern Gas Networks has organised the meeting, which will take place at the Styan Community Centre in Jennyfields.

The centre became an emergency hub from October 15 to 17 when NGN sub-contractors damaged an underground pipe on Ripon Road where roadworks were taking place.

Gas supply to homes in the HG1, HG2, HG3 and HG4 areas was cut off and thousands of electric heaters and food vouchers were handed out.

An NGN statement said:

“While incidents such as this are rare, it’s important that we reflect on what went well, and what we could have done better, so that we continually improve the service that we provide to our customers.

“During the session we’ll give a brief overview of how the incident unfolded, what support Northern Gas Networks provided to minimise disruption, and what we are now doing to make sure that an incident like this does not occur again.

“There will be then be an opportunity to discuss a number of key areas, including communication, support services and working with others.”

NGN said the meeting was aimed at residents, business owners, councillors, MPs, emergency workers and community groups.

To attend, you must register here by November 26.

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Three parents have called for Harrogate Army Foundation College to be closed after claiming their children were abused.

Alison Blackwell, Charlotte Poad and another parent, known only as Kevin, expressed their concerns to the Child Rights International Network, which is a think tank that focuses on the human rights of young people.

The college on Penny Pot Lane, which provides basic training for the British Army for 16 and 17-year-olds, was recently rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

CRIN sent an open letter to Ofsted yesterday questioning its rating and claiming the college is unsafe. The letter says:

“The ‘outstanding’ grade leads potential recruits and their parents to assume that the college offers the highest standard of care.

“With this open letter, we wish to repeat our concern that the college is unsafe, as evidenced by multiple formal complaints of abuse by staff, the routine use of stressors in training, and the imposition on recruits of legal obligations that deny them the right to leave at will.

“We believe that a civilian college with a similar record would be closed.”

The letter adds the army’s Joint Personnel Administration system had recorded 60 formal alleged incidents of violence against recruits aged under 18 by members of college staff since 2014, including assault and battery, and that 10 of the allegations were made since Ofsted’s inspection in 2017.

It also raises concerns about the college’s “very high attrition rate”, saying 30 percent of recruits aged under 18
drop out before they complete their training and that recruits have no legal right to leave during the first six weeks.

It claims the college operates daily use of physical and psychological stressors, such as the interruption of sleep and privacy and the use of humiliation to induce obedience.

Son died aged 17

Alison Blackwell is waiting for a Ministry of Defence inquiry into her son’s death. He died aged 17 while serving in the army.

She told the CRIN:

“My son told me he was hit, slapped, pushed, kicked and verbally abused by staff. He said he felt humiliated by this treatment and he never expected to be treated this way. He knew the training would be tough but this was abuse and the staff were power crazy.

“My son started drinking heavily and was very withdrawn, he rang me to tell me he was handing in his letter to leave. He told me his request was ripped up in his face. He was only 17 years old and devastated at not being able to leave. My son died last year while still serving in the army.”

Kevin, the father of a recruit who joined the college in 2015 said:

Harrogate Theatre’s chief executive has said panto ticket sales are almost at normal levels despite the uncertainty caused by covid.

Tickets went on sale later than usual this year and David Bown said there was some initial nervousness about attendance figures.

But 80% of tickets in between schools breaking up and the new year have already been sold. The fortnight before Christmas, in particular, is proving popular.

Cinderella begins on Friday next week and will run until January 16. Tim Stedman is once again one of the main stars.

The pantomime is the theatre’s biggest event of the year and Mr Bown said the strong sales were welcome after a difficult 18 months due to covid.

“It’s great to see we are nearly back to levels in previous years but we still have a few reservations and people concerned about covid. We still don’t know what the government has as its plan B and as a mass gathering we would be the first to be hit.

“I think Harrogate is doing well for visitors, we’ve had a few sold-out shows at other venues and we really hoped the panto would be the same and we weren’t disappointed.”

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Building work won’t dull the magic

The theatre has been undergoing building work for about six months.

The 120-year-old building was in need of a huge roof replacement, costing around £1 million. As a council-owned building, the project has been run in conjunction with Harrogate Borough Council and Harrogate Theatre Trust.

But although scaffolding will remain outside the building until March, Mr Bown said the magic of the theatre is still intact.

The complexity of the work, difficulties in sourcing building materials and staff shortages has meant the works are now due to finish in March 2022.

Looking ahead to 2022, Mr Bown said panto ticket sales make him optimistic for future shows:

“Being back is a bit weird, in some ways it feels like forever and in others it feels like the pandemic never happened. Of course we’re nervous because the last 18 months has proven you can’t plan for everything but the audience numbers are very encouraging.”

If you want to get in the mood ahead of the panto, check out our Panto Stories performed by Tim Stedman.

Harrogate Borough Council has said it asked the Royal British Legion if it had any objections before placing a large helter skelter next to the war memorial.

The attraction appeared on the grass in front of the memorial on Tuesday. Harrogate BID, Visit Harrogate and the council hope it will encourage footfall during the festive season.

The Victorian-style ride has received some online criticism from residents who say it is disrespectful because of its close proximity to the memorial and its appearance just two days after Remembrance Sunday.

Others say the war dead would have wanted life to continue as normal and welcomed the idea of children playing on the rides.

A council spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret that it had chosen where to put the helter skelter “very carefully”. She added the council had received six complaints from residents about the structure.

The spokeswoman said the council asked the Royal British Legion if it had any objections beforehand, adding the charity did not but asked the council to monitor anti-social behaviour caused by the attraction.

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The spokeswoman said:

“We considered the location of the Helter Skelter very carefully and as part of our pre-event planning we consulted with the Royal British Legion on the proposed site. We received no objections but agreed with their only request that we are vigilant for anti-social behaviour in the area, which we are happy to do.

“We will monitor any anti-social behaviour caused by the attraction over the period and will act accordingly.

“The council have received half a dozen complaints in relation to its location, however we have also received a significant number of positive responses towards our Destination Christmas campaign.

“This includes many positive comments on Facebook from veterans and those whose relatives fought for the country, who are hugely supportive of what we are doing.”