The Spa Town Roller Derby Team is on the lookout for new recruits after covid took its toll on numbers.
The team, which was set up in 2012, is Harrogate’s only roller derby league team and has 19 players.
It is made up of men and women putting on their skates and taking to the floor at Harrogate Ladies’ College each Sunday.
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two five-person teams skating counter-clockwise around a track. In each team there is a jammer and four blockers.
The jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposing team. The teams attempt to hinder the opposing jammer while assisting their own jammer, in effect playing both offence and defence simultaneously.
The team sometimes competes and is currently at tier 4 of the British Championships. In 2016 to 2020 the team competed in the championships each year and without the disturbance of covid the team could have moved to tier 2.
Gemma Wilson has been a member from the start. She started after the birth of her son when she was living with post-natal depression and said being part of the team “saved” her:
“When I put my skates on I was able to forget everything and just laugh, sweat and learn alongside the team. Some say it’s cheap therapy!
“I am one of millions of people who were saved by the crazy, fast paced sport full of some of the most supportive and incredible people the world has to offer.
“During my time skating I have competed all over the country, travelled abroad, tried out for Team England, have some hilarious after party stories and have made lifelong friends across the globe.”
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Ms WIlson is encouraging people of all ages and abilities to sign up. They began recruiting six weeks ago and are in the middle of teaching new members the basics of contact.
The hope is with more members they can add another session in each week. She added:
“People really can take from it what they want as some just want to have a little slice of time for themselves or get fit whilst having fun, but if players want to then they can compete in scrimmages and bouts against other teams.”
To find out more about joining click here.
Carers recognised for covid efforts in Harrogate and Ripon at team celebrationA special event has been held to thank a team of carers covering the Harrogate district during the pandemic.
Continued Care, which has headquarters in Harrogate and a base in Ripon, held the Celebration and Thank You Evening to recognise its staff’s achievements in the face of unprecedented challenges over the last two years.
The event was also an opportunity to present long service awards and announce the carer of the year awards for each branch at the home care company. The winners were Sophie Philp in Harrogate and Janet Bettridge in Ripon.
Director Samantha Harrison said:
“Working through Covid has been one of the hardest things we have experienced but through it all our staff have shown great determination and resilience, working together as a team and putting others before themselves.
“Before the pandemic, their jobs were hard enough but our staff have been selfless and focused on doing their best for our clients who are among the most vulnerable in our community.
“Their kindness, compassion and generosity has been inspirational. We wanted to say thank you and tell each of them how amazing they are and how proud we are of them.”
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Long service certificates and badges were presented to nearly half of Continued Care’s staff – 65 people out of 140 – who have been with the company for five years or more.
Making the presentations, area manager Mike Herrington said it was amazing to have such a high proportion of long-serving staff in the company, given the well-known challenges of employee retention in the care sector.
He added:
Calls for more temporary sites for Travellers in Harrogate district“This is testament to the quality of our staff and what they do for us, as well as what we do for them, and how we all work together to make sure people get the best service we can give them.”
There have been calls for Travellers to have more temporary sites in the Harrogate district.
Cllr David Goode, who is a resident in Knaresborough and a Liberal Democrat town councillor, said recent groups of Travellers setting up camp had been met with “negative feelings” from locals.
Travellers parked on the old rugby field on Hay-a-Park Lane last week and were served legal notice to leave by Harrogate Borough Council.
Several caravans and cars also parked on the Stray near to Oatlands Drive.
All the Travellers have now moved on.
Cllr Goode said while the council has already set up a permanent designated Travellers site off the Knaresborough bypass, there needed to be more transit sites where groups can stay temporarily.
He added that council officials should start to engage with local Gypsy and Travellers trusts to find out what more can be done.
Cllr Goode said:
“My thinking coming out of this is to start engaging with the local Gypsy trust.
“They will know the issues.”
Read more:
Sharon Calvert, who also lives in Knaresborough and has worked with Travellers in her role in education, shared the view that more temporary sites should be set up.
She said:
“What they need is to have a transit site. There are always going to be Travellers coming through [the district].
“We need some joined up thinking on this. There needs to be some temporary sites on the A1 with running water and facilities to get rid of rubbish. There must be some sites.”
‘Engagement is number one’
Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, a charity which aims to improve the quality of life for the communities, said engagement with Gypsy and Travellers in the first instance was important.
In September 2020 the organisation worked with Leeds City Council to create a good practice guide to design Traveller sites as part of its work.
A spokesperson for Leeds GATE told the Stray Ferret that it was important for authorities to make those community links to better understand Gypsy and Traveller people.
They said:
“The engagement with the community is number one. Whether it is a council or a planning department, they really need to make those community links.
“There are organisations that people can speak to. We at Leeds GATE are here and we do make ourselves known.”
In the Harrogate district, North Yorkshire County Council owns and maintains two designated sites for Travellers.
One is at Bickerton and another is off Thistle Hill in Knaresborough.
Could Harrogate host Eurovision again?Enthusiasm is mounting for Harrogate to put in a bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest again in 2023.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs the event, announced yesterday it had concluded this year’s winner, Ukraine, was unable to host the event because of the on going invasion by Russia.
It leaves the door open for the UK, as runner-up, to be next in line to host the event next year.
Speculation has grown rapidly on Twitter about the potential host town or city – and Harrogate’s name has cropped up more than once.
Bring it back to Harrogate. https://t.co/khvYS1Loqy
— Duncan Woods (@the__DAW) June 17, 2022
The prospect has been welcomed by the town’s business leaders. Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:
“I think it would be absolutely brilliant if Harrogate was to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
“Harrogate is no stranger to staging major international events, and let’s remember 40 years ago Eurovision was held in the newly opened Harrogate Convention Centre.
“Once again, images of the town and wider district would be beamed into homes around the world. It would bring thousands of visitors into the town, give the local economy a massive shot in the arm and benefit many businesses.”
Jan Leeming hosted Eurovision live from Harrogate in 1982.
Sue Kramer, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce president, said:
“Holding Eurovision would give the town and the district an enormous feel good factor, and with little disruption. It will also attract a significant number of visitors and a huge TV audience. Bring it on!”
Chamber chief executive David Simister added:
“I remember the excitement in the town when we staged it 40 years ago.
“Over the subsequent years the popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest has grown significantly, and hosting it would certainly be a fantastic opportunity for Harrogate.”
However, not everyone seems to feel so positive about it.
https://twitter.com/connormoseleyx/status/1537775214536364032
Having just celebrated the 40th anniversary of it being held in Harrogate, is there a possibility the town could be called on again to welcome fans, contestants and international media?
Sadly, it seems unlikely.
Read more:
- 40 years on: Remembering when Harrogate hosted Eurovision
- 40 years on: Jan Leeming’s memories of when Harrogate hosted Eurovision
- Eurovision fans sing outside Harrogate Convention Centre to mark 40th anniversary
In 1982, Harrogate Convention Centre was chosen because it was a brand new venue – a chance for the UK to show its modern facilities and ways of working.
However, its 2,000 capacity – perfectly adequate at the time – is unlikely to meet the organisers’ needs to accommodate the huge crowds who clamour to attend each year.
This year’s contest in Turin was held at the PalaOlimpico, which has a capacity of up to 15,657 for concerts. Rotterdam Ahoy, which hosted in 2021, can welcome audiences of more than 16,000.
So if not Harrogate, where?
The UK has hosted Eurovision eight times: four in London, and one each in Edinburgh, Brighton and Birmingham, as well as Harrogate.
Near neighbour Leeds is on the list of potential contenders, with the city council quick to confirm it will bid to hold the event at the First Direct arena, with its 13,781 capacity.
In a joint statement, council leader Cllr James Lewis and Cllr Jonathan Pryor, executive member for economy and culture, said:
“It goes without saying that Leeds will be bidding to host Eurovision in 2023. Together with ASM Global, the operators of the First Direct arena in Leeds, we have already been in touch with both the Government and the BBC to discuss our plans.
“Leeds has already proved that it has the capability and capacity to host major international events and ASM Global successfully hosted Eurovision in the Avicii Arena, Stockholm Sweden in 2016. Given that we will be mid-way through the Leeds 2023 year of culture, it could not come at a better time.
“We are extremely disappointed that Ukraine will be unable to host in 2023, but it would be an honour to host on behalf of them, especially given that West Yorkshire is home to a large number of Ukrainians. If we are successful with our bid, we will be looking to get the local Ukrainian community involved with our plans as much as possible.”
Still, Harrogate’s Eurovision enthusiasts can dream that perhaps one day the contest will return – and bring with it some of the profile that came 40 years ago as our European neighbours ask themselves again, “Où est Harrogate?“
Residents flock to Starbeck Community DayResidents in Starbeck flocked to Starbeck Community Day today to help raise money for this year’s Christmas lights.
The annual event took place at Harrogate Railway Athletic FC and saw a range of stalls, barbecue, licensed bar and raffle prizes.
Chrissie Holmes, of the Starbeck Christmas Lights Appeal which organises the event, said the goal was to raise £5,000.
She said:
“We are here to raise funds for the Christmas lights, it is an annual event.
“We need to raise £5,000 each year for the cost to put them [the lights] up and to maintain them.”
Starbeck Community Day, which was held today.
The small group of volunteers are aiming to light up Starbeck High Street with the lights, which would run up to Forest Head Lane.
To help in the fundraising effort, prizes and events were on display to raise money.
Strabeck Residents’ Association also had a stall and Starbeck Library were on hand to accept donations for books.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, also had a clinic at the event to speak with constituents about issues.
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Friends of Starbeck Library held a book sale.
The Starbeck Residents’ Association stall.
A yoga and pilates instructor will hold a free sun salutation event in Harrogate to mark the summer solstice on Tuesday.
Ebru Evrim, who is set to open a new studio on James Street on July 2, will hold the event in the Valley Gardens, near the cafe, from 6pm to 8.30pm.
She will lead participants through 108 sun salutations, a number representing spiritually significant landmarks including the number of sacred sites in India.
She said:
“Summer solstice is a lovely time of year, and it adds something extra special when practicing yoga outside in the evening sunshine – hopefully!
“This free event is a great opportunity for anyone with experience of yoga to enjoy an outdoor session, or for those interested in trying it for the first time.”
While beginners are welcome to participate, Ebru said the session will be physically demanding, though she will offer modifications to suit different abilities. Anyone taking part will be asked to complete a health questionnaire and must alert the instructor to any injuries or difficulties.
To book a place, email info@ebruevrim.com or call 01756 229356.
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Family of murdered Harrogate policeman seeks permanent memorial
The family of PC David Haigh, the Harrogate police officer murdered by Barry Prudom, has called for a permanent memorial to be erected.
Father-of-three PC Haigh was just 29 years old when he was shot by Prudom at Norwood Edge car park in Stainburn Forest.
PC Haigh’s widow, three sons and other family members hung a wreath at the site yesterday — 40 years to the day after he was slain.
They laid another wreath at Harrogate police station, where there is a plaque commemorating a fallen colleague.
But besides that plaque there is nothing to honour the officer who made the ultimate sacrifice and his family feels it is time that was put right.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret at yesterday’s wreath hanging, relatives said they were in discussions with the Police Memorial Trust, a charity that erects memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty.
They hope something will be arranged for the site where he died, which is currently a car park owned by the Forestry Commission.
The memorial to PC David Haigh.
Annette Jakes, PC Haigh’s widow, returns to the site most years to pay her respects. She said:
“He was a hero. Yet there is nothing to remember him except the plaque in the police station.”
The fateful day
Ms Jukes was so overcome by grief at the news of her husband’s death that she had to be sedated for many days afterwards.
Recalling the fateful moment, she said she could see police officers through the glass door of the family home at the time on Elmwood Street:
“It was about 10am. There was the chief superintendent and the police doctor behind him.
“The chief superintendent said ‘I think you’d better sit down’. Then he told me my husband had been killed this morning. I don’t remember anything after that. I just hit the ground. I was injected for weeks. I never even saw the children.”
Eldest sons Carl and Michael, who were 11 and eight at the time, were sent home from Grove Road Community Primary School. They were waiting in a neighbour’s house when they overheard the news that their dad had been killed. Two weeks later they were back at school.
PC David Haigh
Youngest son Richard, who was just three at the time, said he was “unbelievably proud” of his dad.
He added it was a cruel twist of fate that the anniversary of PC Haigh’s death always fell around Father’s Day.
About a dozen family members, including grandchildren of PC Haigh, were at Norwood Edge yesterday to pay their respects.
It was a short and dignified occasion at the spot where it is thought PC Haigh died from a single gunshot wound.
Prudom went on the run and killed two more people before turning the gun on himself 17 days later after Britain’s biggest ever manhunt.
Now the family hopes a more lasting tribute will be erected in memory of the young Harrogate father who sacrificed his life serving others.
Read more:
Residents moved from Harrogate care home with rodent droppings
Residents at a Harrogate care home where rodent droppings were found and rooms smelled of urine have been moved to other homes.
Mary Fisher House was rated inadequate and put into special measures in April by the Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care.
The CQC report in April, which was based on an inspection in February, found evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.
It said some bedrooms smelled of urine, described medicines practices as unsafe and said there were insufficient staff to safely support people.
The four-storey home on Cold Bath Road, which caters for up to 24 residents, relied heavily on agency staff who weren’t properly inducted, it added.
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Claire Harris-Winstanley, manager of the home on Cold Bath Road, confirmed it was closed when the Stray Ferret visited today. However, she said it was not clear yet whether the closure would be permanent and declined to comment further at this stage.
Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for care and support, said in a statement today:
“We have taken swift action to find new accommodation for 12 residents of Mary Fisher House following a decision by the owner to close for refurbishment.
“This situation has arisen following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection of the home, which identified problems which needed attention.
“Since then we have been working alongside NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the home’s owner to try to secure improvements.”
“The owner has decided the best way forwards is to refurbish the premises and to do so without residents in place. As a consequence we are finding alternative accommodation for the 12 residents the county council has responsibility for.
“We understand the situation may be distressing for those involved and we are working diligently to ensure the process causes the minimum disruption to the residents involved. Our absolute priority is the welfare of those affected by this situation and we have been keeping residents, along with their relatives and representatives, fully informed of developments.”
Safety action
One woman, who had a relative at the £600-a-week home until recently, said she was given nine days to find alternative arrangements.
According to the CQC, the home is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited.
The Stray Ferret has tried to contact the provider but has yet to receive a response.
A CQC spokesperson, said:
No trains for two days in Harrogate next week as strike action hits“The CQC carried out an inspection at Mary Fisher House in Harrogate in February 2022.
“As a result we have taken action to protect the safety and welfare of people living at the home.
“Our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time. All CQC’s action is open to appeal.”
No trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days next week as thousands of workers go on strike.
Northern, which operates services through the two towns, has published its timetable for the industrial action on June 21, 23 and 25.
The RMT union has called the strike action over pay and conditions. It will see thousands of drivers, signal operators and guards walk out next week.
In Harrogate and Knaresborough, no trains will run between York and Leeds on Tuesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 23.
However, Northern services are currently expected to run on Saturday, June 25 although the company has warned of disruption and urged people to seek alternative travel.
LNER will also be running no services to London Kings Cross from Harrogate on all three strike days.
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The industrial action on the railways is expected to hit commuters, schools and major events.
The disruption will affect cricket fans travelling to Headingley as England take on New Zealand in the third Test of a three-game series on Thursday.
Trains are expected to run on non-strike days, however Northern warned that services could still be affected.
The company warned passengers earlier this week not to travel on any day between Tuesday and Sunday.
It said in a statement:
“There will be no replacement buses or alternative travel provided.
“On strike days there will be extremely limited availability of both train crew and signalling staff and as such we will not be able to operate services on most routes.
“Unfortunately, as we will not be able to position our fleet how we normally would, the significant impact of the strike will also be felt on non-strike days.
“Therefore, we regrettably advise customers not to travel on any day from Tuesday 21st through to Sunday 26th June.
“Where we are able to operate trains, services will be very limited, and trains will not start as early as normal and will finish much earlier than normal.”
Buses expect surge in demand
Meanwhile, Harrogate Bus Company has said it is expecting additional passengers next week due to the strike action.
Steve Ottley, general manager at the bus company, said:
Prize awarded to winning Knaresborough Bed Race team after mix up“We are expecting additional customers to travel with us next week due to the rail disruption.
“Our advice is to plan ahead of travel, using our Transdev Go app to track your bus before making a journey. Our website and Twitter feed @harrogatebus will be updated across the day with any planned alterations to services.
“We will closely monitor demand and will provide additional capacity where possible with the resources we have available.”
The fastest new team prize for Knaresborough Bed Race was presented to a Harrogate running club today, after a mix-up saw the trophy incorrectly awarded to the wrong team.
The famous race returned to the town for the first time since 2019 last weekend and saw thousands of people line the streets for an entertaining and enjoyable day.
Fastest new team was a fiercely-competed category with three new teams (Early Bird Run Crew Harrogate, Nidd Valley Juniors and It’s A COP-Out) separated by just 20 seconds.
It’s a COP-Out were handed the trophy on Saturday, but after being made aware of the error they magnanimously handed the trophy back to the Knaresborough Lions, which organises the bed race, and it was duly presented to EBRC Harrogate this morning.
EBRC Harrogate, the fastest new team
The Lions said on Facebook:
“Things don’t always go to plan and unfortunately the fastest new team prize on Saturday was awarded to the wrong team.
“Thank you to It’s A COP-Out for being so magnanimous when told of the error, and thanks for EBRC Harrogate for being patient in receiving their prize.
“Amazing running by all new teams and we hopefully look forward to seeing you back in 2023.”
Knaresborough Lions PR officer Martin Brock even joined EBRC’s 6.30am Friday 5km run around Harrogate after handing over the trophy.
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