Traffic and Travel Alert: Delays of up to 10 minutes on Ripon Road in Killinghall and Knaresborough Road into Harrogate

Delays of up to 10 minutes are being reported along Ripon Road through Killinghall and on Knaresborough Road heading towards the Empress roundabout.

Be aware of the three-way traffic lights on York Place which could increase your queuing time after getting over the Empress roundabout.

It may be best to leave a little earlier if possible if you’re driving into Harrogate town centre this morning.

Keep us posted with any traffic updates on our social media channels or via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

The Stray Ferret has changed the way it offers Traffic and Travel alerts.

We will now notify you instantly through app notifications and flash tweets when there is an urgent alert. This could include heavy traffic, dangerous weather and long delays or cancellations of public transport.

The alerts are sponsored by The HACS Group.

 

Sneak Peek: New women’s shoe store opens on Montpellier today

A new women’s shoe and accessory store is opening on Montpellier Mews today.

Aideen Fox has been working in fashion for multiple years, initially as a buyer for online stores before going going full-time with her business in October 2019.

Before that, Ms Fox set up Fennec and Darwin in 2018 by doing pop-up shops around the North of England.

She said it was her most recent pop-up in the Victoria Gate centre in Leeds that prompted her to look for her own shop. She said Harrogate was her “number one place to have a shop”.

Tucked away in the corner on one of Montpellier courtyards, next door to Montpellier Mews Antiques Centre, Fennec and Darwin has taken over the space giving it a fresh and elegant look with the shoes taking centre stage.

Ms Fox said:

“It’s an absolutely brilliant location, it just all fell into place and I fell in love with the space.

“I’m really excited to be in Harrogate, I’m based in Leeds so I visit Harrogate alot so it should be really good and I’m excited.”

Brands including Carmela and Vanessa Wu will be sold in the shop

Known to her friends and family as the “shoe monster” Ms Fox is excited to continue her online shop whilst also having a physical space for her customers to visit.

She will be stocking brands such as Carmela, Vanessa Wu and XTI. Customers can expect everything from trainers to knee-high boots to chunky sandals and wedges; something for all the seasons.

She added shoes would range from £25 to around £100 for leather boots.

Read more:

Going full-time just before the pandemic hit she said was “tough” but her background it online sales meant she was able to boost that side of her business.

Moving into a retail space of her own is something she’s looking forward to:

“I decided to just go for it myself and give it a go. Of course I love shoes so it just makes sense. I just hope people in Harrogate like what I have to offer, I think they will.”

The shop opens today at 10am.

Harrogate lodges lead bid to make Freemasons TikTok famous

It is an ancient organisation shrouded in mystery, which conjures up images of aprons, arcane symbols and secret handshakes.

However, in an effort to bring the fraternity into the modern era and attract younger members, Freemasons in Yorkshire are attempting to become TikTok famous.

The Province of Yorkshire West Riding has posted two videos on its new account – @wrfreemasons – including a take on the staircase scene from Titanic, set to Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On.

The second is a TikTok of the famous Masonic aprons, described as “a badge of honour” being packed into a suitcase, with the caption ‘Freemasons wear aprons’. This is set to the track Run, by Becky Hill and Galantis.

Both have been filmed by member of Harrogate’s Harlow Lodge David Simister.

He said:

“Obviously we are a secret society, but we are hoping to open it up to a new, younger audience on TikTok.”

Harrogate’s Royal Hall to feature in next video

A third TikTok video which will be a take on the Kingsman movies – complete with bowler hats – is set to be filmed outside Harrogate’s Royal Hall on Saturday.

It follows the launch of a video on the The Province of Yorkshire West Riding’s website last month, which throws light on what Freemasonry is all about.

The film features a number of Freemasons, including a university undergraduate, retired firefighter, former soldier and a financial consultant, explaining what enticed them to join.

It also shows the splendour of a Masonic ceremony, the charitable side of the organisation and, more importantly, the diversity of its members from so many different walks of life and social backgrounds.

Read more:

Based on the old West Riding of Yorkshire, the Province has more than 5,000 members and over 180 individual Lodges, and covers an area from Sheffield in the south, to Ripon in the north, Goole in the east and across to High Bentham in the west.

Five lodges in Harrogate

There are five individual lodges in Harrogate, with around 400 members who meet at the Masonic Hall on Station Avenue.

James Newman, who will become the Province’s most senior member at a ceremony held in Harrogate next month, said:

“Freemasonry in Yorkshire dates back well over 200 hundred years and, in a nutshell, it is about making good men better.

“Our members range in age from those in their late teens and early twenties to those who are in their nineties and older and they hail from many different professions, ethnic backgrounds and religions.’’

Mr Newman said charity was at the heart of Freemasonry, with the Province of Yorkshire giving more than £200,000 to a variety of local causes each year, including schools, hospices, youth organisations and community groups.

Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet

Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet

A nursery group with a setting in Knaresborough has been acquired by north-west operator Kids Planet.

Twinkles Nursery Group, founded in 2003, has sites in Knaresborough, Leeds city centre, Wetherby, and Boston Spa. All are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Kids Planet acquired Bradford-based nursery Kinder Heaven in 2021.

Jill Smith, managing director at Twinkles Nursery Group, said:

“It has been an honour to serve all our wonderful families and to work alongside such a dedicated and super talented team over the years, and I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next.”

Flaxby modular housebuilder features in 153-home deal

Flaxby-based modular housebuilder ilke Homes, in partnership with Gresham House and agent SO Resi will install a factory-built home on a site in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex as part of a wider 153-home scheme.

Ilke claimed the two-storey family home, which will be sold under a shared ownership scheme, is the UK’s first home to guarantee zero-energy bills.

Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and an air source heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water. Battery technology will be installed to store energy.

Giles Carter, chief executive at ilke Homes, said:

“The cost of living crisis is here and now. Since the turn of the century, UK households have become overly reliant on gas imports, leaving consumers at risk from rising wholesale gas prices.

“Thanks to advances in manufacturing, materials, and renewable energy, we have created homes that not only drastically reduce household bills but also give consumers greater control over their own energy usage.”

Value of farm shops revealed

The Farm Retail Association, which is based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has released new research that shows Britain’s farm shops generate £1.4 billion in sales nationally and employ 25,000 workers.

The findings, released in conjunction with Harper Adams University, were part of its biggest research project to date. They were announced at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference on Wednesday.

The study found that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers nationally, employing 25,000 people, with sales totalling £1.4 billion. Some 64% of farm shops expect sales to increase further in 2022 and a third of all farm shops have opened in the last 10 years.

New FRA chairman Rupert Evans said:

“This was the biggest research project that the FRA has ever undertaken and the results show the vital part that farm retailers play in the community as well as on a national scale.

Alastair Boot (left), senior lecturer in food retail and marketing and Rupert Evans, FRA chair and 

Send your business news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Plea for ‘moratorium’ on controversial 181-home Kingsley development

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred has issued a plea for Harrogate Borough Council to halt a controversial planning application for 181 homes on Kingsley Drive in Starbeck.

At a full council meeting last night, Cllr Aldred asked Conservative cabinet member for planning, Cllr Tim Myatt, if he would consider issuing a ‘moratorium’ on the plans, which were submitted this week by Persimmon Homes.

It is the third time the developer has submitted a proposal at the location, which used to form part of Kingsley Farm. A larger application for 217 homes was rejected by councillors in August.

Cllr Aldred, who currently represents the Fairfax ward, cited government Housing Delivery Test figures that revealed Harrogate Borough Council has exceeded its housebuilding target by almost 1,700 homes over the last three years.

He said he attended a meeting of Kingsley residents last month to discuss the application and heard how various housing schemes have heaped “misery” on local residents due to the disruption caused.

Read more:

Cllr Aldred said:

“We’ve met the target, so would the cabinet member be prepared to consider an immediate moratorium halting the proposed development of a further 181 homes that went into planning yesterday?

“It’s greatly affecting the physical and mental health of Kingsley residents.”

‘Intense period of development’

In response, Cllr Myatt, who represents High Harrogate on the council, said he had “great sympathy” for people affected by the “intense period of development” in the ward.

But he said over the past six years, the council was still below the housing need target identified in the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-2035, which maps out where development can take place until 2034.

Cllr Tim Myatt

The government and the council’s Local Plan have different housebuilding targets for the district.

Cllr Myatt said:

“I have been speaking with residents regularly about this application and about what I think the weaknesses are.

“We have a Local Plan, which was adopted recently. It has a target for local need for the past six years. It’s around 690 homes per year. If you look at those figures, we haven’t exceeded that target over the past six years, in fact we are slightly below it.”

Local Plan

The Local Plan was adopted in 2020 but can be reviewed after five years.

Cllr Myatt confirmed that officers are already working on the review, which could see some sites removed if it is deemed the housing need for the district has changed.

Cllr Myatt added:

“Can I order a cease of planning applications? That simply wouldn’t hold up on a national level and I think the councillor knows that, he was just trying to get me to say no. It’s not something within my gift to cease housing applications, if I tried to do so, it would be overturned nationally.

“Our Local Plan is in place, it was voted on by this council and received a strong approval.”

New restaurant to open at former Bistrot Pierre site in Harrogate

A new restaurant celebrating “exceptional British produce” is set to open at the former Le Bistrot Pierre site in Harrogate this month.

Work is underway to transform the building into Samsons restaurant and bar, dubbed a “vibrant yet elegant dining and drinking destination”.

The spacious unit on Cheltenham Parade has remained empty since July 2020 after Le Bistrot Pierre became one of the first restaurant casualties of the pandemic.

Managing director Mark Morris said:

“I am thrilled to bring the people of Harrogate and the surrounding area a unique drink and dining location in the heart of the town.”

The team behind Samsons includes executive chef Josh Whitehead, who is known for his work with the Harewood Food and Drink Project. He was also a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals 2016. Andy Castle, who was head chef at the Ox Club, Leeds, is also involved.

No opening date has been announced yet.

Roof garden

It aims to be the first carbon-neutral restaurant in the UK. This includes plans to launch a full roof garden with a wild flower meadow and bee hives next year.

The ‘design-led’ restaurant, which will offer an all-day dining space with plush booth seating, will have space for up to 182 guests across the main restaurant and bar, as well as a snug room for private wine-tasting.

Read more:

Samsons is currently recruiting staff, with a job advertisement for various positions stating:

“Samsons is unique, reflecting its heritage and location, but founded on the core values and principles. Sustainability, provenance, seasonality and traceability shines through.

“We will be striving to be the best restaurant in Harrogate.”

The empty premises were due to be occupied by Tomahawk Steakhouse, however the restaurant chain is now planning to move into Solita Food Hall’s space on Parliament Street, which closed last year after just six months.

The steakhouse had planned to open in January, but with the change of location it is now planning to launch in April.

The site was also formerly Jamie Oliver’s restaurant.

Drone pic shows Ripley Castle after major scaffolding project

An aerial photograph shows historic Ripley Castle after a four-week scaffolding project.

The 14th Century, Grade I Listed building, home to the sixth Baronet Ingilby and his family, is about to undergo major renovations to its roof.

Elite Scaffolding, which has completed similar projects at Knaresborough Castle and Allerton Castle, overcame three storms to erect the poles around the castle.

Spencer Cassidy, managing director of Thorpe Arch-based Elite Scaffolding, said:

“This is the third Yorkshire castle that we have scaffolded, and in terms of scale it is certainly the most significant.

“Before starting, we worked closely with Ripley Castle owner, Sir Thomas Ingilby, and main contractor, HACS, to ensure our work would not visually impact on two weddings it was hosting.

“We have been keeping a very close eye on the weather, and despite enduring three significant storms which have brought gale force winds, torrential rain and snow, I’m pleased to say haven’t given us any problems.”

Ripley Castle is a private house but its grounds are open to the public.

Read more:

 

More donation spots in Harrogate to help Ukrainians

An overwhelming number of people from the Harrogate district have offered donations to help Ukrainians following the Russian invasion.

We will update this blog with new donation spots as we hear about them. If you know about any more drop-off points or other Ukrainian initiatives please let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

6.15pm: Hampsthwaite’s donations heading to Ukraine

Villagers in Hampsthwaite have been donating goods over the past few days at the village church.

A post on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook page thanked the “incredible” effort of everyone involved. The donations have been dropped off at Hales Bar in Harrogate and will be on their way to Ukraine next week.

“The response for donations for Ukraine has been incredible to the extent that over the last three and a half days the baptistry of Hampsthwaite Church was completely crammed. One carload was taken on Monday to the collection centre on Claro Road, which has since become overwhelmed and they could not take any more goods.

“This afternoon, with the help of Debbie Bruce and Nick Beaton we transported all of the remaining donations to Hales Bar in town. We could not have managed this so efficiently had it not been for Acklams Motorcycles and the lovely Joel who volunteered the use of one of their vans to transport all of the donations. Your donations will be on their way early next week to the Polish/Ukraine border where they are much needed.”

Hampsthwaite has thanked Acklam’s Motorcycles for helping transport goods.

5.30pm: Charity dog walk organised

A group of professional dog walkers in Harrogate have organised a charity dog walk for Ukraine. It will start at Hookstone Car Park, HG2 8PN on Sunday March 27.

It costs £5 per dog and starts at 1pm.

For more information visit this Facebook page.

2.50pm: Ripon Cathedral sounds bells for peace

Ripon Cathedral took part in an initiative today to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Canon Michael talks to @joncowap on @BBCYork at 11.35am as we prepare to ring our bells at midday in solidarity with the people of #Ukraine. The bells ring for 7 minutes, 1 min for each day of the war. As they ring – we pray for peace @nickbaines @JulianSmithUK @churchofengland pic.twitter.com/wXg59taZbr

— Ripon Cathedral (@riponcathedral) March 3, 2022

1.58pm: New drop-off point in Harrogate

American-born Whitney Vauvelle, who now lives in Harrogate, has told us she is working with the Global Empowerment Mission to collect items for the Ukraine relief effort.

Items can be dropped off at 52 Cornwall Road, postcode HG1 2PP. Ms Vauvelle says:

“We have specific requests for warm clothes for women and children of all ages: thermals, jumpers, sweats, trousers, socks, nappies, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, hand sanitisers, backpacks and small suitcases.”

Ms Vauvelle is personal friends with Michael Capponi, the founder of Global Empowerment Mission. She said:

“Michael and his team have been in Poland on the border for the last week. The situation is becoming very challenging.

“We are also fundraising to cover further trucking and transportation costs for trucks from the UK to Poland.

“These people desperately need our help.

Ms Vauvelle adds that her great grandparents were Ukrainian and supposedly raised horses for Czar Nicholas II.

12.58pm: Business gives day’s takings to those in need

Bob Partridge, who owns VetDentist, which has a practice in Harrogate, has got in touch to say he was so moved by the plight of Ukrainians that his company donated a day’s takings to the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal.

He said many of his team also made personal donations.

British Red Cross donations are now being overseen by the Disasters Emergency Committee, which co-ordinates the aid agency response to crisis. You can give here.

10.30am – Hales Bar opens as donation drop-off point

Hales Bar in Harrogate has opened as a donation drop-off point for goods to be sent to Ukraine.

Owner Amanda Wilkinson said people can donate any time between 10am-10pm. Anyone arriving before 3pm is asked to go round the back and ring the bell as the bar itself isn’t open.

The most needed items:

Ms Wilkinson has a system in place to store the items in offices at the back of the bar before filling up a truck, which will be taken to a dry store unit.

She has requested people to only stick to items in the list to make the process as easy as possible.

10am – WATCH as Harrogate group prepare boxes of donations to send to Ukrainian refugees

A group of Harrogate residents began collecting donations last weekend in their front rooms, the incredible response from locals meant they had to take up a unit at Claro Business Centre to store teh “tonnes and tonnes of wonderful donations”.

This drop-off point has now stopped taking donations but will be shipping them to those in need tonight.

Joanna Papros, Kinga Goldsmith and Adam Goldsmith have made contact with a haulage company in Halifax which is owned by a Ukrainian man. He is sending over a shipment of clothes, toiletries and other essentials this tonight.

Harrogate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school aims to build children’s confidence

This article is sponsored by Gracie Barra Harrogate

After months spent in various lockdowns, I was determined to find a club for my eight-year-old son that would allow him to meet other kids and help him to rebuild some confidence.

Like the majority of parents in the pandemic, the struggle to juggle work, homeschooling and a toddler was real.

Inevitably screen time went up while we attempted to work from home.

So when gyms and clubs were allowed to re-open again, I wanted my son to channel his energy into a sport or martial art.

And there was one club in particular that caught my eye when I was scrolling Instagram one evening.

Under the leadership of Lewis Matthews and his team of coaches, Gracie Barra Harrogate had been teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) classes over Zoom during the lockdown.

Once restrictions had eased, a full timetable of children’s sessions was launched at the newly-refurbished school at Hornbeam Park.

The popularity of BJJ has soared in recent years. With many high-profile personalities preaching its benefits. As well as building fitness levels, the martial art allows children to experience and understand core values like focus, discipline, persistence, co-operation and respect.

The academy is part of the global martial arts organisation, Gracie Barra, and forms part of a network of schools across the world offering the highest standard of BJJ instruction.

The structured curriculum is age and skill level appropriate, with children ranging from four-years-old to 15, before moving into adult programmes. It is aimed at teaching kids practical self defence skills that will give them confidence moving through life, as well as introducing them to an exciting and challenging new sport.

Techniques taught within BJJ focus not on striking, but on grappling and defending yourself, without the need to punch or kick someone.

Lewis said:

“These are valuable skills that are needed, as the potential consequences for striking someone often outweigh the benefit. But we also practice the sport of BJJ, which is incredibly fun too.”

So in November I signed my son up for a free trial at the facility, which is impressive in itself, with its huge floor space and its striking blue and red interior.

I was able to sit in the bright and airy reception area and watch him enjoy his session.

In just a few months his confidence has soared, he has made friends – and grappled with – lots of other children from across Harrogate and he has realised that hard work pays off.

I put this down to the quality of the coaching, which sees sessions delivered in a fun and relaxed manner, while also being incredibly thorough.

Recently he was awarded the first stripe on his belt, which gave him a huge sense of achievement.

Lewis said:

“In BJJ there is a huge emphasis placed upon enjoying the process of practice as much as the end result.

“As such, ‘gradings’ and new belts are not as frequent, but recognition comes in the form of stripes at intervals between belts.

“This teaches children about patience, persistence and to not just get hung-up on collecting the shiny object at the end.”

Other parents have also sung the school’s praises.

Ryan Ellis has two children, aged eight and five, who started at Gracie Barra in June 2021.

He said:

“I chose Grace Barra Harrogate as I had a taster session there myself the previous year. I remember how welcoming and helpful everybody was and this prompted me to look into the kids’ classes.

“My children both enjoy being active and the class gives them plenty of opportunity for this.

“The classes contain a great variety of activities, from the animal warm-ups, to finishing with a game of dodgeball, there’s something for everyone.”

Ryan said he had noticed an improved sense of confidence in his children which had transferred into school life, particularly with his son.

He said:

“I like how the classes promote respect and resilience, both of which are important life skills for them growing up.

“I couldn’t recommend the classes enough. Lewis and the team are exceptional role models to both of my children and every child should give BJJ a go.”

Gracie Barra Harrogate’s owner Lewis Matthews started teaching BJJ in 2017 as he wanted somewhere to train closer to home, with there being no real offering in Harrogate.

He started the kids’ classes after his American friend, and former business partner, Geoffrey Cumbus, a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner working at Menwith Hill, suggested offering a juniors programme. BJJ is extremely popular in the States.

Lewis said:

“There was a doctor on the base who knew Geoff and his children had practiced BJJ back in the States. He kept asking Geoff if we would start a class for his four kids.

“His children started training on the edge of the mat in the adult classes and eventually we made the jump and launched a Saturday kids’ class.”

From 2018 until 2020, the classes continued to grow, so when Lewis became a dad in 2020, he faced a big decision.

He said:

“I used to work in construction and I was working on a job at Betty’s and Taylors that I knew was going to come to an end.

“For me I had a lifestyle choice to make. I realised that if whatever new project I was working on took me away from Harrogate, I would have to almost close the club down.

“I came to a bit of a crossroads. I realised I could go all in on this, make it a full-time job and have a better work/life balance, which meant I could see my family and stay in Harrogate.”

So Lewis, who started training in BJJ in 2006, decided to go for it and spent the first national lockdown transforming what was formerly BigKat Fitness and Martial Arts into the now full-time Jiu-Jitsu academy at The Zone, Hornbeam Park.

However, when the newly-refurbished school opened with a full children’s timetable, like many businesses, Lewis then had to navigate two more lockdowns and a string of constantly-changing Government restrictions.

He said:

“Fortunately we went from strength-to-strength.

“I remember being so nervous leaving my job, but I had faith in what me and the team were building. 

“When I first started training Jiu-Jitsu in Harrogate, it was for my own benefit. Before that first kids’ class I wasn’t so sure about teaching children’s classes, or whether I would enjoy it. 

“But now something I was initially nervous about doing, has become my most enjoyable part of coaching.

“You see the impact, how much they enjoy it and how much you can help develop a child that maybe doesn’t have much confidence, or isn’t very co-ordinated, or needs to improve their healthy habits. It’s really rewarding in that sense.”

Tiny Champs classes are for children aged four and five, Little Champs, ages six to nine, and Juniors and Teens is age 10 plus.

Kids classes run at Gracie Barra everyday apart from Friday and Sunday. You can view the full timetable here.

To book a free trial session click here.

Follow Gracie Barra Harrogate on Instagram @gracie_barra_harrogate

Street party fees waived in North Yorkshire for Queen’s jubilee

People in the Harrogate district can apply for road closures free of charge for celebrations marking the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The nation will mark the Jubilee with a four-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday June 2 to Sunday June 5.

North Yorkshire County Council announced today it would waive standard £300 street closure fees for the long weekend. The will apply to residential streets.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways and the Conservative representative for Harrogate Saltergate, said:

“To show our support we are waiving the normal administration fee and allowing residents to close their streets to through-traffic.

“This will create a safe open space for communities to come together for the anniversary to mark the Queen’s extraordinary 70-year reign. Please come forward and organise a street party in your community.”

Read more:

The council website says:

“In order to close the road to traffic for a street party, the council must go through a legal process required by the Town Police Clauses Act 1847. This will incur costs in the region of £300.”

County council leader Carl Les said:

“We recognise the significance of 2022 as the platinum jubilee year for Her Majesty the Queen and know how passionate our communities are to celebrate this special event.

“There will be a host of events taking place in North Yorkshire, which we will announce in due course and we have already pledged our support for the Queen’s green canopy tree-planting initiative.”

Anybody wishing to host a street party must apply before April 29, 2022. For more information click here.