The full programme for the world’s largest crime writing festival, which will bring household names to Harrogate next month, has been revealed.
Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival will be held at the town’s Old Swan Hotel from July 22 to 25.
The hotel is synonymous with the genre because it is where Agatha Christie disappeared to in 1926.
This year’s lineup Pointless star Richard Osman, espionage expert Mick Herron, mystery maestro Elly Griffiths and fan favourite Ann Cleeves.
The winner of the crime novel of the year award will be revealed on July 22.
Panel discussions will take place on the following days on historical crime fiction, the rise of science and tech and the genius of Agatha Christie.
The programme has been curated by festival programming chair Ian Rankin, who said:
“After nearly a year-and-a-half of successive lockdowns and restrictions, it is going to be absolutely marvellous to be able to safely gather together and celebrate the genre that we all love so dearly.”
The past 18 months have been full of ups and downs for the festival industry. Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“It has been a real journey to bring this year’s festival to life – working in festivals during covid is not for the faint-hearted! Ian Rankin has brought together a killer line-up.
“We are so grateful and proud that – after so many challenges – we are at long last able to share this programme with the public.”
Read more:
Full Festival Programme:
Thursday, July 22
8pm – THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2021 AWARD CEREMONY
The shortlist includes Chris Whitaker with We Begin at The End, Rosamund Lupton with Three Hours, Elly Griffiths with The Lantern Men, Abir Mukherjee with Death in the East, Brian McGilloway with The Last Crossing and Trevor Wood with The Man on the Street.
Friday, July 23
9am – SPECIAL GUEST MICK HERRON INTERVIEWED BY N.J. COOPER
10.30am – GUNG-HO ACTION HERO
Join A.A. Dhand, Holly Watt, Simon Kernick, Steph Broadribb and Charles Cumming as they discuss the rise and fall of the gung-ho action man hero (and heroine). What is next for this well-worn and much beloved crime character?
12pm – HISTORICAL CRIME FICTION
Abir Mukherjee, Antonia Hodgson, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, S.G. MacLean and S.J. Parris join forces to discuss the future of historical crime fiction, taking Philip Kerr’s (alternative) history novels as a starting point.
2pm – PLANNERS VERSUS PANTSERS
Readers are often incredulous when certain crime writers say they do hardly any planning, preferring to see where a story and its characters takes them. Other authors absolutely need to know every twist and turn before starting to write. There are no hard and fast rules of course and this playful panel of Erin Kelly, Helen FitzGerald, Mark Edwards, Sarah Pinborough and Luca Veste will explore the merits and pitfalls of both routes.
3.30pm – WHO KILLED THE POLICE PROCEDURAL?
A panel of Mari Hannah, Olivia Kiernan, Parker Bilal, Will Dean and James Oswald will ask can the police procedural as we’ve known and loved it survive?
5pm – SPECIAL GUEST ANN CLEEVES INTERVIEWED BY STEPH MCGOVERN
8.30pm – SPECIAL GUESTS: CL TAYLOR AND CLARE MACKINTOSH IN CONVERSATION
10pm – TOP OF THE COPS
Elly Griffiths, Ian Rankin OBE, Mark Billingham, Martyn Waites and Abir Mukherjee to debate who’s ‘Top of the Cops’. Once they decide on a shortlist – the audience will crown the winner by show of hands. Who will it be? Marple or Columbo? Morse or Tennyson?
Saturday, July 24
9.00am – SPECIAL GUEST ELLY GRIFFITHS INTERVIEWED BY JOE HADDOW
10.30am – NAPOLEONS OF CRIME
Join C.J. Tudor, Craig Robertson, Liz Nugent, Luca Veste and Barry Forshaw as they consider what makes a great villain.
12.00pm – NEW BLOOD
Val McDermid’s sought-after New Blood panel returns on Saturday 24 July, with this year’s hotly-tipped debut authors including Anna Bailey, Greg Buchanan, Patricia Marques and Lara Thompson.
2.00pm – THE WRITING LIFE SCIENTIFIC
Panellists Fiona Erskine, Lin Anderson, Sarah Vaughan, Lesley Kelly and Professor Niamh Nic Daeid together explore the science behind a good crime novel, forensics to pathology.
3.30pm – WATCHING ME, WATCHING YOU, AHH HA
Join Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Louise Candlish, Matt Wesolowski and Mark Lawson as they explore the impact of new and rapidly evolving technology on the fiction we read.
5.00pm – PLEASURES AND PITFALLS OF THE SHORT STORY
We ask our panellists Cath Staincliff, Jane Casey, Stuart Neville, Susi Holliday and Ian Rankin to share their perspectives of the pleasures and pitfalls of the short story.
8.30pm – SPECIAL GUEST MARK BILLINGHAM INTERVIEWED BY IAN RANKIN
10.00pm – LATE QUIZ NIGHT: VAL MCDERMID AND MARK BILLINGHAM
Sunday, July 25
9.30am – CHRISTIE’S ENDURING ALLURE
We ask Ragnar Jonasson, Ruth Ware, Sarah Phelps, Stuart Turton and Elly Griffiths to discuss the highs and lows of the crime genre’s Grand Dame: Agatha Christie, who famously disappeared from the festival’s home, the Old Swan Hotel.
11.00am – THE POLITICS OF CRIME
Join Brian McGilloway, Doug Johnstone, George Alagiah, Sarah Vaughan and Alan Johnson as they explore the rise and rise of the political drama, asking if uncertain political landscapes increase the desire for Machiavellian novels?
12.30pm – SPECIAL GUEST RICHARD OSMAN INTERVIEWED BY MARK BILLINGHAM
Harrogate TV shop window smashed by bricks and bouldersJust a week after reopening due to a flood, a Harrogate shop has had its windows smashed by bricks and boulders.
The electrical goods store, Crampton & Moore, on Commercial Street is boarded up following the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Store manager Chris Johnson said he received a call at 2.15am on Saturday to say the glass had be smashed.
He said North Yorkshire Police called within 15 minutes about the incident.
The window pane needs replacing but thanks to metal grills behind it, nothing was stolen.
The extent of the damage at the electrical shop.
Mr Johnson said:
“The whole thing was caught on CCTV. Luckily they didn’t get anything so it’s just a case of waiting for the repair this week.”
The shop had only reopened on Monday last week after the eight-week flood closure.
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The shop remains open, with the damaged section closed off to customers.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement:
Sneak Peek: Harrogate’s own chocolate factory“A man in his 50s was promptly arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary following this incident. He’s been bailed while the investigation continues.”
A new chocolate café will open on East Parade in Harrogate on Monday to help those with learning difficulties gain work experience.
Planning for the The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Café, which is run the by charity, Harrogate Skills 4 Learning Centre, has been underway since 2019 but opening was delayed due to covid.
The café has a barista bar and seating inside and outside. One of the first thing you’ll notice when entering the café is the colourful packaging design on the main pillar.
Fran Riley, the programme lead, told the Stray Ferret what the charity’s vision for the café is:
“The idea was that we would have a business where we could develop a process all of our young people could access. So making chocolate bars from bean to bar… while sourcing the beans as ethically as we could.”
The employees make a variety of handmade chocolate- all the chocolate is made with dairy alternatives so that “everyone can enjoy some”.
The chocolate is made from scratch in the charity’s main building nearby. It starts with roasting the cocoa beans in their kitchen and ends with pouring liquid chocolate in a moulding tray.
Kelsey Cuthbert, who works at the café, said it is a positive experience:
“I’ve grown from when I started trying to make coffees and stuff, and now I can do the job almost independently.”
A chocolate mixer in action at the café this week
The charity has described the café as a “social enterprise” giving its workers the skills for future employment.
Only 6% of people with learning disabilities have paid employment in the UK, according to the latest government figures.
The Harrogate Chocolate Factory Cafe also offers an outside seating area that is equipped to serve customers with disabilities.
Read More:
All details about the café’s opening can be found on their website here.
Harrogate hospital chief executive racially abused by England fanThe man in charge of Harrogate District Hospital has been racially abused by England fans on his way home tonight.
Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, tweeted about the incident shortly after England’s 2-0 win over Germany.
He said that a woman shouted “I’m proud to be white and British because we’re better than people like you”.
Mr Russell is in charge of more than 2,000 staff who have been at the forefront of the fight against covid in the district over the past 15 months.
He has spoken about racism encountered in previous interviews, saying he had been told to “get back in my banana boat” while at school.
He has also said BAME colleagues deserve to be treated better.
Mr Russell’s tweet to his almost 4,500 followers prompted an avalanche of supportive responses.
One said the comment was “utterly vile”, another said “awful and just plain old barbaric” while another person said he hoped Mr Russell pointed out that most of England’s goals have been scored by Jamaican-born Raheem Sterling.
Nice. Just walked home in Harrogate. People celebrating the #EnglandvGermany win and a woman slurred ‘I’m proud to be white and British because we’re better than people like you’ at me.
Charming.
— #hellomynameis Steve (he/him) 💙 (@steve_r76) June 29, 2021
Read more:
- A year of ‘outstanding care’ under immense pressure at Harrogate hospital
- Harrogate hospital coping well with covid, says chief executive
Harrogate’s Royal Hall to reopen to the public next week
The Royal Hall in Harrogate is to reopen to the public next week after being closed for more than a year.
The hall will hold an open day on Wednesday, July 7, which will allow visitors to look around the Grade II listed Edwardian building.
The hall, which was built in 1903 and reopened in 2008 following a £10.8 million restoration, held regular guided tours pre-covid. Because social distance rules have not been lifted, tours won’t be available next week but visitors will be able to make their own way round.
One-hour guided tours are due to recommence at 11am and 2pm on August 21.
But Gay Steel, open day coordinator for the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, said the situation would be reviewed after the government decides whether to lift all lockdown measures on July 21, and there was still a chance tours might be available on the second open day on July 27.
Ms Steel said:
“We are looking forward to the prospect of welcoming our visitors back to Harrogate’s glittering palace of gold and hope that you have an enjoyable experience.
“We are just being cautious in our approach as the safety of our visitors and volunteers is paramount.”
Live entertainment is due to return to the Royal Hall on July 31 with a performance from students at Knaresborough’s Freedom Performing Arts.
The 11-day Gilbert and Sullivan festival and a Fleetwood Mac tribute act are scheduled for August, as things gradually return to normal.
Read more:
- Royal Hall roof set for repairs following ‘ongoing’ leaks
- Grantley Hall withdraws helipad plan for third time
‘We want him home’: Bilton bids to bring back Peter the Peacock
Residents in Bilton are considering launching a campaign to bring Peter the Peacock back from exile in Lancashire.
Peter has wandered around the Harrogate suburb for years and is part of the community. Facebook and Twitter accounts have been set up about him.
But Bilton resident Claire Hamer said yesterday an RSPCA inspector had told her the enigmatic bird had injured his foot and the charity had taken him to an animal sanctuary in Lancashire to recuperate.
According to Ms Hamer, when Peter is back on his feet he will be re-homed and will not be returning to Bilton.
The Stray Ferret has asked the RSPCA whether it is treating Peter but has not yet had a response.
Ben Rothery, who set up the Bilton Community Group Facebook page, told the Stray Ferret he was considering rallying residents behind a campaign to return Peter to the streets around Tennyson Avenue.
It could involve the community adopting Peter if it can persuade the RSPCA he’s well looked after.
He said:
“I don’t see why he can’t be returned. He’s lived here for 12 years, which is more than half my life.
“He’s like a pet for a lot of residents.
“He’s a well known figure in Bilton. It’s a shame to have him taken away and I’m going to try to bring him back.”
Read more:
- Has Peter the Peacock left Bilton for good?
- Up to nine cars vandalised in minutes on same Bilton street
Andrew Hart, who owns Bilton’s Red Box card shop and post office, said “everybody is talking about Peter” this week.
Mr Hart said the RSCPA had taken Peter away previously a few weeks ago and returned him, so he saw no reason why he couldn’t come back again.
He suspects there may have been a complaint to the charity from someone in Bilton who does not like Peter.
Mr Hart is considering setting up a petition to put pressure on the RSPCA and may even ask Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones to back a campaign.
He said:
Have you seen the Spofforth scarecrows?“He’s an attraction. He belongs to Bilton and we want him back”
Spofforth residents raised £650 last weekend for next year’s platinum jubilee celebrations in this year’s summer solstice challenge.
Villagers created 33 scarecrows as part of this year’s film-inspired challenge. The sale of trail maps, hot and cold drinks, flowers and cakes at the village hall generated funds.
All of that income will go towards preparations for a long weekend of events to celebrate the queen’s 70th year on the throne in 2022.
Read more:
- ‘The roads around Ripon’s Market Square are unfit and unsafe’
- Summer reading challenge set to return to Harrogate district libraries
The top three scarecrows by vote were ‘Wind in the Willows by Michael and Marion Lamb, Up by Chris and Chloe Verity, and Harry Potter, by the Roberts family.
Marie Cousens and Robyn Farmer, who helped organise the summer solstice challenge, told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s gone really well. I am amazed by the amount of scarecrows we have around the village and the quality of them.
“We’ve had lots of people coming through, buying tonnes and tonnes of cakes. It’s been cake delight in the village hall.
“It’s the second time in recent times we have done this. Last year’s trail was really good at brightening the spirits of residents. It’s lovely to see everyone out and about.”
More delightful scarecrows:
A Harrogate man died during a skydive after he was given a parachute with holes patched over.
An inquest yesterday heard Christopher Swales was skydiving over the Grand Canyon in America in September 2019 as a 30th wedding anniversary present from his wife, Deborah.
The couple were on holiday in Arizona where they renewed their wedding vows.
They booked Mr Swales’ skydive with a company called Paragon Skydiving.
The inquest at Northallerton heard Mr Swales was partnered with an experienced military instructor, Matthew McGonagle, for his tandem jump.
In a statement, Mr McGonagle said everything was normal on the morning of the jump. He said the winds were high at 27mph, which is two miles more than allowed in the UK for a skydive to take place. But the American Air Force expert had jumped many times in those conditions.
Mr Swales and his instructor jumped out of a Cessna aircraft, and the parachute opened. Minutes later, witnesses on the ground say the men began freefalling down at speed.
When they hit the ground, Mr Swales suffered serious injuries. Staff on the ground performed CPR on Mr Swales, but he was later certified dead. Mr McGonagle had broken his leg.
Chris and Deborah Swales. Photograph: Facebook
Performed over 1,500 jumps
The inquest heard Mr McGonagle, 34, had worked at the US Air Force as a jump master, and he had performed over 1500 jumps. He had an additional weekend job with Paragon Skydiving.
Mr McGonagle told American police he felt the pressure change as they approached the landing area, and he suspected the parachute had collapsed. After hitting the ground, he remembered little else other than medical staff and being taken to hospital.
The owner of Paragon Skydiving, Jason Theuma, watched the jump from the ground. He told police all the equipment was functioning correctly but maintained that Mr McGonagle must have panicked once he realised they were going to miss the landing area.
Theuma said he saw his employee attempt an “aggressive left turn, midair”. He told officers that he saw the two men hit the ground “at high speed in a loud boom and a cloud of dust” 100 yards away from the landing zone.
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US police took the parachute from Paragon’s offices, as part of their investigation into Mr Swales’ death.
The American police report states that they found, ‘numerous patches sewn into the fabric’. Defects or holes in the material had been circled with a pen.
American police closed their investigation after ruling Christopher Swales’ death as accidental.
Family statement
The coroner, Jonathan Heath, said:
“It appears there was nothing untoward at the start of the free fall parachute jump. It then appeared that the landing site was going to be missed. A manoeuvre was performed. The parachute did not recover from that manoeuvre which led to the free fall.
“On the balance of probabilities…this was an accident.”
Seven family of Mr Swales’ family members sat silently listening. Two of them began crying as they made a statement, which said:
Tools, oven and lawnmower found by police in back of Starbeck van“It is important for these proceedings to establish the facts. Chris had a very full life. Full of love and exciting fun times. We had many good times. That is how we are going to remember him.”
A lawnmower, an oven and power tools have been seized by police from the back of a van in Starbeck.
Road policing officers stopped the white Mercedes Sprinter van at 8.35pm on Friday.
According to a statement from North Yorkshire Police, the items “could not be accounted for” by the occupants of the van, who were from Leeds.
Police are now asking local residents to check if they’re missing any of the items.
Two more of the items found in the van on Friday.
Read more:
Have you noticed anything missing or see something suspicious? You can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option1 and speak to the Force Control Room quoting reference number 12210146727.
Or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Harrogate district youth service seeks trusteesAn independent youth service that supports young people across the Harrogate district is to become a charitable incorporated organisation.
To help it make the transition to CIO status, Inspire Youth is looking to recruit a number of trustees.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 4 July and an application pack and trustee jigsaw is available on www.inspireyouth.uk
Chief executive Jess Ward said:
“The successful individuals will take part in shaping and directing the organisation and ensuring that it operates legally, within the regulations set by the Charity Commission.”
Inspire Youth chief executive Jess Ward
The organisation, which is also changing its name to Inspire Yorkshire, works with young people aged 8 to 18 across.
Regarding its search for trustees, Ms Ward said:
“We are particularly looking for people with an experience of, and a compassion for, working with young people.
“The skills we are seeking include digital transformation and digital delivery, fundraising, social media/marketing/PR/campaigning, financial and accounting, human resources and employment law.”
Among the organisations that Inspire Youth works with is Ripon YMCA .
Through this and other connections in the city, it is contributing ideas and experiences designed to shape the future of services to young people in Ripon.
Its work in the community also extends to Harrogate and Knaresborough, and includes engagement with young people on health, wellbeing, lifestyle and career aspirations.
Ms Ward said:
“We offer a service, which is adaptive and responsive that meets the needs of the ever-changing world.
“Services are based on listening to young people and working with them to make sure they get the best out of all activities.”
Read more:
Inspire Youth has been able to extend its services through the launch of its mobile youth base, which has helped to engage young people in the community.
The mobile unit features a smart television screen, speaker, whiteboard and sensory lighting, laptop, kitchen facilities, table, and seating area inside.