Harrogate Theatre £1m roof replacement well underway

The £1million replacement of Harrogate Theatre’s ageing roof is well underway in preparation for the hopeful return of live shows this year.

The huge scaffolding structure erected around the 120-year-old venue will remain in place until the roof replacement is complete.

The aim is for the roof to be fully stripped back next month in what will mark a crucial stage of the project. The true extent of the works is expected to be revealed beneath.

David Bown, chief executive of the theatre trust, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the venue was planning for the worst but hoping for the best with its sights set on the return of shows in November.

“This is a huge and complex project in terms of the geography of the building, which is such a difficult site to work on.

“We also have the uncertainty of what we are going to find underneath once the roof is taken off. We just don’t know what will be there – it could be rotten beams.”

If the roof replacement stays on schedule, shows will return in November. This will mark 20 months since the theatre was last filled with spectators in March 2020.

The theatre’s survival has only been possible thanks to around £650,000 in emergency government grants and a fundraising appeal which raised more than £100,000.

There was also a need for the theatre to make 60% of its staff redundant in the wake of £4million losses from cancelled shows.

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Mr Bown said:

“The roof replacement project was due to start last year but when the pandemic hit we just couldn’t get the people power to make it happen. And even though we are in a period of uncertainty, it was still agreed that now was the best time to get it done.

“I can’t quite envisage what it will be like having audiences back – it has been an empty building for so long. But what I am looking forward to though is the return of our pantomime, that is the jewel in the crown of our shows.”

Harrogate Borough Council owns the Grade II-listed theatre and is funding and overseeing the roof replacement works.

The council’s deputy leader councillor, Graham Swift, said once completed the project will provide a theatre fit for the future.

“Like any heritage building of this age and complexity, there will always be a certain amount of conservation and investment required to ensure the building is fit for another 120 years.

“This significant investment will allow the fantastic performances to continue, promote cultural activity in the town, attract visitors and support the local economy at a time when it is needed the most.”

Harrogate bohemian cafe applies for alcohol licence

A Harrogate farm shop and bohemian-style cafe has applied for a licence to serve alcohol.

Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to grant the licence for 53 Bo’Grove at a meeting next week.

The shop on Grove Road has applied to sell alcohol with meals on the premises from 9am until 5pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am until 8pm Wednesday to Saturday and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

In its application, Bo’Grove said the premises would operate as a farm shop, cafe and bistro, not as a bar or “vertical drinking establishment” where people mostly stand up to drink.

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It added that any drinks purchased on site would only be allowed to be taken off premises in sealed containers.

Kyrensa Bentley, owner of 53 Bo’Grove, set up the cafe back in 2019 and later opened a farm shop on the site.

Bo’Grove Groceries subsequently opened on Commercial Street, Harrogate this year.

Kyrensa Bentley

Kyrensa Bentley outside her shop on Commercial Street in Harrogate.

A report due before the licensing committee next week said North Yorkshire Police initially objected to the application, but later withdrew its concern after conditions for the licence were met.

Councillors on the committee will make a decision on June 8.

Harrogate cyclist prepares to pedal 300 miles in 24 hours

A cyclist from Harrogate is preparing to embark on a mammoth challenge this month to raise money in memory of his aunt.

Simon Gregory will attempt to cycle 288 miles in just 24 hours to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Simon’s aunt, Reverend Ruth Scott, died from cancer in February 2019.

She was a presenter on the BBC Radio 2 show Pause for Thought, along with Terry Wogan and Chris Evans for 25 years, and was one of the first female vicars.

Simon said he was inspired by his aunt’s charitable nature and her similar physical challenges; she once cycled from Rome to Jerusalem with little training.

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Last weekend Simon held a fundraiser in Harrogate and raised nearly £1,000 in one day.

He said of the money raised;

“It would cover specialist care nurses, and support for others whose loved ones have cancer. Macmillan provided my aunt and her husband huge support and we couldn’t have got through it without them.”

Macmillan’s funding has been cut drastically over the course of the pandemic, receiving £10 million less over the past year than in previous years.

His journey is mapped out from Harrogate to Southampton on June 18.  Besides his brother Paul, who plans to meet him at regular checkpoints, he will make the journey on his own.

Simon will have to cycle an average of almost 12.5 miles an hour for 24 hours to hit his target.

He has several strategies in place to ensure safety during his journey, including regular 10-minute intervals for drinking and a strict rule of consuming 75 grams of carbohydrates every hour.

Donations to Simon Gregory’s fundraiser can be made by clicking here.

Outdoor Shakespeare theatre returns to Harrogate’s Harlow Carr next month

Live theatre will make its comeback in Harrogate next month when Shakespeare is performed in the grounds of RHS Harlow Carr.

The family-friendly adaptation of The Comedy of Errors will be performed as part of Harrogate International Festivals.

Oddsocks Productions, which is known for its high-energy performances of Shakespeare classics, will tell the story of a servant and master from Syracuse in search of their long-lost twin brothers.

As the name suggests there are plenty of twists and turns leading to a happy ending which defies all probability.

The production company is staging the play in the grounds of the gardens on July 6 and 7, and promises lots of audience participation.

Sharon Canavar, Harrogate International Festivals chief executive, said:

“As an organisation that is best known for delivering a wide range of cultural events and festivals, the last 15 months have been particularly challenging for us.

“Oddsocks Productions have been a firm favourite of ours for decades and I couldn’t think of a more fitting play than The Comedy of Errors to help bring some much-needed laughter to the town.

“So pack your picnic and join the crazy theatre troupe for a festival of music, magic and mayhem.”

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The audience is advised to prepare for all types of weather during the outdoor event, with rugs and deckchairs highly recommended.

Tickets can be bought here. Adult tickets cost £22.

Harrogate’s museum and tourism service to be ‘dumbed down’, union warns

A trade union has warned that almost half of Harrogate Borough Council‘s museum and tourism staff could lose their jobs in a “dumbing down” of the services.

Unison Harrogate local government branch added the move could also cause “huge reputational damage to the district and the council and also impact on much-needed income generation”.

It urged the council to reconsider its plans, which are part of a staff review instigated in the wake of the creation of a new destination management organisation in September.

The organisation will, according to the council, “ensure the best possible visitor experience and make the district of Harrogate a must visit destination for leisure and business tourists alike”.

But its plans to merge Visit Harrogate, the convention centre’s marketing team and the tourist information centres have met opposition from Unison.

David Houlgate, Unison branch secretary, said the proposals could lead to “a reduction in staffing of nearly 50%” as well as new ways of working that would worsen the service provided and pose risks to staff safety.

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Remaining staff would have to carry out “hybrid roles” as tourist information and museum posts are merged and visitors would be denied seeing as many staff.

Mr Houlgate said:

“We have been through many reviews at Harrogate Borough Council over the past 10 or so years and technology has enabled some automation and rationalisation but you cannot deliver museum services online, you need people in place to engage with visitors and know what they are talking about and if the full proposals go through there simply won’t be enough staff to do that, nor will they have time to enhance their knowledge through training or professional development.

“There may have in recent years been a shift in how the public accesses tourist information but it has not got to the stage where a physical presence is not needed.”

A source alerted the Stray Ferret last month to concerns staff would be made redundant if they didn’t accept new roles. It is believed up to 30 staff are affected by the changes.

Mr Houlgate called on the authority to put the plans back in order to “fully engage with staff in visitor, cultural and museum services”.

He said:

“This will enable the focus to be on the new place marketing, event bureau and partnership and commercial development functions, so that these can get successfully established and embedded in their own right and staff can be fully engaged and involved with the process throughout.

“It will also enable the council to fully engage with staff in visitor, cultural and museum services too and allow time to explore a number of opportunities and options staff have identified regarding increased footfall, enhanced income generation and service improvement.  This should maintain and build on the current service provision with the aim of complimenting the new functions being introduced.

“It would seem at odds that the new destination management organisation has been set up to position Harrogate as an exceptional place to live, visit, meet and invest and yet at the same time it’s cultural and heritage offer is being downgraded.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:

“The destination management organisation for the district of Harrogate will bring together the strengths of Visit Harrogate, the convention centre’s marketing team and the tourist information centres.

“This collaboration will ensure the best possible visitor experience and make the district of Harrogate a must visit destination for leisure and business tourists alike.

“This DMO will also work closely with Think Harrogate, Harrogate BID, and other organisations such as Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association to further strengthen the economic impact and support the district’s recovery plans following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As part of the DMO being established, we will be ensuring we have the right roles across the organisation to help deliver these aims and provide best value for the tax payer.

“These proposals are still being developed and will involve a consultation with staff.”

Missing Lucy: appeal for information about Harrogate teen continues

Police in two counties are still appealing for information on the whereabouts of missing Harrogate teenager Lucy Morris.

North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal on Sunday night, saying Lucy, 17, had not been seen by her family since May 15 and there had been no text messages or social media contact from her since May 22.

The plea led to comments on the force’s Facebook account from people claiming to be friends of Lucy, and even Lucy herself, saying they knew of her whereabouts and that she was fine.

But North Yorkshire Police said this morning:

“The appeal from the weekend is still relevant. There’s nothing further to add at this time.

“As soon as we have an update or a further appeal, it will be released straight away.”

Lucy is described as white, 5ft 3in tall, blue eyes, slim build and she has shoulder-length blonde hair. She has a tattoo on her left hand, which says ‘blessed’.

North Yorkshire Police urged Lucy to “get in touch with the police immediately and let your family know you are safe” and said anyone with information could call 101, select option 1, and speak to the force control room, quoting reference number 12210122535.

Lucy is believed to have gone to Leeds to stay with a friend and North Yorkshire Police said West Yorkshire Police was helping with the missing person investigation.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said:

“We will support North Yorkshire as much as we can to help locate Lucy.”

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Harrogate Toy Library receives funding for more baby classes

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library says classes for new parents has become more important following lockdown and with new funding it can offer more.

The charity received £1,307 from The National Lottery Community Fund and has had their venue hire prices covered by Chain Lane Community Hub until December.

The funding has helped the charity hold a second new parent class.

Play session worker, Rachael Bolton, says lockdown has isolated some new parents leaving them with out the usual opportunities to socialise and demand for spaces has increased.   The library’s capacity is currently limited due to restrictions.

Play session worker, Rachael Bolton said:

“New parents can often feel alone at the beginning because it is all new and meeting new parents normalises it all because you have common experiences. But many have missed out on this over lockdown.

“This can be extremely isolating and we are really happy to be able to give this opportunity to the local community.”

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The baby and new parent classes on a Monday and Wednesday are held at Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough.

An outdoor play session is also held for toddlers and older children at Knaresborough House on Tuesdays.

The charity also offers a toy library where parents can pick toys via the online library to take home for two weeks before returning them.

The shelves are stacked high with doll houses, dinosaurs and board games

Live: Harrogate Traffic and Travel

Good morning and welcomes back. It’s Leah here this morning with 15-minute updates on the road and rail links near you.

There are a number of continuing temporary traffic lights this morning worth keeping an eye on.

These blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, are to keep you updated as the district’s roads get busier.

If you see anything please get in touch, if it is safe to do so, on 01423 276197 or via social media.

9am – Full Update 

That’s it from me today. Suzannah will be back with you tomorrow with updates every 15 minutes from 6.30am.

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building in these areas:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

The traffic on the roads in the Harrogate and Knaresborough centres is starting to build this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking okay so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking okay so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

There are some delays on the train lines this morning:

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking okay so far this morning, keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

 

Harrogate primary school raises 10 times charity target

A Harrogate primary school has raised £2,420 for Cancer Research UK, which is nearly 10 times the original target.

Woodfield Community Primary School took part in the Race for Life Schools programme on May 14 and has since smashed its £250 goal.

Around 60 pupils, aged three to 11 years old, took part in the event to raise money for life-saving research.

Jo Marwood, who is head of school at Woodfield Primary School, said:

“We set a target of £250 for the school to raise and thought that would be an amazing achievement for our small school.

“So to see the total going up and up with each donation we were over the moon!

“We’d like to thank everyone, our students, our staff, our families and our local community who have cheered us on and donated to such an important cause.”

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Sarah Pickersgill, head of events marketing for Cancer Research UK, said:

“Organising a Race for Life Schools event is a fantastic way for schools to have fun, whilst raising money for a good cause.

“The money raised by Woodfield School will help our scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, helping to save more lives.

“So, we thank all the pupils, parents and teachers for their vital support.”

Malcolm Neesam History: the heyday of Harrogate’s cinemas

This history is written for The Stray Ferret by celebrated Harrogate historian, Malcolm Neesam. 

I should be surprised if many Harrogate people realised that for many years, the town’s biggest cinema was the Royal Hall, with its then 1,300 seats. This may seem doubly surprising, as the Harrogate Corporation was not permitted to run a trading concern, nor was the private sector reluctant to invest in cinemas, yet despite this, the Royal Hall put on cinematographic presentations on an almost daily basis between 1908 and 1948, when screenings stopped.

When a new theatre opened on Skipton Road at Christmas 1914 – the Palace – it presented both variety shows and films, but by the end of the Great War, films predominated. Rather out on a limb, the Palace was very much a Bilton phenomenon, and in 1947 it changed its name to the ”Ritz” before finally closing in 1962. Harrogate’s other venue for film was the Empire Music Hall,  at Empire Buildings (now Cardamom Black restaurant in Cheltenham Parade) which like the Palace had opened for variety, but which in the 1920’s found cinema a more profitable exercise.

Early Harrogate cinema listing posters

The Kursaal’s only rival was the St. James’ Picture House in Cambridge Street, which in October 1908 occupied the St. James Coffee House and Conservative Club, whose Hall was suitable for film presentation, although of a primitive nature. It consisted of a projection unit at the centre of the room, with plank seats, and there are references to it having an “orchestra”.  Until the end of the Great War, Harrogate’s regular commercial screenings were restricted to the Kursaal and the St. James’ Cinema, but in 1920, everything changed.

Harrogate learned that it was to have a new custom-built cinema in May 1919, when permission was given to build. At the same time, a second cinema – the Scala – was announced for the western end of Cambridge Street. The Central Cinema was built within the surrounding property of the Central Arcade, exactly opposite the entrance to the Theatre. It was to have 1,000 seats, and an organ, and was opened by the Mayor on 31st August 1920.

Oxford Street 1920’s : arcade and cinema

No sooner had the Central Cinema been opened, than it was followed on 29th September 1920 by a second new “super cinema”, the Scala,  in Cambridge Street, an impressive structure of gleaming white glazed tiles fronting an elaborate interior filled with polished Spanish mahogany, terrazzo floors and an auditorium accommodating 1,400 seats, some of which were in the form of private boxes.

The Scala Cinema Cambridge Street

After the arrival in 1928 of the Warner Brothers film, “Singing Fool”, with Al Jolson, the “talkies” were all the rage, and a new wave of cinema construction began. The Royal Hall purchased the Western Electric system in 1931 and began to screen popular musicals, such as the Fred Astair/Ginger Rogers films, and the Central converted at the same time..

On 17th June 1935, the Council approved plans from Odeon Theatres ltd for a new Cinema on East Parade which was initially publicised as having 1,800 seats. A flutter of excitement passed through the town’s many cinema enthusiasts, who realised that this was to be the first new cinema built in the town that was designed with “talking pictures” in mind, rather than an updated relic from the days of “silent” films. Named the “Odeon”, the new cinema had been designed by the famed architect Harry W. Weedon for Odeon Theatres Ltd whose Managing Director, Oscar Deutsch, was rumoured not to like cinema organs. Whatever the truth of this, the new Odeon had no organ, but was furnished with the latest sound reproduction equipment manufactured by the British Thomson-Houston Company.

Externally, the strikingly handsome art deco design was faced with cream and black tiles, highlighted with neon lighting strips in orange. Internally, perfect screen viewing was available from every one of the ground floor’s 1,000 and the balcony’s 600 seats, due to there being no pillars, and the décor was predominantly gold and silver, countered by carpets and upholstery in blue and green. The £50,000 Odeon Cinema was opened by the Mayor, Councillor S. Cartright, on Monday 28th September 1936, in the presence of Mr. and Mrs Oscar Deutsch, 1,600 guests, and the Band of the16/5th Lancers.

Odeon Cinema 1943 – Allied pilots reception to see The Way Ahead

The opening of the new Odeon Cinema in 1936 was followed within a year by the opening of what was advertised as Harrogate’s seventh cinema – including the Royal Hall. Plans for a 1,646 seater cinema had been submitted to the Council by Associated British Cinema, who had negotiated with St. Peter’s Schools for their old site in Cambridge Road north of St. Peter’s Church.  The new cinema, named the “Regal”, had been designed by Harrogate architect H. Linley Bown.

The work of site clearance began after Easter 1936. The Cambridge Road frontage running up to the main entrance next to St. Peter’s Church, had a further five shops, all of which produced a good income from rentals. By the time the Regal was ready to be opened by Mayor Harry Bolland on Saturday 18th September 1937, the main auditorium has been fitted with 1,120 seats and the balcony had 526, making a total seating capacity of 1,646.  The internal décor was of gold and red, whose warm, rich tones were very different from those at the Odeon.  The greatest difference between the two new cinemas was that whereas the Odeon had no organ, the Regal had a magnificent Compton (see feature image), which had its console on a rising platform, placed where a theatre’s orchestral pit would normally be positioned.

Harrogate lost several of its cinemas during the 1960’s, when the Central, Ritz, Gaumont (formerly the Scala) and St. James’ Cinemas all closed, but in 2016 the splendid new Everyman Cinema opened in Station Parade on the site of the former Beales Department store. With a seating capacity for 400, and an attractive range of cafes and restaurant facilities, the building is an important addition to the town’s entertainment and leisure amenities.

 

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Did you know that the Stray Ferret has teamed up with Malcolm to produce audio walking tours of Harrogate? The walks are sponsored by the Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) and take you back to the Golden Age of the Harrogate Spa and a walk through the Commercial Heart of Harrogate.  

Why not take a walk back in time and learn about Harrogate’s glorious past.. They’re easy to do and a great day out. For more information click here.