Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity is asking for donations for its Christmas hamper campaign.

Last year the charity provided over 1,000 hampers to families and children in need in North Yorkshire, County Durham, Gateshead and Sunderland.

This year it hopes to spread even more festive cheer by sending 1,200 hampers.

It is asking businesses to donate non-perishable foods, drinks, new books or other festive goodies to fill up the hampers.

Yvonne Campbell, head of charity and business development project manager at the charity, said

“Last year we had wonderful feedback from those who received our festive hampers, and after another difficult year we would like to impart the same magical feeling to those who are vulnerable or in need across the Harrogate and District Foundation Trust footprint.

“Any support will make a huge impact to those in need this winter.”

Read more:

• Santa Claus is coming to town next month!
• Ferris wheel, carousel and road train part of huge Harrogate Christmas offering

HHCC is the charity for Harrogate District Hospital and community health services. It raises funds to help patients and their families, fund specialist equipment, training and services. It also raises funds for individual departments and services.

To offer hamper donations, email hdft.hhcc@nhs.net before October 28.

A Harrogate thalidomide campaigner has defended local firm Labcorp Drug Development in the row over animal testing.

Guy Tweedy said if thalidomide had been tested on animals in the 1950s, thousands of people such as himself might have been spared birth defects caused by the drug.

Mr Tweedy, who is one of 447 beneficiaries of the Thalidomide Trust, as well as a trustee of Harrogate-based charity Disability Action Yorkshire, said thalidomide was barely tested before it went on sale.

He added:

“If there had been better testing on animals before thalidomide came out in the UK between 1958 and 1962, it might have shown they could have been born with deformities, which would have prevented the same thing happening in humans.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones is lobbying the government to help the company, previously called Covance, to expand. About a third of the American firm Labcorp’s 4,000 UK staff are based in Harrogate.

The site on Otley Road is frequently targeted by animal protestors. Harrogate Borough Council heard this month that live animals, including Beagle puppies, non-human primates. rabbits, mice and mini-pigs are experimented on in Harrogate.

Read more:

• Harrogate animal testing company bids to expand
• Explainer: Animal testing in Harrogate

Cllr Victoria Oldham, the Conservative representative for Washburn, recently called for a moratorium on animal testing in the Harrogate district.

Her motion was rejected but councillors did agree to visit the site.

Mr Tweedy said he was an animal lover with several pets, including a dog and rabbits, but he nevertheless understood the necessity of testing for non-cosmetic purposes.

“At the end of the day they are doing tests for scientific purposes. If they had done the same for thalidomide I wouldn’t still be campaigning 60 years later.”

Primarily marketed under the brand name Distaval, thalidomide was sold to pregnant mothers in the UK for less than four years before it was withdrawn.

A trial opened today into an alleged murder on Harrogate’s Mayfield Grove.

Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, appeared before Leeds Crown Court charged with the murder of Mark Wolsey on March 5.

Mr Wolsey, 48, died at the scene after police arrived at 38 Mayfield Grove at around 10pm.

Ainsley was arrested on suspicion of murder the same day. He denies the charge on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to an “abnormality of mental functioning”.

He appeared before the court this afternoon and spoke only to confirm his name.

Daniel Ainsley

In his opening statement this morning, prosecutor Mark McKone QC told the court that Mr Ainsley had murdered Mr Wolsey by “stabbing him many times with a large knife”.

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The court heard how the two men had been living in Mr Wolsey’s bedsit and had known each other for three years.

Mr McKone said Mr Ainsley had lived in the bedsit after “losing his accommodation”.

The prosecution said that at around 8.40pm on March 5, neighbours “heard arguing” coming from Flat 4 of 38 Mayfield Grove.

A 13-minute 999 phone call made by Mr Wolsey on the night was played to the court. In it, Mr Wolsey was heard asking for officers to come and remove Mr Ainsley from his bedsit.

After officers arrived, Mr Ainsley told them that he “just wanted his medication” and that Mr Wolsey was keeping it from him. Police later took him to Harrogate District Hospital to get some, Mr McKone said.

CCTV footage played by the prosecution showed Mr Ainsley leaving the hospital at 9.21pm and heading to Asda supermarket on Bower Road.

Footage from the supermarket then showed Mr Ainsley going to the kitchenware aisle and purchasing a box of knives before disposing of all but one.

Leeds Crown Court. Picture: The Stray Ferret.

The court was then shown footage of Mr Ainsley returning to Mayfield Grove. The prosecution then played a phone call made by Mr Ainsley at 10.06pm to the police where he told the call handler he had “killed someone”.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Ainsley was able to make “rational choices” and had murdered Mr Wolsey.

Mr McKone said:

“The defendant could and did make a rational judgement and rational decision.”

The prosecution will give further evidence tomorrow.

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded another coronavirus death as case rates in the district continue to climb to new highs.

The patient died on Tuesday last week but the hospital reported the death today. It takes the hospital’s covid-related death total to 192.

As of last Thursday, the hospital was treating 14 covid patients – well below last winter’s peak of 67.

Public Health England said today another 147 people have tested positive for the virus in the Harrogate district.

Read more:

• Urgent meeting to tackle Harrogate district’s soaring covid rate
• Harrogate hospital rebrands vehicles in organ donation campaign

Case rates in the Harrogate district are so high that North Yorkshire County Council has called an urgent meeting to discuss them tomorrow.

The district’s seven-day rate is now 733 per 100,000 population, which is far higher than the current England average of 448.

North Yorkshire County Council will host the virtual meeting tomorrow from 10.30am until 11am, when health officials will brief the media on the situation.

North Yorkshire Police has said it has contacted Harrogate district MPs Andrew Jones and Julian Smith about their personal security following the killing of Southend West MP Sir David Amess.

MPs held a minute’s silence this afternoon for Sir David, who died after being stabbed meeting constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. A 25-year-old man has been held on suspicion of murder and the incident has been declared as terrorism.

North Yorkshire Police issued a statement today saying:

“Members of Parliament from North Yorkshire and the City of York have been contacted as part of Operation Bridger, which provides tactical options for protective physical security in their constituencies.

“This is managed by the parliamentary liaison and investigation team that was formed in 2016 following the murder of Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen.

“In order to help protect themselves, their family and staff members, and their constituents while attending surgeries, we are advising our MPs to report any security concerns without delay.

“North Yorkshire Police will continue to review the security advice on a regular basis, based on an assessment of changing threats and risk.”

Read more:

• New designs of Harrogate town centre after £10.9m project revealed
• New Ripon pool to open on December 8

The two Harrogate district MPs whose constituencies fall in North Yorkshire are Andrew Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon.

Mr Smith has tweeted personal recollections of fellow Conservative Sir David.

As a youngster I remember @amessd_southend for his oratory, looks & dynamic hair. When I became Chief Whip I saw his humanity- the deep level of commitment he had to his Colleagues when they were ill or in distress was formidable. For him to be killed in this way is devastating.

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) October 15, 2021

Harrogate firefighters came to the aid of a toddler yesterday evening after he was brought to the fire station with a toilet seat stuck on his head.

The two-year-old arrived at Harrogate fire station, on Skipton Road, with his parents just after 7pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Crews disassembled the seat so that it could be removed from the child’s head.”

Small tools were used to remove the seat before the boy was sent on his way.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters help toddler with head stuck in toilet seat
• Pub owners ‘devastated’ after overnight fire in Harrogate district

Santa Claus is coming to town next month as part of the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience 2021.

Harrogate Business Improvement District, which organises the event, revealed today that Father Christmas take up residence in the Crown Hotel after covid scuppered his appearance last year.

Children and families can come along on 15 days between November 20 and Christmas Eve to meet Santa and be part of an interactive elf-training experience hosted by chief elf Tinsel.

In previous years, Santa has made himself at home in Harrogate at Harlow Carr Gardens and Horticap but the centrally located hotel will host his visit this time.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“It is going to a truly magical experience for children and families, one that we are looking forward to deliver, and is a major component of our 2021 Christmas campaign.

“Harrogate BID, together with a host of partners, has been working behind the scenes for many months to ensure this will be a Christmas to remember, and one that will support our retailers at what has been an extremely challenging 18 months.

“And in just a few weeks, our Christmas lights will be illuminating more streets than in previous years.

For further details, including dates, click here.

Read more:

• Ferris wheel, carousel and road train part of huge Harrogate Christmas offering
• Aim to make Ripon a focus of Christmas festivities

The Father Christmas Experience is part of what is shaping up to be a major festive offering in Harrogate this year.

The BID, which aims to increase footfall in the town centre, is also co-funding a town centre Ferris wheel, Victorian carousel, helter skelter and festive train.

It is partnering with The Rotary Club of Harrogate for the annual Christmas Shop Window competition and Harrogate International Festivals for its North Pole Post Office.

Public health officials are to hold an urgent press conference tomorrow to discuss soaring coronavirus rates in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day rate is currently 723 per 100,000 population, which is far higher than the current England average of 436.

North Yorkshire County Council will host the virtual meeting tomorrow from 10.30am until 11am, when health officials will brief the media on the situation.

Richard Webb, the corporate director for health and adult services at the council, has urged people in the Harrogate district to think about hygiene. He said:

“Harrogate currently has amongst the highest levels of coronavirus in England. Please keep safe.

“And yes, wash your hands. Wear your face mask to protect others. Think about space and ventilation.”

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital rebrands vehicles in organ donation campaign
• Harrogate district covid rate soars above 700

Covid case rates in the Harrogate district have been rising since mid September, when the rate was 372.

However, although the number of cases has risen sharply the number of coronavirus patients at Harrogate District Hospital has not risen in the same manner.

As of last Thursday, the hospital was treating 14 covid patients – well below last winter’s peak of 67.

No further details of tomorrow’s meeting have been made available.

A Harrogate family has pioneered the launch of a luxury kitchen appliance brand from Switzerland in the UK with the opening of a new showroom in town.

V-ZUG Harrogate, which is based at Grosvenor Buildings near the entrance to Valley Gardens, opened its doors for the first time today.

Dale Adams and his sons Hayden and Ryan, who are behind the concept, hope to spread the word about V-ZUG, which is well-known in some European countries but less so in the UK.

The new showroom has opened.

Some V-ZUG appliances, such as a clothes cleaning cabinet, can go for as much as £15,000. But some of the hobs are priced closer to the £800 mark.

The new Harrogate showroom has been kitted out with appliances from the excellence line, which also includes steam ovens, coffee centres and wine coolers.

Read more:

• Harrogate hospital rebrands vehicles in organ donation campaign
• What caused Harrogate’s huge gas leak?

Ahead of the launch, Dale Adams told the Stray Ferret:

“Harrogate has been chosen for the UK launch, not because people have money here but because people will travel here.

“We are speaking to people already who have no problem coming to Harrogate. They will make a weekend of it to enjoy the town’s history and beauty.

“This is for people who are seriously interested in cooking. There are lots of those people about now, cooking at home has become a big thing.”

VZUG is a luxury brand.

His son and business partner Hayden added:

“The level of technology allows someone with basic cooking skills to produce really great results without too much effort.

“So we would like to think that this would allow someone who is just interested in cooking evolve into a bit more of a chef.

“With these ovens you can put in a joint of beef and tell the appliance what time you need it ready and it will utilise the steam, oven and grill for the perfect result.”

Find the showroom at Grosvenor Buildings.

James Street will be partly pedestrianised and Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic in updated designs published today for the £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway project.

The ambitious scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre more attractive. It has led to concerns from businesses about loss of parking and slower traffic, which could deter shoppers.

Today’s proposals, which are based on previous consultation feedback, say full pedestrianisation of James Street received the strongest public support but this had “the potential to significantly delay the delivery of the scheme”, which could jeopardise funding.

“As such, full pedestrianisation is not considered viable at this time.

“We have therefore decided to progress with a part-time pedestrianisation proposal which restricts vehicle access to ‘loading only’ and at limited times.”

It means non-delivery traffic will be prohibited from Princes Square to Station Parade on James Street at all times.

Today’s proposals say the potential to make all of James Street fully pedestrianised in future “would remain an option”.

How the roundabout near the Odeon would look.

Station Parade reduced to single lane

Plans to make Station Parade single lane and create a cycle lane will go ahead as intended.

Improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass will be taken forward and the Victoria Monument will remain in its current location after the initial consultation generated a “mixed response” to the idea of relocating it.

Read more:

• First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation
• Harrogate businesses call for meeting to discuss £10.9m Station Gateway

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret a lot of people instinctively didn’t like change but the scheme would make Harrogate town centre a more pleasant place for people to visit using all forms of transport.

He said the advice he’d received suggested peak afternoon travel time on the southbound A61 would be extended by just 53 seconds if the northern section of Station Parade is reduced to single lane.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“I believe that small increase in travel time is well worth other improvements that will make the gateway area to Harrogate far more attractive.”

An artists’s impression of how the junction of Station Parade and James Street will look.

What is the Station Gateway scheme?

Today marks the start of the latest round of consultation on the the Harrogate scheme, which is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in the pipeline for Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

The schemes are being funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to “transform gateways to towns and cities across the region by making it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport”.

Online events will take place from 6pm until 7pm on October 21 and October 28 for the Harrogate scheme.

Members of the project team will be available to discuss the initiative at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October, 29 October and November 5. A business-only meeting is scheduled for November 1.

Following this consultation, which ends on November 12, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

It is anticipated that work will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 2023.

A video showing the proposed changes is available here.

You can take part in the online consultation here.