Burglars leap fence and climb ladder in Harrogate house break-in

Burglars jumped over a garden fence then climbed a ladder to break into the upstairs of a home in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire Police today appealed for information about the incident, which happened in Woods Court, Harrogate at about 6.15pm on December 1.

The force is unsure whether one or two criminals were involved. It said in a statement:

“The suspect(s) are believed to have accessed the rear garden via jumping over the fence and used a single-section ladder to gain access to the upstairs of the property.

“They are also believed to have exited over the same garden fence to make their escape.

“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Read more:

Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Jonathan Cleary. You can also email Jonathan.cleary@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200214547.

Florist wins Harrogate Christmas shop window competition

A florist has won this year’s Harrogate Christmas shop window competition.

It was hard fought with 27 shops taking part but Helen James Flowers, on Station Parade, took the top spot.

The competition aims to promote the town centre’s shops and encourage people to shop locally.

With shops pulling out all the stops it also gives Harrogate a festive boost.

As in previous years there are three separate categories for large, medium and small retailers.

Read more:

Mama Doreen’s Emporium was the winner in the large shops category, Helen James Flowers won the medium shops category, and Boho Chic, on West Parade, was the winner in the small shops category.

Graham Saunders, who organised the judging on behalf of the Rotary Club, said:

“We were delighted to be able to organise the competition again this year particularly with the problems for retailers brought about by the coronavirus lockdown.

“Harrogate is lucky to have so many independent shops who enjoy taking part in the competition.”

This year Harrogate BID partnered with the Rotary Club of Harrogate on the initiative. Each of the winners took home a Harrogate BID gift card.

Sara Ferguson, the Acting Chair of the BID, congratulated all the retailers for making the extra effort to decorate their window for Christmas and take part in the competition during this very difficult time.

“The retailers who took part in the competition have gone to great lengths to make their shop windows look fabulous, which in turn has given the town centre a real festive boost.”

Eight staff at Harrogate special needs school face Christmas redundancies

A special needs school in Harrogate is set to make eight members of staff redundant this Christmas after budget cuts.

The cuts have prompted fears that Springwell Harrogate, which was previously known as The Grove Academy, will offer a “dramatically reduced service” for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

The school, on Grove Road, became part of Wellspring Academy Trust in spring after previously being run by North Yorkshire County Council and Delta Academies Trust.

Demand for the additional support provided by the school is rising but the reduction in the budget, which it is believed has been halved, has prompted concerns from campaigners and councillors.

Alex Boyce, spokesperson for Save the Grove, which was set up two years ago amid fears the school might close, said it was a “tremendous relief” the school would stay open but added:

“From January it will only be able to offer a dramatically reduced service. Highly skilled staff with decades of experience will be lost and the curriculum will have to narrow.

“The crisis will have a significant knock-on effect for local mainstream schools. With insufficient funding to manage the complex needs of some students and a dire lack of alternative schools, like the Grove, their hands are tied.

“Many similar services across the county, which rely on funding from the special needs budget have suffered a similar fate.”

John Warren, outgoing headteacher of Springwell Harrogate, said:

“The whole system is buckling through years of chronic underfunding.

“The pandemic has shown the stark truth of just how many desperate families are out there needing help.

“I fear that some specialist provisions may fail in the next year or so because they are no longer financially viable, despite a time of national need for more community resources to support struggling children.”

Read more:

Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harrogate Starbeck on North Yorkshire County Council, said:

” I could not support the closure and restructuring of the Grove Academy and have concerns about the viability of the new Springwell Academy.

“My main concerns are the staffing levels as they are now considerably reduced.

Wellspring Academy Trust said in a statement that changes to funding occurred when the school was under the management of the previous trust. It added:

“There have been no reductions in funding since Springwell Harrogate became part of the Wellspring community. Any legacy budgeting challenges have been overcome and the school is now on a firm financial footing.

“We are all focused on the future, and determined to deliver the exceptional levels of education our pupils in Harrogate deserve.”

If you or your child have attended schools such as Springwell Harrogate and you would be happy to talk about your experiences. Please get in touch with us via email on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk 

Little Ale House to reopen by serving substantial meals

A Harrogate pub is set to reopen after finding a way to serve substantial meals with drinks.

The Little Ale House closed during the second national lockdown in November and did not reopen this month because tier two rules stated only pubs serving substantial meals could do so.

This meant wet-led pubs, which do not have kitchens to serve meals, stayed closed.

Read more:

But with little prospect of North Yorkshire moving to tier one anytime soon, the Little Ale House has decided to take action allowing it to reopen in the run-up to Christmas.

The independent micropub will offer a pie and peas warmer for visitors. It will serve pork pies and vegetarians pies.

Richard Park, co-owner at the Little Ale House, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are excited to open but this is not some golden goose. With restrictions on household mixing and drinks, sales will be reduced significantly.

“It will not be the same as before. But we cannot wait to move into tier one before we open, we have to keep our heads above water.”

 

Harrogate researcher finds two-thirds will take vaccine

A poll conducted by researchers in Harrogate has found that two-thirds of people will take the coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available.

The YourPoll survey found 67% said they would take the vaccine and 26% said they would not. The remaining seven per cent were undecided.

Of those who said no, 15% thought coronavirus was a hoax. The rest of the responses highlighted safety concerns and the need for further testing.

The snap poll of a random sample of 439 UK people was conducted in the three days prior to the first coronavirus vaccine on December 8.

Priority groups in the Harrogate district are expected to start receiving the jab this week, although details have not yet been confirmed.

Read more:

Neil Addley, managing director of YourPoll and its parent company Judge Service, said:

“There has been a lot of debate about whether people would be willing to take the new vaccine.

“Our poll was designed to show the true feelings of ordinary members of the public, rather than those who shout loudest on social and traditional media.

“It will be interesting to see whether those results are reflected in the real take-up numbers.”

Harrogate Cat Rescue crippled by vet fees

Harrogate’s newly-established cat rescue is being crippled by vet fees as it takes in an unprecedented number of animals.

Celia Dakin, who set up the Harrogate Cat Rescue in April this year, says many come with hidden problems.

She has seen a big spike recently in abandoned adult cats in particular. Just last week the rescue took in 12 cats from Bradford.

Some of the cats have problems with their bladder or their stomachs and many need to be neutered. All of those treatments come at a cost.

On average at the moment Celia is spending around £1,000 on those bills. The rescue will struggle financially without more support.

Read more:

Celia told the Stray Ferret that she has never seen demand like it in all her years rescuing cats:

“It is insane, absolutely insane. Just now I have taken a call about another two cats that need to be rescued from a road in Darley.

“There are a lot of adult cats coming in at the moment. I cannot keep up with it all, I think it is just awful.”

Rescue cat and centre owner

Harrogate Cat Rescue owner, with one of her own cats Geoff.

While it is hard for Celia to know the reasons for the spike in rescue cats, many of the reasons she comes across are a direct or indirect result of coronavirus.

One woman gave up her cat after being made redundant following months on furlough. Many more come from relationship breakdowns, with coronavirus causing tensions.

The Harrogate Cat Rescue will always try to make room for the new cats but has asked people to donate to its fundraising page here.

Sneak peek: authentic Neapolitan pizzeria in Harrogate

A new independent pizzeria that specialises in Neapolitan sourdough bases will open in Harrogate later this month.

Pizza Social will open on Mount Parade, next door to North Bar and near to Harrogate Theatre, and will add to a growing list of venues in the town offering a slice of Italy’s most famous export.

Will Pemberton, who has been a chef for over 16 years including a spell as a tutor at Bettys Cookery School, decided to start making pizza during a drinking session at the Harewood Arms in Folifoot.

He started selling pizzas from a gazebo outside the pub “as a laugh” but as word of mouth spread, he was so successful he ended up regularly shifting 200 a night.

A Pizza Social pizza.

He since kitted out a horsebox with a pizza oven, to sell pizza at weddings, festivals and events across Yorkshire.

The next step was a bricks and mortar venue, and since moving into a former Christian book shop in October, it’s been all go preparing for launch.

He said:

“Pizza has always been popular but now more than ever. We’ll follow Neapolitan traditions to make the sourdough, which takes about two days. It’s a labour of love.”

Read more:

Everything in Pizza Social is made in-house with all bases being made with sourdough, which has a fluffy crust and a thin base. Will says sourdough is lighter on the stomach than other bases.

There will also be vegan pizzas on the menu and potentially gluten-free options in the future.

For added authenticity, Pizza Social will source the best flour, tomatoes and cheese from Italy – combined with local Yorkshire ingredients.

There will be space for 20 diners inside and 20 more on tables outside. It will offer takeaway but as collection only for now.

Will is excited to expand his business.

He said:

“Opening a restaurant is a ballsy thing to do but if we can make it a success now, we can make it anytime, with the support of the Harrogate public.”

29 further coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district

There have been 29 new positive coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district according to Public Health England.

It brings the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 3,851.

Yesterday 2 covid deaths were confirmed at Harrogate District Hospital both occurred on Thursday December 10.  It brings the total number of covid-19 deaths at the hospital to 106.

Read More:

 

As of the 7th December the seven day rate for the Harrogate district is 88 per 100,000– the highest rate remains in Scarborough which has a seven day rate of 169.

 

Charity Corner: a library of toys for children to explore

Tucked away down Church Lane in Knaresborough is every child’s dream: rooms full of toys to pick from.

Based in St Mary’s Church, the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library has been around for decades but still remains unknown to some parents and guardians across the district.

Stacked high with doll houses, dinosaurs and board games, the library’s store room would make any child’s imagination run wild.

Before the pandemic, children could come in and pick two new toys to take home every other week. The toys were then returned and swapped for others.

It meant they can play with new and fun toys in a sustainable way.

Now, the toys are picked via the online library and picked up using click and collect.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library

The library has hundreds of toys ready to be enjoyed by local children.

For a £30 membership fee each year, the charity offers something for every child no matter their age, gender or interests, with the main aim being for them to have fun.

The charity also wants to help people who may be struggling to buy their children presents, especially this Christmas.

Lauren Rogerson has been working for the charity for three years. She said:

“If someone was struggling we’d try our best to help. We’re really passionate here about helping everyone in our community.”

Over lockdown, it has received toy donations and says it can put together bundles for children based on their age and interests to give as presents on Christmas Day.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library

A handful of the donations ready for new homes.

Lauren and her colleague, Rachael Bolton, run the toy library with a board of trustees. It is clear to see the pair are passionate about what they do.

Rachael added:

“We want to make sure out toys are educational too. Parents can pick up story packs with a book inside and toys to match or one of our pre-school packs.”

Read More:

As well as the toy library the charity offers play sessions for parents and children, but these have been suspended due to covid.

Lauren identified a gap in social support for new mums during the pandemic. She set up a new mother and baby group to help women socialise and feel supported.

The group is running from Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough and she hopes it will continue in the new year.

Play session at Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library

Prior to lockdown, the charity’s members enjoyed play sessions.

The charity buys most of its toys second-hand or from online sellers with a few being bought brand new. The duo are hoping to go from strength to strength and become a real community hub for parents and guardians.

To donate to the charity, click here, or to become a member click here.

Harrogate school boosts environment by planting 500 trees

A school in Harrogate has planted 500 native trees to help boost the local environment.

Working with the Woodland Trust on its Big Climate Fightback campaign, Ashville College has planted the saplings to enhance existing hedges and establish new ones on the south-west edge of its 64-acre site.

Grounds staff used a mix of hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose and rowan, which they hope will provide a habitat for wildlife and produce pollen, nectar, nuts, fruit and berries for insects, birds and small mammals.

Ashville’s estates director, Aaron Reid, said:

“We would rather plant hedges than erect metal fencing, as they are attractive, long lasting, store carbon and provide wildlife habitat corridors connecting to the surrounding countryside.”

Read more:

It is the latest in a series of initiatives by the school to reduce its carbon footprint. Now, it sources all of its electricity from renewable sources, has solar panels on one of its classroom blocks, and collects rainfall from the sports centre roof to water the cricket pitches.

Green waste is chipped and used as mulch or compost, local contractors are used whenever possible to reduce travel time and support the surrounding economy, and the catering team avoids single use plastic and recycles its used cooking oil into soap and biofuel.

Cathy Price, Ashville College teacher and Global to Local Action in Methodist Schools co-ordinator and the school’s Green Committee lead, said:

“When it comes to the environment and climate change, there is plenty of pupil interaction.

“In addition to the subjects being covered in the curriculum, we have a very active Green Committee which works hard to encourage pupils to think about how their actions can either harm or benefit the environment.

“In the past, the committee has organised litter picking in the Pinewoods and the beach at Filey. The environment is everyone’s responsibility and even the smallest actions can help to make a very big difference.

“We look forward to getting back to larger-scale environmental pupil projects and excursions when government coronavirus guidelines permit.”