Harrogate cat charity ‘desperate’ for new fosterers

Harrogate Cat Rescue has issued an urgent appeal for fosterers who can take a cat into their home to prepare it for adoption.

Over the summer months, the charity has reported an increase in cats and kittens that have been dumped around the district.

The role of a fosterer is to monitor the cat’s progress and prepare it for its eventual forever home.

There is no cost to becoming a fosterer as all the food, litter trays, vet bills and even climbing posts will be paid for by Harrogate Cat Rescue.

A fosterer can have them for a few weeks or a few months, depending on the cat. Helen McCallum, a volunteer for the charity, said it’s not just kittens that deserve a foster home but older cats too.

She added:

“We ask that fosterers care and spend quality time with them in a safe and loving environment. They are helping some of the most vulnerable animals have a new start in life.

“So much is achieved by committed fosterers socialising often nervous cats to confident ones.”

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There are some requirements to become a cat fosterer. They must be over 18 and have a spare room for the animal to live.

Ms McCallum said often the hardest part of being a fosterer is handing them over to their adopter when the time comes.

“The fosterers sometimes fall in love with them”.

Are you interested in becoming a cat fosterer? Contact Helen on 07845755405 or helenmccallum453@gmail.com

Harrogate Town out of cup after players catch coronavirus

Harrogate Town have been forced to bow out of the Carabao Cup after players in the squad tested positive for coronavirus.

While the club tried to reschedule their round one fixture, which was due to be played tonight, they were unable to organise it in time.

The club released a statement this evening which said:

“The available date proposed would not have provided enough time for logistical arrangements to be made, or tickets to be sold for the round two tie.

“In accordance with the Carabao Cup rules, Harrogate Town will therefore forfeit the tie.”

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Harrogate Town said yesterday evening that “a number of individuals” are unable to play or train due to a positive test or contact with someone who has tested positive.

Two trips in League Two to Crawley Town and Leyton Orient are also off, which were due to be played on August 14 and August 17 respectively.

Those who purchased a ticket for the Rochdale game tonight will receive a full refund.

Harrogate girl, 8, sets up fidget toy business in school holidays

An eight-year-old girl from Harrogate who has set up her own business during the school holidays is already sending her fidget toys across the country.

Lucy Chesters, who has just finished Year 3 at Ashville College, set up her business called Win at Life Kids on Thursday last week.

Fidget toys are the latest craze for children. They can be squeezed, stretched, flipped and can help to distract who are anxious or stressed.

In just a few days she has already restocked after sending toys to customers in Newcastle, Bradford and Leeds.

While she is following in the footsteps of her mum Louise Chesters, who owns Dizzy Duck on Albert Street, Lucy has also been doing things her own way.

As well as setting up a website and stall in her mum’s boutique, Lucy has also started her own TikTok channel where she shows off her products.

Those videos have already been seen hundreds of times, something which has helped her reach customers outside of Harrogate.

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Lucy told the Stray Ferret:

“I think they are popular because they feel nice, I like the texture, the sounds and the colours of them.

“Maybe schools should teach more about business then it might inspire others.”

Her mum Louise Chesters is very proud of her daughter. She said:

“I am really proud of Lucy and how proud of how quickly it has developed and progressed.

“She started a couple of weeks ago filming TikToks for Dizzy Duck. But Lucy and her friends are interested in fidget toys so it has evolved from there.

“Lucy has done really well, she is really excited about it. I really just wish we had helped her with it sooner because she has taken a great interest in it.”

A-level results in for Harrogate Grammar, Ashville, Ripon Grammar and Harrogate Ladies College

Today is A-level results day for thousands of young people in the Harrogate district.

It is the second year in a row exams have been cancelled. Grades have been based instead on teacher assessments.

Our live blog will record all of today’s results as they come in.

Have you or someone you know received their results today? Let us know how it went. Call us on 01423 276197 or email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your grades and how you feel.

10.30am (Weds) – Harrogate Grammar celebrate 67% of grades at A*, A or B

Harrogate Grammar School has congratulated its students for their high results after receiving their A-Level results yesterday.

The school said 67% of A-Level grades at A*, A or B. Furthermore, 87% of A-Level results were A*- C and 99% of grades received were grade E or above. 

For those studying BTECS, there was a 100% pass rate with 70% of grades being a Distinction or Distinction*.

This year’s results are the strongest since 2015. 

15.20 – Headteachers say A-Level results are a ‘true reflection’ of pupil performance during pandemic

Harrogate headteachers have reacted with delight to today’s A-Level results which they say are a “true reflection” of how students have performed during the pandemic.

After last summer’s results were downgraded and then upgraded in a debacle which damaged trust in the education system, today’s grades have been awarded based on teacher assessments and not exams which were cancelled for the second year running due to covid.

The number of students achieving top grades across the UK has soared to record levels which will ultimately put extra pressure on places for the most competitive universities and courses.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, 41.1% of grades awarded were A* or A – up from 35% last year.

Neil Renton, Headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School.

Neil Renton, Headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Neil Renton, headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School, said: 

“With a sixth form experience disrupted by lockdowns, this remarkable performance demonstrates their exceptional resilience and determination.

“Teachers drew on their expertise and professional experience to objectively assess each student’s level, awarding grades which were moderated and quality assured by exam boards.

“The grades, in our view, are a true reflection of their performance.

“We fully appreciate the exceptional hard work of all our students, the support of their families and the dedication of all our teachers and support staff. This is a cohort of young people who have had an experience like no other.”

Sylvia Brett, principal of Harrogate Ladies College, also said students have had the “most difficult” 18 months of disruptions during the pandemic and that it was “comparing apples and pears” to compare these results with other years.

She said: 

“These grades are very well earned by pupils and they need to have their moment to feel really proud of what they have achieved.

“This year we have had a very comprehensive system for awarding grades… and it has been a true reflection of a very different way of assessing pupils.

“The pandemic has been an incredibly difficult time for young people across the country, but I also think that this generation has been quite extraordinary in the way they have dealt with it.

“Their resilience, their determination and their drive to do their best – this generation are going to be one to be reckoned with in future years.”

15.03 – 64% of Ashville College students receive A* and A grades

Students at Ashville College in Harrogate achieved an overall pass rate of 99.58 per cent, with 64.44 per cent of those receiving a pass at A and A*.

Among the universities which students will be attending are University of Warwick, Durham University and Newcastle University.

Elspeth Fisher, Ashville College’s Acting Head, said:

“This year’s A-Level pupils are to be congratulated for their results and the strength of character they have shown over the last two years.

“This has been an incredibly tough time for them with Covid affecting and restricting their studies and extra-curricular activities. However, their resilience and commitment to their studies has been truly outstanding.

“This set of results are a credit to them, and to their teachers who have been with them every step of the way. Whatever their post-Ashville plans are, be it university, starting an apprenticeship, or a gap year, I’d like to wish each and every one of them every success for the future.”

Sixth Form pupil, Facundo Costa achieved four A* in Maths, Further Maths, Computing and Physics and will be starting his degree in Maths and Physics at the University of Warwick next month.

Facundo said:

“It’s been an intense period, but thanks to the support of the teachers here at Ashville, it’s all been worthwhile.”

Ashville College pupil, Facundo Costa achieved four A* in Maths, Further Maths, Computing and Physics and will be starting his degree in Maths and Physics at the University of Warwick

Ashville College pupil, Facundo Costa achieved four A* in Maths, Further Maths, Computing and Physics and will be starting his degree in Maths and Physics at the University of Warwick

12.15pm – Queen Ethelburga’s students achieve 85% A* and A grades

Students at Queen Ethelburga’s College in Thorpe Underwood have achieved 85% A* and A grades today after results were revealed this morning.

Their peers in the Faculty, which offers A-Levels and BTECs, were also very pleased today after achieving 77% A* and A grades.

The College said its students got into a number of their first choice universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester University.

Acting Principal, Dan Machin, said:

“We are immensely proud of the fantastic achievements from all of our students, and I would like to commend each and every one of them for their resilience, work ethic and determination to succeed.”

Students from Queen Ethelburga’s receiving their results today.

10.20am – Ripon Grammar School students jump for joy after 81% of grades at A*- B

Ripon Grammar School has congratulated its students today after revealing 81% of grades achieved were A* to B grades.

More than 60% of these were the top grades, A* and A. The school also said many of its students had secured a place at their first-choice university.

An impressive 22 students achieved three A*s or more, with the school’s 147 A-level students receiving a total of 133 A*s.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb said the class of 2021 had been an incredibly hardworking and motivated year group:

“As always, our students have worked extremely hard and with great resilience and so I hope their grades represent an accurate reflection of abilities and efforts.

“Results are never an end in themselves but merely act as the necessary passport to the next destination in one’s life.

“Congratulations to all who have secured their chosen course at the institution of their choice and we will work closely to support those who may be disappointed to ultimately pass on to the next phase in a path of life-long learning.”

He said after a difficult two years for students, due to the pandemic, “these are an excellent set of results”.

Students will go on to study a range of courses including aeronautical engineering, dentistry and fashion at universities across the country and as far as America.

 

Harrogate man’s mission to grow record-breaking jumbo pumpkins

Harrogate man Nick Bailey is on a mission to grow jumbo-sized pumpkins at his Bilton allotment.

The scaffolder, who is 59, has been visiting Pine Street Allotments in Bilton every night for almost 30 years tending to his fruit and vegetables.

It’s not just super-sized pumpkins he grows: he has previously cultivated a 2lb tomato and a two-and-a-half-stone marrow.

Mr Bailey said:

“I just love it. It’s peaceful on an evening with a glass of wine.”

He has a couple of promisingly large pumpkins that will be ready for harvesting in October. He hopes one of them will beat his personal record, which weighed 7st 6lbs.

“I’m trying to beat my record this year. I just like the size of them”.

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With the signs looking good for this year, Mr Bailey hopes to enter the competitive pumpkin circuit and try and win a prize for his efforts.

He is inspired by the United States, where giant fruit and vegetable competitions are big business.

In 2013, one pumpkin seed from the then world record pumpkin, which weighed close to a tonne, fetched $1,600 at auction.

Mr Bailey said it’s not possible to grow giant pumpkins organically but wouldn’t divulge his top-secret tricks when asked.

He said:

“I’m not telling you! It’s taken me years to do it!”

What will devolution mean for major council projects in Harrogate?

This year and next promises to be a pivotal time in Harrogate’s future with a number of exciting, controversial and long-delayed projects coming to the fore.

These include a potential £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre, the £10.9 million Station Gateway project and – at long last – the start of the Otley Road cycle path.

But with local government reorganisation spelling the end of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council by April 2023, there are now questions over how these big plans will progress.

In a move to give reassurances that the projects remain on track, Wallace Sampson, chief executive of the borough council, said the authority has “no plans to sit back” until it is abolished, while Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, added he is not expecting any delays as a result of reorganisation.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked both councils where each of their big projects are currently at and what happens when reorganisation comes around.

Here is what they said.

£10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway

A county council spokesperson said the anticipated start date for this project is February 2022 and that more public consultations are planned for next month.

The gateway is due for completion by a government funding deadline of March 2023, although the county council has conceded these tight time-scales “remain challenging”.

The project involves a number of road layout changes in the Station Parade area to encourage more climate friendly travel.

If completed on schedule, the project will be done just one month before both councils are abolished.

£47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre

A borough council spokesperson said this project remains a “priority” and that “work continues unabated” by reorganisation.

They added final decisions on whether the project should go ahead and how it would be funded are scheduled for early 2022.

Beyond that, the council has yet to say when construction could start and end, although it did previously say the project would be delivered in two phases.

Plans to rebuild the venue could involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 sq m hall and a refurbished auditorium.

Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35

The Local Plan, which outlines planning development in the district until 2035, was adopted by the borough council in March last year and paved the way for thousands of new homes and businesses to be built across the district.

It was six years in the making and a borough council spokesperson said it will remain as the statutory development plan for the district under the new North Yorkshire council “until such time it is superseded by subsequent development plans”.

3,000 homes at Green Hammerton

Plans for this huge housing settlement were a key part of the Local Plan debate.

Many residents have argued the homes should be built on the former Flaxby Park golf course but the borough council is now pushing for the creation of a settlement development plan for the Green Hammerton area.

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A borough council spokesperson said the development plan will be presented to councillors for a formal decision in “due course”.

Otley Road cycle lane

Plans for the cycle lane were first announced in 2017 but have since hit a series of delays including the need for utility works and negotiations over the use of Stray land.

A county council spokesperson said utility works are currently underway and that subject to their completion, the anticipated start date for phase one of the scheme is September 6, with phase two scheduled to begin in February 2022 and full completion by June that year.

Active travel schemes

The county council is currently awaiting a decision on its £1.5 million bid to the third round of the government’s active travel fund.

This bid includes two projects in the Harrogate district: the development of sustainable travel corridors in the west of Ripon, and feasibility work for a footpath and cycleway between Knaresborough and Flaxby Green Park.

A decision is expected in autumn and if successful funds must be spent before March 2023.

In the second round, the county council successfully bid for £266,000 for cycling and walking improvements on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well as similar plans in the Victoria Avenue area of Harrogate.

This funding must be spent during the 2021/22 financial year.

There were also plans for a one-way traffic system and junction filters on Oatlands Drive but these were scrapped in favour of a feasibility study to look into what other improvements could be made. 

This study is currently underway.

A59 realignment at Kex Gill

A county council spokesperson said: 

“The tendering process for the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill is under way. Work could start as early as autumn, with construction taking up to 18 months.

“However, this is subject to satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory processes.”

Plans for this £60 million project include building a new carriageway around a stretch of the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton which has repeatedly been hit by landslides.

New Ripon swimming pool

This multi-million project is due for completion by the end of 2021 but has been hit by delays following the discovery of an underground void at the Ripon Leisure Centre site.

A borough council spokesperson said: 

“We are currently investigating further. Should any remedial work be required then they will be carried out.

“We remain committed to providing modern, fit-for-purpose leisure facilities for the people of Ripon and are looking forward to opening the new facilities.”

The swimming pool is being built as a replacement for the 116-year-old Ripon Spa Baths which has been put up for sale despite protests from local councillors and residents.

New Knaresborough swimming pool

The borough council is also behind these plans for a new facility to replace the town’s existing swimming pool at Fysche Field and has begun drawing up designs.

A borough council spokesperson said: 

“Alliance Leisure Services, our appointed development partner for the leisure investment project, are currently exploring options and carrying out design feasibility work for the future leisure centre in Knaresborough.

“A formal decision will be presented to council in due course.”

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In a full statement commenting on all projects, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said: 

“We are working with our partners on numerous major transport projects to benefit communities around the county. Our commitment to completing these remains as strong as ever, as does meeting the delivery deadlines that are a condition of some funding awards.

“We do not anticipate any delays to highways and transport projects as a result of local government reorganisation.

“We are committed to continuing each of these projects as planned with our partners. From April 2023, the new council for North Yorkshire will assume responsibility for ongoing projects.

“In the meantime, the county council will continue to pursue funding opportunities as these arise as appropriate for the benefit of our communities, as residents, businesses and visitors would expect us to do.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sampson added: 

“Harrogate Borough Council will continue to exist until 2023 and we have no plans to sit back until this time. We have a number of exciting and ambitious projects that have either started or are due to start in the coming months.

“We are also committed to supporting our economy post covid and will be looking at all projects, before the new unitary authority comes into operation, to explore what investment projects should or could be delivered.”

Seventy three year old woman admits role in Harrogate cannabis farms

A 73 year old former Harrogate guest house owner has admitted her part in cannabis farms worth half a million pounds.

Yoko Banks offered three of her properties to an Albanian gang to grow cannabis with yields of up to £475,000 if sold on the street, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The London-based gang set up three cannabis farms at Banks’s properties on Alexandra Road, Woodlands Road and Somerset Road.

The pensioner and six Albanian men were arrested in September last year when police swooped on three properties on the same day and stopped a van with cannabis inside. The vehicle was thought to be heading for London or the South-East.

Banks, of Scargill Road, was charged with three counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis on or before September 27 but initially denied the offences. Her trial was due to start this week but on Monday she changed her plea to guilty on all three charges.

The six Albanian men – Kujtim Brahaj, 50, Indrit Brahaj, 27, Visar Sellaj, 33, Bledar Elezaj, 36, Andi Kokaj, 23, and Erblin Elezaj, 33 – had already admitted various charges in relation to the six-figure drug enterprise.

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Prosecutor Martin Bosomworth said it was the Crown’s case that Sellaj and another named man, who was never arrested, were the ringleaders of the mega-money cannabis plot and that Banks, who had been targeted by the gang for her properties, was not actively involved in the growing of the plants, although she had played a “significant”, advisory role.

Her potential profit was said to be limited or “capped”, based on her role as “facilitator” by allowing her premises to be used for the illicit practice.

Each of the seven defendants, including Banks, will be sentenced on Friday.

Mr Bosomworth said that Banks’s role was to “let out these properties knowing what they were used for”.

Banks had a “body of evidence” stacked against her, not least “(telephone) conversations at length” with the unnamed man thought to be the “leading light or middle man in all this”.

Benjamin Whittingham, for Banks, said her involvement in the drug plot was “indirect” and amounted to “facilitating”.

She had previous convictions for health-and-safety offences through her work but nothing drug-related.

The former guest-house owner, who owned “multiple” properties and was said to have numerous bank accounts, had been letting properties to people on benefits.

She had been on bail since her arrest partly for her own safety as it was feared she might be blamed by the gang for the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of drugs.

Indrit Brahaj, of Whitings Road, Barnet; Kokaj, from London but of no fixed address; Sellaj, of Newnham Road, London; and Erblin Elezaj, also from London but of no fixed abode, all admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis and possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply.

Kujtim Brahaj, of Wellington Road, Enfield, and Bledar Elezaj, from London but of no fixed address, each admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis.

Indrit Brahaj was said to be the gang’s driver, making deliveries such as fertilisers to the cannabis factory.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC told Banks:

“You have pleaded guilty to various serious offences but I’m not going to consider sentence until Thursday.”

Each of the six Albanian men had been remanded in custody since their arrest and will remain locked up until they learn their fates later this week.

Harrogate Christmas Market: council refuses meeting with organisers

Harrogate Borough Council has told organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market it will not meet to discuss plans for the event on Montpellier Hill.

The market organisers called for a meeting at the end of July after the council declined to issue a licence for the event, placing it in jeopardy.

A total of 170 traders and 53 coaches had booked to attend the market, which was expected to attract 85,000 people to the town from November 18 to 21, boosting its economy by £2.5 million.

But in an email seen by the Stray Ferret, Wallace Sampson, chief executive at Harrogate Borough Council, told Brian Dunsby, one of the three market organisers:

“To be clear, the council will not meet to discuss the reasons for declining a licence for Montpellier Hill as the reasons have already been set out to you in writing.”

Mr Dunsby told the Stray Ferret last night:

“We had no response to our request for a meeting until today. I think Mr Sampson’s position is immoral.

“Since the news broke about Harrogate Christmas Market we have been inundated with messages of support from both traders and retailers.

“We believe that there is no viable alternative location near to the town centre – which is vital in terms of attracting visitors into the town centre.”

If Montpellier Hill is no longer an option, the organisers may have to consider moving the event to a different location although they have insisted they do not believe there is a viable alternative.

Harrogate Borough Council has said it is working on alternative festive arrangements and may consider doing so without the current organisers. It has said it has already received “a number of expressions of interest” from potential partners.

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Former London based actor to set up theatre company in Harrogate

Tony Kirkland has been acting for over 30 years and now wants to set up a community-based group in Harrogate to put on shows.

Mr Kirkland has featured in the BAFTA-winning film Fish Tank and Rocks which is currently on Netflix.

After acting and teaching English in London for much of his adult-life he has now moved to Bilton with his young family.

He says he’s not ready to give up on his passions in theatre and hopes other like-minded people will get involved. His aim is to  put on “low-budget but high quality performances” in the district.

Mr Kirkland says he doesn’t know many local people yet after only moving in January this year. He’s now putting a call-out for drama enthusiasts and theatre lovers to get in touch.

He has already set up Interact Harrogate and is now looking for his cast and backstage crew:

“It’s quite a task because I don’t know anyone but I’m hoping to get a group together. I’m looking for actors, they don’t have to have huge experience just share my passion and energy.”

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He hopes to put on around three to four shows a year with the first before the end of this year.

Mr Kirkland says he has a few ideas for his first show including Trafford Tanzi by Clare Luckham or Bouncers by John Godber.

As well as people Mr Kirkland is also on the hunt for a performance space and welcomes ideas.

Anyone interested in getting involved can message @interactharrogate on instagram or email kirklandanthony@hotmail.com.

Harrogate Town postpones three matches due to covid outbreak

Harrogate Town said tonight it has postponed the club’s next three games after players in the squad tested positive for coronavirus.

It will mean tomorrow night’s Carabao Cub fixture against Rochdale at the EnviroVent Stadium will not go ahead as planned.

Two trips in League Two to Crawley Town and Leyton Orient are also off, which were due to be played on August 14 and August 17 respectively.

The club said this evening that “a number of individuals” are unable to play or train due to a positive test or contact with someone who has tested positive.

If Harrogate Town are unable to re-arrange the cup fixture against Rochdale before the next round then they would have to forfeit the tie.

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Those who purchased a ticket for the Rochdale game will receive a full refund if it cannot go ahead.

A spokesperson for the club said:

“Due to positive covid cases within our playing squad, our next three fixtures have been postponed, including tomorrow’s Carabao Cup fixture against Rochdale at The EnviroVent Stadium.

“Our SkyBet League Two trips to Crawley Town and Leyton Orient on Saturday 14th and Tuesday 17th August have also been postponed.

“In respect of rescheduling the Carabao Cup game, the League will consider any proposal put forward by the Club as under the rules, if a fixture is not able to be re-arranged ahead of the following round, then a club would have to forfeit the tie.

“It means a number of individuals are unable to play or train due to either a positive test or the requirement to self-isolate in line with government and English Football League guidance.

“The club will continue to work with covid protocols as set out by the EFL to ensure the safety of our players and staff.

“All supporters who had purchased a ticket for our Carabao Cup fixture will receive a full refund should the game not be rearranged, or their ticket will be valid for the new date of the fixture.”