Northern will press ahead with plans to cancel the 6.07am train service from Harrogate to Leeds, as well as some other services, despite lobbying from Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones.

The Stray Ferret reported this month that the 6.07am service — the first of the day — will be axed from May 15. Some evening services will also be cut.

The early service was popular with business travellers as a way to get to London King’s Cross before 9am.

The decision to cut the service was branded as “disgraceful” by Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group.

Urging a rethink

Last week, Andrew Jones MP wrote to the chairman of Northern, Robin Gisby, urging him to “rethink” reductions to the service between Harrogate and Leeds.

Mr Jones wrote that train services in Harrogate had got better over the past decade but cuts could risk losing these “hard-won improvements”.

However, a Northern spokesperson said today that the operator, which is now owned by the UK government, confirmed the cuts will still take place from May 15.

They said the cuts were primarily due to driver shortages and not a reduction in passengers since the pandemic.

However, the spokesperson added Northern will look to reinstate some services during the rest of 2022.

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The spokesperson said:

“We recognise that some of our customers are disappointed with the upcoming changes to their service. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

“Along with the rest of the industry, some amendments to the timetable will be made from 15 May 2022.

“For the remainder of the year, services will be reinstated where possible with the intention of a larger uplift in December 22.

“These reinstatements will take us more in line with December 2021 service levels although any changes are dependent on several factors. We will share the final plans when we can.”

Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group said news that the 6.07am cut would remain was “not good enough”.

He added:

“I was expecting them to keep that one. I’m very disappointed.”

Three groups from Harrogate and District Tewit Youth Band had a successful trip to Northampton last weekend for the National Youth Band Championships of Great Britain.

The group’s Tewit Junior Band, Tewit Intermediate Band and Tewit Senior Band were all awarded for their efforts.

Tewit Junior Band, comprising of eight to 11-year-olds who have never performed in a competition setting before played a 15 minute programme under musical director Allan Briggs.

Adjudicators praised the young musicians, saying “this was what banding should be all about”. They were awarded a merit.

The junior band with musical director Allan Briggs.

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Tewit Intermediate Band, performing under musical director Rebecca Marshall, they played circus-themed The Big Top before soloist Ella Simpson played The Lazy Trumpeter.

The adjudicators liked it so much they awarded her the title best soloist for the section. Overall the intermediates came second.

Tewit Senior Band with musical director Richard Marshall

The Tewit Senior Band performed in the last section against some of the top youth bands in the country, including bands from specialist music colleges.

Alongside musical director, Richard Marshall, the band played a programme that included a solo performance from 16-year-old tenor horn player, George Fearnley.

George was named best soloist for the competition and the band placed third with a gold adjudication for their efforts.

President Colin Gibbs said it was “an amazing achievement with such strong competition”.

Plans for a new 36-flat supported housing development in Harrogate have been given the go-ahead today.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of the Harrogate charity Disability Action Yorkshire, made an impassioned plea to councillors for the scheme to go ahead. She said disabled people wanted to be given more control of their lives.

Ms Snape told Harrogate Borough Council‘s planning meeting that the need for supported housing was growing ever greater as disabled people “want so much more than residential care”.

She was speaking in support of plans to replace the charity’s existing Claro Road care home with 36 flats, which will allow residents to live more independently.

Ms Snape said:

“Disability Action Yorkshire has provided residential care for disabled people in the Harrogate area for the past 60 years, and for at least the last six years we have been working towards stopping that part of our service.

“The reason for this is that the disabled people we work with are telling us very loudly that they don’t want residential care.

“I asked the young disabled people currently living in 34 Claro Road what they thought I should say to you today.

“They said ‘just tell them we are ready, we want choice and control over our own lives, we just want our own front doors, we want what everyone else has.’”

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Disability Action Yorkshire, which this year celebrates its 85th anniversary, is working with Highstone Housing Association to build three apartment blocks at the Claro Road site.

Residents ‘no longer want residential care’

Ms Snape said the need for this type of accommodation has been growing over the last decade, but became in even greater demand during the pandemic which “solidified the resolve” of Claro Road residents that they no longer want residential care.

She said:

“For the past two years they have been treated differently to the rest of society, at one point not being able to have visits from friends and family while the rest of the country went out to eat out.

“Nearly every day somebody said we wouldn’t be in this situation if we had a home of our own.”

The charity’s plans – which included a mix of one and two-bed flats – were approved with “open arms” by Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee today.

Works will now start later this month to construct the first of the flats on the grounds of the current home and on a derelict playground which was sold off by the council last year.

The existing care home will be replaced with flats, as well as a base for support staff who will be on site 24-hours-a-day.

Speaking at today’s meeting, councillor Stuart Martin said:

“This is exactly the sort of development we should be building and it’s one of the easiest decisions I’ve taken on this planning committee.”

Cancer Research UK is inviting people to take part in Race for Life in Harrogate on Sunday, July 10.

Women, men and children can choose to enter 3k, 5k and 10k events in the town that all start from The Stray.

There is also a chance to take part in obstacle courses Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids.

Race for Life was cancelled in 2020 due to covid but returned to Harrogate in September last year.

Money raised from the event helps scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

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Siobhan Byrne, Race for Life spokesperson for Harrogate, said:

“Our Race for Life events are open to all. For some people, the Race for Life is literally a walk in the park. Slow and steady still wins. For others, it’s a jog. Others may opt to push themselves harder, taking up the challenge of the 10k distance and even pushing for a new personal best time.

“But what is for certain is we’re looking forward to welcoming people of all ages and abilities. Race for Life Harrogate will be fun, emotional, colourful, uplifting and an unforgettable event this year.”  

Anyone who signs up between Monday April 4 and Monday April 18 can claim a 30% off the entry fee as part of a special sale by using the code EASTER30.

Besides the entry fee, competitors will be asked for £50 minimum sponsorship.

To sign up, visit raceforlife.org.

Patricia Jones-Davies will swap the heat of a Ripon kitchen for the arctic chill of Finland when she reaches another significant milestone on Sunday.

The chef manager at  Sunnyfield Lodge Extra Care Housing will celebrate her 50th birthday by taking part in the Arctic Marathon, where competitors can expect temperatures as low as minus 12 centigrade.

Ms Jones-Davies leaves for Helsinki on Thursday, carrying the warmest wishes from residents and colleagues because she is running to raise money for Papyrus UK —  a charity that prevents suicide in young people. It is a cause dear to her heart.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“My daughter Anne-Dora went to school in Harrogate with Dom Sowa, who very sadly took his own life at the age of 17.

“In his memory, I ran 17 races over different distances, to both raise money for Papyrus and raise awareness of the wonderful work that it does, by helping young people who have suicidal thoughts.

“I will be thinking of Dom and other young people, while I am running.”

Ms Jones-Davies with some of her supporters at Sunnyfield Lodge.

In Ripon, Patricia has a huge team of supporters at Sunnyfield, which provides 40 one and two-bed retirement apartments. She has worked there for three years.

Among those wishing her good luck is 101-year-old Annie Charnley, who takes a keen interest in all her sporting feats.

They include two Manchester Marathons, a Chester Marathon and a virtual London Marathon.

Man of iron – Patricia’s husband Keri Jones-Davies

Husband Keri is also taking part in Sunday’s event.

He is a multi-talented endurance athlete, who has competed at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, having also represented GB in his age group at triathlon.

The ironman event involves a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride and a 26.2 mile run, so Mr Jones-Davies is well-placed to assist his wife as she trains for her long-distance runs.

She said:

“When it snowed a few weeks ago, I went straight out for a run. It wasn’t as cold as it will be in Finland, but we are well-prepared and have bought all of the right gear for cold-weather running.”

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Drivers are set to face delays in Harrogate town centre as roadworks take place on Cheltenham Parade.

North Yorkshire County Council is carrying out work to install a fibre optic cable up the street and has reduced traffic to one lane.

Cheltenham Parade becomes single lane next to the junction with Commercial Street and Station Parade.

The move has led to queues on the road this lunchtime, with traffic backing up onto Ripon Road.

According to the county council’s roadworks map, the work is set to remain in place until Thursday this week.

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Pateley Bridge artist finalist in Fine Art Awards

Claire Baxter, who has a gallery in Pateley Bridge, has made the top five finalists in the Fine Art Trade Guild artist awards 2022.

Ms Baxter submitted her work Last of the Summer Wine, which is up against five other artists in the ‘Most Published Artist 2022’ category.

Ms Baxter’s work tries to capture Yorkshire through its locations and characters.

She started out hanging her work on the railings in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens hoping for some sales. Now she employs a gallery manager and a gallery assistant at her gallery in the Nidderdale town.

She said:

“I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to be a finalist. Even if I don’t win, to me, I’ve already won by coming this far. I paint because I love what I do and the joy of being able to put my thoughts and visions into the reality of a scene for others to enjoy is very rewarding.

“I never thought that a national award would be in my reach when I was starting out as it hasn’t been an easy journey.”

Harrogate communications firm wins London contract

A Harrogate communications agency has won a contract to support a London commercial cleaning company.

The Big Bamboo Agency will support Julius Rutherfoord & Co with bid and proposal work as well as email marketing communications campaigns.

Julius Rutherfoord & Co, which was founded in 1994, provides commercial cleaning services to organisations including Cushman & Wakefield, MADE.com and City, University of London.

Nicola Stamford, founding and director, Big Bamboo, said:

“With a strong background in the facilities management industry, our team is well positioned to support JR & Co in achieving its future vision. We are delighted to be supporting them on their journey and we look forward to our relationship developing over time.”

Medieval pop-up museum window display to arrive in Harrogate

Bethany Allen (left), Harrogate BID business and marketing executive and Sarah Checkland, The Jorvik Group of Attractions exhibitions manager, hold two uroscopy flasks which will feature in the pop-up museum.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with The Jorvik Group to install a medieval window display in the Victoria Shopping Centre over the Easter holidays.

The group, which is behind the tourist hotspot Jorvik Viking Centre in York, will show artefacts between April 1 and May 2.

Visitors can explore a wealth of information online and consider the display’s themes in more detail. Reconstructions, videos and an exclusive short film, written by Terry Deary – author of the Horrible Histories series – entitled A Touch of Plague, can all be accessed via QR codes.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“We are really excited to be bringing Window on the Past to Harrogate this April, which will give families another great reason to come into town during the Easter holidays.”

Harrogate-based charity Disability Action Yorkshire has explained why many pedestrian crossings in Harrogate town centre do not make a beeping sound to let blind or visually impaired people know it is safe to cross.

It follows a Stray Ferret article published on Saturday about Harrogate man John Raho, 80, who relies on the noise to help him cross the road safely when vehicles stop and the green man appears.

But from the top of Cheltenham Parade up Station Parade and to the Victoria Avenue junction, 9 out of 10 crossings did not make any noise at all, which Mr Raho said was ‘shameful’.

Mr Raho received some messages of support on social media from people who named other pedestrian crossings in the district where they would like to hear a beeping noise.

Could be confusing

Disability Action Yorkshire was founded 84 years ago and helps disabled people live the life of their choosing.

It has headquarters and a training centre on Hornbeam Park, a residential care home on Claro Road, and a holiday lodge in Lincolnshire.

Its chief executive Jackie Snape said she sympathised with Mr Raho’s plight but said having too many crossings making the noise could be confusing.

Ms Snape said:

“[Crossings that don’t beep] is something we hear quite a lot but I do fully understand the reasons.

“It’s where there are two or three crossings close to each other. People could get confused and walk into the roads.”

Jackie Snape, Disability Action Yorkshire chief executive.

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Ms Snape said there needed to be greater awareness that crossings that don’t beep have a small cone underneath that can be touched. The cone turns when the green man lights up to indicate it is safe to cross.

But she added that since covid, many people did not feel comfortable touching it.

Many crossings have a plastic cone underneath that turns when it is safe to cross

Victoria Avenue junction

Whilst Ms Snape said it would be confusing to have too many crossings on Station Parade making the beeping noise, the silent crossing at the Victoria Avenue junction “needs looking at” because it wasn’t in close proximity to other crossings.

She said crossings like this should be reported to North Yorkshire County Council through its website.

Ms Snape said:

“We’ve reported machines in the past when they have stopped working. Unless they are reported, the council does not know they are not working properly.”

Ms Snape added that if any blind or partially sighted person would like to report a crossing that does not make a beeping noise, the charity can do it on their behalf through its website or by calling 01423 855419.

A brown plaque is to be erected outside one of Harrogate’s oldest and best-known clothes shops.

Property expert Alex Goldstein, with the support of local historian Malcolm Neesam, successfully applied to erect the plaque outside gentlemen’s outfitters Rhodes Wood. on Parliament Street.

The shop used to belong to Mr Goldstein’s great grandfather Louis Copé, a fashion designer whose female emporium opened on the site in 1922.

Mr Copé was a Polish designer whose high society customers over the years included Queen Mary, her daughter Princess Mary and Agatha Christie. The shop operated under royal patronage.

The store itself featured in the film Agatha, starring Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave.

Louis Copé

Mr Copé moved to Harrogate because he believed the pure air would help his asthma. Mr Goldstein, who still lives in the area, said:

“I am so pleased to have been able to mark the history and story of my great grandfather, whose fashion house spanned decades and formed important memories for so many people in and around Harrogate.

“It has been lovely hearing people’s memories and visiting the Pump Rooms to actually see some of the garments that were made in his sewing rooms which are stored there.”

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Jeremy Beaumont, who owns Rhodes Wood, has been supportive of preserving the history of the building.

“When we took over the store in 1997, there were still many of the original features and cabinets in the shop, in such good quality and condition, that we still have them in the store to this day, literally 100 years later. The quality of the store fittings must have been superb, and to a very high standard.

“It is our pleasure to recognise the past history of the building, and we are delighted to host the plaque outside for everyone to see”.

The plaque is due to go up any day now.

Mr Goldstein is asking for anyone with memories from Louis Copé, or even items of clothing and hats etc, to contact him at alex@alexgoldstein.co.uk.

Ripon Spa Baths is set to be sold to a commercial developer after a bid to retain the building for community use failed.

Harrogate Borough Council, which has owned the Edwardian building since the reorganisation of local government in 1974, has confirmed that it intends to sell the Park Street property to the unnamed commercial bidder.

Ripon City Council successfully applied for for the building to be listed as an asset of community value in September. This meant it had six months to raise the finance to purchase the building to keep it in commercial use. But time has now run out.

The city council also called this month for the ownership of the Grade II listed building, which was used as a swimming pool until it closed in November, to be transferred back to Ripon without charge when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.

Ripon councillors argued that Spa Baths and other city assets, including the town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square, Spa Gardens and Spa Park, should be handed back for free by Harrogate Borough Council as it had not paid a penny for them.

The building is recognised as a key heritage asset by Ripon Civic Society

But Harrogate Borough Council’s response to Ripon City Council’s request for the reversion of ownership, seen by the Stray Ferret, confirms the building will be sold to a developer.

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy and culture said in the email, which has been circulated to all city councillors:

“As you are aware we are selling Ripon Spa Baths because a brand new pool has been built in Ripon and this building is no longer needed.

“Our main objective through this disposal is to ensure that the building continues to be used in future and supports the sustainability of Ripon City Centre. To achieve this objective we have undertaken a comprehensive sales strategy which generated market interest in purchasing the building.

“The preferred bidder can demonstrate the experience, capacity and capability in bringing buildings back into use. In addition the proposed sale to the current preferred bidder will generate a capital receipt.

“The generation of capital receipts for assets that are no longer needed allows significant investment to be made in new assets, such as the new Ripon Pool.”

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“At its meeting on 13 October 2021, Harrogate cabinet have previously agreed to dispose of the building to the preferred bidder.

“As the building is listed as an Asset of Community Value a moratorium period was initiated and implemented where the council has not been able to dispose of the building, now that this period has expired we will execute this decision.

“We believe that this will deliver the best way of ensuring the future, sustainable use of this asset and enable Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council to continue to invest in the continuous improvement of Ripon City and its neighbourhoods.”