Fire brigade rescues stranded teenagers from Rudding Park pond

Two teenage boys had to be rescued by firefighters after being stuck in the middle of a pond on Rudding Park’s golf course.

Rudding Park has an ‘access pontoon’ to allow staff to cut the grass on an island on the golf course.

The two youths, who were believed to be trespassing, decided to take the pontoon across to the island yesterday evening and made the mistake of letting go of the rope.

The fire brigade was called and officers threw lines to reach the boys and pull the pontoon to shore.

Other than perhaps a dented ego, the boys were both unharmed. Officers advised them on their future behaviour.

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North Yorkshire health boss challenges care home isolation guidance

A local public health official has challenged the government over new care home guidance, which he has condemned as a “backwards step”.

The new guidance tells residents to only leave care homes for medical appointments or in exceptional circumstances. On their return they will need to isolate for 14 days.

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, has raised his concerns about the new guidance with the Department for Health and Social Care.

He believes that residents should be able to leave care homes.

Mr Webb said:

“The government guidance is quite restrictive about people in care homes taking trips out. We felt that was a backwards step.

“If you live in a care home you are entitled to get some fresh air. We were a bit disappointed to see some further restrictions. We have raised that with the Department for Health and Social Care.

“As long as it is done safely we would like to see people enjoy the spring sunshine as the rest of us can. Hopefully that will be looked at and we can give some better news in the future.”

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This comes as residents at a care home on Claro Road, which is run by Disability Action Yorkshire, said they will defy the guidance as it was a “clear breach” of their human rights.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of the charity, has written to Harrogate MP, Andrew Jones. She warned him that he will receive furious e-mails as a result of the guidance.

She said:

“For the people that live at 34 Claro Road this is devastating. They are young people who just want to have the same freedoms as everyone else.

“They are seeing pictures of groups enjoying a beer outside the pub and they are being told they can’t even go for a walk around the block.”

Hollywood director stars in Harrogate Film Festival this week

The Harrogate Film Festival returns this week and will start with an exclusive interview with Hollywood director Oliver Stone.

Oliver Stone directed the film JFK about the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including best director.

The festival is returning for its fifth year this Friday, April 23, with numerous events. The festival is being held differently this year with a series of mini festivals between April and September.

This year is also the 30th anniversary of JFK. Prior to the virtual screening on Friday, there will be a 30-minute question and answer with Mr Stone.

Talking about the film, Mr Stone said:

“In the United States we did $70 million alone, for a three-hour eight-minute film. It’s extraordinary as in that era we didn’t have three-hour movies because we had lost that with the roadshows back in the 50s. So, to make a film of this length and be successful it was an amazing, amazing breakthrough.

In many ways, it was the climax to a strange film career that I’ve had.”

The JFK event is part of the festival’s Independent Filmmakers Competition which offers a platform for up and coming filmmakers.

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Festival director, Adam Chandler, said:

“As ever, Oliver is open and candid with his answers. He doesn’t shy away from giving difficult answers to the questions put to him in the interview and he covers so much ground in the 30 minutes.”

Mr Chandler said all of this year’s events will run in-line with covid restrictions. If these are eased the events will still stream online as well as in person.

When restrictions ease in May, the JFK event and Independent Filmmakers will be re-run in cinemas.

LIVE: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Happy Monday and welcome back to the traffic and travel service. It’s Leah here with you this morning, with updates every 15 minutes as more people get onto the roads.

The live blogs, brought to you by The HACS Groups, aim to keep the Harrogate district moving.

Make sure to keep in touch via social media or email us on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

9am – Full Update

That’s it from me this morning, Suzannah with be back with you tomorrow morning from 6.30am with updates every 15 minutes.

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building:

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8:45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building:

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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8:30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building:

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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8:15am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building:

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Temporary lights in place:

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8am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building:

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7:45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building:

Temporary lights in place:

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7:30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to increase in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centers, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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7:15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

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7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

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Buses

 

Strayside Sunday: Low rent politics stinks

Strayside Sunday is our monthly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party.

It’s good to be back.

Now then, what’s happening?  Ah yes, it seems that the British political establishment stinks from root to branch.  It turns out, that while our attention was distracted by the exigencies of Covid-19 – not least the awarding of millions of pounds worth of PPE contracts to the Boris Chumocracy – our former Prime Minister David Cameron was up to no good.  Working for Greensill Capital, a purveyor of ‘supply chain financing solutions’ (purchasing the accounts payable debt of others and taking a hefty fee for the pleasure), including to Her Majesty’s Government, Dave Cam was bombarding his mates in high office, Chancellor Dishy Rishi for example, with telephone calls, texts and emails on behalf of his Australian employer.  That he stood to make millions through a stonking equity consideration in Greensill, were it to continue to succeed, is no excuse.  As it is, Greensill has gone spectacularly bust leaving Dave both with egg on his face and a significant reduction in future earnings.

Frankly, although it looks cheap, I am less concerned about a former Prime Minister being in close contact with friends and ex-senior colleagues than I am about the revelation that the founder of Greensill, the eponymous Lex, was given a desk at the Cabinet Office.  He was also given a government business card and license to roam across 11 government departments; all with a brief to create a new financial product.  Am I alone in thinking that this can’t be right?  Of course government needs to work closely with business, but surely it ought not give business unfettered access to create its own opportunities to benefit from the public purse (otherwise known as your money and mine).  That Mr. Cameron gave a 2010 speech in which he presaged that “lobbying was the next big scandal” awaiting government fills my schadenfreude goblet to the brim.  For, in the immortal words of the great Gore Vidal; “every time a friend succeeds, a little piece of me dies.”

The new Cabinet Secretary Simon Case is on the warpath.  It seems that Greensills tendrils penetrated deep into the Civil Service.  One Bill Crothers, the founder of the Crown Commercial Service, was double dipping, being paid both as a public servant and as a Greensill employee (before he crossed to the dark side completely and joined Greensill full-time; swapping, as it were, his Anakin Skywalker for his Darth Vadar).  In fact, there is deep suspicion that Mr. Crothers is not the only civil servant moonlighting in the private sector, so this is a story that will likely run and run, further undermining our brittle faith and trust in our government.

Closer to home, here in the great parliamentary constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough (including Boroughbridge) we can be assured, can we not, of the probity, straight talking and all-around excellence of MP Andrew Jones?  Or so we thought.  Much ado this week over the quality news organ and website “Community News.”  It turns out that the MP’s office is publishing a digital news alternative; a platform for Conservative politicians to report their own activities and campaigns in the Conservative interest, Community News though states it is committed to providing news in a “non-political way.”

One has to dig pretty deep to uncover the origins of the website’s publishing in the office of the sitting Conservative MP; the office, by the way, that is run by the sitting Conservative Leader of Harrogate Borough Council; the office too that employs another leading Conservative councillor; the office, in fact, that employs the current Conservative candidate for the pending Bilton Ward by election.  Let’s generously call the lack of the Conservative logo an attempt at subtle branding; a desire perhaps to have the ‘issues’ front and centre.  Come on, who am I kidding?  Community News has a blue banner, ‘reports’ exclusively blue mouthpieces and offers no counter opinions.  If that’s “non-poilitical” I’ll bare my bottom on James Street.

The News Media Association, the voice of national, regional and local news media in the UK, has unleashed a campaign calling for an end to such fake newspapers (which is to say an end to the practice of political leaflets not-so-craftily disguising themselves as anything but).  The campaign is called “Don’t Be Duped.”  Don’t let mendacious pols pull the wool over your eyes.  The thing is, that whether it is fake Community News, civil servants on the make and take, or hustling former Prime Ministers (and by the way DC is far from the only one), it’s all a bit low rent.  We need to rise up and demand better, or we will continue to get the politics and politicians we deserve.

Finally this week, how great it is that society is opening up again.  Whatever its faults (and boy does it have them), the government has played a blinder with its vaccination programme.  Sunny skies have seen people flood to outdoor spaces and places and, wrapped up against the wind, begin again to feel the benefit and glow of precious human connection.  We can eat and drink outdoors, non-essential shops are open again, the hirsute are being shorn and the energetic are returning to gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres.  Well, except, that is, in Knaresborough, Ripon and Starbeck, where, for reasons various, the town’s swimming pools remain closed.  What a pity that the council hasn’t been able to deliver an essential service at such an important moment in our national reopening.  This wasn’t covered in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge Community News; and I suspect it won’t be.  Denied the masking whiff of chlorine, the awful smell of politics carries on the wind and tickles the nostrils.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

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Harrogate district care home residents remember Prince Philip ‘fondly’ today

A number of care home residents sat and watched the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral this afternoon.

Care homes in Knaresborough and Harrogate sat to share their memories and remember Prince Philip.

The care homes said a number of their residents has spent this week thinking of Prince Philip and the royal family as they mourn.

At The Gatehouse, on Manor Road in Harrogate, the residents sat to watch the funeral on TV and the staff had put on an afternoon tea for them to enjoy.

Home manager, Adam Carling, said:

“Remembering Prince Philip here at The Gatehouse today. He was an amazing man and our residents remember him fondly. A sad day for all.”

gatehouse care home

Residents came together this afternoon to watch the funeral.

gatehouse care home

The staff decorated the room and organised an afternoon tea.

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At the Manor House care home in Knaresborough the residents also wanted to come together to watch the funeral.

A notice was put up during the week telling residents it would be shown on the TVs in the lounge.

Carer, Alison Morgan, said:

“Lots of our residents have admired the Royals through their lives and today is a very sad day for them, and how we hope the Queen and her family feel the warmth and love and wishes from the public and that in some small way it helps.”

Knaresborough Manor resident

Some residents at Knaresborough Manor watched the service privately in their rooms.

Knaresborough Manor residents

Others sat together in the lounge to watch the service.

The Cuttings, run by Harrogate Neighbours, in Harrogate also encouraged residents to sit together this afternoon to watch the funeral broadcast on TV.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, said:

“Staff and tenants came together to pay their respects to Prince Philip who had been part of their lives for many years. Everyone has a fond memory of a man who has given so much to this country and the commonwealth. Our thoughts are with the Her Majesty The Queen.”

The Cuttings

Residents at The Cuttings sat in the lounge this afternoon to watch the broadcast.

The Cuttings

Many of the Harrogate residents wanted to pay their respects today.

The man hired to revive one of Harrogate’s most historic hotels

Fifteen years ago Paul Donkin applied for a job as a waiter at the St George Hotel in Harrogate.

Now he is the hotel’s general manager and recruiting his own team of staff ahead of re-opening on May 17.

At 35, Mr Donkin may seem relatively young to hold such a senior position at one of Harrogate’s premier hotels.

But he has worked in hospitality since he was 15, lived in Harrogate for the last decade and a half and is brimming with ideas to revive the 90-bed St George.

The hotel, opposite the Royal Hall, is steeped in history but has had a troubled recent past.

After a multi-million pound refurbishment in late 2018, it closed during the first lockdown 13 months ago and then its owner, Shearings Hotels, went into administration in May.

The St George was one of 39 hotels in the group bought by Coast and Country Hotel Collection under an agreement with management company Bespoke Hotels.

Few people, besides a caretaker, have been inside the building for the past year, so it remains in superb post-refurbishment condition.

Gin bar

Mr Donkin’s plans include changing the menu, re-starting weddings and creating a gin bar.

He also wants to create an afternoon tea room, which seems a brave thing to do in a town not exactly under-served by tea rooms. But he sees an opportunity to entice locals to enjoy a brew beneath the magnificent stained glass domed ceiling in one function room.

He also has plans to improve the Dog and Duck bar, which has lacked the appeal of some other Harrogate hotel bars despite its central location. As part of this, he has been talking to Cold Bath Brewing Company about introducing new beers.

What about reviving the hotel leisure club and swimming pool? The pool has been drained. Mr Donkin says:

“It’s on the radar of the owners. The Majestic and Rudding Park are the only hotel leisure centres so it would be nice to have one.”

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Mr Donkin is currently recruiting about a dozen staff for what he calls a ‘soft launch’ in May. He says:

“Once we pick up speed we will be recruiting more.”

What does he think will be the biggest challenge in the new covid world? He replies immediately:

“Customer confidence. Everyone is still a bit nervous about sitting in a restaurant with up to 100 other people.”

‘Harrogate remains a great destination’

At York Pavilion Hotel, where Mr Donkin was previously general manager, he says  more people booked directly with the hotel rather than through websites when it briefly re-opened after the first lockdown in September so they could ask questions about the covid protocol.

He predicts this will continue and there will be more last minute bookings until people feel confident again about going away. He says:

“It’s not going to be easy. But hospitality in Harrogate has always been strong. It’s always been a great destination to come to. We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.”

Although he welcomes the impending reopening of Harrogate Convention Centre, he says the town’s hospitality sector needs to be less dependent on it and “explore other avenues, such as leisure and corporate travellers”. He adds:

“I don’t think we will ever be back to where we were, with 200 or 300 people regularly attending conferences. People do that on Zoom now.”

Mr Donkin, who is married with two children and plans to run his first marathon in October as part of an ambition to complete a triathlon, clearly has a task on his hand. But he knows what he is letting himself in for.

He has worked at many of the town’s major hotels, including the Cedar Court, Old Swan and Crown, and knows the other hoteliers.

“In York, we knew each other but there wasn’t the same community feel as there is in Harrogate.

“I’ve been very excited since I got the role and can’t wait to re-open.”

 

Stray Ferret Secret Shopper: 6 reasons to shop in Harrogate today

A bit about me: I’m not a Stray Ferret staffer, I am a consumer journalist who loves shopping and loves Harrogate. Just in case you don’t know how lucky you are to have this thriving town centre with its fabulous independents alongside the high street big names, I’m here to show you what’s caught my eye in the excitement of the first week of the stores reopening. The items I have picked are my personal choices – I have not been paid to feature them.  

 

WALKING BOOTS

Joules, James Street. £89.95

Let’s face it, after nearly three months of trudging through mud with one other person, our walking boots are completely knackered by over-use aren’t they? With lots more outdoor socializing on the agenda, spring walks will look even more tempting, and stylish, with these cute, lightweight, super comfy upgrades.

 

 

 

BACKPACK

Marks and Spencer, Cambridge Street. £39.50  

It’s tucked away in the menswear section upstairs – but this backpack is perfectly suitable for women too.  The rubberized finish is very cool as well as water repellent, and there’s a handy internal padded laptop compartment. My only complaint is that the Harrogate branch doesn’t stock the larger rucksack with a fold-over top in the same fabric, nor (that I can see) the range of rainwear jackets in the same material – also missing. This range is very fashionable and about a half to two thirds the price of a similar Scandinavian version which might have inspired it. Plus, from my extensive consumer research (ie going round the shops whenever I can), I know that there are other covetable items that M&S aren’t carrying in Harrogate, either. Why not M&S?

 

LAVADA SOAP

Hoopers, St James Street. £4.75

Editor’s choice: “The best soap in the world”, apparently.  Well, it’s an Italian, triple milled natural vegetal soap from Florence so she may well be on to something. As well as lavender they do an iris and a cedar scented version which is more masculine. Plus, it being Hoopers, there’s a whole table of other tempting soaps from this and other brands, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.

 

 

PYJAMA SETS

Jigsaw, James St.  Short sleeve and shorts set £80, Long sleeve and long leg set £85

I love Toile De Jouy patterns on fabric, and blue on white is my favourite of all.  I’m immediately transported to 18th century country life: I can almost hear the harpsichord tinkling in the background. On closer inspection this particular print features punks with spiky clothes and Mohican haircuts and racing cars, which makes it even better.

 

 

STRIPEY TRAINERS AND BAG

Moda in Pelle, West Park.   Trainers £109.95,  Bag £89.95.

Strictly speaking you may not need any more trainers but the metallic rainbow stripes are just so cheerful.  The bag has an adjustable chain handle, two inner compartments, zip pocket and a phone holder. The fashion jury is out on the wisdom of full accessory co-ordination but if you want to – hell, why not?

 

 

 

MOTHER OF PEARL ART DECO EVENING BAG,

Antique Market, Montpelier Mews. £68.

Bear with me on this.  It’s a beautiful, glamorous piece of craftsmanship and history, in great condition, plus I reckon its big enough to fit your phone and bank cards in. Totally unique and a very fair price. I hope it soon finds a careful owner who will treasure it.

More next month!  Keep shopping and keep Harrogate great.

If you have seen something that might catch our Secret Shoppers eye please email the Stray Ferret on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and mark it for her attention. </strong

Harrogate hospital apologises as waiting list nears 16,000 patients

NHS records show that nearly 16,000 people were waiting for treatments at Harrogate District Hospital as coronavirus pushed staff to the brink.

The data reveal how the waiting list has increased by close to a fifth from 13,505 in March 2020 to 15,805 in February 2021.

During the month of February, Harrogate District Hospital was treating 67 coronavirus patients, which was a record number.

Coronavirus has pushed many trusts across the UK closer to breaking point.

The national waiting list reached a new high of 4.7 million in February with 387,000 people waiting for a year to start treatment.

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Harrogate District Hospital has said its staff were “working hard” to reschedule appointments and operations.

It also apologised to patients who have experienced delays.

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“The pandemic means that for many of our patients there will be a delay, and waiting times will be longer than we would normally expect.

“The pandemic continues to affect us and how we deliver our services.

“We have arrangements in place to risk assess every patient on our waiting lists to ensure we prioritise people on the basis of their clinical need.

“This can be a worrying time for patients. We know that people will want their procedure as soon as possible, and that waiting may be frustrating.

“We are sorry for any delay that is experienced, and we are continuing to work hard to provide timely care.”

The trust also paid tribute to the efforts of its staff, who the spokesperson described as being “absolutely fantastic throughout the pandemic”.

Have you been affected by this story? Get in touch with the Stray Ferret by sending an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate cocaine and ketamine dealer jailed for 18 months

A cocaine and ketamine dealer from Harrogate has been jailed for 18 months today.

Callum McLachlan, 20, sold cocaine and ketamine – a tranquilizer notorious for inducing a trance-like state in users – on the streets of Harrogate.

In June 2019 his enterprise fell apart when police pulled over a Fiat Punto travelling between Harrogate Hill and the A61.

McLachlan was the driver and his 17-year-old girlfriend – a former boarding-school pupil whom we have chosen not to name – was in the front passenger seat. A third named man was in the back seat, said prosecutor Imran Khan.

Officers, noting a strong smell of cannabis inside the vehicle, searched the car and found 7g of ketamine inside McLachlan’s wallet. His girlfriend and the male passenger had small amounts of cannabis.

A roadside test revealed he had been drug-driving for which he subsequently received an 18-month driving ban.

McLachlan was arrested and taken into custody, where police found 18 wraps of cocaine and ketamine.

Officers searched a flat in the Dragon Road area where McLachlan and his girlfriend had been living together and found more drugs and £3,585 cash – the proceeds of his dealing. 

McLachlan, lately of Woodfield Road, Harrogate, was charged with six separate drug charges, including possess cocaine with intent to supply, cannabis possession, possessing ketamine with intent to supply, supplying ketamine, possessing MDMA and possessing criminal cash.

He pleaded guilty to all charges on the basis that he had been dealing within his own social circle.

His girlfriend – was charged with being concerned in the supply of ketamine. She initially denied this but later pleaded guilty on the basis that she acted as a conduit for her boyfriend.

Ismael Uddin, for McLachlan, claimed his young client was no “master criminal” despite having criminal convictions.

Mr Uddin said:

“He was living in a predominantly middle-class area…where he started dabbling in drugs.”

“He didn’t have a hard upbringing; there was nothing wrong with his life. He simply fell into the lifestyle he was in.”

He pointed to McLachlan’s “glowing references” from “everybody” who knew him, and he was in gainful employment.

Susannah Proctor, mitigating for McLachlan’s then girlfriend, said she had been “achieving (educationally) at a very high standard” until she met McLachlan.

The female defendant, now 20, had been at boarding school until the age of 16 and then enrolled at a college where she met and fell in love with McLachlan.

She failed her college course because of her relationship with her co-accused but was now back in full-time education in London.

Ms Proctor said:

“She is now doing extremely well (educationally).

“Her parents were obviously devastated by this offending. She has disappointed them in ways she could never have expected.”

She said the woman had “closed her eyes to the reality” of what her boyfriend had been up to, and the resulting court case had been an “awful” experience for her family.

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Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said there was no getting away from the fact that McLachlan was a “supplier and street-dealer” and must face justice to serve as a warning to others that “drugs wreck lives”.

The judge told McLachlan he was “going to keep (the jail sentence) as low as I can”.

“You were (supplying drugs) so you could live in your flat with your girlfriend and it’s thanks to you that she is here (in court).”

McLachlan was jailed for 18 months, he will serve half of the term behind bars before being released on licence.

Dealers peddling Class A substances can normally expect sentences of at least four years.

Mr Morris told McLachlan’s female co-defendant: 

“Were it not for the influence of the person you fell in love with, you wouldn’t be here. You need to have a long, hard think about where you are going in life and who you choose to spend time with.”

She was given a 12-month community order with 200 hours’ unpaid work.

The judge postponed financial-confiscation proceedings until September, when McLachlan will be stripped of the cash he made from his dealing enterprise.