Fund set up in memory of Harrogate musician Aaron Bertenshaw

The mother of Harrogate singer-songwriter Aaron Bertenshaw, who died suddenly aged 26 last week, has set up a fundraising page to help people with diabetes overcome mental health problems.

Aaron, a former pupil at St Aidan’s Church of England High School, was a popular and well known figure on the Harrogate district music scene. He was a regular at the Blues Bar, where he first performed and at many other venues, such as Hales Bar.

Sammy Oates, his mother, told the Stray Ferret she was in “complete shock” at the loss of her son “who had the most infectious smile”.

Sammy said she believed Aaron went into a diabetic coma but a post mortem would be held to ascertain Thursday’s cause of death.

She added he had struggled massively to cope with being diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of 18 and had recently been treated for ketoacidosis, which affects people whose bodies don’t produce enough insulin.

“Aaron touched a lot of lives. He was only 26 but packed a lot in. He also worked as a barber and played rugby for Otley when he was young.

“He was such a bright shining star and an absolute social butterfly. Everyone knew him and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“What I remember most is his smile. He had the most infectious smile. There was always a twinkle in the eyes.

“He had a heart of gold. We lost the family dog as well last week and we were all devastated about that.”

A gofundme page set up by Sammy has already raised over £3,000. Donations can be made here.

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She said the money would be used to provide mental health support to people with diabetes. Mental health and diabetes are usually treated separately and there was a need to provide a service that addressed the two issues together, said Sammy.

“Aaron hated being diabetic. He couldn’t handle it and he didn’t take his insulin.

“Because he was a musician he was in the party scene a lot. So at 18 when all his friends were out partying he was at home injecting himself.

“It’s a bit of a vicious circle. Diabetes is massively life changing so he’d get down about it and then not want to deal with it.”

Memorial show

Sammy said a memorial service would be held at St John’s Church in Bilton where he and his family were christened. She also plans to stage a memorial show next year.

Aaron, who was due to perform in Wakefield this weekend, started gigging at 15 and shortly afterwards released an EP record. His mum was a singer and he regularly watched bands with his dad, Sam Bertenshaw.

He played the guitar and his vast musical influences included Ed Sheeran and Leonard Cohen. Besides playing in venues, he busked for cancer charities when the disease claimed the life of his uncle at the age of 42. Sammy said:

“If we can just help one person it will all be worthwhile. Perhaps we could find a counsellor who could advise on living with diabetes rather than just the medical side of things. Maybe set up a charity. I just know I need to do something and I need to do it in his name and now while everyone is aware.”

Aaron leaves Sammy and her partner, Jonathan, dad Sam and his partner Fiona and a sister, Ruth.

Sammy described the Blues Bar as “a huge part of Aaron’s life “.

Simon and Sharon Colgan, the owners of the Blues Bar, paid a joint tribute to Aaron. They said:

“Aaron sang in the Blues Bar from the beginning of his career. He inspired other young musicians and was never demanding of attention

“He was a warm, intelligent and gifted young man who was giving and thoughtful towards others

“He is a part of our blues family, known and loved by everyone We will always have fond memories of Aaron. It is such a tragic loss to us all.”

‘Christmas, the final frontier’ for Harrogate Star Trek super-fan

A Harrogate Trekkie hopes her Christmas idea will “live long, and prosper” after spending more than 25 years importing Star Trek tree decorations from the US.

Susan Scarre, who is originally from Chicago, fell in love with Star Trek in the 1960s when her older brother introduced her to the show.

Star Trek has come in many different forms since then and Ms Scarre has enjoyed them all. So when Hallmark Ornaments first released Star Trek ornaments  in 1991 it did not take her long to start collecting.

Although her collection could have been worth a fortune today if she had kept them in their boxes, she has no regrets about the years of fun she has had. Many of them now adorn her tree.

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Ms Scarre told the Stray Ferret:

“Some people might think Star Trek is corny and predictable but I love the positive messages that always come with the show and I am fascinated by outer space.

“It’s been interesting watching the development over the years. At first they would light up, then they came out with ones that made noises but now they are much more developed.

“We have two Christmas trees at our house. One for the family and one for all the Star Trek ornaments. But I have run out of room now so I might need to get a third tree! next year”

Harrogate Town fans dreaming of Mo Salah and Ronaldo in FA Cup draw

A fan poll has revealed Harrogate Town fans’ hopes of seeing their team line up against the likes of Mo Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo or Harry Kane in the FA Cup.

The third round is when Premier League clubs enter the historic competition ⁠— and smaller clubs like Harrogate Town can look forward to a potentially glamorous and lucrative tie.

We asked a Harrogate Town fan group on Facebook which team they hope will be picked out of the hat to face Simon Weaver’s men. The draw takes place from 7pm tonight and will be broadcast live on ITV4.

Around 50 fans responded.

Many are hoping for a draw against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United as some fans will have some split allegiances. The two neighbours used to regularly play pre-season friendlies against each other but have never faced off in a competitive fixture.

Michael Ellison said:

“Leeds away would attract many Harrogate residents who ‘support’ both or either club, especially those who are unable to obtain tickets for league games at Elland Road.”

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Several supporters said they were hoping for an away day at Tottenham Hotspur’s £1bn new stadium in London.

Paul Keys said:

“Spurs away, be great to visit that stadium and watch Connor Hall have Kane in his pocket!”

Callum Hurle was hoping Town would be rewarded with a tie against Jurgen Klopp’s star-laden Liverpool side.

“It would be a great experience going to Anfield and cheering the Town on and it would be a great reward for getting to the third round for the first time! Brilliant to see how far we have come in the last few years, we should all be proud of Harrogate.”

Darrell Gardner said:

“I’ve supported Everton since childhood so I’d love for Town to play them at Goodison. It would be a difficult game to watch, my allegiances would be torn but I’d shouting from the stands for a Town win.”

Ball numbers to look out for

64 – Harrogate Town

2 – Arsenal

21 – Leeds United

23 – Liverpool

25 – Manchester United

26 – Manchester City

40 – Tottenham Hotspur

Harrogate primary school earns national recognition for diversity

A Harrogate primary school has earned national recognition for combating prejudice between people of different religions and ethnicities.

Coppice Valley Primary School finished second in the annual Accord Inclusivity Awards. It was one of only four schools to be praised for its work in the awards.

Accord is a coalition of organisations that includes religious groups, humanists, teachers, trade unionists, educationalists and civil rights activists, working together for inclusive education.

One of the judges, the Reverend Stephen Terry, presented the school with a trophy during a presentation assembly this morning.

After the ceremony he said:

“Coppice Valley Primary School’s effort and commitment in creating and maintaining an inclusive environment would be highly impressive were it a large secondary school.

“For instead a primary school to be embedding inclusivity into its ethos and ways of working to the extent that it is, is truly exemplary.

“The judging panel is therefore delighted to celebrate it as an inspiration for others across the country.”

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The school has given its staff gender and sexual identities training, re-examined its curriculum to address white and western bias and anonymised job applications to avoid bias.

Coppice Valley Primary School headteacher, Emma Meadus, said:

“We’re delighted to have been recognised for our work in school to promote mutual understanding and respect. It’s a wonderful achievement for the whole school community.”

Storm Barra: Warning for strong winds and snow in Harrogate district

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for strong winds and snow tomorrow in the Harrogate district.

Storm Barra is expected to arrive at 9am and could last until midnight.

A yellow warning for wind has been issued from 9am until midnight and covers most of the district.

Another yellow warning for snow has been issued from 11am until midnight. It suggests snowfall is likely to hit Pateley Bridge and other parts of Nidderdale.

BBC Weather says there is a chance of snow in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon tomorrow afternoon.

The Met Office warns there may be delays to public transport and there is the possibility of power cuts.

Storm Barra comes just over a week since Storm Arwen, which cut electricity to thousands of homes and caused damage to trees and property.

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Harrogate woman buys cauliflower the size of egg from Aldi

A Harrogate woman was reduced to laughter when she discovered the cauliflower she had planned to cook for dinner was in fact the size of an egg.

Sarah Stead visited the Aldi store in Harrogate on Thursday to do her usual weekly shop but got a surprise when she started to prepare her meal that night.

When she began peeling away the numerous leaves she discovered the vegetable itself was in fact as small as an egg.

She said:

“It was in the offer section for 59p but still I didn’t expect to be this small! I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw it.”

She said it looked like a normal cauliflower in its packaging.

She added:

“I hope no one else has one in their house they’re yet to cook with. They’re going to get a shock.”

This was the cauliflower Ms Stead discovered when she got home.

Ms Stead had hoped to cook cauliflower cheese for dinner but had to change her plans.

She returned to the store next day and received a full refund. She added she found the situation more amusing than annoying and thought it was a funny story to tell.

Aldi had not responded to our request for comment by the time of publication.

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Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s Al with you to start off the week with your road and public transport updates.

If there’s anything I’ve missed, and it is safe to do so, give me a call on 01423 276197.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

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Traffic is moving slower than usual in these areas:

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8:30am – Full Update 

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Traffic is moving slower than usual in these areas:

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8am – Full Update 

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Some traffic hotspots are starting to appear:

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7:30am – Full Update 

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Traffic looks to be running smoothly so far this morning.

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7am – Full Update 

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Everything still looks quiet on the roads this morning, but if I’ve missed anything do get in touch.

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6.30am – Full Update 

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The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no build ups of traffic yet.

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Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate reopens for vaccines today

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopens today as a vaccination site.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, the town has not had a vaccination site since August, when the showground stopped administering jabs.

Since then residents have been travelling to Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds and York, for appointments.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

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Charity Corner: at the forefront of mental health support during covid

The mental health charity Mind in Harrogate district has had two years like no other, with lockdown causing more people to reach out for additional support.

The charity is affiliated with the larger national charity Mind and was founded in 1973.

It offers counselling, a telephone befriending service and numerous group workshops for people suffering with their mental health.

The main aim of the charity is to be the place people come to if they are struggling. Its befriending and counselling services will continue throughout December although during the week between Christmas and New Year, it will only be available for telephone support.

Helen Greensit, centre development manager, said:

“Over the last two years referrals have been constant. I wouldn’t say that the Christmas period has been any busier than the rest of the year but certainly there are no signs of the referrals slowing down.”

This week alone the charity has received five referrals for support, which included telephone support, registration requests to join group activities and referrals to the counselling service.

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Ms Greensit also said lockdown had increased the number of people struggling with social anxiety. She said people coming to the charity were still struggling to go out because they lacked the motivation to do so.

She said:

“With covid, we have seen a lot more people struggling with loneliness and isolation. Other main reasons for referrals are depression and anxiety.”

The charity has nine members of staff and numerous volunteers who help with the befriending service, which works to reach some of the most isolated in the district. Ms Greensit said:

“Within the last two years the charity has diversified in order to meet the growing needs of our community.”

Stray Views: Station Gateway will benefit far more people than cyclists

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Station Gateway will benefit far more people than cyclists

It’s good to read letters in Stray Views from Andrew Willoughby, Peter Whittingham and others in favour of the Station Gateway project, countering what in my opinion are unfounded fears about a great opportunity for significant investment to improve the town centre.

The Station Gateway scheme is not ‘to benefit cyclists’. The suggestion by some that the only way into town will be on a bicycle is utter nonsense. The scheme is aimed at ‘improving the public realm’, making the town centre a better place for people to spend time in, and to make it a safer and more pleasant place in which to walk and cycle.

It will mean less traffic, which scientists and governments recognise is essential if we are serious about tackling the climate crisis.

Objectors claim, with great confidence but no evidence, that reducing Station Parade to one lane is sure to cause massive congestion. I don’t agree. I think the conclusion of the county council’s consultants, based on pre-covid data, makes sense, which is that journey times will only be marginally longer even at peak times. What we are more likely to get is traffic evaporation. As this 2019 study found, ‘one of the best kept, and counter intuitive secrets in urban planning [is that] less road space doesn’t increase congestion but leads to a drop in vehicle numbers’.

This is what appears to be happening in the centre of Leeds where a far more radical reallocation of road space than is planned for Harrogate is well underway.

I ran Argos Sports in Beulah Street for 30 years. I believe that the noisy minority of local businesses opposing the scheme don’t know what’s good for them.

They are being offered a £10.9m investment to improve and bring more residents and visitors into the town centre yet they keep their heads firmly buried in the past pretending that their customers must be able to park outside their shops, which they can rarely do even now. Station Gateway will make the town centre more successful, and a much less polluted and more pleasant environment in which to spend time and to go to work.

I fully agree with those who want a feasibility study to look at making West Park and Parliament Street two-way, and with making 20mph rather than 30mph the default speed limit in our town centre and elsewhere.

The local authorities are contributing massively to our traffic problem by allowing one development after another, thousands of new homes, to be built which are car dependent by design, too far from town to walk, poorly served by public transport, and with no useful cycle infrastructure.

I also believe it’s time to stop HGVs from using many of our urban streets without restriction day and night.

Malcolm Margolis BEM, Harrogate

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Businesses are right to be worried about Station Gateway

According to North Yorkshire County Council, the outcome of its congestion study was to provide more sustainable transport. It would appear its meaning of sustainable is walking and cycling.

In my view it means frequent, affordable, viable all year transport for all and not just a minority. A total of 22% of the population is over the age of 65.

Have they forgotten the additional congestion and stop-starting which will arise if Station Parade is reduced to one lane? It is a classified major trunk road.

North Yorkshire County Council obviously considered 12 weeks in normal circumstances was required for consultation on the relief road but four weeks during lockdown when residents were advised to stay at home sufficient for the Gateway project.

I understand the Gateway scheme, if it goes ahead ,will start in spring 2022 and take 12 months. North Yorkshire County Council also intend to replace Oak Beck bridge on Skipton Road, with the disruption lasting six months, starting January 2022

It is not surprising that many businesses are concerned about their future.

Catherine Alderson, Harrogate

Gateway is ill-conceived and needs scrapping

I wish to add weight to the growing number of Harrogate residents who oppose the proposed Station Gateway. The project is ill-conceived and in my opinion [and the opinion of everyone in my neighbourhood], it needs to be scrapped.
Roger Cooke, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.