A Harrogate charity has said goodbye to one of its trustees after 42 years, ending a century-long family connection.

At its latest AGM, Vision Support Harrogate District gave a special thank-you to Bob Sergeant for his long service, bringing to an end his family’s involvement since the organisation’s early days.

Bob joined in 1979, following in the footsteps of various family members including his father, Russell Sergeant, after whom the charity’s drop-in centre in East Parade is named.

Russell Sergeant

The Sergeants first became involved with the Harrogate Society for the Blind, as it was then known, in 1923.

The organisation had been founded two years earlier to support local soldiers returning from the First World War with visual impairments caused by mustard gas.

Read more:

• Charity Corner: being a friend to the elderly and lonely in Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Hundreds raised for charity thanks to return of Hampsthwaite vs Birstwith tug of war

Bob’s grandparents, Henry and Marion Sergeant, were near neighbours of the charity’s founder Miss Fripp, who lived in Spring Grove.

Henry had a shop on James Street, where Waterstones is now situated, and offered to display and sell basketry work made by visually impaired people.

Henry Sergeant

Henry went on to become vice chairman of the charity for six years from 1932, while Marion continued to be involved as a committee member.

Later, their son — and Bob’s father — Russell, became a trustee, serving as secretary, chairman and president before being made honorary president in 1993. Russell’s sisters, Jean, Alison and Joyce, were volunteers at the charity’s social centre, while Jean’s husband Les Topham was on the committee.

Volunteers essential

Looking back over nearly a century, Bob said he was proud of his family’s connection and honoured to have been personally involved for so long. But he praised the hard work and commitment of many others in ensuring the society’s longevity and success. He said:

“There is no way that it could survive without the help of its loyal volunteers, some of whom have been there for a number of years.

“I also think the centre would not be here today without the very valuable help from the Rotary Club of Harrogate, which was formed in the same year as the society and has been involved since the start. The club’s members have been absolutely incredible over the decades.”

Bob said some of his highlights included the fundraising garden parties at Dacre Banks and the yearly trip to Scarborough for visually impaired people and their carers.

End of an era

He remembers big events like the annual Christmas party at The Lounge Hall, now Wetherspoons, which welcomed around 400 people. It was funded by the society, with transport arranged by the Rotary Club. He said:

“Funding has become more difficult now. But one of the society’s strengths has always been that over 90 per cent of the money we raise goes back to the direct benefit of the visually impaired people we support.”

Bob and his wife, Mary, still intend to be involved with the society in the future, but his resignation from the committee marks the end of an era as their two sons live too far away to continue the Sergeants’ active contribution. He said:

“Right the way through the charity’s history there has been the Sergeant family and the Rotary Club.

“It’s been part of my life and my family history for so long, but I feel that the time has now come to stand down.”

The festive season is over, payday seems like a lifetime away and there is often a sense of pressure to make big life changes at this time of the year.

And all of that is made worse by the fact it is still cold, dark, wet and miserable outside, with months to go until summer comes around.

So it is no surprise that Blue Monday – the ‘most depressing day of the year’ — falls in January.

Blue Monday usually falls on the third Monday of January, which this year is the 17th.

It appears to have originated in 2005 after a press release from Sky Travel used an equation to calculate the dreaded date.

So what should we do this year to beat those Blue Monday blues?

Harrogate life coach Lisa Duffield, owner of the Lisa Duffield Centre, has four tips.

1 Comparison is the thief of joy

“I wanted to share a little insight I have found within the clients I work with.

“Individuals that are suffering from what is branded the ‘January blues’ are all so focused on comparison.

“Comparison of this month to last month, this year to last year…

“You and your family’s goals or plans, compared to the family next door, or the family who you spend all your time watching on Instagram that you will never meet. And from this insight I bring you my first pill-free prescription to beat the case of January blues.

“Comparison is the single biggest waste of your time.

“Next time you find yourself comparing yourself to others or your life to others etc. just stop take a breath and if you insist on comparing yourself at all, think about you, how far have you come, what have you learned since yesterday, last year or even an hour ago.”

Harrogate life coach, Lisa Duffield.

2 Make realistic goals

“January blues can also shine through goal setting and unrealistic expectations.

“For some reason many of us believe that when the clock strikes 12 on January 1, you change into a new person, fitter, healthier, wealthier.

“Old traditions even show that we wish our first foot “all the wealth, health and happiness” for the New Year. While this is very kind, it does not mean that you have to become an overnight fitness fad and a self-made billionaire.

“Here comes the second tip, make realistic goals that you know you are able to achieve.

“You may have a big dream and that is amazing, but break it down into incremental chunks.

“Make smaller goals that you know will get to. They could be ‘eat more green veg’ or ‘move for an extra 30 minutes per day’, rather than ‘complete a bodybuilding competition and win in three months’.”

• Four wellness retreats in the Harrogate district to re-energise mind, body and soul
• The Malcolm Neesam Harrogate History Walks: The Heart of Harrogate Town Walk

3 Surround yourself with positivity

“Spend time with those who make you happy.

“Over Christmas many of us spend a lot of time with family and friends, we make the effort to go and see relatives that we haven’t seen since the year previous, or we say Merry Christmas to people in the street and smile.

“This makes us happy because we have also made others feel happy. Why stop?

“You can still spend time with ones you love and you can still engage with people in the street. A simple good morning or hello will work wonders.”

4 Try something new

“Last but not least. We’ve all heard it. ‘Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results’.

“It’s time to try something new.

“If you are looking for a different result in 2022 and maybe you are feeling a little deflated, step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

“You will be surprised the paths this teeny act can lead to, you meet new people, learn and experience new things.”

4 ways to cheer yourself up on Blue Monday – by Nina Meads

1 Go for a walk

Nidd Gorge, is one of the many scenic walks that explore nature in the Harrogate district.

In the Harrogate district, we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by stunning countryside. We really are spoilt for choice and personal favourites are Thruscross Reservoir, Nidd Gorge and Hookstone Wood. You also can’t beat a walk around the grounds at Fountains Abbey or Knaresborough waterside.

So lace up those walking boots and head out into the great outdoors. Fresh air and being amongst nature will boost your mood.

If you’re at work, grab a coffee and go for a stroll on your lunch break.

2 Pamper yourself

Rudding Park Spa.

If you want to really spoil yourself, book into Harrogate’s Turkish Baths or enjoy a spa session at Rudding Park, Grantley Hall or Swinton Park.

If money or time is tight, nothing beats a good bath and a book.

3 Do some exercise and practice mindfulness at a Festival of Wellbeing in Harrogate

A ‘festival of wellbeing’ is being held in Harrogate.

While it’s not taking place on Blue Monday itself, OneWellness, in Mowbray Square, is hosting a second Festival of Wellbeing on Saturday, January 15, to help boost mental health.

The free festival from 9am until 4pm, which is being run in association with Mind Harrogate, Sweaty Betty and Hustle & Co, will offer a range of fitness, nutrition and health classes and talks.

From mindfulness and wellbeing, relax and de-stress yoga, to Pilates, barre, and dance cardio classes, the wellbeing experts at OneWellness have tailored each lesson to suit everyone and help boost physical fitness levels whilst increasing positive wellbeing.

4 Meet a friend for a cuppa and cake

Betty’s Harrogate.

The Harrogate district has some of the best coffee shops and tearooms in the country, including lots of amazing independents and the famous Betty’s.

Arrange to meet a friend for a catch-up and lots of laughs. After all, laughter is good for the soul. Oh and don’t forget the cake. That’s essential.

An inquiry into Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital has revealed the facility cost £31.6 million.

The 500-bed hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre was one of eight Nightingale hospitals set up at the start of the covid pandemic in March 2020. It was dismantled last year without treating a single covid patient.

Of its £31.6 million costs, £17 million was spent on building and dismantling works, £10.4 million on running costs and £4.1 million on equipment.

A further £1.1 million was spent on security and around £500,000 on cleaning and food.

Members of West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee launched the inquiry into the hospital after raising questions over why it was not used to treat any covid patients and how it would have been staffed if needed.

The committee has now concluded that while these questions remain unanswered, the need for the eight Nightingale hospitals across the UK showed there was insufficient critical care capacity in regular hospitals.

Read more:

• Investigation launched into Harrogate Nightingale hospital
• WATCH: NHS takes down Nightingale hospital in Harrogate
• ‘A costly PR stunt’: calls for an inquiry into Harrogate Nightingale

Harrogate Borough Council – which owns the convention centre – also charged £4.2 million for staffing, utilities, business rates.

The committee said while it had not reached a conclusion on the costs, it had asked for its findings to be presented to a full public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic set to be launched later this year.

Meanwhile, the inquiry also found that the nation had to be better prepared for future pandemics.

It said:

“The country needs to learn from this experience to plan for future pandemics.

“Although we learnt that staffing the Nightingale hospital would have only required 0.6% of the NHS hospital workforce across Yorkshire and the Humber, this only worked when nearly all elective hospital work had been suspended.

“This still feels like it would have been very tight and put significant pressure on certain key professions.”

‘Most frightening experience of my life’

The Nightingale hospital opened in April 2020 amid fears that the NHS might be overwhelmed by covid and it was dismantled almost a year later at a total cost of £31.6 million.

Members of the West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee suggested there was a public view that the seven Nightingale hospitals were a “major waste of money”.

However, senior NHS officials have argued that had the hospitals not been built and it subsequently proved they were needed, the consequences would have been “unthinkable”.

Speaking at a meeting with the committee in September, Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“If they had been needed and they hadn’t been built, we would have been asked far more difficult questions than why did you spend £30 million.

“I cannot describe to you the feeling of sitting in the convention centre looking at the chart that in four days we will run out of ventilation beds until you get this hospital mobilised.

“It was the most frightening experience of my life.”

The committee also praised the thousands of staff involved in setting up and running the Nightingale, including NHS workers, council staff, contractors and volunteers.

The committee said: 

“The predicted numbers of covid patients for Yorkshire and the Humber far outweighed the number of hospital beds that could be provided for all levels of care, which was why it was important to have the further capacity that the Nightingale hospitals gave us.

“We have nothing but admiration for the way in which they, NHS colleagues throughout Yorkshire and the Humber and partner organisations responded.

“It is a tribute to the work of the NHS, local authorities, the community and voluntary sector and many others that we did not need to use the Nightingale Hospital.”

A Harrogate vet has warned dog owners to avoid popular walking spots if their pets have symptoms of a mystery illness spreading across town.

There have been widespread reports of vomiting and diarrhoea among dogs that have been to the East Yorkshire coast in the last week. However, dogs have also caught the virus in Harrogate.

The Harrogate Vet, on Leeds Road, told the Stray Ferret that its vets have seen a three-fold increase in dogs with gastroenteritis in the last week.

Sarah Woods, one of the vets at the practice, said:

“It is not unusual for viruses to spread but this is different in terms of the sheer number of unwell dogs we are treating — around a dozen a day.

“We do not want dog owners to panic or change anything they are doing.

“Dogs that have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea just need to avoid popular areas to prevent the spread.”

Ms Woods added that most dogs they have seen have responded well to treatment.

Kelly Anne, who owns a miniature schnauzer called Pepper, said her dog became unwell after a walk around the Skipton Road area of Harrogate. She said:

“She has really not been herself at all, it has just been really sad to see.

“Last night I saw her stomach contracting and how much pain she was in. It made me cry.”

Read more:

• Andrew Jones MP welcomes pause in smart motorway rollout
• First look at Harrogate cafe helping disabled people into jobs

Nicky Shamir, who works as a hypnotherapist, recently took her cockapoo Barney for a walk round Harrogate’s Valley Gardens. She said:

“On the way back he started with diarrhoea and when I managed to get him home he just slept.

“He is just eight months old so it was really unusual and I took him to the vet. We have now got him on some medication and he is starting to improve.”

Kirsty Atkinson owns three cocker spaniels called Isla, Miley and Jet. She told the Stray Ferret:

“One started being ill on Tuesday evening then the other Wednesday and last one started yesterday.

“The only place they have been walked is around the block we live on Harlow Avenue and the bit of parkland at the end of Hartley Road so we could only have picked it up there.

“It’s a bit worrying but more reassuring that we maybe know it’s just gastroenteritis and that they should be better within a few days.”

North Yorkshire Police has put out a second appeal for information on the whereabouts of 18-year-old Luke Gibson, who is wanted in connection with a serious assault.

An appeal for the teenager was first posted in late November but the police are still unable to locate him.

They believe he is in Harrogate or Leeds and are asking anyone who has seen him or has information to come forward.

To give information to the police, call North Yorkshire Police on 101 with reference number 12210245826.

To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Read more:

• Two people wanted following burglary at Harrogate jewellers
• Police appeal after criminal damage to bus stops in Bilton

Northern Gas Networks has submitted an objection on Tesco’s plans to build a new supermarket in Harrogate.

The supermarket giant has lodged proposals to Harrogate Borough Council for a new store on the former gasworks in the New Park area of town.

Northern Gas Networks, which sold the site to Tesco for £2.8 million in 2003, is concerned about the potential impact on Harrogate’s gas supply.

The site of the proposed Tesco.

In its formal objection on the council planning portal, NGN said it retained legal rights on a high pressure pipeline at the site that was “instrumental in supplying gas to the town”. It says the legal rights enable it to prevent any building on or near the length of the pipeline.

The pipe cuts across the north-eastern side of the site from Skipton Road to Oak Beck.

It is standard practice for NGN to object to any plans which are close or over a high pressure pipeline. Its objection aims to ensure the company, which distributes gas to 2.7 million homes in northern England, will be involved in the planning process.

Read more:

• Tesco consultation results reveal support for new Harrogate store
• Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans

A spokesperson for Tesco said:

“We will consider all feedback received on our application. We will have further discussions with Harrogate Borough Council about the issues raised.”

Artist impression of how the Tesco will look on Skipton Road.

Tesco has harboured ambitions for a new store in the town for almost 20 years. The retailer previously had plans approved in 2009, but pulled out after opposition from local traders.

Although many people have welcomed the prospect of a new supermarket in the north of Harrogate, some are concerned about traffic plus access to the site.

However, the company has said in transport documents submitted to the council that the site would see fewer car journeys than under previous plans.

Harrogate country sports shop Orvis is set to close as part of a major restructure of the business.

Orvis, which sells clothes for men and women, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items. has had a store in Harrogate for about 25 years. It was on Parliament Street before moving to its current site on West Park, which is currently operating a closing down sale.

The US-owned company confirmed that the Harrogate store, which has about eight members of staff, will remain open until the end of March.

Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and it is believed all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close.

The company will re-focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.

Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.

Read more:

• Harrogate district business says Brexit has cost it £210,000
• Ripon city centre pub closes for ‘forseeable future’

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has supported the government’s decision to pause the rollout of smart motorways.

Mr Jones was a key advocate of smart motorways during his time as a minister at the Department for Transport between 2015 and 2019.

The government this week shelved any further implementations of the scheme “until five years worth of safety data becomes available” for motorways built before 2020.

There have been mounting concerns about the technology after multiple deaths and near misses have been reported.

Government figures show 38 deaths on smart motorways were recorded between 2014 and 2019, including John Mercer, who died on a stretch of the M1 without a hard shoulder in 2019.

Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the issue yesterday, Mr Jones said:

“The pause that has been announced gives us the chance to retrofit, implement and review the stopped vehicle detection technology and perhaps improve it.

“The pace of the development is so fast that I am sure that developments will come into play sooner rather than later.

“We should expect all modes of transport to become busier as we emerge from the pandemic, and that will include our roads. As that happens, road safety must never be compromised, but enhanced.”

Read more:

• ‘God help us!’ — fears over need for £31m to fund North Yorks fire service
• Harrogate district MPs silent over Prime Minister party apology

During his time as a transport minister in May 2016, Mr Jones insisted that the rollout of smart motorways was not being done “on the cheap”, as opponents of the scheme had claimed. They said it compromised safety.

At a Transport Select Committee debate at the time, the Conservative MP said:

“Are these things being developed on the cheap? No, no they’re not. This is part of a comprehensive injection of capacity into our national strategic road network.

“This is a key ingredient in our first road investment strategy, that is a £15 billion budget.”

At the same debate, he later added that the government was monitoring the safety of the schemes and that he did not think it was “a question of having a back-up plan or pausing”.

The government has said pausing the rollout builds on its action plan for smart motorways, which includes adding emergency areas and upgrading cameras to detect red X offences.

A new ethical cafe in Harrogate, which provides jobs for people with disabilities, has opened.

Artizan International quietly opened its South-American themed cafe in the former Game unit on Cambridge Road at the start of the week — and it’s already drawing a crowd.

Demand is so high that the cafe is looking to accelerate the renovation of the first floor to make way for more seating.

The charity opened a shop around the corner on Oxford Street in 2020, which helps visually impaired people overseas earn a living by selling their craft work.

However, Artizan International founder Susie Hart discovered there were “countless” young people with other disabilities in North Yorkshire. As a result, she set the cafe on a different path by giving them the opportunity to find employment.

Read more:

• ‘Drab’ Harrogate town centre street to get colourful makeover
• Harrogate’s own chocolate factory

The cafe serves a speciality Peruvian hot chocolate. All of its coffee, tea and sugar are from Fairtrade sources. It also stocks a range of soups, panninis and cakes.

It is open from 10am until 5pm Mondays to Saturdays. The cafe is closed for art workshops for children on Sundays.

Liz Cluderay, UK programmes officer at Artizan International, told the Stray Ferret:

“The long term aim of the project is very much about reaching local businesses. We want them to see young adults with learning disabilities and just how capable they are.

“Work like this is particularly important because of coronavirus. In the first lockdown they were sent home and, for the most part, their work opportunities have not returned.

“But people shouldn’t come here because they feel sorry for the people who work here. We want customers to come here simply because it’s a brilliant cafe with amazing coffee and food.”

More pictures from inside the cafe

There is plenty of food and drink on offer.

The cafe has been decorated beautifully.

Matthew is cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Harrogate Town hopes to raise £1,500 tonight to fund a defibrillator on Commercial Street in central Harrogate by selling match-worn shirts.

Shirts signed by captain Josh Falkingham and long-serving midfielders Lloyd Kerry and George Thomson are among those on sale.

A club statement today said:

“The 2020/21 campaign was a historic one for Harrogate Town as it marked the club’s debut season in the English Football League.

“Now you have the chance to own a bit of Harrogate Town history.”

Shirts will be available online from 7pm today on the Harrogate Town club shop. They will be split into categories of £20, £50, £70, £100, and £150 and sold on a first come, first served basis.

Read more:

• Harrogate Town promotion hero Connor Hall joins Port Vale
• Reformer Pilates and yoga studio opens in old Harrogate chapel