Environmental campaigners have removed fake grass from one of the raised beds in Harrogate’s Cambridge Street, and replaced it with plants.

Extinction Rebellion Harrogate claimed responsibility for the action in a sign posted on the bed reading, ‘Grow plants not plastic’.

The group also posted a poem on the bed titled ‘We Did This’. It reads:

“Just ordinary people

Made this ordinary stand”

The poem goes on to explain what they have done with the plastic grass:

“We haven’t stolen it

You get your plastic back

We have rolled it up and tied it

And put it in a sack”

Read more:

• Huge backlash against ‘cheap and tacky’ fake grass
• Turf wars: Harrogate council spent £800 on fake grass

It is not known precisely when the group performed the stunt, although it is thought to have taken place last night or early this morning.

The controversial plastic grass first appeared last weekend, and has been widely condemned. Criticisms included the lack of aesthetic appeal and the anti-ecological nature of using plastic grass instead of real plants.

The Stray Ferret has approached Extinction Rebellion and Harrogate Borough Council, which installed the fake grass, for comment.

A number of Harrogate shop keepers have called in a local charity to help them become more accessible for disabled customers.

Disability Action Yorkshire is working with some retailers on Commercial Street in a move that it is hoped will also make them more profitable.

The spending power of disabled people and their families, known as the purple pound, is estimated to be worth £249 billion and increasing each year.

Josh McCormack, Disability Action Yorkshire’s think access co-ordinator, has been advising businesses.

Mr McCormack recommended the owner of The Cheeseboard, which is a small store and has a step in the entrance, put a sign in the window saying, “If you can’t come into to us, we will come out to you”.

This informs customers with wheelchairs or prams that they are welcome and can get help.

Mr McCormack said:

“More and more businesses are now looking at making their premises accessible to all, particularly as online shopping became a way of life during the three national covid lockdowns.

“In many cases, becoming accessible need not cost a penny. Businesses are starting to realise the value of the purple pound and to become accessible they need someone who can advise them.

“My role at Disability Action Yorkshire is to go into a business, conduct an audit, and them produce a report. Disabled people want to enjoy the same experiences as everybody else, and a business becoming accessible makes complete sense.”

The charity has said it is keen to work with shops across the Harrogate district that want to become more accessible.

Read more:

• Harrogate care home resident says he still thinks more should be done for residents as lockdown eases
• Outdoor dining causes safety concerns for Harrogate disability charity

Gemma Aykroyd, the owner of The Cheeseboard, said:

“I’d like to thank Josh for visiting our shop and speaking to me about what we could do to become more accessible.

“Whilst the limited space and step are a barrier, Josh offered us some very practical and simple advice. This simple measure says we will go that extra mile, ensuring we cater for everyone.”

The Lingerie Room in Harrogate is to be converted into a home.

The shop is due to permanently close on July 31, with owner Nicola Silcock retiring after five years in the town.

Ms Silcock moved the business from Settle to its current location on Tower Street. The site was previously occupied by a business that sold lighting.

Now Harrogate Borough Council has approved a planning application from landlord James Hopkins to form one larger home that includes both the shop and the upstairs property.

The first-floor kitchen will become a bedroom and the ground floor will be altered to create an open plan kitchen with a lounge to the front.

Read more:

• ‘Hidden gem’ Knaresborough knitting shop stocks more than wool
• Harrogate care supplies shop closes to move online

Ms Silcock told the Stray Ferret in February that although she had a loyal customer base, a reduction in footfall in Harrogate had made the shop less financially viable.

She said:

“People are too busy and ordering shopping online is so easy.”

Conservative councillor Matt Scott has said he feels “privileged” to represent Harrogate at county level after his by-election win tightened the Tories’ grip on the town.

He was elected onto one of two Bilton and Nidd Gorge seats on North Yorkshire County Council on Friday.

His victory was a major blow for the Liberal Democrats, which had previously won six out of eight county elections in the area in the last 16 years.

It means the Conservatives have strengthened their power on the county council by lifting their total seats to 57 out of 72.

Speaking on Monday to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Scott said he was pleased with the result as he also set out his top priorities for his new term:

“My message to those who voted for me is the same as my message to those who did not vote for me – I am privileged to be able to represent the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on the county council and will be pleased to help anyone who gets in touch with me.

“I am interested in positive outcomes, not the political allegiance of someone who has come to me for help.

“As a sitting district councillor I will continue to work hard on tackling litter and protecting our green spaces.

“In terms of county council issues I will be doing all I can to support Woodfield Community Primary School. I will also be taking a keen interest in sustainable transport issues as a means of tackling congestion.”

Cllr Scott, who already represents the Bilton Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council and is employed as a caseworker for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joins Paul Haslam as one of two Conservative county councillors serving the area.

The by-election was held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber, whose party previously had a strong foothold during the last four elections.

Read more:

• Conservatives win Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election
• Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate ‘very sorry’ after by-election defeat

Standing to replace him was Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Kempston-Parkes, who was second by a margin of 352 votes.

Mr Kempston-Parkes, a local businessman and former borough councillor, said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the result but promised the party will come back “stronger than ever”. He said:

“I know we will continue the fight against this stranglehold on local politics – we are certainly not finished.”

Mr Kempston-Parkes also criticised the first-past-the-post voting system, which meant the Conservatives won with 43% of votes. He expressed hopes that other opposition parties could form an alliance to contest elections as one group in the future.

He said:

“Perhaps the Lib Dems, Greens and Labour need to come together and form a progressive way of working in order to give the electorate one clear choice.

“If that had been the case in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, the Conservatives would have come second, which is the really sad thing about this election – the majority of people didn’t vote for the person who won.

“As long as the parties in the centre and to the left continue to stand against each other then the Conservatives will continue to rub their hands in glee and rule in the majority when in fact they are the minority.”

The by-election held last week was the only local council election held in the Harrogate district.

A full election for all seats on North Yorkshire County Council was scheduled to take place but was cancelled because of the ongoing local government reorganisation.

Under the plans, elections to a new unitary council structure – which will replace the current two-tier system in North Yorkshire – could happen in 2022 depending on government approval.

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election results in full are:

It has emerged that a woman died at Harrogate District Hospital after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid vaccine.

Deaths from the vaccine are exceptionally rare but the Financial Times revealed a 59-year-old woman called Julia began having headaches in mid-March, nine days after receiving her first jab.

She initially thought she was suffering migraines but on March 29 her husband, a retired doctor called Peter, came home to find her in a coma.

According to the FT, doctors at the Harrogate hospital said she had a “catastrophic brain injury” resulting from cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and a very low platelet count — the rare blood condition linked to the AstraZeneca jab. Two days later she died.

According to the government, just over 10 people develop adverse drug reactions for every million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine given.

Read more:

• Harrogate district first covid vaccine doses near 100,000
• GP praises vaccine progress but warns against relaxing too soon

A UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency spokesperson said:

“We are saddened to hear about this death and our thoughts are with the family.

“As with any serious suspected adverse drug reaction, reports with a fatal outcome are fully evaluated by the MHRA, including an assessment of post-mortem details if available.

“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from covid and have already saved thousands of lives. Everyone should continue to get their vaccination when asked to do so unless specifically advised otherwise.

“Our detailed and rigorous review into reports of blood clots occurring together with thrombocytopenia is ongoing.”

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesman declined to comment.

Three covid vaccines have been authorised for supply in the UK by the MHRA.

Besides Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use following reviews of safety, quality and efficacy information from clinical trials.

Further information on vaccines is available here.

The Manchester Furniture Show is set to be held in Harrogate this year as more events are lined up for after lockdown.

The annual show is normally hosted at Manchester Central, but a post on the events website says the show will now be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

It is unclear why the event has been moved, but it is due to be held alongside the Home and Gift Buyers Festival.

The show will take place from July 18-21.

It becomes the latest event to be held at the town’s convention centre and the Royal Hall after lockdown.

Read more:

• Jimmy Carr first confirmed show at Royal Hall
• ‘10-day Gilbert & Sullivan Festival returns to Harrogate

Comedians Jimmy Carr, Jon Richardson and Katherine Ryan are lined up for September and October.

The Harrogate Bridal Show is also due to be held in September after being postponed last year.

Meanwhile, the 10-day International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is returning to Harrogate this year, in a major boost for the town’s economy.

Harrogate hosted the event annually from 2014 until last year, when it was cancelled due to covid.

The festival, which will take place from August 8 to August 18 at the Royal Hall, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world.

Following the announcement, Janet Smith, festival director, said:

“After the horrible year we have all endured, we cannot wait to get back into the theatre.

“Our seating plan in the theatre is socially distanced, and only 40% of the usual Royal Hall seats are available, so we expect tickets to sell out quickly.

“We will have to wait to hear the government announcements about easing restrictions on June 21, when hopefully we will be allowed to open up more seats.”

Informal discussions could take place between the local Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green parties about working together.

The move follows Conservative Matt Scott’s victory in last week’s Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election.

Arnold Warneken, who represented Harrogate and District Green Party, told the Stray Ferret he had approached the Liberal Democrats and Labour about setting up a meeting.

Mr Warneken said co-operation “made sense” and he hoped some form of progressive alliance would emerge.

Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said collaboration with other parties was “a discussion that needs to be had” and she was open-minded on the subject.

Cllr Marsh described the loss of the seat on North Yorkshire County Council formally held by the Liberal Democrat Geoff Webber as “a huge shock and disappointment”.

Asked why she felt voters had turned against the Liberal Democrats, she said:

“I have no idea. With all the sleaze and cronyism taking place and I am at a total loss to understand why anyone still votes for the Conservatives.”

Asked if she would consider her position as leader following the by-election defeat, she said she had been re-elected two weeks ago and intended to carry on.

Read more:

• Bilton Liberal Democrat candidate ‘very sorry’ after by-election defeat
• Conservatives win Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election

Margaret Smith, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party, said it was not averse to discussions but its ability to enter into any formal arrangement with other parties would be determined by the national Labour Party. She said:

“It’s about building a progressive alternative and when we agree on issues we would like to work with anyone, irrespective of party membership or support.

“It is a matter of building coalitions, issue by issue, where we agree.”

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Scott, who won 43 per cent of the vote in Bilton and Nidd Gorge, why he felt voters had switched to the Conservatives and what was top of his agenda but he declined to answer.

Organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market have said they are confident this year’s event in November will go ahead.

They have confirmed their plans to hold the market on the Montpellier Hill area from Thursday, November 18 to Sunday, November 21.

Many large public events this year have been cancelled due to ongoing covid uncertainty, especially over insurance but the Christmas market organisers said they expected to have adequate cover.

A one-way system to control the flow of people will be put in place.

However, the organisers said it wasn’t possible to control the number of visitors in an area as big as the Stray but this should not be a barrier with all social distancing rules set to go on June 21.

Read more:

• ‘Devastated’ organisers confirm Harrogate Christmas Market 2020 cancellation
• Virtual Christmas market created to boost Harrogate’s small businesses

Officials pulled the plug in August on last year’s Christmas market amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

It was the first time that the four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, did not go ahead.

Brian Dunsby, who runs the Christmas market, told the Stray Ferret:

“We feel quite confident. We do not know what the government requirements will be but we will observe them.

“There’s already big demand. We have 140 traders booked in and 15 coach loads already.”

A Harrogate PR director has been named as the new chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

David Simister, who founded Different PR in 2006, will take over the role from outgoing chief executive Sandra Doherty.

Ms Doherty, who took on the role in May 2016, is set to move to Northumberland and retire after selling her Alexa guest house on Ripon Road.

Read more:

• Bookings surge for Harrogate restaurants reopening next week
• Harrogate chamber seeks new leader as CEO stands down

Mr Simister, who is a former journalist and Harrogate borough councillor, said he was honoured to be taking on the role, adding:

“This organisation is one that represents not only the businesses of Harrogate, but those of the wider district. Its job is to give them a strong voice and one that will be heard, loudly and clearly, where it matters.

“Harrogate is home to a thriving and diverse business community, and I’m proud to say it’s where my business has been located for the last 15 years.

“My initial task is to plan the next 12 months, securing keynote speakers for our meetings who will share their experiences, on a wide range of issues, that will be of interest, and benefit, to members.

“I won’t deny that covid has not had an impact on the chamber, and another crucial task is to grow our membership. With the lifting of restrictions next month, we can once again meet in person, and it is the networking opportunities we offer that appeal to so many businesses.”

Martin Gerrard, president of the chamber of commerce, said:

“For the last 12 months, David has been our PR coordinator, and in that time he has grasped a thorough understanding of the chamber.

“When Sandra announced her imminent retirement, I asked David if he would consider taking on the role. He is incredibly passionate about Harrogate, his business is based here, he’s very well connected and knows the political landscape well.

“I’m delighted he agreed, and look forward to working with him as Harrogate district chamber begins another chapter in its long history.”

Mr Gerrard paid tribute to Ms Doherty, describing her as “a fantastic ambassador for the organisation”. He added:

“We wish her well in her retirement as she makes a new life for herself in Northumberland.”

A Harrogate dad has shared the last messages he exchanged with his son shortly before he took his life to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Steve Phillip founded The Jordan Legacy in his son’s name to improve people’s wellbeing and support available to them.

Jordan was 34 when he took his life on December 4 2019. The day before, Steve and Jordan had been texting each other and talking about meeting up.

But the meeting never happened. Mr Phillip has spoken previously to the Stray Ferret of his anguish.

Read more:

• Body found in search for ex-Harrogate Town player
• Communities thanked for covid response with commemorative plaques

Now transcripts of his final message has been made available to encourage others to come forward.

Mr Phillip has also revealed details of the call he received from his son’s girlfriend Charlotte revealing the news.

She broke into the house with the help of a neighbour and found Jordan:

• Me: “Hi Charlotte?”
• Charlotte: “Hi Steve, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. It’s Jordan. He’s killed himself.”

Jordan Phillip.

The call lasted two minutes but Steve does not know what he or Charlotte said for the remaining one minute and 45 seconds. He said:

“Jordan was the kind of person who would stop and chat to homeless people and to local strangers.

“He loved his family and his friends so much that he would often protect them from the ultimate depths of his despair.

“But he was always there for them, no matter how difficult his day was. There was nothing selfish about Jordan, not even at the moment he chose to end his pain.

“He took the time to write notes to his girlfriend Charlotte and his family to let us know that he loved us.

“If I could give any advice to anyone it would be look after those around you, listen to them more, be there, don’t be scared to question the signs you see and ask the difficult questions.”

Mental Health Awareness Week starts today and finishes on Sunday.

The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago and the annual event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness raising weeks in the UK and globally.

To mark the start of the week, North Yorkshire Police has also revealed how the number of mental health calls it has taken over the last year has grown to 32,117.

That is an increase of 6,512 calls compared to the previous April to March period.

Do you need help or know someone who does? Get help from a mental health charity helpline by tapping here.