Volunteers are being urged to come forward to help run Boroughbridge Community Larder — a new initiative in which surplus food is given away for free.

The community initiative, set up by Boroughbridge Lions and Boroughbridge Community Care, will stock surplus food from local shops, households and allotments which is then available for people to take home for free, regardless of means.

The main aim of the set-up is to reduce food waste.

The larder will be open on a Wednesday afternoon but organisers say more volunteers are needed to offer their time before it can open.

After an appeal on the Stray Ferret last October, Boroughbridge Methodist Church offered one of its church rooms for use. The room will have shelving for vegetables and dried goods, a fridge and two freezers.

Lions member Sue Johnson said:

“People can drop off any surplus food they have as long as it is within the best before and use by dates. For example, allotment owners might have a glut of courgettes in the summer, likewise people who have fruit trees might have lots left over which we would be more than happy to accept.

“The whole idea behind it is to stop and reduce food wastage because sending food to landfill creates methane which is bad for the climate.”

Read more:

• Medieval combat and walks mark 700th anniversary of Battle of Boroughbridge
• Sneak Peek: Boroughbridge pub reopens after six-figure refurb

Any food that isn’t taken on a Wednesday afternoon will either be frozen, given to farmers for animal feed or, once organised, given to schools for breakfast clubs.

The community larder project is being run in partnership with Hubbub which runs 200 similar schemes across the UK. It has also received £1,000 from North Yorkshire County Council.

Ms Johnson added most of the food will be coming from Morrisons at first but she hopes local coffee shops and bakers in Boroughbridge get involved.

Ms Johnson has asked anyone who can help to email bbrlions@hotmail.com.

A battle trail is being created in Boroughbridge, telling the story of the town’s turbulent past.

Several thousand soldiers converged on the town on March 16, 1322, when King Edward II’s troops defeated an uprising led by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.

Boroughbridge recently celebrated the 700th anniversary of the battle with a day of activities, including battlefield tours and re-enactments.

Now there are plans to create a trail that will enable visitors to discover for themselves all about the conflict.

Boroughbridge and District Historical Society and The Battlefields Trust have been collaborating on the initiative since 2019.

The project received £15,000 from the developer Miller Homes, in part-mitigation for being allowed to develop on land adjacent to the battlefield site.

Read more:

• Medieval combat and walks mark 700th anniversary of Battle of Boroughbridge
• Former pub near Boroughbridge to be converted into flats

The history society asked if the trust could produce five information boards.

Chris Rock, the trust’s Yorkshire regional chair, subsequently designed the boards and Louise Whittaker, a trustee, wrote the text.

One of the five information boards.

The boards were then discussed and proof-checked by the historical society, and mock-up boards were shown during the 700th anniversary celebrations.

The organisations are now awaiting planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council to install the boards.

They are due to be erected on either side of the bridge, near Milby Lock, at the Aldborough Road entrance to the footpath leading down to the south bank of the river, and in St James’s Square.

Ms Whittaker said:

“They are intended to be standalone boards as well as forming part of a battlefield trail, and so include the same information at both ends of the board, with a central section specific to the area where it is located.

“Chris and I have also produced a battlefield trail leaflet to accompany the boards, and this will be launched at the same time as they are unveiled.”

Boroughbridge is one of three towns in North Yorkshire to benefit from the latest phase of the roll-out of free public Wi-Fi.

North Yorkshire County Council is working in partnership with Harrogate telecommunications company NYnet to roll out the scheme in 20 market towns across the county to support recovery and growth.

The final town to benefit will be Harrogate later this month.

Free public access Wi-Fi means people with limited or no broadband can connect to the internet more easily.

Boroughbridge, Settle and Sherburn in Elmet are the latest to be switched on.

Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade said in a statement:

“The coverage runs from the Post Office, along Fishergate, up the High Street and to the St James Square area.

“It should be good for business, adding to the town’s appeal and helping us present a modern image to our residents and visitors.”

Boroughbridge

Robert Ling, assistant director for technology and change at the council, said:

“We know that the offer of free Wi-Fi in public spaces is drawing people into our town centres to both work and visit.

“Anybody visiting these three towns will now benefit from savings to their mobile data plans by accessing the internet for free with no time restrictions.

“We are nearing the end of the scheme, which represents the latest investment to improve North Yorkshire’s digital infrastructure.”

Read more:

• Medieval combat and walks mark 700th anniversary of Battle of Boroughbridge
• Sneak Peek: Boroughbridge pub reopens after six-figure refurb

York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership awarded £3.6m for the initiative as part of its allocation from the government’s £900m Getting Building Fund, which boosts infrastructure in areas facing the biggest challenges caused by the pandemic.

David Dickson, chair of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s infrastructure and joint assets board, said:

“This whole programme of work to improve digital infrastructure in North Yorkshire is really important for the region. It will support York and North Yorkshire in becoming a greener, fairer and stronger economy.”

The towns included in the scheme are: Northallerton, Leyburn, Scarborough, Ripon, Skipton, Malton, Richmond, Whitby, Selby, Stokesley, Pickering, Knaresborough, Tadcaster, Catterick, Thirsk, Easingwold, Boroughbridge, Settle, Sherburn in Elmet and Harrogate.

Harrogate will be the final one to be switched on.

Nominations have opened for candidates hoping to become one of the 90 councillors on a new unitary authority for the whole of North Yorkshire.

Elections to the new council will take place on May 5, with candidates able to put their names forward until April 5.

The move to a single council will mark a crucial time in North Yorkshire’s history and comes after the government announced in July that the area’s eight county and district councils would be scrapped in April 2023.

Elected councillors will represent 89 new divisions on North Yorkshire County Council for one year, before serving a four-year term on the new council.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said the councillors would play a key role in shaping how public services will work in the future as he also urged residents to make sure they are eligible to vote.

“If safe communities and thriving business matter to you, or services like schools, social care, housing, planning, roads, waste management and leisure, then it is really important that you take part in these elections.

“The people elected will determine the vision and values of the new North Yorkshire Council from the beginning.”

Read more:

• Ed Balls discusses politics and stammering during Harrogate school visit
• New North Yorkshire Council chief executive planned for autumn

The opening of nominations follows Parliamentary approval of legislation for the new council to replace North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough councils in Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough, Craven, Hambleton, Ryedale and Richmondshire.

The Structural Changes Order approved last week also enables parish elections to be held on the same day as the county elections.

Nomination papers must be completed by those wanting to stand as candidates in both the county and parish council elections. These papers are available from the district and borough councils.

To be able to vote you must be on the electoral register by April 14. Those who are signed up will receive polling cards or letters which are being sent out from the last two weeks in March.

Voters who are not able to get to their local polling station on May 5 can apply to vote by post or proxy.

Bettys and Taylors Family Fund is inviting parish councils and schools to apply for grants of up to £5,000.

The fund supports Yorkshire-based groups working to improve the lives of local children and young people through food.

Cookery courses, healthy eating initiatives and food hygiene are examples of the kind of schemes eligible for funding.

Grants range from £500 to £5,000 and must benefit people living in Yorkshire.

Parish councils and schools are eligible to apply providing the grant is used for purposes outside their usual remit.

As Bettys and Taylors is a food and hospitality business, the fund aims to support local food-based projects.

The fund opened for applications this week and closes on April 28. Groups will find out by mid-June if they have been successful.

Read more:

• Harrogate district unemployment continues to fall
• Harrogate school fundraiser raises over £500 for Ukraine

The historic Ripon Canal will be featured on BBC Four this evening when Robbie Cumming completes the last leg of a 170-mile journey aboard his boat, Naughty Lass.

On Monday, viewers of Canal Boat Diaries saw the YouTube vlogger and TV presenter set off from Wigan in the first episode of the new series.

In tonight’s final episode, which starts at 730pm, he takes in the sights along the route from Knottingley to the Ripon Canal basin at the outer reaches of the English inland waterways network.

The water-borne journey, via a navigable section of the River Ouse, also features Boroughbridge Canal

Almost 250 years of history

At the time of its opening in 1773, Ripon boasted the most northerly canal basin in England at the city end of its 2.5 mile stretch.

But that claim to fame came to an end in 2002, with the opening of the Ribble Link section of the Lancaster Canal.

Just 71 years after its opening, Ripon Canal became virtually redundant overnight with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1841.

Ripon provides the final entry in Robbie Cumming’s Canal Boat Diaries. Picture BBC

Barges could not compete with the new rapid delivery service for coal and other goods and with the loss of trade, the canal’s fate as a commercial enterprise was sealed.

The railways that caused the canal’s demise soon became its owner, as the waterway was purchased by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1844, which subsequently become part of the North Eastern Railway in 1855.

Decades of dereliction followed and at one stage Ripon City Council mooted the idea of filling in the canal to create an extension for the Dallamires Lane Industrial estate.

Prior to this suggestion, the British Transport Commission had obtained Royal Assent for the abandonment of the Ripon Canal in 1956.

Calls for the canal’s regeneration

However, growing calls to regenerate the canal to realise its potential as a  leisure and tourist asset for local residents and visitors proved successful, gaining momentum through the formation of the Ripon Canal Society.

Read more:

• More remediation costs ahead for Ripon Leisure Centre
• Wheelchair lift installed at Ripon Arts Hub

It reopened for navigation as far as Littlethorpe Road Bridge in 1986 and was officially reopened right into the centre of Ripon in September 1996, with the assistance of the society and local authorities and with funding from English Partnerships.

Further improvements have been brought about through a programme of work carried out by Ripon Motor Boat Club, which has its marina and clubhouse on a section of the canal near Littlethorpe.

The waterway is now managed by the Canal and River Trust, which is the charity that succeeded British Waterways. It was awarded a Green Flag for its water quality in July 2018 and the improvements have brought more wildlife to its banks. Otters are regularly spotted hunting for fish.

Previous episodes of Canal Boat Diaries can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

A man wanted by police was found dead in a field in the Harrogate district, an inquest has heard.

Marcin Mikulski, 42, fell from a tree after telling police he intended to kill himself. He had also posted a video on social media up a large tree saying this was where he wanted to “fall asleep”.

His body was found in a field 500 metres from the A6055 near Staveley, which is between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough.

The inquest heard he was a suspect in a serious incident in Boroughbridge.

The precise nature of the incident wasn’t revealed but statements from senior police officers revealed a helicopter and police dog units were deployed to find him.

Mr Mikulski died on July 16 last year — when police began searching for him.

Police intelligence and phone tracking enabled police to narrow their search for Mr Mikulski but his body wasn’t found until the day after his death.

Read more:

• Inquest hears tributes to bikers killed in head-on collision in Masham
• Record turnout for return of Knaresborough farmers’ tractor run

Coroner Oliver Longstaff told the inquest that letters addressed to family, which were found in Mr Mikulski’s car, acknowledged his involvement in the crime and expressed regret and upset at his actions.

Mr Longstaff said the letters, along with phone calls to the police, were enough to suggest Mr Mikuslki did intend to end his life.

He recorded a verdict of suicide at Friday’s inquest in Northallerton.

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.

Boroughbridge Road Blues

I’d like to raise some issues about the impact of traffic on Boroughbridge Road, here in Knaresborough.

I am a resident and very concerned about the impact of heavy vehicles and speeding traffic. Vehicles regularly exceed the speed limit and the size of some vehicles using the road means walking on the pavement is not a great experience and our house regularly shakes as vehicles pass.

I’ve raised these concerns with the highways authority, the police commissioner and my local Harrogate councillors.

I’ve suggested among other things: bigger speed signs, vehicle activated signs, repeater signs, more road markings and a review of weight limits.

It’s fair to say I haven’t made much progress with the the bodies responsible for traffic and speeding. The county council and the police both mainly referred me to the other body. The county council didn’t respond to the weight limit issue.

I appreciate resources are limited but I think it’s high time something was done to address a blight on the lives of our community. My suggestions wouldn’t cost a great deal, especially when considered against the cost of the negative impact the current situation has on peoples’ well being.

I see also it’s recently been an issue in the election material we’re getting through the door, so maybe now is the time to apply pressure on prospective candidates in the forthcoming elections and demand some clear commitments on what they would do in the new council.

All that’s in the future though, what I’d really like to see is some action now!

Ian Brown, Knaresborough

Read more:

• ‘Do you need to wait until somebody is killed by a speeding car?’
• Next phase of Otley Road cycle path delayed and reviewed

Council got it wrong with Otley Road cycle path

It seems North Yorkshire County Council has got it wrong again with the Otley Road cycle path. Cycle paths and pedestrians should be kept separate! Also spending millions for a minority is ridiculous. I am sure if council tax payers had been asked, it would have been a resounding no.

This is the second time they have made a mess of Otley Road. Several years ago they decided to put bollards in the centre of the road. The result was that buses and lorries were unable to pass.

Another moronic idea was when they changed the road priority in Burn Bridge so that vehicles coming from the left had right of way.

Howard Angel, Harrogate

A medieval combat re-enactment was among the highlights today to commemorate 700 years since the Battle of Boroughbridge.

Organised by Boroughbridge Historical Society and The Battlefields Trust, the day began with a wreath laying. Around 60 people attended at the battle cross in Aldborough.

Dignitaries including the Earl of Hereford, a direct descendent of one of the men killed at the battle, attended alongside the public.

A service was held at the battle cross this morning.

The day’s other activities took place in Boroughbridge. There were several stalls, including the Battlefield Trust and a traditional bow and arrow maker who showed how a bow could be carved from a piece of ash wood.

At 10am crowds gathered to watch a demonstration by 3 Swords. The men and women taking part were dressed in traditional military attire and spoke to the public about the kinds of weaponry and armour soldiers would have been wearing in 1322.

Dean Davidson, Stuart Ivinson and Wayne Reynolds also performed medieval martial arts and battle techniques.

The history group performed a selection of medieval battle techniques.

The day also included hour-long history walks, which took people to the key battle sites. The main battle was fought on a timber bridge believed to be close to the site of the current bridge over the River Ure.

Read more:

• £1,000 grants available for Harrogate district platinum jubilee celebrations
• Former pub near Boroughbridge to be converted into flats

The battle was fought between a rebellious group of barons and supporters of Edward II. The rebels, led by Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, were defeated by the king’s army.

Thankfully the majority of these are now fully back in action across the district.

And this week a new parent and baby group has launched at Ashville College in Harrogate.

The independent school is hosting the free sessions between 10am and 11am every Friday morning during term-time for children up to the age of two and their parents or grandparents.

The Baby Acorns group is meeting in Ashville’s Little Acorns cabin, located off Yew Tree Lane.

It is being run by Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep staff, and tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided. Looking ahead to the summer months, the school also aims to hold some outdoor events.

Charlotte Cryer, head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep, said:

“In the last two years the pandemic has severely affected opportunities for both parents and young children to socialise, with many baby groups being cancelled or restricted.

“The impact this has had on parents’ mental health should not be underestimated, and we hope that our Baby Acorns group can ease that anxiety for parents.

“It is a safe, comfortable space in which children can interact and play alongside our highly-experienced early years staff.”

Read more:

• Street party fees waived in North Yorkshire for Queen’s jubilee
• Mother Shipton’s delays reopening again due to landslide

We have put together a list of five other baby and toddler groups across the Harrogate district:

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library – Knaresborough

Play sessions at the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library.

A firm favourite in the district, the toy library’s play sessions currently run on Wednesdays and Fridays at St Mary’s Church, Knaresborough, from 10am until 11.30am.

Toys are set-up for children to access, while grown-ups can enjoy playing along and socialising with others. Sessions are £3.50, plus 50p per additional child.

The charity also offers a toy library where parents can pick toys via the online library to take home for two weeks before returning them.

The shelves are stacked high with doll houses, dinosaurs and board games

Stay and Play – Harrogate

Stay and Play is an fun parent and toddler group for pre-school children hosted at the Jennyfield Styan Community Centre.

There are lots of activities to entertain little ones, including toys, bikes, bouncy castle and games from 9.30am until 11.30am during term-time only.

Sessions are £2.50 per child and £1 for each additional child, including a snack and drink.

Tea and Tots – Boroughbridge

Ride-ons, slides, toys, colouring and refreshments feature at this baby and toddler group at St James’ Church.

Sessions take place from 1.30pm until 2.30pm every Wednesday during term-time for children up to age five.

Prices are £1 and 50p for additional children.

Little Fishes Tots Group – Nidderdale

This friendly group, based in Christ Church Community Centre, Darley, is run by members of Nidderdale Community Church.

Activities include play stations, a baby corner and a craft table. There is also snack time, nursery rhyme time and a bible story.

Sessions are £2 per family from 9.15am and 11.15am on Tuesdays.

Soft Play Toddler Fun – Ripon

A group for pre-schoolers and their grown-ups, held in the hall of Allhallowgate Methodist Church every Friday from 9.15am until 12.30pm.

There is soft play equipment for the little ones and coffee, tea and snacks for the adults.