Covid lockdowns put a two-year hold on the outdoor activities of the Dales Canoe Club, but members of all ages will soon be taking to the water once more.

The multi-generational, family-focused club has 40 paddlers aged from 11-year-olds to people in their mid-70s, who come from across the Harrogate district..

They keenly await April 28, when they will head for the River Nidd in Knaresborough for their first meet of the season.

Between then and September, the Thursday evening gatherings will be held on rivers and canals throughout the Yorkshire Dales and further afield.

Winter practice at Starbeck Baths.

Fundraiser Jeremy Dunford has been involved with the club since 2015, when his son Reuben started as a novice.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“We had a boost with a successful application to the National Lottery, which brought nearly £10,000 and we have also received financial support from North Yorkshire County Council.

“The money has ensured that we are able to take all the new paddlers on the river at the same time over the summer.

“A key principle of the club is to ensure that paddling is affordable to all and the equipment can be expensive.

“We keep a certain amount of stock but this ages quickly as well as getting damaged. All our new paddlers have access to club kit for as long as they need (including kayaks and paddles).”

The club caters for people of all ages, from children to grandparents

Through the winter, members have been practicing at Starbeck Baths, but with the warmer weather and lighter nights they will be back on river banks across the region and ready to go immediately after the Easter holiday.

Educational and enjoyable

Mr Dunford said:

“Paddlers often use their involvement with the club as a springboard to academic progression elsewhere. One is currently studying outdoor adventure sports at uni having done, as my son did, a BTec in outdoor adventure sports at  Askham Bryan and this in turn has enabled them to get places on camp in Canada.

“Some members also use the club as part of BTec course evidence, GCSE Sports Science and D of E awards evidence.

“We welcome, paddlers with conditions such as epilepsy, autism and ADHD, all of whom have had their paddling experience adjusted to ensure their needs are met.”

Members enjoy the social, as well as the sporting activities of the club.

Long-term members

The club started in 1976. and Maurice Young, a retired GP now in his 80s who took his sons along from day one, has been chairperson since 1978..

Dave Titchmarsh, who is the second in command, is a paddler in his 70s and has been with the club for many years as well.

One of the club’s senior members, Ted Walton, started as a teenager and is now in his 50s and leads a lot of activities.

The club, which adheres to all safety standards, currently has a full complement of members but opportunities for more people to join in September will open up as some move on to university.

Further details are available by clicking here.

Read More:

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Firefighters from four fire stations were called to a blaze at a house in the Harrogate district last night.

Crews from Knaresborough, Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge were summoned to the home in Brearton just after 10pm.

The house suffered severe fire, heat and smoke damage to the living room, hallway and front of the property, according to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The rest of the property suffered moderate smoke damage.

Brearton is about three miles from Knaresborough.

The fire service’s incident log said “the incident remains open whilst the cause is investigated”.

It added:

“Crews used eight breathing apparatus, four hosereel jets, two main jets, thermal imaging cameras, nine-metre ladder, triple extension ladders, small tools and lighting.”

Read more:

• Firefighters battle large wildfire near Brimham Rocks
• Man suffers serious head injuries in minibus collision in Knaresborough

Schools and traffic across the Harrogate district were affected by overnight snow.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather for ice across the district, which was in place until 10am this morning.

You can recap our live blog and updates from the Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham areas this morning below.

10.10am – Picture of Pateley Bridge this morning

Joyce Liggins has sent in this picture from Pateley Bridge of the town covered in snow.

She said:

“We woke up to a covering of snow this morning and it’s looking like there is plenty more to come by the look of the sky.”

9.31am – Met Office weather warning in place until 10am

The Met Office weather warning for ice remains in place until 10am.

Gritters have been out on main roads in Harrogate this morning during the overnight snow.

9am – Readers’ pictures

Stray Ferret readers have sent their pictures from this morning’s snow. Here is a couple they have shared with us.

If you have any pictures of the snow that you would like to share, you can email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or message us on Facebook and Twitter.

Picture from Jackie Bedford.

Picture from Hornbeam Park this morning. Picture from Vicky Galbraith.

8.50am – St Aidan’s in Harrogate open as usual

St Aidan’s Church of England Secondary School will be open as normal this morning.

School is open as usual today. Please only travel if safe. Let us know if your child is not coming in. All students should sign in at reception if late. Many thanks. pic.twitter.com/pXNVZ3vJiO

— St Aidan's (@StAidansCEHS) March 31, 2022

8.36am – Only a handful of Ripon Market traders this morning

Only a handful of Ripon Market traders have set up stall this morning due to hazardous conditions on the roads.

Brian Murphy, stallholders’ spokesperson who runs a fruit and vegetable stall, said:

“Because many of the traders come from a distance and travelling conditions are horrendous coming into Ripon, they decided to turn around and go back home.

“I’m keeping an eye on the weather, but will stay open for as long as I can.”

Brian Murphy at his stall on Ripon Market this morning.

8.30am – Heavy but moving traffic on Otley Road

Traffic is heavy but moving this morning on Harrogate’s Otley Road.

Overnight snow has left some side roads treacherous, but main roads in and around Harrogate have been gritted.

8.15am – Rossett Acre Primary School opening at 10am

Rossett Acre Primary School in Harrogate will open at 10am due to the overnight snow.

If your school is affected by this morning’s adverse weather, get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

8am – Harrogate Grammar School delayed opening

Harrogate Grammar School has delayed the start of the school day due to the adverse weather.

The school will begin lessons from period three. Those pupils already on their way to school will still be accommodated and should report to the Hub on arrival.

7.45am – More pictures from across Harrogate

7.40am – Ripley Endowed Church of England Primary School delayed opening

Ripley Endowed Church of England Primary School will open at 10am due to the overnight snow.

The school said that those pupils who arrived before 10am should use the intercom to be let in.

7.35am – RHS Harlow Carr to open at 11am

RHS Harlow Carr gardens will open at a slightly later time this morning.

The gardens will open at 11am due to the snow in order to allow for the car park and pathways to be cleared.

⚠️ Thursday 31st March

Please note, due to snow, the garden will open slightly later today at 11am. This is to allow our teams time to clear the car park and pathways. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this, please check back for further updates. pic.twitter.com/Yb8tj5DakF

— RHS Harlow Carr (@RHSHarlowCarr) March 31, 2022

7.30am – Kettlesing Felliscliffe Primary School and Beckwithshaw Primary School to have delayed starts

Kettlesing Felliscliffe Primary School and Beckwithshaw Primary School will both open at 10am this morning.

If your school is affected by this morning’s adverse weather, get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

7.25am – Traffic moving normally in Harrogate

Traffic around Harrogate Town Centre is running normally at the moment.

Gritters have been down York Place and West Park this morning to clear the roads. However, traffic is expected to pick up in the next hour.

7.20am – Is your school affected by the snow?

If your school is affected by this morning’s adverse weather, get in touch and let us know.

You can email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or on Facebook and Twitter.

7.12am: Weather warning in place until 10am

The @metoffice has issued a yellow #weather warning for #ice from 8pm tonight until 10am tomorrow.

Forecasters say #snow & hail showers could lead to icy surfaces, with possible travel disruption.

Take extra care if out and about.

More: https://t.co/nyJZTWA2Gn pic.twitter.com/s1roUeqCrO

— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) March 30, 2022

7.03am: Harrogate covered in snow

https://twitter.com/MrsReedGeo/status/1509405530086948865

6.50am: Harrogate district wakes to blanket of snow.

Here’s the scene on Ripon Road in Killinghall. Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Temperatures are set to plummet tonight after snow hit teatime traffic in the Harrogate district.

Snow is forecast across the district this evening and overnight temperatures are expected to reach -1 degrees celsius in Harrogate. It will be colder in more remote areas, especially around Pateley Bridge.

John Benson took this photo of Greenhow this afternoon.

BBC Weather is predicting the snow will clear by 7am tomorrow.

A yellow warning for ice is in place in the district from 8pm tonight until 10pm. Roads across the county will be treated.

Read more:

• Call for urgent remedy to Ripon residents’ flooding issue
• Boroughbridge gets free public WiFi — and Harrogate is next

Nature observers, however, may get an opportunity to see the Northern Lights tonight.

The Met Office tweeted that the phenomenon, also known as the Aurora Borealis, may be visible.

Due to Coronal Mass Ejections arriving from the sun, there is a chance of seeing the #AuroraBorealis later tonight and again tomorrow night

As usual, the further north you are in the UK, the greater your chance of seeing it#NorthernLights

More here: https://t.co/sQ1IjJM44y pic.twitter.com/qxmFQNJCM6

— Met Office (@metoffice) March 30, 2022

Plans have been lodged to convert a neglected outbuilding at a Minskip pub into a microbrewery.

The owners of The Wild Swan on Main Street in the village, near Boroughbridge, have lodged the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council.

It would see a building on the site converted into a microbrewery and function room, which would include a food preparation area and toilet.

Documents submitted to the council say the conversion of the outbuilding would help to provide “much needed flexibility” for the pub.

It added that the proposal would lead to “significant investment” in the building. which is deteriorating and has been “seriously neglected”.

The document said:

“The outbuilding has been seriously neglected and is in need of significant investment to rescue it from further, irreversible, deterioration.

“The building will convert efficiently to provide the proposed accommodation requiring only limited alterations, thus removing any risk of changing the character and appearance of the area.”

Read more:

• New owners unveil Minskip pub’s fresh look
• Conversion of former Harrogate Arms moves step closer

The move to refurbish the building comes after three friends from Harrogate and York clubbed together to buy The Wild Swan in Minskip last summer.

After running the pub for a few months they closed it in January for a refurbishment and reopened to customers the following month.

The outbuilding at The Wild Swan at Minskip.

Owners Stephen Lennox, Alex Bond and Alastair Benham unveiled a new and improved pub and told the Stray Ferret earlier this year that a microbrewery was on the cards as part of the refurbishment.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Harrogate district residents are being invited to take part in interactive virtual meetings to learn more about the new North Yorkshire Council.

The new council will start operating in April next year, as part of the largest local government reorganisation since 1974.

The shake-up will see the demise of eight local authorities, including Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council. All the services they provide will transfer to North Yorkshire Council.

Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished next year.

The first locality roadshow is designed for people living in the Ripon and Skipton parliamentary constituency, It will be held next Monday (April 4).

Those living in the Selby and Ainsty constituency are invited to a meeting on April 6 and the virtual meeting for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency will take place on April 12.

Harrogate has become the final town of 20 in North Yorkshire to get free public access Wi-Fi.

It means people with limited or no broadband will be able to access the internet more easily in the town centre.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, in partnership with Harrogate telecommunications firm NYnet, have provided the scheme. Public access Wi-Fi was switched on in Knaresborough and Ripon last year.

The scheme aims to support post-covid recovery in North Yorkshire. Harrogate Borough Council has provided £300,000 to provide extra coverage across the district.

Robert Ling, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for technology and change, said:

“Harrogate is one of the largest, busiest towns in North Yorkshire which boasts thriving businesses, tourist attractions and stunning gardens. Our hope is that the free Wi-Fi service will prove popular, as it is certain to boost the town’s digital infrastructure.”

Read more:

• Free Wi-Fi goes live in Knaresborough
• Harrogate Hydro renovations a long-term gain, says diving club

Matt Roberts, Harrogate Borough Council’s economy and transport officer, said:

“By providing free public spaces Wi-Fi it allows people of all ages to keep connected, look up local businesses and discover all that the Harrogate district has to offer. It also supports our economic growth strategy which aims to make the Harrogate district the best place to live, work and visit.”

York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership allocated £3.6million to the scheme part of its allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

David Dickson, chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership 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.”

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.