Bonfire Night is approaching. From torch-lit processions and alpacas to live music and traditional bonfires, we’ve collated a list of bonfires in the Harrogate district.

If you know of an event we haven’t included, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it.

Friday, November 3

Ripon City Bonfire

Ripon City Bonfire will take place at Ripon Racecourse.

The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and fireworks will begin at 7.30pm

Gates open at 5.30pm.

Advance tickets start at £2 and can be bought at various venues in the city.

No own fireworks other than sparklers are permitted for safety reasons.

There will be no parking available at the racecourse due to the poor weather conditions.

Spofforth village fireworks

The event will be held at Spofforth Cricket Club.

There will be hot food, a bar and live music to enjoy ahead of the fireworks display.

Gates open at 5pm.

Family tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought at the village deli or post office.

Knaresborough Cricket Club and Aspin Park Academy PTA Fireworks Night

The event will be held at Knaresborough Cricket Club.

As well as a firework display, guests can expect food and drink, music and light-up toys for sale.

Gates open at 6pm and fireworks will be lit at 7pm.

Tickets start at £3 and can be bought at the gate.

Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party

Belmont Grosvenor School will host a bonfire party in the school grounds.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks stalls, children’s activities, and music.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display will begin at 7.20pm.

Tickets are free for U18s and cost £10 for adults. They can be bought at the gate or by contacting the PTA on pta@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or 07525 907156.

Anyone is welcome to attend.

Stray Bonfire. Pic: Mark Dimmock.

Saturday, November 4

Stray Bonfire, Harrogate

The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

It will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks, food and drink, and live music.

The event is free to attend but Harrogate Round Table, which is a charity, encourages donations. Proceeds will go towards Harrogate Homeless Project.

Yolk Farm, Minskip

Yolk Farm, near Boroughbridge, is hosting a dog and baby-friendly event without fireworks.

There will still be a bonfire and tickets include entry to the yard where visitors can see the animals, including goats and alpacas, as well as the opportunity to feed the pigs.

Hot food will also be on offer.

Gates open at 5.30pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm

Tickets can be bought online for £5.

Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire

The event will be held at Pateley Bridge Showground.

Guests can expect a torchlit procession and bonfire, which begin at 6.30pm, and fireworks at 7pm.

There will also be hot food and a best Guy competition.

Entry is by donation and doors open at 6pm.

No sparklers are allowed.

Masham Bonfire

Masham Bonfire will be held on The Holme.

Food will be served from 5.30pm, followed by the bonfire at 6.15pm.

There will also be a firework display at 7pm.

The event is free to attend.

Kirkby Malzeard Community Bonfire

The event will be held at North Close Farm.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks and food and drink on offer.

Gates open at 6pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.

It is free to attend but organisers have asked for donations to continue running the events.

Sparklers are not permitted.

Birstwith Community Bonfire

Birstwith bonfire will be held on the field behind West House on Nidd Lane.

As well as the bonfire, which will be lit at 5.30pm, visitors can enjoy a bar, hot dogs and a children’s stall.

Organisers will be raising money for a vehicle-activated speed sign near Birstwith School.

No dogs or sparklers are permitted.

Gates open at 5pm.

Wath & Melmerby Community Bonfire

The event will be held Roger Clarke Motor Engines in Melmerby.

Visitors can expect a bonfire, fireworks, a BBQ and a bar.

It begins at 6pm and tickets cost £5 per family.

Sunday, November 5

Lightwater Valley, Ripon

Lightwater Valley will put on a firework display accompanied by the music of Swan Lake.

Admission is included in a day entry ticket.

The display will begin at 5.15pm.

The Queen’s Head, Kettlesing

The Queen’s Head will have a bonfire and fireworks on offer.

There will also be pizzas, sparklers and a charity cake to stand available.

The event will be fundraising for Felliscliffe School.

It begins at 5pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6pm.

Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.

Scotton Cricket Club

The event will be held at the cricket club on Lower Moor Lane.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.45pm and the firework display will begin at 7.30pm.

Visitors can look forward to a bar, a BBQ and a cake stall.

Car parking is limited, so organisers have recommended people walk or car share to the event.

Donations are welcome on entry.

Harrogate Railway Football Club 

A firework display will be held at the club, which is on Station View in Starbeck.

There will be a DJ, fairground rides, a bar and a BBQ on offer.

The event is in association with Friends of Starbeck School and entry is £2.

Gates open at 4pm, followed by fireworks at 6.30pm.

There is no parking available at the venue.

Read more:

• Details of Stray bonfire and fireworks revealed
• Rock stars rave over ‘nectar of paradise’ in Harrogate

The votes have been cast, the totals tallied, and we can now reveal whose photos will feature each month in our first ever Stray Ferret Charity Calendar. 

Every Sunday, we publish a Photo of the Week taken by a reader, and the subject matter is as varied as the life and landscapes found in our district: furry and feathered friends, fields and fells, ferris wheels and fireworks. 

Back in August, we invited you to vote for the best images from last year’s Photos of the Week, and hundreds of you chose your favourite pictures. 

The 12 winners will each feature on a different month in our 2024 calendar, which we are selling to raise funds for Dementia Forward, our chosen charity this Christmas. 

Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate has generously offered to cover the printing costs, which means the money raised by calendar sales will help to support people living with dementia and their families across North Yorkshire. 

James White, Centre Manager of Victoria Shopping Centre, said: 

“We are thrilled to be supporting such an important cause this Christmas, funding the printing of the calendars so that 100% of the profits can go to Dementia Forward. 

“Giving back to the community is of extreme importance to us at Victoria Shopping Centre, so we feel proud to partner with such a worthy charity.” 

The Stray Ferret’s Christmas charity campaign this year aims to raise £30,000 for Dementia Forward, a local charity dedicated to supporting people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. The money will be used to buy a new minibus, so that Dementia Forward can continue offering client’s lifts, trips and excursions around the region.

Emma Harris, commercial manager at the Stray Ferret, said:

“The Stray Ferret was founded as a local news organisation serving the community, so we’re very pleased to be raising funds for a local charity that serves the same community.

“Most of us know someone affected by dementia, and those who do also know how devastating it can be. Dementia Forward does so much to bring positivity into people’s lives at a time when they need it most.

“But this charity calendar also serves another purpose. We receive so many fantastic submissions for Photo of the Week over the year, and it always seems a shame that the ones we feature only get one outing. So it’s wonderful that we’ll be able to see some of the very best images again throughout the coming year in the 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar.

Congratulations – and thank you – to all our winners!”

The winning photographers are: 

The 2024 Stray Ferret Charity Calendar in aid of Dementia Forward is now available to order online for delivery. Click or tap here to pre-order your copy now. 

The calendar will also be available for collection at the Victoria Shopping Centre on select dates to be announced in December.

The number of adults with substance abuse problems is increasing in North Yorkshire, according to a report.

It comes as North Yorkshire Council is set to extend the contract for its specialist drug and alcohol support service North Yorkshire Horizons for another five years.

North Yorkshire Horizons was launched in October 2014 with a £3.6m annual contract awarded to charity Humankind to deliver the service, which is rated outstanding by regulator the Care Quality Commission.

It has specialist hubs in Harrogate, Skipton, Selby, Scarborough and Northallerton where people can get advice on drugs or alcohol, receive health treatment and take part in therapy sessions.

Since it was set up, the report says North Yorkshire Horizons has “significantly increased” the numbers of people engaging with the service. As of June 2023, there are 2,500 people taking part in treatment.

The number of people seeking support for drugs other than opiates has also increased by 50%.

North Yorkshire Horizons is largely funded through a government grant but the report warns that drug and alcohol services are more expensive to deliver than they were before the covid pandemic, due to cost-of-living rises and inflation.

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It also says there is an “unmet need” and “increasing profile” of people who experience substance use in the county.

An independent review of drugs led by Dame Carol Black in 2021 warned that investment in drug and alcohol services has reduced significantly over the last decade nationally.

In response, central government has increased spending for local authority-led treatment with North Yorkshire Council receiving an additional £1.4m funding. Another £1m is expected in 2024/25.

The contract with Humankind is set to be extended by Cllr Michael Harrison, Conservative executive member for health and adult services, at a meeting tomorrow.

The report says: 

“Evidence shows that drug and alcohol substance use treatment services are cost effective to the public purse, and clinically effective in terms of outcome for the individual.

“Investing in substance use services not only helps to save lives, but also substantially reduces the economic and social costs of harms associated with harmful patterns of substance use.”

The Environment Agency has issued two flood alerts in the Harrogate district.

The alerts have been put in place overnight for the Lower River Nidd catchment near Kirk Hammerton and the lower River Ure, which affects Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton.

It affects low-lying land including agricultural land and local road on the Lower River Ure and land around the Lower River Nidd and its tributaries including Sand Beck, Sike Beck, Pool Beck and Great Gutter.

The alerts said:

“Flooding is possible in this area.

“Monitor local water levels and weather conditions. Avoid using low lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding. Start acting on your flood plan if you have one.”

The move comes as a yellow weather warning is in place in the Harrogate district until 6am on November 3 amid forecast heavy rain due to Storm Ciarán.

The Met Office said rain could cause disruption in the north of England, including flooding and delays and cancellations to public transport.

Read more:

• Met Office issues another heavy rain warning for Harrogate district
• High levels of faecal bacteria in River Nidd confirmed

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please read Flora’s story below and give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. They need your help.

Christmas is a time to create happy memories, to connect with family and enjoy each other’s company. But Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease take those memories away, and life can become confusing and isolating.

Local charity Dementia Forward works to support people living with these life-changing and disabling conditions, but it can only do so with the help of charitable donations.

So this Christmas, the Stray Ferret is asking you to support to this local organisation and ensure it can continue to offer the vital services it provides.

We want to raise £30,000 to buy a new minibus so that Dementia Forward can carry on bringing people struggling with memory loss to social events and a supportive environment.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare, so every penny donated will go directly to Dementia Forward.

The charity’s minibus service is currently used by more than 50 people. It also takes them on days out across the county, which is a huge part of the Dementia Forward programme. It is used to help people access the charity’s social events for those that can no longer drive, as well as weekly day trips for those with young onset dementia. The group visits a variety of places, including the Yorkshire coast, nature reserves, walking trails, llama farms, art galleries and so much more.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and tired and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.

Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need. 

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.

Over the next seven weeks, we’ll be bringing you stories that show just how important Dementia Forward is, and the impact it has on local people’s lives.

Please read them, share them, and donate whatever you can.

Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas.

Thank you.

The NHS found 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 are living with dementia in the UK. For those who need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser. 

Vida Healthcare offers specialist residential and nursing care across three state-of-the-art homes.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal in aid of Dementia Forward.

“It is such an amazing local charity supporting people living with dementia.”

North Yorkshire Council is set to consult residents on a new local plan that will guide decisions on housing and infrastructure in the Harrogate district over the next two decades. 

The North Yorkshire Local Plan will set out where new developments will take place, along with policies and strategies that planning applications will be considered against.

Once adopted, it will replace the existing local plan for the Harrogate district. 

As part of the first stage of a five-year process to create the plan, residents are being encouraged to sign up to a new online portal that will enable North Yorkshire Council to keep them informed about when consultations and engagement will take place and how to have their say. 

Read more

• Council to bid for government funding to progress Harrogate social housing schemes
• ‘No more new houses’: Harrogate residents and councillors call on council to remove sites from Local Plan

Cllr Derek Bastiman, the council’s executive member for open to business, said:

“Anyone with an interest in what, where, when and how development could take place in the county during the next two decades is encouraged to register their details on the portal.” 

A consultation is due to start this month about the council’s new Statement of Community Involvement, which will set out how it will consult people on planning, as well as early engagement about the local plan.  

Anyone already registered on the existing Harrogate District Local Plan database will be contacted by the council about the new portal.

Those not yet registered can sign up to the database at www.northyorks.gov.uk/localplan or call the council on 0300 131 2 131, stating ‘Local Plan’ when prompted. 

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain in the Harrogate district for two days this week.

The weather alert is in place from Thursday (November 2) at 6am until Friday (November 3) at 6am.

It comes as Storm Ciarán is forecast to bring heavy rain to the UK this week. 

The Met Office said the rain could cause disruption in the north of England, including flooding and delays and cancellations to public transport.

The warning comes as the district was hit by heavy rain on October 20 due to Storm Babet.

A further weather alert was issued for October 24 for heavy rain in the wake of the storm.

Read more:

• Harrogate hotel employee rewarded for 35 years’ service
• High levels of faecal bacteria in River Nidd confirmed

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the northern leg of HS2 would be scrapped and Yorkshire Water unveiled a £7.8 billion investment plan.

Meanwhile, Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP which includes south Harrogate, made his maiden speech in the House of Commons.

We Selby and Ainsty MP Keir Mather if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but did not receive a response.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

• On October 3, Mr Jones welcomed a £7.8 billion investment plan being submitted by Yorkshire Water.
• On October 4, Mr Jones attended the Conservative Party conference and was present for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech.
• Following the speech, Mr Jones said he was “disappointed” with the decision to scrap the northern leg of the HS2 project.
• On October 5, he met with the owners of the former McColls store in Starbeck who are expected to unveil plans for the building this year.
• On the same day, Mr Jones attended the opening of the Rachel Daly pitch at Killinghall Nomads JFC. 
• On October 18, Mr Jones called for a 138-home development on Water Lane in Knaresborough to be cancelled. He also raised the issue in the House of Commons on October 16.
• On October 19, he hosted the Street Works UK awards in Parliament. 
• Mr Jones announced on the same day that he would be objecting to a planned asphalt plan at Allerton Park near Knaresborough.
• On October 21, he visited Harrogate synagogue to discuss events in Israel and Gaza.
• On October 28, he met with the Harrogate Imam to discuss events in Isreal and Gaza.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent a list of his engagements for September.

They included attending a roundtable with the British Dental Association and a Northern Powerhouse Partnership Transport Reception. He also with members of Zero Carbon Harrogate and met a local dentist to discuss NHS dentistry.

Others included visiting Yorkshire Cancer Research’s new facility at Hornbeam Park, chairing a meeting of the European Statutory Instruments Committee and meeting leaders from Luminate Education Group at a reception in the House of Commons.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

• Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the House of Commons in October.
• On October 11, Mr Smith tweeted that he had met residents and North Yorkshire Council to discuss recent deaths on the A61 at South Stainley and to campaign for a lower speed limit.
• On October 16, Mr Smith visited the Ripon Inn ahead of its opening.
• Mr Smith posted on his website on October 22 that he had visited Sharow Church of England Primary School to meet with its headteacher and answer questions from pupils.
• Mr Smith updated his website 11 times in October, which included posts promoting government initiatives and visits within his constituency.

When we contacted Mr Smith’s for comment, his office sent a roundup of his engagements for October.

Among them included visiting local schools and businesses in Skipton and Ripon, including Cundall Manor School.

Meanwhile, he also visited The Beer Engine in Skipton and met with Bentham resident, Viv Barclay, who will attempt to become the oldest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP.

In Selby and Ainsty, which includes rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Mather:

• Mr Mather posted 11 times on his Facebook page in October. None of the updates related to areas of his constituency which fall in Harrogate.
• On October 16, Mr Mather made his maiden speech in the House of Commons.
• On October 23, Mr Mather asked the minister for environment, Rebecca Pow, how she would be working with the Environment Agency to support people during Storm Babet.
• He joined a debate on the sustainability of rural post offices in Westminster Hall on October 25.

Read more:

• MPs Watch: New MP, River Nidd and Mayoral election
• MPs Watch: Climate change, NHS dentists and Harrogate Station Gateway saga

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, November 30. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories.

Former Dragons’ Den star Piers Linney was the keynote speaker at the York & North Yorkshire Business Summit on Friday.

He told more than 200 attendees they needed to be audacious in embracing technology as part of devolution and argued that new technology such as artificial intelligence offered the chance to level up the workforce, making background and disabilities irrelevant. He said:

“Take some of the £750 million (devolution funding) and invest in a garden shed where you can blow things up. Play with the technology, see how it can augment all of us, play with education and then connect the talent to the technology. Invest in cutting edge and bleeding edge technology.

“Superpower and empower the people in your region.”

The summit was organised by York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Linney headed a roster of 13 regional business speakers at the event, which was held at the Radisson York Hotel and hosted by YNY LEP chair Helen Simpson. They shared their business vision for the region, ahead of devolution and an expected mayoral election in spring next year.

James Farrar, interim director of transition for the proposed York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, backed the call for businesses and innovators to be bold. He said:

“We need to crack on with devolution and make sure the process gets through parliament as soon as possible.

“We are not Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds. We must be York and North Yorkshire and we must recognise our assets. We must be bold and clear about where we see our competitive advantages. No sector can rest on its laurels.

“Let us know what infrastructure and support you need in place to invest and grow. Our job as a combined authority will be to put that in place – yours is to invest and grow.”

Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative MP for Malton and Thirsk, addressed the summit by video and told delegates that devolution was a great opportunity for the region. He said:

“First and foremost it must be about economic development. That drives everything else. It’s right that we try to make York and North Yorkshire the best place in the UK to do business.”

Menopause Matters event

A day-long event this month will feature expert speakers tackling various aspects of the menopause.

Menopause Matters: What You Need to Know, In and Outside the Workplace will be presented by Wetherby-based Hartlaw LLP in collaboration with the Harrogate & District Law Society.

The event, which will take place on Friday, November 17 at Bowcliffe Hall near Wetherby, is intended to “shed light on the implications, challenges, and nuances surrounding menopause, both within professional settings and in personal lives”.

The speakers include: Dr Laura Reid, a GP and menopause specialist; Sally Leech, training director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace; Vicky Richardson MSc PGDip PGCE BA, a core nutritional therapist; Emma Tailby, a highly specialist women’s health physiotherapist and founder/owner of Emma Claire Physiotherapy; and Claire Morley-Jones, managing director of HR180.

Tickets cost £85 per person and include refreshments and lunch, as well as a goodie bag to take away. The proceeds will go to Daisy Network, the charity for women with POI (premature ovarian insufficiency, commonly referred to as early menopause) and Harrogate & District Law Society.

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Harrogate robots help reduce UK’s greenhouse gas emissions
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate bus operator launches skills drive for engineers
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Firefighters using breathing apparatus tackled a fire at a home in Knaresborough this afternoon.

Crews from Knaresborough, Harrogate and Wetherby were called to Park Grove at 4.17pm.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log, fire started in a ceiling fan in the bathroom.

The report added firefighters used a hose reel and breathing apparatus to extinguish the fire.

Today’s incident log also said firefighters were called to an electrical fire in Marton-cum-Grafton, near Boroughbridge, this afternoon.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough attended an industrial premises in the village at 2.15pm.

They responded to a report of a smell of smoke in an industrial premises. The fire suppression system had also activated.

The report added:

“Due to low oxygen levels in the room where the fire took place – the server room – fire crews used breathing apparatus and a thermal camera to investigate.

“They found that a small electrical fire had occurred, but this had been extinguished by the installed fire suppression system.”

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