Ferret Unlocked: here’s what you missed in Lifestyle last week

While the weather might not have got the memo, summer season is upon us, and that means there are plenty of exciting events taking place across the Harrogate district.

Last week, the lifestyle team donned their wellies, and delved into the world of rural shows.

While the Great Yorkshire Show can steal the limelight, it certainly isn’t the only one taking place – our handy rural shows guide can help you plan your next family-friendly day out.

We also explored the history behind showing livestock at county fairs, and spoke to farming families who have passed the tradition down the generations.

Our food writer Yemi also kicked off her three-part series on all the foody delights she experienced at the Great Yorkshire Show – look out for her upcoming feature sharing a Bettys recipe.

Switching our focus from outdoor pursuits to indoor pastimes, and following the news earlier this year that Ripon was voted one of the ‘coolest places to live in the UK’, we visited Ripon Arts Hub to find out how it contributes to this newly acquired status.

The biweekly local history spotlight series focused on a place, not a person last week too; Knaresborough institution The Mitre Hotel, which has many interesting links to significant figures and events in the town’s past.

The tail end of this week heralds the arrival of another famous festival for Harrogate - the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is back for another year.

To clear up any (murder) mystery about what to see, we’ve put together an overview of the four-day event so you don’t miss any of the action.

If interior design – or endlessly scrolling Rightmove and Zoopla for dream properties – is your thing, we’ve got a treat for you this weekend; a Harrogate family has allowed the Stray Ferret a sneak peek at their house transformation.

Look out for our chat with one of the organisers of Knaresborough FEVA too ahead of the festival, as well as an exclusive interview with a local beekeeper about the joy that tending to a hive can bring.

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