Local libraries have been offering free blood pressure checks this week. It’s probably just as well the service wasn’t available at the Cedar Court Hotel for Tuesday night’s Harrogate Station Gateway meeting.

Opponents of the £12.1 million scheme, of which there are many, often appear to be in a state of near purple-faced implosion when discussing it.

The meeting was actually fairly civil, probably because members of the public weren’t allowed to attend. Apparently, a few slipped through the net at the last Harrogate District Chamber of Trade gateway meeting and made their presence felt.

Nevertheless, businesses appeared far from excited about what Cllr Keane Duncan described as the first investment in Harrogate town centre for 30 years — which is longer than he’s been alive. You can read a summary of the meeting here.

Finally, after months of less than eager anticipation, Long Course Weekend Yorkshire got underway with a bracing swim in Grimwith Reservoir yesterday (September 6).

Masham market place has been turned into an athletes’ village for this most curious three-day sports tourism event: after a fanfare media launch a year ago, neither the Welsh organisers nor North Yorkshire Council, which has paid £75,000 to host it for three years, appear to have done much to promote it to the media.

True to form, our reporter Flora Grafton was told by Long Course Weekend representatives there was nobody who could talk to her when she arrived to cover the opening. The weather looks kind and there are few lovelier places to be than Masham. Let’s hope it goes well.

Talking of lovely places, Heritage Open Days gets underway this weekend, giving people the chance to visit local historic sites for free. Check out our listings, some fantastic experiences await. Ripon Gazebo is top of my list — you can read more about it here.