Editor’s Pick of the Week: The Range fever sweeps Harrogate

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There’s only been one story in town this week… it wasn’t the latest on the Station Gateway, the disappearance of WH Smith in Ripon and Harrogate or the Liberal Democrats’ spring conference at Harrogate Convention Centre.

No, it was the opening of The Range in the former Homebase premises in Harrogate. At least it seemed that way judging by the reaction on social media to our article announcing the news.

When we arrived for the 9am opening yesterday (March 28) an excitable gaggle of people were already queueing to get in. We half expected to see fights over a bean bag when the doors opened but things proceeded smoothly, and we were even given a free packet of wine gums.

Things are usually a little quieter on the bocilic banks of the River Ure between Bishop Monkton and Newby Hall. But the tranquility was disturbed this week when the bomb squad descended to detonate an unexploded device that had sat on the bed of the river since the Second World War.

Police, the Royal Navy and specialist divers were drafted in to help.

Look for an interview tomorrow with the underwater drone hobbyist from Ripon who stumbled across the device.

This week also saw the opening of Harrogate’s first Chatty Café in the Saints area of the town. Let's hope the venture takes off.

And could there finally be progress on the £6 million new primary school in Knaresborough? It's five years since plans for the 210-pupil school were announced.