Editor’s Pick of the Week: Christmas turns Harrogate into a 'shanty town' while Knaresborough excels

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Knaresborough often displays impressive community spirit, but the free Christmas dinners initiative is an extraordinary testament to the town’s compassion.

Organiser Bruce Reid, a retired firefighter, spoke to us about how it started and why he won’t turn anyone away. More than 120 people booked to have turkey with all the trimmings, either for a sit down meal at The Hub or a takeaway delivered by Two Brothers.

Harrogate Christmas Fayre, the joint initiative between North Yorkshire Council and a Tameside events company that sees wooden huts sprawled around the town centre, is less a source of local pride, judging by the response to a reader’s letter this week.

Barry Adams said it turned Harrogate into a “shanty town” and is particularly incensed about the huts being crammed around the war memorial. His letter generated lots of supportive comments on our website and Facebook page. Do you agree with him?

We’ve featured various unsung heroes this week who give up Christmas to help others. Hats off to taxi driver Kevin O’Boyle, who told our chief reporter he has only had three Christmas days off work since 1965. Kevin is 82 and didn’t flinch when he posed for a photo in an absolute deluge. Cabbies are clearly a tough bunch.

The festive spirit was flowing this week on John Street in Harrogate. Banyan has been the beating heart of the street for 20 years so there was sadness when we revealed it will close on January 3.

The blow was softened the next day when we reported that Rudy’s Pizza was planning to open in the town. Are there more pizza joints per square mile in Harrogate than Naples now?

Those nasty Aussies may be giving our boys a pounding in the Ashes but it’s hard not to feel some warmth towards their injured captain Pat Cummins.

Shortly before the series began, he described Harrogate as his favourite place in the world. “It's all stone buildings, manicured lawns, rose gardens and hedges,” he said.

On the political front, there have been rumours of a deal between Labour and the ruling Conservatives on North Yorkshire Council, and a row over whether Labour mayor David Skaith was right to claim expenses for his political advisor’s hotel while staying at the Labour Party conference.

Finally, a post-Christmas walk is often welcome. We suggested seven to try this week. It’s hard to beat Studley Royal Park, and this week we spoke with the National Trust about its £4.6 million Studley Revealed project, which is due to begin soon.