All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has poked fun at the number of brightly coloured warnings that greet commuters at Harrogate train station.

People using the stairs to cross platforms are greeted by a raft of brightly coloured messages imploring them to do everything from use the handrails to keep to the left.

West, who plays Siegfried Farnon in the Channel 5 remake of the drama series about vets, expressed his sensory overload on social media after a recent visit to the station.

The actor and narrator tweeted to his 104,000 followers:

https://twitter.com/exitthelemming/status/1642619635194372100

The post has attracted 4,500 likes and 249 retweets.

One person replied that it looked like a “seriously bossy set of steps” while another described it as “a sensory nightmare”.

Somebody else said:

“A frustrated copywriter finally given a platform… so to speak!”

Several commented they would be too worried about tripping to read all the messages.

A spokesperson for rail operator Northern said:

“We carry out regular inspections of the stations across our network and we’ll certainly take this into consideration.”

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The daughter and son of Alf Wight, author of the James Herriot books, will provide an insight into their father’s famous stories, at Harrogate Library this week.

The book signing event on Wednesday with Rosie Page and Jim Wight marks the publication of The Wonderful World of James Herriot.

It is being organised by Harrogate bookshop Imagined Things and will include a question and answer session.

The new book, a classic collection of the late author’s stories, contains insights from his children.

It looks sure to appeal to fans of the best-selling All Creatures Great and Small books and the current smash-hit Channel 5 TV series, set in the rural communities of the Yorkshire Dales.

Ian Ashton, managing director, the World of James Herriot tourist attraction in Thirsk, said:

“Rosie and Jim’s insights add authenticity to the many tales of the animals and people which are at the heart of Herriot’s stories.

“There’s never a dull moment in Herriot’s company, whether he’s becoming pen pals with Tricki Woo the spoilt Pekingese, dodging a raging bull on a risky artificial insemination assignment, or the inevitable trials and tribulations of lambing season, Rosie and Jim have seen it all”.

The book signing starts at 7.15. Tickets cost £5 (redeemable to those who purchase a copy of the book) and are available at the shop, or by calling 01423 391301.

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Yurtshire, in the Nidderdale countryside, is drawing on the power of nature, to create a revitalising experience for visitors from across the Harrogate district and further afield.

The 93-acre site, which features Eavestone Lake, is being developed by Tom Sterne, whose family are long-term investors in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, in Ripon and surrounding areas.

Located between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, just off the B6265 road, the site with its nine luxurious tree yurts, opened last summer.

Following the high demand of a staycation year, three more units are being added, after planning permission was granted by Harrogate Borough Council.

Plans are also in hand to add spa-type facilities and services, including a sauna, facial and body massages.

The site features the 13-acre Eavestone Lake

Mr Sterne, who has more than ten years of experience of outdoor hospitality-based business, gained through his operation of hire company Yorkshire Yurts and    YurtBar, which caters for the corporate entertainment market, told the Stray Ferret:

“I’m using the expertise that I have gained to create a new facility to satisfy the needs of people who are increasingly focused on wellness, lifestyle issues and the environment.”

He pointed out:

“Our site has an abundance of natural assets, including forty acres of forest, a 13-acre lake and the biodiversity that goes with them, from birds, butterflies and insects to clear night-time skies that are perfect for people whose spirits are lifted by looking at the stars.

“The aim is to harness and harmonise with all aspects of the natural environment – woodland, water and wildlife – to provide guests with a restful and regenerative stay that is good for mind, body and the healing process.

“That is why people wanting to find a peaceful and idyllic place to go on retreat, represent a growing part of our business.”

The yurts have been designed to provide a five-star level of luxury

In the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yurtshire is surrounded by stunning  scenery, that would not look out of place on a canvas by the landscape master painter J.M.W. Turner.

Views from the decking of each Yurt site, which has its own private hot tub, underline why nearby Grassington was chosen for filming of the smash-hit Channel 5 programme All Creatures Great and Small.

Each of the nine placements has its own private hot tub and decking area

With Grassington and other attractions, such as Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal, Brimham Rocks and Stump Cross Caverns, drawing more staycationers to Yorkshire, there is scope for Yurtshire to build on a successful first season.

Nicola Warters, pictured here with Tom Sterne, says the yurts provide five-star luxury in idyllic surroundings

Yurtshire manager Nicola Warters, said:

“We are providing the type of luxury accommodation that can be found in a five-star hotel, but instead of waking up surrounded by bricks and mortar, our visitors are in the heart of the woodland and arise to the sound of birds singing.

“Some also come for the pleasure of picking out the star constellations, as they relax in the soothing waters of their hot tub. It’s therapeutic on every level.”

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Whether it is fantasy films or period dramas, the Harrogate district has become a hotspot for film crews to shoot big productions.

This past year has seen Harrogate town centre and Fountains Abbey play host to major film and television stars, including Simon Pegg and Bridgeton star Phoebe Dynevor.

Earlier this week, Pegg was spotted shooting a scene for his upcoming film Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose on Crown Place.

Simon Pegg filming in Harrogate on Monday.

While the district can offer picturesque scenes for Netflix and film productions, local industry officials say there is more to Harrogate which attracts crews.

Film crews love Harrogate

Chris Hordley is production liaison and development manager at Screen Yorkshire, a body which helps production companies film projects in the region.

The organisation helps major films get off the ground in Yorkshire by giving them location options and helping find crew members to support shooting scenes.

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Mr Hordley said while Harrogate is a perfect place for fantasy films, period dramas and other series, its hospitality is part of the reason why production teams keep coming back.

“They love it.

“A lot of the feedback we get is that it is well placed for hotels. If they [the crew] are not from Yorkshire, they get places to stay over.

“They will say to us: ‘I loved it so much that I booked a weekend for my family’. We get that a lot.”

He added that the ability to get from the centre of Harrogate to another location, such as Newby Hall near Ripon, in a short space of time was also part of the appeal.

“You can also get to lots of interesting locations in a short time. It’s a good place.”

More productions to come

Areas of the district have hosted many major productions over the years.

The Nidd Gorge viaduct was used to film a scene in Paddington 2 and Plumpton Rocks and Fountains Abbey feature in the The Witcher, a popular Netflix series.

Plumpton Rocks and Fountains Abbey both star in The Witcher.

Mr Hordley said Screen Yorkshire has a database of around 1,500 locations in the region, which they offer to production companies.

This includes landscapes, historic buildings, private businesses and major cities like Leeds and York.

Mr Hordley added that Yorkshire and Harrogate is often used to portray a different place because of the history and heritage locations.

“A lot of what we do is portraying Yorkshire as somewhere else.

“Yorkshire and Harrogate is really good for storytelling for past and present, feature and fantasy.”

All Creatures Great and Small

Mr Hordley pointed to All Creatures Great and Small, which is filmed mainly in Grassington but also in Harrogate as an example of a successful historical series that has put the district on the map.

More recently, Simon Pegg’s upcoming film, Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose is a film based on the story of the para-psychologist from the 1930s and was shot in Harrogate.

When asked whether people in the Harrogate district can expect to be on television screens more in the future, he said:

“You absolutely can.

“We have been working hard on more projects. There are projects that will be happening in Harrogate.”

Film crews were in Harrogate again over the bank holiday to film the latest series of All Creatures Great and Small.

The road outside the former Harrogate Borough Council offices at Crescent Gardens was closed to enable filming to take place for the third series of Channel 5‘s adaptation of the books by James Herriot.

Filming began in March and has taken the cast and crew around the Dales to areas such as Grassington, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge for the programme about the life of a vet in the Yorkshire Dales.

Reader Holly Chaplin sent us some images over the weekend after spotting a classic car and multiple men in tweed being filmed outside Crescent Gardens.

This is the second time in a few weeks the former council buildings have been used as a backdrop for a TV series. At the beginning of last month it was used as a location for Netflix’s new show Bank of Dave.

Plans to redevelop Crescent Gardens, which include a two-storey extension, rooftop restaurant, gym and new office space, are recommended for approval next week.

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Harrogate has been visited by numerous film crews and stars in recent weeks.

Ms Chaplin also sent us a photo of wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, taken when he appeared at a show at Harrogate’s Royal Hall yesterday.

Steve Backshall in Harrogate yesterday. Pic by Holly Chaplin

The producers of All Creatures Great and Small have donated fresh fruit and vegetables to a Knaresborough community grocery.

Playground, which produces the hit Channel 5 television series, got in touch with Resurrected Bites to offer the food from its set at Grassington.

The production company sought out the community grocery to offer the fruit and vegetables instead of letting them go to waste.

Resurrected Bites, which is a charity, collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.

Michelle Hayes, chief executive of the organisation, said:

“We have had donations from food photographers before, but this is our first donation from a film set.

“We love that Playground sought us out to donate the fruit and veg used in the filming of All Creatures Great and Small rather than just binning it at the end of the day.

“We hope that other businesses with food surplus will be inspired to offer us their food rather than binning it as we are struggling to meet the demand for food via our community groceries and ‘give as you can’ cafes and shops.”

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Resurrected Bites currently runs community groceries at Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and New Park Community Hub on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

All Creatures Great and Small was commissioned for a fourth and fifth series back in January. Filming began on the new series last month.

Based on James Herriot’s books about life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s, the programme has proved a success and attracted millions of viewers.