More than 500 homes suffered a power cut this morning when a partially fallen tree rested on overhead power cables in the Harrogate district.
A total of 568 homes in Birstwith and Hampsthwaite were affected by the incident, which was reported at 10.41am this morning.
Power was restored after about an hour.
A spokeswoman for electricity company Northern Powergrid told the Stray Ferret:
“The tree meant the cable was quite low and we needed to switch off power while we dealt with it.”
She added the company had switched the supply while the tree was made safe and power was back on in all the homes affected by 11.33am.
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Birstwith residents ‘excited’ to welcome visitors into their gardens
Horticultural enthusiasts in Birstwith are opening their beautiful gardens for visitors tomorrow in support of two local charities.
The event will run from 10.30am to 4pm and will include directions to a new community garden that has been created at Birstwith Mill, where the Birstwith Show takes place.
Ruth Fisher, one of the organisers, says visitors can buy a map of the 10 gardens for £5, which doubles up as a ticket, from St James’ Church.
A community garden will be opened at Birstwith Mill, which hosts the Birstwith Show
Ms Fisher said participants were looking forward to welcoming visitors after being stuck inside during lockdown:
“We are really excited to be able to offer this event in the village, and everyone has worked really hard to make sure that their gardens are in the best state they can be!”
Plants grown by the residents themselves will be on sale at the church, alongside a cake stall. All stallholders will be accepting cash only.
All proceeds from the event will be shared between two organisations: Birstwith in Bloom, a voluntary organisation that “promotes responsible care of the environment and horticultural excellence in the town”, and Birstwith Horticultural Society, the charity behind community fundraising for the Birstwith Show.
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There will be refreshments at the church and in each of the gardens.
A previous open garden event at Birstwith Hall, in conjunction with the National Garden Scheme, raised £2,000 for Marie Curie.
New vicar for Killinghall, Birstwith and HampsthwaiteThe Reverend Suzy McCarter has been appointed vicar of Hampsthwaite with Felliscliffe, Killinghall and Birstwith.
Revd McCarter, who lives in Birstwith vicarage, will be installed at an induction service with the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev Helen-Ann Hartley, on July 28 at 7pm in Killinghall.
Born in Northampton, Revd McCarter was ordained in Blackburn Diocese.
She said:
“I then served a curacy in Standish, Wigan and my first appointment as a clergyperson was in the benefice of Harden, Wilsden, Cullingworth and Denholme in West Yorkshire where I stayed for nearly 11 years before moving here.
“We hope to settle and remain here for a nice long time.”
Birstwith and Hampsthwaite churches reopened for worship during Holy Week and are now back to the normal pattern of worship.
Killinghall, however, is having work done to repair the chancel after some water damage to the foundations resulted in the floor sinking.
It is expected to open for worship on May 30.
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Birstwith Show set to return in July
The organisers of Birstwith Show have announced the event is to take place on July 31.
Birstwith has hosted a show most years since 1867 and today’s announcement is an early sign of some semblance of normality returning after yesterday’s government roadmap out of lockdown.
The event, which is traditionally held on the last Saturday of July, attracts up to 2,000 people.
It is one of numerous annual country and agricultural shows that are popular parts of Harrogate district life.
The news will raise hopes that similar events, in places such as Ripley and Pateley Bridge, will also happen this year after covid caused their cancellation last year.
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Amy Howard, a show committee member, told the Stray Ferret:
“We are excited about it and we hope it will give people a bit of a buzz. Everyone is desperate for something to look forward to. It’s a little glimmer of hope.
“To sit outside with friends and family listening to live music and seeing kids running around having fun is something people want to see happen again. They’ve missed the simple pleasures.”
Birstwith Show includes about 20 stalls providing food and drink and entertainment, plus displays of arts and crafts, homemade produce, flower arranging and horticulture.
Ms Howard said the committee usually started promoting the show around now to give people time to know what to grow for the horticultural exhibition.
The entry schedule is due to be released shortly on the show website.
The Harrogate district is finally emerging from weeks of sub-zero conditions, as temperatures begin to rise.
The Met Office forecasts 11 degrees centigrade tomorrow, which will feel balmy after the recent freeze.
Temperatures failed to reach double figures throughout January, and February has seen little improvement with Met Office weather warnings for snow and ice almost constantly in place.
Professional photographer Lissa Peakman captured these amazing images of ice forming on land and fences near Ross Bridge, on Darley Road in Birstwith on Friday.
Any lingering snow and ice is likely to vanish soon as warmer air moves in.
Temperatures could be as high as 14 degrees next weekend as winter begins to give way for spring.
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Nidderdale pupils donate books to boost children’s literacy
Pupils from a Nidderdale school are hoping to spread Christmas cheer and the joy of reading with children across Yorkshire.
Belmont Grosvenor School has donated more than 500 books to Bradford Stories, the campaign from the National Literacy Trust and Bradford Council which aims to improve literacy levels in the city by promoting reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The books, ranging from babies’ first picture books to simple readers, topic books and young teenage novels, will be gifted to children across the Bradford area, many of whom don’t own a single book.
Imran Hafeez, manager of Bradford Stories, said he was delighted to receive the donation of books – and pledged to deliver them to families across the city who need them most. He added:
“Last Christmas, before the pandemic, we found that more than 5,000 children in Bradford don’t own a single book and our fear is that with the closures of libraries and lockdown restrictions, this number will have increased.
“We are continuing to reach out into our communities through partners and volunteer Literacy Champions with the gift of books and we are aiming to distribute over 10,000 by Christmas this year. This kind donation from Belmont Grosvenor School allows us to fulfil this task during a very difficult time.
“We hope to bring the joy of reading to many children who otherwise wouldn’t have a book.”
This week, staff from the independent school, based in Birstwith, travelled to Bradford to deliver the boxfuls of books to the Bradford Stories storeroom in the city.
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Belmont Grosvenor School’s book donation comes as Premier League footballer Marcus Rashford announced the launch of a national book club to promote literacy and reading. His aim is to give away thousands of paperbacks and hardbacks to children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Jo Henderson, who runs the nursery at Belmont Grosvenor School, said:
“All our children here at Belmont Grosvenor School and Magic Tree Nursery are lucky enough to have access to books, and to benefit from the joy and escapism that reading, and being read to, brings.
“We hope that by donating some of our school’s books to Bradford Stories we can help, in some small way, improve the lives of children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds. We know the books will be distributed to those who need them most and we hope that brings some happiness over the festive season.”
Bradford Stories operates a number of other community-based projects to tackle low-literacy levels in some of the city’s most disadvantaged wards. These include the Bradford Schools Literacy Project, working with 53 schools across the city to improve literacy, and running a team of Literacy Champion volunteers who support and inspire their local communities to engage with reading and writing.