Children at a school near Ripon were among thousands nationwide to dress up today for World Book Day.
Pupils and staff at Fountains Church of England Primary School, which is at Grantley, came to lessons dressed as their favourite characters from a range of books.
The children also swapped books with each other as part of the celebrations.
It comes as pupils across the district have celebrated the day, which aims to promote reading for pleasure among children.
Staff at the school get into the spirit.
Do you have any pictures from your school celebrating World Book Day? Send them to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or message us on Facebook.
Home library service still going strong after 60 years
Keen readers who struggle to get to their local library are being offered a lifeline from a service which has been operating in the Harrogate district for more than six decades.
Organised by North Yorkshire County Council, the home library service runs across the county – and has capacity to support new customers.
A fortnightly delivery of books or audio books is completely free of charge and the service is delivered by volunteers, coordinated by the Harrogate area’s outreach librarian Deborah Thornton.
She said:
“We have schemes at all our libraries. Harrogate is the biggest one, so we have the most customers and the most volunteers here.
“It used to be the case that people would have to prove they were housebound, but now we take people’s word for it that they need us. They can use the service if they can’t get out, but also if they can’t carry heavy books.
“We have people who are with us temporarily after an operation and carers who can’t easily leave home. We also have people who just use us through the winter when they don’t want to go out in ice and snow.”
The service was first set up in Harrogate in 1962 and has been going strong ever since. It has 35 volunteers supporting 150 customers, mostly around Harrogate itself but some further afield.
Its numbers dipped during covid, when Deborah said some of the service’s users were nervous about people visiting their homes. Since then, she has been on a mission to reach new people and ensure anyone who wants to can access deliveries of books.
Deborah said:
“However much we try and promote it, you still get people saying they’ve never heard of it before.
“We will serve absolutely anybody. Some of our volunteers are older than our customers!
“We’ve served younger people: a lady a while ago contacted us because she was poorly, so we brought her books for her young daughter to read, to keep her entertained.
“We have customers who have been with us for a long time and love the service.”
Deborah said the volunteers are given enough time to get to know the customers and are always happy to take on board people’s preferences.
They ask customers not to be too specific – only selecting one author, for example, will limit how many deliveries they can receive – and as keen readers themselves, volunteers will often make recommendations for them.
Books can be delivered in different formats, including large print and audio books, and customers can keep them for as long as they like.
Among the recipients is 95-year-old Doris Guiseley, who said:
“I’ve had the service since I was 80 and to me it is a godsend. I’m an avid reader and can get lost in a good book, it’s what keeps me going.
“I recommend it to everyone I meet and tell them it’s a brilliant service.”
Anyone who would like to find out more about the home library service can call Deborah Thornton, who is based in Starbeck, on 01609 533619.
Book collection launched across district to support teenagers’ mental healthBooks that support the mental health of teenagers have been put in libraries across the Harrogate district.
The North Yorkshire’s library service initiative coincides with today’s World Mental Health Day.
The pandemic’s disruption to young people’s lives, alongside issues such as growing concern about global warming, has increased uncertainty about identity, position in society and future plans.
In 2020, almost half of young people said they did not feel in control of their lives and almost a third felt overwhelmed by feelings of panic and anxiety on a daily basis, according to North Yorkshire County Council.
The new books, which are recommended by health professionals as part of the Reading Well initiative, cover topics such as body image, bereavement, social anxiety, boosting confidence, surviving online, sexuality, gender identity and mental health.
They cater for a wide range of reading levels and formats to support less confident readers and encourage engagement.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Greg White, said:
“Our libraries have embraced the Reading Well scheme for some years, already focusing on mental health, dementia and issues facing young people.
“This latest collection adds another strand to the support that young people can find at their library, again showcasing their important role in maintaining the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve.”
Every library in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon, will be displaying titles from the new collection and any title which is unavailable can be requested and borrowed free of charge.
The Reading Well collection is curated by The Reading Agency in partnership with experts from organisations and professionals including NHS England, leading mental health charities and library staff.
More information about the Reading Well collection can be found here.
Robert Harris and Chris Ryan coming to Harrogate literary festivalHistorical novelist Robert Harris, SAS hero Chris Ryan and broadcaster and political commentator, Iain Dale, have added their names to the line up of speakers at this year’s Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival.
They are the latest headline names that have agreed to appear at the celebration of books, which is being held between October 20 and October 23, at the Harrogate’s Crown Hotel.
Other names already announced include the 8th Earl of Harewood David Lascelles, Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan, broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor, The Great British Dig co-presenter Dr Chloë Duckworth, and broadcaster and TV presenter Nihal Arthanayake.
Commencing with a literary lunch staring Countdown’s Susie Dent, this year will see 23 names appearing on the Raworths stage.
Bringing the curtain down at the end of the four-day event is Fatherland author, Robert Harris, who has had many of his novels adapted for TV or film, including Enigma, which starred Kate Winslet, and Archangel featuring Daniel Craig.
He will be talking about his latest thrilling novel, Act of Oblivion – set in 1660 after the restoration of the monarchy — with BBC Radio Four’s Mark Lawson.
Iain Dale’s latest book, On This Day in History, charts the main events of the last few hundred years, with one event per page, per day.
He will be joined on stage by former LBC stablemate and festival regular, Matt Stadlen, as the pair take a journey through Britain’s political history, told in 365 events.
Former SAS corporal, Chris Ryan will talk about how his own experiences have influenced his writing.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, which produces and curates the event, said:
“The latest names added to this year’s roll call, Robert Harris, Chris Ryan and Iain Dale, are all best sellers in their own right and need no introduction, and the
quality of speakers is a testament to the ever-rising prominence of this annual literature festival.”
Further information about the festival is available here.
Harrogate’s crime writing festival names its novel of the yearNewcastle novelist Mick Herron has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022, presented by Harrogate International Festivals, for his crime novel Slough House.
The announcement was made at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate last night during the opening ceremony of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which runs until Sunday.
The book, which is the seventh installment in the bestselling series of the same name, follows a band of failed spies.
This year marks Herron’s first time winning the award after five appearances on the shortlist in just six years.
The author received a £3,000 prize, as well as a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by T&R Theakston Ltd.
Mick Herron said:
“This is the most coveted trophy in the crime writing community and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have won it.”
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said there was “an incredibly strong shortlist”.
The festival will see crime fiction icons including Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Denise Mina, Lynda La Plante, Mark Billingham, Ann Cleeves and more take to the stage to discuss all things crime fiction at the world’s biggest celebration of the genre.
For more information on the line up and tickets, visit here.
Author on the hunt for Harrogate ghost storiesThe man behind Harrogate’s first ghost walk is writing a book about spooky tales in the town — and he needs your help finding stories to include.
Paul Forster launched his ghost walk last year, offering an evening excursion around Harrogate’s most haunted locations.
The one-hour trail takes in The Alexandra pub, The Crown Hotel and Hales Bar, among other places.
One of his favourite stories is the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author behind the Sherlock Holmes novels, held a seance at The Harrogate Club on Victoria Avenue.
Mr Forster has now found a publisher for a book of Harrogate ghost stories and he wants people to submit their tales from the other side.
Since starting his ghost walk, Mr Forster said he’s encountered several unexplained phenomena, including what he believes was an apparition taunting him at the Turkish Baths.
He said:
“I saw a woman’s body peeking out from a cubicle, I went to the cubicle, but nobody was there. The door shut on its own then I heard a woman’s voice that went ‘ha!’ really loud. It freaked me out.
“There was a young member of staff there who said she had heard the same ‘ha!'”
Mr Forster is particularly interested in ghost stories about Windsor House, a large building that overlooks Valley Gardens. It used to be the Grand Hotel during Harrogate’s Victorian heyday.
He said:
“At Windsor House there was a woman who stepped into a lift but it wasn’t there, so she fell to her death in the lift shaft. She’s been seen lots of times. There is also ghost children running down the corridors there and unusual orbs of light. There must be more stories.”
Mr Forster said Harrogate is a hotbed of ghostly activity due to its Victorian past.
He added:
“People kept saying to me there are no ghosts in Harrogate, you need to go to York, but a lot of the ghosts came here from the Victorian era and World War One. Tourists from all over the world left an imprint behind with both fond or bad memories.
“There’s the ghost of a Victorian gent in the Pump Room museum. He’s dressed like a tourist in bowler hat and can be seen disappearing through the wall.”
Do you have any ghost stories? Email Paul Forster here or message him on Facebook.
Ripon library to close for refurbishmentRipon library will close next month for a nature-inspired refurbishment.
The library, in The Arcade, will be redesigned with the beauty of the natural world in mind.
The new children’s area will include decorative shelving and brightly coloured furniture, along with a story wall for children to share their reading experiences.
North Yorkshire County Council has also spent £3,000 on reading material that includes picture books, board books and audio books, as well as popular junior fiction and non-fiction titles.
North Yorkshire County Council’s libraries manager Chrys Mellor said:
“Ripon library is always filled with children and families so news of the refurbishment has been welcomed in the community. We are continuing to invest in new reading material for children in many of the county’s libraries to encourage them to support their local branch and start reading from an early age.
“Unfortunately the library will be closed to the public for a short time but we are doing our best to accommodate users. Loans will be extended over the closure period and arrangements have been made to cover home library service deliveries.”
The library will close for refurbishment at 2pm on Saturday, May 14. From Monday, May 23, it will reopen except for the children’s area, which will be temporarily moved to another space.
The library will operate its full services from Monday, May 30.
The nearest alternative libraries are Boroughbridge community library, Knaresborough library, Harrogate library, Mashamshire community library, and Nidderdale Plus community library.
Programme revealed for Harrogate’s crime writing festivalHarrogate International Festivals has announced the full programme for the 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
The four-day event offers the chance to discover the next big names in crime fiction and hear giants of the genre discuss their work. It includes panels, workshops and talks.
The line-up has been curated by this year’s festival chair, the novelist Denise Mina.
Special guests headlining the festival include crime fiction authors Lynda La Plante, Paula Hawkins, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Connelly, Lucy Foley, Charlie Higson, John Connolly, CL Taylor and Kathy Reichs.
Other speakers set to appear include broadcaster and crime fiction debut author, Rev Richard Coles, comedian Frankie Boyle and TV chef Rosemary Shrager.
This year’s programme will also feature two author dinners, attended by popular crime and thriller writers including: politician and debut novelist Alan Johnson, author Andrew Hunter Murray and bestselling thriller writer Syd Moore.
The festival runs from July 21-24 at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel.
Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the programme for this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. Denise has done a wonderful job curating a line-up which demonstrates the amazing breadth of crime fiction writing and points to an exciting future for the genre.
“We can’t wait to hear all these brilliant speakers take to the stage and share their insights, stories and predictions of what lies ahead for crime fiction and thriller writing!”
For more information visit HIF’s website.
Harrogate bookshop Imagined Things set to moveAn independent Harrogate bookshop is set to move this year in an effort to improve business.
Imagined Things, in Westminster Arcade, will move to new premises on Montpellier Parade.
Georgia Eckert, owner of the business, said she felt it was time for a change.
Ms Eckert said the new premises will be more visible, have more storage space and also be more accessible for disabled customers.
She said:
“I’m hoping that it will mean that a lot more people will find us.
“It is quite a popular area.”
The current store in Westminster Arcade.
The Montpellier outlet has a better layout, Ms Eckert added, and will be easier for customers to find.
She said:
“We are quite tucked away at the moment.
“We often have to explain to people how to find us.”
Ms Eckert hopes the move will also allow her to give staff more hours in an effort to grow the business.
The bookshop has been in Westminster Arcade for five years and has acquired a loyal customer base.
Ms Eckert and her three members of staff are set to pick up the keys this month and are aiming to open the new store in June.
A crowdfunding campaign has also been set up to help fund the move, which has so far reached £3,000 of its £30,000 target.
Mrs Eckert said she was grateful for all the people that have helped and has offered rewards, such as merchandise bundles, in return.
Harrogate primary school sets £10,000 target for new libraryCoppice Valley Primary School is hoping to raise £10,000 to improve its library and provide a space for students to be inspired by books.
The current space inside the Harrogate school is more than 20 years old and the second-hand shelving is beginning to collapse.
The plan is to use the funds to completely redesign the space with new storage, books and floor mats.
Ms Emma Meadus, headteacher, said the school set up a covid-safe book swap outside during the pandemic and because of that many books weren’t returned or were returned in poor condition.
The school wants to improve its current library.
The school has had a quote from a design company of £8,800. Any remaining donations will be used to buy new books.
Ms Meadus said:
“It’s been a make-shift, make-do area and the books are in need of an upgrade. We knew it needed to be better for our kids, we have a lot of catch-up learning to do after the pandemic and we want a beautiful space for the kids to be inspired.”
The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary in September and hopes the library will be a legacy project.
Although the target is £10,000, the school wants to raise £20,000 over the next two years it so it can build another library for younger children in a separate area of the school.
To support the school’s appeal, click here.