After 44 years, this Starbeck optometrists is marking an exciting new chapterThe Harrogate business group providing in-person meetings in an ‘increasingly virtual society’The Harrogate business group providing in-person meetings in an ‘increasingly virtual society’

(Above: Harrogate Business Group)

According to data from the Office of National Statistics, there were more businesses created in North Yorkshire in 2023 than any previous year – and 1,556 of that record-breaking number can be found in Harrogate.  

With such an influx of new companies and entrepreneurs, is there still a feeling of community amongst local businesses? After all, the benefits of connecting within the local area are numerous and multi-faceted including finding support, fulfilment and offering an organic way to expand a professional network. 

One group that seeks to encourage this is the Harrogate Business Group. It holds networking and development workshops that aim to empower entrepreneurs of all ages, and helps them to build a strong community in Harrogate.

The challenges of being online 

While owning and running an independent business has many positives, in an increasingly digital world it can also be challenging. 

With the business world migrating online, it can become an isolated place; inundated by social media content that only celebrates success or presents a carefully curated highlight reel, it’s easy to see how obstacles can feel harder to navigate. 

 Valuing face-to-face relationships 

The Harrogate Business Group places great emphasis on in-person meetings. Its regular Breakfast Networking Events are one of the ways the organisation provides a platform for this. 

Taking place every Friday over breakfast at Cedar Court Hotel, business owners, representatives and entrepreneurs can meet and share their advice and experiences face-to-face, rather than virtually.  

Speaking at the last event which took place on Friday, May 10, Martin Taylor, owner of Xi Communications said:   

“It’s so easy to get lulled into doing everything online. 

“As a small business, it can give you a huge advantage if you actually take the time to see your customer, or phone them, to build that relationship.” 

Networking event (Image: Harrogate Business Group)

‘One-to-one brings you so much more’ 

Rachel O’Rourke, HR consultant for Mint HR, highlighted that while she feels building relationships in person takes time, she certainly reaps the rewards.  

She added: 

“The virtual world has enabled people to expect things quickly. People want instant access and instant information.” 

Tom Lawrence, owner of TLC Properties, commented: 

“One-to-one brings you so much more. Not just about what it can do for your business, but what it can do within your business; advice, friendship, company. We are all social people.” 

A diverse background 

The group has a wide range of business backgrounds, from HR and marketing, to consultancy and accountancy. The variety allows members to learn from each other about every aspect of business, while also creating meaningful relationships. 

Chris White, owner of Green Ink explained: 

“It’s a learning curve for everybody. If I have a problem, I can speak to them about it because they have had the same issue.” 

Future events 

Alongside its breakfast events, the Harrogate Business Group also offers speed business clinics, where entrepreneurs and members of the public can meet a business professional from the group and receive advice, guidance or simply make new connections. 

The next clinic is being held on Friday, June 7.  

It is also holding a pitch your business idea event on July 5 for those looking to broaden their business opportunities. Tickets are available on a discretional donation policy, with all proceeds going to charity.  

Building relationships (Image: Harrogate Business Group)

The ripple effect: What are the benefits? 

According to the group who attended the Breakfast Networking Events on Friday, May 10, the increase in local businesses being created across Harrogate – especially by the younger generation – is evident. 

Micheal Grant, chairman of the group and owner of Minford Chartered Accountants commented: 

“There are a lot of younger entrepreneurs that are coming through which is fantastic.” 

His advice to young business owners would be that networks like the Harrogate Business Group are a great way to ‘get out and meet people, and push outside your comfort zone.’ 

Tom added: 

“[The group is] a bit like dropping a pebble in a pond. The ripples go out and you don’t know where they are going to go.” 

Everyone commended the group’s efforts at creating such a friendly atmosphere, concluding that being part of it provides camaraderie, emotional support, and a sense of personal and professional fulfilment – a precious commodity in today’s increasingly virtual and isolated society. 

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Businesses hit as power cuts strike Harrogate yet again

Businesses in the centre of Harrogate have been affected once again by power cuts this week.

James Street, Princess Street, Prospect Crescent and parts of Cambridge Street have all suffered outages.

Some shops have had to temporarily close while others told the Stray Ferret they have had issues with their tills, shutters, phone lines, lighting and internet.

This is not the first time the Streets have been left without power. In March, James Street was left without power for a week when Northern Powergrid found “a fault on the underground low voltage cable, resulting in a blown fuse”.

Princess Street and one side of James Street were affected on Tuesday (May 21) with Halifax, FatFace, White Stuff, Hobbs and others all forced to close.

Northern Powergrid said in response to Tuesday’s outage:

“At 08:47 am on Tuesday, May 21 we were alerted to a power cut affecting the James Street and Princess Street areas of Harrogate. Our engineers attended the area at 9am and located an underground low voltage fault.

“This was resolved and power was restored at 2:45 am on Wednesday 22 May. We continue to closely monitor any previous interruptions in our areas and work quickly to resolve any faults on our network.

“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience while our engineers worked safely to repair the fault and re-connect power.”

Yesterday, (May 23) the opposite side to those shops affected earlier in the week on James Street and Prospect Crescent were affected from the early hours of the morning until 4.30pm.

Emergency dentist left unable to treat patients

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi owner of The Harrogate Clinic

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi, owner of The Harrogate Dentist, was once again badly affected by the loss of power. The clinic, which provides 24-hour emergency care, was without light, access to medical records and dental machinery all day, meaning it was unable to treat patients.

She began a root canal surgery at 6.30am and numbed the patient’s mouth. At 7.28am, mid-way through the procedure the power shut off, leaving Dr Ghasmi and her patient panicked in the dark when her tools stopped working.

In March, Dr Ghasmi experienced the same problem when she was left unable to treat an emergency patient with a fractured tooth. After the initial power cuts she was told a generator had been installed and she was highly unlikely to have another power cut.

Yet four months later the clinic was thrown into the same position and Northern Powergrid had acted “nonchalantly” about the issue, she claimed.

Dr Ghasmi said:

“I cannot emphasise how much pressure the power cuts put on the clinic. They (Northern Powergrid) don’t realise how serious this is. It can’t go on, not when it is seriously affecting people’s health.

“I understand mistakes are made but when healthcare is on the line something needs to be done. They just told me ‘no one else has reported an issue’, but we are open 24 hours and need to help our patients. When it happens, I just go numb, and I feel helpless because I can’t help my patients. We are an emergency dentist, so people come to us because they are in such pain.”

James Street

Yvonne Nightingale, general manager of jewellers Ogden of Harrogate, said the power cuts have had “a horrendous knock-on effect” on the business. The power outage meant that the shop was unable to open and the intruder alarm was activated as a result of intermittent power.

Ms Nightingale added that the alarm activated smoke detectors, which someone witnessed and called the emergency services.

The fire services outside Ogden on James Street on Thursday.

Their neighbours Cornish Bakery Harrogate were also badly affected, losing a day of trade and forced to waste pre-prepared food. Hotel Chocolat and Sainsbury’s Local were also affected, with no power to their fridges.

Emel Rasit, manager of Crew Clothing, said:

“This is now the fifth or sixth time it has happened, it is very frustrating at this point and it has now meant the figures for this week will be a struggle.”

Manager of Crew Clothing Harrogate, Emel Rasit (left) with colleague Jack.

Northern Powergrid told The Stray Ferret today:

“On Thursday 23 May, we were alerted to a power cut affecting the James Street area of Harrogate. I can confirm that we have had an ongoing intermittent low voltage fault in this area, which has now been located and repaired.

“This type of fault can cause long duration issues, however we had six members of staff on site within three hours to ensure work was completed and power was restored as quickly as possible. All local properties and businesses were visited by our onsite engineer at the time and provided updates.”

“We do have some follow up work to complete following the repair, however all properties potentially affected will receive prior notice of excavation and we do not expect that supply will be interrupted.

Cornish Bakery Harrogate and Ogden of Harrogate closed due to power cuts

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Harrogate business park could get 10 more units

Plans have been submitted for phase two of the Harrogate West Business Park which could see 10 industrial units constructed for businesses to rent.

The Burley Bank Road site is alongside Penny Pot Lane and is close to the Army Foundation College.

Teakwood Investments Ltd has already built several industrial buildings at the business park including the headquarters for Harrogate firm Envirovent which opened in 2022.

Designs by Harrogate-based SPX Architects show the 10 units would vary in size with the smallest being 307 square metres and the largest 2,908 square metres. They would all be between seven and nine metres tall.

In total, the units would create 12,535 square metres of commercial floor space.

The site would be accessed and exited through the existing industrial park estate road, Bardner Bank.

According to the plans, service yards have been designed with sufficient space for HGVs to turn.

A design and access statement attached to the application said the business park has a “very minor impact” on nearby roads.

However, so far one resident has objected to the proposals fearing congestion from vehicles and HGVs.

They said:

“Local residents rightly are unhappy as property/amenity values will reduce and Burley Bank Road will become a car and HGV rat run to the A59.”

North Yorkshire Council has also received several letters of support from businesses interested in taking up units at the site.

Yorkshire Flapjack said they currently operate from a unit at the business park and would be interested in expanding to a larger one.

They said:

“The speed at which the phase 1 development was taken up by 13 different businesses has been testament to the pent-up demand for this type of commercial propertiy in the town.”

North Yorkshire Council will decide on the plans at a later date.

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Local history spotlight: Louis Copé

(Lead image: Harrogate Civic Society and Alex Goldstein)

London, Milan, New York – and Harrogate?

It might not be mentioned amongst the so-called style capitals of the world, but Harrogate certainly has sartorial credentials of its own. Just a brief wander around the central shopping district offers independent boutiques and designer brands, as well as the usual high street favourites.

However, it’s when looking back into the past that Harrogate’s reputation as a fashion-forward town really comes to the fore. In fact, it was once the home of a famous female fashion emporium, that considered members of the royal family as part of its clientele.

The shop belonged to Louis Copé (pronounced co-pay), a Jewish refugee whose family fled to the UK from Poland to pursue a better life. He was a major player in the fast-paced fashion world of the time, and while his shop closed in the 1970s, his influence in town remains to this day.

Early life

Copé’s distinctive moniker wasn’t actually his family name or birth name – he was officially christened Ulik Bidenkopf. His birth date is believed to be October 7, 1877.

Parliament Street in the 1900s (Image: Walker-Neesam Archive)

Copé was a later adaption of his surname, transitioning from Bidenkopf to Bidencope and then to Copé – a surname most commonly found in Europe – to sound more ‘sophisticated’.

His family first arrived in the UK in the early 20th century, having fled their home in Poland. In that time period, Poland was split between Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and Russia, with its Jewish citizens heavily persecuted.

Copé suffered from asthma, and the oppressive industrial smog of London wasn’t helping his health. In 1914, he made the move to Harrogate in search of the purer air that many believed the spa town, and the Yorkshire countryside, could offer.

Clothing Harrogate’s high society

While he may have first worked as a barber when he arrived in the UK – although this is unconfirmed – he made his first career change when arriving in Yorkshire, to become a jeweller. He was always a purveyor of the finer things in life, and in 1918 he opened the store which occupied numbers 52-58 on the corner of Parliament Street, facing the Royal Baths.

Copé’s shop rivalled that iconic building as an architectural talking point; the single pane of glass that wrapped around the main façade must have been an expensive installation, and indicated that customers could expect class when they stepped over the threshold.

The store sold a vast array of luxury couture such as dresses, fur coats, hats, and bags, as well as offering repairs to jewellery and clothing. The clientele was just as prestigious as the attire; the wealthy residents of Harrogate and beyond soon became loyal customers.

A fashion show organised by Louis Copé (Image: Alex Goldstein)

Copé’s reputation quickly grew, and ladies’ maids from across the country were soon contacting his shop to ask his advice on what latest accessory or style their mistress should be wearing.

The mid-1920s was a busy and prosperous time; not only did Copé get married and become a ‘naturalised British citizen’ in 1926, but he even had a brush with royalty. He received a request to dress Queen Mary, whose daughter Princess Mary was Countess of Harewood, the sprawling country estate near Leeds.

Later, the introduction of Freda – his only daughter out of three children – to a William Goldstein, a member of famed fashion house of its day Ellis & Goldstein of London, resulted in a marriage and the union of the two powerful families in society.

Fortune and philanthropy 

A good indication of the dizzying heights of success and fortune Copé reached would be the time he came into possession of the ‘Tenant Diamond’, a gemstone valued at around £10,000 – a vast amount for the era.

Despite his lavish lifestyle, he still remained an active member of the Harrogate community and was just as well-known for his philanthropic endeavours. This included supporting several local charities, and throwing fundraising evenings for Harrogate Infirmary.

His legacy

Copé passed away on June 30 1957 at the age of 79. He is buried in Leeds, in the New Farnley Jewish cemetery. His store was taken over by his son Harry and enjoyed many more successful years trading, before eventually being sold in the late 1970s.

Copé’s great-great grandson Alex Goldstein is a property consultant and still calls Harrogate home. In 2022, alongside the late historian Malcom Neesam, he successfully petitioned for a brown plaque to be installed outside of the former premise – now home to Rhodes Menswear.

Alex Goldstein, property consultant in Harrogate and London.

Alex Goldstein with the brown plaque

Speaking to the Stray Ferret in 2022 about the unveiling of the plaque, Mr Goldstein said:

“I am so pleased to have been able to mark the history and story of my great grandfather, whose fashion house spanned decades and formed important memories for so many people in and around Harrogate.”

Sources for this article include a biographical timeline on the Harrogate Civic Society website, Regional Couture: The Inter-war British Couture Fashion House Isobel (London & Harrogate) Ltd in the academic journal Costume, by Hannah Wroe, Edinburgh University Press, an article on Harrogate Spa Stories website and a profile on Geni.com.

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Harrogate company installs 762 solar panels on roof

A company with headquarters in Harrogate has installed 762 solar panels across the roofs of both of its buildings.

Belzona, which manufactures polymeric repair and protection systems, has installed the panels at Claro Road.

The panels, which cover 1,486 square metres, will generate over 300,000 kWh of electricity per year.

Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, estimates the average UK home uses 2,700 kWh of electricity annually, which is enough to power 111 homes.

The panels were installed by Keighley firm R&B Mechanical & Electrical Ltd.

Solar panels on Belzona headquaters

Helen Parris, QSHE manager and head of Belzona’s environmental committee, said:

“We have been working for many years to reduce our environmental impact, and whilst we still have a way to go on our journey to net zero, the investment in these solar panels represents an exciting step forward.”

The company said it had estimated the panels will have produced enough energy to offset the energy invested in their entire lifecycle within a couple of years.

Belzona did not reveal the cost of the installation of the panels. When asked by the Stray Ferret it would only say it had been a “significant investment”.

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Grants totalling £1 million available for small businesses in North Yorkshire

Businesses in North Yorkshire have the chance to apply for £1 million in funding through a new package of capital grants.

Small and micro businesses can apply for the small business grant scheme, administered by North Yorkshire Council through thennational government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The scheme is focussed on increasing business growth, productivity and resilience. Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available.

This is the second round of funding, following the first round in the last financial year which saw £750,000 awarded to businesses across the county.

Micro businesses, with less than 10 employees, and small firms with less than 50, can access free support through the business advisory teams at the council and the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, which provides business support.

There are more than 32,700 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises alongside 90 large businesses in the county.

Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative council leader and the chair of the shared prosperity fund board in North Yorkshire, said sole traders, start-ups, home businesses and social enterprises, as well as landlords and people looking to diversify their farm businesses and limited companies, were among those welcome to apply.

He added:

“This time we have allocated an even larger funding pot to the scheme to enable it to be bigger and better and have used learning from last year to improve the application process.

“Our ambition is to see a broad range of applications which seek to make long-lasting improvements to our small and medium businesses across the county.”

To aid businesses with their applications, the growth hub with partners at the social enterprise Enterprise Cube has organised two webinars on writing a business plan and a cash flow forecast which will take place on May 16 and 17.

Carolyn Frank, development manager at the York and North Yorkshire Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“This scheme has provided a practical way that the local authorities have been able to work together with us and other partners to unlock government funding and get it directly to businesses in our area, to help them to innovate and grow.”

The closing date for applications is Friday July 12. To find out more click here.

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Tool shop set to open in Knaresborough this month

A tool shop is set to officially open in Knaresborough later this month.

Tool Mix will open on Hambleton Grove Industrial Estate on May 18. An official open day is planned to showcase the new business.

According to Tool Mix’s social media it is “a one-stop shop for tools, workwear, storage and tool accessories”.

It adds:

“We offer the power and performance you need to tackle any job with confidence. We stock a wide range of leading brands including Milwaukee, Sealey, Laser and Ox Tools.”

Tim France, founder and director of Tool Mix lives in Knaresborough and worked for Snap-On tools for eight years in Leeds and Harrogate before deciding to take the leap into opening his own business.

The business currently has five employees, two tool vans and stocks bestsellers in the tool industry such as CT1 sealant.

Tool Mix van

Mr France said:

“I have driven for Snap-On in the area and I am a local lad so I already know our customers really well. With Tool Mix I don’t want to be a faceless, soulless business – people often see a shop front and have no connection. I want to support local businesses, look after people and go above and beyond with our service. We want to do more than selling tools – we want to be part of the community.”

The open day event on Saturday, May 18 will take place between 10.30am and 3pm.

There will be demonstrations of power tools, competitions, free refreshments and a charity prize raffle, with all proceeds going to St Michael’s Hospice and St Leonard’s Hospice. In the raffle a tool-kit of power tools worth around £500 will be on offer.

The tools and brands on offer at Tool Mix

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Plans approved to convert ex-Harrogate shop and nightclub into flats

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to create seven new flats on Harrogate’s Parliament Street.

The scheme will see the former Sofa Workshop unit, which is next to the now closed Bijouled store, converted to living accommodation.

The upper floor of the former Moko nightclub and office space will also be adapted to become flats.

The former Bijouled unit will be retained under the plans.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer, JC Robinson Ltd, said the application would cause no harm to the grade two listed building.

It added:

“Subject to further detailing of internal and external works including the design of new window and door openings to the exterior of the building, it is considered that the development can be undertaken without giving rise to harm to the significance of the listed building.”

Moko closed in 2019 and Bijouled ceased trading in February last year.

The former Sofa Workshop shut in April 2022 after the company entered administration.

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