Harrogate Town will travel to Bradford for a Christmas Yorkshire derby.

Today’s fixture list revealed that Town will start with a home match against Swindon Town on August 30.

They will also end the season with a home game, against Rochdale on May 6.

But most Harrogate fans will have looked first for the matches against Yorkshire rivals Bradford City, against whom Town did the double last season.

Valley Parade holds up to 25,000 fans.

Simon Weaver’s men will entertain the Bantams on October 1. The return fixture will take place at Valley Parade on December 29, when a bumper festive crowd is likely.

The two teams played twice in 16 days last season. After defeating Bradford 2-0 at the EnviroVent Stadium, Harrogate then came from behind to win 3-1 in a thrilling encounter in Bradford.

Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes was named as Bradford’s new manager shortly after that game.

Read more:

• ‘Allez Allez Allez!’ Harrogate Town fans savour special Bradford trip
• Fans hopeful new Harrogate Town ticketing system will boost crowds

The only other Yorkshire team in League Two of the English Football League is relegated Doncaster Rovers.

Town will travel to the Eco-Power Stadium on December 17 then Doncaster will come to Harrogate on April 15.

The dates of fixtures are liable to change.

A leaked email reveals Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson gave a councillor a dressing down after he said spending £700 on a social media influencer to promote the town was an “appalling waste of money”.

The Stray Ferret has obtained an email Mr Sampson sent to the Liberal Democrat councillor for New Park, Matthew Webber, in February.

In the email, Mr Sampson claimed the councillor’s comments, published on this website, caused a “great deal of hurt” to council staff.

However, Cllr Webber said the tone of Mr Sampson’s 500-word email was “laughable” and compared it to a schoolteacher telling off a child for being naughty.

Cllr Webber said:

“Councillors should be there to hold people to account. People shouldn’t get upset if we’re asking difficult questions. Nothing was said in a personal way or at individual people.”

Value for money?

The Stray Ferret revealed in January that Harrogate Borough Council paid Heather Cowper from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes when posted on Facebook, including one from the council itself.

Her posts performed slightly better on Instagram but the investment raised questions over whether the fee represented good value for money to council tax payers.

Cllr Webber, who sits on the council’s audit and governance committee that scrutinises council spending, said the council should have used local residents to promote the town instead.

Cllr Matthew Webber

He said in January:

“It probably received less likes on the various social media platforms than we could have got from just posting a similar article ourselves or other local residents who have social media profiles.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council paid social media influencer £700 to promote town
• ‘Waste of money!’: Harrogate council criticised for spending £700 on social media influencer

A telling off

The email from Mr Sampson to Cllr Webber was sent in February this year.

Mr Sampson also copied in local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Pat Marsh as well as council employees Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre and communications officer James Sherwood.

Mr Sampson’s email said “I don’t expect an apology from you” but warned that negative comments about the council in the press can “undermine morale and motivation of our hardworking staff”.

The email says:

“I also don’t think that it is unreasonable to expect members to support the hard work and dedication of their officers, especially following the events of the last two years, and to trust in their professionalism.”

The full email is below.

The email from Wallace Sampson to Cllr Webber

Free to comment

Cllr Webber said he was “surprised” to receive the email from Mr Sampson regarding his comments about the £700 spend on a social media influencer, which he said he stood by.

He said councillors should be free to comment on how the council spends the public’s money without interference from the chief executive.

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Sampson for a comment but did not receive a response.

Harrogate Borough Council has announced the second Harrogate Christmas Fayre will take place from December 2 to 11.

The inaugural event was run by the council in the town centre in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester.

It saw stalls and stands selling food, drink and gifts around Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.

The fayre was organised after the original Harrogate Christmas Market, on Montpellier Hill, was cancelled after the council refused to sign off the organisers’ event management plan.

A survey of local businesses undertaken by the council reported that 68% said having a Christmas market was beneficial to the town and 94% said last year’s event had a positive impact on footfall.

Candy Cane Express

Destination Harrogate, the council’s destination management organisation, has also started to plan for Christmas with its ‘Destination Christmas’ campaign.

The Candy Cane Express, a free road-train that travelled around the town, will return, as will traditional fairground rides to add to the yuletide ambience.

Read more:

• Harrogate tourism boss questioned over £6,000 spend on snow globe and social media influencer

• Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd gives up battle to bring back Montpellier Hill event

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, said:

“We are thrilled to be announcing the return of Destination Christmas. Which last year not only brought our community together at a special time of year after the challenges of the pandemic, but encouraged more visitors into our district for overnight stays at a crucial time of year for our businesses.

“Together with our partners we are looking forward with excitement and aspiration to building on the success of last year’s event. Through the market we provided a great platform to grow our offer of an engaging outdoor Christmas retail experience, and this together with the fantastic festive entertainment we are offering is set to showcase the Harrogate district as the perfect destination for Christmas.”

Original Christmas market gives up battle

Last month, the organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill gave up their battle to bring the event back.

The market, which was staged from 2012 to 2019, attracted over 80,000 visitors, 187 coaches and nearly 200 traders.

But the event was scuppered late into its planning stages last year when Harrogate Borough Council refused its event management plan.

There are nine months to Christmas, the sun is shining and we haven’t had our Easter eggs yet — but Ripon hairdresser Marie Challis already has her festive plans in hand..

Ms Challis, who has owned and run Cameo’s hair salon on North Street for 20 years, is planning a Christmas creation to enter in the Winter Wonderland Alternative Christmas Tree competition at Spa Gardens in December.

What she needs are rollers — and lots of them! She plans to put her creative talents to use by transforming them into a festive tree.

Ms Challis told the Stray Ferret

“People may think I’m crackers, but you have to plan ahead and I need to collect as many hair rollers as possible by September so that I can start making my tree.

“It doesn’t matter what shape, size, colour or material that the rollers are made from. I’m asking customers to let me have any that they no longer use.”

Ms Challis, who comes from a highly-creative family, headed by mum Hazel Barker, whose designs for the Ripon Community Poppy Project adorn the city’s streets each year, will be a first-time entrant in the Christmas competition.

The organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill have given up their battle to bring the event back.

The market, which was staged from 2012 to 2019, attracted over 80,000 visitors, 187 coaches and nearly 200 traders.

But the event was scuppered late into its planning stages last year when Harrogate Borough Council refused its event management plan.

The council then staged an alternative 10-day Harrogate Christmas Fayre in the town centre in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester.

Brian Dunsby, co-organiser of the Montpellier Hill event, had been campaigning to bring back the event but he has now conceded defeat.

‘Fed-up to the back teeth’

He told the Stray Ferret he was “fed-up to the back teeth” with the situation with the council and negotiations had “reached the end of the line”.

“It’s extremely disappointing after eight years of extremely successful events and then two years waiting in the wings trying to keep it going.”

Mr Dunsby added it was too soon to contemplate what might happen when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.

Read more:

• Businesses surveyed on Harrogate Christmas market preferences
• No. 5: A new era for Harrogate’s Christmas markets

A statement from Mr Dunsby and his wife, Beryl, co-organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, said:

“The Harrogate Christmas Market team leaders have now decided not to organise any future markets in Harrogate. We thank all our super local volunteers, voluntary organisations, local contractors and traders for all their support over the years.

“We wish those taking up the challenge of providing a good quality Christmas Market in Harrogate all the best as we know how hard it is to create something that is truly appreciated by visitors and traders and which supports local businesses.

“Thanks for your support over the past 10 years.”

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the controversial changes to Harrogate’s Christmas markets.

The organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market had 170 traders and 53 coaches booked to attend the annual event on Montpellier Hill in November when their plans were scuppered in July.

Harrogate Borough Council announced it had rejected the organisers’ event management plan because it “did not fully take into account the risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter-terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid”.

The council quickly revealed plans to stage an alternative event in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester. It later emerged the two organisations had been in talks since March.

The collaboration, which was extended to include Harrogate Business Improvement District, led to the creation of the first Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which took place in town centre streets from December 3 to 12.

Besides stalls, the fayre included a free road train called the Candy Cane Express, a carousel, helter skelter and ferris wheel.

The Candy Cane Express road train.

The town centre location and added attractions seemed to go down well, although some were disappointed with the lack of variety of stalls.

But it seems the event will return in 2022. Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, has spoken glowingly of it and of bringing it back next year.

Operations manager from Marketplace Europe, Andy Pidgen.

Andy Pidgen, operations manager at Market Place Europe, told the Stray Ferret:

“It went really well, the traders were very pleased. Some of the businesses I have spoken to said how good the event was for footfall. The council and Harrogate BID really liked it.

“We still need to have a debrief with both organisations in January but at the moment I would say I am feeling quite positive about next year.

“There are a few things I would like to tweak in terms of chalet locations but overall we would aim to make the Harrogate Christmas Fayre bigger and better in 2022.”

A separate artisan market was held in Valley Gardens on the first weekend of the fayre. Its success means the organisers, Little Bird Made, are now hoping to stage monthly artisan markets at the same venue.

Read more:

• Harrogate Christmas market cancelled
• Traders and visitors give thumbs-up to first Harrogate Christmas Fayre

What is yet to be seen is whether the council’s warm welcome would extend to the organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market, who hope to bring their event back next year.

Steve Scarre, the vice-chairman of the Harrogate Christmas Market.

Steve Scarre, vice-chairman of Harrogate Christmas Market, told the Stray Ferret that he will enter talks with the council and submit a new event management plan in January.

He said:

“We are planning to hold the Harrogate Christmas Market in the Montpellier Quarter next year.

“Every year there are new requirements that we have always tried to meet. We bend over backwards to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible.

“We have asked for a meeting with the council in January and plan to submit an event management plan then.

“From the very beginning we have said we have no issue with a separate event in the town centre.

“But our Harrogate Christmas Market works in the Montpellier Quarter. It is simply magical down there.”

Without the foresight of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, it seems difficult to predict at this stage how many markets Harrogate will get next Christmas.

The Very Reverend John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, has compiled this Christmas message for the Stray Ferret.

Every year, the church celebrates Christmas as a season which offers hope for our lives as they are lived in the real world today.

Based on faith in the indestructible love of the God who sustains the universe, revealed in the down-to-earth achievements of Jesus Christ, this is sure and certain hope which has the courage to face life’s tragedies and lead the world forward from despair.

We know that there is plenty in the world today that might prompt despair. I hardly need mention the ongoing pandemic, which seems to be doubling its efforts to frustrate our determination to celebrate this season with family and friends. But beyond this, as we look forward to 2022, there are economic uncertainties, the challenges of climate change, and the fragility or absence of peace across great swathes of the globe.

And as a result, the growing challenge of desperate people leaving their homelands in pursuit of safety and a better life seems set to intensify. I am proud to be dean in a city where the charity City of Sanctuary UK does such a great job in responding to the needs of refugees.

And you may well be thinking that quite apart from the problems ‘out there’, we are all too aware of innumerable ways in which some, perhaps we ourselves, are suffering. All of this might seem guaranteed not only to prevent us enjoying a happy Christmas, but actually to undermine its message of a loving, down-to-earth God made visible in the birth of Jesus.

Read more:

• Ripon Cathedral’s 1350 programme receives £60,000 boost
• Why 2022 will be a big year of change for Harrogate’s local government future

Yet Jesus came to a fallen world beset by no end of failures and problems, to a region that was particularly unstable and threatening. Since then, the church has perceived in his birth the revelation and decisive action of the God of heaven, determined to be down-to-earth and involved.

We might regard this to be a strange way for God to save the world, but St. Paul wrote of God’s foolishness being wiser than human wisdom, and his weakness being stronger than human strength. So, with God, the vulnerable baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem speaks of hope for us all.

The hope is that none of the world’s challenges and failings has the final say. This is hope that can comfort and motivate individuals, unite the nations, and sustainably transform the world for the better. It is hope which stands firm on the foundation of God’s love and his determination to be down-to-earth and with us in every situation.

This theme of hope is celebrated and shared in the Christmas services of Ripon Cathedral where Christians have gathered for 1,350 years, an anniversary we shall be celebrating in 2022. It is celebrated by all churches around the world. The world is better for taking to heart the theme and joining in the celebration.

You are very welcome to join us; you can find full details of what Ripon Cathedral is offering for both worshippers and visitors of all ages on our website here.

Here is a prayer that we are using at the cathedral:

Loving Father, we thank you for the message of hope that Christmas brings to our troubled world. Give hope among the nations, hope in our land, hope in our homes and hope in our hearts; as we remember the birth at Bethlehem of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.

Dean John

Taxpayers are set to be hit with another rise in council tax after Harrogate Borough Council revealed plans for a 1.99% rate increase in its final budget before the authority is abolished.

Officials say the rise – which equates to an extra £5 per Band D household per year – is needed in order to balance the books as the council continues to face financial challenges due to pandemic pressures and more than a decade of government cuts.

Paul Foster, head of finance at the council, said in a report that while the authority’s grant allocations had been reduced by £8.2 million since 2010, it had continued to prioritise key services including bin collections and planning.

He said:

“During a period of significant funding reductions, as the government continued to rein in the national deficit, and as other councils across the country faced uncertain futures, Harrogate has continued to maintain its valued frontline services.

“This is a testament to the council’s strong record of financial management before and during the age of austerity.

“In addition to this, the council has been faced with an unprecedented financial detriment as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

“The resultant economic downturn continues to impact on the council’s finances, with commercial property income, planning fee income and the convention centre lettings income, now not forecast to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023/24.”

Under government rules, 1.99% is the maximum amount the authority can raise council tax by from April without a local referendum.

The proposed increase will be debated at several meetings before a vote from councillors in February. If approved, contributions for the average Band D property will rise to £255.92.

Harrogate Borough Council makes up just under 13% of council tax bills, while North Yorkshire County Council makes up 70% and police and fire services the remainder.

After rises were agreed last year, average bills in the Harrogate district rose above £2,000 for the first time.

• Campaigners vow to fight on to save Kirkby Malzeard pub
• Car ploughs into Masham Bridge and almost ends up in river

North Yorkshire County Council is currently consulting with the public about its council tax and social care precept levels for next year.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said:

“Putting up council tax is never an easy option for this authority. We have always striven to be moderate in our increases.

“In considering the level of council tax, we must understand and balance the hardship families are currently facing and the added pressure a council tax increase may bring with the need to fund essential services to support the most vulnerable in our communities through this critical period.

“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”

The coming year will be the county council and Harrogate Borough Council’s last before the merger of all North Yorkshire councils into one new authority which will take over control of all services from April 2023.

It will mark the biggest changes to local government in the area for almost 50 years, with elections to the new council set to take place in May 2022.

Cllr Les added:

“We are currently developing our council plan and budget and encourage residents to have their say on our budget, ambitions and priorities.”

To have your say go to the North Yorkshire County Council website here.

While huge turkeys have traditionally been the main centrepiece of the family Christmas dinner, many are now opting for smaller, more convenient versions.

And some are even ditching the turkey altogether.

I spoke to Rachael Hirst at Wetherby-based butchers Sykes House Farm, which supplies meat and poultry to restaurants, cafes and homes across the Harrogate district, about what it’s like to operate during the hectic run-up to Christmas.

This year has been particularly busy for the team, with the business now offering both trade and e-commerce following a boom in online trading as a result of the pandemic.

Founder Martin Smith, with daughter Rachael Hirst and son Robert

Rachael, who runs the third generation family business with her brother Robert Smith, said:

“It has been really hard work this year, as we have got trade and e-commerce, together with a lack of staff.”

The team also has to adapt to the changing needs of customers at Christmas time.

Rachael said:

“Our turkeys are herb-fed poultry and we have loads of different sizes lots to choose from.

“A lot of people are choosing not to get whole birds this year, as people are finding the bones a bit of a faff.

“People’s needs and trends keep changing and we therefore don’t always know what to buy.

“We have to buy it in July in order to raise those birds to have in December. So it’s a bit of a punt every year.”

In November Sykes House Farm, which supplies to the likes of William & Victoria, Betty’s, Three’s a Crowd and Gianni’s Brio, in Harrogate, had already sold 50% of its turkey stock of 300. This was despite them only going on sale at the end of October.

Rachael said:

“Everyone was ringing up non-stop thinking there is going to be a turkey shortage.”

However, she added that many people this year had moved on to ribs of beef and stuffed pork.

She said:

“The tradition of turkey has gone away a bit. The turkey famers do all wonder why turkey is just for Christmas. Eating turkey at Christmas has come from America.

“We do individual portions, like the little turkey parcels, which are like what is sold in restaurants. They are wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cranberry and sage. So if you only have four people coming, you could get four of those rather than having to buy a big turkey, which is what quite a few people have done this year.

“People’s shopping habits have totally changed. However, beef is always really popular at Christmas. We sell more at Christmas than any other time of the year.”

• Five independent Harrogate cafes to visit for a coffee and a festive drink
• Royal Baths Chinese restaurant reveals plans to re-open

Rachael puts the change in shopping habits down to people cooking more in lockdown and therefore wanting more variety in their dishes.

She said:

“A lot of chefs were born at home due to lockdown, so I just think people have got more inventive. As a result we have found that people who come in the shop are asking for totally different things.

“For example ox cheeks have become a thing. All the offal – pigs cheeks things like that – are very popular on menus now.”

When it comes to Christmas people are still ordering turkeys alongside beef and pork, however many are now opting for an easier option to save time in the kitchen.

Rachael said:

“People have been ordering the most of stuffed lattice turkey breasts for sure.

“They still want the turkey, but without the hassle of the bird in the oven. And it visually looks really nice because of the lattice on top.

“They don’t have to do stuffing as well, because it’s inside it. It’s a shortcut but it still gives you the Christmas dinner and it’s easy to carve.

“Everybody also loves pigs in blankets and people seem to order more and more every year. We sell them on trays of 20, which is quite a large number, and if you’re a family of six we would expect you to just have a tray – but people ask for two.”

Another alternative that is popular, according to Rachael, is a turkey ballotine, a boneless turkey breast, which has a partridge or pheasant inside it and then a duck or pigeon inside that.

She said:

“It’s a gamey three bird roast. They are really popular. People don’t want the faff of doing those at home. It’s quite time consuming making them. It takes 20 minutes per one. We do everything onsite. All the prep.”

Turkey ballotine

Shoppers will be able to take advantage of free buses every Sunday in January and February to give businesses in Harrogate town centre a much-needed boost.

Free buses will be available on the electric services only – on the 2, 3 and 6.

The Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has once again sponsored scheme, called the Sunday Freeway, after partnering with the Harrogate Bus Company in 2020 and 2019.

Tomorrow also marks the final day of Harrogate BID’s free parking initiative on Mondays to Thursdays after 3pm at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

With coronavirus cases on the rise and further restrictions on the agenda, this free service is expected to entice more visitors into Harrogate.

Back in 2019 the free Sunday buses generated a 90% rise in the number of customers travelling compared with the same period the year before.

Sara Ferguson, Harrogate BID chair and business owner, said:

“This is the third time we have partnered with our local bus operator, and on both previous occasions it helped to increase the number of passengers.

“This year, we have chosen January and February, which can be quiet months for the retail and hospitality sectors.

“Harrogate town centre is well worth a visit at any time of the year, and we hope the added incentive of free bus travel will make it even more appealing.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council’s plan to tackle climate change criticised
• Ashville College pupils plant hundreds of trees to improve campus biodiversity

The Harrogate Bus Company CEO Alex Hornby said:

“We’re delighted that Harrogate BID are able to again work in partnership with us to support our ‘Sunday Freeway’ on our Harrogate electrics buses.

“Free Sunday travel on our pioneering Harrogate electrics buses will make it easier to support our local economy and help keep our town’s traders in business into 2022.

“It’s been an incredibly challenging time for Harrogate’s businesses, with previous lockdowns and now the prospect of further restrictions.

“More than ever, it’s now up to us all to support them in the vital first few months of the New Year by taking advantage of free travel on Harrogate electrics buses.”