Knaresborough poised for first Bed Race in three years

Excitement is building for the first Knaresborough Bed Race since 2019.

The historic event on Saturday afternoon will see teams take part in a 2.4 mile course through the town in fancy dress, pushing a bed, before finishing with a wade through the River Nidd.

As many as 30,000 people line the streets for the event which is due to return on June 11. Since the first in 1966 the tradition has been picked up across the world with similar events being held in USA, Germany and New Zealand.

This year’s competitors have based their costume and bed design on the theme ‘The Environment: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. 

Nigel Perry, secretary at Knaresborough Lions, the volunteer group that organises the event, said he has enjoyed seeing teams practicing this week ahead of the big day.

He said:

“Taking part in the Bed Race takes fortitude. The streets of Knaresborough are full of teams practicing.

“The town will be packed on the day.”

Newly elected Liberal Democrat Knaresborough county councillor Matt Walker added:

“It’s great to see the beds back practicing the course through the town and the infamous water crossing . The crowds are in for a real treat as the beds are pushed through the town for the parade.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the teams have interpreted this year’s theme of recycle, reuse and reduce. It’s really opportunity to show off Knaresborough at its best to thousands of locals and visitors. Reminding people what make it a special place to live, work and visit.”

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The Lions have organised park and ride facilities on Manse Lane (Knaresborough Technology Park) and Grimbalds Crag (ALM) on Bed Race day where a free Transdev bus service will take visitors to and from the town.

Knaresborough’s pubs, cafes and restaurants will also be looking forward to Saturday, which is traditionally their busiest day of the year for trade.

Mr Perry added:

“The Bed Race is good for them and good for the town.”

There has been a lot of rainfall this week but Mr Perry said the Nidd will be safe for competitors to wade through.

The race will start at 3pm from Conyngham Hall but a whole day of events are planned including a best-dressed bed competition and a parade through the town.

Click here to read the full programme.

We’ll be running a live blog on the day, would you like to send a good luck message to anyone competing? Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will publish your message.

From corgis to bollard covers: Harrogate district is getting into jubilee spirit

With just a few days to go before the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations begin, signs of the festivities are already appearing across the Harrogate district.

Harrogate corgi Mr Bingley has been posing in front of famous landmarks across the town ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

With corgis being the Queen’s favourite breed of dog, Mr Bingley’s owner, Molly Fetherston, thought it would be a “bit of fun” ahead of the upcoming weekend of celebrations.

The pictures show the 10-year-old dog outside Bettys tea rooms, by the Sun Colonnade in Valley Gardens, on the Stray, and near the Harrogate picture frame and Slingsby Gin shop.

Photograph: Rozalia Szatanik Photography

Photograph: Rozalia Szatanik Photography

Ms Fetherston said:

“Shockingly, he doesn’t mind dressing up, especially when he gets extra cuddles from people passing by!

“Almost every day when we go on walks, I’m stopped by at least one person telling me they don’t see many corgis or that their grandmother had one, but that they haven’t seen one in years.

“He’s almost like a little nostalgic furball and I love seeing the smiles on their faces. We all had so much fun and Mr Bingley loved all of the special attention from both shop owners and residents alike.”

Photograph: Rozalia Szatanik Photography

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Meanwhile in Knaresborough, a group of knitters have been busy making bollard covers for the jubilee.

The bollards, on Market Place, are now adorned with colourful covers with toppers of the Queen, corgis and a crown or two.

The knitted covers were commissioned by Knaresborough Business Collective and made by a group of local knitters and crochet artists called KYM.

Photograph: Brian King

Photograph: Brian King

£41,000 given to 14 community groups in Harrogate district

A total of £40,688 has been given to 14 community groups and charities by The Local Fund for the Harrogate District.  

The grants of up to £3,000 each will fund activities for young people and older people, sports clubs, mental health and wellbeing groups, and help people affected by the cost of living crisis.  

Some of the projects funded by the grant include:  

The fund is a joint initiative between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action, and Two Ridings Community Foundation, with donations from the Harry Bolland Trust Fund, The Local Lotto and businesses and individuals.  

Two Ridings Community Fund has found that many community groups are still struggling after the pandemic with funding, turnover of key staff, poor mental health, and the cost of living crisis.  

Jan Garrill, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, which administers the funding, said: 

“We are delighted that 14 small community groups benefit, because we know they make a huge impact on the wellbeing of local people all over the district.” 

Councillor Sam Gibbs, who is a panel member for The Local Fund, added:   

“The work these numerous organisations and charities do makes such a huge difference so I’d like to thank everyone involved in providing this on-going support.”

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The Local Fund has been running in Harrogate since 2017, and last year it donated over £80,000 to 29 different community groups in the district.  

This year, the groups receiving funding are:  

Harrogate Town to spend £3.5m improving ground

Harrogate Town‘s EnviroVent Stadium is to undergo a £3.5m upgrade, which will include a new seated stand, match day bar and improved ticketing facilities.

Chairman Irving Weaver is footing the bill, which the club said in a statement will help the board’s ambition of creating a “sustainable and thriving club, for future generations to enjoy”.

The new stand will increase the ground’s capacity above the current limit of 5,000 fans. It will replace the Myrings Terrace and will be able to hold 2,000 fans.

A new bar will please fans, who have been unable to get a drink at games since they were promoted to the English Football League in 2020. This is because away fans are now segregated in the Myrings Terrace, which includes the 1919 bar.

Also planned is an extension of the corporate hospitality area, with more space for diners.

Home since 1920

The ground on Wetherby Road has been home to the Sulphurites since 1920, but in recent years it has struggled to keep pace with the club’s rapid rise up the divisions into the English Football League.

Fans were banned from a pre-season friendly against Sunderland last summer after North Yorkshire County Council found 17 “unacceptable risks” at the ground, which were related to fan safety.

Problems with the ticketing system also left some fans unable to attend a home match against Stevenage in September.

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Chief executive Sarah Barry said the club had listened to feedback from fans, which has helped to shape how the money will be spent.

She added that she hopes the investment, which will include an improved ticketing system, will improve the matchday experience.

Ms Barry said:

“This is a really exciting time for our club.  It’s now two years since we were promoted to the EFL for the first time in our history. As we come out of the pandemic and get back to regular fixtures and crowds, the time is right for us to invest in our future.

“Our proposals stem from listening to feedback from fans in a number of areas.  Easier ticketing, better flow through turnstiles and an improved refreshments offering are some of the suggestions that have been made and have been taken on board.

“We want to enhance the match day experience for our loyal and dedicated supporters who make this club.  We’ve seen bigger crowds, welcomed more young families and teenagers to the EnviroVent Stadium lately and we want to sustain and grow this, retaining and attracting our committed supporters of the future.”

Starbeck computer shop owner opens new ice cream parlour

A Starbeck computer shop owner has swapped microchips for chocolate chips and opened an ice cream parlour.

Jim Ghazani has converted part of PC City, on High Street, into his new venture, which launched this week.

Café Gelato offers 10 flavours of Italian ice cream in cones or tubs, as well as milkshakes and soft drinks.

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Mr Ghazani, who has owned PC City for 20 years, said:

“It’s a bit different to computers. I prefer working here as I can eat all the ice cream!

“People can come and get an ice cream on a walk to Knaresborough. There’s also a school near here, so we thought children might like one on their way home.

“We wanted to add something to the community and local high street and ice creams are always popular – especially in summer.”

The shop opens daily from 1pm to 6pm during the spring and summer months.

Mr Ghazani, who lives in Harrogate, said:

“My favourite flavour is the coconut Bounty one, but the kids like the bubblegum flavour.”

Knaresborough woman given freedom of the town

Knaresborough woman Hazel Haas has been awarded the title of Honorory Freedom of the Town for her “extraordinary contribution” to the community.

Ms Haas became the first woman to join Knaresborough Rotary Club and in 1996 became its first female president.

For many years she has chaired the Knaresborough Christmas Markets Committee and has also been involved in the BEBRA town twinning association.

With the advent of covid, she has helped to run local vaccination centres as principal co-ordinator.

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The freedom of the town title has been awarded by Knaresborough Town Council.

Cllr Christine Willoughby, Knaresborough’s Mayor, paid tribute to Ms Haas who she called one of the town’s doers.

She added:

“She works incredibly hard for our community and we are very grateful to her. This award is very well deserved.”

Peter Lacey, chair of Knaresborough Connectors, said:

“Knaresborough Connectors recognise the invaluable work that Hazel undertook from the start of the pandemic to co-ordinate volunteers and keep a cheery face during difficult and stressful times.

“Her organisational skills and energy when applied to supporting the vaccination centre with local volunteers was equally heroic and we’re delighted that she continues to steer the work of Connectors through her role as a Director.  Long may her wisdom and example inspire others!

Harlow Hill ‘men’s shed’ gets to work repairing Pinewoods sign

Members of Harlow Hill’s new ‘men’s shed’ have been busy repairing a damaged display board in the Pinewoods.

The men’s shed was set up in February for men in the Harlow Hill area to boost mental health and tackle loneliness in the area.

Many of their members have woodwork skills so the charity Pinewoods Conservation Group asked if they could help out repair a display board that helps visitors navigate the 96-acre woodland.

For their first job, men’s shed members have spent time over the last few weekends replacing rotten timbers and putting the board back in place.

Men’s sheds are part of a wider organisation of ‘sheds’ that began in Australia. Their goal is to create a space for older men to come together to create and build while making friends. Women are welcome, too.

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John Hart, who set up Harlow Hill men’s shed said:

“Our members know the Pinewoods well and were pleased to be able to help the Pinewoods Conservation Group. This was our first official job the group had carried out and are very pleased with the result. We know like many charities funding can be challenging so we hope there are more opportunities for us to support local groups”.

Neil Hind, chair of The Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“We heard that the group was up and running so were delighted that they agreed to help us. Originally, we thought a whole new display board maybe required but with some ingenuity from the group they were able to repair the board in situ saving us considerable funds. The display board should now be operational for a good number of years to come.”

Starbeck feud boils over after residents’ group chair stands for Labour

A feud between the owner of Starbeck Post Office and the chair of Starbeck Residents Association has boiled over after the latter decided to stand for the Labour Party in the upcoming local elections.

Voters will head to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council.

This week, Chris Watt was announced as the Labour candidate for the newly created ward of Fairfax and Starbeck.

Mr Watt is also the elected chair of the SRA, which awards grants and campaigns to safeguard local facilities in Starbeck.

However, Andrew Hart, who owns the local post office, believes the resident association’s constitution forbids political allegiances.

He claims Mr Watt is using his position as chair as a means of promoting his political platform and profile, which Mr Watt denies.

Mr Watt (centre) campaigning for Labour last month. Credit: Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party

The two have history — there was public acrimony when Mr Watt was appointed chair last year at the residents association’s annual general meeting.

Mr Hart set up a rival group called Starbeck Community Group, in part due to what he thinks are the failings of Starbeck Residents’ Association.

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Mr Hart said it was “an insult to the community” that Mr Watt was standing for a political party and called on him to step down from his role as chair.

He said:

“Last summer I asked Chris Watt several times if he would be standing for Labour in these elections, he refused to answer. At the SRA AGM I asked him again but he refused to answer in public. I stated that it was against the constitution, it was also morally wrong and not transparent as he was already a political officer for the Labour Party.

“The very least he should do is explain why he would not admit he wanted to stand at the AGM when he was repeatedly asked and how can he justify canvassing whilst he is supposed to be the impartial chair of the SRA.

“He must resign now and seek re-election if he fails to become a county councillor. This has nothing to do with political allegiances it is about transparency and clear rules.”

‘I want to give something back’

In response, Mr Watt said:

“I love living in Starbeck so want to give something back to our local community. I’m proud to serve as chair of the Starbeck Residents’ Association and work in partnership with local people in the best interests of our area, regardless of their political affiliation.

 “I’ve never made any secret of my campaigning work with the local Labour Party. It was raised at the Starbeck Residents’ Association AGM and I was pleased to be elected overwhelmingly by over 80 local people with only two people voting against me.

 “I am doing my best to repay the trust that local people placed in me and would be honoured to serve them further as their local councillor.”

Starbeck shows support for Ukraine with giant painted flag

A group of Prince of Wales pub regulars have shown their support for Ukraine by painting the country’s flag on the side of a derelict supermarket in Starbeck.

The idea came from Starbeck Community Group’s Lucky Hubbard and pub landlady Alyson Griffiths. They wanted to show Starbeck is behind the war-torn country whilst at the same time tidying up the former McColl’s supermarket that was ravaged by fire in 2018.

Within hours, a group of drinkers at The Prince of Wales had volunteered their time and they have been there from 5am to 7am for the last few mornings painting the blue and yellow flag before they go to work.

The group of painters included John Kean, David Stead, Colin Shiel, Nick Mills and John Read.

It still has doves of peace and sunflowers that will be added next week as well as six new planters and hanging baskets donated by Starbeck Post Office.

Farball Coatings donated £500 worth of paint and Jewson donated the timber.

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Ms Hubbard said:

“The difference is unbelievable. It looks a lot cleaner and tidier.”

Andrew Hart, who set up Starbeck Community Group and owns the post office, said he has been in contact with the landlord of the building who was very supportive of the flag being painted.

He added:

“We wanted to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this terrible situation.”

A Starbeck knitting group has decorated this post box with the Ukraine flag.

Ex-soldier from Harrogate flying out today to help Ukrainian refugees

A former soldier from Harrogate will fly to Slovakia today to help Ukrainian refugees 

Mike Heelan, who served for 24 years in the British Army whilst based in Harrogate, will be supporting Ripon man Lewis Edwards and his team to run a shelter for people fleeing the war-torn country.

Mr Heelan was moved after reading the Stray Ferret’s stories about Mr Edwards, 33, and his 30-year-old Ukrainian partner Tanya Bogdanovska. They were both teachers at a school in Kyiv but fled the Ukraine capital on February 25 to set up a shelter in Slovakia.

Since then, the couple have helped refugees with housing, transport, food, medical supplies and other essentials. They have even sourced 10 armoured ambulances to protect health workers from gunfire.

Mr Heelan and Mr Edwards, who did not previously know each other, managed to connect via WhatsApp and then hastily arrange the trip at short notice.

Mr Heelan said he will go there for two weeks but may stay longer.

“I really felt I should be doing something. I’ll do whatever is needed.

“I want to help people who are suffering because of the war.”

Lewis Edwards and his partner Tanya fled Ukraine. Picture: Tanya Bogdanovoska

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Being human

Up to 180,000 refugees have crossed the border into Slovakia since Russia began its invasion two weeks ago.

The UN Refugee Agency has warned the total number of refugees from Ukraine may reach four million in the coming days.

Wives have been separated from husbands who are staying in the country to fight. Children have left everything they have ever known behind.

Mr Heelan said:

“They are scared and confused.

“I have got the time. It’s about being human.”

Mike Heelan

Mr Heelan said he’s grown frustrated with the UK government’s attempts to send aid to Ukraine, which he said has been stymied by red tape and bureaucracy.

But he pointed to Lewis Edwards as an inspirational example to follow.

“At a time when we need a robust, go-getting government we have a bunch of feeble-heads.

“Lewis is a young lad, a teacher, who’s managed to get armoured ambulances. He’s done it out of nothing. It’s quite amazing.”

Eyes open

At the moment, the border with Slovakia is not a part of Ukraine targeted by the Russian army.

Mr Heelan, 64, said he is not interested in fighting but is not afraid to face danger.

The stoic family man said his wife and two children support his journey.

He said he’ll be feeling some trepidation during the flight to Slovakia tomorrow, but added:

“That’s good for you. I’ll keep my eyes open.”

To donate to the Lewis Edwards Ukrainian shelter fundraiser, visit this gofundme page.