Editor’s Pick of the Week: The Range fever sweeps HarrogateEditor’s Pick of the Week: Town council elections, affordable housing cuts and business awardsEditor’s Pick of the Week: New logos, derailed land trains and the Station Gateway sagaEditor’s Pick of the Week: Pub heaven, Ripon super-turds and the Battle of Station ParadeEditor’s Pick of the Week: Council salaries and famous film stars in KnaresboroughEditor’s Pick of the Week: Blocked drains and anger at Great Yorkshire Showground banEditor’s Pick of the Week: Grisly find in Ripon, high street hell in Harrogate and Sunak returnsEditor’s Pick of the Week: Harrogate roadworks chaos and housing fearsEditor’s Pick of the Week: photoshoot in Ripon toilet and new plans for Harrogate TescoEditor’s Pick of the Week: Tim Stedman returns, a new mayor awaits and Ripon prepares for 1,300 homes

No corner of the Harrogate district has been immune to new housing in recent years but the sheer scale of the 1,300-home Clotherholme development will alter Ripon forever.

Planning approval was passed by a whisker last year. Since then, the government agencies behind the scheme have said little so this week’s planning update contained some key insights.

There are now just five days until North Yorkshire elects its first mayor. Confused? Read senior reporter Calvin Robinson’s article about the main manifesto differences and look for a recap this weekend of his interviews with all six candidates. We will provide live coverage at the count in Harrogate on Friday.

There are 241 days to Christmas, but Harrogate received one of the best possible festive presents this week with the news that Tim Stedman will return to the town for his 24th panto season. Tim is so loved he would have probably been elected mayor if he’d stood — or at least livened up the sometimes tedious hustings.

Contrary to appearance, Tim is well into his 50s and the slapstick tomfoolery of a lengthy panto, often twice a day, must be exhausting. We should treasure him while we can.

Sadly his long-term double act partner Howard Chadwick won’t be back for what is always a seasonal joy, whatever your age.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Finally, there can be few better places to rest for eternity than Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Look at that view. So plans to create hundreds of new plots this week will be welcomed by Nidderdale folk. The plans even cater for new natural burial sites.

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