As Harrogate celebrates the platinum jubilee, we asked for your memories of how you celebrated the Queen’s silver jubilee, which marked 25 years on the throne in 1977.

Back then, more than one million people lined the streets of London to watch the Royal Family in procession to St Paul’s cathedral, while millions more watched on TV and held street parties across the country.

In Harrogate there were street parties, galas and even a visit from the Queen herself, who attended the Great Yorkshire Show.

Great Yorkshire Show

Dave Smith said:

“I was working at Octavius Atkinsons at the time and we were given permission to go out onto Hookstone Chase to see her go past as she was leaving the Great Yorkshire Show.”

Nan Weeks said

“I Remember the Queen when she visited Harrogate, I was amazed how tiny she was. We were at the Great Yorkshire Show with a party from Killinghall School and it was Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh who came round where we were and chatted to some children.”

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Marianne Hopkinson said:

“I was in my last year at St. Peter’s primary school and we went to the Great Yorkshire Show. We were allowed to stand on the other side of the rope when she went past with Philip in a horse drawn carriage there. I also got a coin, which I still have, and a cup which got broken many years ago.”

Claire H. Beresford-Robinson also sent a photograph of the Queen looking at the work of Woodlands School pupils.

She said:

“Me and my friends at Woodlands School with headteacher, Mr Dunmore, in the background…”

Karen Wenham said:

“I remember when I was in my last year at Starbeck CP School and the Queen came to visit in 1977.  We all went up to the Great Yorkshire Showground and I took a posy of flowers for her. It always sticks in my mind.

“A couple of years ago I was invited to go to the palace, as I am an ambassador for a charity, and Sophie Wessex was lovely and we chatted.

“We were told the queen was in residence that night and not to be surprised if she came down with her corgis, as she likes to surprise people.

“I still have my silver jubilee coin in its case up in the loft.”

Knaresborough

Rick Vai sent a photo of the Queen visiting Knaresborough, which sparked memories from other residents.

Karen Allan said:

“They passed along King James Road, fronting King James School. We were all lined up for her.”

Sarah Brown added:

“I remember this. I was one of those school children lined up outside King James School in Knaresborough.”

Street parties

There were also memories of street parties across the Harrogate district.

Sharon Hopkins said:

Gary King said:

“We had a massive street party on Lime Street and Lime Grove and loads of us kids went in fancy dress.”

Christine Hemming added:

“As I remember, there was a competition for the best hat between the kids and Stephen won! Lime Street and Lime Grove were closed to traffic. Tables lined the street and all the Mums mucked in to provide the food.”

Bilton Gala

The first Bilton Gala took place in 1977 to mark the Queen’s silver jubilee and readers remember it well.

“I remember being on a float at the Bilton Gala. Not as easy as it looked, trying to stay on our feet! Got really involved after that then went onto the Committee. Happy days.”

“I was the baby (below) in the winning ‘best dressed pram’ competition for the Bilton 1977 jubilee celebrations.”

The Princess Royal is to attend this year’s Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

Princess Anne will attend on the first day of the four-day show, Tuesday, July 12. She has visited the show numerous times, most recently in 2018.

She is patron of the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society and the Shorthorn Society of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and will be attending to celebrate 200 years of the Shorthorn breed.

The Tuesday will include a celebration day of the Shorthorn breed. Some 200 Shorthorns will participate in a parade at the showground.

Show director Charles Mills said:

“We are honoured that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will be visiting the Great Yorkshire Show and I shall be proud to accompany her throughout.

“This will be a very special year for the Shorthorn breed and a what better way to mark the anniversary than with a visit from their patron and a wonderful royal visitor.”

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The farming and countryside showcase expects to welcome around 35,000 visitors each day to watch competitive classes, animal showcases and to sample to local produce in the food hall.

Harrogate Chocolate Factory will be hosting an informal business networking event on Monday.

Coffee and cake will be included, with a tour of the chocolate factory.

The event will run from 9:30am on Monday 25 April and will all be completely free of charge for anyone wanting to attend.

Attendees are free to bring a guest, and are asked to reserve a place by emailing Angela at the factory at angela@hs4lc.org.uk.

Harrogate Chocolate Factory is a social enterprise café launched in 2019. The company sells dark chocolate made from Peruvian cacao beans, and aims to support young adults with learning disabilities and autism to gain vital skills to enter employment.

Elexshow comes to Harrogate

The UK’s largest trade event for electricians, the Elexshow, is coming to Harrogate.

Businesses such as Alltrade, Aico, CK Tools, and Metrel will be at the show, which will be hosted in Great Yorkshire Showground this year.

Exhibitions of equipment, tools, new apps and systems will be available to view for tradespeople in and around the region.

The event spans over the course of two days, from Thursday 28-29 April.

Tickets are available to book online for free, and can be found on the Elexshow website.

Inhealthcare UK raises money for Frank’s Fund 

Inhealthcare UK has raised more than £200 to support a local charity.

The raffle gifted the winner a Bettys Yorkshire Delights hamper.

The company, which provides digital health and remote patient monitoring, donated the money to Frank’s Fund.

Frank’s Fund was set up by the family of a young boy who died from a rare form of bone cancer

Frank’s Fund is a local Harrogate based charity. It was set up in memory of Frank Ashton, a Harrogate schoolboy who died from Ewing’s Sarcoma. The charity aims to raise awareness and funds for this rare form of bone cancer. You can read more about it on a Stray Ferret Charity Corner here.

To date, the charity has raised £299,170.77.

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The mental health benefits of gardening are being celebrated at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which starts tomorrow.

Designers from across the country will be creating a flash of floral inspiration aimed at showcasing the country’s growing connection with plants and flowers.

The four-day event at the Great Yorkshire Showground will feature ‘Grow Your Home’, a colourful installation created by floral stylists from Leeds-based Leafy Couture.

The display, featuring hundreds of blooms around a central courtyard setting, offers visitors a glimpse of the joys which flowers can bring, which was particularly highlighted during the pandemic.

Show director Nick Smith said:

“After a difficult time for many of us, this year’s Spring show concentrates entirely on the positives which plants and landscapes can bring to us all.

“Gardening is the great leveller – from sweeping lawns to a simple window box, we can all benefit from the life-affirming pleasure which plants and flowers can make to our own personal space.”

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has chosen the flower show to launch its latest campaign – ‘A Floral Summer of Celebration’.

Between July 15 and August 12, the town centre will be home to a floral trail featuring 10 unique displays, floral-themed shop windows and events starring key speakers from the world of gardening.

Pictured at their art deco-themed flower show stand: From left, Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson, BID manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys florist Fran Addis, BID business and marketing executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher and BID business liaison officer Jo Caswell.

This will be in addition to dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID and some specially commissioned floral street art.

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Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Harrogate is renowned for its floral displays; it’s the home to RHS Garden Harlow Carr, the stunning Valley Gardens, and of course the Spring Flower Show, which is one of the biggest and best in the North of England, if not the whole country.

“This summer, Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will see us celebrating our floral excellence and the return of Yorkshire in Bloom after a two-year absence.”

Featuring show garden features, plant nursery displays and floral art, the show will include plenty of colour, style and inspiration.

Local charities will also be showcasing their work, including Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Horticap in Harrogate.

This year the programme of live entertainment includes talks and demos across four stages.

A new show, ‘Human Gardener’ will offer a series of fun and engaging sofa conversations with the people behind the plants – from bee inspectors to fungi fanatics.

Over on the Gardener’s Kitchen stage, TV cook and chef consultant Stephanie Moon will create dishes from veg patch produce, with the help of grow-your-own guru Martin Walker. 

Meanwhile, the GROW! Live team will provide answers to  gardening questions, whilst the CREATE! Floral stage will host celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley.

Thousands of garden products, handmade crafts, gifts and specialist foods will also be on offer.

Tickets

Pre-booked tickets with a £3 saving on gate prices are available online until midnight tonight.

Thursday to Saturday tickets are £20.50 online, £23.50 on the gate.

Sunday tickets are £18 online, £21 on the gate.

Children under 16 are free when accompanied by an adult. General car parking is free.

Spring booster vaccination clinics are set to begin at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground tomorrow.

The centre wound down operations in January following the winter booster campaign.

However, it will now resume clinics after the government announced further booster jabs for those aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems.

Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, operates the site at the showground.

It will be open from 8.30am until 5.30pm tomorrow (April 1) and will also be accepting appointments for Sunday during the same opening hours.

The Sunday clinic is rearranged from the Saturday opening, which was previously advertised.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network, said:

“Anyone who initially had appointments for Saturday needs to come either tomorrow or Sunday at the same time or re-book.”

The clinic will also accept anybody aged over 12 for first, second and booster doses.

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge vaccine heroes treated to thank-you meal
• Harrogate district covid rate almost trebles in a month

Appointments can be made through the NHS national booking system. Bookings are advised — those who turn up for walk-ins should expect queues.

Meanwhile, Homecare Pharmacy Services will continue to offer walk-in jabs at its site on Chain Lane in Knaresborough.

The Chain Lane Community Hub will be open from 8am until 5.30pm tomorrow and 9am until 4pm on Saturday, April 2.

Pateley Bridge Pharmacy has clinics tomorrow from 9am to 1pm and and on Thursday next week from 9am to 1pm.

Have covid rates peaked?

The move to resume clinics comes after covid infection rates rocketed this month. However, the rate has begun to decline.

Latest government figures show the seven-day average rate of infection in the Harrogate district is now 976 per 100,000 people. It was 1,000 on March 25 after starting the month at 342.

Meanwhile, latest figures show Harrogate District Hospital has 30 patients with covid.

NHS England statistics show 235 people who tested positive for covid have died since March 2020 at Harrogate hospital.

Vaccination sites in the Harrogate district are preparing to get busy again following the announcement of spring booster jabs.

Covid clinics in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge have wound down or paused since December.

But that is about to change after the government said people aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems can now book fourth jabs.

Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, operates sites at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races.

The showground will have its next clinic from 8.30am to 5pm on April 1.

The Ripon Races site.

Dates at Ripon Races are being finalised so they don’t clash with horse race meetings.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network, said:

“We anticipate uptake to be high in the 75 and overs as Harrogate has a large population in that cohort.”

Read more:

• Pateley Bridge vaccine heroes treated to thank-you meal
• Harrogate district covid rate more than doubles in 12 days

Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge

Homecare Pharmacy Services’ site in Knaresborough.

Homecare Pharmacy’ Service‘s vaccination site at Chain Lane in Knaresborough is to add Monday covid clinics to its existing Friday and Saturday clinics. Bookings are encouraged to avoid having to wait.

Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, which paused its vaccination programme in December, plans to start again soon.

Samina Khan, who owns the pharmacy, said:

“I think we will restart in April, with bookings from March 25, but we are still finalising details.”

Infections rocketing

It comes as infection rates continue to soar in the Harrogate district.

The seven-day infection rate is now 885 per 100,000 people. It was 343 at the start of the month.

It is the highest rate in North Yorkshire and above the England rate of 833.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash is the worst affected area in the county. It has recorded 135 positive cases in the last seven days.

Almost 400 tractors took part in Knaresborough Young Farmers Club‘s annual tractor run yesterday.

A large crowd gathered for the start of the event, which returned after a covid interruption last year, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

The tractors left at 9am and drove around Nidderdale, stopped for lunch in Pateley Bridge at noon then finished in Knaresborough by late afternoon.

The event combines fun and fundraising, by raising money through entry fees and donations for Yorkshire Air Ambulance — a cause close to the heart of many farmers working in isolated areas.

The previous event in 2020 attracted about 360 vehicles and raised over £20,000.

Passing Mother Shipton’s Inn in Knaresborough. Pic: Charlotte Gale

Showing support for Ukraine.

This event exceeded that, with 383 tractors taking part and raising £21,000.

It started as a private club event in 2012 but was opened up in 2018 to allow anyone to take part and has grown in scale since.

People lined the streets in towns and villages to cheer on the farmers, some of whom had decked their tractors out especially for the occasion.

Passing through Birstwith. Pic: Ann Lilley

Some had adopted yellow and blue to show support for people in Ukraine.

Donations to the air ambulance can be made here.

Leaving the showground.

Read more:

• 350 tractors set to take to Harrogate district streets tomorrow
• Bus leaves Knaresborough on 1,550-mile mission to help Ukrainians flee

About 350 tractors are expected to take to the Harrogate district streets tomorrow when Knaresborough Young Farmers Club’s tractor run returns.

The event, which was cancelled last year, raises funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Tractors will converge at the Great Yorkshire Showground for a 9am start and then pass through Knaresborough and Birstwith before stopping for lunch at Pateley Bridge at about noon.

The route passes through Pateley Bridge

They will then continue along country roads to Markington before finishing in Knaresborough at about 3.30pm.

The tractor run started as a private club event in 2012 but was opened to the public in 2018.

This year’s route.

Club member Mike Spink was a great supporter of the air ambulance before his death and the organisation continues to fundraise for it.

Steven Brown, chairman of the tractor run, said:

“Air ambulance is a cause close to the heart of farmers and anyone in rural communities.

“We work in solitary areas and they are always there when we need them.”

About 360 vehicles participated in the last tractor run, which was completed a week before lockdown in 2020. It is one of the largest tractor runs in England.

Anyone can turn up at the showground with a tractor and take part.

Although the event causes some traffic disruption, the route includes many minor and private roads to minimise disruption.

You can support the event by pledging a donation to the air ambulance here.

Knaresborough nursery acquired by Kids Planet

A nursery group with a setting in Knaresborough has been acquired by north-west operator Kids Planet.

Twinkles Nursery Group, founded in 2003, has sites in Knaresborough, Leeds city centre, Wetherby, and Boston Spa. All are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Kids Planet acquired Bradford-based nursery Kinder Heaven in 2021.

Jill Smith, managing director at Twinkles Nursery Group, said:

“It has been an honour to serve all our wonderful families and to work alongside such a dedicated and super talented team over the years, and I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next.”

Flaxby modular housebuilder features in 153-home deal

Flaxby-based modular housebuilder ilke Homes, in partnership with Gresham House and agent SO Resi will install a factory-built home on a site in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex as part of a wider 153-home scheme.

Ilke claimed the two-storey family home, which will be sold under a shared ownership scheme, is the UK’s first home to guarantee zero-energy bills.

Gresham House will install low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and an air source heat pump, which provides all heating and hot water. Battery technology will be installed to store energy.

Giles Carter, chief executive at ilke Homes, said:

“The cost of living crisis is here and now. Since the turn of the century, UK households have become overly reliant on gas imports, leaving consumers at risk from rising wholesale gas prices.

“Thanks to advances in manufacturing, materials, and renewable energy, we have created homes that not only drastically reduce household bills but also give consumers greater control over their own energy usage.”

Value of farm shops revealed

The Farm Retail Association, which is based at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has released new research that shows Britain’s farm shops generate £1.4 billion in sales nationally and employ 25,000 workers.

The findings, released in conjunction with Harper Adams University, were part of its biggest research project to date. They were announced at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference on Wednesday.

The study found that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers nationally, employing 25,000 people, with sales totalling £1.4 billion. Some 64% of farm shops expect sales to increase further in 2022 and a third of all farm shops have opened in the last 10 years.

New FRA chairman Rupert Evans said:

“This was the biggest research project that the FRA has ever undertaken and the results show the vital part that farm retailers play in the community as well as on a national scale.

Alastair Boot (left), senior lecturer in food retail and marketing and Rupert Evans, FRA chair and 

Send your business news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

The GP-run vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon administered their 200,000th covid jab in the last week.

The figure applies to vaccines given at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races, which are operated by the Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of the 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district

When pharmacy vaccines are also included, the total number of jabs in the Harrogate district since the start of the pandemic comes to 374,994.

Ripon Races held its final vaccination clinic on Sunday. The Great Yorkshire Showground is due to close in March.

The information comes as the number of covid infections in the district continues to fall rapidly.

The latest daily UK Health Security Agency figures show that 100 covid cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

Read more:

• NHS writes off £13m in Nightingale hospital beds cost
• Harrogate care boss: Vaccine mandate led to ‘significant’ staff losses

Currently the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 531 per 100,000 people.

It remains above the county-wide average 412 and the England rate of 417.

NHS England figures show the number of deaths from patients who tested positive for covid at Harrogate District Hospital stands at 228.