Harewood House to close bird garden in face of ‘£4m bill’

A popular tourist attraction on the edge of the Harrogate district is set to close one of its main features.

Harewood House has announced its bird garden will close this year, in the face of growing costs and a £4 million refurbishment bill.

The Harewood House Trust said it could not justify spending the money in order to bring the 50-year-old site up to scratch.

Trust chairman Emily Shard said:

“It is with huge sadness that the trustees have reached the conclusion that the bird garden must close.

“Harewood and the Lascelles family have long been committed to the care and conservation of wildlife and nature, but the wellbeing of the birds is paramount. The investment needed to create a modern zoo and maintain this each year is too much for the trust to afford.

“We therefore realise that we must make this change and focus on the long-term ambition of this wonderful place, and on the opportunities that Harewood has to support our environment, represent the people and the communities that live in this area today, and to continue to develop Harewood, to serve its best purpose into the future.”

The trust said its latest zoo inspection had found the birds were well cared for, but that their environments were not up to modern standards.

Its birds will be rehomed over the next six months to more suitable environments and the final closure date of the bird garden will be confirmed later in the year.

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Harewood plans to retain its farm experience and said it will look at ways to improve the area around its courtyard for visitors, opening up new views of the estate. The bird garden will be replaced with a new woodland garden encouraging native wildlife, including red kites, otters and water birds.

A spokesperson added:

“We realise that many of Harewood’s visitors love the bird garden and have children who love it too.

“It has been an incredibly difficult conclusion to reach but it is the most responsible and ethical decision to make, to ensure the health and care of these beautiful creatures, but also to ensure Harewood can stand the test of time and be here for as long as it has stood already.”

Harewood is reliant on income from grants, including from organisations like Arts Council England, as well as membership and visitor entry money, to continue operating.

The estate is owned by the Lascelles family and is run by a charitable trust.

Little Bird spreads its wings with markets across the Harrogate district and further afield

This story is sponsored by Little Bird Made.

Jackie Crozier’s ambition is to make the Harrogate district and neighbouring areas a Mecca for artisan markets, where local traders can showcase and sell their hand-crafted goods and customers can find those extra special and unique items.

In the four years since she hatched a plan to hold an inaugural market in her home city of Ripon, Jackie’s Little Bird Made venture has spread its wings and now has more than ten venues in North and West Yorkshire where its events are regularly held.

Harrogate Christmas market

Pictures above and below, from the bustling artisan markets held by Little Bird in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens last Christmas

The latest exciting addition to a fast-growing list of attractive and historic locations is Harewood House, where the talented and hard-working Little Bird team will curate a four-day Artisan Winter Market from Thursday November 3 until Sunday November 6.

Little Bird founder and managing director Jackie, said:

“This will be the largest event that we have ever staged, with more than 100 stalls each day located on the North Park Walk facing onto the magnificent 18th century country house.”

She added:

“It’s a fabulous setting for a pre-Christmas market and there will be a wonderful atmosphere for visitors and our community of traders.

“In addition to the wide-range of handmade goods and food and drink items on sale, there will be demonstrations of artisan crafts and a special letterbox where children can post a letter to Santa.”

Entry to the winter market is £5 and includes access to the grounds, but there will be no charge for Harewood members. Tickets can be booked by clicking here.

The market will be open daily from 10am until 4pm.

Chese stall

Jackie, who was born and bred in Ripon, launched Little Bird after being away from the city for more than 20 years, working as the Director of the Manchester Pride Festival and later as an events manager working on a number of high-profile events including the London 2012 Olympics.

The expertise that she gained in working with stakeholders including local councils, community groups, performers and suppliers, has been put to good use in developing the Little Bird business and ethos.

She said:

“Our aim is to create added value events that bring increased footfall to the marvellous market towns that we have in the Harrogate district and further afield.

“Visitors who come to our markets often stay to look around local attractions and spend money in shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs, before they go home.”

Jackie, added:

“We are planning to add to our list of locations next year and believe that there will be further economic, and community benefits all round if we can make this area a Mecca for artisan markets.

“We are also always looking for local artisans who would like to join us and share in the Little Bird experience.”

Upcoming Little Bird Christmas markets

Following the Winter Market at Harewood House, Little Bird will, for the second year running, be holding Christmas Markets with 75 stalls in the Sun Colonnade at Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on December 3,4,10 and 11.

Between November 12 and December 18, one day markets with up to 60 artisan traders present, will be held in Easingwold, Boroughbridge, Wetherby, Richmond, Thirsk, Leyburn, Harrogate Horticultural Nursery, Ripon, Driffield and Northallerton.

Click here to see the full list of Little Bird Made events coming soon.

Yorkshire School of Garden Design set to launch at Harewood House

A top North Yorkshire garden designer is launching a new school at Harewood House which will focus on northern landscapes.

Alistair Baldwin decided to set up the Yorkshire School of Garden Design after realising there were no similar schools in the north.

Opening its doors in August, the facility will offer a range of short courses throughout the year.

These will be aimed at garden design enthusiasts and those wanting to learn more about all aspects of the art, from landscaping to planting.

The school’s flagship professional Diploma in Garden Design, which will be delivered over an academic year, begins in September.

Mr Baldwin said:

“For too long the budding designers of the north have had little local choice when looking for a learning experience to broaden their skills and launch them into the profession.

“More often than not, students have had to make the journey to London to find the right course and I thought that needed to change.

“I have lived and worked in North Yorkshire for over three decades and have developed an acute understanding of how the terrain, geology, even climate and the way of working is very different in this part of the UK.

“The process within which gardens are designed and built in this magnificent landscape is very different to the south. So I want to share everything I have learned over the last 35 years and inspire a new generation.”

Alistair Baldwin. Photo: Eva Nemeth

The school will be based at Harewood House, which has more than 100 acres of parkland designed by eminent 18th century landscape architect Sir Lancelot Capability Brown.

Trevor Nicholson, head gardener at Harewood House, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that the Yorkshire School of Garden design will have its base at Harewood House, which we think is a fitting and inspirational venue for a school, which hopes to train the design professionals of the future.

“I am incredibly excited to welcome guests and inspire them with Harewood’s beautiful landscapes.”

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Mr Baldwin trained in garden design in Leeds. After graduating, he built an award-winning landscape design practice in Richmond, which delivers high-spec public and private gardens throughout the UK, as well as internationally.

Having spent 12 years teaching landscape and garden design at Leeds Beckett University, while also running his practice, he has a wealth of experience in nurturing the next generation of garden design talent.

Mr Baldwin added:

“I am delighted to announce that I will be joined by an eminent team of world class design consultants, who will work with me to deliver the  courses.

“Having a team of practising garden designers, all of whom have experience in creating rich and well-crafted gardens, means that students will get essential practical advice and insight straight from the horse’s mouth.”

The Terrace at Harewood House. Photo: Harewood House Trust and Lee Beal

David Harewood confronts Earl of Harewood House over slavery past

Actor David Harewood sat down for a difficult conversation with the current Earl of Harewood House, whose family kept his four times grandparents as slaves.

The extraordinary moment was captured for a new Channel 5 documentary series 1000 Years A Slave, which aired for the first time last night.

Harewood House, an 18th century stately home near Harrogate, has been trying to take on the estate’s colonial past for more than 25 years.

In the TV programme Mr Harewood travelled to Barbados where he discovered the names of his ancestors, Richard and Betty.

He also discovered that they were slaves on a plantation owned by the Harewood Estate so set up a meeting with David Lascelles, the eighth Earl of Harewood.

The pair looked through the second Earl of Harewood’s account of slaves where Mr Harewood’s ancestors Richard and Betty were listed.

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David Harewood, who was the star of Homeland and Blood Diamond, told Mr Lascelles:

“So my great-great-great-great grandparents were slaves on your family plantation. This is a fine house on beautiful grounds but it was built on the proceeds of slavery.

“Do you feel any guilt or shame about that?”

In reply Mr Lascelles explained that he does not feel guilty for the actions of his ancestors but added that he is accountable:

“I don’t feel that feeling guilty for something that you have no involvement with is a helpful emotion. I think we need to take responsibility for our own actions.

“Although I do feel accountable. There is nothing you can do to change the past but you can be active in the present.

“What I am responsible for is what I try to do about that legacy. To try in a small way to make that a force for good today.”

In a statement after the programme aired a spokesperson for Harewood House said:

“The Trust and the Lascelles family have been at the forefront of acknowledging the estate’s colonial past for over 25 years.

“Being transparent about colonial history and ensuring the Trust hosts much-needed, and sometimes difficult conversations is vital to calling out racism, and to forging new connections with visitors and the communities of the cities and countryside around.”

Harewood House takes the lead with Big Dog Walk tomorrow

Harewood House will host a Big Dog Walk tomorrow so dogs can meet new four-legged friends while walking around the stately home’s famous grounds.

There’s a choice of 2km, 5km or 10km routes and tickets are currently still available for walks that start at 2.30pm.

Owners and their pets are advised to arrive one hour before their booked time to have a sniff around before the walks start, and there will be staff along the route to offer thirsty dogs a drink.

Dogs will be welcome to walk three routes around Harewood House’s grounds

There will also be a ‘dogstacle’ course, shopping, expert advice, a dog show and refreshments.

A Puppy Socialisation Walk at 10am will give owners the opportunity to introduce puppies to other dogs in a safe, organised way.

Nicole Cooper, managing director of Touchpoint Live Media and the organiser of the Big Dog Walk, said:

“Harewood House is such an idyllic venue and we can’t wait to welcome those faithful companions who have kept us going though lockdown and provide them with the ‘pawesome’ day they deserve!”.

For tickets visit here.

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Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra reforms after 66 years

Sixty-six years after it disbanded, coronavirus has inspired the revival of the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra to support talented musicians in the north of England.

Last year has been particularly tough for the live music industry. Members of the orchestra have taken jobs as bricklayers and baristas to get by.

After dusting down and tuning up their instruments, the ensemble is now ready for a series of concerts this summer.

The orchestra is set to perform its first public event at the Picnic Proms at Harewood House in September. Find tickets here.

The original group disbanded in 1955, leaving Yorkshire without a county orchestra for decades.

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Others have tried to bring back the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra name before. But they have only ever been able to play a couple of gigs before disbanding.

Ben Crick, the composer and conductor, believes this attempt will last. He told the Stray Ferret:

“We are not in it for anything else other than to make music. It’s a privilege to make music with your friends and colleagues again. It’s a fantastic thing to do.”

Jamie Hudson, co-founder of the orchestra, added:

“These are professional musicians who have done this all their lives. Suddenly they had to become baristas and dog walkers.

“So we brought back the orchestra to re-employ the best musicians who have had to jump into other types of work.”

The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra performing at Harewood House. Photo: Gary Lawson Photography

Tickets on sale now for star-studded Picnic Proms Summer Concert Series

This article is sponsored by Vivo Entertainment. 

 

 

 

Alfie Boe, Sir Willard White, Aled Jones, The Three Tenors and Queen Symphonic will headline three spectacular concerts at Harewood House this September, and tickets are available to buy now.

It’s been a long year of lockdowns, but now we have something spectacular to look forward to. Stars of the West End, Broadway, and international music arenas will gather for a rousing, spine-tingling extravaganza. Picnic Proms Summer Concert Series is a three day series of concerts in the magnificent Harewood House grounds, featuring musical theatre legends, orchestral icons, a symphonic spectacular and spellbinding silent firework displays.

The star-studded line up includes (clockwise) Sir Willard White, Alfie Boe, Sophie Evans, Rachel Tucker, Peyee Chen, Aled Jones MBE, Queen Symphonic and Louise Dearman.

Alfie Boe will open the series of concerts on Friday 3rd September 2021.

Alfie Boe exploded onto the music scene nearly 20 years ago, and is a veteran of the London stage and Broadway. He has racked up one extraordinary achievement after another including two UK Number 1 albums more than one million albums sold in the UK.

Having performed in some of the world’s greatest venues, he has the rare ability to bring all sorts of music lovers together.

Not many artists can lay claim to having appeared in both the West End theatre and Broadway. Alfie Boe’s starred as Jean Valjean in the ‘All Star’ concert of Les Miserables. His performance in La Boheme earned him a Tony award. And he featured on the spectacular orchestral classic rock album Quadrophenia.

He says:

“When I look at the crowd at my concerts, I can see I’ve got Who fans, musical theatre fans and jazz fans as well.”

Alfie will be performing some of his favourite songs and West End hits. He will be joined by special guests and fellow West End and Broadway stars Louise Dearman and Rachel Tucker.

On Saturday 4th September 2021, The Great Yorkshire Proms will feature another stellar line-up of classical talent.

The second performance will be hosted by singer and presenter Aled Jones MBE. Special guests include Sir Willard White, Sophie Evans, Peyee Chen and Tenors Unlimited, also known as the Rat Pack of Opera.

They will be accompanied by The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, which was specifically created to support freelance musicians from Yorkshire who have been hit hard by the pandemic.

The final night (Sunday 5th September) will see international rock band Queen Symphonic wow audiences with Queen’s greatest hits.

Queen Symphonic features exceptional vocalists, a world class rock band and the incredible 50-piece Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. The unique sound blends symphonic arrangements with classic Queen songs, so expect to hear unforgettable tunes such as We Will Rock You, Don’t Stop Me Now and of course Bohemian Rhapsody.

Picnic Proms Summer Concert Series will take place in the stunning grounds of Harewood House

Saturday and Sunday’s performances will end with a silent live firework display, to ensure minimal disturbance to Harewood House’s gorgeous wildlife. Event guests are invited to bring their own food, drink, chairs and blankets, to enjoy a full Picnic Proms experience.

Ben Crick, conductor for Vivo Entertainment and the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, says:

“We’re sure event-goers can’t wait to enjoy live music once again and it’s our pleasure to present this spectacular series of outdoor events. Harewood House is the perfect setting for such prestigious artists and legendary musicians to showcase their talents. The Picnic Proms Summer Concert Series will be a truly magnificent series of events for everyone involved, including our wonderful audiences.”

The event has been created and designed to ensure potential government restrictions can be adhered to if required. Additional safety measures such as on-site hand sanitising stations and queuing systems will also be in place.

Event listings:

Ticket prices begin at £35 and are available to buy now. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.vivolive.co.uk.

Classical stars to play at Harewood House this September

Classical stars are set to perform at Harewood House this September when live music returns after a year of lockdowns.

The Picnic Proms will feature top names such as Alfie Boe, Sir Willard White, Aled Jones and The Three Tenors and Queen Symphonic.

A series of concerts will be held over three days from Friday, September 3, in the picturesque grounds of Harewood House, which is between Harrogate and Leeds.

A veteran of the London stage and Broadway, Alfie Boe will open the event before Aled Jones hosts the second night with special guests Sir Willard White, Sophie Evans, Peyee Chen and Tenors Unlimited.

The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra specifically created to support freelance musicians from Yorkshire who have been hit hardest by the pandemic, will also join them on stage.

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Finally, The Queen Symphonic will close the proms playing a series of greatest hits from rock band Queen blended with symphonic arrangements.

Firework displays will also take place on the Saturday and Sunday nights.

Ben Crick, conductor for Vivo Entertainment and the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, said: 

“We’re sure event-goers can’t wait to enjoy live music once again and it’s our pleasure to present this spectacular series of outdoor events. Harewood House is the perfect setting for such prestigious artists and legendary musicians to showcase their talents. 

“We’re sure Picnic Proms will be a truly magnificent series of events for everyone involved, including our wonderful audiences.”

The event has been created and designed to ensure potential government restrictions, including social distancing and household bubbles, can be adhered to if required. 

Additional safety measures such as on-site hand sanitising stations and queuing systems will also be in place.

Tickets are priced at £35 and will go on sale from Friday at 9am at the Vivo Entertainment website.

StrayArt with Johnny Messum: The role of patronage

StrayArt is a monthly column written by Johnny Messum, Director and Founder of art gallery and centre, Messum’s Wiltshire, London and Harrogate. Johnny’s passion is for contemporary art and sculpture.

Each month he will look at art, exhibitions and events across Yorkshire and sometimes further afield with the aim of guiding and inspiring us.

 

We must all be patrons of the arts and that means taking part as well as supporting artists. There is a vital capacity to art that brings people together and I think we will see this become increasingly important as the high street and the reasons we find for getting together continue to be questioned and asked to adapt. At the core of this narrative is the relationship that the process of making creates between the maker and the viewer. Art is the greatest of story tellers and objects – however formed  – define  capacity of human beings to connect to each other through inanimate objects.

Our role as a gallery is to help artists with a platform on which to create, your role is to take part, whether going to visit, commenting on an artists page, buying works of art or joining in a conversation. Our face to face talks and now online talks with artists and makers allow people to connect with them and to understand what frames their thinking. They are hugely popular because we are fascinated by a fellow human being’s capabilities. Who knows you may find your own object of significance and discover an eco system of creativity that enriches your life in more ways than one.

Patronage as the name suggests is about more than collecting, it is about discerning input into the artist’s career.

A collection of art at Chatsworth House. Credit: Chatsworth House Trust

In Yorkshire there are many examples of discerning patrons – the great English painter JMW Turner found sympathetic patrons in two Yorkshire men – Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall and Edward Lascelles at Harewood House – whose support and friendship fostered his creative genius. Edward Lascelles also enjoyed a special relationship with another great man, the extraordinary furniture maker Thomas Chippendale from Otley, who received the largest commission of his career furnishing the newly built Harewood House in 1767. The present Earl and Countess commission artists and craftsman today continuing the family tradition of supporting living artists, and in their Biennale focusing on Why Craft Matters Chippendale’s creations were juxtaposed with contemporary furniture, aware as they are that one generation of artists inspires the next.

As I drove back down to London passing through Derbyshire, I passed the sign for Chatsworth House, the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, where 16 generations of the Cavendish family have collected contemporary art from Elizabethan times to now. The current Duke and Duchess continue the tradition today, and the potter Edmund de Vaal’s vessels are exhibited next to a garniture of Chinese vessels to demonstrate both continuity and difference.

When the current restrictions lift, and these great houses re-open I urge you to visit them and reflect on the many gifted men and women who thanks to the enlightened patronage of their owners have been able to shine and pay their bills and be an inspiration to the next generation of artists and craftsmen, and revitalise us as we look at what they have made.

As you open your parcels on 25 December and find that someone has chosen to give you a beautifully made piece, spare a thought for the person or people who made it, and the ideas, imagination, skills and sensibility that lie within it. Patronage or supporting the arts is not just for Dukes and Duchesses, it is for us all to help bring objects and moments of significance together when ever we choose a hand made piece over factory made items.

Next month I shall be talking about plein air painting, the artists, who like Monet and his fellow Impressionists choose to work primarily, not in their studios, but out of doors.

Messums Yorkshire, 4-6 James Street, Harrogate is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 10am – 5pm. The current exhibition of the leading landscape environmental artist Kurt Jackson continues until 2 January. Two new exhibitions of of Australian artists Daniel Agdag and Atong Atem open on 7 January.  The displays of glass artist Dante Marioni and artist Charles Poulsen continue to 30 January.

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Harewood House awarded funding boost

Harewood House Trust has been awarded £695,556 by the Cultural Recovery Fund. 

It is the latest grant in the fight to support the stately home through the coronavirus pandemic. 

Last week, Harewood was given £296,128 by Historic England and DCMS to fund the restoration of its Terrace balustrade. It was also awarded an emergency National Heritage Lottery Fund grant to support re-opening earlier in the year.

The charity has now received more than £1 million to help survive and recover from its coronavirus-enforced closure. 

Lockdown forced Harewood to close its doors for 14 weeks this year – more than a third of its open season. This resulted in losses of £1.2 million, as an estimated 80,000 people were unable to visit. 

Trust director Jane Marriott said:

“Like many of our colleagues, Harewood’s total closure earlier in the year placed us in such a difficult financial situation, facing over £1 million in losses. However, the combination of our visitors’ support and a significant grant from the Culture Recovery Fund has secured Harewood’s future recovery, so that we can continue to do ambitious programming, and to make certain that this wonderful place can continue to be enjoyed by as many as possible. 

“The national funding bodies’ confidence in Harewood’s work is very much needed and appreciated. We are now in a position to improve the site, develop our learning programme, continue to work with artists and maintain our ambitious visitor experience, looking once again to our future.”

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The grant from the Cultural Recovery Fund will support a series of family friendly activities, invest in Harewood’s technology infrastructure, and provide canopies for outdoor spaces. This will provide cover for weddings and private hire events, in turn generating vital income for the charity.