Mice found in ‘dirty throughout’ Harrogate district pub

A mice infestation, a dirty kitchen and cross-contamination between raw and cooked food led to the closure of the kitchen at The Black Swan Inn at Fearby, near Masham.

In a statement today, Harrogate Borough Council said a routine investigation by its food safety team found the pub to be “dirty throughout” with “potentially serious hygiene issues”.

Along with the mice and cross-contamination of food, the statement added that staff were unable to wash their hands after handling raw food.

The Stray Ferret revealed yesterday that York Magistrates Court had granted the council an Emergency Hygiene Prohibition Order for the kitchen on Friday. The council will need to be satisfied it no longer poses a health risk before it can reopen.

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The court also ordered the pub to pay £697 in costs to the council on or before September 10.

Conservative councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“It is imperative that food businesses maintain hygiene and food safety at all times, even more so during the current covid pandemic.

“The council’s environmental health officers work hard to provide guidance and advice to businesses in ensuring that they can operate safely.

“Any business failing to heed and act on such advice – which then subsequently fails an inspection which identifies a risk to public health – needs to understand that we will, when necessary, not hesitate to take formal action which could well result in prosecution.”

The pub has received ‘good’ or ‘very good’ food hygiene ratings in the past five years from the council.

The Stray Ferret contacted The Black Swan for a response by telephone today but there was no answer.

Harrogate district unemployment falls by 30% in 6 months

The number of people on out-of-work benefits in the Harrogate district has fallen by over 30% since the height of the third covid lockdown in February, latest government figures show.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 2,720 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of August 3 — down from 3,625 on February 11.

Currently, 3.4% of the local population are claiming the benefits, which is below the UK average of 5.4%. Financial support for those out of work includes Universal Credit and Job Seekers’ Allowance.

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Commenting on the latest figures on his website Community News, Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough Andrew Jones said predictions of “soaring unemployment” following the end of the furlough scheme have not come true.

Mr Jones said:

“The worst-case predictions of soaring unemployment as the furlough scheme was rolled back have not materialised.  At the end of September, ten weeks after most restrictions have been lifted, the furlough scheme ends completely.

“Although the Office for National Statistics say that there is no sign of redundancies starting to pick up ahead of this, we should remain cautious.”

“It is clear though that our local economy has bounced back strongly and empty shop rates in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge are lower than pre-pandemic.“

51 more covid cases in Harrogate district

A further 51 positive covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district today.

It takes the district’s total since March 2020 to 12,243, according to latest Public Health England figures.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at the hospital for four months. The total remains at 179.

The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

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Meanwhile, the Harrogate district’s coronavirus infection rate is still “plateauing” after falling sharply last month, latest figures show.

The district’s weekly rate now stands at 266 cases per 100,000 people – a level it has remained stable at over the past two weeks.

It marks a significant decrease from when the rate peaked at 533 in mid July but officials have warned the latest figure is still too high and that the wider health and social care sector is facing “exceptional” levels of demand.

Covid rate ‘plateauing’ in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus infection rate is still “plateauing” after falling sharply last month, latest figures show.

The district’s weekly rate now stands at 266 cases per 100,000 people – a level it has remained stable at over the past two weeks.

It marks a significant decrease from when the rate peaked at 533 in mid July but officials have warned the latest figure is still too high and that the wider health and social care sector is facing “exceptional” levels of demand.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said in a message to residents:

“The covid infection rate across the county seems to have plateaued. The rate is 269 per 100,000 people, against an England average of 299.

“This is still high and pressures continue on health and social care services, so our message remains ‘respect and protect’.

“We currently have 48 care homes with cases of covid, and these remain extremely challenging times for health and social care. The level of demand for hospitals, primary care, community health services and social care is exceptional.”

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Meanwhile, the number of covid patients at Harrogate hospital remains stable – with seven patients in beds as of last Wednesday.

The hospital also last week passed four months without reporting a coronavirus-related death.

The latest figures for vaccinations show a total of 123,660 people in the Harrogate district have now received their first vaccine dose and 109,028 people their second.

Stray Views: Let’s do more to help travellers

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Let’s do more to help travellers

What a good idea for districts to provide stops for travellers en route to Appleby Horse Fair.

Having lived in the area for 80 years, I see the slight inconvenience of a couple of nights encampment en route or return as no problem.

Travellers have always stayed in the district. In my youth we had the fair at Boroughbridge. Traffic slowed to let the horses and caravans go along their slow and steady way. We have seen the steady decline in public houses over the years (a very English tradition) and we are in danger of losing our identity.

Yes, hold the travellers to account over how they leave the site and make arrangements for them to pay for a clear up, or block their exit if it is not done, I am sure they would comply as a safe stopover is better for all if put into place. Councils should think twice about costly court orders and put common sense into the mix.

Sandra Theobald, Harrogate

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We need new blood on our councils

Councillor Carl Les talks about fairness but what people want to know is: by how much their bills are going to reduce and what economies he is going to introduce?

There is no mention of this and no plan so until he can produce this, it’s not convincing. We also need new blood in our councillors, not just a reshuffle.

Harrogate people also want to know that their payments are actually spent in the town and not elsewhere in the region e.g. our roads are bad and North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department has consistently dragged its feet about traffic improvements whilst locals have told them how to improve matters.

What we really need, is for Harrogate to become a city and control its own affairs — we are certainly getting to this size.

Until we do, our cash can be siphoned elsewhere with little or no say about it.

John Holder, Harrogate

Harrogate Christmas Market is tacky!

I’m glad the Harrogate Christmas Market has been declined permission.
Harrogate is supposed to be posh but the market, along with the Christmas decorations, make it really tacky.
Susan Monk, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Another 62 covid infections reported in Harrogate district

Another 62 covid infections have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating seven patients for covid.

However, no covid-related deaths have been reported at the hospital for four months.

The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the death toll at the hospital from covid since March 2020 remains at 179.

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Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 281 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 270 and the England average is 306.

Elsewhere, 123,564 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 108,313 have had a second dose.

Harrogate district records another 70 covid infections

The Harrogate district has recorded another 70 covid infections in the last 24 hours, according to latest Public Health England figures.

No covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital for four months.

The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

It means the death toll at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

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Currently, seven patients are being treated for covid at Harrogate hospital.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 278 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 260 and the England average is 305.

It means the number of covid deaths at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Elsewhere, 123,512 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 108,147 have had a second dose.

Bilsdale fire: still no news on when TV signal will be restored

Some people in the Harrogate district are still without a TV signal after Tuesday’s fire at the Bilsdale mast near Helmsley.

The fire left about 500,000 homes in the north east without TV and radio signal.

Some TV channels and BBC Radio Tees channels had been restored to homes last night. However, Arqiva, the communications company that operates the mast said it was still unsure when all channels would return.

A statement sent to the Stray Ferret said:

“The task to reinstate all the services that were available is a complex one and we are working hard to get as many services back up as quickly as we can.

“We are assessing all options open to us but the process is a gradual one. We apologise for the inconvenience but ask that you bear with us as our teams work hard to deliver solutions for as many people as possible as quickly and safely as we can.”

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A cordon is still in place sealing off land within 300 metres of the mast whilst engineers ensure the tower is structurally secure.

When this is done, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will return to begin the process of investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire service said:

“At this time there is nothing to suggest that the fire is the result of any criminal activity but this cannot be confirmed until a closer examination has been carried out.”

Eight fire crews tackled the blaze at the 315-metre mast.

End of an era: Harrogate working men’s club folds after 108 years

A Harrogate working men’s club has closed after more than 100 years.

The National Reserve Club, on East Parade near the town centre, formally dissolved with the Financial Conduct Authority at the end of July, according to recently published documents.

According to the FCA, the organisation had been registered as a working men’s club since July 11, 1913, when it was known as the Harrogate Battalion National Reserve of the West Riding of York Club.

However, a formal resolution was passed by members in October last year to dissolve the club.

The special resolution said:

“It is with a heavy heart I inform all members that the proposal to dissolve the club was a 93% unanimous decision in favour of the committee’s recommendation from October 1, 2020.”

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The club, which had 28 members at the time of closing, donated its remaining cash to charity.

Although the closure of the National Reserve Club represents the end of an era, the district is still served by working men’s clubs.

Clubs are registered with the Club and Institute Union, which represents more than 1,600 societies across the country.

According to the CIU website, nine clubs are affiliated with the union in the Harrogate district.

In Harrogate itself, punters can find clubs in Oatlands, Starbeck, High Harrogate and Bilton.

The town also has the Londesborough Club on Bower Road and Harrogate Traders Hall on Westmoreland Street.

Knaresborough has two social clubs and Boroughbridge also has its own members’ club.

Meanwhile, Ripon has a Conservative club and Pateley Bridge has its own club on the High Street but these two are not affiliated with the CIU.

Look for an in-depth history of working men’s clubs in Harrogate written by historian Malcolm Neesam this weekend on the Stray Ferret .

No covid deaths at Harrogate hospital for four months

No covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital for four months.

The last time a death was recorded was on April 11.

Currently, seven patients are being treated for covid at Harrogate hospital.

The Harrogate district has recorded another 69 covid infections in the last 24 hours, according to latest Public Health England figures.

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Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate is now at 280 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 265 and the England average is 302.

It means the number of covid deaths at the hospital since March 2020 remains at 179.

Elsewhere, 123,470 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 108,039 have had a second dose.