Harrogate district Archives - Page 67 of 138

Hampsthwaite volunteers clear-up after tree falls in churchyard

Volunteers arrived at a Hampsthwaite churchyard today to clear debris left after a tree was urgently felled.

The centuries-old tree splintered during Storm Malik on Friday night, luckily avoiding graves in the cemetery at St Thomas a Becket Church.

But with some of the tree remaining, and Storm Corrie approaching, the decision was taken yesterday to fell the rest of it urgently in case it was blown over and damaged the graves.

Fortunately Darley tree surgeon Ross Hanley was able to fulfil the task before the winds picked up last night.

The clear-up operation of the fallen tree began today.

Today about 15 volunteers including a group from Community Payback, an initiative whereby offenders help with projects in their local communities, joined the clean-up operation.

Lead volunteer and Hamspthwaite resident Geoff Howard said:

“Ross Hanley was here to look at a tree that fell during Storm Arwen only a few weeks ago and he saw how close this one was to falling.

Luckily the branch that came down on Friday night fell between graves but if the full tree had fallen it could have caused damage to dozens and dozens of graves.”

The graveyard has over 3,000 plots. The church also has a public right of way running through it.

Mr Howard said it would have been too dangerous to leave the tree in such a precarious position because of the risk it posed to people and the churchyard.

He thanked volunteers for dealing with the debris today and hoped the clean-up operation would be completed by the end of the day.

‘We all bolted… I didn’t think the wind was that strong,’ says car wash worker

A member of staff at a Harrogate district car wash has talked about the moment the roof came crashing down when Storm Malik struck on Saturday.

The Bubblerun Car Wash, on Harrogate Road, near Leathley, was open as usual at 11.30am when the incident occurred.

Fortunately, staff heard the roof begin to fall and managed to hastily get out of the way.

A customer, however, was still in his car as the roof came down. Staff moved fast to get him out and check he was OK as soon as the roof stopped moving.

The Bubblerun Hand Car Wash.

Staff member Alan Clemmit, said everyone was “lucky” to avoid being hurt. He said:

“It just collapsed. Bits of the corrugated plastic had flown off earlier on but we didn’t think the whole roof would come down. We all just bolted as soon as we heard it.

“I didn’t think the wind was that strong, it’s probably about 1.5 tonnes worth of weight that fell.”

Mr Clemmit added the customer’s car was dented but no serious damage was done.

The car wash reopened today after staff returned on Sunday to help clear up the debris.

Man charged with drink driving after lorry crashes near Wetherby Services

A lorry driver has been charged with drink-driving after he reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the central reservation of the A1(M) near Harrogate.

The Scania heavy goods vehicle was heading south on the road when the incident happened at 10.25pm on Friday.

It crashed into the barrier about half-a-mile before junction 46 near Wetherby Services.

The lorry blocked the middle and outer lanes until it was recovered at 1am on Saturday.

North Yorkshire Police and National Highways managed traffic past the scene during the recovery operation and collision investigation.

The 25-year-old driver, from Cahersiveen, Ireland, was arrested and later charged with driving whilst unfit through drink — according to police, a road-side test found him to be more than double the legal limit for alcohol.

He was also charged with driving without due care and attention and will appear before Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on 17 February 2022, 10am, court room 1.

Tree planting across Harrogate district this weekend to mark Queen’s jubilee

Trees will be planted this weekend in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge as part of an initiative to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The Queen’s Green Canopy, which was created as part of celebrations for the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.

Trees will be planted in Valley Gardens and on Wetherby Road in Harrogate, at Jacob Smiths Park in Knaresborough, at High Cleugh in Ripon, at Pateley Bridge Recreation Ground and at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground on Sunday.

All but one tree at each of the locations has been planted already. The final tree ones will planted this weekend to coincide with Her Majesty’s accession day.

Harrogate borough mayor, Councillor Trevor Chapman, will unveil the ceremonial tree in Valley Gardens, Harrogate at 2pm.

The Lord Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Johanna Ropner, will join Councillor Andy Paraskos to unveil the ceremonial tree at Boroughbridge Recreation Ground at 11am.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will join the mayor of Knaresborough, Councillor Christine Willoughby, at Jacob Smith Park in Knaresborough at 1pm.

Cllr Eamon Parkin, the mayor of Ripon and Cllr Mike Holt, the mayor of Pateley Bridge, will plant trees in their respective locations.

Species being planted include elm, oak, hornbeam, sycamore and lime.

Individuals, town and parish councils, community groups, schools, businesses and landowners will be encouraged to plant tress during the planting season from October to March.

White Rose Forest

The Queen’s Green Canopy will coincide with the council’s plans to plant thousands of trees in Bilton Beck Wood and Willow Wood, Harrogate and Upper Horse Shoe Fields, Knaresborough as part of the White Rose Forest partnership.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire being created by local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities.

Councillor Andy Paraskos, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only honour Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee but also help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.

“Similar to the White Rose Forest project, we want to encourage as many people as possible in the district to get involved to improve air quality and biodiversity.”

Sarah Wells, community manager at Bettys & Taylors Group, which has supported the scheme, said:

“Trees remain very close to our hearts at Bettys & Taylors and we are delighted to support this unique project which not only highlights the importance of climate action, but also the positive impact of community collaboration. We hope that these trees will be enjoyed by residents and visitors to the area for many years to come.”

MPs watch: Hedgehogs and Downing Street parties

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In January, the Downing Street parties scandal dominated the news whilst covid Plan B restrictions were lifted.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

On January 17 Harrogate MP Andrew Jones told a constituent that “lawmakers can’t be lawbreakers” after Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted attending a party during the first coronavirus lockdown.
Mr Jones supported the government’s decision to pause the rollout of smart motorways, despite being a key advocate during his time as transport minister.
The MP backed a campaign for road signs in Starbeck that alert motorists of hedgehogs.
On January 25, the MP spoke about ‘levelling up’ at the UK Bus & Coach Conference.
On January 27, Mr Jones signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment.
Mr Jones spoke seven times in the House of Commons during January, including asking a question about the victims of the Tonga tsunami.
Network Rail remove graffiti from Hookstone Road bridge in Harrogate after a resident reported it to him.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith did not update his website during January.
He did not comment publicly on the Downing Street parties scandal.
On January 11 Mr Smith spoke at the Skipton & Ripon Area Constituency Committee about the lack of lateral flow tests in Ripon.
Seven of the MP’s 12 tweets were related to Northern Ireland.
On Twitter, he paid tribute to Andrew Lupton, of Ripon firm Econ Engineering, who died. He said Mr Lupton had “massive drive and focus. All thoughts & prayers with his family.”

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

On Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27 the MP looked back on a trip to Auschwitz six years ago. He tweeted: “We must always honour the memory of those who perished & never turn a blind eye to antisemitism.”
The MP hit out at Labour who he suggested support the Insulate Britain roadblock protests. He tweeted: “Labour’s mask slipping again by being on the side of those wanting to bring our country to a standstill.”
On January 26 Mr Adams voted in favour of making trade unions pay 2.5% of their total income to cover the costs of a trade union regulator.

Harrogate district braced for Storm Corrie

The Harrogate district is braced for another wild night of weather as Storm Corrie approaches.

A Met Office yellow weather warning is in place until midday tomorrow, with gusts of up to 45 mph predicted.

Winds are expected to strengthen at about 8pm and peak overnight from 2am to 3am.

The district is still recovering from yesterday’s Storm Malik, which uprooted numerous trees and led to venues and events being cancelled. Some areas, including Hampsthwaite and Birstwith, also experienced power cuts.

The Met Office has warned further power cuts are likely, along with travel problems and damage to trees and buildings.

https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1487847531459526660

‘We’ve seen it all’: Harrogate shop employees look back on 15 years in photo shop

After 15 years working together at photo shop Max Spielmann in Harrogate, Alex Hope and Marisa Towler are two of the best known faces in the town centre.

As soon as you step into the shop on Oxford Street, it’s clear why the two are so highly thought of in the town. Beaming with smiles, the pair can’t wait to help and chat with anyone that comes in.

Alex and Marisa have worked at the store for 15 and 19 years respectively, an anomaly in the retail world where many people choose to move on rapidly. They say they couldn’t imagine doing another job.

‘We’ve seen it all’

After years in the same shop, the pair have shared every key moment in people’s lives, from printing baby photos, to school photos, to even wedding photos for the same families.

They say it is a “pleasure” to be trusted with recording people’s memories but said sometimes they can be a little “wild”.

Alex said:

“We could write books and books of the things you’ve seen, we’ve honestly seen it all. When you work with the public’s photos you really start to get an idea of what people are really like.

“We’ve had to tell best men in the past that some photos are just too far to show at weddings, especially from the stag do!”

Since Alex and Marisa started working together, technology has really advanced. From printing camera film to huge canvas prints, the pair have had to move with the times.

Marisa said:

“It’s just really enjoyable and interesting and of course we get on really well. We learn things everyday, the digital world is always changing and we just have to keep up.”

‘Customers become an extended family’

Alex and Marisa have built bonds with customers, especially regulars. Over lockdown they said it was really difficult not knowing how some people were doing.

They said attitudes have definitely changed: some became more withdrawn after so long indoors whereas others couldn’t wait to be out again.

Some of the gifts collected at Christmas.

Alex added:

“They do become like an extended family, especially those that are in so often after so long you can’t help but get to know them really well. At Christmas it’s lovely when they bring in gifts for us, we are just doing our jobs at the end of the day but it’s so nice to know it’s appreciated.

“That’s why we’ve stuck around for so long!”

Foster carers sought in Harrogate district — with lure of £41,000 earnings

People in the Harrogate district are being urged to consider a change of career to become foster carers — with the lure of payments and allowances that can add up to the equivalent of £41,000 a year.

North Yorkshire County Council said this week it was seeking more foster carers, and that the role came with “highly attractive rewards” as well as the satisfaction of helping children from the most challenged backgrounds.

It said the level of payments meant it was possible for recruits to opt out of their current careers for a change of life that also made a difference to the community.

About 310 fostering households in North Yorkshire provide a range of types of foster placements on behalf of the county council.

Candidates are found by Fostering North Yorkshire, which provides training and access to a fostering social worker. Back-up is also available from other specialist carers and fostering staff.

Harrogate foster carer Annette said:

“Fostering is so rewarding and it feels wonderful to watch the children develop and know what a difference you have made — it really does change lives.”

‘We were apprehensive at first’

A couple called Aisha and Chris became foster carers after their children left home for university. Aisha had worked with children in residential care so she had a suitable background.

She said:

“I have to admit we were quite apprehensive in the run up to the first young person who joined our family as we weren’t sure exactly what to expect or if we would know how to handle it.

“Now, looking back, I am so glad we made the move into specialist care. There have certainly been difficult times and we have heard about some really disturbing things that young people should never have to go through.

“But the change and growth in the children we have looked after, when they are offered a stable, caring, environment, is incredible to see.”

Recruitment drive

Fostering North Yorkshire Service Manager Alan Tucker said:

“Fostering North Yorkshire is always keen to hear from those with an interest in becoming involved in any type of fostering and the service is currently running a recruitment drive for specialist carers – we hope to recruit at least four additional specialist foster carers across the county.

“Specialist carers will already have significant experience of working with or caring for young people who have experienced early childhood trauma that can lead on to challenging behaviour in later life. Due to the demanding nature of the role it also comes with a generous allowance of up to £41k per annum.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Janet Sanderson, executive member for children’s services, said:

“Any kind of fostering is a great way of helping society as well as specific young people, but specialist foster carers give an even more special service.

“That is why we need people who have experience, either working with or caring for young people with complex needs.

“The people we are looking for will be caring and compassionate, but with the ability and wherewithal to offer the intensive support the young people in their care are likely to need.

“This is not a role to under-estimate and that is reflected in the remuneration we are able to offer.”

More information is available here.

New gritter tracker shows which roads in Harrogate district are being treated

An online gritter tracker for North Yorkshire has been launched to help drivers plan their journeys.

The service by North Yorkshire County Council shows people in real time where gritters are being deployed on the authority’s priority routes and where they have been during the preceding 10 hours.

Any gritting will disappear after 10 hours to avoid confusing previous treatments with recent or current ones.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said:

“The online gritter tracker is a further tool to help people to make informed journey planning decisions with confidence, particularly during wintry conditions. It gives more detail than ever before, allowing people to see where gritters are and which parts of the network have recently been treated.

“This is a bespoke service that has been developed in-house specifically for North Yorkshire. It is no small feat to develop a system to track up to 80 gritters and all the data they generate.

“We are confident that from day one it will provide a useful service to people travelling in the county, but we are keen to hear from those who use it about any refinements that could improve it further.

“By launching it during this winter, we hope to receive feedback on live situations, which we will be able to review over the summer. Ahead of next winter, we will be able to introduce any enhancements to ensure it provides information that is as full and accurate as possible.”

You can view the online tracker here.

The online gritter map showing the roads treated in Harrogate in the previous 10 hours.

True grit – facts about North Yorkshire gritters

With an annual gritting budget of £6 million, the county council grits 4,440km of road and make 6,687 runs in a typical year. Around 6,287 routes were treated last year.
The county’s gritters are responsible for one of England’s largest road networks.
With 86 gritters, 107 farm contractors, five road snowblowers and seven footway snowblowers at its disposal, the county council is able to treat roads between October and April.
55,000 tonnes of salt is stocked in preparation for winter and the authority has 14 weather camera set up to keep an eye on the roads.
Crews are on call 24 hours a day and are usually out at 5am to grit the county’s road network.

‘Respected and admired’ Harrogate councillor dies

Harrogate Borough Council Conservative councillor for Marston Moor Norman Waller has died.

Cllr Waller, who was 67, represented the ward since 2018 when he won the seat by over 800 votes. The ward includes the villages Tockwith, Cattal and Bilton-in-Ainsty.

He sat on several council committees and was also a former chair of Tockwith Agricultural Show.

A council spokesperson said:

“It is with great sadness to hear of the passing of councillor Norman Waller.

“Councillor Waller was a respected and admired councillor who represented the Tockwith ward for almost four years and served on licensing committee, general purposes committee and the overview and scrutiny commission, as well Tockwith and Wilstrop Parish Council as parish councillor.

“We offer our deepest condolences and sympathy to Councillor Waller’s family during this difficult time.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Broadbank added:

“Norman was fair-minded and well respected throughout the Tockwith community where he had been involved in many local groups and the parish council for many years.

“We were very sorry to hear about his sad death and our thoughts are with his wife and family at this difficult time. “He was always approachable and treated people fairly even if they had differing opinions on issues than the ones he held.”

There will be an election for Cllr Waller’s seat in May. The seat will be part of the new shadow council that will serve until April 2023 when the new North Yorkshire Council is formed.

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White Rose Forest

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‘We’ve seen it all’

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‘Customers become an extended family’

‘We were apprehensive at first’

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Recruitment drive

True grit – facts about North Yorkshire gritters

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