Harrogate woman admits having custody of dog whilst banned

A Harrogate woman has pleaded guilty to being in possession of a dog whilst disqualified.

Holly Jones, of St John’s Crescent, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday.

According to court documents, the 30-year-old was handed a court order by magistrates in 2019, which banned her from having custody of a dog.

However, she was found to possess one on March 15 this year.

Jones pleaded guilty to the offence.

She was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 in prosecution costs and a £48 surcharge as a result.

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Details of proposed Harrogate children’s home revealed

Further details about plans to convert a Harrogate house into a children’s home have been revealed.

It comes after Jolyon McKay tabled a change of use application to North Yorkshire Council last month.

It outlined plans to turn Oak Back, a house on Ashgarth Court near Ashville College, into C2 classified housing – which refers to residential accommodation for people in need of care.

The Stray Ferret reported on the plans at the time of submission, which generated some concern among social media followers.

However, an email from the applicant to the case officer was yesterday posted to the planning portal, which paints a clearer picture of what the children’s home would involve if approved.

The applicant said he wanted the home to be a “nurturing environment” for children aged 11 to 18.

The letter added the staff already involved have a “wealth of expertise to ensure the highest standard of care”, adding:

“We have a healthcare recruitment professional with over three decades of experience across various specialties… with a proven track record of successfully managing care agencies covering a wide spectrum of needs…she is committed to delivering exceptional support.”

The document said a retired social worker with “over 40 years of dedicated service in children and young people’s social work” would also be employed, as well as a registered nurse with “extensive experience in caring for young people with complex needs, as well as mental health concerns”.

Mr McKay also said the home aimed to “collaborate closely with local authorities and neighbouring councils” and focus on recruiting local care staff.

The children’s home would be Ofsted registered, the document said, adding it would work to comply with “stringent regulations”. It added:

“We will meticulously craft policies covering various scenarios, including measures for missing children, such as implementing a comprehensive missing persons grab pack.”

The applicant says the overarching goal was to create a “family-style placement home that fosters a sense of belonging and security for the children” by “steering away” from a clinical environment.

Mr McKay said the home’s commitment to safety and supervision was “unwavering”. There would always be a minimum of one staff member present to ensure the wellbeing of the children and maintain a “peaceful environment that respects the neighbourhood”, he added.

In a separate covering letter submitted with the proposal, the applicant said the home would “remain looking and feeling as if it were an average home”.

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the application at a later date.

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Review: Unhomely: Three Tales of Terror at Harrogate TheatreCouncil eliminates apostrophes from Harrogate district road signs

North Yorkshire Council is to abolish apostrophes on road signs.

The news comes after a Harrogate resident, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the Stray Ferret to complain about a grammatical error on the new St Mary’s Walk sign in the town.

He said the sign was “spelled incorrectly with no apostrophe”, adding it had been placed opposite another St Mary’s Walk sign, which is grammatically correct.

The Stray Ferret put the resident’s concerns to the council. A spokesperson said in response:

“Regarding grammar, the council, along with many others across the country, has opted to eliminate the apostrophe from street signs.”

The new format will be “adopted when road signs are replaced”, they added.

The resident responded to the council’s move:

“I do not feel I have been consulted about the council deciding to use poor English language and the council has not responded to me when I raised the issue.”

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St Mary’s Walk is not the only Harrogate road to fall victim to grammatical errors. St Winifred’s Road, on the south side of the town, also has contradictory spellings on signs.

The signs reflect the change of format, meaning the older one includes an apostrophe and another does not.

The contradicting signs. Pic: Google Maps.

A similar initiative back in 2014 which proved less than popular.

The Guardian reported in 2014 that Cambridge City Council’s decision to abolish apostrophes led to a backlash from “self-declared defenders of grammar” who used marker pens to fill in missing apostrophes on road signs.

Work set to begin on Mojo bar extension in Harrogate

Work to extend the bar at Mojo in Harrogate is to begin in the next fortnight.

Voodoo Doll Limited, which trades as Mojo, plans to convert commercial office space on the first floor into a seating area. The extension will add an additional 2,000 sq ft to the bar area.

Construction work is due to begin on the venue on Parliament Street on April 22 and is expected to be complete by the end of May. although, Voodoo Doll Limited told the Stray Ferret it would “prefer not to commit to a specific date at this time”.

Plans were first submitted in September and were approved by North Yorkshire Council in January. In documents submitted to the council, the company said the move would help to cope with demand at the bar.

It said:

“The proposed extended customer floor space seeks to address demand and reflects the success of the business in Harrogate and as such will positively contribute to the character and vitality of the town centre.”

Company director Martin Greenhow said:

“We at Mojo are thrilled to announce our plans to expand our Harrogate site. In response to the popularity of our existing Shuffleboard and beer pong tables, we’ve decided to introduce some exciting new features. While we’re keeping the final details under wraps for now, you can expect to see the very best in competitive socialising coming soon to Harrogate.”

Drawings of the first floor extension, coloured in red

Mojo was established in 1996 in Leeds and has since opened bars in Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. The Harrogate bar opened in 2018 and is now a prominent part of the town’s night scene.

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Silence on Harrogate Starbucks opening date

The new Starbucks site in Harrogate looks ready to open its doors and begin brewing, but its planned opening date is still unknown.

The coffee shop is set to open in the former Leon site on Wetherby Road. The unit was previously a Mediterranean fast-food restaurant and has been transformed into a drive-through coffee shop.

The Stray Ferret first reported that the site would become a Starbucks last August, when North Yorkshire Council granted planning permission to change the branding on the unit.

Photo of the newly installed signage at the new Starbucks drive-through coffee shop on Wetherby Road in Harrogate.

Permission was given for a total of 20 signs to be installed. Just over half of which would be illuminated, including totem signs, menus and directional signs around the drive-through.

Starbucks advertised for new staff  in December and in January the new signage was installed. The only Starbucks in Harrogate is currently on Cambridge Street in the town centre.

Today, the company told the Stray Ferret:

“We look forward to bringing the Starbucks experience to customers in Harrogate in the near future and will be in touch once we have more specific plans to share.”

The move comes as Leon, which opened at the site last June, closed its doors on April 2 with the loss of around 20 jobs.

It was operated by Blackburn-based EG Group, which also runs Starbucks franchises as well as brands including KFC and Greggs.

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Harrogate dad to cycle equivalent of Everest to raise money for blood cancer research

A Harrogate man, whose wife died just 36 hours after being diagnosed with leukaemia, is cycling the equivalent of Mount Everest to fund vital research.

James Badger, who lives in Kettlesing, last year marked the first anniversary of his wife Phillipa’s death by cycling 1,600km from Lands End to John O’Groats.

He raised £200,000 towards his £300,000 target, which is funding a research project into Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

Mr Badger’s late wife was diagnosed with AML at the age of 42 and died less than two days later – leaving him and their three children behind.

Now, to mark the second anniversary of Phillipa’s death, Mr Badger and two friends will climb the equivalent of the world’s tallest mountain on a bike.

Instead of flying to Nepal, Mr Badger will cycle up and down Lackon Bank in Birstwith 90 times to cover the 8,900m distance.

The 1km hill, which runs past Phillipa’s grave at St James’ Church, has a 16% gradient at the start and averages around a 10% gradient as it continues.

Mr Badger said:

“To mark the second anniversary, I wanted to do something a bit different. Whereas our Lands End to John O’Groats challenge was very tough, it was spread over eight days and a lot of people have tackled that ride.

“Climbing the equivalent in height of Mount Everest in one day is something that not so many people have done. It is also closer to home and we’re hoping lots of people will come out and support us on the day.

“This is quite an extreme thing to attempt and is going to definitely be a harder challenge than last year. But for me it is also very personal, as we will be cycling past Philippa’s grave at St James’ Church in Birstwith 90 times before finally reaching the highest point on earth.”

Photo of Philippa Badger with her children. Philippa died at the age of 42 just 36 hours after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

Philippa Badger died within just 36 hours of being diagnosed with leukaemia, leaving behind her husband James and three young children.

The three-year research project into AML began at Cardiff University in January. Mr Badger is hopeful he can raise the final £100,000 to complete the project.

He also said:

“Through the work of BloodCancerUK, survival rates for childhood leukaemia have improved from just 10 per cent in the 1960s and 70s to almost 85 per cent.

“Research can make a real difference and AML has not had the same level of funding and research that childhood leukaemia has had, which is why it is so important for us to fund this research project.”

Mr Badger told the Stray Ferret he is feeling “very motivated for the ride” and said passing his wife’s grave on every lap will keep him going. He added:

“It will be a much harder challenge than cycling from Land’s End to John o’Groats, physically and mentally, keeping going for 20 hours will be very tough, but with support of friends and family I am confident I’ll make it to the top!

“Training is going ok, but this is something I’m not sure I can ever fully prepare for!”

Mr Badger will take on the ‘Rise to the Stars’ challenge on Saturday, May 4.

He, along with friends Richard Baldwin and Adam Ellis, will start their challenge at 4am and hope to complete the ride by 11pm.

Mr Badger’s three children will support him during the challenge, and he welcomes anyone to watch them throughout the day.

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£1.3m to be spent resurfacing pothole-ridden roads in Harrogate district

Anyone who has driven around the Harrogate district recently will have noted the poor state of the roads, with a prolonged spell of wet weather making the pothole problem worse.

But there are now hopes the situation could finally improve for road users after the government announced that £1.3m previously allocated for the rail scheme HS2 will be spent resurfacing roads in the area including in Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped the northern leg of HS2 last year and pledged to use money intended for the scheme on improving transport in the north.

Today the Department for Transport has revealed which local authorities across Yorkshire will benefit from the latest tranche of funding for road resurfacing, which it says will result in £991 million in reallocated HS2 funding for the region.

Roads in the Harrogate district that will be resurfaced are below along with how much each set of works will cost:

Councils across Yorkshire will now be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over three months.

The government says it means residents will be able to scrutinise the progress of the works as these reports will be published online.

Transport secretary Mark Harper said:

“We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £991 million in Yorkshire and the Humber as part of the biggest-ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure residents can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”

Meanwhile, it was announced last month that North Yorkshire Council will receive £3.5m from HS2 to put on extra buses across 20 different routes.

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Harrogate’s Rachel Daly retires from England football

Harrogate’s very own Lioness, Rachel Daly, has announced her retirement from international football after an eight-year stint.

The Aston Villa forward, who started her career at Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club, revealed the news today following England’s 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland yesterday.

Daly, 32, played a key role in the Lionesses’ success at UEFA Euro 2022, where she started every game of the tournament, as well as in the final of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The former Rossett School pupil won a total of 84 senior caps for England and scored 16 goals.

In a statement, Daly said:

“I would love nothing more than to play for England forever, but the time has come for me to hang my boots up on the international stage.

“While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude. Playing for and representing England has been the greatest honour.

“During my eight years as a Lioness, I’ve always pursued success and winning football matches, while playing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance.

“It has been the greatest honour to represent my family, my teammates and the entire country. I have a lot of incredible memories during my time with England that have been pivotal moments.”

Daly began her professional career at Leeds United before climbing the international ladder at the FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup in 2008, in New Zealand.

She later moved to Lincoln Ladies in 2010, followed by a stint in the American National Women’s Soccer League playing for Houston Dash.

After working her way back to England, Ms Daly then made her senior team debut in 2016, where she scored against Serbia.

Harrogate has also marked her successful career, with her first club naming the club café after her – Nomad’s Daly Brew – and her former school inviting her to open the new football pitches last year.

England head coach Serina Wiegman said:

“Rachel has been an incredible part of our story and the history we’ve made together. It has been a privilege to work with her.

“I have never worked with a player so versatile, always with a smile on her face, bringing energy and trying to do her best for the team.

“Off the pitch she is always up for a joke or a nice conversation. She’ll be missed not just by me but all the other staff members, players and of course the fans.

“It is sad that she won’t be with us anymore, but we should celebrate what she has done for the team and now she becomes our No.1 fan. I would love to see her in the stands in future cheering for us and helping us to get some more wins.”

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Harrogate and Knaresborough Reform candidate included in list of ‘unsavoury rogues’

The Reform UK parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough has been included in a list of ‘unsavoury rogues’ selected by the party.

Richard Brown was one of eight candidates named in a Mail on Sunday investigation.

The article said the right wing party “has surged in the polls but the party harbours some unsavoury rogues – from a candidate who supports Tommy Robinson to a covid conspiracy theorist who likened Boris Johnson to Hitler and even another who’s a convicted animal abuser”.

Referring specifically to Mr Brown, it said he “made misogynistic remarks about Labour MP Jess Phillips, calling her a ‘bitch’ in 2022”, adding:

“Last year, Brown also shared the false claim that doctors refused to treat Boris Johnson on the basis that he didn’t have covid, and claimed the pandemic was an ‘illusion’ that had been ‘planned’ by the government ‘since 2016’.”

Reform UK polled 16% — just 4% behind the Conservatives — in a YouGov survey last week.

The party announced former chartered accountant Mr Brown as its parliamentary candidate in August last year.

He describes himself as a “passionate believer in the United Kingdom as an independent agent on the world stage, self reliance, small state, lower taxes for corporations and individuals, control of immigration and cancelling net zero” on Reform UK’s website.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Brown for a response to the article but not yet had a response.

A Reform spokesman told the Mail on Sunday the article was “pathetic nit-picking”, adding:

“Reform UK’s candidates are real people living real lives. Like all parties, Reform UK has had a small number of candidates who have said or written something unacceptable.

“We are proud that, when made aware of unacceptable behaviour, we act, and if necessary immediately remove candidates that have gone beyond the pale. Again, this is not something you will often see from our political opponents.

“Richard Brown was rude about a politician. He also shared claims that at the time were reported as fact.”

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