Meet the team – Lauren Ryan, journalist

We’re continuing to feature a different member of the Stray Ferret team each week.

It’s now Lauren Ryan’s turn – one of our news journalists.

If you’d told Lauren as a child that she’d be writing stories like the ones found in the pages of her favourite fashion magazines, she might not have believed you.  

Born and raised in Yorkshire, she moved out of the area briefly to study journalism to a postgraduate level at the universities of Lincoln and Nottingham respectively.  

After several industry internships as well as a stint at Jorvik Radio, she joined the Stray Ferret at the start of 2024, and has become an integral member of the news team ever since.   

According to Lauren, although she has a special interest in ‘human-interest subjects that celebrate achievements or life-changing events’, any subject that can make a difference to the local community is a story worth sharing. 

 She explained:

“I love writing about local issues that impact a community and I enjoy talking to people in the area about what is important to them.

“I may have lived in Yorkshire all my life but working as a journalist I discover new things about the area every day.”

Although Lauren joined the Stray Ferret a matter of months ago, she’s already covered an eclectic range of subjects – from charity ventures and daytime discos to rail strikes, parking charges and even bomb scares. 

 A story that epitomises the variety the job offers was her exclusive interview with Sarah Collins, a Harrogate singer who recently starred on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show. 

Lauren attending Neuhaus’s shop opening

“In order to talk to Sarah about her appearance on the show I had to track down the creators and producers of the TV show and discuss the interview I aimed to do with the BBC and the producers at Hungry Bear Media. 

“I first heard about Sarah a month prior and tried to contact her multiple times, I had almost given up hope when she called me the night before the show was due to air after being given a strict embargo by the producers.“

Another personal highlight was speaking to the teachers and pupils at Holy Trinity infant school who contacted the Stray Ferret to help solve the mystery of a 50-year-old mural they discovered on school grounds.  

She added:

“Due to their enthusiasm and determination to find who created it 50 years ago I was swept up in their search and loved learning more about the mystery.“

Her passion for North Yorkshire shines through both her work and her free time; at weekends, Lauren likes to visit nearby towns and cities as though she’s a tourist, to experience familiar areas from a fresh perspective. 

Lauren said:

“I love romanticising places I have always known by visiting art galleries, theatres and trying out new bars and restaurants in my spare time. 

“I especially love going to vintage sales and record fairs on a weekend, which both York and Harrogate are great for.

“North Yorkshire has an underrated cultural scene and it’s also a great place for walking and hiking.” 

If you think you’ve got a story that might be of interest to Lauren, you can contact her by email at lauren@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

Harrogate’s Parliament Street reopens after vandals smash windows

Harrogate’s Parliament Street was closed this morning after numerous windows were smashed in what appeared to be an outbreak of vandalism.

Police and workers were on the site this morning clearing glass off the road.

Two of the lanes had reopened at 7am but the lane where traffic turns right on to King’s Road remained closed while glass was being swept off the carriageway.

Some of the smashed windows.

However, the road was expected to fully re-open shortly.

Police at the incident did not give any details about what had happened.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Police’s press office for further information but has not. had a response.

We will update this article when we have more information.

Workers sweep up the debris.

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Knaresborough man jailed for racially aggravated verbal abuse

A Knaresborough man, who used racially aggravated threatening language and later dodged police custody, has been jailed.

Lee Harpin, 38, of Littondale Avenue, appeared at York Magistrates Court on Monday for sentencing.

He was found guilty of two counts of using threatening language with intent to provoke violence in a racially aggravated incident when he appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court last month.

Harpin was granted unconditional bail pending sentencing but when he failed to turn-up for sentencing, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he was eventually charged with failing to surrender to custody.

He pleaded guilty to the latter charge on Monday and was handed a 26-week prison sentence for the three offences.

According to court documents, magistrates considered Harpin’s “previous record of offending” when deciding his sentence, and felt prison was the only justified punishment for offences “so serious”.

Harpin was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £154, as well as a further £620 to the Crown Prosecution Service, for the abuse offences.

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Council seeks contractors to begin work on Hammerton Greenway

A contractor is being sought to to create a 1.7km traffic-free cycleway  from Green Hammerton to Thorpe Underwood.

The Hammerton Greenway, which will cost an estimated £84,600, will encourage cycling in villages close to main roads.

Green Hammerton Parish Council began work on the scheme after the 2014 Tour de France passed through the area and a planning application to change the use of land to facilitate a cycleway was submitted last year to North Yorkshire Council.

The village lies between York and Harrogate. The A59 and Boroughbridge Road limit access to the network of country roads into the vale of York.

The greenway will link with Great Ouseburn, which is part of the Way of the Roses cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington.

North Yorkshire Council is funding the majority of the scheme from developer contributions paid by housebuilders and now the parish council is seeking bids from contractors to carry out the work. The deadline for submissions is April 30.

Work is expected to begin in autumn, after the nesting season and harvesting so overhanging branches and overgrown hedges can be cut back.

Planning documents submitted to the council in support of the application said:

“This will be a greenway for all users and will be designed to give a smooth dry surface for year-round use on foot, by cycle, and with children’s buggies or by those in wheelchairs.”

Creating the cycleway will mainly involve upgrading existing public footpaths and farm tracks to create a more even and levelled surface. The surface will be ‘durable all-weather crushed stone, with mown verges either side, giving a total width of 5m’.

Moss Hill Lane will be included in the cycleway.

The planning documents add:

“The work will require the replacement of an existing bridge with a new, cycleway bridge, the installation of potential street furniture (benches, bollards, and gates) and new/enhanced boundary treatments in the form of hedge planting and where necessary fencing.”

Jon Purday, a campaigner for the greenway who put the idea to the parish council in 2014, said:

“The Hammerton Greenway will be a safe route for families to take children on bikes, buggies and scooters, for walkers, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, and for young people to cycle on a traffic-free track. Green Hammerton is hemmed in by busy main roads which are dangerous for young and inexperienced cyclists.

“In the past decade Green Hammerton has doubled in size and many young families have moved into the new houses. The Hammerton Greenway offers safe, accessible space for all those growing up in the village to learn to cycle and to get the benefit of living in the country.

“Queen Ethelburga’s school is just a mile away over the fields, and all the Green Hammerton children who go there, as well as teachers and others in the village who work there, will be able to cycle safely into school. That’s a much more exciting way to start the day than adding to the school car run.”

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5 things to do in and around Harrogate this weekend from 22-24 March5 things to do in Harrogate and the district this weekendCouncillors approve 135 homes off Harrogate’s Skipton Road

Councillors have voted to approve 135 homes on the site of a former farm off Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The proposals by Rowan Green Developments Ltd will see the homes built at Cow Dyke Farm near Jennyfields.

The land is allocated for housing in the council’s local plan and the scheme was recommended for approval in a report.

The majority of the homes will have between one and three bedrooms and 54 are expected to be classed as affordable.

Chris Calvert spoke on behalf of the developer at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough planning committee this afternoon.

He said the application met all of the council’s planning requirements.

Mr Calvert said:

“The site is within development limits for Harrogate. It’s been assessed by the local authority to be a suitable and deliverable site for new homes on the edge of Harrogate.

“It will be a high-quality and sustainable development ”

Cow Dyke Farm. Image: Rowan Green Developments Ltd.

Councillors visited the site this morning where concerns were raised about the current 40mph speed limit for motorists on Skipton Road.

Hundreds of homes have been built nearby in recent years and Tesco has planning permission to build a new supermarket close to the site.

Cllr Robert Windass (Conservative, Boroughbridge and Claro) asked if the speed limit on the nearby section of Skipton Road could be lowered to 30mph.

He said he saw a woman cross the road this morning with a pushchair, adding:

“40mph was maybe OK when there was no housing there, but I now think it’s inappropriate.”

However, his request was knocked back by a council transport officer who said the 40mph limit was appropriate.

North Yorkshire Council has asked the developer to pay a one-off contribution of £161,906 towards Killinghall Village Hall and £76,347 for improvements at Jennyfields recreation play area.

This led Terry Jones, representing the 72 objectors, to say the developer was offering a “paltry sum” towards local services.

Mr Jones said:

“You all seem to assume it’s going ahead. It’s probably a waste of time objecting, but it’s interesting to see the impact on local services. To employ extra doctors, dentists, teachers, it costs money every year.”

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plans but a reserved matters application that deals with the scheme’s appearance and landscape will come before the planning committee at a future meeting before homes can be built.

Cllr Windass added:

“It looks to be a sympathetic approach to development on this land. I hope when they come back at reserved matters, the sympathy of the site is maintained and improved on.”

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Yorkshire Dales Monopoly edition revealed

There’s nothing quite like a game of Monopoly between friends and family, especially during the holidays. Launched just in time for Easter, the official Monopoly: Yorkshire Dales has been released and highlights iconic places, landmarks and game pieces from God’s own country.

The new Yorkshire Dales game follows on from previous local editions including Monopoly York that was released in 2010, Monopoly Harrogate which was launched in 2019, Monopoly Leeds released in 2008, and Monopoly Sheffield launched in 2007.

Monopoly Harrogate

Bolton Abbey features as the new ‘Mayfair’ as it is the game’s top-ranking space, while other famous Yorkshire Dales sites that the board features include Malham Cove, Fountains Abbey, Masham Market and Settle Railway Station.

Players will ‘pass GO’ on more than 30 local landmarks that are on the board such as The Forbidden Corner, with well-known Yorkshire hotels including the Stone House Hotel and Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa also on the board.

John Keen-Tomlinson, custom games executive at Winning Moves UK said:

“We have been absolutely spoilt with choices when putting this Monopoly game together, including the customised wording on Community Chest and Chance playing cards.

“For example, some players could be penalised for ‘wild camping’, whilst others could be rewarded for ‘quality sheepdog trials.’ Very Yorkshire!”

The board also features miniature game pieces of a dry stone wall, a slab of Wensleydale cheese, a pair of walking boots, a Craven Ram, a cricket bat, and a bicycle, instead of traditional tokens like the Scottie dog and boot.

Jason Bunn, proud Yorkshire resident and Britain’s only Monopoly world champ said:

“It’s a real slice of Yorkshire.

“I have a one of the world’s largest collections of Monopoly editions – more than 300 different themes, from Elvis to the Wizard of Oz, but Monopoly: Yorkshire Dales edition could very well be my favourite now.”

Did you know?

The first game of Monopoly was launched in 1935, and today the game is enjoyed by more than one billion players in 114 countries across the globe. In total it is licensed in 103 countries and printed in 37 languages.

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New owner takes over Deli Bar Harrogate

The Deli Bar in Harrogate is under new ownership.

The business has been at 23 Regent Parade for the last 17 years. Now the lease has come to an end Darren Winder, who has owned the deli since 2006, has decided to step down and Jason Evans has taken over.

The deli offers daily specials, salads, sandwiches, coffee and baked goods to customers in High Harrogate.

Mr Evans said running a deli had been an ambition of his since he was a child, through to his last job as a software engineer

He said:

“It is a childhood dream of mine, I have bored people about it for 30 years. I dreamed of having a slice of heaven and something of my own.

“I always said I’ll do it when I’m older and a friend of mine said recently, ‘Jason, you are older, when are you going to open a business?’ and it just hit me — if I didn’t do it now I’ll never do it and I would rather look back and regret doing it than never taking a chance.

“I said years ago if this place ever came up for sale I would buy it and it did — some things are fate.”

Deli Bar Harrogate

Mr Evans said he wanted to maintain the overall feel of the deli but would also “build on what customers want”, which would involve reviewing the menu and introducing a delivery system through Just Eat.

The deli has created a community over the years. It has built up regular customers and Hayley Francis has worked there for 15 years. Mr Evans said:

“Darren has done a fabulous job, it has a great reputation and we hope to maintain that.

“If you make good food people will come, it is so much more than one owner, it is our whole team. We also try to use local produce because us independent businesses need to stick together.”

The sandwich bar

The interior of Deli Bar.

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Harrogate Greens accuse Lib Dems of telling ‘blatant lie’ on by-election leaflet

The Green Party has reacted angrily to a Liberal Democrat leaflet that wrongly says they are not putting forward a candidate in the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election.

Campaigning is underway for the by-election which will take place on April 11 following the resignation of former councillor Pat Marsh.

Gilly Charters is standing for the Greens in the division, but she was contacted by two supporters over the weekend who asked if she was stepping down after they read a leaflet credited to Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Timothy.

The leaflet urges voters to submit their postal votes before the deadline and describes the race as being between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

It says Labour “came a distant third last time” and “the Green’s (sic) have stood down this election.”

Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, was campaigning in the division on Sunday. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the leaflet includes a “blatant lie” about the Greens standing down.

He said:

“I am angry, all these people are out there working hard for us. There should be a sense of mutual respect. The Lib Dems need to read what they put through people’s letterboxes.”

The Lib Dem leaflet.

The Greens did not put forward a candidate the last time the division was contested in 2022 because Cllr Warneken said they supported Pat Marsh.

The party has made a formal complaint about the leaflet to North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police for a breach of the Elections Act 2022.

The LDRS asked the Liberal Democrats to respond but they declined.

However, we have seen a direct message on social media platform X from a local Lib Dem official that blamed an external printing company for the error.

Cllr Warneken called it a “limp excuse”.

The direct message said:

“The letter that went out on Saturday was printed by an external printer who printed an earlier draft of the letter that was neither approved by the candidate nor the election agent. At no point was the intent to mislead anyone. There is going to be a correction issued once we’ve taken the appropriate advice from party HQ.”

A full list of candidates in the by-election is below:

Conservative – John Ennis

Green – Gilly Charters

Labour – Geoff Foxhall

Liberal Democrat – Andrew Timothy

Reform – John Swales

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