This week, we have a selection of photographs showcasing some Christmas scenes across the Harrogate district taken in the December snow.

Photo of the Week will take centre stage from January 2 in our new-look nightly email newsletter. The newsletter drops into your inbox every evening at 6pm with all the day’s stories and more. 
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Erica Johnson

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Jeannette Wilson

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Tesco has revealed its latest plans for the firm’s forthcoming Harrogate supermarket.

The company received outline planning permission in February to build a store, petrol station and a 209-space car park on the site of the former gas works at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road.

It has now submitted details of the measures it proposes to take to mitigate against the ecological impact, as well as a flood risk assessment and a risk assessment relating to a high pressure gas pipeline on site.

The ecological mitigation plan, compiled by Oxfordshire firm Aspect Ecology on behalf of Tesco, says “initial vegetation clearance works are proposed to be undertaken during January to March 2024”, prior to the bird nesting season. It adds:

“The majority of the habitats present within the site are of limited ecological value, and a large proportion of these habitats are to be replaced by development or landscaping under the permitted development.

“The mature trees, woodland and watercourse are of greater ecological value and will be largely retained within the permitted scheme.”

The report says measures will be implemented to safeguard species such as hedgehogs.

An artist’s impression of how the Tesco will look.

Oak Beck runs along the eastern boundary of the three-hectare site, which will be accessed off Skipton Road.

The flood risk assessment prepared by London firm Pinnacle Consulting Engineers on behalf of Tesco assesses the flood risk to be low on the majority of the land but high on a ‘proportionately small area in the north of the site’.

It says the area is currently a mixture of asphalt, concrete, and grassed surfaces.

The report concludes:

“The site is at a low risk of flooding from all sources except for fluvial flooding in the north and south of the site.

“The fluvial flooding in the north of the site will not pose a significant risk to the development. The fluvial flooding in the south is associated with an old gas tank and will be regraded as part of the development and therefore will no longer pose a flooding issue.

“Overall, the proposed development is appropriate from a flood risk perspective and the sequential test.”

Read more:

• Tesco agrees to pay £50,000 for Harrogate bus stop improvements
• Still no start date for work on new Harrogate Tesco
• Harrogate woman jailed for chasing supermarket staff with drug needle

The gas pipe assessment, conducted by Essex firm MJC Environmental Services on behalf of Tesco, concludes “risk levels are considered to be as low as reasonably practicable and further risk mitigation is not required”.

The latest details have been submitted to North Yorkshire Council as reserved matters planning applications.

The outline permission granted in February established the principle of development for the site; the reserved matters applications determine the layout and design.

The council must now decide whether to accept the reserved matters applications.

A Harrogate woman is at the forefront of the campaign to protect XL Bullies in the wake of a government ban.

On October 31, XL Bullies became the fifth breed added to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

By the end of this month, XL Bullies must be kept on leads in public, wear muzzles and be microchipped. By January 31, owners must apply for a certificate of exemption to be registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Failure to conform could lead to a criminal conviction and even a prison sentence, and dogs could be put down. This has led to an increase in the number of abandoned XL Bullies.

Horrified by what’s happening, Anita Tryc has joined the UK Dog Protection Team, which is a rapid response animal welfare group that is focusing on helping XL Bullies in the run-up to the exemption deadline.

Relaxing with Ronnie

As the group’s Yorkshire representative, Anita is on the frontline of rescuing and rehoming any dogs found abandoned. She could get in her car at 3am if she gets a call saying a dog has been found tied to a lamppost in Pudsey and then help to rescue and rehome it and ensure adequate aftercare.

Anita, who owns a two-year-old rescue XL Bully called Ronnie, is also supporting a campaign to fund the barrister John Cooper’s legal challenge to the XL Bully ban.

She says the government legislation is doomed to fail and cites as evidence there being thousands of Pit Bull Terriers in the UK more than 30 years after they were banned as dangerous dogs.

Anita, said the UK Dog Protection Team “wants to see breed-specific legislation removed and licenses introduced”, adding:

“We are absolutely heartbroken that this is happening. We don’t want to see any attacks. But if somebody is a bad owner then we agree they should be punished — don’t let them have dogs for the rest of their lives.”

Anita, who besides working for a dental firm in Harrogate is also an international bodybuilder, owns a rescue American Bulldog cross called Lola as well as Ronnie, who weighs a solid 55kg.

Anita with Lola (left) and Ronnie.

She said:

“I’ve always loved big dogs and have always loved Bullies. They are big and powerful but they weren’t bred to fight like people say. Pitbulls were bred to fight. Bullies were bred as family and companion dogs.

“Lots of people are worried about this. If you get a criminal record you could be thrown out of your home and lose your job. That’s why so many dogs are being abandoned.

“Whatever happens, I’m not giving up on them. They are not a dangerous dog — we want them to be in a safe environment with owners who understand the breed and who will love them.”

Read more:

• Knaresborough man issues puddle warning after dog dies
• Rare mother of pearl clouds above Harrogate and Knaresborough

Readers of The Stray Ferret have been sharing their memories after we reported that an original poster for The Beatles’ only Harrogate show fetched £3,000 at auction.

Among several comments from people who had been in the audience that evening were: “Didn’t pay much attention to the Beatles, just dancing to their music” and “you couldn’t hear anything but screaming”.

Sandra Reed told us her memory of the night is rather hazy, although she does remember the “lovely atmosphere” and the dancing which was “such good fun”. She added:

“And the noise! The Beatles were so much louder than any performer. Girls were screaming … they were the start of boy bands.”

‘The Sensational Beatles’

The Beatles played their only Harrogate gig, billed as ‘Dancing for Teens and Twenties’, at The Royal Hall on March 8, 1963. They had been booked the previous year by Derek Arnold, an astute music shop owner from Halifax who also acted as a promoter for some of the Harrogate bands. Derek organised many of the shows that took place in the town around that time, and bagged a date from The Beatles after seeing their first UK single, Love Me Do, sell like hot cakes in his record shop on its release in October 1962.

By the time John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr came to Harrogate just a few months later, The Beatles were beginning to make a name for themselves. Their second single, Please Please Me, had reached number 2 in the charts in January 1963. Their first number 1 would come just a month after their Royal Hall show with their April 1963 single From Me To You.

So when they came to Harrogate as part of a series of promotional dates across the UK in advance of their USA tour, the poster for the show described them as ‘The Sensational Beatles… The recording stars of Please Please Me’. They were supported by two of Harrogate’s biggest local bands of the time, Barry Corbett and The Mustangs with their backing singers The Chinchillas, and Ricky Fenton and The Apaches.

Mustangs memories

Lead guitarist John Whitley is the only surviving member of The Mustangs who performed with The Beatles in Harrogate.

Now 82 and living in West Yorkshire, John recalls how ordinary the soon-to-be megastars were. They were even paid the same amount for the show – £75 – as their support acts. Travelling to Harrogate by train – deemed the most reliable mode of transport during the famous Big Freeze of 1962/3 – The Beatles arrived at the afternoon soundcheck about ten minutes after John and his bandmates. John said:

“We were all backstage together with The Beatles and we just talked to them. We did look up to them a bit for getting successful, but we weren’t starstruck. We’d played The Royal Hall before with people like The Searchers and Freddie and the Dreamers, so it wasn’t such as big deal to us. Personally, I’d been more impressed with Freddie because he was very funny. But I have to say The Beatles were very good on the night.”

John remembers the crowd being similarly nonplussed by this up-and-coming foursome whose longer hair, Beatnik ‘art student’ appearance and different, less polished sound was in stark contrast to the groomed image and cleaner sound of their support bands. But it didn’t really matter too much who was playing anyway, he said:

“Most people were there because it was a show at the Royal Hall, which were always popular. There weren’t that many shows in Harrogate for kids so when one came along, everybody went.”

“We want Barry”

The Apaches were up first, followed by The Mustangs with The Chinchillas. The Mustangs had formed in 1960 and were made up of John, Barrie (stage name was Barry) Corbett, bassist John ‘Billy’ Bolton and drummer Johnny Lockhead. The Chinchillas were Barrie’s wife Eileen and John’s fiancee at the time, Gill Evans.

The Mustangs with The Chinchillas in the original programme for The Beatles concert at The Royal Hall. Top row from left: John Bolton, Johnny Lockhead, John Whitley and Eileen Corbett. Front: Gill Evans and Barrie Corbett.

In 1963, Barry and The Mustangs were top of the pile among a multitude of young local bands including The Crestas, The Escorts from Bradford and The Ensigns from York. Mainly performing covers of songs from the Top 20, The Mustangs were playing gigs two to three times a week in pubs, clubs and youth clubs around the area. Some of the local venues they appeared at were the Lounge Hall and the Connaught Rooms in Harrogate, where there were dances every Friday night, and the Assembly Rooms in Ripon. As lead singer of The Mustangs, therefore, Barrie had quite a following. John said:

“Barrie was Harrogate’s pop star. He was very well known in the town. He was a good singer as well as being one of life’s gentlemen.”

So it’s quite possible that John’s memory isn’t playing tricks on him when he recalls that after The Mustangs had finished their set, The Beatles took to the stage to chants of “We want Barry” from the audience.

John left The Mustangs in 1965 when he moved to Australia. He returned to Harrogate in the late 1970s, and teamed up again with Barry from 1980 to 2000, performing The Smurfs songs with him under the name of Evergreen.

In 2013, the four members of The Mustangs reformed for a special concert at the Royal Hall to mark the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ appearance in Harrogate.

The Mustangs reunited for the 50th anniversary in 2013. Pictured from left are John Bolton, John Lockhead, John Whitley and Barrie Corbett.

John has fond memories not just of that one night at The Royal Hall which has gone down in Harrogate history, but of the whole music scene in the town during the 1960s that he, Barrie and The Mustangs were privileged to be a big part of. He said:

“In hindsight, it would have been an even better story if we’d gone for a drink with The Beatles after the show or something, but at that time they were just another group so we’d probably have declined anyway… Who knew! But even so, that era of pop music was a very special time for everyone.”

Read More:

• Beatles poster at Harrogate’s Royal Hall fetches £3,000 at auction
• Rare Beatles Royal Hall poster fetches almost £3,000

Police have issued CCTV images of two men they would like to speak to following a shop theft in Harrogate.

A North Yorkshire Police statement yesterday said two men entered TK Maxx in the Victoria Shopping Centre and picked up a brown men’s gilet, removed the security tag then left the store.

They took the gilet with them and headed towards the railway station.

CCTV images of the wanted men.

The incident happened at 10.05am on November 22.

The statement added:

“Officers are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the men in the images as they believe they will have information that will help the investigation.”

Anyone with any information can email jamie.kennerley@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Kennerley.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Read more:

• Harrogate woman jailed for chasing supermarket staff with drug needle
• Jail for Harrogate man who supplied drugs on electric scooter
• Harrogate paedophile jailed for 13 years for historic sex offences

A Harrogate man who was caught with Class A drugs while riding an electric scooter was jailed for two years and three months today.

James Latham was caught by officers from North Yorkshire Police’s drugs team Operation Expedite on King’s Road on the afternoon of September 25 this year.

A police media release today said officers saw two known drug users being approached by Latham. The three people walked behind a shop and out of view. Within seconds one of them returned and was seen placing an item in their mouth.

Officers suspected a drug deal had just taken place, with Latham supplying the drugs.

Latham, who was riding on an electric scooter, was stopped a short distance away. He was searched and found to be in possession of a large amount of cash and suspected illegal drugs.

Heroin and cocaine

Following his arrest, officers found drugs paraphernalia at Latham’s Harrogate home, along with heroin and cocaine with a street value of over £700, and a significant amount of cash.

Latham, 44, was remanded in custody and brought to court where he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Through mobile phone analysis, investigators were able to show Latham was involved in the supply of class A drugs, and had a customer base within the Harrogate area.

At York Crown Court today, Latham was given a custodial sentence of two years and three months.

After the sentencing hearing, PC Christopher Thompson, of Operation Expedite, said:

“The sale of illegal drugs will not be tolerated on the streets of Harrogate. It causes untold misery and suffering, and forces people who are addicted to them to commit other serious crimes to feed their habit.

“Latham was willing to exploit other people’s addictions for his own cruel and selfish gain.”

Read more:

• Harrogate woman jailed for chasing supermarket staff with drug needle
• Harrogate paedophile jailed for 13 years for historic sex offences
• Harrogate heroin and cocaine dealer jailed for over three years

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning across the Harrogate district for Christmas Eve.

The forecast shows Masham and Pateley Bridge will see the worst of it, with gusts up to 53mph, while Harrogate will see 51mph winds in the early hours of the morning.

Knaresborough, Ripon and Boroughbridge could see up to 50mph.

The warning, which is active from 8am to 10pm, covers the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland.

It comes just days after Storm Pia brought 60mph winds to the district.

Read more:

• Harrogate district attractions to close amid wind warning
• Trees down as Storm Pia hits Harrogate district

Excellence deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The 2024 Stray Ferret Business Awards is the event to put your business, people or great initiative in the spotlight!

Make the most of your efforts by reading our top 10 tips for writing your submission for success.

Entries close on January 19, 2024.

A care firm that operates across the Harrogate district has won a seven-year contract worth £28 million to provide domiciliary care on behalf of Sheffield City Council

Springfield Homecare provides care to people who want to keep living in their own homes.

It is part of Springfield Healthcare Group, which operates across Yorkshire and the rest of northern England.

Besides its domiciliary care business, it operates seven care homes including Harcourt Gardens in Harrogate.

Graeme Lee, the group founder and chief executive, said he was delighted with the award of such a major contract. Mr Lee, who lives in Harrogate, said:

“We want Springfield to be the best regional provider of care in Yorkshire and the north-east.”

North Yorkshire Council this month approved Springfield Healthcare’s planning application to convert the grade two listed Grove House into a luxury care home.

Harrogate business support groups to resume in January

New support groups for businesses in the Harrogate district are set to start in January.

The York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub will be hosting peer-to-peer support groups aimed at helping firms grow.

The programme, which is facilitated by Next Step, runs weekly for six weeks and comprises three cohorts, based in either Harrogate or Ripon.

In addition, there is one hour of one to one discussion in advance of the course to assess the business’s needs and two hours of one to one bespoke support.

For more information on the support groups and to apply, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: MP visits Harrogate company in support of IT campaign
• Business Breakfast: Boroughbridge man named AA Patrol of the Year
• Business Breakfast: Growth hub hosts business support event at Ripon Cathedral

A Harrogate hotel and restaurant is under new ownership.

The Studley Hotel and The Orchid Restaurant, on Swan Road, have been acquired by local restauranteurs — but their names have not been revealed.

A spokesperson for the Orchid said the new owners, who wished to remain anonymous, have “extensive refurbishment” plans for both venues and want “to make the interiors of the restaurant as good as the food”.

Both sites will remain open during the refurbishments, the spokesperson added.

They also said the restaurant, which serves Asian food, will remain “unchanged” to ensure it keeps its loyal customer base.

Neil Mendoza, the general manager of the Orchid who has been involved with the restaurant since he was 13, said:

“This is a very exciting time for the Orchid.

“I am thrilled that it has been purchased by a family with over four decades of experience as restauranteurs, who share a passion and deep respect for Far-Eastern cuisine.

“Having been a part of the Orchid since my early teenage years, I have built lasting relationships with our valued guests. In the new year, we will commence our refurbishment, redesigning the interiors to celebrate the essence of Far-Eastern and Pan-Asian cuisine, complementing the standard of our exceptional dishes.”

The four-star Studley Hotel will also undergo a makeover, with work expected to finish in spring 2024.

The family behind the acquisition added:

“We feel incredibly fortunate to have acquired this fabulous restaurant and hotel.

“While there are countless Chinese, Thai, and Asian restaurants, the Orchid stands out due to our brigade of chefs, lead by Head Chef, Jim, who has been with the Orchid for 10 years.

“Each of our chefs specialise in different cuisines from diverse regions of the Far East. This is a genuine Pan-Asian culinary adventure prepared by true specialists.”

Read more:

• First day of Christmas fayre was Harrogate’s busiest for six months
• New bridal boutique to open in Ripon

A female cyclist has sustained minor injuries following a collision near Asda in Harrogate.

The incident, which took place between 5.15pm and 5.30pm on Friday, December 15, happened at the junction of Bower Road and Haywra Street.

North Yorkshire Police said it is now appealing for the driver of a grey Ford Focus to come forward.

It is the second police appeal involving am injured cyclist issued today.

It comes after another cyclist was knocked off their bike in Knaresborough on Monday.

Regarding the Harrogate appeal, the force said in a statement:

“A pedal cyclist entered Bower Road and was hit by the Ford Focus that had just exited Asda supermarket.

“The driver of the Ford stopped at the scene and spoke with the cyclist, however, they had left prior to police involvement.

“Officers are appealing for them to come forward along with any witnesses and anyone who may have dashcam footage.

“The driver and anyone with any information should call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information for incident number 12230240822.”

Read more:

• Cyclist injured after Knaresborough collision
• Harrogate paedophile jailed for 13 years for historic sex offences