Harrogate’s John Shackleton, 85, to embark on 49th humanitarian trip today

A Harrogate man will begin his drive from Harrogate to Georgia today to deliver an ambulance on his 49th humanitarian trip.

John Shackleton, 85, has bought and stocked 36 ambulances over the last 30 years to provide emergency vehicles and vital medical equipment to humanitarian organisations in Eastern Europe and beyond.

Last month, Mr Shackleton appealed for co-drivers last month and has since been “inundated” with applications.

One passenger, a Harrogate man who works as a veterinary regional manager, finishes work at midday today and will venture straight to Georgia.

The other, who is from High Wycombe, is an army paramedic who took the opportunity while on leave.

Mr Shackleton told the Stray Ferret a Berlin-based film crew also contacted him to follow the 3,000-mile journey. The producers will be dropped off en route in Berlin.

The group plans to deliver the ambulance, that Mr Shackleton collected from Amsterdam earlier this week, to a small organisation building a hospice on a farm on the Georgian and Russian border.

He said the organisation has been “praying for an ambulance for years”.

When asked if this would be Mr Shackleton’s final mission, he added:

“Well, I’ve said my trips before would be my final one and I’m still going now.

“I had a heart attack – which I’m mending from very quickly – but I lost a lot of weight and, as I’m struggling to put it back on, it’s becoming difficult to chop the wood I sell to fund the ambulances.”

Mr Shackleton anticipates the journey will take around 10 days. He said:

“I’m not nervous about this trip – I don’t get nervous. If problems are there, I solve them. They’re there to be solved.

“It’s a waste of time to worry.”

Mr Shackleton began his humanitarian work after seeing news reports revealing the poor conditions of Romanian orphanages following the borders opening in 1990. He was joined by a team of volunteers to install flushing toilets and showers at the orphanage.

This time, the team will stay in Georgia for just under a week to help the organisation, before hitchhiking to the nearest international airport to return home.

Mr Shackleton and his co-drivers will depart from his Harrogate home at midday today.

Click here to find out more about John Shackleton’s previous trips.

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Harrogate sports club hosts world renowned squash players

Two of the world’s best squash players paid a visit to a Harrogate sports club this week.

Harrogate Sports and Fitness Club, which is based at Hookstone Wood Road, played host to James Wilstrop and Mostafa Asal.

Willstrop, who lives in Harrogate, is a former world number one and a Commonwealth gold medalist, while Asal is currently ranked number four in the world and considered to be one of the most exciting players in the sport.

The club said:

“They were at the club practising for some upcoming squash tournaments, but had some spare time to chat with some of the Harrogate junior squash players and pose for a photo with them.”

Willstrop, who grew up in Pontefract but lives locally, won Commonwealth gold in 2018 and at last year’s games in Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Egyptian squash player Asal is considered to be one of the most exciting players in the sport due to his playing style and controversial on court behaviour.

Asal, who has 1.2 million Instagram followers, was handed a 12-week ban and £50,000 fine back in August.

The Professional Squash Association gave the 21-year-old the suspension after finding thee separate breaches of the PSA code of conduct, including abuse of racket or equipment and unsportsmanlike conduct in a match against Joel Makin in May this year.

The visit comes as the club’s premier squash team has just started its new season.

The team will pit itself against sides from Sheffield and York in the hope of winning the league championship. Home games are held every other Wednesday and are free entry at the Hookstone Wood Road centre.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate rental firm posts ‘solid’ half year results

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10 am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate rental company has reported a “solid” first half year of financial results.

Beckwith Knowle-based VP said in a trading update this week that the firm had “continued to trade resiliently” amid a “backdrop of challenging macro-economic conditions”.

Its interim results for the period up to September 30 will be published on November 28.

Anna Bielby, Chief Executive of Vp, said:

“We have delivered a solid performance in the period and are confident that we will continue to achieve our objective of driving demand for our products and services.

“With our strong financial position, we have an excellent track record of successfully navigating volatility in our core markets.

“We continue to closely monitor the impact of weaker markets in housebuilding and general construction; however, we remain confident that the Group will continue to provide shareholders with an attractive level of returns.”

Masham company shortlisted for Yorkshire business awards

A Masham company has been chosen as a finalist at the Yorkshire and Humberside Business Awards.

W E Jameson & Son Ltd was shortlisted for both the agribusiness and wholesaler categories at this year’s ceremony.

ris and Graham Jameson, directors at W E Jameson & Son Ltd.

Chris and Graham Jameson, directors at W E Jameson & Son Ltd.

This year’s event will be held at The Majestic Hotel in Harrogate on November 10.

Graham Jameson, managing director of the company, said:

“Our family business has been established for 93 years and we are delighted to have been shortlisted for these awards.

“Every member of the Jameson team should be very proud of their efforts in maintaining the family culture of the business, caring for and supporting work colleagues, the community in which we work and the family farming businesses we supply.”

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Harrogate road to be closed for another six months

A busy Harrogate road is to remain closed for another six months.

Vehicles have been blocked from crossing the bridge where Kingsley Road meets Bogs Lane since November last year.

Besides serving the Kingsley area, the road is also used as a cut-through to avoid congestion on the main A59 Knaresborough Road.

The road was due to re-open to through traffic on November 3 but North Yorkshire Council, the highways authority, has now said the traffic order will remain in place until May.

The order was issued to enable work on the 133-home Redrow homes site Kingsley Manor to take place.

But in an email seen by the Stray Ferret, the council said Barratt Homes —which built the nearby Kingsley Meadows development — had not fulfilled an obligation to build a footway along Bogs Lane to make the area safer for pedestrians.

The email said:

“Unfortunately following a meeting with Barratts last week, we have been informed that their internal commercial processes would not allow them to award a works contract to the contractor who is currently working in the area and forming the Redrow site access.”

The email adds the council had therefore extended the temporary road closure “to ensure the road does not open until a footway is constructed allowing safe pedestrian access”.

By May, the road closure will have lasted for 18 months — the maximum legal time.

There appears no guarantee, however, the footway will be finished by then.

A spokesperson for Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East, said:

“In 2019, we agreed a plan with North Yorkshire County Council for new pathways on Kingsley Road. However, the council has now requested that a revised plan is put in place because another developer is also building homes in the area, creating the need for further road improvement works.

“While we are not legally required to do the more extensive road improvement works, we have agreed to go out to tender to get costs for doing this work and intend to make a contribution towards it.”

A local resident, who asked not to be named, said the situation typified the ‘act now, think later’ approach to development in the area over the last six years.

They said:

“Bogs Lane is an unclassified country lane yet it was deemed safe by highways for the development and entrances of five major construction sites.

“No thought was put into the safety of the current and thousands of future residents. Highways were warned over six years ago of the dangers on Bogs Lane and it took them nearly five years to act and then only due to repeated complaints of incidents and near serious accidents.”

A familiar site on Kingsley Road.

Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley, said:

“While it’s disappointing that Barratts internal processes don’t enable them to work speedily with the Redrow contractors to provide the long awaited and much needed footpath, which myself and council officers have been pressing for, I agree with the officers that it better for the road to remain closed to cars – pedestrians and cyclists are still able to use it, as they have been doing for the last year of course – until the safe footpath is in situ.

“I am very conscious that when the road eventually does reopen to vehicles we do not want a return to the infamous Kingsley rat run, which has knock on effects for all the residential roads leading to Kingsley Drive from Knaresborough Road and need to make this link safe for all users of the road, particularly bearing in mind there is bound to be increased vehicle use by residents living in the new developments.

“It’s important the footpath is in place prior to the road reopening to vehicles.”

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Land Rover found on its roof after Knaresborough collision

Fire crews were called to a single vehicle collision near Knaresborough last night.

Knaresborough and Harrogate firefighters arrived at the scene at 6.13pm on Market Flat Lane, in Scotton, and found a car was on its roof.

The vehicle, which was a Land Rover Freelander, had lost control, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue reported.

The incident log added:

“Witnesses had seen two persons running from the scene and no other persons were involved.

“Fire crews used a thermal imaging camera to check the nearby vicinity for any casualties, none were found.”

The incident was left with the police and no further details were provided.

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Plan to convert former Harrogate guest house into co-living accomodation

A former guest house in Harrogate could be converted into a house in multiple occupation.

Leeds-based Abbeycrown Ltd has tabled proposals to North Yorkshire Council to change the property at 6 Dragon Parade, which is known as Dragon House, into co-living accommodation.

In documents submitted the council, the developer said the guest house had seen a downturn in trade during the covid pandemic.

It added that, as a result, the property was “unviable as a guest house”.

The proposal would see the building converted into an eight-bedroom house of multiple occupation.

The developer said in its planning statement:

“The applicant is looking to address the need of high quality co-living facilities in the area to create rooms for professionals and public sector workers.”

It added that tenants would be “fully vetted and verified people” and would not have a detrimental impact on the surrounding area and neighbours.

A house in multiple occupation is a property rented out by at least three people who are not from the same household, but share facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom.

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

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Business Breakfast: London firm acquires Harrogate car leasing company

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10 am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A London finance firm has completed the acquisition of a Harrogate vehicle leasing provider.

Newable has acquired Synergy Automative Limited, which trades as Synergy Car Leasing.

The company has purchased the outstanding equity in the Harrogate firm after acquiring an initial majority stake in 2020.

Set up in 2006, Synergy Car Leasing, which is based at Hornbeam Park Oval, offers personal and business hire cars.

Phil Reynolds, managing director of Newable Lending, said: 

“We are pleased to have completed this acquisition and are now looking forward to the next phase of growth for Synergy Car Leasing, building on an exceptional, customer-first track record built over the past 17 years.”

Inn Collection Group hires new finance officer

The Inn Collection Group, which operates the Harrogate Inn and Knaresborough Inn, has appointed a new chief financial officer.

Joe Bernhoeft has been hired to the position from global fashion brand Barbour.

He will be tasked with overseeing the company through further multi-million pound refurbishments and expansion across the north of England and Wales.

Sean Donkin, group CEO at The Inn Collection Group said: 

“We are very excited to welcome Joe as our new CFO in what is a very exciting time for the company.

“He is an incredibly experienced finance professional having worked for some significant blue-chip organisations, including one of the north east’s most recognisable, global brands.”

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Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens £21,000 makeover underway

Works to re-landscape Harrogate‘s Crescent Gardens have begun.

Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished in April, announced the revamp in February, shortly after the area hosted an ice rink and funfair last Christmas. The activities are due to return for a longer period this year.

A report at the time by Kirsty Stewart, the former council’s parks and ground maintenance manager, said “we would like to take the opportunity to upgrade the area to enable better accommodation of future events with less disruption to the planting in this area”.

It also added a three-year licence for the Christmas activities “will generate a minimum income of £37,500 per year.”

The report also said the area would be re-named The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Ground, but at the time of publication North Yorkshire Council had yet to confirm this will still happen.

Jonathan Clubb, the council’s head of parks and grounds, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are carrying out work as part of our ongoing management of Harrogate’s parks and grounds to maintain a vibrant, attractive location for residents and visitors.”

A steel rose arch will be installed today and climbing roses and flower beds will be planted in the coming weeks, Mr Clubb added.

The council also said the planting, which has cost £10,000, is part of the overall £21,000 budget that also included the costs of groundwork and materials.

This is the first redesign of Crescent Gardens since 1990, following the Gateshead Garden Festival, when the central glass structured was erected.

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Graveleys of Harrogate for sale eight months after reopening

Harrogate fish and chip restaurant and takeaway Graveleys has been listed for sale for £195,000.

Graveleys established a reputation as Harrogate’s best-known fish and chip shop, popular with theatre goers and famous visitors.

But the family-run business, on Cheltenham Parade, was bought by Catch Seafood in 2019 and rebranded as part a radical makeover.

However, after Catch went into administration, Simon Pilkington, the son of the former Graveleys owner, reopened it in February this year.

The listing by commercial property agent Ernest Wilson says the business has an annual turnover of £702,000 with “excellent profit margins”. The asking price is £195,000 and stock valued at £7,000 is also available.

The agent describes Graveleys as “a local landmark” and “one of the north’s most famous fish and chips restaurants”, adding the sale includes:

“Superb commercial kitchen to the rear with an extensive range of high-quality catering equipment, pot wash area. Basement prep and storage areas with walk-in cold room.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Graveleys for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.

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Harrogate hospital postpones 41 operations due to strikes

Harrogate District Hospital postponed 41 operations as a result of last week’s consultants and junior doctors strikes.

Members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association and British Medical Association walked out from 7am on Monday, October 2, until 7am on Thursday, October 5.

Both junior doctors and consultants held the industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed 41 outpatient appointments were cancelled across a range of hospital services due to the walkout last week.

A spokesperson for the trust added:

“These have been re-arranged as a matter of priority. We are in discussions with six patients to confirm new dates for their operations.”

The trust confirmed that internal and bank staff were used to cover the strikes.

Bank staff are temporary workers who agree to work flexible shifts with a hospital trust. Some trusts keep a record of their own bank staff to call upon for shifts.

However, a trust spokesperson added that a total figure for the cost of staffing will not be available until the end of the month.

It comes as Harrogate hospital has been hit by numerous strike action this past year.

Between April 1 and August 31, junior doctors and consultants have staged multiple walkouts with some lasting as long as 48 hours.

The Stray Ferret reported last month that the trust spent £923,000 on staff cover for industrial action in the same time period.

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