Georgina Johnstone was just one year old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and her family have been raising money and awareness to help children like her ever since.

In August 2022, Georgina became tired and grouchy and started to be sick each morning. Her mum, Issy Rowe, a teacher from Harrogate, thought recently prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection were to blame. But when the tablets stopped and the sickness continued, the family became worried.

Issy took her to the GP, who thought it might have been a virus or urinary tract infection. After five more days of sickness, Issy knew things weren’t right. They were referred to Harrogate District Hospital after their third visit to a doctor.

At first, the hospital had no major concerns and suggested a return visit a week later. Yet Issy persisted and an MRI scan was done the following day.

The scan found a significant cancerous mass on Georgina’s brain, and she was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary.

The SATS showed that the tumour was a quarter of the size of her brain. The tumour was cutting her brain off from her body and her family were told they would need to operate to remove it or Georgina would die.

The next day, the doctors operated on her for five hours and removed the 16cm tumour. After surgery, a 56-week treatment plan was put in place, involving high-dose chemotherapy, in seven cycles over eight weeks.

It all meant that going to nursery had to be put on hold until she was better. In December 2023, Georgina was given the all-clear.

Issy said:

“Its early days still – she only came off medication eight weeks ago, but her last scan was all clear. It’s been amazing to adjust back to family life and reality. She’s full of energy, which is lovely. You don’t realise how poorly they are until you see them better.”

Throughout her daughter’s treatment, Issy raised funds and awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity and friends and family also supported the fundraising. They have raised over £21,000 so far through completing the Three Peaks Challenge, sponsored runs, quizzes and a wellness retreat.

This year, the family have chosen to raise funds for Candlelighters, children’s cancer charity. Issy said they wanted funds to go to a local charity this year to directly help the children on the oncology ward at Leeds General Infirmary.

They have set a target to reach £5,000 – the same goal as last year – but are hoping to exceed it and even beat the £21,000 already raised.

Issy added:

“We definitely want to get more people involved and raise more money.”

They have a few fundraising events planned already involving the Three Peaks Challenge on May 11, another wellness weekend in October and one of their first events is set to be a sporting morning. The event is to be held on January 14 by Harrogate Strays Walking Football Club, a team for over-50s where Georgina’s grandfather, Derek Rowe, is a manager.

To donate to Georgina’s page click here.

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• Ripon woman to climb Yorkshire three peaks to mark one-year ‘cancerversary’
• Ripon tinsel tractor run raises £1,500 for Yorkshire Cancer Research

A Harrogate Grammar School student has published her first novel — at the age of 12.

Sula Stanhope wrote the 371-page book before bed each night. It took her four months to finish.

Sula said:

“Mum and dad said I could have some extra screen time if I was working on creative projects.

“They were slightly surprised when I presented them with the first draft of my novel.”

The Alchemist’s Prophecy is a dystopian fantasy about a girl sent on a magical quest in a dangerous world.

The book is almost 150 pages longer than the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Storytelling runs in the family.

Sula’s dad Alex said:

“Sula’s grandmother is a writer.

“When I was growing up I was hopeless at English but I always liked telling stories. I used to tell stories to Sula; the storytelling part stuck.

“She now tells stories way better than me!”

After Sula wrote her manuscript, Alex started the process of self-publishing it.

He said:

“I just wanted to give her a chance to hold her book in her own hands.”

Sula also developed creativity playing games with her twin sister Delphi.

Together they would invent characters, arguing about what they looked and sounded like.

Alex said:

“It didn’t always feel very creative when I heard their arguments, but I love what came out of it!”

Teachers at Oatlands Junior School, where Sula used to study, noticed her talent early.

Year 5 teacher Ms Coyne said:

“When I heard about Sula writing her own book, I was not surprised.

“During her time at Oatlands Junior School, Sula showed such creativity, talent and always had her head in a book — sometimes hidden under the table.

“She was an avid reader who clearly loves books and responds with great maturity to the texts we explore. I cannot wait to read it.”

Sula’s Year 6 English teacher Rosie Doyle said:

 “I would say I am surprised, but I’m actually not.”

Staff are so proud of their former student they have purchased a copy for their school library.

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In the future, Sula would like to continue writing books.

She sees The Alchemist’s Prophecy as a trilogy and is hoping to complete it one day.

Alongside creative writing, Sula also plays the piano and attends acting classes. You can buy The Alchemist’s Prophecy on Amazon.

A new vets looks set to open in Pannal next week.

Claro Hill Vets, which is based on Thirkill Park off Thirkill Drive, is due to open on Monday (January 8).

The new practice will be open Monday to Friday, 8am until 6.30pm, and Saturdays 8.30am until 12.30pm.

The vets will offer such services as preventative healthcare, medicine and vaccinations.

Laura Keyser, who has been a qualified vet for 15 years, is behind the new business which she says will be a “perfect location” for pet owners in Harrogate, Wetherby and north Leeds.

She told the Stray Ferret in May last year:

“I decided to open the business as I wanted to offer a real high standard of care and service.

“We are independent, so have none of the constraints of being corporate.”

The move to open the business comes as North Yorkshire Council approved the proposal in May 2023.

Read more:

• New law firm opens in Ripon
• Free events revealed for Harrogate’s first self care week

Welcome to a new weekly feature rounding up some of my favourite articles on the Stray Ferret each week.

We often publish more than a dozen stories a day and it’s easy to miss things. Hopefully this digest will give you the chance to catch up.

The Harrogate ice rink saga has been one of our best read stories of the week. The rink has been criticised for slushy ice, rusty skates and slow refunds. It’s difficult not to feel some sympathy because — ironically — a winter wonderland attraction has been somewhat undone by the northern winter, which has forced its closure rather too regularly.

The company running it said this week it won’t be back for Christmas 2024.

As editor, one of the questions I’m asked most is ‘when is the new Lidl opening in Ripon?’. It was granted planning permission in September 2021 and we have an update on one of the slowest moving but most popular local retail stories here.

We also have news of a fascinating dual enterprise by two sisters in the former Dangerfield & Keane salon on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. Ever used a hyperbaric chamber?

It’s been a week of rain and flood. The Ford car stuck in the ford over the River Skell in Ripon has caused a bit of a ripple. It was still there yesterday. The weather may be improving but Boroughbridge rarely looks prettier than when the River Ure floods, as happened this week.

Read more:

• Free events revealed for Harrogate’s first self care week
• New law firm opens in Ripon
• Business Breakfast: Knaresborough company acquires Newcastle financial firm

How do you feel about walking through Harrogate town centre and having facial recognition cameras matching your features to those of police suspects? It could happen if Conservative Keane Duncan is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire this year. Read more here.

Who remembers Knaresborough’s new primary school? You’d be forgiven if you didn’t given that it was pledged nearly four years ago and not a jot of progress appears to have happened. We got an update this week.

The week ahead should see Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones appear before the Liberal Democrat-controlled area constituency committee of North Yorkshire Council. It could be tetchy.

Enjoy the site. If you have a view on any of our articles, or indeed anything else that’s bugging you about life in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, do email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will consider it for publication in our Stray Views letters page.

And if you don’t already, sign up to our new look daily bulletins for a round-up of the news every evening in your inbox. Click on the link below.

The owner of Harrogate firm Weetons has applied to replace signage at Crimple in Pannal.

The Stray Ferret reported in December that the owner of Weetons had bought the garden centre, food hall and gift shop on Leeds Road.

It’s not known how much the TGH Property Group, which is owned by Tim Whitworth, has paid to acquire Crimple.

TGH, which is based at Bramham, near Wetherby, also owns Weetons, whose flagship Harrogate food hall on West Park opened 20 years ago.

An example of the signage submitted to North Yorkshire Council.

Now, TIM Group Holdings, of which Mr Whitworth is a managing partner, has applied to North Yorkshire Council to replace the signage on the site.

The plan includes various signage to the front of the main building and an additional two totem signs behind the entrance walls showing Weetons branding.

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

Read More:

• Crimple applies to serve alcohol and play music until 2am
• Harrogate’s Crimple bought by Weetons food hall owner

The Stray Ferret understands independent fashion retailer Jules B is set to close its Harrogate store.

The womenswear boutique, which took on the former Jaeger unit on Cambridge Crescent, opened in September 2022.

It is one of five Jules B stores, with two each in Jesmond in Newcastle-upon- Tyne and Kendal in Cumbria.

However, the Stray Ferret today received multiple reports to say that the Harrogate branch will close next week.

Read more:

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• New law firm opens in Ripon

Owners Julian and Rhonda Blades opened the doors of their first womenswear store in 1984, in Jesmond.

The company, which also has an online store, now employs more than 80 people.

It sells a range of high-end brands, including Ganni, Le Specs, Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood.

The Stray Ferret has approached Jules B for comment but has not had an immediate response.

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal will come to an end this weekend after almost two months of raising vital funds for Dementia Forward.

You can still donate to the appeal until midnight on Sunday, January 7.

So far we have raised around £8,000 for the charity, which will go towards funding a new minibus.

Jill Quinn MBE, chief executive at Dementia Forward, said:

“We really value the support that The Stray Ferret and all your readers have given us this Christmas.

“The stories and videos have shone a light on our services, and we really hope that everyone has a good understanding of what Dementia Forward offers to people in the local community, and knows where to turn if they ever they need us.

“It is exciting that we have received enough donations to be able to lease a new minibus for the next two years, so that we can continue to provide vital transport for people living with dementia in the Harrogate District.

“Once again, huge thanks and we wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2024!”

We didn’t reach our target, but we know times are tough and the money raised will still make a huge difference to the lives of those living with dementia and the people struggling around them.

Director of The Stray Ferret, Tamsin O’Brien said:

“We’d like to thank VIDA Healthcare for its wonderful support of our Christmas Appeal. As someone who’s family has experienced the heartbreak of Alzheimers, this was an appeal close to my heart.

“Thank you to everyone who donated. Please give generously this weekend — you never know when you may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.”

The appeal was kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

There will be no trains running between Harrogate and London King’s Cross over the next two weekends.

It comes after Northern Rail announced four days of engineering work on the billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme.

LNER, which runs between London King’s Cross and the north east, is among the lines affected.

It will be operating a reduced service starting and terminating at Grantham, with hourly trains running between Leeds and Grantham over the two weekends.

From Grantham, people can get a rail replacement bus to Corby, where they will connect with other operators’ services to and from London St Pancras.

The disruption will be in place from Saturday, January 6 to Sunday, January 7, and Saturday, January 13, to Sunday, January 14.

LNER said there are no planned changes to the regular weekday schedule.

Read more:

• Northern launches £1 Harrogate line train tickets in flash sale
• Free Saturday parking returns to Harrogate multi-storey

Details have been revealed for the first Harrogate self care week this month.

The free events, which will be held from January 22 to 27, include activities ranging from yoga and acupuncture to sound baths and making face masks.

There will be a mixture of workshops and classes, along with a themed market to help visitors work on their ‘body, soul and mind’, according to organisers.

Some of the sessions will be held in a pop-up self care unit on the first floor of the Victoria Shopping Centre. However, others will be held in different venues across the town centre.

Harrogate Business Improvement District announced the initiative last month.

The Turkish Baths will host the launch event on January 22, with a session in the facilities from 6.30pm until 9pm. This is already fully booked.

Also on the Monday, an hour-long acupressure and acupuncture talk and demonstration with Patti Hemmings will be held in the shopping centre unit from 12.30pm, as well as a mosaic making session at Artizan from 5-7pm.

Read more:

• Lidl scraps plan to open Ripon retail park store
• First Harrogate Self Care Week to take place in January
• Sisters to open oxygen therapy and skincare clinics in Harrogate

Kicking things off on the Tuesday, a slow yoga flow for beginners with Michelle Foxall will be held in the shopping centre at 5-6pm. Then, Chantelle Coles will host an intriguing sound bath session, a meditative experience involving bathing in sound waves, in the vacant space between 6-7pm.

Mat pilates with Emma Ryder is the opening event on the Wednesday at 12.30pm. 

Then, staff members at Lush will host a face mask making session in their Cambridge Street store from 5pm. Anyone looking to learn more about Thai Chi can join a beginner class with Alison Newband from 6-7pm. Meanwhile, Ebru Evrim is putting together a yoga and reformer Pilates session at their studio on James Street from 6pm to round off Wednesday’s events.

To open Thursday, a two-hour interactive workshop on doshas will be held from 5-7pm with Green Ayurveda Spa. This will be followed by a circuit session with F45 at its studio in Albert Street from 6.15pm, lasting for around 45 minutes.

On Friday from 12.30pm, Tomm Melody will teach visitors more about ageing and strength.

BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“Since we launched the Harrogate Self Care Week in mid-December, we’ve had so much interest and positive responses.

“A huge thanks to the many BID members and local providers who are supporting this campaign, which we hope will drive footfall and spend into the town centre in what can often be a quieter month.”

For more information on self-care week and to book places, visit the Harrogate BID website here.

North Yorkshire Police has said a missing Harrogate teenager has been found.

A police statement today said the girl, who was reported missing this morning, was found “safe and well”.

We have updated this article to anonymise the details of the girl.

Read more:

• Person suffers leg injury following Bishop Thornton crash
• Police reissue appeal to find Harrogate wanted man