Harrogate bonfire to return to the Stray this year

The organisers of the Harrogate bonfire have confirmed it will return to the Stray this year.

Harrogate and District Round Table said a traditional bonfire and fireworks display will be on offer at the event on November 4.

Visitors can look forward to live performances on the pop-up stage throughout the night — with Three Strikes Band already confirmed — and more to be announced.

There will also be a range food options, including traditional burgers and hotdogs, as well as a bar serving alcohol and soft drinks.

Organisers will be raising money for Harrogate Homeless Project for a second year running.

Matthew Firth, one of the Harrogate Round Table team, said they chose to fundraise for the homelessness charity again this year “because it is a great charity” and praised it for its efforts to end rough sleeping in the town.

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Last year, the organisers decided against holding a bonfire at the event due to costs and logistics but reversed the decision just weeks before Bonfire Night.

It reportedly costs over £13,000 to put on, with £5,000 spent on fireworks alone.

The schedule

The Harrogate Bonfire will take place on Saturday, November 4.

It will open at 4.30pm and entertainment will begin at 5pm.

The bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and fireworks will follow at around 7.15pm.

Organisers expect the event to end at 8.30pm.

The event is free to attend and will be held on the Stray, near St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate accountancy firm hires 14 new trainees

A Harrogate accountancy firm has hired a string of trainees in its “biggest ever intake” of graduates and school leavers.

Saffrey, which is based on North Park Road, appointed 14 new starters this autumn as part of a recruitment drive.

The company said the new hires mark a “significant investment in the next generation of advisors”.

The move comes as the firm, which also has offices in London and Manchester, launched a rebrand this past month, which included a change of name.

Michelle Rapson, senior manager in the Yorkshire audit team at Saffrey, said: 

“This latest investment in people will broaden the diversity of our team and create opportunities for personal growth throughout the business.

“We are already seeing last year’s trainees step up to the next level with the support of senior colleagues, who are committed to helping each individual reach their personal potential.”

Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall wins AA award

The Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall has won a prestigious award this past week.

The fine dining restaurant, which is based at the estate near Ripon, was awarded the AA Four Rosette Award.

Held at a ceremony at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, the AA Hospitality Awards aim to celebrate excellence within the hospitality industry.

On receiving the award, Shaun Rankin said:

“I’m delighted that Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall has been awarded the prestigious AA Four Rosette Award.

“This is a testament to the dedication and passion of our incredible team. It’s a reminder that excellence is not a destination, but a continuous journey of crafting unforgettable dining experiences, one plate at a time.”

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Gyles Brandreth endures sleepless night in ’tilting’ Harrogate hotel bed

TV personality Gyles Brandreth has bemoaned the state of a Harrogate hotel after enduring a sleepless night on a tilting bed.

The author and raconteur appeared at the Royal Hall last night for his one-man show Gyles Brandreth Can’t Stop Talking.

His prolific tweets indicated the evening went well — until it was time for bed.

At about 7am this morning, he posted the following unappealing image and said:

“The view from right here right now … very little sleep on a bed that tilted to the left so that I had to cling on all night. The hotel is in King’s Road but has no number so in the dark we couldn’t find it. Taxi couldn’t find it either. Eventually we did. Rather wish we hadn’t.”

In response to a tweet suggesting he should have called reception, he said:

“There was no reception. At midnight we tried to book in to the Crowne Plaza opposite, but it was full.”

Mr Brandreth declined calls to name and shame the establishment to his 208,000 followers.

After his show last night he hailed the “warm and wonderful audience” and said it was “a privilege to be be on the stage that both Ken Dodd & Marlene Dietrich once appeared on. Not together. (Though wouldn’t that have been glorious?)”.

He later praised The Ivy for its “delicious post-show supper: cheese soufflé followed by iced berries”.

Mr Brandreth added:

“Normally at this time of night, we’re perched on the edge of our bed in the local Premier Inn with a Pret sandwich. Tonight we’re in Harrogate being treated to this …. Thank you.”

However, his night appeared to go downhill once he left The Ivy.

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Harrogate hospital spends nearly £1 million on staff cover for strikes

Harrogate District Hospital has spent £923,000 on staff cover for industrial action since April.

The hospital has been hit by numerous strikes in the last five months, with consultants and junior doctors staging walkouts in disputes over pay.

In a report due before a trust board meeting today, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said a “significant cost” had been spent covering for striking staff members.

In total, between April 1 and August 31, the trust spent £923,000 on bank and internal staff to cover for junior doctors and consultants. 

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.

The trust said no agency workers were used to cover staffing during the strikes.

The Stray Ferret asked the trust how it intended to recoup the money spent during the industrial action.

A spokesperson for the trust said:

“The trust is in ongoing discussions with NHS England on the expectations regarding funding and managing this pressure.”

It comes as both junior doctors and consultants are set to carry out further walkouts in October.

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

In his report, Mr Coulter said it was important to remember staff were in dispute with the government, not the hospital trust.

He added:

“We need to always remember the impact that this industrial action is having and the cost for patients who have services disrupted and delayed, the actual financial cost of cover, and the more significant opportunity cost, as management time is necessarily taken up with planning and managing these periods of strike action safely.”

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Rachel Daly to open Rossett sports pitches named in her honour

England footballer Rachel Daly will return to her former school in Harrogate next week to open sports pitches re-named in her honour.

Tim Milburn, headteacher at Rossett School, said it was a “no brainer” to rename the 3G pitches at the school’s sports centre following her success in the Lionesses team.

The school announced it would be renaming the pitches in August and has now confirmed Daly will lead the official opening on Thursday, October 5.

School pupils will be able to watch the event but it will not be open to the public.

The girls’ football teams will also play an internal match to mark the occasion.

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Mr Milburn told the Stray Ferret staff hoped to give the homegrown superstar a tour of the school, but added this depended on her schedule.

He said:

“We are delighted to be able to welcome Rachel back to her school.

“She, along with the Lionesses, has been such an inspiration to us all. We are so proud that her journey started here.

“We hope that by naming the pitches after her is not only a great honour to bestow upon her, but it will provide future inspiration for the students of Rossett School and the Harrogate community.”

Daly was a member of the team that won the Women’s Euro 2022 last year and reached the final of this year’s World Cup.

She was named PFA women’s Players’ Player of the Year last month and was awarded the Golden Boot for being the Women’s Super League top scorer last season.

The Stray Ferret is backing a campaign by Killinghall Nomads Junior Football Club, her former club, for Daly to receive a civic honour.

It suggested North Yorkshire Council should rename Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, previously known as The Hydro, but the council has yet to indicate if it will do anything.

You can sign the petition to back the campaign here.

Knox Lane housing refusal has ‘strengthened community spirit’

Residents on Knox Lane in Bilton have said community spirit has been “strengthened” after a plan to build 53-homes in the area was rejected.

The proposal, which was tabled by north east developer Jomast, was refused by councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency planning committee yesterday.

It followed concerns about land contamination and the lack of a travel plan for the site, which is alongside a narrow road at the edge of Bilton and not close to a bus route.

The current road serving the site.

The refusal of the plan has been welcomed by residents in the area.

Sue Wrightson, of Keep Knox Natural campaign group, said local people had worked hard to make the council listen to their concerns.

She said:

“Local residents have worked very hard over the last three years to ensure that council officers were aware of the many valid reasons why this development is entirely inappropriate. 

“We have struggled to make them listen and we are very grateful to those planning committee members who have supported our case. 

“Its been a learning curve as far as planning regulations are concerned but we have enjoyed the collaboration of several local experts.

“This whole episode has really strengthened local community spirit and resolve.”

Knox Lane in Harrogate.

Councillors questioned the plans at a lengthy meeting at Harrogate’s Civic Centre yesterday.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, spoke on behalf of residents at the meeting. He said:

“There have been over 500 objections to this application from residents. Not because they are ‘nimbys’, but because they believe the council is making a mistake.”

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Liberal Democrats Cllr Chris Aldred and Cllr Hannah Gostlow raised concern that no travel plan had been submitted as part of the application.

Cllr Aldred said “insufficient information” was submitted in regards to a travel plan for councillors to make a decision.

Prior to the meeting, a report by council case officer Andy Hough said the plan was “considered to now be in compliance with development plan policy” and should be approved.

It added that the reasons for deferral at the last meeting would “not form reasonable reasons for refusal”, which indicated Jormast might successfully appeal the decision.

The Stray Ferret has approached Jomast to ask whether it is considering an appeal but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Police appeal for missing teenager who could be in Harrogate

Police have appealed for information about a missing teenager who may be in Harrogate.

Lucas Harwood, 15, was reported missing at 4.30pm on September 21.

West Yorkshire Police said he was last seen on a football pitch near Toller Lane in Bradford.

Officers say he has links to Harrogate, Leeds and Bradford.

He is described as mixed race, around 5ft 9ins tall, slim build, with short black hair and a slight moustache.

He was last seen wearing a blue tracksuit, long sleeved top and trousers in navy blue with a white stripe, he also had a black Adidas bag with him. 

A West Yorkshire Police statement added:

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or use the Live Chat facility at
www.westyorkshire.police.uk/contactus, quoting log 1268 of 21 September.”

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Concern over number of York ambulances diverted to Harrogate hospital

Hospital managers in Harrogate have raised concern over the sustainability of taking in ambulance patients from York.

In a report due before a Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust board meeting, Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of the trust, said the issue was having an impact on both patient safety and staff at Harrogate District Hospital.

Mr Coulter said Harrogate had taken in more than 1,500 ambulances from York over the last 18 months.

He said:

“In the spirit of challenge and improvement, we have raised our concerns about the sustainability of the current situation, in particular the impact on patient safety and the impact on colleagues.”

Under a previous agreement, the hospital took in ambulances which had been diverted away from York Hospital during times when the organisation’s emergency department was under pressure.

Harrogate took in patients in an “ad-hoc” manner, meaning that ambulances would request support from hospitals which had the capacity at any given time.

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The trust agreed with Yorkshire Ambulance Service and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to amend the agreement in May 2023 and redraw the boundaries between the two hospitals and to take patients in a “planned way”.

However, in a statement to the Stray Ferret, the trust said it still receives ad-hoc requests from ambulances some four months later.

A spokesperson said:

“Following a constructive review with both Yorkshire Ambulance Service and York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in May 2023 we agreed to redraw the geographical boundaries between hospitals in Harrogate and York. Ambulances that previously would have gone to York now come to Harrogate, but in a planned, rather than ad-hoc way.

“Despite this new arrangement, there is still significant pressure across our health system and we continue to receive ad-hoc requests to divert ambulances to Harrogate.

“Providing the best possible healthcare for people who need our help is our main priority and we are in discussions with system partners to see what solutions can be introduced to alleviate pressures before we enter the winter period.”

Members of the hospital trust board will discuss the report at a meeting on Wednesday (September 27).

Ofsted upgrades Woodlands Day Nursery to ‘good’

Woodlands Day Nursery in Harrogate has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

The findings were published in a report on Friday following an inspection in August.

The assessment means the nursery on Wetherby Road has been upgraded from its previous ‘requires improvement’ grading last year.

Government inspectors said the nursery, which was registered in 2000, was ‘good’ in all four categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

They described it as a warm and welcoming place where children are eager to join their friends. They added that children make good progress and are supported by dedicated and nurturing staff.

The report said:

“Play and learning in the nursery is led by children. The varied curriculum focuses on their interests, next steps, and experiences from home.

“Children settle quickly and soon form strong bonds with staff and other children. They behave very well.

“With clear guidance from patient staff, they learn to understand and manage their emotions.”

Children learn sign language and Spanish, and have excellent communication skills and a broad vocabulary, the report added.

Inspectors also found children “develop their independence from an early age and are fully prepared for the eventual move on to school.”

The management team was praised for its “passionate and ambitious” attitude. The report said:

“The management team works extremely hard to drive improvements in this nursery.

“This is reflected in the enthusiasm of their staff team. Together, they have created a culture of teamwork and support that values each member of staff and promotes a strong culture of continual improvement.”

The report also praised the level of communication between parents and staff and found “parents share a wealth of positive experiences that clearly depict the dedication, enthusiasm and care provided by the staff team.”

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Area to improve

However, inspectors did report sometimes “staff are not perceptive to children’s curiosity during their play and do not help them make connections in their learning.”

They added:

“Children play in the garden every day. Staff plan some activities for children here. However, these are not well thought out, and staff do not provide a good range of resources that interest children and motivate them to explore.

“Consequently, children do not benefit from the same rich learning experiences as they do in their rooms, and some children wander around with little focus for their play.”

Ofsted said to improve, staff should be “more perceptive to children’s curiosity and emerging lines of enquiry during their play”, as well as consider “children’s interests so that they are engaged and motivated to explore and build on what they already know and can do.”

‘Positive direction’

 Nursery manager Suzie Wighton said in response to the report:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have received a ‘good’ rating following our recent Ofsted inspection.

“It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of our amazing team, who work tirelessly to provide a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment for the children in our care.

“Moving forward, we are very excited about the positive direction we are heading. We will keep building on this success and remain fully committed to providing the best care for our children.”

Woodlands Day Nursery is part of Just Childcare – a group of day nurseries with branches across the north west, Yorkshire and the south west of England.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate business meeting to focus on inflation

A Harrogate business group will focus on inflation and economic growth at its next monthly meeting.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce will host its next meeting on Monday, October 9, at the Crown Hotel.

Guest speakers will include Paul Mount, the Bank of England’s deputy agent for Yorkshire and the Humber.

He will be setting out the bank’s view on the future path of inflation, economic growth and employment in the UK.

The meeting will also hear from David Denton, technical consultant for Quilter, who will discuss practical tax and financial planning information resulting from the budget and the current climate.

The event begins with networking at 5.30pm and ends at 8pm. For more information and to book a place, visit the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce website here.

Growth hub to launch peer-to-peer business support scheme

A peer-to-peer support programme for businesses in Harrogate and Ripon is set to launch next week.

Organised by the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, the scheme aims to help local entrepreneurs with insightful discussions on their business’s challenges and successes.

The sessions will be run by Next Step and is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Participants will receive one hour of one-on-one discussions before the program to assess their business’s needs and two hours of bespoke one-on-one support

The events will take place over six weeks in Harrogate and Ripon from October 3.

For more information and to express an interest in the scheme, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.

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