Harrogate’s most eye-catching cricketers set for another season

As another cricket season gets underway, a team from Harrogate is set to begin its 24th consecutive season with a virtually unchanged line-up.

The players are only about a foot tall and have been in a few scrapes but they remain undefeated.

Thousands of people see them each year in the garden of Kenneth and Lesley Simpson on Knaresborough Road, opposite the One Stop shop.

The statues of eight players, two batsmen, an umpire, a sight screen and a pavilion are often admired by passers-by and have become such a landmark some bus passengers ask for tickets to ‘the cricket pitch garden’ as it’s more memorable than the name of the bus stops.

Kenneth, however, has a confession to make — he’s not a big cricket fan. He’s more of a football man, who supports Leeds United and is a former referee.

He is, however, a canny Yorkshireman who created the design as an easy way to maintain his garden. He said:

“We were going to put a football pitch in but because all the statues of players we could find had balls underneath their arms, it wouldn’t have looked right.”

Kenneth and Lesley Simpson cricket statues

The view from behind the bowler’s arm

Lesley noticed some statues of cricketers at the Harrogate Flower Show and when she spotted some more on holiday in Skegness they had enough for a display.

Over the years two have been vandalised — one was repaired but the other was too badly damaged and had to be replaced. Kenneth, who has lived in the house for 54 years, said:

“Someone took them down Knaresborough Road and didn’t realise how heavy they are.”

All the statues are now fixed into the concrete. Kenneth paints them every other year but the hardest job is cleaning the green grass that passes as the pitch.

One day a member of Marylebone Cricket Club passed by and was so taken by what he saw that he returned days later with the sight screen, which he made. Many have stopped to take photos and compliment the couple.

Lesley said:

“It’s surprising how many people stop and say ‘what a lovely garden you have’.”

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Harrogate’s Rachel Daly on target as England win Finalissima

Harrogate-born striker Rachel Daly scored in the penalty shootout as England beat Brazil to win the Finalissima last night.

The match, in front of 83,000 fans at Wembley and broadcast live in ITV, saw Euro 22 champions England take on Copa America winners Brazil.

England led 1-0 at half-time but Brazil pounced on a goalkeeping error in injury time to take the match to penalties.

With the score at 1-1, Daly — who came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute — put England ahead with a powerful drive and the Lionesses went on to win 4-2.

They are now unbeaten in 30 matches.

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‘Unforeseen circumstances’ delay Oak Beck Bridge replacement — again

A starting date for a £1 million scheme to replace Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate has still to be set.

North Yorkshire County Council planned to begin work in January last year after saying the current bridge on Skipton Road was in poor condition.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and it was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Ten months on, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, for an update.

In a statement that was identical in parts to the one issued last year, Mr Richardson said:

“We realise the importance of replacing Oak BeckBridge. Unfortunately, we have not been able to progress the scheme as quickly as we would have liked due to unforeseen circumstances.

“We are currently in discussions with Yorkshire Water about diverting a sewer to make way for the project. Please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able.”

The volume of traffic using Skipton Road is expected to increase after Tesco was granted planning permission to build a supermarket at the nearby junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

When it was awarded the £1.1 million contract to demolish the bridge and build a new one, Leeds-based Howard Civil Engineering said the project would take 24 weeks.

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Harrogate sex offender sentenced to two more years in prison

A sexual predator has been jailed again for sexually assaulting a very young girl at a property in Harrogate.

Steven Anthony Jennings, 52, was already serving a 15-year jail sentence for similar offences against two other girls.

Now he’s been handed a further two years’ prison time for the new offences which pre-dated the old ones, but only came to light relatively recently when the victim went to police more than a decade after they occurred.

Daniel Penman, prosecuting at York Crown Court, said that Jennings, who was in his early 30s at the time, sexually assaulted the girl twice between 2005 and 2007.

The girl said she “froze” but such was her young age she didn’t think anything wrong had occurred at the time. She didn’t report the matters at the time and Jennings “got on with life as normal”.

Mr Penman added:

“It took her until 2019 until she felt able to [tell] her partner about these offences and, through that, felt able to report this to police.”

Jennings, who was living in Harrogate before he was given the 15-year sentence at Teesside Crown Court in 2017, was questioned about the offences at Moorlands Prison in Doncaster in May last year when he was coming to the end of his existing jail term.

He initially denied the allegations but ultimately admitted two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years of age. A third allegation was dropped by the prosecution and allowed to lie on court file.

He appeared for sentence today knowing a consecutive jail sentence was all but inevitable.

‘Lost all innocence’

In a statement read out in court, the victim said Jennings’s “cruel” offences had affected her “mentally, physically and emotionally for years”.

She said her self-esteem and mental health were so badly affected that by her mid-teens she was “ready to die”.

She said she used to “cry myself to sleep every night” following the abuse and that she had “lost all innocence”.

Jennings was jailed in October 2017 for the offences against the two other girls, which occurred between about 2008 and 2011. 

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The sentence was imposed after Jennings admitting rape and sexual activity with a child in relation to one of the victims, and one count of indecent assault against the other girl. 

The victims were two pre-teenage girls, who were abused by Jennings when he was in his mid-to-late 30s.

He sexually assaulted one of the girls outdoors while he was in a relationship with a woman, said Mr Penman.

Jennings plied the other victim with alcopops and played games “like truth or dare” with her. He ultimately raped the girl, who was too young to consent to sex, on “numerous occasions”.

Defence barrister Hussain Rukhshanda said Jennings was remorseful for his actions.

Judge Simon Hickey said the sexual abuse of the new victim had had a “horrendous” effect on her and that her impact statement made for “sobering reading”.

He told Jennings: 

“She said that’s a burden she carried from a young age due to your selfish actions.”

Jennings was jailed for two years and placed on the sex-offenders’ register for a further 10 years. 

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which will run for an indefinite period, to limit his contact with under-age girls. It also bans him from contacting any of the three victims. 

Key witness in Trump court case used to run Harrogate media firm

A key witness in Donald Trump’s court case used to run a media company in Harrogate.

David Pecker was chief executive of American Media Inc in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential elections. Court documents say he agreed to be the “eyes and ears” for the Trump campaign to prevent negative stories.

AMI owned the tabloid National Enquirer and was at the heart of the ‘catch and kill’ policy in which it paid hush money to bury stories to protect the former president. Trump is alleged to have falsified accounts when paying back the money.

Adult entertainer Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who both claim to have had affairs with Mr Trump, received payments.

AMI acquired Weider Publications, an international fitness and bodybuilding media company with offices at Windsor Court in Harrogate, in 2003.

The Harrogate business, which was run by an American, employed about 30 people and published European and Australian editions of the market-leading magazines Muscle&Fitness and Flex. It also ran a mail order business.

Mr Pecker kept a close eye on developments in Harrogate and often summoned staff from the town to America for business meetings.

He authorised the decision to close the Harrogate office in 2015 and sent a message to staff thanking them on their final day. The building, in the shadow of Windsor House, was later converted to flats.

Windsor Court

Windsor Court has been converted from offices to flats.

Despite being a major player in US media circles, Mr Pecker keeps a low media profile so his testimony is eagerly anticipated.

Ryan Goodman, a former special counsel at the Department of Defense, tweeted this week that “David Pecker is going to be a star witness”.

Trump is alleged to have falsified records “to conceal damaging information and unlawful activity from American voters before and after the 2016 election”.

He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsification of business records and claims Judge Juan Merchan “hates” him.

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Designer kitchen showroom opens in Harrogate

A new kitchen showroom has opened in Harrogate.

Designer Kitchen Direct, which is based in Sheffield, has opened the outlet on Ripon Road.

The company was founded by Mary Major and Dawn Raynor seven years ago and has since expanded to four showrooms and a manufacturing facility in the north east.

It also has showrooms in Staffordshire, Newton Aycliffe and Sheffield.

Gareth Wiseman, a director at Designer Kitchen Direct, said:

“Harrogate was an obvious choice to the directors for a new showroom as Harrogate is a beautiful popular location for retail.

“We chose the location on Ripon Road. It’s a unique spot and building with character with free parking outside.”

A display in the Harrogate showroom.

A display in the Harrogate showroom.

The showroom will include six displays over two floors.

The Harrogate site will be open seven days a week from 9am until 5pm.

You can find out more here.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate care provider celebrates 10th anniversary

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate dementia care provider is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Vida Healthcare was set up in 2013 and now employs 550 staff and cares for 230 residents across its care homes.

The company currently has homes in Starbeck, Pannal and Harlow Carr.

As part of the milestone, Vida held an awards ceremony and tea party for its staff.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, said:

“My father and I established Vida to transform the care available to people living with dementia. It was clear at the time that many traditional residential care homes simply didn’t have the resources or expertise to fully support their residents who were living with dementia.

“We set about challenging perceptions and practices in dementia care, with an emphasis on reducing the use of medications and instead providing bespoke environments and alternative therapies. I’m extremely proud of how far Vida has come since we opened the doors to our first care home back in 2013.“

Pictured above left to right: Chris Rycroft, chairman, Bernadette Mossman, healthcare director, Jillian Young, operations director and James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare.

Harrogate law firm hosts networking event

A Harrogate solicitors is set to hold a free networking event next month.

Ison Harrison Solicitors will host the session at West Park Hotel on Thursday, May 4.

It will be held from 4.30pm until 6.30pm.

The event will include a quiz, networking session and fundraising for charity Harrogate Neighbours.

For more information and to register for a place, visit the EventBrite page here.

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Tim Stedman to star in Harrogate Theatre panto again

Panto legend Tim Stedman will return to Harrogate for the 23rd time this Christmas.

Harrogate Theatre announced today Mr Stedman will play Idle Jack in Dick Whittington.

The production will run from November 22 to January 14. Tickets are already on sale.

Mr Stedman’s first appearance at the Victorian theatre on Oxford Street was in Sleeping Beauty in 2000. Since then he has become a huge favourite.

A Harrogate Theatre spokesperson said:

“Stay tuned as we release more information on the cast and creative team throughout the year.”

The spokesperson added this year’s production would be “packed with sparkle, silliness, and side-splitting jokes”.

You can book online here or via the box office on 01423502116.

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Dales Bus summer service to return this weekend

The Dales Bus summer service will begin its season this weekend.

The bus company provides access into and around the Yorkshire Dales on a not-for-profit basis.

It operates on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays throughout summer until October.

The 74 service from York Railway Station, which goes through Knaresborough and Harrogate and onto Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Burnsall and Grassington, starts on Saturday.

Another Saturday route, the 59, will help people travel from Harrogate to Blubberhouses, Bolton Bridge and Skipton.

The 875 will depart from York every Sunday and Bank Holiday, starting this Easter weekend.

This year, an additional Sunday and bank holiday service – the 876 – will run from York to Leeds, Otley, Ilkley and Grassington, with onward connections to Upper Wharfedale and Hawes.

The national £2 single bus fare cap, which has been extended until June 30, will apply to Dales Bus services.

Find more information on services and timetables here.

Christmas market on Harrogate’s Montpellier Hill bids to return this year

The original Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill could be set to make a comeback this year.

Brian Dunsby, co-organiser and founder of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, confirmed it had submitted an event management plan to North Yorkshire Council to stage the event from November 2 to 5.

The event was held annually from 2012 to 2019 until it was halted by covid.

Harrogate Borough Council then scuppered its prospects of returning by refusing to grant a licence and organising its own town centre Harrogate Christmas Fayre in conjunction with Market Place Europe, a specialist market company based in Greater Manchester.

But Harrogate Borough Council was abolished last weekend, with the new North Yorkshire Council taking its place.

The original Christmas market, which was organised by local people, had 170 traders and 53 coaches booked to attend in 2021 when the rug was pulled from under its feet.

By contrast, last year’s town centre fayre only had about 50 stalls, and some people have said there were too many food outlets and not enough craft stalls.

The fayre was accompanied by a giant Ferris wheel near the war memorial, an ice rink in Crescent Gardens and the Candy Cane Express free road train, which were popular with many visitors.

Some people welcomed the decision to hold the event in town rather than on the muddy Stray. Others said the new event lacks charm compared to Montpellier Hill.

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Destination Harrogate, a tourism organisation within North Yorkshire Council, issued a press release yesterday saying this year’s fayre would be extended from 10 days to 18 and run from December 1 to 17.

Because the dates for the seasonal events do not clash, there is the possibility that both could take place this Christmas.

Mr Dunsby declined to comment beyond confirming Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd had submitted its event management plan for what he hoped would be a similar event on Montpellier Hill to those staged up to 2019.

Too many food stalls?

Yesterday’s news release by Destination Harrogate announcing this year’s market extension did not mention North Yorkshire Council.

The Stray Ferret asked Destination Harrogate who was in charge of the market now Harrogate Borough Council no longer existed, who authorised the fayre extension and what response it had to claims that last year’s event had too many food stalls.

It said in a statement:

“The Harrogate Christmas Fayre has always been an event owned and operated by Market Place Europe and Destination Harrogate will continue to support them at a local level.

“The decision (to extend) was based on feedback from many of the town centre retailers, hoteliers and hospitality businesses, following the impact that the market made on their December trading. After taking on board the feedback from those sectors in particular, and following discussion with Market Place Europe, we’ve been able to agree the addition of the extra week and weekend.

“The market is open to any trader that wishes to apply to have a stall. We would actively encourage any local traders that would like to be part of the Christmas fayre to apply – as we have done since the new event was introduced in 2021. The variety and volume of stalls are dependent upon those traders that come forward and want to take the opportunity to be involved.”