A blood testing service in Harrogate is set to move to Knaresborough after the closure of a supermarket pharmacy.
The relocation comes as Lloyds Pharmacy in Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road is set to close.
The service, which is run by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, is operated from the supermarket pharmacy to provide flexibility for patients who require a blood test.
This is in addition to appointments at Harrogate District Hospital.
The service will relocate to Chain Lane Community Hub in Knaresborough on Tuesday, May 2, and will be open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 11am.
Emma Jocelyn, phlebotomy manager at HDFT said:
“We know that being able to have a blood test at a community location is extremely popular.
“We were keen to continue this service in the future and we are delighted to have found the ideal venue at the Chain Lane Community Hub which offers ample free parking, is well served by public transport, is fully accessible and has convenient shopping nearby.”
Ms Jocelyn added:
“The Chain Lane Community Hub location will be more convenient for some people, and we know that for others, the chance of being seen more quickly than at our hospital due to the shorter queues will appeal.
“We look forward to welcoming those people who need our help to our fantastic new location.”
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People who would have previously gone to Sainsbury’s for blood tests are being encouraged to visit the Chain Lane Community Hub amid upcoming building work at the hospital, which will reduce the waiting area at the hospital blood test service.
Visitors will not need to book an appointment, however they will need to bring with them an ICE request form from their GP or consultant for the test to be undertaken.
Sue Vasey, from the Chain Lane Community Hub, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the phlebotomy team to the community centre.
“This will be great for the people of Knaresborough and surrounding areas and we look forward to supporting this important new service to the town.”
Lloyds Pharmacy announced in January it was to close 237 of its outlets in Sainsbury’s supermarkets nationally.
The group said it made the decision due to “changing market conditions”.
Northern Lights turn Nidderdale sky purple and greenThe Northern Lights have turned the sky in the Harrogate district purple and green again.
The astral phenomenon, which is caused by the interaction of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere, has been visible for the last two nights
Amateur photographer Hefin Jones, who lives in Hampsthwaite, made the most of the opportunity by heading up Clint Bank to get this stunning photograph at 11pm on Sunday night.
Lancaster University’s Aurorawatch UK service said yesterday it was likely to be visible by eye anywhere in the UK.
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An international orienteering event is set to be held in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
The EuroCity races will be held this July and see participants compete in multiple locations including Cordoba, Vigo, Ghent and Sopot/Gdansk.
Harrogate and Knaresborough are set to host parts of the race on July 15 and 16.
The event is set to see between 300 and 500 participants take part.
Kay Hawke, project officer at British Orienteering, said:
“It is a typical orienteering event where participants wear an electronic timing chip and receive a map at the Start (they are not allowed to see the map beforehand).
“They must visit all of the controls (checkpoints) on their map in numerical order, choosing what they think is the best way between the checkpoints, simple – fastest time (and controls completed correctly) wins.”
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She added:
“The beauty of the sport is that following someone may not be the best option anyway, especially if they have chosen a longer route to a control.”
The Saturday will see a short sprint event based from and around the grounds of Knaresborough Castle, while Sunday will see an urban event around the streets of Harrogate.
For more information on the EuroCity race and how to take part, visit the website here.
Harrogate auction house sees 50 year old bottle of whisky fetch £12,000The next time someone at work gifts you a bottle of whisky, you might want to think twice before you open it.
A bottle of whisky that was consigned to Tennants Auctioneers in Harrogate has fetched £12,000 hammer price at auction.
The seller had been given it by a colleague a number a years ago and hadn’t realised how much it had appreciated in value.
The bottle was a Macallan 1940, 50 Year Old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky — one of the most collectable whiskies which has dramatically increased in value over the last 20 years.
The whisky was distilled on January 1 1940 and laid down by Macallan for 30 years, before the cask was bought by independent bottlers Gordon and Macphail.
They moved the cask to their warehouses in Elgin where it remained maturing for another 20 years before being bottled. It formed part of Gordon and Macphail’s Speymalt range and was sold with its original presentation case and certificate.
Macallan still continues to dominate the whisky market at auction.
The bottle was sold at Tennants’ fine wine and whisky sale at its auction house in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Friday.
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate mobile company partners with United States firm
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 mobile applications company has announced a partnership with an American telecommunications company.
Mobile Tornado, which is based at Cardale Park, has partnered with Stolz Telecom, which provides telecommunication services to public safety and enterprise sectors in the United States.
The partnership will see the American company act a reseller for Mobile Tornado’s push-to-talk over cellular and workforce management technologies in the US.
Luke Wilkinson, of Mobile Tornado, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Stolz Telecom, a highly respected company in its field. This partnership will open up new growth opportunities for Mobile Tornado in the United States.”
Robert Stolz, president of Stolz Telecom, said:
“Our vision is to create safer, more proactive organisations by redefining the boundaries of critical communications.
“We are excited to be able to offer Mobile Tornado’s world-leading solutions to our customers, the people who keep our communities safe.”
Directors group celebrates 120th anniversary
Business leaders across Yorkshire are celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Institute of Directors.
The group was formed in 1903 and granted a Royal Charter in 1906 ‘to represent the interests of members and of the business community to government and in the public arena.
Jon Geldart, director general at Institute for Directors.
To mark its 120th anniversary, IoD members are gathering at their prestigious London headquarters – 116 Pall Mall – on 13 June to celebrate with networking, exhibitions, speeches and a tour of our iconic building.
IoD Director General Jon Geldart said:
“We are very proud of our heritage as the voice for business and directors across the home nations.
“The IoD is also a movement for good, shaping regional and national agendas and influencing policy makers and government.”
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Man pleads guilty to failing to stop after serious crash in Harrogate
A man has pleaded guilty to failing to stop and report a serious crash on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road last year.
Harris Hendry-Hussain, of Swinton Court, Harrogate, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning charged with three offences.
The 21-year-old, who spoke only to confirm his name and address, was charged with driving without insurance, failing to stop after a road accident and failing to report the accident.
The prosecution told the court Hendry-Hussain was driving a Volkswagen Golf on the morning of the incident on March 6, 2022.
At 3.10am, police were called when Hendry-Hussain’s car crashed into two parked cars on Cold Bath Road.
The prosecution said a male, who was a passenger in the Volkswagen, was left at the scene and required hospital treatment for neck and back injuries.
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It added the 21-year-old was later identified on CCTV fleeing the scene of the crash.
In a statement at the time, North Yorkshire Police said it was only by “sheer luck” that no one died as a result of the collision.
Hendry-Hussain pleaded guilty to all three charges put to him in court this morning.
Harrogate Magistrates Court adjourned the case for sentencing on May 11.
Striking teachers to hold Harrogate rally on ThursdayThe National Education Union is to hold a rally in Harrogate on Thursday as part of a day of national strike action.
Teachers are due to strike on Thursday this week and Tuesday next week as part of their ongoing pay dispute with the government.
The action has been called after 98% of NEU members rejected the government’s latest pay offer.
Thursday’s rally by Britain’s largest teachers union will be held at Cambridge Crescent between 11am and noon and will include guest speakers from unions and the education sector.
Gary McVeigh-Kaye (pictured above), North Yorkshire branch secretary for the NEU, said:
“The government’s recent offer was an insult and in no way represented a serious negotiated settlement.
“Offering our members a 4.3% pay increase, whilst inflation is still over 10%, does not even begin to address the real terms pay cut of 24% most teachers have experienced under 13 years of Tory government.
“To add insult to injury, this pay increase was expected to be taken from already stretched school budgets.”
Mr McVeigh said the NEU had attracted 60,000 new members since its January strike ballot and called on the government to engage in “serious negotiations”.
Picket lines have been formed outside many schools in the Harrogate district on strike days.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has urged teachers to “get back to the classroom” and said a 4.5 per cent average pay rise would see the starting salary for a new teacher rise to £30,000.
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Harrogate train station set to have unmanned exit?
Harrogate train station could be set to have unmanned barriers on the exit leading to East Parade.
The barriers are currently monitored by staff, who help with ticket queries.
But a source contacted the Stray Ferret to say rail operator Northern planned to remove staff from the East Parade exit.
The source was concerned this posed safety risks if people needed to leave the station quickly and would also particularly inconvenience disabled people who require help at the barriers.
The Stray Ferret asked Northern if and when it planned to implement the new system and what response it had to the concerns.
Tony Baxter, regional director for Northern, said in a statement:
“We’re always looking at ways to improve the customer experience and passenger flow across our station estate, including Harrogate.
“Any improvement plans are always subject to rigorous safety and accessibility checks.”
Northern did not respond to a further email seeking clarification on when any changes would be implemented.
We also asked rail union the RMT if it had any concerns but it did not issue a response.
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Plan approved to convert former Cold Bath Road shop into bar and cafe
A plan to convert a former Cold Bath Road shop in Harrogate into a bar has been approved.
The proposal, which has been tabled by 17 Miles Ltd, will see the former store at 17 Cold Bath Road converted.
The building, next door to Lunns Blinds and Curtains, was previously occupied by Scandinavian clothes shop Bias, which has since moved to Montpellier Parade.
Now, North Yorkshire Council has approved a plan to convert it into a bar and cafe.
Documents submitted to the authority propose opening times from 4pm to 11pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 12pm to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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However, further details, including the name, have yet to be revealed.
Cold Bath Road already has a selection of pubs and bars, including the Fat Badger, District Bar and The Last Post.
Business Breakfast: Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate wins King’s AwardIt’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.
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has won a King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
The awards programme is presented by His Majesty King Charles III recognises outstanding UK business.
It has four categories including International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.
Garry Nield, international director for Taylors, said:
“We are honoured to have been recognised with this prestigious Award, especially in the year of His Majesty The King’s Coronation.
“Over the last six years the International Team at Taylors has worked extremely hard and showed unwavering commitment to share our Yorkshire passion for top quality tea and coffee with the world, building genuine, lasting relationships along the way.
“We have overcome challenges such as successfully delivering the adaptation of our packaging in advance of Brexit, not to mention the difficulties presented by the covid-19 pandemic.”
Harrogate BID showcases pop-up garden
Harrogate Business Improvement District showcased a pop-up garden at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show this past week.
The garden was on show for the full four days and was made in partnership with Harrogate International Partnerships.
Harrogate BID Manager, Matthew Chapman with BID Project Manager, Jo Caswell at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show with other representatives.
The arrival of a pop-up garden at the Spring Flower Show, marks Harrogate BID’s launch of this year’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration, a two-week long campaign which will run from July 12 to August 4.
Harrogate BID Manager, Matthew Chapman said:
“After winning gold in last year’s Yorkshire in Bloom, and now being named as a finalist in this year’s 2023 RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals, we are on a roll in helping the town regain its floral crown and are ready to rise to the challenge!
“Harrogate is famed as a floral town, and over the years has won many accolades. Our floral campaign, delivered by BID Project Manager Jo Caswell, is designed to celebrate our floral heritage and international relations.
“This year’s Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration theme will focus on the international connections our great town has around the world, told through a series of unique displays.”
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