Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will make her Harrogate debut this month – three years after her cellist brother, Sheku, accompanied by sister Isata, performed in the town.
The 20-year-old will perform work by Shostakovich, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Prokofiev as part of the Harrogate International Sunday Series on February 26. She will also give an exclusive performance of Florence Price’s Fantasie Negre.
Hosted by Harrogate International Festivals and staged in the Old Swan Hotel, the Sunday Series coffee concerts have been an annual fixture on Harrogate’s classical music calendar since 1991.
Ms Kanneh-Mason, the fifth of seven musically-gifted siblings and the third to establish herself as a soloist, is a former Classic FM rising star and a keyboard category finalist in BBC Young Musician 2018.
Read more:
- Harrogate district festival launches £7,000 search for classical singers
- New professional choir based in Ripon to give local concert
Discussing her Harrogate appearance, Ms Kanneh-Mason said:
“This programme has a large range of repertoire – from Prokofiev and Beethoven to Shostakovich.
“The individual pieces in the Romeo and Juliet and the Estampes show the importance of story-telling in music, which is something I am drawn to.”
Her brother and sister were the last performers to appear at Harrogate International Festivals in 2020 before lockdown devastated the arts world, and Jeneba admits it was not an easy time for her.
Jeneba’s programme comprises of Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in D major; Prokofiev’s 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75; Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 in E major; Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, and Florence Price’s Fantasie Negre No.1 in E minor.
Curious Cow roadworks near Harrogate to end tomorrowRoadworks that have caused lengthy delays near Harrogate for the last month are due to end tomorrow.
Four-way traffic lights were installed at the roundabout near the Curious Cow at Oaker Bank, Killinghall to allow Express Utilities to put in utility infrastructure for a nearby housing development.
The roadworks were due to continue until Friday but Matthew Ross, operations director at Express Utilities, said today:
“I am able to confirm that Express Utilities have progressed with our planned work at this location ahead of schedule.
“We are now due to complete and remove all of our traffic management set up by Monday 13th February.”
Read more:
- Temporary traffic lights near Killinghall set to last another four weeks
- Free Saturday parking to return in Harrogate after ‘technical error’
Harrogate bar bids to stay open until 6.30am
A Harrogate bar has applied to extend its operating hours until 6.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Best Bar opened a year ago next to Santorini Express on Parliament Street and already describes itself as a bar and night club.
It is a wine and cocktail bar in the evenings and on Fridays and Saturdays also offers music and DJs from 9.30pm.
In March last year, it successfully applied to Harrogate Borough Council to extend its operating hours from 11.30pm to 4am.
It has now applied to the council to further extend the hours on Fridays and Saturdays until 6.30am.
A spokesman at Best Bars told the Stray Ferret the recent demise of nearby Viper Rooms meant it was the “only bar in Harrogate with proper nightclub music and DJs” and many people did not want to go home at 4am.
He said the club had already successfully trialled some temporary extensions until 6.30am and they proved successful because people were able to party longer and there were fewer problems caused by everyone having to leave at a time when many weren’t ready to do so. He added:
“It made a huge difference and was a great success all round.”
Last month Mojo in Harrogate applied to extend its opening hours until 6.30am as the Harrogate late night scene continues to evolve following the closure of Viper Rooms.
Read more:
- Harrogate Mojo applies to extend opening hours until 6.30am
- Harrogate nightclub Viper Rooms closes suddenly
Still no timeframe on refurbishment of Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens
The company behind plans to transform Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens with a two-storey extension has said it still plans to go ahead with the scheme.
Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates plans to turn the building into offices, a rooftop restaurant and a gym. But there is still no timeframe on when it will happen.
Impala bought the former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters for £4 million in 2020.
The council, which vacated the building in 2016, approved Impala’s plans in May last year. But since then work has not started and there has been no further update.
The Stray Ferret asked Impala why the redevelopment had been delayed and what the latest timeframe was, and also whether its plans had been revised.
James Hartley, a director of Impala, said:
“Planning was granted with conditions attached in which myself and my design team are working through with the council.
“The plans for the development have not been revised since planning.”
David Hartley, a director of Impala, told a council meeting last year the plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town, “which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space”.
Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.
Read more:
Free Saturday parking to return in Harrogate after ‘technical error’
A “technical error” that left drivers unable to take advantage of planned free parking has been corrected for the coming weekend.
Harrogate BID had organised the offer to run in the Victoria Car Park, from 10am to 6pm, every Saturday until February 18.
However, shoppers who had parked after 10am last Saturday were shocked to find they had to pay for their parking on departure.
Harrogate BID has apologised for the error and said it has offered refunds to people who were charged.
BID manager Matthew Chapman added:
“We would like to apologise to those who came into town last Saturday to take advantage of BID-funded free parking in Victoria Car Park and were asked to pay.
“This was an oversight by our Harrogate Borough colleagues who had not set the payment metres for a new month, and we have offered refunds to those who inadvertently had to pay.
“I’d like to reassure those coming into Harrogate either this Saturday and the following Saturday, February 11 and February 18, that they can park for free between 10am and 6pm in Victoria Car Park.”
One resident, who asked not to be named, said signage for the free parking had been in place when she arrived around 10.30am on Saturday.
However, by the time she left at 2pm, the signage had been removed.
She said a parking attendant told her the offer had been “pulled”, and she saw several “angry” people complaining.
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:
“Unfortunately, due to a technical error, free parking wasn’t available in Victoria car park in Harrogate on Saturday, February 4 as planned.
“We can confirm free parking will be available at Victoria car park on the next two Saturdays, thanks to Harrogate BID.”
Read more:
- Harrogate offers free Saturday parking to boost sales post Christmas
- New chair to take the reins at Harrogate BID
Stray Ferret Business Awards: A prize fit for the President
The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 will be an evening of celebration for the finalists and the winners – and everyone who attends also has the chance to win big.
We’re giving away a one-night stay in the Presidential Suite at Grantley Hall, plus dinner in either Fletchers or Eighty Eight.
A ticket to the awards evening means automatic entry into the prize draw and this fabulous night at Grantley.
So what level of luxury awaits the lucky winner? Take a look at the image below…
The Presidential Suite at Grantley Hall.
After a night in this suite, the winner will get a taste of what it feels like to be Joe Biden. Maybe they’ll even see him in the hallway.
Speaking of which, don’t worry about entering the hotel with the rest of the punters, because the Presidential Suite has its own private hallway, accessed from the rooftop atrium.
The four-piece bathroom, boasting a double vanity and a walk-in shower, is the perfect excuse to have that 45 minute shower you’ve been dreaming of, but the water bill said otherwise…
The Presidential Suite caters to your every need. All you will need to worry about is finding the right dinner suit and pyjama set… if all else fails, just borrow your parents’.
The winners of this prize will only have one thing to squabble about on the day: which restaurant to have dinner in?
That is an undeniably hard decision, but your tastebuds and tummies will be very satisfied regardless.
Fletchers Restaurant delivers sophisticated all-day dining. The menu is a combination of British and European cuisine, offering a range of dishes, including confit duck & foie royal terrine, fillet of beef Wellington and a whole grilled lobster – a nice change from spaghetti bolognese.
Beef Wellington is served at Fletchers.
There’s no need to fly to Japan when you can visit Eighty Eight. The restaurant brings a taste of Far Eastern flavours to Yorkshire produce and immerses guests into an ornamental Japanese garden within the restaurant.
Eighty Eight’s menu includes grilled diver scallops, robata grilled monkfish, five spiced duck breast and a toffee apple & miso tart.
Eighty Eight brings Eastern flavours to the West
Don’t pass up the opportunity to win this golden ticket prize. Who knows, the winner may even check out feeling powerful enough to run the country.
For more information on the awards and to purchase tickets, click here.
Terms and conditions:
Valid for two guests sharing. Subject to availability. Valid Sunday – Thursday and excludes bank holidays. Cannot be redeemed against Christmas and New Year packages. The voucher includes £100 towards the final food bill in the chosen restaurant, pre-booking must be made to redeem voucher. Once initially redeemed any outstanding amounts cannot be transferred to a future visit.
Council ‘examining best options’ for £1.8m Cardale Park landCounty council bosses are “examining the best options” for land at Cardale Park in Harrogate after purchasing it for £1.8 million.
The three-acre site on Beckwith Head Road in Harrogate was previously owned by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, which runs mental health services in the district.
North Yorkshire County Council completed the purchase of the land last year.
At the time, the authority said it had bought the site in order to progress a “scheme to assist with social care market development in the Harrogate area”.
Cllr Michael Harrison, executive county councillor for health and adult services, said the council was now assessing how to use the land.
He said:
“We acquired the Cardale Park site with the intention of increasing the care services available in Harrogate.
“We are still in the process of examining the best options for meeting the community’s needs and will bring forward a scheme in due course.”
The land was previously given approval for a 36-bed mental health facility on the site, following the closure of Harrogate District Hospital’s Briary Unit, which helped adults with mental illness.
However, those plans were dropped in 2019 and inpatients on the unit were sent to Foss Park Hospital in York instead.
Read more:
- Harrogate ambulance striker: ‘Nobody wants to wait three hours to offload patients’
- County council to buy Cardale Park site for care facility
Business Breakfast: National award for Harrogate ice cream business
The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. You can purchase tickets here.
A Harrogate ice cream business has been named Ice Cream Van 2023 in a prestigious industry awards scheme.
John Taylor of C&M Ices picked up the title at the National Ice Cream Championships gala dinner, put on by trade association the Ice Cream Alliance at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harrogate.
Mr Taylor said:
“Winning this award is the biggest honour of my life. I am not often lost for words but the moment it was announced I was literally speechless.
“As an ice cream van operator you can’t get a much more prestigious award, and it proves to everyone we put our all into our business.”
C&M Ices was established in 1889 and remains a family business, now in its fourth generation.
Mr Taylor has been working in ice cream vans since he left school and can be found in one of his vans pitched outside the Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate most days from April to September, weather permitting, as well as catering for events and weddings.
Berwins promotes family lawyer to associate
Berwin Solicitors has promoted a family lawyer as part of ongoing development at the practice.
The Harrogate-based firm has appointed Emma Lees as an associate following her work in the family law team.
Emma Lees, associate at Berwins Solicitors.
Following the announcement, Ms Lees said:
“I’m thrilled to be continuing to develop my career at Berwins and to be working alongside some truly exceptional family law specialists.
“The firm is an exciting and rewarding place to work and, with new developments in the pipeline, I’m looking forward to contributing to our ongoing growth and future success.”
Head of family Danielle Day added:
“Emma has made an outstanding start to her legal career, showing not only a deep understanding of the law and a proactive approach to resolving difficulties but also to care.
“Care for our clients sits at the heart of the way Berwins operates and is particularly important when supporting those in the often challenging position of relationship breakdown.”
Read more:
- Business Breakfast: Ripon engineering firm partners with The British Heart Foundation
- Business Breakfast: New café opens on Harrogate’s Cardale Park
- Business Breakfast: Harrogate business owner donates book proceeds to charity
Harrogate’s Otley Road to be dug up again
Harrogate’s Otley Road is to be dug up for the second time in just over a year.
Work is due to start on Monday, February 20 and last for two weeks subject to external factors such as weather.
North Yorkshire County Council contractors spent three months creating the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway between September and December 2021.
The same stretch of road is now set to be disturbed again to allow the firm City Fibre to install fibre optic cables that will enable people to receive full fibre-enabled broadband services.
City Fibre is nearing the end of a £46 million upgrade of broadband connectivity in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. Otley Road will be the last area to be completed in Harrogate.
The county council was due to begin remedial work early this year on cycleway design faults and defects highlighted by residents and Harrogate District Cycle Action.
But a report to councillors for a meeting tomorrow says:
“In May 2022 the fibre optic network company City Fibre contacted North Yorkshire County Council with a request to install fibre optic cables down the full length of the newly constructed cycleway.
“We have negotiated with City Fibre to reinstate the full width of the cycleway at their expense. We will therefore carry out our outstanding remedial works once City Fibre have installed their apparatus.”
Read more:
- Confirmed: second phase of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle route scrapped
- Plans confirm football pitches will be lost in 200-home Harrogate scheme
Kim Johnston, City Fibre area manager, said in a press release sent out previously that the firm will repair defects at its own expense when it makes good the road. She said:
“We are working closely with North Yorkshire County Council in this area as we understand that the footways on Otley Road have undergone recent resurfacing.
“With the council’s agreement, as part of City Fibre’s essential development works, the footways will be restored, including repairs to defects that North Yorkshire County Council were due to carry out.”
Popularity of Harrogate’s premium indoor padel tennis centre continues to ‘surge’
This story is sponsored by Surge Padel.
The UK’s largest premium indoor padel tennis centre has ‘surged’ in popularity, with players travelling from across the country for games.
Based at Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park, Surge Padel has grown to 1,400 members, with its six courts often fully booked.
Owner and CEO Stuart Perrin said members often play up to four times a week and he puts the sport’s popularity down to its simplicity.
He said:
“You serve underhand and the ball stays in play a lot longer than tennis. It’s a lot less technical, so people of all ages and abilities can play. It’s also super social as you play in pairs. Once you’ve played a few times you just keep coming back.”
A mashup of tennis and squash that originated in Mexico, padel has been described as one of the world’s fastest growing sports.
It is played between four players on reduced-size tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.
Since November 2020, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has been the national governing body for the sport when it was officially recognised as a discipline of tennis. This has opened the door for greater recognition, support and funding.
Mr Perrin said:
“Because it is so fresh in the UK, we get people travelling to play. We get people from Middlesbrough and the far side of Leeds regularly.
“There aren’t facilities like this anywhere else, especially fully indoors.
“We have people coming from far and wide. I would say around 900 of our members are from the Harrogate district and the rest are from further afield.”
Surge Padel, which is located above Coach gym, is now a centre of excellence for the UK is fully affiliated with the LTA. It has hosted European Championships and events are held at the club most weekends.
Mr Perrin said:
“We are the largest padel tennis club in the UK and are member based. We’ve only been open since January 2022 and it is now getting really difficult to book a court on an evening, as it’s so popular. If we could have built a bigger site, we would have done!
“We have got a further four centres opening in 2023. One of those will hopefully be in Leeds.
“We offer state-of-the-art facilities at an affordable price.”