A Harrogate woman has taken command of a Royal New Zealand Navy ship.
Yvonne Gray is a former student of Bilton Grange Primary School and Harrogate Granby High School.
She moved to the pacific with her wife Sharon 2012 after falling in love with the country following a camper van holiday.
She initially trained as a teacher, but joined the Royal Navy and then moved onto the Royal New Zealand Navy.
As the Commanding Officer of the RNZN’s Mine Counter Measures Team she participated in activities all over the world, and her role in maritime evaluation has seen her help ‘work up’ ships and crews to peak efficiency.
She said her eyes lit up at the thought of taking command of HMNZS Manawanui, which entered service with the Royal New Zealand Navy three years ago.
Commander Gray said:
“Sure, for a lot of warfare officers, that’s the pinnacle of their career to get to ‘drive’ a ship. I prefer to think of my career as a ridgeline, sometimes the view is good and sometimes it is better.
“When I’ve really enjoyed a job it’s because I’ve made a difference, where things are a little bit better than they were before. With Manawanui, it’s not just about the command. This is an opportunity to take a ship still in its infancy and further the capability of that ship, and influence and help those who carry our Navy into the future.”
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The vessel HMNZS Manawanui is based at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. Manawanui is Māori for ‘steadfast’ or ‘big heart’.
The ship is the first Commander Gray has taken charge of in her career.
Commander Gray took charge the ship this week.
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s dive, hydrographic and salvage vessel HMNZS Manawanui at sea.
She joined the Royal Navy in 1993 as a warfare officer and signed an eight-year commission.
“The idea was at the end of eight years you got £23,000. I was really into cooking at the time and I thought do eight years, get £23,000, open my own restaurant.”
But several years in, she knew the Navy life was for her.
Harrogate army instructor faces court martial over sex charges“I was really enjoying myself. I could see it was an organisation where I fitted well.”
An instructor at Harrogate’s Army Foundation College is to appear before a court martial next month accused of sexual offences.
The college, on Penny Pot Lane, provides 23-week and 49-week basic training courses to junior soldiers aged 16 to 18.
It was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted last year but has been dogged by allegations of misconduct.
A British Army spokesman said:
“We are aware of a number of alleged incidents, some of which are historical, at Army Foundation College Harrogate. These are being investigated.
“Those who are guilty of wrongdoing will be held accountable for their actions. It would be inappropriate to comment further.”
The Telegraph reported this week the instructor is charged with more than 20 offences, including at least five counts of alleged sexual assaults of 16-year-old girls.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the newspaper the government was drawing up plans to ensure army instructors who have sex with their students faced criminal prosecutions.
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate branding agency appoints technical director
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Today is the final Business Breakfast of 2022. It will return in the New Year.
A Harrogate branding agency has appointed a new technical director.
Dan Martin has joined Impression Studio, which is based on Albert Street, after spending two years at creative agency Jaywing.
Mr Martin has 20 years of experience in a range of industries including electronics, HR, education, and a variety of web agencies.
On joining Impression, he said:
“I’m just so excited to have this opportunity.
“I know I have skills and experience that will benefit Impression but it’s also a chance for me to take the next step in my career and test myself at a new level.
“I was happy in my previous role and could have stayed there forever, but this was just too good to miss and I’m really looking forward to seeing where we go together.”
Mr Martin will be tasked with overseeing all technical aspects of the work produced. At a strategic level he will be setting the direction of the agency in terms of the technologies used and the approach taken.
Charlie Hartley, managing director of Impression, said:
“Dan brings a wealth of experience delivering complex technical solutions for Enterprise level brands looking to innovate digitally.
“He’ll be implementing Headless CMS & React development solutions to position the agency as one of the leading web development agencies in the north of England.”
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Boroughbridge company appoints new director
Boroughbridge-based firm Reed Boardall has appointed a new director.
Norman Hartley, who has been with the firm for 16 years, has been promoted to transport operations director.
Previously head of transport operations, Norman joined the business in 2006 and has progressed through various positions including operations shift manager and planning manager.
In his new role, Norman will be responsible for reviewing and developing processes to drive efficiency and achieve organisational growth.
Marcus Boardall, chief executive, said:
Harrogate company fined £170,000 after employee contracts blood infection at contaminated lake“Norman is a confident leader who has constantly demonstrated his ability to manage, motivate and develop teams to deliver operational excellence.
“He’s a fantastic example of one of our many long-serving colleagues who, through hard work and talent, has built a career with us. This latest promotion is well-deserved recognition of his commitment to the company and we believe he will make a valuable contribution in his new role.”
A Harrogate company has been fined £170,000 after one of its employees contracted a blood infection working at a lake contaminated with sewage.
The man was working for Alder and Allan Ltd, which is based on Station Parade and employs 1,250 staff, during a clean-up operation at a lake near Churchbridge, Cannock, Staffordshire, in June 2019.
Alder and Allan, which was founded in 1926, specialises in environmental clean-ups on behalf of public and private sector companies.
The employee had been working at the lake for two weeks before contracting leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease) and became seriously ill.
Dead fish had to be cleaned out of the lake after it was contaminated with sewage when a nearby pipe burst.
‘Serious risk of ill health’
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, which regulates workplace health and safety, found there was a serious risk of ill health to employees at the site as there were inadequate hygiene provisions in place to suitably guard against bacteriological and pathogen infection.
The man was left with a rash across his whole body meaning he had to limit contact with his family. His kidney and liver also had to be monitored. He was given antibiotics and did not make a full recovery for around four months.
It was also found that no on-site toilets were provided and workers were forced to use a local supermarket to wash and go to the toilet.
There was also a lack of supervision at the site, with the company also failing to conduct a suitable risk assessment and implement an appropriate system of work.
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The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Act 1974 and Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and were fined £126,100 and ordered to pay costs of £43,494.
HSE inspector Lyn Mizen said:
“This serious ill health matter could have been avoided if the clearly foreseeable risks and dangers had been appropriately controlled and managed, right from the outset.
“Portable welfare units can be easily sourced and are clearly needed for heavily contaminated work situations such as this.
“HSE will not hesitate to hold duty holders to account if they fall short of appropriate welfare standards.”
‘Significant efforts were made to address the risk’
A spokesperson for Adler and Alan Ltd said:
Losing horticultural nursery will be ‘big, sad loss’ for Harlow Hill, says councillor“We have received a judgement in a health and safety case, relating to an incident in 2019.
“Following work on a client site, an employee of Adler and Allan contracted leptospirosis.
“It was ruled that although significant efforts were made to address the risk, a short delay in getting a welfare van to site meant we did not meet the high standards we set ourselves on this occasion. We cooperated fully with the Health and Safety Executive following the event and undertook all required rectifying work.
“The health and safety of our people is one of our core values. We take this extremely seriously, continually investing in our SHEQ capability, ensuring that all relevant policies are in place and adhered to, the correct PPE is issued and used, and employees are provided with training that always meets or exceeds regulatory requirement.”
A councillor has said Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to relocate its horticultural nursery from Harlow Hill will mean a “big, sad loss” for the area.
The authority’s cabinet met yesterday to rubber stamp buying land for a larger nursery elsewhere in the district.
The move paves the way for a sale of the current facility at Harlow Hill to a housing developer, with 62 homes mooted.
The council grows flowers for its displays across the district at the site on Nursery Lane. It also sells plants to members of the public to bring in revenue.
Officers prepared a report that does not disclose the specific location of the land the council wants to buy, citing a confidentiality exemption, only that it’s in the Killinghall and Hampsthwaite ward and is valued above £250,000.
Liberal Democrat member for Harlow & St Georges Division on North Yorkshire County Council, Michael Schofield, told the Local Democracy Service the move away from Harlow Hill will be keenly felt by residents as many have walked there to buy plants for decades.
He said:
“You’re forcing people who live here to drive their car elsewhere. That could be detrimental and it’s not very eco-friendly.”
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Cllr Schofield is also landlord of the nearby Shepherd’s Dog pub and he decorates the pub with plants bought from the nursery.
He said many people enjoy buying plants there and walking through the Pinewoods and Valley Gardens afterwards.
He added the nursery also serves as part of a horticultural trail as it connects with RHS Harlow Carr and the charity-run nursery Horticap. He said:
“I understand what people may call progress but we have three fantastic horticultural sites all within walking distance of each other. That inspires people. Residents living here will be very sad to see it go.”
‘Need to move on’
Harlow Hill is not represented on Harrogate Borough Council after Conservative Jim Clark resigned in October. There will not be a by-election as the council will be abolished on March 31.
The council argues in the report discussed last night that a move to a larger site will enable greater commercial opportunities.
The Harlow Hill nursery is a significant earner for the council with its 2020/21 annual report stating it brought in income of £153,477.
Conservative cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, Cllr Sam Gibbs, told cabinet that the move away from Harlow Hill is “the right next step”. He said:
Harrogate’s Rachel Daly named WSL Player of the Month — again!“We will be aware of all the good that the Harlow Hill nursery does but also its shortcomings, particularly around size and commercial opportunities going forward. Therefore, there’s a real need to move on from Harlow Hill as we look to the future.
“The land identified seems to tick all the boxes and I’m fully supportive if all other members are.”
Harrogate-born footballer Rachel Daly’s amazing year continued today when she was named Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month for November.
Daly, who was part of England’s thrilling European Championships success in the summer, has been in red-hot form in front of goal since signing for Aston Villa from Houston Dash this season.
She won the player of the month award in September and has now landed it a second time for playing a key role in Villa victories over Liverpool and Reading in November.
Rachel Daly displays her award.
The former Killinghall Nomads player scored a penalty to seal a 1-0 win over Liverpool before recording a hat-trick against Reading at Villa Park to give her four league goals last month.
Daly is the league’s joint top scorer and has helped catapult Villa to fifth in the table.
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£11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme delayed for another year
The £11.9m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme has been delayed again and is now not due to start for another year.
In an update yesterday, Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, said it remained “committed” to the controversial project.
But he added the council was still evaluating the results of the third round of consultation, which ended in August, and would ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for their views before deciding whether to proceed.
Information attached to the summer consultation said it was “anticipated that construction would begin in winter 2022/3 for approximately 12 months”.
The council is now, however, saying work will start in late 2023.
Cllr Keane Duncan
Cllr Duncan said:
“We remain committed to moving forward with the gateway scheme, which represents more than £11m of investment into Harrogate.
“The most recent consultation attracted more than 2,000 responses, almost twice the number from previous consultations, as well as more than 5,000 individual comments. We thank all those who took part.
“The results of this consultation show opinion is finely balanced. Full evaluation and consideration of the responses is being completed and we will publish these early in the New Year.
“Following this, we will ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for views on their support for a scheme that could be transformational for the town, and whether they want it to go ahead.
“Subject to final approvals, it is anticipated construction will begin late in 2023.”
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The Stray Ferret asked the council about the scheme as there had been no updates since the summer consultation and work was due to begin anytime now.
We also asked whether the threat of a judicial review, which was raised by the owner of Hornbeam Park this year, remained but Cllr Duncan’s statement did not address this.
Latest delay in controversial saga
The Station Gateway was hailed as the “greatest investment in decades” in Harrogate town centre by Cllr Duncan’s predecessor, Cllr Don Mackenzie, when funding was secured from the Department for Transport.
It would see part of James Street pedestrianised and part of Station Parade made single lane, as well as significant changes to the public realm near the Victoria monument.
How Station Parade would look
The government department had set a deadline of March 2023 for completion and work was due to have started in spring this year and last for a year.
But in January this year it was announced the scheme had been pushed back a year and now the same thin has happened again.
The project is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to promote active travel.
North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority all support the gateway.
It has divided opinion with supporters saying it would boost cycling and walking as well as modernise the area around the train station.
But critics argue it could increase traffic delays and disrupt town centre business.
Weetons wins Harrogate’s Christmas shop window competition
Weetons has been declared the overall winner of the Harrogate Christmas Window Dressing competition 2022.
Store manager Jess Upson and Vicky Davis designed and produced the award-winning display at the food hall on West Park.
A total of 26 shops entered the competition, which was organised by Harrogate Business Improvement District and the Rotary Club of Harrogate.
Weetons won the overall category as well as the prize in the large shops category. West Park Hotel, Bettys and Mama Doreen’s Emporium were highly commended in the large shops category.
Helen James Flowers on Station Parade won the medium shops category, with The Yorkshire Soap Company highly recommended.
In the small shops category, Harrogate International Festivals came out on top. Sophie Likes, Foxy Vintage and interiors, Susie Watson Designs and Bijouled earned highly recommended accolades.
The winners were announced at the West Park Hotel on Tuesday. Harrogate borough mayor Cllr Victoria Oldham handed out certificates.
Helen James Flowers won the Christmas window shop for medium retailers
Harrogate International Festivals won the Christmas window shop for small retailers
Wetherby Road crossing ‘likely to cause further delays’ for Harrogate drivers
A new crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road is likely to cause “further delays” for drivers, a county council officer has said.
North Yorkshire County Council yesterday revealed plans to install a toucan crossing on the road next to Slingsby Walk on the Stray to encourage walking and cycling in Harrogate.
The crossing would be the fourth set of lights in less than a mile between the Empress roundabout and the Woodlands junction, which is already one of the most congested stretches of road around Harrogate.
In a report outlining the proposal, Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation, accepted the move would likely increase pressure on the road network.
He added there were also officer concerns over “existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road”.
However, he said that the measure had to be balanced with the benefit that it would offer to both pedestrians and cyclists.
Slingsby Walk is popular for walkers and cyclists.
Mr Mason said:
“Any additional crossing of the A661 Wetherby Road will likely cause further delays for people travelling on the road.
“It is felt, however, that the signalised crossing would be of benefit to pedestrians and cyclists and the safety and movement of vulnerable road users should be prioritised in this location in order to achieve a better balance between travel modes.”
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Mr Mason added that the measure has the potential to more than double the cyclists on Slingsby Walk.
According to the report, a cycle count in the area on a single day in 2021 counted 84 cyclists.
Mr Mason said:
“Given the route’s geography, it is highly likely that most of these cyclists reached the A661 at the proposed crossing point location.
“The proposed crossing is thought to satisfy a key desire line for present and future cyclists.”
‘Creating opportunities’ for cycling and walking
Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, is to consider the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, December 14.
If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24.
Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.
Cllr Duncan said:
Business Breakfast: Harrogate firm acquires Ripon advertising company“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.
“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.”
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal
A Harrogate advertising company has acquired Adverta Transport Advertising as part of an expansion at the firm.
CP Media, which has offices on East Parade, will add 23 more staff to its team following the acquisition.
Adverta, which is based in Ripon, is one of the UK’s largest bus and tram advertising specialists and represents around 30 bus companies.
Mike Brennan, chief executive of CP Media, said:
“The bus and tram advertising sector is one that we know well. I was heavily involved in transport advertising for many years alongside my business partner Andrew Walker. This means that Adverta is a perfect fit for our ambitious growth strategy.
“We are really looking forward to working with the Adverta team and growing the business in the same way that we have grown the main CP Media business and subsequently Eye Airports following our 2019 acquisition.”
Lisa Ratcliffe, managing director of Adverta, said:
“I am proud of Adverta and very happy that it will be joining the CP Media group.
“CP Media has a great track record of diversification, acquisition and growth and I know that this move will help Adverta to grow significantly.”
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Knaresborough opticians win social media award
A Knaresborough opticians has won an award recognising its social media practice.
Yorkshire Eyewear, which has a branch on High Street in the town, picked up the award at the Opticians Awards in London.
The awards aim to recognise best practice in the industry.
A total of 32 categories were up for nomination, including technology, lens, frame, and contact lens award.
In a tweet, Yorkshire Eyewear said it was delighted to win the best social media practice award.
It said:
“Congratulations to all the other finalists. We are all winners.”