Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

I was very sad to read of the recent closure of the St George Hotel in Harrogate. My father, Bill Pritchard, worked there for around 40 years, starting as a hall porter and later acquiring the grand title of front of house manager. I think he would certainly have agreed with Mr Donkin that hospitality was ‘the best job in the world’. 

The hotel changed a lot over the years, but the front desk, as it was then (see photo taken in 1954) has long gone. However, at the time, it was the first thing you saw as you went through the rotating doors into the lobby and it was where guests checked in and out and collected their room keys, messages etc. There was also an old-fashioned switchboard where each call had to be put through to a room or the office. 

Though my father’s job changed over the years he still maintained customer contact and no more so than when a trade fair was taking place in the town. Toy Fair, for example, was held in Harrogate and I recall being the lucky recipient of a very nice doll or two – thanks to my father’s hard work assisting the sales representatives staying at the hotel.

(From left to right) Bill Pritchard, May Barker, Eddie Jack (head porter) and Jack pictured on New Years 1954.

My mother sometimes worked at the hotel too, as what I think was called at the time an extra duck. My understanding of this is that they were brought in as extra waitresses for big events, such as banquets and balls. I will always remember how smart both my parents looked for work. My mother wore a black skirt and top with white cuffs, collar, hat and apron. My father always dressed smartly; I never saw him looking scruffy. He never owned a pair of jeans or a T-shirt and always polished his shoes.

When The Kinks were staying at the hotel, my father came home with Ray Davies’ autograph for me. Other famous people were guests and he often mentioned that he had met Sir Laurence Olivier.

I don’t recall a car park at the hotel but there may have been some limited parking at the side. My father sometimes mentioned assisting guests by instructing them as they manoeuvred into a space. I’ve always wondered how he did that, as he couldn’t drive and never owned a car.

Kathleen Mitchell

Further blow for Kingsley area

Thank you for giving us residents in the Kingsley area a voice with all that is going on with all the houses being built in the Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane junction area. To read that a sixth housing plot has now been agreed was a further blow as the area can’t even handle the other five – and five that are not even fully populated yet.

Although the infrastructure is not set up in the area for nurseries, schools, hospitals, doctors, dentists etc. (and in my opinion never will be) I am currently more concerned about the effect of the “normal” day to day basics that impact the “everyday person”. Such as getting to their destinations or commute to work, the impact on air quality because it’s just one constant traffic jam, the impact when ambulances can’t get through and the danger to pedestrians crossing.

The through road access between Kingsley Road and Bogs Lane has now been closed several times over the last couple of years which we have had to put up with. Why? So us pesky residents in our cars going about our day to day business in the area that we have brought houses didn’t get in the way of the construction vehicles, so the amenity suppliers could dig the road up over and over again because a long term housing plan hadn’t been thought of by council “planners”? 

But we put up with this. Then they resurfaced Bogs Lane – but not Kingsley Road or the bridge that has been wreaked by the lorries – to the point of being dangerous.

Dee Downton, Kingsley

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Harrogate drivers to lose out under new regulations

I have just read the information on your website about the new taxi regulations and find myself surprised as to the lack of detail on the impact on Harrogate taxi drivers.

You have failed to mention that prior to the WAV revolution some two years ago, Hackney carriage plates were sold privately amongst interested parties.

These plates were valued at somewhere in the region of £15,000, and often sold for more. Their value now will be nothing, resulting in all Harrogate taxi drivers to lose £15,000 immediately as the new North Yorkshire merge is completed.

Once again, unqualified decision makers with a lack of common sense and knowledge of the taxi trade are failing both local taxi drivers and their loyal passengers.

I dread to think the number of complaints which will arise for OTT taxi fares, when “out of town drivers” fail in their capacity to be able to navigate the numerous roadworks which cause chaos in our day to day operation.

The list is endless as to why not employing local taxi drivers is beneficial.

Peter Brown, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Find it all a little too overhyped and mushy? If you are looking for something different to the dozen red roses and dinner out this Valentine’s week, there are events happening in the Harrogate district that may be an option for you and your loved one.

Whether you’re into the supernatural, a night at the Opera or just an evening of laughter, here are four ideas for an interesting, if less romantic, night out.

My Bloody Valentine – Ouija Event

If you really are anti-Valentine’s and seeking something sinister this year, Paul Forster and Dead Northern’s séance may be an option.

The event will take place on the rooftop of the Yorkshire Hotel in Harrogate on Saturday 11 February, from 7pm – 10pm.

Organisers say guests can expect “a cross between an interactive séance and a psychological spook show”. There will be a Ouija board present at the event – some may even attempt to connect with spirits passed.

Tickets include entry to the event and a hot meal in the intermission.

Guests are invited to bring a personal item with them to add value to their experience.

Ticket prices start at £33.30.

For more information, click here.

Four Weddings and a Murder

Keeping in line with the darker side of love, an immersive murder mystery event, Four Weddings and a Murder, will take place at Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate.

The event will run from 7.30pm – 10.30pm on Friday 24 February.

Guests join a group of friends celebrating a wedding, during which a murder takes place. The audience are invited to help solve the murder before it’s too late.

The night includes a three-course meal. Guests can also upgrade their tickets to include an overnight stay in the hotel with breakfast the following morning.

Tickets for the event start from £51.

Find more information here.

Read more:

• Family of WWI soldier find where he was killed – by chance
• New Masham restaurant wins Michelin Guide accolade

Royal Opera House Live: The Barber of Seville

On a slightly more romantic note, if culture is what you are looking for this Valentine’s, Everyman Cinema is hosting a live stream of the Royal Opera House’s adaptation of “The Barber of Seville”.

The Everyman Cinema is located in the centre of Harrogate.

The Italian comic opera tells the story of a young girl, Rosina. After falling in love with a mysterious suitor, Rosina must use her cunning wit and disguises to outsmart her calculated guardian.

The live stream will take place on Wednesday 15 February at 6.45pm.

Click here for more information.

Harrogate Theatre: Bouncers

Budding thespians might fancy a trip to the local theatre this Valentine’s. John Godber Company presents “Bouncers” at Harrogate Theatre.

The play will run from 13-15 February, with both evening and matinee performances.

The play follows four friends reliving a night in a Yorkshire disco in the 1980’s. Guests can expect all aspects of the night out on stage, including the DJ and even a fish & chip van.

Tickets for the play start at £18.

Find more information here.

This week’s photograph was taken by Thomas Russell, who captured an eye-catching green comet as it flew through the night sky for the first time in 50,000 years. Thomas was able to capture this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime image from his front garden in Harrogate.

Comet C/2022 E3(ZTF) by Thomas Russell

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

On Monday 5 February, Harrogate Restaurant Week will begin. Restaurants in and around Harrogate are taking part in a promotional week, serving up some tasty discounts and helping us enjoy the luxury of dining out for less.

Restaurant Week is running from Monday 6 – Friday 10 February.

To help you save your pennies, we have curated a list of six participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week offers.

The Fat Badger

The Fat Badger is offering a homemade pie with a pint of bitter for just £10 during the promotional week.

Customers can enjoy a hearty steak, mushroom and ale pie, washed down with Tetley’s Best.

For more information on the restaurant, visit here.

The West Park Hotel

The West Park Hotel is offering two courses for £15, or three courses for £20 during Restaurant Week.

Customers can choose their courses from the new Restaurant Week menu.

Click to find more information on The West Park Hotel. 

The West Park Hotel will have a specific Restaurant Week menu.

Cosy Club

Cosy Club is offering customers a main and dessert for £15.

The Restaurant Week menu includes buttermilk fried chicken with fries, coleslaw and smoked red pepper aioli, along with a vegan baked vanilla cheesecake with raspberries.

Read more:

• New Masham restaurant wins Michelin Guide accolade
• New Mediterranean restaurant opens in Harrogate

William & Victoria

William & Victoria will also be partaking in Restaurant Week, offering customers two courses for £15, or three courses for £20.

Customers can expect to see dishes such as honey glazed goats cheese, fresh Moules Marinière and affogato on the promotional menu.

The menu will be available during both lunch service from 12pm – 2.30pm, and dinner service from 5pm – 9m.

Rudding Park Hotel

Rudding Park Hotel’s Clocktower Brasserie is offering two courses and a glass of Prosecco for £20 during Restaurant Week.

The offer will be available from 12pm – 5pm during the promotional week.

Customers can choose their courses from the Restaurant Week menu.

For more information, click here.

The Clocktower Brasserie will be participating in Restaurant Week.

The Inn, South Stainley 

The Inn, South Stainley between Harrogate and Ripon is also offering a starter and main course for £20.

The offer is available during lunch and dinner services.

The Restaurant Week menu includes a homemade soup and giant Yorkshire puddings.

A gaming café in Harrogate is raising money to create a calm space in its store designed specially for autistic customers. 

Geek Retreat has teamed up with autism support specialist KoKoPie Families to hit its £250 fundraising target and is already a third of the way there.  

Supporters can make a donation to guess the number of sweets in a large jar in-store or enter a prize draw to win a hamper. 

The initiative will culminate on Saturday, February 25, when the Geek Retreat will hold its main fundraising event at its Oxford Street premises, with a bake sale, portrait-drawing and game-play. 

Geek Retreat staff member Maddy said: 

“It’s really important to me and the team at Geek Retreat that everyone has a space where they feel safe and wanted. I already see this happening at Geek Retreat, and can’t wait to see how the fundraiser makes that goal include as many people as possible.” 

The funds will be used to supply sensory equipment, a film-screening licence and equipment, bean-bags, stim-kits, and inclusive books to add to the café’s diversity library. 

Nurse consultant Laura Hellfeld, who runs KoKoPie Families, said:  

“Partnering with Geek Retreat was a quick decision as we share a vision of creating inclusive and accepting spaces. The resources bought through this fundraiser will be incredibly valuable for ensuring even more community members know that they are valued and welcomed into a café that has been adjusted to fit their needs.” 

Geek Retreat is a national franchise operation, with about 50 stores across Britain. 

To donate to Geek Retreat’s inclusive calm space fundraiser online, go to its JustGiving page.

Read more:

• ‘Long waiting lists’ for child ADHD and autism in Harrogate, says MP
• Harrogate’s Geek Retreat to create autism-friendly space
• Harrogate Library to launch Lego club for children with autism and disabilities

A developer has withdrawn plans to create six new flats above the former Orvis store in Harrogate.

The proposal lodged by York-based Balance Planning Solution Ltd on behalf of Andrew Farr would have seen the upper floors of the unit on West Park converted for housing.

Orvis closed its doors back in April 2022 after 25 years of trading in the town.

The plan would see part of the ground floor unit converted for access to the apartments, along with an entrance to the back of the building next to the Coach House flats on Robert Street.

However, the developer has since withdrawn the application.

It comes despite supportive comments from Harrogate Borough Council’s economic officers and Harrogate Civic Society.

Rebecca Micallef, economy and transport officer at the authority, said in a letter:

“Upper floor residential at this location will add to the vibrancy of the town, supporting both the daytime and evening economy.”

Meanwhile, Henry Pankhurst, of the civic society, said:

“The civic society has for many years – decades actually – supported the use or better use of unused or underused upper floors of town centre premises, especially residential use.”

Read more:

• Plan to create six flats above former Harrogate Orvis store
• Developer withdraws plan for 55 retirement homes in Kirk Hammerton
• Harrogate council refuses James Street aparthotel plan

A free drama class will use common experiences to unite the generations in Harrogate this month.

The Cuttings extra care apartments in Starbeck will welcome pre-school children to take part in the new drama class run by a familiar face around the Harrogate district.

Ami Stott is running the event, on February 13, through her new venture, Stardust Drama. The free class will see young and old unite to explore the weather theme, with storytelling and music to guide them through.

Ami said:

“I had already formed a link with The Cuttings before covid and it was amazing to take classes there.

“Then covid struck and that stopped everything. They weren’t able to have groups coming in for a long time, but they’ve been wanting me to come back for a while.

“It’s brilliant for the residents. It’s new faces, it helps combat loneliness and it just brings a bit of joy to their days.

“For the children, there’s no fear at that age. As children grow up, they can become nervous of elderly people and it’s if you get these activities form a younger age, hopefully you can avoid that.”

Taking “great British weather” as a universal theme, the session will use drama and imaginative play to take participants from a trip to the beach to a storm and into snow.

Familiar songs and stories will help residents to recall trips to the seaside and they will be able to join in the action from the comfort of their own seats.

Ami said she hopes the event, which has already sold out, will become a monthly fixture in the calendar at The Cuttings.

Read more:

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• Harrogate district school launches parent and baby group to help with cost-of-living crisis

Meanwhile, Ami is also launching weekly drama classes for children aged between two and four.

Taking place at Oatlands Community Centre on Wednesdays and Elim Pentecostal Church on Park View on Thursdays, they aim to encourage children to develop a range of abilities, including theatre skills, confidence and making friends.

Ami, who trained in drama and arts education at Bretton Hall, was previously head of drama at Heckmondwike Grammar School for seven years, before leaving teaching to raise her children.

She has since led classes for other baby and children’s groups around the Harrogate district. Stardust Drama is her first solo venture, and classes begin at the start of March.

Ami said:

“I am so excited, I just want to get started now. The themes of each week will link to national events, so we’ll be starting with one on World Book Day and exploring We’re Going On a Bear Hunt.

“We’ve got a mascot, TaDa the Star, and I’m absolutely loving creating all the lesson plans and getting ready to deliver the classes in the way that benefits the children the most. That’s where my passion lies.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough firefighters were called out last night to a shed that was set alight on purpose.

The crew was summoned to Dalby Avenue in Harrogate at 4.53am to deal with the incident.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said:

“The cause was deliberate.”

Earlier in the night, a crew from Harrogate went to Starbeck High Street at 1.14am to a report of a male locked out of his home.

The incident log said:

“The male needed access to medication inside therefore crews used a lock snapper and spreaders to gain entry.”

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters release images of Blubberhouses collision
• Harrogate district teachers go on strike — and firefighters could be next

A collision involving a pedestrian this week has reignited debate about what can be done to improve safety at a bottleneck junction in Killinghall.

The Ripon Road and Otley Road junction has been added to the agenda of Monday’s Killinghall Parish Council meeting in the wake of the accident.

It may be a new agenda item but it is an old topic, as parish council chairman Anne Holdsworth is only too aware. She says:

“I’ve lived in the village since 1961 and that junction has always been a problem.

“People in the village have been anticipating a collision like this. It’s horrendous but the question is, what do you do?

“I’m not sure what the solution is. All we can do is draw attention to it to the experts.”

The junction is frequently snarled up at rush hour so there are concerns about traffic flow as well as safety.

Vehicles turning right from Otley Road or turning right on to Otley Road often face particularly long delays, and the addition of the Tesco Express — although widely welcomed in the rapidly-expanding village — has added another dimension to drivers’ thoughts at the junction.

Turning right on to Otley Road

North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, considered installing traffic lights pre-covid but nothing happened.

Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on the county council, said the traffic lights plans were “paused” due to work on the Tesco Express, which opened last year. Cllr Harrison added:

“I have asked the council highways team for an update on this.

“I have previously voiced concerns about potential congestion that signalising that junction might cause, although obviously that has to be balanced against safety concerns which are more apparent since the pub was converted to a Tesco.”

Tackling speed ‘the priority’

Villagers agree it’s time for action — but what is the solution?

Harvey Radcliffe said the junction was “poorly designed and an accident waiting to happen”, adding:

“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed. I’ve lived in the village for 12 years and I’ve never seen driving like it recently. I’m genuinely concerned for the kids and older residents of the village.”

Mr Radcliffe said speed prevention measures were the first priority. He said adding traffic lights and moving the bus stop that is close to the Tesco entrance, would help. He added:

“Everyone’s in a rush but when you drive in a populated area, if there is one straight road the quality of driving becomes worse as people just see it as a race track, especially at night. I’ve seen taxis doing 60 or 70mph down Ripon Road.”

The Tesco Express has created another factor for drivers to think about.

A mini roundabout, similar to the ones that have improved traffic flow at Bond End, has been suggested but Killinghall resident Tom Beardsell, who recently posted a video on social media highlighting the problems facing motorists at the junction, isn’t keen. He said:

“There would be more accidents with a mini roundabout as most people don’t know how to use them.”

Mr Beardsell said locals were “absolutely fuming” following this week’s collision and suggested introducing smart lights that allowed traffic to flow on the A61 most of the time but changed when someone pulls up at Otley Road. He said:

“It will disrupt traffic flow but it will be safer.”

Read more:

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• Killinghall Cricket Club applies to build new two-storey pavilion

Former parish councillor Mike Wilkinson also thinks it’s time for traffic lights.

“As a resident and parent living in Killinghall, l am daily concerned that a fatality at the junction of Ripon/Otley Road will occur due to the unsafe driving witnessed on a daily basis.

“Incidents have been reported to the police and also Harrogate Borough Council but no safety measures have been put in place to give reassurance to the Killinghall residents. I would like a meeting to be set up with relevant agencies and the public to share the recent issues

“Traffic lights would be the best option, and this would stop traffic rushing through the junction especially trying to turn right from Otley Road onto Ripon Road.”

Whatever the parish council calls for this week, the final decision will rest with North Yorkshire County Council, and North Yorkshire Council — which will succeed it on April 1.

Paperchase in Harrogate is holding a closing down sale after the company went into administration this week.

Tesco bought the rights to the cards, gifts and stationery brand, entitling it to sell Paperchase items in its supermarkets, but did not buy the stores.

It means the shop on James Street is one of 106 stores facing uncertain futures. More than 800 staff nationally are affected.

Signs have now gone up in the window confirming the closure, although the final day of trading is not yet known.

In-store notices confirm administrators Begbies Traynor have been running the business since Tuesday.

They say no further gift cards will be sold and customers have until 5pm on February 14 to use existing gift cards.

Read more:

• Paperchase in Harrogate faces uncertain future as company goes into administration
• Valley Gardens visitors urged not to feed ducks