Train passengers between Harrogate and York will face disruption over Christmas as Network Rail carries out track and signalling work.
The organisation will undertake £6 million improvements at York Station from Christmas Eve until January 2, 2023.
It will see 2.7km of track renewed, as well as nine sets of points – the specialist piece of equipment which allows trains to move from one section of track to another.
The work means that passengers from Harrogate and Knaresborough will have to change at Poppleton and board a rail replacement bus to get to York.
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- Plan submitted for 20mph zones around five schools in Harrogate
Network Rail has urged people to check services before they travel and have warned that services will take longer than normal.
Sam MacDougall, operations director for Network Rail’s East Coast route said:
“Our teams will be out working hard this Christmas to provide an improved railway for passengers.
“The work at York is crucial to keep trains running reliably and smoothly for years to come. Our engineering work and the impact of planned industrial action will mean changes to some services, so passengers are urged to plan ahead and check before travelling.”
A spokesperson on behalf of train operators on the route said:
“These key upgrades at York will mean changes to services over the festive period and passengers should check their journey before travelling via National Rail Enquires or their train operator.
“We are working hard to keep people moving this Christmas, with rail replacement services and diversion routes, but this means your journey will take longer and may be busier than usual.”
The move comes as LNER cancelled two trains from Harrogate to London King’s Cross today due to a shortage of train crew.
The 9.36am and 5.36pm services have been affected.
Meanwhile, passengers on the 3.36pm service have been asked to travel to Leeds to board the train as a shortage of crew means it will no longer call at Harrogate and Horsforth.
Free Christmas parking returns this week at Harrogate’s Victoria Car ParkFree weekday parking is being introduced in Harrogate’s Victoria Car Park this week until early January to attract Christmas shoppers.
Harrogate Business Improvement District is funding the initiative as part of its mission to drive town centre footfall.
From this week until Thursday, January 5 — free parking will be available between 3pm and 7.30pm in the Victoria Car Park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The ‘free after three’ campaign encourages town centre visitors on quieter days of the week, helping Harrogate’s retail, hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:
“Once again, we are delivering on our pledge to retailers to provide free parking in the town centre during the run up to Christmas, which is traditionally one of the busiest periods in their calendar.
“And whereas in the two previous years ‘free after three’ has ended just before Christmas, I’m delighted to say that this time we are extending it right through to Thursday, January 5, which we know will be beneficial to both visitors and businesses.
“‘Free after Three’ is only available in Victoria Car Park, which has ample space. It links directly to Victoria Shopping Centre, giving easy access to the heart of the town centre and the wonderful shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues Harrogate is home to.”
The BID’s 2022 Christmas campaign also includes sponsoring the North Pole Post Office, the Candy Cane Express road train, the Father Christmas Experience, the Christmas Shop Window Competition, and the Christmas lights.
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Car turned into fireball at Flaxby
A car was turned into a fireball on the A59 near Flaxby today.
Knaresborough firefighters were summoned at 8.55am to the main road, which is close to the A1.
Knaresborough Fire Station said in a Facebook post:
“The police were already on scene providing scene safety. The fire was extinguished by two breathing apparatus wearers using two hose reel Jets.”
No further details are available.
Firefighters tackle the blaze. Pic: Knaresborough Fire Station
The car afterwards, Pic Knaresborough Fire Station
It was the first of two serious incidents in the Harrogate district today.
At 3.58pm, firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough responded to reports of a kitchen fire at a home on Rowan Close, Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log says:
“The female occupant was out of the property on arrival of crews.
“Two hose reel jets and four breathing apparatus were used to extinguish the fire and a positive pressure ventilation fan was used to ventilate the property.”
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- Harrogate firefighters tackle car fire and three-vehicle collision
- Flaxby Park appeals decision to refuse 350 ‘eco lodges’ near A1
Model boaters in Valley Gardens call for public support to stop fountain
Claro Marine model boating club has called on the public to help stop a fountain being installed in the Valley Gardens’ boating pond.
Harrogate Borough Council plans to put the fountain in the pool next year at a cost of £6,000. The boaters have argued it will stop their hobby as water from the fountain will damage the engines of their model boats.
The club’s secretary, Dave Finnegan, wrote to the council outlining its concerns and earlier this month received a response.
Head of parks and environment services, Alison Wilson, wrote:
“As the body [of the fountain] consists of a base and jets there is little infrastructure involved. Once in place, we will consider any protection required to ensure there is no damage to the jets from boats and vice versa.
“We do not wish to curtail your clubs activities, simply make the area more attractive and usable at other times of the week”.
Mr Finnegan told the Stray Ferret he was unhappy with Ms Wilson’s reply.
“You can’t use a model boat where there is a fountain. If your boat goes wrong or there is some interference with the remote control you can find the boat in the fountain area which damages the boat.
“If there is a fender cutting off the fountain, then you’re cutting off a huge area for the boats to go. It is a small pond really not a lake. The boats need the deeper water which is where they’ll put the fountain. “
Read More:
- Fountain will end model boating in Valley Gardens, says club
- Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens
The council has also said it was working on a scheme where the club could disable the fountain but Mr Finnegan said it had additional concerns that in hot weather the fountain water could pose a public health risk. As a result it doesn’t want responsibility for operating it
“The pond is shallow and we’re concerned that if the water temperature rises above 20 degrees celsius the fountain could create the risk of spreading legionnaires disease.”
The council has rejected this, saying the pond will be monitored and tested in hot weather.
The boating pond in Valley Gardens, which is currently drained
The club though has its supporters — retired lawyer, Dr Trevor Dale, wrote to Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones, outlining concerns for the boaters and raising the legionnaires disease issue.
Mr Jones then contacted Alison Wilson and sent Dr Dale a letter with her response in it.
So the club felt it had got no further and it has left the boaters feeling frustrated and powerless.
Mr Finnegan said:
“We’ve no idea how to change their minds. When you consider it has been used as a boating pool for 98 years, it’s very sad.
“Nobody is helping us so I’d like the public to get involved and write to the council or to Andrew Jones and call for the fountain plan to be cancelled.”
M&S to give ‘golden tickets’ to first 200 people at Oatlands foodhall tomorrow
Marks & Spencer is to award ‘golden tickets’ to the first 200 customers at its Harrogate Oatlands foodhall tomorrow to mark the store’s official re-opening.
The foodhall on Leeds Road has undergone a major refurbishment and extension. It is now 60% bigger, and includes a bakery and wine shop — but the customer cafe is much smaller.
Although it is currently trading, tomorrow’s official reopening will see Percy Pig award golden tickets to the first shoppers at 9am. Each ticket guarantees a prize ranging from a free bag of sweets or cookies to a £200 voucher.
Store manager David Anderson said:
“We can’t wait until Tuesday morning when we can welcome customers through our doors.
“It’s been a busy few weeks behind the scenes working hard to put things together and we’re excited for everyone to see what the new store has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch on the go or doing your big weekly shop – we’ve got you covered.”
The store, which employs 125 staff on Oatlands Retail Park, is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 9pm and on Sunday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
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- Ferris wheel goes up as Harrogate Christmas countdown begins
Ferris wheel goes up as Harrogate Christmas countdown begins
A Ferris wheel has started to be installed in Harrogate as the countdown to the town’s Christmas activities begins.
The 32-metre wheel, which is being assembled alongside the war memorial, will be one of the highlights of Harrogate’s Christmas offering.
Other highlights include an ice rink in Crescent Gardens, a Christmas market featuring about 50 stalls, the Candy Cane Express road train and a carousel.
The wheel, also known as an observation wheel, previously stood in York.
Harrogate’s seasonal festivities are due to get underway on Friday. The market will operate until December 11 but the other activities will continue into the New Year.
Harrogate Borough Council is organising the festivities with a range of partners.
John McGivern, destination events manager at the council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate, told Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce this month the ambition was to “position Harrogate district as a first choice Christmas destination” and to attract high spending visitors on day trips and overnight breaks.
The view from Bettys this morning.
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- Judges cast their votes on Ripon’s Christmas windows
Police find missing man with Harrogate links
North Yorkshire Police has confirmed that a missing man has been found following an appeal.
Officers said they were “extremely concerned” for the welfare of the 36-year-old.
A police statement said the man was found safe and well.
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- Owners of Harrogate trophy store retire after 40 years
- Panto legend Tim Stedman brings Christmas magic to Harrogate again
Photo of the Week: Kingfisher at High Batts Nature Reserve
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.
Two girls from Harrogate will cut and donate their hair to charity to raise funds for The Candlelighters Trust charity.
Holly, 7, and Heidi, 5, will have their locks removed next month and donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust, which will turn it into real hair wigs.
The two girls have been growing their hair since last November in support of their friend Sophia Felgate, 7, who has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Sophia was first diagnosed in 2018, just a week after her third birthday. She finished treatment in August 2020, however the cancer returned last November.
The idea came from Holly wanting to give Sophia her own hair to “make her feel better”, after Sophia lost her hair due to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
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The Candlelighters Trust provides practical, emotional and financial support to families of children with cancer.
They have been helping the Felgate family since Sophia’s diagnosis in 2018. They have provided the Felgates with counselling, family fun days, massages/haircuts/manicures for Sophia and pizza nights.
The fundraiser has already raised almost £1,000. If you would like to donate to the cause you can do so on the JustGiving page.
Sequins: What’s hot in the district’s fashion boutiques as party season kicks offWith Christmas just one month away, many of us are starting to think about our looks for the party season, as well as special gifts to buy or our loved ones.
Fortunately in the Harrogate district we are blessed with some fabulous independent fashion boutiques.
We asked four business owners what was currently flying off the shelves as we approach the big day.
Infinity & Co boutique, Harrogate
Sam Gallagher, owner of Infinity & Co boutique, which has just launched its newly-refurbished store at the Victoria Shopping Centre, said the key word for Christmas was “sequins – and lots of them!”
She said:
“We have trousers, tops, blouses, dresses and jackets in and they are so popular. They can be worn dressed up but it’s also fun to wear them casually too. We have them in lots of metallic shades of gold, champagne, copper black and rose gold, along with some brights too.
“We have also been selling chunky oversized cardigans to wear with boots and PU (synthetic leather) joggers, ideal for walking around a Christmas market.
“Colours this season are lots of neutrals of camel, winter white and black and for the bright colours we have had a strong reaction to raspberry, teal, emerald and cobalt.”
Porters, Harrogate
Andy Shuttleworth, manager of Porters, on James Street, said shirts and dresses were selling fast ahead of the party season.
He said:
“We have got a great selection of occasion shirts and party dresses. They are always very popular this time of year.
“Accessories, which can be bought for gifts and stocking fillers, like socks and underwear, are popular too.
“Brands people particularly like at the moment are Traffic People, which does wonderful party dresses, and shirts from Guide London and Claudio Lugli.
“The trend is currently ‘glitz’ and the shirts are bright and bold – ready for the party season.”
Fennec & Darwin, Harrogate
Aideen Fox, owner of Fennec & Darwin, on Montpellier Mews, said accessories to help you keep warm were currently proving the most popular.
She said:
“I’m finding gift items, such as my slippers and scarves which retail for £19.99, have been my top-sellers on the run-up to Christmas.
“Especially with energy prices going up so much, it’s important to keep warm.”
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Wild Thing boutique, Knaresborough
Dianne Houghton, owner of Wild Thing boutique on Knaresborough’s High Street, said it was currently all about the sparkle.
She said:
“Sparkling dresses are popular at the moment, but they are not just for Christmas. You can make outfits sparkle by accessorising jewellery and layering-up, but still being comfortable.”