More people are ditching their cars in favour of electric bikes as petrol prices continue to soar, according to Harrogate district retailers.

As the average cost of diesel has almost hit the £2 per litre mark, people are increasingly looking at more wallet-friendly ways to get around.

Local e-bike suppliers say there has been a notable shift in the number of customers now moving to pedal and e-power, opting to save their fuel for longer journeys.

Kurt Davison, manager of the Electric Bike Shop, on Leeds Road, Harrogate, said:

“We have definitely noticed a rise in sales. This isn’t surprising given that you are looking at £2 a litre for fuel and you also have to factor in road tax and insurance.”

Mr Davison said 65 per cent of journeys made in the UK were less than five miles, so more people were choosing e-bikes for shorter commutes.

He said:

“We hear it a lot from people. The cost of fuel is too high. So they want to use an e-bike to get to work rather than running a car.

“We also recently sold a cargo bike to a family who are using it for the school run.”

Read more:

• Sneak Peek: New electric bike shop opens in Harrogate
• ‘I am utterly clueless when it comes to cycling’: How The Personal Cyclist helped me conquer my fear

Andy Crawley, who has owned Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach, on St John’s Terrace, Harrogate, for 10 years, said he had noticed a rise in the number of returning customers wanting to get back on their bikes.

Andy Crawley, owner of  Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach.

He said:

“They are using their bikes more and I have seen an upturn in servicing existing bikes. They are coming back and saying they haven’t used it for a while and they want to use it more due to the cost of petrol. It hurts when you fill your tank up now!

“I do a lot of conversions where I convert bikes to electric bikes. I have definitely seen a surge in this, as then customers are not having to pay thousands of pounds for a brand new model. The cost of living crisis means many people can’t afford a brand new e-bike.”

He added that many people were still too nervous to cycle on the district’s roads and while improvements have been made, there needed to be a better infrastructure in place.

Tony Robertshaw has owned North Yorkshire Electric Bikes, in Bond End, Knaresborough, for a decade.

He said while his customer-base had always traditionally fallen into an older age bracket due to having more disposable income, he had noticed an increase in younger customers buying e-bikes.

He said:

“People are wanting bikes to commute on, rather than using their cars. Customers do say that petrol prices are too much.

“There are also a lot of benefits to investing in an e-bike. There are the health benefits and the cost benefits.

“Most of my bikes last a good 10 years, so if you work the cost out per year, it is relatively cheap. You would get through £300 of petrol in no time.

“You also don’t have to pay insurance or road tax. So it’s definitely cheaper than running a car.”

It is doubtful whether anyone has known more about Harrogate’s people and places than Malcolm Neesam, who died on his 76th birthday this week.

Malcolm, who wrote about a dozen books and numerous other publications about the town, dedicated much of his life to telling Harrogate’s story. He did it better than anyone and will be remembered as the town’s greatest historian.

He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the buildings and people that shaped Harrogate but he was also gentle and modest, and never boastful or condescending in print or real life.

Underpinning it all was a deep love for the town, and in particular the Stray.

Born in a nursing home on Ripon Road in Harrogate on June 28, 1946, Malcolm’s father worked for a rubber company that manufactured soles for footwear.

Sunday afternoon walks with his mother stimulated his interest in history at the age of six or seven. She would often talk about things they passed. “I didn’t need a playground,” he once said. “I had the Stray.”

He attended St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, “a very happy little school”, as he described it, and then Christ Church Secondary School for Boys. The school, which was situated between the Empress roundabout and Christ Church on the Stray, amalgamated with St Peter’s Secondary School for Girls to create St Aidan’s Church of England High School more than 50 years ago. Retirement flats now occupy the site.

In his last year at Christ Church, Malcolm’s parents noticed an advert for an assistant at Harrogate library and thought his developing interest in history would make him suitable.

Photographed in London in 1988. Pic by Benedict Hess

After three years in that role he accepted a post at Leeds University studying archives and librarianship. He later attributed his thoroughness at gathering source material for books to his training as an archivist.

Malcolm then moved to Hereford for four-and-a-half years to set-up the city’s first children’s library service before moving further south to Northwood, in the London borough of Hillingdon close to the Metropolitan line, to work as an archivist for the Duchy of Lancaster.

Music librarian

He did this for three years before going to York, shortly before local government reorganisation in 1974, to become city music librarian.

But when reorganisation changed everything, Malcolm was offered a post by the new local authority as county music librarian, which involved buying music for county library services. Being a great lover of classical music, he was perfectly suited.

He stayed in York until 1996, overseeing new methods of administration, storage and repairs as technology changed and vinyl was replaced by cassettes and then CDs in North Yorkshire libraries. All the time he commuted from Harrogate.

He admired York’s decision to effectively pull out of North Yorkshire local government and become independent in the 1990s. Malcolm hated the trend towards ever more remote forms of local government, which will culminate in the creation of North Yorkshire Council next year and the abolition of seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council. He felt the more decision-making left Harrogate, the more the town lost control of its wealth and character.

Read more:

• Tributes paid to ‘Mr Harrogate’ Malcolm Neesam
• Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam dies
• Harrogate Club honours local historian Malcolm Neesam

In 1996 he received an offer to work for an American company called Alumni Holidays, which arranged holidays for former university students.

He had done some guiding in York, which proved useful in his new role in which he gave lectures on subjects such as Scarborough, York and the Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire architecture and Yorkshire literature. Alumni Holidays was horrified by his initial omission of James Herriot so the author was eventually added to his list of topics.

Malcolm worked for the company on a freelance basis for 10 years but the Madrid train bombing in 2004 severely disrupted business by leaving many Americans too afraid to travel to Europe.

Full-time writer

In 2006 he decided to concentrate on writing full-time. He had written short stories at school but didn’t let anyone see them. His writing career had begun in 1973 when the Library Association commissioned him to write a guide to children’s sci-fi called Into Space. It went to nearly every library in the country.

A founding member of the Harrogate Society, which later became Harrogate Civic Society, he was asked by local firms such as Ogden, Raworths and William Woods to write books for them. He also undertook research for plaques. His writing career, he said, “grew in stages”.

Harrogate in Old Picture Postcards was published in 1992, followed by Exclusively Harrogate in 1994 and Harrogate: A History of the English Spa from the Earliest Times to the Present in 2001. His works also included a centennial history of Harrogate Grammar School in 2003.

During this time he became, in the words of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, “the chronicler of our town”.

The two books of which Malcolm was proudest are Harrogate Great Chronicle 1332-1841, which was the product of 40 years work, and Wells and Swells: The Golden Age of Harrogate Spa, 1842–1923, which was published in April this year. His beloved Harrogate Club named its dining room in his honour at the book launch. By then, Malcolm was in the advanced stages of the cancer that would claim his life and it was a deeply emotional occasion at a place that meant so much to him.

Malcolm Neesam at the launch of his final book, Wells and Swells.

He started work on a third volume, covering Harrogate’s history since 1923, fully aware he was unlikely to finish it.

Before Malcolm, William Grainge, who died in 1895, was considered to be Harrogate’s foremost historian. Grainge had published books and short publications about the town in the 1860s and 1870s, but nothing substantial. Malcolm described Grainge’s style as “too chatty” whereas he focused more on the history.

He and the late Harold Walker, a historian and one-time editor of the Harrogate Herald, set up the Walker-Neesam archive, ensuring their collective research could stay for ever within the town.

His vast collection of papers and photo library will go to Harrogate’s Mercer Art Gallery. Organising them won’t be an easy task: thousands of brown envelopes assigned alphabetically by subject took up an entire room at his home.

Malcolm gave a typically modest answer when asked why he only wrote about Harrogate, saying: “Some writers can turn to anything. I can only write about things that interest me.”

Freedom of the Borough

Malcolm was instrumental in establishing the listing of many buildings in the town and in establishing the first conservation area. He was also the founder historian of the Harrogate Brown Plaque scheme.

He was a member of the Harrogate Club from the 1990s and adored the place and its history. Arthur Conan Doyle once played billiards there.

Harrogate Borough Council awarded him the Freedom of the Borough in 1996 for his services as a historian. He supported numerous local organisations, including Harrogate Dramatic Society and Harrogate Theatre, often sitting on their committees.

Unfailingly polite, he was nevertheless often reserved and diffident in public. He rarely talked about his private life but close friends say he had a keen sense of humour, which could border on the macabre at times, and was an excellent cook.

Besides music, he had a passion for reading, especially non-fiction history and Victorian fiction, such as Dickens, Thackeray and Jane Austin.

But his lifelong passion was Harrogate. He loved its wide streets, the Stray and shops, and felt the population was just about ideal.

He never married. His elder sister, Shirley, who had two sons, died three years ago. Malcolm’s two nephews live in Burnley and East Sussex.

Asked where he was happiest, he said: “It may seem obvious but just sitting on the Stray under a tree.”

Malcolm Neesam, historian and author, born June 28, 1946, died June 28, 2022

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed plans for social housing at seven sites which it said would make a “small but important contribution” to the serious shortage of affordable homes.

With around 1,800 households on its housing waiting list, the council has made a push to bring forward new homes on small sites.

However, it has been criticised for not going further or faster enough to provide more homes for Harrogate’s low-income earners who are being driven out of the area by high rent and house prices.

The council’s latest plans include social housing at sites in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Huby.

The Knaresborough site off Halfpenny Close is the largest and could accommodate around 14 homes for market, social rent and shared ownership if approved. All of the properties would be classed as “affordable”.

Read more:

• Harrogate district second home owners face extra council tax charge
• Plan to convert former Harrogate taxi office into flat approved

A total of £170,000 in government cash has been secured by the council to progress these plans, and some of the money has already been spent on site surveys.

There are also proposals for five shared ownership apartments at the former Cavendish House hostel on Robert Street, Harrogate.

The council said these apartments would be for “first time buyers unable to afford to access the property market”.

Also in Harrogate, two properties are planned for St Andrew’s Place where the council has admitted vehicular access would be “tight” on the single lane street.

Another home has been proposed for Gascoigne Crescent in the town.

On Knaresborough’s Charlton Drive, a garage site which has been described as in “very poor condition” could also become a new build.

There are also proposals for single properties on both Springfield Drive, Boroughbridge, and Kingsway in Huby.

A decision to submit planning applications for all six sites is set to be signed off by Cllr Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities, at a meeting next Tuesday.

A report to the meeting said the development of similar sites has been “long established” and “makes good use of the council’s landholdings”.

The report also said the council would bid for extra government funding to develop the proposals if planning permission is granted.

It added:

 “There are circa 1,800 households on the waiting list for social/affordable rented housing and circa 650 first time buyers registered for shared ownership.

“These underutilised sites will make a small but important contribution to helping meet that need.”

A broken down lorry is causing travel problems in Harrogate town centre.

The large Waitrose lorry is stuck on King’s Road, outside Harrogate Convention Centre.

By 2.40pm today, it had been there for about an hour awaiting recovery.

There are two lanes, so traffic is currently able to pass on the inside of it.

The broken down lorry on Harrogate’s Kings Road.

However, it is causing some problems by backing up traffic turning on to King’s Road from Parliament Street and Ripon Road.

Motorists will be hoping the vehicle is moved before the Friday night rush hour begins.

Send us your traffic updates at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Read more:

• Video shows lorry crashing into Harrogate traffic light
• Four-mile queues as traffic chaos descends on Harrogate

Families will get the chance to meet Harrogate firefighters and sit in fire engines tomorrow.

Harrogate fire station is holding an open day at its site on Skipton Road.

The station, which will be open from 11am until 4.30pm, will host activities, stalls and demonstrations.

Two fire engines and the aerial ladder platform will be on display.

Firefighters will give safety advice and take part in two rescue demonstrations using the ladder platform.

Police will also be present.

There will be tea and cakes and a bouncy castle, as well as a maze for children.

Read more:

• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner
• Harrogate firefighters issue smoke alarm warning after house fire

Harrogate District Hospital has urged visitors to wear a mask on inpatient wards following rising covid cases.

The district has seen a spike in cases of the virus this past month due to the spread of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

At the end of May, the district’s rate of infection was 55 people per 100,000. It is now 218.

Now, officials at the hospital have urged visitors to inpatient wards to wear a mask when coming to the hospital.

A statement from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said:

“Due to rising covid-19 rates in the community, please can visitors wear a mask on our inpatient wards to protect our patients and staff, and prevent the spread of the virus.”

Read more:

• New covid advice after Harrogate district rate triples in June
• Carers recognised for covid efforts in Harrogate and Ripon at team celebration

Harrogate hospital is also treating 11 patients who tested positive for covid. However, none of those patients are in hospital primarily for treatment for the virus.

Last week, public health officials in North Yorkshire urged people to take measures to avoid covid after the rate surged.

Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Cases of covid are once again rising across the UK, including in North Yorkshire.

“The latest increase is being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron, which has also caused high rates in other countries across the world.

“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.”

A Harrogate woman has said she won’t return to Ripley for walks after receiving a £100 fine for parking.

Ripley car park, which is part of the estate owned by castle owner Sir Thomas Ingilby and his wife Lady Emma, began charging for parking on June 20.

Janet Adamowicz received a penalty charge for returning to her car two minutes late, after paying £1 for an hour’s parking.

She said the expiry time was displayed on the machine but no ticket was issued.

Ms Adamowicz, who has been a frequent visitor to Ripley, said

“I will not be attending Ripley again for walks, cafes or shops and it would appear I’m not the only one to feel like this.

“People don’t go on walks if they have to stress about getting back to their car in a limited time before being fined £100, people like leisurely strolls with no time limits.”

Read more:

• Parking meters installed in Ripley car park
• Reservoir parking costs could cause ‘tremendous problems’ on nearby roads

Parking charges were introduced in Ripley after dialogue with businesses, the school, the church, the Friends of Ripley and Harrogate Borough Council.

It costs £1 an hour, which is redeemable in local outlets, £1.20 for two hours, £3.50 for six hours and £4 for eight hours.

Other organisations have recently announced parking charges, including the Inn at South Stainley and Yorkshire Water, which plans to introduce fees at its reservoirs, including Fewston and Swinsty.

The Ripley car park and the Inn at South Stainley, which redeems charges for customers, were often used as a free park and ride.

Mike Gosling, the Ripley estate’s business manager, said the system was working well and the estate had taken an extremely understanding view of appeals against fines, with several already overturned.

Ripley businesses, he said, liked the fact that the £1 charge for the first hour can be redeemed in local shops.

Automatic number plate recognition identifies how long vehicles stay in the car park.

Mr Gosling acknowledged there had been a problem with the software issuing tickets, which do not have to be displayed.

He said if anyone had received a fine for being just a few minutes late he would personally contact the company providing the system to have the fine cancelled.

Update: Ms Adamowicz has notified us her fine has been cancelled 

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi visited New Park Primary Academy on a trip to Harrogate yesterday.

Mr Zahawi, who was a speaker at the Local Government Association conference at Harrogate Convention Centre, made a surprise visit to meet staff and children.

New Park Primary Academy is part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, a group of nine schools across Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley.

Academy headteacher Robert Mold said: 

“At first I thought it was a hoax when the secretary of state’s office called to say he would like to visit New Park.  It’s not a call you get every day.

“The secretary of state spent time with many of our children and even joined in a class making mosaics as part of an art project.”

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• Opposition councillors call for Woodfield school to be saved
• ‘Go for it!’ says Harrogate district apprentice on Women in Engineering Day

During his visit, Mr Zahawi joined year five and six pupils for an art lesson in mosaic making.

Jenn Plews, chief executive of Northern Star Academies Trust said:

“It was great for children to meet a cabinet minister in their own school and to be able to ask him questions.

“Our pupils care deeply about protecting the environment, which is a strong part of our curriculum.

“They told the secretary of state what they are doing in school to be more sustainable and he encouraged them to keep up their work to protect our environment.  It was a great experience for our children.”

Call for Zahawi to intervene in Woodfield 

Mr Zahawi’s visit came at a time when a consultation is being held over the future of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton is being held.

The school, which is just a mile away from New Park Primary Academy, is at risk of closure after an academy sponsor for the school was unable to be found.

North Yorkshire Unison called on Mr Zahawi to “intervene to save Woodfield school” while he was in Harrogate.

On the day the Education Secretary @nadhimzahawi was about a mile away from Woodfield School we call upon him to intervene to #SaveWoodfieldSchool #SaveOurSchool https://t.co/wJxdEn6onw

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) June 30, 2022

Harrogate businessman Guy Tweedy has offered to pay for new trees on the Stray to replace the ones vandalised.

The Stray Ferret published a video last week showing teenagers ripping up two young trees.

They were part of a batch of 55 cherry trees paid for by Mr Tweedy to commemorate thalidomide victims, two babies and a local headteacher. They were planted six or seven years ago.

Mr Tweedy, who is also a thalidomide campaigner, has emailed Harrogate Borough Council offering to pay for replacement trees. He said:

“I wonder if whoever did this realises the significance of the trees and how upsetting it is to people.

“Sadly this is not the first time this has happened. How do we stop people from doing it? I don’t know what the answer is.”

Read more:

• Shocking video shows teens ripping up trees on Harrogate Stray
• Bentley on the Stray reignites parking debate

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Harrogate business specialising in maternity products has raised £2m to help grow the company.

My Expert Midwife offers 19 products designed to help women prepare and recover during pregnancy, birth and early parenthood, as well as midwife-developed webinars, antenatal classes and ebooks.

Its products are sold online and in Boots, John Lewis, Ocado, JoJo Maman Bébé and Next.

The £2m fundraise was led by Pembroke, which invested £1.5m alongside existing shareholders and private investors.

Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife and co-founder of My Expert Midwife, said:

“Our driving vision is to help all parents-to-be on their journey to parenthood, every step of the way, from preconception, through pregnancy and birth, to recovery and caring for their new baby, whether that be through our expert information guides and ebooks, our midwife-developed products or our antenatal education services.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Knaresborough barbers celebrates 20 years in business
• Business breakfast: Experienced lawyer joins Harrogate firm’s life team

New coffee shop opens in Harrogate

A new coffee shop called Espresso House has opened in Harrogate.

The shop is on Beulah Street in a unit that was previously home to Subway.

It joins a flurry of new food and drink openings on Beulah Street over the past year, including Turkish cafe Sirius, which is over the road from Espresso House.