Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd gives up battle to bring back Montpellier Hill event

The organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill have given up their battle to bring the event back.

The market, which was staged from 2012 to 2019, attracted over 80,000 visitors, 187 coaches and nearly 200 traders.

But the event was scuppered late into its planning stages last year when Harrogate Borough Council refused its event management plan.

The council then staged an alternative 10-day Harrogate Christmas Fayre in the town centre in partnership with Market Place, a specialist market company from Greater Manchester.

Brian Dunsby, co-organiser of the Montpellier Hill event, had been campaigning to bring back the event but he has now conceded defeat.

‘Fed-up to the back teeth’

He told the Stray Ferret he was “fed-up to the back teeth” with the situation with the council and negotiations had “reached the end of the line”.

“It’s extremely disappointing after eight years of extremely successful events and then two years waiting in the wings trying to keep it going.”

Mr Dunsby added it was too soon to contemplate what might happen when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.

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A statement from Mr Dunsby and his wife, Beryl, co-organisers of Harrogate Christmas Market Ltd, said:

“The Harrogate Christmas Market team leaders have now decided not to organise any future markets in Harrogate. We thank all our super local volunteers, voluntary organisations, local contractors and traders for all their support over the years.

“We wish those taking up the challenge of providing a good quality Christmas Market in Harrogate all the best as we know how hard it is to create something that is truly appreciated by visitors and traders and which supports local businesses.

“Thanks for your support over the past 10 years.”

Harrogate council open to selling Rotary Wood to Harrogate Spring Water

Harrogate Borough Council has said it would consider selling Rotary Wood to Harrogate Spring Water, as the company looks to expand its bottling plant on Harlow Moor Road.

The move was revealed in an email sent by Trevor Watson, the council’s director of economy and culture, to HSW in October 2021. It was obtained via a freedom of information request.

HSW leases the land where it is based, on Harlow Moor Road, from the council. The company pays the council ground rent of £13,000 a year plus turnover rent revenue, but this figure has never been publicly revealed.

The council is also the planning authority and in January last year councillors rejected a bid by HSW to expand its bottling plant into Rotary Wood.

The woodland was planted by the Rotary Club of Harrogate and local schoolchildren and is part of the council-owned Pinewoods.

In July 2021, Harrogate Spring Water said it would table new proposals to expand the bottling plant ‘within weeks’ but eight months on it has yet to do so.

Asset of Community Value

Pinewoods Conservation Group successfully registered the Pinewoods as an Asset of Community Value in 2015.

This means if the council decided to sell any of it, it must pause any sale for six months whilst it gives local community groups the chance to make an offer to buy it.

The email from the HSW employee, whose name is redacted, to Mr Watson reveals that representatives from HSW had a ‘helpful’ meeting with Conservative council leader Richard Cooper and deputy leader Graham Swift in September 2021. The ACV status of the woodland was discussed.

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In the email to Mr Watson, the HSW employee asked about the process for “releasing the land of this status”.

The email says as HSW decided to ‘do right by the town’ by not appealing last January’s refusal to grant planning permission, it asks the council to ‘lend your assistance’ around the ACV status of the wood, which it would like removed to speed up its planning application. It adds:

“A key element of the new application would be to try to expediate the process of releasing this land of its status, in order to avoid an unnecessarily protracted period of consultation and media scrutiny. I firmly believe this would be in the best interest of both parties.”

Open to offers

Mr Watson’s reply said that any sale of land with ACV status must follow due process but the authority would be open to offers.

Mr Watson added:

“The timing of all this therefore largely rests with HSW, in terms of how soon you wish to commence negotiations for the land and ultimately whether an in-principle agreement can be reached on potential disposal terms.”

He said informal discussions between the council and the business about buying the land took place “a number of years ago” but terms could not be reached.

Harrogate Spring Water plant

Harrogate Spring Water’s head office on Harlow Moor Road in Harrogate.

Mr Watson said if a bid came in from HSW for the land, it would be subject to the usual six-month consultation period.

“We would therefore see the ball being in the HSW court in terms of formally approaching the council with a new, meaningful proposal for our consideration.

“If and when disposal terms are agreed in principle, the ACV process would then be formally triggered and we would carefully follow all the legal processes required, including public consultation as appropriate.”

Planning process ‘needs to be followed’

A Harrogate Spring Water spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Spring Water is evaluating its plans for the site and will communicate any update as and when that occurs. We are committed to working with the public and we will continue to keep people engaged and informed as part of the process”.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokeswoman said:

“This matter remains entirely in the hands of Harrogate Spring Water.  We wrote to them back in Autumn 2021 setting out a factual response to questions that they asked us about our decision-making processes.  We made very clear that there are distinct, statutory processes that we need to follow and that planning and land disposal processes are, quite rightly, dealt with as very separate matters. We have not had a response or any further discussions with the company on either the planning or land ownership situation”.

A spokesperson for Pinewoods Conservation Group said

“With each year that passes the Rotary Wood area of The Pinewoods becomes a more mature woodland with increasing bird and plant life, improving the biodiversity of the area and improving air quality.

“We are aware that Cllr Swift has been vocal in his support of this planned development but would be very concerned if any promises had been made to expedite any part of this complicated process and avoid full transparency and consultation. We also note that Cllr Cooper has recently been attending planning committee meeting and would hope he would now excuse himself from any future planning committee that considered these planning matters.

“However, we are somewhat comforted by comments from council officers restating the legal and planning processes that needs to be followed with respect to disposal of public land, and land that is protected as an ‘asset of community value’.

“Our lawyers will continue to monitor progress with interest.”

Harrogate schoolchildren hold peace walk for Ukraine

More than 200 children from a Harrogate primary school took part in a peace walk for Ukraine this morning.

Pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, on Coppice Rise, walked from the school to St John’s Church on Bilton Lane to raise money and awareness for those fleeing the conflict.

Children were encouraged to come to school dressed in yellow and blue, the colours of the Ukraine flag, for the walk and to make a donation to the UNICEF campaign to support children in the country.

Beforehand, they took part in a liturgy led by pupils from years three and five.

Pupils at St Joseph's with their banners which they created for the Ukraine walk.

Pupils at St Joseph’s with their banners which they created for the Ukraine walk.

Children sang peace hymns for Ukraine, held prayers and read from passages in the Bible.

Rachel Rouse, headteacher at St Joseph’s, said:

“We do a lot of fundraising for other things.

“We felt as a whole school that we needed to do something for Ukraine.”

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On the walk, pupils were given blue and yellow ribbons and waved banners at passing drivers on Skipton Road.

Once at St John’s, the whole school gathered to sing a hymn to show they were united for Ukraine before returning to finish with further prayers and singing.

You can donate to Unicef’s campaign for children here.

Harrogate stolen bank cards: police release CCTV image of suspect

Police are appealing for information about a man suspected of withdrawing hundreds of pounds on stolen bank cards.

The man is believed to have stolen a purse from an equestrian event at Rudding Lane near Harrogate between 11am and 1.30pm on Sunday, February 6.

Officers believe the purse was stolen from an unoccupied horsebox.

Police enquires have uncovered CCTV footage of the cards being used at cash machines in Wetherby between 1.50pm and 2.15pm the same day.

Cash was taken from the Halifax bank in the Market Place and Sainsbury’s on Crossley Street.

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A North Yorkshire Police statement added:

“If you can help identify the man in the CCTV images, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Colin Baker. Or email colin.baker@northyorkshire.police.uk.

“If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

“Please quote reference number 12220021901 when providing details.”

Drink-drive charge after car crashes into Harrogate garden

Harrogate roads policing sergeant Paul Cording has published photos of a car that crashed into a Harrogate home over the weekend.

Sgt Cording, who regularly tweets about police life on the road, said the driver, who has not been named, had been charged with drink-driving and would appear in court next month. He tweeted:

“Thankfully no injuries and no one was in the garden at the time.”

He posted about the incident at about 7am yesterday morning.

RTC in #Harrogate where car has crashed into garden of residential property. Thankfully no injuries & no one was in the garden at the time. The driver has been arrested, interviewed & charged with drink driving. They have a date in court next month #Fatal5 pic.twitter.com/47QUe0oYK9

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) March 20, 2022

During two busy weekend night shifts, Sgt Cording also tweeted about a car driver in Ripon refusing to stop when asked by police and the recovery of class A drugs.

The driver of this vehicle decided they didn’t want to stop for Police in #Ripon and made off. Vehicle located a short time later with significant rear end damage and tyres tracks towards a sizeable tree!! Vehicle seized & enquiries ongoing pic.twitter.com/ZWgGr3uUtx

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) March 20, 2022

A flying start to the shift after this vehicle was stopped on the outskirts of #Harrogate I was then joined my my colleagues from #OpExpedite and a search recovered a substantial amount of believed Class A drugs #OneInCustody #PWITS #Result pic.twitter.com/H391LkXuVj

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) March 21, 2022

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New hair salon opens in Harrogate tomorrow

Allertons hair salon will open its fourth location, Allertons Harrogate, tomorrow.

The salon is located on Montpellier Street and will offer haircuts, colouring, treatments and styling.

Beauty treatments including massage and manicures will be available from the summer.

The company has two other locations in Leeds and one in Nottingham.

Founder Nicholas Nicola said:

“We think it will be well received. We aren’t led by fashion but what the clients want from root tints to bright blue. Harrogate already has so many lovely salons and hopefully we can bring something different.”

You can book online now by visiting this website or by calling us on 01423 608868.

Knaresborough-based maternity brand to launch next month

The Mum Collective is a Knaresborough-based maternity and nursing clothing brand that promises to offer “something different”.

Based in Knaresborough and set up by Sophie Baldwin, the online brand is launching with an essentials collection comprising of a t-shirt, sweater and hoodie. Each item has hidden zips for feeding.

Ms Baldwin said:

“When I fell pregnant one thing I found is that there wasn’t a great deal of clothes I actually wanted to wear that I would feel good in, that would also see me through my entire pregnancy as I was growing, and then through to my breastfeeding journey as well.”

“It was created with a mum and mum-to-be’s entire journey in mind.”

The new essentials range

 

Sneak Peek: New brasserie and bar will offer ‘a taste of Harrogate’

One thing Harrogate isn’t short of is restaurants.

However the team behind Samsons brasserie and bar, which opens its doors tomorrow, is confident their new venture will stand out from the crowd.

Executive chef Josh Whitehead, who is known for his work with the Harewood Food and Drink Project, is heading up a talented kitchen team. He was also a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals 2016.

The bar will serve a range of beverages including cocktails, beer and spirits.

His menu will focus on “real cookery”, using quality British produce that has been mainly sourced from within a small radius of the restaurant, which is based at the former Le Bistrot Pierre site on Cheltenham Crescent.

Mr Whitehead said:

“We are buying really good, really local produce and presenting it in a really accessible way for everyone.

“It’s British ingredients, British cooking and finding a way to replace what you would normally get from other countries. For example instead of olive oil, we will use rapeseed oil from Wharfe Valley Farms in Collingham.”

The menu will offer a taste of the local area and ingredients will include Harrogate’s iconic Stray cherry blossoms.

Dishes start from £4 for small plates, classic starters from £6 and mains from £14.

Signature dishes will include duck crumpets.

The dining area seats up to 80 people.

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Mr Whitehead said:

“We will be offering a taste of Harrogate, which you won’t be able to get anywhere else.

“It’s a really exciting time. My first ever kitchen job was in Harrogate around 10 years ago in what was Restaurant Bar and Grill on Parliament Street, which is now Piccolinos.

“I’ve always thought something like this needs to be in Harrogate. I don’t want to say it’s like a homecoming, but it’s quite cool that this is the biggest job I’ve had thus far in the same place I started.

“I was looking for next challenge and this one just stuck out like a sore thumb. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Mr Whitehead will be reunited in the kitchen with his best friend and former colleague Andy Castle, who was head chef at the Ox Club in Leeds.

The famous cherry blossoms will also feature as garnish on the extensive cocktail menu, which will feature 12 classic and 15 signature cocktails, all of which have been given Harrogate-themed names.

The name of the restaurant is also linked to the town.

Managing director of Samsons, Mark Morrison, who moved to Harrogate from London seven years ago, said:

“There was a chap called Samson Fox who brought the first street lights to the world. He was also quite philanthropic, he did a lot of work helping the poor. He built the Royal Academy of Music, which happens to be in London, not far from where I grew up. So there’s a nice link there.

“But when I was looking around for things about Samson Fox, there was one brown plaque 12 streets away on his old house at Grove Road and that’s it.

“And this is the only three-time mayor of Harrogate, a significant figure, and nothing really to celebrate him or his life.

“It’s a nice name for a restaurant.”

Samsons, which is described as “a light, airy design-led space”, seats up to 80 people in the restaurant and 20 people in the bar area. There is also additional seating on the outdoor terrace,  which is set to launch in the warmer months.

Festival date marks new era for Harrogate thrash metal band

A thrash metal band founded by schoolmates in Harrogate more than 30 years ago is enjoying a renaissance in the digital era.

Acid Reign was set up in the mid-1980s by Howard ‘H’ Smith, Mark Ramsey Wharton, Garry Jennings and Ian Gangwer. 

All pupils at Granby High School, they would rehearse every Sunday at Calcutt Village Hall. Because of its remote location, their classmates rarely visited to listen in and the band didn’t develop much of a following. 

However, Howard said this allowed them to hone their craft – later joined by Kev Papworth and Adam Lehan – and ultimately led to them getting a record deal with Metallica’s former record label, Music For Nations, after sending out their second demo tape. 

Their first and only gig in Harrogate followed shortly after, at the Lounge Hall – now Wetherspoons on Parliament Street – before they went on to record two studio albums, touring the UK and Europe. 

Stand-up comedy

When the band members went their separate ways in 1991, Howard moved north to Newcastle and joined another band. He had an urge to try his hand at stand-up comedy and applied for a course in London. 

The morning after his new band broke up, Howard received a letter confirming he had a place on the six-week comedy course. However, after several years of success on bills with the likes of Al Murray, Catherine Tate and Jimmy Carr, he began to feel differently about the job. 

“I just wasn’t enjoying it. I failed to find my voice. I was getting lots of laughs and bookings, but I thought, ‘I wouldn’t pay to see me’.  

“Eventually I realised, despite the fact that it’s a cool job, if you aren’t happy, it doesn’t matter what job it is.” 

The next few years were spent writing, including for BBC Choice. Then, with the break-up of a long-term relationship, Howard returned to stand-up – and inspiration struck. 

“I was on a trip to France, in a beautiful patisserie. The three of us were going ‘look at that!’ at all the incredible, delicate creations.  

“I just put this voice on and said, ‘I bet they haven’t got any pasties, have they?’” 

A new comedy character, Keith Platt, Professional Yorkshireman, was born. A charity shop raid created his costume and, at his first gig, Howard even impressed comedy legend Frank Skinner. 

For the last 16 years, he has continued to perform as Keith, having finally found his comedy voice. Unexpectedly, the character brought him back into the metal scene: he performed stand-up at the Download festival in 2014, where he closed his set with a cover of Pantera’s Walk, complete with a plastic guitar to smash up. 

Reforming Acid Reign

There was talk of a reunion in 2015 to mark 25 years since their final album. However, now each had their own lives and commitments, the band members struggled to find time to rehearse and drifted apart again.  

Members of the original Acid Reign line-up, formed at Granby High School: Mark Wharton, Adam Lehan, Ian MacDonald, Howard Smith and Kev Papworth

Howard invited friends – all former fans – to join him for some rehearsals and soon realised he could bring Acid Reign back in a new form for a new era. 

Now made up of members from around the UK, the band put out a new album in 2019 and Howard said it was a completely different experience. 

“Originally, when you put something out, if the critics didn’t like it you had no real way of knowing what the fans thought. Now, because of social media, they tell us directly. It’s great – you feel much more connected to what they think and how your album is being received.” 

Covid put paid to hopes of a tour of South America, but Howard said the first festival they played last summer, Bloodstock, was an incredible experience. They are now lined up to play Dominion Festival in July and are looking forward to writing and recording their next album. 

The sudden death of original band member Ian Gangwer last year was “devastating” for Howard, bringing back memories of how close they all were in their teens and early 20s. However, he has taken comfort in seeing the impact he has on other people, whether they know Acid Reign from the early days or a new fans. 

“Nothing will ever touch that kind of feeling when people come up and stop me and say, ‘I just want to say thank you for doing this and making me feel 16 again’. My response is always, ‘thanks for coming and making me feel 16 again too’.”

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WW2 nurse from Bilton who served in Dunkirk, Africa and Hiroshima

Sister Florrie Prest from Bilton saw remarkable service in the war, tending to injured service people across three continents.

Florrie served in the Territorial Army Nursing Service and was attached to Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS).

Elizabeth Smith from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission shared her research on the nurse with the Stray Ferret. She is buried at Stonefall Cemetery,

Ms Smith found two historic newspaper reports about Florrie in the now-defunct Harrogate Herald.

According to a report from 1946, Florrie worked as a dressmaker in Harrogate in the years before the war. She then trained as a nurse in London and worked at Harlow Wood Orthopedic in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

When war broke out, Florrie served at Dunkirk, northern Africa, Japan and in the Atlantic and Icelandic waters.

The report says she was of modest disposition and refused to speak about her service but admitted to once saving a person’s life from a blazing building in Iceland.

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Her second mention in the Herald was her obituary a year later. She died in York Military Hospital aged just 46 on October 26, 1947.

Florrie had been assistant matron on the hospital ship Dorsetshire. She was also mentioned in dispatches for service in the Middle East.

Ms Smith suspects this was when she was on the Dorsetshire when it was attacked several times in the Mediterranean despite being a hospital ship.

In North Africa, Florrie was in charge of field dressing station.

A dear sister

Later she was matron on the hospital ship Principessa Giovanna that was seized from Italy by the Royal Navy in 1944.

Her last appointment had been in Hiroshima, Japan before she was flown home.

Her parents lived at Bachelor Gardens in Harrogate and died before her. The personal inscription on her headstone was written by her brother. It reads:

“I HAVE LOST A DEAR SISTER BUT HEAVEN HAS GAINED ONE OF THE BEST THE WORLD CONTAINED.”

Free Stonefall tours

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission runs free tours and events at Stonefall Cemetery throughout the year that give visitors fascinating insights into some of the graves.

The next tours will be during War Graves Week and will shortly be available to book via Commonwealth War Graves website.

Harrogate International Partnership is also organising an ANZAC Day service at Stonefall on Sunday April 24.

It is shaping up to be an interesting event with local dignitaries, representatives from the RNZAF and the RAAF, local cadets, a brass band and potentially a haka.

Harrogate district set to become health destination in echo of Victorian past

Long before ‘wellness’ became a buzzword, the Victorians were effectively already practising it.

And Harrogate led the way — even back then.

The wealthy and fashionable flocked to the spa town to experience its green open spaces and recuperative and healing powers of spring waters, which were first discovered by William Slingsby in the late 16th century.

Health and wellbeing hotspot

Now, more than a century after the Victorian era, Harrogate Borough Council’s new tourism body, Destination Harrogate, is set to promote the district as a health and wellbeing hotspot once again.

It will draw on the district’s rich spa heritage and accessibility to the great outdoors to attract visitors, events and investment to create a strong local economy.

The approach forms one of three key objectives in a three-year plan, which sets out a vision, priorities and actions that will be put in place to make the district “a first choice destination”.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, explained what this would involve.

She said:

“People have been coming to Harrogate since 1571 to take the waters and have a leisure experience, so that’s not new, but it has developed over the years.

“Now you can still go to the Royal Pump Room Museum and understand the spa heritage and our roots and how we became this great leisure destination, but you can also go to the Turkish Baths, you can go and have an incredible spa experience at Rudding Park or Grantley Hall.

“So the whole district is very good at that traditional health and wellbeing piece.”

Rudding Park Spa.

Wellbeing different for everyone

Ms Rio, who was appointed in October 2020, said one lesson that had been learnt as a result of the pandemic was that health and wellbeing is different to everyone.

She said:

“For some people it is a massage and a jacuzzi, but to others it’s a walk in the Nidderdale AONB, or it’s seeing a show at the theatre, or it’s just being with family around the table at one of our great independent restaurants. So that’s what we are going to try and pull out in our campaign.”

The multi-channel campaign, which will have a digital marketing focus, is being launched in April and will run for most of the year.

Ms Rio said:

“If someone is a really avid walker, we want to tell them that story and plan itineraries for them around walking and country pubs.

“Our supporting campaigns will also try and pick up the same messages.

“Every year Visit Harrogate ran a successful gardening campaign. Our partners loved that campaign, they have seen some great results from it.

“Obviously as a destination, gardening is a real strength of ours as well. We’ve got RHS Harlow Carr, Newby Hall and various places that have great gardens.

“So even our gardens campaign is going to try and link in with the health and wellbeing priority as well.”

RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

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Attracting business events

The focus on health and wellbeing will also be used to attract more leisure and business events, with one of the target sectors for conferences being the medical industry, Ms Rio explained.

She said:

“Where else to hold your medical conference than a destination that has this incredible spa heritage and medical story to tell?

“Where better to base you new health and wellbeing business, or really any business?

“If you want to invest in a place, knowing that you’re going to be somewhere where your employees health and wellbeing will be looked after. A place where their work/life balance will be stronger. It’s much easier to employ people to come and join you if you base yourself somewhere like the Harrogate district.

“It’s a really exciting campaign.”

Collaboration is key

Ms Rio said when the three-year blueprint, known as the Destination Management Plan (DMP), was written, a consultation with residents and businesses was carried out in order to come up with the three main priorities set out in the document.

She said:

“This theme came up over and over again and I think in many ways it’s a bit of a no-brainer. We’ve got the history, we’ve got a great story to tell.

“Health and wellbeing has rocketed as a trend over the past couple of years. Plus we already have strong products, like the Turkish Baths. So it’s not trying to promote something that we are not actually that good at.

“It’s not rocket science what we have come up with. But I think what we have not done as a destination is work together to really push that in the same way that a place like Bath does.

“The story has always been there but we haven’t really taken advantage of it in a way that we can now.

“Everyone is really keen to work with us to see this become a success, and I think as a destination that’s the only way it can work. That collaboration is absolutely key.”

‘Core part’ of district’s identity

Ms Rio said the health and wellbeing campaign will continue to evolve and grow as a “core part” of the district’s identity.

She said:

“Other campaigns will run alongside it to highlight other strands such as retail or arts and culture, but there will always be this golden thread running through it.

“A trip to Harrogate district is good for you, regardless of whether you are into massage, theatre or walking.”

Nidderdale AONB.

One of the main messages that will be promoted by the campaign will be length of stay, which will aim to encourage visitors to come for long weekends or weeks away in the district.

Ms Rio added:

“The way we do that is we try and prepare itineraries. So we are adding some functionality to the Visit Harrogate website this year that makes it easy for someone to say ‘I’m going to go to this experience in the morning, have lunch at this pub, stay at this hotel’. That helps to encourage people to stay longer, which benefits the local economy.”