From a peculiar ceremony in Masham to a choir singing in a car park, here are our top five favourite videos of the last year.

The videos are in no set order and do not necessarily reflect the number of views it received at the time but captured some heartwarming moments.

In total the video is eight minutes long, with some clips running up to three minutes and others running for less than a minute.

Video 1 – Highlights from the Great Yorkshire Show 2021

The first video is our highlights of the Great Yorkshire Show 2021. It was return of the show after a year out for coronavirus.

During the video you will see some of those who tried out in various competitions, a special royal visit as well as the sights and sounds of the show.

Video 2 – Harrogate tries out deep fried creme eggs

A Harrogate fish and chip shop put an unusual twist on the Cadbury’s Creme Egg by dipping them in batter and frying them.

Sophie Phillips, who owns Harrogate Fisheries on Skipton Road with her partner Tim, said the cream egg innovation “sounds totally wrong” but they were a hit.

Video 3 – Harrogate choir delights with performances in a car park

One of the unusual but beautiful sounds of the coronavirus pandemic for residents in Harrogate was the choir which would perform in a car park due to restrictions.

Since September the choir has been using the unconventional rehearsal space, on the 10th floor of the multi-storey car park on Tower Street.

The group was able to pull off its rehearsals by keeping the group to a maximum of 30 and social distancing.

Video 4 – Peculiar Masham ceremony delights

We captured a rare and curious tradition in Masham were an apprentice barrel make became a journeyman cooper.

Euan Findlay, who started work at Theakston Brewery five years ago, was centre stage for the historic ‘trussing in’ ceremony.

Fellow coopers from across the country gathered in Masham to witness Mr Findlay’s coronavirus-delayed initiation into the Federation of Coopers.

Video 5 – Emotional Harrogate reunion for Puss the cat

We also filmed the emotional reunion of Puss the cat, who escaped from the Great Yorkshire Show after sneaking into a Scottish farmer’s sheep trailer, and her owners.

Farmer David Mitchell and his wife Annette drove 200 miles from East Ayrshire to collect the intrepid moggy who they feared was lost forever.

Mr Mitchell arrived at the showground on Wednesday last week to show sheep. When he opened the trailer, Puss bolted and disappeared.

On a Friday night in March, Daniel Ainsley went to Asda in Harrogate, bought a set of kitchen knives, then dumped all but one in a bin outside the store.

He walked to 38 Mayfield Grove, where his friend Mark Wolsey had been letting him stay in his bedsit, and stabbed him 15 times.

Eight months later Ainsley, 24, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murder.

The incident sparked revulsion for Ainsley and sympathy for Mr Wolsey, 48 — but it also triggered anger in a neighbourhood with long-standing crime concerns.

Daniel Ainsley (left) and Mark Wolsey

38 Mayfield Grove had been dubbed the house from hell as far back as 2005 when a court granted a three-month closure order after a crossbow was held at a resident’s head.

A Stray Ferret investigation this year revealed that between April 2008 and July 2021, North Yorkshire Police received 255 reports about 38 Mayfield Grove from the public.

People wanted to know why the police and Harrogate Borough Council had not done more to tackle activities at the house.

Homeless payments

They were particularly incensed that the council had transferred £2,112 in 2017 and £5,424 in 2018 to John Willis Properties Ltd, the company that owns the house.

The council said the payments were “to help customers assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness to access private rented accommodation”. There is no suggestion of illegal activity by either party.

Locals said it beggared belief that the council had paid for homeless people to stay in a house that had been divided into six bedsits and where many tenants had multiple issues, such as drug and alcohol addictions and mental health problems, as well as backgrounds of homelessness and crime.

Read more:

• Investigation: Murder at Harrogate’s House from Hell
• Mayfield Grove: house at centre of crime concerns allowed to re-open
• Harrogate man Daniel Ainsley found guilty of murder

They said it was difficult to think of a more dangerous scenario than housing people with multiple needs together in a terraced home on a busy street, and this problem should have been identified and tackled.

Daniel Neill, who until recently lived on Nydd Vale Terrace, a street parallel to Mayfield Grove, said:

“The entire set-up is a recipe for trouble. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out. The worst thing you can do with addicts is put them alongside other addicts.”

The closure notice at 38 Mayfield Grove

Three houses closed

After the murder, the police and the council applied for a court order to close 38 Mayfield Grove, which meant tenants had to find alternative accommodation.

On June 28, magistrates granted partial closure orders against two other properties let as bedsits by John Willis, at 19 and 31 Avenue Grove, Starbeck, due to crime concerns.

Mr Willis later told the Stray Ferret he let 10 properties in Harrogate and was passionate about helping disadvantaged people, unlike many other housing providers, and did everything he reasonably could to protect them. He said:

“Other landlords cherry pick the best tenants and sadly that leaves a disadvantaged group. Homeless hostels are full. I try to help them.”

He said he’d taken many tenants from the council and partner agencies, such as Harrogate Homeless Project on Bower Street, close to Mayfield Grove, during his 31 years as a landlord.

Besides the closure orders, the police and council organised a residents’ summit and a community engagement drop-in session to discuss 38 Mayfield Grove and to reassure people that ‘the Harrogate district remains a safe place to live and any anti-social behaviour is taken very seriously’.

Police and council staff at the community engagement drop-in session.

But residents said the flurry of activity since the murder contrasted sharply with years of inertia that allowed crime to scar the neighbourhood and blight residents’ lives and called for action to prevent a repeat.

The police and council issued a joint statement after Ainslie’s conviction saying they had responded to and dealt with issues at Mayfield Grove “quickly and effectively”, and adding that criminals “will be held to account for their actions”.

Residents, however, continue to be concerned, particularly after a flurry of police activity on the street near the end of the year.

Police have released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following an assault in Harrogate.

Officers said the incident happened at Manahatta bar, which is situated on the Ginnel, off Parliament Street, between 11.30pm on December 3 and 12.59am on December 4.

It involved the suspect punching the victim a number of times to the face while in the bar.

A North Yorkshire Police statement said:

“Police are asking members of the public to get in touch if they recognise the male in the image as they believe he will have information that will help the investigation.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Dryden or email leon.dryden@northyorkshire.police.uk

“If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“Please quote North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210254998.”

Read more:

• Man seriously injured after being hit by car in Harrogate
• Police respond to gun reports near Dishforth to find long-lens camera

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the ongoing covid problems.

Over the past 12 months, covid has continued to bring misery across the district.

On January 1, the district had recorded 4,653 covid cases since March 2020; now, at the end of the year, that number has risen to more than 25,500 positive cases.

What’s more, the infection rate is sky high again and businesses are ending the year in the same position as they did at the same time last year — wondering if they can survive.

The district started the year under tier three restrictions, meaning people could only meet in groups of six outdoors and pubs and restaurants could only operate as takeaways.

It had previously been in tier 2, which allowed hospitality venues to open as long as they served substantial meals.

The change came in on December 30 and ruined hospitality venues’ hopes of bumper new year takings to offset some of the previous months’ covid losses.

Illegal party

However, the guidelines weren’t followed by everyone. The Stray Ferret revealed in January that pub and hotel manager Simon Cotton held an illegal New Year’s Eve party with 10 guests at the Yorkshire Hotel.

Mr Cotton (pictured above) was alleged to have asked staff to work at the event despite it being against covid rules.

He denied the allegations but the following week North Yorkshire Police issued a £1,000 fixed penalty notice for a breach of coronavirus regulations at a hotel in Harrogate on New Year’s Eve.

Third national lockdown

A short while after, on January 6, the country entered its third lockdown. This was extremely tough for local people and business owners who were once again thrust into home-working, online orders and furlough pay-outs.

The roadmap out of lockdown was announced on March 8 and, from there, schools and businesses began to reopen.

In the same month, the district hit 100 covid deaths at Harrogate and District Hospital. The Stray Ferret wrote a series of article remembering some of the 100 that died.

Events, such as Northern Alborough Festival, returned, cinemas welcomed back customers and the beauty and hair industry reopened with queues of eager people needing a haircut.

Covid precautions in Kate Borgen’s Ikonik hairdresser on King’s Road

A brief spell of normality

Then came summer and a little normality resumed. People went on holiday, visited the theatre and large concerts returned. Face masks were no longer compulsory.

But for the second year running, school exams were cancelled and results based on teacher gradings. Once again, the district saw high percentages for A* to C grades.

By the end of summer, the vaccination scheme was well underway with many over-18s having had two doses. Then came booster jabs.

The rollout began in September, and sites such as Knaresborough Chain Lane Community Hub, Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground and Ripon Racecourse have been at the forefront of the campaign.

Now, more than 80,000 people in the district have had their covid booster.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Ripon hospitals restrict visitors due to Omicron
• Disabled Harrogate woman threatened with Christmas eviction from care home

Nevertheless the emergence of Omicron has seen rates rocket again. Winter also saw the district reach the grim milestone of 200 covid deaths at Harrogate District Hospital, which stopped routine visits to patients two days before Christmas.

But the Harrogate pantomime has gone ahead, unlike last year, and — at the time of going to press — Harrogate’s hospitality sector was hoping to be open on New Year’s Eve.

But few are expecting bumper takings as covid’s shadow continues to loom large.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was punched and kicked on a street in Harrogate.

The man was attacked on Hornbeam Park Avenue, at Hornbeam Park, after arguing with another male between 3.15pm and 3.30pm on Saturday, 18 December.

Police today released a description of the suspected attacker. They say he is aged 19 to 23, about 6ft to 6ft 2 and has short brown hair.

He was wearing gym wear, a fitted red T-shirt, and black shorts. He was driving a grey Vauxhall hatchback.

Police also want to speak to a male who was seen recording the incident from a red Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Corsa. They say he appeared to be in company with the suspect.

A North Yorkshire Police statement today said:

“There were no serious injuries however the victim was left feeling extremely shaken following the incident.

“No arrests have been made at this time as the suspect is currently unknown.

“Police are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Read more:

• Man seriously injured after being hit by car in Harrogate
• Police respond to gun reports near Dishforth to find long-lens camera

Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 200 Deacon. You can also email adam.deacon2@northyorkshire.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210263414

A man in his seventies was seriously injured yesterday after being hit by a car on Station Parade in Harrogate.

Police closed the road for several hours to investigate after the man was hit by a beige coloured Renault Scenic outside Waitrose.

He was taken to hospital, and police said today his injuries were serious but not life threatening.

North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for anyone who saw the incident to come forward with information.

A police statement said:

“At just before 9am yesterday, a beige coloured Renault Scenic collided with a pedestrian outside Waitrose on Station Parade in Harrogate. 

“Police and ambulance crews attended the scene and initially treated the pedestrian, a man in his seventies, before he was taken to hospital.

“Officers need to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the collision or who stopped to assist to contact them. Information can be provided by calling 101, selecting option 2 and asking for TC 428 Bainbridge or by emailing emma.bainbridge@northyorkshire.police.uk.

Quote NYP reference 12210268520.

Read More:

• Ripon councillors call on crime commissioner to keep CCTV promise
• Man denies firearm charge at Harrogate gastro pub

A refurbishment of traffic lights on Harrogate’s Skipton Road is to cost taxpayers £143,000.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the the highways authority, awarded a contract to Hampshire-based Dynniq UK Ltd to upgrade two junctions on the road.

According to the published contract, the works were valued at £143,288.55.

The county council had earmarked Kings Road and Bilton Lane junctions on Skipton Road for upgrades.

Highways bosses had planned to carry out work at the junctions back in 2020, but it was delayed due to the Nightingale Hospital set up at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Read more:

• Coronavirus backlog sees roadworks double in Harrogate district
• Five weeks of gas works to start on Harrogate’s Skipton Road in New Year

At the time, Melissa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said the work had to be put back as the “key route around the hospital” had to be protected.

Ms Burnham said the work included introducing a larger island at the Kings Road junction and installing new traffic lights at both junctions.

Meanwhile, Skipton Road, which is one of the busiest roads in Harrogate, is set to see further roadworks in the New Year.

Northern Gas Networks is set to set up temporary traffic lights at Knox Avenue, Bilton Grange Close and Skipton Crescent while it replaces metal pipes with plastic ones.

A major refurbishment of Harrogate’s Hydro swimming pool looks set to be approved.

Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended that a plan to build a two-storey extension onto the ageing facility is given the go-ahead.

The Hydro was first opened in 1999 and replaced the old Coppice Valley pool.

The proposals were lodged by the authority and are due to go before a council planning committee next week.

The council is proposing to demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400 square metres fitness suite on the first floor.

As part of its plans to overhaul leisure services, which were approved in June 2020, the council outlined a £13.5 million project to refurbish The Hydro.

Read more:

• Approval for 420 solar panels to be installed at Harrogate Hydro
• Harrogate council to borrow £26 million to fund leisure overhaul projects
• Harrogate council approves leisure services overhaul

The proposal is backed by Sport England, which said an “improved and modern” facility would benefit the town.

It said:

“An improved and modern leisure facility in this sustainable location delivers a series of benefits, including increasing the opportunity for physical activity, increasing membership and usage and encouraging better interaction with the facilities and services on offer”.

Councillors on the borough council’s planning committee will make a decision on the refurbishment at a meeting on January 6.

Further projects at The Hydro

The move to refurbish The Hydro comes as other work is being done to upgrade the building.

In July, the council confirmed it is to buy a new diving platform to replace the damaged one that has kept divers out of the pool for eight months.

Meanwhile, the council has also given approval for 420 solar panels to be installed on the roof of the pool as part of a decarbonisation project.

The council successfully bid this year for funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme, which helped to fund the panels.

A total of £1.8 million will be spent at The Hydro to install the solar panels, as well as replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and put in place new energy monitoring and control systems.

The Hydro is now run by Brimhams Active, a new arm’s length leisure company set up by the council this year. It has taken over the running of 12 leisure facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.

Harrogate energy company CNG became the victim of a global phenomenon this year when it ceased trading after 27 years.

Wholesale energy prices spiralled this year, and the impact was dramatic, with CNG one of more than 20 UK companies exiting the market.

Paul Stanley, chief executive of CNG, told the Stray Ferret the company failed because four of its main customers went out of business within two weeks, leaving it with unpaid bills.

Attempts to raise capital or sell the business were unsuccessful due to continued market volatility and high prices in the energy sector.

The company supplied about 15 to 20 retail energy companies through its wholesale business arm and also has around 50,000 business customers. About 150 jobs were lost.

CNG’s headquarters on Victoria Avenue

Swift collapse

Despite being regarded as a local success story for the majority of its 27 years, CNG’s collapse was swift and unforgiving.

Alarm bells began to ring on October 14 when Mr Stanley sent a letter to customers saying it was exiting the wholesale market. Two weeks later the company entered liquidation.

With Christmas approaching, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for staff.

A series of meetings were held between company bosses and worried employees, who had questions about redundancy pay.

Staff have been paid for November but were not expected to be offered a redundancy settlement until after Christmas through a government scheme.

A source told the Stray Ferret it was a “stressful time to have no income.”

Read more:

• In Depth: Why Harrogate success story CNG ended in collapse
• Harrogate energy firm CNG ceases trading

Administrators

CNG then entered the Supplier of Last Resort process operated by the government’s energy regulator Ofgem.

The SoLR procedure was established by Ofgem as a safety net to ensure that when a company stops supplying energy, affected customers are guaranteed continuity of supply through other companies.

However, businesses that were supplied gas by CNG were warned that their energy bills will be expected to rise.

Interpath Advisory has now been appointed as administrator, and around 30 staff are working to close the company.

CNG was also synonymous with Harrogate Town football club, becoming the first-ever sponsor of their Wetherby Road ground from 2008 until 2020 when it was rebranded the CNG Stadium.

The company was also well-known in Harrogate as a supporter of local charities and community projects.

A Harrogate mum wants to warn others after her disabled son found litter and used needles on the floor of a locked disabled toilet in the town centre.

Pictures from Christmas Eve sent into the Stray Ferret show around six needles with some half-eaten chips on the floor in the disabled toilets at the Jubilee Car Park.

The mum who sent in the pictures would not like to be named but said her 21-year-old son with
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was shocked to discover the state of the toilets.

Disabled toilets like the one in the car park are only accessible to those with a RADAR Key. However, it’s easy to purchase such a key online without any verification.

The Stray Ferret sent in pictures of the toilets to Harrogate Borough Council, which runs the toilet. We did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Read more:

• Jam session at Blues Bar tonight in memory of Aaron Bertenshaw
• Pilgrims brave the elements for Ripon’s Boxing Day walk

The mother, who also sent in a complaint to the council, told the Stray Ferret:

“I just want to warn other people, my son needed to use the toilet on Christmas Eve but it was in a disgraceful state.

“Public toilets may not have a reputation for being clean but when it’s locked with a key you think it would be in a better state.

“They need to be cleaned more regularly. Harrogate Borough Council should be ashamed. It’s a health and safety hazard.”