Three men were arrested after stealing a laptop worth thousands of pounds from the Apple iStore on James Street in Harrogate.
Officers were called at 4pm yesterday after two men entered the shop and left with a MacBook Pro worth £1,899 making no attempt to pay.
Owners of the store reported to police that the men had left the area in a car.
North Yorkshire Police used CCTV to search for the car and the men were arrested on the outskirts of York just before 4.45pm, less than 45 minutes after from the initial report.
Two men, one aged 18 and another aged 20, were arrested on suspicion of theft and electrical items that were believed to be stolen were recovered.
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Both were charged with theft and the driver was also charged for driving without insurance.
A third man was released without charge.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
“This is a great result, the speedy work of our officers on the ground has resulted in us returning this high-value item back to the shop.
“As we enter the Christmas period, we often see an increase in retail theft. I would urge all shop owners and members of the public who are out shopping to be vigilant and to alert police to any suspicious activity.”
Employees of the collapsed Harrogate energy firm CNG have described the uncertainty over redundancy pay as a “horrible situation” with Christmas just around the corner.
About 100 staff and chief executive Paul Stanley discussed the insolvency programme at an online meeting yesterday
Two different CNG employees, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret that staff had hoped to receive clarification about redundancy pay but were left disappointed.
They said staff had previously been told they would be paid redundancy by the company but that this was withdrawn. They were then told it would be paid by the government, but at yesterday’s meeting, they were not given answers on when this will be and how much they will receive.
One employee said:
“This is a huge kick in the teeth for those who have stayed loyal to CNG for many years”.
Another employee described the atmosphere of the meeting as “cold”. They added:
“We were plainly made to feel like a nuisance”.
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CNG ceased trading two weeks ago due to spiralling wholesale gas prices but administrators are yet to be appointed.
According to CNG’s annual accounts from October 2020, the company had, at the time, £36.7m in cash reserves.
Questions were put to Mr Stanley at yesterday’s meeting about what had happened to this money. One employee said Mr Stanley “swiftly avoided the question”.
The Stray Ferret approached CNG for a response but we did not receive one at the time of publication.
A drama school whose star students regularly appear in TV shows has opened in Harrogate.
Articulate Drama School and Agency supplies child actors for production companies on programmes such as All Creatures Great and Small, Gentleman Jack, Peaky Blinders, Emmerdale, and Last Tango in Halifax.
It is now running weekly classes for young people aged five to 21 at St George’s Community Centre on Mornington Crescent.
Stacey Burrows, director of Articulate, said:
“Harrogate is fortunate enough to offer lots of opportunities for young people to get involved in drama and the arts, but for those wanting to explore the art of TV acting and see how they get on in the industry, Articulate classes and representation can be just what is needed.
“We chose Harrogate because increasingly, our TV and film clients are asking us for children to film in nearby locations such as the Yorkshire Dales, York, Ripon and Harrogate itself.”
Some of Articulate’s talented youngsters include Tilly Kaye, who plays Biff in CBeebies series Biff & Chip and Austin Haynes, who has just finished filming as a leading role in sequel to the The Railway Children, which is set to be released in cinemas in April next year.
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Some of its actors have also worked overseas for TV and advertising projects. For example, Ilkley teen Henry Kent flew to Mexico to film a Coca Cola advert.
Ms Burrows said the agency’s set-up was geared purely towards TV and sessions were filmed so children could analyse their skills.
There is no singing or dancing, and she said often children without backgrounds in those areas adapted better because they were more natural. Anyone can take part.
Sessions take place on Wednesday evenings and cost £29.50 a month. A free trial is available.
For further details visit here. Or you can email dramaschool@articulatesdc.com or call 01274 033773.
Photo: (left) Aiden Cook on the set of All Creatures Great and Small and (right) Dexter Hughes with Suranne Jones on the set of Gentleman Jack
Harrogate Christmas lights switched on by ‘Harry’s Heroes’
The finalists in the search to find the Harrogate district’s community champion were invited to perform the official Christmas lights switch-on in Harrogate last night.
Lauren Doherty, Greta Knight, Susie Little, Helen Mackenzie, Mark Oldfield and Cath Wilson asked to perform the duties outside the Victoria Shopping Centre at 5pm.
Mark was unable to attend but the five others were there, along with representatives from Harrogate Business Improvement District.
Those selected are finalists in Harry’s Heroes — an event run by the Stray Ferret in conjunction with former BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration and Harrogate Spring Water to find the people in the district doing exceptional things to help others in the community.
The BID, which organised the switch-on, did not publicise it in advance this year to avoid any covid risk caused by crowds gathering.
The BID, which is funded by a levy on businesses, aims to increase footfall in Harrogate town centre and boost trade.
It is also involved with this year’s Christmas Shop Window contest as well as the Father Christmas Experience at the Crown Hotel.
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Two Harrogate district soldiers killed during World War One have finally been laid to rest today with full military honours.
Their bodies were among nine sets of human remains found during civil engineering works in the Belgium town of Beselare three years ago.
Archaeologists from the Flanders Heritage Agency subsequently discovered the remains of the trench, a bomb pit and a separate bomb pit outside the trench.
Eight of the nine bodies found inside the trench are believed to have died at the same time as the result of an explosion in October 1917. The ninth was found separately.
Through a combination of military research, anthropology and DNA, Ministry of Defence ‘war detectives’ managed to identify seven of the nine soldiers by name.
The men included 21-year-old Lance Corporal Stanley Blakeborough from Pateley Bridge and 28-year-old Private Harry Miller, who worked as a farm labourer in Burton Leonard.
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An eighth casualty, who remains unknown, is believed to have served with the same regiment (11th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers) whilst the ninth and final casualty is unknown by name or regiment.
The service in Belgium today. Credit: Ministry of Defence
Nicola Nash, from the Ministry of Defence said:
“After working on this case for nearly three years, it gives me an immense feeling of pride to see these men finally being laid to rest. It has been wonderful to share this emotional day with so many of the family members, who have travelled as far as Australia to attend.
“The sacrifice these men made will never be forgotten.”
Today’s service was organised by the MoD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre and was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium.
The MOD war detectives also traced the relatives of some of the men, with five different families attending the service.
The Duke of Kent attended the service in his capacity as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Harrogate Male Voice Choir returned on Saturday evening for its first performance in two years.
The choir has existed since October 1969 but members were forced to practice over Zoom during the pandemic.
Members performed at a charity event at St. Mary’s Church, Boston Spa in aid of Martin House Children’s Hospice. They raised £1,050 for the charity.
The choir sang renditions of Amazing Grace, Bring Him Home and In Flanders Fields, among others.
It was the debut of the choir’s new musical director Richard Kay, who has been a member of York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir since 2002. He also sang a range of songs solo during the evening.
Choir member Lawrie Coulthard said:
“It was a wonderful experience for both the choir and audience.
“This was the first time for some years that our performance included solo items – the audience really enjoyed them!”
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Harrogate MP silent after saying scrapping HS2 would ‘betray the north’
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has so far remained silent on the expected scrapping of plans to extend the HS2 line from Birmingham to Leeds.
The former rail minister has been a vocal advocate of the project. In February 2019, he said that it would be a “betrayal of the north” if it did not go ahead.
However, government sources briefed national media outlets over the weekend about the decision ahead of an expected announcement on Thursday.
Just two months ago Mr Jones reiterated his support for HS2 at the annual Transport for the North conference in Leeds. He said:
“I hope that we do not see any compromise on our desire for big investment in our infrastructure. We have failed spectacularly to invest enough in our infrastructure.
“This has meant it is now too expensive and too difficult to move people and goods around the country. So I do not support the argument that we need to abandon longer term infrastructure investment.”
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At a previous Transport for the North conference in February 2019, Mr Jones went further and criticised media outlets for reporting speculation over the future of the HS2 Birmingham to Leeds line.
“We have all probably seen some media reports claiming that the northern stages of HS2 might not be built. They are nonsense.
“HS2 was conceived, developed and is now being delivered as a national railway. But in particular to improve links for our area.
“So our commitment to the full network of HS2 is undiminished. To cancel anything would be a betrayal of the north.”
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones for his thoughts this morning. However, he did not reply to our request for comment by the time of publication.
Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has increased, as a further 134 covid cases were confirmed today.
Latest data shows that the rate has risen to 515 infections per 100,000 people, which is the second highest in North Yorkshire.
Across the county, the average stands at 481 and the England rate is 382.
No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England figures.
Since March 2020, 197 people have died with covid at the hospital.
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Meanwhile, the number of covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital remains stable with 22 currently receiving treatment – a slight fall from 25 this time last week.
Harrogate nursery currently closed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’A Harrogate nursery that has existed for more than 50 years has closed.
Oatlands Pre-School, which opened in 1968, was situated in the former Oatlands Methodist Church on Mount Street and was owned and managed by a voluntary committee.
According to its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2017, it catered for 25 children aged two to five.
Claire Temple, chair of the Oatlands Pre-School and community centre committee, told the Stray Ferret it had closed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and said she was unable to provide any further information at this time.
The pre-school, which it is believed closed in September, operated from 8.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday throughout term times and provided a lunch club.
Ofsted rated the nursery as ‘good’ in 2017 but its website now describes it as closed.
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A proposed new bar and restaurant on Harrogate’s King’s Road has applied for a premises licence.
The premises would be situated in Ocean House and the former Ramus seafood shop. If approved, it would significantly liven a part of town not known for its nightlife.
GM Developments, which is based in Leeds, lodged plans with Harrogate Borough Council in October for the scheme.
Under a licensing application, the bar, called Frog, would be open from Monday to Sunday from 10am until midnight.
The application also seeks permission for the retail sale of alcohol on site.
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The new restaurant, which would be based in Ocean House and create up to 20 jobs, would seat 70 people indoors. There would also be a bar, external pavement and courtyard seating.
The business would be managed by Roger Moxham, one of the founding owners of Harrogate’s Cold Bath Brewing company.
Mr Moxham said previously:
“We will serve a diverse array of global meals rooted in Asia and the Americas, which we intend to rotate throughout the year.
“The menu will be underpinned by a weekend brunch offer all supported by a full range of hand crafted cocktails and beers and an interesting selection of soft drinks, teas and coffees.”
The council will make a decision on the premises application at a later date.