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.
The number of people receiving out-of-work benefits in the Harrogate district has continued to fall, despite the furlough scheme ending at the end of September.
Latest figures by the Office for National Statistics show 2,375 people in the district were claiming the benefits as of October 14.
This is 115 fewer than the 2,490 figure for September 12. The benefits include Universal Credit, which can also be claimed by people who are in work but on low incomes.
The furlough scheme ended on September 30 and supported around 28,600 jobs in the Harrogate district for 18 months.
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The figures appear to have calmed fears raised by the local Liberal Democrats that the scheme would result in up to 3,600 job losses in the district.
Speaking last month, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition group on Harrogate Borough Council, said the Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally were demanding the scheme be extended to protect jobs.
Have you spotted Harrogate’s new Christmas attraction in front of the war memorial?
Harrogate Borough Council has installed a full-sized helter skelter opposite Bettys ahead of the festive season.
The fairground ride, which arrived last night, will remain in the town centre until January 2.
Rides will operate during the afternoon, subject to weather, throughout November and December.
The attraction is one of various ideas Harrogate BID, Visit Harrogate and the council have organised this festive season, along with Christmas markets, a Santa visit and a Christmas train, to encourage footfall into the town.
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https://twitter.com/Silverginger/status/1460367753660047364
A wanted man who breached his conditions of release from prison could be Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Police is seeking information on the whereabouts of 24-year-old Joshua David Greaves.
Greaves was jailed in September 2020 for stealing motorbikes and bicycles worth £12,000.
Police say he could be in Scarborough, but also has links to Harrogate and Eastfield.
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Greaves is about 6ft 2, of slim build and has dark brown hair and blue eyes.
A police statement added:
“If you see him, or have any info about his current whereabouts, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 12210238354.”
This article is sponsored by Kliniken
A new private cosmetic surgery centre in the Harrogate district is breaking the mould by offering natural and long-lasting procedures with faster recovery times.
Kliniken has been created for patients first and foremost. The beautiful rural Bishop Thornton setting and luxury interior design create an ambience that’s a far cry from the clinical feel of a hospital.
Each of the surgeons is not just a specialist in plastic surgery, but has spent years developing dedicated techniques for specific anatomical areas, such as the face, body, or hands.
Natural face-lifts and breast surgery
Full-time plastic surgeon at Kliniken, Mallappa Kolar, has nearly 20 years’ experience in cosmetic surgery – specialising in the head and neck area for the last five years. He advocates for more natural procedures to be used, as they often have much better – and longer-lasting – outcomes.
Mr Kolar has an MD and PhD in the use of fat cells.The cells from a client’s own body can be used in facial procedures as a natural alternative to fillers, or for other medical issues such as arthritis. He said:
“There are probably only a handful of places in the country that would do it. It’s can be used for simple things like acne scars and volume rejuvenations as a natural alternative to fillers. As we get older the creasing starts to increase, so we can rejuvenate that using fat.”
Kliniken’s breast and body consultant plastic surgeon, Ammar Allouni, also performs breast augmentation using this process. It gives a more natural look than artificial implants, with the added bonus of slimming down another area of the body, improving contouring.
Strictly judge Shirley Ballas and TV personality Michelle Visage are among celebrities to remove their man-made breast implants
Using the body’s own resources to enhance the patient’s shape has become a much more popular alternative in recent years, particularly for breast surgery.
The risks associated with man-made implants have been much publicised in recent years. Strictly Come Dancing head-judge Shirley Ballas opted to have her implants removed due to the increased risks of cancer, whilst TV personality Michelle Visage recently released a documentary about her ‘explant’ experience.
Kliniken’s natural approach offers a lower risk alternative, with excellent results.
Surgeries such as face, brow or cheek lifts are some of the most common procedures to reverse the signs of ageing. But Mr Kolar warns that ‘mini’ versions, offered at other cosmetic practices, don’t actually offer the best results:
“Here at Kliniken, we don’t offer ‘mini’ face-lifts, because they simply don’t last as well. They just don’t provide the best value-for-money for patients. Because we use such innovative techniques, we’re able to produce genuinely long-lasting results.”
Cutting edge techniques with faster recovery times
One of Mr Kolar’s most popular – and innovative – facial surgeries is the ultrasonic rhinoplasty. A traditional ‘nose job’ uses hammers and surgical chisels to remove excess cartilage and bone, which can cause significant swelling and needs a long recovery time. Mr Kolar uses an ultrasonic technique where high-speed sound waves are used instead. This means a much faster recovery time and far less swelling.
Kliniken’s innovative approach to hand surgery also offers a faster alternative to traditional procedures. Even in private hospitals, patients needing surgery for conditions like carpal tunnel, trigger finger, or ganglion swelling, can end up spending a year going through the process of pre-surgery visits and tests.
But at Kliniken, that process can be done in one day – which Mr Kolar calls “unique”.
The cutting edge process sees patients have their assessment, tests, operation and physiotherapy all on the same day. It eliminates the need for multiple days off work for appointments or an overnight stay.
The procedure is performed by one of four consultant hand surgeons, who have more than 30 years’ experience between them.
After the procedure, expert physiotherapy is carried out on the same day, with follow up appointments also available.