Historic Harrogate club set to reopen for first time in 17 months

A historic club in Harrogate that has been closed for 17 months is preparing to open its doors for the first time since coronavirus hit.

St Robert’s Club, which opened on Robert Street in 1912, initially as The Catholic Club, will host music nights, quizzes and more from tomorrow.

The club committee had hoped to reopen earlier but decided it was not financially viable with coronavirus restrictions still in place.

Initially it will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If there is enough demand it will open for more nights in the week.

It has been a difficult year-and-a-half for the club but treasurer Liz Alderson and chairman Mike Carpenter hope better times are on the way.

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Ms Anderson, who has a family connection with the club dating back to its inception as The Catholic Club, told the Stray Ferret:

“We couldn’t open before because we need total freedom to pack the place otherwise we would not make enough money.

“It has been sad to keep it closed for so long. I mean we are lucky, we own the building. So we could just mothball, that was the most sensible thing to do.”

Mr Carpenter added:

“About a year ago we did a poll of our 140 members because we were uncertain of the future of the world, let alone the club.

“The vast majority, I am talking about 90%, wanted us to reopen. It was reassuring to know that the membership are still interested.”

Membership costs £15 a year and entitles members to a discounted rate at the bar.

But the club also welcomes non-members and is encouraging new groups and those looking to hold events to get in touch.

Harrogate mum who founded Mumbler celebrates website’s 10th birthday

A Harrogate mum who created parenting website Mumbler from her kitchen table 10 years ago has celebrated the milestone with a party.

Sally Haslewood started the project as a Facebook group in 2011. Since then she has developed 19 franchises all over England and has hinted at expanding her reach even further.

The idea behind Mumbler is to become a local hub for family information.

Last year, more than 2.4 million people visited Mumbler’s combined websites and together the Mumbler franchises have more than 177,000 social media followers.

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Current and recent brands to have advertised with Mumbler include holiday giant Tui, National Trust, Worcester Bosch, Nosy Crow books and Joe Browns.

Ms Haslewood said:

“This year, Mumbler is 10 years old. I’m proud to say the model I created as a hobby during maternity leave in 2011 has been such a success, and there are now 19 Mumbler franchises.

“I’m eyeing growth again, this time with the north west and Oxford on my horizon.”

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning, it’s Leah with you today, happy Tuesday and welcome back after the long weekend. I’m here to help you have a smooth journey in the Harrogate district.

Any delays? New roadworks? Let me know by calling me on 01423 276197 or commenting on social media.

Let’s help everyone have a better journey by letting me know so I can add it to the blog, brought to you by the HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, Suzannah will be back with you tomorrow with regular updates to help keep the district moving.

Roads

The roads are starting to look busier this morning. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Traffic is building:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to look busier this morning. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Traffic is building:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to look busier this morning. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Traffic is building:

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning with schools still away for the summer holiday. Make sure to keep checking in as the morning goes on.

Road closures:

Temporary lights

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate-born musician to kick off London festival

A musician from Harrogate will be playing a three-day London festival later this month.

Joe Flanagan will be one of the first acts to perform at the Islington Radio Festival on September 10.

Joe was born and raised in Harrogate and is a former Harrogate Grammar School pupil, now residing in Bournemouth.

The guitarist, who has been influenced by the Gallagher brothers, began penning his own songs aged thirteen. He will be performing entirely original pieces during his set.

The Islington Radio Festival is a new event for this year founded by presenters at the station of the same name.

The gig will be one of many during the month as he is also set to play London venues such The Amersham Arms and Bethnal Green.

Read more

Joe spoke of his music;

“I started writing as a naughty kid aged 13 as an outlet for my emotions.
“My songs are based on personal experiences but written in a way that everyone can relate to.”

He isn’t currently signed to a record label, however he hinted of an upcoming EP in the works which he hopes will boost his career.

Stray Views: Greed and high house prices are forcing people out of Harrogate

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Greed has made Harrogate homes unaffordable for many

I read your series of articles about Harrogate’s high housing costs and its impact on hospitality workers with interest.

However, I read Alex Goldstein’s contribution with increasing incredulity. I’m not sure whether he was being deliberately provocative or is completely heartless.

I was brought up in one of Harrogate’s less affluent areas in the 1950/60s and many of my neighbours and my friends’ parents worked in the hospitality sector. Strangely enough, they were able to support a family on their earnings, possibly because they lived in either council houses or reasonably priced rental accommodation.

It must be plain for everyone to see that the disparity between high priced accommodation and hospitality sector wages means it is inevitable that those wishing to work in this sector are no longer able to afford to live in Harrogate.

My heart bleeds for the buy-to-let investors who would be hurt by rent caps.  Their greed has made Harrogate unaffordable for more and more ordinary workers.

I do hope that Mr Goldstein will soon be able to afford his Lamborghini and drive off to Mayfair where his despicable ideas may be better appreciated.

Margaret Fox, Harrogate

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The Montpellier Hill Christmas market experience was a nightmare

I’m sorry, I’ve totally lost my rag with this nonsense. What person thinks there is “no more appropriate” a site than Montpellier Hill for this event?

In a town with more than 200 acres of readily accessible open space and a half vacant town centre, we persist year after year on shoving hundreds of traders and tens of thousands of visitors on a muddy slope in the most cramped and inappropriate part of green space Harrogate has to offer.

As a local of more than 15 years, you soon learn to stay well clear of the Christmas market, such are the miserable circumstances under which it is delivered. Its absolutely horrid — thousands pushing past one anther in an obscenely small space, with narrow alleys and a sense that if you browse, you are blocking the crowds and inconveniencing everyone else.

If we had a modicum of common sense, we would relocate to another part of the Stray and have wide, airy corridors, with space between units so people can take a leisurely stroll and browse at their own pace, thus probably spending far more than they might have otherwise.

I love the concept of a Christmas market, I am ashamed of the way Harrogate delivers it simply because of the location. Look at Leeds, Durham, York — anywhere else as a better example of how it can be done without it being a positively suffocating (and covid-breeding) experience.

Mark Fuller, Cold Bath Road, Harrogate

Universities offer more than degrees

I have just read Marilyn Stowe’s column about the anxiety of not getting the A level grades you would have hoped to get.

As a lecturer for almost 40 years in a post-1992 university and an admissions tutor for much of that time, I spoke to and advised many university applicants in that position and I am gratified to say that my institution provided a more than satisfactory and welcoming academic, social and diverse community to a great number of them.

I am particularly proud of those who took up places at our university who saw the opportunity afforded to them not just as a chance to rise to the top but to serve the wider community, including an international one, in a professional capacity.

The pandemic has shown us just how much we need and rely on those whose work supports as a matter of course the wider community and those of every social constituency who find themselves in need.

Glyn Hambrook, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

 

Harrogate GP surgery postpones non-urgent blood tests as supply crisis deepens

A Harrogate GP surgery has warned it will have to postpone non-urgent blood tests as the national blood supply crisis affects the district.

The Spa Surgery has said it will contact patients to rearrange routine blood tests but said urgent blood tests will continue as normal. Other local GP practices are also believed to be affected.

The surgery, which is based at Mowbray Square Medical Centre, said on Facebook:

“As you may have seen on the national news, there is a global shortage of the sample tubes we use when we do blood tests.

“This means if you have a routine (non urgent) blood test booked with us in the coming few weeks, we may be getting in touch with you to rearrange it. We will still be doing urgent blood tests and these will be processed as normal.

“We have also removed the online booking option on our practice website to ensure we can strictly control our stocks of sample tubes.”

Supply chain problems, exacerbated by Brexit, have caused numerous problems lately, with supermarkets among those affected.

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The British Medical Association, a professional body for doctors in the UK, said in a statement yesterday the shortage of blood tubes across hospitals and GP surgeries was now severe and if the NHS did not reduce the amount being used in the coming days, even the most clinically important blood tests may be at risk.

The statement added doctors had “made plain their concerns about the implications for patients and their anger that this shortage has been allowed to happen” and the situation was now urgent.

Dr David Wrigley, BMA council deputy chair, said:

“This crisis has put doctors and their patients in a terrible, unenviable position. No doctor knowingly undertakes unnecessary blood tests and to now have to ration all those we are doing, as well as cancel hundreds more, goes against everything we stand for as clinicians.

“However, if we don’t try to follow the NHS guidance, it’s clear we will get to the point where even the most clinically urgent of blood tests may not be able to be done as we simply won’t have the tubes for the blood to go into.

“We are at a very perilous point and it’s surprising that NHS England hasn’t declared a critical incident given the very strong possibility that NHS organisations may temporarily lose the ability to provide lifesaving diagnostic testing.

“Many GP practices – like mine – will now have to spend hours assessing which already scheduled tests can or cannot be cancelled and this takes time away from frontline patient care when it is most needed. Cancelling tests makes patients anxious and can mean a missed diagnosis.”

Have you been affected by the blood shortage? Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Myth buster: Afghan refugees in the Harrogate district

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan earlier this month, four families have been resettled in Harrogate through the government’s Vulnerable Persons and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

Our story on Harrogate Borough Council pledging to house refugees fleeing the country provoked a big reaction on social media, both positive and negative, and we wanted to answer some of the questions raised in the responses.

Refugees are people fleeing armed conflicts or persecution and are protected in international law.

An asylum seeker is someone who claims to be a refugee but whose claim hasn’t been evaluated.

We put several questions to Belinda Goode, chair of Harrogate District of Sanctuary, a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers in the Harrogate district.

Who is coming to Harrogate?

These are Afghan families and their arrival was planned. They knew Nato forces were withdrawing and there was a deal with the Taliban in 2020. They are interpreters who worked for the British Army and their families who were in a vulnerable situation in Afghanistan. They’ve been here a couple of weeks self-isolating in hotels then arrived in Harrogate.

Do refugees jump the social housing queue?

There are a very small number of people coming through the resettlement scheme and they will be given accommodation [in council housing]. North Yorkshire County Council approached Harrogate Borough Council for that.

Housing is sourced and they are supported by the Refugee Council who makes sure they have access to the healthcare that we take for granted. We support them with this.

In the last five years, we’ve not had 20 families and not all of them live in local authority accommodation.

If they don’t come through this planned resettlement scheme they won’t be entitled to social housing. They will be placed in private rental accommodation but it’s usually substandard.

Can refugees work — and do they want to?

Yes, they’ve been given the right to remain here and contribute to society.

Often people come here with great skills but can’t find work. I met a woman who was an engineer in Iran. She couldn’t work and she found it incredibly frustrating and odd that she couldn’t pay her taxes and contribute. She’s doing a course to eventually become a doctor. It’s not that people don’t want to work, they want opportunity.

Read more:

Are asylum seekers coming to the UK illegally?

One of the biggest issues is people understanding that asylum seekers are not illegal. It is a legal right to seek asylum. There’s no such thing as a bogus or illegal asylum seeker. 

Asylum seekers are experiencing the same struggles as refugees, but an asylum seeker flees the country on their own and not through an organised resettlement process. They have to apply for asylum once they get here.

Does Harrogate have the space to house refugees and asylum seekers?

We’re not in the top 10 countries that take Syrian refugees. It’s countries like Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Germany, Iraq and Egypt.

The idea that people will always come to England through other countries isn’t factual. Often they will stay in nearby countries.

It’s easy to find these statistics if you look in the right places. We take a very small proportion of refugees. We see the boats coming over and the media use words like “hoards” and “flooded” but in Syria, the statistics are scary. Five million people live without direct access to water. These are often children who are desperate. 

Is Harrogate a ‘welcoming, tolerant and diverse’ place, as suggested by the council leader?

That is aspirational but people’s hearts have been wrung out by the scenes in Afghanistan and at Kabul airport. The majority of people have that humanitarian pull to ask what can we do to help.

There are another group of people who will never change their minds, equally you’ll never change my mind about the situation. 

Our culture in Harrogate is not multi-ethnic and in that sense, it’s more of a challenge. It’s not a big city where naturally there are people from all sorts of races but I’ve seen some wonderful kindness in Harrogate.

There have been some issues [with racism], but that’s not just Harrogate it’s everywhere.

The refugees bring a huge richness of culture with them. What I’ve learned about Syrian food and culture is brilliant. And how welcoming a culture it is. You’re always offered food and these are people that don’t have a lot.

If you visit a refugee family, leave plenty of time, you’re not going to get away with a quick cuppa like you would in the UK. They enjoy life and they want to share it.

Bilton father and son supply top shops from ‘hidden gem’ allotment plot

With tonnes of tomatoes, reams of runner beans and buckets filled with flowers growing on an incredible allotment plot – this father and son team in Bilton are able to supply some of the top shops in town.

Gary Sibson and his son James run Naturally Grown Farm from a plot and a half, the equivalent of a fifth of an acre, at a committee-run allotment just off Bachelor Gardens.

He started working with just half a plot 15 years ago as a way to bond with his children and teach them the skills his father taught him.

Gary Sibson is the man behind Naturally Grown Farm in Bilton.

Over the years he has taken on the neighbouring plots to get it to the size it is today. Gary has also changed the way he farms and what he produces over the years as he learns from those around him and from YouTube.

While running an allotment is a hobby for some these days, running Naturally Grown Farm is a full-time job for Gary.

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The farm supplies the likes of Fodder, Roots and Fruits and Regal Fruiterers as well as a dozen florists around the Harrogate area. Gary told the Stray Ferret over a cup of tea at his shed:

“Especially since coronavirus local shopping has become massive, Everyone seems to want to support local and buy local. So much so that it’s been difficult to keep up at times.

“Not only does local mean the produce does not have to travel far but here we try to keep everything plastic free and as environmentally-friendly as possible.

“We do alright. I have questioned myself a few times, it can be an uphill battle at times. My lad James would never let me pack it in. This place is like our home.

“But I was a builder for 35 years and this allotment was always my escape from the world. I would never let it go now, I am much happier now.”

A bountiful supply of salad leaves.

Naturally Grown Farm is now going so well that Gary is keen to take on a much bigger space to be able to keep up with the demand for his fruit, vegetables and flowers.

This year he has had a lot of requests from florists as weddings return. But it has meant that Gary has had to reduce the space he has to grow food.

So he is looking at taking on a field with 10 to 20 times the space he has now and employing an assistant to keep up with all of the work.

More pictures from this hidden gem farm:

He supplies plenty of florists.

Checking on the tomatoes.

The allotment is quite large.

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

Another 55 coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district

Another 55 covid cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

The district’s weekly rate stands at 307 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 314 and the England average is 319.

According to the latest figures, Harrogate District Hospital is treating 10 patients for covid.

The hospital has not recorded any covid deaths in the last 24 hours, according to NHS England statistics. However, two people have recently died at the hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Those two deaths followed a four-month period at the hospital when it did not record any coronavirus deaths.

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It means the number of people at the hospital who have died from covid since March 2020 stands at 181.

Elsewhere, 123,908 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 111,694 have had a second dose.

August Bank Holiday Weekend: 14 things to do from festivals to fireworks

From comedy at Harrogate Cricket Club, to pig-themed scarecrows at Ripley or a family-friendly festival at Stockeld Park, here are the best activities on offer over this three-day weekend: 

Music and culture

Leeds Festival, Wetherby

Festivals are back with a bang, and Leeds Festival is once again set to take over Bramham Park, near Wetherby. Almost 90,000 people are expected at Bramham for the three-day event, which starts on Friday and is headlined this year by the likes of Liam Gallagher, Biffy Clyro and Stormzy. This year new format will see two main stages instead of the previous one. Friday to Monday, leedsfestival.com

Stockeld Rox, Wetherby

Family-friendly festivals have surged in popularity over the years, so Stockeld Park’s family tribute festival is sure to get parents and children singing along and dancing to the likes of Madonna, Jessie J, Rita Ora and Take That. Pizzas, snacks and drinks, including a full bar will be available. Each evening will end with a spectacular firework finale. All ticket holders will now also get free access to the adventure park from 3.30pm to 6pm to enjoy the attraction before the event. Sunday and Monday, tickets from £14, stockeldpark.co.uk

Stockeld Park is holding Stockeld Rox, a family-friendly tribute music festival.

Silly Point Comedy, Harrogate 

Balcony Bar at Harrogate Cricket Club has teamed up with Sitting Room Comedy to bring a night full of much-needed laughs. The outdoor show features award winning comedians: Chris Washington, Steve Day, Andrew Bird and MC Matt Stellingwerf. Sunday, tickets £12, sittingroomcomedy.com

Our Gate, Harrogate 

For those interested in a theatrical experience with a difference, Our Gate is an immersive community play with Harrogate and its citizens at its core. The show travels between indoor and outdoor locations through the town, rather than being fixed on stage like a traditional theatre show, with the audience at the centre of the action. Friday to Sunday, tickets from £18, harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Food and drink

Harrogate Food and Drink Festival, Harrogate

The Harrogate Food and Drink Festival is returning to Ripley Castle, with a huge selection of food, drink, independent traders and family entertainment. The dog-friendly event follows on from the previous sell-out festival held on The Stray in June and also features live bands, chef demos and art. Saturday to Monday, tickets £2.95 for under 16s and £6.98 for adults, under 5s free, harrogatefoodfestival.com 

Harrogate Food and Drink Festival is back – this time at Ripley Castle.

Malton Food Lovers Festival, Malton

Further afield, the quaint market town of Malton considers itself the food capital of the North, and this family-friendly festival is a huge hit with locals as well as tourists, who flock from all over the country to eat and drink local produce, listen to music and enjoy foodie talks. Saturday-Monday, free entry, visitmalton.com

Read more:

Attractions

Fireworks Championships, Ripon

A dazzling night of fireworks at Newby Hall and Gardens, which sees three teams create stunning displays choreographed to music and the audience voting for a winner on the night via SMS. The event also includes a final display by the organisers to round off the night. Watch from a picnic rug or camping chair against the stunning backdrop of 17th century house and its impressive grounds. Saturday, fireworkchampions.co.uk

Mamma Mia! Harewood

This is the first time that the original Mamma Mia! stage show has been performed in the open-air and the Bank Holiday weekend is the last chance to catch this unique production, set in the grounds of Harewood House. Friday to Monday, tickets from £39.50, mamma-mia.com/harewood-house

Outdoor Cinema, Bedale

Ending Thorp Perrow Arboretum’s season of family-friendly outdoor cinema evenings on a high, with a unique screening of everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Thorp Perrow Hall, grab a picnic blanket and bring the whole family along to enjoy a special afternoon of entertainment. Sunday, tickets £7.50 for children and £10 adults, thorpperrow.com

Outdoor Cinema at Thorp Perrow Arboretum.

Free events

Wath Street Fair, Ripon

Wath’s main street will be filled with stalls, a Pimms and prosecco stand and a children’s treasure hunt. Other attractions include a bouncy castle, a brass band and a dog show, while teas will also be available in the village’s Samwaies Hall. Saturday, Free entry, funds raised go to St Mary’s Church.

Ripley Scarecrow Pigfest, Harrogate

Organised by Karen Evans for the last 21 years – with one year off in 2020 due to Covid19 – the scarecrow trail was originally started in 2001 to encourage visitors back to the countryside after the foot and mouth crisis and has a fun take on the traditional scarecrow hunt. The Scarecrows are inspired by the story of Thomas de Ingilby, an ancestor of Sir Thomas Inglby of Ripley Castle, who saved King Edward III from a wild boar attack in 1355 and whose crest (the boar’s head) is the emblem of Ripley village. All the scarecrows have pigs heads and pig names such as Boarglar Bill, Pigmaylion, Porkupine, Thumboarlina and the Statue of Liboarty. Competition sheets cost £4 and list the names of the scarecrows. Each scarecrow has a number and the idea is to match the name to the number. Those who get them all correct are entered into a hat, with the winners drawn at random. A great family day out and a good excuse for a Ripley ice cream! Friday to Monday, ripleyscarecrowpigfest.co.uk

A free weekend of entertainment on the Market Square, Ripon

The August Bank Holiday weekend will see the return of fairground rides and a climbing wall. The event-staged by Ripon City Council follows the Yorkshire Day weekend, that brought hundreds of people to the city centre. There will be musical entertainment from 7pm on Saturday, featuring three tribute acts singing a selection of chart-topping hits from the best-known boy bands, Paloma Faith and ABBA. On Sunday Market Square will host another Little Bird Artisan Market. Open from 10am until 3pm, it will again include stalls selling goods ranging from food to home furnishings, produced by local and Yorkshire-based traders. Saturday and Sunday.

Families gather in Ripon Market Square.

Harrogate Car Enthusiasts Motor Show and Family Fun Day, Harrogate 

With everything from super cars to classic cars and “boy racer” cars, Harrogate Car Enthusiasts is hosting its fifth charity Motor Show and Family Fun Day in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance at a brand new venue – Harrogate Rugby Club. More than 250 vehicles, including tractors and motorbikes, are set to go on display and there will also be a variety of stalls and children’s entertainment, including a bouncy castle and rides. Monday.

Water Trail, Harrogate

Harrogate Mumbler has teamed up with the Harrogate BID to celebrate Harrogate’s most famous export… water. The Water Trail has two different challenges for families to enjoy – firstly finding the 20 water-themed pictures and secondly answering 20 Harrogate trivia questions. There are four different trails in total and participants have to simply spot the water-themed image in participating retailer’s windows. There is a prize for everyone who completes a trail. Until Sunday, September 5th, harrogate.mumbler.co.uk

The Harrogate Water Trail is a free activity for families.