Harrogate district continues to set new coronavirus rate record

The Harrogate district’s coronavirus seven day rate continues to climb after it hit a record high earlier this week.

According to latest Public Health England figures, the district average has increased to 580 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 470 and the England average is 339.

However, just nine patients are being treated for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital. That number has remained much lower during previous waves before the vaccination programme.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

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Elsewhere, 128,232 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,511 have had a second dose.

North Yorkshire’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, said this week that the spike in covid cases is down to “school-age children”.

She also said it was “quite unusual” that the county’s infection rate had climbed above the England average.

Organiser hails success of first event for Harrogate district climate festival

With therapy sheep, a passive house and plenty of environmental experts on hand – the organiser of the first event as part of the Harrogate district Climate Action Festival has hailed its success.

The three-week festival, which encourages local people to reduce climate damage, kicked off with an exhibition at Harrogate College on Hornbeam Park today.

More than 30 exhibitors were at the free event between 10am and 4pm with demonstrations, live music as well as vegetarian and vegan food.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, partnerships and development lead at the college, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have been extremely busy, people have been coming through the doors since the moment we opened despite the weather.

“The people attending have given us some fantastic feedback and our speakers were great, we hope it enourages people to take action.”

Step inside Pure Haus.

One of the big attractions at the event was a passive house, which Pure Haus built on site for the event. Kevin Pratt, a co-director at Pure Haus, also said:

“Our goal is to revolutionise the way houses are built in the region. There’s a lot of versatility with what we produce, I am really glad that we’re here today.

“There are a lot of misconceptions. There is a slight premium to the material but you get that back.”

On your bike!

Heather and John Rowe, who set up Resurrection Bikes, were on hand to fix up bikes and show off a specially-made cargo bike.

Mrs Rowe told the Stray Ferret:

“We have got this bike because lots of people go to the supermarket and make fairly short trips for a small amount of shopping and that is really bad for the environment.

“It’s bad for people’s health and for people’s wallets, especially with the petrol crisis. So if you have a cargo bike you can use pedal power to get to the shop.”

Tickets please!

Dale French, who was showing off an electric bus on behalf of Transdev and the Harrogate Bus Company. He said:

“I am here to show off our existing electric buses and also to say that we are investing in more electric buses, we want to electrify our Harrogate fleet.

“So this is step one in Harrogate. Then we need to start electrifying Leeds, Knaresborough and more.”

Meet Tiny and Dave.

Cath Wilson, who runs Corn Close Care Farm near Pateley Bridge, brought two sheep called Dave and Tiny to the event. She added:

“We have brought the sheep here today because they are part of our management of wildflower meadows, they graze the land and a byproduct is wool.

“Farming has earned a bit of a bad reputation with the environment. I think because we are small it’s easy for us to be sustainable.”

Three local gin cocktail recipes to get you in an Autumnal mood

As the leaves start to turn and the cool crisp Autumn air sets in, we tend to seek out more earthy autumnal flavours when it comes to our tipples.

Yep, seasonal drinks are totally a thing.

And there’s nothing like a good gin to warm the cockles when it starts getting cold outside and the nights begin to draw in.

In the Harrogate district, we are fortunate enough to have some of the best distilleries in the country.

Bar manager at Harrogate’s West Park Hotel Jordan Davis said there was a huge gin scene in Harrogate – unlike anywhere he had seen before.

He said:

“With the beautiful distilleries we have that’s no surprise. Our Masons range and Slingsby Rhubarb Gin are the clear favourites amongst them all.

“Our best selling gin cocktail would have to be either the Yorkshire Tea Negroni, or our Rhubarb and Wild Berry Sour.”

The Yorkshire Tea Negroni, a signature West Park cocktail, featuring Masons Yorkshire gin, Campari Martini Rosso and cranberry bitters.

Three Harrogate gin producers share their favourite Autumn cocktails

Slingsby Harrogate – Blackberry Sour

Slingby’s Blackberry Sour

Starting out as a flavour exclusively enjoyed by visitors to The Spirit of Harrogate store, Slinsgby decided to launch its Blackberry Gin last month after receiving rave reviews. The new gin was released to coincide with the traditional blackberry picking season and has been designed encompass an array of autumnal flavour

With floral hints of violet, followed by notes of rich blackberry jam and a beautifully sweet finish, it makes for the ideal base for this delicious Blackberry Sour recipe, a personal favourite of Slingsby senior marketing executive, Rebekha White.

INGREDIENTS

35ml Slingsby Blackberry Gin

15ml Slingsby Rhubarb Gin 

25ml Lemon juice 

10ml Hibiscus syrup 

Egg white (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Shake all of the ingredients together and then double strain into a coupe glass. To finish, garnish the glass with an edible flower or a lemon twist.

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Harrogate Tipple – Blueberry Fields

 

Whittaker’s – 007 Martini

Whittaker’s 007 Martini

There’s no escaping the huge fanfare surrounding the long-awaited Autumn release of the latest James Bond movie, No Time To Die.

So as we say goodbye to the summer – and Daniel Craig – Whittaker’s has come up with this tasty little number, that is guaranteed to make you feel shaken and not stirred.

Toby Whittaker, co-founder of Whittaker’s, which is based in Dacre Banks, said:

“We have chosen this recipe incorporating our Navy Strength Gin as a nod to Commander Bond’s Royal Navy Heritage and obviously the Martini ‘shaken not stirred’, as this is his tipple of choice.”

INGREDIENTS

50ml Whittaker’s Barley Mow Vodka

15ml Whittaker’s Navy Strength Gin

15ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

10ml Olive brine

INSTRUCTIONS

Police commissioner trends with calls for his resignation

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is facing thousands of calls for his resignation for comments he made about the murder of Sarah Everard.

Philip Allott told the BBC today that women “need to be streetwise” about police powers and that Ms Everard should “never have submitted to arrest”.

Mr Allott initially defended his comments by saying he was not blaming the victim on Twitter before he deleted the Tweet and apologised.

However, his apology has not stemmed a tide of fury on Twitter. More than a thousand people commented on his apology in under an hour.

These comments are completely obscene. It is victim blaming 101.

The onus should never be on women to change their behaviour, but on men, our institutions and society to reform. https://t.co/U8SThWM6tb

— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 1, 2021

These comments are appalling. It’s not up to women to fix this. It’s not us who need to change. The problem is male violence, not women’s ‘failure’ to find ever more inventive ways to protect ourselves against it. For change to happen, this needs to be accepted by everyone. https://t.co/8oC2c5U9Pj

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 1, 2021

This idiot needs to be fired. Immediately. https://t.co/tNgeEluFWf

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 1, 2021

The police are telling women that women are responsible for whether or not they are attacked or murdered by the police https://t.co/TS8IAtObuY

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) October 1, 2021

Since then “Philip Allott” has become number one trending in the UK, “Resign” is number seven trending and “Police Commissioner” is number eight trending.

Labour leader Kier Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, and TV personality Piers Morgan were among those expressing anger about Mr Allott’s comments.

The Stray Ferret asked if he would consider his position, Mr Allott said:

“No, I’m not. I have got a great record in protecting women. It was one of my campaign pledges.”

Mr Allott’s comments come as murderer Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, had falsely arrested 33-year-old Ms Everard in order to abduct her.

Couzens was given a whole life sentence at the Old Bailey yesterday

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Speculation Harrogate council leader will not seek re-election in 2022

Sources have told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper will stand down as a councillor next year and leave local government.

Multiple senior political figures have reported to us that the Conservative, who has been council leader since 2014, will not seek re-election when the Harrogate district next goes to the polls in May 2022.

He is expected to continue in his role as office manager for the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones.

With Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council set to be abolished and replaced by a new single authority for North Yorkshire, the number of councillors in the Harrogate district is likely to be halved from 40 to 20.

Cllr Cooper, who represents Harrogate Central, has been on Harrogate Borough Council since 1999.

In 2013, he was also elected to represent Harrogate Central on North Yorkshire County Council.

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Cllr Cooper has been at the helm during the borough council’s move from Crescent Gardens to the Civic Centre, the development of the Harrogate district Local Plan, which outlines where development can take place in the district, the staging of the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Harrogate and proposals for a £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Stray Ferret asked Cllr Cooper if he would like to comment on the speculation but he asked us to direct the inquiry to the Harrogate Borough Council press office.

However, the press office said it would not comment because it was a political matter for the Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Party.

Free event kicks off three-week Harrogate district climate festival

A free six-hour event on Hornbeam Park tomorrow will kick-off the first ever Harrogate district Climate Action Festival.

The three-week festival, which encourages local people to reduce climate damage, is being held in the run-up to the COP26 global climate change conference in Glasgow .

Thirty-two exhibitors will be at Harrogate College from 10am to 4pm for a day of demonstrations, discussions and activities. There will be live music on two stages, as well as vegetarian and vegan food.

Visitors can drop in whenever they like and see a model, energy efficient passive house that has been built on site and learn about how their homes and businesses can become more environmentally friendly.

Holly Hansen-Maughan, partnerships and development lead at the college, said the event would be a family-friendly way of engaging people in climate action.

She added there were plans for the festival to become an annual event.

The festival will be launched by the Mayor of Harrogate and there will also be speeches by Andy Shepherd, professor of earth observation at the University of Leeds and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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Your chance to learn barbershop singing in Harrogate

Harrogate Harmony Barbershop Chorus is inviting complete novices to learn to sing.

The group is holding five weekly lessons for £10 aimed at newcomers and people who have not sung for a long time. Men of all ages are welcome.

The lessons start on October 20 and will be held at the choir’s new venue, St. Peter’s Church in Harrogate.

Greg Tunesi, a member of Harrogate Harmony, said:

“Being part of an ensemble, creating a harmony in music and in friendship is good fun, relaxed and informal. When you sing well amongst 16 to 18 other men, it’s an amazing feeling and produces a beautiful sound.”

“Those attending will have singing in four-part harmony explained and demonstrated to them. They will then be guided as to which voice part, tenor, lead, baritone or bass best suits their voice”

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Mr Tunesi emphasised that no experience is needed, nor is it necessary to read music.

Harrogate Harmony has performed regularly at the Valley Gardens since the 1940s to the present day.

Harrogate Harmony members are accompanied by a ukulele when it performs at clubs, societies, and care homes.

The group is open to men of all ages, with yearly membership costing £100.

For more information contact Harold Blackburn on 07949267344 or at haroldblackburn2@outlook.com

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you and happy Friday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Leah with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning. I will be back with updates on Monday. Have a lovely weekend.

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. Drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate district. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

  • Kingsley Drive, Starbeck – road closure
  • Albany Avenue, Bilton – road closure
  • Savage Yard, Knaresborough, across from The Crown Inn – road closure
  • Copgrove Road, Burton Leonard – road closure
  • Market Place West, Ripon – road closure
  • B6265 Bishopton to Eavestone – road closure. Diversions through Ripon, Glasshouses and Ripley
  • Westerns Lane, Markington – road closure
  • Clockhill Field Lane, Whixley- road closure

Temporary lights:

  • Leadhall Lane in Rossett Green
  • Ripon Road in Harrogate, near McCarthy’s Storage World
  • Green Lane at the junction with Rossett Avenue
  • Otley Road around the junctions for Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road
  • Ripon Road near Co-op petrol station
  • Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite
  • Thistle Hill, Knaresborough
  • Boroughbridge Road, near Kia Garage
  • Bondgate Green, Ripon

Trains

  • All trains on Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds and York lines running on time

Buses

  • Harrogate Bus Company is running a reduced timetable due to driver availability. The 36 bus will run every 30 mins between Harrogate & Ripon, and every 15 mins between Harrogate & Leeds.
Granby Farm 95 homes move closer as developer buys land

The construction of 95 homes on Granby Farm has moved a step closer after a housing developer bought the land.

Richborough Estates had worked with developer Redrow Homes to apply for planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council.

The council approved the plans in April 2021 despite complaints from residents that it would result in the loss of the last remaining link between the Stray and countryside.

It also faced complaints from residents of Redrow’s Devonshire Gardens who did not appreciate how the plans would see a street built over park Pickering Gardens.

Now it has permission, Redrow Homes has officially bought the 10.1 acre land from Richborough Estates.

The Stray Ferret asked both Redrow Homes and Richborough Estates how much the land was bought for but we received no reply by the time of writing.

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The plans for 95 homes will include a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties.

Workers have already started preparing the land for the development, which is to be known as Granby Meadows.

Jonathan Bloor, managing director of Richborough Estates’ Western Division, said:

“We’re delighted to have completed this sale to Redrow just months after they purchased our 18-acre residential site at nearby Kingsley Road.

“I’d like to congratulate our team for their huge commitment in bringing forward this former grazing paddock as a prime site for much-needed new homes.

“The project began in 2015 and has involved input from our planning, design and technical divisions as well as extensive stakeholder discussion and consultation.

“We’re now really looking forward to see construction getting underway and the new homes coming to life.”

John Handley, managing director of Redrow Yorkshire, said

“Redrow is delighted to have completed the purchase of this fantastic site in the heart of Harrogate, continuing our commitment to delivering high quality new homes in the town.

“We hope to have the first homes on sale off-plan early next year, closely followed by the first of the 146 homes planned for Kingsley Road.

Car reverses into stationary vehicle then drives off in Harrogate

Police are appealing for information after a car reversed into a stationary vehicle then drove off without stopping.

The incident happened at the temporary traffic lights on Harrogate’s Ripon Road at about 5pm on September 18.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:

“Police are keen to trace the owner of a dark coloured vehicle that reversed into a stationary car before driving away.”

Anyone with information can call the force control room on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC 1211. Or email robert.howe@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To report information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The North Yorkshire Police reference number is 12210207408.

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