Fraudsters offering £200 to fix TVs following Bilsdale fire

Fraudsters are offering to retune residents’ TVs for £200 in the wake of the Bilsdale mast fire.

Since fire damaged the mast in August, thousands of residents across the Harrogate district have been without a TV signal. Some have also experienced intermittent service.

This has prompted some opportunistic scammers to knock on doors in North Yorkshire and offer to fix TVs for a fee.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“If anyone knocks on your door to offer this service, do not let them into your home and do not give them any money.

“If anyone approaches you at your home and you are concerned, do not let them in and call the police on 101 to report this.”

Arqiva, has said a temporary mast should be up by October 5, meaning local residents should finally see an improvement to their TV signal.

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Stray Ferret reveals high number of old and harmful school buses in Harrogate

A Stray Ferret investigation has found that children in Harrogate are being taken to school in diesel buses that are amongst the dirtiest and most polluting vehicles on our roads.

As our local councils push for sustainable transport, we have discovered that schoolchildren in Harrogate are being allowed to get to school on buses that are over 20 years old and pump out high levels of toxic fumes that can harm their growing lungs.

The Stray Ferret sent a freedom of information request to North Yorkshire County Council, which is in charge of school buses in the district, asking them for the registration number of every bus contracted to pick up and drop off children at Harrogate district secondary schools.

The council awards contracts to private bus providers to run routes.

We then used DVLA data to find out what year the vehicle was made and what type of fuel it used. We found that all 91 buses that were currently taxed and MOT’d are fuelled by diesel.

Almost 50% of these buses are over a decade old and almost 20% of these go back at least 20 years.

How old are Harrogate’s school buses?

“Not appropriate anymore”

These older buses pump out significantly higher levels of air pollution compared with newer models.

European Union emissions tests on buses made 20 years ago found they produce over 10 times as much nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than buses made in the last five years. This figure halves for buses made around 2011.

The Stray Ferret also observed some school buses outside St Aidans, Rossett, and Harrogate Grammar school with their engines idle, effectively creating concentrated arenas of air pollution as children end the school day.

University of Leeds climate scientist and Harrogate resident Professor Piers Forster told the Stray Ferret that the old school buses will be having a damaging impact on children’s lungs in Harrogate.

He said:

“That is the time when your lungs are developing. It’s not just kids on buses, either, but those who walk or cycle have to stand by these buses that are belting out diesel. It’s not really appropriate anymore.”

What damage can diesel fumes cause?

A 14-year-old Abbotts of Leeming school bus on the Prince of Wales roundabout

Knowledge about the harm diesel fumes can cause to children’s growing lungs has been known for decades.

Diesel buses pump out nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions through their exhausts. Multiple studies have found it can cause reduced lung function in children, trigger asthma attacks and hospital admissions.

Diesel also produces particulate matter (PM2.5) particles which when breathed in can penetrate deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s been linked with a myriad of health impacts for children, including asthma.

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In a landmark case in December 2020, a coroner said air pollution from diesel vehicles contributed to the death of nine-year-old Londoner Ella Kissi-Debrah due to her exposure to toxic exhaust fumes near her home by a busy road.

Sarah Hart is a parent of a child at Harrogate Grammar School who previously went to Western Primary School on Cold Bath Road. She told the Stray Ferret that her daughter suffers from a lung condition that she believes is exacerbated by air pollution from Harrogate’s school buses.

Buses outside St Aidan’s

She said:

“She found the experience of walking to Western really uncomfortable as she has issues with her lungs.

“The buses are really, really old. When they are stationary you can physically see the fumes.

“They should try and get cleaner buses.”

Jemima Hartshorn created a campaign group to tackle air pollution called Mums for Lungs. She told the Stray Ferret that it was “worrying” that so many of Harrogate’s buses are “very old” and use “very polluting diesel”.

She added:

“We really urge schools, authorities and bus companies to work together and electrify this bus fleet to ensure pollution levels across Yorkshire drop and health levels increase.”

“We need electric buses”

A 16-year-old Transdev bus on Hookstone Drive

Not only does air pollution have a potentially deadly impact on children’s lungs, but a 2019 US study also found it affects cognitive performance too.

It reported that children who went to school on diesel buses that had been retrofitted to make them cleaner achieved 10% better exam results at the end of the school year, particularly in English.

It also found that the children saw improvements in cardiovascular health, meaning cleaning up Harrogate’s school buses would have widespread benefits.

Prof Forster added:

“We certainly need a bus fleet that is ideally electric and kids biking and walking to school as much as possible, this is better than anything for both their health and their social development.”

Tomorrow we ask the council, schools and bus companies what they are doing to tackle air pollution on school buses.

Stray Views: Vaccine protesting parents should grow up

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.

Vaccine protestors should grow up

These parents are stupid and putting their children’s lives at risk. We were all lined up at school in the 60’s for our BCGs and polio vaccines, which I am forever grateful for.

They should grow up and consider the more dangerous aspect of drug use in Harrogate than these vaccinations.

Susan Mitchell, Harrogate

Harrogate is a car park

I met someone recently who, upon discovering where I live, commented: “I went to Harrogate recently. It was a car park. The whole town was a car park. Is it always like that?!”

Perhaps Harrogatonians are so used to it that they see this as normal? It’s not. And it’s awful. There would be plenty of space for all – whether they wish to sit, walk, run, scoot, cycle or even drive – if we clear up the parking. For the brief period that James Street ceased being a car park it was a pleasure to negotiate. Yes there were still cars going down the middle however they were a minor inconvenience compared to the car park down both sides. At least we pedestrians could easily see the moving cars, and them us.

Cold Bath Road is horrendous because of the parking. Yes the moving cars aren’t great, but actually we’d all manage ok if the parking rights were removed. The street would buzz with life at the shops, bars, cafes and restaurants on both sides.
I cycle around Harrogate. I have been knocked off my bike once. Not by a moving car. By the driver of a parked car opening his door into my bicycle.

Living in a car park is no fun. I will move away when I can. To a town or city that isn’t a car park. Even in this country, they do exist.

Ruth Ker, Harrogate

Proportional Representation is a fairer system 

The government has now introduced a new clause into the Elections Bill to remove a form of Proportional Representation (PR) from Mayoral elections in England in favour of the archaic system of First Past the Post (FPTP). The reason commonly given is “it works well”. It works well for who? For their party! Under FPTP a “majority” can amount to one vote. If voter turnout is low, that “majority” can be as low as 16% (e.g. Harrogate Bilton by-election 2021). To my mind this is a “lose”. How can it be a win? What post are we talking about?

Under a fair voting system, seats equal votes. It is common sense. Each seat should broadly equal the same number of votes. I am shocked to see democracy in England slither down the drain like this. In North Yorkshire the Conservatives would still probably hold a majority, but debates on policy would be richer and better informed if the views of voters from all parties were heard. The new North Yorkshire mayoral elections in 2023 would benefit from a richer more inclusive discourse rather than one party’s ideas only. PR is shown to work well in Scotland, Wales, current mayoral elections and in most modern democratic nations. So what reason could possibly hold for not using a fair voting system in mayoral elections, including North Yorkshire’s? Cllr Les recently stated on your website that the new single council authority should be accountable, inclusive and locally representative. Perhaps he could make this point to his party.

Louise Mauborgne, Glasshouses 

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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.
Report of man wielding knife outside Harrogate Odeon

A woman has described seeing a man brandishing a “huge” knife outside the Odeon in Harrogate last night.

Pub chef Chloe Horner had just got home from work when her partner alerted her to a man with a blade several inches long outside the cinema at about midnight.

Ms Horner said she saw the incident clearly from her kitchen window and observed the man standing motionless holding the knife.

She said another man, who walked by and was threatened, called the police.

By the time the police arrived, the person with the knife had walked off in the direction of Asda, she added.

“It was scary. You don’t expect to see that outside your own window. I feel for anyone else who might have walked by him. The knife was huge.”

Ms Horner said police, including armed officers and officers with dogs, were at the scene for about an hour but she does not know if any arrests were made.

By the time they arrived the man, who she said was wearing a dirty brown hoodie and joggers, had walked off.

“It’s crazy. You don’t expect to see that in Harrogate”.

The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire Police for details.

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Top of the hops: Knaresborough brewery’s road to Harrogate Beer Week

I am pretty clueless when it comes to beer. For example, I had no idea that IPA stood for Indian Pale Ale or that you some beers were more “hoppy” and “juicy” than others, depending on when the hops are introduced to the brewing process. Did you know hops could also come in a pellet form resembling fish food? Me neither.

So when I spent a morning with the guys at Turning Point Brewing Co in Knaresborough, I was ready to be educated.

I figured that, as Harrogate was launching its very first ever beer week on Monday, now was the perfect time to learn.

Turning Point co-founder Aron McMahon said:

“A hop is just like a little dried bud or flower and we use whole hop cones and also use pellets as well, which are like minced up hops. They are processed and packed into tiny little pellets, a bit like fish food, and they are supposed to give more of a stronger, more intense aroma and flavour.

“You can get different properties from the hops depending on how you use them and what stage you use them.”

Humble beginnings

The story of how rapidly Turning Point Brew Co has grown is an impressive one – particularly with a worldwide pandemic thrown into the mix.

The brewery was originally launched in Kirkbymoorside by friends Aron and Cameron McQueen in 2017. Aron worked for another brewery in North Yorkshire and Cameron used to run a pub in York.

Aron said:

“I used to be one of his customers and I was probably delivering to him for about 18 months before we set off on this magical mystery tour.

“We became friends, we had the same interests and the same sense of humour.

“I decided I was leaving my job at the brewery and didn’t know what I was going to be doing and wanted to stick with something in the beer industry and start a new brewery or bar.

“I said to Cam, just out of jest, if I started a brewery would you fancy coming on board with me and he didn’t really hesitate and just said yes.”

After Aron realised that Cameron was serious, the two friends got together, had a chat, and realised the idea had legs. Through contacts in the industry, they found out about the brewery site in Kirkbymoorside.

And in just four months the pair had gone from talking about running a brewery to actually making their first beer.

Aron said:

“We managed to do it so quickly because of our contacts. Everything just fell really well for us. The site the brewing kit and everything else. We started brewing in Kirkbymoorside in 2017 and quickly got busier and busier.”

Sales went from local, to national to global within a year and within two years they had outgrown their brewery.

New brewery

Aron said:

“Just by a chance conversation with one of the owners with Roosters brewery, they told me that they were looking at moving and their site would be up for grabs in the near future. That was in January 2019 and by August 2019 we were in.

“We bought their old kit and brought our stuff as well. We were in about three months and then covid hit and we worked out we have actually only traded normally for about six months, despite being here for two years.”

The company now has five employees at its brewery at Grimbald Park in Knaresborough, as well as three part-time members of staff who work in the taproom, which is open on Fridays and Saturdays.

A taproom – for those, like me, who don’t know – is a space in which a brewery serves its beer to customers. In most cases, this is either part of the actual brewery or is attached to it.

Co-founder Cameron McQueen pours a lager at the Turning Point taproom.

Aron said:

“Here you feel like you’re actually in the brewery. It’s a quirky location where people can come and try fresh beers brewed on the premises and we have a different street food vendor every week. We’ve had a really good reaction locally.”

When the pandemic hit, the duo had to move towards online sales to keep their business going.

Fortunately Turning Point already had an online shop set-up, so they were able to flip their production completely over from mainly cask and keg to cans, which had formerly only made-up around five per cent of their business.

Aron said:

“When covid hit we had a load of beer in the tanks and we then just canned all of it. We plunged all of our beer into cans then and started selling cans on the online store.”

Online events

Once they started selling cans online, they created four different collaboration beers with breweries they admired, including Roosters, and ran their first online event to launch the beers. This was to become the first in a series of online collaborative events aimed at bringing people together during lockdown.

They also started up a beer club called Disco Royalty, which is still running as a way of keeping up engagement with their drinkers – a positive that came out of the pandemic. Brand awareness also increased due to people physically being able to look at the bold artwork on the cans, rather than just a pint in a glass.

The brewery at Grimbald Park, Knaresborough.

And it is this continued soaring success that has led them to becoming a key player in the inaugural Harrogate Beer Week, which starts on Monday.

Beer collaboration

As well as offering live music and a brewery tour, Turning Point has created a special beer for the event in collaboration with local brewers. These include Roosters, Cold Bath Brewing Co, Harrogate Brewing Co and Daleside Brewery.

The result is a West Coast 6.2% IPA is called Out Spaced – named after a B-side from a Super Furry Animals album incase you’re wondering. It will be available in cask and keg at more than 10 venues in Harrogate and Knaresborough next week, before cans are sold online from next Friday.

Aron said:

“Harrogate and Knaresborough are totally the right places to really shout about beer right now because there is so much happening.

“The number of good beer places that have opened up in Harrogate have been phenomenal. There’s probably 10 to 12 really good independent places to drink craft beer now, which is absolutely fantastic. It’s a great place to go and drink.

“Knaresborough is always going to be like it’s little brother, but it’s really good as well now. The latest addition is the Track & Sleeper at the station.

“For Harrogate to have its own beer week and shot about these venues is great.”

Taste test – I tried three Turning Point beers and this is what I thought:

OUT SPACED
WEST COAST IPA 6.2%  Brewed for Harrogate beer week in collaboration with Turning Point’s local brewing friends, Roosters, Harrogate, Cold Bath, and Daleside. Tasting notes: A West Coast classic hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial. Properly bitter just like in the olden days.

Aron told me that West Coast IPA has “massive aromas and flavours from American hops”. He explained that West Coast IPA is is often a light to dark bronze colour with “a malty backbonet. So you get a bit of juiciness from the malt and slight caramel and slight biscuity flavours”. They also have higher levels of bitterness than New England IPA.

I had no idea beer could be so complex. But I could definitely taste a slight bitterness, however it was nicely balanced out with the sweetness and juiciness of the malt and the hops – or so Aran told me when I was trying to sum up  what I could taste. I definitely got a caramel and slightly floral flavour and I actually really liked it, despite its slightly bitter flavour. The artwork on the can is outstanding.

DISCO KING
AMERICAN PALE ALE 5.1% Tasting notes: Big on American hop flavour and aroma from Mosaic and Chinook hops. Drinkability for its ABV from a clean malt base. A real juicy little disco of a beer.

This was one of the first beers Turning Point ever brewed and it has now become their flagship top-selling beer.  It is really light, smooth and drinkable. I actually went through a phase of liking German wheat beer when I was a student. This reminded me a bit of that. I loved its slightly floral taste and it is a beautiful colour – like an old fashioned English cloudy apple juice.

EXILE
PILSNER 5% Czech-style Pilsner with Saaz hops. Tasting notes: Bready and crisp with a balanced bitterness and delicate hop aroma. Showcasing perhaps Turning Points least celebrated ingredient: Soft Yorkshire water.

This is Turning Point’s lager offering and this was actually my favourite. Aron described it as “smashable” and he wasn’t joking. As it was only 11am when I visited, I just about managed to restrain myself from drinking the whole glass. It was really fruity in flavour and had a grapefruity taste. Apparently I had done well to pick this flavour out, so I felt pretty pleased with myself.

This one takes ages to make apparently. Once it has brewed it has to sit in the tank and “lager” – a German word for “store” – for around eight weeks. This is what makes it so drinkable. Totally worth it.

Venues

If all this talk of beer has made you thirsty, you can try Out Spaced at these venues during Harrogate Beer Week:

Major Tom’s – keg and cask

Cold Bath Brewing Co. – keg

Roosters – keg

Harrogate Brewing Co. – cask from October 1st

Tap On Tower Street – keg

Half Moon, Knaresborough – cask

The Disappearing Chin – keg

Devonshire Tap House – cask

Paradise Tap & Taco – keg

Little Ale House – cask

Husk Beer Emporium – cans and possibly keg

 

Festival of wellbeing to be held in Harrogate

A free wellness event is to be held in Harrogate tomorrow in an effort to improve peoples’ health.

Onewellness, a fitness club which is based in the town, will host a “festival of wellbeing” at its facilities in Mowbray Square.

The event includes classes in various fitness disciplines, such as Pilates, HIIT, Yoga, and Barre, to guided meditation and mindfulness sessions.

There will also be prenatal and postnatal fitness classes, offers designed for people over the age of 50, group running, family gym sessions and a nutrition workshop.

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Stalls will also be set up at the event with healthy food and snacks, juices and drinks, as well as a sportswear pop-up shop.

Alasdair Everest-Ford, Head of OneWellness in Harrogate, said:

“We have created The Festival of Wellbeing as an opportunity to bring our community together, and so people can make the most of and enjoy their health.”

For more information on the festival, visit the Onewellness website here.

£10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway ‘must focus’ on cycling and walking

The £10.9m secured for the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme must be spent on promoting cycling and walking, one of the councillors leading the initiative has said.

Yesterday a survey revealed most Harrogate businesses rejected the key proposals of reducing Station Parade to single lane traffic and pedestrianising James Street.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said the project had been funded by the UK government’s Transforming Cities Fund, which was set up specifically to encourage sustainable travel.

Therefore, he added, cycling and walking “must be the focus of this scheme”.

He added:

“It would not be possible, for example, to focus solely on public realm improvements or parking.”

Polarised opinion

An online survey run by the councils supporting the scheme revealed 45% of 1,101 respondents were in favour of the full pedestrianisation of James Street and 49% favoured making Station Parade one lane.

It would therefore seem the scheme enjoys wider support among the general public than it does among businesses but the issue continues to polarise opinion as a second round of consultation looms.

Cllr Mackenzie said:

“I would like to reassure the businesses that a principal reason for our current gateway schemes in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton is to make town centres more attractive places to visit and to boost the local economy in each town.

“With our partners, we undertook an extensive public consultation earlier this year on the initial proposals, in which all residents and businesses were able to give their views. This included events specifically designed to enable business groups, including Harrogate Business Improvement District, to give their feedback.

“The BID expressed the views now presented in its survey at that time, and these were taken into account as we prepared the revised proposals, as was the wider feedback we received from the community.

“A further planned consultation will be launched next month, in which all residents and businesses will be able to comment on the revised proposals. Again, there will be specific opportunities for businesses to comment.

“This will enable us to have a proper dialogue and help us to understand the issues behind the headline figures of the BID’s survey.

“In the meantime, we will continue to engage with the BID.”

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Harrogate climate change festival to ‘excite and inspire’

A series of events will take place in Harrogate next month as part of the town’s first-ever Climate Action Festival.

Organisers hope the festival from October 2-24 will encourage positive actions that make a difference to our local and global environment.

Events include a nature reserve walk, talks from world-renowned climate scientists, and a net-zero business conference.

An eco-friendly house is set to be built in just two days at Harrogate College and an all-electric coach will also make a pit stop in the town on its way to major climate conference COP26 in Glasgow.

The festival is being co-ordinated by the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC), a group set up by Harrogate Borough Council to bring together business, local government and the voluntary sector. In February, its members voted to become an independent organisation from the council.

Chris Arnott, comms lead for HDCCC, said she was “excited and inspired” by the range of events on offer.

 She said:

“I’m so excited and feel inspired by all that is going on, such as our Net Zero Business Conference on October 15 at the Harrogate Convention Centre. I’m looking forward to exhibitions by our generous principle sponsors, Chameleon Technology, amongst many others and learning from businesses who are far along their sustainability journeys.

“I am intensely proud that PlanetMark has chosen our Net Zero Business Conference as the only stop in Yorkshire for their first fully electric ‘Carbon Battle Bus’ on its tour from the Eden Project in Cornwall on its way up to COP 26 in Glasgow.”

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What’s on

October 2: At Harrogate College from 10am-4pm the festival will be launched with demonstrations and discussions on skills and technologies that help to take climate action. Organised by HDCCC who say the event is “free fun and everyone is invited”.

October 4: At Nidderdale High School from 7pm-9pm a panel of geographers, economists and policy specialists as well as farmers and estate managers will discuss the reasons why changes in land use are necessary in Nidderdale and the wider uplands of Britain. Organised by the Royal Geographical Society.

October 8: Walk to School Day. Organised by Zero-Carbon Harrogate.

October 15: At Harrogate Convention Centre from 9am-6pm there will be a “Net-zero business” conference to discuss the concept of net zero carbon and why it is critical for businesses to make this transition. Organised by HDCCC.

October 17: At the Royal Hall from 7pm TV wildlife presenters Martin Hughes-Games and Lolo Williams will give a talk on their lives and love of nature. Organised by Harrogate Theatre.

October 23: At the Crown Hotel from 4pm a panel of experts including journalist Alister Doyle, climate professor Peter Stott and law specialist Claire Bradbury will discuss what can we do to save the planet and how will this change the way we all live. Organised by Harrogate International Festivals.

October 23/24: From 10am-3pm an opportunity to tour Horticap and see their on-site green credentials. Organised by Horticap.

To find out more about the festival and the events visit its website.

Harry Gration is on the hunt for local community heroes

Do you know someone in the Harrogate district who has gone above and beyond to help others in the past 18 months?

Former BBC Look North presenter Harry Gration has teamed up with the Stray Ferret and Harrogate Spring Water to celebrate exceptional individuals in the Harrogate district and needs your nominations.

Harry said:

“For the last two years it’s been pretty miserable, but I’m very excited indeed to be looking for local heroes – the kind of person who’s been inspirational and made a big impact on many people’s lives.

“With the help of Harrogate Spring Water, we hope to find one person who is the best of the best, via a public vote.”

If you know someone who you think deserves to be recognised, you can nominate them on the Stray Ferret website here. It doesn’t have to be covid related; it could be someone who volunteers in their community, helps others through their work, or has made a big difference to another individual.

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Nominations are open now on the Stray Ferret website.

Charlotte Holmes, External Communications & Community Engagement Manager from Harrogate Spring Water which sponsors the competition, said:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Harry Gration and the Stray Ferret to find your heroes from across the Harrogate District. In these unprecedented times we have seen so many examples of people’s kindness and support within our community and we are delighted to be working with Harry to give them the recognition they deserve.”

Six shortlisted heroes will then have the chance to talk to Harry about their lives and work on his brand new podcast series, Harry’s Heroes, which will launch on the Stray Ferret in November.

The winner will receive an unforgettable trip to a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with travel and refreshments included.

 

20 parents protest against covid vaccine for children at St Aidan’s

Around 20 parents linked arms outside St Aidan’s Church of England High School today to protest against giving children aged 12-15 the covid vaccine.

Children will be able to get their first shot of the vaccine from next week, the government has confirmed.

It follows advice from all four of the UK’s chief medical officers, who said offering vaccinations to children would reduce disruption in schools.

Evidence suggests a single dose cuts the risk of catching covid by around 55%. However, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government, recommended not vaccinating children on health grounds alone.

One parent at the protest today said she disagreed with the government’s decision not to follow the JVCI’s recommendation. The woman accused the government of “brainwashing” children to take the jab.

She said:

“We are concerned for our children.”

Another protestor added:

“Our hearts are broken.

“We maintain the vaccinations are nothing to do with health”.

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Groups of curious sixth formers stood outside their classrooms to watch, and some approached the protestors to ask why they were there. Two police officers also attended the scene.

Afterwards, the Stray Ferret was contacted by mother Charlotte Castle, who has a child in the sixth form at St Aidan’s. She said she was “furious” at the protestors, who she called “idiots”.

She added:

“The arrogance that these parents know more than 99.9% of world’s viralogists. These people live in echo chambers. They are misinformed.”