One of Harrogate’s oldest and most famous hotels is set to re-open.

St George Hotel, opposite Harrogate Convention Centre in the town centre, has been closed for more than a year since the first lockdown began.

Previous owner Specialist Leisure Group went into administration in May with the loss of 2,500 jobs throughout the company.

Read more:

• Operator of St George Hotel in Harrogate goes into administration
• Ripon’ Spa Hotel for sale at £1.5 million

It is now owned by Bespoke Hotels, which was founded in 2000 by Haydn Fentum and Robin Sheppard and describes itself as ‘the UK’s largest independent hotel group’, with 120 properties.

Paul Donkin, general manager of York Pavilion Hotel, revealed on social media he was leaving his position to take on the challenge of re-opening the hotel and building a new team to bring the hotel back to its glory.

Mr Donkin, who lives in Harrogate and has extensive experience of the town’s hospitality sector having worked previously at the Cedar Court Hotel, the Old Swan Hotel and the Crown Hotel, told the Stray Ferret he would be happy to discuss the matter in more detail when he took up the role on April 7.

The hotel grew out of the Chequers Inn and was renamed after George III’s gift of the Stray to the people of Harrogate in 1778.

It was enlarged several times during the nineteenth century and renamed the St George shortly before the First World War.

It was badly damaged by fire in 1927 and requisitioned by the Post Office and Air Ministry during the Second World War before re-opening as a hotel in 1952. It acquired a spa facility in 1985.

It has 90 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, library and terrace and its close proximity to the town centre makes it a popular spot for visitors.

Yorkshire firm Clad Safety has donated 125 hi-vis vests to volunteers at local vaccination centres.

The jackets have gone to Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP) volunteers who are currently working at the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

HELP support those in the local area who are elderly, disabled or suffer from mental illness. Since the pandemic began, HELP volunteers have supported locals who are shielding or isolating on more than 6,000 occasions.

HELP volunteer Phil directs the traffic at the Ripon vaccination centre.

Clad Safety makes workwear and PPE and is Yorkshire based.

Neil Trevvett, Managing Director at CLAD Safety said they wanted to showed their support to the local charity.

“We have seen how HELP’s volunteers have been providing the local community with vital support including shopping, running errands and phone befriending over the pandemic. When they approached us for support to supply branded hi-vis vests for their volunteer marshals we were delighted to provide them with these items.”

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Frances Elliot, CEO of HELP’s parent charity, Harrogate and District Community Action, said:

“One thing we have seen shine through over the past 12 months is how the local community has come together to support one another. This generous donation from CLAD Safety epitomises this amazing community spirit. We are extremely grateful to them for supporting our work.”

Fire crews were summoned twice in half an hour last night to two deliberate fires in the woods in Knaresborough.

The callouts were part of a busy night in the Harrogate district for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, which also attended two incidents in Harrogate.

The first woodland fire occurred at 6.55pm when bracken and tree branches were set alight at the bottom of Nidd Bank cul-de-sac, close to the River Nidd.

Less than half an hour later more branches were set ablaze on the other side of the river, opposite Conyngham Hall.

A crew from Knaresborough extinguished both fires using water backpacks.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:

“We can’t say for certain but it looks like the two fires were caused deliberately.”

Read more:

• Starbeck home owner ‘absolutely devastated’ after fire
• Fire crews save Labrador from Nidd Gorge ravine

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough were then called to reports of a dishwasher emitting sparks in Rutland Road, Harrogate shortly after 11pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s incident summary says:

“The occupier of the property used a dry powder extinguisher before fire crews arrived.

“Crews disconnected the appliance from the mains and checked it over as well as giving advice. They used a thermal imaging camera only.

“The cause is believed to be an electrical fault.”

At 2.39am this morning, two crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough attended a small bag of rubbish set on fire in flats on Robert Street. A security guard had put out the flames by the time they arrived.

Police were also called to the scene.

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded its longest period without a covid-related death since Christmas.

Latest figures revealed by NHS England today show 10 days have passed since the last death.

It is the longest period without a covid fatality since the 14 days from December 11 to December 25.

Infection rates soared after Christmas, as did admissions, peaking at 68 on February 13.

At one point last month there were seven deaths in three days.

The dark days continued this month, when 10 people died in nine days.

But patient numbers have fallen rapidly recently and are now down to single figures.

A total of 814 covid patients have been admitted to the hospital since the pandemic began.

Six hundred and three have been discharged.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust announced today it had introduced free WiFi at its hospitals in Harrogate and Ripon.

We've introduced a new, free WiFi network for patients & visitors at Harrogate District & Ripon Community hospitals.

To use the service, please connect to the NHS_PUBLIC_Wi-Fi network, enter your name & email details & agree to the T&Cs. You'll then be granted access. pic.twitter.com/SH0HfTlyE4

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) March 27, 2021

No daily infection figures for the Harrogate district had been released by Public Health England by the time of publication today.

Read more:

• More than half of Harrogate district population receive covid vaccine
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Crocuses, lambs and that freshly cut grass smell. All are signs that spring is well underway but few bring as much joy as the frogs in Harrogate.

The frogs have made their home in the Japanese Garden of Valley Gardens, where there are large clumps of frogspawn.

Now that the sun is out the frogs have been making the most of it. They are basking in the warmth of the water and hopping around.

Check out our picture gallery below:

Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. This hidden gem of a lockdown business inspired by witches has been brewing up a different kind of magic.

Coven Bakehouse, set up by friends Mark Gibson and James Paylor, started out of a small home kitchen in Harrogate earlier this year.

While a conventional oven is working for now they are keen to upgrade to a professional kitchen as soon as possible.

Orders are already picking up for their brownies and cookies – with more treats are on the way – so they now have an eye on a shop unit on Knaresborough’s High Street.

Both Mark and James, who are both 27 and met when they were 16, work in industries that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

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However, the pair hope to have the doors open to customers in Knaresborough by the end of summer.

Indulgence is the name of the game here. Coven has a limited collection of caramel egg brownies, chocolate orange brownies and various gooey cookies.

James Paylor, a graphic designer and co owner of Coven Bakehouse, told the Stray Ferret what inspired the branding:

“That came from my partner, she works at Mother Shipton’s Cave and she is obsessed with witches. You have to be to work there.

“We were throwing around lots of names and as soon as she said it we knew it was the right thing. From then things started to fit into place.

“So it would perfect to start out our first shop in Knaresborough.”

Mark Gibson, who is a chef by trade, also told the Stray Ferret:

“It was halfway through the first lockdown when we saw lots of businesses selling cakes and stuff.

“We were looking at what they were doing and knew we could do it a hell of a lot better.

“So we knew if we were going to ever start a business, which is what we have always wanted to do, then now was the perfect time.”

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.

Harrogate Borough Council has taken its temporary homeless shelters away after four months in Tower Street car park.

The four yellow containers were only supposed to be used in an emergency when other accommodation was not available.

We asked the council if units had been used but did not receive an answer. The units had not been used when we last reported on them in early January.

Councils are obliged to provide accommodation for rough sleepers under the severe weather emergency protocol.

The protocol is usually activated by sub-zero temperatures but other forms of extreme weather, such as high winds, heavy rain and heatwaves can also trigger it.

When they were first installed some people raised concerns about their suitability.

Read more:

• Harrogate council spends £350,000 on B&Bs for homeless people
• Harrogate homeless units still not used this winter

The council, however, defended their use and highlighted the fact they are heated and insulated.

Now that the weather has improved and the homeless shelter on Spa Lane in Starbeck is near completion, the units are no longer needed.

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“The accommodation units are being removed because they are no longer required.”

New government guidance last year warned of the dangers of coronavirus in night shelters.

It also asked local authorities to consider “self-contained accommodation options”.

Cllr Mike Chambers, the cabinet member for housing and safer communities, previously told the Stray Ferret the units were “comfortable and appropriate for someone who needs some shelter for a couple of nights”, adding:

“Each of the shelters has windows, heaters and toilets. We have several hostels and we are an exemplar council for looking after homeless people.”

A woman in Starbeck says she is “absolutely devastated” after a serious fire at her home tonight.

The owner of the house, who did not wish to be named, told the Stray Ferret the fire started in her son’s bedroom while she was downstairs celebrating her birthday.

She said she didn’t know how it started but she was “absolutely devastated”.

The house had only recently been redecorated.

Read more:

• Homes evacuated in Starbeck due to fire
• ‘Clean your chimneys’, urges fire service after two fires near Ripon yesterday

Neville Scott, red watch manager at Harrogate fire station, said:

“It had the potential to be a very serious incident and spread to other properties because it was a terraced house.

“But the firefighters were able to prevent that.”

Homes have been evacuated in Starbeck as firefighters battle a blaze that broke out this evening.

Two people are being treated for smoke inhalation but there are no reports of any further injuries at this time.

The fire, in Avenue Grove, was reported to North Yorkshire Police at about 8.20pm tonight.

The area has been cordoned off.

A police statement said:

“Members of the public are advised to avoid the area while emergency services deal with the incident.”

Read more:

• Fire crews save Labrador from Nidd Gorge ravine
• Firefighters rescue Parka-wearing climber from Almscliffe Crag

Residents on Mayfield Grove in Harrogate will meet police, councillors and politicians next week to discuss concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council issued a closure order for a house on the street this week after a man died.

The two organisations said they had carried a joint investigation following concerns about activity at a multi-occupancy address.

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• Police name Harrogate murder victim and charge suspect
• Cannabis farm ‘under the noses’ of Ripon residents

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who is expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting, said:

“These are incredibly difficult and deep-seated issues.

“Many of those involved have long-standing homelessness, mental health and addiction problems and both the government and the council have dedicated a lot of cash and resource to these issues.”

Harrogate neighbourhood policing inspector Nicola Colbourne said:

“We’re continuing to work closely with residents, Harrogate Borough Council’s community safety partnership, elected representatives and others to ensure any concerns of Harrogate residents are listened to and the community remains a very safe place to live and work.”

A council spokesman said it was a private meeting.