Knaresborough’s traditional New Year’s Day duck race will be held online for the second consecutive year due to high river level.
Knaresborough Cricket Club, which organises the event, posted on social media today that it had acted on safety grounds.
It said the event will instead take place virtually rather than by releasing toy ducks off High Bridge on the River Nidd.
The club said:
“It is with a heavy heart that we need to tell you all that the duck race has been cancelled on New Year’s Day 2024 due to safety reasons.
“The river is very high, and with rain last night and heavy showers forecast our partners on the river think that the river will be much too high to have boats in the river and it will be unsafe for all.
“Thanks to all that have purchase tickets. The race will GO AHEAD ONLINE. A link will be posted on here. The race will start at 2.30pm, or why not join us in person at Knaresborough Cricket Club from 2pm.”
It added that all prized will be delivered and funds will go to the club’s junior cricket section and local disability charity Henshaws.
After a wet few weeks, Environment Agency flood alerts remain in place for the Lower River Ure and the River Nidd at Hunsingore in the Harrogate district.
The latest update for the Ure this morning said:
“Areas most at risk include low-lying land, including agricultural land, and local roads in the areas around Boroughbridge, Aldborough, Bishop Monkton and Aldwark.”
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Beckwithshaw win record 19th Addison Cup
Beckwithshaw beat Goldsborough by 12 runs to win the Addison Cup for a record 19th time last night.
In a low scoring final at Knaresborough Cricket Club, Beckwithshaw posted 107 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Their bowlers quickly put the squeeze on Goldsborough, who subsided to 95 for 7 on a night when boundaries were hard to come by.
Harry Lister’s spell of two for 10 off four overs earned him the player of the match award for the winning side.
Player of the match Harry Lister
The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.
Beckwithshaw and Bilton had lifted the trophy a joint record 18 times each before last night.
Beckwithshaw, who recently rejoined the league after a short break, were also awarded the Division Three title last night. The side has gone through the season undefeated so far.
Beckwithshaw captain George Stephens holds the Addison Cup.
Winning captain George Stephens, who is just 18 years old, said last night:
“It was a tough batting wicket and we came off after our innings confident we had a decent score we could defend.”
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New Knaresborough group aims to unite community and support good causes
A new community group has been set up with the aim of building more support for people in Knaresborough.
Life Aid Knaresborough was created by volunteers four weeks ago and has already attracted more than 200 members to its Facebook group.
Its aim is to organise events, raise money for charities, and bring the community together.
Stacey Worrall, who was one of the founders, told the Stray Ferret:
“There’s so many people in what some say is a rich town, but it’s not – the poverty at the moment is higher than ever.
“It would be nice to be able to have some funding in a pot where, if we hear of a family that’s struggling, to be able to help the people of Knaresborough out.”
While local support is the long-term aim, the first project the group is working on is raising money for a fire engine to send to Volodymyr in Ukraine.
The city has strong links with Knaresborough, after resident Bob Frendt made eight aid trips there over the course of 15 months after the war began last February.
Bob Frendt has delivered eight lorry loads of medical and other supplies to Ukraine
He built connections with local dignitaries and, on what he said was his final trip, was asked by the mayor to deliver a fire engine after its appliances were commandeered to help in the war effort.
While an official scheme has seen fire engines delivered to Ukraine from the UK, these have gone directly to Kyiv and have not benefitted outlying communities like Volodymyr, which is in western Ukraine.
Bob said:
“The problem is, for the towns to try and get an engine back, they have got to grease the wheels, they’ve got to give a backhander to someone.
“Volodymyr is such a poor place, they can’t afford to give a backhander, so they can’t get the fire engine back.
“When I was there, I met a woman whose husband was killed in the war. She lived in an apartment on the sixth floor of a building – and those buildings are poorly built to start with.
“We asked what would happen if the apartment block caught fire. Without thinking, she said, ‘we will die’.
“For her sake and her children, I have to get a fire engine to them.”
Mr Frendt hopes to raise enough money to deliver a second-hand fire appliance in October, and has already passed the £5,000 mark.
Life Aid has already begin helping his fundraising efforts, with several events planned for the summer.
Knaresborough Cricket Club will host live music on Friday, August 25. Entry will be free, with donations taken towards the fire engine fundraising.
The following day, venues around Knaresborough are taking part in a series of events designed to get the whole community involved.
There will be face painting and children’s games at the kiosk at Conyngham Hall, while the World’s End pub will have live music from a folk duo.
A disco will be held at Park Place Social Club, supported by Yorkshire Young Farmers, and other venues around the town will offer open mic nights.
Entry is free, but volunteers will be visiting all the venues to collect donations.
The organisers are also keen to hear from local businesses interested in sponsoring or supporting the events, or getting involved in the future.
Stacey added:
“We hope Knaresborough will be heaving with visitors and locals for the bank holiday.
“If it’s a success, we’re planning to carry on every year on the same day, raising money for different charities and helping locals in need.”
To find out more, join the Facebook group. To donate to Bob Frendt’s fire engine fundraiser, click here.
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