One of the largest annual arts festivals in the Harrogate district is set to get underway.

Feva, the festival of entertainment and visual arts, takes place at a host of venues in Knaresborough from August 12 to 21.

Supported by Knaresborough Town Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Knaresborough Lions and Piccadilly Motors, this will be its 26th year.

The festival traditionally ends with the free picnic in the park in the grounds of Knaresborough House on the final Saturday.

The picnic is due to take place this year but there will also be a folk festival the following day. Street entertainers will perform in Knaresborough throughout the festival.

Headline acts include saxophonist Snake Davis (pictured above), who will be appearing with his Alligator Shoes band at King James’s School on August 16.

A new feature this year is a children’s art day.

About 40 events will take place at more than 20 venues over the 10 days.

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Many shops decorate their windows pink in support of the arts event.

Gwen Lloyd, chairperson of the committee for Feva, which is a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers, said:

“The whole ethos of Feva is that it’s a community festival run for the community.

“It encompasses the whole of the town and we try to ensure there are lots of free events.”

Yorkshire Life Aquatic performed dry land synchronised swimming last year.

Brimhams Active has defended a decision to reduce adult only swim sessions at Knaresborough pool during the school holidays.

The company, which operates Harrogate Borough Council’s leisure facilities, sets the timetables for sessions at the pool on King James Road.

One residents told the Stray Ferret that she was disappointed that some of adult only sessions on a Tuesday and Friday had been cancelled.

She said:

“I am very disappointed that both the Tuesday and Friday one hour 9-10am swims for ‘adults only’ have been cancelled during the school holidays. 

“In the past, the Tuesday session has been kept and this was accepted, but both being removed is particularly unfair for the elderly who do not wish to (or feel unable to) swim when there are boisterous children in the pool.”

A spokesperson for Brimhams Active said the change in the timetable was temporary and that the pool sees more demand during the holidays.

They said:

“Brimhams Active is committed to delivering a comprehensive and inclusive pool programme at all of our venues. We endeavour to provide opportunities for all Harrogate residents to enjoy our facilities throughout the year. Our programmes are subject to change and are often amended to reflect seasonal demand.

“Throughout the school holiday period, Brimhams Active aims to provide additional swimming lesson opportunities for the children of our district in order to support improved attainment levels.

“This additional opportunity for children, forms a fundamental aspect of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our local communities and our duty to support education around water safety and confidence in water.

“While this temporary change in our programming has a short term impact on our standard (term time) timetables, alternative adults only sessions are available alongside several opportunities for lane swimming throughout the day”

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Parents have expressed concerns about the safety of swimming in the River Nidd after a spate of children falling ill.

There have been widespread reports on social media of young people suffering sickness and diarrhoea since they went in the river to cool down during last week’s heatwave.

Most of those affected had been in the water at Knaresborough.

Environment Agency figures revealed raw sewage was pumped into the Nidd for 16,713 hours last year. Parents say there should be more signs alerting people to danger.

Jennyfields mum Lisa Poole, whose three sons are still unwell 10 days on, said there is a public health risk that needs highlighting. She said:

“My boys went swimming at Conyngham Hall on the Sunday (July 17) and are still not right. They’ve had vomiting and explosive diarrhoea.

“At least 50 people have said on social media that the same thing happened to their families.

“My family won’t ever swim in the river again so what happens now makes no difference to us but we think something should be done to warn other people of the danger.”

The River Nidd at Knaresborough

Harrogate mum Julie Mills, who was among the first to highlight the issue on social media, agreed.

Her teenage daughter and three friends swam near Conyngham Hall last week. She said:

“My daughter is a real water baby who is used to the river but she and her friends were all ill.

“Nearly everybody we have spoken to who went into the river was ill afterwards. Something’s not right.”

‘Legitimate questions’

David Clayden, honorary secretary of Harrogate Fly Fishers’ Club, said there were legitimate questions about water quality considering the amount of raw sewage being pumped into the Nidd.

He said the problem was exacerbated at times when the water level is low, such as now, when the river needed a good flush.

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The Stray Ferret asked Yorkshire Water, which treats water on the Nidd, if it was aware of an outbreak of sickness among river swimmers during the heatwave.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:

“The river is a natural environment and contains bacteria from a variety of sources that may cause illness if swallowed.

“We have checked the performance of our equipment in the area and have found no evidence of any discharges from storm overflows or combined sewer overflows in the days before Friday 15th, or since.

“Our wastewater treatment works have continued to treat wastewater and return it to the environment as normal.”

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for public health, said it wasn’t aware of any issues.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said it wasn’t aware of any recent pollution incidents on the Nidd but advised people against swimming in rivers unless they were designated bathing areas.

Contactless donation points which raise money for projects to tackle homelessness could come to Knaresborough and Ripon under an expansion of the Harrogate Street Aid scheme.

Street Aid was the first project of its kind in Yorkshire when it launched in 2019 and it has since raised over £20,000.

Three tap terminals have opened in Harrogate town centre and now more could be introduced in Knaresborough and Ripon.

It is a joint project from North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate Homeless Project and Harrogate Borough Council, which is looking into possible new donation points.

Helen Richardson, community safety officer at the council, said the money raised so far was having a positive impact on tackling begging and rough sleeping, and that there was now an opportunity to expand.

She wrote in a report:

“The number of reported incidents of street sleepers and begging has reduced in the time Harrogate Street Aid has been in existence.

“Street Aid continues to give a focus for agencies to work together to support those street sleeping and begging, and a reduction has been visible – particularly with regard to anti-social behaviour in Harrogate town centre.

“There has been much positive feedback and we can continue to work together to support those on the street or with a history of street sleeping.”

Why it started

Street Aid was introduced after the number of people begging in Harrogate town centre increased and residents became concerned.

It was based on schemes in Cambridge and Norwich which saw similar problems on the streets.

Donations made through the tap terminals are not given directly to homeless people, but instead made available for things like training courses, gym memberships and work equipment.

To highlight the project’s success, the council previously shared stories of how the money has helped individuals.

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One homeless man who was mugged and had his driving licence stolen was awarded a £350 grant to get his replacement licence and take a refresher forklift truck course to start his journey back into work.

Another individual who had a history of breaking into shops and substance misuse told probation officers that being able to access the local leisure centre would help him get in a better routine.

He was granted £500 for a leisure centre membership, training sessions and a voucher for equipment and clothing.

Three other homeless people were given £300 each for computer tablets to apply for jobs, maintain their benefits and stay in touch with family.

Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at the council, previously said:

“Harrogate District Street Aid is about making a real change to people who find themselves on the street.

“Some people assume that giving a few pounds to a beggar is helping them.

“Sadly, in some instances it may actually keep them on the street.

“Through Harrogate District Street Aid, we can work with our partner organisations to make best use of the money that has been kindly donated, work with homeless people and make a real difference to their lives.”

Members of the RMT union organised a picket line outside Harrogate train station this morning.

No trains are expected to operate today from Harrogate and Knaresborough due to a national strike called by the RMT.

Some 40,000 members of the union are taking part in the industrial action.

Four of them arrived on Station Parade at Harrogate at about 7am this morning.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at about 9am, they said they had received a lot of support from passers-by, with motorists tooting their horns and passers-by giving them drinks.

They said they didn’t want to be on strike and regretted the disruption but felt it was necessary because of concerns about pay, conditions and job security.

Trains are expected to resume tomorrow in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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Temporary lights remain in place on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road and Knaresborough Road following a burst water main.

Meanwhile, no trains will run from Harrogate and Knaresborough stations amid nationwide industrial action.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Temporary traffic lights are still in place on Wetherby Road in Harrogate near to Harrogate Town Football Club and Knaresborough Road following a burst water main.

Yorkshire Water is carrying out work, which it says is expected to continue until tomorrow.

Drivers should expect the usual traffic on Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning during the rush hour.

Temporary lights on Ripon’s Clotherholme Road are now in place as Northern Gas Networks carries out replacement work to gas pipes in the area.

The lights will remain in place for seven weeks.

Meanwhile, long term roadworks are in place on Station Road in Goldsborough. The road will be closed until September 19, 2022, as Stonebridge Homes installs a foul water and surface water pipes to connect to the sewer system.

A diversion route is in place in the village.

Trains and buses

No trains will be running from Harrogate and Knaresborough to York and Leeds as rail staff go on strike.

The RMT Union confirmed that 40,000 works nationwide will walk out today in a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Services are expected to run as normal tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services this morning.

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North Yorkshire’s first permanent knife surrender bin is set to be installed in Harrogate as part of a drive to tackle rising crime and take deadly weapons off the streets.

The county saw an 80% rise in reported knife crimes from 2020 to 2021 – and police have linked the increase to peer pressure, gang culture and cross-border criminals moving into the area.

In the Harrogate district alone, there have been more than 2,700 knife-related incidents since the start of 2020.

This included two murders on Mayfield Grove, and a man being left with life changing injuries after an attack near the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Other incidents included a man being arrested with 10 knives and a sword on Skipton Road, and three young people pulling a knife on a milk man in Knaresborough.

The increasing trend is being mirrored across the country and knife surrender bins are used by police forces during week-long campaigns.

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But not every area has a permanent drop off point where people can discard knives or any other bladed weapons.

North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council have proposed to install a permanent knife surrender bin at the Dragon Road car park as part of a 12-month pilot which if successful could see more bins rolled out across the county.

A joint report from the authorities said “early prevention is key” and that “every knife deposited in the bin is one less that could cause injury to others”.

The report said.

“There is an increasing need for an all year round facility to enable people to safely, and anonymously, discard any knives/weapons found, not just during police campaigns at police stations.

“The vast majority of police intelligence submissions are in relation to young people carrying knives for protection from other young people with whom they are ‘feuding’, to protect themselves from being attacked whilst carrying drugs and also to ‘tax’ known drug dealers or those in debt to drug dealers.

“North Yorkshire Police’s aim is to roll out the bins across the entire force area subject to their evaluation of the pilot project.”

Harrogate has been chosen for the pilot because it makes up for more than half of knife-related incidents in the local command area which also includes Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire, the report added.

It also said the proposed knife bin was designed to prevent break-ins and that residents in the Dragon Road area had been contacted about the plans.

A decision to proceed with the pilot is due to be signed off by the council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, councillor Mike Chambers, at a meeting next Tuesday.

No trains will run from Harrogate to Leeds and York as rail staff stage a mass walk out on Wednesday.

More than 40,000 Network Rail staff are set to strike on July 27 over jobs, pay and conditions, the RMT Union has confirmed.

The move comes as the UK saw one of its biggest industrial actions by rail workers in June, which saw no trains run through Harrogate and Knaresborough for two days.

On Wednesday, no trains will run between Harrogate and Knaresborough to York and Leeds.

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Meanwhile, Network Rail has confirmed that a reduced timetable will be in force elsewhere.

Leeds station will close at 7pm due to the industrial action. Only 14 train services will run in and out of the station each hour on Wednesday compared with the usual 50.

Matt Rice, North & East route director for Network Rail said: 

“Unfortunately, ongoing industrial action will once again cripple train services for passengers in Yorkshire and the North East on Wednesday.

“I can only apologise for the impact this will have on people’s plans and on their daily commute. I’d urge those who absolutely need to travel by train to plan ahead, check their journey and expect significant disruption.”

Last week, Northern urged passengers not to travel due to the industrial action.

LNER has also confirmed its direct service to London King’s Cross will not be running. A limited service to London will be in place from Leeds.

The largest weir removal project ever in the UK has begun on the River Nidd at Scotton.

The scheme, which costs about 80,000 euros, will open up another 18km of river to migratory fish such as salmon, sea trout and European eel.

If Nidd tributaries are also included then 35km of rivers will be made available for salmon and sea trout spawning.

The project is being led by river conservation charity the Wild Trout Trust and funded by the European Open Rivers Programme – a grant-giving organisation dedicated to restoring rivers.

It started last week with the creation of an access ramp down to the weir and is expected to get underway properly this week. Work removing the dam is expected to last up to two weeks before further work restoring the bank takes place.

Scotton Weir is at the entrance to Nidd Gorge, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It was built at the end of the 18th century to power the nearby mill. At 75m wide and 4m high, it is thought to be the largest weir removal project ever in the UK.

The weir breached in the floods of 2019 so is already partly demolished. Leaving it to disintegrate gradually over time would have reduced the risk of bankside damage.

Removing Scotton Weir will benefit more than just migratory fish. All fish move up and downstream to some extent as part of their life cycles and the weir removal will help to restore natural processes to the river.

Currently only 16% of rivers are rated as being in ‘good’ condition by the EU Water Framework Directive. A significant cause of failure is man-made barriers interrupting a river’s flow, such as Scotton Weir on the Nidd.

Jonathan Grey, a part-time professor in practice at Lancaster University who is project managing the Scotton Weir removal for the Wild Trout Trust, said:

“The weir has been impounding about 800m of channel for over 100 years, creating deep, sluggish water in a section of the Nidd gorge where the flow should be swift and shallow.

“Think of a river as a conveyor belt of sediment as well as water. Boulder, cobble and gravel that is vital to the health of the bed of the river has been trapped upstream of the weir, unable to resupply that which has been transported away downstream. So the physical habitat downstream has become simplified, dominated by large boulders.

“Then there is fish passage to consider. All fish have to move up and downstream during different stages of their life for a variety of reasons. The weir has made it nigh on impossible to move upstream, and much more difficult to move downstream, and then only under specific flow conditions, so populations have become fragmented or isolated.”

The weir is already damaged.

Prof Grey said although it was not certain that salmon or sea trout got as far as Scotton Weir, nearby surveys suggested it was “very likely”.

He added:

“There are still more barriers further upstream, the next being at Birstwith 11km away, so there is still work to be done to restore the natural heritage of the river.

“We are aiming to reinstate the natural flow regime to the river by removing the barrier.”

Dr Marie Taylor, operations director for the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, said:

“This project is a great example of partnership working between landowners, experts from the Wild Trout Trust and government bodies, which will deliver benefits to angling groups along the River Nidd as well as wider benefits to nature gained from improving the connectivity of one of Yorkshire’s iconic rivers.”

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“After the devastating blazes the country saw last week, and all the media coverage that ensued, we’d encourage you to have a serious conversation about fire risks.

By lighting a deliberate fire they’re not just putting their life in immediate danger, but they are potentially damaging it in other ways too.

Arson is an offence and one that comes with a criminal record if convicted. Criminal records are horrible things – they can restrict job prospects, your travel plans and eligibility for financial products, including mortgages.

What may seem like a ‘joke’ or a ‘laugh’ when they are young may not be so funny a few years later when they want to travel to America, buy a house or apply for their dream job.