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‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!’: Knaresborough’s town crier ready for special jubilee weekend

What makes a good town crier?

Knaresborough’s Roger Hewitt says surprisingly, it’s not all about how loud you shout:

“You have to shout but a big voice is not enough. You have to be able to write your own stuff, it has to be engaging. It’s all about intonation, accuracy, engaging your audience and doing your best. It’s a good thing that volume isn’t the main thing!

The town crier is gearing up for a busy four-day weekend in early June, with the town’s Platinum Jubilee committee organising a huge list of events to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

Mr Hewitt says he’ll available whenever his town needs him.

One of his most important jobs will be leading a flag procession from the Market Place to the grounds of Knaresborough House for the Jubilee Garden Party.

He’s also written a special message to deliver on market day that pays tribute to Her Majesty.

Service to the town

Mr Hewitt has lived in Knaresborough for 45 years and has been the town crier for 8.

He dons his 18th-century-inspired robe, laces up his boots and rings his bell every Wednesday at the market, with one week off a year in between Christmas and new year.

The role is organised by the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade & Commerce and Mr Hewitt joked the unusual role came about through a promotion.

“I was the Chamber’s Santa Claus at the market, they said ‘you’re used to wearing silly costumes’, and I was asked if I’d become the town crier.”

Long lineage

Knaresborough’s town crier lineage goes back to 1680.

In the old days, they would inform the townspeople of the latest news, proclamations, bylaws and any other important information, as at the time most people were illiterate and could not read.

“The town crier was the local literate, then it went to hell when it came to me!”

Mr Hewitt’s role today is not too dissimilar to how it was hundreds of years ago, although he quipped that today, most locals tend to get their news from the Stray Ferret.

He called Sid Bradley, who was the town crier in the 1980s and 1990s, “absolutely brilliant and the town crier that everybody would have liked to be.”

Photo credit: Charlotte Gale

Former teacher

Mr Hewitt is well known to pupils of Harrogate Grammar School where he was a legendary chemistry teacher from 1991 until he retired in 2014.

He said his experience managing teenagers in the classroom has made him an even better town crier.

“Being a teacher helped tremendously.

“Somebody said to me recently, you don’t shout, you talk loud.

“That comes from teaching, particularly being a science teacher. When there are practical experiments going on in the classroom you can’t shout.”

Mr Hewitt has had a few unusual run-ins during his time as a town crier, including an encounter with a hen party that he called “the most harrowing day of my life”.

Good for the town

Hopefully, Mr Hewitt will be entertaining and informing visitors to Knaresborough for years to come.

He added:

“People come up to me and say ‘can I take your photo?’ I say yes, it’s complusory.

“Everytime they take a photo they take a bit of Knaresborough away.”

Memorial bench and statue planned for Knaresborough businessman

A memorial bench and statue to commemorate businessman and philanthropist George A Moore is planned for Knaresborough.

The George A Moore Foundation has applied to Harrogate Borough Council for the memorial to be erected at High Bridge Gardens in the town.

The foundation said the statue would help to commemorate the life and achievements of the businessman and philanthropist.

A life-size bronze sculpture of Mr Moore would sit on the right hand side of the bench if the plans are approved.

An umbrella, coat and newspaper will be permanently secured to the cast iron and stainless steel bench along with the sculpture.

The style of the bench will be similar to that of Mother Shipton’s statue in Knaresborough Market Square, which the George A Moore Foundation contributed to.

In documents submitted to the council, the foundation said:

“The proposed memorial bench will make a positive contribution to and enhance the gardens, while creating historic interest by celebrating a local philanthropist.”

The council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

George A Moore

Born in 1928 at the Mitre public house in Knaresborough, George Moore left his local secondary modern to put his carpentry skills to the good use.

He formed his first business at Cottingley near Bingley, which later expanded into manufacturing high quality kitchen furniture and prepared joinery for local authority housing.

His business Moore’s Furniture Group employed hundreds of people at Thorp Arch Trading Estate near Wetherby.

In 1970, Mr Moore formed his foundation which started off as a welfare fund for his staff. But it was later enhanced after he sold his business and went onto to become a respected grant making foundation.

Mr Moore was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace in 1988 for his business career and was later awarded Knight of St John status in 1995.

He died at his home on the Isle of Man on September 16, 2016, aged 88.

Ripon refugee charity joins calls opposing 1,500 asylum seekers at Linton

A Ripon refugee charity has joined calls to pause plans to house 1,500 asylum seekers at a former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse.

Nicola David, chair of Ripon City of Sanctuary, attended a public meeting in the village last night which saw Home Office officials jeered on arrival.

The government is pushing forward with its plan to house 1,500 asylum seekers for up to six months in a ‘reception centre’ on the site, which is four miles from Great Ouseburn and Little Ousburn in the Harrogate district and not far from Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.

At the meeting, Ms David described Priti Patel, the home secretary, as a “hypocrite” because she comes from a Ugandan refugee family but shows little compassion for other refugees.

She said the Home Secretary had “pulled up the ladder” behind other refugees.

Ms David told the Stray Ferret:

“How can you put people fleeing war on a military base?”

“It’s a troubling thing to do to asylum seekers.”

Ms David, who discussed the issue on BBC Breakfast today, added that it was only the Home Office which wanted the scheme to go-ahead. She pointed out that there would be too many asylum seekers to residents at the site.

She said:

“Everybody is in agreement. Everybody is saying it is completely unsuitable.

“The only people who are saying it is [a good idea] is the Home Office.”

Home Office were not living their best life last night – from the moment they arrived, they took a pounding. I put it to them that Priti & Rishi are hypocrites who, as children of immigrants, have had every opportunity in this country but have pulled up the ladder behind them. https://t.co/t8hygkNlRY pic.twitter.com/jdjmgXL5iT

— Ripon City of Sanctuary (@RiponCoS) May 20, 2022

Residents at last night’s meeting were told that 60 asylum seekers will arrive at the site by the end of the month and will be mostly men.

Home Office officials also said Ms Patel planned to visit the village to speak with residents about the centre.

The controversial proposal for Linton-on-Ouse comes as part of a wider plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims processed.

Before potentially being flown out to the African country, asylum seekers will be held in ‘reception centres’ across the UK for up to six months, with the first announced being at Linton-on-Ouse.

Ms Patel said:

“The global migration crisis and how we tackle illegal migration requires new world-leading solutions. There are an estimated 80 million people displaced in the world and the global approach to asylum and migration is broken.

“Existing approaches have failed and there is no single solution to tackle these problems. Change is needed because people are dying attempting to come to the UK illegally.”

Andrew Jones MP says Harrogate and Knaresborough train cuts ‘a bad mistake’

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has told Parliament that cuts to train services in the towns will damage business and make it impossible for some commuters to be at work on time.

The two early morning weekday services from Harrogate to Leeds were axed this week, meaning the earliest commuters can arrive in Leeds is 7.28am

Speaking in a Commons transport debate yesterday, Mr Jones said it was a “bad mistake” to think that the decline in passenger numbers due to covid was now at a fixed level and “service levels can be cut back accordingly”.

He added:

“We have seen some of the implications of this locally on the Leeds-Harrogate-Knaresborough-York line.

“The services that have been cut back are the early morning services to Leeds, although many people from Harrogate commute to Leeds for work.

“Some will now find it impossible to be in work on time. For other service users, it is now impossible to connect with the Leeds to London services that get into our capital before 10am.

“That is not good enough for business people, and Harrogate has significant conference business at its convention centre, with many people travelling to it from across the country.

“Other rail cuts have created long gaps in the evening services and an earlier finish on the Knaresborough service. These cuts are obviously bad for our night-time economy.”

Harrogate rail station

Mr Jones, a former transport minister, said the cuts were “not great to see” because rail services had been “making such great progress after all of the years of Labour’s no-growth northern franchise”.

He cited the six daily direct London services and better rolling stock as examples.

Mr Jones said he’d had a “very positive meeting” with Robin Gisby, the chair of rail operator Northern, who he said “recognised the significance of the services that have been cut, and he is working on reinstatement for later this year”.

One of the key issues, he added, was training more drivers.

Praise for local buses

Mr Jones also used his speech to praise the “excellent leadership” of Don Mackenzie, who was the North Yorkshire county councillor in charge of transport until the local elections on May 5, for securing £8m from the government for a scheme with Harrogate Bus Company to bring 39 electric buses to Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones added:

“The bottom line is that the new electric buses are very popular, and the customer response has been excellent.

“I have checked this with the bus company and with passengers. People like the ride quality and the quietness, alongside the fact that the vehicles are bright, airy and pleasant to be in. They are obviously also emission free, which is highly popular.”

Starbeck dad says ‘unreliable’ buses are making daughter late for school

Starbeck dad Gordon Schallmo has criticised Transdev‘s “unreliable” Number 1 bus service, which he said is regularly making his daughter late for school.

Mr Schallmo’s 14-year-old daughter is a pupil at King James’s School in Knaresborough.

Each morning she gets the number 1 from Starbeck, which is one of the company’s busiest bus routes in the Harrogate district, running up to seven times an hour.

But well-documented staffing issues have forced the company to cancel services, sometimes at short notice.

Mr Schallmo said his daughter is currently late for school at least once a week after buses failed to turn up.

He said:

“Its hit and miss when they arrive. She’s often been left standing there.”

Can’t all fit on

The number 1 route is served by single-decker buses.

But with schoolchildren sharing the bus with rush-hour commuters, it means if a bus doesn’t turn up they can’t always all fit on the next one.

Mr Schallmo added:

“It’s not good when I have to run her in and call the school to say she will be late again because the bus hasn’t turned up.”

Transdev has had difficulties hiring new bus drivers since the covid pandemic.

The company recently launched a campaign offering qualified drivers a £1,000 bonus if they joined.

Mr Schallmo said he was also frustrated to see the company recently increased the cost of a weekly ticket on the number 1 from £4.30 to £6 whilst offering a service his daughter can’t rely on.

He said:

“It’s getting beyond a joke. I know they have bus driver shortages but they don’t seem to be doing anything about it.

“What frustrates me is they don’t have an answer. It’s been terrible.”

Transdev’s response

Steve Ottley, general manager at The Harrogate Bus Company, which is a division of French firm Transdev, said:

“Firstly, it’s disappointing and we apologise that Mr Schallmo believes we haven’t given him an answer he would like but we would invite him and anyone else who may wish to, to engage with us via email to customer.services@transdevbus.co.uk or via many other contact points as found at harrogatebus.co.uk.

“We fully realise how frustrating it is for our customers on the occasions when we are unable to provide the high standard of service expected. We are doing a lot behind the scenes to respond to current industry-wide challenges around recruitment and retention of drivers — including by offering increased salaries to new and existing drivers, and by promoting opportunities to join us on the front of all our buses, on billboard advertising and via social media.

“This approach is already delivering positive results – we currently have 15 new colleagues preparing for new driving jobs in Harrogate at The Academy, our own in-house training facility in Starbeck.”

Mr Ottley also explained why the company has increased its prices:

“Everyone will be aware that the price of almost everything is rising at the moment, especially fuel and energy, and unfortunately, we are also not immune to these increased costs — price changes are a common factor across many businesses at the moment. Along with many other transport operators across the country, we have now reached a point where we need to ask our customers to share some of this with us.

“We have held prices down for a while now. This will be our first fares change since September 2019 – and our tickets are still good value, especially compared with other forms of transport, including the car.

“These changes will allow us to continue recovering from covid, increasing timetables back to pre-pandemic levels, investing and improving wage rates — all after almost three years of holding down fares. We’ve also taken this opportunity to simplify our ticket range where we can to make travel easier, while still offering flexibility to our regular customers.”

Home Office accused of ‘disgraceful actions’ over Linton asylum plan

A Conservative-led council has voiced fury after the Home Office announced it had moved forward plans to open a centre for asylum seekers on the edge of the Harrogate district.

A meeting of Hambleton District Council heard claims the Home Office had treated the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and the surrounding area with “complete contempt” by revealing that 60 people would be arriving at the centre in the isolated village from May 31, weeks earlier than it previously stated.

The centre will be just 10 miles from Boroughbridge and 13 miles from Knaresborough, and on the doorstep of Harrogate district villages such as Nun Monkton, Great Ouseburn and Green Hammerton.

Ministers have insisted the centre, at a former RAF training base, will “provide safe and self-sufficient accommodation”.

They say the centre, where Prince William trained as a pilot, will help end the Home Office’s reliance on expensive hotels, which are costing the taxpayer £4.7million a day.

The authority’s leader, Cllr Mark Robson, said during a meeting with the police and crime commissioner, Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake that the Home Office’s announcement had come as “a bit of a bombshell”.

He said:

“What we were told four to six weeks just before Easter has suddenly become two weeks time.

“I’m in no doubt about how much worry and concern there is in the local community and the surrounding areas about this proposal from government.”

He said the authority was working to get answers about the situation as quickly as it could. Cllr Robson the authority had appointed a legal team and was anticipating receiving advice imminently.

The council leader said elected members and officers had been “in constant and robust dialogue” with the Home Office, and that the council was expecting a response to the council’s concerns later this week.

Cllr Robson said:

“We have, in the strongest possible terms, asked that the Home Office pause this proposal immediately to allow for consultation to be carried out and are awaiting the response to this ask.

“Officers and members continue to take part in multi-agency meetings and support and work closely with the local community and surrounding areas. Although frustrating and concerning, it is very important that what we do now doesn’t prejudice any outcome from the legal process.”

‘Goalposts have changes again’

Linton-on-Ouse Cllr Malcolm Taylor said while the community was looking for answers, there was now a “very tight window of opportunity” to take action. He said:

“The goalposts have been changed yet again by the Home Office and I think it is absolutely regrettable and disgraceful the way this Home Office has treated the residents not just of Linton-on-Ouse but the wider community and this council and everybody who is an interested party in this. We need to get answers and we need to get them very quickly.”

Local member Cllr Nigel Knapton added:

“They are playing games with us and it is absolutely disgraceful.”

How did a First World War bomb end up in Knaresborough?

Knaresborough has its share of mysteries — did Mother Shipton really predict the future and how did Blind Jack build so many roads?

Now there is a new one: how did a First World War bomb lie undiscovered in the River Nidd for so many years?

The bomb was found in the shallows beneath Grimbald Bridge yesterday by litter picker Simon Briscombe.

Mr Briscombe thought it was a gas canister until the bomb squad turned up and carried out a controlled explosion in a nearby field.

Police closed the A59 for two hours.

It seems miraculous that such a weapon could have lurked undiscovered for more than a century — and how did it get there?

Intriguingly, Kathy Allday, chair of Knaresborough Museum Association, said a British plane came down in the Nidd during the First World War, close to the area where the weapon was discovered.

The pilot was killed and debris was scattered across the river. Could it have been carrying the bomb?

Unexploded shell in Scriven Park

It isn’t the first explosive device found in Knaresborough.

Members of Claro Community Archaeology Group discovered an unexploded shell from the Second World War in Scriven Park while metal detecting several years ago.

Mike Baxter, chairman of the group, says there was a munitions factory at nearby Farnham during the Second World War. He added.

“The Home Guard was supplied with all kinds of horrible phosphorus-type bombs in case we were invaded.”

Kevin Earl, a military history enthusiast from Knaresborough, said his gut feeling was that this was a German bomb from the Second World War and if it dated back to the 1914-18 war he could only imagine it had been disposed of in the river.

Knaresborough resident Chris Jenkins got in touch to say:

“The photo of the actual item was an artillery shell.

“You can see the soft metal drive bands on the shell. This makes more sense as I am not aware of Knaresborough being bombed in World War One.

“It’s not uncommon to find war trophies ditched near bridges. Guns and material were brought home and then ditched over the years when it was realised they were not appropriate.”

Simon Briscombe

Mr Briscombe, who stumbled across the weapon, thinks this explanation is plausible. He said:

“Judging by the state it was in when I pulled it out of the river it had obviously been there a long time.

“It’s quite probable that somebody brought it back from the war as a memento and when he died his family chucked it into the river.”

The self-employed electrician said he hadn’t managed to do much work today but was grateful to be alive.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook. I think I’m going to have to knock today on the head. But there could have been bits of me hanging off the bridge!”

Watch First World War bomb detonated in Knaresborough

This is the moment that a First World War bomb was detonated in Knaresborough.

The unexploded bomb was found in the River Nidd during a weekly litter pick by Simon Briscombe, whose partner Rachel Wills owns the Watermill cafe.

The couple wrapped the bomb, which they initially thought to be a gas canister, in sandbags at their home and dialled 101. The bomb squad, police and firefighters rushed to their home at The Chase.

Their house, along with about 30 others on the estate, was immediately evacuated while the bomb was taken to a nearby field and a controlled explosion carried out. The A59 was closed for about two hours.

Local resident Piers Ballance shot the footage below of the detonation in his friend Sam Darnbook’s field off the A59, opposite the Toyota garage.

Mr Ballance said the road was closed from Goldsborough roundabout to Manse Lane while the controlled explosion was carried out.

He said:

“We saw several police officers and army personnel at the site of the detonation.

“The explosion surprised us all as we did not expect it to be as loud. We felt the shockwave go through us.”

Meanwhile, Ms Wills said her and her partner were left in shock after finding the bomb.

She said:

“We’re still in shock. If Simon had known what it was he wouldn’t have moved it.

“The police were horrified because he brought it home in the car and there are a lot of speed bumps in Knaresborough. But we didn’t know what it was.”

Bomb squad detonates First World War bomb in Knaresborough

The bomb squad was called to Knaresborough this evening when an unexploded First World War bomb was found in the River Nidd.

Simon Briscombe, whose partner Rachel Wills owns the Watermill cafe, found what he initially thought to be a gas canister during a weekly litter pick.

But when he got home and cleaned the gunk off the item, which he found beneath Grimbald Bridge, he became suspicious.

The couple dialled 101 and after sending a photo, the bomb squad, police and firefighters rushed to their home at The Chase.

Rachel Wills and Simon Briscombe

Their house, along with about 30 others on the estate, was immediately evacuated while the bomb was taken away and a controlled explosion carried out nearby. The A59 was closed for about two hours.

Ms Wills said:

“We’re still in shock. If Simon had known what it was he wouldn’t have moved it.

“The police were horrified because he brought it home in the car and there are a lot of speed bumps in Knaresborough. But we didn’t know what it was.”

The bomb was wrapped in sandbags at the couple’s home for about an hour until the bomb squad arrived.

The bomb wrapped in sandbags at the couple’s home.

Ms Wills said:

“We do litter picks on our own every week and have found some really strange things — last week we found a sewing machine from 1898. But we’ve never found a bomb.

“In a way I’m relieved that we found it rather than a group of kids.”

Police close the road.

Harrogate commuters frustrated as early trains axed today

Harrogate commuters have vented their frustration as early morning trains to Leeds are axed today.

Rail operator Northern has cancelled the first two services of the day from Harrogate to Leeds at 6.07am and 6.33am.

It means the earliest Harrogate commuters can arrive in Leeds is 7.28am, compared with 6.24am from Bradford, 6.27am from Skipton and 6.31am from Ilkley

It will also inconvenience some Harrogate business passengers travelling to London for early morning meetings.

Harrogate rail station

Martyn Fletcher, who was one of the commuters caught out by today’s timetable change, was left waiting at a wet Pannal station at 6.15am for a service that no longer exists. He said:

“I commute to Kent every week and have done so for over two years with no problems but no longer can get to Leeds to catch my scheduled train.

“I am not the only person living in Harrogate who needs to commute . In my opinion, trains must run every half hour from 5.30am until 8.30am so that those that need to catch connecting services from Leeds to elsewhere can do so.

“This change to schedule makes no sense at all . If you want to save money only run a hourly services during the quieter mid-morning mid-afternoon period . But provide a proper service for workers and business people.”

Northern has said the cuts are due to be reversed in December but rail campaigner Brian Dunsby told the Stray Ferret he wasn’t convinced.

“They have done this without good reason and without justification. I don’t trust them to reinstate the services.

“I can’t get proper answers out of them or find out who made this decision.

‘Harrogate is being picked on’

Mr Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said it would be far better to scrap an afternoon service rather than the key early morning trains, adding:

“It’s crazy that the Harrogate line seems to have been picked on when others haven’t been treated this way.”

Tony Baxter, regional director at Northern said:

“The new timetables are designed to deliver high levels of reliability.

“We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available.

“We’ve then prioritised the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.”

Service to the town

Long lineage

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Former teacher

Good for the town

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George A Moore

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Praise for local buses

Can’t all fit on

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Transdev’s response

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‘Goalposts have changes again’

Unexploded shell in Scriven Park

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‘Harrogate is being picked on’