knaresborough Archives - Page 142 of 184

Image Gallery: Christmas markets bring festive cheer to the district

A bumper weekend of Christmas markets in the Harrogate district got underway today.

The smell of mulled wine and hot dogs filled the air in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Masham today as visitors flocked to each town’s festive stalls.

In Harrogate, stalls lined the streets in the town centre for day two of Harrogate Christmas Fayre, which opened yesterday. It lasts for 10 days.

Today was also the start of a two-day event in Valley Gardens that featured about 50 local, artisan stalls in the Sun Colonnade.

Festive markets also returned to Knaresborough, as stalls selling sweets, crafts, clothes and food and drink filled the market square.

Father Christmas made a trip to Masham today to visit the town’s Christmas market and craft fayre.

In Knaresborough …

Kirsty Riddell and Leanne Wilkie from The Fat Birds Bakery

Knaresborough Christmas Market weekend got underway today

Chris Wilson has been selling chestnuts at the market for 20 years.

Nemo from clothing company Making My Grass Greener

In Harrogate’s Valley Gardens …

Stalls opened in Valley Gardens this morning under the Sun Colonnade

Colin and Emma Hall were there from Box Prints

Visitors enjoy a wander through the market

In Harrogate Town Centre …

Diana Macbeth-Case from Dipple Tipple & Co

The Pick & Mix stall was a hit

Oliver Edhouse from The Crusty Pie Company

Were you at Harrogate’s Christmas Markets today?

In Masham …

Thank you to Cllr Ian Johnson for sending over some photos of today’s events in Masham.

Numerous stalls pitched up on Market Square today

Santa was there to hear the children’s wishes for this year

The craft fayre was enjoyed by many

Harrogate district prepares for bumper festive market weekend

The Harrogate district is preparing for a bumper weekend of festive events with numerous Christmas markets and fayres over the next few says.

We’ve pulled together a handy guide to the festive markets and events from Harrogate to Masham.

Yesterday, Harrogate’s Christmas market kicked off with people arriving from 10am to walk around the stalls and enjoy a mulled wine or two.

Here’s some information on the events this weekend:

Harrogate Christmas Fayre

Around 50 local stalls will be in place on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent until December 12.

It is open 10am and 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am and 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday.

There is also a carousel and ferris wheel at Crescent Garden and a helter skelter at the war memorial to add to the festive offering. All rides cost £3 for a ticket.

Harrogate Christmas Artisan Market

This is the first for the town, a market for 60 local, small traders based in Valley Gardens.

Organised by Little Bird Made, the market will be open from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5.

The festive road train will also pass by the entrance and stops on nearby Crescent Road.

Knaresborough Christmas Market

Based on the town’s Market Square across weekend, Knaresborough Christmas Market is making its comeback.

There will be almost 50 stalls selling Christmas decorations, gifts and locally sourced produce. There will also be live entertainment from local dancers, choirs and brass bands.

Although a lot of the stalls accept cards, market organisers have urged visitors to bring cash with them in case the town’s two remaining cash machines run out.

It will come to a close with a fireworks display over Knaresborough’s iconic viaduct at 4.30pm on Sunday, December 5.

Masham Christmas Market

Similar to the one held last month, this weekend the town’s Market Place will host numerous stalls plus a visit from Santa himself.

Many of the usual monthly stallholders will be in attendance, plus others, so visitors can expect hand bell ringing and folk music as well as a wide variety of craft and food and drink stalls.

There is also a craft fayre in the town hall, both are open on Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

Ripon Christmas Market

This year the festivities are back.. On Sunday, artisan markets will be held on the square and free children’s fairground rides will be in operation on those dates.

There will be a selection of stalls from local traders, arts, crafts, food, an outdoor bar and live music.

Knaresborough Xmas Market visitors urged to bring cash

Visitors to Knaresborough Christmas Market are being urged to bring cash with them amid concerns the town’s two cash machines could run out of money.

Chair of the organising committee, Hazel Haas, has said the availability of cash in the town is an ongoing issue. But due to the closure of the Halifax bank this year the situation has become more concerning.

With just two cash machines remaining at Tesco and Sainsburys, there is real concern they will run out of money due to the number of visitors.

Ms Haas said the committee had contacted both supermarkets who said they had filled the machines to their maximum in preparation. However, she said even in previous years, even with four cash machines, there had still been a shortage.

Ms Haas said:

“It’s an ongoing problem. The reality is we’ve been running out of cash for years, some bank should really take it up and sort out the problem. We’ve done all we can and spoken to the two supermarkets. We can’t do anymore other than ask people to bring cash with them.”

Around 50 stalls will be in place on the town’s Market Square this weekend. Most will take card payments but some of the smaller traders would still prefer cash.

Ms Haas has urged visitors to come with cash rather than relying on local ATM’s.

The loss of the Halifax bank, on Market Square, has left businesses having to bank in other nearby towns or queuing at the Post Office.

Talking about the Christmas markets returning after last year’s cancellation, due to covid, Hazel Haas said:

“I’m really looking forward to it, there’s a real buzz about the town already. People need something to their spirts and I think the market and the fireworks will add to the festive spirit, definitely.”

The market is open 10am to 5pm Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5.

It will culminate with a fireworks display over Knaresborough’s iconic viaduct at 4.30pm on Sunday, December 5.

Starbeck mum hoping to grow Solo Mamas support network

A single mother from Starbeck set up a Solo Mamas group seven years ago to meet other mothers who understood how difficult parenting alone can be.

Georgina Newsham felt alone and wanted to create an inclusive, supportive network of likeminded single mothers.

Since then Ms Newsham, who moved to the Harrogate district from West Yorkshire three years ago, has seen the group expand to the point where it now has 155 members in north and west Yorkshire.

The group provides advice and support as well as hosting monthly meetings and annual holidays.

Ms Newsham said:

“Being a single mother can often have a lot of negativity around it and I wanted to turn it into a positive. We started with just three of us meeting once a month at soft-play. Now there’s 155 of us.

“Everything is on you and it can be really draining so having this network has become a lifeline for a lot of us.”

Solo Mamas camping trip to Kettlewell in June this year.

Ms Newsham moved to Knaresborough three years ago but now lives in Starbeck after her relationship broke down. She said the group was “amazing” with offers of spare rooms and help to pay rent.

Following a surprise, large donation Ms Newsham was able to set up a crisis fund to help members who are struggling financially. She said she plans to apply for charitable status next year.

“There’s always someone out there that understands. The focus is for us to support each other through anything.

“Just having that network there, you can’t put it into words how it feels. It’s the difference between being completely alone and knowing you have someone.”

Ms Newsham runs the group in her spare time alongside working as an adult social worker and an end-of-life doula.

As well as meet-ups and holidays, the group also has a private Facebook group for mums and organises regular workshops. Ms Newsham recently held a workshop with a solicitor to discuss writing a will and advance planning after one member took her own life.

Looking ahead, she wants to grow the membership, organise more meet-ups and maybe even hold a small wellbeing festival.

“I’m really hopeful that going into next year we can build our membership and start being there for more mums and their kids.”

Harrogate district churches urge people to light up their windows for Christmas

Harrogate district churches are urging people to light their windows to spread a message of love and hope at Christmas.

Harrogate Hub, which represents churches across the town, started the initiative, called The Light Shines, last Christmas.

It encourages people to decorate one of their windows and display it during the dark Advent nights, and include the the words ’The Light Shines John 1:5′ somewhere in it.

The displays are plotted onto a Google map and shared online so people can see them as they walk around different neighbourhoods, such as Jennyfields, Oatlands and Bilton. There were also displays in Ripon and Spofforth last year.

The trails will be lit up from December 12 to 19 between 5pm and 8pm.

More than 140 homes took part in the initiative last year.

The Light Shines

Anyone can get involved with #thelightshines by decorating a window or walking a trail. To register visit www.theharrogatehub.org/thelightshines.

The Revd Alan Garrow, vicar of St Peter’s Church in Harrogate, said:

“In the past couple of years we have been reminded that many of the things we take for granted as permanent and normal are in fact temporary and provisional.

“The Light Shines is about focusing on something that doesn’t change: God calls us home.”

The project was developed by trustees of Harrogate Hub, who are mainly church leaders. They include; Alan Garrow, St Peter’s Church; Ben Askew, Kairos Network Church; Adam Price, Hope Church; Wynn James, Life Destiny Church; Ben Clowes, Nidd Valley Methodist Circuit; Nick Gee, Harrogate Vineyard Church and Michelle Hayes, Resurrected Bites.

Self-combusting carpets cause fire in Farnham

Knaresborough firefighters were called out last night after a collection of carpet cut-offs self-combusted in Farnham.

Three pallets containing the cut-offs caught fire outside industrial premises at about midnight.

It is believed hot glue within the pieces of carpet caused the fire.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log said:

“The pallets, which were holding carpet cut-offs were extinguished using one hose reel jet, two breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera.

“The cause is believed to have been self-combustion from glue within the carpet cut-offs.”

MPs watch: Extra jobs, adult social care and HS2

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In November, MPs and their second jobs came under close scrutiny as Conservative MP Owen Paterson resigned after coming under fire for breaching parliamentary standards.

Meanwhile, all Harrogate district MPs voted for a controversial new Health and Social Care bill, which saw some Conservative backbenchers rebel against the government.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones did not post any news on his website in November.
He spoke eight times in the House of Commons this past month.
Among his contributions was to welcome to the government’s integrated rail plan on November 18. This came despite previous comments by Mr Jones in February 2019 when he described the potential scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 as a “betrayal of the north”.
He later posted a statement on his Conservative-run website describing the plan as “very positive”.
On November 22, Mr Jones voted with the government on the Health and Social Care Bill. Some Tory backbenchers raised concern that the government’s proposal will see the poor pay more towards their care.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith did not update his website during November.
He tweeted eight times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets congratulating Zoe Metcalfe on being elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
During November, Mr Smith’s extra jobs came under scrutiny in the wake of the Owen Paterson affair. Mr Smith earns £144,000 a year from three advisory roles in addition to his £81,932 MP’s salary.
Mr Smith voted with the government on its Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons during November.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

Mr Adams tweeted four times in November.
He posted once on his website on November 18 about Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting his constituency during the launch of the government’s integrated rail plan.
On November 4, Mr Adams voted for the Leadsom amendment during the Owen Paterson affair. The amendment proposed not suspending Mr Paterson, despite breaching parliamentary standards.
Mr Adams voted with the government on the Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
He appeared in the House of Commons four times during November to make both spoken contributions and to answer questions as a government minister.

Plans to build asphalt plant near Knaresborough

A Durham company wants to build a new asphalt plant in the Harrogate district.

Tynedale Roadstone Limited hopes to build the plant next to the Allerton Waste Recovery Park, near Knaresborough.

According to an environment scoping report submitted to Harrogate Borough Council, the development would be 22.5m tall and operate for five-and-a-half days a week.

Asphalt plants mix aggregates which can be used for construction projects, such as building roads and car parks.

Documents sent to the council reveal the company expects the plant to operate between 6.30am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday and 6.30am to 11am on a Saturday or Sunday.

Around 90 heavy goods vehicle movements are anticipated during those times.

Although a full planning application has yet to be submitted, the developer said that, if approved, construction of the site would begin in the middle of next year.

It added in its planning documents that the site, which is just off the A168, was “strategically placed to serve demand”.

The company said:

“As part of the site searching process alternative sites have been considered and discounted with this development site being chosen based on location adjacent to the strategic road network.”

A full proposal for the asphalt plant is expected to be submitted to the local authority at a later date.

Knaresborough’s Zoe Metcalfe pledges to be ‘people’s commissioner’ in £74,000 crime role

The third North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner this year has said on her first day in the £74,000 job that she is confident of being able to handle the intense scrutiny that comes with the role.

Zoe Metcalfe said she wanted to be “very visible” and would use her experience as a North Yorkshire county councillor and as deputy mayor of the Harrogate district to become “the people’s commissioner”.

Both of Ms Metcalfe’s predecessors faced severe criticism over their communications with both their own staff and residents, despite having backgrounds in public relations.

Philip Allott resigned last month after making controversial comments about women. The overwhelming majority of his 32-strong team of staff signed a letter saying they had no confidence in him, accusing him of making “sexist and misogynistic comments” towards female colleagues.

Julia Mulligan, who stepped down from the role in May, accepted a recommendation to regularly survey her staff about bullying and be supported by a mentor in the “challenging and difficult role” after being accused of levelling “constant criticisms” and “humiliating” comments.

Since Ms Metcalfe was elected on Friday, opposition councillors have questioned how she would deal with the pressure of the role, particularly as she had been “almost invisible” at the county council.

Zoe Metcalfe

County council opposition leader Cllr Stuart Parsons said:

“Zoe is an unknown quantity. When I read on an election leaflet that she was a county councillor I had to look her up because I had not heard her in any debates, apart from obeying the party line. She has been in a public forum for a number of years, but nobody knows who she is or what she is.

“She could be one of those people who has hidden her light under many bushels and she may come out and surprise us, but it is quite difficult to understand how she is going to fulfil the role because all her leaflet said was only women matter. I understand the focus on women, but it would appear all men in North Yorkshire don’t fit into her plan.”

At a media briefing, Ms Metcalfe highlighted how the first appointment had been to meet with victims’ support groups at the force’s Northallerton headquarters, even before meeting with the chief constable and chief fire officer.

She said:

“I want to be very visible. I will be on the market squares and in the supermarkets, visiting residents and getting their views.”

Top priorities

The Conservative Knaresborough councillor said her first actions would be to bolster victims services, crime prevention work with schools and further action to aid those suffering domestic abuse.

She said:

“I have been a district and county councillor since 2015, I’ve stood for two general elections, I’ve been deputy mayor of Harrogate District for two years and a governor of Harrogate Hospital, so I‘m quite happy with scrutiny. I want to work in a very transparent way and very much have an open-door policy.

“My style is getting out and talking to people. I want people to feel I am very approachable. It’s about embracing the role, taking it forward and making sure people trust in the role to deliver for them.

“I am very firmly here as the people’s commissioner. I am here to represent the residents of North Yorkshire and York when we are having those conversations and will hold the public services to account, but working with them too to achieve their goals is really important.”

Ms Metcalfe said she would be meeting her staff this week and would remain a district and county councillor until the May elections as she did not want public money to be spent on a by-election.

Family moves to Rudding Park to escape minus one degree home

A Beckwithshaw family has booked into Rudding Park hotel to escape its freezing home after two days without power.

Sylvia Skipper’s home was among thousands in the district to lose electricity when Storm Arwen struck late on Friday.

Power has returned to most but about 800 properties in the Harrogate district are still affected, according to a live map by Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

Ms Skipper, who lives on Shaw Lane, said her family had been without power since 9.20pm on Friday. There has been no hot water or heating, despite the freezing conditions, and they have been unable to cook. She said:

“Our house yesterday afternoon was minus one degrees.

“We couldn’t take any more and are now staying at Rudding Park. We have no idea whether power will be restored today.

“This is inhumane. We have lost faith as we have been forgotten about.”

Northern Powergrid’s live map shows 660 homes are without power in the Summerbridge and Bishop Thornton area, along with 60 in Spofforth, 30 in North Stainley, 20 in Pannal, 20 in High Birstwith, 20 in Kirkby Malzeard, fewer than 10 in Knaresborough, fewer than 10 in Greenhow Hill.

Ms Skipper said:

“The communication from Northern Powergrid has been dreadful.

“Until this afternoon we didn’t even have a phone signal on top of this so we had to venture in the car so that we could communicate with Northern Powergrid.

“I have seen their Twitter updates about providing hot drinks and support to numerous areas in the North East yet there has been absolutely nothing for us or our neighbours.”

Steve Crisp, whose home between Beckwithshaw and Leathley is also without power, said:

“I keep trying to access Northern Powergrid but the website is unreliable and this morning when I rang and confirmed I would like to wait to speak to someone the system just cut me off.

“Patience and Dunkirk spirit being stretched!”

He and his wife were luckier than some because they had a log burner, which provided heat and a means to cook beans on toast.

‘One of worst storms for 20 years’

Northern Powergrid’s latest update at 11pm last night said it had restored power to around 208,000 of the 240,000 customers. About 100 engineers from other power companies had been drafted in to help. It added:

“The scale of damage in some locations is so extensive that in some cases, large sections of overhead lines will need to be rebuilt in order to restore supplies.

“Where it can, Northern Powergrid is deploying temporary fixes that get customers back on supply whilst its teams coordinate the necessary permanent repairs to get the region’s power network back to full strength.

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s major incident manager, added:

“The impact from Storm Arwen has been one of the worst we’ve experienced in the last 20 years.”

Read more:

Harrogate Christmas Fayre

Harrogate Christmas Artisan Market

Knaresborough Christmas Market

Read more:

Masham Christmas Market

Ripon Christmas Market

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read More:

Read more:

Top priorities

Read more:

‘One of worst storms for 20 years’