knaresborough Archives - Page 68 of 182

Knaresborough basks in sun and ale at Picnic in the Park

Almost 500 people attended Picnic in the Park in the gloriously sunny gardens of Knaresborough House this afternoon.

The free five-hour event, which featured four live bands and two DJs, is a highlight of the town’s 10-day arts festival Feva.

Knaresborough Lions Beer Festival was held alongside the picnic.

Knaresborough has been decked in Feva pink for the annual late summer festival.

It ends tomorrow with Harrogate Spa Town Ukes playing on the High Bridge gardens and a poetry evening at Mother Shipton’s Inn.

The beer festival also finishes tomorrow at Knaresborough House.

Feva chairperson Gwen Lloyd, who has attended dozens of events during the festival, said she was delighted with how it has gone:

“It’s been really well attended. We have a four-pronged format of street entertainment, visual art, music and spoken word.

“Now it’s a question of developing it and taking a few risks.”

You can watch a live video of today’s picnic on our Facebook page here.

Here are some photos from Knaresborough House today.

The team from Feva.

Knaresborough House provided the backdrop.

Knaresborough Lions took care of visitors’ thirst.

The stage featured live acts throughout the day.

Councillor calls for clampdown on overnight parking at Knaresborough’s Conyngham Hall

A Knaresborough councillor has called for a clampdown on overnight parking at Conyngham Hall.

About a dozen vehicles pitched up at the back of the car park and stayed for three nights a week ago.

Signs say overnight parking is prohibited but the rule is often flouted.

Conyngham Hall car park last weekend.

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, said the latest encampment, which he reported to a council officer, was the largest he was aware of.

He said:

“I have on several occasions asked for the gate at the end to have a padlock due to overnight stays of motorhomes.

“There are always excuses and reasons why not.”

Cllr Walker says the gate should be locked at night.

Cllr Walker said the cost of moving on vehicles and cleaning up afterwards could cost taxpayers thousands of pounds.

He added:

“Residents let me know every few weeks over the summer that people are camping in their vans and often leave it a mess, The council haven’t listened so far.”

The Stray Ferret asked the council what action it took against last week’s encampment and why it didn’t lock the gates as suggested by Cllr Walker.

Steve Brown, the council’s head of parking services, said:

“We started the protocols needed to remove the encampment as soon as we were made aware of their arrival in Conyngham Hall car park.

“However, the process takes time and the travellers moved on by Monday. Our environment team cleaned-up any rubbish left behind.”

“This car park is open 24 hours a day.”

Firefighters respond to hot tub blaze near Knaresborough

Firefighters from Knaresborough were called to a hot tub that went up in flames near Knaresborough today.

Flames from the wood-fired hot tub, which didn’t have anyone in it, spread to the surrounding canopy on Arkendale Road in Ferrensby.

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

“This was extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire service using five small fire extinguishers, buckets of water and garden hose pipes.

“Crews assisted the owners with damping down the area. The hot tub and canopy were 100% destroyed by fire. The cause of this was a jammed motor.”

Nidd Art Trail in full swing as local artists begin to open their doors

Local artists, craftspeople and photographers are opening their doors to the public this weekend to showcase work as part of NiddArt Trail.

The trail, run by community organisation Nidderdale Art Trail, aims to highlight both the artistic talent on offer throughout the district, as well as keep community spirit alive.

It originated as Nidd Art Fest, which ran from 1997 to 2008, and has been known as NiddArt Trail since 2009.

Venues in upper and lower Nidderdale, Pateley Bridge, Bewerley, Knaresborough and surrounding villages will house the works of both professional artists, such as Claire Baxter Gallery and JOT’s Gallery, as well as amateur groups such as Pateley Bridge Art Club, which will hold its summer exhibition in St Cuthbert’s School, and Lofthouse Art Group.

A number of community venues will also host featured works, including Summerbridge Methodist Church and Sawley Village Hall.

St Paul’s Art Group will have a variety of mediums on display, including photography and crafts, with some on sale to the public. The work will be held in St Paul’s United Reformed Church, Harrogate, on 26 and 27 August. Refreshments will also be available.

Poetry readings will also take place at Darley Methodist Church as part of the trail. Reverend Alastair Ferneley of Dacre and Alan Jordan, Lay Pastor in the Methodist Church, will be reciting their own poetry on Saturday, August 19, and Saturday, August 26.

Paintings, pottery and photographs curated by local artists will all be housed in St Andrew’s Church, in Blubberhouses, on 19 and 20 August, as well as 26 – 28 August too.

Treasurer Charles Mellor said:

“It’s very much a community event and is made from a mix of talent and community effort.

“There is quite a spectrum of activity this year.”

Some pieces will be available to buy from both the professional and amateur artists, however many choose to simply be involved in the trail.

“I think people just really enjoy being a part of it.

“Many of the groups and venues involved become very enthusiastic about the trail.”

The participating venues are free to attend and will be open at various times from Friday, August 18 to Monday, August 28.

The trail has been available to view online from August 1.

Find a full breakdown of the participating artists and venues, as well as their opening times, here.

Anonymous £10k boost to Knaresborough man’s Ukraine fire engine appeal

A fundraising campaign by a Knaresborough man to buy a fire engine to send to Ukraine has received a £10,000 donation.

Bob Frendt was hoping to raise £20,000 to buy the appliance and send it to Volodymyr, which had its fire engines commandeered by the army in the fight against Russia.

However, he said he was worrying the total was unachievable, after getting stuck at £7,000 for several weeks.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I was getting a bit depressed and very stressed over it. I was thinking, ‘I’ve bitten off more than I can chew’, making promises I couldn’t keep and letting people down.

“Then I got this call out of the blue from a man who came to a fundraising folk night in Wetherby and heard me say a few words about what I was doing.

“He said he wanted to make a donation and asked for my bank details. He didn’t say how much – but when I saw it come through, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’m still buzzing now. I can’t believe it has happened. It just shows you what wonderful people there are around.”

The donor has asked to remain anonymous, but said the money was taken from a legacy left by his mother after she died earlier this year.

The man told Mr Frendt she was always a generous supporter of good causes, and had left him “more than he could ever spend” in her will.

In recognition of their generosity, Mr Frendt said he will name the fire engine after the man’s mother.

Now, he is working with a former fire officer to source an appliance that he can take across Europe and hand over to the fire service in Volodymyr.

He added:

“I just need to raise the last £3,000 now.

“The paperwork shouldn’t take too long to get sorted. Hopefully, we can get it to Volodymyr before the end of October, when the weather closes in.

“If we can’t do that, we’re looking at not doing it until the end of March next year. I don’t want to leave it that long – they’ve got to have that fire engine.”

To help him take his funds from £17,000 to the total, Knot Another Choir will be performing a fundraising concert at Trinity Church in Knaresborough on October 6.

Tickets are £10 and available to buy online in advance.

Donations can also be made via Mr Frendt’s Just Giving page.

New roadworks revealed for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon

Details of upcoming roadworks for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon have been revealed.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, posted details of scheduled resurfacing schemes on his Facebook page.

The information is set out below with details of where and when each scheme will take place and the accompanying plan to manage traffic.

North Park Road, Harrogate

Monday, August 21 to Friday, September 1 (7pm to midnight)

21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th 29th – traffic management – combination of two-way lights and road closure during working hours

23rd, 30th, 31st and 1st Sep – traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained