Not even an amber weather warning could stop the Stray Ferret Business Awards in March, with a turnout of nearly 400 people and many smiling faces, we’re looking forward to doing it all again in 2024.

Following the success of our inaugural event, the Stray Ferret Business Awards will be making its return next year – and we’re ready to receive your entries!

Sponsored by local financial advisers Prosperis, the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2024 will take place in the Pavilions of Harrogate on Thursday, March 14.

The awards ceremony will recognise businesses of all sectors and sizes to highlight the best and brightest in the Harrogate district’s business community – including Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and Nidderdale.

The black-tie event will include our all-important awards ceremony, a special Winner’s Lounge sponsored by LCF Law and entertainment throughout the evening

Whether you’ve seen significant business growth, place sustainability at the centre of your core values, or provide great progression for your employees, our awards will shine a light on excellent organisations and individuals.

There are 10 award categories to enter:

• Best Employer – sponsored by Jones Myers
• Best Use of Digital – sponsored by A.S.E Computer Services
• Business Growth – sponsored by Raworths Solicitors
• Business of the Year – sponsored by Reed Boardall
• Inclusivity Award – sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors
• Rising Star Under 30 – sponsored by Thompsons Chartered Accountants
• Sustainable Business – sponsored by York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub
• Best Independent Retailer*
• Dynamic Leader*
• Employee Appreciation*

Emma Harris, Commercial Manager of the Stray Ferret, said:

“We were blown away by the success of our inaugural Business Awards ceremony earlier this year and hope the 2024 event will not disappoint.

“The Stray Ferret Business Awards highlights businesses that are making a difference in the community, as well as those who have overcome adversity and are going strong.

“We can’t wait to see the entries.

“It is entirely free to enter and the Stray Ferret will showcase the fantastic work of all finalists and winners, so we encourage you to put your business forward today.

“The Harrogate district may be a small part of the world, but includes hugely successful businesses with talented individuals who we believe deserve to be recognised.”

Entries are now open.

*There are still a small number of sponsorship opportunities available, so don’t miss out on showcasing your business to the district ahead of and on the night of the awards ceremony.

For more information on the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2024, contact advertising@thestrayferret.co.uk .

This story is sponsored by Vermuyden Care.

One of the region’s foremost home care providers is now bringing its flexible, client-centred approach to the Harrogate district after opening a new base at Boroughbridge. 

Vermuyden Care already has an excellent reputation for its elderly and dementia services in its home area of Doncaster, and now aims to provide the same high standard of home care in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Ripon, Thirsk and Easingwold, from its new premises at Ornhams Hall. 

Director Gary Stapleton said: 

“The difference with Vermuyden is that we are endlessly flexible and willing to go to great lengths to accommodate clients’ wishes. 

“Clients can often feel they’re not very involved in their own care – they feel that things are being done to them, not for them – but we’ve never been like that. 

“For example, some home care companies won’t come out to clients before 8am, but a lot of people who are used to getting up early don’t want to suddenly start having a lie-in just to please their carer. Whatever time you want to get up, we’ll be there.

“Similarly, other companies won’t come out after 8pm, but we think that’s treating clients like children, making them go to bed early. However late you want to go to bed, we’ll be there too.

“At Vermuyden, we are totally flexible. Whatever it is you want, we can do.” 

Vermuyden – pronounced ‘Ver-moy-den’ – specialises in dementia care, but also works with clients with physical and learning disabilities, and offers mental health support. The company provides long-term home care services as well as short-term respite care, and aims to make sure people living in rural areas are not cut off from the help they need.

Vermuyden employs over 100 people, including 15 from its Boroughbridge office. It recruits locally and takes on permanent, experienced staff on high wages, ensuring it only employs the very best carers in the sector. This is important, said Gary, because employees need to be able to provide more than just personal care. He said: 

“The care is the easy part – it’s all the other stuff that’s harder to get right, and we put a huge amount of effort into making sure that we do. 

“We want clients to feel they’re getting the service they deserve.” 

If you’re interested in receiving the very best in personal home care – or you know someone who might be – call us on 01423 800674, or take a look at our website, www.vermuyden.co.uk. 

Abba and Queen tribute bands will perform in Knaresborough tonight in the first of two outdoor concerts this weekend.

North Yorkshire Council is staging the events with partners in the grounds of Conyngham Hall.

The venue is not believed to have staged large outdoor live music events previously.

The council, which took control of the venue in April, agreed to trial live music as part of its outdoor programme of events.

Michael Leah, the council’s assistant director for environment, said:

“Friday night sees the 21st Century Abba and Queen tribute concerts come to our area for the first time produced by Chapterhouse who we have successfully worked with on previous outdoor theatre events.

“And on Sunday the space will be used to host the Paradox Orchestra performing 50 Years of Pink Floyd.

“We had hoped to host a further event on Saturday but unfortunately the organiser was unable to go ahead due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Electronic band N-Trance were due to headline Saturday’s cancelled 90s music festival.

Tickets are still available for both remaining events.

People are urged to bring their own seating on chairs or blankets and a picnic but alcohol is not allowed to be brought onsite. Food and drinks can be bought onsite.

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Theatre company Chapterhouse, which is organising tonight’s event, promised “hit after hit of arguably the greatest artists of all time” at “one of the most wonderful gardens in the UK”.

A spokesperson for Sunday’s Pink Floyd event said:

“We hope on the back of the success of our concert this Sunday that we are able to book orchestra events at Knaresborough Castle, Valley Gardens and other council-owned properties in the near future.”

Knaresborough’s hospitality offering is undergoing something of a renaissance.

Last week 1858 bar and restaurant opened in the former NatWest bank on High Street.

On Monday, the historic Dower House will reopen as The Knaresborough Inn under new ownership.

Both venues have undergone major refurbishments to offer something more ambitious than the average hospitality business.

The new bar.

The Inn Collection Group, which bought The Knaresborough Inn along with the former George Hotel in Harrogate and the Ripon Spa Hotel, markets its venues as ‘inns with rooms’ rather than hotels.

Its business model therefore focuses as much on attracting local people for food and drink as it does on providing three-star accommodation for tourists.

The Knaresborough venue, which closed last summer, held a VIP preview day today.

It no longer has a spa and gym but the number of rooms has increased from 38 to 56. The inn will serve food seven days a week from morning to night and the outdoor area has been upgraded with more seating.

The outdoor area can seat 100 guests.

A spokesman said:

“The idea is that this is as much a place for locals as it is visitors.

“If you want cake and coffee in the afternoon, a breakfast before work, a quick lunch or a night out for a treat, we will cater for you.”

The Knaresborough Inn employs 47 staff and can seat 125 customers inside and 100 outside.

Operations manager Paul Brown (left) and general manager Ian Durrant toast the inn today.

A new portico entrance has been built on the Grade II-listed 15th century building.

General manager Ian Durrant said:

“This has been a year in the making and it’s wonderful for Knaresborough.

“I’m really excited because it’s a beautiful reincarnation of a well known venue.”

Guests at today’s VIP preview opening.

The Inn Collection Group, which is based in Newcastle, has 33 venues in northern England and north Wales, including eight in Yorkshire.

The Ripon Spa Hotel is due to reopen as the Ripon Inn in October. A precise date has not been revealed but it is expected to be in the second half of the month.

The Harrogate Inn, formerly the St George Hotel, reopened on July 3 after a 152-day refurbishment.

The former Dower House has a new name and look.

One of the rooms in what used to be the spa.

Read more:

• Knaresborough survey calls for phased introduction of electric vehicle chargers
• The golfer championing Knaresborough on the world stage

With the PGA tour in full swing and the Ryder Cup around the corner, the likes of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Scottie Sheffler are prime time viewing.

But Knaresborough has its own claim to fame when it comes to golfers on the world stage.

John Parry picked up his first club when he was six years old.

The 36-year-old spent most of his early career training at Harrogate Golf Club, where he cut his teeth as a teenager, before going onto to compete around the globe.

These days, John competes on the professional tours and finished joint fourth at the World Invitational 2023 in Northern Ireland last weekend.

We sat down with him at Knaresborough Golf Club on a morning fit for a tee-off on the first hole to find out how his uncle helped him pick up a set of clubs as a boy and how he went on to line up alongside Tiger Woods some three decades later.

Picking up the clubs

It was in Birmingham where John first set eyes on a golf ball and clubs.

Just six years old, his uncle introduced him to the sport as something to do with his brothers.

“He just got us a lesson and we played a little bit. Then we moved back up to Harrogate from Birmingham.

“We just sort of took it from there and played on par three courses. Then we eventually joined Harrogate Golf Club.”

John grew up in Knaresborough and attended King James’s School.

John teeing off at Knaresborough Golf Course.

However, he had little interest in anything other than golf. In fact, aged just 10, he was picked to go on a regional coaching course.

The Yorkshire coaching made him realise that he had something that other boys his age didn’t.

“I think when I went there, I remember I was doing certain things better than most kids that were doing it.

“You realise that ‘I must be reasonably good’.”

John worked his way up through the ranks through to England under 16s.

At this stage, he says he started to figure out what standard he was at as he started to compete in tougher competitions, such as county championships.

But, despite testing himself against higher standard players, he still felt he needed to improve.

“For me, when I was that old, it was about hitting the ball further and growing a little more because I was so small.

“It only really happened once I got to 17 and 18, then I started playing in national events.”

Making the green was one of John’s aims as he was working his way through the different age groups.

For him, being able to hit the ball long complemented his ability to make the put. This then helped him to win national tournaments once he was in the under 18s age group.

Working on his shots helped him make up ground on older players, he says.

“You see the opposite of this. Lads can be unbelievable when they’re in the under 14s or under 16s and they’re six foot tall.

“But then when everyone starts catching them up physically, it flips round because they maybe have not developed other skills that you need.”

Starting from the bottom

John turned professional in 2007.

Prior to turning pro, he was picked for the Walker Cup – the equivalent of the Ryder Cup for amateur golfers.

But turning professional meant rising up through the rankings again. He uses the analogy of a football team being promoted up the divisions to the Premier League.

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In his first year, he played the Euro Tour which offers a first prize of £10,000.

For John, turning professional took some getting used to. In particular, the difference in standard of courses.

“That took a bit of adapting, because the courses are different from amateur golf.

“In amateur golf, you tend to play links golf courses that are keep it in play, shoot level par because the conditions are hard.

“Whereas, in pro golf, the courses are longer and you needed to make a lot more birdies to shoot lower scores. That took a little bit of adapting to.”

Despite the difference in courses, John says there was not a huge difference in the standard of golfers.

However, there is more pressure – which is key to those that do well.

“You could almost say that the amateur league is better than the bottom of the pro-league.

“But then there is a lot more pressure, because now it’s your livelihood.”

Making a living for golfers is about performance and the tour that they are competing in.

The higher up the ladder, the more money there is to win.

By 2009, John had seen a few promotions up the rankings and found himself on the European Tour.

At this stage, aged 23, he is playing in front of crowds and television cameras as there is more attention on the competition and those competing in it.

“When you’re that young, you don’t really think about it.

“You’re just like: ‘this is good’. I was living at home still and it was something that I always wanted to do. You just get on with it.

“Plus, within reason, I had done it from such a young age and I had done a little bit of travelling. It just becomes normality.”

Starting again after covid

But John’s career has not always been an upward trajectory.

In the year before the covid pandemic, he was relegated down the rankings twice.

He had to start from the bottom league, where it’s difficult for golfers to make ends meet.

“First of all you have got to find your form. That’s the hard bit, because you know how hard it is to get all the way back up.

“But the hardest bit was the year I was going to play on the bottom tour again covid hit and they cancelled the tour.”

During the pandemic, John was forced to play in one-day events to make a living. 

The competitions were pay to enter and sometimes saw 30 players competing for prize money – which in some cases was as little as £1,000.

“It was a real grind.”

The pandemic showed how a lot of golfers have to perform in order to make a living.

John makes the comparison with professional footballers, where most are under contract – although they can see their wages drop if they are relegated.

“The difference with golf is you have to perform, because no one is paying you. You have to do well. You’re not under a contract, unless you get a sponsorship, so you are always having to play well to earn a living.”

Competing in the Open

Perhaps John’s biggest achievements are making it into two US Opens and a British Open.

The latter, which took place last year, saw him go up against the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau.

The major was John’s first British Open where he competed to make the cut to play at St Andrews in Scotland.

John going through his final Open preparation at St Andrews. Pic: Harrogate Gold Club

For John, the tournament was a chance to test his metal against the big names.

The major was an eye opener, particularly witnessing the likes of Woods playing on the same course.

He described watching top golfers apply their trade as like “playing a tournament like a practice round” as they “didn’t care about the outcome of each shot”.

“For me, it’s the mentality of them. I think you could say that for most sports.

“You could look at how professional they are and if they do anything to look a lot better, but for me it’s got to be the mentality.”

The experience playing alongside big name golfers was a milestone for John.

The journey from being six years old and chipping it around a local golf course to competing to make the cut against multiple major winners is one to tell the grandkids about.

Some golfers may see playing alongside Tiger Woods as a chance to compete against their idols.

But Woods doesn’t even factor into John’s role models.

Instead, he points to Spanish two-time major winner Jose Maria Olazabal and his golf coach Mark Moore as among those who helped him.

John remembers watching Olazabal win the 1994 Masters, which has stuck with him to this day.

But perhaps his biggest inspiration was his brother, who is now a professional golf coach in Australia.

“I think the best thing for me growing up was having an older brother who is four years older than me.

“When you first start out, you think: ‘he’s better than me’. That was one of the big things for me. There’s nothing worse than losing to your brother.”

If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Discussions have begun about reviving the idea of creating a business improvement district in Knaresborough.

Traders in Harrogate and Ripon both voted to have BIDs but Knaresborough firms rejected the idea by 80 votes to 73 two years ago.

However, a Facebook group called Get the BID for Knaresborough back on track has been set up.

Supporters say the move would boost trade and improve the town centre. Opponents say a BID is unnecessary and would reopen wounds.

If a BID is created, town centre businesses with rateable values above £2,500 would pay levies that would generate about £140,000 a year for schemes that increase town centre footfall.

Neil Smith, a disabled former taxi driver who set up the Facebook group, said the BID could improve the town’s notoriously difficult parking and lead on issues such as street cleaning and floral displays.

Mr Smith said his experience as a Blue Badge holder had highlighted how acute town centre parking problems were for people with mobility issues and a BID could push for solutions.

He said:

“If people can’t park, businesses will fail because of lack of footfall.

“If I was a business owner in Knaresborough and could have things like better parking, cleaner streets and a more appealing town centre all for a £1 a day I’d be all for it. Who else is going to do these things?”

‘We don’t want this to happen again’

Knaresborough Business Collective, which was formed in 2021 in response to the failed BID vote, runs various town centre initiatives such as supplying hanging baskets and Christmas trees and organising annual awards.

It published a social media post this week saying there was no need for a BID, and questioning whether another ballot so soon was appropriate. It added:

“It is less than two years since a no majority was received, if a yes majority had been achieved we would not be allowed a revote for five years. I believe the same should be the case now.

“The town was massively divided after BID and we really don’t want this to happen again.”

The post urged businesses to contact Knaresborough Town Council with their views on a second BID vote.

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Peter Lacey, an executive member of business group Knaresborough and District Chamber, said:

“Chamber has neither initiated nor can comment on an official basis as to whether it would be in support of rerunning the BID process in the town at this time.

“We are focussed on promoting our great town, addressing concerns about the recent installation of electric vehicle charging points in the town in as constructive way as possible, and preparing to work collaboratively across the town to attract new investment through North Yorkshire Council’s shared prosperity funding.”

The Knaresborough resident who alerted Blackpool Zoo to the presence of its missing pelican at Hay-a-Park has described Wednesday as the “craziest day of her life”. 

Chantelle Wilfan spotted the Eastern white pelican on the lake at around 10.15am while taking her son, three-year-old Leo, for a walk.

Told by a birdwatcher it must be the one that had escaped earlier in the month, she called Blackpool Zoo, which immediately dispatched a posse of zookeepers to take the bird into custody. 

Chantelle, who watched the action unfold with Leo and her mother, Debbie Pedel, told the Stray Ferret: 

“The keepers arrived mid-afternoon and said they needed a boat. I suggested [Blenkhorn’s Boats on] Waterside and Ripon Sailing Club, but they were closed. So, we rang around people we knew and luckily, my cousin’s husband, Chris McMillan, had a canoe, so the keepers went round to collect it. 

“They spent some time trying to get close to the pelican, and one even fell out and had to start swimming, but after about 40 minutes we heard a shout from across the lake to say they’d got it, and we all gave a cheer. 

“It was an absolutely incredible experience being with the keepers and watching this incredible pelican. They’re the nicest, kindest men I’ve ever met. They were very calm and worked together as a team. They were absolutely there for that bird – they were so professional. 

“The whole thing – spotting the pelican, chasing round for a boat, and watching the keepers catch it – was pure madness. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It has to have been the craziest day of my life.” 

As reported by the Stray Ferret yesterday, the pelican was scared by gulls and blown away by a gust of wind on August 4 – the day Storm Antoni blew in off the Atlantic. 

The juvenile pelican ended up 65 miles away from its home in Blackpool. Photo: Chantelle Wilfan.

Blackpool Zoo paid tribute to Chantelle and her family in a statement issued following the rescue: 

“Particular thanks goes to a wonderful family in Knaresborough who saw keepers trying to reach the pelican in the lake on Wednesday and brought a kayak for them to use – without their kind gesture and support, the rescue would not have been possible.” 

The statement added: 

“It was extremely important for us to rescue this pelican and return it to its flock as they are very social birds and, as a non-native species, it needed to be back with its own kind. 

“The pelican is now in our animal hospital, where it has been given a full health check, had its wings clipped and will be quarantined before being returned to the flock in the near future.

“We look forward to seeing it out and about on pelican lake with the rest of its family soon, and we are sure that, now it is a local celebrity, lots of people will want to come and see it!”

The Eastern white pelican, also known as the great white pelican, is native to southeastern Europe, Asia and Africa. 

Dalmatian pelicans once thrived in the wetlands of what is now East Yorkshire, Norfolk and Somerset, but were driven to extinction about 2,000 years ago.

Passengers in the Harrogate and Knaresborough area are set to face further train strikes this bank holiday weekend.

Members of the ASLEF and RMT unions will be carrying out industrial action tomorrow (August 26) in a dispute over pay.

It means no trains will run through Harrogate and Knaresborough tomorrow.

This will affect people travelling to York Races for the Ebor meeting, which includes the prestigious Ebor Handicap.

Knaresborough station

Northern has also urged passengers to check before they travel on Sunday (August 27) as train services will start later.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: 

“We know these RMT strikes will cause disruption to the general public.

“Whilst this is only a one-day strike, it falls right in the middle of the busy August bank holiday weekend and will impact people trying to get to major events taking place across region, including Manchester United and Everton football fixtures, York Races, Leeds Festival, Creamfields and Manchester Pride.

“The RMT is still refusing to put the latest pay offer negotiated on behalf of train operators to a vote by their members and it is unfortunate that these strikes continue for their second summer.”

Meanwhile, further union strike action will be taken on September 1 and September 2.

Mick Lynch, general secretary at the RMT Union, said:

“The mood among our members remains solid and determined in our national dispute over pay, job security and working conditions.”

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A pelican missing from Blackpool Zoo for almost three weeks was found in Knaresborough yesterday.

The Eastern white pelican was scared by gulls and blown away by a gust of wind on August 4.

Zookeepers set up a 24-hour hotline and eventually captured it at Hay-a-Park gravel pits this afternoon — 65 miles from home. It was retuned to the zoo evening.

But the zoo said in a statement the rescue wouldn’t have been successful without the help of a local family:

“Particular thanks goes to a wonderful family in Knaresborough who saw keepers trying to reach the pelican in the lake on Wednesday and brought a kayak for them to use — without their kind gesture and support, the rescue would not have been possible.”

The statement added:

“It was extremely important for us to rescue this pelican and return it to its flock as they are very social birds and, as a non-native species, it needed to be back with its own kind.

“Confirmed sightings have come from as near to home as Lytham and Fleetwood, to as far away as Harrogate and, where it was eventually rescued, in Knaresborough.

“The pelican is now in our animal hospital, where it has been given a full health check, had its wings clipped and will be quarantined before being returned to the flock in the near future.”

The statement described pelicans are docile creatures and said “there was never any threat to the public”.

Let us know if you were the family that helped with the rescue. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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A new bar and restaurant is due to officially open today in the centre of Knaresborough.

1858 is situated in the former NatWest bank, which closed in 2017, on the High Street. Councillors granted an alcohol licence to applicant Jaime Wilkinson last month.

The venue, which will launch at 5pm, provides lunch and evening meals and Sunday roasts as well as drinks.

It derives its name from the year in which the building was constructed.

The High Street site was formerly occupied by NatWest.

Kim Lancaster, who was manager of the town’s So Bar and Eats before working with Mr Wilkinson at the Drakes fish and chip shops that he owns, will run the venue.

Ms Lancaster told councillors the venue would feature “elegant fine dining” rather than be a “Wetherspoons quick in-and-out” type experience.

She added:

“We want people coming in not just for alcohol but for coffee and lunch. We’re trying to bring back something to Knaresborough that people can’t wait for. People are going to Harrogate [instead]. We’ve spent a lot of money and want to do it right with the right clientele.”

1858 is permitted to sell alcohol from 10am until midnight seven days a week.

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