Knaresborough businesses prepare for glittering awards night

Knaresborough Business Awards will celebrate the town’s commercial heroes this weekend.

The event, organised by Knaresborough Business Collective, will take place at the Worlds End Pub at Bond End on Saturday night. Tickets sold out in 48 hours.

Five companies have been shortlisted in each of the 18 categories, which range from favourite attraction to favourite coffee shop.

The most prestigious category is Knaresborough Business of the Year, which was won by The Farm Dairy last year. The  deli, cheesemonger and sandwich shop on Market Place is among this year’s nominees.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, who organises the event with Natalie Horner, said the awards had generated an “amazing response”.

“We feel it really is a wonderful way for the gorgeous businesses of Knaresborough to get together, and for the Knaresborough community to vote for their favourites.

“It’s also a wonderful way to promote the businesses Knaresborough has to offer.”

Like last year’s inaugural event, the event uses local suppliers: flowers have been provided by River and Rose, balloons by Balloons and Confetti, brochures by Sid Horner and Sons, the desserts are from the Black Mulberry, and the trophies are from Wayne at If.

The collective, which was formed in 2022, consists of Knaresborough business owners who work together to promote the town and its businesses.

Here are some photos of last year’s awards, taken by Brian King.

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This year’s shortlisted businesses and individuals are:

Knaresborough Business Of The Year

Freedom Performing Arts, Farm Dairy, Wild Thing, Wildstyle tattoo and Greenwood solicitors

Favourite Female Led Business

Freedom Performing Arts, River & Rose, Sheer Bliss, The Lash Gallery and Kat’s Dogs

Favourite Male Led Business

The Music Bank, Wildstyle Tattoo, Barber Asylum, Zig Zag and Tommy’s Barber Shop

Favourite Family Run Business

Two Brothers, Greenwood solicitors, Sid Horner and Son, Hirst Bakery and Hutton Butchers

Favourite Healthcare Business (not hair & beauty)

Castle Clinic Chiropody by Louise, The Crystal Buddha, Natural Choice, Sarah Chisem Podiatry

Favourite Hair and Beauty Clinic

Aimed Health & Beauty, Kelly Teggin Hairdressing, Orchis Escape, Swish Beauty and Divine Hair

Favourite Retailer

Wild Thing, The Clothing Store, Harriet’s, Stomp and Sheer Bliss

Favourite Place To Stay

The Groves Inn, Gallon House, Custard Cream Cottage, Teardrop Cottage and Newton House

Favourite Attraction

Mother Shipton’s, Blenkhorn’s Boats, the Kiosk at Conyngham, Knaresborough Rescue and Knaresborough Painting Pots

Favourite Coffee Shop

Number Thirteen, The Black Mulberry, McQueens, Cafe Nero and No Place Like Home

Favourite Place to Eat

Two Brothers, Farm Dairy, So! Bar, Six Poor Folk and Carriages

Favourite Place to Drink

The George and Dragon, Six Poor Folk, Blind Jack’s, Half Moon and So! Bar

Favourite Tradesman

Neil Watts, TG Plumbing, Thistle Handyman Services, Dave Bebb DB Roofing and Brian King

Favourite Class or Workshop

Clubbercise with Gilly, Freedom Performing Arts, Bounce with Georgina Sands, Emergy Fitness and Wellbeing and Judi Does Yoga

Favourite Party Provider

Painting Pots, Rascals Entertainment, Bórn of the Forest, Petite Boutique and Studio 3

Favourite New Business (last 12 months)

No Place Like Home, Number Thirteen at Silver Street, Berry’s Tavern, Claire Baxter Art Gallery and Lawai Spice

Favourite Member of Staff

Connie Li (Yorkshire Trading), Lindsey Ruthen ( Farm Dairy), Maisie Withnell (The Clothing Store), Tom Robson (Vapour Worx) and Miles Lazenby (Berry’s Tavern)

Favourite Inspirational Business

The Crystal Buddha, Painting Pots, Sid Horner and Son, Freedom Performing Arts and Greenwood solicitors

 

Natural beeswax shop opens in Knaresborough

An independent shop that sells a range of beeswax products has opened in the centre of Knaresborough.

The Yorkshire Beeswax Candle Company opened in Green Dragon Yard on Saturday.

It previously traded at Yorkshire Farmers’ Market in Knaresborough Market Square, which no longer exists, before trialling a premise on Waterside.

Inside the new shop.

The family-run business, which was launched in 2019, sells a variety of beeswax candles, organic body care products and diffusers.

It also offers several Yorkshire honey products, including one sourced from a Knaresborough hive located just off Waterside.

The premises on Green Dragon Yard.

In a social media post, owner Michael Landreth, said:

“It’s been a crazy few weeks and months but we have done it and ready to open our doors.

“We would like to thank everyone who has helped us and supported us over the months and years and we really look forward to you all visiting our brand new home.”

The Yorkshire Beeswax Candle Company is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

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Plan submitted to convert Knaresborough mill into banking hub

A plan has been submitted to convert part of a grade-II listed former Knaresborough mill into a banking hub.

Cash Access UK has lodged the plan for the building on Kirkgate in the town.

The mill was built in the 18th century and was most recently used as a tile showroom.

The developer plans to convert the ground floor of the former mill into a banking hub, which will offer a counter service operated by the Post Office where customers of all major banks and building societies can carry out regular cash transactions.

It will also provide a community banker service where customers can talk to their own banking provider about more complicated issues, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

The company identified the former mill as its site for the banking hub in June.

At the time, Gareth Oakley, chief executive at Cash Access UK, said:

“We know the new banking hub has been eagerly anticipated by the local community and so we’re delighted we’ve now been able to secure a fantastic location for you in the heart of the community.

“This brings us a significant step closer in being able to deliver improved access to cash services to individuals and businesses in Knaresborough.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Cash Access UK is owned and funded by 10 of the UK’s biggest banking providers: Bank of Ireland, Barclays, Danske Bank, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest Group, Santander, TSB and Virgin Money.

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Business Breakfast: Knaresborough businesses sponsor Knaresborough Celtics FC

Two Knaresborough businesses have agreed to sponsor Knaresborough Celtics girls football team.

Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty and Huttons will sponsor the under 16s side this season.

It will see the businesses provide kit and training wear for the girls.

Kelly Teggin, owner of Kelly Teggin Hairdressers, said:

“Kelly Teggin hairdressing have sponsored the team for five years buying a kit every year so they can pass it down so all the age groups have a kit to play in moving forwards.

“Huttons have sponsored the training tops that the girls keep as they have their initials on and they will have them as a keep sake for all the hard work both the parents, team and coaches have put in over the last eight years.”

Pictured above (left to right) Kelly Young, Jaden Rigg, Issy Colbert, Lily Howliston , Lilly perry, Issy stobbs, Grace Denny, Amelia Trougton, Poppy Naylor, Poppy Johnson, Bella Richardson, Camilla Rishton ,Abigail Rushworth, Bella Bere, Freya Welbourne

Council awards Harrogate maintenance contract

North Yorkshire Council has awarded a contract for maintenance of public buildings in Harrogate to a Bingley company.

Europe Air Conditioning Ltd, which is based in Cottingley near Bingley, has been commissioned to cover “reactive call outs” in the area.

The contract is valued at £86,723.47, according to the council website.

It adds:

“This work forms part of legal compliance and is essential for the continuation of business and health and safety of our staff, occupants and public.”

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Performing arts school finds new home in heart of Knaresborough

Freedom Performing Arts has opened new studios at the former Castle Girls School in Knaresborough.

The arts school, which has 380 students aged three to 18, has operated out of the town’s Aspin Park Academy since 2010.

It will continue to run two classes every night at Aspin as well as one nightly class at the new venue in Castle Yard.

Amy Meikle, principal at Freedom Performing Arts, received the keys for the new premises in December last year after plans to open a museum on the site fell through.

Students at Friday’s opening.

She said it cost £25,000 to fully restore the building, which had been empty since it hosted Knaresborough and Harrogate Dance Centre pre-covid.

A ribbon was cut to mark Friday’s opening, which was attended by retired well known local dance teacher Miss Wenda (pictured below), who taught ballet and tap at Freedom before retiring in 2016.

Ms Meikle said being in the Castle Yard, close to the town centre, made the school feel like part of the community:

“I have loved seeing all the new businesses open in Knaresborough this month with more on the way. The town seems to be thriving and we feel super proud to have brought part of our school into the heart of the town centre.

“It really is a dream come true, I can’t believe this is real and I’m so grateful to everyone in my life who has helped make this possible.”

The studio has been completely renovated.

 

How the building looked in December.

Freedom runs a wide range of classes including ballet, tap, street, jazz, musical theatre, modern and acrobatics.

The building holds a strong personal connection for Ms Meikle, who said:

“I was born and bred in Knaresborough and my mum actually attended school in this building back in the 1950s/60s so it really has come full circle.”

The school has been nominated for four awards at Saturday’s Knaresborough Business Awards, organised by Knaresborough Business Collective.

The two-storey former girls school also hosts the 1st Scriven Scout Group.

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Knaresborough’s Remembrance Sunday parade saved

Knaresborough’s Remembrance Sunday parade has been saved after the police decided to stop providing traffic management.

Elliot Foskett, assistant chief constable at North Yorkshire Police, wrote to 32 smaller Royal British Legions in July informing them of what he described as the “difficult but lawful decision” to no longer provide the service.

Larger parades have utilised traffic management companies for many years to ensure public safety.

David Houlgate, vice-chair of Knaresborough Royal British Legion, said the news had left its annual parade in jeopardy.

But today Mr Houlgate said Knaresborough Town Council had agreed to find a traffic management company to oversee the road closure on Sunday, November 12.

This will allow the parade from St John’s Church to the war memorial in the castle grounds to take place as usual.

Mr Houlgate said:

“This is wonderful news for the town and the Royal British Legion but most importantly it enables us all to commemorate in the traditional way and thank those who have lost their lives in the service of their country as well as those who have served and continue to serve to this day.

“It would seem that the sense of community is still very much alive and kicking and we wish to place on record our thanks to Knaresborough Town Council for their intervention.  We are extremely grateful to them for this.”

The legion said in a statement it “remained extremely disappointed by the decision taken by North Yorkshire Police”.

Mr Foskett said the decision to no longer provide the service would ensure “police resources remain focused on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour”.

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Knaresborough Crag Rat Run set to return

Up to 300 people will experience the beauty of Knaresborough on foot in a fortnight’s time in the town’s biggest running event of the year.

Knaresborough Crag Rat Run has been staged annually since 2016 by Knaresborough Striders.

The event is suitable for all abilities and attracts a combination of serious club runners and people who just enjoy the challenge of completing the five-mile course.

The mixed terrain route starts at Knaresborough Cricket Club at 11am on Sunday, September 24 and includes sections on tarmac, woodland and the town’s crags. No road closures are required.

Tom Calvert, who won the race last year.

The course takes in some of the finest parts of Knaresborough, including Birkham Woods, Abbey Road and back along the crag top back to the cricket club.

Guy Close, chairman of Knaresborough Striders, said:

“In my view it has to be one of the best local races around. It’s family-friendly, suitable for all running abilities and cheap as chips to enter!

“Runners will also get the benefit of being cheered on by a fantastic group of Knaresborough Striders who are hosting the event.”

Tea, coffee and cakes will be served for cash donations. All money raised will go to local charities.

Further details, including how to enter, are available here.

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Local politicians raise concern over lack of Harrogate and Knaresborough NHS dentistry

Local politicians have raised concern over a lack of access to NHS dentistry in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Both Conservative MP, Andrew Jones, and Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said the issue had been raised with them multiple times.

It comes as this week, the Stray Ferret reported that another dentist on Harrogate’s King’s Road will go “membership only” once its NHS contract runs out in December.

Chatsworth House Dental Clinic told patients it will now only take appointments from those as part of its membership scheme.

In a letter seen by the Stray Ferret, it said it planned to cut its patient list by 70% as part of the plan — which it said would “reduce appointment waiting times” and “improve prevention of dental disease and decay”.

Chatsworth House Dental Clinic on King’s Road.

Gail Hindson, a patient who received a letter from the dentist, questioned why patients would require longer appointments.

She said:

“Why do patents need longer appointment? In the 40 years I have been a patient I have never felt my appointment time did not meet my needs.

“What support are they providing to those patients they are rejecting either due to lack of finance or understanding of the process?”

Concerns over lack of access

The decision by Chatsworth House Dental Clinic raised concern over the the lack of access to NHS dentistry in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, which replaced North Yorkshire CCG in April, is responsible for the commissioning of dental care in the district.

A review of NHS dentistry published in August 2021 found there was just one NHS dentist practice per 10,000 people in the Harrogate district.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, has taken concerns over the lack of NHS dentists to the ICB.

He said the organisation should begin expanding NHS dental provision in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones said:

“It is positive that dental provision has moved from being controlled nationally to a more local approach. I want to see this local management produce results for our area quickly.

“Recently a small number of constituents have contacted me having had problems getting access to an NHS dentist. Anecdotally this is a wider problem. I am also concerned that residents moving into the new estates in our area will be left without dental cover.

“So I want the ICB to begin expanding the NHS dental provision in Harrogate and Knaresborough and to keep the level of service under review as the new estates become fully occupied.”

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said the issue was one that “kept coming up on the doorstep”.

He added people had also told the local party about their concerns at accessing an NHS dentist appointment.

Mr Gordon said:

“Access to NHS dentistry is one of the biggest issues that keeps coming up on the doorstep time an time again.

“That’s why we have been campaigning on this issue since I was selected earlier this year, and I have met with Daisy Cooper MP, the Lib Dem health spokesperson, and she raised it in Parliament, when our current MP has failed to do so at any point in the last 13 years.

“Over the summer we launched our local dental survey. The results made for a shocking read.

“43% of people who responded to our dental survey are not currently registered with a dentist, with more than 60% of those people having not seen a dentist in years.

“Just 30% of people we spoke with told us they were currently registered with an NHS dentist, with just under half travelling outside the district to see them. The rest pay for private care.

“More than half of the people we spoke with told us that they have delayed seeing a dentist because of the associated cost.”

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Police appeal after man bitten by dog in Knaresborough

A man has been injured after being bitten by a dog in Knaresborough.

The incident happened on Mill Lane at around 9.30pm on Saturday, August 26.

North Yorkshire Police is now appealing for witnesses and information.

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The force said in a statement:

“The dog’s owner had four or five dogs of different breeds, which were black and light colours.

“He was described as a man in his 50s wearing a plaid grey/white jacket.

“If you have any information, call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and provide reference number 12230163476.”

Scriven Park Pre-school ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

Scriven Park Pre-school, near Knaresborough, has received a ‘requires improvement’ rating following a recent Ofsted inspection.

Inspectors visited the school in July and published their findings in a report last week.

It was the school’s first inspection since 2018.

The report rated the pre-school as “requires improvement” in four areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.

It said that “children do not make the best possible progress” at the school and that “during spontaneous play staff do not consistently provide sufficient challenge to children to fully engage them and extend their learning”.

The report added:

“Staff carry out risk assessments to help provide a safe place for children to play and learn.

“Staff are able to recognise risks to children during play.

“However, during the inspection, there was some broken equipment in the outdoor area. When this was identified staff took immediate action, removed the hazard, and discussed how ongoing procedures would improve.”

The inspector also noted:

“There has been a change to the manager of the pre-school in the last year. The new manager has a clear vision and plans for the continuous improvement of the setting.

“These plans are starting to have an impact, meaning that staff morale is high, and staff feel valued. However, supervision of staff, including the manager, is not targeted enough to support ongoing professional development.

“Additionally, coaching of staff is not yet effective to support them to consistently promote good quality education.”

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In order to improve, the report said the pre-school must “enhance the quality of teaching, so that staff’s interactions consistently respond to the spontaneous opportunities that arise during children’s play to challenge their thinking and learning”.

In addition, it must “extend opportunities for children to access a range of mark-making resources to support their early writing skills”.

However, the inspector did note that staff “provide a very nurturing environment, where children’s care and well-being are given priority”.

They also added:

“Staff know children well, meaning they can identify when children may need some extra help to support their development.

“The manager and staff have good links with other professionals.

“This means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good care, support, and development opportunities.”

This year’s inspection saw the pre-school downgraded from a previous ‘good’ rating.

Scriven Park Preschool registered in 2011 and admits children aged two to four-years-old.

The Stray Ferret approached the school for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.