Remembrance Day: A guide to services in the Harrogate district

Remembrance services will take place across the Harrogate district to honour the fallen.

We’ve collated a list of the services across the district that are being held.

You can email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk if you know of others to add.

Ripon

Thursday, November 9.

Ripon Community Poppy Project will hold a concert of remembrance at Ripon Cathedral.

Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Brackenfield School will all perform.

The event will begin at 7pm and tickets cost £13.50.

Sunday, November 12.

A service will be held in Ripon Spa Gardens from 10.45am. It will include two minutes’ silence and the laying of wreaths, followed by the usual parade.

A civic service of remembrance will then be held in Ripon Cathedral from 11.40am – 1pm.

The Right Reverend Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon, will lead the service.

Harrogate

St Peter’s Church — Friday, November 10

The Festival of Remembrance will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, as part of the Cenotaph Centenary.

The Harrogate Band and The Fishers Singers will perform at the event, which will be led by Harry Satloka of Harrogate’s Free Walking Tours.

There will also be presentations and poetry, as well as a remembrance service.

Tickets cost £10 and all proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion.

It begins at 8pm.

St Wilfrid’s Church — Saturday, November 11

A two-minute silence will held be at 11am at St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road.

This will be followed by a talk on the men named on the church’s WWI memorials, as well as an exhibition in their honour which is on display.

Email bookings@stwilfrid.org to reserve a place.

Town centre – Sunday, November 12

The annual Harrogate Remembrance Day parade and service will be held at the cenotaph war memorial.

People can arrive from 10am. The service will begin at around 10.50am, followed by the two-minute silence at 11am.

After that, the Reveille and wreath laying will commence.

The Kohima Epitaph will be read before the march-past begins.

St Peter’s Church — Sunday, November 12

A Remembrance service with a choir will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, just after the cenotaph service.

It will begin at approximately 11.15am.

Starbeck – Sunday, November 12

A two-minute silence will be observed at 11am at the war memorial on Starbeck High Street. Wreaths will be laid.

Later, at 3pm, the Starbeck Remembrance Ceremony will take place at the cenotaph on Starbeck High Street.

It will be led by the Harrogate branch of the Royal British Legion, with a parade by local uniformed organisations.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will attend the service, and readings will be led by the church and pupils of Starbeck Primary Academy.

Stonefall Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery – Sunday, November 12

A service starting at 1pm will include prayers, music from the Harrogate Band, a short talk by Reverend David Hoskins and a two-minute silence. Also, wreaths will be laid by community leaders and representatives of British and allied forces, and students from Ashville College and Harrogate’s Army Foundation College will lay flowers on each grave.

West Park Church — Sunday, November 12

A service will be held at the church, including an act of remembrance, from 10.30am.

It will be led by Reverend David Hughes.

Another service will be held at 3.30pm to mark the end of the More Than a Name on a Memorial exhibition.

Knaresborough

Sunday, November 12

The commemorations will begin with a service at St John’s Church from 9.30am.

A parade from the church to the war memorial in the castle grounds will follow.

There will be a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a service of remembrance at the memorial.

Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge

Saturday, November 11.

The annual Armistice Day service and parade takes place at the war memorial from 10am.  Those attending will include a representative of the lord-lieutenant’s office, a platoon of troops from the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, local dignitaries and community organisations and schools etc.

It is organised by the Nidderdale branch of the Royal British Legion and The Church in The Dale.

Sunday, November 12
10am Joint Service of Remembrance at Holy Trinity, Dacre Banks with a collection for the Royal British Legion.

11am Act of Remembrance at Summerbridge War Memorial, followed by refreshments at Summerbridge Methodist Church.

2pm Remembrance Concert and Service at Darley Memorial Hall

6pm The Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at St Mary the Virgin, Greenhow Hill. Led by the Reverend Darryl Hall, there will be a two-minute silence, a sermon by Jane Spooner and music from Nidd Chorale.

Boroughbridge

Sunday, November 12.

A remembrance service and parade will be held at St James’s Church in Boroughbridge.

It will begin at 10am.

Masham

Friday, November 10. 

A remembrance service will be held for locals and pupils of Masham School at St Mary’s Church from 10.45am.

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Knaresborough Christmas Market Weekend — details revealed

Knaresborough’s Christmas Market Weekend will be held on December 2 and 3 in the town’s historic Market Place.

Almost 60 stalls will be selling seasonal goods and there will be hot roasted chestnuts and mulled wine as well as performances by local dancers, brass bands and choirs.

The town centre will be largely pedestrianised for the event, but a free park and ride is available all weekend from the GSPK car park (postcode HG5 8LF) on Manse Lane to Chapel Street, close to the market square. Buses will run from 8am to 5.30pm throughout the weekend.

As always, the market weekend will close at 4.30pm on the Sunday with a firework finale set against the backdrop of Knaresborough viaduct and Nidd Gorge.

The firework finale. Pic: Charlotte-Gale Photography

 

The Christmas Tree Festival. Pic: Peter Wilkinson

The Christmas Tree Festival at St John’s Parish Church will also take place that weekend.

Market chair Hazel Haas said this year’s market would be “even bigger” than last year’s event. She added:

“We are also keen that the market benefits the town as a whole. Members of our volunteer committee have been liaising with other local organisations and businesses to ensure that we are promoting the full range of festive events taking place in Knaresborough over the market weekend.

“We are also supporting Rotary, Lions, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Knaresborough ATC and Knaresborough Cricket Club, who are our charitable partners for this year.”

The Christmas market will feature almost 60 stalls. Pic: Charlotte Gale Photography

Committee member Charlotte Gale added:

“We have a fantastic range of local independent shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants in town, not just in the market square, but on the surrounding streets and High Street. We hope that visitors to the market will also take the time to explore everything which Knaresborough has to offer.”

The new Knaresborough banking hub, at the top of Kirkgate, has agreed to open its Post Office counter services during the Christmas Market. This will allow people to access cash over the counter from 9am to 5pm on both days.

Event co-sponsor 1858 Bar & Restaurant will hold an after-party following the firework finale.

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Scope closes Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years

Scope has closed its Knaresborough charity shop after 35 years on the High Street.

The store, which opened in 1988, served its last customer on Saturday.

It stocked second-hand clothing and accessories and was one of 190 Scope retail stores in the UK. Profits fund the charity’s work to campaign for disability equality.

Debbie Boylen head of retail at Scope, said the store was “no longer viable to trade”, adding:

“We were very sad to close our charity shop in Knaresborough, we have had such incredible support from this wonderful and generous community.

“The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the pandemic, has placed an enormous pressure on stores trading on high streets across the UK, with significant and lengthy closure periods.”

Despite the closure, Knaresborough still has another seven charity shops, including Oxfam and Cancer Research UK, to shop at.

Scope also has a store on Beulah Street in Harrogate.

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Residents back move for concerted battle against Knaresborough asphalt plant

Residents have backed a move to launch a crowdfunding campaign and seek expert advice on how to battle against a planned asphalt plant near Knaresborough.

A public meeting called by the Communities Against Toxins group heard residents of numerous villages surrounding the Allerton Park incinerator, beside the A1(M) between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough, voice both bewilderment and anger over Tynedale Roadstone Limited’s ambition.

In its planning application to North Yorkshire Council the firm has stated there would be “demand” for its materials in the area to help build and maintain road surfaces and represent a “sustainable development”.

The documents state Tynedale has various long-term supply agreements with surfacing and maintenance companies in Yorkshire, while its two asphalt plants are in Newcastle and County Durham.

The firm has claimed there would be “no significant effects” on air quality as a result of the scheme and that traffic generated by the plant was unlikely to cause any safety concerns.

Campaigner Michael Emsley told the meeting at Great Ouseburn Village Hall he had run an asphalt plan and, if approved, the plant would spark a threat of an explosion beside the landmark energy from waste recovery park used by North Yorkshire and York councils.

Ahead of North Yorkshire County Council approving the incinerator in 2014 there was a concerted campaign to get it rejected, backed by two MPs with protestors handing in a petition with 10,000 signatures at Downing Street.

The meeting was told the application documents ignored key issues, such as the predominant wind direction, and that many residents would be downwind of dust particles and “toxic threats” from the plant.

Mr Emsley said:

“I am concerned about the human health impacts of some of the nasty materials. Benzine is a particularly horrible chemical and some of its derivatives are even nastier.

“Benzine has been long recognised as a carcinogen and recent studies have recognised the effects of continuous exposure to low concentrations of benzine both occupationally and environmentally.”

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Residents heard claims the plant was likely to create contaminated water which would seep into watercourses as there was no way of processing it and lorries visiting the asphalt plant would exacerbate the existing queues of waste trucks on the A-road outside the incinerator.

The meeting heard nearly 800 objections had been lodged over the proposal, and residents of numerous villages in a five-mile radius of the site state they had been completely unaware of the proposal until recently.

Residents overwhelmingly supported a move to launch a concerted campaign, backed by crowdfunding, work to attract opposition from residents of Knaresborough and Boroughbridge and urgently seek expert advice ahead of a likely decision by the council’s strategic planning committee early next year.

The meeting heard concerns over the committee’s likely decision, given that there would be a statutory presumption on North Yorkshire Council to pass the scheme, that it would generate a large amount of business rates from the plant and some of the deciding councillors would represent divisions from many miles away.

One resident told the meeting how she and her husband had recently moved to the area to be nearer to their grandchildren in Marton cum Grafton.

She added:

“We came for dark sky, the clean fresh air and now this is happening. We’re appalled, and particularly appalled that the playground for Marton cum Grafton school is so close.

“We are going to contaminate the water and the air and I can’t think of anything worse.”

The meeting heard residents of the surrounding villages had been promised the Allerton Park incinerator would not lead to further industrialisation of the rural area and claims that it would be more appropriate to site the asphalt plant in an industrial zone.

Knaresborough flats to house asylum seekers and homeless

Four council-owned properties in Knaresborough are to be used to house asylum seekers and homeless people.

The flats were due to be sold for a combined estimated fee of £879,000.

But North Yorkshire Council announced today they would be taken off the market and used either for unaccompanied asylum seeking children or as move-on accommodation for homeless people transitioning to independent living.

Conservative Gareth Dadd, who represents Thirsk on the council and is also its deputy leader and in charge of finance, made the decision, according to the online notice.

Explaining the reason, the notice adds:

“North Yorkshire Council is under a legal obligation to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

“There are eight children on the national transfer list and 12 in hotels. An urgent decision is necessary for North Yorkshire Council to fulfil its obligation.”

The notice added:

“Whilst there are other properties that have been identified as suitable for unaccompanied asylum seeking children accommodation, these require more significant works and are therefore not available for immediate occupation.”

Harrogate Borough Council bought the properties in 2019 after they had been unoccupied for several years.

The council, which was abolished in April this year, restored them and said last year it intended to sell the leaseholds for an estimated £879,900 and retain the freehold.

Graham Swift, Harrogate Borough Council’s deputy leader at the time, said the properties “had been a blight on the high street in Knaresborough for several years” and the local authority had recognised their potential to provide homes.

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Harrogate district adorned in poppies as Remembrance Sunday approaches

The Harrogate district has been adorned in poppies in the lead up to this weekend’s Remembrance Day.

Scores of poppies have been put up in Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge, Boroughbridge and Masham and in villages in between in honour of the fallen.

Bilton Community Centre is among the organisations to mark remembrance with a wall display.

Neil and Sonya Milsted Funeral Directors, which is based on Hookstone Chase, has created a display in the shape of a poppy featuring old photographs of servicemen.

Meanwhile, Ripon Spa Gardens and Knaresborough Station are also adorned in poppies ahead of Sunday.

Remembrance services will be held across the district this coming weekend. You can read a list of the commemorations here.

Ripon Spa Gardens

Bilton Community Centre

Bilton Ladies Forum members have made many of the poppies on Bilton Community. Centre.

Knaresborough rail station

 

Neil and Sonya Milsted Funeral Directors's display.

Neil and Sonya Milsted Funeral Directors’s display.

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Knaresborough bridge to close tonight for nighttime resurfacing

High Bridge in Knaresborough will be closed to nighttime traffic for the next 11 days from this evening due to resurfacing.

North Yorkshire Council posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, today that the closure will be in effect from 7pm until midnight daily until Friday, November 17.

It added a “fully signposted diversion” will be in place.

The grade two listed bridge over the River Nidd, which passes Mother Shipton’s Cave, is the main route into Knaresborough from the Starbeck direction.

Councillor Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, said it was a standard resurfacing project and he wasn’t aware of any concerns.

But he added:

“What the council haven’t done is put new lights over the bridge yet.

“This funding was put in place prior to us being elected and we keep getting a push back on when it will happen.”

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Gothic dancers from Knaresborough seek recruits

A women’s Morris dancing team that wears black and purple and only performs to tunes in a minor key is seeking recruits.

Sally Smith founded Medusa Gothic Morris, which regularly performs in and around Knaresborough, in 2005.

But numbers have dwindled, prompting Sally to issue an appeal for women to join.

Despite the exotic name, she insists anyone willing to give it a go isn’t signing up to a mystical cult. She said:

“We are definitely not goths — we haven’t got lots of piercings or anything like that.

“We adopted the colours just because I just like wearing black and purple and wanted to adopt a gothic, pre-Raphaelite style.

“I wanted the dances to be very flowing and feminine that women of any age can do.”

Sally, who is also a member of Harrogate women’s Morris dancing team Betty Lupton’s Ladle Laikers, said numbers had dwindled to about half a dozen, plus musicians, and urged people to have a go.

No experience is necessary as training is given at practice evenings, which are in Knaresborough on a Thursday evening.

For more details, call Sally on 01423 868753 or email fellow dancer Amy at spolem@hotmail.com.

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Knaresborough pharmacy urges people to come forward for covid vaccine

A Knaresborough pharmacy director has urged people to come forward for a covid vaccine and warned that the virus is “still out there”.

Homecare Pharmacy Services took over the Harrogate Masonic Hall in October to offer covid vaccines to those eligible.

Despite a busy beginning, managing director Jason Baskind said the number of people using the service quickly “died down”.

He added:

“We were really busy for the first two weeks – it was good initially — but people need to be reminded that covid is still out there.”

The pharmacy played a key role in the pandemic after the NHS requested its help to roll-out the vaccine.

It moved to Chain Lane Community Hub and the former Lidl site in Knaresborough to administer more than 200,000 vaccinations.

Mr Baskind feels a change in attitude towards the virus has contributed to the slow uptake. He said:

“I think people have learned to live with it. There was a sense of panic when it was first rolled out and a stipulation to get it – which people did.

“Now, there’s potentially a sense of apathy in terms of the vaccine, but why not take the opportunity to get it?”

Appointments for a covid vaccine can be made on the NHS  national booking website.

Those currently eligible for the covid vaccine include people aged 65 and over, frontline healthcare workers, and high-risk individuals living with health conditions.

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Bonfire Night: guide to events in the Harrogate district

Bonfire Night is approaching. From torch-lit processions and alpacas to live music and traditional bonfires, we’ve collated a list of bonfires in the Harrogate district.

If you know of an event we haven’t included, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it.

Friday, November 3

Ripon City Bonfire

Ripon City Bonfire will take place at Ripon Racecourse.

The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and fireworks will begin at 7.30pm

Gates open at 5.30pm.

Advance tickets start at £2 and can be bought at various venues in the city.

No own fireworks other than sparklers are permitted for safety reasons.

There will be no parking available at the racecourse due to the poor weather conditions.

Spofforth village fireworks

The event will be held at Spofforth Cricket Club.

There will be hot food, a bar and live music to enjoy ahead of the fireworks display.

Gates open at 5pm.

Family tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought at the village deli or post office.

Knaresborough Cricket Club and Aspin Park Academy PTA Fireworks Night

The event will be held at Knaresborough Cricket Club.

As well as a firework display, guests can expect food and drink, music and light-up toys for sale.

Gates open at 6pm and fireworks will be lit at 7pm.

Tickets start at £3 and can be bought at the gate.

Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party

Belmont Grosvenor School will host a bonfire party in the school grounds.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks stalls, children’s activities, and music.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display will begin at 7.20pm.

Tickets are free for U18s and cost £10 for adults. They can be bought at the gate or by contacting the PTA on pta@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or 07525 907156.

Anyone is welcome to attend.

Stray Bonfire. Pic: Mark Dimmock.

Saturday, November 4

Stray Bonfire, Harrogate

The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

It will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks, food and drink, and live music.

The event is free to attend but Harrogate Round Table, which is a charity, encourages donations. Proceeds will go towards Harrogate Homeless Project.

Yolk Farm, Minskip

Yolk Farm, near Boroughbridge, is hosting a dog and baby-friendly event without fireworks.

There will still be a bonfire and tickets include entry to the yard where visitors can see the animals, including goats and alpacas, as well as the opportunity to feed the pigs.

Hot food will also be on offer.

Gates open at 5.30pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm

Tickets can be bought online for £5.

Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire

The event will be held at Pateley Bridge Showground.

Guests can expect a torchlit procession and bonfire, which begin at 6.30pm, and fireworks at 7pm.

There will also be hot food and a best Guy competition.

Entry is by donation and doors open at 6pm.

No sparklers are allowed.

Masham Bonfire

Masham Bonfire will be held on The Holme.

Food will be served from 5.30pm, followed by the bonfire at 6.15pm.

There will also be a firework display at 7pm.

The event is free to attend.

Kirkby Malzeard Community Bonfire

The event will be held at North Close Farm.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks and food and drink on offer.

Gates open at 6pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.

It is free to attend but organisers have asked for donations to continue running the events.

Sparklers are not permitted.

Birstwith Community Bonfire

Birstwith bonfire will be held on the field behind West House on Nidd Lane.

As well as the bonfire, which will be lit at 5.30pm, visitors can enjoy a bar, hot dogs and a children’s stall.

Organisers will be raising money for a vehicle-activated speed sign near Birstwith School.

No dogs or sparklers are permitted.

Gates open at 5pm.

Wath & Melmerby Community Bonfire

The event will be held Roger Clarke Motor Engines in Melmerby.

Visitors can expect a bonfire, fireworks, a BBQ and a bar.

It begins at 6pm and tickets cost £5 per family.

Sunday, November 5

Lightwater Valley, Ripon

Lightwater Valley will put on a firework display accompanied by the music of Swan Lake.

Admission is included in a day entry ticket.

The display will begin at 5.15pm.

The Queen’s Head, Kettlesing

The Queen’s Head will have a bonfire and fireworks on offer.

There will also be pizzas, sparklers and a charity cake to stand available.

The event will be fundraising for Felliscliffe School.

It begins at 5pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6pm.

Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.

Scotton Cricket Club

The event will be held at the cricket club on Lower Moor Lane.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.45pm and the firework display will begin at 7.30pm.

Visitors can look forward to a bar, a BBQ and a cake stall.

Car parking is limited, so organisers have recommended people walk or car share to the event.

Donations are welcome on entry.

Harrogate Railway Football Club 

A firework display will be held at the club, which is on Station View in Starbeck.

There will be a DJ, fairground rides, a bar and a BBQ on offer.

The event is in association with Friends of Starbeck School and entry is £2.

Gates open at 4pm, followed by fireworks at 6.30pm.

There is no parking available at the venue.

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