Baroness Masham dies aged 87

Baroness Masham, who was a the longest-serving female member of the House of Lords ever, Paralympian medallist and disability rights campaigner, has died aged 87.

She died peacefully in hospital in Northallerton on Sunday.

Born Susan Sinclair on April 14, 1935, she became a wheelchair user after injuring her spinal cord in a riding accident in 1958.

In 1959 she married David Cunliffe-Lister, who became Earl of Swinton in 1972, to become Lady Masham.

She served as a cross-bench peer for 53 years after becoming Baroness Masham of Ilton in 1970.

Baroness Masham was the aunt of Mark Cunliffe-Lister, the 4th Earl of Swinton and husband of Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat to the Masham and Fountains division on North Yorkshire County Council this year in a by-election caused by the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson.

Baroness Masham won medals in swimming and table tennis at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Paralympic games.

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In 1974 she founded the Spinal Injuries Association and remained its president until her death.

The association, which announced her death today, said it was “devastated to have lost our greatest champion”, adding she was “the reason we have been able to champion, fight, serve and support thousands of spinal cord injured people”.

Baroness Masham was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life in 1976.

She belonged to various parliamentary committees and last spoke in the House of Lords on February 2 this year.

Guy Tweedy, a Harrogate thalidomide campaigner and trustee of Disability Action Yorkshire who met Baroness Masham many times, said:

“Baroness Masham was a formidable woman. She was a trailblazer for disability rights, along with Lord Morris of Manchester and Baron Ashley of Stoke.

“Without the work of those three we wouldn’t be where we are today with disability rights.”

 

 

 

Council-backed Masham project to show how rural towns can keep young people

A group behind an ambitious project in Masham hopes it will become an example in how to keep young people living in rural communities.

MPs published a report last year found that rural economies can struggle due to a lack of affordable housing for young people.

It said the government’s definition of affordable housing was misleading with new builds often out of reach for many.

According to the report, this has resulted in young people moving away in their droves from the places they grew up in — taking their money with them, too.

To help tackle the problem, a not-for-profit company called Peacock and Verity Community Spaces (P&VCS) hopes to offer four genuinely affordable homes that will only be available to people with links to Masham.

However,  housing is just one element of the unique project. It will also include an Edwardian-style tea room, a grocery, a post office and a heritage centre.

P&VCS has already secured full planning permission to refurbish 15 Silver Street, a building with a long and storied history.

As reported in January, the project has won £222,000 in funding from Harrogate Borough Council and has also been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a £71,000 grant.

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The group’s chair Alan Hodges told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the project will have many benefits for Masham. 

He said:

“[If housing is unaffordable] it means you lose young labour out of the rural community but by providing four low-cost self-contained units we will be able  to keep people in.”

P&VCS’ mission statement states the homes in Masham will only be available to people with family, work or historic links to the area.

This means there’s no chance that the apartments could be rented out as holiday homes or be sold on for a profit.

Mr Hodges added:

“Our housing association, Karbon, will control the allocation policy. We’re very clear. The homes will go to local people who are already here. It’s something we’ll guard against.”

Storied history

Mr Hodges said the project will provide six full-time jobs and learning opportunities for residents and visitors.

The ground floor will be restored into a Victorian grocers from when the building was in its heyday and there will be an Edwardian-style tearoom inspired by the cafe that was part of the building in the 1900s.

Peacock and Verity Masham shop

An Illustration Of What Peacock & Verity Will Look Like Once Complete C Peacock & Verity.

It will also bring a Post Office counter back to Masham and create a new heritage centre celebrating the story of the town and the area.

It’s a back-to-the-future approach to development that Mr Hodges believes will show similar towns how community-led projects can grow rural economies.

And to give the project an even more local touch, it will tap into Masham’s rich  sheep-farming heritage by using wool to insulate the building with help from Leeds Beckett University. 

Mr Hodges added:

“Local farmers get less for sheep wool than it costs to shear. This creates an alternative use that’s both ecological and effective.

“We’re looking to the future and hope it will be seen as an exemplar project of how to do things.”

Petition set up against Masham pub ‘cashless’ trial

A petition has been set up after a Masham pub started accepting card only payments.

The King’s Head, which is run by Greene King, has gone “cashless” as part of a trial led by the brewery.

However, punters at the pub have argued that the move has put off some customers who may only carry cash.

Arthur Plumpton told the Stray Ferret that he set up the petition because local customers had stopped going to the pub as they do not possess or use cards.

He said:

“Greene King have introduced this, supposedly as a trial. Many locals do not use cards.

“They have cash they want to spend cash. Some do not even have a card. Greene King seem to forget that Masham is a rural town with many cash based businesses.

“Due to rising prices, many people use cash to budget and keep a check on spending.”

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Mr Plumpton added that many customers had only been informed a few days before it was implemented and that some believe a decision to go cashless “has already been made”.

Greene King told the Stray Ferret that a “small number” of pubs, which includes the King’s Head, had been chosen to trial card only payments as “a significant majority of payments are already by card”.

The company added that going “cashless” would allow it to provide a more efficient service.

A spokesperson for the King’s Head said: 

“We’re trialling card-only payments at the moment, as nine out of every ten payments made in our pub before our trial were by card already. 

“Going cashless entirely helps to reduce the amount of cash we need to secure at the pub, and means less time spent cashing up, helping us provide a more efficient service for our customers.

“With fewer banking facilities in our communities as well this can make securely and efficiently managing cash more difficult. This is just a trial at this stage and we are learning new things every day so people’s feedback is much appreciated.”

Harrogate district Greens call for opposition parties to co-operate more

The Harrogate and District Green Party has said last week’s Masham and Fountains by-election result highlighted the need for opposition parties to co-operate if they are to overcome the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister defeated Conservative candidate Brooke Hull in a two-horse race after the Greens decided not to stand.

The result reduced the Conservative majority on North Yorkshire County Council to two.

Shan Oakes, a member of the executive of Harrogate and District Green Party, said some Conservatives “knew that if a Green had stood, the opposition vote would have been split, potentially leading to a Tory win”.

Ms Oakes said the result confirmed the suspicion and vindicated the party’s decision, adding:

“The current national Conservative policy is extremely damaging, and the first-past-the-post voting system is stacked against more progressive parties in favour of the status quo.

“It is therefore imperative, despite naysayers, for progressive parties to work smarter to ensure their candidates can win so that we can break out of the terrifying downward spiral we are in.

“The Greens look carefully at each seat to decide how to get to the best outcome, for people and the environment , and we invite other parties to cooperate.”

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The Stray Ferret asked the Liberal Democrats if it agreed the Greens’ decision not to contest Masham was a factor in its success and whether it would reciprocate by standing down in some seats to allow the Greens to go head-to-head against the Conservatives.

Liberal Democrat Matt Walker replied by saying the result showed people were angry and “now is the time for change”, adding:

“It is ultimately voters who decide who they put their faith in to deliver much needed change and the Liberal Democrats in North Yorkshire will not take that for granted.”

Business Breakfast: Three new hires at Masham’s Theakston brewery

The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker. You can purchase tickets here.

Masham-based brewery, T&R Theakston, has announced a trio of new hires.

Helen Barrett has joined as a national account executive, whilst Ben Parkinson and Hayley Dodds-Baddon have taken up the roles of sales development manager and Visitor Centre manager respectively.

Helen has previously worked for whisky-brand, Douglas Laing and Co. Her experience equips her to lead on projects in the spirits industry. Theakston’s has recently entered the market with its ‘Theakston Spirit of Old Peculiar’.

In the sales development manager role, Ben Parkinson will be responsible for expanding Theakston’s presence in North Yorkshire and Teeside.

Hayley Dodds-Baddon will work at the Theakston’s Visitor Centre, where she will draw on her skills as a qualified teacher, as well as her career in marketing.

Managing director Simon Theakston, said:

“In 2022 we sought to drive the business forward under difficult trading circumstances and as we move forward in 2023 with further growth plans, I’m delighted to welcome Helen, Ben and Hayley to our team.”

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 Strive Group boosts employee wellbeing

To promote employee welfare, Strive Group has partnered with Champion Health, a health and wellbeing solution provider.

The Harrogate-based experience and brand agency hopes to benefit from Champion Health’s data-driven approach to employee wellbeing. Its platform works by measuring things like stress-levels and possible low-moods, and offers personalised, targeted solutions.

Director of Strive Group, Alistair Grant, said:

“Partnering the Champion Health is one of our core initiatives to make Strive Group a place to work…

“By championing employee wellbeing, we will be able to retain and attract talent, which will not only benefit every individual but also the company”.

 

How will the Masham by-election defeat affect North Yorkshire Conservatives?

The Conservatives in North Yorkshire suffered a blow this week after losing the Masham and Fountains by-election.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, the Countess of Swinton, took the North Yorkshire County Council seat which had previously been held by long-serving Conservative Margaret Atkinson.

It’s the latest defeat for the local Tories, who failed to win a majority in Harrogate and Knaresborough in last May’s local election.

That meant the Lib Dems seized control of the county council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee but the Conservatives retained overall control across the county.

But this week’s loss has reduced the Tories’ majority to just two and raised the prospect of the party losing overall control of the county for the first time in over 20 years.

A further dent in the Tories’ majority

In just eight weeks time, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council will take over local government in the county. Councillors will transfer from North Yorkshire County Council and serve for four more years.

The swing in power has been dramatic since May last year.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, the Liberal Democrats now hold 11 seats compared to two just nine months ago following this week’s election in Masham.

How the make-up of North Yorkshire County Council looked prior to the by-election.

How the make-up of North Yorkshire County Council looked prior to the by-election.

The Masham result was particularly pertinent given that the Conservatives had won the seat in the May 2022 elections with 1,076 votes.

This week’s by-election was a two-horse race after the opposition Green Party pulled out of the contest in an effort to bolster the Lib Dems’ chances.

Overall, the Conservatives are the largest party with 46 seats on the council with opposition parties taking up 44.

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The dent in the majority means the party are just one by-election away from losing overall power.

The loss of overall control would have implications for major decisions. Should the council be required to pass a tough budget with far reaching cuts or hike in council tax, it could result in a tight vote.

The make-up of the council could also lead to close votes on politically difficult topics, such as fracking.

However, such a controversial topics may also see other councillors from different political parties vote against their own party line.

‘You can promise the earth in opposition’

While the defeat may leave the Conservatives in a tough position on paper, local councillors are upbeat about the situation.

Cllr Nick Brown, who sits as a Conservative in the Wathvale and Bishop Monkton division, told the Stray Ferret that the party respected the electorate’s decision and that Tory councillors would continue to work for constituents.

He said the Liberal Democrats would find it “difficult” to put words into action.

Cllr Brown said:

“The opposition spoke a lot and talked a lot. But putting things into action would be very difficult.

“When you are in opposition, you can promise the earth.”

He added that he hoped the result was a “blip” for the local party.

He said:

“We live in a democracy and people can put their names forward.

“The electorate has spoken, sadly not in our favour. I hope this is a little blip on the horizon.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have taken the result in their stride.

Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough parliamentary constituency, said the result “put the Tories on notice”.

He said:

“A fantastic result and win in what once was true blue North Yorkshire.

“It’s clear that the public, and the Lib Dems, are well and truly putting the Conservatives on notice in what issupposed to be their heartlands.”

Meanwhile, Green party Cllr Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn division, said it was not straight forward in opposing the Conservatives despite their slim majority.

He said:

“It’s not clear cut. We have to get all the opposition on the same side and get one Conservative.

“We have also got to make sure that everyone is there.”

Cllr Warneken added that he was prepared to work with any party and was not bound by “political dogma”.

“As an opposition councillor, I will work with everybody.”

New councillor ready to ‘get stuck in’ after Masham and Fountains win

The new councillor for Masham and Fountains has vowed to “make a difference” as she takes up her role.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister  won 1,349 votes in yesterday’s by-election in the Masham and Fountains division, called following the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson last year.

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister, who holds the title Countess of Swinton and owns the Swinton Estate, won the seat on North Yorkshire County Council at the second time of asking after coming second as an independent to Cllr Atkinson last year.

She said she was “really, really, really happy” to win, adding:

“I was hopeful it would turn my way. There’s a lot to do and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.”

She was supported at the count by veteran Harrogate councillors Pat Marsh and Philip Broadbank, as well as two of the party’s 2022 intake, Ripon Ure Bank & Spa councillor Barbara Brodigan and Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale councillor Andrew Murday.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister is congratulated on her victory by fellow Liberal DemocratsCllr Cunliffe-Lister receiving congratulations from fellow Liberal Democrats at the count in Ripon

Cllr Cunliffe-Lister added:

“It’s great that hopefully the tide is turning for the Lib Dems and people are recognising we are really effective in local government. We can make a difference and get things done.”

The count was held in Ripon last night and the result announced around midnight, along with the turnout of of 35.52%.

The victory for the Lib Dems means the Tories now have a majority of just two, although they are still far and away the largest party with 46 councillors.

The Lib Dems are the second largest party with 13 councillors.

Conservative Brooke Hull, the only other candidate in the by-election, said national issues played into the minds of voters.

She also criticised “mud-slinging” from the Liberal Democrats, including an accusation she was trying to distance herself from the Conservative Party in her campaign leaflets.

Ms Hull paid tribute to the former councillor Margaret Atkinson and said her legacy in the area will be remembered.

“I’m sad for Margaret. I would have liked to have won for her family. She’ll be remembered for what she did and her legacy. We all know she was a fantastic councillor.”

Key Masham by-election to be held tomorrow: Meet the candidates

Voters in the Masham and Fountains division will go to the polls tomorrow to choose their next councillor.

The North Yorkshire County Council by-election follows the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson in November.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who is the Countess of Swinton, is taking on the Conservative Brooke Hull.

The seat will become part of the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, from April 1. It is a large, rural division that includes Kirkby Malzeard, Galphay, Grantley, Sawley, Cundall, Dishforth, Melmerby and North Stainley as well as Masham.

Following last May’s local elections, the Conservatives’ control of the 90-member authority was significantly dented.

They now hold 47 seats, with 43 belonging to opposition parties so they currently have a slender majority of just four in Northallerton, adding extra importance to tomorrow’s by-election. A Liberal Democrat victory would reduce the Tories’ majority to just two.

Last May’s election in the division saw Ms Atkinson win 1,076 votes, followed by Ms Cunliffe-Lister, who stood as an independent, with 738 votes. Liberal Democrat candidate Judith Hooper received 620 votes.

To find out locations of polling booths visit here.

Brooke Hull — Conservative Party

Brooke Hull lives in Burnt Yates and is employed by the Skipton and Ripon Conservative Party Association.

Her husband is Nathan Hull, the Conservative county councillor for the Washburn and Birstwith division, and they have five children together.

Ms Hull said family was at the heart of her decision to stand.

She said:

“I have a large family, we live in the area and we want it to continue to be a great place to live. That’s a priority. Its all local, local, local really.”

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The 89 politicans that currently make up the council in Northallerton are overwhelmingly older males. Ms Hull hopes that by standing she can inspire younger women into politics.

She said:

“That’s why I stood, to be that example and role model. To say, you know what, it’s ok, get involved.”

Nationally, the Conservative Party is having a difficult time but Ms Hull said she believes voters will put those issues to one side and focus on things that matter to them. She said:

“At the end of the day you’ve got to let your voters know who they’re voting for, not just a party or a person, they’ve got to know what you stand for.”

For her, the key issues in the division include making sure young people can afford to live in the villages in which they grew up, tackling rural crime, supporting farmers and protecting the environment.

She added:

“They all matter to me and are on my doorstep.”

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister — Liberal Democrats

Ms Cunliffe-Lister has lived in Masham for 23 years and owns and runs the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate with her husband, which includes a luxury hotel and spa.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister believes she made a big impression during last year’s election but in order to win she needed to represent a party. She said the Liberal Democrats shared her “ethos and priorities.”

She hopes to give the rural division a strong voice on the new council. She believes the area has been neglected on Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished in less than two months’ time. 

Ms Cunliffe-Lister added:

“Masham is a long way from Harrogate and we’re sometimes left to our own devices. People feel like their votes are taken for granted up here.”

She said the key issues for people in the division are feelings of isolation due to unreliable public transport, the state of the roads and motorists speeding through villages. She backs the 20’s Plenty campaign in areas where the community wants it.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister also believes the new council needs to ensure the environment is at the top of its agenda.

“I really feel the environment needs to be given more of a priority at county council. There’s a lot of lip service. We need to stop talking about it and act.”

Additional reporting by Stuart Minting, Local Democracy Reporter

Affordable housing scheme in Masham wins £150,000 funding
Family of WWI soldier find where he was killed – by chance

The family of a missing Yorkshire soldier from the First World War has found out where he was killed – but only by chance. 

Joseph Cyril Verity was one of 13 children born at East Witton, and later lived at North Stainley. His family settled at Warren House Farm, Fearby, near Masham, but he soon emigrated to Canada to be a rancher. When war broke out in Europe, he joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles and was deployed to Flanders. He was killed, aged 30, at Passchendaele on November 1, 1917, but his body was never found. 

His name is inscribed, along with those of 6,927 other missing Canadians, on the Menin Gate, and last year the Passchendaele Museum in Belgium launched an online portal, called Names in the Landscape, that shows where more than 1,400 of them were killed or buried – with Joseph among them.

Joseph Verity was one of 13 children, pictured here with their parents.

Joseph Verity (back row, centre) was one of 13 children in a family that lived near Masham.

The museum recently sent a letter to his last known address in England, Warren House Farm, asking for more information about him. By pure chance, the current occupant of the farm, Gerald Broadley, is related by marriage to Joseph. 

Mr Broadley’s sister-in-law, Ruth Verity, lives near Kirkby Malzeard and is keeper of the family tree. She said: “Warren House Farm hasn’t been kept in the family – Gerald’s family just happened to take it over when Joseph’s family moved out in 1967. When he received the letter from the Passchendaele Museum, he recognised straight away who it was about, and my nephew brought it to me. It’s amazing, really.” 

The Verity family believe that Joseph was killed by sniper-fire, but have never known where. The museum researchers have found that it happened at a post called Dump House, on the front line north-east of Ypres. 

The Battle of Passchendaele, which became known for its appallingly muddy conditions, was fought from July to November 1917, for control of high ground south and east of Ypres. It is estimated to have claimed between 500,000 and 850,000 men on both sides.

Names in the Landscape is supported by the Flemish Government and Library and Archives Canada. 

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