Masham Archives - Page 28 of 32

£300-a-night Harrogate district hotel shamed for paying below minimum wage

The government has named and shamed two organisations in the Harrogate district today for paying below the national minimum wage.

Swinton Park, near Masham, and Harrogate commercial cleaning company SBFM Limited were among the 191 national employers named by the government for underpaying workers.

Swinton Park, which charges around £300 a night, failed to pay £1,751 to 15 staff, according to investigations by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs between 2011 and 2018.

The issue at Swinton Park, which is set in 20,000 acres, came to light following a HMRC visit in March 2017.

The hotel said in a statement today the HMRC meeting had highlighted how some staff accommodation deposits had been taken incorrectly.

The statement added:

“As soon as we were alive to the fact, all accommodation deposits were refunded to all staff and any errors were repaid in full, again in March 2017. The company did not receive a fine or any penalty.

“Swinton Park pays above national minimum wage to all staff and we are continually striving to be a hospitality business of choice for employees through our salary and benefits packages.”

Swinton, which has been owned by the Cunliffe-Lister family since the 1880s, is one of the top hotels in the Harrogate district.

SBFM Limited, which is based at Cardale Park in Harrogate, was also named for breaching the national minimum wage.

According to the government, the cleaning company failed to pay £583.02 to one worker.

The Stray Ferret contacted SBFM for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Other notable businesses named on the list include John Lewis plc, Martin McColl Retail Ltd, One Stop Stores Ltd and The Body Shop International Ltd.

Business minister Paul Scully said:

“Our minimum wage laws are there to ensure a fair day’s work gets a fair day’s pay – it is unacceptable for any company to come up short.

“All employers, including those on this list, need to pay workers properly.

“This government will continue to protect workers’ rights vigilantly, and employers that short-change workers won’t get off lightly.”

Funky yellow Masham cafe a ‘hidden gem’ for more than veggies

Life moves at a slower pace when you live in a picturesque market town like Masham. So a cafe like Johnny Baghdad’s is hard to miss and that’s not just because its painted bright yellow.

On a sunny Saturday morning it seems to be the place to be. Colin Blair, the man behind the cafe, often steps out to grab some fresh produce from town to find queues before he has even opened.

So when it gets to lunch time the place is bustling with cyclists, day trippers, veggies and those looking for something a little different in Masham.

Even the famous Brownlee brothers are known to pop in from time to time while training for triathlons.

Colin, whose middle name really is Johnny, started the Middle Eastern inspired venture as a food truck at festivals inspired by the food and vibe of cafes he found on his travels.

The likes of falafel and shawarma may be more well-known nowadays but 20 years ago his customers, especially when he was in Scotland, were more likely to ask for him for chips instead.

Johnny Baghdad’s may have taken on the vibe of the festival culture where it was born but it doesn’t just serve up food for young vegetarians, it has bacon butties too.

Masham has certainly become more popular in recent years and was recently named in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live. But few place seem to be as busy as Johnny Baghdad’s, so why?

Colin Blair told the Stray Ferret over a fresh bowl of Moroccan spice veg koftas:

“We have a couple of breweries here, it’s a nice market town so close to the Yorkshire Dales. Masham is also about an hour or so away from some big cities as well.

“I don’t know why it’s so popular but it’s a good chilled vibe here, it’s all a bit different with some really good food. We also get all of our ingredients from the local area.”

As if to prove a point, he stops here reminded by the point that he needs to send someone to pick up some bacon from Roger’s butchers shop around the corner.

“I do get asked a lot about the name. We were just sat chatting over a few beers and I just kind of became Johnny Baghdad. My mate was Terry Aviv.

“It was just a bit of banter with the customers but it just kind of stuck. People often call me Johnny even to this day. It is my middle name to be fair.

“There were cafes like this when I was in Europe. I also did a lot of travelling when I was younger, it all opened my eyes really.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

Masham needs more homes not holiday lets, says parish council

A planning application has caused debate in Masham after councillors said they would only support it if the building was used as housing rather than holiday lets.

At a Masham Parish Council meeting this month, councillors decided to neither support or object to a proposal to convert a building on Market Place into two dwellings.

The plans would see the former Forrest House Veterinary Ltd practice turned into two semi-detached houses. One would be one-bedroom and the other two-bedrooms.

The building is thought to have been empty for 12 months after the business moved during lockdown.

Masham councillors said they were passionate about fulfilling the demand for smaller properties from local residents.

Cllr Ian Johnson said:

“We’ve just got too many. It wasn’t a problem five years ago but it is now. It’s upsetting when you see people struggling to get a home in Masham because there aren’t any of the right ones available.”

Councillors believe the current 90 holiday lets in Masham were enough.

The parish council will now advise Harrogate Borough Council of its decision.

Kell Bank School pupils bid farewell with a final lap of the playground

Pupils and staff at Kell Bank Primary School near Masham will bid farewell to their school for good with a walk, hand in hand, around the playground.

Today is the last day of term and as North Yorkshire County Council has issued a closure notice for August 31, the 200-year-old school will not reopen.

Over the past few months, the school has been celebrating its history and local impact, culminating in a memory exhibition last week and a ceremony to plant a tree and dedicate a bench yesterday.

The ceremony began with a leaver’s service at St Paul’s Church in Healey before the students, staff and parents walked down to Fearby Village Green.

Beatrice and Rev. David Cleese cut the ribbon to dedicate the bench and tree

An oak tree and bench, dedicated to the school, is now in place. Youngest pupil Beatrice cut the ribbon with Rev. David Cleese, a long-standing governor.

The memory exhibition included items spanning the past 100 years as well as photographs and entries from previous headteachers’ diaries.

School governor Laurie Hoyes, who helped organise the three-day event, said they welcomed around 200 people in total.

Mr Hoyes said:

“Children, parents, staff and governors will be saddened when today comes to a close, but we are pleased we had the opportunity to give thanks for the 200 years Kell Bank School has educated the children of our community.”

Past and present pupils trying out the new bench on Fearby Green.

The six remaining pupils will be moved to different schools; the two Year 6s are going to secondary schools in Ripon and Bedale.

For the younger children’s ease and wellbeing their parents chose similar small, rural schools; two are going to Thornton Watlass Primary School and the other two are moving house so will be attending schools elsewhere in the district.

37-year bid to create public footpath in Masham woods rejected

A 37-year bid to recognise a public right of way in a popular woodland near Masham looks doomed to failure.

In 1984, a request to enshrine public rights across the 47-hectare Hackfall Woods was lodged with North Yorkshire County Council.

Councillors are now calling on George Eustice, Secretary of State for the Environment, to dismiss the order. They say it is partly due to the difficulty in establishing how many people walked on the routes between 1964-84.

The order, which anyone can seek if a path that has been used as a right of way for years is not shown on maps, was made on the basis of user evidence at the time of an application in 1984. The application aimed to ensure the public would always have access to routes through the woods, which were not recorded as rights of way.

Michael Leah, the council’s assistant director for travel and the environment, said the council had taken steps to add two public paths to the map as part of a concerted effort to clear a backlog of historic applications. He added:

“North Yorkshire has the biggest network of public rights of way in the country and due to budgetary constraints we have limited resources to manage the network. We have therefore worked on priority applications where recognised public footpaths have been under threat from change of ownership or change of use.

“As the public has been able to use freely the paths through Hackfall Woods the application was never treated as a priority.”

Before issuing the order, the council carried out a consultation and contacted the Woodland Trust, which leases the woods. The trust objected to the order as the landowner had a permit system in place to allow the public permissive use of paths through the woods.

Mr Leah said:

“The effect of this is to negate the acquisition of public rights. Had we been made aware of this issue we would not have made the order.

“Because the order has attracted an objection, we are required by law to submit it to the Secretary of State for a decision on whether or not it should be confirmed.”

The council has concluded that the trust’s evidence, along with the limited likelihood of now obtaining clear evidence establishing that the public had access to the order route ‘as of right’ between 1964 and 1984 meant the public’s right to walk in the woods would be difficult to demonstrate on the balance of probability.

Hackfall Woods history

Hackfall Woods, which is in a gorge of the River Ure, has been a popular visitor destination for centuries. William Wordsworth recommended Hackfall as an approach to the Lake District from Yorkshire in one of his tourist guides, while JMW Turner sketched and painted the landscape in 1816.

It features follies, grottoes, surprise views, waterfalls and a fountain created by the family of South Sea Bubble disgrace Chancellor of the Exchequer and Studley Royal landscaper, John Aislabie who bought Hackfall wood for £906 in 1731. It is believed he bought the woodland to get stone and timber to use at Studley Royal.

From 1851 the Marquis of Ripon, who was Viceroy of India and Grand Master Mason, extended footpaths and as transport became more widely available in the late 1800s the popularity of Hackfall as a visitor attraction grew.

Kell Bank school to call the register for final time this week

Kell Bank Primary School, near Masham, will close its doors for good on Friday after the county council issued a closure notice.

The school only has six pupils and with two of those set to move on to secondary school in September, North Yorkshire County Council decided it was no longer sustainable.

In 2020 Ofsted rated the school as Outstanding, but a report said its dwindling numbers meant it would likely have fallen into deficit in the coming years.

The school can accommodate up to 50 pupils but after dropping from 15 in September 2019 to six the county council opened a consultation.

At the time, Stuart Carlton, director of children’s services at the council, said the proposal was being done with a “heavy heart”.

One of the images from last week’s exhibition: the Kell Bank class of 1928

The 200-year-old school has educated thousands of children. Governors and staff wanted to celebrate this history and arranged an exhibition of memories last week from past and current pupils.

More celebrations are planned to mark its final week, including an open day on Thursday July 22, followed by a tree planting and bench dedication ceremony that afternoon.

In a Facebook post, the school thanked all those who have worked with it over the years. It said:

“Kell Bank has played such an important role in our community and so many will cherish their memories of their schooldays at Kell Bank.”

The last day of term before the summer holiday is Friday July 23.

Two of the remaining pupils will be going to Thornton Watless Primary School whilst the other two move to schools towards Ripon after moving house for the 2021/2022 school year.

Masham call for volunteers to catch speeders

Masham Parish Council is calling for new recruits to join its Community Speed Watch programme.

An investigation by North Yorkshire Police in August 2020 found Thorpe Road would benefit from a group monitoring speeding drivers.

Cars were only caught driving slightly faster than the 30mph limit but the police still thought it necessary to set up the watch group.

It patrols the area along Thorpe Road near Ibbetson Close heading north into Masham.

The group is currently made up of five volunteers but needs a new speed watch coordinator.

What is a community speed watch group?

The group is there to improve road safety and address the concerns of local residents
It works alongside North Yorkshire Police
Volunteers monitor the speed of passing cars
The details of any cars caught speeding are passed to the police
The police can then send advisory letters to the registered owners informing them they were caught speeding

The coordinator role is the main point of contact between the project and the police.

New volunteers receive all the necessary training and go through risk assessments before heading out onto the roads.

To get involved contact Masham Parish Council via mashamparishclerk@gmail.com.

Masham school’s closing exhibition includes 100-year-old memories

Staff at Kell Bank Primary School in Masham are committed to going ahead with a memory exhibition to celebrate the school’s history, before it closes for good next month.

Governors and teachers wanted to bid farewell to the 200-year-old school, which will shut its doors on August 31, but coronavirus has meant the celebration has been delayed.

The exhibition will now be held from July 15 to 17 at Fearby Village Hall, just outside Masham, and will include photographs, old diary entries and poetry books some dating as far back as 1900.

A one-off ‘newspaper’ has been created to combine reports and images shared by past and current staff and pupils, such as 96-year-old Ivy l’Anson, pictured below as a pupil.

On July 22 – the day before the children break up for the summer – the school will host an open day, as well as a tree planting and the dedication of a bench on Fearby village green.

Ivy I’Anson is now 96 years old and has shared her memories of Kell Bank School in a one-off ‘newspaper’ created by staff

With only six remaining pupils, Kell Bank School was handed a permanent closure notice by North Yorkshire County Council.

Laurie Hoyes, a school governor, said:

“The restrictions have set us back slightly but we are still really pleased with the exhibition we have put together.

“We’ve put together a ‘Kell Bank Times’, which people can pick up from the community centre or school. It’s 12 pages of memories including Ivy who’s 96 and our oldest living pupil. She’s shared her treasured memories with us.”

The organisers hope the exhibition and other events will help to highlight the school’s role in local people’s lives.

Quarry plan near Masham ‘could boost ecology’, says study

A proposal to create a quarry the size of 50 football pitches across arable fields near Masham could lead to a range of long-term ecological benefits, a study has concluded.

Lightwater Quarries, which is based in North Stainley, plans to extract up to 500,000 tonnes of limestone annually between next year and 2037 from its Gebdykes Quarry site near Masham.

Stone from the quarry has been used to restore numerous historic buildings and villages in the Lower Wensleydale and Ripon area, including Markington, Masham and the Howe Hill Tower.

The firm’s limestone is also used for path chippings, roads and for concrete mix.

North Yorkshire County Council will now decide whether the 33.7-hectare quarry, which has been worked since 1949 and is nearing exhaustion of the currently permitted reserves, can be extended by 27 hectares.

An environmental impact assessment report by consultancy Wardell Armstrong says despite the size of the quarry, the impact of extending it in the Lower Wensleydale landscape would be minimal as it would be “very well screened”.

The extension area would be included in a new restoration masterplan for the entire quarry.

The report states while there are a number of other active quarries in the area, including Bell Flask Quarry, Ripon sand and gravel quarry, Nosterfield sand and gravel quarry and Potgate limestone quarry, restoration proposals will result in “a likely enhancement of ecological resources”.

It said the northern extension at Gebdykes Quarry would result in disturbance or displacement of ecological receptors but mitigation procedures and habitat enhancement measures would provide an increase in habitats, foraging and commuting resources.

Cllr Neil Pickard, chairman of Masham Parish Council, said the quarry extension would have little impact on residents, but would help continue the benefits the local economy felt from nearby quarrying, including jobs for HGV drivers.

However, Cllr Pickard said the parish council awaited plans to see how the developers proposed to link the quarry to the north and south of Limekiln Lane.

He added the industry could bring further benefits to the area in the coming years with plans expected to be tabled from another nearby quarry, which would see the issue of flooding in shops and properties in Silver Street dealt with.

Post office to return to Masham in £1.5m heritage scheme

A new grocery store and post office is set to open in Masham next year as part of an ambitious £1.5 million heritage project.

The former grocery store Reah’s at 15 Silver Street will be completely renovated by Masham-based non-profit company Peacock and Verity Community Spaces Ltd.

As well as a grocery store and Post Office counter, the building will include an Edwardian-style tearoom, heritage and learning centre celebrating Masham and four affordable flats.

The project, which has received planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council, has been in the pipeline since autumn 2019 .

The building has been at the heart of the town for over 200 years and this renovation aims to return it to its former glory.

The £1.5m cost of buying and renovating the property is being funded by numerous grants.

Harrogate Borough Council, Broadacres Housing Association and Homes England have all been involved in progressing the scheme.

Traditional ethos

The new grocery store will use traditional methods, such as selling items by weight and using limited packaging. The Edwardian-style tea room will reflect the one that existed before the outbreak of the First World War.

The heritage and learning centre will host workshops and activities as operate as a training space for local businesses.

Four affordable flats will also be developed on the first and second floors. They will be managed by a housing association and allocated to those in need of housing in Mashamshire.

The project is due to be completed next year.

Alan Hodges, chair of the Peacock and Verity Community Spaces board, said:

“Peacock and Verity Community Spaces is delighted that the vision and hard work of our directors, staff, and partners has been recognised by Harrogate’s planners.

“Our architect, surveyors, heritage and business advisors, and housing association partners have been working on this project for several years, and we are now much closer to bringing the whole building back to life.

Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for housing and safer communities at Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“It is the first community-led scheme in the district to have reached this stage.

“We look forward to continuing to work with all partners as the building is restored to its former glory – a fitting testimony to Masham’s rich heritage.”

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Hackfall Woods history

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What is a community speed watch group?

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Traditional ethos

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