First-time children’s author Jo Jo Stewart visited Halls of Ripon at the weekend for the launch of her book Tigby Tried.
The book, which she has written, illustrated and published, features the adventures of Tigby the crab as he overcomes challenges through sheer determination.
Ms Stewart said her 20 years as a teacher helped her realise how many children had lost confidence due to the lack of interaction brought about by covid. She said:
“My book is aimed at children aged up to seven and its message is ‘Keep trying and never give up’ as exemplified by Tigby.
“In Chinese culture the crab represents rebirth, transformation and renewal and in life, if you can’t move forward for whatever reason, don’t give up – move sideways like Tigby and look for an alternative route to achieve your goals.”
Ms Stewart, who studied children’s illustration at the London College of Art, added:
“My love for collage encouraged me to experiment with my book illustrations, using letters that are individually cut and a bit wonky.
“I want people to remember that the world isn’t perfect, there are lumps, bumps and wobbles and no one is the same.
“The Tigby character may have suffered his own lumps and bumps, but he proves that if you keep trying, no matter how wrong things might go at times, you’ll get there in the end.”
Further details about the book can be found by clicking here.
Harrogate estate agency blames pandemic as it goes into liquidation
A Harrogate estate agency founded 14 years ago has gone into liquidation, blaming difficult trading conditions during the pandemic.
Hopkinsons Estate Agents, a trading name of Howroyd Estates Limited, went into insolvent liquidation yesterday, Monday, June 5, according to a notice in The Gazette today.
The Harrogate-based business was founded in 2009 and Jeremy Hopkinson had been the sole director since 2015.
He has applied to continue using the trading name of Hopkinsons Estate Agents and has vowed to continue trading with his existing team.
Mr Hopkinson told the Stray Ferret:
“Howroyd Estates Limited has entered voluntary liquidation due to trading difficulties during the pandemic period.
“A deal has been agreed to acquire the business to continue to trade as Hopkinsons Estate Agents.
“There are no staff redundancies and the business will continue to offer its quality services to its existing and new clients.”
Mr Hopkinson was seriously ill with covid in the early days of the pandemic and required a lengthy stay in hospital. He then suffered from long covid for a further 18 months.
The company has also been the victim of an alleged fraud, in which a couple are said to have claimed to be wealthy in order to make financial gains.
A warrant was issued for the couple’s arrest at the end of last month after they failed to appear at York Crown Court.
Holroyd Estates’ most recent accounts show debts of just over £550,000, up from £162,000 in 2018.
‘Lessons learned’ after covid patient’s oxygen disconnected at Harrogate hospital, inquest hears
Harrogate hospital has “learned lessons” following the death of a woman who became disconnected from her ventilator when she was left alone in a room with the door closed.
Karen Smith was 44 when, in October 2020, she was admitted to the hospital with covid.
She was put on a temporary intensive care ward that had been set up by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to deal with the high demand of the pandemic.
An inquest heard this week Ms Smith died on the ward after her oxygen mask became disconnected.
The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) oxygen machines used on the ward were not connected to the nurses’ station in the way they were on the established ICU.
When Ms Smith’s mask came off and the tube became disconnected around 5am on Saturday, October 24, although the machine’s alarm sounded, there was no way of it sending a signal to the nurses’ station for a rapid response.
The previous day, the hospital’s infection control team had visited the ward and recommended that the doors to each bay, which had been open, should be closed to help reduce the spread of covid.
Dr David Earl, a consultant in anaesthesia and critical care, told the inquest:
“The doors were closed on that Friday and I don’t think enough work was done to recognise the implications of how that might make nursing quite difficult, because you can’t hear behind the doors.
“This is when things start to go a bit wrong, I think, on that Friday.”
On the Saturday evening, a nurse who was covering a meal break had left Miss Smith’s bay to go to the toilet urgently. She had no way of contacting another nurse to cover for her, but believed the original nurse was about to return from her break.
The inquest heard that, during the pandemic, staff were required to remove extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) and go to a bathroom nearby, rather than the one on the ward, which took much longer than usual.
When the nurse she was covering for returned, the disconnection was noticed and Ms Smith’s mask had been completely removed.
Dr Earl told the inquest many patients find CPAP masks uncomfortable and can attempt to remove them when slightly disorientated, such as when waking up.
The machine’s log indicated Ms Smith had been without hers for around four-and-a-half minutes. A new mask was immediately brought from the store cupboard nearby.
Staff said they hoped the short time of disconnection meant that Ms Smith would not have been affected by the lack of oxygen supply.
The inquest heard that, although her blood oxygen levels quickly rose again, it became apparent to the team on the next shift that she was more sleepy and less responsive than usual.
That night, as her condition further deteriorated, staff called her mother, but she was not allowed to come into the hospital because of covid restrictions.
Addressing Ms Smith’s mother Audrey and brother John, who were at the inquest, Dr Earl said:
“At the time, we were following national guidelines about visiting.
“As someone who worked through all of this, not having visitors all the time was terrible. On intensive care, we spend a lot of time with families getting to know them. To suddenly not have families there was absolutely awful for us, but we know it was even worse for families like yourselves.
“It we could go back, we would get you straight in when we knew [she was dying]. Now, that’s the national guidelines.”
Ms Smith said her daughter had been well enough the day before to be messaging her friends. However, Dr Earl said given the number of days she had been reliant on the CPAP without any sign of improvement, his experience with covid patients suggested she was more likely than not to have succumbed to the virus in the end.
Dr Earl said the hospital had “learned lessons” from Ms Smith’s death and a number of changes had been implemented to prevent the same situation arising again, including changes to nurse rostering and the introduction of walkie-talkies to allow nurses to communicate with each other even when in separate rooms.
He added:
“We realise we can’t make everything perfect, but we try to list all the things where we think there’s a potential danger there and try to minimise them.
“In this new area, we had one of those risk registers and recognised it was constantly evolving, but in these circumstances, it was the best we could do.”
Delivering a narrative conclusion, senior coroner for North Yorkshire Jonathan Heath said Ms Smith, who lived in Wetherby, had died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by becoming disconnected from her oxygen machine. A secondary cause of death was her high body mass index.
Mr Heath said there was no evidence of how Ms Smith’s mask came to be removed and the tube disconnected, so he did not want to make any assumption.
Mr Heath said:
Book collection launched across district to support teenagers’ mental health“I am satisfied that a ‘prevention of future deaths’ report is not required.
“Whatever I would be saying to the hospital appears to have been addressed already.”
Books that support the mental health of teenagers have been put in libraries across the Harrogate district.
The North Yorkshire’s library service initiative coincides with today’s World Mental Health Day.
The pandemic’s disruption to young people’s lives, alongside issues such as growing concern about global warming, has increased uncertainty about identity, position in society and future plans.
In 2020, almost half of young people said they did not feel in control of their lives and almost a third felt overwhelmed by feelings of panic and anxiety on a daily basis, according to North Yorkshire County Council.
The new books, which are recommended by health professionals as part of the Reading Well initiative, cover topics such as body image, bereavement, social anxiety, boosting confidence, surviving online, sexuality, gender identity and mental health.
They cater for a wide range of reading levels and formats to support less confident readers and encourage engagement.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for libraries, Cllr Greg White, said:
“Our libraries have embraced the Reading Well scheme for some years, already focusing on mental health, dementia and issues facing young people.
“This latest collection adds another strand to the support that young people can find at their library, again showcasing their important role in maintaining the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve.”
Every library in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon, will be displaying titles from the new collection and any title which is unavailable can be requested and borrowed free of charge.
The Reading Well collection is curated by The Reading Agency in partnership with experts from organisations and professionals including NHS England, leading mental health charities and library staff.
More information about the Reading Well collection can be found here.
Covid infections in Harrogate district lowest for 15 monthsCovid infections in the Harrogate district have fallen to their lowest level since June last year.
Latest figures show the district’s weekly infection rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 47. The last time it was below this level was 15 months ago.
The rate is also well below its record of 1,906 in January when the Omicron variant fuelled a huge wave of infections at the peak of winter.
Health experts have predicted there will be a jump in covid and flu infections ahead of this winter, and they are urging anyone who is eligible for an extra vaccine to boost their protection against both illnesses.
The autumn booster campaign began across most of the UK last week, with care home residents being vaccinated first.
The other groups who qualify and will be invited over the coming weeks are:
Adults aged 50 and over
In Harrogate, some walk-in appointments are available at the Great Yorkshire Showground’s Event Centre, although booking is advised via the NHS website or by calling 119.
North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is running covid vaccinations at the site everyday between 9am and 5pm until Friday.
The CCG said those eligible must be aged 80 and over, or work in health and social care, or were previously shielding.
Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital currently has 28 covid-positive patients, although only two of these are primarily receiving treatment for the virus.
The hospital last reported the death of a patient who tested within 28 days on 19 August, with its toll since the pandemic began standing at 274.
Towns at centre of North Yorkshire culture strategyNorth Yorkshire County Council has put town centres at the heart of its plans to revitalise culture in the county.
The council has begun to roll out its new cultural framework after two years of consultations across the county.
A report for the framework found that the pandemic had a large impact on town centre visitor numbers.
Along with the growth of online shopping, it argued that high streets needed new ways of staying relevant, with cultural attractions seen as key.
The report states that:
“Town centres traditionally serve their rural hinterland’s needs for retail and civic amenities but as shopping and banking move online culture can help in animating spaces through activity or art, driving footfall and creating a buzz and amplifying sense of identity.”
Ideas on how to do this include promoting different towns’ heritages, installing public art and working with local stakeholders.
Over the last year, more cultural events have returned to the district’s towns as organisers recognise the important role they play in attracting visitors.
In July, Harrogate staged its first carnival since 2019, which saw street theatre, international street food and music performances. In September, the Ripon Civic Society is organising Heritage Open Days across the town and the city is also hosting a four day Poetry Festival which is growing in popularity.
A possible redevelopment of the Royal Pump Rooms Museum in Harrogate was also reported to be in the planning stage.
The 2022 Harrogate Carnival
The consultation on the state of culture in North Yorkshire began in March 2020, before the first Covid lockdown.
The framework also recognises the impact that the lockdowns had on people’s wellbeing. It found:
“During the Covid pandemic issues of social isolation and loneliness have been exacerbated. A key factor in reducing loneliness is the social interaction experienced while participating in cultural activity.”
Other aspects of the framework concern regeneration, developing and supporting cultural industries, improving health and wellbeing, and supporting community development.
The plans are to be discussed at the county council’s area committees, including the one for the Skipton and Ripon constituency next week.
The framework was developed in partnership between the district and county councils, including Harrogate Borough Council.
New omicron strain sees Harrogate district covid rate rise
The rate of covid in the Harrogate district has more than doubled since the end of May.
Latest North Yorkshire County Council data shows there are currently 113 positive cases per 100,000 people in the district.
The rate was at as low as 52 cases per 100,000 people on May 30.
Whilst the rate has begun to climb up again for the first time since March, it is still far below the peaks seen in January and April 2022.
Source – North Yorkshire County Council
North Yorkshire County Council public health consultant Dr Victoria Turner said the rise was being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of omicron.
The sub-variants have also caused high rates in other countries across the world.
She said:
“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.
“The ways to prevent the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 remain the same as for other covid variants. Meeting outdoors where possible or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing a face covering in enclosed or crowded spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene will all reduce the risk of transmission.”
Dr Turner said anyone who has tested positive for covid should stay at home for five days.
Covid tests are available to be purchased from pharmacies.
Harrogate Grammar hopes to light up sports pitch until 8pm
Harrogate Grammar School has submitted plans to light up its games pitch until 8pm in a bid to boost youth sport in the wake of the pandemic.
An original application in 2015 restricts the use of floodlighting after 6pm.
However, the school said this year several youth teams had struggled to play, particularly during the winter months when ground conditions in town were poor.
In a letter to neighbouring residents asking for their support, business and operations manager, Tom Stephen, wrote:
“The last two years of the pandemic have been challenging for us all, not least in the impact of school closures and restrictions on team sports for young people.
“We want to support the growth of youth sport and one way in which we hope to achieve this is by increasing the access of our facilities.”
He added that in the context of increased demand and in an effort create opportunities for young people to recover from the pandemic, the school felt it was the right time to apply for the extension.
It would see the pitch open from 9am until 8pm Monday to Friday.
He said:
“We will only allow the astro to be used by youth coached teams in order to support our aim of the growth of youth sport.”
Harrogate Borough Council environmental health officer, Gemma Demaline, said she had no objections to the plans.
She said:
“As the lights are likely to be required during the darker months when surrounding noise sensitive residents are likely to be inside their properties, the impact from noise from the proposed use of the site will be limited.”
Earlier this month St Aidan’s Church of England High School revealed its new floodlit artificial sports pitch was set to open from 6pm to 8pm for community clubs to use.
A spokesperson for Harrogate Grammar School said:
“We want to support the growth of youth sport after the restrictions the pandemic put on team sports and we hope to achieve this by increasing the access of our facilities.”
Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee will make a decision on the application at a later date.
Harrogate Flower Show will celebrate the mental health benefits of gardeningThe mental health benefits of gardening are being celebrated at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which starts tomorrow.
Designers from across the country will be creating a flash of floral inspiration aimed at showcasing the country’s growing connection with plants and flowers.
The four-day event at the Great Yorkshire Showground will feature ‘Grow Your Home’, a colourful installation created by floral stylists from Leeds-based Leafy Couture.
The display, featuring hundreds of blooms around a central courtyard setting, offers visitors a glimpse of the joys which flowers can bring, which was particularly highlighted during the pandemic.
Show director Nick Smith said:
“After a difficult time for many of us, this year’s Spring show concentrates entirely on the positives which plants and landscapes can bring to us all.
“Gardening is the great leveller – from sweeping lawns to a simple window box, we can all benefit from the life-affirming pleasure which plants and flowers can make to our own personal space.”
Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has chosen the flower show to launch its latest campaign – ‘A Floral Summer of Celebration’.
Between July 15 and August 12, the town centre will be home to a floral trail featuring 10 unique displays, floral-themed shop windows and events starring key speakers from the world of gardening.
Pictured at their art deco-themed flower show stand: From left, Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson, BID manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys florist Fran Addis, BID business and marketing executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher and BID business liaison officer Jo Caswell.
This will be in addition to dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID and some specially commissioned floral street art.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:
“Harrogate is renowned for its floral displays; it’s the home to RHS Garden Harlow Carr, the stunning Valley Gardens, and of course the Spring Flower Show, which is one of the biggest and best in the North of England, if not the whole country.
“This summer, Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will see us celebrating our floral excellence and the return of Yorkshire in Bloom after a two-year absence.”
Featuring show garden features, plant nursery displays and floral art, the show will include plenty of colour, style and inspiration.
Local charities will also be showcasing their work, including Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Horticap in Harrogate.
This year the programme of live entertainment includes talks and demos across four stages.
A new show, ‘Human Gardener’ will offer a series of fun and engaging sofa conversations with the people behind the plants – from bee inspectors to fungi fanatics.
Over on the Gardener’s Kitchen stage, TV cook and chef consultant Stephanie Moon will create dishes from veg patch produce, with the help of grow-your-own guru Martin Walker.
Meanwhile, the GROW! Live team will provide answers to gardening questions, whilst the CREATE! Floral stage will host celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley.
Thousands of garden products, handmade crafts, gifts and specialist foods will also be on offer.
Pre-booked tickets with a £3 saving on gate prices are available online until midnight tonight.
Thursday to Saturday tickets are £20.50 online, £23.50 on the gate.
Sunday tickets are £18 online, £21 on the gate.
Children under 16 are free when accompanied by an adult. General car parking is free.
Harrogate district covid rate halves in three weeksThe rate of covid in the Harrogate district has halved since the most recent wave of infections peaked on March 25.
Latest figures from North Yorkshire County Council show that 441 per 100,000 people currently have the virus.
The rate has fallen sharply since the end of March when it had risen to 1,005 per 100,000 people.
Cases rose due to the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, a more contagious strain of Omicron that was circulating in January and February.
NHS figures show 110,794 people have had three doses of a covid vaccine in the district, which is 71% of the population aged over 12.