Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Council negativity towards Christmas market is affecting traders

The benefits to the town of the Christmas market are enormous and the increased footfall and spend attests to this. The market is close enough to the town centre for everyone to benefit.

Unfortunately, Harrogate Borough Council this year has decided otherwise. It is saying that “the event plan did not take into account the risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid”.

However this is not the case — the site is open with easy access to the outside, the council closes the roads and there are big concrete blocks at the top of the hill. It doesn’t get overcrowded — it’s less busy than indoor shopping centres, football stadia, nightclubs etc where people are in close contact for more than the guidelines of 15 minutes.

That the council was not in touch with the organisers prior to making this decision reflects very badly on them.

Organising an event of this nature takes a great deal of time and planning and attractions have already been booked, such as the reindeers and Father Christmas! It is very late in the year for stall holders to make alternative arrangements.

I am a local craftsman and rely on events like this to stay in business, and I am only one of many in a similar situation. The government policy at the moment is to get the economy moving again as soon as possible.

Harrogate Borough Council’s negative attitude is hindering this process.

Lyn Grant, Harrogate

Labour’s politics of envy over Julian Smith’s advisory roles

Thank you for giving us details of Julian Smith’s lists of advisory roles. He is obviously highly regarded by these organisations who value his skills and expertise, why otherwise would they recruit him?

The comments of ex-Labour candidate Brian McDaid are wholly inappropriate. MPs on all sides of the House of Commons have similar advisory rolls and provided they are recorded on their register of interests they are quite normal.

Might I add that I have had occasion to seek Mr Smith’s assistance on three occasions since he was elected as the MP for Skipton and Ripon and he has on all occasions responded promptly and met me locally at his regular surgeries.

His re-election suggests he is doing the job by the electors. The politics of envy will never be a worthy news item.

Brian Hicks, Pateley Bridge

Read more:

• Deadlock on Harrogate Christmas Market talks
• Stray Views: Is Harrogate in decline?

Poor shopping, beggars… is it any wonder people are avoiding Harrogate?

Today I met with a friend from outside the area who was saying how much she used to enjoy coming in to Harrogate to shop but doesn’t come in any more.

The reasons given were so many empty shops, cheap discount stores on what was the upmarket street and beggars sitting and almost partying around the town.

I later walked up Parliament Street and in a doorway just before the old Debenhams store there were five people with drinks, sleeping bags etc and a mess on the pavement that appeared to be vomit.

Is it any surprise that people are becoming reluctant to come in to Harrogate? Do enough people care and if so what can be done about it?

Sandra Fielding, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

The people of Pateley Bridge and Bewerley have been recognised for their selfless contribution to the community during the covid pandemic.

Plaques have been unveiled within both of the parishes that make up the town council serving the area.

The unveilings were carried out by the Mayor and Mayoress of Pateley Bridge, Cllr Mike and Dr Janet Holt and the chair of Bewerley Parish Council, Cllr Graham Spooner.

The wording on the plaques says that each council: ‘Acknowledges and thanks the volunteers, shopkeepers and parishioners who have all contributed so much to the town during the covid-19 pandemic.’

Cllr Holt said

“This has been a great opportunity to make people aware that our town is governed by two councils, and how those councils work together for the benefit of the whole community, the local businesses and of course our all-important visitors.

The Pateley Bridge plaque. Photo: Cllr Stanley Lumley

He added:

“We are privileged to live in this amazing area and although everybody in this country has, to a greater or lesser extent, been affected by covid we have been incredibly lucky.

“We have an amazing community which, over these last 18 months has pulled together to help their neighbours, relatives and friends to cope with the personal issues that have occurred during this time.

“Both councils appreciate how our community has worked selflessly to help during this crisis and the plaques will act as a long-standing reminder of both councils’ gratitude, and they will also hopefully remind everyone how monumentally life-changing this pandemic been.”

Read more:

• A crisis in which nobody in Nidderdale has gone un-noticed
• Why police in Pateley Bridge want people to ‘bee alert’

The purchase and erection of the plaques came after Pateley Bridge Town Council was approached by many people recommending that individuals should be recognised for their efforts during the pandemic.

While it was not possible to recognise each individual, because of the large number involved in voluntary activities and service that helped others, it was agreed that the plaques would be a poignant way of marking the collective community effort.

Just 45 covid infections have been recorded in the Harrogate district — the lowest 24-hour figure since June 26.

Today’s data, from Public Health England, reduces the district’s seven-day average rate of infection to 260 per 100,000 people.

The rate peaked at 534 on July 18 and has more than halved in the fortnight since.

The current rates for England and North Yorkshire are 291 and 260 respectively.

Harrogate West and Pannal has had the most infections in the district in the last seven days, with 42, followed by Ripon South and East with 35.

At the other end of the scale Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley has had just 12 cases.

There has not been a covid-related death at Harrogate District Hospital for almost four months now.

Read more:

• Freedom Day sees Harrogate district covid rate close to record high
• Harrogate Christmas market organisers call for urgent talks to save event

Police are warning beekeepers in Nidderdale to ‘bee vigilant’ following the attempted theft of hives.

It comes after a thief wearing a beekeeper’s suit tried to steal six hives recently. It is believed the culprit dropped one of the hives, which enraged the bees, and fled empty handed.

PC Bill Hickson, who is based in Patelely Bridge, warned “there may be criminals out there with an eye on your hives”.

PC Hickson revealed more about the sting operation in a report in the August edition of the Link magazine for the Parish of Dacre with Hartwith & Darley with Thornthwaite.

PC Hickson said:

“Last month a thief, or thieves, unsuccessfully tried to steal half a dozen beehives at a location not far from Nidderdale.

Police in Pateley Bridge have recorded 15 crimes in the last month.

“They wore a beekeeper’s suit but nevertheless managed to drop one of the hives, thereby enraging the bees, and fled empty handed.

“Despite this apparent incompetence whoever was responsible had planned the raid and were specifically targeting beehives above other more traditional booty.”

In another animal-related matter, PC Hickson called on dog owners to keep their dogs on leads after a sheep was attacked and a lamb killed on Greenhow Hill.

He said:

“However well-controlled you think your dog is, please do not let it off the lead in fields where there may be livestock.”

A total of 15 crimes, ranging from deliberate damage to a parked car in Dacre Banks to graffiti at Brimham Rocks, were recorded in Nidderdale during the month.

Read more:

• Grassington river tragedy
• Art therapy for Pateley Bridge grandmother

Anybody with information that could help the police in their work, is asked to contact PC Hickson by calling 101, choosing option two and asking for “Bill Hickson” or “0-8-2-0”

He can also be emailed at bill.hickson@northyorkshire.police.uk

Councillors in Knaresborough, Ripon and Nidderdale have shared their reaction to the government decision that North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils will be scrapped and replaced with a single unitary authority.

In a move which will mark the end of North Yorkshire County Council and seven district and borough councils including Harrogate, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick last week announced his decision to opt for a new single council structure over a rival bid for two authorities split on an east/west basis.

It will mean all council services will come under the control of the new authority from April 2023 – and there could also be the opportunity for town and parish councils to take on new powers.

Harrogate is also likely to get a new town council.

The government decision comes after North Yorkshire County Council last year submitted plans for the single council bid, while the district and borough councils, except Hambleton which rejected all options on the table, were behind the east/west split.

Read more:

• What will one super council for North Yorkshire look like?
• The key questions facing Harrogate after devolution
• Robert Jenrick: Two councils for North Yorkshire would have been risky

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked councillors in Knaresborough, Ripon and Nidderdale for their thoughts on the decision, as well as how they hope their areas will fit into the new local government picture.

Here is what they said.

Christine Willoughby, mayor of Knaresborough.

Cllr Christine Willoughby, the mayor of Knaresborough

“I hope that the new North Yorkshire council will be responsive to people’s needs and will realise that decades of budget cuts have left services in a poor state.

“I fear that we may get a distant uncaring council which will continue neglecting our town.

“I really hope the new council will listen to Knaresborough Town Council and take notice of its views.

“In the past, Knaresborough Town Council has often been frustrated by North Yorkshire County Council’s unwillingness to discuss and negotiate over certain key issues i.e. the insistence of gritting of roads in Knaresborough being restricted to bus routes and leaving Kirkgate ungritted with our railway station at the bottom of the hill.

“I’m sure the town council will be willing to discuss the possibility of taking over certain responsibilities from the new council, if the financial package is acceptable.

“Areas that the town council might be interested in looking to take over might include burial services including the cemetery, the use of and responsibility for the market place including car parking, and the weekly market and I’m sure there may be many others including possibly some buildings.”

Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council.

Cllr Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council

“I have no angst against North Yorkshire County Council but I do think the government minister has got this decision wrong.

“My fear is that we will have a very large authority with not as many elected members and as a result of that fewer voices standing up for local people.

“I also worry we are not going to see an improvement in services and I am sure there will be counterarguments to this but you only have to look at the state of the roads in Ripon to see the county council already does some things badly and other things really well, such as education.

“We have an aspiration to do more as a city council as we believe doing things locally and involving local people is the best way forward.

“We would certainly like to see Ripon Town Hall back in the control of people in the city, as well as Hugh Ripley Hall. We would also very much like to run the Thursday markets.

“We have already raised some of these issues with Harrogate Borough Council and some have had a more favourable response than others. We hope they will work with us to get the best possible outcome for our residents.

“I don’t think tears will be shed locally following the demise of the borough council.

“Ripon residents do not feel they have had a fair crack of the whip when it comes to provision of services but we hope that can be put aside over the next 20 months for us to finish working with the council on a positive note.”

Mike Holt, mayor of Pateley Bridge.

Cllr Mike Holt, the mayor of Pateley Bridge

“The first thing I have to say is that Pateley Bridge Town Council is an independent council and as such does not have to follow a party line on policy, so the town councillors have their own opinions on devolution and I believe that is how it should remain.

“My personal thoughts are that the single unitary authority is the correct route to take simply because it cuts out the seven current district tiers of management and supervision which must  save money but will also end the double taxation situation that many parishes face.

“To give an example, some of our council tax is paid to Harrogate Borough Council which amongst other things pays for the upkeep and maintenance of the flower beds in Harrogate and the Stray, but we as a council are also charged by HBC for the maintenance of the flower beds and borders in and around Pateley Bridge.

“I believe this is a double tax and HBC acknowledged this several years ago and paid us a ‘maintenance grant’ to cover the difference.

“Over the last few years this grant has been reduced and is now not available, so reverting to a double taxation. The single authority should remove that type of anomaly.

“I really cannot see much change for Pateley Bridge or Nidderdale in general, as we do not have any boundary issues with the changes.

“To take on extra roles, for example cleaning gullies or planting and maintaining flower beds, costs more than just the labour and materials involved.

“The whole administration costs and insurances as well as extra staff have also to be budgeted for but in the future, with the money saved with the single authority, there may be more funds available to make that work effectively at our local level.”

Two cat owners from the Harrogate district have spoken of their heartbreak after their pets ate food which has been linked to hundreds of deaths across the UK.

Both cats Albert and Tina had been eating Sainsburys Hypoallergenic Recipe before they became seriously ill earlier this month.

The Food Standards Agency has recalled a number of cat foods by Applaws, Sainsburys, Ava from Pets at Home and Wilko.

No definitive evidence exists at this stage confirming a link between the cat food and a potentially fatal bone marrow condition called feline pancytopenia but recalls have been issued voluntarily as a precaution while an investigation takes place.

While a vet confirmed that Tina died from pancytopenia, which has been connected with the recalled food, Albert’s death is only a suspected case of the same disease.

The Royal Veterinary College is aware of 506 cats with the disease in the UK. Of these, 62.5% have died. Usually there is only one case in the UK in a year.

Read more:

• Stray Mogs: Explaining a cat’s ‘If it fits, I sits’ mentality
• Cat from Scotland hitches a ride to Great Yorkshire Show and goes missing

Vivienne Cameron, who is from Pateley Bridge and was the owner of Albert, told the Stray Ferret:

“All I want to do is raise awareness. I had no idea when I bought the cat food that it could lead to Albert’s death.

“He was a really greedy, mummy’s boy. Albert would eat anything. He would probably try to eat you if you sat in his bowl.

“Albert had been eating that food for a few weeks. In the space of a week he stopped eating food, became quite lethargic and then died.

“I miss him. People cannot imagine how much I miss him.”

Liz Chambers, who is from Helperby, near Boroughbridge, and was the owner of Tina, said:

“When we took Tina to the vets they told us it was either cancer or pancytopenia. They said the best of the two would be cancer.

“We tried everything we could but she was not in a good way by the end. It was all very distressing.

“She was always there for us, whether it was by my side putting the clothes out or comforting my eldest when she was upset. It just feels empty in the house now.”

Joan Thomas says her grandson James’s art has helped with her dementia.

Mrs Thomas moved to Pateley Bridge to be with family during the first lockdown after struggling to live alone. Since then she has been working with her grandson on a number of pieces.

During lockdown, James Thomas created a piece of art inspired by his grandma called ‘Isolation’. The piece is made out of discarded scratch cards.

The pair have always shared a love for art and Mr Thomas said his grandma often recalls memories from years ago when she helped him with his art.

Mrs Thomas, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2017,  said art helps her feel calm and focused. She also enjoys colouring herself:

“I like going to James’s exhibitions and seeing the art he’s done at home on display. I really enjoy doing art and spending time with him. There’s just a lot of things I can’t remember but art keeps me calm.”

Read more:

• Ripon actors get ready to raise the curtain after 18 months away
• A local photographer took this picture of Knaresborough Castle, send us your photos 

Mr Thomas said he was pleased with the effect his art had on his grandma’s health:

“It’s a form of therapy for her and it helps her. Now she can be a part of the pieces I create from start to finish.

“She does her colouring completely alone, even though she can’t do anything else she can do that which is pretty marvellous.”

Mr Thomas added his grandma’s choice of colours and style is “perfect”.

Mr Thomas is currently putting pieces together to take part in some local exhibitions including the Nidd Art Trail and the Mercer Gallery REACT exhibition.

Pateley Bridge Town Council is demanding action after reports of people waiting up to an hour for an ambulance to arrive.

Frustration is growing between Pateley Bridge locals as the number of incidents with slow response times increase.

The mayor of the town, Mike Holt, told the Stray Ferret there had been numerous cases of people having heart attacks or bad falls and having to wait for long periods for treatment despite there being an ambulance station in the town, as well as in nearby Ripon and Grassington.

Cllr Holt said it was an “ongoing issue” that wasn’t down to any one cause.

One local resident contacted the town council after she waited almost 30 minutes for an ambulance when her husband had a heart attack last month.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said:

“It was just a normal evening and then he turned, I rang 999 immediately and was told it would be a 40-minute wait. The handler also hung up after saying they were really busy and couldn’t stay on the line. It’s frustrating and very worrying.

“Luckily one was deployed from Grassington but still the time it takes can make a real difference.”

The resident and Cllr Holt acknowledged ambulance response times was a national issue due to pressure on the NHS but both insisted more needed to be done.

Cllr Holt said the town council would submit a Freedom of Information request to Yorkshire Ambulance Service to discover details about wait time in the area. Once it received a response it would review what action it would take.

He said:

“There are many cases where they do amazing work but this is an ongoing issue that needs looking at. We’ve regularly had complaints of people waiting up to an hour.”

Read more:

• Yorkshire Ambulance Service urges on residents to only call in emergency
• Hospital bosses talk of “disappointment” after highly critical email is circulated

In the past week, Yorkshire Ambulance Service released a statement saying covid and the easing of lockdown restrictions meant calls for help were increasing and the demand on its services was similar to that experienced during winter flu season. It said:

“Overall demand for emergency ambulances is increasing year-on-year and this pressure is reflected in all NHS services across the whole country.

“We aim to reach all our patients as quickly as possible based on their clinical need, including rural areas of our region where sparsely dispersed populations present particular challenges for all emergency services.”

North Yorkshire County Council has said it is determined to secure a future for Bewerley Park outdoor education centre after widespread opposition to its plans to mothball the site.

The council has unveiled plans to introduce a trial seasonal pricing policy at the centre, near Pateley Bridge as well as at its other outdoor education centre in East Barnby, near Whitby.

The review could also see sweeping changes to the centres’ buildings, more investment and the sites amalgamated to make them more efficient.

Councillors and officers will tomorrow consider approving the moves for the coming year, when the centres have been reopened for residential visits, to see if it stimulates extra use of the centres by schools at colder times of the year.

Popular with Harrogate district children

In February the county council said it had never proposed completely closing the centres, but was rather seeking ways to stem the £1.6m losses due to the pandemic.

The changes would see the cost of staying at the centres, which have been visited by generations of children in the Harrogate district, rising slightly at high season and falling at low season.

The proposal would mean the cost of a four-night stay rising by 33 per cent since 2015 to £358.

Read more:

• Kell Bank School goes ahead with celebration ahead of it closing in the summer
• A Harrogate primary school receives £260,000 to improve safeguarding measures

Amanda Newbold, the council’s assistant director of education and skills, said an outline business case was being prepared, which would be considered by the authority’s executive in September.

She said it had been discovered prefabricated buildings at East Barnby, the site of RAF Goldsborough’s accommodation and base to 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron RAF, had “a bit of an issue with asbestos”.

Strong political will

Councillor Patrick Mulligan, the authority’s executive member for education, said the large volume of schools responding to a consultation over the centres had underlined the “huge amount of support” the sites had.

He said there was a strong political will to ensure children could benefit from visits to the centres for many years to come.

Councillor Mulligan said the proposed fees and charges structure would provide a basis for the service to cover its costs, as had been the case in previous years.

He said:

“We are doing everything we can to make sure it is a viable service. We are not ruling out any options.”

He added the biggest challenge facing the council was the age of the buildings, particularly the ones at Bewerley Park, which were designed to be temporary when they were built 80 years ago to house hundreds of evacuees from Leeds.

The wonderful, whimsical and colourful worlds of butterflies and bees have inspired the rise of this hidden gem of a ceramic artist in Pateley Bridge.

Fiona Mazza Ceramics is based in the King Street Workshops. It was once a base for bin lorries and rat catchers, but is now a crafts hub where people work on and sell their creations.

She has perfected her craft over the past two decades, starting in the garage of her home in Harrogate but working at a dedicated workshop for the past six years.

It takes a lot of different skills and plenty of time, something people do not always appreciate when they are more used to the quick and cheap products from a factory line.

Read more:

• Stained glass artist a Harrogate ‘hidden gem’
• ‘Hidden gem’ Knaresborough knitting shop stocks more than wool

“I think people are quite detached from the process as well. TV shows can open people’s eyes a little bit but then they see them rushing things through.

“The turnaround for me is around four weeks from start to finish. If you drive clay too quickly things can start to crack and warp.

“I like to work intimately with each piece. There are all sorts of people who do enjoy what I do though. It’s always nice to meet the people buying your work.”

Customers who find the workshop, which is not far from the high street, will likely find Fiona sitting at her wheel moulding out a lump of clay.

Most of her work has at least a subtle nod to her love of nature, normally butterflies and bees.

“I am not an expert but I do love butterflies. I enjoy the colour so that sparked that interest. My grandfather was a big beekeeper as well, with more than a hundred hives.

“A few years ago now I tried to keep some bees as well but it is quite a lot of hard work so I have stepped back from that.

“The bees and butterflies are fascinating creatures so I just want to capture their beauty.”

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.