How Stean Gorge bookings boom as search continues for buyerHow Stean Gorge has reported a bumper year for sales amid the UK’s boom in staycations as the owners continue to look for new buyers.
Like many attractions, coronavirus has been difficult for How Stean Gorge. But now winter is firmly out of the way the owners have said the phones have been off the hook.
That interest has also resulted in more bookings overall. There has been a two-fold increase in May 2021 when compared to the same time in 2019.
Ann and Stan Beer, who have owned How Stean Gorge since 2007, said:
“After a long and hard winter, negotiating lockdowns and Covid restrictions, we’re set to have our best year yet.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook, and bookings have increased two-fold.
“We’ve pro-actively moved facilities, built new ones, and employed new staff to meet the public’s demand for outdoor adventure.”
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The adventure facility offers abseiling, gorge scrambling, caving, canoeing and a high wire via a rare ferrata course as well as an upper pathway and caves.
How Stean Gorge’s unique geography also allows for rock sports and paddle sports.
Owners Stan and Ann have updated the site frequently over the years, expanding the camping, adventure and dining range.
Last year ahead of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, they also opened Vista Bistro with glass wall and floor panels over the gorge.
Stan added:
“We’ve made our biggest profit yet this year, with the largest pre-bookings for activities.
“All our outdoor activities have been in huge demand, particularly the gorge walking and water sports.
“There’s been an increase across the board, from the number of school trips we now support to hen and stag-dos due to the backlog of weddings.
“There’s just a massive appetite out there to embrace life, get into the great outdoors and experience adventure again.”
The Pateley Bridge sculptor carving out a name for himselfHammer and chisel on stone. Those three basics have not changed much in thousands of years, but this hidden gem Pateley Bridge sculptor hopes to carve his name in the history books.
Joseph Hayton 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.
Starting out as a stonemason, Joseph soon got a taste for more intricate work and he turned to sculpture full-time 10 years ago.
Ever since, he has picked up plenty of awards and also built up a stunning collection. Joseph is moving towards more abstract themes but has always been fascinated by faces.
Photographs may have dulled the effect for some, but when people wander into the workshop they are often taken aback by how realistic the sculptures are.
When Joseph sat down for this interview he was still thinking about his next piece. As he moulded out a small piece of clay, he told the Stray Ferret:
“I am becoming a bit name in the world of carving and sculpture. How can I say it without sounding like a ****? I have a bit of a reputation at the moment and it continues to grow.
“The thing is with this job, and any creative job, there’s a weird way of thinking. You are never quite happy, it’s almost like an addiction.
“I always have to march forward, nothing is ever quite good enough. I do not really feel proud, I just feel like I need to make more pieces and get better.”
In most art forms, people can either use a rubber or more paint to cover up any mistakes. But you cannot add more stone to a sculpture.
This is probably the most common question that people ask of sculptors. So how does Joseph prevent serious mistakes?
“It’s a bit like when you drive. When you are driving down a country road and you cannot see what is coming, you go steady and you are cautious.
“That is just like when you are carving out the end of a nose or an eyelid. You are very, very steady because you know it can go wrong. Slow right down, use smaller tools.
“On the other hand, when you are roughing out you know you can use bigger tools and work more quickly. If I do go wrong I can change things slightly.
“But the big mistakes like knocking a huge lump off, they do not happen because when you know there is a possibility of that you slow right down.”
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Sculptures can capture a person or a moment in history. They are difficult to change, but the conversation around them can.
The most obvious examples over the past year have been the tearing down of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol and the plan to put up a new statue of Margaret Thatcher in Grantham.
It is a difficult subject to broach, but customers have asked Joseph about the topic a lot recently. So what does he think?
“I try not to get involved in the politics of it all, it’s a tough question to answer. If someone approaches me for a sculpture I will make it.
“People often get ask me about it. I think we should put the statues into context, put up a new plaque and raise awareness. It’s very interesting.”
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.
Harrogate council threatens vicar with criminal charges in planning rowHarrogate Borough Council has threatened a vicar with criminal charges in a planning row over a stone plaque at a church near Pateley Bridge.
Reverend Darryl Hall became embroiled in the dispute after parishioner and builder Carl Foxton made the plaque, along with several others for sites across the Harrogate district.
Mr Foxton, who is in his late 70s, made this latest plaque to welcome people to Bewerley Grange Chapel, which was built by Marmaduke Huby, the abbot of Fountains Abbey from 1495-1526
Mr Foxton’s work can be found attached to the wall outside the church, which is a listed building.
Revd Hall believes the wall is not part of the listed structure of the church and therefore the plaque should stay but the council disagrees.
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Andrew Lancashire, the council’s planning enforcement officer, has written to Revd Hall requesting the plaque’s removal. Mr Lancashire wrote:
“The Local Planning Authority consider that this work is a criminal offence under section 9 of the Planning Act 1990.
“I am requesting that the plaque is removed, including all stone work to construct it and that the wall is repaired and put back to how it was.
“I have consulted with the Council Heritage Officers and there is no support to retain the plaque.”
The letter goes on to give the vicar until May 31 to respond, otherwise the council has said it will be forced to take formal action.
Revd Hall, who is the Dales Vicar in Upper Nidderdale, told the Stray Ferret:
“I was blown away by the plaque, it is stunning. We would like to have something that welcomes people here.
“So it is frustrating. To think that I am going to have to go to Carl and tell him that it will have to come down.
“When I read the letter I was absolutely shocked. A criminal offence? It’s a beautiful piece of art, I have not heard anyone say anything bad about it. I have lost sleep over this row.”
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
“The stone plaque has been installed in a wall that forms part of a listed building.
“This is an offence under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 and must therefore be removed.”
‘Let’s crack on’: Knaresborough and Pateley vaccine sites reopenTwo vaccine centres in the Harrogate district are reopening after a month of supply issues slowed the rollout.
Homecare Pharmacy Services‘ clinic in the former Lidl car park in Knaresborough will operate on Saturday for the first time since April 17.
When it re-opens the pharmacy staff will be giving both the Pfizer-Biontech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.
It will be open five days a week but the owners hope eventually to be open seven days a week.
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Jason Baskind, managing director of Homecare Pharmacy Services, told the Stray Ferret:
“The last clinic we held was without a doubt the best so far. The team gelled well, there were no queues and we managed to give out 1,219 jabs.
“It was frustrating that we had to close after that but now we are back and we are ready to go, so let’s crack on.”
Pateley Bridge’s vaccine centre is also starting to see supplies come through. It opened on Wednesday this week to administer about 400 jabs.
The site, run by Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, had been in talks with the NHS about using the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine, which is more difficult to store.
However, because the site is small the owners did not want to risk wasting vaccines so it is sticking solely to Oxford-AstraZeneca.
The outlook has improved compared to last month, when a letter leaked to the Stray Ferret said there would be no more first doses for a while due to shortages.
Communities thanked for covid response with commemorative plaquesTwo commemorative plaques are to be installed in Pateley Bridge and Bewerley this summer to thank the communities for their “amazing” response during the pandemic.
Pateley Bridge Town Council and Bewerley Parish Council are installing the markers in their towns as a way to thank and recognise community members who collectively came forward to help out.
The idea has been discussed at a few council meetings in recent months but at Tuesday’s annual council meeting it was agreed to arrange an unveiling for July.
Both councils felt it was important to hold the ceremony once lockdown had eased to allow for a proper celebration of people’s hard work.
One plaque will be placed halfway up Pateley Bridge high street, aside other plaques, and the other on the outer wall of Bewerley youth shelter. They will be funded by the two councils.
Mayor of Pateley Bridge, Mike Holt, said he came up with the idea a few months ago after trying to find a way to recognise various people and companies’ efforts.
He said:
“On the whole, the community came together in a tremendous way. The plaque will be there forever to remind people of the past year. I think it’s important for us to come together and remember the people who came together at the time.”
Further arrangements for July’s unveilings will be announced as covid restrictions ease.
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Pateley Bridge census support could save you £1,000People who have had difficulty filling in the census form need not panic. Help is at hand to save those struggling a potential £1,000 fine.
The census support centre run by Nidderdale Plus in Pateley Bridge can provide assistance to anybody living in the Harrogate district.
It is based in the Nidderdale Plus community hub in Station Square, King Street and will be open daily between 10am and 4pm for the rest of this week and on Saturday and bank holiday Monday from 10am until 1pm.
The Census 2021 forms were posted to millions of households in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Helen Flynn, executive director of Nidderdale Plus, told the Stray Ferret:
“The census support centre, with its specially-trained advisors Sandra Walker and Heather Blundell, has been very busy since census day on March 21.
“We are proud to be the fourth highest performing census support centre in the north-east, North Yorkshire and Cumbria region so we have been punching above our weight, as we have been helping people.
“Completing and submitting the census form is a legal requirement and failure to do it could result in a fine of £1,000.”
People can walk in to the hub to get help with filling in their form.
Alternatively, they can call 01423 714953 for help and advice over the phone.
Filling in the form, which takes about 10 minutes, can be done on paper, smartphone, tablet or computer.
For those unfamiliar with technology, assistance can be provided with filling out the form online and submitting it.
The census helps local and national government to obtain a snapshot of the entire population at one point in time.
This helps in future planning for services such as healthcare, education and transport.
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Census facts and figures
This year marks the 22nd census.
The first census was held in Great Britain in March 1801.
It recorded the combined population of England, Wales and Scotland at 10.9 million, living in 1.8 million houses.
It has been held every 10 years, except for 1941, when it did not take place because of World War II.
By the 2011 Census, the UK population – which also includes Northern Ireland – had grown to 63 million, of which 32 million were female and 31 million were male.
Exclusive: No more first vaccines in Harrogate district until June, leaked letter revealsPeople hoping to receive a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the Harrogate district may have to wait until June, a letter leaked to the Stray Ferret has revealed.
The Harrogate district had made good progress with the vaccination programme. According to the latest NHS England figures, more than 95,000 jabs have been given.
But as the national rollout focuses on people aged just over 40, it seems the NHS has cut vaccine supply to the Humber, Coast and Vale Integrated Care System, which oversees the vaccine programme in the Harrogate district.
A letter signed by Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Beverley Geary, chief nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and leaked to the Stray Ferret, revealed the supply problem. The letter says:
“We were informed earlier this week that there would be no first dose vaccination supply for the ICS until June.
“The situation is still developing and there may be some Pfizer vaccine available earlier in May. This is a huge disappointment to everyone who has worked on the vaccination programme in the ICS.
“We know you will all be concerned about the impact of this national supply issue on your own ability to continue to deliver the programme, the impact on patients as well as the reputational risk.”
The letter, dated April 22, was sent to senior health officials in the region as well as large scale vaccination sites and community pharmacies.
It says Humber, Coast and Vale ICS is “extremely concerned about the proposed national campaign for the vaccination programme due to start next week”, when the focus is likely to be on over 40s.
“We have expressed our surprise at such a disjointed approach at the national level and the impact that this will have on local areas managing patient expectations.”
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The pharmacy-run vaccination centres in Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge have not held a vaccine clinic since April 17 and because of supply problems do not have a date for the next one.
Since it opened at the beginning of the month, the Pateley Bridge centre has only been able to give 400 coronavirus jabs.
Samin Khan, who runs Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have only managed to hand out 400 vaccines since opening because we have not been given any coronavirus vaccines.
“Other places are getting a supply. The NHS is sending people out to York and Leeds when they want to get a jab in their local area.
“It seems like because the Harrogate district has done so well with the coronavirus vaccines that we have been penalised.”
Ms Bloor told a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing today that first dose supply was “getting low.” She added:
“I think it is fair to say that throughout the vaccination programme there have been peaks and troughs in vaccine supply.
“It is a bit lumpy, some weeks we get more and some weeks we get less. At the moment, we are getting slightly less in terms of first doses than we have been previously.
“But, actually, what that means is we can really focus on getting people through for second doses because we have got that guaranteed second dose supply.
“We are also assured that we will still be on track to deliver first doses to all of those aged over 18 by July 31 in line with the government guidance.”
Stump Cross owners to raffle their £130,000 flatThe owners of Stump Cross Caverns are to raffle their flat in Pateley Bridge to raise more money for the site.
Lisa Bowerman and Nicholas Markham hope to sell 20,000 tickets for £10 each to generate funds to maintain the ancient limestone caves.
The couple. who live on the site of the caves, recently raised £70,000 by raffling their camper van to keep the business open.
But they say more money is needed for essential work — hence the new crowdfunding appeal.
They’re also campaigning to get Chancellor Rishi Sunak to visit the caves after previous bids for grants were unsuccessful.
Ms Bowerman said:
“I’m desperate for Rishi to see our amazing cave. I’ve got his hard hat ready. We bring 60,000 visitors to the Yorkshire Dales each year and if he can see what we do I think he would agree to help us.
“I don’t think it should be down to the public to help us, but I’m grateful they do. The government should be helping.”
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The caves are due to reopen on May 17 and Ms Bowerman said she expected the best year ever.
But she estimated the couple had lost £500,000 over the last year of enforced closure and lack of government support meant further funds were required for essential work, such as renewing the lighting system.
A Save the Caves petition to get Sunak to listen to their plea for help has already received almost 2,500 signatures.
Other heritage organisations, including Kents Cavern, in Torquay, Margate Caves and Creswell Crags in Derbyshire received financial boost from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund to help them through the pandemic, said Ms Bowerman.
But Stump Cross Caverns has not received anything.
Ms Bowerman said:
“Now that we have raised the funds to reopen and secure jobs we need to focus on the essential maintenance and repairs, including the renewal of the caves lighting system.
“It’s a massive blow to us to have to sell another personal possession but we’ve got nowhere else to turn. Unlike other heritage sites, similar to ours, who’ve benefited from funding, we’ve been left to fend for ourselves.
“Over an 18-year period we’ve worked hard to sustain a successful business, but this pandemic and the associated loss of trade has left us fighting for survival.”
She added the caves played a vital role in supporting the wider Dales economy because they boosted tourism to other areas.
Nidderdale Museum granted £54,800 to sustain heritageNidderdale Museum in Pateley Bridge has been awarded £54,800 as part of a project to sustain the heritage of the area.
The volunteer-run museum has a collection of over 32,000 items, including costumes, artefacts and photographs.
The funding, secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will help to fund a 15-month project called Sustaining Nidderdale’s Heritage.
The project aims to ensure the museum can continue to preserve and display local heritage.
It will enable the facility to expand its volunteers and set up recruitment and training programmes.
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A part-time project manager will be appointed to oversee the scheme, which will start in May. There will also be an opportunity for a young person to be taken on as part of a trainee placement.
The museum, which receives more than 6,000 visitors a year, also hopes the grant will help it to put measures in place to secure Arts Council England accreditation, which would enable it to apply for future funding.
Sue Welch, chairman of the Nidderdale Museum, said:
“We’re delighted to receive this funding, which will mean we can safeguard the future of Nidderdale’s heritage, and give more people the opportunity to learn about it.
“We’re grateful to all those who, by buying lottery tickets, have made this funding possible.”
The museum expects to re-open on May 21, and will then be open from 1.30 – 4.30pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout May and June.
‘It’s been superb’: Nidderdale welcomes Pateley Bridge vaccination centreThe new Pateley Bridge covid vaccination centre is set to be a vital lifeline to the people of Nidderdale.
The site at the Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall opened today and has the potential to vaccinate up to 400 people a day. The Stray Ferret visited to speak to some of the staff and volunteers, as well as those excited to receive their jab.
Pharmacist Samina Khan owns Pateley Bridge Pharmacy which is running the site. She said prior to the vaccine centre opening, her patients have had to travel to the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate or Ripon Racecourse, which isn’t always easy.
She said:
“Most of our patients are elderly who’ve had to rely on public transport or Nidderdale Plus to take them. Some have had to use taxis which cost a £60 round trip, or asked children to come over to take them”.
‘A huge difference’
Her comments were echoed by Pateley Bridge GP Lewis Caplin who helped set up the site with Samina. He said he knows of two people who have avoided taking the vaccine because they didn’t want to travel a long distance.
From Pateley Bridge, it’s a 26 mile round trip to the Great Yorkshire Showground site.
He said:
“It’s made a huge difference for those people to walk around the corner and get their vaccine.”
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The Pateley Bridge and Bewerley Memorial Hall on Park Road
Andrew Cockroft is from the Nidderdale Plus community hub. He said over 100 local volunteers have risen to the challenge to help residents get vaccinated at Pateley Bridge as well as in Harrogate and Ripon.
He added:
“All the volunteers are keen to see centres open up that have less of a journey. What Samina has done with Lewis to set it up has been a lot of work. It’s terrific to see people come from around the corner to get their jabs.”
‘The best place on Earth’
Proud Nidderdale resident Phil White said “it means everything” to have a vaccination site near to his home in Dacre — and even walked the five miles in the sunshine to get his second jab.
He said:
“I’ve walked it here and it took two and a quarter hours too. It’s a bit of exercise in the beautiful weather and countryside and I’ve been well looked after here. It’s been superb. Nidderdale is the best place on Earth!”