Harrogate pub Christies reopens after refurb

Harrogate pub Christies has reopened after closing for a month-long refurbishment.

The watering hole on Kings Road, owned by Punch Pubs and Co, welcomed customers to take a look at the new-look pub last Thursday.

The building has had a fresh coat of paint and builders have been busy giving the bar and outside a makeover.

Despite some changes, new managers Lee and Ben say every effort has been made to ensure the pub keeps its “traditional unique character and pub-like atmosphere”.

For drinkers there is a choice of five draft lagers, four cask ales and a selection of craft beers.

There is also a finger food menu that includes burgers and hot dogs.

Previous landlords Marik Scatchard and Jo Jarvis left the pub in July after over 14 years.

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Last remaining Sam Smith’s pub in Knaresborough closes

The last remaining pub owned by Sam Smith’s in Knaresborough has called time and closed its doors.

The Wellington Inn, a traditional pub on Briggate, was until recently one of three pubs in the town owned by the Tadcaster-based brewery.

There was also the Marquis of Granby, on York Place, and the Commercial Hotel, formerly the Borough Bailiff, on High Street.

Allan Gauld, branch chairman, Harrogate & Ripon CAMRA said:

“Obviously we are disappointed and saddened by the closure of any pub or licensed premises. Sam Smith’s are known for offering good value prices in a traditional setting so the closure of their last house in Knaresborough is a particular blow to customer choice.

“We understand the pressures the licensed trade had been under during and since the pandemic and we hope Sam Smith’s will be able to find new tenants and the closures will not be permanent. Knaresborough has gained a good reputation for the quality and variety of its pubs and we’re sure this will continue.”

People in Knaresborough reacted with sadness to the closure on Facebook, with many expressing concerns over “yet another” empty building in the town.

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One person wrote:

“Such a shame and Knaresborough just ends up with empty buildings.”

Another added:

“What a shame, another nice pub stands empty.”

The Stray Ferret attempted to contact Sam Smith’s but has not yet received a reply.

Spooky Ripon venues sought for paranormal events

Do you own a haunted castle, hall, pub, manner house, or stately home in, or within easy reach of Ripon?

If you do, Dion Child would like to hear from you.

Recently arrived in the city Dion runs the growing ‘Write-on-Ripon’ group for creative writers. He also hopes to introduce people to his style of paranormal activity.

Dion formerly lived in Wales where he was involved in running Kington Ghostbusters. He told the Stray Ferret:

“I’ve come up with the name Ripon Spookers and am currently in contact with a range of likely locations, hoping the owners will let us spend a night trying to make contact with their resident spooks.”

He stressed:

“This has nothing to do with devil worship or anything dark and dangerous, but is intended to provide fascinating evenings, or perhaps weekends away, for like-minded people wanting to get in touch with the other side.

“Each will be a bespoke – or perhaps be-spooked event, focused on the ghostly inhabitants residing at each location.”

Like the Most Haunted TV series that ran for 18 seasons and proved a screaming success, the focus will be on finding the paranormal signs of spirit activity.

Dion said that he has never seen a ghost, but added:

“I have sensed a presence, heard footsteps when nobody was there, watched tables levitate and seen white globes floating in mid air.”

The Kington Ghostbusters group held its paranormal activities at reputedly haunted pubs, castles and stately homes and he is confident that similar places can be found in Ripon or surrounding area.

Dion pointed out:

“I’m relatively new to Ripon and have been hearing about places in the city and not far away, that have a haunting tale to tell, such as The Unicorn Inn with its ghosts and the Wakeman’s cafe, which was formerly home to Hugh Ripley, the first mayor of Ripon.

“I’ve heard legend has it that his ghostly figure will appear in a window looking onto the market square, if the hornblowers ever fail to set the nightly watch.

“I understand that this has never happened, including throughout the covid lockdown and it would be a blow to the city if it ever did.”

With up to 20 people anticipated to attend the events that Dion envisages putting on, the hunt is on for suitable medium to larger sized locations.

Anybody who has a property that fits the bill, can contact him via the Ripon Spookers facebook page

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Ripon’s s reputation as a city with many haunted places led to the creation of a popular ghost walk.

The weekly 90-minute walks, which started from Market Square, were interrupted by the covid lockdown, but they made a return when social-distancing restrictions were eased last summer.

Harrogate BID ‘waste of money’, says pub landlord

A Harrogate pub landlord has described the town’s Business Improvement District as a “waste of money” — and is refusing to pay the £370-a-year levy.

Marik Scatchard has been the landlord of Christies Bar on King’s Road for 14 years. He told the Stray Ferret that his pub has seen little benefit from the BID, which was set up in 2019 to improve Harrogate town centre

Businesses within Harrogate’s town centre pay the BID 1.5% of their rateable value a year on top of their usual business rates. Harrogate BID brings in around £500,000 from local firms.

Because a majority of companies voted to set up the BID, Christies is legally obliged to pay the levy. However, Mr Scatchard said he would not pay because the BID does not offer good value for money to levy payers and is run by a “private mates’ club”.

He said:

“We’re having to pay these levies but all they seem to do is put stickers in shop windows. I’m not paying. They can lock me up.”

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Whilst the landlord said the BID provided the pub with some furniture after lockdown and sponsored the Pubwatch scheme, he dismissed recent BID initiatives such as a ping pong table in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

He said the BID should focus its efforts on cleaning up King’s Road and Parliament Street, which he said were regularly strewn with litter.

BIDs have been criticised for doing jobs that have traditionally been under the remit of local councils, effectively taxing businesses twice.

Mr Scatchard said:

“Hardly anyone is in the ping pong room when I’ve been past. It’s a joke. It won’t bring anything to town.

“You don’t see them doing anything around the King’s Road area. It just winds me up, it doesn’t benefit me at all.”

BID’s response

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are well aware of Mr Scatchard’s views on the BID and the levy. Whilst he hasn’t paid his levy for the last two years, he has been happy to accept support from us, in particular outdoor furniture to help him out of the first lockdown in July 2020. He also had BID-funded flower boxes surrounding his venue.

“Christies also benefits from our sponsorship of Harrogate Pubwatch, and if he so chose to, he could take advantage of the LoyalFree app to help promote his business, and also become a member of the Harrogate Gift Card Scheme.

“He could also apply for a £750 match-funded grant, which would more than pay for one year’s levy! And whilst happy to criticise us on social media, he isn’t keen to speak with us in person, which we have tried to do on several occasions.

“Even though he personally doesn’t like the ping pong parlour, which I’m delighted to say is reopening at the end of the month, there are many who do, and these people make special trips into town to make use of this BID-funded activity.

“Finally, perhaps he’d like to pass comment on our recent festive partnership with Harrogate Borough Council and Destination Harrogate? Without BID and the levy, much of this would simply have not been possible.”

Plan submitted to refurbish Harrogate’s Coach and Horses pub

Plans have been lodged to refurbish the Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

The new owners have now submitted plans to revamp the bar and kitchen area and reinstate the corner entrance.

It would also see part of the first floor converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns, told the Stray Ferret that the company wanted to maintain the Coach and Horses as a “traditional pub”.

He said:

“The idea is to refurbish what is already there.

“We see it as the last traditional pub in Harrogate. We know from our guests how well it was respected.”

Documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council say the refurbishment will create up to 26 full time jobs across “a range of skilled and semi skilled occupations”.

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It is unclear when the pub will reopen, however Mr Blundell said the owners could get started on the work as soon as planning permission is granted.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The Coach and Horses has been closed for 20 months.

Previous landlord John Nelson lost the pub’s licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Mr Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

Killinghall resident looks into ways to reopen village pub

A Killinghall resident is looking to investigate what can be done to re-open the only remaining pub in the heart of the village.

The Greyhounds Inn, a Samuel Smith‘s pub at the junction of Ripon Road and Otley Road, has been closed for several years.

Its loss has been particularly keenly felt since the Three Horseshoes opposite was razed to the ground last year to make way for a new Tesco Express store, which is due to open next year.

It means the rapidly expanding village has gone from having two pubs in its centre to none.

Jonny Smith, who moved to Killinghall five years ago, recently floated the idea on social media of villagers getting together to see what could be done to re-open The Greyhounds.

Mr Smith said:

“I’m trying to understand where we stand, and whether as a collective we can do anything.

“It’s a nice old building with so much potential. It has a lovely old pub feel to it and just needs some TLC. Killinghall has more homes and families than ever so it could do well.”

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Sam Smith’s occasionally posts adverts looking for people to run the pub but it has been closed for about five years. Mr Smith said:

“I know others in the village want to see it re-open. I’m hoping somebody might have an idea on where we go from here but I don’t have a massive amount of hope.”

The Stray Ferret attempted to contact Samuel Smith’s but has not yet received a reply.

Tesco has begun advertising for 15 staff to work at the Express store that is being built on the site of the former Three Horseshoes pub.

The advert initially said the positions were for a Jack’s store, which is Tesco’s budget brand, but a spokesman for the company told the Stray Ferret this was an error and it would be an Express.

The Tesco spokesman also said a planning application for the proposed new full size Tesco store in Harrogate, about a mile from the site of the Killinghall Express, was “imminent”.

 

Increased Harrogate district police patrols to get people home safe

Police in the Harrogate district have increased patrols to help people get home safe over the festive period.

North Yorkshire Police has partnered with Harrogate Borough Council as part of an annual Get Home Safely from bars, nightclubs and restaurants campaign.

The key message of the campaign is for people to plan their journeys home in advance, look-out for one another, and look after their drinks and possessions.

Statistics show that domestic abuse incidents increase during bank holiday periods, and the campaign also aims to highlight emotional and practical support available through the charity IDAS.

Revellers will notice posters and digital boards with advice across the district. They will also notice more police on the streets.

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Cllr Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:

“The festive period is often a time when people catch-up with friends and enjoy themselves in pubs and restaurants, and we want them to be able to do so safely.

“For many, this will be the first festive period since before the pandemic, that they have celebrated the festivities and we want them to remember it for all the right reasons by staying safe, and following the latest vovid guidance and advice.”

Chief Inspector Andy Colbourne, from North Yorkshire Police, said:

“The police and council continue to work in partnership to make the Harrogate district a safe place for all to enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities.

“The support of licensed premises in the Get Home Safely annual campaign is particularly prevalent this year and we hope that everyone enjoys a safe night out.”

Lauren Doherty, from Road Safety Talks was left paralysed during a night out with friends. She said:

“A moment of distraction during a night out can change your life forever. Have fun, enjoy yourselves and get home safely.”

‘You’re banned’: Harrogate pubs introduce new sanctions against troublemakers

People caught drug dealing in Harrogate venues face 18 month bans in a new list of sanctions that comes into force today.

Harrogate Pubwatch, which represents 38 licensed venues in town, has updated its list of ban tariffs.

The tariffs state how long people caught offending in one venue face being banned from all venues that take part in the scheme.

Members of Harrogate Pubwatch, which includes pubs such as Wetherspoon and Christies Bar as well as hotel bars such as The Crown and the Cedar Court Hotel, share information and photos of troublemakers on an app.

They then have a week to vote on what action to take, with the ban tariffs acting as a guide.

Acts of violence carry a 24-month ban, sexual harassment has a nine-month ban and possession of weapons carries a life ban. Eleven people currently have life bans.

Harrogate Pubwatch ban tariffs

Acts of violence against venue staff, which carries a 30-month ban, has been introduced as a new category following a recent increase in incidents.

Alan Huddart, vice-chair of Harrogate Pubwatch and treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said there had been four attacks on venue staff in town since pubs reopened after lockdown.

Mr Huddart said he wasn’t sure why staff were being attacked more but the app had proved effective in taking collaborative action to keep venues safe. He said:

“At the moment we have a total of 46 people banned. There have been as many as over 100 previously.

“You could argue that lockdown has been responsible for the number declining but increasing the profile of Harrogate Pubwatch has been effective.”

Harrogate Pubwatch holds quarterly meetings with police representatives.

Harrogate Business Improvement District contributed £2,000 towards the Harrogate Pubwatch app.

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Plans to convert former Lower Dunsforth pub into flats

Plans have been submitted to convert a former pub and restaurant in Lower Dunsforth into three flats.

Stonefield Developments has applied to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the building, which was most recently a restaurant called The Hideaway Kitchen. Before that it was a pub called The Dunsforth.

The village is four miles from Boroughbridge.

The restaurant closed last year. Planning documents cite a “lack of customer trade and consequent viability issues” as the reason.

The documents add it was recently re-marketed as a restaurant but received no interest.

The upper floor of the building already has three existing flats, so if approved the building would have six in total.

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Two other nearby village pubs have had applications to convert them into housing over the past year.

In March 2021, Harrogate Borough Council approved plans to turn the former Green Tree pub in Little Ouseburn into housing.

The pub, which is on the main B6265 from Green Hammerton to Boroughbridge, closed in late 2019.

In the same month, the council also approved a plan to turn The Crown Inn pub in Great Ouseburn into a five-bedroom home.

Bookings surge for Harrogate restaurants reopening next week

Previously closed pubs and restaurants in the district have been inundated with bookings ahead of restrictions easing next Monday.

This is the first time many venues without large outdoor seating areas have been able to open in five months.

We spoke to three local independent venues to hear how they’ve dealt with the sudden demand.

The Tannin Level on Raglan Street told the Stray Ferret that they’re almost fully booked for their first week of opening, with the second week filling up fast. Owner, John Roberts, describes the prospect of reopening as “daunting but exciting”.

“It will feel strange after having the place so quiet and empty for so long.

“We’ve taken time to redecorate and look at our menu. We’re trying to use ask much local produce as possible and support the North Yorkshire economy.

“By supporting local independents you’re supporting the local economy.”

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Mike Schofield owns The Shepherd’s Dog on Otley Road. While they could have opened sooner using outdoor space, they decided that it would be a gamble to open with such unpredictable weather.

They will be opening on a first-come-first-served basis but have already heard from people excited to get back.

“There’s a big demand from people wanting to drink inside.

“[Local pubs] have gambled their futures this year and now people want to support the local independents.”

The Two Brothers Grill and Pizzeria in Knaresborough is also fully booked on 17 May. While the venue does have a courtyard, owner Nandor Ravasz told the Stray Ferret they were unable to use it for outdoor seating as it did not comply with covid regulations:

“We’re excited to get back and see out customers. We have lots of bookings coming in very fast.”