Ripley Castle Archives - Page 2 of 4

GALLERY: 6,000 people flock to ‘picture perfect’ Ripley ShowRipley Castle – further sale details revealed‘We feel for them’: Ripley reacts to news of estate saleBusiness Breakfast: Massage therapy business opens in Harrogate

A massage therapist has opened her new practice, Bodyworks by Corey, in Harrogate on Oakridge View this week.

Corey Lofthouse moved to Harrogate from the USA in 2022. Soon after moving she faced a challenging battle with Breast Cancer.

Her personal experience with pain management during surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy encouraged her to open the business.

Still undergoing treatment but heading for full recovery, her business is ready to go. Offering all forms of massage therapy including deep tissue, Swedish, Orthopaedic and Oncology her practice is home based.

Ms Lofthouse said:

“I was always fascinated with oncology massage and had planned to add it to my services anyway, but this just solidified it, and made it a huge priority for me. There is so much pain management during breast cancer care that just isn’t catered for during treatment. The nerve damage that occurred with lymph node removal meant that I had to re-learn how my skin understood touch.”

Private wealth company plant 250 trees to extend Harrogate forest

Titan Private Wealth volunteers at the White Forest

Fourteen volunteers from Titan Private Wealth and Titan Financial Planning have planted trees to extend the White Rose Forest, near Bilton in Harrogate.

They cleared spaces for saplings to be planted, staked the plants and put a mulch mat around the saplings.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire. It is the largest of England’s community forests.

Mark Puleikis, joint chief executive of Titan Private Wealth, said:

“Our staff really relished the opportunity to contribute to the local area and we hope to continue our partnership with the forest in the future.”

Firm donates £4,000 to Harrogate mental health charity

Robert Beaumont (left) fund-raiser for Wellspring, with Hussein Kahil of Pegasus

Pegasus World Holding, has donated £4,000 to Harrogate mental health charity Wellspring Therapy & Training.

Chief executive Ivan Zhou said:

“Wellspring provides private counselling at affordable rates, easing the overwhelming demand on the NHS’ mental health services, and providing hope for children, families and individuals who are struggling with mental ill health and distress.”

Nick Garrett, interim chief executive of Wellspring said:

“This much needed donation is also vital as it will help us improve peoples’ mental health. I can’t thank Ivan Zhou enough for his company’s generosity.”

Wellspring Therapy & Training, which is based in Starbeck, was founded in 2003. It provides affordable short and long-term counselling for the Harrogate and district community.

Tax consultants open new Harrogate office

PD Tax. Front L to R: Lucy Bagnall, Paul Davison, Charlotte Wardle. Back L to R: Laura Brennan, Lloyd Bean, Daniel Hill, Peter French

Leeds based PD Tax Consultants have opened a new Harrogate office at Royal House on Station Parade.

The company was founded by Paul Davison in 2013, with head of the Harrogate branch Lucy Bagnell joining in 2023.

Ms Bagnall said:

“This is an exciting step in the growth of PD Tax and I am looking forward to working with the business community of Harrogate.”

A company spokesperson added:

“Paul and Lucy have a wealth of expertise to call on. We are looking forward to working with entrepreneurs and businesses in Harrogate, but also supporting local accountants with their clients’ more complex tax needs if their in-house tax team needs additional one-off support.”

Live for Today opens new shop at Ripley Castle

Live for Today store at Ripley Castle

Outdoor activities business, Live For Today, have acquired a new shop at Ripley Castle.

The company is owned by Marc Wise and Dan Miller. The new Live For Today shop is now co-located with the Grindhus Coffee Shop.

The new store offers direct access to Ripley Castle’s grounds and includes a meeting space upstairs.

Designed to accommodate up to 15 people, the meeting space is set to be ready to book in the coming months, offering a place for corporate groups, educational outings, or private gatherings.

Izak Jackson, marketing manager for Live For Today said:

“This move signifies an evolution for Live For Today. Our new shop at Ripley Castle, while only a few doors down from the old one, offers a perfect backdrop for our adventurers to experience the thrill of the outdoors, grounded in the rich history and stunning landscapes of Yorkshire.”

New salon opens in Harrogate

Era Salon Harrogate

A new salon, Era Harrogate, has opened on Grange Avenue. Co-Owners Jenny Addyman and Kirstie Bowdin, both originally from Harrogate, have been in the industry for 10 years.

The salon will offer hair services from bridal, to extensions, to colour changes, colour maintenance and then trims right through to restyles. As well as nails, lashes, brows and facial waxing.

The unit has undergone a full refurbishment costing thousands. The site was a salon previously, meaning the team managed to “upcycle a few things”.

Ms Addyman and Ms Bowdin said in a joint statement:

“We opened in Harrogate as we both grew up, went to school and trained as hairdressers here and so this is where our families and clienteles are. But we knew we wanted more of a residential area to suit our already existing clients and to make parking less of a hassle. Our dream of opening a salon together from those younger years has stood the test of time. This just seemed like the perfect time to take the leap and go into business together.”

Owners of Era Harrogate Salon, Jenny Addyman and Kirstie Bowdin

Big Bamboo appoints PR director

Matt Reeder Big Bamboo PR director

Full-service marketing and communications agency, Big Bamboo, has appointed Matt Reeder as its new PR director.

Mr Reeder, a journalist with more than 30 years’ experience, takes the role having worked alongside the team as a PR consultant since November 2023.

Mr Reeder said:

“Having already experienced first-hand how extremely talented and dedicated the team of marketing experts are at Big Bamboo, the opportunity to join them was simply too good to turn down.”

Nicola Stamford, the company’s owner and founding director, said:

“Matt is a welcome addition to the team, having already demonstrated his PR capability to us since November last year. I have no doubt he will be an asset to us and our clients.”

5 alternative Easter activities in and around HarrogateBusiness Breakfast: New outdoor shop opens in Ripon

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

A Trespass and Nevisport store is the latest addition to Ripon‘s high street.

The outdoor clothing, footwear and accessories specialist, which sells brands including The North Face, Rab and Berghaus, opened its doors on Saturday morning in a prime retail location at Market Place East.

The premises were previously occupied for many years by Barclays Bank, whose Ripon branch closed in August 2022.

The Trespass brand was created in 1984 by long-established Glasgow firm Jacobs & Turner Ltd, which still owns it. The first Trespass store in mainland Europe opened in the Netherlands in 2014 and others have since opened in Poland, France, Germany and Austria.

Nevisport was founded near Ben Nevis in Scotland in 1970 and was acquired by Jacobs & Turner Ltd in 2007.

New Christmas market at Ripley

Real Markets, which runs markets across Yorkshire, has announced a new Christmas market at Ripley Castle.

Real Markets at Ripley Castle on Sunday, December 10 will feature a “special visitor from the North Pole” and carols from local schoolchildren. Visitors will also have free access to Ripley Castle’s grounds and gardens on market day.

Lucy Allen, director of Real Markets, said:

“We hope our special Christmas market brings a little magic in this fairytale setting. We’re thrilled that our specially curated local market will continue to be in the castle grounds once a month, every month next year too. It offers free access to Ripley castle’s grounds and gardens, so a fantastic day out for all ages.”

The monthly market at Ripley Castle. Photo: Real Markets.

Real Markets runs a number of long-standing Yorkshire markets, including monthly markets and farmers’ markets in Ilkley, Grassington, Otley and Harrogate, as well as at Ripley Castle on the last Sunday of each month excluding January. Its ethos is to support local, small, specialist and independent businesses to benefit the local community and help local producers thrive.

The Real Markets Christmas market at Ripley Castle will take place from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 10 December. Admission is free.

Christmas market to be held at Ripley Castle

A Christmas market is set to be held in Ripley in December.

Real Markets, which also hosts markets in Grassington, Ilkley and Harrogate Farmers’ Market, will hold the free event in the castle courtyard at Ripley Castle.

It will include 40 independent and artisan traders, as well as festive carols from local school children and craft activities.

There will also be a visit from Father Christmas for children from 10am until 11.15am.

Lucy Allen, director of Real Markets, said:

“We’re very excited to bring a specially curated local market to the magical setting of Ripley. It offers a fantastic day out for all ages, thanks to the historic, rural setting, where visitors can enjoy the village and castle grounds.

“We hope it brings some real, traditional Christmas magic to visitors.”

The event will be held on Sunday, December 10, from 10am until 3pm.

Admission to the grounds is free and dogs on leads are also welcome.

Yemi’s Food Stories: Memorable weddings with Blossom Tree Cake Company

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food and sharing cooking tips– please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

It was love at ‘hello’ when Kean Ong opened the door to the Harrogate-based kitchen design studio which immediately transported me into a timeless, elegant, classic and stunning space that set the perfect scene for what was to come.

Kean grew up in Malaysia and worked in Singapore as a chef before relocating to the UK where he continued to hone his skills working in pan Asian, French and modern European kitchens including the Marriot Group, where he discovered a love and passion for pastry.

Picking up a best-in-year award for the advanced diploma in culinary arts patisserie and confectionary at Westminster Kingsway College was the beginning of a truly amazing career at some of London’s finest restaurants including Albert Roux’s The Brasserie at Sofitel St James, Quo Vadis in Soho, Inamo at Wardour Street and St James near Piccadilly.

At Blossom Tree Cake Company He is half of a brilliant duo with Stephen, who I can only describe as the heartwarming ‘behind the scenes yet keeping the show on the road’ main man, and Kean credits Stephen for being a key enabler to their success story.

The name Blossom Tree was inspired by a tree in their front garden and the oriental influences of Kean’s background.

Despite having had an enviable career, Kean says making wedding cakes is what he loves the most. He considers being a part of a couple’s big day a privilege that he pays back by creating the most beautiful, elegant, contemporary and delicious cakes to match their important occasion.

He makes cakes that look as good as they taste on the inside and he wants couples to look back years later still happy with their timeless cake design.

As a food lover, Kean is driven by passion and quality which have translated into him making quality, ethical and traceability choices including growing his own fruits and herbs and moving from fresh flowers to hand crafting life-like flowers for his cakes.

The flavours in his cakes are created using the freshest ingredients, with every element homemade, minimal use of food colouring and the cakes are infused with his signature syrups that keep them moist and light without being overly sweet.

For the tasting, Kean made me three flavours including a new one which he will be unveiling for the next wedding season.

The Chocolate Salted-Caramel cake was a delight with the lightest chocolate sponge perfectly balanced with the salted caramel buttercream. As a non-chocolate cake lover, I was an easy convert by the delicate flavour which didn’t smack me in the face with chocolate.

Kean explained that he kept the flavour light because people would have been eating all day and wouldn’t want a cake that is heavy or overly sweet.

Yemi and Kean Ong with some of his creations

I moved on to the most popular flavour of Passion Fruit curd, Vanilla buttercream and White Chocolate sponge and could immediately see why this is popular, with most couples asking for a layer. The passion fruit curd was sublime cutting through the white chocolate sponge making me want to go for yet another bite.

My favourite all time cake remains a well made Victoria sponge cake and the new flavour that I tasted took it to another level. We are often told the classics are classic for a reason and should be untouched, but I counter that by saying sometimes a classic needs a facelift in the hands of a craftsman.

That’s exactly what Kean has done with his twist on this well loved classic featuring quintessentially British ingredients, capturing the smells of summer and champagne.

Each flavour was the front runner until I tasted the next one; I left without being able to decide my favourite but I remain partial to his latest creation.

Kean puts his heart and soul into his work; his artistic flair, skill, experience and training as a pastry chef was rewarded with four Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards in 2022 for his Elderflower & Blackcurrant, Raspberry velvet, zesty Lime, and Pistachio & Plum flavours.

Another three awards were added in 2023 for Zesty lemon, Chocolate & Cherry and Lychee, Raspberry & Rose flavours.

Blossom Tree Cake Company’s creations have been featured in many magazines and is the preferred partner for many venues including Goldsborough Hall, Grantley Hall, Ripley Castle and Rudding Park in Harrogate.

Bookings are taken a year in advance with tastings done over the winter period. Tailored consultations result in your wedding cake complimenting and being a talking point on your big day.

With a warm welcome, cakes that look like artworks and creatively delicious flavour profiles, I left Blossom Tree Cakes still in love and armed with tips and inspirations to take my own baking to the next level. Kudos to this dynamic duo.

Stray Ferret vouchers: fun for all the family come wind, rain, or shine

Although it may not have felt like summer over the last few weeks, the Stray Ferret’s voucher page is here to ensure endless fun for all the family during the holidays.

From pizza and castles to the St Leger and virtual reality, we’re offering our readers unmissable discounts to keep your children and your bank balance happy!

So whether you’re seeking culture, excitement, furry friends or just some full tummies, be sure to check out our vouchers to make your summer shine.

The Park Playground: 50% off 60-minute group VR experience for 4!

Fancy transporting to a different reality? Well, at The Park Playground, Leeds, you can do just that!

The hottest new virtual reality experience in Yorkshire is giving Stray Ferret readers 50% off a 60-minute group VR experience for 4 – that’s half the price for double the fun.

Discover a thrilling adventure with your friends and family in a unique, free-roam environment and enter a world of breathtaking virtual reality.

Work together or battle against each other in an ultra-real virtual world, like hunting zombies in The Hallow, or solving puzzles in ancient Egypt in The Mask of The Pharaoh.

Thrill seekers can face their fears in Don’t Scream, or even take part in your very own TV game show in The Snitch.

Click here to buy your voucher and go on an incredible journey beyond your imagination at Park Playground.

Major Tom’s Social: 2 pizzas for just £12!

Calling all pizza lovers! Major Tom’s Social is offering Stray Ferret readers 2 Margherita pizzas for just £12 – one pizza is usually at least £10, so don’t miss out on this tasty deal.

Known for its delicious stone baked pizzas, made in house using flour and tomatoes imported from Italy, Major Tom’s Social is the place to go if you’re looking for great quality food and drinks.

So, gather your friends and head down to Major Tom’s after work to enjoy a full-size pizza for a fraction of the price!

Click here to claim your voucher.

Ripley Castle Guided Tour – Two adult admission tickets for the price of one!

If you’re looking for some fresh air and culture this summer, Ripley Castle is offering two adult tickets for the price of one with this exclusive deal.

That’s right…a family of 2 adults and children under 12 can enjoy a guided tour of the castle, as well as admission into the gardens and grounds for just £15!

Ripley Castle has been home to the Ingilby family for over 700 years — the tour will share fascinating stories about the history the family, as well as the castle itself.

Immerse yourself in the grounds and walled garden that surrounds the estate with floral and shrub borders, a kitchen garden with a range of vegetables, a herb garden and a fruit orchard. A true garden-lovers dream.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive deal – buy your voucher here.

DogFest – 2 for 1 tickets!

Struggling to find somewhere to have fun with your four-legged friend? Then look no further as we’re bringing you 2-for-1 tickets to DogFest!

You and your hound can enjoy a day of non-stop fun at the nation’s favourite dog-friendly festival!

Expect a day of agility courses, hay bale racing, doggy diving and even a giant ball pit for your dog to enjoy.

Owners will be invited to attend ‘Breed Meet Ups’, where families with the same breed are encouraged to swap stories, share notes, and take photos.

Visitors can also take part in the Big Dog Walk’s 2km or 4km walk around the grounds of the estate.

Enjoy all that andmore for just £20 – grab your discounted voucher here.

Harewood House – Half price Family Ticket!

Prepare to explore 100 acres of gardens and grounds this summer with half price family tickets to Harewood House!

Fancy a bit of adventure? Get lost in the winding paths of the Himalayan Gardens or stroll around the lake to discover the famous Walled Garden.

The site also offers a Woodland Wonderland play area and adventure playground for your little ones to burn off some steam, as well as a variety of walks to enjoy the natural beauty on display.

Get your half price voucher here.

Doncaster Racecourse: 37% off Betfred St Leger Legends Day – Grandstand tickets

The Stray Ferret is bringing you discounted tickets to one of the oldest and most prestigious races in Britain – the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster Racecourse!

Featuring the Leger Legends Charity Race, the Legends Day will showcase an array of ex-professional jockeys to celebrate the final day of the historic four-day racing festival.

Whether you’re looking for some family fun or just a good knees-up with some friends, the Grandstand tickets will grant you access to public bars, eateries, and betting outlets along with views of the racing action including the parade ring and pre-parade ring.

Children can expect a kid’s disco, meet & greets with Doncaster Knights players, an air ambulance simulator, stilt walkers and more!

The race will take place on Sunday, September 17 — U18’s go free!

Find our special offer here.

Click or tap here to see our vouchers page.

GALLERY: Terrier racing, giant tortoises and axe-throwing at Ripley Show

More than 6,000 people attended Ripley Show yesterday.

The event, which dates back to 1849, is a traditional village show held each year in the grounds of Ripley Castle.

Despite dark clouds, the day stayed mainly dry as visitors enjoyed everything from terrier racing to axe throwing and giant tortoises.

Organised by Ripley and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society on the second Sunday of August each year, there was also sheep dog trials, ferret racing and the judging of numerous animal classes and homemade produce.

Here are some photos from the day.