Half-term: Seven ideas in the Harrogate district to keep the kids entertained
February half-term is just around the corner, meaning many parents will be racking their brains for ideas to keep their children entertained for a week. Luckily, there are many options around the Harrogate district to help – keeping both your children and your bank balance happy.
Whether you fancy some fresh air, culture or just harmless fun, we’ve pulled together seven ideas for all the family.
Birchfield Farm: Spring on The Farm
A rural and inexpensive option, Birchfield Farm in Summerbridge will be open 7 days a week for the duration of the school holidays.
Spring on The Farm invites visitors to see pregnant sheep settling in the barns before birth. Some people may even be lucky enough to witness a baby lamb being born. Visitors are also able to bottle feed the lambs from 11am-2pm on a first come, first served basis.
Children can also enjoy seeing piglets, goats, ponies, donkeys and even pet the guinea pigs.
If that isn’t enough, children can also burn off steam on the bouncy castle, play in the mini construction play area and in the outdoor play area. Go-Karts, pedal tractors, swings and a giant outdoor sandpit can also be enjoyed.
The farm also has a café serving hot and cold food & drinks.
All activities are included in the entrance prices – with adults & children’s prices set at £5.95 and under 2s going free.
No booking is required. No dogs are permitted, except for guide dogs or service dogs.
If your child requires a little (or a lot) more tiring out over half-term, Harrogate Indoor Funfair could be a great option for you. The Funfair will run from 11-19 February, with a quieter session being held on 12 February from 10am-1pm.
With rides, traditional funfair snacks and inflatables, Harrogate Indoor Funfair offers all the joy of a regular funfair in an indoor, climate-controlled space. A nice way to shelter from the inevitable half-term rain.
Harrogate Indoor Funfair will take place at Yorkshire Event Centre, at the Yorkshire Showground. There is free parking at Yorkshire Events Centre and priority parking for Blue Badge holders.
The number 7 and X70 buses stop at Sainsbury’s on Wetherby Road, just one mile from the Funfair entrance.
Prices range from: £12.99 online and £14.99 on the door. Babies in arms go free.
Keep an eye on their website for the upcoming ride list.
If your child has ever asked what you get up to whilst they’re at school, this half-term activity may give them an idea.
Harrogate Yoga and Pilates studio, Ebru Evrim, is hosting a one and a half hour kids yoga workshop this half-term.
The workshop will be brought to life with specially designed music linked to the theme and stories behind the session and lead the children to ultimate relaxation.
The workshop is set to improve concentration and focus, as well as aiding the children to deal with their emotions and self-regulation of moods.
Who knows, your child may even go to bed without any protest that night.
The workshop host, Jenny White, holds a DBS, is fully insured and is also paediatric first aid trained.
Children can expect a day of yoga, arts, dance, mindfulness and, most importantly, lots of fun.
The session is suitable for ages 6-11 years and will cost £12.
The Little Gym Holiday Camps: School’s Out, Fun’s In
For those children that may require a little more bounce in their half-term break, The Little Gym Holiday Camps may be a good solution.
Running from Monday 13-Sunday 19 February, The Little Gym in Harrogate is offering gymnastics camps that run from 8.30am-5pm – including a Breakfast Club to help those parents working over the holiday. The camps vary from as little as 3 hours to 7.5 hours a day and children will learn new skills that they can practise and perfect throughout the session.
The sessions vary each week to stimulate children both physically and mentally, all under the care of qualified and dedicated instructors.
The camps, classes and session suitability ranges from 3-8 & 5-12 years.
The Ripon Ghost Walk half-term special is a spookily inexpensive option to feed your child’s fear-factor!
The half-term special Ghost Walk promises the discovery of ancient burial sites, bone finds and maybe even the presence of deceased Ripon residents.
The half-term Ghost Walk begins much earlier than usual at 16.15pm in the Market Square, meaning it will be dark enough for the ghosts to come out, but early enough to ensure your children are still in bed on time.
Prices start from £4 for under 16s and £6 for adults.
Beyond Imagination Emporium Princess Academy: Valentine’s Special
Calling all Prince and Princesses! Beyond Imagination Emporium in Harrogate is re-opening their Princess Academy this February half-term with a Valentine’s special.
The one-hour Princess Academy sessions take place on select dates during school holidays.
There are two Princess Academy sessions taking place on Saturday 11 February. At 11am, children will be joined by Frozen’s Anna and Kristoff, while the 2pm session will be hosted by Beauty and The Beast’s Prince Adam & Belle.
Children spend time learning royal dances, princess etiquette, arts and crafts and fairy-tale play. The session includes sweet treats for the children, as well as refreshments for the parents.
Children can also make a Valentine’s Day card to give to someone special to them.
The sessions cost £13.95 and are ideal for ages 3 – 9 years.
Children can meet their favourite Prince and Princesses.
Fountains Abbey: Mindful Family Crafts
If you’re looking to join your children in their half-term fun, Fountains Abbey in Ripon is hosting a Mindful Family Crafts event.
The crafting will take place in Swanley Grange, located in the grounds of the Abbey. The event will be running from 11 – 19 February (excluding 12 February), starting at 11am.
Children and parents can get their creative juices flowing using sustainable and natural materials.
The event is suitable for all ages and abilities. Those that may prefer to craft quietly can attend the “crafting quiet hour” from 2pm – 3pm.
The event itself is free, but regular admissions prices apply. Admission for one adult and three children starts from £27.
Decision on 1,300-home Ripon barracks scheme could be made this month
A decision on whether to build a major 1,300-home scheme on an army barracks in Ripon could be made within weeks.
The scheme, which has been submitted by government housing agency Homes England, would see houses built on Claro Barracks off Clotherholme Road.
The proposal was submitted to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2020, but has yet to be decided.
Council officials have now said the scheme could come to the authority’s planning committee this month after negotiations over NHS contributions were nearing an end.
Trevor Watson, the council’s director of economy and culture, told an overview and scrutiny commission meeting on Monday that developer contributions for health was the “last big issue” to overcome.
He said:
“We are confident that we are now approaching the final negotiations in relation to what was the last big issue that has caused a few problems.
“That is the level of contributions towards health provision. We are nearing an agreement on that, I think.
“That will allow us to bring forward the application for determination by Harrogate Borough Council at a special planning committee, we hope on February 23 and we also hope with a recommendation of approval.”
Claro Barracks
Mr Watson added the scheme was a “once in a generation opportunity” to develop a brownfield site included in the Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place.
Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished at the end of next month and succeeded by the new North Yorkshire Council.
The negotiations over developer contributions come after NHS managers in North Yorkshire objected to the scheme because of concerns about the amount of funding that would be provided for local healthcare.
In a letter to the council, Andrew Dangerfield, head of primary care transformation at NHS Humber & North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said the method used by Homes England to assess healthcare need as a result of the new homes was “at odds” with the NHS.
He added the developer had offered “zero” section 106 contributions to help mitigate demand as a result of increased population due to the scheme.
“The integrated care board is concerned about Homes England’s overall approach to health, they have sought to provide zero section 106 contributions towards the provision of healthcare infrastructure on a development of significant scale (circa 3,000 people), using a methodology which is at odds with the NHS commissioners and local healthcare partners.
“The integrated care board, who has direct expert knowledge of the local surgeries in the area and is responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services have consistently outlined that the existing practices do not have capacity to absorb the population created by the 1,300 homes coming forward as part of this application, and therefore have requested mitigation in the form of a section 106 contribution.”
Mr Dangerfield added that should no contributions towards healthcare be made, then the development “cannot be considered sustainable”.
In October 2020, NHS North Yorkshire CCG – which preceded the integrated care board – said in a letter to the borough council that it was seeking £553,128 from Homes England in contributions to health.
The planned homes in Ripon will include a significant number of two and three-bedroom mid-range houses and will include apartments in the centre.
It also includes a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.
Body found in search for missing Ripon man
A body has been found in the search for missing Ripon man Gavin Dhont.
Mr Dhont, 45, was reported missing on December 13, after last being seen in the city on December 6.
North Yorkshire Police said this afternoon a body recovered from the River Ure on January 29 had been identified as Mr Dhont.
A brief police statement said:
“A body recovered from the River Ure on 29 January 2023 has been identified as Gavin Dhont, a Ripon man who was reported missing on 13 December 2022.
“Mr Dhont’s family have been informed and we would ask that their privacy is respected.”
Clothing retailer M&Co is set to shut its Ripon branch.
The Scottish company, which sells clothes and homeware, went into administration for a second time in December last year.
The Ripon store had previously been saved from closure in 2020 when the firm went through a financial restructure.
However, M&Co is set to close all of its outlets after the sale of the retailer to AK Retail Holdings did not include physical stores.
The closures were announced in social media posts by individual branches across the UK.
It said:
“Unfortunately we haven’t received the news we would have hoped for during our administration period, and would like to share this news with you.
“As we haven’t received any funded, deliverable offers that would result in the transfer of the company’s stores or staff to a potential buyer, this means that all of our stores will close.”
The company has 170 stores nationwide and employs some 1,900 staff.
Joint administrators Gavin Park, Adele MacLeod and Rob Harding of Teneo Financial Advisory Limited were appointed to oversee the retailer in December 2022.
Speaking at the time, Mr Park said M&Co had seen increasing costs at a time of decline in “customer confidence”.
He said:
“Like many retailers, the Company has experienced a sharp rise in its input costs, which has coincided with a decline in consumer confidence leading to trading challenges.
“Despite a very loyal customer base, particularly in local markets, and a well-recognised brand, the current economic outlook has placed increasing pressure on the Company’s cash position.”
New plans submitted for redevelopment of former Ripon timber yard site
A new planning application has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council for redevelopment of the former North Yorkshire Timber yard on Trinity Lane in Ripon.
Site owner Red Tree Developments Ltd is seeking consent for the change of use and conversion of the former warehouse space to form 12 houses.
Approval is also requested for construction of two further dwellings on the 0.64 acre plot, which was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.
The application includes plans for formation of access onto Trinity Lane, along with associated landscaping and parking provision.
In a previous application submitted in September 2020, Red Tree sought permission to demolish buildings on the site to make way for 13 new homes.
That application was refused by council planners in December 2020 and last month an appeal against the refusal decision was lodged with the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
Planning consent was refused on the grounds that the scheme would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area, but Jay Everett, a planning consultant who submitted the appeal on behalf of Red Tree, argued that the loss of the existing building would cause ‘less than substantial harm’ to the conservation area.
The newly-submitted application would see retention and regeneration of the former warehouse building and the design and access statement in support of the submissions, says:
“The re-submitted scheme seeks to create 14 new dwellings of a size which will make them ideally suited to a wide range of residents from professional couples to retirees.
“They will be suitably priced such that they will likely appeal to first-time buyers, while the south-facing front gardens and proximity to the local school, nursery, shopping areas and parks will also make them attractive to families.”
Business Breakfast: Ripon engineering firm partners with The British Heart Foundation
The Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis, will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. Early bird tickets are available until February 9. The event will celebrate success and business excellence across the Harrogate district. It’s a night not to be missed! There’ll be a fabulous prize draw for all attending and Richard Flinton, the incoming Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, is guest speaker.
Econ Engineering has launched a new charity partnership with The British Heart Foundation. The Ripon engineering firm makes more than eight out of 10 winter maintenance vehicles on UK roads.
The charity partnership will run throughout February – National Heart Month – until the end of 2023, with the aim to raise £20,000.
The money raised by Econ will help the BHF to fund research into heart and circulatory conditions such as coronary heart disease, strokes and vascular dementia.
Econ’s involvement with the charity stemmed from the death of one of the company’s managing directors, Andrew Lupton, who suffered a heart attack last year.
Andrew’s brother, Jonathan, who is now the sole managing director of the firm, said:
“We are proud to be partnering with the British Heart Foundation and are looking forward to supporting with its ongoing campaign to beat heartbreak forever”.
Employees will have the opportunity to participate in several BHF-supported health and wellbeing engagement activities, to ensure a healthier workforce.
For the last decade, the chamber has taken orders for baskets directly from shop keepers. It has subsidised the cost to members and charged non-members the price charged by the council.
But the council has set up an online payment system this year and the chamber is concerned it might lead to a lower take-up.
Chamber member and hairdresser, Kelly Teggin, who was in charge of basket sales last year, said:
“The town looks so lovely when it’s in full bloom. I fear if it’s left to the shop keepers, we may not see as many baskets, so we want to encourage it as much as possible.”
Hair & beauty salon, Kelly Teggin, displaying its hanging basket.
Harrogate Restaurant Week: keep your tummy and bank balance happy
On Monday 5 February, Harrogate Restaurant Week will begin. Restaurants in and around Harrogate are taking part in a promotional week, serving up some tasty discounts and helping us enjoy the luxury of dining out for less.
Restaurant Week is running from Monday 6 – Friday 10 February.
To help you save your pennies, we have curated a list of six participating restaurants and their Restaurant Week offers.
The Fat Badger
The Fat Badger is offering a homemade pie with a pint of bitter for just £10 during the promotional week.
Customers can enjoy a hearty steak, mushroom and ale pie, washed down with Tetley’s Best.
For more information on the restaurant, visit here.
The West Park Hotel
The West Park Hotel is offering two courses for £15, or three courses for £20 during Restaurant Week.
Customers can choose their courses from the new Restaurant Week menu.
The West Park Hotel will have a specific Restaurant Week menu.
Cosy Club
Cosy Club is offering customers a main and dessert for £15.
The Restaurant Week menu includes buttermilk fried chicken with fries, coleslaw and smoked red pepper aioli, along with a vegan baked vanilla cheesecake with raspberries.
Ripon’s ‘Stonehenge of the north’ gifted to nation
A monument over 5,000 years old between Ripon and Masham is set to open to the public free of charge.
The Thornborough Henges complex includes three large circular earthworks each more than 100 metres in diameter.
Historic England described the Neolithic site as “probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland”.
Construction firms Tarmac and Lightwater Holdings have gifted the site into the legal ownership of Historic England, which is a non-departmental public body, although it will be managed by the charity English Heritage.
The site is is located near West Tanfield, between Ripon and Masham, just outside the Harrogate district.
It falls within the Richmond constituency of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said:
“The Thornborough Henges site has enormous potential to help tell the story of ancient Britain and I very much welcome this announcement about its future – its safeguarding and preservation for the nation.
“Comparatively few people are aware of its significance – both locally and nationally. I hope many more will come to appreciate this little-known gem of our history and while doing so provide a welcome boost to the local visitor economy.”
Historic England said in a statement:
“The earthworks are thought to have been part of a ritual landscape and are probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland.”
Thornborough Henges will join various Roman sites on Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge within the National Heritage Collection.
The deal started to come to fruition in 2016 and has finally been settled after years of controversy over quarrying in the surrounding area of the monument.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England said:
Thornborough Henges and their surrounding landscape form part of the most important concentration of Neolithic monuments in the north of England. They are a link to our ancient ancestors, through thousands of years, inspiring a sense of wonder and mystery. We are thrilled to have acquired this highly significant site for the nation, ensuring that these magnificent monuments are safe and will be preserved for generations to come.
Demolition of four sinkhole-hit Ripon homes ready to begin
The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes affected by subsidence and sinkhole issues will begin shortly, taking up to seven weeks for completion.
The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being deemed unsafe for habitation.
“The work will be carried out by a team of four using hand-held tools.”
“Following a fortnight of preparation, which has involved erection of scaffolding and putting fencing in place, we anticipate completion over the next six to seven weeks.”
Site safety signage is in place
Mr Hutchinson added:
“We will be using a cherry picker for the removal of roof tiles and they, along with bricks, timber and other materials will be removed from the site and recycled.”
Neighbouring residents have been contacted and advised that the demolition will be carried out Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.45am and 4.30pm
Photographer captures spectacular starling murmuration at Ripon wetlands
A photographer has captured stunning images of a starling murmuration at Ripon wetlands.
Andy O’Brien shot the pictures last week at the site, which is part of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
He said the spectacle had become a regular occurrence and that local bird watchers estimated that some 150,000 starlings can be seen at the wetlands.
Mr O’Brien, who shared the pictures with the Stray Ferret, said:
“It’s virtually an evening occurrence at the moment and incredibly spectacular not just visually but the noise of the birds turning sounds like waves crashing against rocks.”
You can watch the murmuration at Ripon below.
The images come as today marks World Wetlands Day, an initiative aimed at raising global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet.
Rachael Bice, chief executive of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said it was important to celebrate and protect wetlands, such as the one in Ripon.
She said:
“Today is the day for celebrating our beautiful and wilder wetlands in all of their bountiful variety. A home for wildlife from the common frog right through to the rare bittern and water vole, wetlands are abundant in wildlife.
“Lush pools, lakes and ponds, fringed by golden reeds, meadow or woodland are vital in helping us adapt better to a changing climate, and provide a peaceful place for restoration and relaxation.”
Children can meet their favourite Prince and Princesses.
