There are nine months to Christmas, the sun is shining and we haven’t had our Easter eggs yet — but Ripon hairdresser Marie Challis already has her festive plans in hand..

Ms Challis, who has owned and run Cameo’s hair salon on North Street for 20 years, is planning a Christmas creation to enter in the Winter Wonderland Alternative Christmas Tree competition at Spa Gardens in December.

What she needs are rollers — and lots of them! She plans to put her creative talents to use by transforming them into a festive tree.

Ms Challis told the Stray Ferret

“People may think I’m crackers, but you have to plan ahead and I need to collect as many hair rollers as possible by September so that I can start making my tree.

“It doesn’t matter what shape, size, colour or material that the rollers are made from. I’m asking customers to let me have any that they no longer use.”

Ms Challis, who comes from a highly-creative family, headed by mum Hazel Barker, whose designs for the Ripon Community Poppy Project adorn the city’s streets each year, will be a first-time entrant in the Christmas competition.

Amazing photos taken above Harrogate district skies during the first half of the 20th century have been published by Historic England.

The public body this week opened up an archive of over 400,000 shots capturing Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon during a bygone era.

The photos were taken by a company called Aerofilms, which was a pioneering firm of commercial aerial photographers formed in 1919. It combined the fledgling technologies of flight and photography.

We’ve included some of the best photos below but if you visit Historic England’s website and type in a location you will be able to view more from its archive.

The photographers also captured villages such as Pannal during the 1940s when it looked much smaller than the present day.

How has Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough changed since these photos were taken?

Read More:

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The present-day Prince of Wales roundabout, 1921

West Park Stray, 1921

Knaresborough Road, Granby Road, Skipton Road, 1921

Queen Ethelburga’s school, Pennypot Lane, Harrogate, 1926

Knaresborough Castle and the town centre, 1926

Ripley, 1926

Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods, 1928

Goldsborough, 1928

Knaresborough, 1926

Ripon, Williamson varnish and enamel works, 1932

Knaresborough, 1946

Pannal, 1949

Octavious Atkinson, Starbeck 1952

We have been bathed in glorious sunshine this week and it feels amazing to get outside and feel the sun on our skin again.

While our sunny disposition may change with the weather, it’s always good to make the most of it while you can – and that includes exercising outdoors.

Because, let’s face it, the treadmill and weights areas just don’t have the same appeal when it’s warm outside.

If you’ve only ever really worked out at a gym, however, you might be wondering how to make your sweat session an al fresco experience.

From wild swimming and cycling to bootcamps and running, here are six outdoor workouts across the Harrogate district to get you out in the sunshine this spring and summer:

Outdoor fitness sessions with Set the Tone Fitness – Ripon and Knaresborough

A Set the Tone outdoor fitness session.

Head fitness coach Stu Clark and his team run outdoor sessions across Ripon and Knaresborough.

You can expect a mixture of cardio and non-cardio exercises and activities, along with fun warm-ups, team and pair work, accompanied by some “excellent tunes”.

The sessions are suitable for all levels of fitness.

Stu said:

“There’s nothing better than breathing in the fresh air and feeling the sun on your back while you’re doing squats or a one-minute plank.

“It makes you feel alive. There’s something about being in amongst nature and hearing those sounds that brings peace and calm.

“You can forget your other pressures and focus on enjoying the outdoors – even if that involves getting a bit of a sweat on and doing more star jumps than you thought possible.

“The sessions and are great fun. After all, laughter is great for your stress levels and may lower blood pressure.”

Parkrun – Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon

A parkrun in Harrogate from 2015.

Parkrun sees runners of all abilities take part in a 5km run every Saturday morning.

It holds three events in the Harrogate district: on The Stray in Harrogate, at Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough and at Fountains Abbey in Ripon.

It offers an opportunity for all the local community, regardless of age or gender, to come together on a regular basis to enjoy the beautiful green spaces and get physically active at the same time – and best of all, it’s free!

Read more:

• Harrogate district set to become health destination in echo of Victorian past
• Four wellness retreats in the Harrogate district to re-energise mind, body and soul

Wild swimming – various locations

Ben Pitts tests the waters at Janet’s Foss in Malhamdale.

Wild – or outdoor – swimming has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years, with more and more people even braving the elements and swimming throughout the seasons.

If winter swimming sounds a little on the chilly side, then luckily late spring and early summer is a more favourable time to start.

Wild swimmer Ben Pitts, from Harrogate, said:

“I started back in 2019 with a friend from work. For some reason we decided November would be a great time to start, so there was actually frost in the shaded part around the lake. I’m pretty sure we were only in there for a minute, but that was long enough.

“I wanted to get into it after reading about the benefits of it in one of Ross Edgley’s books.

“The mental clarity you get from being in the cold and the rush of energy once you’re out are fantastic, so it’s not hard to see why more people are getting into it with everything that has been going on. It also increases your white blood cell count, which helps your immune system.”

Swimming outdoors is a great way to stay fit and connect with nature, but some basic safety precautions must be taken.

When it comes to locations, a good place to start is here.

Cycling with The Personal Cyclist, Harrogate area

Head outside on a bike with confidence – even if you don’t know where to start.

If you’re anything like me and you love the idea of heading out on a bike, but have no idea where to start, The Personal Cyclist offers cycling confidence coaching and personalised guided cycling tours in and around Harrogate.

Founder Kate Auld said:

“Cycling outdoors with the wind in your hair is one of the best ways to see the world, get close to nature and get a cracking workout in the process.

“You can’t check your phone and just ‘switch off’, you have to really engage with your surroundings and that’s what makes it magic.

“Often people who haven’t ridden for years just need a little extra support to cycle safely and socially. It’s a myth that you need to have all the gear (or go fast) to reap the benefits of cycling outside.”

Ready Steady Mums walking group – Harrogate

Ready Steady Mums brings new parents together once a week to walk together.

In Harrogate, simply going for a weekly walk around The Stray has been a lifeline for dozens of new parents, who bring their babies along to get out of the house and make friends at what can be a very isolating time.

Formed in 2016, the volunteer-run group offers “friendship, support, cake, fresh air and fitness” and meets at St Mark’s Church, just off Leeds Road, at 10am every Friday.

It is free to attend and there is no need to book. I’ve heard amazing things about the homemade cakes!

Bootcamps with Lauren Randall Fitness – Harrogate

Bootcampers get stuck in at “The Ranch”, just outside Pannal.

Personal trainer Lauren coaches at the biggest outdoor gym space in the area, just outside Pannal, complete with a full gym rig and plenty of kit – perfect for adult PE.

Sessions at “The Ranch” are 45 minutes and focus on everything from weight lifting technique to cardio endurance to sport specific training, catering for all levels of fitness.

Lauren said:

“Research continues to prove that being outdoors and around nature improves mental health, lowers blood pressure, improves mood and relieves stress.

“Combine that with the endorphin release and plethora of benefits of exercising and you can’t go wrong.

“The winter weather can make it more challenging to get outside, but you’ll soon notice a surge in outdoor activities and better moods.”

Covid testing sites across North Yorkshire, including on Tower Street in Harrogate and Ripon’s coach park, will be closed next week.

As free testing comes to an end from Friday, April 1, the last day for the testing sites to operate will be Wednesday, March 30, North Yorkshire County Council‘s Outbreak Management Advisory Board heard today.

Cllr Michael Harrison, the county council’s executive member for adult services and health integration, asked whether testing would still be made available for care homes and other key groups, such as schools, but was told an announcement on this had not been made yet. There was also no information about any free testing for care and education settings.

Public health consultant Victoria Turner said:

“I think it’s fair to say that is the one we are going to be looking at most closely. We are expecting care guidance coming out next week as well on this.

“From what was said in February we expect there to be some symptomatic testing remaining for care home staff but that’s about as detailed a picture as we get at the moment. Care homes are going to be the one area we still have a particular focus on from April 1.

“We are still seeing quite a lot of outbreaks in care settings, or rather whenever there’s a high degree of community transmission there’s an inevitability that that does affect care settings as well.

“We were hoping that we could have done some of that planning before April 1 but unfortunately the guidance just isn’t out yet.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district covid rate more than doubles in 12 days
• Bride’s disappointment as Harrogate Register Office maintains covid guest limit
• Vaccine sites in Harrogate district gearing up for spring boosters

The outbreak management advisory board, which was set up to recommend on the county’s covid response and communications, has also been stood down. It had been meeting monthly but members agreed there was little need to continue as national restrictions were removed.

However, the group said it will remain in abeyance, rather than being disbanded, so it can be brought back into action if required, such as with the emergence of a new variant.

Infection rate almost trebles this month

At present, cases are still rising, though at a slower rate than previously.

The Harrogate district’s infection rate, which was 343 per 100,000 people at the start of the month, is now at 923.

Hospitalisations are also rising at a slower rate, with 30 patients with covid currently being treated at Harrogate District Hospital.

Deaths among people who have tested positive for covid within the last 28 days remain steady, at an average of one each day across North Yorkshire.

Richard Webb, corporate director of health and adult services, said:

“Many of us are continuing to work on the impact of acute and long-term covid in many different ways.”

Meanwhile, covid vaccination centres are preparing to begin giving spring booster jabs to over-75s, and vulnerable children aged between five and 11 in the county are now being given their first doses.

Cundall Manor School has appointed a new headmaster to replace Amanda Kirby, who has been at the school for 20 years.

Christopher James-Roll will take over leadership at the school, where Stephen Fry briefly taught English, in September.

Amanda Kirby has taught at Cundall Manor since 2003 and was appointed headteacher in 2019.

The independent school, set in 28 acres at Cundall between Ripon and Thirsk, caters for boys and girls between the ages of 2 and 16. Many are from the Harrogate district.

Mr James-Roll, who has a BSc (Hons) in science and IT, began his early career in financial services before qualifying as a teacher in 2010.

Since then, he has gained a Masters in educational leadership and held a number of senior positions in co-educational independent school settings. He moved to Sherfield School in Hampshire in 2017. He said:

“I have long admired Cundall’s reputation for creating happy, well-rounded children, where academic excellence can sit alongside an individual learning experience and my family and I are very much looking forward to moving to this idyllic setting in North Yorkshire and working with its excellent team.”

Outgoing head Amanda Kirby.

Read more:

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Outgoing head Mrs Kirby said:

“It has been an incredible 20 years for me and all my family, during which time the school has transformed from a small independent prep school in North Yorkshire into a nationally recognised school and a destination of choice.

“I am extremely proud of our happy, thriving community, highlighted by a parent’s recent comment that ’if you could have designed a school for your children, Cundall would be it!’. I am confident that, with Christopher’s leadership, it is very well placed to face the challenges of the years ahead.”

The school is holding open mornings on Saturday and on May 21.

New marketing agency launches in Harrogate

A new marketing agency called Next Chapter has launched in Harrogate.

Charlie Hartley, founder of creative agency Impression, set-up the company. Working alongside marketer Daniel Swepson, the agency will offer market and consumer research, strategy, digital advertising, search engine optimisation, content strategy and social media.

Mr Hartley said:

“We shall be delivering more advanced services within strategy, digital marketing and SEO and Daniel’s experience aligns perfectly with this vision.”

Mr Swepson said:

“We’re both clear in our vision and intend to do things differently from other agencies. From the start we shall enable brands to challenge and disrupt. Our strategies are bespoke and aim to break the mould, pushing our clients to lead the way in their sector.”

Chartered surveyors help Harrogate charity expand

Max Vause, of Carter Towler (left) and Tony Graham of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Chartered surveyor Carter Towler is to help a Harrogate charity expand its network of shops.

Yorkshire Cancer Research currently has shops in Ripon, Knaresborough, Tadcaster and Northallerton. Carter Towler has been tasked to find five suitable retail units per year for the next three years.

Tony Graham, head of retail at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added:

“By having Carter Towler working with us we will be able us to scale-up our retail operations quickly and efficiently. By 2025 we are aiming to have 20 outlets.”

Leeds-based Carter Towler is one of the largest independent property consultants in the north, with 55 staff.

Linley & Simpson staff fundraise for charity partners

Linley & Simpson’s Aydin Arslan, Kerry Ferguson and Greg Smallwood.

Staff at Harrogate estate agency Linley & Simpson are embarking on the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise funds for a young people’s hospice.

A dozen employees, including property manager Aydin Arslan, branch manager Kerry Ferguson and land and development consultant Greg Smallwood will bid to scale the summits of the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – all within 24 hours in June.

The challenge forms the centrepiece of the company’s pledge to raise £25,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice, at Boston Spa, as part of its 25th anniversary year.

Linley & Simpson, which has more than 20 branches across Yorkshire and The Humber, has raised more than £100,000 for the hospice since their partnership began six years ago.

“Near Scawton Moor House, you will find a decomposed body among the willowherbs,” said a well-spoken voice during a phonecall to Ripon Police Station in 1981.

The caller refused to give his name, citing national security reasons, and hung up.

That anonymous call only lasted a few seconds. But it sparked one of the most enduring mysteries North Yorkshire Police has ever encountered.

And more than 40 years on, the mystery remains.

After the call ended, officers went to the scene near Sutton Bank and found the woman’s decomposed remains in the undergrowth, exactly as the caller described.

Despite extensive investigations at the time and in the years that followed, she has never been identified.

But today, a specialist cold case team is revisiting the investigation in a bid to finally solve the mystery.

They now believe gaps in people’s family tree could give them fresh leads that could finally unlock the secrets of the case.

Body exhumed

The last time detectives actively investigated the case was 2012 when her body was exhumed from an unmarked grave to gather new DNA evidence.

And while there have always been theories that foul play was involved, there has never been enough evidence to officially categorise it as homicide.

The case was featured on Crimewatch Live last night. Credit: BBC/Crimewatch Live

Adam Harland, a former detective who is now head of North Yorkshire Police’s Cold Case Review Team, is leading the review and has launched a fresh appeal.

“This has been one of the most enduring mysteries I’ve worked on,” he said. “It’s highly unusual for someone who has died in these circumstances to remain unidentified for decades.

“Despite the passage of time, nobody deserves to be simply forgotten about – this was someone’s mother. And it’s likely she had friends who cared about her.”

Past investigations have been extremely thorough. But science and forensics have come on leaps and bounds since the 1980s.

Mr Harland said:

“If names are put forward, we’re now in a position where we can apply this information to our DNA forensic records for this lady.

“Local knowledge may offer up this information. People’s lives and allegiances move on, and time can tease out information that has been closely guarded in the past.

“Another possibility is someone who’s researched their family tree might have found a gap, or discovered a relative who disappeared from official records around 1979 to 1981 without any clear explanation.”

“Police forces have used similar techniques for cold case investigations in the past and while they may seem unconventional, they can provide the missing piece to the jigsaw.

“I’d rather 200 names were put to us and 199 were wrong than nothing to work from at all. That one piece of information could be all we need now to solve a decades-old mystery.”

Probably died in 1979

To help people narrow down the search, North Yorkshire Police has confirmed the mystery woman was probably born between 1935 and 1940, making her between 39 and 44 when she died.

It was impossible to determine an exact date of death. But other evidence at the scene, and her advanced state of decomposition, led detectives to believe she probably died in 1979.

A post-mortem showed she gave birth to two or perhaps three babies, who could now be in their 60s.

She was white with brown hair, around 5ft 4ins tall and wore size-four shoes.

She had several distinguishing features, including a mild upper spine malformation that could have made her hold her head at an unusual angle.

She also had several missing teeth and other evidence of a lifestyle that involved regular smoking and drinking.

The wax model.

A wax model of her face was sculpted in the 1980s, based on skeletal evidence, and investigators still believe this is a reasonably accurate depiction.

The case was featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch Live yesterday.

DNA advances

The press at the time dubbed the case “the nude in the nettles” – a reference to how the woman’s body was found, although she was actually discovered in a willowherb patch by the side of a rural road on the edge of the North York Moors.

The development of a DNA database which is now used extensively in suspicious death investigations would not exist for another 14 years.

Because of this, a DNA match would now rely on a living son or daughter of the woman committing a crime and being added to it, which is unlikely given their age range – most crimes are committed by younger people.

But investigators hope the passage of time can now provide the missing link that enables them to finally identify the woman and resolve a decades-long mystery.

Mr Harland said:

“Someone, somewhere could be sitting there with information they’ve never felt able to share, or a family tree wondering who this person was. My message to them is simple: I’d like to hear from you.”

If you have information that could help this North Yorkshire Police cold case review, email coldcasereviewunit@northyorkshire.police.uk with a summary of the information you have. A member of the cold case team will record it and may make contact with you to discuss it further.

Several of the Harrogate district’s most popular visitor attractions are offering free or half price admission until Sunday.

National Lottery Open Week is being staged to thank lottery players for contributing to good causes.

Places that have benefited from lottery funding, including Fountains Abbey in Ripon, RHS Harlow Carr and Ripon Museum Trust are among those taking part.

RHS Harlow Carr

Anyone who presents a lottery ticket or scratch card (digital or physical) at the National Trust-owned Fountains Abbey‘s visitor reception can visit the historic site for free.

Fountains Abbey. Photo: J Shepherd

RHS Harlow Carr is offering 2-for-1 entry for anyone that presents their lottery ticket or scratch card.

Ripon Museum Trust is offering a 50% discount to lottery players on Saturday to individuals and family groups that show a National Lottery ticket or scratch card on arrival at its three venues. They are the Liberty Courthouse, Prison & Police and Workhouse museums

Helen Thornton, museum trust director, said:

“We’ve been fortunate to receive National Lottery funding which enabled us to purchase the Workhouse Museum site and also to progress our future development plans.

“This is our way of saying thank you to everyone who has bought a National Lottery ticket, helped us on our journey and made a vital contribution to supporting good causes.”

Read more:

• How has the National Lottery helped Ripon’s museums?
• Why are the Red Arrows flying over Ripon?
  

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Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England and chair of the National Lottery Forum, added:

“The National Lottery Open Week is a fantastic opportunity for hundreds of venues and projects across the UK to say thanks to players who raise £30 million each week for good causes.”

Further details about National Lottery Open Week available here.

The Red Arrows are set to perform a flypast over the Harrogate district this week.

The RAF aerobatic team are set to fly from their base at RAF Scampton to RAF Leeming on Thursday (March 24).

According to a military airshow website, the Red Arrows are due to pass over Harrogate at 2.01pm.

The team will also fly over Burton Leonard and Ripon on their way to RAF Leeming before returning to Lincolnshire.

It comes as the Red Arrows have been confirmed to perform at a number of airshows this summer.

Among the events include airshows in Eastbourne, Teeside and South Devon.

Read more:

• Plea for better drains after Pateley Bridge floods again
• Bride’s disappointment as Harrogate Register Office maintains covid guest limit

Firefighters from Harrogate and Knaresborough tackled a wildfire on moorland near Brimham Rocks this afternoon.

The cause of the blaze, which affected a 50 metre x 50 metre stretch of land at the popular visitor spot near Pateley Bridge, is unknown.

The fire, which was reported at 2pm, was extinguished quickly.

But it prompted Harrogate Fire Station to issue a warning to people to be aware that the land is dry and to be careful putting out cigarettes and avoid open fires and barbecues, except in safe areas.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident log says:

“Crews used one hose reel jet and grass beaters to extinguish the heather fire which measured 50m x 50m. The cause is unknown at this time.

Harrogate Fire Station issued a tweet warning the land is dry and for people to be extra careful in the countryside.

This afternoon, fire engines from Harrogate and Knaresborough attended a wildfire measuring 50m x 50m at Brimham Rocks near Pateley Bridge.

Fortunately they managed to get this under control and prevented the fire from spreading. Cause is unknown 1/5 pic.twitter.com/m9n890ufnL

— Harrogate Fire station (@Harrogate_NYFRS) March 22, 2022

Oven fire and trapped child

Firefighters responded to two other local fires today.

At 12.49pm, crews from Ripon and Bedale were summoned to reports of an oven on fire at a home in Melmerby.

The fire was out by the time the firefighters arrived.

At 2.41pm, Ripon firefighters responded to reports of a small child accidentally locked in a car at Stonebridgegate in Ripon.

The incident log says:

“Crews from Ripon released the child, who was distressed, by gaining entry through the rear window.”