Agricultural machinery supplier Ripon Farm Services has appointed Sophie Allanby (pictured) as marketing manager.

Ms Allanby, who grew up on an arable farm just outside Malton, has a first class business honours degree from York St John University and has been in the marketing world for the past ten years in varying roles.

She was communications executive at the Castle Howard Estate from 2018-2021.

She said:

“It will be my responsibility to develop and implement a dynamic marketing strategy that builds upon the substantial progress that Ripon Farm Services have made over the past two years.”

Mother Shipton’s wins Small Visitor Attraction of the Year award

Harrogate-based manufacturer celebrates 70 years by planting 1,200 trees

To mark the 70th anniversary of Belzona, staff at its European headquarters in Harrogate got together with family members to plant 1,200 trees in the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

Belzona designs and manufactures composite materials and industrial protective coatings.

This initiative is part of a three-year partnership with the White Rose Forest, the community forest for north and west Yorkshire. The company plans to plant seven-million trees throughout Yorkshire by 2025.

“We were absolutely thrilled to see so many colleagues getting involved in our first tree planting project. Working alongside the Bilton Conservation Society, 25 Belzona volunteers, including employees and family members, worked together to plant 1,200 trees in the local area. This is an incredible achievement – thank you to everyone who got involved!”

The Belzona team dig deep to plant 1,200 trees in the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

Send your business news to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

New houses should mean lower council tax

Not only do we have thousands of new houses in the district but 1,700 extra have been built! I cannot, therefore, understand why our council tax is going up rather than coming down!

I would assume a surfeit, especially with so many being in the higher bands.

Janet Palmer, Knaresborough

Why are roads constantly being dug up?

Leadhall Lane in Harrogate has been a shambles of a road for many years, with deep potholes causing hazards for motorists and cyclists.

At the same time, numerous gas leaks have been excavated and repaired, to the cost of Northern Gas Networks and the exceptional inconvenience of local road users.

The potholes caused considerable crashes and bangs into the road from school buses and lorries. Hurrah! It was relaid in 2021.

Yesterday there was a gas stink in Leadhall Lane. Today there is a big hole in Leadhall Lane. Northern Gas Networks is digging it up again.

Why do we have to suffer this continual under-performance from the council in relation to controlling the actions of privatised utility companies? Are they incompetent or not?

David Graham, Harrogate

Read more:

• £72 rise in Harrogate district council tax bills set to be confirmed
• Swift action to tackle Sharow’s pothole plight
• Woman visiting daughter’s grave issues dog fouling plea

Stray Ferret penalised for reporting facts

It comes as no surprise that your reporter was refused access to Ripon’s new pool when other media was allowed.

You are being penalised for reporting the real facts about the farcical events surrounding the pool and its build not forgetting the extra money we gave the construction firm.

Myself and thousands of others applaud you The Stray Ferret for all your news articles released to us.

Maranda Harling, Ripon

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Ripon Cathedral is to host its annual Spring Food, Home and Garden Show next month with stalls and plenty of child-friendly activities including a petting farm.

The Spring Show is returning on Saturday, April 9 after a two-year break, due to covid, with more than 70 stallholders selling gardening goods and food.

Organisers of the fair have said it is set to be a fantastic day out for all the family with children’s activities such as a mobile petting farm with spring animals from Brimham Rocks Adventure Farm, a chocolate tombola and a ‘have a go’ putting green by EGM Landscapes.

Brick Box Yorkshire will also be there running build and create Lego sessions for kids.

There will also be live music from Knot Another Choir at 11.30am and 1.30pm and a piano recital from David Powling at 2pm.

Read more:

• Street party fees waived in North Yorkshire for Queen’s jubilee
• Mother Shipton’s delays reopening again due to landslide

Cathedral volunteers will be running a Cathedral Plant Stall, selling affordable plants.  A pop-up Cathedral cafe is also planned, it will sell pulled pork sandwiches, homemade cakes and hot drinks.

Proceeds from the plant stall and pop-up cafe will go towards the heritage conservation, education programme and running costs of Ripon Cathedral.

The show is open from 10am to 4pm and tickets costs £3 for adults, plus a booking fee, and £5 on the door. Children under 14 are free. To book tickets click here.

(from left) Cardale Asset Management’s Peter Heckingbottom, Andrew Tod and Mark Puleikis

Cardale Asset Management has agreed a deal to be acquired by London firm Titan Wealth Holdings.

The company, which is based at Cardale Park, provides portfolio management, stockbroking and financial planning services.

Cardale was launched in 2003 and now has £1.5bn in assets under management, which it manages for approximately 3,500 clients. The company employs about 70 people.

The firm reported a turnover of £16m for the 2021 financial year.

James Kaberry and Andrew Fearon, joint chief executives of Titan Wealth, said in a statement:

“We are delighted to welcome the team at Cardale to Titan Wealth. Cardale is a highly profitable and well-respected business with a focused and proven investment process that consistently delivers outperformance to its client portfolios.”

LHL Group promotes Daniel Bower to director

Daniel Bower

Yorkshire property consultants LHL Group, which has an office in Harrogate, has appointed building surveyor Daniel Bower as a director.

Mr Bower joined LHL Group in 2014 and became an associate director in 2019. His work includes project management, employer’s agent and contract administration for new build and refurbishment schemes as well as traditional commercial and residential property building surveys and dilapidations work.

He said:

“After almost eight years with LHL Group, I’m delighted to be joining managing director, Richard Hampshire and director, Shaun Bennett, on the board and supporting the wider management and development of the business in a highly competitive climate.”

Dealer award for Ripon Farm Services

(Left to right) Mike Pickering, area sales manager at Ripon Farm Services with the dealer’s commercial director, Richard Simpson, Mazzotti’s export manager Vincenzo Gasperi, Ripon’s technology specialist, Jack Forman and Mark James, John Deere crop care specialist.

Ripon Farm Services has been awarded the UK Dealer of the Year Award for 2021 by Italian sprayer manufacturer Mazzotti. The award recognises overall performance and dedication to the brand.

Vincenzo Gasperi, export manager for Mazzotti, gave the award during a recent visit to the farm machinery company, which is based in Ripon and has 12 branches in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Teesside.

Richard Simpson, commercial director of Ripon Farm Services, said: “We’ve put a lot of effort into launching the sprayers, not only to demonstrate the benefits of these machines, but also to support the customers with what is, after all, a new brand in the UK market.”

Do you have any business news for the Harrogate district? We want to hear about your senior appointments, awards and acquisitions, and anything else business-related. Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

A new children’s play area in Ripon opened for families today.

The Dallamires Playground is part of the city’s new £15m Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane. The pool is set to open on Wednesday.

The playground seems to have gone down well on social media, with posts from parents saying it looks like “so much fun” and “wonderful for little kids”.

The play area can be accessed from a public footpath off Knaresborough Road.

Three-year-old Lottie (pictured in our main image), was one of the first children to play on one of the slides.

Her mum Kim said:

“it’s a lovely new play area for families to bring children to from this part of the city.”

Read more:

• Stray Ferret banned from today’s Ripon pool media opening

• Former Ripon student fleeing Ukraine today to set up refugee shelter

The Stray Ferret was refused entry to Ripon’s new leisure centre today by staff from Harrogate Borough Council.

Our Ripon reporter Tim Flanagan, who lives in the city, was turned away by a council press officer when he arrived shortly before 2pm.

Tim was told today’s event at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre was for councillors only and separate arrangements would be made for the press at a later date.

It later transpired that several other media outlets were allowed to look around the new complex today to provide coverage ahead of Wednesday’s opening date.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who witnessed the incident, said it appeared Harrogate Borough Council was censoring media organisations that asked “legitimate questions” about the way public money is spent and this was “totally unacceptable”.

The Stray Ferret has led on coverage of delays to the construction of the pool and mounting costs, as well as concerns about sinkholes. The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the leisure centre project is £4m over budget.

Part of the site remains closed for further work after a void — a gap below the surface — was discovered last year.

‘Totally unacceptable’

Cllr Williams, said:

“I can confirm that Harrogate Borough Council’s PR officer told the Stray Ferret journalist that he was not able to look around the new swimming pool and that today’s event was for councillors only and a separate event for the press is yet to be organised and the Stray Ferret will be invited to this.

“I now understand that other media was invited around today and if it’s a case that Harrogate Borough Council has adopted a censorship policy that bars media who ask legitimate questions on the way that public money is spent, this is totally unacceptable in a democracy and is more like the way that Vladimir Putin handles affairs in Russia.”

Read more:

• Ripon pool opening delayed again
• Ripon pool and leisure centre to open next week
• Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool

The Stray Ferret has reported concerns by Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh about the wisdom of the council building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also raised safety concerns — as covered by the Stray Ferret.

We have also reported concerns about the proposed price hike for Ripon City Swimming Club to use the pool to teach swimming.

‘No lifeguards on duty’

A council spokesman said:

“Tim wasn’t banned from entering the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre today.

“Today’s invite was for Ripon city councillors to have a first-look at the facility before it opens on Wednesday. As we explained to the councillors, there are still some finishing touches to complete and them to be mindful while walking around the new pool.

“There were also no lifeguards on duty so we needed to be cautious about the number of people poolside.”

The Stray Ferret replied by asking if it was a councillors-only event why other media outlets were allowed to attend.

Thank you to both @BBCLookNorth and @itvcalendar for coming down to the @JackLaugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in #Ripon this morning.

You can find out more about the new facility this evening or by visiting https://t.co/xAAVxhHReg pic.twitter.com/Os3ZLoJAlC

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) February 28, 2022

The spokesman said:

“Tim wasn’t refused entry and others allowed in; BBC Look North and ITV Calendar had a first-look this morning and we were limited on time.”

The statement did not mention that local media were also invited — but not the Stray Ferret.

We were subsequently invited to an invitation to view the centre tomorrow.

Ripon Pancake Race won’t be held on Shrove Tuesday next week because of covid-related problems.

The event sees children, local residents and members of the clergy race along Kirkgate tossing pancakes.

It was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to covid and there were hopes it would return this year.

But Tim Jones, treasurer of the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels, said that covid uncertainty at the start of the year did not allow enough time for road closure applications to be processed. He said;

“Some teachers were reluctant to bring schoolchildren out so we decided not to go ahead.”

The event is staged jointly by the rotary club and Ripon Festivals, in association with Ripon Cathedral.

Read more:

• Sneak Peek: Paradise arrives in Killinghall
• Ripon man with family in Ukraine speaks of ‘deeply troubling’ times
• Future of Ripon’s Hell Wath nature reserve generates heated discussion

“It’s really important that the United Kingdom makes an immediate open, welcoming and warm hearted commitment of sanctuary to those who wish to leave Ukraine.

“Rip up the usual bureaucracy and let’s just say they are welcome and we will make it as easy as possible to be here.”

Ripon’s new leisure centre and pool will open on Wednesday, it was announced this afternoon.

Harrogate Borough Council has just published a series of tweets announcing the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane will welcome its first visitors at 6.30am.

The facilities include a 25-metre six-lane pool and sauna and steam room.

The council said in a statement:

“The new six-lane 25m swimming pool has 70 per cent more water space compared to Ripon Spa Baths and has a wealth of improvements that come with modern swimming facilities.

“These include the AngelEye pool safety system that, with the use of underwater cameras, assists lifeguards to detect whether swimmers are in danger or drowning.

“The new pool will be open every day of the week and offers customers a variety of different activities, including general and family swim, swimming lessons and Aquafit, as well as a sauna suite.

“Outside, a new car park has been installed along with a sheltered cycle rack, electric car charging points and a new play area.”

The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the project is currently £4m over budget.

https://twitter.com/Harrogatebc/status/1497259622234796036

✅ Sauna and steam room
✅ Changing village with level access
✅ Dedicated baby-changing facilities
✅ Family cubicles and group changing facilities
✅ Pool hoists and reserved parking for those with disabilities
✅ Swimming lessons and children's parties

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) February 25, 2022

https://twitter.com/Harrogatebc/status/1497259627209236481

Peter Dutka has spoken of his devastation and concern for family in Ukraine after waking up this morning to the news that Russia had invaded.

Mr Dutka lives in Ripon and was brought up in England by his father, who was born in Ukraine. He still has family living in western Ukraine near the Polish border.

Mr Dutka hasn’t spoken to his Ukrainian family yet today but said he will call them as soon as he can. He described the invasion as “deeply, deeply troubling” and distressing, adding:

“The news is devastating on a family front but it will have ramifications across the world too. You wouldn’t think in times like these a land war would happen, but it has. The consequences of this could be huge. It’s just devastating.”

Mr Dutka, who was due to visit his family this year, said the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation needed to be “more firm” and take a stand against President Putin.

“I am really proud of my Ukrainian heritage so this is very frightening. I have aunties, uncles and cousins over there, of course it’s a huge worry for us.

“I’m welling up just thinking about it.”

Read more:

• Ripon gala concert will celebrate the Queen’s jubilee
• Ripon student earns place at leading musical theatre college

In the last 24 hours, Russia has launched missile strikes on major cities in Ukraine, forcing people to flee their homes.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss described the attack as an “illegal, unprovoked invasion” and warned the Russian ambassador that the UK would be “imposing severe sanctions”.

An advisor to the Ukrainian president has said 40 people died in the first few hours of Russian strikes.