Half-term is almost upon us and the February break can often be one of the trickier holidays to navigate when it comes to keeping the kids entertained.
The weather isn’t always the kindest and it is still too early to bribe them with Easter eggs – even if they did arrive in shops on Boxing Day.
Fortunately there are lots of activities being planned in the Harrogate district, so parents can escape relatively unscathed.
We have put together a list of activities to do with the kids this half-term.
Harrogate Indoor Funfair – February 21-27
Always a popular one with families in the area, the indoor funfair is back at the Yorkshire Event Centre at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground.
With rides and inflatables for all ages, the event offers all the fun of the fair under one roof – perfect if you need to escape the unpredictable February weather.
Read more:
- Robot polar bear and 18m whale set to tour Harrogate district
- Dads create ‘Dingle Dangle’ toy to make nappy changing a breeze
- What’s On: A guide to events taking place across the Harrogate district
Morning sessions run from 10am until 1pm and afternoon sessions from 2pm until 5pm. For the first time, there will also be two 6pm-9pm sessions on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
Tickets on the door will be limited. Book online to avoid disappointment.
Online tickets are £10.99 for unlimited rides per session and can be purchased here.
Fountains Abbey, Ripon – February 19 – February 27
For those little explorers who love being outdoors, a number of activities are taking place at Fountains Abbey.
Children can pull on their wellies and spend a full day exploring, running and playing.
Families will be able to plant their own snowdrop to take home from 11am-1pm on February 19, 21, and 23 and the weekend of 26 and 27.
They can also grab a ‘spring-go’ activity sheet to take with them on their adventures, spotting signs of spring – as they go!
For a full list of half-term events click here.
Birchfield Farm, Summerbridge
This year the popular attraction, set in the stunning Nidderdale countryside, is opening earlier than usual.
Visit the farm this spring and say hello to all the expectant ewes in the barns ready to give birth. If you are lucky, you may even see a lamb being born.
The farmers will be on hand to answer any questions and tell you more about the animals.
For little animal lovers, as well as sheep, there are also piglets, goats, ponies, guinea pigs and donkeys.
After working up an appetite, enjoy a homemade ice cream at the farm’s café – it’s never too cold!
No booking is required and the farm is open from 10am-4pm
Admission is £5 for adults and children – under twos are free.
Stockeld Park, near Wetherby – February 19-27
The ever-popular family attraction is holding a ‘Talking Animals Week’ over half-term.
Our Planet Your World, across the Harrogate district – February 21-February 26
Two life-size kangaroo impersonators will arrive in Harrogate.
A robotic polar bear and an 18-metre whale are among the attractions travelling round the district as part of an environment-themed week of free events.
Visit Harrogate, Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism body, has organised the week of events named ‘Our Planet, Your World’, to offer activities for families with an over-arching message of protecting the environment.
The events are as follows:
Monday, February 21
Boroughbridge Library, storytelling sessions
10am-1pm
Tuesday, February 22
Masham Town Hall, sea-theme crafting activity
11am-4pm
Wednesday, February 23
Ripon Market Square, animatronic polar bear, interactive art sculpture, face painting, craft activities for children and live music.
11am-4pm
Thursday, February 24
Harrogate’s Valley Gardens
11am-4pm
Friday, February 25
Pateley Bridge play area, environmentally-themed crafting activity for children
11am-4pm
Saturday, February 26
Knaresborough Castle Grounds, Boat About, crafting activity for children, face painting
11am-4pm
Organisers have said some activities are weather dependent so are asking visitors to follow the Visit Harrogate social media channels.
Harrogate district taxi fares to rise by 5% to help drivers with ‘crippling’ costsTaxi fares are set to rise in the Harrogate district after the council-backed drivers’ calls for an increase to help cover soaring fuel costs which this month hit another record high.
The 5% fare rise will come into force from May 1 if no objections are raised.
It will make the Harrogate district the 14th most expensive council area for fares in the UK, according to a council report.
The rise was approved by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, councillor Mike Chambers, on Tuesday after requests from several drivers.
This included Richard Fieldman, owner of A1 Cars Ripon, who said fuel prices have been “crippling” for the trade and that while he welcomed the decision, it should have been made sooner.
He said:
“I’m very pleased to see this passed because it is exactly what we asked for, even though the fare formula showed we needed a 11% rise to cover our costs.
“One thing that has really disgruntled me though is the length of time it is taking to implement this.
“I made the request in November and by the time it is introduced, it will be nearly a year and a half since our last increase in December 2020.
“In this current time when drivers are shouldering rising expenses and some are leaving the trade because they can’t make it pay, it is appalling for the council to show no urgency.”
Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis and the longest holder of a taxi license in the Harrogate district, also welcomed the 5% increase which he said struck a balance between the needs of customers and drivers.
He said:
“We realise the fare formula said we needed a 11.4% rise, but times are not normal and everyone is having to bite the bullet.
“We as drivers felt 11.4% would be too great for the public – and while we would have gained more money in fares, we would have had people stopping using taxis because they would be too dear.”
Read more:
Fuel is the biggest expense for taxi drivers and petrol prices at the pumps reached 148.02p a litre at the weekend, while diesel hit a new record high of 151.57p a litre last Thursday.
This comes after a big drop in taxi earnings during the Covid lockdowns when some drivers abandoned the trade for other work.
Last November it was estimated that as many as 60 drivers in the Harrogate district quit with many now in new jobs and little desire to return.
Mr Fieldman said the 5% rise would go “some way” to keep drivers in their jobs as he also expressed hopes that trade will pick up after winter.
He said:
“We are still struggling and I just hope as we get into spring things improve for the trade and that drivers will be able to carry on and make it profitable.”
The 5% rise will be on the running mile and waiting times of journeys, and there will also be an increase in starting prices from £3.40 to £3.60.
It means customers will pay a maximum of £5.37 for a one mile journey, or £24.27 for 10 miles.
A council spokesperson said:
Storm Eunice eases after uprooting trees in Harrogate district“We are required to strike a balance between setting a fare that is acceptable to the customer and the taxi driver.
“These proposed fares are currently out for public comment, and should there be no objections, the changes will be implemented on 1 May.”
A yellow weather warning is in force across the Harrogate district this afternoon as Storm Eunice brings rain and winds of up to 60mph.
A Met Office yellow weather warning means residents can expect more disruption to roads and public transport and there’s a chance of damage to trees and buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.
Strong winds are forecast until 9pm today when it is set to subside.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for ice from 6pm this evening until 9am tomorrow.
A yellow warning for rain has been issued for Sunday between midnight and 6pm.
Follow all the latest updates below.
6.30pm: Harrogate town centre traffic lights not working
There are reports the traffic lights at the junction of Station Parade and Victoria Road in Harrogate are not working. It’s not known if it is related to the storm but it is making it difficult to pull out of Victoria Road at the moment.
5.45pm: Trains to Leeds cancelled.
Northern is running a reduced service to-and-from Leeds this evening with several trains cancelled due to the weather.
Trains will be leaving Harrogate Station every hour rather than twice an hour until 20.18. After that, only one more train is scheduled to leave at 23.18.
Visit National Rail for the latest updates.
5.40pm: Father and daughter see tree fall into cabman’s shelter
A father and daughter have told of the moment they watched a tree come crashing down on a cabman’s shelter on West Park Stray in Harrogate.
Colin Reynolds and his daughter, Lauren Reynolds, had just driven around the Prince of Wales roundabout and on to West Park Stray when they noticed the mature tree splinter.
You can read more here.
5.15pm: Tree crashes into cabman’s shelter on West Park Stray
A tree has just come crashing down on to West Park Stray. Traffic is reduced to single lane.
4.59pm: Tree down in Harrogate
Beckwith Head Road.
4.56pm: Gritters out tonight
We are #gritting priority roads across #NorthYorkshire overnight.
Road surface temperatures will widely fall below zero leading to a widespread risk of ice.
Remember gritting doesn't guarantee an ice or snow-free surface.
More info https://t.co/6cnhGrxFu6 pic.twitter.com/itSpVUu2as
— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) February 18, 2022
4.51: North Yorkshire Police issues safety advice
– Check your windscreen wipers and all of your car’s lights are working
– Gusts of wind can unsettle vehicles so keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel at all times
• If a road is flooded, turn around. Never drive through floodwater@HighwaysYORKS for travel updates pic.twitter.com/4YRqTQQCxj— North Yorkshire Police (@NYorksPolice) February 18, 2022
4.35pm: Increase in calls for firefighters
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has noticed an increase in incidents in the last hour.
We've had a busy day with various incidents but only just getting a few storm related incidents in the past hour – a tree fallen onto a house in #Selby, unsafe chimney stack in #Bentham and a tree blocking the #A162 in #Tadcaster and an unsafe roof in #Harrogate
— North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (@NorthYorksFire) February 18, 2022
4.15pm: Tree down in Weeton
A tree has fallen in the wind on Weeton Lane in Weeton and is blocking the road.
3pm: Tarpaulin in Bilton
A roof tarpaulin has landed on a driveway in Bilton this afternoon.
New Ripon group invites writers to unleash their talent
Ripon’s lively literary scene, made up of poets, creative writers and published authors, has welcomed a new arrival.
Dion Child, who previously lived in Wales, moved to the city a few months ago and has set up Write-on-Ripon as a means of meeting fellow wordsmiths.
The new group is attracting attention and attendees since its first meeting in November at Hive Cafe in Halls of Ripon, where its Tuesday afternoon gatherings have been held ever since.
A natural progression from this will be seen on Tuesday at 7.30pm in the Curzon Cinema on North Street, when an open mic event called Write-On-Ripon Unleashed will be held. Entry is free.
Mr Child told the Stray Ferret:
“We would like as many people as possible to come along and join in the fun
“This is a fantastic opportunity for writers to unleash their inner creativity and share their talent by performing in the style of their choice to like-minded literature lovers.
“As I have found in the past, it’s a great way of making friends and sharing ideas.”
Among those who will be attending is Maggie Cobbett, chair of Ripon Writers’ Group and an accomplished and versatile author and poet, whose work includes the novels Foreshadowing, Workhouse Orphan and Anyone for Murder?
She said:
“Always keen to meet new people who ‘get’ why I’m rarely seen without a pen and notebook at the ready, I went along to the first session of Write-On-Ripon! and have become a regular attender.
“Write-On-Ripon! Unleashed offers a great opportunity for writers from any established group or none to get together in a convivial atmosphere, swap ideas and – should they wish – share some of their work.
“If the first session is well supported, the intention is for this to become a regular event in the cultural calendar of our little city.”
Read more:
Ripon pool and playgrounds will not be open for half-term
Ripon’s multi-million pound swimming pool will not be open on time for next week’s half-term school holidays.
It and the new Dallamires children’s play area, created on site as part of the £15 million leisure development, are now expected to open next month, according to staff on site.
The play area, which can be accessed from a public footpath off Knaresborough Road, remains fenced off. A sign on the fencing says it ‘will open as soon as possible in the new year’.
The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the project is currently £4m over budget.
In a further setback for parents and grandparents looking for places to take children next week, the Ripon City Council-owned Quarry Moor playground will not be reopening for the time being.
Long-term delay
The six-lane pool was originally due to be completed in May last year for an opening in the summer.
But ground stability issues on site that required remediation caused the initial delay and saw Harrogate Borough Council announce that the opening was going to be in November.
A weather-beaten sign at the Dallamires Play Area says it would open in ‘as soon as possible in the new year’.
A planned opening date of December 8 was subsequently announced but a fault discovered during testing of the pool’s lining, saw the council say that the opening would take place in January.
When asked if the pool would be open during the half-term holidays, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesman replied:
“A date hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
However, a woman who was hoping to take her grandchildren there next week contacted the Stray Ferret and said:
“I went to the leisure centre this week and was told by two members of staff that the pool would be opening at the start of next month.
“This is frustrating, because I had also visited the leisure centre in January to check if the pool would be open for half-term and was told by staff that it would open either later that month or the beginning of February.”
The grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, added:
“I don’t want to make a fuss, the staff at the centre were very helpful, but it was disappointing when I also asked about the new children’s playground and was told it would be opening at the same time as the pool.”
Quarry Moor playground still closed
Half a mile from the pool, the Quarry Moor playground, which closed in September because of rat infestation, still remains shut.
The Quarry Moor playground will also be closed next week
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“We apologise for the fact that the playground won’t be open.
“With the vermin issue under control, we had hoped that it could be back in use for the half-term holiday, but the condition of the play equipment has deteriorated.
“We need to carry out further inspection to assess if it is economical to carry out repairs, or go for a complete refurbishment with the installation of new equipment and aim to reopen in time for the Easter holidays.”
Last year, the city council set aside £70,000 for refurbishment of the playground and Cllr Williams said that additional sources of grant funding were also being explored.
Read more:
- Further delay to Ripon pool opening
- Ripon leisure scheme racks up additional £1m cost
- Ripon’s delayed leisure scheme more than £3m over budget
Ripon meeting to hear concerns about Hell Wath nature reserve
The organiser of a public meeting on the future of Hell Wath Nature Reserve has said he hopes for a “calm and constructive discussion”.
There has been heated online discussion recently about changes to the Ripon beauty spot.
Trees and bushes have been removed, a pond has been drained and saplings planted as part of the £2.5 million Skell Valley Project,
The four-year National Lottery-funded project, which is supported by Harrogate Borough Council, The National Trust, Friends of Hell Wath and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, involves work on a 12-mile stretch of the River Skell between Dallowgill Moor and Hell Wath.
The project aims to create a sustainable future for the Skell Valley but some local people are upset about the extent of the clearance work at Hell Wath and feel they haven’t been adequately consulted.
A meeting at 7pm on Wednesday next week will give them an opportunity to raise their concerns.
‘Common ground’
Brian Don, of the Keep Hell Wath Natural group, which called the meeting, told the Stray Ferret:
“Our aim is to bring together people with differing views about this much-loved and visited area of Ripon, with the objective of finding a mutually acceptable way forward.
“We hope for a calm and constructive discussion, which can find common ground between those, who like ourselves, want to keep Hell Wath as we have known it for decades and those who have a different longer-term view.”
Read more:
The meeting, which will take place at Ripon Bowling Club on Bondgate Green, will be chaired by Peter Horton, deputy mayor of Ripon and a former Harrogate district and North Yorkshire county councillor, who has served as an independent on the city council for 19 years.
He said:
“I’m looking for an even-tempered meeting, at which all sides can air their views.
“What they have to say will be collated and we can see where we go from there — perhaps a follow-up meeting at which the issues raised can be addressed in detail.”
Today’s Ripon Market has fallen victim to the weather.
The market normally opens at 7.30am and runs until 3pm but our photo shows the scene on Market Square early this morning, with no stalls or traders in sight.
A number of traders posted on Facebook yesterday evening to say that the market was cancelled due to the weather.
Storm Dudley brought winds of around 50mph to the Harrogate district yesterday and Storm Eunice is due to arrive tomorrow.
Read more:
- Swimming Club seeks further talks over use of Ripon’s new pool
- Owner of Georgian house in Ripon threatens legal action over homes plan
£1.4m Georgian house owner threatens legal action over Ripon homes
The owner of a £1.4 million Georgian house in Ripon has warned Harrogate Borough Council it could face legal action as the authority passed plans for 30 homes nearby.
James Mortimer said “significant harm” would be caused to his Grade II-listed Prospect House as a result of the housing plans for land off Springfield Close.
He also criticised the designs from developers Newett Homes and said he believed there was an “error of law” in a council report that could lead to a judicial review.
Mr Mortimer told a council planning meeting on Tuesday:
“We contest the officer’s report which indicates that harm was mitigated to less than significant.
“We have also taken legal advice and believe there is an error of law on sufficient grounds in the officer’s report to request a judicial review.”
Prospect House is listed for its special architectural or historic interest, which includes its use as an officers’ mess for soldiers en route to the Somme during the First World War.
Read More:
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- Ripon padel tennis courts given the go-ahead
- 390 homes approved in Ripon despite concerns over impact on Fountains Abbey
Mr Mortimer complained that the housing development would be in “full view” from the rear of the five-bedroom property which dates back to 1835 and sits around 120 metres away from the site.
Screening concerns
His complaints were backed up by Ripon councillor Sid Hawke who said trees between the two sites would provide little screening.
Cllr Hawke said:
“When you go into Prospect House and stand in his bedroom you can see that site completely.”
An agent for Newett Homes told councillors that several changes had been made to the plans since they were refused in June 2020.
This included a reduction in the number of homes from 38 to 30 and design changes such as imitation chimneys to try to make the development in keeping with the area.
The agent also said the homes were repositioned to reduce the impact on Prospect House “as much as feasibly possible”.
The plans were approved by councillors with nine votes for and one against.
390 homes approved in Ripon despite concerns over impact on Fountains AbbeyPlans for 390 homes in Ripon have been granted final approval despite repeated concerns over the impact on nearby Fountains Abbey.
Harrogate Borough Council initially rejected the proposals for land off West Lane in 2017 over the impact on the countryside and Fountains Abbey which is home to the largest monastic ruins in the country.
But the decision was later overturned at appeal by the Planning Inspectorate which said the impacts would be “extremely limited”.
The council’s planning committee has now granted final approval at a meeting today, although some councillors said their concerns also including highways and parking remained.
Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, described the plans as being “forced upon” the area following the appeal.
She said:
“The impact on these particular areas which include a World Heritage Site that we must protect are going to be there whether we like it or not.
“I feel strongly that these reasons for refusal still stand.”
Councillor Richard Cooper, Conservative leader of the council, said raising objections over areas that have been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate was “fighting battles that have already been lost”.
Read More:
The proposals were initially brought forward by Britain’s largest housebuilder Barratt Homes before the developers pulled out of the scheme.
The government’s housing agency Homes England and developers Taylor Wimpey then struck an £89.5m deal to acquire the site in February 2021 and get the plans back on track.
The approved plans include 156 affordable homes, 42 bungalows, cycling and walking links, a new bus route and children’s play areas.
There will also be 40 modular homes provided by Flaxby-based company llke Homes.
All homes with parking will also have electric vehicle charging points.
Four objections against the plans were lodged with the council, including one from Littlethorpe Parish Council which flagged concerns over how the area’s roads, schools and health services will cope with another population increase.
The plans include a £455,000 contribution from the developers towards local bus services, £91,000 towards upgrades for nearby traffic signals and £50,000 towards cycling improvements.
Calls to relocate litter bins in RiponAn audit of litter bins is being conducted in Ripon to ensure they are more evenly spread out.
Once the audit is complete, Harrogate Borough Council will be asked to relocate some of the city’s bins to areas of greater footfall.
Councillors at last week’s full Ripon City Council meeting said that while some areas are well served with bins for rubbish and dog waste, there is a dearth of them in other parts of Ripon.
Councillor Stephen Craggs, who is carrying out the city-wide audit to pinpoint the location of bins, said:
“If you look at Spa Park for example, there are six bins within close proximity to each other, but if you walk down to Clotherholme Road on the route that many Outwood and Ripon Grammar students use to go to school, they are in short supply.”
Clotherholme Road, one of the principal walking routes for students going to Outwood Academy and Ripon Grammar, has a shortage of litter bins
He added:
“At a time when we are encouraging children to walk to school, it makes sense to have litter bins that they can use along the way to avoid discarded rubbish ending up in hedgerows.
“It’s not a case of asking for new bins to be installed, but for a better distribution of them on the routes that are used by pedestrians and dog walkers.”
Read More:
Council leader Andrew Williams, who has received complaints about the lack of litter bins from residents in his ward, agrees with Cllr Craggs.
He said:
“If you add the six bins at Spa Park to the nine at Spa Gardens and the one outside Spa Baths, we have a concentration of 16 in a relatively compact area and these need to be spread out, so that they are serving more people.”
Councillors have been asked to come forward with details of any lack of litter and dog waste bins in the areas of the city that they represent, so that recommendations for relocation of existing bins can be put forward to Harrogate Borough Council.
