Northern Lights captured near Ripon

The skies above the Harrogate district turned green and red last night as the Northern Lights made another appearance.

The aurora borealis was visible across the country for a second night running.

Photographer Paul Oldham took this stunning image over Grantley Hall, near Ripon, at about 6.30pm.

It was not the first time Mr Oldham has captured the natural light display, which appears during geomagnetic storms.

In September, he took this shot above How Hill in Ripon.

Paul Oldham’s Northern Lights photo in September.

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Community fitness group runs for Harrogate Homeless Project

A community fitness group has raised money for Harrogate Homeless Project.

Community Fit took part in the charity’s initiative which invited people to run either 5km or 10km in September.

The group decided to complete the run together and were joined by some of the Harrogate Homeless staff on the night.

They raised £275 for the charity which will go towards providing vital day-to-day care, emergency housing and support programmes.

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Members of Community Fit meet every Wednesday and either run, walk or cycle to their chosen charity. Its aim is to connect activity and community.

It is a collaborative project between North Yorkshire Sport and Harrogate & District Community Action, supported by an NHS grant received via Community First Yorkshire.

The group have recently helped to clear and tidy the garden at the Harrogate Homeless Project, as well as prepare the Cenotaph Exhibition at West Park Church.

Bonfire Night: guide to events in the Harrogate district

Bonfire Night is approaching. From torch-lit processions and alpacas to live music and traditional bonfires, we’ve collated a list of bonfires in the Harrogate district.

If you know of an event we haven’t included, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will add it.

Friday, November 3

Ripon City Bonfire

Ripon City Bonfire will take place at Ripon Racecourse.

The bonfire will be lit at 7pm and fireworks will begin at 7.30pm

Gates open at 5.30pm.

Advance tickets start at £2 and can be bought at various venues in the city.

No own fireworks other than sparklers are permitted for safety reasons.

There will be no parking available at the racecourse due to the poor weather conditions.

Spofforth village fireworks

The event will be held at Spofforth Cricket Club.

There will be hot food, a bar and live music to enjoy ahead of the fireworks display.

Gates open at 5pm.

Family tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought at the village deli or post office.

Knaresborough Cricket Club and Aspin Park Academy PTA Fireworks Night

The event will be held at Knaresborough Cricket Club.

As well as a firework display, guests can expect food and drink, music and light-up toys for sale.

Gates open at 6pm and fireworks will be lit at 7pm.

Tickets start at £3 and can be bought at the gate.

Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party

Belmont Grosvenor School will host a bonfire party in the school grounds.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks stalls, children’s activities, and music.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display will begin at 7.20pm.

Tickets are free for U18s and cost £10 for adults. They can be bought at the gate or by contacting the PTA on pta@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or 07525 907156.

Anyone is welcome to attend.

Stray Bonfire. Pic: Mark Dimmock.

Saturday, November 4

Stray Bonfire, Harrogate

The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

It will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks, food and drink, and live music.

The event is free to attend but Harrogate Round Table, which is a charity, encourages donations. Proceeds will go towards Harrogate Homeless Project.

Yolk Farm, Minskip

Yolk Farm, near Boroughbridge, is hosting a dog and baby-friendly event without fireworks.

There will still be a bonfire and tickets include entry to the yard where visitors can see the animals, including goats and alpacas, as well as the opportunity to feed the pigs.

Hot food will also be on offer.

Gates open at 5.30pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm

Tickets can be bought online for £5.

Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire

The event will be held at Pateley Bridge Showground.

Guests can expect a torchlit procession and bonfire, which begin at 6.30pm, and fireworks at 7pm.

There will also be hot food and a best Guy competition.

Entry is by donation and doors open at 6pm.

No sparklers are allowed.

Masham Bonfire

Masham Bonfire will be held on The Holme.

Food will be served from 5.30pm, followed by the bonfire at 6.15pm.

There will also be a firework display at 7pm.

The event is free to attend.

Kirkby Malzeard Community Bonfire

The event will be held at North Close Farm.

There will be a bonfire, fireworks and food and drink on offer.

Gates open at 6pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.

It is free to attend but organisers have asked for donations to continue running the events.

Sparklers are not permitted.

Birstwith Community Bonfire

Birstwith bonfire will be held on the field behind West House on Nidd Lane.

As well as the bonfire, which will be lit at 5.30pm, visitors can enjoy a bar, hot dogs and a children’s stall.

Organisers will be raising money for a vehicle-activated speed sign near Birstwith School.

No dogs or sparklers are permitted.

Gates open at 5pm.

Wath & Melmerby Community Bonfire

The event will be held Roger Clarke Motor Engines in Melmerby.

Visitors can expect a bonfire, fireworks, a BBQ and a bar.

It begins at 6pm and tickets cost £5 per family.

Sunday, November 5

Lightwater Valley, Ripon

Lightwater Valley will put on a firework display accompanied by the music of Swan Lake.

Admission is included in a day entry ticket.

The display will begin at 5.15pm.

The Queen’s Head, Kettlesing

The Queen’s Head will have a bonfire and fireworks on offer.

There will also be pizzas, sparklers and a charity cake to stand available.

The event will be fundraising for Felliscliffe School.

It begins at 5pm and the bonfire will be lit at 6pm.

Entry is £5 for adults and £2 for children under 16.

Scotton Cricket Club

The event will be held at the cricket club on Lower Moor Lane.

Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.45pm and the firework display will begin at 7.30pm.

Visitors can look forward to a bar, a BBQ and a cake stall.

Car parking is limited, so organisers have recommended people walk or car share to the event.

Donations are welcome on entry.

Harrogate Railway Football Club 

A firework display will be held at the club, which is on Station View in Starbeck.

There will be a DJ, fairground rides, a bar and a BBQ on offer.

The event is in association with Friends of Starbeck School and entry is £2.

Gates open at 4pm, followed by fireworks at 6.30pm.

There is no parking available at the venue.

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Early ‘Mouseman’ furniture offered in Ripon auction

Carved oak furniture by the renowned Yorkshire craftsman Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson is to go up for auction in Ripon next week.

The items include pieces from the early days of the renowned Mouseman workshop in Kilburn, near Thirsk.

Central to the collection is an oak dressing chest from around 1930 to 1940, which is expected to reach between £4,000 and £6,000. It has two short drawers over two long drawers and is topped with a moulded mirror. Both the mirror and chest carry Thompson’s signature mouse carvings.

From the same era is a stand-alone oak dressing table mirror of exceptional colour quality which carries a guide price of £1,000 to £1,500. Another stand-out lot is a set of eight impressive oak panel-back dining chairs, each with the carved mouse signature, that has been valued between £2,000 and £3,000.

The pieces will be included in a Fine Art & Antiques Sale at Elstob Auctioneers on Wednesday, November 8.

Director David Elstob said:

“The work of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson has always been popular, particularly in the North of England, and we are lucky to have these highly sought-after pieces from his workshop in this sale.

“Quality English oak furniture is widely seen as a good investment at the moment so we are hoping to see a great deal of interest in these pieces.”

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Robert Thompson (1876-1955) was part of the 1920s revival of craftsmanship inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. His style was characterised by a carved mouse on almost every piece, thought to have come about during a conversation about “being as poor as a church mouse”.

His furniture business in Kilburn is still run today by his descendants.

Elstob’s November Fine Art & Antiques Sale comprises more than 700 lots including a stunning Chinese huanghauli and hongmu ‘cracked-ice’ console table adorned with butterfly handles, a remarkable 19th century bronze figure of Hercules, and a large number of pieces by French designer René Lalique.

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district. 

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please read Flora’s story below and give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. They need your help.

Christmas is a time to create happy memories, to connect with family and enjoy each other’s company. But Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease take those memories away, and life can become confusing and isolating.

Local charity Dementia Forward works to support people living with these life-changing and disabling conditions, but it can only do so with the help of charitable donations.

So this Christmas, the Stray Ferret is asking you to support to this local organisation and ensure it can continue to offer the vital services it provides.

We want to raise £30,000 to buy a new minibus so that Dementia Forward can carry on bringing people struggling with memory loss to social events and a supportive environment.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare, so every penny donated will go directly to Dementia Forward.

The charity’s minibus service is currently used by more than 50 people. It also takes them on days out across the county, which is a huge part of the Dementia Forward programme. It is used to help people access the charity’s social events for those that can no longer drive, as well as weekly day trips for those with young onset dementia. The group visits a variety of places, including the Yorkshire coast, nature reserves, walking trails, llama farms, art galleries and so much more.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and tired and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going.

Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need. 

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.

Over the next seven weeks, we’ll be bringing you stories that show just how important Dementia Forward is, and the impact it has on local people’s lives.

Please read them, share them, and donate whatever you can.

Let’s not forget those who need our help this Christmas.

Thank you.

The NHS found 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 are living with dementia in the UK. For those who need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser. 

Vida Healthcare offers specialist residential and nursing care across three state-of-the-art homes.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting the Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal in aid of Dementia Forward.

“It is such an amazing local charity supporting people living with dementia.”

 

Vandals force closure of public toilets in Ripon

Public toilets close to Ripon Cathedral have been closed due to vandalism.

The cathedral alerted people to the news, which affects the Minster Place toilets, on social media yesterday.

It said:

“Due to repeated vandalism and the need for essential repairs, North Yorkshire Council have temporarily closed the public toilets opposite Ripon Cathedral.

“If you are visiting the cathedral during half-term, please use alternative public toilets in Sainsbury’s car park.

“The repairs should be completed within seven days.”

Minster Place hosts one of four sets of public toilets in Ripon. Facilities are also available at Spa Gardens, the bus station / Sainsbury’s car park and the Wakeman’s House, according to the council website.

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‘Remarkable’ and ‘inspirational’ Ripon woman Sylvia Grice dies

One of Ripon’s most remarkable and best-loved residents has died at the age of 90.

Sylvia Grice taught an estimated 250,000 people to swim, including Olympic diving champion Jack Laugher, over the space of 50 years.

She died yesterday — three months after celebrating her 90th birthday.

Sylvia, who lived in Littlethorpe, devoted much of her life to teaching people to swim in a city that has three rivers and a canal. She was awarded an MBE in 2010 and given the Freedom of the City of Ripon in 2019.

Daughter Helen Mackenzie announced the news on social media this morning. She said:

“While we are thrilled she is now at peace, we are distraught at the thought of life without her. Rest in peace Dame Sylvia – you were loved by many and will be missed by all.”

Sylvia with Olympic champion diver Jack Laugher.

Hundreds of tributes have already been paid on social media — many by people Sylvia taught to swim.

The messages included “such an amazing and inspirational lady who will be missed”, “Sylvia was a remarkable lady, she was respected by everyone who knew her”, “One of the most incredible and impactful woman I have ever had the joy to meet” and simply “What a Ripon legend”.

A life helping others

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at her mum’s 90th birthday party, Helen said Sylvia broke her leg at the age of three and was in traction in hospital until she was eight.

She added:

“She learnt to swim when she was 15 and married my dad, Jim, the love of her life, when she was 20.

“When my sister Alison and I came along she regularly took us to swim at Ripon’s Spa Baths and caught the eye of the manager Fred Windsor.

“He encouraged her to become a qualified swimming teacher and over the years she went through all of the grades to become an Amateur Swimming Association tutor and then a Fellow of the Institute of Swimming Teachers.”

Sylvia used her qualifications to help people of all ages and abilities, from toddlers having their first visit to the pool to her mother-in-law Florrie, who learnt to swim when she was 58.

She taught people to swim at Ripon Grammar School and at Ashville College in Harrogate, where she set up Triton Swimmers and away from her busy teaching schedule, found time to run the Spa Gardens cafe, be an active member of Ripon Lions and raise money for numerous charitable causes.

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Ripon’s hornblower to ‘call the watch’ in London for first time

Ripon’s hornblower is set to “call the watch” in London for the first time in its 1,000 year history.

The special dispensation, agreed by Ripon City Council, will see the hornblower make the call over the River Thames on November 6.

It will come as part of the World Travel Market, which is being held at the Excel London from November 6 to November 8.

As part of this, North Yorkshire Council, together with Visit York, Visit Leeds and Herriot Country Tourism, will be jointly hosting a special event on board City Cruises’ flagship vessel Erasmus.

Gemma Rio, head of tourism at North Yorkshire Council, said: 

“We are on a mission, along with partners across the region, to broadcast the message to the global travel industry, to look, and book, ‘up north’.

“The 1,137 year old nightly ritual of the Ripon hornblower, which legendarily began in 886AD to warn locals that the Vikings – or Northmen – were coming seems a fitting tribute.

“In the cathedral city of just 19,000 inhabitants, a horn has been blown from every corner of the marketplace at 9pm every night, without exception for over a thousand years – and still is.

“The Ripon hornblower, a long-held and uninterrupted tradition epitomises the kind of authentic experience still to be found in towns and cities across the county, which set us apart on the world stage.”

Alison Clark

Alison Clark, who became Ripon’s first female hornblower in 2017, will be among those travelling to London.

She said:

“Along with my three hornblower colleagues, I must have one of the longest-standing, unaltered job descriptions in the world.

“I never imagined when I took the role that I would be on the Thames next to the Tower of London announcing that North Yorkshire is ‘at large’ in London.”

North Yorkshire will be represented at the World Travel Market by North Yorkshire Council, Herriot Country Tourism and Visit York as part of the UK Inbound stand. 

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MPs Watch: HS2, Yorkshire Water and maiden speeches

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the northern leg of HS2 would be scrapped and Yorkshire Water unveiled a £7.8 billion investment plan.

Meanwhile, Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP which includes south Harrogate, made his maiden speech in the House of Commons.

We Selby and Ainsty MP Keir Mather if they would like to highlight anything in particular, but did not receive a response.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent a list of his engagements for September.

They included attending a roundtable with the British Dental Association and a Northern Powerhouse Partnership Transport Reception. He also with members of Zero Carbon Harrogate and met a local dentist to discuss NHS dentistry.

Others included visiting Yorkshire Cancer Research’s new facility at Hornbeam Park, chairing a meeting of the European Statutory Instruments Committee and meeting leaders from Luminate Education Group at a reception in the House of Commons.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

When we contacted Mr Smith’s for comment, his office sent a roundup of his engagements for October.

Among them included visiting local schools and businesses in Skipton and Ripon, including Cundall Manor School.

Meanwhile, he also visited The Beer Engine in Skipton and met with Bentham resident, Viv Barclay, who will attempt to become the oldest woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP.

Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP.

In Selby and Ainsty, which includes rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Mather:

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Trespass recruiting staff for new Ripon store

Outdoor clothing company Trespass looks set to open in Ripon after advertising for new staff online.

The firm has advertised for a store manager on the Indeed recruitment website.

Trespass is expected to move into the former Barclays building in Market Place East in the city.

A sign is in place at the former bank which states that the store is “coming soon” and is hiring.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Turner Ltd, which trades under the name Trespass, applied to North Yorkshire Council for advertising consent at the site in September.

It would see two signs implemented at the former bank.

The Stray Ferret has approached Trespass to ask if it had an opening date for its new store and how many staff it was looking to hire.

However, we did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The outdoor clothing specialist currently has a store on Harrogate’s James Street.

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