Plans put on hold because of covid are finally set to come to fruition at the Old Deanery in Ripon following the appointment of Adam Jackson.

The award-winning executive chef is working with owners Rebecca and Chris Layton to provide fine dining and accommodation to sit alongside the wedding and events business the couple launched two years ago at the historic grade two listed Minster Road property.

The Jacobean mansion is situated in the shadows of Ripon Cathedral.

Ms Layton told the Stray Ferret:

“We always had an appetite for making the Old Deanery a fine dining destination that would be open on a more regular basis, but covid meant that we had to put our plans on hold.

“Now we believe that the time is right and Adam joins us as part of our exciting plans to open as Yorkshire’s newest dining experience. He is already working on menu development.”

Executive chef Adam Jackson. Picture: The Old Deanery

Award-winning Mr Jackson was head chef at the Black Swan at Oldstead, near Thirsk, where he helped it win its first Michelin star in 2012.

He then set up his own York restaurant The Park in Marmadukes Town House Hotel, which gained three AA Rosettes.

Latterly, he has worked at the Faversham Arms in Helmsley and the Bow Room at Grays Court in York.

From November, in addition to its weddings and receptions, The Old Deanery will be open for dinner, bed and breakfast stays and meals, including grazing-style meals and Sunday lunches.

Police have warned people in Ripon to beware of shoddy builders turning up on their doorsteps offering to carry out work.

A Ripon police post on the North Yorkshire Community Messaging website on Saturday said it and trading standards had received a number of reports recently of poor workmanship.

It said:

“Would-be builders have turned up on spec at people’s homes offering to replace guttering, point chimneys, repair roofing etc.

“Work carried out has been found to be sub-standard and shoddy but has been charged at a premium rate.”

Police urged people to be cautious of employing unknown door-to-door tradesmen.

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A Ripon woman is facing five charges relating to sexual offences against a child.

Denise Povall, 60, has been charged with four counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity with her.

She has also been charged with sexually assaulting a boy under 13 by touching him.

The offences are alleged to have taken place around 15 years ago.

Ms Povall, of Bondgate Green in Ripon, is expected to enter pleas to the charges at a hearing at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday, September 1.

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Details of upcoming roadworks for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon have been revealed.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, posted details of scheduled resurfacing schemes on his Facebook page.

The information is set out below with details of where and when each scheme will take place and the accompanying plan to manage traffic.

North Park Road, Harrogate

Monday, August 21 to Friday, September 1 (7pm to midnight)

21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th 29th – traffic management – combination of two-way lights and road closure during working hours

23rd, 30th, 31st and 1st Sep – traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

A61 Leeds Rd, Harrogate

(Prince of Wales roundabout to St Georges Rd roundabout)

Monday, August 29 to Friday, September 15 (7pm to midnight)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

A658 Harrogate Road, Harrogate

Thursday, September 14 to Friday, September 22 (9pm to 5am)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained.

High Bridge, Knaresborough

Wednesday, September 20 to Friday. September 29 (7pm to midnight)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

B6163 Briggate, Knaresborough

Friday, September 29 to Monday, October 9 (7.30am to 5.30pm)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

Dragon Road area, Harrogate

(Dragon Rd / Back of Dragon Rd / Dragon Terrace / Rear of Dragon Terrace / Dragon Ave / Dragon Parade, Mornington Terrace / Mornington Terrace)

Monday, October 9 to Wednesday, October 11 (7.30am to 5.30pm)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

Coppice Way, Harrogate

Thursday, October 12 to Wednesday, October 18 (7.30am to 5.30pm)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

Harewood Road, Harrogate

Thursday, October 19 to Friday, October 20 (7.30am to 5.30pm)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

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Priest Lane, Ripon

Monday, October 23 to Tuesday October 31 (7.30am to 5.30pm)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

A61 Dallamires Lane, Ripon

Monday, October 30 to Friday, November 3 (7pm to midnight)

Traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained

A man high on cocaine rammed his car into a police vehicle, ripping off its registration plate, during a death-defying chase through Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Craig Harper, 34, reversed his Vauxhall Astra into the police car, causing the two vehicles to become “wedged” together, York Crown Court heard.

He then stepped on the accelerator, moving the car back and forth, which caused the front of the police vehicle to lift up and its registration plate to fly off.

Prosecutor Beatrice Allsop said that Harper — who was 16 times over the specified limit for cocaine — was on bail at the time and banned from driving, having been arrested and charged with dangerous and drug-driving following a previous police chase on New Year’s Eve 2022.

That first chase occurred in the early hours of December 31 when two traffic officers on the A59 Harrogate Road in Knaresborough were radioed by a colleague telling them that a man in a VW Golf had failed to stop for officers in Harrogate.

They drove to the location in Bogs Lane and saw the Volkswagen driving towards them with its light off. Three males were inside the car which sped towards the A59 towards Knaresborough.

Harper went along Bogs Lane.

Harper took a roundabout on the A61 the wrong way then headed towards Ripley, South Stainley and Ripon.

Ms Allsop said the conditions were so wet there were “large areas of standing water” on the road. Harper lost control on one of these pools of water and veered across the centre white lines before careering off the road and “rebounding” back into the carriageway.

Undeterred, he stepped on the gas again, heading towards Ripon at speeds of up to 75mph while cutting corners, driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding round blind bends and at one stage narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle.

He then revved up to about 80mph in a restricted speed zone and overtook a line of cars near a bend as he bombed down the A61 and into Ripon.

He sped down Harrogate Road, a 30mph zone, at double the speed limit and into Ripon town centre, shooting through red lights and going the wrong way around a roundabout. He then sped down a one-way street near Ripon Cathedral, shot through red lights again and went down another one-way street in the wrong direction.

He then turned into North Street and sped out of the town and through a village where police tried to box him in.

Harper’s vehicle was brought to a stop next to a grass verge. Officers ran over to the vehicle, but Harper put up a struggle as they tried to restrain him.

He was arrested and taken into custody where a drug-drive test revealed he had a “shockingly high” 800mcg of cocaine per litre of blood, the specified limit being 50mcg.

Ms Allsop said the chase, through towns and villages including Masham, lasted over 20 minutes.

Back causing ‘mayhem’

Harper admitted dangerous and drug driving and was bailed and given an interim motoring ban, but on May 2 he was back out on the roads in a different car but causing the same “mayhem”.

Ms Allsop said two patrol officers in an unmarked police car in Leeds spotted him driving a Vauxhall Astra.

They followed the vehicle after Harper, who had a male passenger, turned onto Lady Pit Lane and then into St Francis Close, where he stopped the car and reversed “at speed” towards the police vehicle. The Astra collided with the front offside of the police car, causing it to “jolt and shake”.

Ms Allsop added:

“The Astra became wedged onto the front of the police vehicle.

“Officers shouted at him, telling him to turn the engine off. They could tell he was under the influence of (substances) as his eyes were glazed and vacant.

“He was trying to free the (Astra) from the police vehicle by going forward and into reverse. At one point, (the Astra) lifted the front end of the police vehicle.

“He managed to free the car by driving forward at speed, causing the wheels to spin. Part of the police registration plate flew off.”

Once free from the police vehicle, Harper turned right into a cul-de-sac and came to a dead end. He put the car into reverse again as officers caught up with him and rammed the Astra into the police vehicle.

The Astra again collided with the front offside of the police car. The officer got out of the vehicle and ran to the driver’s side of the Astra.

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Harper tried to escape but police smashed the driver’s window with a baton, opened the door and tried to drag him out, but the engine was still running and he was still trying to drive away.

They finally took him to ground after using reasonable force and cuffed Harper who refused a roadside breath test. He was taken into custody at a police station in Leeds and again refused to have a toxicology test.

Harper, of Holbeck Close, was charged with dangerous driving, causing over £1,600 of damage to the police vehicle, driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He admitted this second set of offences and appeared for sentence via video link yesterday after being remanded in custody.

61 previous convictions

The court heard he had 61 previous convictions for over 100 offences including driving while over the limit for drink and drugs, driving while disqualified and aggravated vehicle-taking. At the time of his latest offences, he was on a community order for assaulting an emergency worker.

Defence barrister Matthew Stewart said the father-of-three started abusing drugs after losing his job and was now on benefits.

Judge Simon Hickey told Harper he had caused “mayhem” on the county’s roads and described his criminal record as “shocking”.

Harper was jailed for two years and two months and slapped with a five-year driving ban.

Two charities that provide much-needed support for local people are benefiting from the £7,000 raised through the Mayor of Ripon’s annual appeal.

Dementia Forward‘s community fundraiser Amy Senior visited Ripon Town Hall on Tuesday to accept a cheque for £3,500 and the same amount will be presented shortly to Harrogate District Mind.

Dementia Forward, which operates throughout North Yorkshire, opened its flagship community hub in 2017 at George Armitage House in Burton Leonard and a further five have followed across the county.

Ms Senior said:

“This donation is greatly appreciated and will support the day services that we provide through our hub club for people affected by dementia.”

Mind’s Harrogate District association was founded in 1973 and over the past 50 years, the charity run by local people, for local people, has been a constant source of support and confidential services including befriending, counselling and outreach.

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, said:

“We are delighted to support two great charities and have been able to do so because of the generosity of the local community and the tremendous work of the appeal committee, which organised and ran fundraising events throughout the last mayoral year.”

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• Chance for Harrogate district community groups to win £3,000
• Search begins for Ripon’s community stars of 2023

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is an after work drinks event on Thursday, August 31 at The West Park Hotel in Harrogate between 5-7pm. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Jaflong restaurant in Ripon has been named as one of the top 10 Bangladeshi restaurants in the country.

The venue on Kirkgate was a finalist in the English Curry Awards 2023 in Birmingham on Monday.

The awards, which were held for the 12th time, celebrate the best curry houses and chefs.

Jaflong was a finalist in the category for Bangladeshi restaurant of the year.  

Owner Salauddin Khan said:

“We are incredibly proud to have our restaurant recognised in these national awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and gave us excellent reviews!”

Masham brewery begins online tour bookings

T&R Theakston has begun providing online bookings for tours to its Masham visitor centre – the Black Bull In Paradise.

The tours enable cask ale and beer lovers to go behind the scenes of the near 200-year old brewery and sample its core range of ales.

The brewery’s visitor centre is open from 10.30am to 4.30pm from Monday to Saturday and holds guided one-hour tours throughout the day.

Bookings can be made here.

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Firefighters were called to a field near Ripon last night when a combine harvester caught fire.

Crews from Thirsk and Ripon were called to Baldersby at 8.44pm.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said the combine was alight when the crews arrived.

It added:

“One hose reel jet was used to extinguish the contents and the combine was moved to a hard standing on the farm premises.

“The cause of the fire was overheating within the combine.”

Baldersby is situated between Ripon and Thirsk.

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Ripon Cathedral has argued that retaining a veteran beech tree in proposals for a £6m annexe would be “unfeasible and impractical”.

In a submission to North Yorkshire Council, planning agent Rose Consulting has laid out the reasons why the cathedral feels the tree must be chopped down to make way for a new song school, cafe and toilet facilities on open space called Minster Gardens.

But the felling of 11 trees including the veteran beech has proved to be controversial and a petition protesting the move has now been signed by over 1,000 people.

The proposal is set to be decided by councillors this year and Rose Consulting has offered detailed policy reasons why it says the felling of the much-loved tree meets the strict tests for its removal as set out in Harrogate’s Local Plan.

It argues that given the “exceptional significance” of the cathedral, a case can be made that there is “overwhelming public benefit” in removing the tree, which it says could help secure the future of the historic site for many years to come.

According to the consultants, the council raised concerns about the loss of the beech tree during pre-application advice.

However, the cathedral judged that even if the tree had engineering support, keeping it would not be possible because it would be too near to the new annexe.

It said the construction process would also have a “significant impact” on the roots of the tree, which could potentially kill it.

The council asked if the proposed building could be redesigned to save the tree, with one option involving finding a different location for the storage part of the development.

It also asked if the proposed building could be moved back into the another part of the site called Mason’s Yard.

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But the cathedral has argued this would result in a longer building and the removal of three more trees.

They said this would adversely affect the Grade II listed hotel the Old Deanery as well as views of the cathedral from the car park.

The consultants finally said that the loss of the 11 trees would be compensated for with 21 “substantial” new trees planted round the development as well as more being planted at the nearby Studley Royal.

Jenni Holman who set up the petition to protest against the removal of the trees, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service today that the cathedral is “creating a rift” between themselves and the local community.

Ms Holman said:

“The Dean and Chapter has only referred to ideas which included changing the design of the building and why the Mason’s Yard is not suitable. I can take on board all those factors.

“I would however like to know why a redesigned or rebuilt Cathedral Hall cannot be utilised?  As a two story building, access would be on a level with access through the south door of the cathedral. The toilets would then be a comparable distance from the cathedral as the proposed new build, but having the advantage of not having a road to cross. The Dean has never actually explained, to my knowledge, why this is not possible.

“A second option is within the grounds of the Dean’s residence. The house itself is of a considerable size and there is also a considerable-sized stable block which could be used for his desired storage.

“I would be interested to know why these options have not been mentioned or even considered.”