North Yorkshire Council confirmed today it will increase all car park charges from April 19.

The Stray Ferret reported last week charges across the Harrogate district were in line to rise.

The council said in a statement today it would increase tariffs by 20% as “part of North Yorkshire’s commitment to maintain and improve its facilities”. It added the decision “was made after careful consideration of several factors impacting the service”.

Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director of environment, said:

“We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience. This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

“We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.”

The statement said the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security had risen “and ensuring a safe and well-maintained environment is essential for the convenience and satisfaction of customers”.

The move affects all parking at council-owned car parks.

The hike in prices comes despite the council increasing council tax bills by 4.99% in 2024/25. It means the amount paid by an average Band D property for council services will increase by £87.80 to £1,847.62. The council faces a shortfall of more than £30 million for the next financial year.

Mr Battersby added:

“We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.”

The council plans to draft a strategy this year that will look at parking provision across North Yorkshire to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

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Blessed with bright spring sunshine, today’s annual Palm Sunday procession from Ripon Market Square to the city’s magnificent cathedral, heralded the start of Holy Week.

With Easter Sunday just a week away, people of all denominations congregated on the square for an ecumenical open air service led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below).

Christ’s triumphant journey to Jerusalem was re-enacted as clergy and choristers carried large palms and followed Lily the donkey attended by 12-year-old Phoebe and her 13-year-old cousin Liza.

The procession went from the city centre and down Kirkgate to the cathedral, where a Sung Eucharist service was held.

Donkey Lily was led by cousins Phoebe (left) and Liza

The walk, with choristers singing and led by the Cathedral’s director of music, Dr Ronny Krippner, took the procession along Market Place East before the turn into Kirkgate and into the ancient church for the 10.30 service.

Phoebe and Liza, pictured before they led the procession with Lily the donkey

Along the route, they passed an array of Easter-themed decorations created by the non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project. Two of their eye-catching designs can be seen below.

Crowning glory. The post box on Market Place East wearing its own Easter bonnet

Knitted Easter eggs adorn the trees around Market Square

Main image: Choristers on Kirkgate in Ripon’s annual Palm Sunday procession

A Ripon man with an incurable cancer is walking the length of the Pennine Way to raise money for Harrogate cancer care centre, Active Against Cancer.

Anthony Henson, 53, aims to raise £10,000 for the charity, which helps cancer patients maintain a level of fitness as well as supporting their mental wellbeing.

Mr Henson, an architect from the outskirts of Ripon, was rushed to intensive care at St James’s Hospital in Leeds in 2022 after collapsing suddenly. He was later diagnosed with incurable pancreatic and liver cancer.

At the end of 2022, he was given a pioneering operation and treatment which has extended his life. The operation was successful, but he the had to go through eight months of radiation therapy.

The treatment began last July and involves being injected with radiation, spending 24 hours in a lead-lined room and being checked with a Geiger counter to see if he can go home. The medication is flown in from Italy with Mr Henson saying, “it’s all a bit James Bond”.

He then has to isolate at home for two weeks until the radiation has diminished enough for him not to be harmful. This is repeated every two months meaning he is in isolation for eight weeks. He had his last treatment in January and has his final blood test next week.

During this isolation he began to walk the Pennine Way, which is 431 kilometres (268 miles) virtually in his garden, as well as taking walks along the way with friends and family when not isolating. His wife Fiona Henson, a teacher at Ripon Grammar School and their two children will support him on his virtual journey.

Mr Henson said:

“At first I was drained and just was trying to do up to two miles a day, your body takes such a pummelling but I have been fortunate in that I have had no pain, I just had sickness from the treatment. I started because I couldn’t go out and it kept me fit and I wanted to give something back to the phenomenal service.

“We have had amazing support. An incurable diagnosis is horrific for any family but the staff at Action Against Cancer, Macmillan’s and St James’s have done an amazing job keeping me alive I can never thank them enough. Active Against Cancer have kept up my physical and mental well-being for the past eight months and helped me live as normal a life as possible.

“Without them I would not have been able to deal with the treatments I have received and would not be able to continue to move forward, they have been a key part in keeping me alive and positive. I am therefore aiming to raise £10,000 to help support them so that they can help provide this vital service to those with cancer.”

Mr Henson is nearing the end of his challenge and has already raised over £8,000 of his £10,000 target.

To follow his journey or donate click here.

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A former Harrogate vet took her life by taking drugs used to euthanise animals after reactivating her licence, an inquest heard.

Sarah Jane Bromiley, 49, was found dead at a house on Red Hills Road, Ripon, on May 22, 2023.

Coroner Catherine Cundy said the death raised questions about how registered vets can acquire controlled drugs without an official premises inspection.

Ms Bromiley first registered as a veterinary surgeon in 1988 but stopped practising in 2006 following the birth of her first child.

The inquest heard during that time she had “non-practising status”, and instead began working as a practice manager at her husband’s dental surgery in Ripon.

But the coroners court in Northallerton heard yesterday Ms Bromiley later registered to re-activate her licence with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in October 2020, and was able to order a quantity of a controlled drug to her home address without an official premises inspection.

Ms Cundy said Ms Bromiley’s application was accepted by the RCVS just a month later, when she registered her family’s second residential home as her practice premises.

In May 2021, Ms Bromiley indicated to the RCVS she was “not sure” when she would officially begin practising as a vet but outlined her business plan to offer euthanasia services to small animals and horses through home visits.

The coroner said, based on evidence supplied by the RCVS, which is responsible for regulating individual vets and sole practitioners, and the Veterinary Medications Directorate (VMD), which is responsible for inspecting veterinary practices, she was satisfied that this method of veterinary practicing was “not uncommon, particularly in rural areas”.

No inspection of premises

Although originally registered in Ripon, the court heard Ms Bromiley changed the address of her registered veterinary practice to that of her family home on Rutland Drive, in Harrogate, on July 1, 2021.

The VMD was notified of the change, the coroner said, and offered Ms Bromiley an official inspection of the new address.

The coroner said:

“I accept that the VMD emailed Sarah and offered to carry out an inspection of the updated premises on February 2, 2022.

“Sarah replied to the email a week later, on February 9, to say she had ‘not yet started operating as a practice’, and asked what the inspection would involve.

“Sarah was then sent the inspection criteria by the VMD and was told she would be contacted again in six months’ time. But by then, she would sadly already be deceased.”

The coroner attributed the VMD’s delay in carrying out inspections to a “considerable backlog following the pandemic”.

In January 2022, Ms Bromiley told the RCVS she was planning to use both the Harrogate and formerly registered Ripon addresses as her practices, but just over a year later, added she “still had not begun work on animals”.

Neither property was ever inspected, the court heard.

Ordering the controlled drugs

The court heard, although a formal premises inspection never took place, as a registered veterinary surgeon, Ms Bromiley was able to order controlled drugs.

She placed the first of two orders with wholesaler National Veterinary Services in July 2021 and said the substance would be “for use on small animals”.

The coroner said the wholesaler undertook the relevant checks “as required” when a vet places an order of restricted substances, adding Ms Bromiley filled in the relevant forms before the drugs were delivered to her home address in Ripon.

The coroner said there was “no evidence” to suggest the first order was ever used on animals.

Ms Bromiley then ordered a larger quantity of the same controlled substance in April 2023. However, this time, she noted the order was “urgent” and was, again, required for use on small animals.

Instead of home delivery, Ms Bromiley made a 200-mile round trip from Harrogate to Stoke-on-Trent to collect the drugs, where she was required to show her drivers’ licence and provide a signature.

At the time, she also collected other veterinary paraphernalia, which the coroner concluded was used to assist her death a little more than a month later.

Coroner’s conclusion

Ms Cundy said from the spring of 2020 until her death, Ms Bromiley attended regular medical consultations. She complained of “chest pains, fatigue and low blood pressure”, but the only diagnosis ever given was that of a cyst on her jaw, the court heard.

She was also told she may be suffering from long covid, the coroner said, adding Ms Bromiley grew “frustrated” at the absence of an official diagnosis.

However, Ms Cundy cited Ms Bromiley’s medical records, which stated she was showing signs of “low mood” in April 2022 – more than a year prior to her death – but had declined a referral to mental health services.

The coroner then concluded the journey to obtain the euthanasia drug, instead of home delivery, was done to “conceal” the order from others, adding:

“I find collecting the drugs was indicative of Sarah’s mind and I suspect her growing intent to take her own life.”

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, Ms Bromiley told her husband, Roger, she would be staying at their second property in Ripon, which the court heard was “normal” for the couple.

The coroner said the couple exchanged messages that evening until 10pm.

However, concerns grew after Ms Bromiley did not turn up for work at the dental practice the following day (Monday, May 22).

The court heard Mr Bromiley visited the property at lunch time to check on his wife, but found the door was “locked with the key on the inside”.

Ms Cundy then said Mr Bromiley returned to the house at around 6pm with a screwdriver to unlock the door, adding:

“Inside, Mr Bromiley found an envelope on the landing outside one of the upstairs bedroom doors. It said, ‘do not come in – call the police or 999’.”

Ms Cundy concluded, according to notes left by Ms Bromiley addressed to her husband, children, family and even the coroner, she was “adamant she was not mentally ill” and instead said she was suffering from “grief”.

The coroner also said:

“I find along with the police investigation there was no third party involved or any suspicious circumstances surrounding Sarah’s death.

“I believe she acted alone and intravenously self-administered the drug, which was found at a level associated with fatality in the toxicology report.

“I conclude a cause of death of suicide and find Sarah, sadly, took steps to meticulously end her own life.”

Ms Cundy noted she would send a “letter of concern” to the Veterinary Medications Directorate and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons expressing concern over the means by which registered vets, who are in the “same regime someone like Sarah was in”, can acquire controlled drugs without an official premises inspection.

She did, however, recognise it would not be “practical or realistic” to request a second signature upon delivery of controlled drugs to sole practitioner vets as a means of preventing similar acts, when they “don’t work alongside other vets”.

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Bus fares for young people in the Harrogate district will be capped at £1 as part of a one-year pilot scheme.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive members yesterday accepted £3.5 million of funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Network North Bus Service Improvement Plan, which will be used to introduce the scheme.

The pilot will include expanded bus timetables, improvements to bus shelters and £1 travel fares.

£2.1 million of the money, which has been allocated to local authorities in the north and the midlands after plans for the HS2 rail project were halted, will fund additional weekday bus services during peak times across three Harrogate district routes.

These include:

• Services 21 and 22, which runs from Knaresborough to York via Ripon and surrounding villages.
• Service 70, which runs from Ripon to Northallerton.
• Service 1, which runs from Harrogate to Knaresborough via Aspin, Carmines, Starbeck and the Pastures.

A further £715,000 of the funding will be used to provide £1 bus fares for people aged under 19, which will apply county-wide, while £158,000 will be used to hire more staff to improve boarding times and information services at bus stations across the Harrogate and Scarborough districts.

Maintaining and improving bus stops, additional cleaning services and repairs to Ripon bus station’s waiting facilities will also fall under the scheme at a cost of £76,000.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways and transport, said:

“As a result of our efforts, bus services in North Yorkshire have seen a significant reversal of fortune since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Passenger numbers are up and we’ve protected at-risk services. Now, I am pleased we can go further.

“With £3.5 million of extra funding, we are able to introduce lower fares for under-19s, invest in bus stops and fund expanded routes in all corners of the county.

“This is very welcome news for passengers, but it is of course vital that services are supported so they can continue in the longer term.”

The council has urged the public to “get on board with the pilot” to ensure the services will continue beyond 2025.

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George Egg brings his latest show, Set Menu, to Ripon on Thursday (March 21) as the main dish in a crazy culinary evening to launch the 2024 Ripon Theatre Festival.

Festival director Katie Scott, told the Stray Ferret:

“We’re getting off to a good start with all tickets quickly snapped up for the show from George Egg  – the comedian who cooks.

“This award-winning, multi-sell-out, international-touring performer presents a delightful evening’s cooking-with-laughs comprising the best bits from his previous acclaimed shows, plus a few new surprises.

“Over the past half-decade George has toured three shows (‘Anarchist Cook’, ‘DIY Chef’ and ‘Movable Feast’), he’s cooked over a thousand dishes, all of them in front of a live audience and none of them with a kitchen.”

Revisiting those unlikely environments armed with the chef’s skills he’s honed, he’ll show how to make food on a train with a laptop, in a shed with power tools and with hotel bedroom appliances. Plates of gourmet food prepared in the most unconventional of ways and with the opportunity to taste the results at the end.

Ms Scott, added:

“It’s time for the funniest recipes and the most delicious jokes. George has appeared and cooked on ‘Bake Off: An Extra Slice’ (Channel 4), ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’
(Channel 4) and ‘This Morning’ (ITV).

“He’s made food live on the radio too on ‘Loose Ends’ (BBC R4) a show which is now regularly co-hosts, you can hear him every Monday on Craig Charles’ (BBC 6 Music)
Show, and he’s even presented an episode of ‘The Food Programme’ (BBC R4).”

Full details of this year’s Ripon Theatre Festival will be announced at Thursday’s event which takes place at Ripon Arts Hub with refreshments courtesy of Valentino’s Ristorante. The evening is sponsored byGolden Frog Marketing.

The summer festival will take place from Tuesday 2 – Sunday 7 July with five days and six nights crammed with events and activity.

Tickets for seven events are already on sale, but audiences at the George Egg event will hear announcements about the full programme, including outdoor, free, and family events set to take place at a multitude of locations across the city. click here for full information about all events.

Image George Egg. Picture Ripon Theatre Festival

Get out and about with our guide of the top activities and things to do this weekend.

Play crazy golf at a movie-themed course in the Yorkshire Dales

At The Stray Ferret we like to publish events that are slightly out of the ordinary – and if a movie-themed crazy golf experience isn’t that, then we don’t know what is.

Taking place at Uredale Mill in the picturesque Dales village of Askrigg, channel your inner Happy Gilmore and get competitive with friends and family on this 18-hole course that’s themed around films.

Dance the can-can at the Moulin Rouge or get a miserly score that would make The Grinch proud. This fun activity is one to pop on the weekend list – or as it runs for two weeks, it could be one for the Easter holidays too. 

Children under 12 £8, adults £10, discounts for group bookings are available – email tickets@incredibleartists.uk, various time slots, March 23 – April 7, Uredale Mill (ex Carrs Billington Yard), Station Road, Askrigg, DL8 3HZ.

 Listen to the soundtracks of the silver screen performed by a live orchestra

(Image: London Concertante)

This week’s ‘5 things to do in and around Harrogate’ has a slight film feel (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is also being released on 22 March, 40 years after the original – book your tickets at The Everyman or The Odeon), while Ripon Cathedral is also hosting a Music from the Movies by Candlelight, performed by London Concertante.

Be mesmerised by the orchestra who will play some of the most iconic film scores of all time, including the suave sophistication of James Bond, the ethereal sounds of ET and the dark allure of The Godfather, to name but a few.

From £19, March 23, Ripon Cathedral, Liberty Court House, Minster Road, Ripon HG4 1QT.

Visit Knaresborough Wellness Festival

(Image: Pixaby)

Think about your mind, body and soul at Knaresborough Wellness Festival, which is being held for the fourth year running. Featuring something for everyone including treatments such as reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki, and Indian head massage, to live music, aura photography and tarot card reading, you’ll be sure to find your inner zen here.

There will also be activities such as yoga, workshops and talks so you can learn more about a wide variety of wellness practices, and there will also be plenty of crystals too.

Free, March 24, 10am-4pm, Knaresborough Wellness Festival, Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre, 50 Bond End, Knaresborough, HG5 9AL.

 Go to Springtime Live at the Great Yorkshire Showground

(Image: Springtime Live)

The event for all the family is back. This year attendees won’t be disappointed as there will be a spaniel dog show, a crazy climbing wall, Mini Land Rover rides, tractor trailer rides and a sheep show. That’s not to mention all farm animals you could possibly imagine, as well as hands-on workshops and demonstrations, which are just some of this year’s highlights.

And once you’re inside the event, all of the attractions are free. Bonus. Be quick though as some of the tickets have already sold out.

Pre-booking is necessary, children £8, adults £12, March 23, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, HG2 8NZ.

Meet the extreme artist and explorer Philip Gray

(Image: Philip Gray)

Irish artist Philip Gray combines his love of painting with his passion for exploration and discovery. He often embarks on challenging expeditions for his art and paints these scenes from across the world, whether it’s tropical rainforests or icy mountain peaks.

Join him at Clarendon Fine Art Gallery where he will launch his Harrogate exhibition and tell the tales of some of the adventures he’s been on. It’s sure to make for an awe-inspiring evening.

Free, 6-8pm, March 23, Clarendon Fine Art, 1a James Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QS.

Do you have an event that you’d like us to potentially feature in the future? Drop me an email at francesca@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Firefighters rescue boy trapped in railings in Ripon

Firefighters were called to help a boy whose leg got trapped in railings at Ripon Market Place.

On-call firefighters from the city were summoned to the incident at 8.31am yesterday.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report did not say how the boy managed to get stuck.

It added firefighters “released the boy unharmed using hydraulic spreaders”.

Ripon firefighters were back in action at 2.05pm when they responded to reports of a hedge on fire on Dishforth Road in Sharow,

The incident report said:

“Crews extinguished the fire measuring 5m x 5m using one hose reel jet. The cause was accidental.”

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Lightwater Valley Adventure Park is set to reopen later this month in time for the Easter Weekend.

The theme park is set to open its doors on Thursday March 28.

Lightwater Valley is launching two brand new attractions, which include a new rollercoaster and a Safari Jeep Ride. Plus the soft play area and theatre are both relocated and extended.

The park in North Stainley, near Ripon, was first established as a farm attraction in 1969 and became a theme park in the 1980s after introducing its first rollercoaster ‘the Sewer Rat’, which remained in place until 2009 when it was changed to Raptor Attack.

More rides and activities have been introduced over the years with the ‘Ultimate’ rollercoaster launching in 1991, bagging the world record as the longest rollercoaster at the time.

It has been at Lightwater Valley longer than any other remaining ride but last year Brighton Pier Group, owners of the park announced it would be closing for good after they found they could not bring it up to “acceptable standards”.

The Ultimate has been closed for a number of years

The new Rocket Rollercoaster is aimed at 10-12 year old visitors taking riders on an “adrenaline fuelled journey that gives everyone a thrill as if the rocket is flying amongst the stars”.

It will join the Caterpillar ride and Ladybird ride for rollercoasters catered to younger visitors. The park aims to “boost their commitment to the under 12s” and The Safari Jeep Ride is also part of this plan.

The ride will see large model animals set in landscapes relevant to their habitat, including elephants, zebras and lions. Visitors sit in their own Jeep which takes up to four people. The safari experience will also offer face painting and a chance to handle various small reptiles, bugs and creepy crawlies.

Go Safari attraction at Lightwater Valley

The theatre is also set to host a programme of children’s shows including Sing-a-long Safari, Bluey & Bingo and Peppa Pig & George.

Upgrades to the attractions have been completed during the closure of the park over winter.

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