Four hundred children from 13 local primary schools will be taking centre stage at Harrogate’s Royal Hall in just over a week for the bi-annual Kids Aloud concert.

The Last Dragon, which is organised by Harrogate Brigantes Rotary, is a musical extravaganza featuring pupils from the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon areas.

The young performers have written a lot of the music themselves, with help from storyteller Guy Wilson and composer Roland Fudge.

Hundreds of pupils take part. Pic: Charlotte Gale

The children have also illustrated a book to accompany the show, which is available from local independent bookshops, Imagined Things in Harrogate and The Little Bookshop in Ripon.

Some 200 children will be involved each night on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.

Guy said:

“This is the eighth Kids Aloud concert Harrogate Brigantes Rotary has put on and the first that is entirely original.

“It gives our children a memorable chance to celebrate post-covid freedom with a lung-bursting performance at a full Royal Hall. We’re grateful to all the local businesses who’ve sponsored us and to Arts Council England who’ve given us a Youth Music grant.”

Guy paid particular tribute to This will be the last Kids Aloud for Harrogate primary schools music teacher Carmel Wake.

“As usual, Carmel has brought all her musical and organisational skills to the show. She has sourced and adapted music, conducted performances and coordinated the work of the schools.”

Carmel Wake conducting the choirs in rehearsal. Pic: Guy Wilson

The Last Dragon is a tale of good and evil, courage and victory set in the imaginary country of Rubovernia. It tells how two children, helped by the very last dragon in the country are able to fight off the evil that threatens it.

Any money that’s left at the end will help to fund the next Kids Aloud or go towards local good causes Brigantes Rotary supports.

Tickets are £15 for adults and £5 for under 17s and can be purchased from Harrogate Theatre box office or online here.

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In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the way our communities market the death of the Queen and the ascension of King Charles III.

The announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen on Thursday, September 8 led to a series of historic events across the Harrogate district. 

Among the first was a two-minute silence held by the Ripon hornblower following the setting of the watch at 9pm, less than three hours after the official announcement. 

Tributes quickly came in from dignitaries around North Yorkshire, including the Lord Lieutenant, Jo Ropner, who said: 

“I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace when I was appointed as Lord Lieutenant in 2018, and I know from personal experience that every engagement was conducted with grace and genuine interest, that every person felt the spark from meeting not only their monarch, but a truly remarkable woman whose commitment to her role will be remembered for generations to come.” 

The following morning, official arrangements began to be put in place to mark the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. 

Church bells tolled for an hour at noon, while flags at public venues, including Ripon Town Hall, Knaresborough House and the Royal Hall in Harrogate, were flown at half mast. 

Many churches opened books of condolence for people to sign, and invited people to visit and pray. Flowers were laid on the grass by the war memorial in Harrogate. 

A number of events were cancelled over the following days as a mark of respect. Sporting fixtures around the country were called off, including Harrogate Town’s match against Carlisle. 

Both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council cancelled all meetings for the week following the Queen’s death. 

Read more:

• Queen’s coffin drape supplied by royal flag makers in Knaresborough
• Harrogate district pays final respects to the Queen

On Sunday, September 11, a ceremony was held by the war memorial in Harrogate. It saw the Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate read the proclamation of the new King. 

A similar ceremony was held in Ripon, where Deputy Lord Lieutenant Richard Compton was on duty to read the proclamation. 

Over the following days, in unprecedented circumstances, some businesses altered their opening hours and some major events had to be changed too. 

Nidderdale Show was forced to move from its traditional Monday slot when the Queen’s funeral was announced for the same date. However, it later said the weekend show had proved a success and future events would be held on a Sunday. 

The funeral on Monday, September 19 saw several businesses close for the day, including Bettys tea rooms, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, and RHS Garden Harlow Carr. 

Many supermarkets closed all day, or opened from 5pm onwards. Bin collections were suspended for the bank holiday and council-run leisure centres were closed. 

The funeral was shown on big screens at Ripon Cathedral and the Royal Hall in Harrogate, as well as some pubs.

A Hollywood actor has praised the Stray in Harrogate after running laps around it during his theatre tour.

Richard E Grant was in town as part of his An Evening With tour, discussing his memoir, A Pocketful of Happiness.

Before heading off to Liverpool yesterday, he posted a video on Twitter of him running around the Stray, which he described as an “extraordinary parkland right in the middle of this beautiful city”.

https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1582656478090969088

The night before, the Oscar-nominated actor – who first found fame in the celebrated film Withnail and I – appeared at the Royal Hall in front of a sell-out audience.

He described the venue as “stunning” – and the audience seemed equally impressed with him, giving a standing ovation at the end of the night.

https://twitter.com/RichardEGrant/status/1582496498599591936

Mr Grant’s more recent work includes parts in Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, and Doctor Who. In 2019, he was nominated for an Academy Award, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in Can You Ever Forgive Me?.

His memoir takes its title from his late wife Joan Washington who, before her death last year from lung cancer, challenged him to “find a pocketful of happiness in every single day”.

Legendary chef Marco Pierre White started his culinary career in Harrogate four decades ago.

Since then, Marco has gone on to lead the country’s restaurant scene and helped kick-start the careers of chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.

Later this month he is returning to the town he calls one of his “spiritual homes” to host a three-day food festival.

He spoke to the Stray Ferret about learning the trade in Harrogate, favourite Yorkshire restaurants and… tripe.

‘First break in life’

Forty five years ago a young Marco Pierre White was instructed by his dad to go and search for work in Harrogate. This was because it was less than 10 miles away from his Leeds home and crammed with hotels.

So one morning in March 1978, sandwiches in hand, he caught the bus to the town, went to the St George Hotel, on Ripon Road, and knocked on the kitchen door.

He said:

“I was there for about a year. I didn’t learn much about cooking. That’s the truth. But what I did learn was how to use a knife well. I learned how to absorb pressure, I learned to be organised. I learned to work hard. Very hard.

“I also used to stand and watch the chef, Stefan Wilkinson, do the pass. He was the greatest at doing the pass that I ever saw. He gave me my first break in life for which I’m very grateful for.

“I learned a lot there, but not about food.”

Marco said his time at the Harrogate hotel was very important as it prepared him for his role at The Box Tree in Ilkley.

The famous Yorkshire restaurant opened in 1963 and was one of the first four restaurants in the UK to hold two Michelin stars.

Marco began working in the kitchen at the age of 17 in 1979, where he remained for two years.

He said:

“In those days it was one of only four restaurants in Britain to have two Michelin stars. A lot of people regarded it as the best restaurant in Britain at the time.”

‘Spiritual home’

While he hasn’t visited Yorkshire since 2019 as a result of the pandemic, he is looking forward to returning to Harrogate on October 28 for his three-day food festival.

He said:

“I always say Harrogate is one of my spiritual homes.”

And while he hasn’t dined out in the region for almost four years, he credits his favourite Yorkshire restaurant as the Cleveland Tontine, Northallerton.

He said:

“I’ve been there many, many times. My friend Eugene has left there and now he has got the Crathorne Arms, just outside Northallerton. He’s a very good chef and cooks food you want to eat.

“But when I was a boy, Harrogate had restaurants like the Drum and Monkey (which is still open today) and we had Oliver’s and Number Six. The first ever posh restaurant I took a girl to was Oliver’s in Harrogate. We both had beef wellington and a langoustine cocktail.”

Marco also recommends Simon Shaw’s tapas restaurant, El Gato Negro, in Leeds, where he plans to dine ahead of the food festival.

The Great White Food Festival

The Great White Food Festival will be held at the Harrogate Convention Centre and Royal Hall from October 28-30 and is expected to attract around 15,000 visitors.

Marco said:

“It’s basically a celebration of food and there will be lots of artisan producers who make things like salami, pork pies and black pudding.

“There will be produce like smoked salmon and haddock. In my opinion Alfred Enderby, from Grimsby, smokes the best smoked haddock in the world and they are coming.

“Redefine Meat are coming who make vegetarian steaks.

“Pierre Koffmann, Simon Shaw, Jean-Christophe Novelli and I will be doing masterclasses. There are a lot of chefs doing them.

“But it’s a celebration of Yorkshire really and all those individuals who contribute to it being wonderful.”

And his favourite Yorkshire dish?

“Tripe. Tripe is one of the most delicious things on earth. There used to be a tripe shop in Leeds Market. They used to hang it in all the butchers’ shops. People used to eat it cold with malt vinegar, black pepper and salt.”

• For more information about the Great White Food Festival and to book tickets, click here.

The director of Harrogate Convention Centre has said the loss of the 15-day International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival will have a “limited additional economic impact” on hotels in the town.

Festival directors Janet and Neil Smith announced last week they will stage next year’s event at Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire from July 29 to August 12.

Harrogate’s Royal Hall had hosted the festival, which attracts thousands of visitors from around the world, since 2014. It provided a major boost to the town’s hospitality sector.

The directors claimed the cost of the Royal Hall had doubled and that no compromise had been forthcoming. By contrast, Buxton Opera House had “pulled out every stop to accommodate the festival,” they claimed.

The absence of Gilbert and Sullivan aficionados for 15 days will be keenly felt by numerous Harrogate hotels, bed and breakfasts, bars and restaurants. But Paula Lorimer, director of the convention centre, said the summer timing would reduce the impact.

Ms Lorimer also said the event had received “a discount of over 90% on venue hire”.

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In a statement, she said:

“Over the past eight years, Harrogate Convention Centre and the Royal Hall has been proud to have supported the Gilbert and Sullivan festival to the tune of over £200k of in-kind services and support.

“We have also supported the festival with a discount of over 90% on venue hire.

“We tried to explore with the organisers how their event could change to reduce the costs to the venue however the organisers wished to retain the same event with the same levels of support despite dwindling numbers attending.

“Our feedback from the hospitality sector indicated that the timing of the festival, in the middle of the summer holidays, was at time when hotels are generally at capacity resulting in limited additional economic impact from the festival.

“We regret to see them leave but respect their commercial decision and wish the festival all the best for their future.”

The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is to be moved from Harrogate to Buxton after the organisers claimed the cost of the venue doubled.

The Royal Hall hosted the event annually from 2014, except when it was cancelled due to covid.

It attracted thousands of visitors from around the world and provided a major summer boost for Harrogate’s hospitality sector.

But next year’s 15-day event will be held at Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire from July 29 to August 12 instead.

Bernard Lockett, one of the festival organisers, said:

“Last week, festival directors Janet and Neil Smith were presented with Harrogate Convention Centre‘s new costings for 2023, which would see overall costs double, making the festival in its present form impossible to stage. With no compromises forthcoming, there was sadly no option but to leave the town.

“The decision was not taken lightly. The festival has invested heavily in growing the festival in the town, and we know our visitors, who travel from all around the world every year, will certainly miss Harrogate, and particularly the magnificent Royal Hall.”

Read more:

• 10-day Gilbert & Sullivan Festival returns to Harrogate
• 45 former CNG staff in £210,000 tribunal win against Harrogate firm

An email from the organisers to festival supporters last week said Buxton Opera House, “pulled out every stop to accommodate the festival, ensuring a sustainable future for this important event”.

The event moved to Harrogate in 2014.

The festival was first staged in Buxton in 1993 before moving to Harrogate. The email said:

“We are immensely sorry to leave so many fantastic friends in Harrogate and the magnificent Royal Hall theatre.

“Buxton is, and always will be, the spiritual home of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.  We are excited to return and look forward to seeing everyone there next year.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council, which manages the Royal Hall, for comment.

A play exploring the life of one of Harrogate’s most famous citizens premieres at the Royal Hall tomorrow — a theatre he helped to build.

Samson Fox, who died in 1903, was an inventor, philanthropist and Harrogate mayor, whose legacy is evident throughout the town.

The Man Who Captured Sunlight explores Samson’s life and controversial legal battle with author Jerome K Jerome.

Yorkshire actor Joe Standerline stars as the inventor, whose ideas had a major impact around the world.

His greatest creation, the corrugated boiler flue, saved thousands of lives and revolutionised engine construction.

His philanthropic legacy to the arts includes the creation of the Royal Hall and the Royal College of Music in London.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at the dress rehearsal, Mr Standerline said:

“He takes interesting to another level. I feel a bit boring in comparison. There is definitely pressure to become one of the most uber human beings that has ever walked the planet. The guy was simply amazing.

“I think the people of Harrogate are definitely in for a treat. We’ve put the work in and we now get to play in this astounding theatre. Samson paid for a fair dollop of the place. We are ready now to project this piece.

“It’s part biopic, part period drama. The language in it is absolutely delicious and it’s surprisingly funny.”

As the great grandfather to actors Edward and James Fox, Samson also helped to create the UK’s most famed theatrical acting dynasty.

His grandchildren and great-grandchildren have starred in major TV shows and movies, from Edward Fox in the Day of the Jackal, to Emilia Fox in Silent Witness, and Freddie Fox in The Crown.

Read more:

• Famous acting family set for play premiere in Harrogate
• Royal Hall Proms returns to Harrogate next month

Freddie Fox will attend the matinee performance and take part in an audience Q&A. The actor Joanna David, Freddie’s mother, will also attend.

Freddie Fox (photo by Tavistock Wood) and Samson Fox.

Mr Standerline, who has appeared in TV series such as ITV’s Victoria, joked:

“I’ll just say I’m perfectly fine with it. There’s no pressure at all performing in front of one of the greatest acting dynasties in the whole history of cinema and the theatre.”

Mr Standerline said the people of Harrogate had been extremely welcoming. He added:

“It’s been great spending the last few weeks here, integrating ourselves into the community that we are representing. It is a responsibility and we are taking it seriously and we can’t wait to get people in these seats.”

Born into poverty

Samson was born into poverty in Bradford in 1838 and worked in the mills from the age of nine. An impresario of his day, he famously ‘bottled the sun’ as Harrogate’s streets became the first thoroughfares in the world to be lit with his Fox Water-Gas.

Samson Fox and his family.

The play, written by Doctor Who writer Gavin Collinson, charts Samson’s meteoric rise, followed by the 19th century libel trial involving the author and editor, Jerome K Jerome.

Mr Collinson told the Stray Ferret:

“What I wanted to do is show his human side, show his family, show his heart. I wanted to show everything he risked, which was his considerable fortune, to clear his name. I also wanted to look into his ambiguities. Was he a good man? Hopefully that’s something the play explores.

“When the opportunity came up to tell his story, it was something I couldn’t refuse.

“The Fox family have read the script and they were incredibly kind. I hope they enjoy it tomorrow.

“I’m in awe of all the cast. I just sit there and write the lines but they bring it to life.

“I hope the people in Harrogate will enjoy the play. It’s a cast of Northern voices. There’s a reality and celebration of where we are from and I hope people embrace that.”

Cause UK, the Harrogate-based creative agency, has produced and sponsored  the play.

The Man Who Captured Sunlight premieres in Harrogate’s Royal Hall tomorrow, with the matinee at 2.30pm and evening performance at 7pm. Buy tickets here.

A Last Night of the Proms charity concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall next month will pay tribute to the Queen and celebrate the new King.

The concert, which will feature the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band and acclaimed violinist Kate Chruscicka, will take place on October 7.

The event is being organised by the Harrogate fundraising team at end of life care charity Marie Curie following the success of the first proms in 2019, which raised more than £20,000.

The group is now hoping to recreate “the magic” of the event following a break as result of the pandemic.

Chair of the group, David Beswick, said:

“The team are determined to ensure the concert will deliver a ‘last night concert’ to remember.

“We know the Queen was a music lover and at major ceremonial and celebratory events, the sound of brass and marching band music was a fundamental component.

“We’re delighted to have Grimethorpe Colliery Band at the event. They are the most famous name in the world of brass band music. They will lead the celebration of the Queen’s life, and wish our new monarch, King Charles III, a long and successful reign.”

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Before his accession to the throne, King Charles was a patron of Marie Curie.

Mr Beswick added:

“He has opened hospices and hosted many fundraising events for the charity, including joining people across the UK as part of our National Day of Reflection.

“For many of us, it will be our first opportunity to join in the singing of God Save our Gracious King.”

The event starts at 7pm and will feature classic Last Night of the Proms staples, such as Royal Britannia and Jerusalem.

Senior community fundraiser Gemma Hewitt said:

“I’m thrilled to have the proms event back after such a difficult time for everyone over the past two years.

“Now with the sad death of the Queen, this hopefully will bring us all together to celebrate her, and our wonderful community spirit – with singing and flag waving, you will be sure to leave with a smile on your face.”

All money raised from the event will support Marie Curie, which provides nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness.

Tickets start from £20, and can be booked from the Royal Hall website, in person or on the phone on 01423 502116.

Many organisations across the Harrogate district closed today as people paid their final respects to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Streets were quiet and there was a sombre mood as the nation watched the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London.

Ripon Cathedral and Harrogate’s Royal Hall broadcast the event live on big screens, as did numerous pubs and churches.

Many other people watched the day’s events unfold live on BBC One.

Here are some photos taken during today’s funeral capturing local tributes and the unusually quiet state of the district.

Cambridge Street deserted during the funeral.

Ripon Cathedral today

Flowers to the Queen at Harrogate’s war memorial.

Floral tributes in Knaresborough Market Place.

St Andrew’s Church in Starbeck broadcast the funeral live.

Starbeck High Street devoid of traffic.

A shop front tribute in Harrogate town centre.

Harrogate’s Royal Hall will be broadcasting the Queen’s funeral live on Monday.

The broadcast will start at 10am and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

A book of condolence will also be available for people to sign.

The state funeral at Westminster Abbey will also be broadcast live at Ripon Cathedral, with visitors asked to attend from 9.30am.

Monday has been declared a bank holiday and many businesses will be closed.

The Stray Ferret has published a live blog that covers cancellations and rearrangements across the district.

Read more:

• The Queen’s funeral: Harrogate district arrangements for Monday

• No requirement for staff day off on Queen’s funeral, says Harrogate solicitor