10-day Gilbert & Sullivan Festival returns to Harrogate

The 10-day International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is returning to Harrogate this year, in a major boost for the town’s economy.

Harrogate hosted the event annually from 2014 until last year, when it was cancelled due to covid.

The festival, which will take place from August 8 to August 18 at the Royal Hall, attracts thousands of visitors from around the world.

Covid restrictions require the productions to be adapted to ensure the safety of performers, audience and backstage staff.

Janet Smith, festival director, said:

“After the horrible year we have all endured, we cannot wait to get back into the theatre.

“Our seating plan in the theatre is socially distanced, and only 40% of the usual Royal Hall seats are available, so we expect tickets to sell out quickly.

“We will have to wait to hear the government announcements about easing restrictions on June 21, when hopefully we will be allowed to open up more seats.”

The National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company will open proceedings with HMS Pinafore.

Other highlights include Simon Butteriss directing and starring in The Mikado. The opera company will also bring along a brand-new production of Patience.

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Charles Court Opera will present its production of Iolanthe and Charles Court Opera also give two performances of its new G&S Express.

Forbear! Theatre, directed by Rachel Middle, will bring two productions of The Pirates of Penzance and The Yeomen of the Guard.

For something completely different, on August 6, Simon Butteriss will premiere The Diary of a Nobody comedy.

There will be an additional fringe programme of morning talks, masterclasses and afternoon concerts.

Tickets go on open sale from May 5 and can be ordered on 01422 323252 or online at www.gsfestivals.org.

Obituary: Geoff Webber’s life was dedicated to helping others

A long-serving councillor and community champion, Geoff Webber has died at the age of 75 after a short illness.

Tributes have come from across the political spectrum, as well as the community groups he worked with and supported over the years.

His family described him as a “loving husband, father and grandfather” who was dedicated to helping others.

Born in 1945, Cllr Webber had a 32-year career in the RAF before moving to Harrogate with his wife, Pat, and their three sons, Samuel, Simon and Matthew.

He spent the final years of his service at the St George’s base in the town, including a four-month tour of the Falkland Islands, followed by a spell as a civil servant back in Harrogate. Having left school with few qualifications, he gained a degree in the late 1980s through the Open University.

When St George’s was closed in 1994, Cllr Webber decided to open a music shop specialising in classical and jazz. Pomp and Circumstance began its life in Wetherby before moving to Commercial Street in the centre of Harrogate.

Cllr Webber became heavily involved in his community in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when plans were being put forward to build a supermarket around the Jennyfield area. He helped to establish a community group and fought the plans for the junction of Jenny Field Drive with Ripon Road, which instead became the site of the Hydro swimming pool with open green space for locals to enjoy.

Matthew said his desire to help people drove him to get involved in local politics, as well as community issues.

Supporting homeless people

One of his passions was access to affordable and social housing, so it was natural that he became a volunteer and supporter of Harrogate Homeless Project.

Its chairman, John Harris, told the Stray Ferret:

“It is so sad to hear of the death of Geoff: he was a great supporter of Harrogate Homeless Project. As well as being a trustee he was deputy chair and chair as well – and importantly he was a volunteer with Pat, preparing meals at the day centre each week for years.

“The day centre was a priority for him as HHP needed to focus on fundraising for it and it is the key place for the trust to be established, leading to encouraging homeless individuals to a life off the streets. As a member of the Wesley Chapel he was thrilled when HHP were able to transfer to the Lower Hall which will be transformational for what HHP can provide in the future, post Covid.

“We are so grateful to Geoff for his wonderful commitment over very many years to the homeless – and this included personal help. It was unstinting and committed support from someone who was determined to help others in desperate need.

“Our condolences to Pat and his family.”

Geoff Webber, pictured far left on the middle row, was a keen supporter of Bilton and Woodfield Library. Greta Knight received an award on behalf of the library from NYCC chairman Jim Clark last year.

Bilton and Woodfield Community Library also received extensive support from Cllr Webber over the years. Chairman Greta Knight said:

“Geoff Webber was a staunch supporter of Bilton & Woodfield Community Library from the very beginning, in fact it was he who identified our current premises on Woodfield Road as a suitable home for us when we moved out of the old vicarage.

“He always attended any events that we held, and along with his wife Pat was a regular at our Saturday coffee mornings. He voiced any concerns we had with NYCC on our behalf and was always prepared to help us whenever he could.

“We will miss his support and enthusiasm for what we have achieved in the library.”

Cllr Webber supported the Richard Taylor Foundation, which helps families struggling to meet the costs of education, including school trips and uniforms. He was also a governor at Woodfield Community Primary School, which paid tribute to him:

“We were incredibly saddened to hear of Geoff’s passing; he served our school as a Governor for a number of years and will be truly missed in the community. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Local politics

Cllr Webber was first elected to North Yorkshire County Council in 1993, representing the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division for the next eight years. He was re-elected in 2009 for four years, after which he said he would not stand again – but he was re-elected in 2017.

Tributes have already been paid by Cllr Webber’s colleagues at NYCC, who praised his dedication to the role and his willingness to engage in productive debate.

Cllr Webber also sat on Harrogate Borough Council for 17 years, first representing the Duchy ward from 1994 to 2002 and then the Saltergate ward from 2002 to 2011.

During that time, he was Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate for a year in 2006. He also served as council leader and chaired the planning committee.

Royal Hall

It was a time of significant change for the district in many ways, and one of his proudest achievements was helping to save the Royal Hall.

By 2000, the building had fallen into disrepair and faced being mothballed because of the huge repair bill for major structural problems. However, Cllr Webber called for a meeting of the council to find a way forward.

As a result, £8m of funding was found from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Harrogate Borough Council to save the building, along with a massive community effort to raise £2.7m. The Royal Hall was reopened in 2008 and returned to active use.

Cllr Webber was made an honorary alderman of Harrogate in 2011, in recognition of his long service. A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“It is with great sadness to hear that Honorary Alderman Webber has passed away. Our thoughts and condolences go his family and friends.”

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Cllr Webber was still active in local politics until the beginning of this year. He spoke passionately about devolution at a meeting of NYCC in November, and put forward the motion that led to the council writing to local hospital bosses to call for free parking for NHS staff.

After being diagnosed with cancer six weeks ago, Cllr Webber spent time on the Littondale Ward at Harrogate District Hospital before moving to St Michael’s Hospice, where he died on Thursday morning.

His family said they were grateful to all those who provided outstanding care for him in his final weeks, and that they were able to be with him throughout his illness at both the hospital and the hospice.

He leaves wife Pat and sons Simon and Matthew, who still live locally, and Samuel, who lives in Florida, along with four grandchildren to whom he was devoted. Matthew said:

“He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. For me, he was also a wise counsel in my role in local politics, for advice and support.”

A small family funeral will be held in line with covid restrictions, and led by Lord Willis, according to Cllr Webber’s wishes. Later in the year, the family hope to be able to hold a more formal service at the Wesley Chapel to celebrate his life.

Jimmy Carr first confirmed show at Royal Hall

Comedian Jimmy Carr is the first confirmed booking at Harrogate’s Royal Hall post-lockdown.

Carr is due to appear at the venue on September 23 and it is possible other events earlier in the year will be confirmed before then.

Harrogate International Nursery Fair, which takes place from June 27 to 29, will be the first event at the adjoining Harrogate Convention Centre.

Harrogate’s hospitality businesses will be hoping the trade event, which attracts manufactures and suppliers of baby goods, will re-ignite the district’s economy, which will have faced 15 months of disruption by then.

All social distancing measures are due to be lifted on June 21.

Paula Lorimer, director of the centre, which has operated as a Nightingale hospital for the past year, said yesterday it was in talks with NHS England about returning the building.

She added: “We have more than 30 confirmed events planned between June and next March, and a further 56 provisional events in the diary that we hope to confirm in due course.

“We also have more than 115 events confirmed and provisionally booked in the Royal Hall over the same period.”

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Harrogate Convention Centre to reopen on June 26

Harrogate Convention Centre is set to re-open on 21 June when government guidelines permit.

Paula Lorimer, director of the centre, which has operated as a Nightingale hospital for the past year, said she was confident the venue would be ready to re-open by that date.

All restrictions on social distancing are due to be lifted on June 21.

Ms Lorimer said:

“Discussions with colleagues from the NHS about their plans for returning the Harrogate Convention Centre to us are on-going.

“However, we are confident that the venue will reopen from 21 June in-line with government restrictions ending.

“We have more than 30 confirmed events planned between June and next March, and a further 56 provisional events in the diary that we hope to confirm in due course.

“We also have more than 115 events confirmed and provisionally booked in the Royal Hall over the same period.”

The convention centre website currently lists events from May 6 in the ‘What’s On’ but says the dates are to be confirmed.

The first events listed after June 21 are Harrogate Proms on June 26 and Harrogate International Nursery Fair on June 27 to 29.

Ms Lorimer added that conferences, exhibitions and events had been “one of the most severely hit during the pandemic” but the industry would be back soon.

The loss-making convention centre is due to undergo a £47 million redevelopment amid concerns it will not survive without it.

Harrogate Borough Council has awarded Dutch firm Arcadis a £1.1 million contract to design plans for the first phase of the redevelopment.

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