A farm shop near Boroughbridge has added a children’s play barn to its attractions for families.
Yolk Farm, which offers a restaurant and shop as well as opportunities to meet and feed its animals, opened the new Yard@Yolk facility this week.
Emma Mosey, who has run the business near Minskip with husband Ben for the last six years, said she hoped it would add another reason for local families to visit.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“It all stems back from our mission and vision here which is educating kids and young families about farming, and being reconnected with food.
“A lot of the places that already exist are amazing, and can cost quite a lot to get in, particularly for a family with more than one child.
“Our aim is to make this a place people can come regularly and spend some time with their kids.”
Milkshakes will be among the treats on offer at the new facility
Interest in the project has been high since it was first announced on social media last month.
The building where the play space is housed has been completely transformed from its original use.
Emma said:
“It was originally the hen barn. Late last year, we were told if we were to get avian flu within the hens in that location, we would have to shut the whole site, including the restaurant.
“It was a huge risk, so when the flock came to an end, we decided to move the new flock into a field a bit further away.
“It meant we had this big barn, in the middle of the car park, which was vacant.”
The barn now offers role play areas and ride-on toys, all connected to the theme of farming and food.
Visitors can buy hot and cold drinks, as well as snacks, milkshakes and ice creams, drawing on the menu from the adjacent restaurant.
Yard@Yolk is open daily from 10am to 3pm and entry is £2.50 per child.
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Free autism-friendly craft workshop with Nidderdale artist at care home
A care home in Knaresborough will welcome children through its doors for a special event this summer.
The Manor House will run an autism-friendly community craft session with a special guest host – Nidderdale artist James Owen Thomas.
Activities coordinator Katie Pickering, who has organised the session with colleague Joanne Doherty, said she was inspired by her daughter being diagnosed with autism.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“We’ve known for years there’s been different things about her but because she’s masked it so well, it was quite a shock when we started talking about autism.
“I think socially, she’s struggled the most, and finding something which she can join in is hard. I’m struggling to find any groups that are for her age, but she’s very artistic and loves arts and crafts, so that’s where the idea came from.
“It was great that James Owen Thomas wanted to join in.
“My colleague and I were talking and saying we must have residents here who have had autism all their lives, and they don’t know and their family have no idea.
“I think it’s nice to start raising awareness of autism in seniors.”
The Manor House, on Hambleton Grove, has been running a parent and baby group every month for more than a year.
It has also introduced family sessions during the holidays, and will run two themed events this summer.
A Harry Potter craft morning for children aged five and over takes place on Monday, August 7, from 11am to noon. Children aged up to give can attend a story and activity session at the same time on Monday, August 14, themed around classic children’s book The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
A craft session at The Manor House
The autism-friendly event, which takes place on Tuesday, August 22 at 2.30pm, is the only one to require booking, as places are limited to keep the atmosphere calm and welcoming.
A chill-out room will also be available for anyone who needs a break.
Katie said she hoped the free events would be an affordable option for families looking for things to do over the summer – and would bring benefits to the residents too.
She added:
“They just get so much joy from spending time with the younger generation. Jo and I have done so much research into inter-generational care and it brings so much joy.
“Even just talking to them, not doing anything, just observing the babies makes them so happy. Through the craft and being creative too, it’s a really nice atmosphere.”
To book a place for the autism-friendly session, call Manor House on 01423 797555.
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Fun for all ages as Birstwith Show returns this weekend
Children’s entertainment will take centre stage as an annual village show returns to Nidderdale this weekend.
Birstwith Show takes place on Saturday, July 29 and has introduced a number of new features this year after asking for feedback from the community.
Show committee member Amy Howard said:
“People felt there was a gap for teenagers and a gap for toddlers, so we’ve got a toddler tent this year with hay bales and toys.
“We’ve got two sessions with Hazel, who does singing and signing for toddlers. Parents can have a sit down and it’s near the play area too, so they can keep an eye on their older children at the same time.
“For teenagers, we’ve got a silent disco this year, so they can have a bit of fun and a bit of a chill. I’m sure there will be a few grown-ups in there as well!”
Also new this year will be a dog and duck display in the main ring, along with the usual popular mix of entertainment.
Children’s races, a tug-o-war, a dog show with Miss Mollies Rescue, and live music through the day and into the evening are also on the programme.
Another new feature will be food demonstrations, including two by the Little Yorkshire Scone company. As well as showing how to make savoury scones, the company will demonstrate recipes to use up leftovers.
Ms Howard said the schedule of classes has proved popular this year, with Birstwith Primary School and other village organisations getting involved. She added:
“Entries are up this year. We were a bit low last year and we think it’s just people getting back into the swing of shows post-covid.”
The tents and marquees are all in place thanks to the team of volunteers, and trade stands, food and drink stalls will be ready to welcome visitors from noon on Saturday.
Soldiers from the Army Foundation College will be on hand to help with parking and traffic management on the day.
Entry is £7.50 on the gate or £7 in advance via the website, until midnight on Friday.
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Have the district’s glamping sites benefitted from foreign travel chaos?
In the past few years high end camping or “glamping” as it is more commonly known, has become increasing popular, with a number of new sites springing up in the district.
Now as families weigh up whether to risk airport and port chaos to go abroad or remain in the UK, how is this relatively new holiday industry faring?
Some providers in the Harrogate district have reported an increase in trade, others have seen a downturn.
This has been put down to an increase in the cost of living, as well as last year’s demand being “unprecedented” due covid travel restrictions.
The local glamping industry
Tom Sterne, owner of Yurtshire, between Ripon and Pateley Bridge, said advance bookings for the luxury glamping and wellness retreat have been growing by the day.
He said:
“Since the news about flight cancellations and chaotic scenes at airports hit the media, the number of enquiries we have received has increased markedly.
“When we opened last July, we benefited from the sudden switch to staycations, from people across the Harrogate district and further afield, who would normally fly off to the sun and we are witnessing a repeat this year.”
A break in Nidderdale
Lindsay and Chris Morrell, whose annual summer holidays in Tuscany have been on hold since the covid lockdowns began in March 2020, have booked Italy next year.
But the couple, who used to live in Harrogate and have since moved to Northumberland, decided to take a break in Nidderdale for their 2022 getaway.
Ms Morrell said:
“With the problems people are encountering at airports, we didn’t want to risk booking for Tuscany this year and hope that issues affecting overseas travel will be sorted out by the time we are ready to venture abroad.”
Chris and Lindsay Morrell
For friends Carroll Shaw and Annie Brown, who live in Ripon, overseas holidays are no longer on the agenda.
Ms Shaw said:
“Why would anybody who lives so close to the gorgeous Nidderdale countryside, want the hassle of flying thousands of miles to lie on a crowded beach?”
A slow start
Louise Pullan co-owns the Breaks Fold Farm camping and glamping site in the Washburn Valley, next to Thruscross Reservoir, in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
She told the Stray Ferret that the beginning of the year had been very quiet, but it had started to pick up.
Breaks Fold Farm.
Ms Pullan, who runs the site with her husband Richard, said:
“It has been a very slow start.
“We were 60 per cent down in May and June based on our 2019 bookings.
“However we have seen a rapid uptake in bookings into July and August in all our accommodation.
“People are watching their finances and holidays maybe aren’t top of their priority lists.
“We have noticed we are getting a lot of local guests from Harrogate and Skipton, so maybe the fuel prices are also having an impact on people’s choices.”
Ms Pullan said the campsite’s main customer base is short stays of two to three nights.
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A difficult financial time
She said the price had been kept the same for the last three years, with discounts on longer stays to try and help people out during what is a difficult financial time.
She said:
“This is difficult as we as a business are now seeing increasing costs. For example our waste emptying costs have gone up 30 per cent, a bottle of gas has gone from £55 to £85 and our business insurance is double last year’s.
“We can’t afford to employ somebody this year due to soaring inflation, which is putting a huge pressure on us as a two-man band.
“Energy prices are just completely unbelievable and some of our fellow owners are up on 57p per kw, seeing their energy bills over double on previous years.
“We are only going to be able to absorb this for so long, unless hospitality businesses are offered some form of relief such as a VAT cut, like they were through 2021.
“Some sites have tried massively to capitalise on the staycation boom from 2020 and have made their prices unreachable for some.”
Cutting back
Claire Jones, owner of Strawberry Safari shepherds huts, in Wormald Green, between Harrogate and Ripon, said she had also seen a quieter year compared to last year.
Strawberry Safari.
She said:
Transdev offers £1 fares if you travel with grandparent“We believe this is due to a combination of people going abroad and also cutting back on short breaks in between their main holidays, due to cost of living increases.
“That said, last year’s demand was unprecedented and so it’s hard to compare the two.
“We have still seen some lovely guests this year, many of whom are here to enjoy the many events happening in and around Harrogate.”
Bus company Transdev is offering young people journeys across the north for £1 — as long as they take a grandparent.
The company said its Go with Granny offer aimed to bridge the generation gap by encouraging older people to use their concessionary travel passes while taking grandchildren with them.
Transdev, which is the parent company of the Harrogate Bus Company, operates routes in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, giving families a chance to go on long day trips for just £1.
The offer is for one weekend only — on Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14 — and applies to young people under 19.
The company said in a statement today that many people will struggle this summer to find the money to take their grandchildren on a day trip.
Transdev chief executive Alex Hornby said:
“We know everyone is trying to keep their spending down this summer, especially with energy bills due to rise again in October.
“At the same time, the school holidays often see grans — and grandads too — looking after the grandchildren while mum and dad are at work, and we don’t see why they should have to stay at home.
“By offering young people the chance to go with granny on the bus, we want to help bridge the generation gap and make sure everyone has the chance to enjoy an amazing two days filled with magical memories.”
A video featuring the deal can be found here.
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