Community litter pick organised to clean up Harrogate’s Sun ColonnadeReader’s Letter: What is going on at Harrogate’s Sun Colonnade?Stray Views: Valley Gardens was the perfect place for Xmas market

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Valley Gardens was perfect place for Christmas market

I’ve just walked up through Valley Gardens from town and want to say that the sun colonnade is the perfect place for the artisan market! It’s sheltered, on hard paving, atmospheric and includes so many stalls.

What an improvement on the overcrowded, muddy Montpelier location. Well done Harrogate Borough Council!

Jenny Thompson, Harrogate

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Bikes aren’t an option for many older people

Last week’s letter from Malcolm Margolis makes many comments regarding clear and clean streets for the elderly to walk around in traffic free conditions but fails to tell the elderly how to easily come into Harrogate town centre from outlying districts without coming by car. Most of the elderly have no bus or train services and riding bikes is not an option.

Nor does he mention how we carry our purchases home. His last comment, ‘I believe it’s time to stop HGVs from using many of our urban streets without restriction day or night’, destroys his credibility. Some 90% of goods are delivered by lorries and have been for the past 50 years. How else does he think shops can be supplied ?

Brian Hicks, Pateley Bridge

The council needs an app so more people can report accidents

I recently fell over a raised paving stone in the Valley Gardens sun colonnade and broke my arm, bruised my face and split my lip. I telephoned Age Concern to ask if there is a mobile or iPad app to report incidents to the council as I think it would have been very useful.

In Australia, I have been told that there is an app called Snap Send Solve to report such as accidents as well as falling trees and potholes.

Does anyone know of the existence of a similar app in the UK?

For older people and people living on their own, this type of technology would be very useful.

The app forwards details of an incident or accident to the correct council by simply pressing a button.

Any information on this subject would be gratefully received.

Jane Blayney, Harrogate

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Call to make Valley Gardens colonnade safer after horror fall

A grandmother has called on Harrogate Borough Council to fix uneven paving slabs in Valley Gardens after she fell and suffered a broken arm, busted lip and bruising to her face.

Jane Blayney, who is a former chair of Friends of Valley Gardens and a former district and county councillor, tripped two weeks ago at the entrance of the Sun Colonnade by Cornwall Road.

Ms Blaney lives nearby and was in shock after the incident but a neighbour, who is a doctor at Leeds General Infirmary, took her to Harrogate District Hospital’s emergency department.

She is concerned that many of the elderly residents who live around Valley Gardens may trip and suffer even more serious injuries than she did.

She said:

“I looked like I’d been in a boxing match with Muhammad Ali.

“A lot of older people like me walk in Valley Gardens. For some of them it could have been much worse.”

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Ms Blayney reported the fall to the council, which has put cones and tape around some of the slabs but Ms Blayney thinks they are insufficient. She had hoped it would have done more to make the entrance safe.

With an artisan Christmas market taking place in Valley Gardens this weekend, Ms Blaney wants to see the council fix the slabs to make sure nobody else trips.

The Stray Ferret saw several uneven paving stones up and down the Sun Colonnade when we visited the site today.

Uneven paving slabs at the Sun Colonnade

Ms Blayney added:

“I want safety and I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

A council spokesman said:

“We’re sorry to hear Mrs Blayney had a fall in Valley Gardens and we wish her a speedy recovery.

“We plan on repairing the path in the new year when suitable replacement materials become available. Until this time, we have placed cones to warn people to avoid this section.

“We have a programme of works to improve the Sun Colonnades in Valley Gardens, which includes new lighting and steam cleaning the paving. We have also surveyed the whole area and, if required, will be undertaking further works to repair the path.

“Anyone who spots any uneven paving in our parks should get in touch with us so we can carry out any repair work.”

Malcolm Neesam History: The Sun Pavilion and Colonnade, Valley Gardens

This festive history is written for The Stray Ferret by celebrated Harrogate historian, Malcolm Neesam.  

The Council’s recent statement that they are to improve conditions at the Valley Gardens Sun Pavilion and its associated buildings, is welcome news.

Following the magnificent achievement of having saved the Sun Pavilion from demolition in the 1990’s, the Friends of Valley Gardens, with the full co-operation of the Council, enjoyed the sight of the re-furbished building being opened by the Queen in 1998. At that time, Council Leader, George Crowther, assured the Friends that they could rely on the Council to look after the Sun Pavilion, and to finish the job by restoring the Sun Colonnade and two Sun Parlours.

Unfortunately, these were ideals that later administrations were unable to achieve, apart from removing the glass roof of the colonnade, and also the windows and doors of the two Sun Parlours – the net result being that these structures were exposed to the weather, with deterioration setting in.

The Sun Colonnade and Pavilions, 1936

As walking and exercise were long recognised an essential part of the Harrogate “cure”, along with an understanding that weather conditions often discouraged visitors from walking very far, many Harrogate buildings incorporated glazed spaces where people could walk and be protected from the rain, cold and wind, which sometimes makes outdoor walking a trial. The encircling “ambulatories” at the Royal Hall, the Royal Bath’s Wintergardens, and the Wintergardens at the Old Swan are all examples of this trend. Consequently, when the Sun Pavilion was planned for Valley Gardens, a long covered walk was added to link the new Sun Pavilion with the Royal Pump Room to the east, and the Royal Bath Hospital to the north. After the new buildings were opened in 1933, they soon became a highly popular attraction.

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Night time illuminations, 1938

Recent news that improvements are to be made are indeed welcome, as they open up exciting possibilities for the future. With a rain-proofed roof, the Sun Colonnade would be a good location for special fairs and markets such as the Art Market or Christmas Market, without damaging the grass or flower beds of Valley Gardens. Perhaps Harrogate International Festivals, or other local Festivals, could find the refurbished locality ideal for their needs.

The two Sun Parlours are more problematic, but surely – at this location – offer potential for private sector involvement, such as for hire by a children’s creche, a flower and seed shop for the Royal Horticultural Gardens, a venue for youth interest, etc. etc. To make the area safer by night, it would be good if the dud lights along the Elgar walk could be replaced, for unless I am wrong, this path seems completely blacked out at night.

As to the immediate future, I suggest that what Harrogate needs to steer it successfully through the next few years is strong leadership, with a bold vision allied to good business sense. This is desperately needed, and it may well be that the future use of these Valley Gardens buildings will be as good a test of resolve and ability as any.

Malcolm Neesam.

Sun Colonnade lit up in first part of Valley Gardens improvements

Harrogate Borough Council has installed a new set of lights in the Sun Colonnade in the first of a series of winter improvement in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

The council spent £15,000 on LED lighting to make the area, which has been subject to anti-social behaviour, more attractive and safer.

In the coming weeks the council plans to steam clean the Sun Colonnade and remove some of the heavy ivy, which would encourage growth of other vines.

The council is also planning to add lights to the trees along the lime tree walk, adjacent to the Sun Colonnade

It comes ahead of a £240,000 refurbishment of the nearby Sun Pavilion, which is set to be complete by February next year.

The Sun Pavilion improvements include reconstructing the floor, new underfloor heating and insulation as well as new floor coverings.

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A spokesperson for the council said:

“The new lights in the Sun Colonnade have been installed to improve and enhance this area of the gardens.

“The energy efficient LED lighting comes on late afternoon and then goes off late at night and will provide lighting to this area for many years to come.

“We have a whole programme of maintenance and improvements in Valley Gardens this winter, including steam cleaning the Sun Colonnade and removing some of the heavy ivy from the roof to allow more light through and other vines to flourish, as well as installing tree lights along Lime Tree Walk.

“Valley Gardens is both popular with residents and visitors and we want to enhance the use of this beautiful space to allow us to do more in the future.”