This week’s photograph was taken by Michael White, who captured a fantastic red sky over Birstwith early one morning. 

Michael White

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

A man was rescued after he became trapped under a tree in Summerbridge today.

Crews from Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon were called at 9am to help the male, who got trapped after trying to fell a tree that was hanging dangerously over a road.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident log said:

“Male had been rescued by contractors prior to fire service arrival.

“Male was given precautionary checks by paramedics but was discharged on scene with bruising and grazing. No action was required by fire service.

Strong overnight winds uprooted numerous trees across the district overnight, including two at Ripon Grammar School (see below).

The Stray Ferret asked the school about the incident but has not yet received any details.

Tree fell Jan 2023

Read more:

• Developer plans 24 homes in Summerbridge
• Mary, 87, retires after 47 years and 18,000 shifts as a lollipop woman in Summerbridge

A ceramic tree mural created as part of a community arts project will be unveiled this weekend in Harrogate.

Oatlands Community Centre was awarded funding from the Arts Council to run the project in June, marking the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Local ceramic artist Anna Whitehouse ran free workshops at the centre, teaching people about the history of brickworks in the Oatlands area and how to process the locally-dug clay.

They then created pieces of art themselves, putting together a ceramic tree mural which will go on display outside the community centre. Anna said:

“The tree design was chosen for its symbolism, with Oatlands Community Centre being rooted firmly at the heart of the community.”

The centre and its volunteers are the supportive framework; the roots, trunk and branches, but can only grow leaves and flourish through the engagement of the community and their sense of ownership.”

Oatlands Community Centre was previously a Methodist chapel, located near the top of Mount Street, just off Leeds Road. The street used to be the access road to the Harrogate Red Brick Company, which operated from 1860 to 1936.

The church itself was built using bricks from the works, which were taken from the heavy clay which lies in the ground across the area.

Read more:

• Breathing new life into historic building in south Harrogate
• Harrogate coffee shop launches ‘community table’

Since the workshops were held in June, the ceramic pieces have been dried, fired in the kiln and assembled into a mural ready for the unveiling tomorrow between 10am and noon.

Anna will be on hand to talk about the project, and Oatlands Community Centre will be offering coffee and cake to visitors.

Funding was organised through Two Ridings Community Foundation. Its CEO Jan Garrill said:

“This was a great and very creative way to celebrate Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee. All credit to Oatlands for embracing both the spirit of the jubilee and the Let’s Create funding from Two Ridings.”

St Robert’s Catholic Primary School in Harrogate has raised £504.98 for a Ukraine humanitarian appeal by selling crafts and old school uniforms.

St Robert’s has a large number of Eastern European children so the school wanted to do something to help at such a difficult time.

Mum Catherine Maguire made Ukraine-inspired crafts, including painted stones, cards, bookmarks, ribbons, pom-poms and cupcakes.

The school also donated all proceeds from a school uniform sale held at the same time to the Ukrainian disaster appeal run by the Catholic aid agency Cafod on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Some of the crafts that were on sale

Ms Maguire said:

“It’s about showing our support for them and their families. It’s not just about raising money”.

The school also created a prayer tree where children could write prayers on a sunflower and hang them.

Read more:

• Ukraine crisis: Guide to how you can help locally

• Ukrainian couple in Harrogate speak of fears for family under Russian fire

Headteacher Jill Collins added:

“St Robert’s Catholic Primary has lots of children from different countries and especially eastern European countries. We want to extend our love and support to our families who have relatives in Ukraine and nearby countries.

“The fundraising event is small way of letting people know we are truing to help and support in any way we can.”

Thankful for support

Ukrainian couple Taras and Viktoriia Jakubiak, whose daughter Isabella attends St Robert’s, said they were thankful to everyone at the school for holding the fundraiser, which took place on Friday afternoon.

The Jakubiak family at the fundraiser.

Mr Jakubiak also spoke about his fears for close family members who are encircled by Russian forces in Ukraine and unable to flee.

Read the full article here.

Firefighters braved strong winds to activate an aerial ladder platform and prevent a tree in Bilton from falling during yesterday’s Storm Eunice.

The storm uprooted several trees in the Harrogate district, including one that splintered on West Park Stray at rush hour — fortunately not hitting any passing pedestrians or vehicles.

Harrogate fire station was summoned early in the evening “to deal with a tree in a precarious position”, according to a post on the station’s Facebook page.

Despite the winds, the crew took action.

A fire spokesperson said:

“The top of a large fir tree was blown at an angle into an overhead telephone cable and was in danger of snapping and falling onto a house.

“Harrogate’s serial ladder platform was used as a safe platform to work from. It involved using an electric saw to cut the tree trunk above and below the cable so that if it did blow down, it wouldn’t reach the house.”

Pic: GM Tony Peel

Read more:

• Storm Eunice eases after uprooting trees in Harrogate district
• Flood alert extended to entire River Nidd as Storm Dudley continues

The owner of a Harrogate landscaping company was lucky to avoid being crushed by a tree that blew over in Bilton today.

Jason Kirk, owner of Jennyfields firm Patios and Groundworkz, had parked his van outside a customer’s drive on Woodfield Road.

He and employee Steven Beecroft were digging holes for fencing in the driveway until Mr Kirk had to drive off for some timber shortly before 11am.

In the 20 or so minutes he was away, a large tree came crashing down exactly where his van was parked.

Mr Kirk said:

“It was sheer luck.I was parked outside the driveway, exactly where the tree came down.

“There would not have been a van left if it had happened when it was parked there and I was lucky to avoid it too.”

Read more:

• New moves to improve cycling in North Yorkshire
• Fallen trees and delays in Harrogate district as Storm Malik hits

Mr Beecroft, who was still working in the driveway when the tree fell, said:

“I heard this almighty crackling sound  I stood up thinking ‘what was that?’ and saw the tree coming down.

“It was lucky there were no cars coming and nobody walking by on the path. It’s a busy road.

“A guy in a house opposite came running out because the tree had come down half a foot from his car but luckily it was OK.”

Jason Kirk next to his van and the fallen tree on Woodfield Drive, Bilton.

The tree is one of several trees to have fallen today in the Harrogate district due to Storm Malik.

A Met Office yellow weather warning of strong wind has been in place across the district.

You can read more about today’s storm here.

The Stray Gardener is written by Rudding Park’s Kitchen Gardener, Fiona Slight. Fiona has worked in horticulture for more than 30 years in the UK and abroad, and specialises in growing fruit and vegetables for fine dining. This month, Fiona explains how and why you should plant a tree.

One of the most satisfying things to do in life is to plant a tree, not only is it contributing to helping the environment by providing habitats for wildlife, reducing carbon dioxide in the environment and enhancing your local area.  They are great for your mental health, spending time with trees is a very relaxing and mindful thing to do and you are creating a legacy for generations of people for years to come.

But how do you get started?  First of all, it is important you research your trees well and choose one that is suitable for your site.  My heart always sinks when I see a tree such as the majestic monkey puzzle in a very small front garden, knowing it will never achieve its full life span of a 1000 years as it will have to be taken down long before that to avoid damage to the building it is next to.

Trees are best planted from October to April in the cooler dormant period of the year. This also means you can buy a bare root tree which is cheaper and are only available at this time. You can plant container grown trees too with the advantage that these can be planted pretty much all year round, but it does mean a lot more watering to get them established.

Once you are ready to plant, you need to dig a hole at least three times as wide as the pot or root spread and the same depth. Container grown plants benefit from having the roots gently loosened to help them to get established more quickly. It is a good idea to thoroughly soak the roots in a bucket of water before planting, some people also add a special powder with a fungus called mycorrhizae which can help the roots to establish quicker.

The tree can then be placed in the hole making sure that the point where the roots meet the trunk is level with the surface of the soil. You can use your spade placed horizontally across the hole to check if you are not sure the level is right.

Fastening a tree tie to the stake for stability

Then, it is just a case of refilling the hole, firming well and making sure there are no air pockets around the roots that could cause the root to dry out before establishing. Make sure the stem stays upright as you do this.

You may need to add a tree guard or spiral if you think there is a chance that the stems could get nibbled. Very small trees shouldn’t need staking and will grow better without one. Larger trees that may be top heavy will probably need to be staked to support them until they get established, usually this takes around 2 years. The stake is best put in at a 45% angle and the tree tied with a rubber or jute tie which can be screwed or nailed to the stake to keep it in place. Don’t forget to check the stakes and ties regularly and loosen as the tree grows.

A staked Davidia involucrata tree

After that, water well if conditions are dry and then add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree, making sure not to mulch right up to the stem as they can get smothered.

If you know somewhere you could put a tree, why not have a go this weekend and start creating a legacy.

Happy planting!

Fiona’s 5 Top Tips for February

1. This is the perfect time to start dividing and re-planting snowdrops and winter aconites once they have finished flowering.
2. Trim back Ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers that are starting to get too big before birds start nesting.
3. If possible, Protect early flowering fruit trees such as Apricots from frost with fleece.
4. Citrus trees can be top dressed with compost or re-potted if required.
5. Start chitting seed potatoes

A Harrogate Trekkie hopes her Christmas idea will “live long, and prosper” after spending more than 25 years importing Star Trek tree decorations from the US.

Susan Scarre, who is originally from Chicago, fell in love with Star Trek in the 1960s when her older brother introduced her to the show.

Star Trek has come in many different forms since then and Ms Scarre has enjoyed them all. So when Hallmark Ornaments first released Star Trek ornaments  in 1991 it did not take her long to start collecting.

Although her collection could have been worth a fortune today if she had kept them in their boxes, she has no regrets about the years of fun she has had. Many of them now adorn her tree.

Read more:

• Boroughbridge’s impromptu Christmas market proves a hit
• Harrogate Town fans dreaming of Mo Salah and Ronaldo in FA Cup draw

Ms Scarre told the Stray Ferret:

“Some people might think Star Trek is corny and predictable but I love the positive messages that always come with the show and I am fascinated by outer space.

“It’s been interesting watching the development over the years. At first they would light up, then they came out with ones that made noises but now they are much more developed.

“We have two Christmas trees at our house. One for the family and one for all the Star Trek ornaments. But I have run out of room now so I might need to get a third tree! next year”

Update: National Rail staff have now cleared the tree but there are still some delays on all Harrogate lines this afternoon.

All trains in the Harrogate area are facing delays and cancellations this afternoon after a tree fell in the Starbeck area.

National Rail said it first received reports of an incident at around 2.15pm and expects the disruption to continue until at least 4pm.

Staff from National Rail are on their way to remove the tree but it is unclear how easy the process will be at this time.

Those travelling between Leeds and York will be able to find another route through Micklefield but others may need to wait for road replacement services.

Rail replacement buses are in operation between Harrogate and York:

• 15:10 Starbeck calling at all stations to York
• 15:11 York calling at all stations to Harrogate
• 15:25 Harrogate calling at all stations to York

This is a breaking news story. We will update this page when we get more information. Have you been affected? Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

A family in Boroughbridge is still waiting for a developer to replace a tree that its workers chopped down 10 months ago.

With a new estate being built nearby, Wayne and Cally England were used to the sound of construction but were nevertheless surprised to see a man with a chainsaw in their garden at around 8am on January 6.

When they went out to question him, he told them that he had already started cutting the tree and it was no longer safe so it had to come down.

The worker chopping down the tree.

Taylor Wimpey apologised at the time and offered to replace the tree and install a new fence. However, 10 months later this has yet to happen.

Read more:

• Boroughbridge pub owner feels lucky to survive fire
• Boroughbridge Lions looking for space to open community fridge

Mr England initially believed the tree was on a boundary between his home and the land owned by the developer.

But after the incident he commissioned a geospatial survey, which found the tree was fully on his family’s land. Mr England told the Stray Ferret:

“The kids were crying, I am not laying anything on, they were in tears. It turned out that Taylor Wimpey had been talking to a neighbour who approved the work.

“Taylor Wimpey owned up to the mistake but have done nothing afterwards.

“We had been sending emails back and forth but since I sent in the survey they have not responded. Do they think they can leave it alone and it will go away?

“We want the fence on the boundary and another tree. A lot of people have gone on about compensation but I am not after the money. We just want the tree back.”

The stump of the felled tree.

In emails to Mr England, Taylor Wimpey claimed the tree was damaged and therefore unsafe.

Mr England has always disputed the claim. A tree survey he commissioned found it was healthy and would have lived for another 20 to 40 years.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said:

“We would like to reiterate our regret for any upset caused by removing the tree in Mr England’s garden for health and safety reasons.

“We have been in contact with Mr England to apologise for the delay in replacing the fence and to schedule the works as soon as possible.”