A top Harrogate businessman has praised the “amazing efforts” of a Yorkshire charity after returning from an aid mission to Ukraine.

James Rycroft, managing director of Vida Healthcare, was part of a team that drove eight wagons containing aid worth about £2 million for Ukrainian soldiers and citizens who intend to stay in the country.

The five-day mission, which featured a number of volunteers from Harrogate, was organised by Yorkshire Aid Convoy, a charity which has been running overseas aid expeditions for more than 30 years.

‘Really proud’

Mr Rycroft, whose company owns several specialist dementia care homes around Harrogate, said:

“We did it, it was successful and I am really proud of what we have done.

“Yorkshire Aid convoy is an incredible charity and Mark Murphy, who heads it up, lives in Harrogate. He has done it for years and is one of these silent heroes that does amazing things.

“The charity has already delivered 16 wagons. They ran a mission about four weeks before we went.

“It’s really hard work as you drive for 12 to 14 hours a day. It’s a proper mission.”

James Rycroft.

The convoy carried around 100 tonnes of items, including medical equipment, beds and hygiene products.

It is also took a mobile classroom, which was donated by the Knaresborough-based business, Training and Testing Services.

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Mr Rycroft said:

“A man called Dave Wood came with us. He and his company donated a mobile classroom.

“We filled it with aid and they drove it over and then it got put on a train and taken straight to the front line.

“It is now being used as a wounded soldier hospital. It was named after Dave’s late mother Trish.”

‘Trish’, the mobile classroom, is being used a wounded soldier hospital in Ukraine.

The volunteers met Ukrainian military administrators at the border, where they were escorted to a secure hub inside the border to deposit the goods. They then immediately turned round and headed home.

Their 3,000-mile journey saw them travel by ferry from Hull to Holland, then to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and into Ukraine and back.

‘So welcoming’

Mr Rycroft said:

“It was just organised so well. It’s so amazing what the charity does.

“I just went along and did my bit because I wanted to feel like I was contributing something tangible.

“The Ukrainian people were so welcoming and grateful for what we did. It was ace. It is a a really great thing we feel we have achieved.

“But I’m a tiny part of it, really it’s the Yorkshire Aid Convoy that has been leading this.”

Mark and Felix Murphy of Yorkshire Aid Convoy.

Mr Rycroft said the experience made the war in Ukraine feel “very real”.

He added:

“People are defiant and life is going on as normal and it almost becomes very normal very quickly when you are amongst it. It’s very strange.

“We felt safe and we were looked after really well.

“It went as smoothly as it possibly could. There are lots of people to be praised for it.

“We feel we’ve made a valid achievement to the effort.”

Fundraising in Ripon is continuing for refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK and elsewhere.

On Saturday evening (April 9) the family of Ripon man Lewis Edwards has arranged a casino and curry evening  to support the appeal launched after he fled Kyiv with partner Tanya Bogdanovska and set up a transfer station for fellow refugees in Slovakia.

Though the couple have left Slovakia and are currently in Spain, awaiting clearance for both of them to come to the UK, the money raised by the appeal continues to help Ukrainian people.

At the time of publication, the gofundme page set up in late February has raised almost £19,700 and Ali Edwards, Lewis’s mother, told the Stray Ferret:

“This will be our final fundraiser and it would be fabulous if we could pass the £20,000 target that we set.”

The event, like the music bingo evening last month, will be held at The Magdalens on Princess Road and tickets at £10 apiece are available from the pub.

The Mayor of Ripon Eamon Parkin and his consort Nigel Guy (pictured right) hosted a previous fundraising event for Ukraine at The Magdalens Pub last month.

Attendees will be entitled to a curry and given a fistful of ‘fun dollars’ to buy chips – not to eat, but to play the blackjack table or give the roulette wheel a spin.

Ms Edwards said:

“The response to the appeal has been incredible and reflects the generosity of the people of Ripon.

“We are grateful to so many people, and particularly thank the city’s Mayor Eamon Parkin and his partner Nigel, for the kindness that they have shown in letting us host this and the music bingo event at their pub.”

Sponsors for Saturday evening include Davis and  Lund estate agents, Lynne Furlong, owner of DogZone and Ms Edwards’ own business, Pamperyourself Ripon.

A raffle for prizes donated by local independent businesses will also be held.

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Strayside Sunday is our monthly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

I spent my school years keenly aware of Cold War realpolitik, and of the unthinkable nuclear consequences, should cold turn hot. 1983, when I was 16, saw the release of nuclear war film The Day After, to be followed in 1984 by the release of the lower budget (British set and made) Threads, bleaker and more frightening in measures equal. My teenage years, and those of my peer group, passed on red alert, with any siren sound in the valley causing a flash of pulse quickening panic. Was this to be the beginning of the end?

I’m reminded of this of course by current events in Ukraine. At time of writing, we are 12 days into Russia’s invasion. Yet, brave Ukraine, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, resists. Russia’s superior force impeded by courageous and dogged Ukrainian defence and, it seems, handicapped by over ambitious strategic planning, inept military leadership and sagging soldierly morale. We watch helplessly from the side-lines as Ukrainian citizens suffer what seems to be indiscriminate bombardment, but which must be bombardment by cruel design.

We wince, embarrassed by the sure knowledge that, hitherto, we in the UK have turned a blind eye to the dirty Russian money laundering through London and Surrey’s perpetually empty, always modernising mansions and penthouses. So now we applaud our government and those of our NATO and European allies as they move to punish Russia through the imposition of severe sanctions and financial restrictions or economic penalties. We applaud international businesses from Apple and Ikea, to TikTok and Zara, and our local big brands Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea -all of whom have ceased operations in Russia.  And we applaud the delivery of our and our allies anti-tank and other weapons to assist Ukraine’s fighters in eking out another hour, perhaps another day of resistance.

What we cannot do for Ukraine, what we must not do, so the orthodoxy goes, is to do what we all know it would take to give them a real chance of victory; we cannot put NATO boots on the ground, nor can we institute a no-fly zone. Why? Because to do so would put us in direct conflict with Russia, a shooting war with a Russia led by an increasingly unstable dictator who has threatened, in none too subtle terms, to use his arsenal of nuclear weapons against us. And, after all, Ukraine isn’t a NATO member, so can’t benefit from Article 5 protections. We dare not risk Putin’s ire nor a nuclear conflagration so, ergo, we send humanitarian aid and military supplies, and we wait. We wait for the inevitable and tragic moment when Russia overruns Kyiv and its sister cities, kills or imprisons Ukraine’s democratically elected leadership, installs a puppet government, and claims the country for its own.  When that happens – although every ounce of my being wishes that it were “if” it happens – when that happens, Russia and NATO will face each other across the European borders of, among others, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. And when we do President Putin will know that we in NATO have already failed his test of our nerve. He will hold the upper hand.

During my school days it was widely held that MAD (the doctrine of mutually assured destruction) kept the nuclear peace.  Rational actors bound inaction by the fact that war would mean the end of everything. I worry now that we will face a new asymmetrical nuclear threat, one in which the main protagonist is willing to play a game with the highest of all stakes, while we will not. If we get to that point, as well we might, we may yet regret saying no to a no-fly zone for Ukraine.

Meanwhile there is more than a hint of bathos in the story of retired and decorated Harrogate fireman Bruce Reid. Mr. Reid flew to Poland this week and made his way to the Ukrainian border, intent on volunteering his firefighting services. Told that he should instead find his way 30 miles across the border to the Yavoriv military base, where he would be equipped and taught to fight, Mr. Reid turned back, returning to his 10-year-old granddaughter and the rest of his worried-sick family. No matter, Mr. Reid’s status as a hero is already cemented in my view by his years of bravery in the Fire Service, and by his willingness to volunteer those special skills in the service of Ukraine.

Against this backdrop of heart-breaking world affairs, it seems somehow small to have a go at an obviously failed British politician.  But I’m so blood boilingly angry about the announcement of a Knighthood last week for Sir, yes Sir! Gavin Williamson that I can’t help myself. Mr. Williamson was a serial failure in government. But as an ex-whip he knows where Boris’ bodies are buried so needs to be kept quiet. He doesn’t deserve it and it thoroughly demeans the honours system.

If we are going to face another Cold War then we will all have to believe in our way of life and government to face down Russia.  To ask that level of commitment and sacrifice, to ask us to follow the example of Ukraine, requires our system of government to retain its moral authority. Giving a gong to this man does not help build confidence.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

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Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea said today they will cease trade with Russia with immediate effect.

The two Harrogate-based companies issued statements in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has so far claimed about 13,000 lives and forced two million people to flee their homes.

A Harrogate Spring Water spokesperson said:

“Harrogate Spring Water has made the decision to stop all exports to Russia with immediate effect.”

Russia has been one of Harrogate Spring Water’s biggest export markets in the past, according to multiple articles published in 2013.

An article in The Business Desk, published in 2013, said water sales in Russia has increased by 40% year-on-year.

The company itself tweeted an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin drinking a bottle of its water in 2013.

https://twitter.com/HarrogateSpring/status/375589127275560960?s=20&t=DQo5_CMsbRdj8AltJnys1g

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Yorkshire Tea is owned by Taylors of Harrogate, a 130-year-old company founded in Harrogate. It has a distributer in Moscow.

A spokesperson for Taylors of Harrogate said today:

“Like everyone, we’ve been deeply shocked and saddened by the invasion and our thoughts are with all those impacted.

“Our ethical trade and human rights policy states that our values guide how we work with suppliers, customers and distributors, including the provision that we will not trade with individuals, entities, regions or countries where UK sanctions have been applied.

“While Russia has been an export market for some of our teas for several years, as a result of the invasion and the subsequent sanctions we’ve suspended trade.”

All brands owned by Taylors of Harrogate, which also include coffee products, will no longer be exported to Russia.

A retired Harrogate firefighter has volunteered to go to Ukraine to help firefight in the war against Russian invasion.

Bruce Reid , who worked in the field for over thirty years, got in touch with the Ukrainian Embassy after seeing the crisis in the country to see if his skills could be put to use.

After successfully applying to join the war effort, he booked his own flights to Poland where he will meet with international assistance to be stationed wherever he is needed in Ukraine.

Mr Reid is due to fly tomorrow afternoon.

Despite retiring two years ago, he wanted to use his skills to aid people;

“I have no idea what I’ll be doing until I get there but I just wanted to use my thirty years in the service to offer aid.

I’m going into the unknown really.”

He is currently unsure how long he will stay in Ukraine but has reassured his family that he will only carry out his duty as a firefighter;

“I can’t be sure that I’ll get there and they’ll ask me to firefight, but if they ask me to fight I’ll be saying no.

I told my family that if I’m not needed as a firefighter I’ll be coming back home.”

He announced his decision on Facebook alongside this picture of his old kit;

Friends and family in the comments expressed their admiration for his decision;

“That is an amazing thing to do Bruce, your family must be proud and scared in equal measure”

“What a fantastic thing to do. Well done and stay safe out there.”

“You are a remarkable person Bruce! We will all miss you but know it’s what you need to do!”

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In 2015, Mr Reid was awarded an MBE for his services both as a firefighter and for charity.

In 2020, the Stray Ferret reported on how he and fellow firefighters in Harrogate cooked over 50 meals for residents in need. 

The Stray Ferret will be in touch with Mr Reid as much as possible to report on his volunteering work and let you know how he is.

RAF Menwith Hill on the outskirts of Harrogate is reportedly the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base.

It was built in the late 1950s during the height of the Cold War when America hoped espionage would give it the upper hand over the Soviet Union.

Over the last two decades, the base has been a key intelligence outpost for the War on Terror, with Edward Snowden’s leaks alleging it has provided intelligence that led to deadly drone strikes in the Middle East.

With Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the base is expected to be playing a role in intelligence gathering that support military operations against Vladimir Putin’s army.

Richard Norton-Taylor is a veteran journalist who wrote for the Guardian about defence and security from 1975 to 2016. He reported on RAF Menwith Hill throughout that time and continues to do so.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Mr Norton-Taylor about what role Menwith Hill might be playing in the invasion.

Richard Norton-Taylor

The current role of Menwith Hill

Mr Norton-Taylor said he believes the satellites at the base will be trying to intercept intelligence from Moscow and find out the broader movements of Russian forces.

This might be ships in the Black Sea, or troops in the area around Russia.

He said:

“They will be picking up on how it all relates to Ukraine. It’s not about what the immediate impact in next hour or two, its lower grade in a sense.”

“[Menwith Hill] won’t be involved in the attack function. It will be general eavesdropping what the Kremlin is telling its forces.”

He added:

“It can coordinate acitivirs and targets, or relay info to GCHQ in Cheltenham or National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters in the US, its a kind of information exchange hub as well as receiving info from satellites.”

Could Menwith Hill be a target?

Last month Mr Norton-Taylor wrote an article for the defence journalism website Declassified UK about $2.8bn plans to expand the United States’ military bases in the UK.

Following a recent Parliamentary question from Leeds North West Labour MP Alex Sobel, it was revealed $40M of this will be spent at Menwith Hill.

Mr Norton-Taylor’s article included comments from Lee Baker, a former NSA satellite engineer. Mr Baker said in the event of a conflict, Menwith Hill would become a “significant military target” for an enemy.

It’s an argument been made by critics of the base for a long time, but with Vladimir Putin using the rhetoric of nuclear war, are Mr Baker’s words hyperbole or something now more realistic?

Mr Norton-Taylor said:

“Its either hyperbole or stating the bloody obvious. It’s not a secret the base is a big NSA station, so much has been written about it now.

“In a sense, in a pre-nuclear attack, it certainly would be a target. It’s also nearer Russia than NSA headquarters, it’s not hidden.

“Lee Baker made it quite clear what a priority target the base is, but it’s hypothetical.”

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Prod like mad

Throughout Mr Norton-Taylor’s career as a journalist, he said it has remained difficult to glean information about what really goes on at Menwith Hill.

However, he said asking questions and persistence is still worthwhile.

“It’s worth prodding like mad, even even it seems like bashing your head against brick wall.

“It should be in their interests to say this is a useful outfit. If it is doing such a good job, why don’t they say so? But they don’t give examples. It’s ridiculous.”

The Snowden leaks revealed the base collects vast streams of information that is sent back to NSA headquarters in Maryland, USA.

But how much of this information is actually useful is unknown.

Mr Norton-Taylor said:

“With the Russians, it’s good knowing what they are doing, of course it is. I’m not against intelligence gathering, but we want to know the operations, capacity and general nature of the intelligence gathering at Menwith Hill, who is controlling it? Do the British bother to question the Americans?

“If it’s there to know what the Russians are thinking, that’s good, but we don’t know whether it’s that or wasting time on other things.”

Unanswered questions

The secretive nature of intelligence gathering means to it is difficult to answer the question of whether Menwith Hill makes us safer in the event of war.

It’s possible we will never really know.

Mr Norton-Taylor said:

“It is good we have intelligence gathering with the Americans [at Menwith Hill], it’s a question of keeping an eye on it, and knowing in general terms what it is up to.

“It’s a powerful intelligence gathering outfit, but it’s there in who’s interest? Is it for the security of British and American people, or the elite? It’s a question that should be answered.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:

“The MOD can confirm that RAF Menwith Hill is part of a worldwide US Defence communications network, with the base supporting a variety of communications activity.

“For operational security reasons and as a matter of policy, neither the MOD nor the DoD publicly discuss specifics concerning military operations or classified communications regardless of unit, platform or asset. US forces maintain robust civilian and military cooperation with the United Kingdom and manage all base activities in accordance with the agreements made between the United States and Her Majesty’s government.”

The Harrogate district is responding to war in Ukraine by setting up various schemes to help those affected.

If you know of an initiative to provide help or support run by a person, charity, church, community group or business, let us know by calling the newsroom on 01423276197 or by emailing us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

6.36pm: Ex-Ripon student’s video shows huge queues leaving Ukraine

Former Ripon Grammar School student Lewis Edwards has sent this video showing the huge queue of traffic at the Ukraine border waiting to get into Slovakia.

He and his partner Tanya Bogdanovska have managed to escape Ukraine and plan to set up a refugee shelter in Slovakia.

You can read more about their situation here and contribute to their gofundme page, which has now raised more than £4,000, here.

6pm: Ripon MP Julian Smith praises Shell decision

Skipton and Ripon Conservative MP has tweeted his support of a decision by Shell to abandon its joint ventures with Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Good decision by @Shell – hopefully they will be able to get further UKG support for their various projects focused on UK energy security and net zero https://t.co/E7k90qagyP

— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 28, 2022

5.39pm: Hampsthwaite Church taking donations

St Thomas a Becket Church in Hampsthwaite is open for donations from 10am until 4pm until noon on Thursday when anything collected will be shipped to Poland.

Church member Jud Charlesworth offered to take in donations for those who can’t get to Harrogate’s Sowa Polish Shop after seeing their campaign on Facebook.

Since posting just yesterday the church has been inundated with donations; but the drive now has access to a storage unit so can continue to take items.

The church has asked that items be left in the baptistry area just by the main entrance.

4.58pm: Andrew Jones MP signs letter calling for ‘fullest possible support’ for refugees

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones has issued a statement calling for as much support as possible for Ukrainian refugees.

Mr Jones said in a statement, which can be read in full here:

“The international community has come together to support Ukraine. Significant and growing sanctions have been imposed. I strongly agree with this. Sanctions are not consequence-free for the nations imposing them. Prices will rise here; our markets will suffer; there will be other consequences. But it is the right thing to do and we must hold fast to our resolve.

“And now, most importantly, we have to protect and support those fleeing this violence. Help has been provided to Ukraine directly, and to neighbouring countries to help with the influx of refugees they are facing and more Ukrainians with family members now able to bring them here. But we can and should go further.

“Today I have co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the fullest possible support for Ukrainian refugees. The letter says:

‘We urge the UK government to provide as much support as possible to our European partners who are currently the first safe havens for Ukrainian refugees, namely Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. We also hope our Ministers will seek a flexible and pragmatic approach to those Ukrainians wishing to seek temporary refuge in the UK until it is safe to return to their lives in their home country.‘

‘The United Kingdom cannot flag or fail, our message must be clear: Ukrainian victims of war seeking refuge are welcome.‘”

2.46pm: Harrogate to host 24-hour vigil tomorrow

A 24-hour vigil will begin at the war memorial in Harrogate tomorrow to show support with Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The vigil, which has been organised by Christopher and Lindis Percy, will start at 10am.

Further details are available here.

12.49pm: Ex-Ripon student’s gofundme page raises £3,400 so far

Former Ripon Grammar School student Lewis Edwards, 33, and Tanya Bogdanovska, 30, (pictured) hope to cross the border from Ukraine to Slovakia today and set up a shelter to help fellow refugees.

A gofundme page set up by Mr Edwards’ family has generated £3,400 so far.

You can read more here.

12.00pm: Two houses full of donations in Boroughbridge 

Some of the donated items.

A Boroughbridge activist has teamed up with a local homeless shelter to collect donations for victims of the Ukraine invasion.

Laura Hutton, who runs the Facebook page Boroughbridge Chatter, has encouraged people to contact her on the page to arrange to send items. She said the emphasis was on essential items, such as baby items and pet food.

She said the response so far had been overwhelming, with two houses full of donations.

Ms Hutton said:

“Social media can bring a lot of hatred at times but people really rally around when help is needed. I want to thank everyone as I’m amazed by their generosity.”

Ms Hutton usually works alongside Sally Umpleby and Nik Noble in Boroughbridge’s shelter for vulnerable citizens. They collect food bank donations and make gift packages for those in need at Christmas.

11.36am: Sowa Polish shop overwhelmed by donations

Some of the donations.

A Polish shop in Harrogate has been overwhelmed with donations after encouraging people to give items for Ukrainian refugees.

Joanna Papros, from Sowa Polish shop, posted online on Saturday asking for people to drop off donations and has since received a huge response.

She has asked people to temporarily halt donations until it finds somewhere to store items, which will be sent to Poland for refugees arriving in the country.

Ms Papros told the Stray Ferret;

“I only expected a small response but people have been dropping off items from all over the county.”

While they have no storage to collect further items right now, the shop owners hope to get storage in the wider area and open donations back up.