A 67-year-old man pleaded not guilty in court today to performing a sexual act in Valley Gardens.

Kevin Payne, from Ling Park Avenue, Bingley, was charged with outraging public decency and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

A member of the public reported seeing a man carrying out a sexual act on Sunday afternoon at the popular family venue.

North Yorkshire Police subsequently arrested Mr Payne and charged him with the two offences.

Appearing at York Magistrates Court this morning, he pleaded not guilty to both charges and was sent for trial at York Crown Court on July 11.

He will remain in custody until the hearing.

Read more:

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• Ripon man who tried to meet underage girls pleads guilty to carrying knife

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of indecent exposure in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Officers were alerted to the incident, which happened in the gardens on Sunday (June 12).

A 67-year-old man from Bradford was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

North Yorkshire Police added in a statement:

“Officers would like to thank the quick-thinking members of the public who alerted us to the man and helped detain him.

“He remains in police custody whilst enquiries continue.”

Read more:

• Police investigating brawl in quiet Pateley Bridge street
• Man jailed for scamming two Harrogate district women of life savings
• Harrogate police officer pleads not guilty to sexual assault

The first day of the Queen’s platinum jubilee has been blessed with warm, sunny weather in the Harrogate district..

There were cakes to judge, events to attend and lots of opportunities to chill with family and friends.

It isn’t over yet — tonight will see beacons lit across the district at 9.45pm as part of a national initiative. But here are five highlights so far.

Our live blog will be back tomorrow with more rolling jubilee coverage. Send us your photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will include them in our coverage.

1 Dignitaries turn out in force in Ripon

The city’s cathedral hosted North Yorkshire’s service to honour the Queen. Among those attending were The Archbishop of York, Ripon MP Julian Smith, Grantley Hall owner Valeria Sykes and former Look North presenter Harry Gration, who is also a deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.

2 Bilton’s Party on the Pitch is a big hit

Bilton Cricket Club’s Party on the Pitch attracted a huge turnout of families. It showed there is a big appetite in Bilton for a community event and how much the area misses the annual Bilton Gala.

3 The first street parties get underway

Sunday is the main day for street parties but residents of Castle Hill Glade in Pannal Ash decided they didn’t want to wait that long and got cracking today.

4 Ripon mum wins Bettys Jubilee Bake Off 

The moment Lori (centre) found out she had won.

Lori Hendry’s Victoria sponge beat three other shortlisted entries in the Bettys Jubilee Bake Off.

Three judges deliberated for half an hour before deciding the Ripon mum’s delicious offering was number one.

5 Children flock to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

The offer of free activities and facepainting was always likely to be a surefire hit with families and that proved the case as families descended on Harrogate’s Valley Gardens today.

There was also the opportunity to watch the BBC’s coverage of Trooping the Colour on a big screen on the Stray.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones MP named as Tory ‘rebel’
• JUBILEE LIVE: Dignitaries attend Ripon Cathedral for county service

Details have been published of events in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens over the four-day holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The free events have been organised by Harrogate Borough Council, are for all ages, and include magicians, juggling shows, fairground rides, live music performances and mini discos.

Thursday 2 June

• 10am until 4pm – Face painting
• 10am until 6pm – Fairground rides, climbing wall, character meet and greet
• 12noon until 1pm – Children’s show and mini-disco on the bandstand
• 11am, 1pm and 3pm – Juggling show on the bandstand

Friday 3 June

• 10am – Harrogate Borough Mayor Councillor Victoria Oldham officially opens the event
• 10am and 1pm – Pantasy steel band (various locations)
• 10am until 4pm – Face painting
• 10am until 6pm – Artisan market, fairground rides, climbing wall, character meet and greet
• 11am until 12noon – Live performance from Harrogate Operatic Players, Ripon Operatic Players, Phoenix Players and St Andrew’s Players ‘songs from the shows’
• 12 noon until 1pm – Children’s show and mini-disco on the bandstand
• Juggling shows in various locations throughout the day

Saturday 4 June

• 10am until 1pm – Pantasy steel band in the bandstand
• 10am until 2pm – Face painting
• 10am until 6pm – Artisan market, fairground rides, climbing wall, character meet and greet
• 12 noon until 1pm – Children’s show and mini-disco on the bandstand
• Juggling shows in various locations throughout the day
• Magician and magic shows throughout the day in various locations

Sunday 5 June

• 10am until 4pm – Artisan market
• 10am until 4pm – Face painting
• 10am until 4pm – Character meet and greet
• 10am until 6pm – Fairground rides and climbing wall
• 11am until 12noon – Knot Another Choir live on the bandstand
• 12noon until 1pm – Children’s show and mini-disco on the bandstand
• Juggling shows throughout the day in various locations
• Magician and magic shows throughout the day in various locations

Councillor Andy Paraskos, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Valley Gardens provides the perfect backdrop for our four day event to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“There will be children’s entertainers, magicians, jugglers, face-painting, rides, live music performances, an artisan market and much more. There truly is something for everyone and even better, it’s all free.”

Sponsored by broadband provider Boundless Networks, the Stray Ferret has compiled a list of events across the district over the big jubilee weekend. click on the banner below for details.

Two new smart bins branded an ‘eyesore’ outside Harrogate’s Valley Gardens are to be moved.

Harrogate Borough Council said today it would “find a more suitable location for the bins”, which it revealed cost £4,350 each.

The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.

Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens both called for the bins to be relocated this week because of their visual impact on the conservation area.

The council has installed six smart bins, costing a total of £26,1000, in Valley Gardens. But it is the two outside the main entrance that have attracted criticism.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.

Ann Beeby, secretary of the Friends of Valley Gardens charity, said it has aesthetic concerns and had asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance.

Read more:

• Calls to move ‘eyesore’ smart bins at Harrogate’s Valley Gardens
• The quirky new Harrogate café where customers can cuddle chihuahuas

A council spokesman said today:

“The location of the bins was chosen in areas where footfall is high and where in peak season bins require emptying multiple times a day.

“We’d like to thank Harrogate district residents and Harrogate Civic Society for sharing their comments on the bins. And following feedback from the civic society, we will work with them to find a more suitable location for the bins outside Valley Gardens to preserve the heritage of the town while maintaining a high footfall area.”

Smart bins ‘improve efficiency and increase recycling’

Two bins have also been installed in the children’s play area.

The council spokesperson said the new solar-powered compacting public bins would “improve efficiency and increase recycling”.

They added:

“Each self-contained 240l bin, that prevents birds and vermin from entering, can compact the volume of up to 10 standard bins.

“Resulting in each pair accommodating a total of up to 4,800 litres of waste and recycling and a reduction in the time and cost of emptying bins, as well as a reduction in fuel costs and carbon emissions.

“Meaning we can spend more time litter picking and keeping the district clean and looking its best.

“The allowance for recycling glass, plastic and cans means that these items can be removed from general waste and increase the district’s recycling rates.

“Much like the standard bins that have recently been retrofitted with a sensor, we are also able to monitor fill levels and are alerted if there are issues with the bin, or the bin becomes full before its next collection, ensuring litter is kept to a minimum and we can ensure the district is kept clean and tidy.”

Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens have called for new smart bins at Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to be moved.

The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.

But Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to site two of them immediately outside the main entrance to Valley Gardens, in Harrogate’s conservation area, has been criticised.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.

Mr Holland added:

“What is unfortunate is that these particular ones have been positioned in such a way that they spoil the entrance to the gardens and have been laid on a crude base of concrete over paving slabs with no regard for quality of installation.

“This location is at the heart of Harrogate conservation area, opposite a Grade 2* listed building and at the entrance to a designated area of significance.”

A conservation area is defined as an area that has special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is considered desirable to preserve or enhance.

Read more:

• ‘Smart bins’ to be trialled in Harrogate from this month
• Harrogate branded the ‘new Hollywood’ after film crews descend

Some planning applications are rejected because of the impact on the conservation area.

Mr Holland added:

“Valley Gardens itself is Grade 2, included within the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest by Historic England, for its special historic interest.

“The paved area on which the bins have been positioned is land incorporated under the Stray Act and as such is subject to strict controls.

“There is no evidence that these controls have been respected. The civic society would welcome meeting with local councillors to look at satisfactory ways of re-positioning these bins.”

The smart bins in the play area. Pic: Harrogate Civic Society

‘Consider moving them’

“The existing bins are constantly overflowing, leaving rubbish blowing around;  the gardening team had to spend many hours removing the rubbish, and this will now be done by a different team.

“The new bins are being trialed in the gardens, and we will be keeping a watching brief.

“We are however concerned about the pair of bins at the entrance on aesthetic grounds, as they are in a significant heritage area. We have asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance, to the area near  the signboard.”

Harrogate’s Pride in Diversity will not take place this year because of a lack of volunteers to make it possible.

Last held in 2019, the event has traditionally begun with a parade through the town centre led by an open-top bus.

It then featured a festival of live music, entertainment and stalls in the Valley Gardens, drawing crowds of up to 26,000 people.

Secretary Poppy Winks said they had considered holding a smaller event, but decided it would be better to focus on delivering a full-scale occasion in 2023.

She said:

“The plan is it will be the same as pre-pandemic. It’s a joyful day: people being together and celebrating who they are, whoever that is.

“To have that space in our town is really important. It’s a really unapologetic event; everybody is there for a reason and it doesn’t matter what that reason is.”

People of all genders, sexualities, ages and races came together for the celebration in 2019.

The cancellation this year means the event will have had a four-year break by the time it returns, having missed two years because of the covid pandemic.

Ms Winks said while there used to be a strong group of volunteers, many had moved on or started volunteering elsewhere.

The remaining team decided to announce their reasons for calling off this year’s event, and it has paid off with a number of individuals and organisations come forward with offers of support. Ms Winks added:

“It was not an easy decision, but being honest about our reasons for cancelling has made people think, ‘this is an event we like and we want to come forward and help make it happen’.

“The beauty is that now we have grown enough that we’re well-known and organisations like the theatre and the Victoria Shopping Centre have said they want to support us.”

Anyone interested in helping to organise next year’s event can contact Harrogate Pride in Diversity via its website.

Read more:

• Exhibition brings Harrogate’s LGBTQ+ stories to the forefront
• Harrogate hospital unveils LGBTQ+ rainbow crossings

A big screen on the Stray, picnics and live music will be at the centre of Harrogate’s four-day programme of events celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Destination Harrogate and Harrogate Business Improvement District today revealed plans to commemorate the Queen’s 70-year reign over the bank holiday weekend from June 2 to 5.

Part of the Stray will be transformed into Jubilee Square. It will include a large stage and video screens to broadcast the Queen’s birthday parade.

Films will be shown and there will also be a dog show and a Harrogate mastermind quiz.

The town centre will be adorned with 4km of bunting and there will be six sets of street entertainers performing across the four days.

Valley Gardens will also host a free family festival, which will feature jugglers, magicians, choirs and fairground rides. An artisan market will also be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Valley Gardens’ Sun Colonnades.

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, said:

“By providing a large stage and video screens for The Stray and a family festival in Valley Gardens, we’re also showcasing why Harrogate is a great events destination.

“We hope that our residents and visitors will take the opportunity to enjoy the events happening in these glorious outdoor spaces, and experience the town centre buzzing with activity and entertainment for such a jubilant occasion.”

Read more:

• Dates set for second Harrogate Christmas Fayre
• Harrogate Beer Festival for women returns next month

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Our Jubilee Square will be a place for families and friends to bring a picnic, watch events happening live in London via our big screen, enjoy – and participate in – a variety of fun events and activities, or to simply chill out and relax.”

It is the youth of today who often get stereotyped as caring more about scrolling social media than taking action to save the planet.

Just last year there was huge anger towards youngsters who partied on the Stray in Harrogate, leaving council workers and volunteers to clean up.

However, it appears that this view couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘Littering most harmful for the environment’

A survey commissioned by Harrogate Spring Water as part of a successful environmental campaign launched by the company last month revealed that children and young people see littering as the individual act which most harms the environment.

The poll of more than 1,000 children, aged between nine and 16, found that 92 per cent of youngsters rated the environment as important to them – well ahead of the 47 per cent who rated their social media profiles as important.

And over three quarters of children admitted that they were worried about the environment, with littering seen as the worst environmental offence and children saying that adults should lead by example in teaching them how to protect the planet.

Valley Gardens

So as part of Harrogate Spring Water’s ‘Lunchtime Litter Pick’ campaign, I took my two boys, Noah and Luca, to the Valley Gardens to pick up some rubbish and ask them about their views on the issue.

It certainly might not be the first activity you think of when it comes to family time, but the kids, who are aged three and eight, were genuinely quite excited when I told them what we were up to.

We had some spare time after school, and thanks to the lighter evenings, we headed out with our high vis vests, gloves – make sure your children wear thick ones – and bin bags and got to work.

Within an hour we had filled one bin bag, which was surprising, as you certainly don’t realise just how much there is strewn about.

The boys had a whale of a time running around in the fresh air, excitedly shouting when they spotted a piece of litter.

And admittedly it felt really good to be doing our bit, even in a small way. Small steps can make big changes as we all know.

Litter picking adventure

When we got home, we had a chat about our litter picking adventure.

Noah said:

“There were lots of cans in the park and when we were coming back home I saw lots of plastic bags that had blown into trees.

“It’s bad that people drop litter because animals might get stuck and they might suffocate. It’s not good for the planet. They should put it in the bin.

“I really enjoyed litter picking because I like to help save the world. More people should pick it up because then there would be less rubbish. I’m going to keep doing it.”

Luca said everyone should help pick up rubbish, and when asked what he would do if he saw someone dropping it, he said:

“I will tell the police officers and the bin lorry men, because then they will come and pick it up in their truck.”

Campaign

The campaign, which was launched in support of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean 2022, has seen dozens of families and companies in the area join in and help Keep Yorkshire Tidy this Spring – for the environment and their wellbeing.

Harrogate Spring Water led the charge to clear the region’s streets, paths and public spaces of litter through their campaign, offering local businesses free litter picking kits to encourage staff to take a break in the fresh air, while doing something positive within their community.

The company enlisted the help of actress Natalie Anderson, Harrogate Town FC and its own workforce in its bid to encourage families, community groups and residents to play their part.

Natalie Anderson, known for her starring roles in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, also took part in a litter pick in Harrogate as part of the campaign.

She said:

“Litter picking is one of the easiest ways we can all take care of our community and the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

“I know from conversations with my son how important the environment is to the younger generation, and getting involved in this campaign is a great way for parents to lead by example in protecting the planet.”

Positive action

The company is also encouraging people to join Harrogate Borough Council’s series of organised anti-litter drives as they look to make the area an even better place to live by clearing up litter and encouraging people to recycle more.

The campaign was launched in the wake of the research commissioned by Harrogate Spring Water and carried out by iconic children’s comic The Beano.

The company hopes that by joining in the litter picking drive, families can take positive action on the environment and the next generation can learn more about how they can play their part in keeping waste out of nature and in the recycling stream.

‘Proud to call Harrogate home’

James Cain OBE, managing director at Harrogate Spring Water, said:

“We are proud to call Harrogate home. By coming together as a community to keep our historic town looking beautiful, we have taken positive action for the present as well as honouring Harrogate’s commitment for future generations.

“We’re passionate about preventing littering, but also about ensuring as much can be recycled as possible.

“Whether it’s recycling and reusing wherever possible or taking a break in the fresh air to tidy up our streets and green spaces, we’re continuing to work together to keep Harrogate beautiful and litter-free.”

To find out more about the campaign and to play your part, head to http://www.harrogatespring.com/lunchtimelitterpick

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.

Is this rewilding eyesore acceptable for our town?

I was interested to read in the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council has decided to repeat last years exercise of ‘wilding’ the Stray.

The article was accompanied by an attractive picture of wild flowers and grass gently bending in the breeze. It looks idyllic, and just the image that we want to project to encourage people to visit our town.

The grass verge directly in front of 8 West Park (Specialized & OKA) was ‘wilded’ last year and for weeks we had a miserable view of two-metre high weeds, and the odd dandelion amongst the sparse grass.

This year, as my images illustrate, it’s going to be another eyesore. The kind of abandoned verge you wouldn’t be surprised to see on a motorway central reservation but not Harrogate, home of the RHS Harlow Carr and Valley Gardens.

This is on the main walking route into our town, passed by thousands of visitors each year and yet the council seem oblivious to this embarrassment of a ‘maintained’ verge. There were no spring crocuses bursting through. It’s pointless the council cutting the grass because there is as much bare earth as grass. Why has it been forgotten?

I broadly support the concept of ‘wilding’. if the preparation has been done it can look really attractive as it does in neighbouring towns.

I anticipate the council’s response i.e. ‘lack of resources due to covid’ and’ budget restraints’ etc but would it cost so much for a rotavator, some weed killer and grass seed? I would gladly pay for the wild flowers seeds!

Please take a stroll past this verge and ask yourself is this acceptable for our town.

Ian Latham, Harrogate

Sort out this traffic light mess!

I agree with Liz Carnell and the appalling situation with traffic congestion on Skipton Road.

The phasing on all the traffic lights from Bilton Lane right through to Claro Road is completely rubbish.

They all need to be adjusted to time and flow with emphasis on ensuring traffic turning into Skipton Road is not then impeded by red lights, which in turn cause log jams such as King’s Road and Woodfield Road into Skipton Road, both of which allow three cars to turn and immediately into red lights.

As always, local authority make changes at will without understanding the situation in the first place and almost always make the problems worse.

Tony Petrie, Woodfield Road, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.