Three Wetherspoons pubs in the Harrogate district are set to host a real ale festival in October.

The Winter Gardens in Harrogate, Unicorn Hotel in Ripon and The Crown Inn in Knaresborough will all take part in the 12-day festival which will feature 20 different beers from the UK and around the world.

It will be held from Wednesday, October 11, until Sunday, October 22.

Among the brewers on display include Steel and Oak Brewing, Canada, Yazoo Brewing from USA and South Africa’s Zubland Brewery.

The Crown Inn at Knaresborough and The Unicorn Hotel in Ripon.

Others on display will be Robinsons Brewery, Purity Brewery and Joe’s Garage Brewery in Czech Republic.

Beers on offer will be £2.45 a pint.

Will Thorton, manager at the Winter Gardens in Harrogate, said:

“The festival is a great celebration of real ale.

“It will allow us to showcase a selection of superb beers over a 12-day period, at great value for money prices.

“It will also give our customers the opportunity to enjoy a number of beers which have not previously been served in the pub, including those from overseas.”

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A notorious Ripon man tried to stab a Wetherspoon’s bar worker with a table knife after warning police that he was “going to kill somebody”.

John Flannagan, 38, was causing trouble at The Unicorn pub in Ripon Market Place and when a brave bar stewardess tried to calm him down, he lunged at her with a knife, York Crown Court heard. 

Prosecutor Kelly Clarke said the named bar worker had been trying to reason with Flannagan, but he responded by picking up two pint glasses and smashing one of them on the bar.

Ms Clark added:

“She stepped back and he picked up a knife and fork from a table in front of her.

“He turned back to face the bar and started shouting at staff and members of the public and walked along the bar and threw the pint glass, causing it to smash on top of the bar.”

Flannagan, knife in hand, then lunged at the bar worker and made a “haymaker-style” swipe at her with the blade, which missed. 

Ms Clarke said:

“This was an attempt, say the prosecution, to stab [the named bar stewardess].”

‘If you don’t come and get me, I’m going to kill somebody’

In the run-up to the incident, police received a call from Flannagan who said he was in Ripon city centre being followed in the street by “a man with a dog” and that he was scared.

After making the call, Flannagan went into the Wetherspoon’s bar at the Unicorn Hotel and began shouting at people inside the pub, telling them to “leave me alone”.

Ms Clarke said:

“Staff were concerned and contacted police.”

Flannagan left the pub and tried to get in a taxi, but he was turned away by the driver due to his bizarre behaviour. Having been rebuffed by the cabbie, Flannagan called police again. 

Ms Clarke said:

“He could be heard shouting incoherently [during the call] and [there were] periods of silence.”

Flannagan told the operator: 

“You need to come and get me. I’m already on bail and going to jail. If you don’t come and get me, I’m going to kill somebody.”

York Crown Court.

He then went back inside The Unicorn and pushed past a man at the bar who didn’t react and walked away. The confrontation with the bar stewardess then followed.

The terrifying incident was brought to an end by an off-duty police officer who ran to the bar and tackled Flannagan to the ground. 

The officer, who was with his wife and family, restrained Flannagan until uniformed police arrived to arrest him.

Wetherspoon’s staff members said they were “extremely frightened that things would escalate” and feared that someone was going to be seriously injured “or worse”. One staff member said it was the worst piece of violence they had ever seen at a pub. 

Flannagan, of Gallows Hill, was charged with affray and threatening a person with a blade in a public place. He admitted the offences which happened at about 10.15pm on June 17. 

He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

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Ms Clarke said Flannagan had 59 previous offences on his record including violence, public disorder and carrying offensive weapons, namely a knife and a metal bar.

At the time of the incident in Ripon, he was on an 18-month community order imposed in December last year for battery.

Defence barrister Susannah Proctor said Flannagan had a psychotic disorder and was bipolar. His mental health conditions had been exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse.

She said that at the time of his latest offences he was “acutely unwell” but acknowledged the “anxiety and fear” he caused to members of the public.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told Flannagan his “bizarre and psychotic” behaviour could have resulted in tragedy inside the pub.

He added:

“You are someone with a long history of mental health problems… but your behaviour and your criminal offending appears to have become worse over the last five or six years.

“The brandishing of, and threatening with, weapons is something that calls for an immediate prison sentence.”

Flannagan was handed a 16-month jail sentence but will only spend half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence. 

People caught drug dealing in Harrogate venues face 18 month bans in a new list of sanctions that comes into force today.

Harrogate Pubwatch, which represents 38 licensed venues in town, has updated its list of ban tariffs.

The tariffs state how long people caught offending in one venue face being banned from all venues that take part in the scheme.

Members of Harrogate Pubwatch, which includes pubs such as Wetherspoon and Christies Bar as well as hotel bars such as The Crown and the Cedar Court Hotel, share information and photos of troublemakers on an app.

They then have a week to vote on what action to take, with the ban tariffs acting as a guide.

Acts of violence carry a 24-month ban, sexual harassment has a nine-month ban and possession of weapons carries a life ban. Eleven people currently have life bans.

Acts of violence against venue staff, which carries a 30-month ban, has been introduced as a new category following a recent increase in incidents.

Alan Huddart, vice-chair of Harrogate Pubwatch and treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said there had been four attacks on venue staff in town since pubs reopened after lockdown.

Mr Huddart said he wasn’t sure why staff were being attacked more but the app had proved effective in taking collaborative action to keep venues safe. He said:

“At the moment we have a total of 46 people banned. There have been as many as over 100 previously.

“You could argue that lockdown has been responsible for the number declining but increasing the profile of Harrogate Pubwatch has been effective.”

Harrogate Pubwatch holds quarterly meetings with police representatives.

Harrogate Business Improvement District contributed £2,000 towards the Harrogate Pubwatch app.

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