This story is sponsored by Myrings.

Harrogate’s Leading Family Estate Agent Myrings has partnered with Martin House Children’s Hospice to support families with its new charity boards initiative.

Martin House provides hospice care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses free of charge across North, West and East Yorkshire.

To support Martin House, Myrings will donate £10 for every “for sale” or “to let” board in Harrogate and the surrounding villages.

The new charity initiative is starting now so residents will start to see the new Martin House boards popping up soon and it will continue for the foreseeable future.

Gemma Myring, co-founder and director at Myrings, told the Stray Ferret:

“Martin House is a big part of Harrogate and has touched so many lives.

“We simply cannot praise the staff and volunteers enough. The hospice provides selfless dedication and love to those who need it most.

“It has been one of the guiding principles at Myrings from the day we opened our doors to ‘put something back’ into our hometown where we all live and work.

“Myrings has been in the property business for more than 20 years. It’s a long time but not close to the 35 years Martin House has faithfully served our community.”

Myrings has adapted many times over the years, investing heavily into the website and software.

However, the estate agents believes that a welcoming, dedicated and individual service is greatly valued by Yorkshire people so has recently remodelled its offices to allow for a more personal and private client experience.

Please look out for the new Myrings and Martin House boards over the coming months – and call in to see the team for a chat and a coffee soon.

Thousands of bottles of water were handed out in Ripon this afternoon after a burst water main left around 4,000 homes without water all day.

Yorkshire Water set up an emergency bottled water station at Ripon fire station for thirsty residents, which had a steady stream of people in cars coming to pick up bottles of H2O, helped by on shift firefighters.

Mike and Kay had only just returned to Thornborough, north of Ripon, this afternoon after a holiday in Krakow, Poland.  Mike said:

“We’re waiting for a decent cup of tea!”

Colin from Copt Hewick was there to collect water for his pets.

“We’ve got animals, four dogs, so you’ve got to think of them first.”

Ripon firefighters help out.

Ant, from Stockton-on-Tees, holidays at a static caravan at Riverside Meadows holiday park. He said:

“It was a shock to wake up this morning and not be able to flush the toilet! I’m taking plenty of bottles for my neighbours too.”

Whilst spirits were generally high, one woman gave a Yorkshire Water employee a hard time over what she said was poor communication. The company has been slow to tell the public when normal water supply will resume.

She said its website had barely been updated all day so had tried to find updates on Twitter.

Her opinion was shared by Bishop of Ripon, Helen-Ann Hartley, who described communication from the water company as “unacceptable”.

https://twitter.com/HartleyHAM/status/1560284278331678720?s=20&t=LM9oGeOd6ls30OEDNSuu6A

Read more:

• Water returns to some properties in Ripon

• Ripon area hit by water outage

The burst water main on North Street has caused more disruption than a typical water leak, with many homes now without water for 12 hours.

Supermarkets in Ripon ran out of bottled water earlier today.

A Yorkshire Water employee told the Stray Ferret that service was likely to return at around 7pm but similar promises earlier today did not materialise.

The stock of water was quickly depleted.

One woman who arrived at the emergency bottled water station said to make sure there was room in the boot for a wine delivery that she was going to collect afterwards. “I can’t turn water into wine!” joked the Yorkshire Water employee, as he carried some bottles into her car.

More bottles of water will be available from Ripon Racecourse until 9pm.

The manager of Harrogate Town has paid tribute to Harry Gration, the Yorkshire TV legend who died suddenly last month, saying the club was privileged to have worked with him.

In the past year Harry had taken on the role of match day host for Town. He welcomed corporate sponsors and chaired Q and A sessions with invited guests and members of the team.

Simon Weaver told the Stray Ferret that Harry’s interest in working with Harrogate Town had come as something of a surprise to his father, Irving, who owns the club.

“My dad was nicely surprised to get a letter from Harry saying how much he loved the atmosphere at the stadium and was offering to lend a helping hand.

“Dad got on the phone and Harry become a host. He was very happy to pick up the mike for Q and As. He might ask the odd difficult question but he always did it with humour”

Simon played golf with Harry two days before his death as part of a fundraiser for Harrogate Homeless Project.

He said they were all devastated to learn of his death.

“We were all shell-shocked when we heard the news 48 hours later. Mum and Dad were so upset –he’d quickly became part of the club and part of our home games.

“He gave a feeling of familiarity straight away and made you feel like you could be yourself — as though you were chatting with a friend.

“Harry gave the club something new. It was like having a Premier League host at the club”.

The Weaver family and members of the management team at Harrogate Town attended Harry’s funeral at York Minster on Monday.

Like so many organisations that Harry worked with, they will miss him tremendously.

The funeral of Harry Gration held at York Minster on Monday

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The biannual Mercer Open art exhibition is extending its remit after 20 years of being held in Harrogate.

Hosted by the Mercer Gallery on Swan Road, the event is now open to anyone with a Yorkshire connection this year, rather than the previous limit of the Harrogate district.

People who were born in Yorkshire, or who have lived, worked or studied in the region qualify to submit their work.

Karen Southworth, curator at the Mercer Gallery, said:

“The Mercer Open is not only a wonderful celebration of the fantastic artistic talent associated with Yorkshire, but also offers an amazing opportunity for visitors to the Harrogate district and art-lovers to discover the Mercer Art Gallery and to buy something really special.

“We’re delighted to extend entry invitations more widely this year and we look forward to an incredible showcase of artwork in the Mercer Open, bringing new audiences to the Mercer and enabling more people to enjoy the feel good experience of art appreciation.”

The Mercer Gallery

The exhibition has also been extended in other ways this year. Buyers no longer have to wait until the end of the event to collect their purchases but can take them home immediately.

New work will be put on display throughout the four-month exhibition, enabling more artists to be included and seeing the event evolve over time.

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Meanwhile, the cost of submission this year is £15 for up to three pieces of work, and for the first time it can be done online via the CuratorSpace website.

Anyone who would find the submission fee a barrier can contact curator Courtney Spencer via the CuratorSpace website.

Courtney said:

“I’m really excited to build on the incredible work of the gallery team who have been delivering a biannual open exhibition for the past 20 years.

“It’s been brilliant to broaden the callout to include artists connected to Yorkshire, to move the submissions process online and to reduce the submission fee to enable more artists to submit works.”

Artists have just over a week to submit entries before the deadline of midnight on Sunday, July 31.

The exhibition will run from September 17 until January 8, 2023. The Mercer Gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

A Harrogate cricketer has smashed the record books by scoring an astonishing 441 for Yorkshire second XI.

Finlay Bean, 20, yesterday became the first triple centurion in Yorkshire’s second-team history in a match against Nottinghamshire.

By the time he was out today, he had compiled the highest score in Second X1 Championship history. He hit 52 fours and three sixes on the way to helping Yorkshire reach 814-7.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Bean, who plays for York Cricket Club, doesn’t currently have a contract with Yorkshire.

Second-team coach Tom Smith said:

“Finlay’s batted brilliantly.

“He’s been on the field for every single ball of the match, and it’s not just his skill that’s been impressive, it’s been his concentration levels as well.

“Personally, I’ve never seen 365 runs scored in a game before! It’s been outstanding.”

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Bean, like Knaresborough’s Jonny Tattersall, has been given a second chance at Yorkshire.

Born in Harrogate, he came through the Yorkshire age-groups and played academy and second-team cricket through to the end of 2020, also representing England under 19s.

Despite being offered an Academy contract, Bean left Headingley at the end of that season.

But, following some impressive league performances for York over the last two seasons, he has earned another shot with the county through second-team cricket in 2022.

Harrogate Railway Athletic will play in the tenth-tier division play-off semi-final tomorrow.

After finishing fourth in the NCEFL (Northern Counties East Football League), Railway will travel to Brigg Town to play a ‘one off’ fixture.

Railway manager, Mick O’Connell, is a former jockey and took over in February 2020 when the club was struggling.

He’s turned the club into a play-off team with the second-best home defensive record in the division.

He said:

“It’s great. When we took over we were relegation favourites, so we had to come in and change the culture. We had players who were too comfortable with losing and it needed to change.”

Manager Mick O’Connell (Right.) Photos by – Craig Dinsdale

Speaking about playing the match away, Mick said:

“It was a shame we couldn’t get the home game, but we have to treat it like any other match. We won’t go too gung-ho as it is a one off game. We ended the year in a good run of form so we are confident and we have a couple of sessions the week before the match to freshen the lads up.”

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Formed in 1935, Railway are the second highest semi-professional team in the district, after Knaresborough Town. If they win the play-offs, they will be promoted to the ninth tier of English football.

In the 2000’s, Harrogate Railway reached the second round of the FA cup twice, playing Bristol City and Macclesfield Town. With a record attendance of 3,500 in 2002, it will be the twenty year anniversary of their match against Bristol later this year.

Michael Edwards, the club chairman, said:

“With our budget, we were fighting above our weight this season, but we just had to consolidate the right players around Mick (O’Connell.) We just want to play at the highest level possible without damaging the club financially. Hopefully success can bring more sponsorship opportunities to the club.”

Harrogate Railway Athletic will play Brigg Town on Saturday 16th April. The game will be held at the EC Surfacing Stadium and will kick off at 15:00. Tickets will be available at the gate.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has acquired a new motorbike to reduce the number of accidents and injuries on the county’s roads.

Volunteers from the service will ride the vehicle, known as FireBike, to biker hotspots where they will speak to motorcyclists about road safety.

Statistics show motorbikes make up less than 7% of all traffic in the county but 26% of incidents where somebody is killed or seriously injured.

The new initiative will operate alongside the Biker Down courses run by the fire and rescue service. This free course delivers first aid advice, road, and rider safety for motorcyclists at numerous locations across North Yorkshire.

Andy Creasey, the Firebike project manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“Sadly we deal with a number of road traffic collisions involving motorbikes each year. Many of these collisions involve serious injury or in the worst cases fatalities.

“My colleagues and I want to do everything we can to improve the safety on the the roads for everyone. Motorcyclists enjoy chatting with likeminded enthusiasts and FireBike will help us deliver positive messaging directly within community.”

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The Harrogate BID has recruited two more ‘hosts’ to make the town more welcoming.

Abigail Smith and Rebecca Evans will join two other hosts already in operation.

Harrogate Bid Manager, Matthew Chapman said:

“It is great to welcome Abigail and Rebecca to the Harrogate BID team, as we continue with our goal of making Harrogate even more welcoming.

“The pair are wearing specially made outfits of Yorkshire tweed featuring the Harrogate BID logo so people will know who they are representing.”

The two extra posts have been funded by the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)  via the Harrogate Borough Council. The scheme was brought in during the COVID-19 pandemic to aid local businesses.

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There are four Harrogate Hosts in total with two in the town centre on most weekends up to Christmas.

They BID says they will also act as an additional pair of eyes and ears, alerting authorities to any antisocial behaviour or issues that show Harrogate in a poor light.

Matthew added:

“I went around the town with them, and saw the way they delighted the queue outside Bettys, and how they interacted with children, families and couples, bringing entertainment, enjoyment and a smile to people’s faces.”

Harrogate Grammar’s under 18s rugby squad are celebrating having been crowned champions of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Crossley Heath 19-12.

It is the first time the school has won the cup since 2007.

Tom Ryder, the director of sport at Harrogate Grammar, said:

“Winning the Yorkshire Cup was the icing on the cake of a fantastic year for the Sports Academy. They are a dedicated and motivated group who train hard and commit.

“The Yorkshire Cup final was an extra special occasion, as so many teachers, students, HGS Alumni, friends and family came out to support.

Student Freddie Yates scored two tries, whilst team-mate, Matthew Leatham, won the man of the match award.

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After two years of disruption, students have enjoyed a full season of fixtures across all years. The girls’ under 14 netball reached regional finals recently, as did the boys’ hockey team.

Neil Renton, the school’s headteacher spoke on the win. He said:

“They are talented squad and their dedication not only reflects our values of commitment and excellence, but also inspires our younger students. The Academy is a unique asset to our school, championing success in netball and rugby and we want to attract students from all over the county.

“Our PE faculty works hard to organise so many fixtures, driving forward such successful teams and offering a tremendous range of sports to all our students.”

Mackenzies in Blubberhouses to host art exhibition

Yorkshire artist Lynda Logan and her husband Terry are to display their work at Mackenzies Farm Shop in Blubberhouses to raise money for charity.

Ms Logan, who has a studio near Harrogate, was one of the original Calendar Girls in the 2003 film. She played a model and her husband was a photographer.

Their exhibition, which begins on April 9, will donate 10% of all sales to Blood Cancer UK.

Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in adults and the most common in children.

Paul Palmer, the owner of Mackenzies, said:

“We’re delighted to have Lynda and Terry exhibiting with us in the gallery. Their previous work for charity has been exceptional and we’re excited to help raise even more.”

Events company brings food festival to Pateley Bridge

A previous event hosted by Lily and Lister.

The first Yorkshire Feastival will take place at Pateley Bridge on June 25 and 26.

The event is primarily a food and drink festival but also has an inflatable village, fun fair and a mini farm.

The event will host multiple small business owners, artists and entrepreneurs from Yorkshire. The event is organised by Lily and Lister Events.

Anna Lister, from Lily and Lister, said:

“With so many amazing producers, food, drink and artists from Yorkshire we wanted to create an event celebrating the best of what Yorkshire has to offer and in exceptional countryside in the heart of Yorkshire.

“It’s a great opportunity to come and support local businesses whilst having an amazing day out.”

Two Harrogate restaurants launch charity menu and easter egg hunt 

Provenance Inns & Hotels Group is launching a charity menu and a large easter egg hunt across all its seven venues.

The venues include the West Park Hotel in Harrogate and The Punch Bowl in Marton-Cum-Grafton. Dozens of eggs will be hidden in and around each venue and customers will attempt to find them using clues posted on Facebook.

Anyone who finds one of the chocolate treats can enjoy a free drink at their local Provenance bar.

The Inns group has also launched a new menu.

Tom Patrick, head of marketing at Provenance, said:

“Our Easter egg hunt is going to be quite epic, with not one but seven of Yorkshire’s finest pubs taking part.”

£1 from each Chicken Kyiv dish sold at Provenance venues will go to the Red Cross Ukraine crisis appeal.