Harrogate district has highest covid rate in Yorkshire

The Harrogate district now has the highest covid infection rate in Yorkshire after another rise in cases beyond record levels.

The district’s weekly rate per 100,000 people currently stands at 630, according to the latest Public Health England figures.

The rate is the 19th highest in England and well above the country’s average of 366.

It equates to almost 150 new infections each day. However, hospitalisations and deaths remain stable when compared with previous waves.

As of last Tuesday, there were 13 covid patients at Harrogate District Hospital.

Patient numbers there previously peaked at 67 in January.

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The last time the hospital reported a covid-related death was on September 30 when its toll since the pandemic began reached 189, according to NHS figures.

The Harrogate district’s latest weekly infection rate of 630 cases per 100,000 people is another record for the district, which has seen cases climb steadily since mid-September.

Prior to this period, the previous record was 534 on 18 July.

Speaking recently, Louise Wallace, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the rise in infections in Harrogate and across the county was being “driven by school-age children”.

The latest figures for Harrogate show infections are highest among five to 19-year-olds, although cases among 40 to 49-year-olds are also high.

New state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery hidden in Harrogate village

Forget nipping to the village shop for a pint of milk, you can now pop for a facelift at a new cosmetic surgery clinic near Bishop Thornton.

Nestled in the rolling hills of the Harrogate countryside, Kliniken, Swedish for “the clinic”, is aimed at moving away from a clinical hospital environment.

Instead it wants patients to feel like they have just checked into a luxury hotel, rather than a cold, sterile hospital environment.

I was intrigued when I heard about this new rural clinic, which boasts its own state-of-the-art operating theatre.

Firstly, due to its quirky location in the middle of nowhere, miles away – literally – from the typical urban setting, such as Leeds, Manchester or London’s  famous plastic surgery hub, Harley Street.

And secondly, when I heard two of the owners had sold their old house to fund the venture, as well as remortgaging their current home. In the current climate, this takes guts.

Hotel lobby

Consultant plastic surgeon Mallappa Kolar, who runs the practice with his wife, Karuna Kolar, and business partner Dr Senthil Kumar, said:

“The reception area has been designed with the thought process that we wanted it to feel professional and welcoming.

“We have tried to keep things discreet, so there is only ever two sets of patients who can be here at any one time. It is meant to feel more like a hotel lobby.

“When you walk in, the ladies greet you as a patient and you get a drinks menu to choose from.”

One of the receptionists who welcomes patients to Kliniken.

I’ve driven past Oakwood Park Business Centre, on Fountains Road, many times, but I had no idea here was a whole  business community there out in the sticks. With amazing views stretching for miles around, it really did feel calm and serene.

Different feel

When I walked in, it definitely had a different feel to the usual clinical environment you often get in a hospital or GP surgery. I was expecting someone to hand me a key and show me to my room.

Talking of rooms, it’s actually quite a big place, a bit like a tardis. It features two consultation rooms designed around patient comfort which boast flat screen TVs, reclining seats and shiny black desks to match the shiny black Apple Macs.

It is essentially as far removed from a typical cluttered GP’s room as it gets.

One of the consultation rooms at Kliniken.

There is also a therapy room, with colourful art on the walls, where you can pop in for some botox, fillers or laser treatments.

Mr Kolar said:

“This is designed to feel more like an experience. It is meant to feel comfortable, not cramped. If there is someone with you, they can sit down and have a drink.”

Split into two parts, the other area of the building is known as “the surgery hub”, which features two private recovery rooms.

Mr Kolar said:

“Patients will be greeted on the day of surgery by their own nurse, they will have their own patient care coordinator, their own surgeon and their own anesthetist. Those people are available throughout the entire patient journey.

“They will also get the receptionist’s number and the surgeon’s number.”

Hi-tech operating theatre

But perhaps most impressive is the high-tech operating theatre, which boasts fancy intelligent lighting and the best surgical equipment you can buy, according to Mr Kolar.

You would never expect to find a full working operating theatre just down the road from Fountains Abbey.

The operating theatre at Kliniken.

Mr Kolar, who is believed to be the only full-time plastic surgeon based in Harrogate, said:

“I didn’t want it to be in the city centre. You should see it in the winter when there is snow, it is literally picture postcard Yorkshire.

“We want it to be the equivalent to Harley Street, but here.”

” I have two brothers who both live in London and for them it’s inconceivable to see something like this.

“We have a son and I want him to appreciate the countryside and the clean air and the rehab and things like that. I feel if I want that for my family, I want that for my patients.”

The clinic has been six years in the planning and the trio have thrown everything they have into it.

Investment

Mr and Mrs Kolar sold their student house and have remortgaged their current property to fund the business venture. Mr Kolar also decided not to go for an NHS consultant job so he could concentrate fully on the clinic.

Dr Kumar, who met Mr Kolar three years ago when he was a registrar completing his training, has also invested heavily.

He flew back to England just a day after his wife gave birth in India as he had an important meeting with the Care Quality Commission.

Mr Kolar said:

It’s unusual to do what I’ve done, finish training and leave and set up a private practice. There are not many people who do that. A lot of people weren’t happy that I was doing that and a lot of people doubted us.

“You get so emotionally invested into this, you don’t have any spare time.  It sounds cheesy, but because you’re putting so much into this everything else is paled into insignificance.

“At the end of the day patients are trusting us with their body and it is a privilege.”

However, the determined trio are confident their goal of “redefining the healthcare experience” in natural surroundings will make the clinic a success.

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Innovation

Innovative treatments at the clinic include a “one-stop shop” for procedures such as hand surgery. This can be done in a day, rather than the patient having to keep coming back for consultations and the surgery itself.

Fat grafting is also available, which involves using a very thin needle to harvest cells from an area of your body. These cells are then injected into the area being enhanced.

Mr Kolar, who has done both an MD and PhD in fat stem cells in Sweden, said:

“There is probably only a handful of places in the country that would do it. So it’s using it for simple things like acne scars, volume rejuvenations, so a natural alternative to fillers. For example it can be used on the décolletage area for women. As we get older the creasing starts to increase, so we can rejuvenate that using fat. It can be used for all these different things.”

Together with their team of surgeons, they are now ready to go “full steam ahead” after being hit by a string of delays due to the pandemic.

Dr Kumar said:

I look at it as an opportunity to basically redefine the healthcare experience. I think we have pretty much nailed it on the head in this particular place.”

The view from Kliniken, which is based at Oakwood Park Business Centre, near Bishop Thornton.

Top of the hops: Knaresborough brewery’s road to Harrogate Beer Week

I am pretty clueless when it comes to beer. For example, I had no idea that IPA stood for Indian Pale Ale or that you some beers were more “hoppy” and “juicy” than others, depending on when the hops are introduced to the brewing process. Did you know hops could also come in a pellet form resembling fish food? Me neither.

So when I spent a morning with the guys at Turning Point Brewing Co in Knaresborough, I was ready to be educated.

I figured that, as Harrogate was launching its very first ever beer week on Monday, now was the perfect time to learn.

Turning Point co-founder Aron McMahon said:

“A hop is just like a little dried bud or flower and we use whole hop cones and also use pellets as well, which are like minced up hops. They are processed and packed into tiny little pellets, a bit like fish food, and they are supposed to give more of a stronger, more intense aroma and flavour.

“You can get different properties from the hops depending on how you use them and what stage you use them.”

Humble beginnings

The story of how rapidly Turning Point Brew Co has grown is an impressive one – particularly with a worldwide pandemic thrown into the mix.

The brewery was originally launched in Kirkbymoorside by friends Aron and Cameron McQueen in 2017. Aron worked for another brewery in North Yorkshire and Cameron used to run a pub in York.

Aron said:

“I used to be one of his customers and I was probably delivering to him for about 18 months before we set off on this magical mystery tour.

“We became friends, we had the same interests and the same sense of humour.

“I decided I was leaving my job at the brewery and didn’t know what I was going to be doing and wanted to stick with something in the beer industry and start a new brewery or bar.

“I said to Cam, just out of jest, if I started a brewery would you fancy coming on board with me and he didn’t really hesitate and just said yes.”

After Aron realised that Cameron was serious, the two friends got together, had a chat, and realised the idea had legs. Through contacts in the industry, they found out about the brewery site in Kirkbymoorside.

And in just four months the pair had gone from talking about running a brewery to actually making their first beer.

Aron said:

“We managed to do it so quickly because of our contacts. Everything just fell really well for us. The site the brewing kit and everything else. We started brewing in Kirkbymoorside in 2017 and quickly got busier and busier.”

Sales went from local, to national to global within a year and within two years they had outgrown their brewery.

New brewery

Aron said:

“Just by a chance conversation with one of the owners with Roosters brewery, they told me that they were looking at moving and their site would be up for grabs in the near future. That was in January 2019 and by August 2019 we were in.

“We bought their old kit and brought our stuff as well. We were in about three months and then covid hit and we worked out we have actually only traded normally for about six months, despite being here for two years.”

The company now has five employees at its brewery at Grimbald Park in Knaresborough, as well as three part-time members of staff who work in the taproom, which is open on Fridays and Saturdays.

A taproom – for those, like me, who don’t know – is a space in which a brewery serves its beer to customers. In most cases, this is either part of the actual brewery or is attached to it.

Co-founder Cameron McQueen pours a lager at the Turning Point taproom.

Aron said:

“Here you feel like you’re actually in the brewery. It’s a quirky location where people can come and try fresh beers brewed on the premises and we have a different street food vendor every week. We’ve had a really good reaction locally.”

When the pandemic hit, the duo had to move towards online sales to keep their business going.

Fortunately Turning Point already had an online shop set-up, so they were able to flip their production completely over from mainly cask and keg to cans, which had formerly only made-up around five per cent of their business.

Aron said:

“When covid hit we had a load of beer in the tanks and we then just canned all of it. We plunged all of our beer into cans then and started selling cans on the online store.”

Online events

Once they started selling cans online, they created four different collaboration beers with breweries they admired, including Roosters, and ran their first online event to launch the beers. This was to become the first in a series of online collaborative events aimed at bringing people together during lockdown.

They also started up a beer club called Disco Royalty, which is still running as a way of keeping up engagement with their drinkers – a positive that came out of the pandemic. Brand awareness also increased due to people physically being able to look at the bold artwork on the cans, rather than just a pint in a glass.

The brewery at Grimbald Park, Knaresborough.

And it is this continued soaring success that has led them to becoming a key player in the inaugural Harrogate Beer Week, which starts on Monday.

Beer collaboration

As well as offering live music and a brewery tour, Turning Point has created a special beer for the event in collaboration with local brewers. These include Roosters, Cold Bath Brewing Co, Harrogate Brewing Co and Daleside Brewery.

The result is a West Coast 6.2% IPA is called Out Spaced – named after a B-side from a Super Furry Animals album incase you’re wondering. It will be available in cask and keg at more than 10 venues in Harrogate and Knaresborough next week, before cans are sold online from next Friday.

Aron said:

“Harrogate and Knaresborough are totally the right places to really shout about beer right now because there is so much happening.

“The number of good beer places that have opened up in Harrogate have been phenomenal. There’s probably 10 to 12 really good independent places to drink craft beer now, which is absolutely fantastic. It’s a great place to go and drink.

“Knaresborough is always going to be like it’s little brother, but it’s really good as well now. The latest addition is the Track & Sleeper at the station.

“For Harrogate to have its own beer week and shot about these venues is great.”

Taste test – I tried three Turning Point beers and this is what I thought:

OUT SPACED
WEST COAST IPA 6.2%  Brewed for Harrogate beer week in collaboration with Turning Point’s local brewing friends, Roosters, Harrogate, Cold Bath, and Daleside. Tasting notes: A West Coast classic hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial. Properly bitter just like in the olden days.

Aron told me that West Coast IPA has “massive aromas and flavours from American hops”. He explained that West Coast IPA is is often a light to dark bronze colour with “a malty backbonet. So you get a bit of juiciness from the malt and slight caramel and slight biscuity flavours”. They also have higher levels of bitterness than New England IPA.

I had no idea beer could be so complex. But I could definitely taste a slight bitterness, however it was nicely balanced out with the sweetness and juiciness of the malt and the hops – or so Aran told me when I was trying to sum up  what I could taste. I definitely got a caramel and slightly floral flavour and I actually really liked it, despite its slightly bitter flavour. The artwork on the can is outstanding.

DISCO KING
AMERICAN PALE ALE 5.1% Tasting notes: Big on American hop flavour and aroma from Mosaic and Chinook hops. Drinkability for its ABV from a clean malt base. A real juicy little disco of a beer.

This was one of the first beers Turning Point ever brewed and it has now become their flagship top-selling beer.  It is really light, smooth and drinkable. I actually went through a phase of liking German wheat beer when I was a student. This reminded me a bit of that. I loved its slightly floral taste and it is a beautiful colour – like an old fashioned English cloudy apple juice.

EXILE
PILSNER 5% Czech-style Pilsner with Saaz hops. Tasting notes: Bready and crisp with a balanced bitterness and delicate hop aroma. Showcasing perhaps Turning Points least celebrated ingredient: Soft Yorkshire water.

This is Turning Point’s lager offering and this was actually my favourite. Aron described it as “smashable” and he wasn’t joking. As it was only 11am when I visited, I just about managed to restrain myself from drinking the whole glass. It was really fruity in flavour and had a grapefruity taste. Apparently I had done well to pick this flavour out, so I felt pretty pleased with myself.

This one takes ages to make apparently. Once it has brewed it has to sit in the tank and “lager” – a German word for “store” – for around eight weeks. This is what makes it so drinkable. Totally worth it.

Venues

If all this talk of beer has made you thirsty, you can try Out Spaced at these venues during Harrogate Beer Week:

Major Tom’s – keg and cask

Cold Bath Brewing Co. – keg

Roosters – keg

Harrogate Brewing Co. – cask from October 1st

Tap On Tower Street – keg

Half Moon, Knaresborough – cask

The Disappearing Chin – keg

Devonshire Tap House – cask

Paradise Tap & Taco – keg

Little Ale House – cask

Husk Beer Emporium – cans and possibly keg

 

There’s something in the water as Harrogate brews up for Beer Week

As the craft beer explosion continues in the UK, Harrogate is set to launch its first ever Beer Week. The town is firmly at the forefront of the industry, boasting five breweries in the HG postcode alone.

So what makes Harrogate beer so special? There’s definitely something in the water..

Harrogate is undeniably famous for its water. Its development as a prosperous and flourishing spa town dates back to the 16th century.

William Slingsby discovered the first spring in 1571 in the area now known as High Harrogate. It was named the Tewit Well Spring and the water was found to be medicinal. People, rich and poor, began to flock to the town to test the curative powers of the waters.

Perhaps it is therefore unsurprising to learn that the district’s water – and Yorkshire water as a whole – is perfect for brewing some of the best craft beers in the country.

More breweries have been opening in Yorkshire than anywhere else in the UK, including London.

And Harrogate now boasts five breweries within the HG postcode – internationally-renowned Roosters; rising star Harrogate Brewing; Turning Point, which chose Knaresborough for its expansion two years ago; Daleside, the town’s longest-standing local brewery; and Cold Bath Brewing, which is making waves across the town with its beers, bar and clubhouse space.

The brewery at Roosters Brewing Co.

To celebrate the town’s growing brewing culture, as well as the bars, pubs and restaurants which support the breweries, this month Harrogate is launching its first ever Beer Week from September 20 to 26.

Harrogate beer communications specialist Rachel Auty, who founded Women on Tap and has secured backing from Harrogate BID to help bring the idea to fruition, said:

“I have been told by breweries that Yorkshire is a key place for brewing because of the water. Harrogate is known for its water so it’s a nice link. It is known for its water history and heritage and it is now attracting breweries to the area.

It [Beer Week] is something we have wanted to do for quite a few years now. We were hoping to get it off the ground las year, but Covid put a stop to holding any events.

“I have seen the beer scene in the town explode over the last seven or eight years. It has got really interesting. We have really exciting beer here actually being brewed.”

With special beer weeks being held in places like Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, Rachel, who is delivering the event under her specialist food and drink brand TASTE, said Harrogate’s beer scene was strong enough to rival the cities. It’s thought Harrogate is the only town in the country set to host such an event.

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A programme of special events and initiatives will be hosted at bars, brewery taps, and eateries across Harrogate. The event will culminate in a big beer weekend in the town centre. Other features on the programme will include an ‘Indie Beer Trail’, live local music, and a home brewing competition, with some big names in UK beer heading to Harrogate to host a range of talks and tastings.

Guest headliners include award-winning beer writer Pete Brown presenting ‘Craft: An Argument’ at Cold Bath Clubhouse, a beer tasting and reading with author Matthew Curtis at Roosters taproom, a Conversation on Harrogate Beer with award-winning writer Melissa Cole and Discovering Harrogate Beer with beer sommelier Annabel Smith also at the Cold Bath Clubhouse.

And for those who have ever imagined beer and donuts as the perfect combination, there will even be a chance to try sour and stout-filled doughnuts at The Tap on Tower Street, which has commissioned Harrogate business Doe to create the unique flavour especially for the event.

A collaboration between all the local breweries will also see a special beer produced for Beer Week – a West Coast IPA brewed at Turning Point.

Co-owner of the Cold Bath Brewing Co Jim Mossman, who also sits on the board of Harrogate BID, said:

“I have been very receptive to the idea of putting something positive together with regards to an event in Harrogate, promoting not only breweries in the town, but all the local great independent bars and restaurants as well.

Harrogate is internationally famous for the quality of its water, so it’s by no coincidence you see some great breweries and gin distilleries in this geographical area. They are using it to make quality beer and gins.

We are hosting a series of events in Cold Bath Club House and we are really looking forward to a number of things, from just generating community spirit and bringing venues together, which is great after 15 months of the pandemic – from live music events, to some really credible industry speakers coming to town to do beer tastings and talks.”

Jim said the Harrogate brewing scene was mainly about craft beer, which has seen an explosion in the UK, including lager, pilsner, pale ale and West Coast IPA, but said it was impossible to choose a favourite due to the vast amount of different brewing processes and flavours.

However, he said Cold Bath Brewery was in the process of launching new barrel-aged beers. These are beers that have been aged in oak barrels, allowing the wood to impart extra flavour.

He said:

“We have launched a barrel-aged process in terms of flavours you can create, for example we are using old bourbon barrels.”

Cold Bath Brewing Co.

Pubs, bars and eateries taking part in Harrogate Beer Week include:

The Harrogate Tap

Starling Independent

The Tap on Tower Street

The Little Ale House

Major Tom’s Social

Cold Bath Clubhouse

The Disappearing Chin

Roosters Brewery and Taproom

Blind Jack’s, Knaresborough

Cold Bath Deli and Wine Bar

HUSK Beer Emporium

Turning Point Brewery and Taproom

2022 Tour de Yorkshire cancelled

The 2022 Tour de Yorkshire bike race has been cancelled today.

Race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and French company Amaury Sport Organisation issued a statement at 7pm tonight blaming covid and “escalating financial challenges and uncertainties” for making the event “unviable”.

The 2022 route was not due to include the Harrogate district but had financial implications for local people because North Yorkshire County Council agreed last month to give £200,000 of council taxpayers’ money to support the event.

It is not clear yet what will happen to that funding.

The Tour de Yorkshire was held annually from 2015 to 2019 following the success of the 2014 Tour de France’s Grand Départ, which ended in Harrogate. Covid scuppered it last year and this year.

Despite today’s decision, Welcome to Yorkshire said in tonight’s statement its “ambition to continue hosting international events is as strong as ever and this is the beginning of a whole new positive plan to showcase Yorkshire globally through dedicating time to varied and exciting opportunities”.

But there was no mention of the Tour de Yorkshire being resurrected in 2023, raising doubts about it happening again.

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James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, which is a marketing organisation for Yorkshire, said:

“We had every intention for the race to go ahead but unfortunately some of the circumstances were out of our control and sometimes you have to make big calls for the right reasons.

“People from Yorkshire are proud and we only want the best for the county. We still have ambitions for large events going forward to put Yorkshire on the world stage and we will continue to work with our partners to plan for those.”

Brian Facer, chief executive of British Cycling, said:

“Clearly this is very disappointing news for everyone who recognises the value the Tour de Yorkshire brings to the county and to cycling in Britain.

“This is not just about the economic boost that top level bike racing has brought to Yorkshire, but also in the huge numbers of people who have been inspired to cycle themselves.

“The local authorities in Yorkshire have done a fantastic job over recent years and deserve credit for trying to find a way forward.”

 

Rare heather moorland holds up TV transmitter replacement

Plans to replace the fire-damaged Bilsdale transmitter and restore TV and radio signals for large swathes of the Harrogate district are being held up by the transmitter’s location within a rare heather moorland.

The blackout of Freeview TV channels and loss of radio signals has affected thousands of homes, particularly in the northern part of the district, after a major fire on August 10 put the 1,030 ft mast out of action.

Patience is wearing thin among many people, who have now been affected for three weeks.

Stray Ferret follower Lynette Cooper, who lives in central Harrogate, summed up the mood when she said:

“I’m totally fed up. For weeks now, I haven’t been able to see any of my favourite programmes.

“It’s the same for my daughter Helen at her home in Pickering and a friend told me that some elderly people at a Harrogate nursing home she goes to, just sit there with nothing to watch.”

The Bilsdale transmitter, built on the moors near Helmsley in 1969, is one of the most powerful transmitters in the UK, serving hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners from North Yorkshire to the North East and beyond.

Fire crews were called to Bilsdale mast near Helmsley this afternoon after reports of smoke coming from the area.

The Bilsdale mast’s moorland location.

In a statement on August 13, transmitter operator Arqiva said:

“Our plan involves the erection of an 80m temporary mast at Bilsdale and we have been surveying the site to identify the best alternative locations within the restrictions we have.

“Included in this is the fact that Bilsdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning we have to seek agreement to place any additional equipment.”

In its most recent update since the fire incident, the company could still not provide a likely date when services would be restored. It said:

“We continue to work through the process to enable access to the Bilsdale site to build the temporary mast.

“There is no specific new detail to share at this point but we are continuing to work round the clock to find a way forward.”

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The transmitter’s location within a government-protected area of 44,000 hectares of moorland continues to be a stumbling block.

The area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its heathland habitat and breeding birds. Special permission needs to be granted for access across it.

Natural England says on its website:

“Heather moorland is rare on a worldwide scale – there is probably less heather moorland in the world than tropical rainforest.

“One of the largest continuous expanses of upland heather moorland in England and Wales is here in the North York Moors – a sheep could wander from Egton to Bilsdale without leaving it. Moorland covers a third of the North York Moors National Park and most of the higher ground is covered in heather.”

The area is also a designated Special Area of Conservation — a status reserved for important plant habitats in Europe — and a Special Protection Area because of its importance to breeding birds.

Although the access issues are yet to be resolved, Aquiva said last week some Freeview services had been restored for those who receive signals from smaller relay sites. None of them are in the Harrogate district.

A TV Licensing spokesman has said customers unable to receive TV coverage for more than a month will be eligible for a refund or free extension of their TV licence.

 

 

 

 

Yorkshire Air Ambulance issues hoax call warning

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has revealed it was the victim of 14 hoax calls in the last financial year — and the number looks set to rise this year.

The charity, which provides rapid emergency treatment to people in Yorkshire, responds to more than 1,300 incidents a year, an average of four a day.

But in the financial year to March 31 2021, it responded to 14 hoax calls. In the current calendar year, it had received 10 hoax calls by May 10.

Matt Syrat, clinical operations manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said such calls can stop crews attending incidents with people in genuine danger leading to potentially “devastating consequences”.

He added:

“There is no way of knowing if a 999 call is a hoax when it comes in. We have to treat every call as if it is an emergency situation and respond rapidly.

“There is nothing more frustrating for our crews than landing at a scene and establishing that the call was in fact a hoax. Not only has it wasted our time and put ours and the public’s life at risk, but there will always be other emergency services involved too.

“Committing all these emergency services to one hoax call could risk us not reaching a real emergency fast enough and puts other lives at risk.”

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Of the 14 hoax calls in the last financial year, four were responded to by Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s rapid response vehicles whilst the other 10 involved air ambulances being dispatched.

Ten of the bogus call outs were from West Yorkshire. The other four were from South Yorkshire.

Stray Gardener: Blossom Beginnings

The Stray Gardener is written by Rudding Park’s Kitchen Gardener, Fiona Slight.

Fiona has worked in horticulture for over 30 years in the UK and abroad, and specialises in growing fruit and vegetables for fine dining. 

 

April is the month of abundant blossom. It’s the month to get out and about and enjoy the wonderful colours produced by so many different trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs. Not only that, blossom signals the start of the growing season. Those beautiful flowers are not just beautiful for the sake of it, they need to attract insects in to begin the process of pollination.

In Japan, the Hanami festival is hugely popular and involves people holding parties beneath the flowers of Sakura trees (Cherry) when in full flower. They even have blossom forecasts to ensure no one misses when the flowers are at their best. Depending on the weather conditions, cherry flowers tend to only last one to two weeks, so it’s so important to take time to admire blossom in the spring as it can be gone as quickly as it came. Of course, once it’s gone, you then have the anticipation of how much fruit is going to be produced later in the year, ready to be harvested.

Alongside Cherries in their many forms, Blackthorn or Sloe, is one of the first native trees to produce their flowers, and many hedgerows surrounding the Harrogate area start to turn white with their blossom. Damsons and plums, closely follow their blackthorn relative, again with wonderful, delicate white flowers. These are fruit trees worthy of a place in anyone’s garden. If the flowers don’t get damaged by a sharp, late frost, they go on to produce an abundance of fruit useful for puddings, jams, and gin!

Cherry blossom and damson blossom

Alongside these beauties come Pears and Apples. The UK has hundreds of Pear and Apple cultivars and not only do the fruit differ from one cultivar to another, but so do the apple and pear blossom. If you get the chance to visit an orchard with many different varieties, take the time to look at them closely to really appreciate the differences in petal colour, shape and even the fragrance that comes from them. There are several local gardens such as Harewood House, Beningbrough Hall, Harlow Carr, Newby Hall and of course Rudding Park Kitchen Garden, that have good collections of apple and pear trees well worth looking at more closely.

Apple blossom

Apple and pear blossom are both edible too, but I always find it really difficult and time consuming to pick, knowing that I am potentially taking away a beautiful apple or pear to be ready later in the year; I find the process of thinning out Pears and Apples very difficult too, even though it does mean the fruits will be larger and of better quality!

Back into the hedgerows later in May and June and you find Hawthorn and Elderflower coming in to their own. Hawthorn flowers are also known as the Maytree and once played an important part in May Day festivities. Elderflower especially is another fantastic edible plant we can use, with the flowers being used for cordial and champagne. The scent from an elderflower on a warm June day can almost be too much, with the powerful, heady scent of nectar packing a punch.

Get yourselves out there and have a look at the gorgeous spring blossom this year, its well worth the effort!

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Teenager tackles Yorkshire Three Peaks as tribute to granny

A Harrogate teenager will attempt to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks in December as a tribute to her grandmother, who died of sepsis.

Leah Gresty undertook the challenge, which will raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust, in honour of Elizabeth Simmonite, who died on September 29. 

Elizabeth was a former butcher and baker on Knaresborough Road, Harrogate.

Leah said:

“She always liked being with nature and going for walks, so it seemed quite fitting, and it’s something that she would have liked to do herself.” 

 

granny, leahgresty, elisabethsimmonite

Leah’s grandmother, Elizabeth, enjoying the outdoors

There are about 48,000 deaths from sepsis every year in the UK. 

Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates. Leah, who has so far raised more than £500, hopes her challenge will spread the message.

The tough Three Peaks challenge involves climbing Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in less than 12 hours – a particularly difficult feat in the darkness of winter.

You can donate here to Leah’s JustGiving fundraising page.

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How to spot Spesis:

Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening reaction to an infection. It happens when your immune system starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs, causing organ failure and death if not treated quickly. 

www.nhs.uk advises you to call 999 or visit A&E if an adult or older child experiences any of these symptoms: 

 

Yorkshire Water launches affordable scheme for young farmers

Yorkshire Water has announced a starter scheme to get young farm workers renting land.

The project is titled Beyond Nature. Plots will be rented out to young farmers and anyone under 40 with an interest in farm ownership.

In the European Union, only 11% of farms are run by those under 40. The largest barriers for young farmers who want to run their own farm is expense and how often land becomes available.

The first farm announced in the scheme is Scow Hall Farm, located behind Swinsty reservoir in Washburn Valley.

Lisa Harrowsmith, lead surveyor at Yorkshire Water, said:

“After the first five-year lease, we will let the farm to another young farmer, therefore creating a cycle of opportunity for the next generation of farmers. Once the tenancy is up, we will assist that farmer with finding new opportunities on a permanent holding or elsewhere within the agricultural industry.”

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Yorkshire Water’s intention is to give young farmers the tools to create sustainable farms on their 70,000 acres of land. Mentorship, training and business advice will be provided.

Ellie Britton, 22, who was brought up on her parents farm in Ripon, said:

“My dad has a farm with his brother and they both have sons. Their options are to either continue working together or split up into pairs to buy a farm. Farmers often keep farms and hand them down for generations. If they do come up they are unattainably expensive or need a lot of renovation work. I think the Yorkshire Water scheme is a good idea to get people going with experience.”

Applications for Scow Hall Farm will open in late August. More information can be found on the Yorkshire Water website or via their social media pages.