Women’s fashion retailer Best Kept Secret will open a new Harrogate store tomorrow.

The shop, which launched in 2016, was previously based in Kirkby Overblow.

Owned by Fiona Martin, it sells a wide range of women’s clothing, including evening wear, shoes, accessories and everyday items. It also operates an online store.

Ms Martin said the new store presented an opportunity to expand the shop’s personal shopping experience.

Groups can book private shopping evenings and there are also plans to hold more fashion shows at the new venue, she added.

Ms Martin told the Stray Ferret that after seven years of trading in the village it was “time for a change.”

She added:

“The Best Kept Secret social media account was hacked in August this year and we lost 10,000 followers.

“It had a real impact, so we thought it was a good time for a change and we decided to move into town.”

Best Kept Secret closed its doors in Kirkby Overblow yesterday. The new Harrogate store can be found on Cheltenham Parade.

Ms Martin said:

“We’ve already got gorgeous, loyal customers and we can’t wait to meet new ones too.

“Being in town will be great and will be easier for people to travel to – especially groups that book a bespoke shopping evening with a glass of fizz!

“People can expect even more affordable and stylish brands – we’re just so excited.”

Best Kept Secret will be open seven days a week.

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A new Women’s Institute group has been formed in Kirkby Overblow.

The group held its inaugural meeting in August and has already amassed over 30 members.

The group, known as the KO-Girls, will hold monthly meetings on the last Thursday of every month and endeavours to include speakers at some events, as well as establish a partnership with the All Saints’ Church and The Shoulder of Mutton pub.

Chairman Victoria Black decided to set up the group with two of her neighbours shortly after moving to the area as she “hardly knew anyone” in the village.

Ms Black, who moved from Baildon, had never been part of a WI before, but hopes it will “help people to get to know each other better”.

She added:

“I suggested it to two of my neighbours and they agreed it was a good idea.

“We welcome anyone aged 18 and upwards.

“We’re all about inclusion – women and anyone that identifies as a woman is welcome.”

The village has not had a Women’s Institute since the 1950s – which one current member in her 80s was a part of.

The KO-Girls will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 28 at 7pm.

It will take place at All Saints’ Church and will include a salsa dancing demonstration for guests to try their hands at.

The meeting is free to attend, but annual membership is £47 per year.

Attendance can be registered through the KO Girls Facebook page.

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The A61 south of Harrogate has been closed this afternoon as police deal with a serious collision.

The road is closed between Swindon Lane near Kirkby Overblow and the A659 Otley Road near Arthington, at the bottom of Harewood Bank by the bridge over the River Wharfe.

The collision reportedly happened in the early hours of this morning and the road has been closed all day.

Neither North Yorkshire Police or West Yorkshire Police have issued any details about the incident or the closure, which is near the boundary between the two counties.

The closure is affecting public transport, with the 36 bus between Harrogate and Leeds having to divert from its stops at Walton Head Road, Rigton Lane End, Kirkby Overblow Lane End, Dunkeswick Lane End and Harewood Bridge.

The Harrogate Bus Company has issued advice to passengers, saying:

“There are no alternative stops due to the length of diversion for this route.

“Customers wanting to get to and from these stops will need to find an alternative way of travel as the bus cannot get to these stops.”

Drivers are also being diverted away from the scene, via either Otley or Wetherby.

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Police uncovered a farm of 500 cannabis plants during a raid at a disused pub near Harrogate at the weekend.

Officers swooped on the Star and Garter pub at Kirkby Overblow on the morning of Sunday, May 28, where they discovered the “large cannabis production farm”.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the plants were at various stages of growth, adding:

“Officers remained at the scene to recover the plants and drug production equipment and to allow crime scene investigators to examine the scene.

“The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.”

Villagers told the Stray Ferret that police were on site for more than 24 hours after the raid and were removing large numbers of plants from the building.

The pub closed several years ago and was boarded up last year.

Police were seen outside the Star and Garter pub from Sunday morning onwards.

Following the raid, North Yorkshire Police has urged people to report any suspicions of properties being used to grow cannabis.

As well as a strong, sweet smell of cannabis in the area, suspicious signs might include blacked out windows and blocked up vents, bright lights throughout the night, high levels of condensation on windows, noise from fans inside the building, and large amounts of rubbish including compost bags.

The police spokesperson added:

“We’re continuously tackling ‘cannabis farms’ – sophisticated set-ups in houses or other properties, used by organised crime gangs to produce several crops of cannabis over time.

“Cannabis production is extremely harmful to communities, and often used to fund criminal gangs involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and the distribution of other drugs including cocaine and heroin.

“Furthermore, the electricity supply may have been tampered with (to bypass the meter), creating a high risk of fire – which could spread to neighbouring properties.”

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A Harrogate district amateur dramatic group who bared all in a production of Calendar Girls raised £12,000 for three cancer charities.

The Kirkby Overblow Dramatic Society performed its own version of the Tim Firth film late last year.

All proceeds from the play have been donated to the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate District Hospital, Maggie’s Yorkshire and Blood Cancer UK – each of which received £4,000.

The sell-out show was “the most successful charitable performance we have produced”, according to the chairman.

The 1999 film is based on a true story of how Rylstone and District Women’s Institute, near Skipton, posed for a nude calendar to raise money for leukaemia cancer.

The cast also took part in their very own nude photoshoot – posing strategically at local landmarks in the village.

Photo: Annette Fishburn Photography

Claire Mackenzie, director of the production, said:

“When I was asked to choose a play which we could put on, I was thinking more about what we could take off, this way it would be an attention grabber…and it worked, thanks to the commitment and bravado of all the cast and crew”.

Cast and crew of Calendar Girls handing over the cheque donations to three cancer charities.

Regional fundraising members for the charities were on hand to accept the money raised by the dramatic society.

Fiona Gavaghan, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

“Huge thanks and congratulations go to the KODS team for raising this astounding amount.

“What they have done will change the lives of hundreds of cancer sufferers and their families throughout Yorkshire”.

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A village primary school near Harrogate has been praised by Ofsted for its strong values and family feel.

All Saints’ Church of England Primary School in Kirkby Overblow was ‘good’, according to inspectors who visited for the first time since it joined the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust in 2018.

In their report, published this week, they said:

“Pupils embody the school values well. These values help pupils to understand the importance of never giving up, being a good friend, working hard and looking out for others.

“There is a true family feel in the school. Teachers expect pupils to try their best and behave well. Most pupils expect this of themselves.

“Bullying is virtually non-existent. Pupils play together with good humour. Break times are energetic for some, and calm and relaxed for others.”

The report said the curriculum was well-designed, pupils’ learning was secure, and there was a strong focus on making all pupils fluent readers from an early age.

All areas of the curriculum are taught to all pupils, inspectors said, so even those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have the opportunity to learn and succeed. The report said pupils’ needs were identified early, allowing the school to put in place extra support.

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Addressing areas to improve, inspectors recommended the school’s leaders could further refine the curriculum to fill in some gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

The report added:

“Pupils benefit from a variety of opportunities to support their broader development. They aspire to a role of responsibility. This can be as a well-being officer, sports leader, worship ambassador, charity officer or eco-warrior…

“Pupils play a key role in the community. They recently raised money for people in Ukraine through an event in the local church. Pupils have raised funds for a school in Africa and visited places of worship for other faiths…

“Staff say they enjoy working in school because leaders make sure they have a sensible workload. Leaders have restructured subject leadership. This has reduced the number of responsibilities for each teacher.

“Staff morale is good. Staff support each other. Communication is strong. Teachers say that they are willing to take a risk because there is no fear of criticism.”

The report has been welcomed by the school, whose base leader Sarah Honey said she was proud of everyone in the school. She added it was a”a very special place to work”.

Headteacher Amber Andrews, who has been in post since 2018 and also leads North Rigton Primary School, said:

“We were delighted to receive such an encouraging and complimentary report, which recognised how the whole school community embodies our values and praised the work that we had put into creating our own bespoke curriculum.

“All children are able to access this curriculum making it inclusive to all – no child misses out. Inspectors documented the excellent standard of behaviour of the children both in class and whilst playing, adding ‘pupils play together with good humour’ and value the beautiful outside space.”

A group of brave Harrogate district women took to the stage in a state of undress last night for the opening night of Calendar Girls.

The sell-out show, which ends on Saturday, sees members of Kirkby Overblow Dramatic Society perform an adapted version of the original Calendar Girls film.

The 1999 film is based on the true story of how a group of middle-aged women from Rylstone and District Women’s Institute, near Skipton, posed nude for a risqué calendar to raise money for leukaemia cancer.  They have since raised over £5m for the charity Blood Cancer UK.

Three of the original Calendar Girls — Angela Baker, Chris Clancy and Linda Logan — will be in Kirkby Overblow for Saturday night’s finale at All Saints Church.

The cast also agreed to pose for a 2023 calendar shot creatively at local landmarks in Kirkby Overblow.

The December image from the calendar, showing all the cast. Photo: Annette Fishburn Photography 

The heart-warming play, written by Tim Firth, is directed by Claire McKenzie from Harrogate.  Auditions were held in August.

All profits from the production and calendar will be split between the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate District Hospital, cancer support charity Maggie’s Yorkshire and Blood Cancer UK.

Dr John Fairfield, chairman of Kirkby Overblow Dramatic Society, said:

“The similarities between the villages of Rylstone and Kirkby Overblow and their close-knit communities made it an obvious choice. The dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm of the cast and crew is inspiring. We are absolutely delighted that Chris, Angela and Linda are able to join us”.

Angela Baker said:

“It is a marvellous legacy that after 23 years when we embarked on our Alternative WI calendar, we are here today still supporting the cause. It’s thanks to casts and crews like this up and down the country that keeps the Calendar Girls story alive and continues to raise funds for Blood Cancer UK.”

Copies of the calendar can be bought for £15 from the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Kirkby Overblow.

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A Ukrainian soloist will sing of peace on earth in a special Christmas concert set to take place in a village church near Harrogate.

Soprano Natalka Pasicznyk is one of three soloists to join Knaresborough Choral Society for Carols by Candlelight at All Saints’ Church in Kirkby Overblow.

She will sing Peace on Earth by modern British composer Errollyn Wallen, made particularly poignant by the war in Ukraine which continues to affect members of Natalka’s family.

The choir’s musical director, William Bruce, said:

“Errollyn Warren’s new composition, Peace on Earth, is just so appropriate and Natalka is going to sing that as a solo.

“We always strive to make our programme as diverse and inclusive as possible. Most of the audience won’t have heard some of the pieces we’re performing so although there will be some familiar carols in there, there will be something new too.”

As well as Natalka, the concert will feature tenor Alexander Kyle and bass Isaac Cooper, accompanied David Grealy.

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William joined the 50-strong Knaresborough Choral Society around a year ago and this will be the first time he has put together the programme for one of its concerts.

His full-time job is working with choristers at Leeds Cathedral, so he said the role with Knaresborough Choral Society appealed because it allowed him to select different pieces and explore some of the great composers, including Mozart and Bach.

He added:

“The choir members are very ambitious which is a real virtue because they are dedicated and work so hard through the week.

“My job is to put it all together which is wonderful, because some choirs only turn up for the social side. We do have that, but they also put the time in and we see the results.

“They deserve the best soloists in the country to come and sing with them so I’m really delighted with the line-up and I know we’re going to put on a great night of music.”

The concert takes place on Saturday, December 10 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Shoulder of Mutton in Kirkby Overblow, Art in the Mill in Knaresborough, or by emailing Knaresborough Choral Society.

A new playground in the village of Kirkby Overblow, south of Harrogate, was officially opened this weekend.

The play area now boasts a giant tractor, climbing frame, nest swing and roundabout – all on astroturf.

Local mum Katie Fox told the Stray Ferret that she started to look into how to renovate the area two years ago:

“It was not very nice. It was run down and the equipment was really old.

“It was lacking colour and modernisation and needed a good update. There were also no disability facilities and it was all muddy.”

Katie said she’d spotted that the play area at Ripley had been funded by a government community grant so she contacted Harrogate Borough Council which supported the application. Soon a village committee was formed to work through the application process – part of which required the villagers to raise 10% of what was required.

So, while the committee worked to complete the form, it started fund raising.

It held quizzes at the Shoulder of Mutton pub and took contributions from village’s summer arts festival. There were also generous donations from locals and the playground’s fence was supplied and built by the Moortown Group.

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Finally they heard that the scheme had been awarded £70,000, the village had raised what it needed to and work could start.

Katie thinks the result has transformed the village:

“Life is so expensive nowadays – it is so nice to walk or bike and go to the local park and sit on the benches and have a picnic.

“We want to include a nature area – it is such a big space so there is loads of potential to add more to it and fund raise more.

“We want to involve the local school more. It’s a nicer, prettier place to be and the different play equipment means it is more suited to wider age groups.”

The ceremony this weekend was attended by villagers, councillors and the mayor of Harrogate, Cllr Victoria Oldham.