Harrogate law firm Hempsons has sponsored a play about the struggle to access care for elderly relatives.
Hempsons specialises in the health, social care and charity sectors so the theme of the play Fighting for Life chimed with its work.
The play was performed last Thursday at Harrogate Neighbours, a not-for-profit care organisation for the elderly.
The performance was followed by a Q&A session where audience members could ask questions relating to the themes discussed in the play.
Audience members at Harrogate Neighbours’ play.
Philippa Doyle, head of social care at Hempsons, said:
“As leading health, social care and charity lawyers, we assist these sectors with the challenges they face and take pride in offering support via free advice lines and training.”
The play, written by Brian Daniels, is currently touring the UK after premiering in 2018 at Hampstead Marie Curie hospice in London.
Harrogate Neighbours’ care fest event in July will see local companies including Powell Eddison Solicitors, Avery Walters and Full Circle Funerals give advice and support for people going through bereavement.
Harrogate garden centre launch new hydrangea at Chelsea Flower Show
Harrogate Garden Centre has launched a new hydrangea plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The signature Red Butterfly Hydrangea is an exclusive at the show, and will be available to buy in garden centres across the country later this year.
The Red Butterfly Hydrangea launched by British Garden Centres
£10 from each plant sold at the show will be donated to the charity Greenfingers, which create gardens for children in hospices around the UK.
Tom Cook, plant buyer at British Garden Centres, which owns Harrogate Garden Centre, at Bishop Monkton, said:
“When looking for the perfect plant to launch as the group’s signature at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a red hydrangea was the only option. It links to the group’s symbolism for passion through the colour and name, which is the Red Butterfly.”
First established in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be open until Saturday.
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Harrogate law firm announces merger
Harrogate-based law firm Haddletons has announced a merger with Leeds firm SCE Solicitors.
SCE provides specialist employment, HR support and health and safety services.
The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to bolster the range of services it offers to clients.
The company will trade under the name of Haddletons
The merger is expected to provide the enlarged firm with the opportunity to grow, strengthen and further develop the range of services offered to clients.
James Haddleton, chief executive of Haddletons, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Samira and the SCE team into the Haddletons family.
“At both SCE and Haddletons we know our clients well and we know what we want to offer them. For that reason, the tie-up is a strategic and mutually beneficial move for both our firms’ clients, bringing them excellent practical support borne of decades of experience. We can’t wait to get going with our extended team.”
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Harrogate business group celebrates 125th birthday
More than 100 business people attended the 125th birthday celebration for Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce last night.
The event, which was held at Roosters taproom at Hornbeam Park, included the presentation of several awards, including the President’s Cup, which was given to Robert Ogden (pictured above) of jewellers Ogden of Harrogate for services to the town.
The chamber’s 125 birthday was actually last year but the celebration was postponed for 12 months due to covid.
The leader of Harrogate and Knaresborough’s Liberal Democrats has revealed she received legal “threats” from the council leader and local MP over alleged defamatory statements.
Councillor Pat Marsh said one letter from lawyers representing Conservative council leader Richard Cooper included demands for £5,000.
The letters, which Cllr Marsh waived in her hand at the meeting, relate to claims she made that Cllr Cooper was not “direct in condemning” the former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott who resigned last October over comments he made on the murder of Sarah Everard.
At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting that month, Cllr Cooper said Mr Allott’s previous comments that women needed to be “streetwise” were “very, very wrong.”
Councillor Cooper then repeated his remarks, saying there was “no credible defence” for what Mr Allott said. In an email sent to several media outlets after this, Cllr Marsh claimed “Cllr Cooper’s response did not lead to a direct condemnation”.
The legal letter to Cllr Marsh ended with a demand she pay £5,000 as “an interim payment” ahead of any legal proceedings:
An extract of the letter from a law firm representing Cllr Cooper.
Meanwhile, another letter from lawyers representing Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, demanded an apology from Cllr Marsh. This related to comments she made that a resident had become “caught up” in a “web” of problems because Cllr Cooper is employed by Mr Jones.
At a council meeting last night, Cllr Marsh said she believed the letters amounted to “harassment”. She said:
“I would like to make the chamber aware of two recent legal letters which I felt were threatening – I had one from Cllr Cooper and Andrew Jones MP.
“The legal letter from Cllr Cooper went on so far as to demand £5,000 from me personally.
“These letters made me feel extremely stressed – I considered them harassment and they forced me to seek legal advice to defend myself.”
In response, Cllr Cooper said last night:
“I’m afraid if you say something that is libellous and a lie, then you can expect legal activity.
“I’ve had it in my various roles going back as far as 1996.”
The Stray Ferret understands that neither letter led to any further action being taken against Cllr Marsh.
Calls for ‘positive’ campaign
The revelations came during last night’s meeting as Cllr Cooper made calls for a “positive and constructive” local election campaign ahead of elections to the new North Yorkshire Council on 5 May.
However, the meeting soon turned sour with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats trading blows on several issues, from their records on attending meetings to claims made in their campaign material.
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Later in the meeting, Cllr Cooper, who is not standing in the elections, said:
“I’m not going to get into this tit for tat.
“I tried to do something nice to enable us all to say to the people who will be elected – there will be some Liberal Democrats, some Conservatives – good luck to you, fight for all of us.
“I wish that could have been reciprocated in a rather less hostile way.
“Nonetheless, the sentiments expressed stand and, I believe, irrespective of the comments made, they stand for all of us.”
Cllr Cooper added:
Survey reveals strong business confidence in Harrogate district“We have worked together on the vast majority of things this council does well over the eight years that I’ve been leader.
“We agree on 99% of things but on the 1% of things we don’t agree about, we can make a hell of a lot of noise.”
A survey of businesses in the Harrogate district has found high levels of confidence, despite months of restrictions.
Harrogate law firm Berwins conducted the survey in the last week of February to gauge confidence as many firms prepare to re-open.
Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the approximately 50 respondents were confident about their prospects.
The figure rose to over 70 per cent when asked about the next six or 12 months, suggesting businesses are looking to the future with a renewed sense of optimism.
However, 30 per cent thought the next three months would pose challenges, highlighting short-term concerns.
Part of this growing assurance has been put down the government’s proposed road map.
While the overall handling of the pandemic by central government generated mixed responses, the phased approach to re-opening was generally well received.
Confidence in the wider business community was, however less assured. While firms are broadly positive about their own position, just 30 per cent felt the same way about the local commercial community over the next six months.
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Although that figure improved in the medium term – 50% of respondents were confident about the community over the next 12 months – the gap between business leaders’ perceptions of their own business and the wider community remained.
Paul Berwin, senior partner at Berwins, said:
“Over the past year, we have seen some fantastic examples of enterprise and innovation, which has stood many businesses in good stead. We are now also starting to see wider signs for optimism.
“Tourism and hospitality remain key strands of our local economy and play a crucial role in bringing visitors to our high street.
“I am hopeful that these sectors will be boosted by a roadmap out of restrictions, reports of an increase in people choosing to holiday in the UK and the prospect of major events returning to the convention centre as the Nightingale hospital closes.”
Harrogate solicitor succeeds Greg Clarke as chair of Football Association
Peter McCormick, a senior partner of Harrogate law firm McCormicks Solicitors, has been appointed interim chairman of the Football Association.
The news was announced yesterday following the sudden resignation of Greg Clarke for describing black players as “coloured” and other comments he made about gay and female players.
The Football Association, which was formed in 1863, is the governing body of football in England and Wales.
A Leeds United fan, Mr McCormick is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment lawyers.
He is now the first person to have been chairman of both the Premier League and the FA.
McCormicks Solicitors, which is based on East Parade, describes itself as a ‘fearless law firm with a fearless reputation’.
Mr McCormick, who was awarded an OBE for services to charity in 2000, was elected vice-chairman of the FA in 2017.
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An FA statement yesterday said:
“Peter McCormick will step into the role as interim FA chairman with immediate effect and the FA board will begin the process of identifying and appointing a new chair in due course.
“We would also like to reaffirm that as an organisation, we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to promote diversity, address inequality, and tackle all forms of discrimination in the game.”
Clarke said in a statement:
“I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in football that I and others worked so hard to include.
Regulator shuts down Harrogate and Ripon law firm Ray Nixon Brown
A law firm with offices in Harrogate and Ripon has been closed down by the regulator over concerns about the way it was operating.
Kingly solicitors, which was trading as Ray Nixon Brown from offices on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and Duck Hill in Ripon, was shut by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
The organisation has intervened in the firm, part of national company Kingly Solicitors, as well as the practice of its three directors, Simon Hutcheson, Simon Peacock, and Champitka Ratnayake.
A spokesman for the SRA said:
“The grounds of intervention are a failure by Mr Hutcheson, Mr Peacock and Ms Ratnayake to comply with SRA rules, and a reason to suspect dishonesty on behalf of Nural Miah, who is a manager of Kingly Solicitors.
“The practising certificate of Mr Hutcheson, Mr Peacock and Ms Ratnayake have been automatically suspended, so they cannot practice as a solicitor. Mr Miah is not a solicitor.
“An intervention means the SRA has closed a firm with immediate effect. It will stop the firm from operating, take possession of all documents and papers held by the firm, and take possession of all money held by the firm (including clients’ money). It is not responsible towards employees or trade creditors of firms that it has intervened in.”
The spokesman said all current clients of Ray Nixon Brown and Kingly solicitors will be contacted by two agents – James Dunn of Devonshires Solicitors LLP and John Owen of Gordons LLP – about their cases. However, anyone concerned can contact Mr Dunn at intervention-team@devonshires.co.uk, or call 0207 065 1830, or Mr Owen at kingly@gordonsllp.com, or call 0113 227 0360.
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