A Lancaster bomber is to fly past at Masham Steam Engine and Fair Organ Rally on Saturday.
The two-day event, which started in the 1960s as a fundraiser to save Masham Town Hall, has become one of the Harrogate district summer highlights.
It returns this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to covid. Several thousand people are expected to attend.
There will be 42 steam engines, dancing diggers, a fairground and lots of other activities in the rally field just outside Masham.
But the highlight will be the Lancaster bomber, which is due to fly past at 1.02pm on Saturday.
The rally was due to have a Dakota fly past on its 50th anniversary but it had to be cancelled due to the weather. This weekend’s forecast, however, is excellent.
Flo Grainger, who has helped to organise the event for 30 years, said:
“It’s another step to getting back to normal and we are all looking forward to the event returning. We are very lucky to have the Lancaster.”
Entry costs £12 for adults, £7 for concessions and £3 for children over five. Younger children get in for free. A caravan park is available for overnight visitors.
Read more:
- Masham Steam Rally postponed due to covid
- ‘Tough cookie’ Masham councillor becomes final chair of county council
Hot Seat: A bold new approach at Black Sheep
Masham is the small town in the Harrogate district with a big reputation for beauty and beer.
Set in sumptuous Wensleydale, it is home to two major breweries — Theakston and Black Sheep.
The breweries, which boost the town’s economy and provide jobs, have been around so long it’s hard to imagine Masham without them. But the future at Black Sheep looked far from rosy a few years ago.
The company, which was founded by Paul Theakston in 1991 when he became the black sheep of the family by setting up a rival to the brewery created by his family in 1827, was running at a loss.
The chairman asked Charlene Lyons, who had set up her own consultancy at the age of 29 in 2007, if she would consider becoming chief executive.
Ms Lyons knew what she was getting into: her consultancy had been brought in to help Black Sheep in 2016 and she had joined the board in 2018. She says:
“It was a business that had not had much external objectivity. It had been making a loss for four or five years.”
Charlene Lyons
For Newcastle-born Ms Lyons, it was an appealing new challenge.
The daughter of a market trader, she grew up fiercely determined to be a successful businesswoman. She cut her teeth as a fashion buyer for Marks & Spencer in London and her career was flying but her dad’s sudden death when she was just 23 had a profound effect.
Gradually her mindset changed and by the time the top job at Black Sheep became available the prospect of working in the Dales appealed more than corporate city life.
Ms Lyons, who sleeps for just three or four hours a night, now enjoys the scenic commute to work from Leeds at 5.45am. She says:
“It’s the most beautiful drive to an incredible part of the world, for a business that is deep rooted in the most amazing heritage and culture.”
Future planning
There was plenty to occupy her mind on those early morning drives when she started the job. Weeks after becoming chief executive, covid struck.
Black Sheep was quick to respond, staging regular coronavirus planning meetings from January 2020, when much of the world was laughing it off.
As the situation worsened, the company instigated a raft of measures, such as improving its online shop, securing third party packaging to reduce its reliance on one supplier and alerting supermarkets to the availability of its products. Online sales increased from about £100,000 to £800,000 during the first covid year.
Black Sheep also offered a ‘brew to you’ delivery service, which involved delivering beer to the end of people’s drives and provided a local food delivery service in Masham. A future strategy team was set up to plan for life after covid. Ms Lyons said:
“So many businesses didn’t have the bandwidth to think about the future during covid.”
Ms Lyons’ bold and forward thinking approach helped the company recover at a time when covid had a devastating impact on the hospitality trade. Besides furlough, Black Sheep received no business rate freeze or grants despite the catastrophic impact of pub closures.
Read more:
The latest annual accounts, for the financial year ending March 31, 2021, revealed the company made a profit of £1m but an operating loss of £1.1m due to exceptional items, such as redundancy payments.
Considering the circumstances, this was an impressive set of results. The accounts also reveal how much covid changed the business model. They state: “Our off trade business grew its turnover from £6,864,988 to £9,547,261, our on trade turnover was decimated, reducing from £9,838,810 to £2,245,457.”
The current strategy focuses on providing a direct route to market, rather than relying on third parties, and ‘owning Yorkshire’, which means getting its products in every pub, bar and other retail outlet selling beer in the county.
The brewery in Masham.
Black Sheep exports to 12 countries but overseas trade is a very small part of its business.
Its fresh approach to marketing is epitomised in its recent drink cask beer campaign, featuring comedian Maisie Adam, which aims to break down what Ms Lyons calls the “ridiculous stereotype” that only men aged over 55 drink cask beer.
Ms Lyons is rather tired of another cliché: that being a female chief executive in the world of beer is frowned upon.
“It’s not been an issue at all. The perception is more in the eye of the beholder. People always ask ‘what’s it like to be a CEO in a make dominated brewery?’ But in my experience everybody is taken at face value. It doesn’t occupy even a tiny bit of my thinking.”
Outside work she enjoys travel, food and wine. Being the mother of three sporty children, she also spends a lot of time driving them around.
Masham may seem a long way from corporate life but managing a team of 146 staff in such difficult time is no easy task, particularly when you throw in challenges like the cost of living crisis and rampant inflation.
But Ms Lyons looks back on the last two-and-a-half years at the helm with satisfaction.
“We’ve done an exceptional job. Many businesses have just folded.
“Hospitality has been one of the most affected sectors and we had no government support except furlough.
“You have two choices with challenges: slump your shoulders and let things overtake you or rally the troops and do something about it.”
Nidderdale tractor run to take place tomorrow
More than 50 vintage and modern tractors are set to take to the streets of Nidderdale tomorrow.
The first Nidderdale Charity Tractor Road Run will start in Kirkby Malzeard at 10.30am and wind its way towards Middleham before heading back.
Masham, Grewelthorpe and Jerveulx will be among the places passed.
Ryan Atkinson, who is managing director of R&J Yorkshire’s Finest Farmers & Butchers in Kirkby Malzeard, is co-organising the event with Simon Dickinson.
The two men are both members of West Yorkshire Vintage Tractor and Engine Club.
Mr Atkinson said:
“Both of us have a love of vintage tractors. We just wanted to put on an event and raise money for charity.”
About 50 tractors have signed up so far. Entries are welcome on the day for a cost of £15, of which £10 goes to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
People will gather for breakfast at R&J butchers from 8.30am before departing at 10.30am.
Families are welcome to watch the tractors set off and cheer them on around the route.
Tomorrow’s route
The 40-mile parade on public and private roads will take place over two legs, which are expected to last two hours each, with a stop at Brymor Ice Cream at Jervaulx in between.
R&J Butchers is providing hot dogs and drinks at the finish back in Kirkby Malzeard at about 4pm.
Read more:
- Record turnout for return of Knaresborough farmers’ tractor run
- Bid to convert Kirkby Malzeard pub rejected
Harrogate district woman found guilty of harassing neighbours
A Harrogate district woman has been found guilty of harassing her neighbours for almost a year.
Summer Sugar, 50, was found guilty of harassment by anti-social behaviour, including consistent noise nuisance, intense loud banging on walls for prolonged periods and playing loud music.
Sugar, of Masham, was also guilty of taking photos of her neighbours while they did work on their house and were in the garden, as well as making malicious complaints to Yorkshire Water about them blocking her drain, which turned out to be false.
The prosecution said the behaviour, which lasted from September 15, 2019 until August 25, 2020, caused the family next door “a severe amount of distress”.
Sugar was found guilty at North Yorkshire Magistrates Court, sitting in York, on Tuesday.
She was remanded on unconditional bail until July 26 when she will appear before York magistrates again.
Read more:
- Woman charged with attempted murder in Harrogate
- Concerns raised over ‘success’ of rural bus pilot scheme in Ripon and Masham
Fire crews called to garage blaze in Lofthouse
Fire crews were called to a fire at a garage in Lofthouse late last night.
Fire fighters from Masham, Summerbridge and Lofthouse were summoned to the village at 11.51pm.
The fire was estimated to have damaged 50% of the garage and its contents.
The owner of the property extinguished the blaze before North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue arrived.
The service added in an incident log:
“Crews carried out an inspection using a thermal imaging camera and gave advice to the owner.
“The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.”
Read more:
- North Yorkshire fire service has adequate funding, says minister
- Fire Brigades Union ‘seriously concerned’ over cuts to Harrogate service
New Dales bus service from Knaresborough and Harrogate
A new bus service will operate from Knaresborough and Harrogate every Sunday from this weekend for the summer season.
Eastern DalesBus 825 will run to Ripley, Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey, Kirkby Malzeard, Masham, Leyburn and Richmond.
It will continue every Sunday and bank holiday until September 25, departing from Knaresborough bus station at 10am and stand three at Harrogate bus station at 1020am.
Eastern DalesBus 825 is run by York-based Reliance Motor Services , which provides rural bus services in North Yorkshire, as part of the DalesBus network, with support from the National Trust and North Yorkshire County Council’s Locality Fund.
Full timetable details are available in a leaflet available from Harrogate Bus Station and here.
Other DalesBus services running from Harrogate include double-decker DalesBus 59 on Saturdays to Blubberhouses, Bolton Bridge and Skipton, and DalesBus 74 on Saturdays to Ilkley, Bolton Abbey and Grassington.
DalesBus 24 runs daily between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge, with onward connections on Sundays and Bank Holidays to Upper Nidderdale and Grassington.
Read more:
- Harrogate buses enjoy strike boom but taxis suffer
- Concerns raised over ‘success’ of rural bus pilot scheme in Ripon and Masham
Concerns raised over ‘success’ of rural bus pilot scheme in Ripon and Masham
A pilot scheme designed to provide public transport in rural areas with little or no services looks set to be extended for a year amid concerns restrictions deterring key potential customers will make it unsustainable.
Leading North Yorkshire County Council members will be asked to approve spending nearly £230,000 of taxpayers’ money on trialling its Yorbus demand-responsive bus service for a further year at a meeting on Friday, despite officers behind the initiative estimating it only stands to generate £12,833 in fares.
The authority has repeatedly stated its ambition to roll out its flagship rural transport scheme across the county if the pilot in the Masham, Ripon and Bedale area is a success.
‘Stronger than forecast’
An officers’ report to Friday’s meeting has underlined the pilot was being viewed as successful, partly because “patronage of the YorBus service has been stronger than forecast”.
However, following Freedom of Information Act requests to the council from the Transport Action Network and residents, it has been claimed the council deliberately set extremely low passenger targets to ensure Yorbus would be regarded as a success.
They say target passenger journeys were set at a total of 758 for the trial’s first three months and at 885 for the first six months, equating to just 0.9 and 0.5 passenger journeys per operating hour, assuming just one of the service’s two minibuses was operating for 11 hours a day.
On the same assumption, it transpired passenger journeys per operating hour were 2.9 trips per bus hour in the first three months and 3.4 per hour in the 14-seater vehicles over the first six months.
Padam, technology firm Siemens’ demand responsive transport software arm, estimates that to be fully commercial such services need an average of seven to eight people per vehicle throughout the day.
The Yorbus service covers Ripon, Masham and Bedale
Campaigners say the low patronage was likely to have been artificially increased by Yorbus having a flat fare of £1.20, which would inevitably have to rise if rolled out across the county.
They added features of Yorbus, including the inability to book any trip the day before, will make it very difficult to attract sufficient passengers or be cost-effective, and that in the long-run it will be dropped.
Read more:
- No replacement buses for Harrogate district commuters during strike
- ‘Tough cookie’ Masham councillor becomes final chair of county council
The officers’ report states preventing customers from booking rides in advance offers the service maximum flexibility and also maximises the ability to meet passenger demand.
However, Padam states “encouraging advance booking really helps with both increasing passenger numbers and operational planning” as people can plan their days in advance and depend on the service.
Padam states:
“We see around 75% of passengers booking in advance, which validates our expectation that people use this as reliable public transport rather than a taxi equivalent.”
Mark Parry, chair of Action for Yorkshire Transport, said his group questioned whether the service was value for money. He added:
“Given the nature of the service, I just wonder what North Yorkshire is trying to do by not having advance booking. If you are going to have demand-responsive transport I would certainly say you need some scope with advance bookings.”
Campaigners say while Yorbus’s low patronage figures could be considerably boosted by allowing advance bookings, particularly for people wanting to travel to work, passenger numbers could be significantly increased by offering a door-to-door service for elderly and disabled customers.
‘Virtual bus stops’
After initially only picking up passengers at recognised bus stops, some potential passengers complained that their village had no bus stop, so the council introduced “virtual bus stops”, which campaigners say have not been advertised and are few and far between.
Nevertheless, the council has revealed no intention to offer limited mobility passengers a door-to-door service as part of the pilot extension, but said it would consider introducing limited pre-booking, extending operating hours, and seeking funding to offer Yorbus in other parts of the county.
It added it would also look at developing its telephone contact option for customers, consider how to roll out return booking, and undertake a fares review, including incentivising such options as group bookings.
A council spokesman said the pilot would “enable options for a wider roll-out to be explored in more detail”.
A pre-school in a village near Ripon has been praised for the way it cares for and educates its pupils.
Kirkby Malzeard Pre-School was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in its latest inspection, which found children were well-behaved and had good manners.
Inspectors said their communication and language development was supported “exceptionally well”, with activities adapted for different ages and abilities. They said:
“Children are extremely happy and settled in the pre-school. On arrival, they are greeted enthusiastically by the warm and caring staff.
“Children know the routine well. They confidently hang up their coat, place their lunch boxes in the trolley and go to the bathroom to wash their hands before they go and play.
“Children feel safe and secure. They speak confidently to staff and initiate friendly conversations with peers.”
Ofsted visited the pre-school on May 4 and rated it ‘good’ in every area, maintaining the ranking from its previous inspection six years before.
Read more:
- Ofsted praises ‘small school with big ambitions’ in Nidderdale
- Ofsted returns to St Aidan’s for ‘very positive’ monitoring visit
Inspectors recommended offering children more opportunities to build their independence at snack time, though they said the snacks provided were healthy and children had plenty of opportunities for outdoor play.
They also suggested improving the way staff find out from parents about children’s abilities when they begin pre-school, so they can “plan even more meaningful experiences from the start”.
With the eldest children about to begin primary school, the pre-school is preparing to welcome new pupils from September.
Early years lead Tracy Sidgwick said:
“We’re very happy with the report. We feel it’s a good, true reflection of our provision.
“The recommendations were just small tweaks we need to make and they’re easily done. In fact, pre-covid, they were done, but things have been a bit different and it has brought to our attention that we hadn’t reverted back to what we did before.”
Ms Sidgwick said she was especially pleased with the fact the inspectors had spoken to children at the pre-school, which she said gave a real feel for the setting, and with the positive comments given by parents.
The report said:
How the Harrogate district celebrated the jubilee“Parents are exceptionally happy with the care their children receive. They describe the pre-school as ‘phenomenal’, and that staff are ‘fantastic and always smiling’.
“They are happy with the communication they receive and say it is a ‘safe and happy environment’ for their children to be in.”
From street parties to concerts, the Harrogate district celebrated the Queen’s platinum jubilee in style this past week.
Across the district people draped themselves and their neighbourhoods in red, white and blue as part of the four-day bank holiday weekend.
In Harrogate, a jubilee square was set up just for the occasion while Ripon had a feast of celebrations in the market square.
Read More:
- New horn is the jewel in the crown of Ripon’s royal celebrations
- Your memories of how the district celebrated the Queen’s silver jubilee in 1977
Masham featured a parade of floats and fancy dress, and Knaresborough had an array of events to mark the jubilee.
The Stray Ferret was out every day capturing the celebrations and you can watch our montage of how the district celebrated the jubilee below.
Jubilee celebrations in Harrogate district draw to a close
This live blog of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is proudly sponsored by Boundless Networks – delivering quality broadband connectivity at a reasonable cost to homes and businesses in the Harrogate district.
A feast of street parties is set to bring the jubilee weekend to a close. We will be praying for fine weather and covering the festivities in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, as well as the villages in between.
Our reporters will be out and about but please let us know what’s happening where you are and send us pictures so we can add them to this blog. DM us on Facebook or email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
5.35pm: Jubilee reunion for sisters of 1977
Three sisters who celebrated the 1977 silver jubilee waving flags did the same thing today on the same street where they grew up.
Their parents, David and Nelda, are one of two original families still living on Carr Close in Ripon. The couple, aged 82, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary this year.
They bought the house new in 1973 and all three daughters live around the corner.
That seems like a fitting way to end our four days of live jubilee coverage. We hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all your photos of beacons, street parties, pig races and everything else.
We will publish a jubilee photo gallery tomorrow.
4.46pm: Ripon rotary clubs unite
The family day provided a meeting point for friends from the Rotary Club of Ripon and Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels, whose charity work can be seen all over the city. They were joined by major Ripon benefactor Michael Abrahams (left).
He is pictured with, from the left: Peter Race (Rotary Club of Ripon) Josie Suddards (Inner Wheel of the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels) Janet Race, Jenny Moss and Audrey Long (all members of the Inner Wheel of Ripon Rotary Club) and, front David Suddards of the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels, which gave platinum jubilee pennies to every pupil at the 17 primary schools in Ripon and neighbouring villages.
After such a busy week for event stewards Elaine Reed (pictured left) and Cat Midgley, you might have expected them to be flagging, but there were smiles from them right until the end of four fantastic days that underlined Ripon’s status as one on the most royal and loyal places in the land.
3.55pm: Ripon’s big weekend draws to a close
Ripon’s packed programme of jubilee events is coming to an end. Our city-based reporter Tim has been at the heart of things for the last four days.
It was a day for both waving and wearing the flag, as the curtain came down on Ripon’s platinum jubilee celebrations with the focus on families, as epitomised by the fact that great grandmother Hazel Barker, of event organiser The Ripon Community Poppy Project had four generations of her family present, including grandson Martin Wright and great grandchildren Evie (aged 6) and cousins Alana and Imogen aged 5.
For Martin, it was an opportunity to dress to impress, with his Union Jack jacket, trousers and hat.
Ensuring that activities went off safely, was Andy Langford (pictured left) the safety manager overseeing four days of revelry in Ripon Market Square and this afternoon’s family day in Spa Park. He is pictured with Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project, who told the Stray Ferret:
“The city-wide celebrations have been amazing and Ripon has done Her Majesty proud.”
3.05pm: Neighbours sing along to Sweet Caroline
This is what it’s all about… dancing in the street with neighbours to Sweet Caroline.
Almost 100 people from Carr Close in Ripon and invited guests got together this afternoon after resident Jennifer Spurgeon applied to close the street.
The gathering included a couple from Australia, who are friends with people who live on Carr Close.
June Wren, 91, wore a hat her mother made for the coronation in 1953.
There was a Queen’s pudding tent, line dancing and badminton.
2.40pm: Maypole fun in Burton Leonard
2.15pm: Band starts family fun in Ripon’s Spa Park
The Ripon City Band kicked off Spa Park’s Platinum Jubilee family day with an ABBA medley..
1.40pm: Huby gets in the swing
There’s a fabulous party going on in Strait Lane, Huby. Below are some images we’ve been sent.
Send us pics of your jubilee events today and we will include then in our blog. DM us on Facebook or email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
1.25pm: Street parties underway!
Valerie Sanderson, 99, was invited to cut the ribbon this afternoon to start the street party in Almsford Oval, Harrogate.
The street is having a bake-off at 3pm organised by resident Karen Loughran.
Here’s a video and some images of the party.
Jake Crossfield who is 3 years old sent the Queen a letter and drew a picture of her majesty on it to tell her the street was having a party. She wrote back to thank him and wished him a lovely time!
Jean Whinnett who organised making the banner with her husband Alan said:
“We wanted to include all the children in the street – around 20 children were involved. The youngest was 6 months! We have an amazing community here. Everybody takes part”
1.02pm: Ripon Spa Park hosts family afternoon
From 2pm to 5pm today, Ripon Spa Park will be the main focus of the city’s final jubilee celebrations. The family day includes an afternoon tea along with music and children’s entertainment, including face painting, jubilee crafts and a treasure hunt led by Ripon Community Poppy Project. Members of Ripon City Band will performing its version of Last Night at the Proms.
12.32pm: Spitfire flypast at Newby Hall cancelled
Bad news – the weather has put paid to today’s Spitfire flypast at Tractor Fest at Newby Hall, near Boroughbridge.
@thestrayferret @your_harrogate @HgateAdvertiser @yorkshirepost Unfortunately bad weather in the South means no Spitfire flypast over the show today. Still lots of tractors and engines to enjoy though on our final day! #ripon @visitripon #yorkshire #tractor #tractors
— Tractor Fest (@thetractorfest) June 5, 2022
12.23pm: Picnic on the Stray in Harrogate
A picnic has just got underway on the Stray. Later in the day it will broadcast the films Encanto and The Greatest Showman on the big screens at 3pm and 5pm respectively.
Here’s a pic from last night’s big screen broadcast of the jubilee party at Buckingham Palace.
11.41am: Thunderstorm weather warning removed!
The weather forecast continues to inch in the right direction. The yellow weather warming for thunderstorms in the Harrogate district has been removed and the maximum temperature forecast has crept up to, er, 14 degrees centigrade!
Good news!
The yellow thunderstorm warning that just crept in to our district for today has been cancelled. While we may still see rain there are currently no weather warnings in force for the HBC area and the flood risk is very low.
Have a grand Sunday. pic.twitter.com/BzUb9SeTXl
— HBCEmergencyPlanning (@HBCPrepared) June 5, 2022
11.26am: Free electric buses today
The electric service on the 2A, 2B, 3 and 6 are free today as part of a joint initiative between the Harrogate Bus Company and Harrogate Business Improvement District.
https://twitter.com/harrogatebus/status/1533347639856484352
10.20am: 3,000 people party in Ripon as new horn handed over
Ripon’s impressive bank holiday celebrations continued yesterday when about 3,000 people attended the Market Square celebrations, which included 12 hours of live music.
Last night also saw the new ceremonial horn handed over. You can read more here.
9.47am: 500 people expected at Bishop Monkton street party
Bishop Monkton is preparing to stage one of the biggest street parties in the Harrogate district today. The throne which will transport the village Queen at the head of a ‘seven decades’ fancy dress parade is ready and the village is expecting to have an even bigger event than the last jubilee in 2012 with almost 500 people, about two thirds of the population, booked to attend.
9.27am: Free entertainment for kids about to start in Valley Gardens
It’s your last chance to catch the runaway train, bungee jump on trampolines and enjoy numerous other rides for children. There will also be magicians, a choir, juggling and face painting.
9.22am: Weather forecast improves!
We’ve had three days of mainly pleasant jubilee weather. Today’s forecast has looked a bit iffy for a while and although you’re unlikely to need your sun cream, with temperatures struggling to get above 14 degrees centigrade in Harrogate, the threat of rain has receded sightly.
It was due to rain from about midday but according to the latest update from the BBC, it might hold off until this evening. There’s also the small matter of a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in place, but let’s not worry about that just yet.
9.15am: Where the Stray Ferret reporters will be today
Tim will be covering events in Ripon.
John will be in and around Harrogate.
Tamsin will be covering events across the district.
Say hello if you see us in our Stray Ferret hats and please send us your photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will do our best to upload them on to our blog throughout the day.