Starbeck unveils mental health mosaic

The Starbeck community has created a mosaic dedicated to supporting mental health after three young people from the area died from suicide last year.

Starbeck Post Office has funded and erected the large mosaic for a wall on Camwal Terrace, Harrogate. The mural reads ‘Mental Health Matters’ and is surrounded by brightly coloured tiles.

Postmaster Andrew Hart, who runs the Red Box in Starbeck commissioned the artwork. He said:

“The mosaic remains our tribute to the memory of three young people the community lost.”

The Red Box Starbeck

The artwork was commissioned from Artizan International and created by Liz Cluderay, director of Artizan’s cafe and creative space in Harrogate. Ms Cluderay and her students set to work creating the art piece last summer.

Ms Cluderay said:

“It took us a number of weeks to complete it is a huge project, now it is up it looks tiny but it was huge. All of the Artizan community got involved in the art, from the design to completion.

“The students especially liked the messiness of grouting. It is really important for disabled artists to be recognised by the public for their work and to beat stereotypes.

“We were grateful to be commissioned by The Red Box, the mental health mosaic is an important topic and it was good for us to have important conversations about mental health with our disabled artists. It is good to raise awareness so they can be aware of their own mental state, often disabled people can feel isolated but this opened up important communication.”

Liz Cluderay and Andrew Hart

Starbeck Post Office commissioned a large mosaic rainbow for the same wall, which Henshaw’s created. The rainbow mosaic is dedicated to local medical staff, carers and key workers who worked during covid.

Then last year a mural of Bees for the High Street was commissioned, dedicated to the king’s coronation. It was painted by Sam Porter of Muralminded.

Starbeck rainbow mosaic

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Local Labour activist bids to stand for election in Skipton and Ripon

A local Labour Party activist has announced he is seeking the party’s nomination to contest Skipton and Ripon at the next general election.

Starbeck man Chris Watt, 46, has worked for the NHS for 15 years and is involved in a range of community organisations. He previously worked in Westminster for a minister in the last Labour government.

Candidates have until January 10 to put forward their names to stand against Conservative Julian Smith, who has held the seat since 2010.

Announcing his candidature today, Mr Watt said he used to work for the health trust that runs Ripon Community Hospital and community healthcare across the area.

Skipton and Ripon has been held by the Conservatives since it was created in 1983.

It has been designated a “non-battleground” seat by Labour, which is believed to be focusing more on Keighley.

But local Labour members were boosted by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus recently claiming it had a 53% chance of gaining Skipton and Ripon.

Mr Watt said:

“I’ve really enjoyed being out on the doorstep already with the Skipton and Ripon Labour team, talking to local voters about their concerns. It’s clear that tackling the cost of living crisis, improving public services and tackling anti-social behaviour are at the top of people’s minds.

“The latest polls show that it’s all to play for in Skipton and Ripon, with Labour poised to give Julian Smith and the Tories a real run for their money and potentially take the seat.

“So I think we need a candidate who not only has a track record of organising excellent campaigns, but who is dedicated to public service and can hit the ground running to deliver a brighter future for the area should they be elected by local people.”

Brian McDaid, a Skipton town councillor who finished runner-up to Mr Smith in 2019 with 11,266 votes, has already announced he intends to seek the party nomination again.

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Pedestrian ‘serious but stable’ after Harrogate crash

A pedestrian is seriously ill in hospital after a crash on the A59 outside Shaws Trailer Park at Starbeck.

Emergency services were called to the A59 Knaresborough Road at 7.45am yesterday (Monday, December 18).

North Yorkshire Police said last night:

“A SsangYong Korando in grey which was travelling in the direction of Harrogate collided with a man in his 50s as he was crossing the road at the pelican crossing.

“The pedestrian is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

“The driver of the SsangYong is assisting officers with their investigation.”

Officers are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

You can email joseph.moore@northyorkshire.police.uk or dial 101 and ask to speak to the force control room.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Quote reference number 12230239213.

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Morning trains disrupted due to trespasser at Starbeck

Trains between Harrogate and Knaresborough were disrupted this morning due to a trespasser near the line at Starbeck.

Northern Rail alerted commuters on social media at 9.18am, saying a “trespass incident” was causing delays.

Network Rail and British Transport Police both attended the incident, which happened at around 8.20am.

In a statement, British Transport Police said:

“Officers were called to the line near Starbeck railway station at around 8.20am today (18 December) following reports of concern for welfare.

“Officers attended and a person has been taken to a place of safety.”

Lines have re-opened but Northern said disruption is expected until 12.45pm.

No further details have been released.

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Pedestrian involved in collision near Starbeck trailer park

Emergency services were called out following a collision in Starbeck this morning.

The incident, which happened on Knaresborough Road near Shaws Trailer Park, happened at 7:45am.

North Yorkshire Police said a car and pedestrian were involved.

The force told the Stray Ferret:

“Police and ambulance are at the scene.

“Motorists are asked to avoid the area as road closures are in place and due to be there for some time.”

Officers said any further updates will be posted on North Yorkshire Police’s website and social media.

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Andrew Jones MP accuses Lib Dems of covertly targeting his movements

Andrew Jones MP has accused Liberal Democrats of covertly following him after his car was photographed in Harrogate without valid MOT.

Mr Jones has written to Lib Dem leader Ed Davey claiming the Harrogate and Knaresborough party has “gone off the rails” and is a “rogue political organisation”.

He has also contacted the police because of concerns of a breach of the nationwide security programme Operation Badger, which was set up to protect MPs in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.

The Lib Dems have described his claims as “unsubstantiated” and called his attack “bizarre”.

Mr Jones’ intervention comes after the Stray Ferret published an article last month showing his car parked in Starbeck without valid MOT.

We were sent the photo from a person calling themselves Mrs T Neale, Lady Blueberry Blower of Ripon Town.

The Conservative MP said at the time he was “embarrassed by my oversight” but his letter to Mr Davey, seen by the Stray Ferret, says it “appears I may have been followed to a remembrance event” and this was “a covert act”.

It adds it was part of a pattern of behaviour.

The letter says:

“We can disagree on policy. That is normal in politics. But none of these things have been about policy. When the police have had to be involved I am sure you recognise that something has gone very wrong with standards.

“Your Liberal Democrat association in Harrogate and Knaresborough is a rogue political organisation.

“It is operating in an underhand and dishonest way. This is not merely a problem with one individual at one time. It is a systemic issue where within the organisation the norms of political discourse have been supplanted by attacks on the individual, anonymous briefings, campaigns to plant messages about me surreptitiously on social media and even the attempted weaponising of a person who most believe had severe mental health problems.”

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Mr Jones’ letter said he first met the Lib Dems chief whip in 2013 about local political opponents “publishing lies about my expenses” and thought at the time “this behaviour was a one-off act of silliness – maybe even a mistake”.

But he said he had now concluded that subsequent actions indicate it can’t be anything other than “locally inspired by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat association which has simply gone off the rails”.

The letter adds:

“These actions span a period of 10 years so it is clear that the behaviour is ingrained into their ways of working.

“Quite simply, this is a political organisation that has gone rogue.”

The letter was copied to Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

A spokesperson for the Harrogate Liberal Democrats said in response to Mr Jones’ claims:

“If Mr. Jones feels strongly about these unsubstantiated claims, then we would point him to our party’s independent complaints process.

“This is a bizarre letter, and surely it would be far better to have an MP focused on the issues which matter to local people, including a lack of NHS dentist appointments and a hospital with a crumbling roof.”

Firefighters called to kitchen blaze in Starbeck

Firefighters were called to a kitchen fire in a bungalow at Starbeck today.

Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough were summoned to Forest Way at 9.30am this morning.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report said:

“The fire originated on a cooker hob when an air fryer was placed on top and the hob was switched on.

“The fire spread to nearby kitchen utensils, and subsequently caused one square metre of fire damage, and 20% smoke damage to the kitchen.

“Two occupants were out of the building on arrival of the fire service.”

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Free warm spaces offered in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Temperatures have plummeted this week across the Harrogate district as winter begins to bite.

The cold weather, which has in some areas dropped to -3 degrees, has left many worried about how to keep warm.

Netmakers, a movement of churches formerly known as Harrogate Hub, has provided a list of churches and community organisations offering support during the cold weather.

The list includes organisations in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Starbeck offering space Monday to Friday.

You can find the list below.

Resurrected Bites and Harrogate District Food Bank are also offering space amid the freezing temperatures.

If you know of any others in these places or in Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham let us know and we will add them. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Further information on warm spaces can also be found on the Harrogate and District Community Action website here.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales pub in Starbeck has also invited people to use the pub as a free place of warmth this winter.

Landlady Alison Griffiths told the Stray Ferret previously that “inflation has caused everything to go up – I just hope to save some people money”.

People don’t have to declare they’re using the service, she added, but instead can just take a seat, chat and enjoy themselves for as long as they like.

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Starbeck tap dancers take part in world record bid

Forty dancers from Starbeck took part in a bid to break the world record yesterday for the largest number of people to perform the same tap routine at multiple venues simultaneously.

Children and adults from Summerbell Dance Academy took to the floor of the Victoria suite at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate as part of BBC Children in Need’s fundraising activities.

The youngest tapper was aged two and the oldest was 86.

They performed a routine they had been learning since September to Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.

The figures are being collated today to see whether the tapathon world record of 7,596 was beaten.

Regardless of whether the target was achieved, the local dancers managed to raise £380 for Children in Need.

Performing their routine at the Crown Hotel.

Jennie Summerbell, the principal of Summerbell Dance Academy, said:

“It was a national initiative but it gave us a challenge and something to aim for.”

Summerbell Dance Academy, which is based at St Andrew’s church hall in Starbeck, has 200 students.

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Starbeck pub opens as warm space this winter

A Starbeck pub is inviting people to use it as a free place of warmth this winter.

The Prince of Wales, on Starbeck High Street, launched its “warmth without worry” initiative last year following the rising costs of utility bills and is hoping to keep people warm again this year.

Landlady Alison Griffiths told the Stray Ferret “inflation has caused everything to go up – I just hope to save some people money”.

She added:

“It’s for anyone – not just those living in Starbeck – that are perhaps at home on their own.

“They don’t have to buy a drink in the pub, they can just come in and keep warm.

“They can also bring a flask and have tea and coffee for free here.”

Ms Griffiths also said the initiative, which began last week, will continue “until the weather warms up”.

People don’t have to declare they’re using the service, she added, but instead can just take a seat, chat and enjoy themselves for as long as they like.

In a social media post, the Prince of Wales pub said:

“Don’t sit in the cold…we all have the right to warmth without worry.”

The pub is open every day from 11am – 11pm.

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