Starbeck Archives - Page 18 of 34

Beer festival season starts with three-day Henshaws event

The festival season kicks off this month with a family favourite in aid of one of the Harrogate district’s best-known charities.

Henshaws Beer Festival will return with three days of fun for all ages from Friday, April 28 to Sunday, April 30.

There will be two adult evening sessions and two family-friendly daytime events.

The beer festival will raise funds for Henshaws, which supports people living with sight loss and disabilities across the north of England.

Festival-goers will be able to choose from a range of beers, gins, wines and ciders, all produced in Yorkshire.

Local breweries Cold Bath Brewing, Daleside, Harrogate Brewery – all in Harrogate – and Roosters and Turning Point, both in Knaresborough, will again be joining forces to support and supply the annual event.

An eclectic mix of live music across two stages will feature sets from local performers including Rory Hoy, reggae band Drop Leg Steppers, Hot Sauce and rapper Lence.

Pop-up vendors will be serving a selection of freshly-cooked food, including pizza, Mexican and BBQ. There will also be fun activities and games for the children running throughout the day.

Henshaws’ fundraising development manager Gemma Young said:

“The Arts and Crafts Centre offers a unique outdoor setting for the festival with a large stage area, undercover spaces and outdoor and indoor seating. For last year’s event, we welcomed over 850 guests and served over 4,000 drinks, and this year given the addition of the Friday night we look forward to welcoming even more visitors!”

Photo of Henshaws art-maker Ebonie, raising a glass at the Henshaws Beer Festival in 2022, with another Henshaws service-user in the background.

Henshaws art-maker Ebonie raises a glass at the Henshaws Beer Festival in 2022.

For 2023, Henshaws Beer Festival’s title sponsor is Harrogate-based 4Life Wealth Management. The company’s operations director, Gary Nash, said:

“We are delighted to support this popular Henshaws event and help the charity raise much needed funds for the brilliant work they do. This festival represents a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community.” 

Founded in 1837, Henshaws is one of the oldest charities in the UK. It employs around 360 members of staff and 232 volunteers, who support individuals, families and their carers who are living with sight loss, as well as a range of other disabilities.

The charity’s specialist college in Starbeck offers day and residential places for young people aged 18 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities, and its Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough helps people living with disabilities realise their artistic and personal potential.

Tickets for the Henshaws Beer Festival are available online for £15, or £18 on the door (£5 for children over the age of three), and each visitor will receive a limited-edition souvenir pint glass and two half-pint drink tokens.

Pic shows (left to right), Matthew Joyce, sales manager at Harrogate Brewing Co, Joe Joyce, owner at Harrogate Brewing Co, and Gary Nash, operations director at 4Life Wealth Management

Renewed call to move Harrogate ‘little temple’ to Starbeck

A Starbeck community group has made a renewed call to bring Harrogate’s “little temple” to the area.

An application was tabled by North Yorkshire County Council in November last year to remove the tempietto in Station Square to make way for the £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

The proposal was approved by Harrogate Borough Council prior to its abolition on Friday.

The new North Yorkshire Council has said no work on the tempietto will take place until a decision has been made on the gateway project.

However, Andrew Hart, a postmaster, has reiterated a call to bring the structure to Starbeck in order to “rejuvenate” the area.

Mr Hart, who also founded the Starbeck Community Group, wrote to the borough council in November last year requesting that the tempietto be moved to Belmont Field.

He told the Stray Ferret that any move to demolish the structure would be “shameful”.

Mr Hart said:

“When I formally contacted HBC last November I was assured in writing that the Starbeck Community Groups request for the tempietto to be moved to Belmont Field, Starbeck would be taken seriously and discussed with the councillors.

“To demolish it would be shameful. To dismantle and rebuild it in Starbeck would give the community a focal point of pride. The cost would be negligible against the budget for the Harrogate Gateway.

“It would also add to the rejuvenation of Starbeck and reward the whole community for the fantastic effort it makes in carrying out its own projects such as flowers, Christmas lights, street cleaning, and street decorations.”

The tempietto, which is inside Harrogate Conservation Area, was built between 1988 and 1992 as part of the redevelopment of the area to create the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Made of Jedburgh sandstone, its classical design was based on the work of 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio’s basilica at Vicenza in Italy.

The government-funded gateway scheme would see major changes to the public realm opposite the train station to make the gateway to Harrogate more attractive to visitors and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

It would also see part of Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic to accommodate cycle routes and James Street partly pedestrianised. Business groups and residents have voiced concerns about the impact on trade and traffic.

In an email seen by the Stray Ferret, North Yorkshire Council officials said the relocation of the tempietto had been raised with council contractors. However, the move would need to be costed and require planning permission.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire Council, said the authority was aware of requests to move the tempietto.

He said:

“We are aware that there is some interest from other organisations in relocating the tempietto and we are looking to understand if this could be achieved should the decision be taken to implement the Harrogate Station Gateway project.”

Sneak Peek: New Starbeck pub aims to bring ‘community feel’ back

A new pub is set to open in Starbeck tomorrow with the aim of bringing back a “community feel” to the area.

The Office Ale House, which is based on High Street, will be open from midday to 9pm, seven days a week.

Kevin Jones, owner, told the Stray Ferret that he came up with the idea for the pub after finding he had nowhere to go for a pint after working from home in Starbeck during covid.

He said:

“I wanted somewhere to go for a pint and a chat after work and there was just nowhere that suited me.

“I wanted something with a community feel.”

He added that part of the reason for the name was to create that “after work pint” place that he wanted.

Mr Jones, who now lives in Knaresborough, secured planning permission and licensing for the vacant unit on the High Street in the last year.

Inside the Office Ale House in Starbeck.

With the help of Pete Valentine, owner of Yorkshire Bespoke Renovations, the project was complete within four-and-a-half weeks.

It includes an array of seating and tables, bar stools, USB charging points and speaker system.

Part of the inspiration was also to create somewhere that both Mr Jones and his partner would feel comfortable going in for a drink.

Mr Jones said:

“It is a comfortable place. It’s somewhere where you feel comfortable walking in. You don’t want to feel intimidated walking in.

“It makes no difference if you are having a pint or a coke.”

The bar area inside the new Starbeck pub.

The pub, which is dog friendly, will offer drinks from a range of local breweries including Roosters, Daleside and Turning Point.

There will also be musicians performing, starting with Christopher Taylor playing an acoustic set this weekend.

The Office Ale House in Starbeck will open tomorrow, Friday, April 7, at midday.

The Harrogate school providing children with additional support

In September, the Harrogate district will have a new secondary school — but it won’t be anything like the current ones.

Strive for Education‘s roll will have just 33 students who struggle in mainstream schools and require additional support. Many will have been referred for two or three days a week by other schools in the district.

Strive was set up three years ago by former Harrogate Grammar School assistant headteacher Andy Brown and his wife Sonja, who felt students requiring additional support were under-served locally.

Education inspector Ofsted paved the way for it to transition from an alternative education provider to an independent school, and potentially expand its provision, when inspectors published a report this year concluding it “is likely to meet all the independent school standards”.

Ofsted recognition means Strive will be able to provide a full-time curriculum from September and be eligible to take on students who receive education, health and care plans from local authorities full-time.

Based on North Park Road in Harrogate and with a workshop in Starbeck, Strive classes have no more than six pupils to ensure students get enough support.

The hairdressing area

There is a hairdressing studio and a calm room with bean bags where students can relax, as well as a kitchen and a pool table.

Mr Brown says:

“I identified a huge gap that wasn’t being met locally. A lot of kids were travelling out of the area for this kind of provision.

“Put kids in the right environment with the right support and they feel safe. The big difference is they know we care. Of course all schools care – but it’s different level here.”

Students, who stay for between 12 weeks and two years, have special educational needs, including social, emotional and mental health issues. Autism and ADHD are common.

Mr Brown admits it can be difficult to pitch the teaching given the wide range of needs and abilities. But he adds:

“If anyone asks me what the greatest challenge has been it’s not the kids — it’s getting the right staff in. They have to be able to relate and provide the right education.”

If the school expands, its main Harrogate site on a residential street might not be able to cope and the Browns are keeping an eye out for a new school – although they have ruled out Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton, which closed last year. But change isn’t imminent. Mr Brown says:

“The plan is that next year we will be open as an independent school and see how it goes for the first year and take stock.”

Andy Brown

For now though, the timetable and staffing are in place for September.

Mr Brown says his education background and his wife’s business and HR experience makes them a “perfect combination”.

But such specialist education isn’t cheap. Annual fees for full-time places start at £27,000 and vary depending on the needs of the young person, the extra support they require, and any additional professional services needed such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.

Strive’s educational offer also depends on whether young people are placed as part of alternative provision or full-time on-roll places.

The school will be holding a drop-in open day on April 28 at which people can meet staff and look round.

Business Breakfast: ‘Bed bug dog’ proves a hit as pest event returns to Harrogate

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

More than 500 professionals have been in Harrogate for a pest control conference for the first time since early 2020.

PPC Live, hosted by the British Pest Control Association, shared the latest innovations in the industry with visitors from across the UK and Europe.

Held at the Yorkshire Event Centre, it included a demonstration by Brian Leith and Benji the dog, showing how they can identify a bed bug infestation.

Lauren Day, events manager at BPCA said:

“We were delighted to be back in Harrogate and networking with visitors, sponsors and exhibitors from across the industry.

“PPC Live gave visitors the chance to get hands-on with new pest kit, meet the people designing and distributing the latest in pest control technology and of course see interesting demos like Benji the bed bug detection dog in action.”

Harrogate firm secures first council wellbeing award

A council-run workplace wellbeing scheme has given the first level of accreditation to a Harrogate business.

Pemco, based in Starbeck’s Spa Lane, signed up to the Workplace Wellbeing Award through the public health team at North Yorkshire County Council.

The scheme gives businesses a framework to ensure staff welfare is made a high priority.

For Pemco, which offers management support and training services to other companies, this has meant hybrid working, modern office facilities, and team-building events. The company has also committed to not contacting staff by email outside working hours.

Holly Astbury, a partner at Pemco and the company’s wellbeing lead, said:

“The award process has been a fantastic opportunity for us to focus on our employees’ health and wellbeing.

“The support from the Workplace Wellbeing team at the council has been invaluable, especially the opportunity to carry out an in-depth health needs assessment, which gave us an insight into our employees’ needs and allowed us to tailor an action plan to suit them, rather than guessing in the dark about which interventions to implement.”

Design lead Andrew Liddle said:

“Flexible working has made a massive difference to mine and my family’s routine. It takes away a huge headache of having to pick the kids up from school before work finishes.

“The monthly team meals are great for us all to catch up together, as well as the social events outside of work like the picnic and quiz night.”

Established in 2010, Pemco currently has a team of seven, and is recruiting as part of its expansion plans.

Knaresborough forest campaign secures 61 acres from development

A Knaresborough voluntary group has bought four plots of farmland totalling 61 acres to turn into a community green space and nature reserve.

Renaissance Knaresborough launched a fundraising campaign in December to acquire privately-owned land between Knaresborough and Starbeck.

The land between Beryl Burton Cycle Way and the A59 Harrogate Road is not currently accessible to the public and there were fears it could one day be used for development.

The campaign aimed to prevent that by reinstating part of the ancient Knaresborough forest, with the land owned by individual shareholders and open to the public for recreation and conservation.

The campaign received £160,000 of pledges from individuals and organisations and a £410,000 donation from the George A Moore Foundation in Leeds. George Moore, a successful businessman who died in 2016, was born and raised in Knaresborough.

An interest-free philanthropic loan by We Have The Power, an organisation set up by impact investor Julia Davies to empower community groups to improve local biodiversity and tackle the climate crisis, enabled a bid to be submitted to the land agents.

However, the campaigners now need to raise about £300,000 to pay back the loan. They hope to raise the sum within six months.

Liz Baxandall, chair of Renaissance Knaresborough, said:

“The combination of the loan, substantial donations and community pledges have enabled Renaissance Knaresborough to realise its dream of protecting the greenbelt and delivering such a wonderful legacy project.

“Julia’s last-minute loan enabled us to secure all the land, a goal we had thought was unrealisable.

“We are so very grateful for all the amazing support we are receiving to protect over 60 acres of beautiful greenbelt countryside between our towns.”

Campaigners celebrate the land purchase

The campaign is similar to the successful Long Lands Common initiative that raised £375,000 to buy 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway.

Fears over green belt

Ms Baxandall said there were major concerns about the amount of building going on and the protection of green belt land.

Knaresborough Forest Park, she said, would “involve all ages working together to create a really special haven for nature and humans”, adding:

“We will pay off the philanthropic loan with the money people are pledging so please keep those pledges coming in.

“Pledges to buy community shares send a very clear message that Knaresborough Forest Park is hugely important to people. Over 900 people have already pledged. We cannot thank you all enough.”

The fields were once the eastern end of the ancient Royal Forest of Knaresborough. The land adjoins Long Lands Common at one end and drops down towards the River Nidd at the other.

George Eglese, a director of Knaresborough Forest Park, said:

“The land is already home to many species of flora and fauna with magnificent old hedges, streams, wetlands, and grasslands.

“There are panoramic views, taking in the town, the castle and St. John’s, which provide a fantastic opportunity to tell tale of ancient Knaresborough and the forest.

“The community has come together and achieved something to be incredibly proud of, something that will be there for many generations to come.”

Harrogate Neighbours opens care home in Boroughbridge

Not-for-profit care provider Harrogate Neighbours has opened a care home in Boroughbridge.

Heath Lodge Community Haven is a 31-bed home providing residential and dementia care.

The site was previously a North Yorkshire County Council-run care home called Springfield Garth.

Harrogate Neighbours acquired it as part of a swap agreement that saw the council take over the voluntary organisation’s former 28-bed Heath Lodge care home on Pannal Ash Road in Harrogate.

Harrogate Neighbours hopes its Boroughbridge home will eventually offer the same services as those provided at The Cuttings, its 55-flat development in Starbeck that includes domiciliary care as well as meals on wheels to older and vulnerable people living nearby.

It spent £500,000 refurbishing the York Road site with the help of Yorkshire interior design firm Design Tonic, which donated furniture and staff time to help create a warm and welcoming environment for residents, relatives and staff.

Design Tonic advised on colour palettes to create a calming and comfortable atmosphere and refurnished the ground floor bedrooms with fresh paint and new curtains and carpet. It also re-designed the entrance area using splashes of gold and built a feature reception desk.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours said:

“We can’t thank the wonderful team at Design Tonic enough. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on the generosity of local businesses.

“The staff, residents and relatives have all commented on how fantastic the entrance area looks – we’re so grateful for all their hard work.”

Design Tonic founder Amanda Cook, said:

“Working with Harrogate Neighbours and seeing first-hand the impact the transformation has had on residents and staff is why we do what we do.

“We work with a number of local charities that we align ourselves with and it’s great to share our expertise and give something back – particularly when we know what a huge difference it makes.”

Heath Lodge Community Haven received a ‘Good’ rating in all areas following a recent Care Quality Commission visit.

Police and fire crews rescue homeless man from Starbeck bin

Police and fire crews rescued a man from a commercial bin in Starbeck last night.

Firefighters from Harrogate were called to a premises in the High Street just after 6pm, where they used small tools to release the man.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Fire Station said:

“It was believed to be a homeless person who got himself trapped accidentally when the lid came down and locked.”

Police officers at the scene offered to take the man to a homeless shelter.

Reduction of Harrogate fire engines based on faulty data, commissioner admits

The decision to reduce Harrogate’s number of nighttime fire engines was based on faulty information, it has been revealed.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe controversially reduced the number of appliances from two to one in her recent three-year fire service blueprint for North Yorkshire.

One of the main concerns during consultation was that if a second fire engine was required to come from Knaresborough in an emergency, it could get held up at Starbeck level crossing.

At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting in September last year, Ms Metcalfe allayed fears by saying firefighters knew the train times and could ring ahead to Network Rail if they needed to cross urgently.

Ms Metcalfe addresses Harrogate Borough Council in September last year.

But in response to a freedom of information request, Ms Metcalfe’s office has now admitted this was “incorrect”.

Tina James-McGrath, a staff member at the commissioner’s office, said the information was provided by a now-retired “member of the senior leadership team” at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and it was then “relayed in good faith by the commissioner”.

Ms James-McGrath added:

“It has since transpired as a result of investigating your query further, that the information provided to the commissioner was incorrect.”

She said Harrogate and Knaresborough fire stations “have an awareness of train times, but this can be difficult to predict” and the fire stations “will not call Network Rail when working at an incident on or close to a train line where working crews may be put at a safety risk”.

Ms James-McGrath also acknowledged “ad hoc freight trains also use the line and there is no process for emergency services to phone ahead”.

Starbeck signallers, she added, will delay lowering the barriers when possible “if they do see an emergency vehicle approaching reasonably close to the crossing” but “once the barriers are down the signaller must wait for the train to pass before they can raise the barrier”.

The proposed closure of Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to through traffic would only add to the traffic at the crossing, she said, adding:

“Network Rail also noted that the traffic flow is at saturation point now and appreciates that the closure of the nearby road is not going to help this or the emergency services.”

‘The difference between life and death’

Pat Marsh, a Liberal Democrat borough and county councillor who raised concerns about Starbeck level crossing with Ms Metcalfe last year, said she was “greatly saddened by the response”, adding:

“I am really worried about the hold-ups that are happening at Starbeck crossing.

“I personally have seen ambulances waiting five minutes for the barriers to lift, this can be the difference between life and death.

“We need everyone round the table ASAP to discuss this very serious issue to ensure the safety of our local residents. People who really know and understand the issues.”

Paul Haslam, a Conservative borough and county councillor, said:

“The critical issue for me is that Network Rail update the technology at the Starbeck crossing so that the barriers are down for significantly less time which improves traffic flow, reduces idling and makes access easier should we have the misfortune to need the emergency services.

“I have lobbied together with [Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough] Andrew Jones on this for a number of years. It needs fixing! The more voices shouting for this change the better.”

The Stray Ferret asked Ms Metcalfe’s office whether the information about Starbeck crossing was checked and whether she would consider reviewing her decision or agreeing to Cllr Marsh’s request for an urgent meeting but it did not respond.

Ofsted rates Harrogate pre-school ‘outstanding’ for first time

“Passionate” staff and a “stimulating” environment combine to make Harrogate’s Performatots an ‘outstanding’ pre-school, according to Ofsted.

The latest report by the government’s inspectors praises the way the setting teaches children language and maths, as well as skills including food preparation and hygiene.

Performatots was inspected alongside Northern Performance Academy, a performing arts school that is part of the same business run by Kelly Nevett.

In a report published this week, Ofsted inspector Jo Clark said:

“Children show high levels of curiosity and a sense of wonder in their learning. For example, during a unique birthday walk children sing and celebrate the earth revolving around the sun for each year of a child’s birth.

“They celebrate the life of the child, as children and staff offer words of thanks and best wishes. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

“Children develop their emotional literacy through speech and drama classes in their wonderful theatre. Specialist drama teachers support children to identify feelings using coloured scarves. Children use a red scarf to depict an angry emotion.

“They skilfully use their words to explain their feelings. A child places a calm coloured scarf around the child and says, ‘I’ll protect you.’ Children learn to understand their emotions and develop a positive mental attitude.”

The report said children “showed tremendous levels of independence” such as when taking food for lunch and choosing their seats.

It said this made them “superbly prepared” for the next steps in their education.

Ms Clark’s report also said:

“Management and staff are inspirational in their vision for providing children with exceptional and unique learning experiences. They are dedicated in developing the skills and knowledge of all staff to ensure the best outcomes for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

“Partnership with parents is exceptional. Staff provide parents with the skills and knowledge to continue and extend their child’s learning and development at home.”

The report did not give any suggestions for improvement, rating all four areas of education ‘outstanding’.

The new rating – a step up from the previous ‘good’ grading given in 2017 – has been welcomed by Performatots, based on Anchor Road.

Owner and principal Kelly Nevett said:

“We are all absolutely over the moon to receive this recognition for Northern Performance Academy and especially our early years department of exceptionally passionate, talented teachers.

“We are a school that champions the power of the arts in education, shining a spotlight on the incredible way they bring learning to life and help young people to be confident, creative, curious and capable. We are thrilled that our unique, pioneering approach to the early years curriculum, was judged to be outstanding.

“Our glowing report has made many of our parents cry – for all the right reasons! It’s so reassuring for parents to know that their children are receiving the very best level of early education and care available to them. Who wouldn’t want their child to have an outstanding start to their life?”

Ms Nevett said the grading was particularly welcome after Ofsted changed its criteria in 2021, making the top rating harder to achieve.

While the inspection only took place on one day in February, she said it reflected much more than what was seen during that small window.

“It’s about the years and years prior to that moment of consistently analysing, evaluating and evolving in order to become the very best you can be. It’s a journey and it doesn’t just happen, so it’s about the blood, sweat and tears, the set-backs, the knocks, the sleepless nights, the juggling, the failures and the low points.

“We are where we are through sheer hard work, determination and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Despite receiving no recommendations for improvement from Ofsted, we have fostered a fantastic company culture and a vision to always be improving. I know we will continue to reflect, enhance and develop the amazing opportunities available here.”

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Harrogate firm secures first council wellbeing award

Fears over green belt

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‘The difference between life and death’

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