Annual Christmas concert at Harrogate Royal Hall returns

The annual Christmas concert at Harrogate’s Royal Hall featuring Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band will return in December following last year’s cancellation.

The Christmas Fantasy concert will once again see the famous brass band perform with chorus accompaniment from Harrogate Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

It is due to take place on December 18 with both a matinee and an evening show.

The show will consist of original songs from the band, Gilbert and Sullivan classics and some Christmas favourites.

Last year the show was cancelled for the first time since it was first performed over 30 years ago due to covid restrictions.

Carrie Brown, chair of the Harrogate G&S Society, said;

“We want it to be a very special relaunch given that it was cancelled last year. We’re lucky to have some very loyal people who have come to see us year on year and use it as a way to start off their Christmas.”

Read more

The Harrogate G&S society was formed in 1972 by enthusiasts for the Victorian theatrical duo.

Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band dates back to 1881 and has performed across the globe.

Tickets are due to go on sale in September with under-16s allowed entry for free.

Yorkshire Warrior obstacle challenge to go ahead next month

The annual Yorkshire Warrior obstacle course will go ahead next month despite a delay in lockdown restrictions easing.

The event is due to take place on Sunday July 4 at Ripley Castle, just outside of Harrogate.

It comes for the first time in two years after last year’s event was cancelled due to the covid pandemic.

Anyone is welcome to sign up for the challenge, which involves a 10km race with 30 obstacles and two lake crossings. There is also a 3km junior warrior race for under-15s on the same day.

New for 2021 is a log-carry race in which teams are challenged to carry a 3m timber log around a 5km track.

Participants can buy a ticket on the day for £50, or sign up online for an early-bird discount, and people are encouraged to form teams. The log-carry race fee is £99 per team.

Read more

 

World famous brass band to give free concert in Valley Gardens

Young Harrogate musicians will play alongside one of the most famous brass bands in the world at a free concert in Valley Gardens next month.

Tewit Youth Band will join Black Dyke Band at the event at 3pm on July 4.

The event aims to kickstart live performances again after almost 18 months of lockdown.

The concert has been funded by Arts Council England‘s Culture Recovery Fund, which awarded Black Dyke Band a grant to play with a budding group of its choice.

Tewit Youth Band, which is a charity that encourages young people to learn brass and percussion instruments, meets on Wednesday evenings in an old Methodist Chapel in Huby. It has about 100 members.

Many former members have gone on to play for the country’s top brass bands.

It has four groups ranging from ages six to 18 and its senior band will perform at this event.

Colin Gibbs, president of the Tewit Youth Band for 30 years, said:

“We’ve always had a friendly link with the Black Dyke Band, with a couple of our former members going on to join their ranks.

“So when they were given a grant from the Arts Council, they chose to come and do a concert with us, which is very exciting for everyone.”

Black Dyke Band, which is based in Bradford, dates back to 1855 and has included some of the world’s most talented conductors and musicians.

 

 

 

 

Leading comic artists to appear at Harrogate convention

Harrogate’s annual comic art convention has announced an all-star line-up of artists and writers.

More than 400 artists and exhibitors are already set to attend the Thought Bubble Comic Art Convention.

Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and Batman and Sin City artist Frank Miller are among the guests.

Other artists include Joelle Jones (illustrator and writer for Batman and Catwoman), Doug Braithwaite (artist for many Marvel and DC comics including Wolverine, Thor and Batman) and many more.

The convention will take place on November 13 and 14, at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Activities in store include panels, live drawing, workshops and meet and greets. There will also be a kids’ zone with crafts and a quiet area for reading.

Read more:

Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite characters, and there will be a competition for the best homemade cosplay outfits.

A wider Thought Bubble comic art festival will also be taking place during the week starting November 8 across Yorkshire. Film screenings, art exhibitions and other events will be open to people across the county.

Tula Lotay founded Thought Bubble in 2007 and it began in the basement of Leeds Town Hall. It is now one of the biggest comic art conventions in the UK.

She drew the first official art for the convention, and it has been policy that the official artwork be drawn by a female artist ever since.

This is in response to a lack of diversity within the industry when she started; she hopes to open it up to other marginalised groups in years to come.

You can find tickets for this year’s convention here.

Unleash your creativity at RHS Garden Harlow Carr with courses throughout 2021

This article is sponsored by RHS Garden Harlow Carr

As summer begins to bloom in the Harrogate district, don’t forget to add these dates to your diary!

In the last year, RHS Harlow Carr has been a wonderful place for local residents to enjoy the fresh air. As the seasons change and restrictions lift, Harlow Carr is increasing its capacity for visitors.

As well as being a spectacular place to connect with nature, the garden is now able to plan special events and activities again. These give people the opportunity to source wonderful locally-produced items and also develop their own skills and discover new pastimes.

In the Bath House from 22 May to 27 June, the Designer Makers Market features original art and crafts by local practitioners, including textiles, ceramics, glass, paper collage and wood art to browse and buy.

Visitors can also enjoy daily demonstrations by visiting artists. The Bath House is open every day and admission is included with garden entry.

For those who found solace in creativity during lockdown, the RHS has the perfect programme of courses and workshops to develop your skills further. Each course is led by a friendly and knowledgeable tutor and places are limited. There’s a whole host of topics covered, starting on 24 June with an Introduction to permaculture.

For avid gardeners, other courses include one focused on aquatic plants and ponds on 7 July, advanced propagation on 15 July and a range of other one day workshops on different aspects of growing and garden design. Creative craft workshops include floristry, textiles, printing, photography and wood carving.

The garden will also be welcoming Harrogate & Ripon Beekeepers Association for a number of one day courses through the year, which will inspire many more keen gardeners to foster these vital pollinators.

The full courses and workshops programme has been confirmed for the rest of 2021, so why not take a look and see if you can find inspiration in them?

The Garden Centre at Harlow Carr stocks a comprehensive range of plants, seeds and tools and the friendly team is always on hand to offer advice, giving visitors the opportunity to take inspiration home to their own garden. The shop also stocks a beautiful range of high quality gifts, stationery and books. The garden centre and shop can be visited without booking a garden ticket.

Watch this space for more 2021 events and garden features which will be announced in the coming weeks. Whether you’re an avid gardener, a complete beginner, or someone who doesn’t garden but likes to admire the amazing work of the horticultural team at Harlow Carr, there is always a reason to visit.