Northern Aldborough Festival announces headline acts for 2024

Headline acts at this year’s Northern Aldborough Festival will include violinist Viktoria Mullova and Majesty, a Queen tribute band, organisers revealed this week.

The annual festival near Boroughbridge was established in 1994 and its 30th anniversary will take place from June 13 to 22.

The festival punches above its weight for a small village event: its patron is Dame Judi Dench and It has been described by the Times as ‘well on its way to being one of the leading fixtures on the classical music calendar’.

The artistic director is an operatic countertenor Robert Ogden, who runs the family’s jewellery store in Harrogate. Before taking on Ogden of Harrogate.

The festival aims to bring exceptional music to new audiences, in intimate rural locations where it would not normally be heard, making the village an unlikely epicentre for classical music.

Each summer, the Northern Aldborough Festival welcomes opera singers, acclaimed pianists, and jazz ensembles.

Fantasia Orchestra, who will play on the opening night

This year, there’s a focus on championing young classical talent.

The opening night will see 25-year-old Tom Fetherstonehaugh conducting Fantasia Orchestra, alongside pianist Alim Beisembayev, who at 23 won the last Leeds Piano Competition, performing Tchaikovsky and Chopin.

There’s also the return of its nationwide hunt for the best classical vocal talent. The New Voices Singing Competition, which launched last year, has a top prize of £5,000, and live semi and grand-final in front of a judging panel; it’s a unique opportunity to catch rising stars in their ascendence.

Other acts include Armonico Consort with a semi-staged production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, leading British jazz pianist Julian Joseph, and classically trained comedienne Amy Webber.

Aldborough’s late night venue The Shed also returns for concert goers who want to continue in a relaxed environment with a variety of live entertainment and refreshments.

The Last Night Outdoor Concert will see the UK’s biggest Queen tribute band, Majesty, perform to festival-goers, who descend on the grounds of Aldborough Manor. Audiences are invited to bring a picnic and dance the night away, ending with a spectacular orchestrated firework display.

To find out more about the festival click here.

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Dog park with a difference planned for Harrogate

A man has revealed plans to open a secure dog field on land off Skipton Road near Hampsthwaite in spring this year.

The Rescue Fields is a community interest company, which means profits will be given as donations to rescue centres across North Yorkshire.

The five-and-a-half-acre plot will have three fields. Two rescue fields at the front of the site will be open to the public at a charge of £12.50 an hour at weekends and £5 on weekdays.

The third will be a foster field, a place for foster dogs and rescue organisations to bring their dogs free of charge.

The proposed plan for The Rescue Fields

Fraser Macleod, founder of The Rescue Fields, said:

“I’m doing it for my love of dogs really, I adopted a dog that saved my life so I’m trying to pay it back in anyway I can and help dogs in need whenever I can.”

Mr Macleod has six rescue dogs, affectionately known as the barkland pack. He aims to achieve £40,000 in profit in the first year to give to rescue centres. The money will help the centres buy food, toys, bedding and equipment.

He said that often foster dogs arrive with “just a collar if they’re lucky”, putting the cost on foster owners who are just trying to help support the dogs.

To raise funds for the site Mr Macleod and one of his dogs, Peaches, are taking on the three peaks challenge and running a campaign to donate £3 to “buy a dog a puppuccino”

He said

“People spend £3 on a coffee from Café Nero, Costa or Starbucks but I’m asking people to donate £3, the same amount you’d spend on a coffee to help the dogs.”

While raising funds to secure the site, Mr Macleod has been in talks about planning permission. He shared:

“I’ve had very positive talks with the planning authority and whilst they can’t give me a cast iron guarantee, there is a precedent set as there is a small dog field on the opposite side of the road a little further down, which has no objection to us opening.

“I plan to enclose the site with hedging and a native tree-line with a partial grant from the Woodland Trust to reduce road noise and create a nice visual from the roadside as well as protect the privacy of the neighbouring property.

“This would also be part of the agreement of sale so should this site for any reason not be granted planning we would continue the search for another site – but given the access and the fact this side of Harrogate is not well served for secure areas, as well as the growing population with the copious new builds nearby I’m confident we can win through.

“I have contractors ready to start installing the recommended 6ft fencing and website with online booking and calendar ready to go, subject to how quickly the council approve the plan we could be open within a month once funding has been secured.”

To learn more about The Rescue Fields click here and to donate click here.

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Nidderdale Greenway cleaned by local volunteers

A group of 26 volunteers cleared 1.3 miles of the Starbeck link of Nidderdale Greenway this week.

The clean-up took place on January 9 when volunteers cleaned leaves and sludge from the path, cut back overgrown vegetation and unblocked ditches from Starbeck through to Bilton Lane, almost as far as the Nidd Viaduct.

Several groups were involved in the community effort including the Harrogate branch of Sustrans, the charity that makes it easier for people to walk and cycle.

They are mainly cyclists from the Wheel Easy leisure cycling club which meets monthly to clear footpaths and cycleways around Harrogate. Members of the Starbeck Greenway Conservation Group also joined the clean-up on Tuesday.

Steve Wright, task day organiser for the Harrogate area of Sustrans, said:

“A lot of our helpers are cyclists but we have support from all over the area and from local businesses who allow time off to support charitable causes.

“At the moment we go out once a month to clear cycleways around Harrogate — particularly the greenway which can get overgrown and sludgy from fallen leaves. This is something that the council do not do.

“It’s very rewarding to have the large turnout of 26 people who joined us last Tuesday. We got so much done and were able to help the Starbeck Greenway Conservation Group.”

A stretch of the cleared greenway. Image: Wheel Easy Harrogate

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Former Ripon Grammar student rows the Atlantic

A former Ripon Grammar School student is among an all-women team of three rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in one of the toughest races in the world.

They are taking on the World’ Toughest Row to raise money for charities that help against climate change. The team are raising money for charity as part of Your Planet campaign by Vodafone which is aiming to raise £1 million to help conservation and protect the planet.

The funds raised from the row will be split between WWF’s climate crisis fund which defends wild places, restores forests, and keeps our oceans healthy and UNHCR’s climate crisis work which provides humanitarian aid to refugees displaced by the climate crisis.

Bobbie Mellor, 34, former Ripon Grammar school student, confesses she was never sporty at school and only took up rowing during the pandemic. She has joked that her old PE teacher would be astounded to see her now.

Bobbie is global head of sustainability for Vodafone, and her Wavebreakers teammates Hatty Carder and Katherine Antrobus have been training for more than two years to join the ranks of fewer than 100 women in history to attempt the journey, which they hope to complete on January 27.

Having set off from La Gomera in the Canaries in December with a fleet of 38 other crews from around the world, the team are 2,000 miles into their journey as they make their way to Antigua in the Caribbean.

Team Wavebreakers, Left to right: Hatty, Bobbie, and Katherine. Image: World’s Toughest Row

Bobbie and the team she skippers have been battling sleep deprivation, salt sores, physical extremes, and the psychological challenges of the open ocean, with their sights set on raising money to help protect those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

In the past, she has cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Cancer Research, and she has also climbed Kilimanjaro for charity.

Bobbie said:

“I’m rowing the Atlantic in support of charities tackling the climate crisis. What better way to raise money and awareness, than to go back to basics and cross an ocean powered just by our own oars? I’ve always been quite adventurous, but the pandemic really gave me a new hunger to do big things with the life we have and jump on every opportunity that comes my way.”

Her mother, Bridget, who has been cheering her on from home in Burton Leonard and plans a welcome home party in February, has been fundraising and lighting candles at her local Catholic church as she prays for their safe return.

Bridget said:

“Bobbie has always had a sense of adventure and at first, I was absolutely terrified at the thought of them rowing unsupported. They row two hours on and two hours off through the night and have to swim under the boat to scrape off barnacles every two days.

“I am very proud of her, and all the girls in the team. They have worked really hard and done lots of training. It’s very uplifting to know there are still young people willing to push themselves to the limit and challenge themselves for good causes.”

Just getting to the start line required extensive technical, mental and physical preparation with the team completing many hours of training rows around the UK coastline to qualify for the start.

The team are tackling waves of up to 30 feet high, at one point their boat capsized and two of the team fell in the water but managed to get back on board once the vessel self-righted. The trio are surviving on freeze-dried food and drink ocean water filtered through a desalinator. Communication to home has also been extremely limited.

Bridget Mellor said:

 “I’ve had three emails and spoken on the phone on Christmas Day. What she misses most is good water, all she wants is a nice glass of sparkling water.”

“She seems to be in good spirits, they are just focused on getting across the ocean. She says the most annoying thing is getting hit in the face every night by flying fish.”

“Bobbie said it was like living in a live action movie for the first week. Everyone in Burton Leonard is in awe but I’ll be glad to see them back safe and well.”

Team Wavebreakers are currently sitting in 10th place overall and in second place for teams of three. They have reached £74,500 so far towards their £140,000 fundraising target for the two climate crisis charities close to their hearts.

Team Wavebreakers with 3,000 miles to go. Image: World’s Toughest Row

Facts about the challenge:

You can follow their progress here and donate here.

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New Harrogate bakery and coffee shop will be ‘a game changer’, says owner

A man with a background in designer fashion has pledged to open “arguably the coolest and most stylish boutique bakery and deli in Harrogate centre”.

Rod Harman plans to fuse fashion and food at Grane Coffee and Bakery, which is set to open on Station Parade on January 30.

Mr Hardman said the business, which will be in the unit formerly occupied by The Chocolate Works next to Everyman Cinema, will have designer foods displayed in a deli “rather like Selfridges” and a “beautiful state of the art Vostok coffee machine” all the way from Naples.

The artisan bakery will open seven days a week and have freshly baked patisserie products with “a New York laid back feel” on Sundays, he added.

Mr Hardman said he was aiming for the café to be the “talk of Harrogate”, adding:

“The response so far has been quite overwhelming, and we hope to attract a younger, cooler, trendier crowd.

“After speaking with younger people in Harrogate it became apparent they feel forgotten about, they wouldn’t be interested in visiting the more traditional outlets. They told us there isn’t anywhere for them to go that doesn’t include alcohol. We aim to change that and will most definitely be opening later into the early evenings, and hope to gain a younger mindset.”

Mr Hardman has worked with brands including Hugo Boss, Missoni and Prada, which he said had heavily influenced the vision for the store.

He said:

“I feel fashion and food are starting to work together more and more. Our team are heavily influenced in music, art, theatre and the local food scene. We have already secured the Dolce and Gabbanna pasta range for example and expect many more over the coming days.

“Hopefully Harrogate will love what we are trying to achieve.”

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Harrogate health shop closes nine months after opening

Go Herbs Harrogate store has permanently closed after opening just nine months ago.

The shop specialising in vitamins and supplements on Station Parade is now an empty unit.

It was Go Herbs’ first venture into a bricks and mortar retail store, and aimed to help customers improve their health, wellbeing and sports performance.

Go Herbs managing director Bart Ratus said:

“Due to changes in consumer preferences and economic challenges, we have made the difficult decision to close our Go Herbs Harrogate store. Our team worked hard to create a holistic health space, but despite our best efforts, we found it challenging to align our offerings with the evolving needs and preferences of the Harrogate community.

“We are still passionate about helping our customers meet their health and wellness needs and we are committed to providing the best service possible.

“We are now shifting our focus to our online store which will allow us to adapt to changing market trends, serve a wider range of customers and align our product ranges with their preferences quickly and easily.”

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Harrogate man takes on round the world yacht race

A Harrogate man is taking on a 40,000-mile yacht race around the world.

Sean McPartland, 53, is taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race, which organisers describe as one of “the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other”.

The retired Birstwith resident is part of the Dare to Lead crew who are tackling the epic journey from the UK to South America on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.

Mr McPartland said in a video on the team’s website:

“I will be completing the full circumnavigation of the globe racing for 40,000 nautical miles. If you didn’t think that was mad enough, I have never sailed before.

“I just love challenges, the last challenge I did I cycled from the Arctic to Africa. I wanted to do something else and when I saw the Clipper race on YouTube I thought why not. I love inspiring people it is just a great adventure”.

The Clipper Round the World Race began on September 3 last year in Portsmouth and is divided into eight legs and between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings.

The team is halfway through its journey and is currently on the east coast of Australia.

The race, which first took place in 1996, was created by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. Since 1996 almost 6,000 race crew and over 60 nations have trained and raced as part of the Clipper Race.

Eleven identical racing yachts are supplied by the organisers and have fully qualified skippers and first mates to safely guide the crew. The crew complete four levels of intense ocean racer training before competing.

UNICEF is the charity partner for this year’s race and Sean said he was “proud to be raising money to support their vital work for children”.

You can track his progress here and find his fundraising page here.

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Asda set to open new Express store in Knaresborough

Wetherby Road Co-op in Knaresborough will close today (January 8) and then reopen as a new  Asda Express store two days later.

The move is part of Asda’s long-term plan to expand into the convenience market and become the second largest UK supermarket.

Asda acquired 132 sites from the Co-op in a £438 million deal in 2022 and plans to open 300 sites by 2026.

The new store will become the second Asda Express in Knaresborough following the opening of the Boroughbridge Road branch last year.

Andy Perry, vice president of convenience at Asda, said:

“We’re incredibly excited to be bringing our Asda value and quality to the Knaresborough community with the conversion of the Co-op site. The roll out marks an incredibly exciting moment for our business and accelerates our presence in the fast-growing convenience market.”

A local Asda source, who asked not to be named, said:

“We have a full team that have all moved to Asda with a pay rise. Initially it will be mostly branded products and we may experience shortages for at least 10 weeks until Asda have enough sales data for accurate deliveries.

“Asda is the only major supermarket that currently doesn’t have a convenience range, so it’s a new concept for them too. We will have teething issues as with any new business but we urge our customers to be patient and look forward to seeing them on the other side.”

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Harrogate bar hosts sober night out for Dry January

North Bar in Harrogate is hosting a sober night out to promote Dry January.

The event will be hosted by North Yorkshire Connected Spaces, which was launched in September last year to provide support for the recovery community in North Yorkshire.

The 80s and 90s themed night is also supported by North Yorkshire Council and the Drink Drug Hub, which provides safety information about drink and drugs.

A spokesperson for NYCS said they “join together people and groups from all walks of life, meeting the needs for a stronger community, well-being, recovery from addiction and other harmful issues”. They added:

“Our aim is to get out in the community and run events so we can offer support for individuals involved with social issues connected with addiction. This includes homelessness, domestic violence, trauma, mental health, social care and probation.”

The group is working with the NYC public health team to tackle the harms associated with alcohol use.

NYCS said:

‘’North Yorkshire, connected spaces have been working with North Yorkshire Council on supporting their dry January campaign. As part of the campaign NYCS have organised the sober night out social event for people who are completing the month off booze.

“Dry January is a great opportunity for people to reflect on their relationship with alcohol.”

The event will be a “good chance to socialise with friends, have a boogie and meet new people – just without alcohol”.

North Bar will have  DJ for the night playing 80s and 90s hits in the function room and said the event will have the capacity to hold 45 people. Dress up is optional and anyone can buy food from Pizza Social next door and bring it into the venue.

The event takes place on January 19 from 7pm

Dry January facts:

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Group supporting siblings of disabled children comes to Harrogate

A group supporting the siblings of disabled children is set to have its first meeting in Harrogate this month.

The Sibling Group is an organisation offering a safe space for children with siblings who are disabled or have special needs. The first event in the area is set to take place January 20 from 10am-12pm at Christ Church.

The group for children aged six to 11 aims to “support their wellbeing and happiness”. The event will include activities and games to build positive relationships.

Grace Williams, founder of The Sibling Group created the organisation to support families who have children and siblings with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

She has a younger brother with special educational needs who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and autism. Grace has become devoted to supporting other families in a similar situation. She has a degree in special education, is pursuing a masters degree in autism and inclusion, and currently works as a specialist key worker for the NHS.

She said

“Growing up there was not much support available and there was a lot of stigma around this. It was very challenging for my family and I, as we had to take on a care giving role and adapt to my brother’s needs very quickly.”

Grace grew up in Harrogate and her brother attends Springwater School. She says that despite the large SEND community in the area she has always been “aware of the lack of support for families”, so when creating The Sibling Group, she “thought it would be a good area to work in.”

“Siblings are not thought about when services are created and offered to families, and I want to change this. Siblings experience extreme stress, isolation and miss out on things other children their age are doing.”

“The Sibling Group offers a safe space for children to come and meet other children with similar experiences. We offer fun activities such as arts and crafts, singing and dancing, sports and games.”

The meetings are free of charge and will be running during the school holidays and on Saturdays. To book a place at the event click here.

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