Opening Times
Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm
Tel: 01845 421 015
Opening Times
Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm
Tel: 01845 421 015
The Thirsk Weekly News is a family-owned paper for Thirsk and the surrounding area
Despite the blustery and damp start last Sunday, and after a two week break from football because of the recent bad weather, Thirsk Town hosted Knayton on the Flatts at Thirsk in the Hillsprint Hambleton Combination Football league Scorpion Cup semi-final.
The pitch was soft after all of the heavy rains during the week, but it was just playable, if hard and tiring work for both teams. This was a grudge match between two fairly similar sides of fierce and physical rivalry over the years. It was Knayton which opened the scoring after a somewhat desultory first few minutes of battling to wrestle control, when Rob Cowton headed the ball past a beleaguered Thirsk Town defence, which left the goalkeeper little chance in the crowded box.
Thirsk Town tried again and might have scored but Knayton’s defence proved strong and seemingly impenetrable at times. After the referee had made several decisions less favourable to Thirsk Town, their goalkeeper took exception to several of Knayton’s tackles which left Thirsk players down, and he mistakenly argued Town’s case, leading to a ten minutes sin-binning....
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A DEDICATED joint-replacement service at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton is getting patients home faster and reducing waiting times.
In the past patients receiving hip and knee replacements often spent up to five days in a hospital bed after their procedure.
But now patients are encouraged to get up and about as soon as possible, and most find themselves back home in as little as two to three days.
Less time in a hospital bed means reduced risk of infections and a faster return to independence and their own homes. This also allows more patients to be treated each week, helping to ease pressures on waiting lists....
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Race 3 in the Club Championship series of races was held around Holme House Prison on Sunday, in a window between wind and rain, but results are not yet to hand.
Three hardy souls, Alan Simpson, Marc Davies and Fran Jeffery, were among the 409 finishers at the High Nick Fell Race beginning from Dufton. The 15k (9miles) event, with 450m (1,476ft) of climb, had to cope with the forecast gusty winds, blizzards, a knee deep water crossing, and a long downhill into a headwind to the finish! All good fun, and maybe the hot soup at the end made it all worthwhile, though an odd runner had to be treated for hypothermia (Photo courtesy Karen Harland)....
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A woman from Shropshire had crashed her car down an embankment (20ft from the road) off the A19 near Thirsk. The crash happened 8pm Friday night (21st February) with her car not visible to passing traffic she would be hard to locate.
Trapped in the car she called her father in Shrewsbury who helped her use an App called What3words (a location app) to define her position. Her father then called North Yorkshire Police’s control room in York. She was found within four minutes of the call.
North Yorkshire Police said on their Facebook page: “Around 8pm last night a young lady rolled her Mazda off the A19 at Thirsk. Due to the precarious position of her upturned car she was unable to get out and had no real idea where she was....
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Well done to all the pupils from Thirsk Community Primary School that took part in a recent Key Steps Gymnastics Competition. Three teams of pupils travelled over to Thirsk High School to take part in the competition....
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Mike and Maureen Hannan offer the younger generation advice on maintaining a long lasting and loving relationship.
The couple, who met in 1964 during a chance meeting at a bus stop on a rainy day celebrated their 55th Valentine’s Day together at Hambleton Grange care home in Thirsk.
Maureen knew from the moment she met Mike that she had found someone very special. Mike was waiting in the rain to catch a bus to begin his day working as an apprentice Secretary when Maureen happened to pass him on her Vespa scooter and stopped to offer Mike a lift to work.
Maureen continued to pass the same bus stop each day and began to carry a spare helmet in the hope of seeing Mike again. Sure enough, they were reunited a few weeks later when Mike hitched another lift to work on the back of Maureen’s scooter. Shortly after the couple went on their first date where they recall driving to Hawnby in a Mini Cooper to have a scenic picnic....
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The Ritz Cinema has taken an opportunity to remove some of the historic speakers hidden behind the screen along with some old sound equipment that had been shed-stored while undertaking recent maintenance work.
Lee Dalby, a Halifax based audio professional who has a passion for old sound equipment from the 1930 to 60s contacted The Ritz just as, by happy coincidence the cinema was due to improve some of the existing audio system.
On his first visit he was able to identify 5 speakers of the right vintage and arrangements were made to remove them. Ritz volunteers John Potter and Howard Wooldridge met at the cinema and spent a Saturday morning with the hobbyist and 2 of his friends to extract the speakers. As they were behind the screen this first had to be partially unstrung and raised to allow access and prevent damage to the screen....
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The Bishop of Whitby, whose patch includes Thirsk (although Ripon is our nearest cathedral) came to the Rural Business Centre last week to promote the work of the church with farmers. Farmers can endure isolation and anxiety about future changes to farming. Every Thursday Yorkshire Churches has people at the auction mart so that farmers or their families can have a cuppa and a chat about whatever is on their mind. The Bishop was there to commission lay chaplain Yvonne Bowling from St Oswald’s Sowerby to continue this work, work which he described as a sort of bridge between the farmers and the church, bringing the church to them and offering a spiritual space in which the farmers can come and relax....
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Teams of year 11 students are working in partnership with local businesses to compete to sell as many tickets for the rapidly approaching Race Night at Thirsk School at the end of February.
Students have prepared presentations, visited boardrooms, set up online shops, approached local shops/pubs/ cafe's in Thirsk and done their best blagging to earn the top prize. They have shown some serious entrepreneurial skills which we hope they can take back into the classroom for their Business Studies at school.
The advice from our business leaders has been invaluable and the motivation, excitement and hard work our youngsters are putting in is impressive....
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The reception children from Keeble Gateway Academy enjoyed a visit to Thirsk Co-op on Wednesday 5th February. As part of their curriculum, Keeble Gateway Academy encourage their children to have an appreciation of the local community, as well as what they can do to support it. Robins class learned where all the food comes from in the world and what it means for items to be Fairtrade. The children then used their shopping lists to find and buy the ingredients needed to make some yummy treats in the afternoon....
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With storm Ciara forecast for Sunday, the Saturday park runners were lucky to get their races in before the weather significantly worsened. It was a special day for Rosie Gatenby achieving her 100th Park Run, this week at Fountains Abbey, though she is a real park run tourist. She was among the 470 finishers, coming 397th in 36.27, though well behind first club finisher, Lorraine Hiles, who just seems to go from strength to strength. With a percentage rating of 83, Lorraine came 43rd in PB 21.33, with Paul Chapman 59th, also with PB time 22.33, Gary Wilkinson 61st in 22.41, Marc Davies - not entirely in his element on smooth tracks, but getting a good result - 87th in 23.48, Trish Radford 191st in 27.44, Molly Mayes 201st in PB 27.59, Paul Adams 218th in 28.30, David Palmer 258th in 30.19, Sharon Keegan 328th in 33.17, Bev Davies, putting in a rare appearance after a long injury lay-off, 395th in 36.26, Rosie was next, then Gillian Crane 431st in 39.45....
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A universal thorough 6-8 week post-natal check for new mothers is to form part of an updated contract for GPs, thanks to a campaign supported by Thirsk and Malton MP, Kevin Hollinrake.
Mr Hollinrake took up the issue following representations from one mother in his constituency, Libby Binks from Malton, who said that the current six week check-up, alongside her new baby’s examination was too rushed. She had told Mr Hollinrake that during her check-up consideration was not given to her wellbeing, despite the fact that she was clearly in distress and had post-natal depression. Later she had filled in a questionnaire with a health visitor which clearly showed she was suffering from depression although nothing was done until her child’s first birthday.
Mr Hollinrake, who has raised the issue in debates and with ministers on a number of occasions said “It’s only natural that attention is focussed on a new baby to ensure that it is healthy and developing normally....
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Pupils at Thirsk CP School had a fun and informative week last week. Three times a year all lessons cease and the whole school enjoys an Enrichment Week. This term, we focused on expanding our children's knowledge of other cultures and religions.
The Year 5 and 6 classes had a fabulous visit to Bradford, visiting a Hindu temple and a Muslim Mosque. Pupils found it absolutely fascinating, Zack said, "I really liked the bright colours of the Gods.” Whilst many of the children were fascinated by the call to prayer.
Year 3 and 4 pupils were fascinated to have a visit from members of the Buddhist Centre in Harrogate, enjoying story telling and drama. Whilst our Year 1 and 2 pupils visited St Marys Church, Thirsk, the highlight seems to have been seeing the enormous front door key....
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Jasmine Harrison is 20 (21 on completion of challenge) lives in Thirsk, she is a part time swimming teacher and bartender, she loves sports, adventure, culture, animals and food.
Many people are asking her 'why on earth she would want to do this row?' So here is her not so simple answer...
“I am doing this challenge for many reasons.
I happened to be in Antigua for the finish of The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2018 race and got talking to some of the support team in English Harbour. It wasn't just watching and holding the flares at Nelson's Dockyard for a race finish that inspired me, it was also talking to a family member of a lad that had just completed who told me just how much of an amazing thing it was. I didn't say 'not a chance I would do that' it was more a fact of why not do it....
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The children are very excited at Sowerby Primary Academy, Thirsk as recently they have been sponsored yet again by local company, James Winn Estate Agent Thirsk and Northallerton. This will be the second time James Winn has sponsored the school for their sports competition kit. This has enabled the school to purchase extra kit including new shorts, tops as well as some hoodies for the colder months. The kit has been purchased from local company Fox Stitch and sports the school’s logo (which was initially designed by a pupil who attended the school) as well as James Winn’s striking logo. The children participate in various sports including, tag rugby, athletics, football and cross-country, competing against other schools in the area....
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“For me it’s all about the community and what we are trying to build.” These were the words of Nigel Ashley, the Chief Executive of the Elevate Multi Academy Trust at the ground-breaking event for their new school, Keeble Gateway, last week.
The school, tucked away behind Aldi and Orchid House, is there principally to serve Sowerby Gateway across the road, and has had what they call a challenging history so far. It should have opened in permanent buildings last autumn, but fate and planning issues delayed that and the first children started in a temporary pair of Portacabins....
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