Bring your brollies as unlucky cafe reopens in Knaresborough!

The plucky owners of The Old Ticket Office Doreen and Amy Hodgson are delighted to be back in business, though they say the authorities have failed to address the real problems in their building at the station which is owned by Northern Rail.And this truly local family business is offering their loyal customers free umbrellas just in case.Doreen and Amy Hodgson told the Harrogate Advertiser:"After being closed for more than four weeks; originally Network Rail had said it would be two weeks; having toiled 12-14 hours a day, we have opened the door to The Old Ticket Office from 6.45am-5pm."We have had to totally refurbish the entire building, reinstating all the plumbing and kitchen. But it's all back in place and we are happy and ready to welcome back our loyal customers."If it rains, we will be loaning free of charge Umbrellas, as the roof still has not been fixed by network rail, so all of the blood sweat and tears and rain still comes in.""The battle will carry on to save this beautiful old building that we love on this beautiful old knaresborough railway station, we need HELP to fight the system and save these buildings."

The cafe has suffered a lot during a two-year-long saga involving the cafe's property agents Lambert Smith Hampton, who handle the property for Northern Rail, the latter who own the rail station and are, ultimately, responsible for its structural condition and Network Rail, who are charged with carrying out the actual repairs on the station.But Amy and Doreen are determined to make a success of The Old Ticket Office cafe and inject some life into a prime location on the station platform for the benefit of passengers and local people.The Old Ticket Office is to host a fundraising event on Friday, November 25 from 7pm to 9.30pm with the Knaresborough mayor and town crier in attendance.It will be a Community Christmas evening with stalls, a bag piper and a raffle for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.