Beauty salons and nail bars across the borough are welcoming back clients after almost four months of closure.

Harrogate’s independent beauty salons may not be able to offer all treatments, but they are expecting to be busy.

Many things have changed since salons shut in March, so what does it look like now?

The Stray Ferret has been speaking to salons across the district as they open their doors to the public.

Paintbox nail and beauty boutique, Harrogate

The Harrogate Nail Bar, based in the centre of the town told the Stray Ferret that bookings are “flying” in.

” We are very busy… People are walking in but we are fully booked as we are not allowed to have as many people in as usual. It feels very different, especially getting used to the PPE but it’s great to see my clients again and to make them feel better!”

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• Recovery plans launched to save local tourism 
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Masks, Visors and perspex screens are some of the things you can expect to see in salons. There will also be less people allowed in at one time and increased cleaning will take place.

Gone are the days of a cup of tea whilst having your nails done, as food and drink other than water are likely to be banned.

Debra owns Paintbox nails and beauty she told us that they have been “ready to open for several weeks.”

” We were ready to open on the 4th July… I think the government finally realised that these companies were ready. We aren’t able to do any treatments to the face at all. This includes lashes, waxing, facials but we can do manicures, pedicures, waxing below the neck and massages. We are fully booked today, tomorrow and Saturday with a couple of space in between. Some people are just desperate to get back to looking after themselves and are ready for some kind of normal.”

As directly in front of the face has been deemed the highest risk zone by the Government, face waxing, sugaring, eyebrow and eyelash treatments, facials and make-up application will not be allowed until advice changes.

Almost 4 months after overcoming coronavirus, Vicky Snook from Harrogate (pictured right) says she still has days where she feels “completely wiped out.”

” Still now I have days where I can barely do anything at all and for a time I felt quite breathless at times… I would just have to go and have a lie-down, which is not like me at all. I have also been losing my hair, which has happened to one of my friends that had it too.  I lost a stone at the time… I have got that back but not my energy, unfortunately. I’m normally a very active person but It’s just the ongoing symptoms that are bizarre, but slowly the bad days are now getting less.

Vicky went to Cheltenham races in March and 4 days after she started to display symptoms of coronavirus:

“I was never admitted to hospital at the time, and actually I have had flu much worse.. If someone asked how ill i was at the time i would say a 2/10. I was just really exhausted and had a splitting headache. I was in bed for 8 days initially  then I started to feel a lot better and I thought I’d got off quite lightly, but the after-effects have been awful.”

Read more

• Harrogate hospital reports first coronavirus death in more than two weeks
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While the vast majority of those who contract Covid-19 will make a full recovery, there is increasing concern about a small but significant number of patients whose symptoms persist weeks and even months after first falling ill.

The NHS has now launched a tool to aid long term recovery.

“Your COVID Recovery” will be an online portal for people in England to access tutorials, contact healthcare workers and track their progress. The project will be rolled out in two phases, with the web portal launching later this month. It will only be accessible via a personal log-in and will be available to virus patients who had to be treated in hospital, as well as to those who managed their illness at home.

Later in the summer, tailored rehabilitation will also be offered to those who qualify, following an assessment.

Bettys will open its Harrogate tea rooms on Monday, July 27 and you won’t need to book in advance to get a table.

It will be a slightly different experience for visitors in order to maintain social distancing. The cafe will also be offering a reduced menu.

Bettys said it will still aim to make sure the experience is “just as lovely as people remember”.

Bettys has announced its reopening date for later this month.

Read more:

• Harrogate cafes have come up with a number of ways to implement track and trace. 
• Restaurants in the district were cautious to welcome the Chancellor’s measures to aid hospitality. 

Harlow Carr will follow, with a re-opening date set for Monday, August 3.

Beauty salons, tattooists and tanning salons now have the green light to reopen from Monday 13 July but some types of beauty work are still banned.

Treatments that involve work directly in front of the face such as facial waxing, eyelashes, make-up application and facial treatments are not allowed due to the much greater risk of transmission.

The Stray Ferret has been speaking to some local beauty businesses who still won’t be able to re-open on Monday.

Anna Jones, Owner of Harrogate Electrolysis

Anna Jones who is the proprietor of Harrogate electrolysis said she feels “very hard done too.”

“I specialise in permanent hair removal and 95% of my work is facial so there’s just no way I can re-open. I felt totally deflated yesterday and  I think it’s very unfair, as medical procedures such as facial aesthetic work can resume as they deem that as a ‘sterile and clinical environment’ but what I do is no different. I have always worn PPE and I work in a totally hygenic way but yet I am still in the beauty bracket rather than medical… I just feel left in the lurch.

“I’m hoping that by august we will get open, but to totally rule out facial treatments is just ridiculous. If they actually knew the figures, the bread and butter of the industry is facial- more needs to be done to help the beauty industry.”

Charlotte Wilson, Owner of CW Artistry

Charlotte Wilson who owns CW Artistry in Harrogate also feels ‘furious and upset’ by the restrictions.

“I am a makeup artist and lash technician so 100% of my work is facial… I feel annoyed as people are able to get on a flight and go to a pub, yet I can’t open even though I have a medical level of PPE and know it’s a safe environment. I initially thought I would be able to open at the same time as hairdressers so I had provisionally booked my clients in and I had a full diary for three weeks, but then when beauty was given the green light and i still can’t open its pretty devastating.”

Read more:

• Harrogate ODEON gives date to reopen
• Rush to book beauty appointments at Harrogate Salons

Charlotte who is 25 started her beauty business in January 2019:

“Financially its been terrible. I have had no help as I’ve not been self-employed long enough and I still live with my parents.  I am hoping my clients will come back, but I can’t see the makeup side of my business being very busy as a lot of my work is weddings and there just isn’t any going ahead and also people aren’t going out to events every weekend so they have no reason to get party makeup.”

Whilst face masks are only compulsory in Hospitals and on public transport, many companies around the borough are asking staff to wear them, as they start to re-open in a COVID-secure way.

Face Mask Supply, a local company which is made up of 50 sewers, has provided 7,500 masks in a month.

£1 of each sale goes to Harrogate Hospital, with the aim of raising around £5000.

Read more on this story:

• Charity shops reopen across the district 
• Harrogate Charity receives a huge amount of donations.

Cal Macpherson started the company, he told the Stray Ferret that the local spirit has been amazing:

“The story started when my grandparents felt uncomfortable leaving their house without suitable protection and couldn’t get hold of a great quality face covering. I got in touch with a local sewer who agreed to make a couple of masks for each of them, and included a third layer filter pocket to add a little more protection and to put their minds at ease!

They are now also offering personalised masks, allowing businesses or residents to get there logo or name written on the front. Cal said that this is an “effective and stylish solution for current times.”

The team are continuing to expand at a time when life starts to resume to a ‘new normal.’

Bars and restaurants across the district are in full swing as they prepare for “Super Saturday.”

July 4 is a big day for the hospitality industry. After over 3 months of closure, they now have the green light to re-open their doors to the public.

The Stray Ferret has been speaking to some bars and restaurants in Harrogate as they prepare for what they say will be a “historic” day.

Manahatta, a buzzy bar and diner in the centre of town. Stephanie Welch who is the General Manager said no matter how much training they did it is still new for everyone:

” We are hoping the track and trace system will make people aware that we can get in contact with them and we do have their details, so hopefully that will make them consider how they are behaving, but once people have had a drink it will be hard… We still want to be that party place and try to maintain the atmosphere we had before, but people just have to follow what we are asking them to do, it’s for everyone’s safety. We will have the same style of music but it will just be quieter and we won’t have a DJ for now.”

Manahatta will be taking all orders from the bar, where there will be a glass screen between the customer and member of staff, they will also be running at a reduced capacity.

Despite a sense of relief after a very worrying few months for the hospitality industry, there appears to be a sense of nervousness across the district as restaurant owners prepare to work in a way they never have before.

Daniele Bovo, who owns Al Bivio, an Italian restaurant in Hornbeam Park told the Stray Ferret that it is almost like “starting from scratch.”

“We’re excited but anxious… We are running at around 50 % capacity so it will be quieter to start with. We are trying to keep away from tables as much as possible, without being impersonal. So we won’t be topping up wine glasses etc… We hope that over time things will start to return to how they used to be.”

Owners should take the contact details of one member of each party. This includes a name and a phone number. Their time of arrival and how long they stay for should also be noted. This should then be kept on file for 21 days.  People can refuse to give information, but owners can choose not to serve them.

An 18-year-old student from Harrogate has staggered over the finish line of his monumental running challenge, completing 465 miles in 30 days and raising over £6,500 for mental health charity MIND.

Morgan Glazier, who is a student at Rossett School in Harrogate, decided to go on a run every day for 30 days (one mile on June 1, two on June 2… up to 30 on June 30).

The Stray Ferret spoke to Morgan just before he set off on his final 30-mile run this morning, and again later in the day as he crossed the finish line. He said:

“I am very, very sore, but that is to be expected after four back-to-back marathons. I have done the distance before but usually with a month’s recovery in between. I’m ready to sleep for a month now.”

The teenager should have been sitting his A levels this year, before enjoying a summer of celebrations for finishing school and turning 18. Instead, when the coronavirus put paid to his plans, he set himself the epic challenge.

Morgan’s mum was there at the finish line, having supported him throughout the challenge. She said:

“He’s been amazing, he started off on his own, he just sort of went off and did it and then the last couple of weeks I’ve been at the start and finish and just making sure he’s getting plenty to eat and drink! But he’s been cheery the whole way through, I really am proud of him.”

Read more: 

• Mental health charity launches fundraising appeal to meet increased demand 
• Harrogate race for life postponed until October

Morgan hopes his running will highlight the positive effects that running can have on mental health. He told the Stray Ferret that he chose MIND charity as It has helped so many people:

“I was diagnosed with OCD a couple of years ago, but I had been struggling for while before I got help. I  want to raise awareness and encourage people not to be embarrassed. I Chose mind charity as i know they offer support to anyone struggling. I am running in memory of my uncle who died as a result of his mental health problems, and for everyone who suffers or has suffered from a mental illness.”

Morgan initially set out to raise £100 for Mind, and increased this to £5,000 as people across the district showed so much support. Today, as he crossed the line, the figure stood at £6,600 with donations still coming in.

To sponsor Morgan, click here.

Morgan Glazier on the final day of his 465-mile challenge

Hairdressers will be allowed to reopen from 4 July – and clearly it’s not a moment too soon for many people in Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret has been out asking people whether they are ready to get back into the chair…

“I can’t wait, can’t you tell… look at my roots”

“I’m walking around with a mop on my head… I had to trim my sideburns as my wife said I looked like the guy from life on mars.”

“I have managed to get an appointment for the 24th July… So I coloured it for the last time last night… I am never doing that again!”

For over three months people have been cooped up, turning to kitchen scissors, freshly-bought clippers or DIY dye kits to keep their hair in check.

But now hairdressers across the country are getting ready to welcome customers for much-needed fixes and trims after getting the green light to open next Saturday.

A hotel worker from The Crown Hotel in Harrogate has been spending his mornings cleaning up the Stray after it turned into ‘an absolute eyesore’ over the last three days.

Andrew Langley has been furloughed from working at the hotel and decided to do his bit for the district:

” I have been out all week picking up beer cans, pizza boxes and all whatever else. It’s something I feel I have to do. It had been ok up until now but the past three days it’s been packed with people and its been left in such a state, there should be a fine or something.”

After almost 4 months of closure, Harrogate’s hospitality industry welcomes the government’s decision to reduce the two-metre social distancing rule.

The West Park Hotel in Harrogate, is one of those now getting ready to re-open its doors on July 4.

Anthony Blundell, Assistant General Manager and Harrogate resident told the Stray Ferret that a relaxation of the 2m rule was a ‘vital’ part of being able to re-open.

” It’s really exciting news… at 2m we could only run at 30% capacity but at 1m its about 70%… We are looking at starting some training next week so all our staff are on board with how we will work, making sure we are covid secure. We are doing a lot of refurbishments so fingers crossed it will all be ready for the 4th… We are really looking forward to welcoming our guests back.

“QR codes so people can order from their mobiles, sanitizing stations at the entrance way and key touch points, and masks or visors for members of staff, are just some of the measures we will be putting in place… we hope people feel safe but welcome.

Boris Johnson announced yesterday that pubs bars, restaurants and hotels would be able to re-open but only with table service if indoors and increased cleaning procedures. Owners will also be asked to keep contact details of customers to help with contact tracing.