A drugs advisor has told the Stray Ferret said coronavirus has had a huge impact on the rise of recreational drug use in Harrogate.

As lockdown has eased crowds of people have met on the stray leaving behind drug paraphernalia. Nitrous oxide canisters, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular with young people in the area as they can be easily bought online with no age restrictions in place.

Ruth Watson, a safeguarding and county lines drug trainer, said:

“Covid has played a massive part in the rise of recreational drug use in the area.”

Traditionally used within the catering sector, the canisters are often presumed to less dangerous than other drugs. But side effects can include loss of blood pressure and fainting and in extreme cases nerve damage, heart attacks and death.

Ruth continued:

“People think its safe but it could lead them on to try harder drugs. Nitrous oxide is a growing issue with young people, since lockdown they’ve been cooped up and not allowed out now they have been out they are overcompensating for it.

“It appears to be a bigger issue since lockdown because it’s more visible. The pandemic has been horrendous in so many respects, it’s now making a social issue with young people getting whatever they can I don’t think it would be like this if things were normal.”

There’s been a visible increase in ‘laughing gas’ canisters in Harrogate.

Read more:

• Harrogate parents said “you can get drugs during your school lunch break”. 
• The police report an increase in gan canisters found on the Stray. 

Harrogate has had a long-standing problem with county lines drugs. It has been dubbed the ‘drugs capital of Yorkshire’ and the new issue of recreational drugs over lockdown will only enhance this title.

The Great Yorkshire Show is going online for the first time in its history on July 14-16.

The show, that would normally welcome 130,000 visitors, was cancelled in March due to coronavirus. But it is now going virtual to offer three full days of entertaining video footage.

The organisers, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, are offering the performances, demonstrations and livestock visitors would expect from the traditional event.

Acts will include Yorkshire-based TV stunt performers Atkinson Action Horses, a cook off with top chefs and a Q&A session with stars of The Yorkshire Vet.

Soprano Lizzie Jones and the Leyburn Band will also perform. Viewers will also get a behind the scenes tour with the Olympic show jumper Graham Fletcher.

Charles Mills, Show Director of the Great Yorkshire Show, said:

“While the coronavirus has caused the cancellation of our iconic annual event, we are determined that the show must go on, albeit in a different format this year.

“The Yorkshire Agricultural Society recognises that the Great Yorkshire Show offers a fantastic platform to celebrate and champion the very best of British agriculture and so we hope to achieve that virtually this year. There will be something for everyone to enjoy online over the show’s three days.”

The virtual show will see the return of well-loved performers but this time viewers can watch it from home.

Read more:

• More people are shopping at farm shops over lockdown said The Farm Retail Association.
• District farmers are working “around the clock” to stock supermarket shelves.

The businesses who would have held trade stands can also be accessed by viewers. A comprehensive directory is available to encourage viewers to shops as well as watch the show.

A full schedule will be available on the Great Yorkshire Show website.

Gyms in the Harrogate district have lost clients and money as they remain closed during the pandemic, one reported a 65% loss in revenue.

Indoor gyms are having to remain closed with no indication as to when they can reopen. Some local gyms have had to find new ways to adapt. Gym owners in the district have had to reduce their prices and move online or outdoors to continue to support their clients.

The workout sessions online or in local parks have proved popular with those clients who have missed their normal workout routines. But some are still wary that it may not return to normal for a while as clients regain confidence to return.

Innovate gym in Harrogate focuses on group sessions for women in the district, the owner Chris Lupton said:

“Due to only being able to provide online sessions we reduced our pricing to £50-60 so we lost about 65% in revenue. If it wasn’t for the job retention scheme people would have had to go or had their hours reduced.

“We are planning to continue online training as half of the clients said they want to have a mixture of gym and online classes in the future. I don’t think things will be normal for a year or so now so it’s necessary to find new ways to make money and work with clients.”

Ryan Tansley, owner of CrossFit Harrogate, has also moved his workouts online to maintain a section of his client base. He said:

“It was certainly not a good thing, we lost a few members after they were furloughed or worried about financial problems. But we still have to pay the rent so the government grant really helped.

“We’ve decided to halve the membership price as we know we can’t offer it all through our online programmes.”

Online workouts will have to continue as gym owners wait to hear when they can reopen.

Read more:

• Champion swimmer finds new ways to keep swimming during lockdown – including using a bungee cord. 
• Harrogate gymnasts have moved their equipment outdoors to continue training.

Sarah Jordan owns Red Strength gym in Knaresborough, it specialises in personal training and decided to close entirely with all of the staff furloughed. She said:

“It’s been terrible, I’ve had to furlough everyone its been really difficult. We are completely closed, I am sure others are the same. Personally, I went to work in a care home for 6-8 weeks for extra income and to get a level of interaction but since outdoor PT has been allowed I’ve don’t that. Everybody is happy to train outdoors and its also brought a lot of new clients in too.”

Police are investigating after an individual who claimed to be a police officer approached motorists in Boroughbridge, instructing them to pay thousands of pounds in overdue vehicle tax.

The incident took place in the Morrisons car park in Boroughbridge, when the individual is reported to have taken personal contact details from motorists and repeatedly called them the following day. They were told they owed thousands of pounds in unpaid fines and would be arrested if the amount wasn’t paid immediately.

North Yorkshire Police has warned residents to be vigilant in case they’re approached by the same individual. A police spokesperson said:

“If you are approached by someone claiming to be a police officer, they should be happy to show you their identification if asked and you can also confirm their identity by asking their name and ‘collar number’ and calling 101 to verify these details.

“The police will never contact you over the phone, text or email to request payment or to ask you to transfer money to them so if anyone claiming to be the police does so, hang up immediately.”

The police are asking people to call 101 if they believe they have experienced a similar scam.

https://twitter.com/KnaresPolice/status/1277206489971728389

Knaresborough Delivers continues to grow as it changes its focus to give more back to local businesses and encourage people to shop local.

The scheme was set up to help local businesses sell their products online during the pandemic. It allowed customers to order food parcels and greeting cards amongst other products from the comfort of their homes.

But as lockdown eases its focus has shifted to putting more money back into the local economy. The online shop will continue to serve local people but it will now give back 90% of the price to the local business.

Previously 30% was taken to cover the website and delivery costs but now the customer will pay a small delivery charge. This ensures the local business receives as much profit as they can.

The scheme’s efforts are appreciated by local businesses as they have found a new platform to sell their products. Aron McMahon from Turning Point brewery said:

“Knaresborough Delivers was a revelation for us, we had an online site but we didn’t have the human resources to run it and as a new business to the area people still wouldn’t know us. We’ve done really good out of this and its help us get closer to our local customers which is really important to us and we hope it can keep going.”

Ashleigh Lambert, co-founder of Knaresborough Delivers told The Stray Ferret:

“We are going to start doing recipe boxes, cocktail boxes and protein boxes by working with local chefs. Since the start of lockdwon we have put £50,000 into the local economy and supported 15 local businesses and given work to three local poeple who have been furloughed or out of work. The new pricing strategy means 90% goes straight back to the business and the other 10% will be used to cover our costs.”

The scheme has found ways to support several businesses in the area with themed boxes including afternoon tea.

Read more:

• As hospitality is given the green light to reopen in July a Knaresborough pub explains how they’re planning to reopen. 
• Knaresborough shop owners are feeling optimistic as they reopen their doors following lockdown. 

James Hirst, owner of Hirsts Bakery who also uses the platform, said:

“It was a really nice addition to what we were doing in the shop, it helped us still get our products to those customers who couldn’t come out.”

Knaresborough Delivers is a scheme that has found a way to prosper through the pandemic and hopes to continue supporting the town’s economy. It plans to move to bigger premises to allow people to have a shop to use as well as the online site.

North Yorkshire County Council has published its coronavirus outbreak plan which includes the roll out of antibody tests and daily calls to care homes.

The plan recognises the higher than average elderly population in Harrogate, at 23.1%, by including plans to work with care homes. Plans to ensure quick, localised responses to a suspected outbreak are in place. Each care home will also receive daily calls from a contact worker and allocated its own liason officer.

The plan details how testing will be developed locally – mobile testing units will continue to be distributed and antibody testing will be rolled out.

For complex cases that cannot be followed up over the phone or via the test and trace app a tailored approach will be taken by a core team to provide the necessary support.

Research into specific areas with high rates of transmission has also been taken to ensure support is targeted correctly. Key agencies and organisations will work alongside the county council to ensure those in a vulnerable or high risk category are looked after.

The NHS test and trace system will continue to be used, but strategies will now be focused at a local level.

Read more: 

• Warnings after scammers are targeting the NHS test and trace scheme. 
• Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital has had its contract extended until July. 

The plan also details a number of groups which will be set up to work at local and regional levels to develop outbreak plans as lockdown eases and provide public-facing communication.

Alongside these initiatives, those introduced at the beginning of the outbreak will continue. For example, social distancing and thorough hand washing will continue to be encouraged.

Two scarecrows made by Harrogate district primary school pupils were placed on the Stray today as the borough council announced seeding work has started.

Pupils from Belmont Grosvenor School, Coppice Valley Primary School, Killinghall Primary School and five other schools created the scarecrows for West Park Stray, which is being reseeded.

Ben Grabham, from Harrogate Borough Council, confirmed the sowing of the grass seeds began this afternoon and that the scarecrows will remain in place while work is carried out.

West Park Stray is currently closed off to the public and the fences will continue to surround the area for a further four weeks.

It comes as the Stray is being re-seeded and repaired after damage caused from the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. The council estimated that the work would cost close to £130,000.

Works continue on West Park Stray, but the scarecrow prop could represent that sowing the grass seed will be soon.

Read more: 

• Hundreds of young people gathered on the Stray to enjoy the sunshine but left huge amounts of litter behind.
• Council cuts down 12 trees on West Park Stray

The announcement was made during one of the council’s regular Stray updates on their social media platforms.

Here's Ben with the latest update regarding West Park Stray… pic.twitter.com/mdFhY3xU95

— Harrogate Borough Council (@Harrogatebc) June 25, 2020

Playgrounds are set to reopen from 4 July delighting many parents and guardians in the district.

The sunny weather has brought many people out into the parks to enjoy the outdoors and from next month the playgrounds will also be open for children to enjoy.

One parent told The Stray Ferret:

“Its really hard to keep telling them that everything is closed so it’ll be nice to have a bit of normality back”.

Read more:

• Harrogate Brigantes Rotary have launched a children’s poetry competition to raise money for their covid relief fund. 
• WATCH as the grandparents meet their grandchild for the first time since lockdown began. 

But not all were in agreement, some parents are still worried about how these places can be kept clean:

“I’m a little nervous just because of all the touching and the kids in close quarters, I don’t know if they’re going to be cleaning it regularly.”

Harrogate parents were pleased with the announcement that playgrounds could reopen but still hoped safety measures would be put in place.

The announcement is a welcome relief for parents and guardians who have had children waiting to be allowed to use their local parks.

Harrogate Borough Council has said it’s looking at plans to open the facilities and more information will be released soon.

Knaresborough Civic Society has launched a campaign to pedestrianise Castlegate and the Market Square.

The society feels that both areas are always busy with both cars and people and there isn’t enough space for adequate social distancing.

The Civic Society said its aim is to enhance the public space available and protect the town’s heritage. It also included plans to convert the area currently used by cars on Market Square into extra space for businesses or town events.

The Civic Society chairman James Monaghan said:

“Now is the ideal time to take bold steps to enhance Knaresborough’s public space, improve the pedestrian experience and make our streets safer.

“Castlegate is a popular shopping destination with narrow pavements. On busy days you already find shoppers walking down the middle of the street and maintaining social distancing on the pavements is impossible”.

Scenes such as these have encouraged the Civic Society launch their campaign for pedestrianisation.

Read more: 

• WATCH to see how the Knaresborough pub Six Poor Folk is planning to reopen safely. 
• Knaresborough Chamber launches a new plan to help businesses reopen following lockdown. 

Castlegate business owner Andy Grinter supports the plans, he said:

“Its obvious that without action, we don’t stand a chance of social distancing. Without taking urgent, innovative measures we’re putting lives and livelihoods at risk. It’s clear that pedestrians need more space to walk and queue safely whilst maintaining social distancing.

“Giving customers room between premises and in public spaces will enable shops and businesses to bounce back and recover trade.”

The Society has written to North Yorkshire County Council and is now calling for other local groups to come forward and back their campaign.

ODEON has announced its Harrogate cinema will reopen on 16 July with tickets going on sale online today.

Customers can expect to buy tickets for classic films such as 1914, Empire Strikes Back and The Greatest Showman. New releases will begin by the end of July.

The new ‘ODEON safer experience’ will be a little different to what film-lovers are used to. It will be a contactless experience with the usual boxes of popcorn being replaced by pre-packaged options. The new grab and go range will also limit customers to bottled drinks.

Family groups and social bubbles will be allowed to sit next together, but between separate customers there will be an unoccupied seat. Staggered show times will also limit the chance of long queues.

Staff will be trained on the new safety measures and equipped with masks and gloves.

Screens on the counters and markings on the floors will become the new normal for ODEON customers.

Read more:

• Safety measures could see waiters wearing masks and visors in Harrogate’s restaurants. 
• Hotel staff are being re-trained to make sure everywhere is covid secure for the planned reopening on 4 July. 

Carol Welch, Managing Director for UK and Ireland, said:

“We are excited to confirm that from 4 July, our UK cinemas will begin reopening. We’ve carefully planned every step of our guest journey and put safety measures in place to provide a controlled and safer cinema experience.

“New measures include social distancing in our auditoriums and foyers, additional cleaning regimes, and a request to book tickets online prior to arrival.”