The Harrogate district has recorded a further 53 coronavirus cases today, according to Public Health England figures.

The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic now stands at 6,611.

Today, the UK recorded 23,275 covid cases.

The seven-day covid rate has fallen again today, it now stands at 172.2 per 100,000.

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A further death from a patient who tested positive for covid has been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

The data from NHS England shows the number of covid deaths at the hospital since the pandemic began is now 125. The death was recorded on January 29.

It has been announced today that the 2021 Bed Race has had to be cancelled due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Knaresborough Lions Club said it was a decision they didn’t want to make but the health and safety of everyone involved had to come first.

The event has become an institution for the town, welcoming around 30,000 people each year to enjoy the fun and laughter of the day.

People from across the town get involved through volunteering at the event, dressing up or making one of the famous beds.

This is the second year in a row the Bed Race has been cancelled due to covid.

The Bed Race encouraged crowds in their thousands. Photograph: Charlotte Gale Photography

The committee’s chairman Kevin Lloyd said the day takes four months to organise and he assures the public that the event will return when it can. He said:

“We said we were looking for a clear horizon, but there is just so much uncertainty around. This is really breaking all our hearts, but we have a responsibility to put first the health and safety of everyone involved.

The Lions said they looked at later dates but were concerned this would clash with other activities and there would still be no certainty regulations will have changed.

The hope is the group can organise a similar virtual event as 2020.

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Mr Lloyd added:

“But Bed Race will not be forgotten. It has become an institution. The people of Knaresborough will not give it up and for the Lions it will remain in our hearts.”

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race has been running since 1966 and raises significant amounts for local charities and organisations.

As well as the 30,000 visitors, there are 300 volunteers who organise the event and and another 630 people becoming bed riders.

The event is known around the world inspiring other Bed Races in the USA, Australia, South Africa and Europe.

The organisers of Harrogate Spring Flower Show have announced the event will be delayed by a month as the covid vaccine is rolled out.

The smaller Spring Essentials event was due to be held in April at the Great Yorkshire Showground but has been delayed to allow more time for the vaccine to take effect across the population.

Social distancing will be in place and ticket numbers have been limited for each day of the event, now set for May 20 to 23. Normally, 60,000 people would attend the four-day event, but this year only 5,000 can attend each day.

All tickets must be bought online prior to the event. People can expect to see their usual favourites at the outdoor event, including show gardens, plant nurseries and live theatres.

The event’s venue, the Great Yorkshire Showground, is currently being used as a covid vaccination centre, with many people from across the district visiting each day to receive the vaccine.

Harrogate Flower Shows director Nick Smith said:

“We have been planning a covid-safe event using the green open spaces at the showground for many months. Based on the information available and predictions made last autumn, we had hoped that measures to combat the virus would be in place in time for us to hold Spring Essentials on our usual weekend in April.

“The new variant has clearly changed the situation across the UK and so it seems sensible to take advantage of the extra time for the measures to take effect.”

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The shows are run by the North of England Horticultural Society, which says it has worked closely with the showground team and local authorities to ensure visitors can have a safe and enjoyable day out.

The organisers have said anyone who purchased a ticket for the previous dates will be contacted and offered to transfer their tickets or get a refund.

Mr Smith added:

“The extra time afforded by this change of date will give us the best possible chance of delivering the show our visitors and exhibitors have told us they so badly want to see happen.”

For many parents in the Harrogate district, yesterday’s announcement that schools were unlikely to fully reopen until at least March 8 was not what they wanted to hear.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said reopening was dependent on “lots of things going right”, including infection rates.

It means many parents and guardians are looking at another lengthy stint as teachers, placing more stress in particular on working parents.

Although parents agree safety is paramount, they are concerned about the impact of lengthy home schooling.

Sally Haslewood, who is managing director of Harrogate Mumbler and a mother of two daughters, said:

“I am really struggling with home schooling them both as well as trying to keep them healthy, happy and run my own business. To be perfectly honest, Boris’ statement last night was crushing.

“The general feeling amongst the other parents I speak to is that they are all incredibly fed up and don’t know how long they will cope for. The emotional drain of it all is an absolute killer.”

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“It was really deflating. I have friends who can’t work at the moment so have no income. I thought of them, and how much the kids are missing their friends and it all becomes overwhelming.

“I am finding home schooling extremely difficult as they are just nowhere near as engaged as they would be at school.”

Mental health

“We all saw the numbers escalate in September when the schools and universities reopened, and if we are to get out of this mess we need to get the numbers right down otherwise we will be back to square one again.

“I worry about mental health, mine included. My son has had his head in his studies every day since this started, but with no idea as to what is happening with A-levels and how things will be graded it is a concern.”

Resit year

“My youngest has autism and struggles socially and certainly isn’t ready to start high school next year. My eldest has found it incredibly difficult to complete art assignments due to the resources needed from school. I feel that to put them back a year would be so beneficial.”

A woman is in a critical condition after being struck by a tractor near Ripley yesterday.

The 19-year-old from the Ripon area was standing next to a broken down silver Hyundai 4×4 when she was hit by a passing tractor.

According to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report, the Hyundai started filling with smoke and the driver pulled over.

The report added:

“One of the passengers of the vehicle got out and ran round to the driver side to get the driver out and they were then hit by a moving vehicle.

“Crews administered first aid on their arrival. The passenger was taken to hospital by road ambulance, the driver and other passenger were uninjured. Incident left with the police.”

Police were called to the scene on Fountains Road between Ripley and Bishop Thornton at 5.17pm. The road was closed until 11.13pm while emergency services attended.

According to North Yorkshire Police, the broken down Hyundai had been travelling away from Ripley towards Bishop Thornton, as was the tractor.

Police added the tractor driver did not stop at the scene but was later traced. He was subsequently released under investigation while enquiries continue.

Dashcam appeal

Police described the woman’s injuries as serious and said she remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The green John Deere tractor was towing a flat trailer carrying bales wrapped in black plastic.

Police are asking for anyone with dashcam footage or anyone who saw the vehicles involved on Fountains Road to contact them.

They are particularly keen to trace a car also believed to be travelling towards Ripley at the time of the collision. Police believe the driver may have witnessed the collision or seen the tractor passing the 4×4.

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Any witnesses are asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Alison Hoyle. The officer can be contacted on email using Alison.Hoyle@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

The reference number is 12210045363.

The government has awarded Harrogate District Hospital £14m to reduce its carbon footprint by 25 per cent.

The funding will be used for a series of initiatives: perhaps the most noticeable to visitors will be the installation of solar panels on the roof to provide more green energy.

An air source heat pump, which extracts heat from the air which can then be used to provide heating and hot water across the site, reducing the consumption of natural gas, will be bought.

Some of the site’s long-standing maintenance issues will also be fixed, including repairing and replacing flat roofs that leak and old windows.

It is hoped the measures will reduce the carbon footprint of the hospital site by 1,100 tonnes per year.

The works will be carried out by the hospital’s estates and facilities subsidiary company, Harrogate Integrated Facilities in partnership with Imtech and its specialist energy performance business, Breathe.

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Harrogate and District NHS Trust said in a statement today the funding would also benefit the local economy because local businesses will be involved.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy awarded the grant from its public sector decarbonisation scheme. Public sector organisations submit bids to the scheme.

Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate Integrated Facilities, said the grant was “brilliant news for us, everyone who works here and patients who access services here”. He added:

“We have a firm ambition to reduce the carbon footprint of Harrogate District Hospital by as much as possible, and as quickly as possible.”

The hospital already has a 25-year carbon reduction project with the Carbon Energy Fund and Imtech, which it says delivers energy savings of around £680,000 each year.

Gary Parke, managing director of Breathe, said:

“The new energy saving installations will enhance and accelerate the savings our team has delivered over the last few years.

“As well as ensuring further cost and carbon reduction benefits for the trust and a better environment for staff, patients and visitors to the hospital.”

North Yorkshire Police is appealing to the public for information after 11 sheep were stolen from a field near Boroughbridge.

According to the police, the Beltex breed of sheep were taken between November 10 and January 17.

Police are particularly interested in any suspicious sightings of vehicles on Holbeck Lane or the B6265 between these dates.

Anyone with information can call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Ruby Rutter. Or email the officer on ruby.rutter@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 12210032203.

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The Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall restaurant has been awarded its first Michelin star after only being open for 18 months.

The restaurant, based within the 17th century luxury hotel in Ripon, is headed by well-known chef Shaun Rankin.

The restaurant opened alongside the hotel in July 2019 and both have since faced months of closures due to covid restrictions.

Despite this the restaurant has been recognised, Mr Rankin said this is a huge achievement and thanked his whole team.

Mr Rankin is originally from Yorkshire and centres his menus around locally sourced ingredients. The kitchen uses ingredients found in its own garden or within a 30 mile radius.

The restaurant is set within Ripon’s 17th century mansion, Grantley Hall. Photograph: Jack Hardy

He said:

“What a surprise and delight it was to be awarded our first Michelin star. I want to thank Michelin for believing in us and understanding what the restaurant at Grantley Hall is all about.

The biggest thank you has to go to the whole team, front and back of house. It seems odd not to be celebrating with a full service, however I’m itching to get back into the kitchen with them all. Here’s to a better 2021, this has certainly lifted the spirits!”

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This isn’t the first Michelin star for Shaun Rankin. He opened his first restaurant, Bohemia, in Jersey in 2003 and it gained a Michelin star two years later.

He did it again in 2013 at his second restaurant, Ormer in Jersey which was awarded a Michelin star after only four months.

A new Aldi is set to open in Knaresborough at 8am tomorrow, Thursday 28.

The 8,000 square metre site has been built on Swallowtail Way, near the Manse Farm housing development on York Road.

The store will employ 38 staff and in addition to the usual Aldi products have a food to go section.

The site includes 114 car parking spaces, plus two motorcycle bays and two spaces for electric cars.

The site has 114 car parking spaces.

The planning application, which was supported by 69 people, was approved in May.

One supporter said it could mean fewer people going into the town centre for their big shop, limiting congestion.

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Store manager Matthew Washbrook said:

“We’re really looking forward to opening the first Aldi store here in Knaresborough.

“It’s set to be a great day and it’ll be lovely to welcome our new customers into the store and provide them with access to affordable, high-quality food.”

The store plans to work with local charities and food banks in Knaresborough.

The company has asked interested food banks to contact Neighbourly, a community engagement platform, to allow them to collect surplus or perishable food.

Charities wanting to work with the store are asked to email aldi@neighbourly.com.

With many of us staying at home with tons of spare time, we asked for your stories on discovering a new skill or reigniting an old passion during lockdown three.

Two women have already been in touch.

Sue Coates picked up a paint brush for the first time. She began in lockdown one and, almost 12 months on, she has found her painting style.

She said she loves to paint landscapes in particular, but some days goes for something completely different like fish.

After losing her job at Leeds Bradford Airport in August, Ms Coates found a new job in a Harrogate cafe but again she finds herself at home whilst the cafe is closed. This has given her plenty of time to paint around 50 paintings for her Otley home.

Ms Coates said:

“I saw some friends on Facebook were starting an art group so joined it and we did a weekly challenge. Then just started to draw and paint most days as I really enjoy it. I try whatever takes my fancy. Painting takes your mind off things.”

A piece Ms Coates is currently working on.

Ms Coates said this lockdown had been harder than those before because it is in winter so she can’t go on walks as easily.

She is determined to continue her new hobby and has even begun painting friends’ pets for them.

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In Harrogate, Kim Wilson was used to 17 hour days working as a hotelier before lockdown was enforced. Now she has begun to fill her time with knitting and cross stitch.

Prior to lockdown, Ms Wilson said she would have to try and fit her hobbies around work but after months of closure she has found more time to dedicate to them.

Her hobby has also allowed her to help community efforts locally, in the form of Harrogate scrubbers, and abroad by making face masks for African children.

One of Ms Wilson’s huge cross stitch projects.

Ms Wilson added:

“I’d rather do something useful with my time whilst I can’t do anything else. I’ve also joined some online groups of crafters, we all have something in common and help each other when we can. There’s a real community feel.”

Ms Wilson has also continued to support local businesses, using craft shops’ click and collect service to get her material.

Have you found a new hobby in lockdown? Have you learnt a new language, started baking for the first time or turned your hobby into a new business, we want to hear from you! Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk