This column has been written for The Stray Ferret by the Managing Director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa in Harrogate, Peter Banks:   

I am an hotelier. Sadly, it defines my existence. For 35 years I have worked in, or managed, organisations that provide hospitality and welcome guests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I am part of the industry that never sleeps. Until now. The “clang” when I closed the gates was both literal and metaphorical.

Suddenly we have no guests, no staff, no reason to get out of bed. To say I feel rootless is an understatement. Strange times indeed.

The view of the pandemic from the Hospitality industry has been in five very distinct periods:

The first was the week when Boris told everyone not to go to the pub and restaurants, but gave us no support. In that week it is estimated that 250,000 hospitality jobs were lost. This was the worst five days in my career. We’ve built Rudding over 24 years, and in 24 hours it all came crashing down.

The second period was one of euphoria, when that wonderful Mr Rishi Sunak (I love him and want his babies!) announced the furlough scheme that saved so many hospitality jobs while the scheme lasts.

The third was one of acceptance and hard work, only 12 of us were not furloughed. We tried to understand how furlough worked, we closed the hotel, turned off all appliances, moved all the furniture, emptied freezers (how much vanilla ice cream does one operation need across five kitchens?) and dealt with a barrage of phone calls from guests who were trying to process the impact on their plans. One guest wanted to know what had happened to his bottle of gin that he had won as a prize in November and left at the Hotel. (yes – really!)

The fourth was settling in to the new normal; zoom meetings, moving bookings, remote working, and starting to understand the financial damage this has done to our industry. We sell serviced space, if we can’t sell that space it is exactly the same as a manufacturer having a warehouse fire and all of his stock going up in flames. Make no mistake, there will be many hospitality businesses (primarily stand alone restaurants), that will not reopen. The high street will be changed for good.

The fifth, and current, is where are trying to reimagine the Hotel of the future, with social distance built in, How welcome will guests feel going to a Perspex screen reception, ordering on an App rather than to a person, less service staff in the restaurant, how do you socially distance in a Kitchen,  booking slots in the steam room, additional and visible cleaning, temperature checks on staff and guests when walking through the door, your barman wearing a mask, 72 hours between hotel room occupancy, a cashless society, no flags on the golf course, no loo blocks open on the holiday park, what will our revenues be like….. The list is never ending and some will come true and some won’t – but the hospitality world that I have known will be turned on its’ head.

For an industry that only exists to facilitate social interaction, discouraging social interaction is against the very core of our being. We thrive on providing “hands on” personal service, and this will not be possible.

When this is all over, and we emerge from our caves, shaking our heads and wondering if it was all a bad dream, please go to your local restaurant, pub, hotel, golf course, holiday park or spa and give them your support. As Hoteliers and service professionals we need to look after people and make people feel happy. It’s why we do our job and it’s what we’re missing dreadfully.

As we say in Hospitality before a particularly difficult service –“I’ll see you on the other side”!

The night Peter closed the gates of Rudding Park

In the three weeks since the Harrogate Scrubbers launched, the group has swelled to nearly 700 members, raised £16, 594 and delivered 445 scrubs to Harrogate District Hospital. In fact, such has been the success of the group, that it has found sourcing supplies and getting packs out to so many volunteers challenging.

Harrogate Scrubbers was set up by Fran Taylor, a maths teachers at St John Fisher High School in Harrogate after she heard about a national shortage of PPE. She said being a part of Harrogate Scrubbers has helped give people a sense of purpose:

“I never dreamed we would inspire the community so much, but the response has been truly amazing! We have people cutting out packs, sewing, delivering packs, there really is a role for anyone.

It isn’t just helping the NHS, it has given a lot of people a purpose and is helping their mental health in isolation. Everyone can chat on the group, ask for help and then showcase their work. It has become a little community and one I am proud to have started.”

PPE being delivered to Harrogate Hospital

A whole host of companies have become involved to help the Scrubbers out with some of their logistical problems. Architects Bowman Riley, printers Enid Taylor and interior designers Blue Sky Design in Boston Spa all helped printing patterns for the volunteers.

Bettys & Taylors Group, through their community recycling project the Cone Exchange, and Harrogate Cook Ltd sourced them 1,000 paper carrier bags on the day the request went out.

Reusable nappy makers Totsbots donated waterproof fabric, design company Standout Media provided the group with a new logo, which will be followed by a website and social media support, and finally Hotel Chocolat in Harrogate donated bags of chocolates to go out in the packs to thank volunteers.

For information on how to donate to Harrogate Scrubbers visit: https://tinyurl.com/harrogatescrubbers

Over the past four months, the police say there has been a large number of reports cars being stolen, particularly in the south of the town. The thefts mainly took place at night with valuables stolen from the cars which were left unlocked.

Three men were arrested yesterday in connection with the investigation. A large amount of suspected property was recovered by officers, including sunglasses, satnavs, watches and jewellery.

One of the men, aged 22, has been released on bail as enquiries continue. Another man, aged 29, has been released under investigation.

A third man, 31, has been charged with fraud in connection with the use of a stolen bank card on 17 April 2020. He will appear at Harrogate Magistrates Court in June.

Officers are now making enquiries to identify the property and return it to its owners.

Sergeant Nicola Colbourne, of Harrogate South Neighbourhood Policing Team, said in many cases the vehicles stolen weren’t locked:

“It appears that in many cases the targeted vehicles were left insecure, and no damage was caused to gain access to them. For that reason, I’d like to remind residents how important it is to lock your car whenever you leave it unattended. It only takes a few second to do so, and could stop you becoming a victim of crime….

Neighbourhood Policing Teams have already increased patrols in affected areas, and those will continue. Harrogate is a very safe place to live, and we are determined to keep it that way.”

The fundraising army veteran who walked 100 laps of his garden to raise millions of pounds for NHS charities has been honoured by Harrogate’s Army Foundation College to mark his 100th birthday.

Captain Tom Moore has been made Honorary Colonel of the college, recognising his Yorkshire links through his hometown of Keighley.

Today, as Colonel Tom marks his 100th birthday, his fundraising has passed the £30m mark for NHS Charities Together.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hall MBE YORKS, Commanding Officer of AFC Harrogate, said:

“Colonel Tom Moore has uniquely captured the imagination of the nation during this difficult time. Our staff and Junior Soldiers stand in awe at his achievements and we see his values of his sacrifice and service to one’s country reflected in the College’s ethos.

“Colonel Tom’s benevolence, his steadiness on parade and his determination to give something back are all truly inspirational. To have such a role model for the Army Foundation College, and to count him as one of our own, is a privilege and an honour.”

Inspiration to young soldiers

Harrogate AFC prepares 16- and 17-year-olds for a career in the army. As the first Honorary Colonel of the college, Captain Tom will be invited to speak to junior soldiers there and show the continuation of the values he learned as a young recruit.

Junior Soldier Ash Greenwood, aged 16, currently attends the Army Foundation College in Harrogate and will go on to join 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (2 YORKS). He said:

“Captain Tom Moore states that the NHS are today’s ‘front line’ and he knows what it’s like to be on the front line, serving in India and the Burma campaign during the Second World War and fighting in battles such as the Battle of Ramree Island.

“Captain Tom has not only inspired me but an entire nation to reach their personal goals no matter how big or small. It’s an honour to have you as our Honorary Colonel, and the college is extremely proud of you and your achievements both within your military career and your fundraising for the NHS. Having you affiliated with the Army Foundation College is brilliant.

“In the army you never walk alone.”

Captain Tom has been presented with his Second World War Defence Medal, which he sadly lost, ready in time for next week’s VE Day celebrations. The Yorkshire Regiment also presented Captain Tom with their prestigious annual Regimental Medal, given to the individual in the Yorkshire Regiment family who is considered to have made the greatest contribution in the last year.

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Miller, CO 1 YORKS, said:

“As The Yorkshire Regiment, we are exceptionally proud of Captain Tom and his achievements.  He has captured the hearts and imagination of the nation, inspiring many in these testing times.

“From a serving soldier’s perspective, he is all we aspire to be – he epitomises courage, determination, humbleness and good old Yorkshire grit. He is one of many who have made such a positive difference, and we are proud that he is part of our Regimental Family.

“On behalf of the Colonel of the Regiment, it has been an honour to be able to present the Regimental Medal for The Yorkshire Regiment, to Captain Tom Moore on his 100th birthday. The medal is awarded annually to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to our military effectiveness and military reputation.

“I could not think of a more worthy recipient. He personifies the Values and Standards of the British Army and is an inspiration to our serving soldiers, young and old.”

Captain Moore was invited to open the Harrogate Nightingale Hospital

Captain Tom Moore was born in Keighley, and served with the 8th Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, which is now part of the Yorkshire Regiment. Last week, he was guest of honour at the official opening of the Nightingale hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre, appearing via video link from his Bedfordshire home.

A further 552 people in England, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 19,301.  87 of the latest deaths were in the Yorkshire and North East regions.

Harrogate hospital has so far reported that 44 of its patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died. This latest death was reported on Sunday 26th April.

The reported deaths today were aged between 31 and 99 years old. 38 had no known underlying health condition.

The NHS England figures released today do not account for those who have died of suspected coronavirus but were not tested, such as those in care homes.

The public sector workers union, unison, has called on a small minority of residents of the Harrogate district to stop verbally abusing the bin collection teams when they don’t pick up all the curbside waste.

Branch secretary David Houlgate said

“There is a small minority that, maybe through frustration or anxiety caused by the lockdown, think its fine to verbally abuse the staff.  Let’s be clear those staff are working at increased risk for themselves in delivering this vital service and do not deserve to be treated in such a way. This usually happens when a decision is taken not to take some items put out for waste removal.”

The teams of 120 workers who cover waste, recycling and green bin collections are having to deal with increased amounts being left for them on the side of roads. Currently all the recycling centres in North Yorkshire are closed.

The collection teams in Harrogate have also seen acts of gratitude and kindness with messages of thanks left on bins which Mr Houlgate said have been uplifting for the staff.  Staff from the districts leisure centres and parks division have been pulled into work on waste collections- unison says there are legal limits on what the trucks can carry and guidelines on what the crews can and cannot collect.

A further 336 people, who tested positive for coronavirus, have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths to 18,420. Today’s total demonstrates the fluctuating nature of the statistics – the figure for yesterdays recorded deaths in England was 711.

The latest death at Harrogate District Hospital was recorded yesterday.  That person was part of a further 66 patients to die of coronavirus in the North East and Yorkshire region.

NHS England said all the patients were aged between 28 and 100 years old.  22 of the 336 patients had no known underlying health condition.

Yesterday the number of deaths in the UK passed the 20,000 point – in March the government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said keeping deaths below this number would be a “good outcome”.

The statistics, released each day, do not account for those who have died of suspected coronavirus but were not tested- such as those in care homes.

Each Thursday Harrogate District Hospital releases figures showing the total number of patients who have been treated and discharged – that figure last Thursday was 58.

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Susie Little co-founder of Covid Co-Operation, Harrogate 

News of a new virus emerging in China started filtering through during January, just as snippets in amongst the Brexit furore.  I don’t think anyone, here in the UK, could possibly have envisaged then where we would find ourselves, just a few weeks later.

Fast forward to mid-March and rumours were swirling about an imminent “lockdown”. Loo roll was as rare as hens’ teeth and I started thinking; initially about over-70s I knew who would be facing the prospect of three months housebound and how I could help them.  The natural extension to that were others I didn’t know, and others like me, who would surely want to help them.

So Covid Co-Operation, Harrogate on Facebook was born. Within 72 hours we had over 4,000 members and, now six weeks later, over 10,500.  The response has been extraordinary and, as the fifth week of “lockdown” ends, people’s kindness, generosity and willingness to step up still astounds every day.  Need Calpol?  No problem.  Broken thermometer?  Amy will drive across town with a new one for you.  Lost your job and need to feed your children?  A week’s worth of food and treats gathered and delivered in a matter of hours.

It became obvious to me, early on, that this will be a life-changing event in so many ways – I think we will see lasting, positive societal and corporate change.  I sense a shift in people’s priorities and values.  Through “lockdown” we’re being forced to live a far more simple life and certainly for my generation and those younger than me, this is the first time we’ve experienced shortages and being unable to buy what we want, when we want it.

I’ll be honest; the non-stop activity of the Group means I rarely have time to dwell on the horror; the sheer enormity of what it is we’re all living through.  Mentally, this works for me; I can’t change what’s happening but I can, along with the best team of admins ever created and over 10,000 Harrogatonians, make things a little easier for people who need it.

I’d like to think, in years to come, when we look back on this period in our lives, we will remember how our town and its people came together to look after one another in a way never seen before.

It’s a privilege to be part of it.

Covid Co-operation has picked six small local charities who help vulnerable groups and launched a Crowdfund project to support Harrogate Foodbank, IDAS, Hear to Help, Supporting Older People, Canaan Warehouse and SparkSupport.  So far it has raised £6,000 – a £1,000 for each charity.  

To donate:  https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/covid-co-operation-harrogate

When the decision was taken a year ago to close the Briary Wing and move inpatient mental health services to York, it marked the end of a long and intensely political debate about the future of adult mental health inpatient facilities in the Harrogate district.  

Plans had been well advanced for a 36-bed facility at Harrogate’s Cardale Park. Planning permission had been approved and work had begun when – a year ago – Harrogate and Rural District CCG and the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust (which runs mental health services) voted to halt the project and focus on sending patients to a new facility in York.   

The site at Cardale Park where the mental health inpatient unit was set to be built

Harrogate and Rural District CCG defended its decision at the time, arguing the move to York was to produce “the best possible care” and it wanted to invest more in community care to prevent people needing inpatient facilities – but the reality was the CCG had a £14m deficit and had to prioritise funds.  

To many politicians of all persuasions, it was another example of the long term chronic under-funding of mental health services. Conservative councillor Jim Clarke, the Head of North Yorkshire County Council’s Scrutiny of Health Committee, said at the time:  

“This is not a recent problem, this is the result of years, decades of underinvestment in mental health.”  

The Liberal Democrats, too, expressed concern that patients and their families would have to travel to York – county councillor Geoff Weber said Harrogate had been “screwed by the CCG and NHS”. 

This week, however, the CCG has reiterated its statement that the decision was not based on finance.

A spokesman said:

“The decision was made based on best practice in providing high quality mental health inpatient services and expanding the services locally available in the community. The decision to invest in community services and redeploy inpatient services to York was taken after extensive engagement.

“The solution adopted was the only option that maximised patient safety and experience, while remaining true to its commitment to providing care as close to home as possible.”

Decision came against a backdrop of health service debt and restructuring  

Since 2008 mental health services (both inpatient and community based services) in the Harrogate district have been operated by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist mental health Trust. Clinical Commissioning Groups effectively “buy” services such as inpatient mental health beds from the Trust. 

The decision to close the Briary Wing and reject the Cardale Park option came at a time of change for the Harrogate District CCG.  In November last year NHS England agreed to merge Harrogate with two other CCGs: Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby, and Scarborough and Ryedale.   

The North Yorkshire CCG was formed on April 1st 2020 – in the height of the current coronavirus crisis – with a requirement to cut 20% from its admin budget.  

This new North Yorkshire CCG will now be responsible for “buying” mental health services from TEWV for the Harrogate district. The CCG though has a projected deficit of £18m for this coming year and has proposed a £72m savings programme over the next 5 years.

The Stray Ferret put a series of question to the CCG and got the following responses: 

Will the 72 beds in York be enough? If it is full, where will inpatients from our district be sent? 

“Through the modelling undertaken we are confident that there will be enough beds at the new unit, especially given the expectation that there will be a reduction in admissions and length of stay. However, as now, it is sometimes more clinically appropriate for patients to be placed elsewhere.”

Will the newly merged CCG make its administrative and managerial cost savings, including the proposed £72m? 

“The CCG is now operating under a partnership arrangement with TEWV for mental health and learning difficulties which also includes NYCC.  The partnership is committed to delivering the mental health investment standard which ensures that investment into mental health is protected but there is acknowledgement that services need to transform and innovate to deliver improvements and meet an increasing demand for services.

“The 20% reduction in running costs applies to all CCGs and this has been achieved through the recent merger to form the North Yorkshire CCG.”

What impact will the current pandemic have on all health services and what will be prioritised as a result?

“Under the North Yorkshire Mental Health and Learning Disability Partnership, we are working jointly with TEWV to agree how the funding available is used.”

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Fiona Movley, Chairman of the Harrogate International Festivals 

With the most difficult challenges come some of the greatest opportunities.

As a charitable arts organisation with little public funding (less than 1% of turnover), the current situation calls for robust business thinking and some tough decision making.

Historically we have kept our team small, enabling us to be agile and react to change.  The team’s quick thinking has led to some imaginative changes including ‘remote Festival experiences’ via our website.  But it has meant that we have furloughed half of our staff; the remaining team working from home as they not only deliver remotely, but plan for the future and dismantle the summer programmes.

We were well ahead with reaction to Covid19. We made the difficult decision to hold back the launch of our Summer Season as major arts events were only just beginning to close down around the world. We knew early on that it was the only decision to take to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our audience and team.

Economic times are very tough but after much deliberation we decided against launching a public appeal for funds.  We will lose £850k of our income this year through cancelled events, sponsorship and fundraising as much of our income is generated from March to July. However, it is not the right time when we all have so many personal worries about health and jobs.  The time will come when your help and support will be vital to us as we move forward.

Today I appeal to you in a different way.  The support of the arts in Harrogate is vital to the future of the town.  We may have lost many events, with a knock-on effect for everyone, not least of all our local economy.  When we come back after this dreadful time, we will need your help to bring back to life the rich vibrancy that is Harrogate International Festivals.

Lives are changed for the better through arts organisations. We need the arts to help us rebuild and enrich our lives once more. Some of our work may in the future be delivered in a different way, we are all learning a great deal during this exceptional time, but when we come back in our full glory, we will need your help to spread the word to bring our audience back again.

Let’s cherish our arts organisations, nurture them, and protect them.

Find out more via HIF Player and HIF at Home, it is all free to access – www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com