In the painting of the honorary colonel (who we learnt today is become, Captain Sir Tom Moore) is surrounded by a rainbow.

Artist, Neil J Arms from Cumbria, is the man behind the work of art. He told the Stray Ferret:

I have been an artist for 33 years but this is my probably my proudest piece of work ever…When I found out that Captain Tom Moore was the Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College, I decided that would be the perfect place for the painting to be hung.”

Mr Arms, along with his two daughters, travelled from their home in Cumbria to deliver the painting to the AFC this morning.

Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hall was there to receive the painting. He said:

Were delighted to be able to take receipt delivery of a painting of Col Tom Moore. We say it taking place of pride in the college forevermore… We are hoping he can virtually visit the college soon and when that time comes we will do a formal unveiling of it for him.

Mr Arms has raised £712 through a Just Giving page for NHS charities.

Independent traders in Harrogate have warned council chiefs to “stop playing poker” with the town centre and put the local economy first as it faces a crisis.

In a mission statement posted to local politicians and business chiefs, Independent Harrogate set out its stall and called for cheaper car parking, cleaner streets and better public transport.

It also called for a park and ride system, better rail links and for the town to be marketed to prestigious retailers in order to thrive again.

Among the issues the trade group said the town faced was a drop in footfall, a loss of independent shops, high cost of trading and lack of people coming into the town centre.

Independent Harrogate said the High Street had already seen national retailers such as H&M leave and now independents were following due to high rates and rents above the national average.

It warned that the town is in a “very delicate” state and any ill-conceived plans would “risk terminal damage” to the economy.

In order to address these problems, it said the town needed better access, an increase in appeal and regeneration in order to bring back the footfall.

The statement said: 

“HBC and NYCC officially adopted the Harrogate District Local Plan in March 2020.This plan was first drafted in 2014, in a time before Harrogate felt the full effects of the national damage to the High Street, and before COVID-19.The plan proposes far-reaching changes to Harrogate including increased pedestrianisation, the reduction of car traffic and an increase in cycle access

“Independent Harrogate is broadly in favour of many of these initiatives in the longer term. Who could not fail to be enthused by the images of al fresco dining, tree-lined streets and grand gateways? Our 200 members also worry about climate change and increasing pollution and would in due course like to see substantial changes, but they do so against the hard reality of running profitable businesses which are the lifeblood of the community where we all live and work. Everyone needs to understand that Harrogate has no guaranteed right to survive, let alone reclaim its place as a jewel in Yorkshire’s crown; any reduction of access to the town centre in the short term is suicidal.

“As Independent Harrogate has long warned, there is a crisis in Harrogate town centre. We urge both HBC and NYCC to stop playing poker with their precious asset, to listen to their business rate payers and to address the damaged fundamentals of Harrogate before proceeding with their long-term vision; and then do so in consultation with Independent Harrogate’s members and all businesses who trade there.”

Who will be running the Ripon’s refurbished and extended Leisure Centre when it eventually opens?

The question arises, with construction workers back in force at the Dallamires Lane site, where a swimming pool will be part of the £10m leisure complex commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council.

The council is currently consulting on the possibility of creating a Local Authority Controlled Company or LACC, to run leisure facilities that it owns.

As reported by The Stray Ferret, Ripon Leisure Centre is among the council-owned facilities that would be run by the LACC, if the money-saving proposals go ahead, meaning that staff currently employed directly by the local authority would transfer to the new arm’s-length company – a move which Unison’s Harrogate Local Government Branch says raises concerns about jobs and the terms and conditions that would apply to employees.

The council declined to comment when approached about Unison’s concerns.

Ripon’s new six-lane 25 metre swimming pool will replace the city’s Edwardian Spa Baths, that opened in 1905. It will be part of an extended leisure centre (see artist’s impression above) with new changing rooms, community areas, two dance studios and a ‘spin’ studio. Outside, there will be new play areas, a reconfigured car park and sheltered cycle rack.

Following a shut-down caused by the coronavirus crisis, approximately 30 workers, including management, have been back on site since 30th April and Nick Corrigan, operations director for principal contractor Willmott Dixon, said:

“Work started safely in accordance with public health guidelines and adhering to the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures, to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone on site.”

Last week, construction was among the sectors for which the government encouraged workers to resume work, as it revised its lockdown guidance.

Construction sites have to be operated following strict procedures including travel to work, site access and egress, social distancing of employees, hygiene, use of canteens and toilet facilities.

The RHS Chelsea flower has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two.

Instead there will be a virtual flower show about “sharing gardening knowledge” which will go online to the public tomorrow.

With this in mind, The Stray Ferret gained access to the RHS garden at Harlow Carr to provide a virtual tour of the secret paradise that lies behind closed doors.

The number of coronavirus deaths in Harrogate’s care homes is still rising and is close to overtaking the number of deaths in the hospital.

New weekly data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that there have been 51 deaths in Harrogate’s care homes up to May 8.

During the same time period up to May 8, the Harrogate’s hospital has reported 56 deaths.

Harrogate District Hospital has been reporting fewer deaths each week with more days at a time now where the hospital does not report any deaths.

In contrast, care homes in Harrogate are reporting more coronavirus deaths each week.

A cumulative comparison of coronavirus deaths in care homes compared to coronavirus deaths in the hospital. Source: ONS

The Stray Ferret has produced a graph to illustrate the rise in care home coronavirus deaths in comparison to those in Harrogate District Hospital.

The graph only includes deaths where the cause of death is coronavirus. It does not include deaths where coronavirus is involved as that data is not in the same time frame.

To help care homes cope with the increasing demand caused by coronavirus, North Yorkshire County Council has launched a welfare checklist service.

The council will support struggling care homes with staffing, PPE, infection control, safe hospital discharge, and more.

North Yorkshire’s highways chief has defended a council decision to widen pavements in Harrogate district town centres and said the measures are only temporary after criticism from some traders and on social media.

Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, said the measures are designed to help social distancing and not to discourage shoppers.

The authority placed cones out to widen pavements and restrict parking in Harrogate on James Street, Commercial Street and parts of Albert Street and elsewhere in the district.

After questions over why only some streets had cones, Councillor Mackenzie said the measures were implemented to target “pinch points” where footpaths were too narrow and needed to be widened to comply with two metre social distancing guidelines.

He added that, while the order that covers the restrictions is in place until September, it could be lifted before then if national guidance allows.

Councillor Mackenzie said: “The restrictions are only temporary and once we are past this pandemic the bollards will be taken down.

“They are not to stop people from coming into the town. We have had support for these measures.”

He added that he has asked council officers to look into a web facility where people can suggest other streets which the authority should look at.

It comes as the restrictions were met with fierce criticism on social media and had mixed reactions from trade bodies which represent businesses in Harrogate.

Harrogate BID welcomed the news but called for clear parking signage for drivers, but Independent Harrogate said it was disappointed with the measures and urged the county council to rethink its decision.

On Facebook, the move was criticised by residents and described as a “waste of money” and “totally unnecessary”. Others said the widening of pavements was reasonable and had been implemented elsewhere in the UK.

Meanwhile, the restrictions have been removed from Pateley Bridge after the measures caused problems with traffic.

The new measures caused problems with traffic in Pateley Bridge this past weekend.

Cones were put in place up the town’s High Street but caused issues on the already narrow street, including forcing an ambulance to reverse in order for traffic to pass.

Keith Tordoff, chairman of the Nidderdale Chamber of Trade and local business owner in the town, said the restrictions were “ill thought through” and “caused havoc”.

“Everybody knew it was going to cause problems,” he said.

“It made Pateley Bridge look busier than it was. It clearly was never going to work.”

North Yorkshire County Council will reopen a further five household waste recycling centres, including one in Ripon.

The Ripon recycling centre on Dallamires Lane will reopen tomorrow along with others in Malton, Northallerton, Tadcaster and Wombleton.

It comes after the council opened a further 14 waste recycling centres earlier this month. Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate was particularly busy with queues.

The council closed its 20 recycling centres temporarily in March. The Harrogate Stonefall centre will be the only centre to remain closed.

North Yorkshire County Council has said that it cannot the Harrogate Stonefall recycling centre just yet because of difficulties managing highway safety.

Councillor Andrew Lee, the Executive Member for Waste Management, said:

“It is great to see all but one of the sites reopening, and I would like to thank the North Yorkshire residents for their understanding, and for playing their part by continuing to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly and only visiting the sites when they can’t store their waste at home. All the sites that have reopened so far have been managed well by our contractor Yorwaste with new controls to keep the public and staff safe. We would like to remind residents that we are currently unable to accept trailers or commercial customers at any of the sites.”

Residents in the Harrogate district have had a debate online over parking restrictions put in place in town centres to enable social distancing.

People took to social media to comment on the issue, with some saying it was “totally unnecessary” while others said it was reasonable.

North Yorkshire County Council has put the restrictions in place on James Street, Commercial Street and parts of Albert Street in Harrogate and elsewhere in the district.

Council officials said the measures are designed to enable social distancing and will be in place for four months. The authority also confirmed on Twitter that the parking bays will be closed on the weekend.

But some people in the district said they were concerned that the restrictions would impact local business in town centres.

https://www.facebook.com/thestrayferret/posts/162157935326361?__xts__[0]=68.ARBBdf1Z0FHLvEo5aG9ouY8dafRhQ0V2W-UuvDau15eY1aKD1yu8IPkN187prl8LlYrZycdXv9Yw-Bf2faGFegJwNNicoWBaEiTmpnnBjpbtaog5YRTUodsTFLByDOTch4LmlXs9aQ_nR3YH1MGikcspY049FCk_bwi_O-ADx1mBg42dJoyFdvRw3wXI9LXnEty9JoLUtW1k2joBubN51OIP5A4tfFQ8Tk8hEq72XIL70LkFDC5nd1aAmW8aNmlRNR0ZEH2DYlaUCEDkXuEY7nab2FPoljCcRtuMZPLQ9XRa4_-L34J2bnUykWdpWmdclt2EMNjdpeseum_OWmv51gU&__tn__=-R

On Facebook, Sara Spencer said: “It seems to me that it is now acknowledged that the chances of catching it outside are negligible. This is therefore totally unnecessary. It is just an excuse to effectively pedestrianise the road and damage businesses even more.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Bellamy said: “Totally stupid action and a waste of money and time by the council.”

Robin Irwin said: “Absolute lunacy. Public know the risks, we should trust them more instead of totally killing our economy. Last one out turn off the lights.”

Others said the restrictions were reasonable and would be eased in time. Dave Hay said on Facebook that the measures have been put in place elsewhere in the UK.

He said: “A host of towns and cities around the UK have done the same. Seems quite reasonable. Others have included pop up cycle lanes too. The added width and bike lanes are allowing people to get a bit of exercise where most shops are still closed. I’m sure they’ll ease off when shops reopen.”

The restrictions have also been put in place in Knaresborough High Street, Pateley Bridge High Street and Ripon High Street and Skellgate have been reduced in width to a single lane.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of NYCC, said in a message to residents:

“We are doing our best to limit crowds in those places where lack of space is particularly concerning such as Whitby, Filey, Scarborough and Harrogate.

“We are closing a number of streets, shutting certain car parks and suspending parking in a number of areas. We will also have highways crews looking out for any issues of concern over the weekend and ready to take the action open to us, to respond.”

Harrogate District Hospital has, for the first time in five days, reported that one of its coronavirus patients has died.

The total number of deaths is now at 55. The figures released today showed that the patient died on Thursday last week.

A further 122 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of England’s hospital deaths to 24,739.

The number of deaths outside of hospitals will be released tomorrow. As of last week, ONS data up to May 1 includes 54 deaths.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust confirmed last Thursday it had discharged 97 people after treatment for coronavirus.

More trains and buses are taking people in the Harrogate district back to work as the government starts to ease the lockdown.

The government has told people to cycle or drive to work but for some, trains or buses are the only viable option.

Both the train and bus stations in Harrogate were relatively quiet this morning compared to the busy commuter days before the lockdown.

Public transport companies are now, however, introducing new timetables to get the country moving once again.

Northern has said its new timetable will see additional services on some routes, but overall capacity on trains will be significantly reduced.

Commuters have been urged to maintain social distancing where possible, wash hands before and after travel and, if possible, wear a face covering.

The train company will also continue to support social distancing and enhanced cleaning of touch points at stations and on trains.

A spokesperson for Northern said: “Due to social distancing, there will be significantly reduced capacity on each and every one of our trains.We’re therefore calling on people to help us keep the railway clear for those who need it most and to only take the train if there’s no other way to travel. Those customers who have to travel by train should plan ahead, check the new timetable, and consider whether journeys are absolutely essential.”

The Harrogate Bus Company has not yet revealed details of a new timetable but has said that it will be putting more buses on the road.

It has launched a survey that will “help shape the future of bus travel to help them “get this right.”

Were you one of the few people who took a train or bus to work this morning? Get in touch with the team by sending us an email.