Firefighters across the Harrogate district held a minute silence today at 12pm as part of an international effort to remember their fallen colleagues.

Members of the Blue Watch in Ripon and the Green Watch in Harrogate stood outside their bases today to pay their respects.

In total 48 patients have died of coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital since the outbreak began.

Today’s figures show a further 327 people, who tested positive for the Coronavirus have died in England- that’s below yesterdays figure of 370 and brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths to 21,180.

Patients were aged between 46 and 101 years old. 17 of the 327 patients had no known underlying health condition.

Last week, for the first time, data was released to show the number of deaths in care homes and other areas of the community in patients with suspected Covid-19. In the Harrogate district, 22 people are reported to have died with symptoms of the virus up to April 17th.

St Aidan’s CoE High School in Harrogate has created a virtual performance of “King of Kings” by Yorkshire songwriter Jarrod Cooper.

The uplifting production includes 64 current and former members of the St Aidan’s chamber choir.

A spokesperson from the school told the Stray Ferret:

” During the extraordinary locked-down days of April 2020, we have decided to create a virtual choir performance to the hugely popular worship song. “King of Kings” features regularly in our collective worship at St Aidan’s and is truly an Aidan’s Anthem! “

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

The hard work of NHS staff is being recognised with a piece of community artwork on Otley Road in Harrogate.

Railings at the junction with Harlow Moor Road have been decorated with blue ribbons, a yellow heart and the letters NHS in tribute to those saving lives around the country.

Andrew High, who put the ribbons onto the railings, said he wants members of the community to add their own decorations too. He said:

“If you’ve got family who have been treated, or people you know who work for the NHS, it doesn’t matter. In your own little way, just attach your bit of string or ribbon – whatever you have to hand.

“It will be nice to see more ribbons attached to it so we feel part of something. There are a few more slowly appearing.”

New ribbons are already being added to the railings by members of the community

Andrew was also the mastermind behind the decorations put up on Otley Road for the UCI Road World Championships last year. A member of the congregation at Harlow Hill Methodist Church, which was open every day for the community to gather and watch the cycling, he wanted to draw attention to the stretch of road which was a prominent feature in the racing routes throughout the week.

As well as the UCi colours in ribbons around the trees and benches, Andrew put lettering on the railings at the junction spelling out “Harlow Hill”, “Welcome” and “Yorkshire”. He said:

“I had planned this year to do the Olympic rings and every time someone from Yorkshire got a medal, I was going to put a gold, silver or bronze medal on with their name on. Of course, that hasn’t happened.

I thought it would be nice for the NHS to go up and people to add their own little bits. After the UCI, there was a nice feeling among the hill that we had joined together. That was an enjoyable experience. This isn’t, but it is nice to know we’re a community and people are thinking of and looking out for each other.”

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

Eurovision 2020 may not appear on our televisions as we know it this year, however, thanks to Tom Taylor, former Ashville College pupil and now local comedian, there will be a star-studded “Isolation Song Contest.”

This will be the first of its kind and will include many famous faces from the world of entertainment, including Mel Giedroyc, Divina de Campo, Nick Helm, Tim Vine, Måns Zelmerlöw, Josie Long and Neil Hannon.

Each act was randomly assigned a country and has been given one week to compose an original Eurovision-style entry and music video for that nation before the Isolation Song Contest.

The finale is to be shown online at 8pm on tonight, and all money raised will go to three national charities – The Trussell Trust, Crisis and Refuge.

Tom Taylor told the Stray Ferret:

“I am working every hour to get the show ready. On the night I’ll be launching the contest and then handing over to ‘special guests’ who will introduce each act ahead of their isolation performance.

All the songs are original compositions, and I must say on the whole they are very good. As well as it being a fun show that people can enjoy from the comfort of their own homes it is great to be able to raise money for such worthy charities.”

To donate, visit www.isolationsongcontest.com where you will also find a link to watch the show.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRC) will remain closed in North Yorkshire, despite several around the country re-opening this weekend.

North Yorkshire County Council said it is still working on the safest way for its tips to re-open, including the two in Harrogate and one in Ripon, despite growing demand from the public and concerns that a lack of the facility may lead to fly-tipping.

The decision to keep the gates closed has been challenged by Coun Geoff Webber, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on NYCC. He said:

“I fail to understand how people are expected to calculate sufficiency of storage space when we can’t tell them when the tips will reopen. Furthermore it seems to me completely unreasonable to ask people who are mainly confined to home not to generate waste through DIY or gardening.

Compliance with current regulations relies on the public acceptance that the regulations are reasonable and I fear that the County Council’s current position is far from that.”

Around the UK, other local authorities including Greater Manchester have re-opened their waste and recycling centres, after the local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, told the House of Commons on Tuesday that he expected tips to be open “within weeks”.

‘Cut non-essential travel’

Ian Fielding, NYCC’s assistant director for waste management, said:

“As it stands our household waste recycling centres remain closed for public safety and to cut non-essential travel but we will open them as soon as we can. The government are indicating that sites can reopen where they can be operated safely, and are preparing guidance for local authorities on how this might work in practice.

“We are considering how and when we might be able to open our sites, and operate them without putting staff or the public at risk. Before making a decision, we want to ensure that we have addressed all potential challenges regarding social distancing and traffic management but it is probable that not all sites will open initially, and it is likely that there will be significant restrictions on their use.”

Mr Fielding said the decision to close was made alongside other local authorities in England and NYCC was working hard to get the HWRCs open again as soon as possible.

While the tips remain closed, he urged people not to create additional waste and reminded the public that fly tipping carries legal penalties:  

“During this lockdown period we are asking people to minimise their waste as much as possible. For instance, please do not begin DIY or gardening projects if you don’t have space to store that waste until the HWRCs are able to reopen.

“Do not be tempted to fly tip. It is an offence punishable by fines or imprisonment and offenders will be prosecuted.”

Two Harrogate-based contractors have questioned why the council is bringing in contractors from Lancashire to restore the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council this week outlined details of its £130,000 plan to be carried out by Glendale Services, from Chorley.

Representatives from HACS Construction Group and Ray Skelton, firms with significant experience in groundworks and landscaping, wanted the council to look closer to home at a time when many are struggling financially.

Mark Smith, from HACS, told the Stray Ferret that he is “absolutely disgusted”  that the council did not ask local firms to tender for the work.

“They are bringing in workers from Chorley in Lancashire and not supporting local firms. 70% of my staff are furloughed and I have all the equipment to do the work. It’s a disgrace. Local firms should have had the opportunity to price for the main work – the only thing I was asked to price for was the corner work”

They feel that part of the problem with the UCI Championships last year was because the organisers did not understand that the Stray is more than a patch of grass to the residents of Harrogate. Stuart Skelton also said that the council did not ask his firm to tender for the work.

“How do they know if it’s best value? Why get a company outside Harrogate? A local firm understands how important the Stray is to the town.”

The Stray Ferret took these concerns to Harrogate Borough Council. The council responded by saying it welcomes any local businesses that wish to join its database and sent us information about how to register as a supplier.

Both companies pointed out that they have been doing work for the council for decades.

Will the year-long restoration be enough?

HACS Construction and the Stray Defence Association have also questioned whether the restoration, which is estimated to be complete a year after the UCI, will be a long term solution.

Mr Smith told the Stray Ferret that, before any re-seeding, the main area of West Park Stray that was damaged needs to be properly drained.

He has also warned that what’s being done is “cosmetic” and any big event held thereafter next year could see a repeat of the problem. He outlined what he felt needs to be done:

• £150,000 to drain the main area of the Stray that is damaged
• £60,000 to replace the topsoil
• £10,000 to reseed
• £8,000 for aeration
• £34,000 a year to dress the area in round particle sports sand

The Stray Defence Association has made a statement in which it questions whether the work will be enough:

“After seven months without use of West Park Stray, eight if you include the usage by the UCI, we are pleased that at long last something appears to be happening after many weeks of spring weather when, surely,  work could have begun. Whether what is planned will be both proficient and sufficient remains to be seen. We were told initially that the ‘drainage issues’ were going to be resolved prior to any restoration. Has this in fact been done or will the Stray be dug up again for future work?

“Also, other experts have given details of much more complex renovations which they believe should be undertaken. Will our Stray actually be properly restored? This was a clearly stipulated condition, asked for by the SDA and granted, when the government agreed to the Stray being used for this event last year. Whatever the case Harrogate’s people, to whom the Stray belongs, must be told the truth.”

Captain Tom Moore has been appointed Honorary Colonel Officer of Harrogate AFC to mark his 100th birthday.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hall MBE YORKS, Commanding Officer of AFC Harrogate, welcomes Colonel Tom into his new role. He told the Stray Ferret that he couldn’t think of a better role model to champion the college:

“Getting our soldiers to understand the core of the army is something we really focus on… and now we have this shining beacon of selflessness and courage to act as a role model… He really is a phenomenal person.”