Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which organises the Great Yorkshire Show, faces a £2m loss this year.
The farming charity, which was founded in 1837, may have to shed staff to cope with the ongoing impact of covid, which has decimated the number of events it can stage.
The society’s income for the financial year ending 31 December 2019 was £11.9m. It has risen every year since 2015, when it was £9m.
But chief executive Nigel Pulling told the Stray Ferret he expected income to be £2m down this year. He said:
“We are looking at reducing our costs and waiting for everything to improve.
“We have about £5m in the bank but we are losing money at a rapid rate.”
Mr Pulling’s comments further illustrate how strongly the effects of covid on the events and conference sector were being felt in Harrogate.
Last month Harrogate events company Joe Manby Ltd folded after 46 years.
The showground usually hosts 700 events a year, with the three-day Great Yorkshire Show by far the biggest.
But Mr Pulling, who has led the society since 2002, said it was operating at “well below 10 per cent” of capacity at the moment.
A rare bright note came yesterday when it was revealed the spring flower show is due to go ahead, albeit with a vastly reduced capacity.
Mr Pulling said the society had been “comparatively well financed” since it sold land to Sainsbury’s for about £15m in the early 1990s.
But an £11m refurbishment of the Yorkshire Event Centre, completed in 2016, put a dent in its finances even though the project had been well received.
Mr Pulling said the first quarter of 2021 “doesn’t look good” but the second quarter was the crucial period for the events sector. Next year, he said, was “up for grabs”.
He said the society still planned to stage the Great Yorkshire Show next summer, adding:
“But it’s too early to be specific about what it will look like.”
The society employed about 100 staff pre-covid. Mr Pulling said this figure had reduced by fewer than 20 due to natural wastage but it had to look at reducing costs further. He said:
“It has been devastating to see the effects covid has had for everyone – and the events industry has been among the hardest hit.”
Harrogate district businesses urged to give leftover food to needy
Shops and restaurants in the Harrogate district that will close this week due to lockdown are being urged to donate their leftover food to needy people.
Resurrected Bites, a not-for-profit group that aims to fill bellies not bins, provided weekly food parcels for 1,350 people in October.
It now hopes to generate enough donations to help vulnerable people during the second lockdown, which starts on Thursday.
Knaresborough businesses Mother Shipton’s Cave and Scarlett’s Vintage Tea Rooms have already donated food.
Michelle Hayes, director of Resurrected Bites, told the Stray Ferret:
“The vulnerable people we have helped already have called us a life-saver. Businesses will be sad that they have to close but they are happy to help.
“At the moment we have around 180 people on our system that we help. Many were worried about the end of furlough so are happy that it will continue for a month.”
When the March lockdown started, Resurrected Bites closed its cafes at St Mark’s Church in Harrogate and Gracious Street Methodist Church in Knaresborough and instead delivered food to those in need.
While it is still delivering food to those in need, its cafes will remain closed. The charity expects its cafes will remain closed until Easter next year.
Businesses wanting to help can email Ms Hayes by clicking or tapping here.
Harrogate spring flower show set to go ahead in 2021The organisers of the Harrogate Flower Shows have said the spring event will go ahead in April but with visitor numbers reduced by two thirds.
The spring show usually attracts 60,000 visitors over four days and provides a major boost to the district’s hotels, bars and restaurants.
However, numbers will be limited to 5,000 people a day over the four days, which means the event will only attract about a third of its usual footfall.
The North of England Horticultural Society usually stages spring and autumn flower shows at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate but this year’s autumn event was cancelled.
But it has introduced measures that it says will adapt the spring show to covid-safe guidelines.
This means visitor numbers have been limited and all tickets have to be bought online in advance.
A spokesperson for the North of England Horticultural Society, said the many acres of space at the showground meant the event could be adapted to meet covid requirements. The spokesperson added:
“If the situation improves in the New Year, as many top advisers have indicated they expect, then we can adapt again to take advantage of any improvements.”
Visitors will be allowed to attend in two timed sessions each day.
The event is due to take place from April 22 to April 25.
The society said it was aware government policies may change, forcing the event to be cancelled, and that it would work with partners to adapt to any changes.
The pring event — called Spring Essentials — will showcase gardens and nurseries and include live theatre.
Trial awaits woman, 72, accused of cannabis production in HarrogateA 72-year-old former guest-house owner is to face trial after she denied cannabis production.
Yoko Banks, of Scargill Road, Harrogate, appeared at York Crown Court yesterday to face three charges.
The alleged offences took place at properties in Harrogate, where cannabis grows were discovered by police in September.
Banks pleaded not guilty to being concerned in the production of a Class B drug. Judge Sean Morris adjourned the case for a trial starting on March 2 next year.
Lockdown ‘at worst possible time for retail’ says Harrogate bookshop
Lockdown will come at the “worst possible time for retail”, according to the owner of an independent bookshop in Harrogate.
Georgia Eckert, of Imagined Things Bookshop in Westminster Arcade, said she usually took a third of her annual takings in the eight-week run-up to Christmas.
Ms Eckert said she understood the government’s need to act but questioned how little time businesses had to prepare for the change.
“It’s come at the the worst time for retail. I know there is a lot of uncertainty but we didn’t have any time to plan for it.
“The government had said for ages there wouldn’t be another national lockdown.”
Ms Eckert is due to give birth in March and had recently extended her staff team from one to three. She said:
“I’m relieved the furlough scheme will continue. I just hope we can reopen in December but even if we can there is a limit to how many people we can have in the shop due to social distancing.”
Ms Eckert said her business would “do everything it can” to survive, by providing click and collect, home deliveries and developing its website.
Being a former NHS employee, Ms Eckert said she understood action had to be taken to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed. She added:
“Let’s hope business will bounce back strongly but we have to get through this first.”
Harrogate district golf clubs fight month-long closureHarrogate district golf clubs will fight the government’s enforced one-month closure.
Clubs in Harrogate and Ripon believe golfers have been able to play safely in recent months and should be allowed to continue to do so.
They have the backing of England Golf, the governing body for amateur golf, which is in talks with the government.
Catherine Grant, who is responsible for marketing and events at Oakdale Golf Club in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:
“We could keep the clubhouse closed and just have two golfers playing together to make it even more safe. This has been a difficult year and another month of closure would be tough for us financially.”
Paul Spence, who works in administration at Ripon City Golf Club, said:
“I can see the arguments either way but I think that golf courses are quite safe. A lot of our golfers are in the older age group and this is one of the few places where they can see their friends in a safe way.”
Jeremy Tomlinson, chief executive of England Golf, has written an open letter to the government saying it will “respectfully challenge the government’s rationale”. It says:
“It is our sincere belief that it is counter-productive to shut down a healthy pursuit. Golf naturally lends itself to social distancing in the open air.”
Golf returned on May 13 after the first coronavirus lockdown but this new lockdown will stop play again on Thursday.
Sixty three new covid cases in Harrogate district over the past 24 hoursToday’s official UK Government figures of 63 new cases in the district brings the total number of people who have tested positive for covid since the start of the pandemic to 2,502.
There were no recorded deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital today. According to NHS England figures, the total number of deaths at the hospital stands at 88.
The England wide lockdown announced over the weekend means all non-essential shops, hospitality and beauty salons will once again have to close until December 2 causing dismay amongst many of the districts retailers. Garden centres though and RHS Harlow Carr are to remain open.
The Prime Minister has said he hoped these restrictions would curb the infection rate to allow people to see their families in time for Christmas.
People in Harrogate are rushing to get hairdressing appointments before lockdown begins on Thursday.
Some salons are extending their hours to fit in as many clients as possible before non-essential businesses are forced to close on Thursday.
Joseph Ferraro, owner of Joseph Ferraro hair salon in Harrogate, said:
“The phone just hasn’t stoped since the weekend. I’ve had to bring staff in for extra hours to fit all of our clients in.
“I’m feeling more angry than nervous. It is dangerous for businesses to have another lockdown. My business will be able to get through this but some will be struggling.
“The furlough system is great for paying my staff but it won’t cover the other bills.”
Hairdressers were among the last to reopen after the first lockdown. Salons had to introduce safety measures, such as mask wearing for clients and staff, sanitising stations and perspex screens.
Olivia Mitchell, the owner of BeBaBo on Cold Bath Road, is usually closed on Monday but opened today to meet demand.
“I think the lockdown may be longer than December 2. But I feel calmer this time: we have a blueprint to follow from the first lockdown, which will help us.
“All we can do is look to the government for additional help. I just hope that if it is a longer lockdown that they can keep that support going.”
Terry Sowerby, who co-owns the Baroque salons in Harrogate and Ripon, said:
Gardens centres and RHS Harlow Carr will stay open“It’s been challenging trying to fit everyone in over the coming days. I am not happy at all, I understand we are within a pandemic but we’ve spent thousands making our salons safe so it is frustrating. But we have to do it to reduce the virus.”
Garden centres in the Harrogate district and RHS Harlow Carr will remain open during the second national coronavirus lockdown.
The lockdown will start on Thursday and last until at least December 2, with non essential shops and restaurants forced to close.
However, RHS Harlow Carr, which has its own garden centre, says it has reviewed government guidance and that it can stay open.
The RHS has said it is monitoring the situation closely and is awaiting the publication of the new lockdown regulations
To effectively manage social distancing measure the RHS has asked all visitors to pre-book a time slot in advance.
The National Trust meanwhile has tweeted that it is still awaiting for national guidance as to whether Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal can stay open.
Please note that there will be very limited access to the abbey on 3&4 Nov. The water garden, cafe, shop, play area & deer park are still open and can be accessed from the visitor centre.
Beyond Wednesday, we're awaiting national guidance on opening. Please bear with us for now. pic.twitter.com/hogCOkqMVi— Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, National Trust (@fountainsabbey) November 2, 2020
Garden centres across the district will also remain open.
Crimple Hall Garden Centre, on Leeds Road in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret it will remain open. While the cafe will be closed it will serve takeaway hot drinks, sandwiches and cakes.
F. Tate and Sons, a garden centre in Ripon, also told the Stray Ferret that it will stay open. It will need to close its new cafe but is looking into providing takeaway food and drink as well.
Daleside Nurseries Ltd, in Killinghall, has also confirmed that it will remain open and said it is continuing to work in coronavirus safe ways. It will run a takeaway service.
Andrew Jones MP criticised for lockdown U-turnLocal Liberal Democrats have asked how Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones could support the national lockdown “with a straight face” after recently speaking out against the move.
Mr Jones said on October 20 “a blanket national lockdown is wrong and local interventions are what we need now to tackle this crisis”.
Two days later he said businesses in his constituency were worried about the impact of the district being moved into tier two.
But on Wednesday he is set to vote with the government on introducing a national lockdown from Thursday.
Geoff Webber, the Liberal Democrat group leader on North Yorkshire County Council, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said:
“How can he roll back from that so soon with a straight face? Foresight is in his job description; seven months on he and his party shouldn’t be waiting until breaking point to respond to the crisis.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to tell MPs today that covid deaths over the winter could be twice as bad as those in spring if the lockdown isn’t implemented.
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones if he still supported a blanket ban and which way he intended to vote.
Mr Jones once again chose not to respond to the Stray Ferret, although we are aware he has spoken to other publications on this issue.