Almost 4 months after overcoming coronavirus, Vicky Snook from Harrogate (pictured right) says she still has days where she feels “completely wiped out.”

” Still now I have days where I can barely do anything at all and for a time I felt quite breathless at times… I would just have to go and have a lie-down, which is not like me at all. I have also been losing my hair, which has happened to one of my friends that had it too.  I lost a stone at the time… I have got that back but not my energy, unfortunately. I’m normally a very active person but It’s just the ongoing symptoms that are bizarre, but slowly the bad days are now getting less.

Vicky went to Cheltenham races in March and 4 days after she started to display symptoms of coronavirus:

“I was never admitted to hospital at the time, and actually I have had flu much worse.. If someone asked how ill i was at the time i would say a 2/10. I was just really exhausted and had a splitting headache. I was in bed for 8 days initially  then I started to feel a lot better and I thought I’d got off quite lightly, but the after-effects have been awful.”

Read more

• Harrogate hospital reports first coronavirus death in more than two weeks
• Council Leader: Some Harrogate businesses will not survive
• Harrogate care homes near 100 deaths

While the vast majority of those who contract Covid-19 will make a full recovery, there is increasing concern about a small but significant number of patients whose symptoms persist weeks and even months after first falling ill.

The NHS has now launched a tool to aid long term recovery.

“Your COVID Recovery” will be an online portal for people in England to access tutorials, contact healthcare workers and track their progress. The project will be rolled out in two phases, with the web portal launching later this month. It will only be accessible via a personal log-in and will be available to virus patients who had to be treated in hospital, as well as to those who managed their illness at home.

Later in the summer, tailored rehabilitation will also be offered to those who qualify, following an assessment.

Strayside Sunday is our weekly political column written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party:

Not too long ago, in the early days of Boris Johnson’s recovery from Covid, our chastened PM admitted that the width of his seat was a contributory factor to the severity of his brush with the dread virus.  Brought low by the bug, he ‘for one’, was going to lose weight, and, in so doing, provide an example to the rest of us.  Echoing his Tory forebear Stormin’ Norman Tebbit, Boris implored us to get on our bikes, this time for the worthy purpose of exercise, (and greener transport) rather than in pursuit of scarce work.  Heart healthy you might say, rather than heart-less.

This week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that he is going to be paying us (or, more accurately, paying the hospitality industry for us) to dine.  We have been asked to “eat out to help out,” this an eye-catching part of his £30b emergency stimulus package for our covid-ravaged economy.  Rish the Dish has found Dosh for Nosh; up to a discount limit of £10 per head.  This does of course mean that the world has officially gone mad; we can now boast a Conservative Government so interventionist it is promoting a basic bodily function.  Whatever next; red wine with fish? White jeans after November 1st? Where will it end?

To my mind however there are serious policy issues here: Obesity and public health; and the over-reliance of the UK economy on services (and particularly hospitality).  As a nation we rank 6^th in the global obesity rankings.  As such, obesity isn’t just a risk factor for covid symptom severity, it also costs the NHS almost £10b every year to treat its deleterious health effects.  I don’t blame people for being overweight, indeed, to my chagrin, I’m carrying a few extra pounds myself.  Nor do I accept that a focus on reducing obesity is, by definition, a class-based attack on those at the bottom end of the social scale, more often caught in possession of a high Body Mass Index than the rest of us.  We simply all have to get thinner, improve our health, avoid hospitals and leave the NHS free to treat serious illnesses, seasonal flu’s and future pandemics.

On the subject of food, Harrogate’s hospitality business owners let out a huge collective sigh of relief when allowed finally to open last weekend, albeit with social distancing regimens in place alongside ersatz “be wise, sanitise!” signs.  With fingers crossed tightly that we avoid a covid second wave, I for one hope that Harrogate’s residents feel able to turn out and support our local and independent hospitality businesses.  As with hospitality venues around the UK, venues in Harrogate are at risk, and the town can ill afford to lose them.  But as we move past covid response, we must build a newly diverse and resilient local economy, one in which the current over-reliance on hospitality is addressed directly in the council town plan.

The Anglo-Irish philosopher Edmund Burke said of being an MP that “your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serves you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”  And I agree with that.  It’s my belief that by creating a public discourse in which our MP’s are expected to act simply as a megaphone for local views (nothing enrages me more than to hear the lazy “what I hear on the doorstep is…”) we diminish the quality of our national politics and impose constraints and limits on our local politics.  As such we get the mediocre politics and politicians we deserve. Rather than thinking statesmen and woman of character in parliament, and outstanding municipal leaders closer to home, we get neither.  Instead, in our apathy, we must resign ourselves to obsequious lobby fodder in Westminster and to unchecked incompetence in our councils.  We should demand more of ourselves – intellectually and practically – and of our representatives.

To that end The Stray Ferret makes a point of reporting on the activities of our two local MPs, Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Julian Smith in Ripon.  In the month of June, for example, our parliamentary representatives voted against weekly covid testing for NHS staff members and voted against legal protections and the provision of help for migrant victims of domestic abuse.  But it’s so much less interesting to know how the MPs voted than it would be to know why they did so.

Try as we might, and we have asked repeatedly, we have yet to receive any explanation of why our MPs cast their vote in the manner they did.  Were they to engage with their electorate (you, me, us), whether directly, or through this and other media outlets, in order to explain their intellectual and principled positions, then two beneficial consequences would follow;  first, we would understand better the judgements they make in our name, and, second, we would support better the decisions they make in the face of our opinions.

Harrogate Council made a decision this week when it gave final approval to its overhaul of leisure service provision, with the opposition Lib Dems voting in favour.  Their 7 votes were secured because they tabled successful amendments to the motion supporting “affordable pricing, accountability and worker’s rights.”  Who can argue with that?  And I’m all in favour of constructive opposition and pragmatism, however, as a matter of bald politics, the Lib Dems always seem to get it wrong.  Come the reckoning Councillor Pat Marsh and her well-meaning team will not be able to say that they took a position of principle – against the privatisation of the leisure we should all be encouraged to take more of for the sake both of our waistlines and long-term health – and fought it to the last.  Instead they will be complicit in Harrogate Council’s decision to place leisure provision at arms-length, as the expression makes plain, away from the body and beating heart of government where it ought to be.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

Read More:

• Council takes final vote to over-haul leisure services 
• Council leader says race comments by parish councillor are “deplorable”

Do you have anything you want to say to Paul or think there is a specific subject he should be writing about?

You can get in touch at paul@thestrayferret.co.uk

A 14-year-old from Harrogate, who hopes to become a professional racing car driver, says he can’t compete against the best in the field because of a lack of funding.

Jacob Heap, who is currently studying for his GCSE’s has been racing since he was 8. However, his hobby comes at a large price and, despite his recent successes, his family is struggling to keep up with the rising costs.

Jacob recently achieved 3rd place at the Junior Saloon Car Championship but just missed out on winning a fully funded season. Last October he entered the Ginetta Scholarship but again missed out due to not having the funds to practice and take part in the media day.

Jacob pictured in the JSCC Teenage Cancer Trust car.

Jacob currently sends between forty and fifty sponsorship proposals a day to try and get funding. He told The Stray Ferret:

“This is all I want to do. Obviously companies don’t have as much money at the moment so aren’t as open to sponsorship. It’s just really hard to get your name out there.”

Read more: 

• You can now hire low emission cars in Harrogate 
• Harrogate Town fans send cut outs to games 

Jacob’s dad has been working extra jobs on an evening and at the weekend to pay for his son’s racing but says it is getting too expensive and is desperate for sponsorship. He told The Stray Ferret:

“This is what he wants to do, it’s not just a bit of fun. He is so determined but he needs £10,000 for a years racing.”

During lockdown, Jacob has been keeping his fitness up by cycling up to 10 miles every morning during his paper round as well as doing weights and extra cardio.

Pupils and staff from Ashville College in Harrogate have been joined by a number of sportsmen and women during an online Q&A sessions.

Director of Sport at Ashville College, Dominic Bradburne, organised talks with athletes from the world of cricket, hockey, netball and rugby. Pupils then had the opportunity to ask questions about their careers.

The live sessions began with Worcestershire County Cricket Club players Ed Barnard and Pat Brown. They were followed by Bath Rugby Union players Joe Cokanasiga and Zach Mercer.

Read more: 

• St Aidan’s put forward new proposal for 3G football pitch 
• Harrogate Town await playoffs for club promotion

The students also had the opportunity to speak to England hockey players Ollie Payne and Nick Park as well as former England Netball international Anna Carter.

Nick Park currently plays hockey for England.

Director of Sport Dominic Bradburne said:

“I’d like to thank all of the sportsmen and sportswomen for participating in our question and answer sessions. The aim of the evenings is for the audience…to find out about the individuals, their careers, early influences, training programmes and future aspirations.”

He acknowledged that video conferencing is the new normal and hopes to carry on the sessions on a regular basis.

Police say a woman from Harrogate who was reported missing yesterday has been found.

Monica Webber, aged 66, was last seen in the Dragon Parade area of Harrogate. North Yorkshire Police says Ms Webber has since been found safe in Berwick.

Police thanked those who helped in the public appeal.

Read More:

• Bettys tea shop to reopen later this month
• Harrogate Hospital reports no new coronavirus deaths

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Peter Banks, the Managing Director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa and Chairman of Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association

“I opened my eyes and realised it was all a dream….”

How many of us wrote a story that finished like that when we were at primary school? I know I did and I still remember with toe curling embarrassment how proud I was…..

When I look back on the last three months it does feel “otherworldly”, the first half of March when we weren’t affected at all, but we could feel the menace creeping  towards us, China, Italy, France, London, then us. Even the weather behaved itself, a beautiful spring. It almost felt like the Golden Summer of 1914 – the last hurrah before the world we knew was changed forever.

Sadly, this isn’t a dream, it is, to quote that dreadful new cliché, the new normal. This is now reality and we need to understand and manage it as well as possible.

Every day brings new challenges. If I can review a few of the most recent it will give you a feeling of a worms eye view from the sharp end of hospitality:

1.Track and Trace. The government has failed to create a system which tracks peoples movement. Therefore they have abdicated this responsibility to hospitality operators. We have to record everyone who comes into a pub or restaurant, contact details and time of arrival. I have had to introduce a “no track and trace, no beer” rule at our pub on the Holiday Park. Guests are very disgruntled at this invasion of their liberty, argue with us, abuse us and two guests even walked out as they “felt their rights were being threatened”. Please, it’s not our fault, we’re not being nosy, we are merely following the governments instructions and trying to help limit the spread of covid.

2. VAT reduction to 5% on accommodation and food in restaurants, cafes and pubs. On the surface a fantastic boost to the Hospitality industry as we will no longer be paying 20% tax on these items, just 5%. Why did Rishi take this sector specific action. The Government guidance states:

These changes are being brought in as an urgent response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to support businesses severely affected by forced closures and social distancing measures.

I believe that he wanted to throw a lifeline to the Hospitality industry, however – how many of you, dear readers, are going to expect to have the discount passed on to you? From a straw poll I have taken – the vast majority of my guests will want a discount. Therefore this 15% VAT reduction does not help the Hospitality industry at all, we will have the same level of demand (just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean that nervous people will go to the Pub), and we will merely pass 5% of a lower price onto the government. We will make exactly the same profit (or loss more likely!). So, a plea from me – if your local chippy has not dropped their price by £1.00, or your Hotel has not decreased your room rate by 15%, please don’t give the owner or manager a hard time.

Rishi deliberately made it sector specific to help that sector, not to put money in everyone’s pockets. If he’d wanted to do that he could merely have cut income tax or national insurance. I cannot state clearly enough, there will be many hospitality businesses that will not survive this winter, (today I heard that the iconic Yorke Arms is closing as a destination Restaurant). Please help them to keep as many staff employed as possible. Every time you ask for a discount you will be increasing the number of redundancies in that business.

You will still be paying the same price as before, It actually makes no difference to you. The government is just trying to ensure that the pub will still be open in April by allowing us to keep some more VAT.

3. £1000 for every furloughed worker still in employment on January 31 2021. This is a wonderful gift for many Hospitality operators who will need every scrap of financial help they can get next winter. However, what Rishi is asking us to do is continue employing a member of staff for the next six months rather than making redundancies and receive £1000 for taking that risk.

For a seriously damaged industry like hospitality that equation doesn’t stack up. Right now every operator that I know is making “clear, reasoned decisions to save as many jobs as possible”. That is a euphemism for having to make redundancies otherwise the business will not survive. Some sectors have increased profitability in this crisis, supermarkets, logistics, some manufacturing, yet they will also receive this boon. A sector specific extension to the Furlough scheme would have been better, the money could then have gone towards helping Hospitality through to next Spring when the good times will return (I hope!).

These examples are not dreams, they look fantastical, but they are reality. Six months ago 5% VAT on accommodation was laughable.  These keep me and my fellow Hospitality leaders awake at night, trying to unscramble meanings and the future from our very cloudy crystal balls. We reopen Rudding Park Hotel (Accommodation and Restaurant only) on Monday 13^th July and I pray that I have made the right decisions and chosen the correct path.

The great news is that we are open, we have taken advantage of all of the government schemes, I have a fantastic team who have supported me through every challenge and we will be up, fighting and winning next spring when the good times come back.

We have to accept that the rules and mores that we used to work to have changed absolutely, and only those businesses that change will survive. It doesn’t matter how big and powerful you are, If you do not change you will become extinct.

The past three months has undoubtedly been the biggest leadership challenge of my  35 year career. The world has been fundamentally changed, and in my darker moments I wonder if I will ever be the same leader as I was before. That innocence of early March feels like it happened to a different person.

To quote LP Hartley in “The Go-Between” – “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there…”

We all look forward to welcoming you back to Rudding Park, and do what we enjoy, caring and looking after our guests. See you soon!

Read More:

• Rush to book beauty appointments as Harrogate district salons open
• No plans to open Nidderdale Michelin starred restaurant

Despite being allowed to move plays and performances outside as of Monday, theatres across the district have said it isn’t possible right now.

Yesterday the government announced that outdoor performances can take place with socially distanced audiences from July 11. However, theatre groups across the district have said it would not be possible due to cost and rehearsal time.

The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society is hoping to start rehearsals for its upcoming production of Chicago but says that an outdoor production wouldn’t be feasible.

Read more: 

• Pateley Playhouse loses years worth of funds 
• Harrogate Theatre awarded grant to help it survive 

Phill Ruddy, director and choreographer for the society said:

“I think it’s a bit wider than the time needed and cost, we don’t have places in Harrogate where we could do open air performances. We are charities and we can’t spend twenty grand on an outdoor venue.”

The Ripon Amateur Operatic Society was due to perform Oliver at Harrogate Theatre back in April.

Similarly, the Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society has suspended all its performances with no set date to reopen. However, the president of the society Ruth Dodsworth said it is considering doing a ghost walk but everything is up in the air.

She said:

“We would like to do something if possible in order to keep everyone interested and aware that things are still going ahead. We would like to do outdoor productions but it is such a long process.”

Bettys will open its Harrogate tea rooms on Monday, July 27 and you won’t need to book in advance to get a table.

It will be a slightly different experience for visitors in order to maintain social distancing. The cafe will also be offering a reduced menu.

Bettys said it will still aim to make sure the experience is “just as lovely as people remember”.

Bettys has announced its reopening date for later this month.

Read more:

• Harrogate cafes have come up with a number of ways to implement track and trace. 
• Restaurants in the district were cautious to welcome the Chancellor’s measures to aid hospitality. 

Harlow Carr will follow, with a re-opening date set for Monday, August 3.

“I was thrilled to hear the announcement, our club has been actively involved in the Swim England Open Our Pools campaign so we are delighted. Our club has been doing all we can to ensure that our divers can return to training safely.

“All of our club members are competitive divers and were training for competitions pre-covid. Some of them have trained every week for years in preparation for these competitions, it’s a huge part of their life. Understandably it has been hard for a lot of our divers for this to suddenly stop. Like the rest of the country we are embracing a new normal.”

Swimming classes will look a little different as safety measures are implemented.

“We will be starting to make plans but we still have a lot of work to do including following all the guidelines. We’ll be starting very small to get confident, for example we’ll have to reduce the class sizes to 1-2-1s and 1-2-2s just to make it safe. Those that can swim 25m and be left alone can return to their lessons. We are all very excited to get back to teaching.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Council gives backing to had over control of local leisure services to a new company. 
• Ripon school swimmer finds an innovative way to continue her training over lockdown. 

Harrogate Borough Council, who operate the majority of swimming pools in the district, said:

“We’re delighted the government has advised it is safe for leisure facilities to open from 25 July. Customer safety comes first. So we’re busy working on new guidance as well as staff training and cleaning procedures. We’ll have more news in the coming days of what facilities will open and when.”

Beauty salons, tattooists and tanning salons now have the green light to reopen from Monday 13 July but some types of beauty work are still banned.

Treatments that involve work directly in front of the face such as facial waxing, eyelashes, make-up application and facial treatments are not allowed due to the much greater risk of transmission.

The Stray Ferret has been speaking to some local beauty businesses who still won’t be able to re-open on Monday.

Anna Jones, Owner of Harrogate Electrolysis

Anna Jones who is the proprietor of Harrogate electrolysis said she feels “very hard done too.”

“I specialise in permanent hair removal and 95% of my work is facial so there’s just no way I can re-open. I felt totally deflated yesterday and  I think it’s very unfair, as medical procedures such as facial aesthetic work can resume as they deem that as a ‘sterile and clinical environment’ but what I do is no different. I have always worn PPE and I work in a totally hygenic way but yet I am still in the beauty bracket rather than medical… I just feel left in the lurch.

“I’m hoping that by august we will get open, but to totally rule out facial treatments is just ridiculous. If they actually knew the figures, the bread and butter of the industry is facial- more needs to be done to help the beauty industry.”

Charlotte Wilson, Owner of CW Artistry

Charlotte Wilson who owns CW Artistry in Harrogate also feels ‘furious and upset’ by the restrictions.

“I am a makeup artist and lash technician so 100% of my work is facial… I feel annoyed as people are able to get on a flight and go to a pub, yet I can’t open even though I have a medical level of PPE and know it’s a safe environment. I initially thought I would be able to open at the same time as hairdressers so I had provisionally booked my clients in and I had a full diary for three weeks, but then when beauty was given the green light and i still can’t open its pretty devastating.”

Read more:

• Harrogate ODEON gives date to reopen
• Rush to book beauty appointments at Harrogate Salons

Charlotte who is 25 started her beauty business in January 2019:

“Financially its been terrible. I have had no help as I’ve not been self-employed long enough and I still live with my parents.  I am hoping my clients will come back, but I can’t see the makeup side of my business being very busy as a lot of my work is weddings and there just isn’t any going ahead and also people aren’t going out to events every weekend so they have no reason to get party makeup.”