Venues call for recruits as outdoor dining hots up

Hotels and restaurants in the Harrogate district are hiring new staff as bookings roll in ahead of the reopening tomorrow.

As of April 12, hospitality venues are allowed to open their outdoor seating areas, with many already fully booked.

During the pandemic the hospitality industry took a large hit, with forced closures spanning many months.

As well as the extra hands needed to meet demand, new staff have been brought in to replace those who left to find work elsewhere.

Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotels, said the company has been recruiting for months. The Harrogate hotel’s outdoor Tipi already has 150 bookings for the first few days of trade:

“We have a loyal team of great people who we are proud to say have ‘weathered the storm’ with us, but now as our hotel looks to reopen we are truly excited to be going out to market to find even more great people.
“We have been recruiting and we still are for the months ahead. It’s a great time to join our team to be part of something pretty special.”

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Gill Richardson, landlady of The Bull Inn in West Tanfield, also said she was hoping to recruit more team members to manage the extra covid safety requirements facing pubs and restaurants over the coming months.

“We do need extra staff, we lost a few team members over the pandemic and policing the new guidelines will be difficult without more help.

“We’re nervous to open because it’s been so long but once we’ve got into the swing of things it’ll be really exciting.”

Martin Greenhow, managing director of MOJO group, said the company has lost some employees and would be hiring for the busy period.

“We are expecting this to be a very busy time and are really optimistic about the summer. But we will need to hire a number of new employees to cope with not only the loss of previous employees, but also to cope with table service requiring more staff and managing guidelines in a safe way.”

Image gallery: Harrogate pays its respects to Prince Phillip

Union Jack flags across the Harrogate district have been flown at half-mast today as a mark of respect for Prince Philip.

These include at the Army Foundation College on Pennypot Lane and Harrogate Borough Council’s offices on Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Town players also observed a minute’s silence before their game away at Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.

Harrogate Borough Council flies flag at half-mast.

Harrogate Borough Council’s Civic Centre.

The Army Foundation College

Burnt Yates

Ripley

county hall flag

North Yorkshire County Council

Harrogate Town players observed a minutes silence in Bolton this afternoon. Credit – Matt Kirkham

Image gallery: Prince Philip in the Harrogate district through the years

The Duke of Edinburgh had a long association with the Harrogate district and made several visits over many decades.

These included a visit to the Majestic Hotel in 1949 with the future Queen, and a trip to the newly constructed Conference Centre in 1982.

Thanks to local historian Malcolm Neesam for providing us with some of these images.

Did you ever meet Prince Philip during one of his visits or through the Duke of Edinburgh awards? Get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk 

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the Majestic Hotel in 1949. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive

Visiting Harrogate Railway Station on July 10 1957 with the Queen. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

The Duke of Edinburgh at the Conference Centre on March 26, 1982. Credit: Walker-Neesam archive.

Visiting Knaresborough’s Working Men’s Club in 1998. Credit – the BBC.

The Queen and Prince Philip pictured in Ripon.

The Queen and Prince Philip in Ripon in 2004 commemorating the 400th anniversary of the city’s royal charter.

Prince Philip and the Queen at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2008.

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Hot tub industry bubbles up as lockdown eases

The hot tub industry expects to see another boom as the national stay-at-home order is lifted, and firms in Harrogate are already getting booked up.

As of March 29, the rule of six was reintroduced, allowing two households or six people from different households to meet outdoors.

Since people have been allowed to share their gardens with friends and family once more, hot tubs have been in huge demand.

Hot tub hiring businesses have become a big part of garden entertainment.

Bubble & Chic Hot Tub Hire in Harrogate was only established last month after owner Janie Carr decided to change career due to the pandemic.

Since its first booking on March 25, inquiries have not stopped. Ms Carr said:

“I posted an advertisement on a Facebook group on Thursday and by Friday I was inundated with bookings for the next four months. I even have full bookings for August bank holiday already.”

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However, starting a new business during the grip of a pandemic is not without its challenges. She added:

“Lockdown has massively impacted the garden entertainment industry as I have been unable to get stock to hire out. A particular gazebo I use to put over the hot tub has been out of stock for months and others seem to be out of stock or have long delivery times.”

Harrogate Hot Tubs has encountered the same issue, with products to clean the hot tubs increasing in price. But this hasn’t stopped the Jacuzzi boom.

Paul Underwood, owner of the business, said:

“We had around four bookings in January 2020, this January we had over 100. Lockdown has definitely increased business for us, almost six-fold.

“We’ve had to turn down over 100 bookings since January as we’re fully booked, but we are expecting to see a further increase of bookings in summer with people maybe not wanting to go on holiday.”

Stained glass artist a Harrogate ‘hidden gem’

While it is nice to look at the world through rose coloured glasses it is even better to look through a unique piece of stained glass. It is painstaking work in more than one sense of the word but this Harrogate artist loves what she does.

Caryl Hallett Stained Glass, which is tucked away just off Starbeck’s high street in Spa Studios, has always used traditional methods but she uses them to create bright, colourful and contemporary pieces.

It takes many hours, lots of artistic flare and even more plasters to cover up cuts to get the finished result. Her work normally goes into homes but her ode to the Tour de France is an eyecatching feature on Montpellier Hill for all to see.

She loves to create stained glass but as a former teacher Caryl wants to spend more time helping others to learn this lost art. Coronavirus has of course curtailed her classes but she is keen to bring them back at the end of June.

But coronavirus has also meant that as people spend more time at home they want to make some improvements and many have turned to Caryl. She currently has a backlog as a result of closing in the first lockdown and increased demand.

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Caryl was one of the first artists in the Spa Studios hub on Spa Lane, Starbeck. The hub aims to offer an affordable space for small businesses to help give them a boost and a space to collaborate. She told the Stray Ferret:

“Often in partnerships or couples there will be one who is really keen to have it because they have seen my work but they mention it to their partner who immediately thinks ‘boring, dull, dark’.

“So we have a a chat and I send them over some examples then they come over to the studio and they realise it is an added jewel to the house.

“I tend to do bespoke work for people who want something beautiful in their home.

“It is the kind of craft that just engages you and never leaves you alone. People find it tricky but they love what they produce.

“So many people come and it feels like therapy because they are so involved in the process. It can be exhausting but they enjoy working with their hands. It is sad that I have not been able to do that so I am looking forward to that.”

This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.

District breweries ready to deliver as bars reopen

Breweries across the Harrogate district are revving up their supply chains for bars and restaurants ahead of the reopening on Monday.

The closure of hospitality meant many local brewers moved their focus towards online sales and targeted people enjoying a drink or two in their gardens during lockdown.

But from Monday, large orders are set to ramp up once again as restaurant bookings soar to satisfy eager customers.

Aron McMahon, co-owner of Turning Point Brewery in Knaresborough, was “amazed” after orders returned to pre-covid numbers. He said:

“We’ve definitely had an upturn in orders for kegs and casks, which is great. It’s just great to be brewing casks again after not doing it for so long.

“Over lockdown we were delivering kegs and casks every couple of weeks but now with the reopening it’s much more frequent. It’s amazing – orders for next week look like they did pre-covid.”

The rise in orders also means the business can look ahead to bringing staff back to full-time hours.

Currently most of them are on flexi-furlough, but Mr McMahon is hopeful that if the roadmap stays on track, all employees will be back to full-time hours by the end of the year.

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Similarly, in Harrogate, Roosters Brewery has also seen a rise in orders due to the reopening.

Ian Fozard, director at the brewery, said:

“We’ve had nothing substantial, but orders are coming in and we are very encouraged by what we have seen so far. It’s definitely a step forward.

“We are expecting more orders in the coming weeks, but we won’t know the extent of the damage to some businesses just yet.”

Bars not allowed to use Stray land for outdoor dining

Harrogate Borough Council has told three bars that they cannot use Stray land for outdoor dining when they reopen next week.

The Blues Bar, The Empress and Fashion House Bistro were all hoping to capitalise on the space outside their businesses from April 12.

All had approached the council when the Government released its roadmap out of lockdown. But the council has told them that it will not be possible.

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David Dresser, who owns Fashion House Bistro, told the Stray Ferret:

“For us it was about making the most of the good weather so we do not take as much of a hit when we get some bad weather.

“We will still be able to reopen with room for around 40 to 50 people outside, but it is just a bonkers decision.

“The reason the council gave was that the Stray should be open for everyone to enjoy it.

“But I have never seen anyone use the space outside, people would enjoy it if they could and eat and drink there.”

Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) approved the use of tables and chairs on Stray land last summer.

Kirsty Stewart, business development manager at HBC, sent the following in reply to Mr Dresser’s request:

“Thank you for your email below requesting to use the public grass area at Promenade Square for your business from 12 April until 17 May.

“This is something the council is not licensing this year, which means that all the available space is accessible for all members of the public to enjoy.”

A council spokesman added:

“As custodians of the Stray, we encourage all visitors to use it responsibly and enjoy the wonderful public space it provides.

“However, after feedback from land owners – the Duchy of Lancaster – it has been decided that it wouldn’t be appropriate at this stage to grant licences to select number of individual businesses that could potentially inhibit the open access and enjoyment for all.”

Demolition starts as former Harrogate college makes way for flats

Demolition work has started at a former Harrogate college, which will make way for eight apartments in the St George’s area of town.

The late Victorian building on The Oval was home to Harrogate Tutorial College between 1981 and 2004.

Since it closed it has fallen into a state of disrepair and has also been subject to vandalism. But diggers moved in today and made quick work of the site.

After a number of applications and appeals, including to the planning inspectorate, Harrogate Borough Council approved developers Oakdale Estates’ plans for the building in 2019.

The plans

Harrogate Borough Council refused the original application to build flats on the site on the basis that it was a non-designated heritage asset in a conservation area.

The amended, approved planning application was for a five-storey building similar in structure and design to the former tutorial college.

Harrogate Tutorial College in 2012. Photo: Google

Plans for the development said conversion of the old site would result in a less energy efficient building than a full replacement.

Harrogate Tutorial College specialised in preparing students for university and was particularly popular with oversees students hoping to get into a UK university. Keith Pollard was the headmaster.

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Transport leader Don Mackenzie to step down next year

Harrogate Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie has said he will not stand for re-election in 2022.

Cllr Mackenzie has represented the Saltergate ward in Jennyfields on North Yorkshire County Council since 2009.

He is also NYCC’s executive member for access, which includes responsibility for transport.

He has been the council’s public face for numerous high profile transport proposals in recent years, including the £60 million Kex Gill re-route, the controversial Nidd Gorge relief road that was rejected, the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood and the Station Gateway.

County council elections were due to take place in May this year but have been delayed until May 2022 because of local government reorganisation.

Cllr Mackenzie will be aged 72 by then and told the Stray Ferret that it would be “the right time to call it a day”.

He added:

“I shall look forward to some time to myself. But there’s a lot to do between now and then and I’m not thinking about my pipe and slippers just yet.”

Read more

Cllr Mackenzie has sent leaflets to residents in his ward informing them of his intention to step down.

He first won a seat on North Yorkshire County Council in 2009 when he took Saltergate from the Liberal Democrats.

He was also elected to represent Harlow Moor on Harrogate Borough Council in 2006 and spent time as the borough council leader in 2011/12. He stepped down as a borough councillor in 2018.

Prior to being a councillor, he had a career in business for the Harrogate-based industrial firm MMP.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and happy Friday. It’s Leah here with you this morning bringing your road and rail updates every 15 minutes.

These live blogs, brought to you by The HACS Group, aim to keep the Harrogate district moving.

A number of temporary traffic lights are in place across the district today, due to roadworks, so be aware of slight delays.

Keep us posted on social media and via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me today. I will be back with you on Monday from 6.30am with updates every 15 minutes. Have a lovely weekend!

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8:45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8:30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic Hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8:15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7:45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7:30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7:15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in both the Harrogate and Ripon centres.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning, no traffic hotspots yet.

Road Closures:

Temporary lights in place:

Trains

Buses