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29
Dec 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=108cSsQMpUA
As 2020 draws to a close, the Stray Ferret looks back at the news stories that stood out among a year of extraordinary events.
Today, we focus on the impact on businesses, from high street to hospitality.
There were casualties on the high street, too, with several big-name brands announcing they would be closing branches in our district, along with long-standing independent businesses. Among those lost were AP&K Stothard's pet shop, The Bookstall newsagent at Harrogate railway station, Edinburgh Wooden Mill and Ponden Home in Ripon, Wren's department store, and menswear shop Jon Barrie.
Yet it wasn’t all bad news. For some determined entrepreneurs, the pandemic was no reason not to make their business dreams a reality - including a new taco business and a travel agent.
From music to clothes shops and even a pop-up bakery, Knaresborough seemed like the place to be in the second half of the year. It also saw a pop-up from popular Harrogate bakery Baltzersen's.
Nevertheless, uncertainty remained, and the second lockdown left owners desperate to know whether they would be able to reopen in time for Christmas.
The district’s tier two restrictions meant they were able to do so in early December, aiming to make the most of the final few weeks of trading. Residents can only hope it was enough to get their favourite businesses through the coming weeks and months until the situation begins to improve.
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