First it was the floods, now it’s coronavirus, Pateley Bridge is a town that is once again having to call on its exceptional community spirit to see it through a crisis.  

Margaret Ninness has run the Willows Tea Room and Restaurant in Pateley Bridge for the last 30 years. Above the tearoom she can accommodate 14 people in the guesthouse . Margaret has started to deal with cancellations:  

Margaret has reduced the hours her staff work to try and keep them employed. She welcomed news of the chancellor’s rates holiday for shops, hotels and tearooms which have a rateable value of less than £51,000 but was upset to hear that her energy bill is to go up. 

Small hotels and events seem to be the first to be affected by the coronavirus crisis in Pateley Bridge.  The local lunch club that’s run by volunteers every month has been cancelled, as has a Ceilidh that was planned for last night.   

Liz Carnell Director of the SPAR on the High Street seems to know every local who came into her store. The talk was of nothing but coronavirus:  

A few doors up the High Street is Weatherheads the butchers. Established since 1876.. it's survived many an economic crisis. The current owner, Andrew Weatherhead, said he’s worried about how he’ll keep the business going if staff get sick but also saw a potential silver lining 

 “The situation might work in our favour if people start avoiding large busy supermarkets” . Andrew and other store owners have welcomed the rates relief announced in the budget to help offset the financial impact to smaller businesses.  

Pateley Bridge has tremendous community spirit. They pulled together in the recent floods and they know they will do the same for coronavirus as the days becomes more challenging.