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Jan 2021

Last Updated: 05/01/2021

Business

Oliver's army fights on as Ripon returns to lockdown

by Tim Flanagan

| 05 Jan, 2021

Hairdressing salons, gyms, barbers and a bookmakers, along with all other businesses classed as 'non-essential' shut their doors last night and headed for weeks of uncertainty - but Oliver's Pantry will continue a takeaway service.

Market square in Ripon falls silent as the new lockdown begins

Yesterday morning Ripon Market Square was busy, but as dawn broke on a city entering Covid lockdown today the area fell silent - except for the sound of the on-going sewer repair work.

In Market Place East, the Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop - an earlier retail casualty of the spring and summer lockdowns - had already had its final day of trading after years of featuring on the Ripon high street.

Hairdressing salons, gyms, barbers and a bookmakers, along with all other businesses classed as 'non-essential' shut their doors last night and headed for weeks of uncertainty.

In Fishergate, the message from cafe owner Lou Grant was that Oliver's army fights on. She told the Stray Ferret:

"We have decided to give it a go and see if a takeaway-only service can sustain us and carry us to safe shores when this virus is under control."

Mrs Grant, who is co-owner of Oliver's Pantry with her husband, Tim, added:

"We are entering our ninth year and have taken every measure possible to keep our staff and customers safe, with screens, sanitisers and signs calling for people to maintain social distancing.

"Having come this far, we were not going to give up - as we feel we are in touching distance of the end to all of this hardship that we are other small businesses have had to face."