One of the Harrogate district’s leading attractions has closed for the day because of strong winds.
Winds have been stronger than expected today, which along with heavy rain has made conditions across the district hazardous.
Mother Shipton‘s tweeted at about 11.30am that the site, which is surrounded by trees near the River Nidd, had decided to shut.
https://twitter.com/Mothershiptons/status/1578330752697004032
The Stray Ferret is unaware of any other organisations affected by today’s weather, but if you know of any email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
Rain is forecast to move away this afternoon, giving way to a pleasant weekend, with temperatures around 15 degrees centigrade.
https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/1578331885922557953
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Harrogate library to close for two weeks on Saturday for maintenance work
Harrogate library will close on Saturday for just over a fortnight to enable large-scale maintenance work to be carried out.
The project, which involves all three floors, includes remedial damp works, redecoration and the replacement of energy-efficient lighting.
The building will close at 4pm on Saturday and is scheduled to reopen at 9am on Monday, April 4. Customers will be able to borrow additional books to cover the closure period.
North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for libraries, announced the news today.
Neil Irving, assistant director for policy, partnerships and communities at the council, said:
“These much-needed improvements will have lasting benefits to Harrogate library; one of our largest and busiest in the county.
“We apologise for the inconvenience it will cause to library visitors but we are encouraging people to come and borrow a selection of books to keep them going over the closure period.”
Read more:
- Refurbishment reveals ‘ghost sign’ of former Harrogate library
- Bilton and Woodfield Community Library closed due to flooding
The nearest alternative libraries are Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library.
You can also browse, reserve and renew items and access your library account online here or via the library app.
The work was previously scheduled to take place from January 22 to February 7.
Ripon city centre pub closes for ‘forseeable future’A pub in the centre of Ripon has closed for the foreseeable future.
The Lamb and Flag, on High Skellgate, looks quiet and dark today with the pub garden fenced off.
It is unclear why the pub has closed but the owners, who took over a little more than a year ago, revealed the news in a statement on their Facebook page. It said:
“This decision has not come lightly but unfortunately the Lamb and Flag will be closed for the foreseeable.
“We would like to thank everyone for their support but at this time we will be closing.
“We will update everyone if there are any changes.”
The Stray Ferret asked the pub’s owners why they decided to close and whether it would reopen. However, we had not received a reply by the time of publication.
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Harrogate Library on Victoria Avenue will close for two weeks due to building works.
The facility will be shut from 4pm on Saturday, January 22, until February 7 as maintenance is carried out at the library and customer services centre.
North Yorkshire County Council said due dates for books will be altered to take the closure into account.
Nearest alternative libraries are Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Starbeck Community Library, Knaresborough Library and Customer Services Centre and Nidderdale Plus Community Library
North Yorkshire County Council said:
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to welcoming you back to the library.”
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Questions remain as closure of Ripon care home looms
Questions still surround the closure of a Ripon care home more than two months after the care group which runs the home announced the decision.
Skell Lodge, which is owned by the Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG), operates from a listed Victorian building on South Crescent.
MMCG told the Stray Ferret in October that the building would “shortly no longer meet appropriate building regulations” so it would need to move residents out before the end of the year.
The Stray Ferret has asked MMCG a number of times what the problem with the building is and whether it would it possible to remedy the problem. We did not receive an answer.
A spokesperson for the care group has, however, since said:
“We can confirm that all residents have found alternative accommodation.
“We have worked hard with the team at Skell Lodge, and our partners locally to ensure residents and their families have been supported and have received the help needed during this difficult period of adjustment.
“It is expected that all residents will be settled into their new homes in time for Christmas.”
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We have spoken to two staff members and the family of a former resident. They all raised concerns about how staff and residents have been treated. They also said they were not aware of any problems with the building.
A spokesperson from the CQC said:
“We are aware that the provider Skell Lodge in Ripon has taken the decision to close the service at the end of this year.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and liaising with North Yorkshire County Council to ensure that people are moved safely to alternative services that are appropriate to their needs.”
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council said:
Harrogate’s Damn Yankee restaurant closes“The future of the residents and the staff is our paramount concern.
“We continue to work with the care provider and the CQC and with residents and their families to try to ensure the smoothest possible transition for people.”
The Damn Yankee restaurant on Station Parade has closed, just six months after the popular American diner was revived in Harrogate.
The restaurant was a mainstay in Harrogate from 1972 until it closed in 2017. It then became Burgers and More @ Original Damn Yankee in 2019.
Thanos Xhallo and his family reopened the restaurant at its original location in May this year.
In recent months it had received good reviews online from customers but a post on its Facebook page yesterday said that due to “unforeseen circumstances” it had now closed.
The future of the Damn Yankee brand in Harrogate now appears uncertain but the post suggests it will be changing hands to new owners.
“Reopening The Damn Yankee has been an amazing adventure, and we’ve loved sharing this time with you and listening to all your stories of previous visits. We’ve worked as a family to welcome all of you into a restaurant that we have become very fond of and we hope we gave all of your families some great new memories to share for years to come.
“Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances we have no choice but to close and the restaurant will be changing hands. Today is our last day running the restaurant and will be open at 5pm! Will also call everyone that has reserved tables! Stay tuned for more information, we will keep you in the loop as much as possible and update you on the next chapter of this restaurant’s journey.”
The Stray Ferret approached the Damn Yankee for comment but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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The Damn Yankee was originally opened in 1972 by Denise Wiand and her American husband, Mike, who worked at Menwith Hill.
Ms Wiand told the Stray Ferret this year that the restaurant was a huge success when it first opened with queues of excited people down Station Parade looking forward to classic American fare and the lively atmosphere that it became famous for.
It was also owned from 2000 to 2017 by Nikki and Mick Triffit.
Claims Harrogate McColl’s worker with covid symptoms was told to workA Harrogate McColl’s store has been forced to close after the manager allegedly told a staff member who had coronavirus symptoms to work.
Peter Lythe booked a coronavirus test after experiencing symptoms and claims he told his boss at the King Edward’s Drive store on Saturday ahead of a shift.
In text messages, seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Lythe said told his manager that he “might have to isolate from today [until] my tests comes back.”
The manager replied: “You don’t unless you’ve had a text message.”
After being unable to find cover for his Saturday or Sunday shifts Mr Lythe reluctantly went into work.
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On Sunday evening at around 7pm, Mr Lythe received a positive coronavirus test result which told him to self-isolate for 10 days.
The next day the McColl’s store closed and put a sign in the window to say that it would re-open as soon as possible.
We approached North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate Borough Council and McColl’s with a request for comment.
The police and council decline to comment but a spokesperson for McColl’s told the Stray Ferret:
“We can confirm that our store on King Edward’s Drive, Harrogate, has been closed since Monday after a colleague tested positive for coronavirus.
“Following the store’s closure, we conducted a deep clean in line with the latest health and safety standards, and all colleagues are following isolation guidelines.”
“The health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority during his time.
“We continue to proactively follow Public Health England guidelines and keep our protocols under constant review.”
The McColl’s store is due to reopen on today after a deep clean.
Harrogate theatre will remain closed until 2021Harrogate Theatre has announced it will not reopen until 2021, saying that introducing social distancing in the auditorium would not be financially viable.
The theatre has also warned that 60% of permanent roles may have to be made redundant. It has said this decision is a direct result of the pandemic and the loss of income it has caused.
A theatre spokesperson said:
“We look forward to the day we raise our safety curtain and once again share the magic that live performance in our building brings. Whilst we understand the impact of this decision, as custodians of our organisations we will do everything in our power to safeguard the company to be able to entertain, educate and inspire for the next 120 years.
“We are extremely grateful for the funding received from Arts Council England and Harrogate Borough Council to cover losses incurred from March through to September.”
The social distancing requirements would be too detrimental for the theatre’s finances.
The theatre is heavily reliant on its annual pantomime which is performed over two months in the festive period. Its business model requires 90% of the seats to be sold over the two months, but with social distancing in place only 20% of seats can be used.
The spokesman said the theatre is cautious to invest in any shows this season in case of further lockdowns. It has moved most of its shows for the autumn season into next year and this winter’s pantomime, Cinderella, will go ahead in 2021.
The theatre’s emergency funding campaign, launched during lockdown, will continue.
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Stay away from reservoirs over the weekend, says Yorkshire Water
Harrogate district’s reservoir car parks will remain closed over this coming Bank Holiday weekend.
Yorkshire Water says it has had several reports of people swimming in its reservoirs over the last week despite the closure, something it is trying to deter over safety fears.
With the car parks closed there will be fears of similar scenes to last weekend when people ended up dumping their cars on the sides of busy roads.
Washburn Parish Council told the Stray Ferret that people arrive at Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs to find closed car parks end up wrecking the verges.
Not only is it wrecking the verges but it is causing problems for the emergency services.
Yorkshire Water has said that it is still working on a plan to keep everyone safe while they enjoy the reservoirs but it wasn’t ready yet.
The company’s initial concern is for its key workers who visit the reservoirs regularly to do vital engineering checks.
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said today that people should not visit unless they are within walking distance – a policy which is contrary to government advice.
“Unfortunately, lots of people are still visiting our reservoirs despite car parks being closed and we’ve had several incidences of people parking inappropriately on roads nearby causing traffic issues. This has caused issues for emergency services, so please don’t visit this weekend and hopefully we’ll be back open soon.
“We have also received several reports of people swimming in our reservoirs this week. Whilst it might be tempting when the weather is hot, please remember that it is not safe to do so. Reservoir temperatures rarely go above 12 degrees and there is no lifeguard around in case something goes wrong.”