A pop-up shop inside Harrogate District Hospital has launched a craft and sewing competition to boost donations.

Volunteers run the Harrogate Hospital Pop-Up Shop five days a week to give donated groceries to hospital staff. It first opened in March to support those working at the hospital during coronavirus who were unable to get to supermarkets or found the shelves bare after long shifts.

Volunteer Fiona Ryan said:

“Since children broke up from schools we have had a drop in support. We reckon that at least 80 hospital staff come to us daily for groceries and we send parcels out to staff at home with covid symptoms. We also send boxes up to the covid wards.”

The Harrogate Pop Up Sewing Bee is asking for photographs of sewn or crafted clothing which represent this year’s pandemic.

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The competition is split into age categories and entries are to be submitted with a £2 donation. When the competition closes on August 30, all photographs will be arranged into a collage for Harrogate District Hospital.

Entries will be judged by Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District Foundation Trust, Captain Rummage (Chris Powell) from Bettys & Taylors recycling project The Cone Exchange, and Fran Taylor who set up the Harrogate Scrubbers group to address a national scrubs shortage through coronavirus.

All submissions have the chance to win one of multiple prizes donated by Harrogate businesses. These include a meal at The Fat Badger, a Neom Organics candle and other goodies from The Harrogate Cookie Company and Little Breads.

Ms Ryan said:

“People are starting to believe that covid has gone away, which isn’t the case. The hospital is busier than ever. This competition will really support us.”

To enter, donate £2 to the pop-up shop’s PayPal and send your photo to their Facebook group, or for non-Facebook users, email Fiona Ryan at fionaryan2812@icloud.com.

Organisers of the Harrogate Christmas Market are planning to go ahead with the event this year with social distancing measures in place.

Currently, the event is still on for November 12 to 15, 2020 on St Mary’s Walk and Montpellier Hill.

They will ask all traders and visitors to bring a mask or face covering in all parts of the market and to observe the rules of the day.

There will be hand sanitiser stations at every entrance, a one way system around the craft and gift marquee and no food and drink marquee.

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Around 180 stalls have already signed up for the event but the organisers will not take any fees until they get the green light – something they hope to get in the next month.

One of the concerns for the organisers is the coach travel industry. They fear for the 9000 people that use coaches to get to the event if coaches cannot carry more people.

Brian Dunsby OBE, Harrogate Christmas Market, told The Stray Ferret:

“We are hopeful that we will get the approval from the authorities. We normally get around 80,000 people but we are not expecting anything like that this time. I think that Harrogate needs this market to go ahead, the retailers would definitely miss it.”

Unlike other Christmas markets around the country, the Harrogate Christmas Market focuses on Yorkshire traders. It bucks the trend of French and German markets elsewhere in the UK.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district has doubled overnight after the way in which they were recorded changed.

It was a big shift in numbers as a result of the government adding data from its mass testing programme. Previously it had just included tests in NHS laboratories.

That means that the total cases in the Harrogate district jumped from 325 yesterday to 694 today – an increase of 113%.

Not only that but the rate of coronavirus cases in the district also rose sharply to 432. The rate accounts for population sizes in areas to give a more accurate reading.

The count for each area is divided by the total population and multiplied by 100,000.

Coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire as a whole, in the same period, rose from 1,356 to 2,504.

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With the attention turning to more local lockdowns this data will play an important role in the decisions of officials.

Looking at the Harrogate district in comparison with other areas it is by no means the worst affected area but it is also not completely out of the woods.

Nearby places like Bradford and Barnsley have much higher rates than the Harrogate district. Find the government’s coronavirus map by clicking or tapping here.

North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, said:

“This reporting change does increase the figures and may make it look as though there has been a big rise in infection rates. This is not the case. It is linked solely to a change in reporting. New cases in North Yorkshire continue to decline, but we must not be complacent. We all need to play our part to maintain this progress.

“People should stay two metres apart, if possible, or at least one metre and if it is just one metre they should take additional precautions. You should also wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Everyone in North Yorkshire can play their part in helping us return to normality safely by taking these simple steps.”

Harrogate Borough Council has described union concerns that the authority is being tight-lipped over its leisure plans as “ridiculous”.

The authority was responding to concerns from Unison that the council had not kept union bosses informed over proposals and that it had “no overwhelming support”.

But, the council said the plan, which it has consulted residents on, will save the authority £400,000 a year.

It comes as the council faces an estimated £15 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report due before the authority’s cabinet next week, the company would be called Brimham’s Active and has a target set up date of August 2021.

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If given the go-ahead, it would mean facilities such as Harrogate Hydro, the Turkish Baths and Ripon Leisure Centre would be run by the new company.

Unison bosses said they were concerned that not enough information had been shared with them about the proposal, but the council has said it would be unrealistic to provide a running commentary on the company.

A spokesperson for the council said:

“For Unison to suggest we have been “tight lipped” is ridiculous.

“The union is aware of the proposal to create a local authority controlled company to manage our sport and leisure services.

“To expect a running commentary while a report is prepared for councillors to consider at next week’s meeting of cabinet is unrealistic.

“The proposal would enable us to save £400,000 a year and invest in new facilities for the benefit of people across the district.

“Our valued colleagues would be transferred to the new company on exactly the same terms and conditions they enjoy now.”

The county council is reintroducing parking fines in the Harrogate district from next Monday as more shops open to customers.

Since the start of the lockdown enforcement officers have only targeted dangerous and obtrusive parking but that will change on June 15.

The measures will come into force for both on-street and off-street parking and will not be welcome by many Harrogate retailers who are desperate to get shoppers back into the town centre.

However, NHS staff, health or social care workers, and NHS volunteer responders will still be eligible for free parking if they leave evidence in their windows like an NHS permit.

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North Yorkshire County Council is urging people to exercise social distancing when parking and paying to park and encouraging contactless payment through the AppyParking app.

They have asked anyone needing to pay by cash to use hand sanitiser before and after using the parking machine.

In the run-up to 15 June, officers will issue warning notices to motorists with expired permits and those contravening the regulations.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said:

“At any time, parking enforcement is an essential tool in helping to manage traffic flow to provide ease of access for all road users. As our towns open up it is important to manage traffic and to support the emergency active travel measures implemented to enable pedestrians and cyclists to maintain social distancing.”

The closure of the St George Hotel is symptomatic of the huge challenges facing the hospitality industry, according to the leader of the group representing the largest hotels in the Harrogate district.

Peter Banks, chairman of Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association, told The Stray Ferret: “They will be the first of many in the country. It’s going to be carnage. The high street will be changed for good.”

With Harrogate Convention Centre still set up as a Nightingale hospital and remaining on stand-by for an indefinite period, Mr Banks, who is general manager at Rudding Park, said there is a large question mark hanging over the viability of the industry in the district.

“What about all the bedrooms that go hand-in-hand with the convention centre? If it’s a hospital for a year, all of those big shows won’t be going on and all their attendees and delegates will not be staying in the hotel bedrooms.

“Only about three per cent of the bedrooms I sell are related to the convention centre, but there are other hotels that are much more like 30, 40, 50 per cent. Where’s that business going to come from?”

Sitting opposite the convention centre, the St George was likely to have been more affected than most by it being out of use for events. But Mr Banks said being part of a business which also operated coach tours put it at greater risk than many of the district’s other hotels.

Peter Banks, chairman of Harorgate Hospitality and Tourism Association

While quarantine restrictions are in place for overseas travel, Harrogate is likely to get a boost from UK tourists. However, Mr Banks said HHTA’s thoughts haven’t yet turned to how the district can capitalise on this and market itself effectively:

“Right now, everybody is just trying to work out how the hell we’re going to operate. We’re that far away from creating any marketing plans. If you can’t work out how people are going to go to the loo safely, it might be putting the cart before the horse.”

Weight of responsibility

He criticised the guidance from the government as “about as clear as mud”, saying they had left businesses to try to work out how to operate safely without straightforward rules. Hotel owners, he said, felt an enormous weight of responsibility to protect staff and visitors from the risk of catching Covid-19 and were constantly re-writing their plans as government guidance changed.

For example, he said reducing the number of staff in hotel kitchens means overhauling menus – and putting those menus onto apps instead of passing them between staff and customers. Even simple things like passing in corridors and using toilets will have to be considered and controlled. He added:

“My hotel manager said it’s going to be like re-opening a new hotel. It’s going to be like opening a new hotel on Mars. The rules are going to be entirely different and we’re going to have to change things day by day while we work out how it works.”

Peter Banks says re-opening Rudding Park will be ‘like opening a new hotel on Mars’

Mr Banks said he expects most of the hotels in Harrogate to be large enough to sustain themselves through the current turmoil. For restaurants, however, he said even if they are able to reopen in the coming weeks, social distancing may make it impossible for them to break even, let alone make a profit.

“The furlough scheme has been a life-saver, but frankly all it’s doing is kicking the can down the road. We’re all going to have to cope without the support of the government at some point. It’s delaying the inevitable when a lot of smaller businesses will not be able to make a profit.

“If they have to get 70 per cent occupancy to break even in restaurants, what’s the point? They just won’t open.

The hospitality industry is extremely worried. Everyone is getting ready to open in July at some point but everyone is worried about what it’s going to look like.”

Short-term ‘bounce’

As well as the hotel receptionists, cleaners, kitchen porters, accountants and others who lose their jobs when a hotel closes, Mr Banks said there is a ripple effect to others such as food suppliers. Even the move to cashless systems to reduce the risk of infection will result in job losses, as cashing up is no longer needed and couriers won’t be required to take money to the bank.

The result could be further redundancies being made across all industries, leaving people with less cash in their pockets. While Mr Banks said he expects a short-term “bounce” for many hotels and restaurants soon after reopening, he said the winter could be very quiet as people run out of money they have saved during lockdown, or more job losses hit across the UK.

However, he sounded a note of optimism for the Harrogate district.

“Harrogate is an awful lot more fortunate than a lot of other places. We have a great natural resource, a really beautiful built environment, unlike so many other places. We will be less affected than others.”

David Waddington, Land and New Homes Director for Linley and Simpson, writes for The Stray Ferret and says lockdown has had a surprising effect on the market: 

Who would have guessed? Never have estate agents and property advisers had it so good since the Brexit referendum in June, 2016.
An unlikely phenomenon you would think, with only a small proportion of the folk returning to work following the COVID-19 outbreak. A number of sources are reporting enquiry levels at a new high with multiple offers against individual properties, sales on homes that have been marketed for a number years, and new developments receiving unprecedented requests to view.

So, when all we hear about is economic Armageddon, what’s going on?

I think the pent up demand is fuelled by a couple of factors:
Firstly, being cooped up in one’s home for 8 weeks is a sure way to test any relationship, an opportunity to buy bigger, downsize, or at least a change of environment to preserve sanity.
Secondly, whilst many have struggled financially, others have remarkably saved money and with the cost of borrowing being so low, the time seems right for aspiring buyers.

Economically the country is faced with a number of challenges, how do they pay for the furloughing of over 6 Million people? This is heightened by a surge in borrowing in the UK by £62.5bn in April, but putting this into context, the war debt was only concluded within the last ten years, so what’s the rush to pay it back?  Income tax however is likely to increase, but whilst we are all so indebted to the NHS, the metaphorical pill should be easy to swallow.

Worrying times we know, but such headline grabbing snap-shots need to be balanced against low inflation and still very cheap mortgage borrowing, assuming that your loan to value is on the right side of 75%.

Estate agents though are having to calm the storm by ensuring that social distancing requirements are observed.
Within the new homes sector, open days with hoards of people are now a thing of the past but properly managed, social distancing arrangements can be arranged for buyers. A recent campaign for a new apartment scheme in Harrogate has resulted in twenty back to back appointments over a two day period, giving each party a private dedicated slot of half an hour to inspect without the need for a shiny suited estate agent asking irrelevant questions. Following each viewing, the property is cleansed, with door handled wiped within a 15 minute window, to allow for the next party to view.

One social distance advantage though….the removal of the luke warm Prosecco and vol-au-vents.

Here in the Harrogate region, we have a strong sense of belonging to the finest area of God’s creation. It has inspired many to look to a new home, to enhance their home life, whilst being comforted by the familiarity of an area that is already enjoyed.

There have been no further deaths in patients with Covid-19 recorded at Harrogate District Hospital, according to today’s statistics.

It leaves the total number of deaths under Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust at 58 since the start of the outbreak. The hospital confirmed yesterday it had treated and discharged 104 patients in total.

In figures released today, NHS England confirmed the deaths of 121 people across the country, in patients aged between 41 and 98. Of those, three patients, aged between 50 and 91, had no known underlying health conditions.

A Liberal Democrat councillor has attacked what he calls “confusing in the extreme” messages from the local and central government on lockdown easing.

People have every right to go out and explore as long as they follow social distancing rules but North Yorkshire County Council is reluctant to welcome visitors.

Boris Johnson said earlier this week that people in England can exercise as many times as they wish and drive to outdoor spaces “as long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there.”

One of the Liberal Democrat’s councillors at the county council, Geoff Webber, saw the mixed messages and sent the following message to the Chief Executive Richard Flinton:

“This is confusing in the extreme.  The PM has said, on record, that ‘people in England can travel as far as they like to reach outdoor spaces – including beaches and parks for sunbathing and non-team sports.’  I may not agree with the rule but this is what is coming from our Conservative government. This is a Conservative council and if they cannot get their act together with a Conservative national government then it is a very poor show. So much for the special relationship with Tory MPs.”

The conservative run North Yorkshire County Council has, however, warned that it will “monitor the number of pedestrians” and said it “may have to close more roads to protect the public.”

Chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, Richard Flinton, said:

“Please adhere to any ‘no parking’ and ‘road closed’ signs you come across and ask yourself if it’s worth it. Why not do the right thing and protect yourself and your family by staying close to home. Everything will still be here when it’s safe to welcome you back and we are really grateful for your patience and support.”

Many took up the opportunity to explore enthusiastically and by midday yesterday there were already 50 cars parked up on the verges around Swinsty reservoir.

Businesses preparing to return to work after the coronavirus lockdown could be doing so in completely different ways – and employment levels in the Harrogate district could take a hit.

Mike Patterson, head of employment law at Berwins, said many businesses may have found the enforced change actually suits them and they will keep some of the new ways of working even after lockdown ends.

However, he said there are still many tough weeks ahead for businesses, especially as the furlough scheme changes from August.

“Initially, we were dealing with lots of queries about furloughing. We’re now starting to get into post-lockdown, getting business back up and running. A lot of people were waiting for Boris’s roadmap to see the timetable to get people back to work.”

Mike Patterson of Berwins Solicitors

A series of announcements, changes and retractions in advice since the beginning of the crisis, have made it harder for lawyers, accountants and others to keep up with the latest situation in order to advise their clients, Mr Patterson said. The furlough regulations, for example, were produced in one large document and, when the scheme was tweaked, the document was updated but no information was published about what had been changed, leaving advisors to read it repeatedly to find the updates.

The way the announcements were made this week also gave some businesses and employees hardly any notice, from Sunday evening, that they could be expected back at work the following day. Mr Patterson added:

“I would have felt more comfortable if it was a consistent message with the rest of the UK. I like to think I’ve got a bit of common sense, but everybody’s different in what’s normal, what they think they should do.

“You’re saying tomorrow at 8am people who can’t work from home should go to work? You’re putting it back on the employee to take that decision as to whether it’s safe to go in? That’s pretty unfair in terms of lack of notice and lack of planning.”

Now, many businesses are looking at how they can resume more normal working in the coming weeks and months. The extension of the furlough scheme and the possibility of bringing staff back part-time while the economy gets moving again has been met with relief.

“Speaking to a few businesses and seeing what people are doing, that’s quite a welcome move. Businesses are nervous of this cliff edge the chancellor keeps speaking about. It’s not going to be back to normal over night, it’s going to take time. It helps to have flexibility and phased returns.”

Physical presence

The practical aspects of returning to work are at the top of business owners’ lists of priorities, he said. Enabling social distancing and other aspects of health and safety in workplaces all have to be considered, but businesses are also looking at whether returning to previous operations is even necessary or desirable.

“The traditional view of ‘we have got to be physically present,’, that’s potentially going to be something of the past. Their arm has been forced, given this: they have got to adapt and allow home working. It comes back to physical presence and it will impact on the space they need.”

For some businesses, there has been very little change to how they work. For others, whether changing the services they offer or allowing greater flexibility as parents juggle working hours with childcare, it has been a period of operating differently.

Mr Patterson said the return to work will have to have an element of flexibility too, for both employers and employees, as different sectors return to trading at different speeds.

In the long term, Mr Patterson said it is inevitable some businesses will be forced to make cuts:

“The furlough is a welcome safety net for businesses and employers. The reality is it’s maybe a bit of a honeymoon period that will have to come to an end and businesses will have to make difficult decisions.”