Harrogate 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.

Read more:

• Knaresborough’s Frazer theatre has to remain closed due to the restrictions inside the auditorium. 
• Harrogate Theatre welcomed further funding but insisted that more support is needed to help the theatre.

Care homes in the Harrogate district have recorded a further two coronavirus deaths – after two weeks of recording none for the first time in the pandemic.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures today, which cover up until July 24, show that care homes across the district have reported 106 deaths where coronavirus is the cause of death.

The figures also reveal that there have been five deaths at home, one death at a hospice, and two more deaths at “other communal establishments”, since the start of the outbreak.

Read more:

• When Harrogate district care homes passed 100 coronavirus deaths
• 12 cases of coronavirus in Harrogate district as rates remain low

Meanwhile, Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust remains at 82 coronavirus deaths and said last week that it was not treating any coronavirus patients in its wards.

For that reason, the Stray Ferret paused its daily reporting of the coronavirus statistics from NHS England. We will continue to monitor the information and report any deaths as they are confirmed.

The new ONS data revealed that there have been five extra deaths at the hospital where covid is mentioned on the death certificate. However, they are not part of the official statistics, which only include cases where the virus is the cause of death.

The contract for Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital has been extended for two weeks to allow for talks between the NHS and the council to continue.

The NHS contract was due to expire last Friday, July 31, with no announcement made at the time about whether it would be extended or the field hospital would be decommissioned.

Now, Harrogate Borough Council has said it is continuing talks with the NHS over the future of the site. If the hospital moves out, Harrogate Convention Centre would be able to host events and conferences over the winter, in line with covid guidelines.

A council spokesman said:

“We continue our discussions with colleagues from the NHS about their future plans, and a two week extension has been granted to the current agreement to allow those discussions to continue. However, at this stage, nothing has been decided.”

The delay is likely to cause concern among businesses in the town. Andrew Manby, a director of events company Joe Manby Ltd, previously told the Stray Ferret the NHS needed to make a decision to enable local businesses to plan for the future.

Hospitality in the town, including hotels, restaurants and bars, is heavily reliant on people visiting the convention centre for trade and public events. As the rest of the country begins to reopen, Mr Manby said Harrogate could be left behind if the Nightingale continues to occupy the whole venue.

The convention centre owners and managers are still planning ahead for future events whilst the future of the Nightingale is uncertain

The convention centre team, meanwhile, have been preparing measures to enable events to go ahead safely as soon as they are possible. Additional space could be offered free of charge, one way systems introduced, and even cameras allowing organisers to measure crowd density around the halls.

Longer days and additional dates could also be offered to event organisers to allow more people to visit over longer periods, supporting social distancing.

Read more:

• The construction of Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital cost almost £15 million 
• Kings Road B&Bs and bars are trying to stay positive despite losses 

The two-week extension comes after the Prime Minister announced a £3 billion fund to support the seven Nightingale hospitals until the end of March. Since then, however, the one hosted at Birmingham NEC has been scaled back, allowing the venue to resume events from October with a smaller standby hospital in another part of the site.

The Harrogate Nightingale Hospital is yet to treat any coronavirus patients, but has been used as a facility for outpatient CT scans since early June. The NHS is not paying any rent to the council for use of the convention centre.

The Stray Ferret has previously reported the convention centre is under financial strain. The council is this week due to vote on a £1m investment which would pave the way for a £46.8 million renovation project.

Captain Sir Tom Moore visited Army Foundation College in Harrogate today in his first visit as its Honorary Colonel.

The World War II veteran looked around the college, met and chatted with junior soldiers. The college also gave Sir Tom Moore his new Colonel’s rank slides.

He raised £38.9 million for the NHS after completing 100 laps around his garden during the coronavirus lockdown – becoming a national treasure.

Read more:

• Captain Tom Moore appointed Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College Harrogate
• Portrait of Col Tom Moore donated to Harrogate Army Foundation College
• Capt Tom Moore opens Harrogate NHS Nightingale hospital

Captain Sir Tom Moore said he was pleased to visit the college today:

‘‘It is a real honour to have been made Honorary Colonel. The skills I learnt in the army benefitted me throughout my life and it was wonderful watching the training in action today and speaking with the junior soldiers just starting out, I wish them all well.”

Captain Sir Tom Moore stands for a group photo.

Harrogate AFC prepares 16 and 17-year-olds for a career in the army. It appointed Captain Sir Tom as Honorary Colonel when he turned 100-years-old.

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Farebrother MC, the College’s Commanding Officer, said:

“We were absolutely thrilled when Capt Sir Tom became our Honorary Colonel and this visit is the icing on the cake. He is an inspirational figure for the College Staff and Junior Soldiers who, like him, are fulfilling their potential in the British Army. A wonderful day!”

Captain Sir Tom Moore talks to some trainees during a visit to AFC Harrogate.

Junior Soldier, Daniel Barker, from 11 Platoon, Cambrai Company, stated:

“Sir Tom is an inspiration to me as I have seen first-hand the goodness that the NHS can do. In 2018 my Grandad had cancer. The treatment was unsuccessful, but the NHS were successful in every way. The money Sir Tom Moore raised will go to help families like mine. Speaking to him was an honour”.

Captain Sir Tom Moore engages with a senior officer during a visit to AFC Harrogate.

Lewis Sharpe, also a Junior Soldier of 11 Platoon, Cambrai Company, said:

“The inspiration that Sir Tom has demonstrated has inspired me to push myself further. Coming from a difficult background myself, the hard work Sir Tom has shown has proven to me what you can achieve with sheer determination. It was a privilege speaking to Sir Tom today”.

Charities and community groups in North Yorkshire fighting the impact of coronavirus are being invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 and £50,000.

Two separate funders are offering the grants for organisations helping people overcome the effects of the pandemic.

Two Ridings Community Foundation will begin accepting applications for its coronavirus community fund on Monday. Applicants must demonstrate how they would use the grants, worth up to £10,000, to help beneficiaries become more self-sufficient and resilient in the wake of coronavirus.

Not-for-profit organisations in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding of Yorkshire or Hull can submit bids providing they meet the eligibility criteria, which include having a management committee with at least three unrelated members and a bank account in the group’s name.

Organisations can also apply in partnership with other not-for-profit groups for grants of up to £30,000. Applicants with annual income of less than £500,000 will be prioritised.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is based in York, is the local distribution partner in North and East Yorkshire for funds raised by the National Emergencies Trust. The trust was set up to provide a more co-ordinated national response to emergencies.

Its coronavirus appeal has distributed £56m nationally so far through local distributors, such as Two Ridings Community Foundation. Full application details are available here.

Read more

• Council receives £389,000 grant to transport key workers
• Harrogate charities get vital Arts Council funds

Small charities can also apply for grants of £50,000 from Lloyds Community Foundation’s covid recovery fund.

The fund, which opens on Monday, will offer the grants to 140 charities for initiatives that help people overcome complex social issues.

Carlos Chavez, the foundation’s manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, said many charities in the area “faced significant income losses and other challenges over the last six months” and it “wanted to support these charities to recover in the months and years to come so they can continue to be a lifeline to the people in their communities”.

More details are available here

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after three men were arrested for fighting in Harrogate town centre on Saturday evening.

The incident took place between Skipton Road and Regent Parade between 7.50pm and 8pm on Saturday, August 1.

All three men have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Police are now trying to establish the full details of what happened, and are asking witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.

Read more:

• Two cars were stolen from Westbourne venue, Harrogate – this is the second time in six weeks the street has been targeted.
• A family has expressed their heartbreak after their dogs were poisoned on a walk in Pateley Bridge, one later passed away. 

To give information to the police, call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Corrina Graham-Merrett. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate will keep its ‘Tipi on the Stray’ until the end of August after a month of bumper bookings.

The managers opened the tipi on ‘Super Saturday’ on July 4 and had only planned to keep it open for one month.

After opening the hotel said it was flooded with enquiries from people booking tables and hiring out the whole thing.

Read more:

• Beaches, tipis and coffee: Harrogate back to life on Super Saturday
• Historic Killinghall pub reopens

The tipi can hold up to 38 people inside and has seating outside for 34 other people.

Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotels, said:

“The uptake in bookings has been so strong, it was a no-brainer for us to carry on. We wanted to offer up something a little different that would put a smile back on people’s faces and a Tipi seemed a good place to start!”

Here is how Harrogate welcomed back pubs, cafes, and hotels with open arms on Super Saturday:

People in Harrogate are celebrating Yorkshire Day today and the Stray Ferret has been out to find out what the county means to them.

Yorkshire Day is an annual event which promotes and celebrates the county of Yorkshire

Yorkshire Rose

Here’s what people had to say when the Stray Ferret asked “what does Yorkshire mean to you?”

Andy Stanworth, who was born in Skipton and now lives in Harrogate, said:

“It should be its own country, we are bigger than Scotland and it’s just the best place there is.”

Meanwhile, Erica, who was born in Ilkley and lives in Harrogate, said

“It’s just amazing, and to have a day to celebrate the best county is very special… I’m a very proud Yorkshire woman.”

Yorkshire Day celebrations originally started with just a reading, but now the day is marked in many different ways. Mayors from across Yorkshire usually unite in one of the region’s towns or cities, but this year’s celebrations have been moved online because of the coronavirus crisis.

Read more:

• End of an era as chip shop owners sell up
• See where you can get 50% off your food as of Monday

This article is written for the Stray Ferret by Harrogate employment lawyer Richard Port. Richard is Principal Solicitor and Founding Director at Boardside legal. In a series of articles, he explores the issues raised for employers and employees returning to work post furlough. This article is not legal advice – more a look at the complexities of the current situation. 

This week, he looks at where an employee stands if he is asked to return to his workplace, but does not want to do so.

My client, ABC Ltd is a food production business, meaning that as an essential service it has continued to operate in lockdown. Many, but not all, of its employees have continued to work, albeit paying due regard to health and safety measures in the workplace, in line with government guidelines.

‘Fred’ was one of a small number of employees who were furloughed in response to Covid-19, at least until ABC Ltd recently asked Fred, in particular, to return to the workplace. But he was not keen.

Employees may be reluctant to return to work for a variety of reasons, some of which may not be genuine, but many of which are likely to be so (often supported by various legal protections). Even if ABC Ltd believes that a reluctant returner is exaggerating his other concerns, it would still need to approach the problem with caution, dealing with those ‘concerns’ very carefully indeed.

As an adviser to ABC Ltd, I have had to discuss various scenarios with the client warning them about how easy it is to get things wrong and with it the very real risk of exposure to legal proceedings and the significant associated costs.

Like all employees, Fred has certain protections should he refuse to attend the workplace because of a reasonable fear of ‘serious and imminent danger’, a concept that will differ from one employee to another. For Fred, one major concern was the matter of travel to work on public transport, the risk of which he finds unacceptable.

Bearing in mind that the concept of ‘clinically vulnerable’ includes the over 70s and those with underlying health conditions, I also discussed with ABC Ltd Fred’s age and the fact he has no known health conditions. Fred is in his 60s, so does not trigger the age qualification for being clinically vulnerable, so potential age discrimination was not relevant.

It has been well documented that a number of employees have suffered with the consequences of Covid-19. My concern was that this could potentially be an issue for Fred, save that Fred’s own GP refuses to sign him off work.

Nonetheless, ABC Ltd should still listen to his concerns about returning to work, to understand how he is coping and what his real concerns about returning to his duties are. Remember, employers have an obligation to consider reasonable adjustments, including employees’ work patterns.

Finally, employees do have a right to request a reasonable amount of time off caring for dependants, albeit this would be unpaid. Fred’s wife does suffer from arthritis and I am aware that he does all of the shopping, for example. However, he has not raised this as an issue and in any event ABC Ltd has already offered him unpaid leave.

But of course, it is one thing thrashing this out with me, quite another to be discussing these types of matters with Fred directly. Effective communication is key to reducing the risk of employment related issues and even an adverse finding at an employment tribunal.

Next week, Richard looks at redundancies as businesses deal with the impact of the covid crisis.

Read more from Richard Port:

• Can you force an employee back to work?

Harrogate’s Turkish Baths’ 123-year-old flooring could have “become dangerous” if specialists had not carried out repairs.

A report seeking retrospective approval for the work detailed how Harrogate Borough Council needed to spend close to £30,000.

The baths have been closed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown and the specialists took it as an opportunity to work on the floor.

In the report, the council said that the floor is showing signs of water egress, wear in grouted joints, and cracks in the terrazzo.

Read more:

• How the council handed over control of leisure services to a new company
• When the district’s leisure facilities closed over coronavirus fears
• Turkish Baths Harrogate considers cutting same-sex sessions

The report also mentions that the floor could become uneven and “potentially dangerous” where mosaic pieces are exposed.

Andrew Tiles and The Mosaic Restoration Company carried out the works earlier this month and it is expected to be complete next month.

The council says the works were badly needed. Pictures from the Turkish Baths.

Turkish Baths Harrogate does not yet have a set date to reopen as saunas and steam rooms have not been given the go-ahead.

Harrogate Borough Council has launched a consultation into dropping single-sex sessions from the Turkish Bath’s timetable. Moving to mixed-sessions only would reflect “equality and balance,” according to the council.

Meanwhile, the historic venue is set to become part of a new local authority controlled company (LACC), along with the district’s pools and gyms, as part of an overhaul of leisure services.