On Friday it will be mandatory to wear face coverings in shops and supermarkets.

So we have created a list of independent shops and individuals selling masks in Harrogate, both in-store and online.

Face coverings have been in high demand in the run-up to Friday. We hope our guide will make it easier for you to find one from a local supplier.

Just some of the designs available from nipNstitch.

Read more: 

• North Yorkshire Police Federation say they can’t enforce face masks in shops
• Local company make 7,500 face masks 

Harrogate tailors Golden Stitches told The Stray Ferret that it is currently selling over 40 coverings in store a day. Similarly, Harrogate based seamstress nipNstich received 200 orders online in less than 24 hours.

You can grab a face covering at the following places:

In-store 

Dizzy Duck Harrogate, Albert St.

Georgies, West Park

Golden Stitches, Cheltenham Parade

Morgan Clare, Montpellier Gardens

Rose Velvet, Montpellier St.

Sophie Likes, Beulah St – www.sophielikes.com/face-masks

Sowa Polish Shop, Bower Road

The Luxe Company, West Park

Online 

Aggie’s Craft Harrogate – Facebook “AggiesCraftHarrogate”

Bee and Duck – www.etsy.com/BeeandDuck

Boho Chic – https://www.bohochic.co.uk

CyclingShorts, Harrogate – www.cyclingshorts.uk.com/face-masks/ – Stray Ferret readers can use the code FERRET10 for 10% off online mask orders.

Face Masks Harrogate – Facebook “Face Masks Harrogate”, Instagram @facemasks_hgate, email facemasksharrogate@outlook.com 

Fanni Loves Fufu – Facebook “Fanni Loves Fufu”, email jaynecarle2@gmail.com

Funky face masks Harrogate – Facebook Group

Handmade by Emily Jane – www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HandmadebyEmilyJane 

Harrogate Sewers for Face Masks – Facebook Group

Jaime Wilson – Message on Facebook

nipNstitch – nipnstitch.co.uk, @nipNstitch on Facebook

We got U covered – Facebook “wegotucovered”, www.wegotucovered.co.uk

If you are selling face coverings and would like to be added to our list, email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

Face Masks Harrogate has 60 different patterns available to buy.

The Coach & Horses pub has had its licence to sell alcohol revoked after showing a “blatant disregard” for social distancing guidelines.

Harrogate Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee met today to decide the pub’s fate after HBC officers and North Yorkshire Police reported customers drinking outside the pub and not observing social distancing over the weekend of May 30.

HBC committee members heard how landlord John Nelson and customers of the pub were “aggressive and abusive” towards HBC officials and police after being served with a prohibition order on May 31.

Mr Nelson’s lawyer Paddy Whur said his client “accepted he made a chronic error of judgement”.

He said Mr Nelson suffers from bipolar disorder but had not taken his medication for 10 days which “distinctly affected” his decision-making process during the weekend.

Mr Whur suggested that the pub’s licence be suspended until Mr Nelson steps down – which was rejected by councillors.

Read more:

• Harrogate pub could be shut down over lockdown breaches
• Harrogate pub owners said they followed government guidelines
• Why did the council serve The Coach and Horses with a prohibition notice?

Calling on the committee to revoke the licence, PC Jackie Allen from North Yorkshire Police said they received 44 complaints from the public about social distancing. She said it “seriously undermined licensing objectives and caused alarm and distress to the local community”.

PC Allen also questioned whether Mr Nelson was really suffering from mental health problems calling it a “smokescreen” and an “eleventh-hour attempt” to prevent punishment.

Resident Peter Whittington spoke to defend the pub. He said on Sunday May 31 he witnessed Coach and Horses customers observing social distancing. He said: “it’s a brilliant pub and we need places like that in Harrogate”.

Mr Whur said he met with Mr Nelson and his family last week which he described as being a “hugely emotional and sad” meeting.

He said his mental health condition was genuine and hoped that any decision would reflect his long-standing position in the community.

He said:

“He’s chronically embarrassed that this is in the public domain. He said he’s disappointed he’s wasted HBC’s licensing committee and the police’s time. He regrets it hugely.”

“He has been the licensee for 33 years at one of the oldest pubs in Harrogate – I hope this gives him some credibility that we won’t be assessed as putting up a smokescreen”.

“He’s suffering from a significant mental health problem and is on medication. I wouldn’t try and deceive the licensing committee on something as serious as this.”

Mr Nelson has 21 days to appeal the decision.

Harrogate shop owners have voiced frustration over the Leeds Road roundabout works as cars queued all the way back to Marks & Spencer today.

The roadworks will be in place until September 1 to allow for cable overlay works by Northern Powergrid.

Two of the roundabout’s six exits on Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive have been closed and traffic lights are in place on the others.

Read more:

• Whinney Lane will be closed for seven months
• A new ‘green’ car club for Harrogate
• Six weeks of roadworks on Leeds Road

That roundabout is a key route into the town centre and is also home to a variety of shops, including butchers and hairdressers.

They told The Stray Ferret they expect to be adversely affected, adding it was particularly painful after the coronavirus lockdown.

The traffic backs up to Marks & Spencer on Leeds Road.

Michaela and Ben Stothard, the brother and sister team behind Posh Paws, said it was heartbreaking to see the roadworks.

“We are a bit stuck really because nobody wants to come near the shop. We have just come out of the hardship of coronavirus to see this. If people can’t come to us we will deliver to them.”

The owner of Ake and Humphries.

Paul Auty, the owner of beer and wine specialists Ake and Humphris, will be trying to push a delivery service as well:

“This is now the third time in two years that this road has been dug up. Each time it happens it causes a lot of traffic and great inconvenience to the people around here. The last time we had two weeks of roadworks we lost 40% of business. It would have been better to close the doors.”

Tony Colbeck, the owner of Country Butchers, said it was “unbelievable” to see the roadworks again:

“It should have been done in the coronavirus lockdown when there weren’t as many cars. We found today that because it is quiet, people stay away. I don’t know what it is about Harrogate at the moment but they seem to be ripping up every road.”

The owner of Country Butchers.

Jasmine Pinchin, the manager at Harrogate Hair Studio, described the situation as a “nightmare.”

“We are only allowed a few people in at the moment anyway. So we are at half capacity working 9am to 10pm every day for half the money. Then we have this disruption which is making our timings run back.”

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Northern Powergrid is refurbishing and replacing the electricity network at this location. To reduce waiting times and queue lengths, a closure has been implemented at Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive. The alternative would have been to temporarily signalise each approach to the roundabout.”

North Yorkshire Police has urged dog owners to be more responsible after an increase in attacks on livestock.

The police issued the appeal after noticing an upturn in incidents in the Harrogate area over the last week.

More people are visiting the countryside as lockdown restrictions are eased, which has led to more dog attacks on sheep.

Inspector Matt Hagan, head of North Yorkshire’s rural taskforce, said:

“Owners need to stick to the countryside code and keep their dogs under control even if that means they have to stay on a lead. You are responsible for their behaviour so keep it under control. If your dog is involved in an incident please report it as a lot of the time the owner may see no-one and just head off but they do have a duty to report it.

“If you’re out and about and see anything please report it too because it’s difficult following these kinds of reports up, but if you report it at the time and it’s more likely we can do something.”

The police are asking dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs when out walking them in the countryside.

Read more:

• Suspected poisonings of birds of prey in Nidderdale have increased over lockdown. 
• Police are calling for Ripon parents to help them tackle anti-social behaviour in the city. 

One of the incidents reported to the police this month involved a husky which managed to run through a fence and chase sheep. Police officers were called to an incident on July 12 near Thruscross Reservoir, near Harrogate, by a farmer who reported a dog had attacked a lamb on his land.

The farmer accepted an apology from the dog’s owner and the police issued a community resolution. North Yorkshire’s rural police force are keen to highlight the financial and emotional impact these attacks can have on their livelihoods.

Six weeks of roadworks began this morning on the Leeds Road roundabout, leaving the area gridlocked throughout the day.

The works will be in place until August 28 to allow Northern Powergrid to carry out cable overlay works.

Two of the roundabout’s six exits on Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive have been closed and traffic lights are in place on the others. This left many commuters stuck in traffic or having to take long diversions.

The roadworks are set to stay along Leeds Road for six weeks.

Similar works are taking place along Skipton Road over a 12-week period. Those works are in order for Northern Gas Networks to replace the old metal pipes running along the road. Richard White, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:

“This investment will ensure residents and businesses in Harrogate continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply for decades to come.

“We appreciate that no one likes roadworks, but we will be doing everything possible to complete this work as quickly as possible, while maintaining safe working practices.”

Read more:

• Whinney Lane will be closed for seven months to allow for two construction sites to be worked on.
• A ‘green’ car club has launched in Harrogate where you can hire low-emission vehicles by the hour.

The works come following several quieter months on the roads as many people worked from home. Following the Prime Minister’s announcements suggesting that people can return to work, the next six weeks are likely to involve much longer commutes.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council for a comment on the works, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

The government dealt an indoor play centre in Harrogate a devastating blow in its coronavirus update today.

Kidzplay Harrogate has kept a keen eye on the lockdown easing throughout hoping for the green light.

Owner Lisa Mee has been putting on the pressure and even attended a demonstration in London yesterday alongside others in the industry.

However, this morning Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that while most industries can now open indoor play centres and night clubs cannot.

Lisa Mee told The Stray Ferret that it was “devastating” to hear that she cannot reopen and questioned the logic behind the decision.

“I think, based on the conversations I’ve had with others in the industry, it’s the end of indoor play. If we were in Scotland, Wales or Ireland we would be able to open. I don’t understand the logic.”

The Stray Ferret has approached government press offices and Andrew Jones MP to ask about extra support for Kidzplay Harrogate but had no reply.

Kidzplay Harrogate will have to close without a government u-turn.

The owner of a Harrogate indoor play centre has demanded the government gives her business the green light to reopen.

Lisa Mee runs Kidzplay Harrogate, which has been closed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

She has made every effort to make her play centre safe for children to return but indoor play centres are one of a few industries in England still closed.

Today is the 120 day point since the closure. To mark the occasion Lisa travelled down to Westminster to demonstrate and to Downing Street to hand in a petition.

Read more:

• Why this Harrogate woman is falling through the cracks
• Watch how these tattooists are getting back to work

Nearly 20,000 people have signed the “Rescue Indoor Play” petition which claims that the government has overlooked children in its decisions.

Standing just outside Downing Street Lisa Mee told The Stray Ferret:

“Children between one and five years old are low risk when it comes to coronavirus. But when we keep them in isolation they are high risk for social and emotional development. A one-year-old came to the centre recently. They have spent half of their life with their parents and nobody else and they really struggled meeting other people, I fear for their future.”

Today is the 120 day point since the closure.

Lisa Mee also fears for the future of her business. With no concrete date of when she can reopen Kidzplay she could potentially have to pay some big bills going forward.

She managed to get a government loan but with the furlough scheme coming to an end she faces a £30,000 bill for her 30 staff. Without further help, Lisa may need to make some tough decisions.

Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP) is preparing for an increase of calls for help from people after coronavirus.

Requests to the charity for food bank and supermarket vouchers have already increased. It says help for practical jobs could also increase as people struggle financially.

From April to June it has supported over 500 families and individuals. Over lockdown it provided a variety of help including dropping off books and puzzles to those isolating and moving beds for covid patients returning from hospital.

The charity was initially “overwhelmed” at the beginning of the pandemic but it was able to recruit over 200 volunteers to help it as demand increased.

Lizzie Hughes, Project Development Worker, said that as lockdown eases people will still need their help:

“Whilst we are receiving fewer urgent requests for support and emergency food shopping now, we are still carrying out on average around 120 tasks every week for people in Harrogate and Ripon. A number of people are struggling financially and we’re seeing a lot more people needing to access the food banks or asking us to apply for supermarket vouchers for them.

“Physical and mental health may prevent some local residents from being able to fully participate in community life for some time to come. We also anticipate an increase in demand for practical help with jobs that have built up during lockdown and need arising from economic hardship exacerbated by the virus.”

Gill, a HELP volunteer, took her pony Maple for a socially distant walk round the houses of some of HELP’s isolating clients to cheer them up.

Read more:

• Ripon charity planning for further expansion despite the pandemic. 
• Open Country, a disability charity in Harrogate, has found a way to bring the outdoors into people’s homes during lockdown. 

The organisation offers a support network for those in need of help across Harrogate and Ripon. Over lockdown HELP has been working with the most vulnerable to assist them in any way they need.

Lizzie added:

“From April to June, we supported an additional 501 families and individuals, carried out 822 shopping trips and 112 people received befriending phone calls. We appreciate that doing someone’s shopping isn’t going to be the answer to all their problems so we have been making welfare calls to all our clients offering them additional support.”

The latest figures for people claiming out-of-work benefits show a slight drop in unemployment levels in the Harrogate district.

In June there were 3,740 people claiming out-of-work benefits, down slightly from 3,990 in May.

The figures were published today by the Office for National Statistics and are accurate up to June 11. They reveal that 3.9% of the district’s population were claiming out-of-work benefits, a decrease from 4.5% in May.

Of those, 2,135 were men and 1,605 were women.

Harrogate is below the UK figure of 6.3% for people claiming the benefits, which includes Job Seekers’ Allowance and Universal Credit. The ONS said that the labour market has stabilised but the long-term outlook remains uncertain.

Read more:

• Harrogate College welcomes cash boost for apprenticeships

• Leeds Bradford Airport prepares to cut more than 100 jobs

Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, said:

“As the pandemic took hold, the labour market weakened markedly, but that rate of decline slowed into June, though this is before recent reports of job losses.”

In his summer statement, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that from August to January, any company that hires an apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive £2,000 from the government, while those that hire apprentices over 25 will be paid £1,500.

The announcement was welcomed by the principle of Harrogate College, who told The Stray Ferret that it will boost jobs in the district.

The seven-month-long Whinney Lane road closure “could kill” the Squinting Cat pub, says its manager.

Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Andy Harrison said he is “absolutely mortified” that the main road to the pub from Harrogate will be closed for seven months – just as it attempts to recover from lockdown.

North Yorkshire County Council announced that a section of Whinney Lane will be closed to traffic from Monday, July 27 to February 28 2021, due to the construction of two site access points for the Castle Hill Farm housing development as well as a new roundabout.

The closure will end around 200m before the Squinting Cat. Mr Harrison said it will have major implications as most people driving to the pub use Whinney Lane rather than the longer route through Burn Bridge.

He added the road closure will be a major blow after reopening following lockdown on July 6 and questioned whether NYCC could offer the pub financial compensation.

He said:

“We’ve struggled. Trade is hard anyway and with the road closure I don’t know if we can sustain it”.

Read more:

• Whinney Lane in Harrogate to be closed for seven months
• Starbeck roadworks cause ‘worry and stress’ for wheelchair user

Local residents told the Stray Ferret that the closure of Whinney Lane will be the start of years of disruption due to the different housing developments planned for the area.

One resident, who didn’t wish to be named, said she has seen construction vehicles blocking the lane for residents who use it to exercise. She said “it’s like a takeover”.

Another resident, David Siddans, said he is expecting further closures when more homes are built on the adjacent field of Whinney Lane.

Nigel Smith, head of highway operations at NYCC told the Stray Ferret that they hope works can be completed ahead of schedule and that there will be a temporary footpath installed for pedestrians.

However, he said the authority would not be able to provide any compensation to the Squinting Cat.

He said:

“We understand the inconvenience the closure will cause however these are essential and unavoidable works associated with the development.

“A signed diversion will be in place and pedestrian access has been agreed with the landowner, providing a temporary footpath to houses and businesses.

“We understand the concerns that businesses have regarding trade during any road closure. However, there is no statutory provision for compensation by the Highway Authority for businesses affected by essential roadworks.

“If a business is concerned about a road closure please get in touch with their local highways office, but regretfully we are unable to make any offer of compensation due to the temporary disruption of traffic flow in this area. That said, local access to residences and The Squinting Cat will be maintained where possible.”