Harrogate Borough Council has defended its plans to ask staff to use public toilets in Knaresborough.

Staff at the council-run Knaresborough tourist information centre are due to move from their current location in the town library to the Courthouse Museum in the grounds of Knaresborough Castle in June.

Museum workers already use nearby public toilets on Cheapside because the ancient castle doesn’t have a drainage system.

Tourist information staff now face the same situation.

A council spokesperson said:

“Knaresborough Castle and the Courthouse Museum are ancient monuments, which do not have any drainage facilities. To install them would come at a significant cost along with a number of archaeological challenges.

“Therefore, employees are expected to use public toilets, which are located close by in Castle Yard.”

David Houlgate, branch secretary at Unison Harrogate has raised concerns, saying office workers having to use outdoor toilets should “definitely remain a thing of the past”.

He added:

“Whilst public toilets are OK if people are caught short when out and about in the town, they are not suitable to be the designated toilets for staff working in an indoor environment promoting the town and wider district.

“There is also no guarantee that they will be open when needed.”

Mr Houlgate said council bosses were pushing ahead with the planned move without addressing the “reasonable and legitimate” concerns of staff.

Unison has also raised concerns about disabled access at the museum.

Read more:

• Three of Harrogate district’s five council pools remain closed.
• At yesterday’s chamber meeting, council leader Richard Cooper said footfall in the town centre will decline without change.

The council spokesperson replied:

“The museum has level access to the rear of the building so that it can be accessed by everyone. Unfortunately, as a historic listed building with a number of internal and external steps, it is not possible to provide full access to the building.

“The welfare of our staff is paramount and we will continue to update them as plans progress and address any concerns they may have.”

The spokesperson added that moving the tourist centre into the heart of Knaresborough would provide a “better service” for visitors and residents.

Although the covers of some council-run swimming pool were rolled back yesterday, there is still no date when Knaresborough, Ripon and Starbeck pools will reopen.

Harrogate Borough Council has reopened The Hydro in Harrogate and Nidderdale Pool in Pateley Bridge.

But Knaresborough pool, which has been closed since the end of last year, remains shut as do pools in Ripon and Starbeck.

In its Residents’ News email sent yesterday, the council said Knaresborough pool required repairs and covid restrictions were still preventing Spanish engineers from travelling to fix the filtration equipment.

It said it was “highly unlikely the engineers will be given permission to travel any time soon” and added the council had been in talks with UK pool specialists and were “working up plans to completely replace the faulty equipment”. The newsletter said:

“This is likely to be a more costly solution, but we are keen to ensure our residents in the east of the district have easy access to a pool as soon as possible.”

Across the district in Ripon there is a similar story. The Spa Baths are currently up for sale and remain closed to the public.

A new Ripon pool and leisure centre development was scheduled for completion at the end of next month but has been delayed until November 2021.

The council told the Stray Ferret that further updates on the Ripon development would be released in the coming weeks.

There is also no news on the future of Starbeck Baths.

Read more:

• In response to a second FOI Harrogate Borough Council said the final costs of Ripon’s new leisure centre is not yet known. 
• Ripon councillors begin a campaign to reopen the Spa Baths. 

Breweries across the Harrogate district are revving up their supply chains for bars and restaurants ahead of the reopening on Monday.

The closure of hospitality meant many local brewers moved their focus towards online sales and targeted people enjoying a drink or two in their gardens during lockdown.

But from Monday, large orders are set to ramp up once again as restaurant bookings soar to satisfy eager customers.

Aron McMahon, co-owner of Turning Point Brewery in Knaresborough, was “amazed” after orders returned to pre-covid numbers. He said:

“We’ve definitely had an upturn in orders for kegs and casks, which is great. It’s just great to be brewing casks again after not doing it for so long.

“Over lockdown we were delivering kegs and casks every couple of weeks but now with the reopening it’s much more frequent. It’s amazing – orders for next week look like they did pre-covid.”

The rise in orders also means the business can look ahead to bringing staff back to full-time hours.

Currently most of them are on flexi-furlough, but Mr McMahon is hopeful that if the roadmap stays on track, all employees will be back to full-time hours by the end of the year.

Read more:

• Harrogate Borough Council has told three Harrogate bars they cannot extend their outdoor seating on to Stray land.
• Female-led beer festival to go ahead in Harrogate this summer.

Similarly, in Harrogate, Roosters Brewery has also seen a rise in orders due to the reopening.

Ian Fozard, director at the brewery, said:

“We’ve had nothing substantial, but orders are coming in and we are very encouraged by what we have seen so far. It’s definitely a step forward.

“We are expecting more orders in the coming weeks, but we won’t know the extent of the damage to some businesses just yet.”

There has been a rush to book tables at restaurants in the Harrogate district ahead of re-opening on Monday.

Restaurants can open their doors to eager customers as long as they have distanced outdoor seating.

Bookings have been overwhelming, with some places saying it’s busier than it was after previous lockdowns.

After months away restauranteurs and staff are eager to get back to work, even if the circumstances are a little different.

Chris Richardson, operations manager at Six Poor Folk in Knaresborough, said:

“We have almost full capacity on Monday which obviously filters down through the week but we’re pretty much fully booked on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After that, the bookings are similar every week throughout April and we just cannot wait to get back to it.”

Grantham Arms is preparing to reopen with space for 90 people to sit outdoors.

A similar number of bookings has been seen across the district.

“We’ve done really well with table bookings. We have extended the outdoor area [at the Grantham Arms] and now have seating for 90 people. Getting the green light from government to reopen like this is a massive help for our business.”

David Dresser, who owns Fashion House Bistro in Harrogate, said:

“We’ve had a lot of bookings come in for next week I think so far it’s only Tuesday that is looking quiet. We have 40-50 table outside. We didn’t really have any preconceived conceptions of how we’d be, we aren’t packed but we are looking busy. We are just going to have to pray for good weather.”

After April 12, the next big step of the government’s roadmap comes on May 17 when it is hoped restaurants and hotels can open fully to allow guests indoors.

North Yorkshire County Council has promised that a review into pedestrianisation in Knaresborough is still on the agenda despite a lack of action over the last 10 months.

Traffic cones, which were installed as a temporary social distancing measure in June, remain in place 10 months later as non-essential shops prepare to re-open on Monday.

By contrast, Harrogate’s temporary cones were replaced with planters last year.

When Knaresborough’s cones first went into place the county council committed to review the option of permanent pedestrianisation in Knaresborough.

Read more:

• Campaign for streets in Knaresborough to be pedestrianised
• Harrogate and Knaresborough pedestrianisation extended

James Monaghan, chair of Knaresborough Civic Society, is disappointed by the lack of action and told the Stray Ferret:

“During the first lockdown there was a strong feeling that the way we lived had to change for the better.

“We see this as an opportunity for a better experience for residents, shoppers and tourists. Also to enhance Knaresborough’s public spaces.

“It is disappointing that 10 months later the review hasn’t even started, let alone any improvements be identified.

“This is frustrating when we can see pedestrianisation schemes being trialled and implemented in Harrogate.

“I understand the challenges faced by the highways department this winter. But I want to let those who supported our campaign know that we will continue to pursue this matter.”

Mr Monaghan approached North Yorkshire County Council about the matter and Melisa Burnham, the highways area manager, sent the following in reply:

“Our teams have had to focus on the winter service and the covid test and vaccination centres.

“There is a current resource issue in terms of conducting a consultation at the present time.

“The timing to carry out such a consultation in the community may not be appropriate given the current lockdown. Funding for such a consultation must also be identified.

“I do want to reassure you that this is still firmly on our agenda to consider further.

“As you will be aware any pedestrianisation scheme would need to be implemented with a traffic regulation order, requiring a formal consultation.”

Lockdown restrictions will ease on Monday, allowing beauticians and hairdressers to reopen.

Many people have eagerly awaited haircuts, pedicures and spa treatments since the third lockdown began in early January.

Consequently, businesses in the Harrogate district are bracing themselves for a hectic month. Many customers are struggling to get appointments.

The Treatment Rooms in Harrogate has been shut since December 30 and set up a waiting list six weeks ago to deal with high demand for bookings.

Alex Smith, owner of The Treatment Rooms, said:

“We’re fully booked for the first month and we wanted to make sure we were booking in our loyal customers first before we can fit in new customers.”

Ms Smith said this has been the busiest return from any lockdown so far.

“It could be because the weather’s getting nicer, pubs are reopening or because people have this hope that this will actually be the last time.

“Either way, we can’t wait to go back and see some normality.”

Aimes Health and Beauty in Knaresborough is almost fully booked April, but owner Amy Dodsworth thinks the beauty industry could be adversely affected after the initial rush.

Ms Dodsworth said:

“I think we will be affected by people maybe not feeling safe enough to go out yet, and even working from home might affect business because people won’t want their nails doing as much with no one to see them.

“But we’re looking at the positives. Now is the time to get pampered and have something to look forward to.”

Susan Schofield, owner of the salon Headroom Harrogate described the measures it has instigated to make customers feel safe:

“We have the screens between each customer and all of the team will be wearing masks and visors. We are also doing a few early mornings to ensure we can properly clean each station before every customer.

“Reopening is an exciting time but it is a strange feeling. We’re looking forward to seeing how the first busy week goes.”

Montpellier Beauty in Harrogate, which is also opening its doors on Monday, has kept in touch with clients about government guidelines to demonstrate continuity of care.

Owner Judy Robson said this lockdown has caused stress and uncertainty for the business.

“It has prevented us from implementing some development plans moving the business forward, but has also afforded us some reflection time to brainstorm!

“We have been in survival mode, but are now emerging excited about reopening and thankful that all our lovely, loyal clients have been so supportive and we can’t wait to get back.”

Has your hair got out of control since lockdown? Send images to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will publish the best ones.

Jonny Tattersall first played cricket at the age of seven for Knaresborough under-9s.

Almost 20 years on, he is preparing to walk out today at Headingley alongside the likes of England captain Joe Root and internationals Dom Bess, David Willey and Duanne Olivier to play for Yorkshire on the opening day of the season.

Most media attention at today’s match will focus on Joe Root coming up against his younger brother Billy, who plays for Glamorgan.

But cricket fans in the Harrogate district will be keenly following the performance of Tattersall and fast bowler Ben Coad, who also emerged from the Harrogate district cricket scene.

As wicket-keeper, Tattersall is never far from the action. He’s also a useful middle order batsman with a handy knack of counter-attacking effectively when the team is struggling.

Unlike many cricketers that enjoyed the best facilities at fee-paying schools, he went to a state school in Knaresborough and has reinvented himself from being a leg spinner and opening batsman to a wicket-keeping middle order batsman to keep his career alive. Here he tells his story.

Have you lived in the Harrogate district all your life?

Yes. I was born in Harrogate and lived in Knaresborough nearly all my whole life. I moved in with my girlfriend to Harrogate in 2018 but we are now in the process of moving back to Knaresborough. My parents now live in Great Ouseburn and my brother is in London. My parents watch as much as they can.

Which schools did you go to?

Aspin Park Academy and then King James. We lived on the Aspin estate, which was literally two minutes from the primary school. I had a fairly normal upbringing and quiet estate life, playing a lot of football and cricket.

How did you get into cricket?

Dad played at Knaresborough and my brother was into it as well. He went on to play for Yorkshire seconds. My brother is four years older than me and when he was playing under-11 cricket I was chomping at the bit to play so we set up an under-9s team and I ended up playing in it at the age of seven. Dad was the coach at the majority of teams I played in.

How did you get to play for Yorkshire?

I played through the age teams at Knaresborough juniors and first played for Yorkshire under-11s when I was eight. I went all through the age groups predominantly as a leg spinner. I played for the academy at Yorkshire and went on the under-17s programme with England and moulded myself into an opening batman.

Tell us about your England experience

I played for England at the under-19s World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2014. We lost to Pakistan in the semi-finals and beat Australia in the third place play-off.

Is cricket taken seriously in local schools?

We played a lot of sport but cricket was low down the pecking order. The games we played were few and far between. The standard isn’t that good compared with private schools. It helps your development when you have that exposure to full-time practice facilities at an early age. It wasn’t the route I took but there’s no reason why you can’t succeed coming from a state comprehensive.

In action behind the stumps for Yorkshire. Pic credit SWPix

When did you start keeping wicket?

I got released by Yorkshire in 2015 when they had two seasons of winning the county championship. I did wicket-keeping to keep myself in the eye of the coaches — with the batting line-up we had in the championship-winning winning side it was difficult to get into the first team. It paid off because I came back. It just so happened Andrew Hodd was going to be retiring and I thought there was a chance to get in the team as a wicket-keeper. My brother and dad are both wicket-keepers so I grew up watching them and I kept in a few games in club matches.

How strange was it last season playing to empty crowds?

Possibly not as strange in championship cricket because you don’t get many people anyway but it was really strange when we played the Twenty20 matches. I remember in the first game we batted first and normally you have that murmur and anticipation that goes around and it was dead silent.

Has it been difficult training during lockdown?

We’ve one of the more fortunate counties because we’ve got in a full pre-season of gym work and cricket. The only downside is we’ve been in fairly small groups because we have to train socially distant and we’ve had to have lateral flow tests twice a week since mid- March.

What are your personal and team ambitions for the season?

They are the same – winning as many games as possible for Yorkshire. We’ve got a really good squad and the team is coming together nicely. If we can keep people fit and avoid covid I’m fully expecting us to put in some strong performances and to be sniffing silverware, especially in the championship.

How demanding is keeping wicket?

It’s just different. It’s more mentally draining because you are always in the game. But I felt more physically tired last year when I didn’t keep wicket and was running around the field and diving after balls.

England are not short of wicket-keepers but do you fancy your chances of getting in on the reckoning?

I don’t try to look too far ahead but you’ve always got ambitions of playing for England when you’re a young cricketer. If I can just keep putting in the performances for Yorkshire, you never know.

What are your hobbies away from the game?

I play a lot of golf. I play at Knaresborough golf club. I play off a 6 or 7 handicap but I never seem to play to that! I take an interest in most sports.

Where are your favourite places in Harrogate and Knaresborough?

Knaresborough is a lovely place to go for a walk down by the castle and the waterside and then get an ice cream on a sunny day.

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Gyms and leisure centres in the Harrogate district are preparing to reopen next week after more than three months of lockdown.

But although thousands of people in the district are desperate to start lunging, pressing and punching their way back to fitness, gym life won’t be completely back to normal.

Ongoing social distancing restrictions mean many group training classes still won’t be available.

Ryan Tansley, owner of CrossFit Harrogate, at Hornbeam Park, said he was looking forward to reopening but because it couldn’t offer structured classes, it would operate more along the lines of an open gym.

CrossFit Harrogate has offered discounted rates to members during lockdown, and provided Zoom classes and various challenges, such as performing the most burpees.

Mr Tansley said:

“People have had to adapt but it will be so good to get back to seeing people.”

No sparring allowed

Contact won’t be allowed at Harrogate boxing and martial arts gym H Hour Boxing and Kao Loi, when it reopens next week, which means no sparring and pad work.

Owner Rob Smith said it will operate predominantly as a fitness gym rather than a combat gym until the situation changes. He said:

“We will do boxing training for fitness but our bread and butter is training people to compete and that’s on hold.”

The gym has produced many champion fighters, including Thai boxer Rachael Jones MacKenzie, but the impact of lockdown has left its future uncertain.

Rob Smith is the head coach at H Hour Amateur Boxing Gym.

Mr Smith plans to skydive to raise £5,000 to keep the gym afloat three days before his 50th birthday next month.

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Ripon refurbishment

As owner of Intrim in Ripon for the last 18 years, Phill McKay has been flying the flag for independent gyms at a time when big chains have been taking over. He said:

“We are as excited as our members are. We have air-con going in this week and a gym makeover so we will be ready to receive old and new members. We have also rebranded and have new equipment planned.”

Phill McKay of Intrim

Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge, run by former World’s Strongest Man competitor Darren Sadler, who now promotes the biggest strongman events on the planet, is also reopening on Monday.

Functional fitness in Knaresborough

“We are so excited to get back to some form of normality and finally have our fitness community back at Black Wolf HQ.

“They are what has kept us alive during this topsy-turvy time, and we can’t wait to welcome them back and celebrate what is hopefully set to be a fantastic summer.”

“We are pretty much going back to the same restrictions as before the January lockdown with the addition of twice weekly testing for all staff.

“We have been on restricted numbers since we were allowed to reopen last year so for use things are similar to before Christmas.”

Pure Gym in Harrogate will open on Monday. The gym will be open 24 hours but studio classes will not begin until May 17.

Leisure facilities managed by Harrogate Borough Council are also due to resume on Monday. But again, things aren’t totally back to normal. A council spokesman said:

“The pool at The Hydro in Harrogate and Nidderdale Pool will reopen on April 12 for lane swimming and family sessions.

“Brimhams fitness centres at The Hydro, Nidderdale Leisure Centre and Ripon Leisure Centre will also reopen to members only.

“Turkish Baths Harrogate will reopen from this date for treatments only.”

The trade union Unison has expressed concerns that some Harrogate Borough Council may have to use public toilets during office hours.

Knaresborough Tourist Information Centre is currently located in the town’s library.

But it is due to move to the Courthouse Museum, in the grounds Knaresborough Castle, in June.

Unison is concerned the museum does not have adequate on-site toilet facilities, forcing staff to use public toilets on Cheapside.

David Houlgate, Unison Harrogate branch secretary, said:

“We understand that for very many years staff at the courthouse museum have been expected to use the public toilets near to Cheapside.  Of course this was never really acceptable but now with the Tourist Information Centre re-locating there will be more staff, probably longer opening hours and increased footfall.

“Whilst public toilets are OK if people are caught short when out and about in the town they are not suitable to be the designated toilets for staff working in an indoor environment promoting the town and wider district.

“There is also no guarantee that they will be open when needed.”

Read more:

• Unison has lodged a formal dispute with Harrogate Borough Council over the cost of staff working from home. 
• A former, senior council officer was paid £55,000 after leaving suddenly.

Mr Houlgate said if the council could not provide toilets, it should make an arrangement with a nearby organisation to allow council staff to use their toilets.

He added these concerns were put to the council when the move was first discussed in 2019 but they hadn’t been addressed. He also questioned what consultation had taken place.

The move to the museum was delayed due to the pandemic but is now scheduled to take place in June.

Disabled access also a concern

Unison also raised concerns about the tourist information centre’s disabled access. Mr Houlgate said:

“Whilst there is some provision to get in and out of the Courthouse, the nature of the building may restrict access within which is not ideal and may even be discriminatory.”

The union has asked the council if there has been an equality impact assessment in relation to the move.

Harrogate Borough Council has been contacted for a response.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is to reopen its shop in Knaresborough next week when covid restrictions ease.

The charity shop, on Market Place, will reopen on April 14 at 9am, two days after non-essential shops are allowed to trade again.

The shop helps the charity, which is based in Harrogate, raise funds for cancer research in Yorkshire. Its mission is for 2,000 more people to survive cancer every year in Yorkshire.

Covid measures, such as hand sanitisers, social distancing and PPE worn by staff and volunteers will operate.

The shop will start accepting donations once its reopened, by appointment only. The Harrogate donation centre is still closed for drop-offs.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“Along with many other charities, we have experienced a significant loss of income during the coronavirus pandemic.

“To try to reduce this loss, we acted quickly to start selling donated goods online.

“We are thankful to all those who continued to support us by donating second-hand belongings and searching for bargains in our online marketplaces during lockdown.”

Read more:

• Harrogate Fire Ants are raising money to improve sanitation on a small island in the South Pacific.
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The shop will be open Wednesday to Saturday between 9am and 4pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. It will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Yorkshire Cancer Research’s other shops in Northallerton and Tadcaster will also re-open.