Confusion surrounds council’s Nidd Hall norovirus investigationCouncil opens Nidd Hall norovirus investigationEditor’s Pick of the Week: ‘Tis the season to be jolly sick with norovirus in HarrogateNidd Hall issues statement after suspected norovirus outbreakNidd Hall to expand room offeringHarrogate church saves £20,000 on clock repairs with can of duck oil

A church near Harrogate has saved itself a £20,000 repair bill for its clock — by using a can of duck oil.

Nidd Church spent £1,500 trying in vain to fix its erratic tower clock but it kept stopping after a day or two.

It was finally quoted £20,000 for the clock to be dismantled and taken to a workshop in Derby for repair.

The church feared the prohibitive cost spelled the end for the two train flatbed clock made by Potts of Leeds, which was installed as a prestige item to show Nidd’s importance in 1880.

Nidd Church

The church, photographed by Jane Page

But Knaresborough man Martin Lightfoot, a former engineering lecturer who along with his wife Sue take monthly Mattins services at Nidd, wasn’t convinced.

He reckoned the difficult to reach pulleys needed oiling and volunteered to do the job himself.

A conventional 12ft ladder would not negotiate the tight spiral steps from the ground so Martin volunteered to go up to the clock level, above the pulleys, lie on his front and drip some duck oil through the floorboards and beams onto the pulleys.

Nidd Church

The clock was installed in 1880.

Martin said:

“The clock mechanism looked OK but I was suspicious of the pulleys. They looked very dry.

“The clock seems OK now. I’m just hoping that it keeps going.”

The grade two listed Church of St Paul and St Margaret, which is adjacent to Nidd Hall, dates back to 1866.

David Andrews, treasurer, lay reader and organist at the church, said:

“For five weeks now the clock has run and kept good time. For how long we can’t tell, but it’s doing better than ever before.”

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Hotel closes after staff test positive for coronavirus

A hotel on the outskirts of Harrogate has closed its doors after two members of staff tested positive for covid-19.

Nidd Hall Hotel, which sits between Ripley and Brearton, closed on Tuesday afternoon and sent its guests home.

Mark Middleton, from Stafford, was staying at the hotel with his partner when he was told they would have to leave. Although he praised the staff for the way they handled it and the help they offered, Mr Middleton said after leaving the hotel he had been unable to get confirmation of whether anyone had received a positive test result.

He said:

“We both work and need to get in touch with our employer to see if we need to be tested or self isolate.”

The hotel has confirmed to the Stray Ferret that two members of staff received positive test results. It said all guests were offered the opportunity to re-book or receive a refund.

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A spokesperson for Nidd Hall Hotel said:

“We have chosen to temporarily close the hotel after two team members tested positive for covid-19. This is a proactive and precautionary measure, with health regulators confirming the hotel could continue operation due to our extensive protocols covering hygiene, social distancing and PPE.

“No guests are currently at the hotel and we are scheduled to reopen during the course of next week. The majority of guests who were due to visit in the coming days have rebooked to stay at other Warner Leisure Hotels or have chosen alternative dates to visit Nidd Hall, while a small number have opted to receive a full refund in line with Warner Leisure Hotels’ Coronavirus Guarantee policy.

“Warner Leisure Hotels operates to highest standards in reducing risk from covid-19 to ensure our guests feel safe and secure and have the confidence to enjoy their stay at all times.”