An employment tribunal has ruled that a Knaresborough woman was unfairly treated when she was dismissed from her job for refusing to wear a face mask.

Laura Convery worked at the Volkswagen dealership in Knaresborough from July 2019 until October 2020.

Staff at the dealership were sent an email in May 2020 by British Street Fourth Investments Ltd, which owns the dealership, about a return to work and to follow a covid policy in which they were asked to wear masks and social distance.

The tribunal, which was held in Leeds, heard that Ms Convery had refused to wear a face mask because it gave her “panic attacks” and anxiety.

She said she had tried to wear a face covering in supermarkets when the government made them mandatory, but it caused her “severe distress”.

The company offered her the chance to wear a visor instead, but she declined. This led her line manager, Matt Brodgen, to suspend her.

Ms Convery later told Mr Brogden, in a text message in September 2020:

“I physically cannot wear one [a face covering], I have tried on more than one occasion since July 24 and I just can’t do it.

“It creates severe distress for a number of reasons. The main one being that I have a complete aversion to anything covering my face, which stems back from my teenage years I believe.

“I wasn’t aware that this was even a problem until I have tried to wear a face covering in recent months, but it transpires that it is a huge problem for me.”

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Ms Convery was invited to a disciplinary meeting the following October, but said she did not attend after increased stress and anxiety had led to her to being signed off work by her GP.

The dealership terminated her employment with immediate effect on October 15.

Anxiety impairment

However, the tribunal found that Ms Convery had been unfairly treated in her dismissal because “of something arising in consequence of her disability in contravention of section 15 of the Equality Act 2010”.

A judgement published by the tribunal concluded that she was “unable to wear a face covering because of her anxiety impairment”.

The tribunal also found that the company could not have known about Ms Convery’s disability before her text message in September.

However, it added:

“The respondent, the tribunal concludes, ought reasonably to have made further enquiries whether through its occupational health service provider or directly to the claimants own GP from which it is likely it would have become aware of the claimant’s disabling condition.”

A Harrogate home carer has said working through a pandemic for 20 months has been some of the hardest months she’s had to face.

Throughout the pandemic home carers have continued to go into the homes of the vulnerable even if covid was present. One of those is Rachel Yarwood,  an assistant manager at St Margaret’s Homecare, which assists people in their homes in and around Harrogate.

She said coronavirus has meant her job can be both “terrifying and rewarding”.

Working through different tiers in full PPE has not been easy for anyone on the frontline, but Ms Yarwood said she felt home carers in particular were the “forgotten group”.

She said doing 17-18 calls a day while trying to bathe people was extremely tough. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, the St Margaret’s staff were making aprons out of car seat covers to prevent them running out.

“The NHS have been amazing but we have worked hard too to keep people out of hospital and at home.

“It’s been extremely hard at times. I remember having a chat with my daughter at the beginning giving her instructions on how to look after my other two kids in case I got it because back then we didn’t know how bad it would be.”

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For many of the clients, Ms Yarwood and her team were the only people they were seeing for a long time. She said “we became like family”.

“Some were really depressed at times. It was really hard to see some of them deteriorate and feel so lonely.”

Looking ahead to next year, Ms Yarwood said:

“We aren’t becoming complacent, we know covid isn’t going anywhere. But we are much more prepared now. We’ll just keep pulling together as a team.”

The November image from the charity calendar

Ms Yarwood and her team have also been photographed for a charity calendar to raise money for Mind. She said the ‘Covid Calendar Girls’ calendar came about after seeing the impact of isolation on clients.

She said:

“We just wanted to do out bit and it was a lot of fun. I hope it makes a few people smile and more importantly raises money for Mind.”

To find out more and support the calendar appeal, click here.

There’s been a rise in demand for cosmetic dental treatments from teeth whitening to full smile makeovers according to Harrogate dentists who specialise in the field. Treatments such as veneers and composite bonding are at much higher levels than 18 months ago.

Now we are venturing out again and social calendars are filling up, people are looking to fix the things that have always bothered them, like crooked smiles or stained teeth.

Constant Zoom video calls during the pandemic also caused the ‘mirror effect’ meaning there’s no escaping hours looking at your dental imperfections.

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi, from The Harrogate Clinic

Dr Shoreh Ghasmi, who runs The Harrogate Clinic, on Prospect Crescent, said:

“I think everybody now wants to do something nice for their smile. Before they didn’t care that much.

“Many people stayed at home during the pandemic and have been using Zoom and I think it makes them aware of their smile and the state of their teeth. I have many patients now who have said they think they look awful on Zoom and don’t want to smile.

“Also when people have stayed at home, their partners have seen them much more and have noticed their teeth, so that’s another reason they are wanting to improve them.

“One of the crucial things is people are removing their masks and they are seeing much more of their smiles. Where as before when everybody had masks, people got used to their teeth. Now half of their face isn’t under a mask all of a sudden.”

Dr Jatinder ‘Sonny’ Sagoo, clinical director of Clover House dental practice, on Skipton Road, said he had also noticed a significant increase in elective treatments in the wake of the pandemic, as well as treatments to secure and maintain dental health.

He said:

“The two have to go hand-in-hand for long term successful outcomes. Although patients do come in asking for specific treatments we find it best to have a detailed conversation of the outcome they desire and then working out the best way of achieving it. Sometimes simple interventions can make a remarkable difference. With modern dentistry we increasingly make use of digital technologies to help plan, visualise and deliver results.

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Dr Sagoo also said people have money to spend after a year of lockdown:

He said:

“In addition the inability to make other discretionary spending, such as holidays and eating out, probably means there is a higher level of disposable income available. Costs of treatments can now be easily spread over several months, making treatment more affordable from monthly cash flow.

“Dental treatments have also become really accessible and easier to tolerate, for example clear and invisible braces that straighten teeth without anyone knowing about the treatment.

“I definitely agree Zoom is a factor. In normal circumstances you can’t see your own smile, so it’s easier to ignore it if there’s something that’s not right.

“When you see your smile on the monitor – now often in high res – it can be a prompt. People generally want to present themselves in the best possible light and with Zoom the only bit of the person you normally see is their face and smile.”

Dr Jatinder ‘Sonny’ Sagoo, from Clover House dental practice

There has also been a notable increase in the number of adults getting braces in a bid for straighter teeth, said Dr Sagoo.

He said:

“In the noughties there was a marked trend in instant smile makeovers using ceramic veneers and crowns. If teeth were not straight they could be disguised to look straight.

“Whilst this gave instant results, there were long term consequences such as damage to enamel and dentine and also eventually the ceramics needed replacing.

“With the advent of clear aligner and invisible brace systems, it became easier and more acceptable to move crowded teeth so they were straight.

“If you couple this with tooth whitening to lift the colour and cosmetic bonding to make subtle refinements, it became easier to get great results and keep the natural tooth perfectly intact.

“The “Align, Bleach, Bond” method is much more conservative in its approach and therefore better for long term dental health.”

Successful teeth whitening and cosmetic recontouring at Clover House dental practice

An example of composite bonding at Clover House dental practice

Whitening and composite bonding at The Harrogate Clinic

An example of dental aesthetic treatment at The Harrogate Clinic

The pandemic has had a major impact on interior design trends, with a notable shift in how people are now choosing to live in their homes.

In a relatively short period, the home has become a place to work, exercise, relax and even attend school – and this continues to be one of the single biggest influences on design.

So, what does this mean for the future of interior design? Here’s how the design of our homes are changing and evolving as a reaction to the health crisis and the need for more adaptable, flexible spaces, according to interior designers from the Harrogate district.

No expense spared

Design ideas at Furnish & Fettle.

As a result of multiple lockdowns, people have been spending more time in their homes than ever before and there has also been a major surge in moving to bigger properties. This has led to more investment in design and interior designers are in greater demand than ever – no longer just an asset of the rich and famous.

Elisa Fanella, of Elisa Interiors, on Tower Street, Harrogate, said:

“It has been the busiest 18 months out of my 11 years as a self-employed interior designer. It has been an interesting shift, as at the start of the pandemic it was all very worrying, wondering if my business going to survive, but because people are spending so much more time at home, houses have become the main investment in their life.”

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Eleanor Goddard, director of Furnish and Fettle, which has showrooms in Harrogate, Wetherby and Pocklington, said:

“We are definitely seeing a huge increase in the number of people wanting the help of an interior designer.

“Everybody is doing their homes up. People have been stuck at home a lot more and have realised the value of making their houses beautiful and having a space which is fluid. People are using their houses in a different way, such as for homeschooling and working from home.

“The other thing is because people haven’t been going away on holiday and spending as much, some have managed to save and they see the value of spending on their home. Other people have moved because their house is no longer serving their needs and when they move into a house they want to put their own stamp on it.

“There’s a general move towards people seeing interior design as important.

“A lot of professional people would have a cleaner and someone who mows their lawn, interior designers have perhaps moved into that realm. It’s fair to say it used to be more of a service for the wealthy, but now people are saying ‘you know what? I just want my home to feel like a home for me’.”

A focus on wellbeing

After spending months at home, many have decided they love their houses and want to stay but need more space and have chosen to extend.

However many, particularly those who have lived in apartments, have decided to move to bigger properties with an outside space or to a more rural location surrounded by countryside. An emphasis on wellbeing in the home has had a major influence on these decisions.

Elisa said:

“The house has become a place for wellbeing. In that respect a lot of money has been invested in houses and refurbishment because of that.

“People want to be in an environment where they spend their lives and are happy and have all the possible commodities.

“They want something that makes them happy looking at it. From walls to ceilings, windows, everything has to convey the sense of wellbeing and make us smile at the same time.

“In particular people have been using light, not just as a functional element, but to create that calmness and give you that sense of peace.”

Natural and electric light flood this bathroom designed by Elisa Interiors.

Zoning

Zoning – which means separating areas according to their function – has gained momentum in the wake of the pandemic, with a need for different areas for work, entertaining, family time and wellness.

A clever way to create sub-spaces, which cater for these different needs, is to zone.

Eleanor said:

“People are wanting to look at how to use a space. They are looking to zone areas, so they can have an area to do work or an area to do yoga or relaxation. They want a space for them.

“In zoning areas, because people aren’t going out as much, they are eating at home or entertaining at home, there’s a pull towards creating luxurious dining rooms.”

Cinema rooms and home bars

A cinema room designed by Elisa Interiors.

A home cinema provides a luxurious addition to any large home with space to spare, and provides opportunities for entertaining at home – or just enjoying movies with family.

There has also been a rise of the home bar, with more and more people choosing to host cocktail evenings at home.

Elisa said:

“Cinema rooms are a big trend as they are spaces where you can be with your family. I find people call it a family room and in the middle you have a big TV, an audio system and a place where you can play your X-Box or PlayStation and the kids can also be in there with their friends.

“It’s all about having everything you want in your own home.”

Eleanor said:

“More people are creating home bar areas and the bigger properties will have a home cinema room. Home bar areas were actually coming into fashion before the pandemic with gin and cocktail trolleys, but people are now having bars built in their homes and there’s a move back towards that.”

A home bar designed by Elisa Interiors.

Luxurious kitchens and bathrooms

With people having more time on their hands during lockdown, and with restaurants being closed, many turned to cooking as a form of indulgence and entertainment. People also focused on their bathrooms, which became many peoples’ sanctuary and place to escape.

Elisa said:

“Many people were cooking in the first lockdown and were making things like their own bread and own pasta and that has made people realise the limits of their kitchen, so this has been a particular area people have wanted to improve.

“People want the coffee machine, the larder, the spice racks in drawers and space to cook, they want the top notch oven and accessories.

“Bathrooms have also become a room in the house where you can indulge yourself. All sorts of extras have gone in and people have introduced baths as well as a shower.”

A luxurious kitchen designed by Elisa Interiors.

Home offices

With many now fully accustomed to a new, more flexible way of working, home offices have become hot property. Closing the door at the end of a working day has helped many workers to enforce that work-life balance.

Elisa said:

“A lot of spaces have been redesigned. We are just doing one at the moment, where we are converting a dressing room into a home office. Even the smallest corners of a house can take a home office. That has been key, trying to find where you can put a desk, a monitor, storage and a printer. The home office has been crucial for some people.”

Natural and raw materials

The growing focus in design on products made from wood, wool, stone and ceramics add a human dimension to the home environment that may have beneficial effects on health and happiness.

Elisa said:

“I think we felt somehow Mother Nature was trying to tell us something. There has been this trend of trying to show in some way what is organic and what is belonging to the outside. Suddenly everybody wants to bring it inside. So we have seen people using a lot of natural materials like marble, wood and limestone.

“Although I’m very much the queen of colour, I have noticed how much this year I have worked with neutrals and textures and I have tried to create an ambience and convey the sense of coziness which has a welcoming, relaxing and peaceful kind of atmosphere when you walk in.”

Villagers in Bishop Monkton have shared their pandemic stories in a new exhibition opening this weekend.

The exhibition, organised by the village’s Local History Group, includes more than 400 pictures, videos and written reflections on life over the past 18 months.

The collection includes words and pictures about the village community support network that was set up, people’s own experiences after catching covid and the difficulties faced by those having to shield.

The pictures also include the brighter moments such as when the community came together for VE Day or covid-safe carol singing.

Laura’s Law is a monthly legal column written by family lawyer Laura Mounsey. Laura is a partner at Harrogate Family Law. She specialises in dealing with divorced couples and people who have been in abusive relationships. Her role involves protecting her clients’ assets and income if they want to live with someone or get married, and resolving disagreements about children.

This week Laura advises on whether there is a “right” time to divorce. 

New Year, new start?

2020 was challenging year for most people, with the unprecedented stress of dealing with a global pandemic. Many have not only been fearful of what the future holds outside of their home but also, the future inside their home.

A lot have shared with me that:

• marital problems that they had been able to bury or turn a blind eye to started to bubble up in a big way. Suddenly, they had little choice but to confront the reality of their marriage and the effect this was having on them.
• they found themselves unable to put a plaster on the cracks anymore and bad behaviour boiled over. Exhausted and stressed out, arguments become more common place and, with no distraction or outlet, more difficult to move on from.
• the added pressure of home-schooling, fearing whether they would have an income, missing loved relatives and the ever-fluctuating tier restrictions made them feel more trapped than ever, and more desperate than ever to get out.

Even though the pandemic pushed these individuals to realise that their marital difficulties needed to be dealt with, holding onto the certainty of an unhealthy marriage seemed more comfortable than the uncertainty of separating in an unfamiliar world.

Often, individuals would tell me that they were too anxious about what getting divorced would look like in 2020 even though they knew that, for the sake of their family, they did need to make that change. They were fearful that they would have nowhere to live because of the state of the housing market, they would not be able to pay their bills because of the financial downturn, the impact on the children would be too difficult to handle with home-schooling, and their ex would keep their children from them because of the pandemic.

In my experience, anyone who is thinking about getting divorced is scared about what the future will hold. That is no different in a pandemic. But whether we are in a pandemic or not, there is no lightbulb moment and there is no perfect time.

The hardest part tends to be making the decision about whether to make that call or not. It is easy to delay and delay, convincing yourself there will be a better time. But how much worse are things going to get in the meantime?

If you think splitting up is inevitable, waiting can cause more damage to your relationship. How much harder is it going to be to get through everything as painlessly as possible if there is more to fix when you eventually decide that you are “ready”?

Speak with someone impartial like a counsellor and lawyer who are not here to sell you on any outcome, just help you take a step back and decide whether this is what you want. And if it isn’t what you want, what are you going to do about it?

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services for North Yorkshire County Council, led the authority’s covid response through the year. He tells the Stray Ferret he has not forgotten those lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

’Tis the season to be… jolly? Maybe it’s more about being careful and kind?!

What a year!

The Harrogate district, like the rest of North Yorkshire and the world, has spent much of the last 12 months wrapped in the nightmare of covid-19.

Sadly, too many of our fellow residents will be mourning loved ones taken by the virus. Empty chairs around festive tables will denote a loss that is only too real. Behind every number is a human being; someone with a life story and loved ones. We must, and will, remember them.

It has been a sobering year for those of us working in public health and adult social care. In March, we were supporting NHS colleagues who were converting Harrogate Convention Centre into the Yorkshire and Humber Nightingale Hospital.

I remember one particularly poignant Friday afternoon call with the Bishop of Ripon, talking about the projected huge numbers of deaths, how we would ensure ethical and personalised decision-making; and how we could support grieving families and communities.

The first wave was not as bad as initial fears, but it took its toll: at least 600 people across North Yorkshire have died from Covid and there have been more non-Covid deaths because people may have been reluctant to get the treatment they needed for cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Mental health continues to be a major concern for us all.

At the same time, the response from the community has been inspirational. In spring, as everyone came out onto our streets to clap key workers, and the cheers rang out across Harrogate’s rooftops, my thoughts were with public health and social care teams, volunteers, supermarket workers, farmers, as well as NHS colleagues… the list goes on because so many people have worked so hard.

Harrogate Grammar School was among those to make and donate visors during the first lockdown

Local businesses did all they could to help with PPE when we couldn’t get supplies. People made face masks. The Harrogate Bus Company featured pictures of nurses, social workers and care workers on their buses, in tribute to their work. Major Tom’s delivered pizzas to care homes to say thank you. Dementia Forward developed the “Café in a Box” to support people with dementia and their carers. North Yorkshire Sport delivered activity packs to keep people fit. Harrogate Festivals cheered and stimulated us by moving a year of events online. Harrogate Town won a well-deserved promotion and, for a time, did better than my beloved ‘Boro!

Personally, I have learned much about myself and others. There have been great highs and a few lows. I have been moved by people’s stories, courage and willingness to help others. I have been inspired by my conversations with people who use health and social care services: they have played a vital role in helping each other and coming up with new ideas as to how we could support them better.

And I have been grateful that people have come together to ensure we have kept ahead of the national situation wherever possible: whether that’s getting more testing available locally, tapping into the massive effort of volunteers, or supporting care homes to re-open to visitors where safe to do so.

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Apologies to my family and friends, because I have been so focused on work this year. Even more than usual! To those who wanted to do an evening Zoom beer or Zoom quiz, sorry: I have become Zoomed-out! However, I am grateful to have spent lockdown in one of the most beautiful parts of England. There is something about making the most of what’s on your doorstep: walking, cycling, running, breathing.

Even as the vaccine moves us towards “living with covid”, it is likely, although not inevitable, that we will face a third wave of the pandemic. Right now, we are at the toughest part before the dawn: needing to keep each other safe; to drive down infection rates; and to look to the future.

It is also an opportunity. We can look, with different eyes, at where we live, and what we do and build something new and different. I am optimistic about our potential and about the triumph of hope, humanity and innovation.

Looking ahead, and learning from the past 12 months, I am reminded of a line from Robert Frost’s poem, Birches, which I learned at school: “earth’s the right place for love”.

The Chandler family took over the Spar Shop in Pateley Bridge in 2016 and as 2021 approaches, they hope to put a year of floods and pandemic behind them. Lee Chandler tells their story for the Stray Ferret.

On Valentine’s Day, people were buying wine and chocolates for a romantic night in, but the following morning Storm Dennis hammered the UK and Nidderdale.

Over three days, we went from a relatively quiet start to 2020, into the teeth of gales, deep waters and floods.

As the River Nidd rose to its highest recorded levels and shops and businesses in Pateley Bridge were flooded, who could have known this was just the precursor of worse to come?

Back in February, many members of the community pulled together to save the High Street – among them, James Clarkson, Hillary and Roger Jefferson (even though Roger was recovering from heart surgery), County Councillor Stan Lumley, Aaron Dunn, Chris Hawkesworth and many more.

Flooding in Pateley Bridge at the beginning of the year. Photo by Sharon Clarkson

Just as we completed the clean-up and, like the town’s other retailers, started putting out the stock for Mother’s Day and Easter, we were back in crisis.

A virus that only medical experts and scientists had heard of came sweeping across the world. Nobody was safe.

While Nidderdale has not suffered the same level of infections and deaths as other parts of the Harrogate district, the lockdowns from March to June and November to early December temporarily closed the majority of businesses in the town.

However, with people isolating in their homes in Nidderdale and the Washburn Valley, we were among the essential retailers allowed to remain open and found our shop transformed into a kind of distribution hub.

Countless boxes and bags containing food and drink, prescriptions, pet supplies, books and DVDs were assembled for delivery by an army of more than 60 volunteers coordinated by Nidderdale Plus with fabulous assistance from the Rev Darryl Hall.

More than 90 deliveries went out on some days – both near and far, including urgent supplies that went up Greenhow Hill by bicycle with trailer ridden by Heather Tuffs, an instructor from Bewerley Park Outdoor Learning Centre – itself in lockdown.

We also had the ‘buddy scheme’ checking on the vulnerable and set up a food bank donation point which remains to this day. It is run by Bewerley Park and Nidderdale Plus.

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Staff at Spar and other shops that remained open worked extremely long hours, in a collaborative community effort – that also saw us, later in the year, clubbing together to support the town’s Christmas lights appeal.

With our late-night Christmas shopping event another casualty of covid-19, the extended lights have brought us some cheer and we will have them for years to come.

In among all this, we took over the local bakery just across the road, which had closed before the first lockdown – some might call us gluttons for punishment!

It has been a challenging year, but we kept our heads above water, maintained our sense of humour and hope to come out of it stronger.

As CEO of Harrogate Neighbours Housing Association, Sue Cawthray has led her team of carers through the toughest year of their professional lives. At the same time, they’ve all had their own difficulties to face, as she tells the Stray Ferret.

The last ten months have been challenging for all of us.

I have worked within social care for the last 27 years and it has been hit so hard – I have never experienced anything quite like it.

Personally, I have found it one of the most difficult times in my career having to be nimble in responses to the ever-changing goal posts and the potential impact, and aspiring to be a ‘mother figure’ to all my staff as well as a confidante.

I am a very positive person and my cup is always half full, but some days the negativity of our new normal lives has been mentally taxing. As there has been no respite, some days I have felt anger, frustration and huge waves of despair.

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Being apart from my family has been the biggest challenge for me – my daughter isolated in the Cayman. You may say how wonderful to be in such a lovely place, however when you are forced into a situation and you were expecting to see each other, it has been tough – the choice was taken away.

I struggled with not being able to see my mum for nine months – she is 91 and lives in the south-east and was shielding. We managed two days in September but were unable to hug and be in the same house, and then we faced a Christmas without seeing each other, like so many others.

As a Mum and Grandma, not being able to see my grandchildren and children whenever I wanted to and to spend time together doing all the ‘normal’ things you do as a family has been so tough. Even when we were in a bubble and providing some childcare support, I have been constantly worried about my situation as a front line worker and how the virus is transmitted.

The hardest has been not being able to do the natural things of hugging friends and family, and not being able to console people when they are struggling with their own personal meltdown and, equally important, all the people we care for at work who have needed us more than ever.

Sue Cawthray has kept smiling for her staff and residents, despite the challenges this year

Constantly washing hands, wearing a mask, the use of hand sanitiser, cleaning your car down every time you get in it and not wanting to go to the supermarket or any shop… Having to wipe down everything you touch all the time and always being aware of staying a distance from people.

We’ve all had to learn new ways of communicating with each other and, whether we have used Zoom or any of the other virtual platforms, it’s been a fantastic way of staying in touch with people and given us all the opportunity to continue to work and meet together – but it is just not the same.

We have lost all the social aspect of life –  whether it is going to the cinema, theatre, concerts, eating out, popping to the pub, or meeting friends and for me singing with my wonderful ‘Sing Bramham’.

Life is just not natural and all I ask for in 2021 is some return to life as we all knew it.

Sgt Paul Cording, a traffic sergeant for North Yorkshire Police who lives in Harrogate, reflects on the most unusual year in his policing life, and how officers have dealt with the challenges.

The one thing that really stands out in my mind in 2020 is the start of the first lockdown when we were stopping cars on the A59 Skipton Road. At that moment I realised this was different to anything I’d ever done before.

You never know in policing what you will be faced with and have to be prepared for anything but nothing in my career led me to think I’d be stopping drivers in the middle of a pandemic and asking them to validate the purpose of their journeys.

I’m fortunate because I still have a job. I’m acutely aware many people haven’t. But the pandemic impacted my working life hugely. There was instantly a massive reduction in traffic on the roads. I remember driving between two junctions on the A1 and seeing just two HGVs — that’s on a road that usually has hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day.

The government advice on the pandemic was challenging to work out but the actual legislation did give us other avenues to stop vehicles and question journeys, rather than have to start with the usual questions about tax and insurance.

A police coronavirus checkpoint in action. Photo: Sgt Paul Cording

It was a difficult time and some police forces were criticised for being heavy-handed and flying drones in remote places. But the situation was different to anything we had previously experienced and you have to remember we were – and still are – in the middle of a pandemic and communities in the Dales have as much right to be safe as anyone else.

In those early days the ambiguity over how far you could travel and how long you could take your daily exercise for meant there were an awful lot of people descending on the Dales.

North Yorkshire Police has a reputation as a friendly force. This year has seen some strain on relations between the police and the public. Look at some of the large protests that have taken place nationally on issues such as covid and Black Lives Matter. There has been some unrest, but we haven’t seen any in North Yorkshire and, personally, I don’t think relations with the public have been strained here.

There has been much more community spirit this year. People seem more inclined to spend their money locally and I met more people in my street during the VE Day celebrations than I ever had before.

Fortunately this year I had Christmas Day off so I could be at home with my wife and son. I’m on the day shift on New Year’s Eve, but the days of going from pub to pub on December 31 have gone. I predict there will be a big uptake in orders for patio heaters as more people celebrate New Year at home!