Today we look at the life of Ian Stuart Lee, in the second of a series of articles remembering those lost to coronavirus over the past year. We’d like to thank the families and friends who have been in touch with the Stray Ferret to share precious memories of their loved ones.

Ian Stuart Lee was born on October 8, 1951 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He died aged 69 on January 9, 2021 at Harrogate District Hospital.

Ian was loved by his wife and family and became a committed member of the community in Pateley Bridge after moving to the town five years ago.

One of two sons, Ian went to school in Heckmondwike and left at the age of 18 to start his career in hospitality.

Ian Lee in 1974.

At 20 years old he worked as assistant manager at The Old Manor House in Knaresborough.  Little did he know the young woman that started as a waitress over the summer would be his fiancee seven months later.

The pair married in Beeston, near Leeds, in 1975 and moved to Oxford a year later to work in the newsagent industry.

His wife, Theresa Lee, said “he was the love of my life”, a man with a sense of adventure always holding Yorkshire close to his heart.

Ian and Theresa in their wedding day in 1975.

Ian and Theresa worked in the newsagent industry for a long time, working behind counters and as stocktakers. Even running their own newsagent in Oxford during the 70’s.

The pair didn’t have children but were close to their eight nephews and nieces, who now live across the world.

Their shared love for adventure took them to every corner of the globe. The pair visited all seven continents during their time together – even Antartica in 2018. Theresa recalled celebrating Ian’s 65th birthday in Abu Dhabi in 2016.

Theresa said despite their travels, and time living down south Ian never lost his Yorkshire twang, he was known for greeting anyone with a “Ow do?”.

Ian and Theresa Lee on holiday in Peru in 2014.

After 10 years living away from Yorkshire in Oxford and Liverpool. The pair moved back up to West Yorkshire and lived in Cleckheaton for the next 30 years.

During that time Ian continued in stocktaking and achieved a goal of his to run a fish and chip shop. The pair ran one together in Armley for seven years.

Five years ago, in 2016, the married couple came and settled in Wilsill, near Pateley Bridge, and got stuck into the Pateley Bridge community.

This included the Pateley Playhouse – Ian took on the role of theatre manager and Theresa worked backstage in props. Ian even made his stage debut as a dwarf for the society’s February pantomime of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs last year.

Ian as Lumpy the dwarf in Snow White.

Ian was instrumental in the renovation plans currently underway at the Playhouse to install a lift. A total of £2,200 has been donated to the lift project in Ian’s name.

Ian also volunteered with the Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed, an initiative spreading across the country to encourage men to talk and tackle loneliness. He was also the health and safety officer for the town’s Memorial Hall Committee.

Towards the end of his life, Ian went into Harrogate District Hospital on December 23 after feeling unwell.

Theresa was able to be with Ian at the end of his life alongside a friend. She said “it was a comfort to be with him but hard not to hug him”.

Ian died on January 9, 2021, aged 69.

Theresa and Ian had “one hell of a good life together” and she hopes to travel one day to see her family abroad and continue ticking off the countries they had planned to visit together.

Today we look at the life of Noreen Rogers, in the first of a series of articles remembering those lost to coronavirus over the past year. We’d like to thank the families and friends who have been in touch with the Stray Ferret to share precious memories of their loved ones.

Noreen Rogers was born February 26, 1928, on King Edward’s Drive in Harrogate. She died, aged 92, on March 16, 2020 at Harrogate District Hospital.

Noreen was a much-loved mother, grandma, friend and an active member of the Harrogate community.

Born post-war, Noreen was the youngest of five children.

Like many children of the time Noreen was evacuated during World War Two. Sue remembered her mum talking fondly of a Lancashire town called Freckleton.

Noreen as a young woman.

On returning to Harrogate, she began working at her Mum’s bed and breakfast, on Swan Road.

Her eldest daughter Sue recalled her mum telling the story of collecting water from the pump room in Harrogate with a distinct “smell of sulphur”.

At the age of 14 Noreen left school and went straight into working as a civil servant in the Ministry of Food helping to organise food rationing locally.

Working long hours, from the age of 14, doing the breakfast shift before heading to work meant she was always a “hard worker”.

Living and working in Harrogate her whole life, Noreen’s life charts a similar history to the town itself.

She was an avid dancer and loved going to local dance halls at the weekend. One evening she was being twirled round the floor by a man called Alec who would later be her husband.

Marrying in 1949 the pair went onto have three daughters, Sue, Sandra and Rose during the 1950’s. This was when Noreen left her position in the Ministry of Food to raise her family.

Noreen and her three daughters

One of her three daughters, Sue Stenton, said her mother was “really quite amazing”: a loving and caring woman who would do anything for anyone.

She thrived on the company of her friends and family, including her six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Later in life, Noreen continued to stay busy joining a number of clubs including the bowling club. She was also a keen swimmer at the Hydro in Harrogate.

Up until the age of 90 she still enjoyed swimming three times a week. Her youthful nature even inspired Harrogate hospital staff who said “I hope to be like her at her age”.

Noreen (bottom centre) with her husband Alec, sister Cicely, daughters Sue, Sandra and Rose and grandson Mark.

When Alec died in 2011 Noreen continued to live independently in her house off King’s Road, Harrogate, and rejoined the congregation at St Wilfred’s Church.

Sue said her mum always stayed busy and was “never in when I went around”.

A keen traveller, Noreen loved holidaying in the UK but also travelled across the globe to the States, Israel and Cyprus many times, “making friends wherever she went”.

Keeping in touch with people over the phone and by letter was really important to Noreen.

Noreen and two of her seven great grandsons.

Towards the end of her life, Noreen was admitted to Harrogate District Hospital in March 2020, but it was a shock to the family when they heard she had covid. Sue said: “It was early on in the pandemic so I don’t think we connected the dots.”

Sue was able to see her mum while she was still alive and thanked the nurses and doctors for their “wonderful” work to allow her to spend time with her mum.

On March 16, 2020, Noreen died at the age of 92.

Due to the pandemic and confusion about how risky it would be to travel only four people attended the cremation. The family are still hoping to hold a memorial for Noreen when larger groups are allowed.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, has praised the new rainbow tribute to key workers above the Stray’s cabman’s shelters.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Jones revealed a private donor and local electrical firm had paid for the tribute.

He then called for a debate on how to celebrate the efforts of key workers.

“Our key workers have kept the nation going throughout lockdown and I want to see local and national celebration of that,” he said on Thursday.

Read more:

• How local bus companies can transport key workers with a government grant
• When the Harrogate district commemorated the work of key workers
• 8,000 Easter eggs donated to children of key workers in Harrogate district

The tribute to key workers in Harrogate.

In response, Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats tweeted the MP had “made a career out of refusing our key workers the pay rise they deserve”.

They added: “Many feel unwelcome in the country they call home. But sure, we all love rainbow lights.”

Today’s 8pm tribute to the NHS workers has a colourful addition in one Ripon’s most prominent locations.

Red, white and blue bunting, consisting of flags and a message to the NHS reading ‘Big Thanks to our Amazing NHS Workers’ have been strung across  the bottom half of Kirkgate and fixed to the premises of shops and restaurants.

The street, one of the city’s prime shopping and leisure destinations, sweeps down from Market Place to Ripon Cathedral.

In addition to the bunting, numerous of the commercial premises, such as Pizzeria Ristorante Italiano (pictured above) have signs in their windows reading ‘Thank You NHS Heroes’ – this includes signs in businesses that have been temporarily closed because of the coronavirus crisis.

Marco Chessa, who has been running the pizzeria with his parents Mario and Maria, since the family moved to Ripon 16 years ago, told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s great to be flying the flag for the NHS and other front line workers, who put themselves in harm’s way every day to look after the rest of us. These are strange times indeed, but we should never lose sight of exactly what our healthcare workers are doing for us.”

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, who has a large sign paying tribute to NHS and frontline workers fixed to a wall at his pub, The Magdalens, from where has been hosting Thursday night tributes to key workers in his neighbourhood for the past seven weeks, said of the Kirkgate traders’ tribute:

“This is yet another example of the way in which our city, with its strong sense of community, is showing the kind of unity and support that will eventually see the end of this crisis.”

People from all over the Harrogate district took part in a national 1 minute’s silence, to pay tribute to key workers who have died from coronavirus.

Respects were paid at 11 am on Tuesday morning. People from all across the borough stopped what they were doing to remember those who have lost their lives through COVID-19, whilst working on the frontline of this pandemic.

The event coincides with International Workers’ Memorial Day, an annual observance that pays tribute to workers who have become unwell, injured, disabled or have died due to their work.