Dear Reader on why 'new normal' must work + hoping St George Hotel in Harrogate will find a buyer

A personal column by the Harrogate Advertiser's Graham Chalmers
Scenes of rowing boats returning to the River Nidd in Knaresborough are a sign that  lockdown is truly easing.Scenes of rowing boats returning to the River Nidd in Knaresborough are a sign that  lockdown is truly easing.
Scenes of rowing boats returning to the River Nidd in Knaresborough are a sign that lockdown is truly easing.

Those pretty green and red wooden boats were back in the water at Knaresborough on bank holiday Monday for the first time in goodness knows how long.

With the exception of the occasional burst of laughter from rowers or their passengers, the only sound rising from the Nidd in the bright afternoon sunshine was the gentle padding of oars.

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The drift back to normality appears to be gathering pace with each new day, kick-started by the most significant announcement by the Government since the original ‘big bang’ of lockdown on March 23.

The day the shops finally reopen in just more than two weeks’ time will be an important moment, not because it means the likes of you and I can buy a new pair of trousers - or a skirt.

The odd purchase or two isn’t going to be of much help to dormant businesses deprived of revenue for all this time.

If footfall - or an absence of it - was a crucial question for much of the retail sector before the pandemic struck, how much more important is it now?

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It’s vital for all our sakes that social distancing is maintained as the doors swing open.

But the ‘new normal’ has to be a success.

Safety first at all times is essential but if the reopening of the economy upon which all of us ultimately depend is to work, a balance must be found between the virus and our financial health,

How long before the slogan of ‘Stay at Home’ is replaced by ‘Please go out’?

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I’ve never spent the night in the St George Hotel in Harrogate, though I’ve visited its bar a fair few times over the years.

Mostly it was for a quick pint before setting off for a gig just across the road to see the likes of Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson or Nils Lofgren at the Royal Hall where the NHS Nightingale Hospital is now located.

It also served as a handy place for a ‘pre-match loosener’ before my role as one of the four X Factor-style judges at the annual AMP Awards for talented young rock bands from schools across the Harrogate district.

The fact the St George’s pedigree goes back to the mid-18th century was hardly the issue.

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Queuing at the refurbished bar, the hotel’s role as a Georgian coach house didn’t matter to me.

It does now.

It’s that very rich heritage which might be the decisive factor in attracting a new owner after its parent company went into administration last weekend.

The predicament of the St George Hotel may reflect a lack of confidence at a national level on the ability of the hospitality and hotel sector to reopen in the era of coronavirus any time soon.

I hope not. Things change.

This pandemic has seen enough casualties already, though not all of us have had to endure the same heartaches or the same hurdles.

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In a way, it’s sad to see the homemade NHS banners and rainbow posters created by children’s crayons starting to fade in places.

The clapping for our NHS heroes, too,on a Thursday night is coming to an end.

Perhaps, all these things are signs of life beginning again after so long?

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

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In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper