Coronavirus update – the latest news from Yorkshire businesses

After 119 days of lockdown, the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion in Shildon, County Durham have announced plans to reopen to the public this summer.

Locomotion will reopen on Tuesday 28 July and the National Railway Museum will reopen the following week on Tuesday 4 August.

Both sites have undergone a rigorous cleaning regime prior to reopening and additional site-wide cleaning will continue to take place each day. Visitors will be encouraged to observe social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks will be recommended.

Visitors at both sites will be required to book a timed slot in advance. Tickets will be free and available from the museum websites, but overall visitor numbers will be limited each day.

Both sites will begin a phased reopening, initially on a limited number of days each week, before a gradual return to daily opening.

At York, the Great Hall which is home to world-famous locomotives such as Mallard and a replica of Stephenson’s Rocket, will be first to open.

The main gift shop and the Great Hall café will also reopen from 4 August, although steam rides, the miniature railway and the under-five’s play area will remain closed for the time being.

In the coming weeks, the remaining museum areas such as Station Hall, the Warehouse and outdoor spaces are also due to reopen.

Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum said: “We know that our sites – with their large, open buildings, outdoor spaces and car parking, can be great places for people to begin to re-engage with culture with confidence.

“We are cautiously reopening in stages at both museums, to ensure the safety of our guests and colleagues.

“At Locomotion and the National Railway Museum, we have dramatically enhanced our cleaning processes and introduced practical measures to allow visitors to maintain social distancing whilst enjoying the best of our collection.”

Prior to the pandemic, the National Railway Museum welcomed more than 750,000 visitors each year with Locomotion receiving around 200,000.

The National Railway Museum and Locomotion are part of the Science Museum Group of national museums, which temporarily closed all five sites on 17 March following Government advice.

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The boss of a bar and restaurant chain, which includes locates in Leeds and Harrogate, said he is “cautiously optimistic” following the business’s re-opening to customers after lockdown was eased.

MOJO was one of many bar groups to return earlier this month.

The business says it has so far managed to accumulate 60% of its usual revenue, despite running at 40% of its usual capacity.

It says it is continuing to open up safely with the introduction of new technology. This means customers can order, pay for and enjoy their drinks from their seat, keeping contact between staff and customers to a minimum.

While closed, all bars received a mini refurb and the Harrogate venue has been able to open its rooftop – meaning customers have more space to enjoy their experience.

Martin Greenhow, managing director of MOJO said, “We’re ecstatic at the reopening of the bars, however remain cautiously optimistic.

“Our customers and staff safety is paramount and we will be keeping an eye out for any news or updates and will react accordingly to Government advice.”

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Members of the Venture Forge team working remotely

Halifax-based e-commerce specialist Venture Forge is celebrating its most successful month since it began trading, with 10 new clients and the appointment of a full-time staff member to fulfil increased demand.

The agency has recorded a 100% growth since lockdown began, winning a raft of new business to help brands grow their sales on Amazon.

As a result, Venture Forge has recruited a new Amazon account manager, Freddie Toms, taking the overall headcount to 10.

Launched in spring 2018 by Andrew Banks, former head of e-commerce for Matalan, Venture Forge specialises in online sales and marketing strategies for growing businesses.

It notes that Amazon is the biggest e-commerce channel for companies looking for rapid online sales growth, particularly since the Coronavirus outbreak forced all but essential shops to close.

The agency has won new Amazon accounts and is now working with a large range of clients.

Venture Forge has also won a brief to launch a new brand for Lost Universe, setting up its new e-commerce site – lostuniverse.com – on the Shopify platform.

In direct response to the COVID-19 crisis, the agency also began a joint venture with an existing client, the Raw Group, to offer a selection of washable protective face masks, which is growing rapidly since its launch last month.

Banks said: “Before the Coronavirus outbreak began, we were already experiencing significant growth.

“But the pandemic has driven a substantial move to online shopping which resulted in a surge in demand. Overall, business is running at 100% growth, with June being our best ever month.

“We are delighted that clients across the board have reported significant online growth as a result of our work with them.

“Amazon in particular presents many opportunities and this is an area we are looking to expand even further in the near future.”

The company has offices in the Croft Myl development in Halifax, recently moving to a larger unit.

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Face coverings modelled on the 18th century highwayman Dick Turpin famously executed in York, have been created by the award winning gin distillery, York Gin.

The company which makes an Outlaw super-strength gin inspired by the baddie decided to launch the face covers, following the  announcement last week that face covers would becomes mandatory in shops later this month.

The black microfibre bandanas fit over the nose and mouth. York Gin co-founder Emma Godivala said: ‘It looks like face covers are here for the foreseeable future, so we wanted to make some that looked great – and have a bit of fun.

“The obvious one was to get a design based on one of York’s famous baddies, Dick Turpin – who no doubt would have enjoyed a tot of gin too.”

“We’re giving £1 for each sale of our Outlaw bandanas to two local charities we support.”