Rat bug virus was 'elephant in room' but former Grimsby man still made most of Atlantic expedition

                                         

Chris Gomersall - an RSPB staffer for many years

 A FORMER Grimsby man has spoken of his experience as one of those on board the MV Hondius  - the small cruise ship that was stricken in spring this year by the rare Andean hantavirus.

Three of the 149 on board tragically lost their lives on what should have been the holiday of a lifetime in the South Atlantic ocean but Chris Gomersall escaped being infected. 

Chris grew up in Gloucester Avenue and attended Wintringham School.

Subsequently, most of his career was spent with the RSPB in various posts connected with research and particularly photography

Aged 30, he  became a staff member of the bird charity having impressed  as a volunteer warden at the Tetney Marshes reserve where he oversaw the welfare of a colony, now sadly lost, of Little Terns.

Since leaving the RSPB, he  has mostly worked variously as an author, a holiday tour guide and as a freelance wildlife photographer which is why he booked for the trip in the South Atlantic, knowing there would be opportunities galore to see some of the world's most beautiful seabirds.  

"I couldn’t really afford the holiday," Chris told the monthly meeting of the Grimsby RSPB Group, held at Holy Trinity parish hall in Cleethorpes. "But I thought I’d best take the opportunity while still fit enough to make the most of it."

Chris did indeed capture some stunning shots of oceanic birds, which are notoriously difficult to photograph when they are in flight, but the trip was inevitably overshadowed by the on board occurrence of hantavirus thought have been picked up from a rat while the party were birdwatching during a shore stop-off.

On the Hondius' return, its berthing point was Tenerife from where, following disembarkation, Chris and some 21 others were flown to Manchester airport.

He was allowed to take with him his photographic equipment and just one spare pair of underpants, but the rest of his clothes had to be left on board to undergo intensive decontamination.

After arrival in Manchester, he and 19 fellow Brits were whisked to Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, for medical surveillance and quarantine.

In total, he was in quarantine - either in hospital or at home - for 42 days in line with World Health Organisation regulations.

The whole episode made made headlines around the world - sensationally so in some of the red-top tabloid newspapers.

As the passengers left the Hondius at Tenerife, media drones flew overhead and there was pressure from the Press and broadcasters for interviews but Chris steered clear of all that hullabaloo out of respect for those who had died.

The Sun newspaper described the holiday as an "ordeal", a description not supported by the former Grimsby man who now lives in Bedfordshire.

"I can't talk about the trip without referring to the hantavirus," he says. "It was the elephant in the room.

"But I am full of praise for the crew and my fellow-passengers who were excellent throughout."  

* See also: The Wryneck

After decontamination, the MV Hondius is now back in service (photo: Oceanwide Expeditions)

Tristan albatross - one of Chris' enchanting photographs 

Those on board MV Hondius were of many nationalities

Wind power giant agrees two-year deal to sponsor stand at Grimsby Town's Blundell Park ground

               

 "Excited" at tie-up - Ørsted's Clare McVeigh whose grandfather used to play for the Mariners

OFFSHORE windfarm giant Ørsted has agreed to become sponsor of the Osmond Stand at Blundell Park on an initial two-year arrangement.

Welcoming the deal, Grimsby Town FC's  chief operating officer, Adam Smith, said: "This is a significant partnership for the football club, bringing together two organisations with strong connections to Grimsby and a shared interest in seeing the town thrive.

"Our club has represented this town through generations of change, so there is something particularly fitting about this partnership, reflecting both our proud maritime heritage and the industries helping to shape our future.

"For us, this is about building a lasting relationship with an organisation that shares our pride in the area. 

"We are proud to see the Ørsted name at Blundell Park and look forward to working together to develop the partnership for the benefit of the club and our wider community."

Ørsted prides itself on being a global leader in offshore wind power and a major contributor of renewable energy to the UK. 

"From its East Coast Hub on Grimsby’s Royal Docks, there are nearly 700 people who are working across many roles, including skilled technicians who operate and maintain major offshore wind farms in the North Sea."

For the Danish-owned company, head of Grimsby compliance Clare McVeigh  enthused: "I am so excited to be part of this partnership, not only as a lifelong Town fan but as someone who has worked for Ørsted for 12 years. 

"From sitting in the stands as a little girl with my family and even having had my grandad playing for the team, it's incredibly special to see two Grimsby giants come together. 

"Ørsted sponsorship of the Osmond Stand at Grimsby Town FC is a proud reflection of our commitment to the community. Up the Mariners!"

Henceforth, the stand, which opened in 1939, will be known as the Ørsted stand.

New signage is expected to be  in place for tomorrow’s home game against York City.

The financial terms of the sponsorship deal have not been revealed.

 

To find out more about Ørsted in Grimsby visit: orsted.co.uk/grimsby

Praise for company that supplies drinking water to Grimsby-area households and businesses - but . . .

Anglian Water's reservoir at Covenham between Cleethorpes and Louth

A PAT on the back has come for the quality of the drinking water provided by Anglian Water whose 6.7 million customers include those living in North East Lincolnshire.

In a report published today, the Environment Agency says: "Anglian Water’s drinking water quality remains exceptional, and consumers can be confident that their water is safe to drink."

And there is more praise.

The report continues: "Performance is one of the best in the industry for internal sewer flooding, minimising disruption to customers. 

"Customers also continue to report relatively high levels of satisfaction compared with others in the industry. 

"The company should continue to maintain positive customer interactions and a good overall customer experience."

However, it is not all good news.

The report's authors state: "Several areas of environmental performance require improvement. 

"The number of pollution incidents - 433 - continues to be high, including serious incidents that cause significant environmental harm. 

"Although the company has a high level of self-reporting, supporting prompt intervention, greater focus is needed on preventing incidents from occurring in the first place. 

"Compared to the industry average, the company performs better in terms of leakage per property - an average of 92.1 litres per day (the industry average  is 104.5 litres). But the figure is up 15.1 per cent on the previous year.

The household consumption of water is 123.3 litres per person per day which is better than the industry average of 137.3 litres, suggesting that its campaign to encourage consumers to value every drop seems to be paying off. 

EA says Anglian  needs to take action to reduce leakage to ensure there is enough water to meet future demand. 

It also needs to improve performance on water supply interruptions, to ensure that customers have a reliable water supply.

In customer satisfaction rankings, Anglian sits fourth out of 17 companies - behind, for example, Severn Trent but above another adjoining region, Yorkshire Water.   

Anglian Water's Newton Marsh sewage treatment works on the outskirts of Tetney

                                        

                                               

Uncertain future beckons for Freshney Place store as parent company prepares to enter administration

 

                                           

The retail scene in  Grimsby's Freshney Place faces a setback with news that the Poundland store could close unless a buyer is found for it and its sister shops in the UK. It is today being widely reported that the struggling US-owned business is poised, sadly, to go into administration just as happened to Wilko three years ago. For the time being, it continues to trade.

Annual salary of £36,000 beckons for manager of new Cleethorpes branch of Yorkshire Trading Company

Yorkshire Trading will take over the shop occupied by The Original Factory Shop prior to its demise in spring this year 

 

A SALARY of £36,000 per annum is on offer for the store manager when the Yorkshire Trading Company moves into the Cleethorpes premises previously occupied by The Original Factory Shop.

Says the job description: "Yorkshire Trading Company is a growing family owned and run business with 42 variety stores throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the North East and a busy e-commerce operation.

"Due to continued expansion, we have an exciting opportunity for a store manager at our brand new store in Cleethorpes.

"As a natural leader, you will take on the role in coaching and developing your team to help them reach their full potential

"You will take pride in continually delivering the highest and most consistent standards of customer service, visual standards, profitability and productivity of the  store."

The duties are listed as follows:

* Motivate, train and lead your team to deliver your high standards of customer service, merchandising and performance.

* Implement effective displays in feature windows and on the sales floor.

* Promote sales by demonstrating merchandise and products to customers.

* Help customers by providing information, answering questions, completing payment transactions.

* Maintain a safe and clean store environment by following Health and Safety procedures

* Maintain inventory by checking merchandise to determine stock levels; anticipating customer demand.

The required skills include:

* Experience in leadership and people management

* Computer literate

* Cashing up experience

* Retail Experience

Concludes YTC: " We are looking for a flexible person with a strong work ethic. 

"It is important that you are a team player. 

"This is an excellent opportunity for a determined, capable and loyal person to develop within our successful, growing, family firm and become a well-respected member of our team. 

"If you are  passionate about people and sales then we would love to hear from you."

As a perk, there is a 12.5 per cent discount on goods following a six-week induction period.

There will also be posts for assistants with hourly rates of pay according to age, ranging from £8 to 16-17-year-olds to £12.71 for those aged 21 or over.

Work underway in readiness for the new occupants on an opening  date which is yet to be named

What future farmland behind Pennells garden centre as Manchester conglomerate enters the fray?

                                                         

Ripe for housing? The farmland behind Pennells with Weelsby Woods in the distance

A MANCHESTER- based industrial conglomerate has taken a stake  in the proposal to  build 1,500 homes on farm land between Weelsby Woods and Pennells Garden Centre in Cleethorpes.

Peel Holdings has bought out  one of  the partners in the project - Rotherham-based Harworth Group which hatched up the project with the owner of the land, Brocklesby Estates.

The venture, which would sacrifice a huge expanse of Cleethorpes and Grimsby green space, has horrified many local people.

At present, it is still in the discussion-and drawing board stage, with no submission yet of any formal planning application to North East Lincolnshire Council.

But this could come early next year if Peel and Brocklesby choose to press ahead with the ambitious (and controversial) scheme.

Peel has extensive interests in UK infrastructure and land development projects, including housebuilding.

It used to be at the helm of the former Robin Hood Airport, near Doncaster, and helped build Media City at Salford Quays.

It also owns shopping centre across Britain and operates the ports at Liverpool, Heysham, Dublin, London Medway, Clydeport and elsewhere  

Locally it runs the Humber Bank Terminal, a  key facility for handling and storing dry bulk cargoes such as  as minerals, grain, coal, iron ore and fertilisers.

What to do about rough-sleeping in Cleethorpes cemetery? NELC ponders highly sensitive issue

                                         

Tent among the gravestones - the weekend scene in the cemetery

 

ATTEMPTS were this morning (Monday) being made to persuade rough-sleeping tent-dwellers to depart Cleethorpes cemetery.

North East Lincolnshire Council is acting in response to disquiet being caused to those whose remains lie within the sacred site.

There is sympathy, of course, for the sleepers - especially on wet, cold and winter nights.

They have pitched their tents in a secluded corner at the Bentley Street end of the cemetery.

NELC's leader, Cllr Oliver Freeston (Reform UK) has a particular interest in the situation because the cemetery lies within his Croft Baker ward.

Over the weekend, he posted twice on social media.

An extract from his first message on Saturday reads:

"Quick update: five people were identified at the cemetery. Three have now been accommodated and left last night. We’ll continue trying to locate the other two.

"But I’ve asked the council enforcement team to look at our options if they refuse to leave - the council may need to go through the courts. 

"Families deserve to visit their lost loved ones in peace without seeing people in tents and reports of drugs paraphernalia. 

"We’re working to get this sorted through accommodation, support and, failing that, every lawful enforcement option available."

His second, posted yesterday, reads:

"NELC officers have worked  to support the chaps who have sleeping rough in Cleethorpes cemetery while also addressing residents’ concerns.

"A co-ordinated 48-hour plan is underway, with the intention of ensuring the cemetery is vacated and the area cleared and cleansed by Monday.

"I am grateful to the teams for handling the situation with compassion, while also acknowledging the urgency of restoring the cemetery as a peaceful space to be respected." 

Rough sleeping could be a topical local issue in the by-election for the Croft Baker, with polling on November 12.                                            

Secluded location of two of the tents 

    

Signage at the entrance to the cemetery