Bright first couple of days for Yorkshire Trading Co as it opens its latest outlet in Cleethorpes

 

Green is the colour - at least it is for Yorkshire Trading Co

ITS first couple of days in Cleethorpes seem to have been  encouraging for Yorkshire Trading Co which opened its doors yesterday.

The foreshore premises formerly occupied by The Original Factory Shop have not been packed, but there have been enough customers to keep the tills jingling.

Its  range is not dissimilar to that of its predecessor, but there seems to be more of an emphasis on  household goods and less on  clothing and footwear.

Inevitably at this time of year, decorations and other products associated with Christmas also occupy much of the shelf space.

These hyacinths catch the eye at the entrance to the store

Clothing is limited in range but there are plenty of hats and gloves

Jigsaws and other puzzles abound

                                                    

Rat-spread 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