WE were all dealt a - not completely unexpected - blow on Monday with the announcement lockdown easing will not go ahead on the 21st as originally hoped.

Instead, and with true British stiff upper lip, we will carry on as we are for another few weeks and hope the next deadline in July can be reached without disappointment.

I for one am happy to stick to the regulations for as long as it takes as long as there is a chance to keep this latest variant from growing too strongly and too quickly.

The race is about meeting all the vaccination targets to get as much protection as possible as the virus gathers pace.

We cannot but feel sad for the hospitality trade which is desperate to be able to open fully and for whom the summer months are their main income sources to keep them afloat over winter.

In the meantime, we must enjoy what we can. We have seen the start of a slimmed down puppet festival in town and the refurbishment of Skipton Town Hall has now been completed and will reopen on Monday.

It has cost a lot of money, but will now be able to provide a lot of entertainment opportunities to Skipton folk and visitors and will fly the flag for what the town has to offer. Let’s make sure we make full use of it.