‘We love Castleford and we’ve missed you all terribly’ - bar and cafe owners can't wait to reopen

Shops, bars, restaurants and other businesses have hurtled through lockdowns, furloughs, tier systems, take-out food, more lockdowns, and fresh ways to adapt.

Throughout the pandemic the Express has supported businesses and told the stories of the people behind them.

Dana Russell runs Queen’s Mill Tea Rooms in Castleford which reopened on Yorkshire Day but was forced to close its doors later on in the year. But the cafe is expected to reopen on

April 12. Dana said: “Since we closed, the companionship, the laughter, the job satisfaction has been missing.

“It has proven that we thrive on social interaction.

“But we are so excited about opening up April 12. Even if it’s outside seating and takeaway only. It feels like the beginning of normality. We can get together at last.

“There so much to look forward to – we love Cas, we’ve missed you all terribly and can’t wait to welcome you back”.

Alex McHale owns Maud’s Cafe in Pontefract.

He said: “Maud’s has had to adapt quite a few times. From cocktails to Sunday dinners, online concerts and weekly quizzes - you name it, I’ve probably done it or at least thought about doing it.

“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime storm we’ve had to weather. But at the end of every storm is a blue sky.

“My personal blue sky is seeing my friends, family and customers all healthy and able to spend time together drinking gin and tonics at Maud’s while the summer sunshine beats down on us – we hope.

“Those little things have now been amplified and now mean so much to me, and others I’m sure.”