Owners of The Russian Tea Room in Skipton have blamed poor trade for its closure less than a year after it opened. Steve and Olga Penney said quiet period coupled with Olga’s deteriorating health had led to its closure last week. “Due to Olga’s deteriorating health, which has coincided with an unprecedented period of quiet, at best, retail activity – nationally, but Skipton especially – we have been forced to close down,” they said.