Santa’s Chief Elf Tinsel is inviting good boys and girls from across the Harrogate district to become a fellow elf in this year’s Christmas show.

Tinsel, from Enchantica’s, is set to delight children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at a very magical Elf Village at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel.

And this year Tinsel, aka Suzanne Kaye-Vaughan, is inviting people to nominate local children to make guest elf appearances.

Ms Kaye-Vaughan was inspired to offer the VIP roles after her son Dante asked if he could wear an elf uniform and help her with last year’s show at  The Crown Hotel.

She said:

“It was the highlight of my year having him enjoy sharing the magic too and seeing him shine bright performing alongside us.

“This year I would like to give that opportunity to some other local children too and we are accepting nominations to fill a handful of these guest elf appearance roles.

“The children will get to come and wear an elf costume and help with the elf songs.”

Keeping the magic alive

Ms Kaye-Vaughan, who is well-known in Harrogate for spreading the magic with her business Enchantica’s, said after chatting with some families, she realised there were concerns that children might recognise her as ‘Suzie’, rather than Tinsel.

She said:

“I know that a few do have a little fear that because they know me locally as ‘Suzie’ that their children will not believe that I actually work for Father Christmas.

“I just reassure them that it’s my real job and that I work regionally in the Harrogate area.

“When I explain that it’s on my CV and how lucky I feel to have the role as chief elf in Harrogate helping Father Christmas get ready for the big day and working on a big elf training project, they too realise that my elf role is the real deal.

“Not all elves live at the North Pole. Some, like me, are lucky to live in other beautiful places in the world like Harrogate – and we work remotely.

“We actually love it when we see families that we know visiting us year-after-year. That’s one of the main reasons we keep adding to the magic each year so that every visit is super special and filled with even more enchantment than the last.”

Read More:

• The woman behind Harrogate’s Tinsel the elf
• Seven places to see Santa across the Harrogate district this Christmas

And it is “keeping the magic alive”, that Ms Kaye-Vaughan stresses is so important at Christmas time.

Dreamweavers

Explaining how she does this with her five-year-old son, she said:

“Dante has asked ‘mummy when you work are you going to the North Pole?’, and I tell him I just work remotely with the elves in the Harrogate area.

“I think we have a great responsibility as adults to keep activating the magic. By being a dreamweaver at home and adding to the magic, there is nothing greater than seeing the joy on a little one’s face. That is what we want to bottle.

“By having traditions it activates magic and reminds us of that joyful feeling. It doesn’t matter what age we are, we know Christmas is coming, we are going to have the quality time together and it sparks that joy we remember from our childhood and that magic then lasts for generations to come.”

Tinsel and Father Christmas.

Traditions

Ms Kaye-Vaughan said research has proven that families who have traditions that are filled with joy, the next generation carry them on and build on them.

She said:

“When I think about what our tradition is, it really is that we make Christmas magic.

“When we’ve been doing the elf jobs this week, I save certain ones for when Dante is not in school because he absolutely loves them.

“We look at what is on the list and what Father Christmas has asked for and we are genuinely helping Father Christmas to make more magic to share with families.

“By doing this, it certainly does make a lot of magic for ourselves. It’s the gift of Christmas sharing magic with others and we talk about how special and important that is.”

If you would like to nominate a child to be an elf in this year’s Christmas show, send an email with your child’s name, age and reason why they should be Tinsel’s helper to events@enchanticas.co.uk before November 11.

To book tickets for the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience at the Cedar Court Hotel, click here

The experience is supported by Harrogate BID.

This article is sponsored by Craven-Holmes.

Boroughbridge estate agents Craven-Holmes has been named a finalist in one of the most prestigious awards in the UK property industry.

The independent family-run business is one of 38 agencies shortlisted in the Small Estate Agency of the Year category at The Negotiator Awards 2022.

The winner will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at London’s Grosvenor Hotel on Friday, November 25.

Owner Tracey Wrigglesworth, who bought the agency in 2018, said it was a huge honour to be nominated.

She said:

“The Negotiator Awards are like the Oscars of the industry. Just to be shortlisted is massive.

“The criteria is incredibly tough. You have got to prove your worth.

“When I got the email to say I’d been shortlisted, I’m surprised you couldn’t hear me screaming in Harrogate!”

Tracey, who has more than 20 years experience in the local property market, runs the business with her daughter Mahalah Mulholland. Her friend Pauline Wardman also works at the agency and her son also gets involved when needed.

The sales, lettings and property agency works across the region in the Boroughbridge, Ripon, Thirsk, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Bedale and Wetherby areas.

Tracey and her team have all lived and worked in the area for many years and therefore have an in-depth knowledge of the local market.

Tracey said:

“We pride ourselves on our relationships and our customer service, as well as trust and integrity. We are really proud of what we do.

“We are an independent on Boroughbridge High Street and we are very much a supporter of the local community.

“I’m so proud of what we have achieved. The support that I’ve had has just been lovely with continued repeat business and recommendations.”

Whether you’re buying, selling, renting or letting, Tracey and her team are ready to help. Get in touch by emailing sales@craven-holmes.co.uk or lettings@craven-holmes.co.uk

For more information, visit www.craven-holmes.co.uk

Budding star bakers are in for a treat when new cake shop the Sunflower Bakery launches in Boroughbridge this weekend.

The eye-catching pink shop, at 4 Horsefair, will offer a large range of cake supplies, including equipment, kits, sprinkles and glitter, so customers can decorate their creations at home.

A cake counter will also be filled with treats to take away and there will be a range of autumn coffees.

Owner Kelly Days said:

“Over the coming months we will be introducing cakes and treats to order and kids’ and adults workshops near Christmas.

“The shop has been 14 months in the process, so we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been up to. And check out our sprinkle wall – it’s dreamy!”

Sunflower Bakery was established in 2013 and started with Ms Days’ love of cupcakes. It was previously based in the south west and also includes an online shop.

The new store is set to open on Saturday, October 29.

This story is sponsored by Wolseley.

Ripon brothers Andy and Rich Hudson love working at Wolseley’s distribution centre in Melmerby.

Between them they have clocked up almost 40 years of service at the plumbing and heating merchants, which has its UK headquarters in Ripon and Warwick.

In fact it has been somewhat of a family affair, with their father and aunt also working for the firm until retirement.

Andy said:

“My Auntie Connie was with Wolseley for most of her working life and is still the telephone answer service when you ring head office.”

The company, which has a £1.8bn turnover, employs almost 5,000 staff in the UK, of which 270 are based in Ripon and 150 at the distribution centre in Melmerby.

It is Melmerby, a short ten-minute drive from Ripon, where the two brothers are based.

Twenty years of service

Andy said:

“I’m coming up to 20 years service. I started off as a general picker, packer.

“The advantage of working at Wolseley is there is always the opportunity to work somewhere new within the distribution centre and expand your knowledge base.

“I excelled at what I was doing in one area and then I moved into a different area.

“I’ve been trained on various manual handling equipment, fork trucks and more. There are about six or seven trucks I’m actually trained on. So Wolseley invest heavily in their employees to get the best out of them.”

Safety is key.

Varied work

Andy, who is currently working in the stock team, credits his long service to the variety of work.

He said:

“There are always different areas you can work in and different ways you can advance through the company.

“I’ve done various qualifications with Wolseley. I’ve done an NVQ in warehousing. I’ve also just completed a Wolseley Talent Booster and I’m about to start another course shortly through our Wolseley Talent Guild.

“This is in-house training and they have recently invested in the training suite at Ripon head office. So anybody can be put forward for this training by their manager. I’ve completed the training booster for Team Leader and I’m about to start training for manager level.”

Andy said there is always scope for growth at Wolseley.

Wolseley’s award-winning Talent Guild includes apprenticeship programmes, talent boosters and career ladders, right through to more technical qualifications and higher education programmes.

Wolseley is currently training more than 130 apprentices across the UK and boosting the skills of more than 150 existing employees.

Andy added:

“All the way through there is training and support from your managers. Everybody wants the best out of you.

“I feel very valued and it’s such a nice atmosphere to work in.

“Every day is different. There are no two days the same.”

How it began

Wolseley started life in a very different form in 1887, moving into the heating space in the 1960s. Wolseley moved into Ripon in 1971 as The Wolseley Hughes Group.

It was based on Boroughbridge Road, where it remains to this day, and was made up of three companies OBC, Yorkshire Heating Supplies and Granville Controls.

In 1985, the company expanded its site and by 1996 was known as Wolseley Centres.

Wolseley is a leading specialist provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, and utility products to trade customers. Trading under a number of leading brands including Wolseley Plumb & Parts, Wolseley Pipe, Wolseley Climate, William Wilson, Jointing Tech, Burdens, and Fusion Utilities. It has over 560 branches nationally, three centres of excellence in the utilities space, support centres in Warwick and Ripon, and four distribution centres.

Rich Hudson has worked for Wolseley for almost 18 years and is currently the warehouse Team Leader at Melmerby.

He said:

“There is plenty of variety and plenty of opportunities to keep you interested.

“There are different machines to learn to operate and different departments you can move into – it never gets stale.

“There are also a lot of learning opportunities. Wolseley is currently putting me through an NVQ qualification in leadership and management. They offer qualifications for any area you want to go into.

“I met my lovely wife, who also worked for Wolseley, so they must be doing something right!”

Now is the time to join Wolseley’s distribution centre in Melmerby as a Warehouse Operative. Earn up to £24,211 per annum with generous benefits. Apply today by clicking or tapping here.

The owner of The Harrogate Tea Rooms has said energy bills that have risen “five-fold” are having a major impact on his business.

Tony and Carrie Wilkinson have owned the tea rooms in Westminster Arcade for 10 years.

Mr Wilkinson described the price hike as a “nightmare” and said a cloud of uncertainty was hanging over the cafe’s future as a result.

He said his business was currently running at a loss and he couldn’t rule out closure if more government support was not provided. He added:

“Even with the government incentive, our energy bills have gone up five-fold.

“Last month my wife was trying to energy save and she managed to reduce the bills by 22 per cent just by not having the lights on as much and doing baking in the morning. But the bills are still five times higher than they were.

“We are having to change the menu so we are not offering things that take a long time to cook. It’s a real problem.”

It comes after a turbulent period for the hospitality industry, which is still recovering in the wake of the pandemic.

Read more:

• Harrogate businesses breathe ‘sigh of relief’ after energy bill cut
• Harrogate’s Christmas ice rink opens for bookings

Last month Ainsty Farm Shop closed due to soaring energy bills and many other businesses are struggling to cope.

Mr Wilkinson said:

“It’s a nightmare really.

“At least with covid we knew where we were and what we were doing. With this, we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow.

“We can’t pass on the costs to the customer. We are effectively running at a loss and for how long I don’t know. It has made a massive difference to us.”

‘Closure is a possibility’

Mr Wilkinson said footfall had also taken a hit due to people cutting down on spending amid the cost of living crisis.

He said:

“Visitor numbers are down. We are just going to have to see what happens and hopefully the shows at the Harrogate Convention Centre and the Royal Hall will help things to pick up.

“It’s a difficult time for anyone in the industry.

“Closure is a possibility if we don’t get more help and support.

“But we battle on. We offer a good service and home-cooked food. We get support from our regular customers. We just need more visitors. We hope things are going to pick up.”

Simon Kent, who helped to establish Harrogate Business Improvement District in 2018, has been appointed interim manager for a second time.

The news was confirmed today after current manager Matthew Chapman announced he was leaving in November to take up a new position at North Yorkshire Council.

Businesses within Harrogate’s town centre pay the BID 1.5 per cent of their rateable value a year on top of their usual business rates.

Matthew Chapman

This generates around £500,000, which the BID spends on projects to improve the town and increase the number of visitors.

Mr Kent, a former director of the Harrogate Convention Centre, was previously appointed interim manager in April 2020.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Whilst we continue the process of seeking a new BID manager, we have appointed Simon Kent in an interim role.

“Simon was instrumental in helping to launch Harrogate BID back in 2018, and in April 2020 we asked him to take on the role of interim manager, which he did until May the following year.

“Simon’s experience and knowledge of Harrogate BID are second to none, and I’m delighted that he has agreed to come back in a part-time-basis until a successor to outgoing BID manager, Matthew Chapman, is found.

“I look forward to rekindling my working relationship with Simon, particularly as we head towards the festive season, which with the BID’s involvement will see Harrogate once again become ‘Destination Christmas’.”

The spooktacular display at Claro Hair Stylists in Knaresborough has been crowned the winner of the town’s Halloween window competition.

The impressive window on the High Street includes potion bottles, cauldrons and spell books, which have been created by owner Sue Orr.

The competition, organised by Knaresborough Business Collective, is being run alongside the Halloween scarecrow trail.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, from The Crystal Buddha, who launched the not-for-profit business group with Natalie Horner, from Sid Horner and Son said:

“Sue was thrilled to have won.

“This is our third window competition through the business collective and the turnout has been great. Lots of businesses decorated their windows in the run up to Halloween. It really creates a buzz in town and people love looking at all the displays.

They all looked spectacular, especially alongside the scarecrow trail, which has done so well and brought a lot of people into Knaresborough. We’ve sold hundreds of maps for the trail. We did have some vandalism on the first night, but since then it’s more than made up for it.”

This article is sponsored by The Hearing Suite.

Hearing aid technology has improved drastically over the last few decades.

Many of the devices now boast Bluetooth technology, come with mobile apps or compatible gadgets and some are even invisible to the naked eye.

Emily Balmer, founder and lead audiologist of The Hearing Suite, Harrogate, explained why the modern hearing aid is “out of this world”.

She said:

“A comfortable, clear listening experience is always our top priority. But today’s hearing aids are designed to fit in with your life, rather than you fitting in with them.”

Ms Balmer said hearing aid programs are now able to adapt to your surroundings.

She said:

“Instead of hearing all around you or pressing a button to hear in front of you, hearing aid programs blend seamlessly all by themselves. If you are in the car, they even detect and reduce road noise. Or if you have an echoey kitchen, they compensate for that too.”

However, Ms Balmer said some people still wanted to change the volume, program or even create their own bespoke program for a specific environment.

She added:

“That’s easy too, with the use of an app – and the bluetooth features don’t end there.

“You can track the location of a missing hearing aid and stream music and phone calls directly into your ears. You can even track your steps and heart rate and alert people if you have had a fall.

“And gone are the days of worrying about a spot of rain if you are wearing one, as there are even hearing aids you can swim in.”

Ms Balmer said rechargibility had made the use of hearing aids much easier, with handy charging points and battery lives of up to 24 hours.

She continued:

“Then there’s the gadgets that work with hearing aids, taking them to even greater heights.

“For example the remote microphone that cuts out background noise in a restaurant,  or the TV streamer; a tiny box behind your TV that takes the sound instantly and wirelessly into your ears.”

Ms Balmer also praised the benefits of modern extended-wear hearing aids.

She said:

“These are fitted 4mm away from your ear drum every eight weeks and are invisible to the naked eye. These allow you to forget you even have a hearing loss.”

To book a consultation and hearing aid assessment at The Hearing Suite, click here. You can also call 01423 429 222 or email enquiries@thehearingsuite.co.uk

This story is sponsored by Provenance Collection.

With a history dating back as far as 1830, the Coach and Horses is a Harrogate institution.

The much-loved traditional pub was bought last year by Provenance Collection, which promised to keep it true to its heritage.

Work to revamp the pub has been extensive. The once central bar has been moved to the back of the ground floor and there is a restaurant upstairs.

It was here, after a warm welcome, that we enjoyed dinner-for-two on a sunny evening overlooking the Stray.

The classic decor is inviting, with dark wooden tables, plush seating and colourful artwork adorning the walls. The large windows frame the outside greenery perfectly and it was lovely to look at the view while sipping a cold glass of rose.

We skipped straight to the mains, however there are plenty of starters to choose from if you are hungry enough, including Doreen’s black pudding scotch egg (£9) and baked camembert (£10.50).

The main dish

With £1 from each sale going to Martin House Children’s Hospice, I chose the Coach & Horses Burger (£16). A tasty, homemade traditional burger, the thick, juicy patty was made with quality wagyu beef and topped with cheese and a zingy relish. It was served with skinny fries and dill pickles, which were covered in a crispy light batter.

My partner went for the aged sirloin steak (£32). Cooked medium rare and seasoned well, it would be easy to enjoy without the sauce, although the peppercorn added extra richness.

The chunky chips were crisp and fluffy on the inside, like good pub chips should be. Other mains include a steak and ale pie, a chicken tikka masala curry (both £16) and beer battered fish and chips (£16).

Leave room for pudding

As a pudding fan, I usually leave room for dessert and on this occasion I was glad I did.

We shared the sticky toffee pudding with miso caramel and vanilla ice cream (£7.50). The miso and caramel was the perfect blend of salty and sweet and the sponge was light and fluffy.

Agreeing to share was a mistake. Other options include vanilla creme brulee (£9) and chocolate mousse (£7).

While change might not be for everyone, the newly-revamped Coach & Horses undoubtedly boasts good quality pub food and a decent selection of cask ales, served in a relaxed and friendly setting.

The Coach and Horses’ famous Sunday night pub quiz has also returned, with all proceeds going to Martin House Children’s Hospice.

A new sandwich menu has been launched for those who want to pop in at lunch time, and it continues to boast some of the best views in Harrogate.

Take advantage of the pub’s latest offer from Mondays to Thursdays where diners can get a free drink – either a beer, house wine or soft drink – with any main course on the à la cart menu.

Halloween is creeping up, with the celebrations and events across the district becoming bigger, better and more ghoulish each year.

This year it falls just after October half-term, so there is plenty going on for little witches and wizards – and big ones too!

So whether you fancy some pumpkin picking on a farm, spooky trails, or haunted houses, we’ve put together a list of five places to enjoy some Halloween fun.

Birchfield Farm Pumpkin Festival – Summerbridge

Birchfield Farm’s Pumpkin Festival is a firm favourite amongst families in the Harrogate district. Is it even Halloween if you haven’t taken a selfie with a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins at the picturesque Summerbridge farm?

You don’t need to book for this one and there are plenty of pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colours to go around and you can visit everyday until October 31.

There are also lots of activities to do on the farm so you can make a morning or afternoon of it.

After you have picked your pumpkin from the patch – and there really is a huge selection of all shapes and sizes – you then have the option of visiting the farm for £5.95 per person. Then take your kids for a homemade ice cream at the farm’s café.

Activities include:

• A huge carving barn where you can create your pumpkin masterpieces
• Bouncy castles
• Play equipment
• A 6-acre maize maze
• A spooky woodland walk
• Animals
• A giant bale mountain

Creepy Castle: The Spooktastic Halloween Trail – Knaresborough

Soak up the spooky atmosphere at Knaresborough Castle – the setting of the new Creepy Castle Spooktastic Halloween trail.

Set in the grounds of the ancient monument, expect to see see wizard magic shows and spooky characters along the way. There will also be face painting, stories in the castle, cookie decorating and more scary surprises.

Halloween Trail – Swinton Bivouac, Masham

Stately Superstitions: Eerie Encounters at the Castle – Castle Howard, York