10
May
Funeral fundraiser for Harrogate shopkeeper
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A fundraising appeal has been launched following the sudden death of a Harrogate shopkeeper.
Claire Lewis, who ran Number One Shop on Electric Avenue, died last week.
About 20 bunches of flowers, along with cards and written tributes, had been left outside the shop in the New Cross area last night (May 20).
One of the tributes read:
A dear friend to the whole community. Thank you for your support and friendship. ‘Hello flower’. You will be sadly missed.
Flowers outside the shop on May 10.
‘Hello flower’, was how Ms Lewis often greeted visitors to the independent business, where she often worked seven days a week.
A sign on the door said: “Dut to great sadness, the shop will be closed over the weekend.”
The gofundme appeal, started by Will Tee, had raised £1,260 towards its £2,000 total last night.
Mr Tee wrote:
Sadly our friend Claire has passed away very recently. She ran the Number One Shop on Electric Avenue (sometimes seven days a week and often not paying herself a wage). The money raised will be donated for her funeral arrangements to help out her family.
Ms Lewis’ death prompted numerous online tributes from shocked customers and neighbours.
Comments included: “Claire is one of the most friendliest people I've ever met”, “this is heartbreaking, what a lovely lady”, and “Claire was a beautiful soul and she was always so friendly everytime I went into the shop”.
Many remarked how hard Ms Lewis worked at Number One Shop.
Roadworks outside the shop in 2025.
In August last year she contacted the Stray Ferret saying the long-term roadworks to create a new roundabout and access road to Tesco was having a devastating impact on trade.
She even said she had not paid herself that month to keep the business afloat.
She said:
I’m the only one running it because I can’t pay my staff, but the only way of getting round the situation is not paying myself. I come to work every day feeling down because there’s nothing here. I’m worried about [my staff] because they’re not working and I’m working 10am-6pm unpaid every day.
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