Knaresborough businesses are gearing up for Halloween with a spooky-themed scarecrow trail and window decoration competition.

Scary displays are already starting to appear in shop windows in the historic market town, including Sid Horner and Son and Claro Hairstyles.

The competition, organised by the Knaresborough Business Collective, is being run alongside the Halloween scarecrow trail, which starts on October 21.

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

“We are running the competition following the huge success of our spring and jubilee window competitions.

“It is aimed at making the town look amazing for our exciting scarecrow trail. The trail will feature 28 scarecrows around Knaresborough, which people can find on a map.

“They are all sponsored and made by businesses and they will all be themed based on what would suit their business. For example, we have a hairdresser doing an Edward Scissorhands scarecrow.”

The entrance to Sid Horner and Son, which has an impressive spooky Halloween window display.

Ms Horner and her team have been working on a Halloween window at Sid Horner and Son for the last few weeks and is inviting people to have a look.

She said:

“We are a bit tucked away on Finkle Keep. It is made from old printer parts and has lots of little surprises.”

Read more:

• Greggs to open shop in Knaresborough
• Business is booming in Knaresborough as empty shop units continue to fill

Knaresborough has seen a stream of new businesses opening in the past year despite the challenges posed by the cost of living crisis.

Recent additions include The Secret Bakery and River and Rose and last week high street bakery Greggs confirmed it was opening a branch in the town.

There are currently only six empty units available compared a peak of more than 40, according to the two women behind the Knaresborough Business Collective.

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, from The Crystal Buddha, and Natalie Horner, from Sid Horner and Son, who launched the not-for-profit venture in January, said there were a number of reasons why Knaresborough was so attractive to businesses.

Ms Wilkinson-Gill said:

“There is a lot of new energy coming into the town. More than 12 business have opened here this year.

“I think we have a lot to offer, because we are a tourist destination as well. We bring a lot of tourists in for a good half of the year and the other half sees locals use a lot of the businesses.”

Annie Wilkinson-Gill (left) and Natalie Horner.

Ms Horner added:

“Most of the businesses are quite unique. We offer a lot as a town. You can get everything here. I also think after covid a lot of people wanted to support local.

“You get amazing customer service in Knaresborough. When customers walk in, staff know them by name. All that helps to make it a community. We also have the market on a Wednesday.”

Read more:

• Greggs to open shop in Knaresborough
• Knaresborough banking hub could open this year

The women, who set up the collective to stage events and be a voice for businesses, have both had a presence in the town for more than a decade.

During this time they have seen the town experience struggles with shop closures and empty units.

However, in a post-covid world, they believe there is now more support than ever for local businesses, including amongst the business community itself.

Ms Wilkinson-Gill said:

“As well as the people who live here, the shops all support each other. We all know the importance of keeping each other going. We have all got the same goal.

“I have got the most amazing group of friends in different businesses. It’s a really lovely town full of lovely people.”

A red telephone box in Knaresborough Market Place has been transformed into a tourist information hub.

Knaresborough Business Collective signed the lease on one of the three traditional K6 phone boxes this week.

It is aimed at being more easily accessible than the town’s existing tourist information centre, which is located in the Courthouse Museum.

And to help it stand out, it has been covered in pink flowers by Louise Ford, from 4 Seasons florist.

The business group, which was formed to encourage more people into town to spend money in local shops, requested the lease earlier this year.

Natalie Horner, one of the founders of the Knaresborough Business Collective, said:

“We have been putting on a lot of events and noticed that advertising to tourists was difficult, as the current tourist information office is not easy to locate and is only open infrequent hours and days.

“For a tourist town like Knaresborough, we thought it would be great to have something local and central that is open all day everyday to display local event information and flyers, posters and leaflets for local attractions and what to do, where to stay and where to eat etc.

“We are hoping this will be a welcome addition to Knaresborough Market Place.

“Lou, from 4 Seasons florist, has decorated it to draw some more attention to it and we are working on shelving for inside as we speak.”

Read More:

• Knaresborough man sentenced to 13 years in prison for manslaughter
• The Queen’s funeral: Harrogate district arrangements for Monday

Florist Ms Ford, who completed the floral display this week, said there was even a family link with Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect who designed the red telephone box.

She said:

“He’s actually a very distant relative of mine. I wonder if he’d approve of this one being adorned by my flowers?”

Knaresborough Business Collective is now calling for any flyers for events or tourist attractions to be dropped off at Sid Horner & Son, on Finkle Street, or the Crystal Buddha, on High Street, so they can be put on display.

A group of Knaresborough businesses has said it will put up Christmas trees in the town this year instead of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade.

The chamber has traditionally installed about 65 four-foot high trees on shopfronts and buildings around the town.

But local businesses said the chamber had indicated it was no longer able to do so and therefore they had stepped in.

A chamber meeting last week saw numerous people walk out and board positions left unfilled following an acrimonious vote not to set up a Business Improvement District.

Two local business owners, Annie Wilkinson-Gill of the Crystal Buddha and Natalie Horner of Sid Horner and Son, said they had taken the lead on the Christmas tree project and have set up a Facebook page for businesses to place orders.

The two women said they had made a completely fresh start, ordering the trees from Stockeld Park as well as new solar powered lights.

Ms Horner said:

“Chamber said they were going to cancel the trees this year as sadly they weren’t able to do them, so a few of us independent business owners decided to come together as it would be such a shame for Knaresborough not to have Christmas trees.

“This is a really huge community project and so many wonderful businesses have come together to make it happen.”

The trees will be put up by volunteers during November.

Read more:

• Business owners walk out of Knaresborough chamber meeting over rejected BID
• Green Shoots: Knaresborough mum sells eco alternative to clingfilm

The pair of business owners are also hoping to use the new Knaresborough Business Collective Facebook page to organise other events and projects.

The Stray Ferret tried to contact members of the chamber but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

A “lack of engagement” and “vague plans” led to a proposed Knaresborough Business Improvement District being rejected, say businesses.

Local traders voted down the plan this week by 80 votes to 73, with 153 votes cast overall.

BIDs, which already exist in many towns and cities, including Harrogate and Ripon, aim to improve footfall in towns and cities.

Businesses in areas that vote for creating them have to pay a levy to fund their activities.

But traders in Knaresborough said they felt the plans for the town were unclear.

Read more:

• Council backs Knaresborough BID plan with 28 votes
• Knaresborough firms raise concerns about proposed new BID
• Knaresborough businesses vote against setting up a BID

Annie Wilkinson-Gill, who owns The Crystal Buddha, said the organisation could have been good for the town had the BID task group engaged more.

She said:

“The BID could have been a good thing for the town, 

“But the lack of engagement from the BID team and directors with the town’s businesses and lack of transparency is why it wasn’t successful, 

“The plan was completely vague and had very little information within for us to want to invest in it.”

‘The town will continue to flourish’

Ashleigh Lambert, who owns Cenheard at Conyngham Hall in the town, said:

“I feel the plan from the BID lacked direction and failed to engage local businesses with the impacts, positive or negative.

“Knaresborough businesses have come together against the odds of votes stacked against them to vote for what they wanted for the town. I’m confident the town with continue to flourish with the support of groups and the council.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Bill Taylor, secretary and treasurer of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce and a member of the BID task group for a response to the ballot but he declined to comment.

More than 300 firms were eligible to take part in the vote, which started in September and ran until October 8.

For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all properties, must be in favour.

But although Harrogate Borough Council threw its 28-strong block vote behind the scheme, it was unable to muster enough support.