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Entries close on January 19, 2024.
Mark Charnock, who plays Marlon Dingle in ITV’s Emmerdale, will be the celebrity guest at the grand opening of a new travel agent in Harrogate this week.
The actor, who lives in the town, will be at the new branch of Althams Travel from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, January 6, when there will also be opportunities to win holiday vouchers worth up to £1,000 each.
The arrival of the new branch, between WHSmith and Claire’s on Cambridge Street, has created five new full-time jobs.
Sales development manager Marie Leach said:
“It’s the perfect time to open, people will be looking to escape to the sun and our friendly team will be here to help the people of Harrogate.
“We have been looking to open in Harrogate for a long time now but we have been waiting for the perfect place and we have found it.
“Being independent means we are not tied into selling particular holidays, so we can find the holiday that works best for our clients.”
Established in 1874, Burnley-based Althams now has 32 branches across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire. The nearest ones to Harrogate currently are in Otley and Horsforth in West Yorkshire.
Swinton seafood residency
Rick Stein’s former right-hand man is to hold a five-day seafood residency at the Swinton Estate, near Masham, this spring.
Stephane Delourme, who was previously head chef at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, will host a series of exclusive dining events and masterclasses from May 7 to 11.
The week starts with a gala dinner in Samuel’s Restaurant and continues with a series of hands-on cookery masterclasses, intimate chef’s table experiences, and a Fish and Fire lunch at The Terrace Restaurant and Bar.
Stephane said:
“Guests will be able to experience some incredible seafood and discover the tastes and flavours from many of the dishes that we have become renowned for in the South West.
“I cannot wait to come to Swinton and cook using ingredients sourced directly from the estate, along with those from the east coast. Life is about making memories and I look forward to doing this together.”
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New Harrogate travel agent opens
A new travel agent has opened in Harrogate’s Montpellier Quarter.
The Travel Journal opened yesterday on the site of the former Isles of Wonder gift shop.
It has started trading at a time when quarantine rules are playing havoc with many people’s holiday plans.
However Ben Poole, the owner is buoyant about prospects.
Although some travel agents have seen bookings plummet during lockdown, as more customers turn to staycations, Mr Poole said bookings were bouncing back. He said:
“Business has been great for the past few weeks and green shoots are certainly appearing for our industry.
“The surge of high quality last minute bookings to places that remain on the government’s safe quarantine list has been a very welcome surprise as I had written off summer 2020 but I have probably done more business this summer last minute than I would have done any previous year.
“Yes there is a worry destinations could be added to the quarantine list without much prior notice but all my clients are made aware of the risks.”
This new shop is set alongside multiple other independent shops recovering from months of lockdown.
Mr Poole, who has been in the travel industry for 21 years, began his new venture at home in January and has been forced to cope with the impact of lockdown.
Read more:
- Boroughbridge travel agent says the industry has received unfair press during the pandemic.
- Harrogate district residents were thought to go “staycation crazy” over summer.
He hopes the pandemic will encourage more people to use travel agents after hearing stories of people unable to get refunds from some online companies.
Travel agents in Harrogate advise against holidays in Spain
Travel agents in Harrogate are advising people not to go to Spain in July or August.
Following a spike in the number of covid cases in Spain, the government announced UK citizens returning from the country would have to quarantine for 14 days.
This has prompted Langford Travel Services in Harrogate to urge people not to go to Spain this summer but instead book for next year on a low deposit.
Michael Langford, who owns the business, told the Stray Ferret:
“As a travel agent I am advising people not to go in July and August. You’ll be worried before you’ve booked it, once you’ve booked it and once you’re in the destination.”
Read more:
Peter Cookson, managing director of Spear Travels, Boroughbridge told the Stray Ferret:
“We are not selling any holidays to anywhere in mainland Spain or its islands because of the new Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice, the fact that most flights have been cancelled and no one can take the risk on their travel insurance.”
Number One Travel says it is up to customers to decide whether to go to Spain.
However, Keith Butterfield, owner of Number One Travel in Harrogate said it was for customers to decide whether to go to Spain.
“It is very much dependent on the client. If they didn’t have to worry about going into quarantine then it’s their decision to go and we wouldn’t stop them booking. We would talk through the rules and make sure they were aware of the regulations.”