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04
Dec 2021
The woman behind Harrogate's Tinsel the elf
This article is sponsored by Berwins
It was a first for me this week, as I sat down for an exclusive interview with Father Christmas's chief elf.
Tinsel is currently delighting children and grown-ups alongside the big man himself at The Crown Hotel, as part of a new interactive Christmas experience organised by the Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID).
And following a festive tour of the Elf School and workshop, which looks truly magical, I grabbed a cuppa with Tinsel - aka Suzanne Kaye-Vaughan, so I could get to know more about the woman behind the elf.
Bringing joy
Suzie Fairy, as she is known to most children and parents in the Harrogate district, has been bringing joy and magic into people's lives for almost two decades.
And when you meet her, it's impossible not to be inspired by her passion for helping people of all ages "to shine bright".
The actress got her first professional contract at one of Deborah Meaden's holiday camps in Cornwall, long before BBC's Dragon's Den aired, where she performed her own cabaret act.
She was then offered a place at drama school at Bretton Hall, near Wakefield, which saw her move to Yorkshire after growing up in Wales.
She said:
Suzanne's company was previously known as Make a Wish Entertainment and her educational theatre company was known as Fantasy Kids Clubs.
After lockdown, she merged her companies under one banner and created Enchantica's.
Well-known
The actress is particularly well-known in the Harrogate area for running fairy and hero camps since 2005, with some of the children who attended now working for her as performers, which she describes as "really special".
Suzanne has played a number of characters over the years
Suzanne said:
Under her various alter egos, including the fairy Enchantica, Tinsel the elf and the Queen of Hearts, Suzanne has worked at a number of attractions and events across the district.
Family events
Recently they have included the UCI World Championships, where she ran free family classes in the Fan Zone, an enchanted forest Easter walk at Newby Hall and the Discovery Zone at the Great Yorkshire Show. She has also run events at Harewood House and Stockeld Park.
Easter fun at Newby Hall
This year she also brought 'The Garden Detectives' to RHS Garden Harlow Carr, where the objective was to engage children in horticulture.
Tinsel the elf
She has also regularly appeared as Tinsel the elf at the annual Father Christmas event at the gardens, which has long been one of the hottest tickets in town, but isn't taking place this year due to Covid safety restrictions.
She said:
Suzanne said she hoped to return to The Crown Hotel with Father Christmas in future years and had been delighted with the demand.
Read More:
- Christmas markets 2021: The best festive events around the district
- Christmas Events: Diary of festivities in the Harrogate district
Little helper
Suzanne's passion has been further fuelled by her four-year-old little boy, Dante.
She described how when he was a baby, she would perform with him on her hip. He now loves to perform and help her with her events and classes, even assisting with decorating and transforming spaces.
She said:
And as a mum who understands how precious time with little ones can be, Suzanne runs a number of wellbeing classes at her studio, Enchantica's Workshop, on Beech Avenue, which she created just before the first lockdown.
An online class with Suzanne and her puppet Beatie
They involve music, song, yoga, speech and language development, using her drama and children's performing arts coaching skills and she even took them online during the pandemic.
Future plans
Buzzing with ideas, I could see Suzanne's eyes light up as she told me about what she would like to do next.
She said:
And on this festive note, Suzanne revealed that the elves would be helping at the Harrogate Christmas Fayre in the town centre, which launched on Friday.
She said:
Make a wish
When Suzanne isn't heading up a team of elves, she is diving into her warehouse full of a vast array of costumes and props - and lots of glitter - ready to make someone's wish come true.
Requests have included everything from a lavish Halloween house party, which Suzanne brought to life at a family's home upon their return from holiday, to a child's Worst Witch-themed party in a village hall.
When it comes to adventures, it's safe to say, Suzanne never knows what she is going to do next.
She said:
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