Harrogate residents are aiming to prove their town is the UKs number one for festive fun by launching their own bid to top the music charts this Christmas.
Laying down the gauntlet to the rest of the nation, the group led by hotelier Simon Cotton, are hoping their shot at pop stardom will shine a light on all the wonderful events planned this December.
At a time when some councils have been forced to cut back on their festive offering for 2024, Harrogate is promising a feast of fun bigger than ever before as business and community leaders join forces to bring a touch of sparkle to the spa town.
Watch the full video here:
Thanks to local businesses, North Yorkshire Council and Harrogate BID, there are already more Christmas lights up around the town centre than ever before and this year’s market has been extended from to a third week, starting on Friday, 29 November 2024.
Written by Simon, MD of the HRH Group, which owns The Yorkshire Hotel, White Hart and their associated bars the Pickled Sprout and Fat Badger, ‘Merry Christmas Harrogate’ has launched today and is available for download on Spotify.
The music was written by colleague Joe Pearce and a band, ‘The Straymen’ was formed specially for this song with local friends Harry Arnison and Harvey Burns being joined by Harvey’s six-year-old daughter Isabella.
Simon said:
Harrogate really does have so much to offer over the festive period with the amazing lights and two Christmas markets – one running through the town centre for nearly three weeks and the fantastic Artisan Christmas market running over two weekends in December in the famous Valley Gardens.
We also have a big wheel, a Polar Express Christmas train, an ice rink and fair at the Great Yorkshire Show Ground, one of the best Pantos at Harrogate Theatre, a full Christmas Show at Elf Village with Enchanticas; and Harrogate International Festivals will once again be turning the front of their offices into the North Pole Post Office for children to go and post their letters to Father Christmas.
Simon is keen to showcase the town’s festive offerings, which he believes are unrivalled across the UK… and the chance of adding a Christmas number one, would quite simply be the holly on top of the pudding.
Simon added:
We have so much to offer at Christmas time that is more than just the great restaurants and hospitality venues around the town and I thought the only thing we were missing was a Christmas song to show the world how Christmassy we are.
The Straymen spent a number of weeks developing the music and lyrics before professionally recording it in local music studio the Woodlands with Producer John Shepherd.
Harvey Burns said:
Who doesn’t love a great Christmas Song? And when Simon asked us to be involved, we jumped at the chance. Harry and I have had so much fun, aside from the hard work, in creating the final version which I hope everyone will love as much as we do.
My daughter Isabella is only six and she loved being in the studio recording and is very excited about the whole thing.
‘Merry Christmas Harrogate’ launches, complete with its own video in the hope that it proves Harrogate really is the most Christmassy town in the UK where the shops, local associations and public have all pulled together to make sure both locals and visitor alike, have an amazing Christmas experience.
