Has there ever been a time where a holiday has felt more needed? Honestly, given the last eight months, it’s no wonder that people are spending more time away from home than ever. The joy for individuals who manage the seemingly endless forms, tests and vaccination status is marvellous to behold. Personally, I’m far too lazy and still wary about venturing overseas.
I knew however spending time away from both my home city and university town was essential and widely needed. For all the brilliance that the internet provides, it can never compensate for witnessing a location in person. It allows the opportunity to see something face to face and leave a true imprint on your memory. During the first lockdown, I’d watched many TV series including the superb ‘Last Tango in Halifax’ and was particularly enchanted by the scenes set in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. As it happens, Harrogate was represented by Altrincham in Greater Manchester, but I still wanted to visit. Harrogate has a reputation for being posh and beautiful. In March 2021, still at the height of lockdown, I booked an Airbnb stay for August, fingers crossed my trip could go ahead. Low and behold, numerous exams, tests and results later, that is precisely what happened. ****************************************************************************************************************** Those who emphasise the architectural beauty of Harrogate are completely right to do so. It is a stunning location from start to finish, with a particularly ascetically pleasing town centre. Everything just looks like it is in the correct place. Lovely large windows that appear to have been in place for hundreds of years. Beautiful brickwork houses that you wish could be replicated everywhere. Large stone structures that ensure the town retains its history and heritage. It is not an area naturally facing neglect. I could never live there for more than a week, unless I won the Lottery. Harrogate is a pricey area for a reason; it is the preserve of those who are well off. Naturally, there will be areas of poverty (the case in every city) but Harrogate is hardly a place that screams being run down. Even the new conference centre, which, admittedly, is a bit of an eye-sore shows that development is going into the area. ****************************************************************************************************************** The beauty is just as apparent in the natural landscape. I normally like to use long train journeys as an opportunity for reading with no distractions from the internet. However, for the final 20 minutes before my arrival in Harrogate, I was immersed in the utter beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Hailing from Cambridge, what is notable more than anything is the number of hills as you travel further north. The East of England is famously flat and so witnessing any kind of contrast to that is such a pleasure. Though I only saw the hills from my train, there was amble opportunity to explore the many green spaces in Harrogate. Filled with benches and perfect for reading, they provide such a high degree of calm. There will have been countless studies done on the benefits of the natural world for mental health and I truly found it there, no clipboard or academic paper needed. Just being able to appreciate the familiarity and comfort of the greenery - whether it was the Valley Gardens, Stray or War Memorial area - ensured my trip balanced the human made with the natural world. ****************************************************************************************************************** I always like to try and visit plenty of independent businesses whenever I visit a new location. Though chain brands can prove a form of comfort, through knowing what you’re going to get, there is nothing quite like the exploration of a place you have never previously heard of. The Prego Cafe Bar on Montpellier Hill were marvellous, providing a great environment for relaxation. Similarly, Hoxton North offered a comfortable location for fantastic food. I might never visit these places again, so being able to part my money with the independent brand, rather than a wider company, is immensely pleasing. I felt this most with one of my trip highlights: visiting Bettys. It really is something that has to be done. It was unusual that I was in a party of one for my meal, they usually expect a company of at least two or more. But I found it strangely liberating: standing in the queue, reading my book, chatting to fellow waiting visitors. And boy was the wait worth it. I hadn’t been to Bettys for four years (since visiting York) and God, was it spectacular to be back. Nothing beats afternoon tea. ****************************************************************************************************************** Harrogate is also a place full of culture. Those who know me well will be aware that I couldn’t really visit somewhere if it had an abject absence or indifference towards cultural pursuits. As I have written before, those who write off cultural and artistic endeavours as a middle class interest simply have no idea what they are talking about. Where possible, I try to always make sure I pay a visit to one or two cultural locations to gain a feel for the area I am exploring. The Royal Pump Room Museum was certainly one of those places, containing a wide array of archive footage, newspapers and examinations into how the city came to develop. In the 19th century, it was a prime location for rich aristocrats and provided a multitude of activities for them. One can tell the city has not fully lost that distinction in its environment and manner of social hierarchy. It also provided plenty of postcards, which are always fun to send off (and so cheap!). For artistic creations, the Mercer Art Gallery provided a fantastic array of different paintings and beautiful reflections. It made me recognise how we as consumers of art can look in seconds at a creation which has taken years to construct. The variety of constructions and different breadth of landscapes ensured the journey of travel never felt boring and truly showed what Harrogate had on offer. ****************************************************************************************************************** I didn’t just stay in one location during my time in North Yorkshire. I recognised that, by deciding not to learn to drive, I was limiting the amount of places that I could explore. Thank goodness for trains! I really do think they are the most civilised form of transport, but maybe that is because I have not yet relied on them for a daily commute. After two full days exploring Harrogate, I took a short trip on a Northern train service to Knaresborough, a location I knew almost nothing about. That made the experience far better than I had been expecting. The most glorious site in Knaresborough is the viaduct, another example of architectural beauty. And while there isn’t much to the castle or Mother Shipton’s cave, they were clearly tourist attractions that would please all the family. ****************************************************************************************************************** It is amazing how taking a week or so completely off social media provides more time for reading. Who would have guessed it? I went from being seven books behind schedule in my 2021 Goodreads reading challenge to just a single book behind. There were plenty of great fictional and non-fictional reads to enjoy and escape into a different world. James Bloodworth’s ‘Hired’, looking at the insecurity of work, was especially gripping. ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro was enchanting, revealing and ultimately deeply saddening. But what I loved the most was Val McDermid’s ‘The Retribution’. She just does not put a foot wrong. Utterly spellbounding and the perfect way to escape during my holiday.
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