Teenager tour guides have the chance to show visitors around Harry Styles’ home town due to an increased amount of fans visiting.
Known as ‘Harries’, about 5,000 fans have come to visit the lovely village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, trying to follow the steps of the pop superstar over the past year. The village made their own map of the two-mile tour which is given out for free by the local railway station officer.
Leaders of the local area are now thinking about having official tours. They hope to hire guides who will show eager fans places like the bakery where Harry Styles used to work when he was a teenager and a Chinese restaurant where he once took Taylor Swift. Anyone wanting to apply will need to really be interested in the village, its history and how it’s linked to Harry Styles. They will also need to be good at sharing stories and speaking with others.
Peter Whiers, the man in charge of Holmes Chapel Partnership, said: “We aim to start official tours of Harry’s Home Village on Saturday mornings in June and weekdays in July, August and September, and will be recruiting Harry Styles fans from sixteen and over to act as local guides.”
The partnership decided to print special walking maps last year for the mile-long journey because they were worried about road safety. The route includes places like Harry’s old house, his old school, and Mandeville’s bakery where he worked every Saturday, and ends at the railway bridge where he had his very first kiss.
Mr Whiers shared that the Harry Styles Walking Map has brought a lot more people to the area, with businesses making the most of it. He said: “It has been an incredible year with over 5,000 visitors and four TV crews making the pilgrimage as the Harries continued to arrive in Holmes Chapel.”
“Even the worst of the winter months has not stopped them from braving muddy banks and wet fields to pay homage at Harry’s Wall at the viaduct.” But we now think it is time for Holmes Chapel to increase what we can offer to the young visitors and ensure they return home with a memorable experience of Harry’s village.”
The wall where fans believe Harry Styles had his first kiss is now full of messages and names from his teenage fans. The group working on this expects so many people will want tour guides that they’re planning a special day on April 20 to find up to sixteen new guides.
They’re also going to make a brochure to go with the walking map, showing where you can buy things related to Holmes Chapel, like souvenirs, food, and drinks. harry’s family, including mum Anne Twist and sister Gemma Styles, were forced to leave the idyllic village of Holmes Chapel once Harry became a global star.
Fans from countries such as Uruguay, Japan, Colombia, Canada and America have flocked to the east Cheshire village, with many boarding trains at stations such as Manchester Picadilly, Crewe and even London Euston before changing at Wilmslow. Trainstation office worker Graham Blake said he often waits at the station with maps for fans.
“He has friends who live here though so I know he comes back to visit when he can. Everyone here has time for the fans and everyone here has a story about Harry – it’s such a small village so everyone knows everyone,” he said.
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