Looking back at Harrogate

Rare cine film, a wonderful selection of old pictures and the archives of the Harrogate Advertiser provide a unique journey through Harrogate’s past.This fascinating DVD explores the origins of the spa, Harrogate’s growth as a fashionable resort and its development as a leading conference venue.

It looks into the creation of some of Harrogate’s best known features such as the Stray, Bogs Valley Gardens and the Royal Pump Room. It recalls the heyday of the stagecoach and the coming of the railway and it reveals some interesting titbits from the past, including, the disapearance of novelist Agatha Christie, the bombing of the Majestic in the Second World War and the extraordinary scenes on the Stray on VE Day.

Among the many events captured on film are the Royal Show in 1929, the opening of an extension to the Royal Baths in 1939, and many scenes of the town in the 50’s and 60’s that will bring memories flooding back for anyone who remembers the Harrogate of old.