Following in the footsteps of Harry Styles on the newly-launched tour of the village where he grew up
By Deborah Bowyer 1st Jun 2024
Two Harry Styles fans sit happily on a blanket tucking into a picnic underneath the famous viaduct where the superstar wrote his name in chalk on one of the pillars.
Nearby, there are other 'Harries' as they are called, including Middlewich mum and daughter, Amanda and Emily Tipping who just love the music of the iconic star.
Like other fans, Amanda and Emily have come to see the walls and pillars of Twemlow Viaduct where there are masses of messages from fans and where Harry Styles reputedly had his first kiss.
So popular is the area for 'Harries' that Holmes Chapel Partnership has developed the 'Harrys Home Village Tour' and Nub News was lucky enough to join a tour.
An advert for tour guides attracted around 150 applications from all over the world. Sixteen-year-old Ben McCormick, a student at Harry's old school, Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Sixth Form College, was one of the lucky ones to get a job.
"I've grown up in the village and love it here. My mum used to be served by Harry when he worked in the village bakery. She used to say how lovely he was and there was something special about him."
Many fans arrive by train at Holmes Chapel station where station master Graham Blake has fond memories of the superstar and where there's a guest book for 'Harries' to sign.
The tour includes a visit to W Mandeville, where Harry worked after school and on Saturdays. A life-size cut-out of Harry in his Mandeville's uniform is proudly displayed inside.
The tour has been designed with safety in mind keeping away from the busy main roads but it also takes fans past the end of the road to Hermitage Primary School, where Harry attended.
Once through a small housing estate, fans then hit the countryside and the famous Hermitage Bridge, a Grade II structure dating back to 1707, crossing over the River Dane.
The bridge connects Holmes Chapel to Goostrey before a stile to the right takes you down to the famous viaduct carrying trains on the Manchester to Crewe line.
Twemlow Viaduct is a stunning landmark dating back to 1841 with 23 semi-circular arches, having taken two years to finish. It's not only famous for Harry's first kiss it also appears on a One Direction Documentary.
Harry wrote his name in chalk on one of the pillars but today fans can no longer write on the structure and instead are encouraged to inscribe their message on a slate heart (part of the tour) and leave it at Twemlow Viaduct or take it home. Nub News left its own message for the famous star.
The tour guides impart information about the area on the tours, some even knowing personally. Jill Booth (58), the oldest of the current guides, lived doors away from the superstar and her son Mike played football with Harry.
She said: "He was always very polite when he came round. We have lovely memories of him in the garden playing football and visiting.
"My son went to nursery and school with Harry. I wanted to become a tour guide as I love the village and want to share this with his fans. It's such a lovely place."
Harry's Home Village Tours, described as a 'a pilgrimage experience' certainly run on Saturday mornings from next weekend (June 8th) and weekdays from July – September and last between two and a half and three hours and include safe walking routes through Holmes Chapel.
Tour participants receive Harry's Home Village Tour map offering exclusive offers at retailers and venues throughout Holmes Chapel and specially designed merchandise to go with the tours can be purchased here from Sam Dale and Son's website.
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