In a twist worthy of a bestseller, Holmes Chapel in Cheshire is experiencing a surge in tourism, all thanks to its famous exporter: Harry Styles.
The singer’s hometown has become a pilgrimage site for thousands of fans, leading to the hiring of teenage tour guides to guide the way through Styles’ former stomping grounds.
Some 5,000 fans, also known as ‘Harries’, have flocked to the picturesque village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire over the past year to embark on a whirlwind tour of the local landmarks that shaped the pop star’s upbringing.
A curated map produced by the civil parish, which is given away by the ticket clerk at the local train station, offers fans a two-mile journey around the town taking them through important locations from Harry’s past.
Now, local leaders are planning official tours with hired guides to show fans landmarks like the bakery where he worked as a teenager, the place where he had his first kiss and the Chinese restaurant he once took Taylor Swift to.
In a twist worthy of a bestseller, Holmes Chapel in Cheshire is experiencing a surge in tourism, all thanks to its famous exporter: Harry Styles.
Harry’s House: The childhood home where Harry Styles used to live
W Mandeville, the bakery where Harry Styles worked on Saturdays in Holmes Chapel
A curated map produced by the civil parish offers fans a two-mile journey around the village taking them through important locations from Harry’s past.
Applicants must have a genuine interest in the town and its history, as well as its links to Harry Styles, and have excellent communication and storytelling skills.
Peter Whiers, chairman of the Holmes Chapel Partnership, said: “We aim to start official visits to Harry’s Home Village on Saturday mornings in June and weekdays in July, August and September, and will recruit Harry Styles fans aged sixteen and over. to act as local guides.’
Last year, the association produced special walking route maps for the two-mile-long pilgrimage due to traffic safety concerns.
Each stop on the tour is filled with the pop star’s enigmatic story, and the route passes by the As It Was hitmaker’s childhood home, his old school and Mandeville’s bakery, where he worked on Saturdays and
The tour ends like a fairy tale in a railway pipeline, where Harry supposedly had his first kiss.
Whiers said the Harry Styles traveling map had resulted in a huge increase in visitors and businesses taking the opportunity to serve them.
He said: ‘It has been an incredible year with over 5,000 visitors and four television crews making the pilgrimage as the Harries continued to arrive at Holmes Chapel.
“Not even the worst of the winter months has stopped them from braving muddy banks and wet fields to pay their respects at Harry’s Wall on the viaduct.”
Fortune City Chinese Restaurant: Where Harry Styles Once Taken Taylor Swift on a Date
Thousands of Harry Styles fans from around the world have flocked to Harry Styles’ former workplace before he became famous: the Mandeville Bakery.
In the bakery photo is a photo of One Direction when they appeared at Mandevilles in their heyday.
The railway viaduct where Harry wrote his name in a One Direction documentary film, and fans now flock there to write their own messages of adoration for Harry.
Pictured visiting the Mandeville (LR) bakery are Victoria Kamps, 24, from Germany, Nicole Kinowski, 24, from Chicago and Magda J, 21, from Poland.
Devoted fans from the US (pictured) have crossed the pond to tour the local places that shaped the pop star’s upbringing.
Mr Whiers added: “But we now believe it is time for Holmes Chapel to increase what we can offer young visitors and ensure they return home with a memorable experience in Harry’s village.”
The brick at the base of the structure where the star is said to have experienced her first kiss is scrawled with dozens of messages, along with the names of her teenage followers.
The association is already preparing for a high demand for tour guides, as it will hold a half-day assessment session on April 20 to recruit up to sixteen people for the position.
It will also publish, as a follow-up to the walking map, a tourist brochure showing where you can buy Holmes Chapel souvenirs, gifts, food and drink.
Earlier this month, Harry Styles captivated Australian audiences over the weekend when he helped a young fan talk to her family, momentarily stopping the Love On Tour concert after reading a sign held by a 17-year-old girl at the Accor stadium.