Column: Four links Harrogate can be proud of - former headteacher Dennis Richards

​It is surprising that many local residents are completely unaware that Harrogate enjoys a special type of ‘twinning’ relationship with Wellington, the capital of New Zealand no less, and has done so since 1953. Less than a decade after the end of the Second World War, visionary citizens of our town recognised the growing national significance of the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Stonefall on Wetherby Road. A ‘New Zealand Garden’ was created in 1953 to honour the 23 New Zealand Air Force aircrew (Four of them from Wellington itself) buried at Stonefall. It stands to this day in a beautiful peaceful corner of the Valley Gardens.

On April 22, 2023, the 70th anniversary of its creation, a newly refurbished version of the garden will be opened to the public at 11am. Harrogate International Partnerships is grateful to NYCC for its financial support. It has also been very clear from the outset that New Zealand takes its duty of memory for its citizens very seriously. A new bench in the garden, funded by Wellington City Council, will be placed in the garden ready for the opening on April 22.

The following day, on April 23 at 1pm HIP will mark ANZAC Day, Australia and New Zealand’s Remembrance Day at Stonefall. The cemetery’s significance is clear and distinguished guests representing both the Australian and New Zealand Air Forces will be guests at the ceremony. Unusually in ANZAC terms, but entirely appropriately in Harrogate terms, we will be welcoming Mayor Alex Nuttall from another of Harrogate’s twin towns, Barrie in Ontario Canada. Mayor Nuttall will lay a wreath in memory of 660 Canadian aircrew also buried at Stonefall. Admiral Sir Robert Barrie, after whom the town of Barrie is named, is buried in the Ingilby family vault at Ripley Church, establishing a lasting link with Harrogate.

Throughout the weekend, a HIP Community Garden will be exhibited at the Spring Flower Show. It will celebrate not only 70 years of the Wellington link, 10 years of the Barrie link but also two long established links with two beautiful European spa towns. Twinned with UNESCO rated Italian Tuscan town of Montecatini Terme since 1963, Harrogate’s oldest relationship was formed early in 1953 with Bagneres de Luchon in France. It is evidenced in the town by Luchon Way, a pedestrian path close to Coppice Valley.

Given the widespread unawareness of the town’s international connections, it is surely an appropriate moment to ask, why has Harrogate been seemingly so shy, about its fantastic international links? It is overdue now, for our twin towns to be placed on entry signs into the town, as so many other towns do. Welcome to Harrogate. Twinned with….. four links of which Harrogate can justifiably be very proud.