Harrogate company finds Tour de France success

An award-winning Harrogate business has been involved with Yorkshire’s prestigious Tour de France plans.

Simply Bows and Chair Covers helped to dress up Leeds Town Hall for a special gala dinner following the announcement of the Tour de France’s route through Yorkshire next year.

The specialist chair and table covers business dressed 300 tables and created bespoke sashes and accessories in the world-famous bike race colours of yellow, black and white.

The Tour de France will pass through Yorkshire next year during its opening stages, starting at Leeds Town Hall with the first stage ending in Harrogate.

Alexandra Stead, founder of Simply Bows and Chair Covers, said: “I was thrilled to be invited by Welcome to Yorkshire to be part of the Tour de France plans – it’s such an honour. Thanks to our bespoke service, we were able to perfectly match the table dressings to the colours of the Tour de France and we received some lovely compliments.

“Showcasing what we do at such high-profile events is a major boost for the business and is helping us grow. The team in Harrogate works on a vast range of events as the area offers such a variety of venues from tea shops and town halls to majestic hotels and cosy country houses.”

Alexandra has already worked with tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire, dressing the VIP tent at the Great Yorkshire Show last year.

She launched the business as a franchise in July 2011 after working in the hotel industry for more than 20 years.

Simply Bows and Chair Covers has other franchisees in Aberdeen, Cumbria, Lancashire, Berkshire and around the North East and Yorkshire. At the end of 2012, the business was named Most Promising New Business by the British Chamber of Commerce.

The company specialises in providing quality chair covers and linen for weddings, balls and corporate events.