Tears as Tangerine finally gives up fight
A HARROGATE health and fitness club has lost its fight to stay open. Doors finally shut on financially troubled Tangerine Lifestyle in Beech Avenue, Oatlands, yesterday after its 600-plus members had been hoping for a reprieve from a new buyer.
But a last minute hitch scuppered a bid by a member to buy the club. An unexpected clause had emerged which sunk a purchase at the eleventh hour. Earlier, two other potential buyers had pulled out.
Following a creditors' meeting last week, the club went into voluntary liquidation with debts totalling 67,000. But with three potential buyers in the wings and protracted talks over the weekend in a bid to save the club from closure, members' hopes were high that a reprieve was on the cards.
Shutting the club down proved an emotional moment for its founder Mrs Hilary Latham and members who were in the club when news broke.
Members arrived at the club yesterday to find the club shut, some of them leaving in tears after reading a closure notice on the door.
The notice said: "Sorry, due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to close. Thank you all for your support and loyalty. Hilary."
Mrs Latham said: "I feel devastated that we have finally had to close. We stayed open for a week in a bid to keep continuity so see if a purchase was going to be completed.
"I don't feel I have been a failure. I think the response from members has made me realise I had achieved what I set out to achieve.
"The club put a heart in Harrogate. Sadly, Harrogate is now losing that heart in this community," she said.
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Weather for Harrogate
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
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Wind direction: North
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