#ThrowbackThursday: Harrogate Stray tree became 'one in a million' in 1990

In February 1990 more than 100 Harrogate primary school students gathered to plant the hornbeam tree on the Montpellier part of the Stray as part of a charity project.

The project by Betty’s and Taylors of Harrogate (known as Taylors Tea and Coffee at the time) saw the planting of the first tree in a million which would be planted in Ethiopia over the next year.

The company were supporting a seven-year plan by charity, World Vision, to plant a variety of trees including fruit trees, eucalyptus and papaya in the Shone Valley, south of Addis Ababa.

The aim was “to turn a barren desert into a sustainable environment where people could flourish”.

An ambitious project for the then fairly small local business, Taylors called on their customers to support them, vowing that for every three tokens sent in, they would plant one tree.