Our Tribute to Brian Dunsby
Brian Dunsby was one of the most influential people in the history of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.
Brian Dunsby OBE
It is no exaggeration to say that, without his hard work and determination, we may not be here today.
Robert Whitely, who served as President from 2008-2010, recalls joining Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce (HCTC), as it was then, in the early 2000s at a challenging time:
“My first meeting was a sparsely attended one of less than a dozen at Ascot House Hotel. Mark Lancaster was President and Peter Armitage was Secretary.
“It was a time of great change in Harrogate as national chain stores moved in numbers into Harrogate and independents were disappearing. HCTC’s membership was falling, and the bank balance was low. After over 100 years HCTC was in danger of folding and my representation of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society may well have been short lived.
“But Mark and Peter had a plan, and I doubt that at the time they envisaged for a moment how successful their proposal would prove to be. A working group suggested that a local company, Perlex Associates, headed up by Brian and Beryl Dunsby be appointed to administer the Chamber.
“I had not been involved in the working group and did not know at that time any of the individuals involved in the decision, but as I attended more meetings, I began to realise how important and inspirational it was. The fee that Perlex levied to HCTC was a fraction of the market value of their input, and the results were transformative.”
As the Chamber began to grow, Brian was determined to leverage its position and power to deliver even greater benefits.
He created sub-committees focusing on areas of importance to local businesses, including transport, tourism and town centre - leading over time to the creation of the Harrogate BID. He brought together an astonishing list of participants for the various meetings he held, from directors of Leeds Bradford Airport to owners and managers of the biggest hotels and destinations in the district.
Using this influence, he lobbied for all kinds of improvements, but is particularly remembered for his influence on rail travel. Thanks to him, trains between Harrogate and York were increased from two per hour to four, while a direct line between Harrogate and London was established and later developed to a two-hourly service.
Such was the respect he garnered in the industry that, at the launch of the new Azuma service, Brian was invited onto the platform to speak – while politicians of the day merely watched on.
Meanwhile, Brian also used the growing chamber membership to found Harrogate Business Market – later Yorkshire Business Market – alongside Mark Lancaster. It was a roaring success, and continued for almost a decade until 2018, when it was bought out by The Yorkshire Society.
Mark said:
“The first time I met Brian was at a Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce meeting in 1999. Little did I know that we would work together for nearly 20 years on so many projects to develop the Chamber and actively promote Harrogate.
“He was truly one-of-a-kind, extremely dedicated to every project he was involved with and will be missed by the numerous organisations he and Beryl supported over the years.”
Similarly, Brian joined forces with former Mayor John Fox to run the first Harrogate Christmas Market in 2012, when a commercial operator pulled out. They planned to put the proceeds towards the town’s annual Christmas lights display.
The Christmas market grew rapidly over the following years until, by 2019, it had more than 200 traders and welcomed 85,000 visitors. Its economic impact for the town was estimated to be in the millions, with market shoppers also encouraged to spend in local shops, eat in nearby restaurants and stay in the area’s hotels.
Not only did the Christmas market raise funds for the lights, it also contributed more than £90,000 to good causes in Harrogate from its profits. Many Chamber members joined the committee of volunteers helping to put it on every year, while many more benefited from taking stalls or welcoming market-goers to their businesses in town.
Past President Joy Allen said:
“Brian was very active during my term as President of the Chamber and I later volunteered for him at the Christmas markets he organised. He was a force to be reckoned with and I admired him tremendously.”
Brian and the Perlex team retired from running the Chamber in 2016, but it was far from the end of their links with us. Brian and Beryl were regular attendees at meetings and he continued to organise our regular transport update meetings, as ever persuading some of the biggest figures in regional transport organisations to speak to our members.
He and Beryl were last at one of our meetings in October 2024, and Brian also represented us at a meeting with Leeds Bradford Airport the following month.
Over the years, Brian was recognised both locally and nationally for his astonishing work and achievements.
In 2008, he was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion. Further Royal recognition came in the form of an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2017, which he received from the then Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace the following year.
Railfuture UK named him Best Campaigner in 2015, and the Harrogate Line Supporters Group – which he led – won Best Campaign, both on the back of the successful lobbying for two-hourly services to London.
In 2010, Brian was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Harrogate Advertiser Business Awards. Five years later, at the same awards, Harrogate Christmas Market was recognised in the Tourism category. In both 2013 and 2017, the Christmas market won the Best Achievement award at Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards.
In the many tributes paid to him over the last few days, one thing that stands out is the admiration people felt for his hard work and dedication to the many projects and causes close to his heart. In all of these, he was supported by his wife of 62 years, Beryl, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. They in turn were helped by Maggie Hall, who worked for Perlex for many years and was the welcoming face at every meeting during Brian’s tenure.
Brian worked alongside many leading business people who served as Chamber President during his tenure, including:
Mark Lancaster (2001-03), Colour It In
Peter Armitage (2003-05), New Generation Bee Keeping
Brian Haines (2005-06), Harrogate Golf Club
John Hart (2006-07), Transpen
Granville Simpson (2007-08), The Rocking Horse
Robert Whiteley (2008-10), Pavilions of Harrogate (now at Ardno House B&B)
Simon Cotton (2010-12), Cedar Court Hotel (now at HRH Group)
Sandra Doherty (2012-15), Alexa House
Mike Shaw (2015-16), Ellis Bates
Michael Webster (2016-17), Signarama
Current Chamber President Phill Holdsworth of Aurum Gold, who took up his post last May, said:
“I haven't known Brian and Beryl long, but I know their reputation among the business community. I saw for myself through the interactions I have had with Brian over the last few months, he was always very helpful and he never gave up on the things he was passionate about: the Chamber, Harrogate and transport. He will be sadly missed.”
Current Chamber chief executive Martin Mann added:
"Brian was a huge part of the Harrogate business community. He was a force for good, working tirelessly on projects that would improve life for so many people.
"As well as the work he did publicly, there was much more that he and Beryl did for others that most people never knew about, such as volunteering with the Food Angels. His sheer determination and work ethic were unequalled.
"Brian continued to be active and engaged in business throughout his life, attending his final full Chamber meeting along with Beryl in October, and a meeting with Leeds Bradford Airport in November. In his many years as our transport spokesman, he was as dedicated as he was with every role he undertook, encyclopaedic in his knowledge, and a formidable campaigner when he could see what needed to be done.
"Brian's influence on the Chamber was evident to see when I joined in 2014 and he left it in fine form for those of us who have followed on from him since 2016. We will miss him terribly and will always be grateful for all that he did for us, and for Harrogate."
