Harold Styan

Harold Styan (4 March 1895 – 30 October 1982) was an English gymnast and physical culturist in the music halls in his youth, a physical training instructor and drill sergeant in the First World War, and a sports teacher and youth worker in Harrogate, Yorkshire, for the rest of his life.

Styan is remembered for running Harrogate Boys' Club and for his work as sports teacher at various Harrogate schools, including Clifton House School. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1972 for his services to youth, and a charity and youth club were named after him.

Background Styan was born into a Harrogate family which had moved south from the North Riding of Yorkshire. His grandfather was Francis Styan, a butcher, and his paternal grandmother was Mary Styan née Green. Harold Styan was the tenth child of Harrogate plumber and housepainter Alfred Styan. His mother was Elizabeth née Ward, daughter of gardener John Ward. Alfred and Elizabeth married in 1878 at St Peter's Church, Harrogate. In 1921, Styan was unmarried, living with his widowed mother and his brother Harry at 9 Providence Terrace, Harrogate, and working on his own account at various addresses. In 1923, he married May Waggott in Knaresborough. They had one daughter, Diana Joan. Styan died on 30 October 1982 at 63 West End Avenue, Harrogate, where he had lived for much of his life.

Career At age 13 Styan started his athletic training. He was employed as a page boy at Harrogate's Grand Opera House at the same time, and made his stage debut as a gymnast at 16. He toured music halls, first in Harrogate then country-wide, including London, with Mademoiselle La Dores' troupe.

Training, teaching, coaching, and youth work In 1921 Styan was running a school of gymnastics in the Harrogate area, Ripley and District Horticultural and Agricultural Show historians wrote that, "In 1921 the Main Ring attraction [at the Ripley Show] was a display by Harold Styan's School of Gymnastics". In 1926 he was presented with "a memento of his work in training the Claro division tug-of-war team to win numerous Yorkshire competitions", according to The Leeds Mercury. In 1942 he was refereeing at a boxing match in Harrogate.

By April 1946 he had founded, and was running, the Harrogate Boys' Club in New Park, where he was often visited by former members, now in the military, who came to see their "popular leader", according to the Harrogate Herald. In 1947, for the benefit of the RAF Benevolent Fund, Styan organised a gymnastic display by the same club. He was a gym master at various schools including Clifton House School, retiring from Grosvenor House School, Harrogate, in 1982 aged 87.

Reminiscences of Styan Former Clifton House School pupil David Hitchen remembered Styan for, "endless exercises and jumps!! and the amount of snuff he used to take to clear his throat!". Another pupil from the same school, Jack Ogden, later related a tale that, "well into his old age [Styan] was attacked by two yobs on the Stray and laid both of them out flat".

Awards and recognition Styan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1972 for services to youth in Harrogate. His name was given to the Harold Styan Charity for Youth (HSCY), registered in 1964 and based in Harrogate, also the Harold Styan Football Club, the Jennyfield Styan Community Centre, and a youth club. The Harold Styan Boys' Club was in existence until at least 1962. As of 2024 the HSCY was still in existence.