In our latest spotlight feature, This is Haslemere takes you on a journey from Hong Kong to Haslemere via London. We had the pleasure of meeting Haslemere resident and business owner Kate Cracknell, who revealed to This is Haslemere how she has a passion for reading and discussing books she has read. She combines this enjoyment of novels with volunteering.

But first, let’s rewind … Kate read English and Theatre Studies and went on to do a post-graduate in newspaper Journalism in Cardiff. Not wishing to follow her contemporaries to the tabloid press, she bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong. Once there, Kate showed some of her press cuttings to the Hong Kong Standard editor and ended up spending three and a half years there. This was at a time of great opportunity and change in the territory as she covered the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the plight of the Vietnamese boat people, the Chinese workers who lived in cages as well as the maltreatment of Filipino domestic workers living in Hong Kong. “I wanted to be the mouthpiece of the people who didn’t have a voice.”

After the handover, Kate returned to “Cool Britannia” and became a TV researcher, subsequently being promoted to associate producer. She worked with familiar names (for example, Gloria Hunniford, Sarah Beeny and Michael Parkinson) on shows (such as Property Ladder and Homes Under The Hammer). When her first child was born in 2006, Kate had a battle to fight for part-time work – it was then frowned upon in the industry – she finally gained an agreement to work three days a week. In 2010, with two young children in tow, Kate and family decided to move to Haslemere.

Once in Haslemere, Kate worked as a freelance journalist writing for a variety of publications, including Cosmopolitan, The Independent and local magazine, Life In Haslemere. Freelancing allowed Kate to be a master of her own destiny. 

Just before lockdown, she retrained to become a reflexologist. She told This is Haslemere, “Before reflexology, I was a busy, stressed-out TV producer and reached out for a holistic treatment to help me unwind. I discovered reflexology and loved the cloud-nine feeling it gave from head to toe - I wanted to give this amazing treatment back to others.” Kate launched Haslemere Holistic Reflexology and has been practising for three years with a portfolio of local clients, managing her practice around her family. She offers reflexology, supporting women going through the menopause, new mums and oncology reflexology (via GP or oncologist referral).

As well as giving support through her reflexology, Kate enjoys giving back to her community through her love of reading. Once a week, she volunteers for the local Vintage Shop (Age UK) in Junction Place. She sorts through the book donations, prices and displays them. She is always looking for first editions and even spotted one, which sold at auction for £500 and all funds went to the charity shop. She is always buying books from there and gifting them to friends.

Kate also established and manages the Facebook page Haslemere Book Swap & Book Club. She set the group up during lockdown. She missed her book chats with friends and wanted to stay connected. Meetings were originally held on Zoom. As Kate told us, “We were all isolated in our houses; however, books gave us the chance to escape and travel together. We created moments of joy, sharing and swapping books. We’d leave book swaps on each other’s doorsteps” The group moved onto Facebook to coordinate readings and swaps and has grown organically from an audience of 6 to more than 600 followers. Fast forward a few years, and the book club now meets every month in The Mill. A book is chosen via group suggestions, and Kate insists they do actually talk about the book. She laughed and said, “It is books first, and wine second in our club. We are an eclectic mix of ages, tastes and opinions. No meeting is ever the same.” On the first day of each month, Kate puts out a simple message asking people what they are reading, and it is a great source for reading recommendations. Last month, a member asked for biography recommendations. Even if you do not participate in the group, you will definitely pick up some new ideas.

It was so enjoyable meeting Kate, and we will certainly join the chat at her next book club. As our interview was wrapping up, she said she always has a paperback in her bag and produced Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell. As (by coincidence) I had just read it, we then proceeded to have our own book club of two to discuss this outstanding read. We talked about books for hours…

Haslemere Holistic Reflexology

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Haslemere Book Swap & Book Club

Facebook