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Yorkshire Dales author and entrepreneur Hannah Russell.
When Hannah first adopted Little Alf, the miniature Shetland pony it changed her life. Eight years on and Hannah, still only 23 is a best selling author, business coach, motivational speaker and charity ambassador. Little Alf, meanwhile, is the star of a series of children’s books that have made him internationally famous.
Hannah’s journey hasn’t always been easy, her her story is an inspirational one - a welcome example, in these challenging times, of how much can be achieved by passion, hard work and positive thinking.
Hannah was brought up in the Dales, and was obsessed with horses from an early age, but her dreams of being a riding instructor were dashed in her teens when she began to suffer from severe back pain. An MRI scan showed that past riding accidents had left her with fractured vertebra and worn discs and doctors made it clear that she should give up horse riding forever.
It was while she was in her low ebb, and looking for a new focus that Hannah met Little Alf and decided to adopt ‘Little Alf.’ ‘He needed a home because he has dwarfism’ she explains. ‘Miniature shetlands normally stand at around 34 inches high, but Little Alf measures only 28 inches.
The dwarfism means that Little Alf’s features are extra small too, he has tiny ears and tiny hooves. Because of his condition he had been rejected by his mum and the rest of the herd, he needed some extra love and care.
In 2012 when Little Alf came to live with Hannah, she got a new camera for Christmas, she knew she had the perfect model and started to take photo’s of Little Alf and share them online. People loved them, this led Hannah to start a blog about Little Alf - which in turn led her to write a children’s story about him and his adventures.
Hannah’s first story was published when she was only 17, was the start of a series of books featuring Little Alf, including further magical children’s stories and an autobiographical account of the pairs bond together. For the latest writing venture, ‘The Travel girl’ has branched out still further turning her hand to teen fiction.
But then branching out is in Hannah’s nature, as well as writing she is also the helm of latest ‘Russell home interiors’ and will be on the radar of anyone who knows Leyburn Market town in the Yorkshire Dales. The business is a shop and online retail business selling furniture and many in house designed products.
Before Hannah took over the premises in Leyburn the site was home to ‘Quaint and Quirky’ a shop that occupied a special place in her affections. ‘For three years I worked as a Saturday girl and part time staff member’ and the shop was the very first to stock her books. When she found out the owners were moving on she knew it was the place for her.
The theme behind Russell home interiors is escaping the ordinary, it’s all about standing out from the crowd and being different. Everything in the shop is sourced and made in the UK, quality items which you can’t buy from anywhere else but us. The shop has grown it’s reputation and has been awarded for customer service and products within the shop.
Hannah’s family who are evidently as creatively included as she is, are a key part of the project. Sharron Russell, her mum, is the painted behind the ‘Quirky Cows’ - cheery colourful images of cows and other Dales animals. Available as original canvases or prints. They also feature on a huge range of items, from mugs, coasters, chopping boards to cufflinks, blankets, and even kitchen splash backs.
Hannah’s Dad Mike meanwhile crafts striking contemporary furniture by adorning locally sourced wood and vibrant epoxy resins.
During the Covid-19 Hannah face more than once challenge, in 2029 she started to experience pain in her hip in the height of lockdown and was diagnosed in summer with Sarcoma Cancer. Surgery and radiotherapy followed but despite her health problems, Hannah’s entrepreneurial flame was still burning bright. Quite literally in fact, because in spring 2020 Hannah and her fellow Entrepreneur Ben launched a range of ‘Happi candles’ - luxury vegan friendly candles, made with premium soy wax and carefully crafted in the Yorkshire Dales. These too are available from Russell home interiors.
As if that isn’t enough, Hannah is also the ambassador for 3 charities, and the founder of ‘Russell Wildlife’ an international clothing company dedicated to helping animals on this planet with It’s main focus on conservation wildlife.
You can keep up to date with Hannah’s adventure online via the website or via her social media pages, she is always getting involved in events, campaigns and projects.
https://www.hannahlittlealfandfriends.com/
Facebook - @HannahRussell, Little Alf and friends
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