 Got your attention, have we?
Phew! Our latest Lucky Dip event is not actually the 94th film in the Bruce Willis Die Hard series. It's a classical duo, comprising Philippa Mo on violin and Albert Lau on piano. Both performers have played Richmond before. They were perfectly well behaved. They're excellent musicians, and are guaranteed another enthusiastic audience for a programme which includes works by Elgar and Respighi. Why the concert is titled Devastation, Romance & Hope we have no idea - but look forward to finding out. The concert is at the Georgian on Saturday 8 July, at 7:30, and tickets are on sale here. And there are more Lucky Dip events at What's On Richmond, here.
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 The peaceful ruins of Easby Abbey, just outside Richmond, give little idea of the tumultuous events which overcame the abbey.
Founded in about 1152, the abbey grew in importance and wealth, largely as a result of the lucrative wool trade. In 1537 King Henry VIII ordered the suppression of the monasteries, as part of his programme of independence from the Church in Rome, and by 1538 much of the destruction had been completed. What a shame we can no longer see the original buildings, but everyone loves a good set of ruins. (Interesting fact: one visitor to Tintern Abbey in the early Romantic Period suggested taking a hammer to the ruins in order to 'improve' them.) Anyway, back to Easby... Entry to the English Heritage site is free, and there is a free guided tour every Sunday. The tour is at 2 pm, it leaves from the entrance gate, and it lasts about 45 minutes. Parking at Easby can be difficult (it's a small car park) but if you enjoy a stroll you can park at The Station in Richmond, walk to Easby along the old railway track, visit the site, and return on the other side of the river. Total distance is an easy 2 1/2 miles (and if you want more detail you can pick up a copy of Richmond Walks either at our Information Centre in Richmond's Market Place or at the shop in The Station - well worth the £2!). (First posted 9 April.)  The Artisan Market returns to Richmond's Market Place this Sunday, with dozens of colourful stalls displaying and selling the very best in Yorkshire's crafts and food.
The market runs from 10:00 to 15:00.  Today's Lucky Dip into What's On Richmond has pulled out an Open Day at one of our favourite Richmond gardens. Mr Yorke's Garden is just a few minutes' (flat) walk from the Market Place. An 18th century walled garden, with fabulous views of Richmond Castle and Culloden Tower (see photo), it will open from 13:00 to 17:00 on Sunday 25 June.
The garden was built by John Yorke, who lived in a mansion by the River Swale. The mansion was demolished in the early 19th century, and the Walled Garden became a market garden. The owners have restored it over the last 11 years, adding shrubs, trees, lawns, herbaceous borders, roses, ponds and a vegetable garden around the existing trees and pathways. Admission, from 1 to 5:30 pm, costs £6 (free for under-16s). The opening will benefit Mayfest, Richmond's annual festival of historical and traditional music and dancing. Teas and cakes will be available for sale, and Trouvère will provide appropriate gentle medieval background music. Note that the garden is on a hill, and while the main grass paths are accessible with a wheelchair, they are quite steep. Mr Yorke’s Walled Garden, Cravengate, Richmond, DL10 4RE  What do you do when the leader of a famous string quartet falls ill just before a concert ?
What you don't do, if you're Swaledale Festival's Artistic Director Malcolm Creese, is cancel. "Can you play Brahms's String Quintet?", he asked another of his artists, who had just performed in Aysgarth. "I've never even heard it", she answered, "But I can give it a go." They leaped into his car and whizzed over the moors to Grinton Church, where the concert was due to start. If you know that road, you'll be amazed that the artist managed to balance the music in front of her while she tried it out on her violin. At Grinton she met the rest of the quartet, they had a quick rehearsal, and in came the audience. Reader: it was a fantastic performance, a masterclass in unflappable cool. The artist was Mathilde MIlwidsky (in the photo). Watch out for her - she's a star in the making. The quartet was the magnificent Doric Quartet. If you'd like to know more about next year's Swaledale Festival, where excellent music of all types is the norm, and such excitements are definitely not, register your interest at www.swalefest.org. The Festival takes place in Swaledale and Wensleydale in late May/early June, and there are normally about 10 events in Richmond. Start planning now!  We'll soon be running free, twice-weekly circular walks, visiting some of the sights of our historic old town.
Walks will leave from and return to the old Market Hall. They will last about 75 minutes, and be led by knowledgeable local volunteers. They depart at 11:00 on Thursdays and Saturdays. Spaces will be limited to 10 people. Advance booking is recommended. To book,
If your booking is confirmed, or you want to turn up unbooked and take a chance, come to Richmond Information Centre in the Market Hall a few minutes in advance to let the guide know you’ve arrived. These walks start 22 June, but you can book now! [Start time of Thursday walks was amended to 11:00, on 8 June.]  TV viewers with longish memories may remember the BBC4 TV programme which followed this bus as it chuntered gently through the glorious countryside of Swaledale, Wensleydale, Widdale and Chapel-le-Dale, picking up walkers and farmers as it went.
It's back! The bus, that is (not the programme, though you can watch a lovely clip of it here). As the prosaically named 831, it leaves Richmond at 10:30, heading by way of Muker and the Buttertubs Pass to Hawes. Here, sadly, you now have to change to the 832 if you want to continue to Ribblehead, Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale. After a two hour stopover in that pleasant town, you can use the return buses to get back to Richmond by 18:00. The bad news: the buses only run on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The good news: tickets cost a maximum of just £2 for each leg of the route. Although it's a popular route, and can fill up fast, if you're boarding in Richmond you stand a better chance of getting a seat than if you board further up-dale. The full timetables for the 831 and 832 are on our Buses page. Parp, parp! |
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