So far this morning we've had no fewer than three requests for gorgeous circular drives around the area. Three! It must be something in the air.

We simply printed off this free FAQsheet for our visitors. You can also download or print it yourself from that link.

The FAQsheet offers five drives, starting from and returning to Richmond. The routes cover Swaledale, Wensleydale, Teesdale, Arkengarthdale, Coverdale and Langstrothdale (also known as Upper Wharfedale). Phew! That's a lot of dales for your money.

Did we mention that the FAQsheet is free? It's also pretty basic. If you want more detail, or advice, just pop into our pod in Richmond Market Place. Have a chat with one of our volunteers, or pick up a map or a guidebook. We have hundreds!

Tickets for the Richmond Walking and Book Festival in September are now on sale to members of the public at booksandboots.org, where you can find full details of all the dozens of guided walks and literary talks.

​Don't like to buy tickets online? Then come to Richmond Information Centre in the Market Hall. We've got copies of the printed Festival brochure, and we'll be happy to do any electronic jiggery-pokery for you.

"Welcome! I’m Lucy Worsley, by day Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, and by night a writer of history books."

​Not a bad start to anyone's CV!

But why are we showing you this glam photo? It's because Lucy Worsley will be the opening speaker at this year's Richmond Walking and Book Festival. Tickets for her event are sure to be in demand (over 120 have already been snapped up by Festival Friends), so they have been put on public sale early - as in right now!

Lucy will talk about the enigma that was Agatha Christie. Why did she spend her career pretending that she was ‘just’ an ordinary Edwardian lady of leisure, when she went surfing in Hawaii, loved fast cars, and explored the new science of psychology? How, despite the obstacles of class and gender, did she become an astonishingly successful working woman?

Lucy's book, Agatha Christie, a recent Sunday Times bestseller, will be for sale at the event. The talk is at 19:30 on Friday 20 September at Richmond School. Yes, it's a long way off, but you should book now to be sure of getting in.

Tickets and more info on the Lucy Worsley talk are here, or you can pop into Richmond Information Centre, in the Market Hall, if you'd prefer to deal with a friendly human. You can find the full programme for the Richmond Walking and Book Festival at booksandboots.org.

It's that time of year when Richmond Information Centre goes hunting for new volunteers.

We have one of the largest volunteer teams in the area, but we always need more.

Why? So we can provide advice and help for more hours of the day, offer new services, and replace volunteers who have moved out of the area (poor, misguided people...)

We're based in Richmond's Market Hall, where we help visitors and locals get the most out of Richmond and North Yorkshire. We answer all kinds of questions: buses, dog-friendly pubs, playgrounds, vegan meals, car-parking, genealogy, campsites in Yockenthwaite, Mallerstangdale, Crackpot and Booze... If we don't know the answer, we'll find it. We love what we do.

Our volunteers generally do a two-hour shift, once a week, but we're very flexible. We look for people who are friendly, outgoing, and happy to work with a computer. New volunteers receive training and support until they feel confident to do a shift on their own - or they can work in pairs if they prefer. If applicants have a useful background (retail, IT, marketing, whatever), we'll try to make use of it. 

Interested in joining our friendly team? Fill in our online form for more information. Or drop by and pick up a leaflet. Or visit our stall at the town market on Saturday 15 June, where you can chat with some of our volunteers and learn more.

We hope you'll join us soon! 
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PS: if you'd love to volunteer, but not at RIC, take a look at our Community Groups page, where there are lots of possibilities.

It's that time of year when artists all over North Yorkshire emerge blinking into the sunlight, to open their studios and sell their work direct to the public.

We try to avoid the word 'amazing' on this site, but there really are some amazing paintings, prints, ceramics, woodwork, glass, jewellery, photos, sculptures and textiles just waiting to be bagged and taken home with you.
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You can find full details of 170-odd artists in the North Yorkshire Open Studios PDF brochure. Near to Richmond, you can visit these studios:

• Michael Kusz (Reeth). Unique and quirky sculptures from recycled materials.
• Rachel Antill (Reeth). Semi-abstract landscapes, informed by experiences as a climber.
• Jane Ellis (Reeth). Drawings and life-sketches.
• Martin Lever (Marrick). Humorous, lively works by an artist with an international reputation.
• Martin Kinnear (Wensley). Affordable traditional oils and colourful contemporary paintings.
• Fiona Land (Jervaulx). Painter, drawer, portraitist.
• Jo Garlick (Thirn, nr Ripon). Inspired by the natural world, Jo works mainly in soft pastels.
• Malcolm Barker (Scruton, nr Northallerton). An active farmer: animals, landscapes, people.

Studios are open 1, 2, 8 and 9 June, 10:00 - 17:00. Open the brochure (link above), browse, and make plans for a stunning new artwork in your living room!

​(Print is by Keith Dickinson, of Lothersdale.)