As we prepare for the Christmas and New Year break, I am sure you are, like me, looking forward to the opportunity to reflect on 2025 and thinking of what lies ahead.
This year has marked the tenth anniversary of my first being elected to represent you as your MP. It has also been a year where a number of initiatives and projects I started work on in my early days as your representative in Westminster came to fruition.
The opening of the Friarage Hospital’s £35m new surgical centre, securing the hospital’s long-term future, is the most important example.
The completion of the work on upgrading the Coast to Coast Walk to a National Trail is another. That was the result of a campaign in launched in Reeth back in 2016. The official opening of the Trail will definitely be a highlight of 2026.
Among my priorities for next year will pressing the Government to get on with the upgrading of the A66, making sure the Friary Hospital building is retained as a health facility in Richmond and exploring how a banking hub might be established in Stokesley.
While these were relatively high-profile examples of an MP’s work, I was reminded of what behind-the-scenes representations can bring about during a visit to a Wensleydale dairy farm and ice cream business a few weeks ago.
Wensleydale Ice Cream was established by the Harrison family as diversification of their dairy farm at Thornton Rust.
At the time (2015/16) milk prices were going through the floor (I know they are not that clever right now) and the family were commendably trying to add value to the milk they produced to help provide a sustainable future for their farm.
A plan to convert a stone barn just off the A684 into an ice cream parlour/café hung on a substantial grant, approval of which was bogged down in bureaucracy. Representations to the then Farming Minister brought about the result we all wanted and the family were able to go-ahead with the project. Almost ten years on and the barn is a great success.
I can recommend a visit to the café for the cakes, the pancakes, the sundaes and, of course, the ice cream. Yes, I know it’s a particular dank and damp December so perhaps not the first thing comes to mind but it’s also Christmas!
It’s also a five-star review from the Sunak family for Richmond Georgian Theatre Royal’s panto – Cinderella.
There were some new faces among the cast this year but the traditional Georgian Theatre panto mix was the same – great individual and ensemble singing, slapstick, flying teacakes and knitted toys (stars this year) plus gags with a very local flavour (including a particular good one about the local MP!).
Congratulations to theatre CEO Jo Mawhinney and her son, Jake, for a sparkling script and the whole cast for another memorable production.
It runs until Saturday, January 10. I hope you can get along to enjoy the magic,
It just remains for me to wish you, your families and friends a very good Christmas and a happy New Year.
