Speakers Corner at the Richard Whiteley Pavilion
For the first four years, the Festival received tremendous support from the late Richard Whiteley who was a Patron of the festival and who, each year, and out of the goodness of his heart, "did a turn" for us.
One year he was taught to make chocolates, finishing up covered in the stuff. Another year he was kidded that he was barbecuing a ferret (it was actually a rabbit). Only weeks before he died, he turned up uncharacteristically late, said he wasn’t feeling too good but did not want to let us down and he and his partner, Kathryn Apanowicz, threw themselves into a hilarious "Ready Steady Cook".
We therefore thought it appropriate to commemorate Richard's commitment to the Dales Festival of Food and Drink by naming our speakers marquee and bandstand "The Richard Whiteley Pavilion". Kathryn liked the idea and was our first speaker the following year.
A great supporter and patron of the Festival is the justly famous humorous author Gervase Phinn. Gervase is speaking on the Monday this year when the Pavilion will be full to bursting. If you have laughed at his humorous writings, prepare to laugh a lot more. He is even funnier in the flesh.
If you want to find out more about Gervase or take a look at his books, visit his website at www.gervase-phinn.com.
Saturday Speaker - Andy Seed
Andy is the author of the ‘All Teachers’ series of memoirs including the bestselling All Teachers Great and Small, described by the Daily Mail as “heartwarming and hilarious”. The books are based on Andy’s experiences as a young teacher in Wensleydale and other parts of Yorkshire in the 1980s, and describe his calamitous attempts to introduce new-fangled ideas into a traditional village school. Andy has written over 25 books for children and adults and speaks regularly, entertaining audiences with his funny true stories of school and rural life. His website is www.andyseed.com www.andyseed.com.
Sunday Speaker - Susan Parry
'Susan is a university professor who has experience in forensic analysis and works on murder cases, kidnapping, shootings and poisonings. Her five novels 'The Yorkshire Dales Mystery Series' feature Mills Sanderson, a forensic archaeologist working with the police to solve cases of murder. Action is set in the Dales including Wensleydale, Swaledale, Wharfedale and Arkengarthdale. Her website is www.susanparry.co.uk
