Meet the Residents of Grassington

19 March 2011

Rowena (Bunty) Leder MBE.
Head of the local litter patrol
Age 74.
Village contact for Andy and Vicky and Sonny and Anoop

Bunty was born in Grassington and calls it home even after a move to London in the sixties. She was artistic director of the Grassington Festival for 18 years. She is a key member of the local church and regularly does the intercessions. Bunty's MBE in 2006 was for services to music in North Yorkshire and for running Grassington festival and Skipton Music Society for over 20 years.

Mark Banford
Sales Engineer
Age 50
Village contact for Phillip and Simone and Nicky and Steve.

Mark has been associated with Grassington over 40 years and his partner is Jane Ellison-Bates. He is the son of Grassington resident Beryl who was the Miss January of the Calendar Girls.  Mark and his partner Jane are founding members of Penny Plain theatrical troupe (alongside Dr J) and Mark is part of the Grassington Players theatre group and has been for many years.

Bev Cuerdon
Runs Youth Group Grass Shoots
51
Village contact for Anna and Lello and Craig and Dean

Keen opera singer Bev is a key member of Grassington's lively amateur dramatics circle. She runs the local youth theatre group Grass Shoots, and is also an active member of Grassington Players, and Grassington Pantaloons, who put on the annual Grassington Pantomime.

Bev is married to Ged who is a local brewer.

 

Dr Andrew Jackson AKA Dr J
61
Local GP
Village contact or Kate and Corwen and Jay and Steph

Andrew, the local GP, has many strings to his bow. He is one of Grassington's leading community figures and is the beating heart of Grassington's Amateur dramatics circle. A well known member of the community he regularly gets involved in community events and local issues. He lives in Grassington with his wife Angela, a lifelong resident and local shopkeeper. He is co-founder of the Penny Plain Theatre Company and active member of various local committees.

Paul Coultas
46
Guitarist in local band ‘Midlife Crisis'
Village contact for Laura and Paul and Andrea

Paul has lived in Grassington for 16 years and is famed amongst villagers for his strong opinions. He is the guitarist for local band ‘Midlife Crisis' who perform for charity events in and around Grassington and in the local pubs.  He is also a regular member of the Grassington Panto.

Jane Walmsley
54
Farmers Wife
Village contact for Sarah and Louise & Donna

Jane is married to Lister who is the local sheep farmer. The Walmsley's have lived in Grassington and have been farming in the Dales for generations. During the competition they invite the competing families to help out at their farm.

Other key Grassington faces

Sue Woodcock
61
Author and member of "Knit Stitch and Natter" the village knitting circle
Sue is a former policewoman from Hampshire who decided to relocate the Yorkshire Dales five years ago. She lives in a small house on the top of the hill with no electricity or running water but finds her current life ‘utter bliss'. She spends her time dry stone walling, tending to her animals and is a successful author in the crime thriller world. Sue sings in two local choirs and often hosts one of the local pub quizzes.

Sandra Smithson
56
Head of ‘Knit Stitch and Natter' club... or more locally known as "Stitch and Bitch".

Originally from Doncaster Yorkshire, Sandra moved to Grassington six years ago. Sandra never misses a ‘Stitch and Bitch' as it is a way of socialising with friends and catching up with the local gossip.

Mo Chevin
52
Waitress in The Devonshire Hotel

Lifelong resident Mo works in one of Grassington's three pubs a position which guarantees she knows who's doing what, where and when in the village.

Mary Wilkinson
70
Chairman of The Grassington Singers and President of the local WI

Mary has lived in Grassington since the 1970s and is considered by many to be a stalwart of the community. She founded local choir group ‘The Grassington Singers' over 30 years ago with six other locals and is actively involved in Grassington Players, the local theatre group.

Julia Metcalfe
46
Florist

Born and bred in Grassington Julia is the only florist in the village and runs the ‘The Flower Loft' shop with her mother Rosemary. She is an active member of Grassington in Bloom, who regularly meet to discuss ways to improve the look of Grassington and is always looking for keen horticulturists to work with.

Rowena (Bunty) Leder MBE.
Head of the local litter patrol
Age 74.
Village contact for Andy and Vicky and Sonny and Anoop

Bunty was born in Grassington and calls it home even after a move to London in the sixties. She was artistic director of the Grassington Festival for 18 years. She is a key member of the local church and regularly does the intercessions. Bunty's MBE in 2006 was for services to music in North Yorkshire and for running Grassington festival and Skipton Music Society for over 20 years.

Mark Banford
Sales Engineer
Age 50
Village contact for Phillip and Simone and Nicky and Steve.

Mark has been associated with Grassington over 40 years and his partner is Jane Ellison-Bates. He is the son of Grassington resident Beryl who was the Miss January of the Calendar Girls.  Mark and his partner Jane are founding members of Penny Plain theatrical troupe (alongside Dr J) and Mark is part of the Grassington Players theatre group and has been for many years.

Bev Cuerdon
Runs Youth Group Grass Shoots
51
Village contact for Anna and Lello and Craig and Dean

Keen opera singer Bev is a key member of Grassington's lively amateur dramatics circle. She runs the local youth theatre group Grass Shoots, and is also an active member of Grassington Players, and Grassington Pantaloons, who put on the annual Grassington Pantomime.

Bev is married to Ged who is a local brewer.

 

Dr Andrew Jackson AKA Dr J
61
Local GP
Village contact or Kate and Corwen and Jay and Steph

Andrew, the local GP, has many strings to his bow. He is one of Grassington's leading community figures and is the beating heart of Grassington's Amateur dramatics circle. A well known member of the community he regularly gets involved in community events and local issues. He lives in Grassington with his wife Angela, a lifelong resident and local shopkeeper. He is co-founder of the Penny Plain Theatre Company and active member of various local committees.

Paul Coultas
46
Guitarist in local band ‘Midlife Crisis'
Village contact for Laura and Paul and Andrea

Paul has lived in Grassington for 16 years and is famed amongst villagers for his strong opinions. He is the guitarist for local band ‘Midlife Crisis' who perform for charity events in and around Grassington and in the local pubs.  He is also a regular member of the Grassington Panto.

Jane Walmsley
54
Farmers Wife
Village contact for Sarah and Louise & Donna

Jane is married to Lister who is the local sheep farmer. The Walmsley's have lived in Grassington and have been farming in the Dales for generations. During the competition they invite the competing families to help out at their farm.

Other key Grassington faces

Sue Woodcock
61
Author and member of "Knit Stitch and Natter" the village knitting circle
Sue is a former policewoman from Hampshire who decided to relocate the Yorkshire Dales five years ago. She lives in a small house on the top of the hill with no electricity or running water but finds her current life ‘utter bliss'. She spends her time dry stone walling, tending to her animals and is a successful author in the crime thriller world. Sue sings in two local choirs and often hosts one of the local pub quizzes.

Sandra Smithson
56
Head of ‘Knit Stitch and Natter' club... or more locally known as "Stitch and Bitch".

Originally from Doncaster Yorkshire, Sandra moved to Grassington six years ago. Sandra never misses a ‘Stitch and Bitch' as it is a way of socialising with friends and catching up with the local gossip.

Mo Chevin
52
Waitress in The Devonshire Hotel

Lifelong resident Mo works in one of Grassington's three pubs a position which guarantees she knows who's doing what, where and when in the village.

Mary Wilkinson
70
Chairman of The Grassington Singers and President of the local WI

Mary has lived in Grassington since the 1970s and is considered by many to be a stalwart of the community. She founded local choir group ‘The Grassington Singers' over 30 years ago with six other locals and is actively involved in Grassington Players, the local theatre group.

Julia Metcalfe
46
Florist

Born and bred in Grassington Julia is the only florist in the village and runs the ‘The Flower Loft' shop with her mother Rosemary. She is an active member of Grassington in Bloom, who regularly meet to discuss ways to improve the look of Grassington and is always looking for keen horticulturists to work with.

Rowena (Bunty) Leder MBE.
Head of the local litter patrol
Age 74.
Village contact for Andy and Vicky and Sonny and Anoop

Bunty was born in Grassington and calls it home even after a move to London in the sixties. She was artistic director of the Grassington Festival for 18 years. She is a key member of the local church and regularly does the intercessions. Bunty's MBE in 2006 was for services to music in North Yorkshire and for running Grassington festival and Skipton Music Society for over 20 years.

Mark Banford
Sales Engineer
Age 50
Village contact for Phillip and Simone and Nicky and Steve.

Mark has been associated with Grassington over 40 years and his partner is Jane Ellison-Bates. He is the son of Grassington resident Beryl who was the Miss January of the Calendar Girls.  Mark and his partner Jane are founding members of Penny Plain theatrical troupe (alongside Dr J) and Mark is part of the Grassington Players theatre group and has been for many years.

Bev Cuerdon
Runs Youth Group Grass Shoots
51
Village contact for Anna and Lello and Craig and Dean

Keen opera singer Bev is a key member of Grassington's lively amateur dramatics circle. She runs the local youth theatre group Grass Shoots, and is also an active member of Grassington Players, and Grassington Pantaloons, who put on the annual Grassington Pantomime.

Bev is married to Ged who is a local brewer.

 

Dr Andrew Jackson AKA Dr J
61
Local GP
Village contact or Kate and Corwen and Jay and Steph

Andrew, the local GP, has many strings to his bow. He is one of Grassington's leading community figures and is the beating heart of Grassington's Amateur dramatics circle. A well known member of the community he regularly gets involved in community events and local issues. He lives in Grassington with his wife Angela, a lifelong resident and local shopkeeper. He is co-founder of the Penny Plain Theatre Company and active member of various local committees.

Paul Coultas
46
Guitarist in local band ‘Midlife Crisis'
Village contact for Laura and Paul and Andrea

Paul has lived in Grassington for 16 years and is famed amongst villagers for his strong opinions. He is the guitarist for local band ‘Midlife Crisis' who perform for charity events in and around Grassington and in the local pubs.  He is also a regular member of the Grassington Panto.

Jane Walmsley
54
Farmers Wife
Village contact for Sarah and Louise & Donna

Jane is married to Lister who is the local sheep farmer. The Walmsley's have lived in Grassington and have been farming in the Dales for generations. During the competition they invite the competing families to help out at their farm.

Other key Grassington faces

Sue Woodcock
61
Author and member of "Knit Stitch and Natter" the village knitting circle
Sue is a former policewoman from Hampshire who decided to relocate the Yorkshire Dales five years ago. She lives in a small house on the top of the hill with no electricity or running water but finds her current life ‘utter bliss'. She spends her time dry stone walling, tending to her animals and is a successful author in the crime thriller world. Sue sings in two local choirs and often hosts one of the local pub quizzes.

Sandra Smithson
56
Head of ‘Knit Stitch and Natter' club... or more locally known as "Stitch and Bitch".

Originally from Doncaster Yorkshire, Sandra moved to Grassington six years ago. Sandra never misses a ‘Stitch and Bitch' as it is a way of socialising with friends and catching up with the local gossip.

Mo Chevin
52
Waitress in The Devonshire Hotel

Lifelong resident Mo works in one of Grassington's three pubs a position which guarantees she knows who's doing what, where and when in the village.

Mary Wilkinson
70
Chairman of The Grassington Singers and President of the local WI

Mary has lived in Grassington since the 1970s and is considered by many to be a stalwart of the community. She founded local choir group ‘The Grassington Singers' over 30 years ago with six other locals and is actively involved in Grassington Players, the local theatre group.

Julia Metcalfe
46
Florist

Born and bred in Grassington Julia is the only florist in the village and runs the ‘The Flower Loft' shop with her mother Rosemary. She is an active member of Grassington in Bloom, who regularly meet to discuss ways to improve the look of Grassington and is always looking for keen horticulturists to work with.