Sir Donald Curry, chair of the Government's Implementation Group on Farming and Food, returned to his farming roots on last week when he visited Kirkharle Courtyard, near Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland, to open 'the Loraine Room', a meeting and small conference room, the costs of which were partly funded through Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES).
The facility, named after the original farming family resident at Kirkharle, has been designed and created within an old cattle shed erected by Sir Donald when he farmed at Kirkharle in 1980.
Kirkharle Courtyard now houses a number of individual craft workshops and a coffee shop. This latest RES-supported development, which includes additional workshops, will allow two existing businesses to move into larger premises, simultaneously enabling new businesses to establish themselves in the vacant units.
In his 2002 report, Sir Donald expressed his concern that the countryside with its producers, and consumers within the community, were in danger of drifting apart.
He said:"More needs to be done to bring people together. Developments like this at Kirkharle, located in a beautiful, tranquil corner of Northumberland, do much to bridge the gap. The Loraine Room is spacious enough for functions like club AGMs, small council meetings, exhibitions, training workshops, or even for a private party to be held. This is an excellent facility and complements the existing development of Art and Craft workshops. I hope it will be well used by local groups and companies who can now bring their staff to a relaxing environment like this."