The Week in the Life column with Keith Tordoff

Daytime talks I tend to fly solo, after all we do have a business to run.

Evenings I am accompanied by my wife Gloria making for a good double act.

At this time of year when giving talks on an evening, I explain that we enjoy doing them as it saves on the heating and lighting at home. I add that as we are usually provided with refreshments, it saves us having to cook a meal!

If you want to get a flavour of what our talks are like, tune into Channel 5 at 7pm this Sunday (January 27) and you will see some local children and I on a programme called Britain’s Favourite.

Talking of Britain’s Favourites, I was delighted that Kendall’s Farm Butchers have been shortlisted in the Yorkshire category of Best Butchers by the Countryside Alliance in its prestigious awards also known as the Rural Oscars.

The Nidderdale Chamber of Trade nominated member businesses for recognition in these awards. If Kendall’s win the Yorkshire category, which they will, they go through to London for the finals where they could be named Best Butcher in Britain. If the support from people posting on the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Facebook page is anything to go by they are sure to win.

Kirsty who has managed the Facebook page for the last five years posted on Friday about Kendall’s and it has now reached nearly ten thousand people and that figure is still rising.

Social media is such a fantastic tool when used positively to promote the good people and things in life. I admire passionate and positive business people like Paul Kendall who deserve all the success they have.

Someone else who deserves recognition and reward for all her hard work is Donna Clarke who runs the Just Delicious Cafe in Kings Court.

Donna’s baking is legendary and I am delighted that her skills have been recognised as her business is shortlisted in the Cafe of the Year Awards. The competition is run by the JPI Media Group and anyone trying her baking will declare her a winner. You can vote for Just Delicious in the Cafe of the Year Awards by posting off a voting form which is available in the Nidderdale Herald.

Talking of winners I am still over the moon that Pateley Bridge have been selected to represent Yorkshire in the national Britain In Bloom competition.

This is a massive accolade when you consider that for the whole of the UK only seventy one places have been accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for this year’s Britain In Bloom competition.

The RHS put out its official press release this week and the story was covered in the Daily Telegraph on Monday.

Pateley Bridge got a mention in the article which is more free national promotion and recognition for the area.

This year Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge will be involved with the RHS on Britain in Bloom working with children on some projects.

The Duchess will also be involved in codesigning a garden with the RHS for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Pateley Bridge have a lot to live up to but with positive and passionate people, ‘we can do it’!