The Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders’ Association were delighted to invite The Honourable Susan Cunliffe-Lister to become the Associations’ Honorary President and were even more delighted when Mrs Cunliffe-Lister accepted the appointment. Having a long-standing association with the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breed Mrs Cunliffe-Lister is well known for founding the Masham Sheep Fair in 1986 raising over £160,000 for local charities as well as being the current Head Sheep Steward at the Great Yorkshire Show. After moving to Yorkshire when she married in 1966, Susan was a keen knitter and spinner and kept a flock of sheep including Wensleydales mainly used as a crossing sire for improving fleece quality. She is the current Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire.
The Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders’ Association has also welcomed three new Honorary Vice-Presidents of the Association; Mrs Karen Griffiths of Griffiths Mill, Alderman Mr Peter Hewitt and Sir Gary Verity. All three were invited on the basis of their long-standing contribution to the Wensleydale Longwools or the Wool and Sheep industry. Mrs Griffiths and her husband run Griffiths Mill having purchased their first Wensleydale sheep in 2008 and is well known for knitting an evening dress made from a pure Black Wensleydale for the RBST anniversary dinner in 2013. Since then Karen has gone onto operate “The Woolly Roadshow” an education promotion of British Wool, British Sheep & the RBST. Mr Peter Hewitt is the elected Alderman for the Ward of Aldgate in the City of London and is the Immediate Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen. The Worshipful Company of Woolmen is one of the oldest of the Livery Companies of the City of London tracing its roots to 1180. Originally it was the body that oversaw wool packers and wool merchants to ensure consistent standards for wool producers and wool merchants throughout the wool industry. It now combines its ancient history and traditions with an active role with the $80Bn Global Wool Pipeline Industries through its City Wool Project linking the City of London Financial and Professional sectors with the Global Industry. Equally importantly through its Charitable Trust it supports research into appropriate wool related procedures and practices; provides bursaries for students of wool, textile, design, wool marketing and retailing and it awards prizes and medals for sheep shearing at the major agricultural shows. Sir Gary Verity has been a member of the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders’ Association for some 15 plus years running a small flock of Wensleydale sheep, he is the CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire; Gary and his team have successfully raised the profile of Yorkshire at a regional, national and international level. A passionate Yorkshireman, in his spare time Sir Gary is also an award-winning Dales sheep farmer
