Gerard Paul Richardson MBE DL[1] born 4 January 1962 in Cleator Moor was the founder and CEO of the International Maritime Festivals[2] which ran in Whitehaven from 1999 to 2013. He is also an author of two recipe books with Jean Christophe Novelli[3] four local history books about Whitehaven[4] & West Cumbria and a businessman in the town. He has served as a Magistrate since 1994 and was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for Cumbria on 29th April 2022
He joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Air Engineer in 1981 and served until 1986 when he joined Sellafield, serving primarily as a Fireman. During this period he planned the Maritime Festivals, staging what was intended to be a one off event for up to 10,000 people in 1999. When an estimated 80,000 turned up, the Maritime Festival Company which ran the event decided to stage it every two years.
He is a drinks columnist for a number of Newquest newspapers in the UK.[5][6]
Whitehaven Maritime Festival Company
editThe festivals were held in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and then annually until 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, the company organised two Home and Garden Festivals, a First World War Parade[7] with air shows, and their final event was the Western Lakes Film Festival in June 2015. The latter event is credited with the temporary re-opening of the town's only cinema, the Gaiety, which closed 12 years earlier.[8]
In addition to his work with the festivals, he also organised a number of other events during the same period. He announced his retirement from events in 2015, and the Festival Company closed down in 2016.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
Awards and honours
editHe was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Civil Division[22][23] Medal for services to Cumbrian Tourism and services to the Community in the 2011 New Years Honours List.
Cumbrian News Lifetime Achievement in Business award 2012.[24][25]
Cumbria Community Heroes Lifetime Achievement award 2015.[26][27][28]
Commended by the United States Ambassador to the UK in 2010 for furthering relations between the UK and USA.[29]
He was Appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Cumbria on 18 April 2022.[30][31] This gave him the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life.
After retirement
editHe runs Richardson's of Whitehaven, a wine and coffee merchants, in the town and is working on his first novel.[32][33]
References
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- ^ "Lakestay web". Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "Lakeland Web news". Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "waterstones". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "Expert shares seocrets". North West Evening Mail. 10 June 2017. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ Lacie-Davidson, Mattie (6 October 2018). "The only two kinds of sherry". East London & West Essex Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "Cumbria Crack". December 2013. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Whitehaven News". May 2015.
- ^ "In Cumbria". October 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "BBC News". 2005. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ "Copeland Council grant forum" (PDF). June 2002.
- ^ "BBC News archive". July 2005.
- ^ "News and Star". August 2006. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "BBC News". June 2008.
- ^ "Northumberland Gazette". June 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "News and Star". June 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "News & Star". August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "WesternLakeland web site". June 2010. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Cumberland News". December 2014.
- ^ "Copeland Council archive".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "News and Star". May 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Evening news".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Cumberland & Westmorland Herald". Cumberland&Westmorland Herald. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
- ^ "Times & Star". November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Cumbrian News".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Whitehaven News". November 2015.
- ^ "Times and Star". November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Cumbria today topical news website". Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Lakestay". lakestay.co.uk. 2013. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Brandon (29 April 2022). "New Deputy Lieutenants Appointed". Whitehaven News. p. 1. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
- ^ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions CUMBRIA LIEUTENANCY". The London Gazette. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ^ "Richardsons of Whitehaven Shop website". May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "InCumbria". Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2017.