Chief Executive

Richard Rankin joined the H&H Group as Chief Executive in July 2018, taking over from Brian Richardson who had held the CE position for 10 years.

Originally from the North East and born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Richard started his career with Touche Ross (which later became Deloitte) in Newcastle as a Trainee Accountant, transferring to Corporate Finance in 1997 where he worked on a number of deals advising businesses.  In 2002 Richard joined Armstrong Watson, initially as part of the Carlisle Corporate Finance team and was made partner in 2006 when he took over the Kendal office for AW.  In 2014 he returned to run the Carlisle Corporate office in addition to the wider Corporate Finance team for AW.

Richard is also a Director of Cumbria Tourism and a past Governor of Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith.  He lives with his partner at Ainstable.

Marketing Manager
noxley@hhib.co.uk

Production Director
phil@hhreedsprinters.co.uk

Non Executive Director

Colin is the Senior Clinician at Capontree Vets and Independent Bovine Consultant.

When joining the practice in February 1991, after a short spell overseas undertaking charity work, there were three vets and four support staff. Over the years Colin has seen the practice develop and has had an opportunity to retain a broad interest in Companion Animals, Equine and Farm work alike. In March 2001 Colin had the privilege of being nominated and winning the Pet Plan – Vet of the Year Award. In September 2013 he was winner of the Cream Award – UK Dairy Vet of the Year.

Colin has a particular interest in Orthopaedics and bovine herd health and production, also lecturing throughout the UK and abroad.

Outside of practice life his wife, who is also a veterinary surgeon at the practice, and Colin have a keen interest in the outdoors. Their hobbies include mountain hiking, climbing, mountaineering, and ski-touring. They are also developing a keen interest in mountain and road cycling.

Within the local community, Colin is keen to support and develop the future generations of farmers and was a member of the Gilsland Show committee for 10 years.

Managing Director
james.murphy@hhland.co.uk

Branch Manager | Carlisle
piers@hhking.co.uk

Key Skills
Having left school with ‘A’ levels back in 1984, Piers worked in the car sales industry for over 15 years,  changed roles working as a business manager for Coca Cola covering Cumbria and the North East followed by 6 years with Tiffen Estate Agents as their Valuer.  Joining H&H King, Piers worked initially as Senior Valuer dealing with our residential valuations plus specialist work which includes matrimonial and probate work but most recently has been promoted to Branch Manager.

Almost famous! Piers has had two appearances on BBC One programme “Homes under the Hammer” in which he undertook valuations for Martin and Lucy when they visited Cumbria.

Hobbies & Interests

• Newcastle United season ticket holder
• Formula One
• Home cinema
• Walking with my border terrier ‘Doris’

Background
Married to Rebecca for 25 years and have one daughter, Gabrielle

Branch Manager | Penrith
andy@hhking.co.uk

Andrew has over 13 years’ experience in property originally managing the Lettings Department in our Carlisle branch before moving through to the sales team to assist the senior valuer.  He has a wealth of knowledge in property in the Cumbria area and opened the new branch in Penrith in January 2016.

Education:

• University of Central Lancashire / Cumbria College of Agriculture
• Caldew School Dalston

Hobbies and Interests:               

• Skiing
• Fly fishing
• Motorsport
• Chasing after two Border Terriers!

Joint Managing Director
davidp@borderway.com

Director
david.quayle@hhland.co.uk

Key Skills

Private practice since 1981.  Experience includes:

•  1981 – 2006: Rural Surveyor, Nicholson & Weston, Lanchester
• 2006 – 2011:  Managing Director, Nicholson & Weston, Lanchester
• 2011 – present: Director, H&H Land and Property
• Development Options
• Mining, Minerals and Subsistence
• All Aspects of Rural Surveying
• Dispute Resolution – including Expert Witness

Education & Qualifications

•  HNC in Mining
• Chartered Surveyor
• Fellow Central Association of Agricultural Valuers
• Diploma in Valuation (Agricultural Practice)
• RICS Accredited Valuer

Hobbies & Interests

Rugby Union | Football | Walking | Fine Dining

Background

Married with 2 children | Parish Councillor | CAAV Examiner

Director
tim.parsons@hhland.co.uk

Experience in all aspects of rural property issues including management and professional work since 1992.   Now specialising in:

Valuations
Completion of property valuations for various purposes including acquisition, capital taxation, secured lending, partnership arrangements and court proceedings

AMC
Appointed Valuer dealing with loan applications, business assessment and valuations for the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation

Compulsory Purchase & Compensation
Acting on behalf of affected parties and acquiring authorities in statutory and non statutory infrastructure schemes and particularly the compensation matters arising there from including negotiation for telecommunications masts.

Estate Management
Manage one 2,500 acre estate with staff directly employed and a number of other smaller landed estates involving all day to day management issues from lettings to repairs and sporting interests

Landlord & Tenant
Advising on all aspects of the Landlord/Tenant relationship including rent reviews, liability for repairs, succession, quota apportionments, SPS entitlements and end of tenancy negotiations

Farm Management, Milk Quota & SPS
Advising on budgets and particularly the financial issues of farm management including advice on milk quotas and specialising in Single Payment Scheme matters

Education & Qualifications

• Royal Agricultural College 1989 – 1992
• Member of RICS (MRICS) 1994
• Registered RICS Valuer (95641)
• Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV) 1994
• Appointed Valuer to Agricultural Mortgage Corporation

Hobbies and Interests

Family, hill walking, mountain biking, running, squash and watching rugby and football.  Married with two children.  Grandparents from farming families in the Shropshire area.

Background

– Delegate to the Council of the CAAV

– Chair of Governors at Kingmoor Junior School, Carlisle

Director
g.iles@mclhodgson.co.uk

Graham who qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1984, has over 35 years experience in residential and commercial agency and valuations and specialises in residential property sales. He also carries out professional valuations for a wide range of purposes including sale and purchase, taxation, probate and matrimonial.

Graham lives just outside Kendal with his family and enjoys rock climbing and guitar.

Graham is a Director of H&H Land and Property Ltd and is based at the Kendal Office.

Director
c.tomlinson@mclhodgson.co.uk

Business Experience

Joined Michael C L Hodgson, Chartered Surveyors, Valuers, Auctioneers, Estate and Land Agents in 1977.

Managing Director 2005 to 2015 and developed a highly successful business.

Education & Qualifications

Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester   1974  –  1977

Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Fellow of The Association of Agricultural Valuers.

Interests               

Travelling | Walking | Football | Golf | Rugby

Background

Married with two daughters.

Managing Director
andy@hhreedsprinters.co.uk

Joint Managing Director
scottd@borderway.com

Acting Managing Director
pgraham@hhib.co.uk

Paul Graham joined H&H Insurance Brokers as Operations Director in August 2014.  In April 2018 Paul became acting Managing Director.

In his position Paul is responsible for H&H Insurance Brokers’ operational strategy, management and development, as well as overseeing the day-to-day running of the Administration team.

Paul, who has held management roles with some of the UK’s leading financial institutions, including the HSBC and RBS, joined the company from the Cumberland Building Society where he was Branch Controller.

Non Executive Director

Joining the H&H Group as Board Member in November 2015, is Scottish Borders Farmer Andrew Douglas.   Andrew, who farms Saughtree, and Thorlieshope Newcastleton, is a former Chairman of the Agricultural Committee of the Scottish Land Owners Federation, former Director of Oliver & Son Edinburgh and currently a proactive member of NSA Scotland.

Married with three grown up children, Andrew farms 3000 Hill Cheviot Ewes and 100 Limousin Cross Cows. The Douglas family have farmed at Saughtree since 1911 and have traded their stock with H&H for over 100 years. Today, Andrew regularly uses Newtown St Boswells Mart, where he sells his finished lambs and all calves.

On taking up his appointment as Board Member, Andrew said: “I am very honoured to have been invited to join the Board of the H&H Group and I look forward to working with my fellow Board Members to further strengthen H&H’s position in the Borders and North Northumberland.  The recent purchase of John Swan & Sons provides a wonderful opportunity to enhance and progress their investment in these areas.

“My family have worked with the H&H Group for over 100 years, selling at Newcastleton and Carlisle’s Borderway.  With their range of rural enterprises throughout the Group, including the livestock, insurance and land and property divisions, the H&H Group is undoubtedly a very progressive organisation operating across an extensive range of businesses.”

Non Executive Director

Alasdair has over 30 years experience gained in managing a mix of hospitality, retail, leisure and agricultural enterprises.   Since 2000, he has been the Chairman and Director of Gretna Green Limited, as well as Managing Partner for Gretna House Farms since 1995.

Non Executive Director

Dawn has over 30 years of varied experience gained in teaching and lecturing, having been at the Lancashire Business School since 1991.   Dawn is currently the Co-ordinator for Teaching and Learning at the business school.

As the surname suggests, Dawn is the daughter of former Managing Director, Dick Harrison and has a very keen interest in how the H&H Group is run.  She is also on the Board of the Employee’s Trust.

Company Secretary
margaret.irving@hhgroupplc.co.uk

Margaret hails from West Cumbria and after gaining an HND Business Studies qualification in Newcastle she returned to train as an accountant with the J B Lowthian & Co practice in Carlisle.

Following the births of her two children, Margaret worked on a freelance basis before joining H&H as a part-time assistant to the company secretary in 1995.

To enable her to fulfil the personnel role on behalf of H&H Margaret undertook a post-graduate diploma in Human Resource Management and is a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.  She is also the Group’s Company Secretary.

Margaret lives on a smallholding in Houghton with her partner and their black labrador, Murphy.

Chairman

Michael has nearly 50 years of varied experience gained in leading and developing a number of farming enterprises.

Now semi retired Michael took over as Chairman in July 2018.

Michael has been on the Board since 2001 and previously held the position of Non Executive Board Director for North West Tag.

Vice Chairman

Born and bred in Cumbria, Ian has his own chartered accountancy firm in the city of Carlisle and has been a Non-Executive Director since 2004.

Ian is married to Jayne and has three sons, aged 20, 19 and 14, the two eldest of who are at university in London and Edinburgh.

Alongside his accountancy practice, Ian is involved in commercial property development and farms on a part time basis, having three farms comprising in total of some 730 acres at Kirklinton, Scaleby and Penton in north Cumbria.

Senior Auctioneer & Valuer
stephen.farthing@hhauctionrooms.co.uk

Stephen Farthing took up the hammer as Auction Room Manager in February 2014.

Stephen joined us from of Wigton, where he has held the position of Auction Room Manager for the last 7 years.  No stranger to the history and the past of the North of England, prior to his role at Hopes, Stephen worked for English Heritage where he managed the visitor operations along Hadrian’s Wall.