Who's who

Anne Stewart (: 01439-770993

Anne, having grown up in and around the North York Moors (her father was vicar of Lastingham), chose a career in an even more untamed environment. For 37 years she worked with rhinos, giraffes, elephants etc, at Longleat, Woburn and in various countries abroad, including Uganda, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Japan.

She says, "I could tell all my zebras and antelope apart, but have great trouble remembering people's names and faces, which causes me constant embarrassment."

Not surprisingly, animal welfare is her great interest and concern - but she's very good with people too! Having moved back to Helmsley, she now works part time as a tour guide at Duncombe Park and occasionally in the antiquarian book shop.

Martin Vander Weyer (: 01439-770292

Martin is a journalist, author and editor by profession, and an active citizen of Helmsley, which has been his home since 1989.

As a journalist Martin writes chiefly about business and financial morality. He is the business editor and columnist of The Spectator as well as editor of the newly launched monthly Spectator Business. He is also a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. He is the author of Falling Eagle: the Decline of Barclays Bank (2000), and Closing Balances: Business Obituaries from the Daily Telegraph (2006).

A Yorkshireman of Flemish ancestry and a graduate of Worcester College, Oxford, Martin spent 15 years in the banking world in London, Brussels and the Far East before moving to Helmsley and turning his hand to writing and voluntary work. He is an elected Town Councillor and has been director of Helmsley Arts Centre since 1993 (he will be retiring from that post in September this year); he is a former chairman of Helmsley Walled Garden and Ryedale Festival, and a former governor of Helmsley School. He is also currently a trustee of York Arc Light hostel for the homeless, and a governor of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.