North of England
Matt Colston - Chairman of the North of England Regional Advisors
Matt graduated from R(D)SVS in Edinburgh in 1986. He then spent five years in mixed practice in Fife and the Borders before taking up a 2 year demonstrators post (shared between R(D)SVS and SAC (Edinburgh Genetics)) concentrating on equine reproduction and artificial breeding in small ruminants. He gained the certificate in Sheep Health and production before moving back to general practice in Penrith where he has been since 1997. Email Matt Colston
Geoff Higginson
Geoff qualified as a vet from Glasgow Vet School in 1971. He then worked in a farm animal practice in Buxton for seven years before joining a large mixed vet practice in Lancaster as a partner in 1978. Geoff is the past president of the Lakeland Veterinary Association and retired from veterinary practice in 2008. Email Geoff Higginson
Ian Hall
Ian is the General Manager of the Lilburn Estate in Wooler covering 30,000 acres and employing 70 staff. The Estate is a mixed farming operation with 10,000 breeding ewes, 1500 suckler cows, and grows 5500 acres of combinable crops, wheat, barley, rape, oats with 200 acres let out in potato seed production each year. The Estate has a large pheasant and partridge shoot and a productive grouse moor. A keen sportsman in his younger days, Ian now concentrates on shooting, fishing, gardening and DIY. Email Ian Hall
Bridget Taylor
Bridget qualified as a vet from the R(D)SVS, Edinburgh in 1984. After travelling to Botswana on a veterinary research project, a year working back at the Dick Vet in large animal medicine and further travels to New Zealand, she finally settled down in a large mixed practice in Macclesfield, Cheshire, where she has been a partner since 2001. Bridget has a special interest in farmer training and knowledge transfer. Interests outside work include persuading her children to climb mountains, skiing, running and folk music. Email Bridget Taylor
Richard Harle
Richard is a partner in two family farming partnerships in Durham and Northumberland with arable, beef and sheep enterprises. There are two herds of Limousin cross suckler cows which are mated to the Limousin bull. The majority of the progeny is fattened with some heifer calves sold at the Hexham suckler sales. The farms carry 4000 breeding ewes and fatten all progeny as well as providing their own replacement Mule and Texel cross ewes. Richard has a special interest in all aspects of cattle and sheep husbandry. Email Richard Harle