A VASE of flowers stood on the press bench on Friday morning to mark the place where Isle of Man Newspapers’ court correspondent Esther Richmond sat for more than 40 years - both in the current building and its precedessor.
The sitting started early while Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes offered a special tribute on behalf of the court staff.
‘Esther was a no-nonsense individual who didn’t suffer fools gladly and she wasn’t afraid of making that fact known, in fact I can hear her bristling now in the press box as I speak,’ she said.
‘But behind that no-nonsense exterior was a very kind heart, and not just a kind heart but a practical one as well. In particular I remember her kindness when on our first arrival at the island my husband was ill and looking for things to do to occupy his time.
‘It was Esther who put us in touch with her brother Dollin and provided him with employment with the Port St Mary Life Boat Institution as a volunteer and also gave us information about local work in the area for him.
‘I also remember Esther’s humour which I think at best can be described as being dry and in particular her relationship with Mr Moyle when he was the High Bailiff. She referred to him as “the boy”!’
Noting her wealth of knowledge about not just the courts but the people in them including defendants, advocates and the judiciary, she added: ‘Esther knew not only about the people that attended but also their extended family and perhaps had a greater knowledge of the people of the Isle of Man and their association with the Courts of Justice than anyone else.’
Esther was not afraid to make her opinions known and even as a prosecutor, Mrs Hughes said she was not immune: ‘I recall the look of disdain on Esther’s face whenever I said or did anything with which she disagreed and I am sure other prosecutors have felt that look as well; sometimes a look from Esther was worse than a look from the Bench.
‘But against that and again as evidence of her kindness was the constant supply of lemon drizzle cakes delivered both to the Attorney General’s Chambers and also to police headquarters.
She was, as His Honour Deemster Doyle said, one of the island’s characters. She will be sadly missed by court administration, the judiciary, the prosecutors, the police and advocates.
‘She will also of course be missed by her family and I extend my condolences to her friends and family, particularly her brother Dollin and his wife Jean and Esther’s nephews and nieces. She will also of course be sadly missed by her colleagues who have lost an enormous wealth of experience and knowledge.’
First Deemster David Doyle added his voice, recalling how he had paid tribute to Esther during the swearing in ceremony for Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes: ‘At the ceremony in July 2011 I took the opportunity to thank Esther for her contribution to the coverage of criminal cases appearing in the Summary Courts and in the Court of General Gaol Delivery.
‘The involvement of the media in fair and accurate court reporting is essential to maintain and enhance open justice in this jurisdiction.
‘Esther had been reporting on the proceedings before the court for over 40 years. That is an outstanding achievement. I am glad that I was able in open court to thank Esther in her presence and to congratulate her on a job well done.
‘I used to occasionally bump into Esther during my walks to get some fresh air over the luncheon adjournments. She was always frank and robust in her views. I did not always share her strongly-held opinions but I respected the honest way in which they were delivered. She had the best interests of the island in her heart and in her soul.
‘When I was appointed a Bencher of Gray’s Inn Esther sent me a note of congratulations which was most appreciated. Esther was a kind, thoughtful and sensitive woman.
‘Esther was a remarkable woman who with her reporting of court proceedings played a key role in maintaining and enhancing open justice in this Island. I will miss Esther. The island has lost one of its real characters. I extend my sympathy to Esther’s family and friends.’
Though she latterly lived in Ramsey and was a familiar sight (for those who like her were very early risers) walking her dog Rusty on the beach, she was brought up at Rocklands in Port St Mary with her two younger brothers where they had easy access to Chapel beach.
Her brother Dollin Kelly recalled: ‘Living at Rocklands in Purt Le Murra, with its direct access to Chapel Beach, we were given a loose rein to climb the rocks, to bathe, to acquire severe sunburn every summer, to explore the pools all the way down to the harbour and also any abandoned vessels lying on Purt Verk’s shingle, to play with dogs, other children and total strangers. This is probably how Esther came to possess such a ‘can do’ spirit and such a caring nature because there were always accidents and other mishaps down by the sea and the nearest child could usually deal with such events satisfactorily. She also was a real ‘big sister’ to her brothers.’
Her father was Henry Percy Kelly a prominent Manx language scholar and teacher. He also was translator for Tynwald of the new laws each year from English into Manx.
He became the island’s High Bailiff - perhaps the source of her interest in the courts and justice system - but died when Esther was nine.
While her two brothers were sent to the Royal Masonic school outside Watford at the outbreak of war, Esther went initially to Rushen School then to Brentwood School in Southport in around 1941.
‘It taught her very little except how to be a lady when, in fact she preferred being a tomboy,’ Mr Kelly said.
‘The only exams she was entered were the Associated Board’s piano exams. She was a very good pianist capable of performing all of Beethoven’s piano sonatas but she never played again after leaving school.
‘She left Brentwood as soon as she could and came home to help her mother in the agricultural haulage business.’
Despite her slight physique, she drove the cattle wagons and could ‘swing’ an engine into life on the various dilapidated lorries in the fleet which did not have working starter motors.
When her first husband, Donald Bell became a lighthouse keeper with the Northern Lighthouses Service, she delighted in the isolated locations where they lived.
Later on, they trained as manager and manageress in a number of Scottish hotels with the Trusthouses Group before running the Woburn Arms in Bedfordshire until they returned to the island in the 1950s.
Back in the Isle of Man, they ran a boarding house called Sydney House on the site of the General Registry. This included a public restaurant nicknamed the Grill on the Hill by customers.
Esther’s first marriage failed and she married Robin Richmond, remembered by many as a unique character. He was a coach driver and a director of Hamill’s Garage and for many years the salesman for the first ever Volkswagen cars to come to the island.
As a life long animal lover she was for a time the MSPCA’s inspector, travelling all over the island fighting the corner for mistreated animals.
Former Isle of Man Newspapers news editor Paul Speller who worked with Esther for 20 years said: ‘She hailed from a different era of journalism and was a wonderful example of the traditional reporter values of getting out there and talking to people.
‘I doubt there was another person in the island who knew as many people as Esther did, nor any reporter with a contacts book anything like as full.
‘When I started, she took me under her wing, giving me advice and support. Such advice was never long-winded, but it was always invaluable and always welcome.
‘Those who got to know Esther well will all attest that she was a very warm person, with a sometimes mischievous sense of humour, very loyal, and very supportive of her friends. I feel lucky to have been able to count myself among those
Former deputy editor Jo Overty described her as a good, old-fashioned reporter who attended events in her community, got to know people and won their confidence and friendship.
‘She had a fantastic network of contacts and was always on top of the latest news.
‘What Esther didn’t know probably wasn’t worth knowing. She was devoted to her job, which saw her working evenings and weekends, whether to pick up a story or file her copy, which she did assiduously, no matter how late at night or how many hours she had been in court. There can be an uneasy relationship between court officials and the prosecuting police and reporters, but Esther had the utmost trust and respect of all involved in the court process.’
Many in the newsroom will miss Esther’s cynical humour, pithy and sometimes non too flattering observations on everything from island politics to the courts, not to mention her famous lemon drizzle cakes carefully wrapped in tin foil and delivered to the office.
Broadcaster and journalist Terry Cringle said: ‘I knew Esther for most of her working life in journalism. She was a good reporter, accurate and literate and tireless and always within deadline.
‘She also had exceptionally good relations with the Isle of Man judiciary (her father having been High Bailiff Kelly may have helped in this) and they trusted her. This resulted in good stories beyond straight court reporting which the likes of me couldn’t deliver.
‘I am flattered by the fact that Esther liked me and we got on well out of mutual respect. She didn’t take to everybody. Her standards were high. She was formidable all right and none the worst for it.
‘But I must also say that she was a woman of infinite kindness to people who needed kindness.’
The last word should perhaps go to Esther herself who left the following message for the newsroom: ‘This is the last thing I will ever write for Isle of Man Newspapers, where I spent 42 years working in the courts.
‘Thank you to all friends and colleagues at work and particularly the staff in court and at the front. I will miss you all.’
Her relatives have requested family flowers only and donations in lieu to Port St Mary Lifeboat, c/o The Treasurer, Ken Leigh, Willow Cottage, Shore Road, Port St Mary, IM9 5DY. All enquiries to Corkhill and Callow on 813114.
The funeral will take place at Glen Auldyn Chapel at 11am on Saturday (April 27) followed by interment at Lezayre Church.