THERE'S an old saying in politics that laws are like sausages; it’s better not to see them being made.

Whether it’s a motto that holds true for Yorkshire MPs isn’t for me to say but, after this weekend, I can tell you for a fact that it doesn’t apply to Yorkshire sausages.

I’ve always been a passionate believer in local business and on Friday I was in Leeming Bar to visit Heck Sausages, one of our area’s most successful companies.

Heck was started by the Debbie and Andrew Keeble after selling their last sausage company back in 2005. Using nothing but the best British pork, Heck make some of the best bangers in the business and have been rewarded by a raft of national awards.

As well as being a great Yorkshire brand, Heck are also a brilliant example of the impact a genuine family business can have in a rural area like ours. Debbie and Andrew’s children – Roddy, Ellie, and Jamie – all work in the business, proving how valuable local enterprises are in making sure that young people have a reason to build a life here in North Yorkshire.

As for the sausages themselves, I can attest to them being some of the best I’ve ever tasted. So much so that they were centre stage at the first Sunak family barbeque of the year – a tradition that, as usual, had us all wrapped up in our fleeces looking forward to summer!

While I’m on the subject of British farming, 5 June also sees the latest instalment of the annual Open Farm Sunday, where farmers across the country open their gates to the public. Richmondshire’s very own award winning Berry’s Farm Shop in Swinithwaite will be taking part, so make sure you swing by and take a look – I can particularly recommend meeting the farm’s resident llamas!

As well as meeting the team behind Heck sausages, I also took advantage of the bank holiday weekend to pay a visit to the Bedale art group’s annual exhibition. In case you haven’t heard of them, the Bedale Art Group are a collective of local artists who meet every week and regularly hold exhibitions to show off their wares.

The work was all fantastic and I even managed to pick up a wonderful collage of local maps by Bedale artist Jill McDonald to hang up at home in Kirby Sigston.

While over in Bedale I was also found time to drop into the Bedale Museum. Run entirely by volunteers and containing a series of exhibits telling the story of village and the surrounding area, the museum is a magnificent testament to the strength of that community.

The museum is currently holding an exhibition to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday and will soon be hosting a touring exhibit from Durham University called skeleton science – giving visitors the chance to use scientific methods to trace the history of an excavated skeleton. Bedale Museum is entirely free and I thoroughly recommend paying it a visit if you find yourself in the area.

From the Viking invasions to the Wars of the Roses, North Yorkshire has an exceptionally rich history which all of us share. What Bedale Museum reminds us of, however, is that the history of everyday life in our villages and towns is just as bountiful and just as important in bringing us together and making our communities some of the strongest in the country.