After retiring from a successful diplomatic career in 1966, Sir John Richmond (1909-90) and his wife Diana (1914-97) settled in Durham, where he had accepted a lectureship in Modern Near East History at the University’s School of Oriental Studies. Following the Six-Day War in June 1967, the Richmonds became increasingly concerned at the suffering of Palestinians living in the occupied territories and the strong media bias prevalent at that time. They were instrumental in founding the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and over the next few years devoted themselves to campaigning on behalf of Palestinians. In addition to monitoring and criticising the secular newspapers, the Richmonds—who were both converts to Catholicism—took a close interest in the leading Catholic papers: The Tablet, The Catholic Herald and The Universe. They engaged in extensive correspondence with their editors—both on the newspaper pages and in private—as well as involving a wider circle of influential Catholic writers and clergy. This article, drawing heavily from the Richmond Papers held at Exeter University’s Special Collections, examines the motives and methods of the Richmonds’ campaign, and attempts to assess whether or not their efforts achieved their aim of changing attitudes.

The present building bearing this name is a handsome three-storeyed mansion of medium size and rectangular shape, which stands in pleasant grounds at the south end of Yarm, in what was until recently a small enclave of High Worsall. The long east front of the house faces the Tees—from which it is separated by terraced lawns—and the rising ground crowned with woods on the Durham side of the river, while the main entrance on the west front is approached by a short drive from lodge gates on the Thirsk road. The south end of the house looks across ornamental lawns to a large walled kitchen garden, and at the north end there is a range of domestic buildings built a century earlier as an extension to the original house and narrower than the main building, while to the north of this there is a long courtyard flanked by stables and other outbuildings and having a lane leading to the south end of the High Street.