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King Charles Honours Sir Richard Evans
A Knight, A Pirate & True Son of Cornwall!
Following so many people both in Cornwall and beyond being delighted to hear news announcing that Penzance-born Richard ‘Dicky’ Evans was honoured with a Knighthood in The King’s New Year’s Honours list, on Tuesday Sir Richard’s investiture, conducted by King Charles, took place at Windsor Castle. Sir Richard was accompanied by Lady Jytte Evans and their three children Louisa, Ross, and Emma.
Then, on Wednesday evening, 70 close friends and guests from across the globe, with the majority from Kenya and from Cornwall, gathered at the Houses of Parliament with Sir Richard, to further celebrate his honour on the House of Commons Terrace overlooking the River Thames.
The Parliamentary Reception was kindly hosted by Lord Michael Spencer, an old friend of Sir Richard’s, and fellow Anglo-Kenyan who, after a general introduction by Sally Pettipher, welcomed everybody to the very enjoyable evening event.
A close friend and working associate of Sir Richard’s, Martin Hudson, who is also a director of the Cornish Pirates, appropriately gave the tribute and toast, besides organising the wonderful display of flowers for the occasion. They were grown on farms in Kenya set up by Sir Richard and Martin and supplied by Flamingo as a gift to their founder.
Martin said he had the great fortune to meet ‘Dicky’ in 1982, as he was establishing a fresh Produce export business in Kenya. He felt too that having had the education, international experience, being an entrepreneur and risk taker coupled with such a high sporting pedigree, defined Dicky apart. He worked insane hours to build his businesses, but at the same time family has meant everything to him, and Jytte has been an inspiration – the greatest supporter of all his endeavours, and this extends to the total support from a loving family, without which – success would have been far more difficult.
With reference to the forthcoming rugby coming season, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Cornish Pirates rebranding, Martin commented:
“You have not just been the financial backer, your knowledge of the game and players in our squad and the competing teams has been most welcome insight for the coaches, and in particular your close relationship with Gav and Paves has been built on mutual respect and is very much a part of The Pirates secret sauce.
“To see the Pirates have their highest ever finish as runner up, or better said twelfth best side in English Rugby – and with five players making the Championship team of the season, was so fitting of your decades of generosity to the team.”
Martin added:
“I know the lack of support for the Stadium for Cornwall remains a disappointment to You – but by God you tried, and You should take some comfort in saving Truro City Football Club and providing the means for them to get a new ground which is currently under construction.
“Sadly you were diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease some 11 years ago and this takes its toll and is such an unfair disease, but fight it you do and try anything You will, and with the determination that has been evident all your life, then You will continue the battle, and in doing so You inspire countless others and I wish your wish that You live to be 100 and through the advice You give from your own experience of Parkinsons – I know this is very important and motivational to others.”
The last words were expressed by Sir Richard who, at the time when it was announced that he had been honoured in the New Year’s Honours List, said:
“I couldn’t be more surprised or honoured. I have been blessed throughout my life with the support of family, friends, and thousands of wonderful people with whom I have worked and played. I am deeply grateful to His Majesty King Charles for conferring this honour upon me. We both have deep rooted connections to Cornwall and to Kenya and I hope that this award will further highlight the beauty and strength of both lands and their peoples.”
As for his final comments, Sir Richard this week commented:
“In particular, I’d like to thank my wife for supporting me, especially through this Parkinson’s over the last 12 years. It’s been difficult for all of us, including the kids – it’s a life sentence but you have to face it, and with a positive attitude.
“Derek Thomas, who tried really hard to get the Stadium for Cornwall off the ground, was due to host our evening at the Houses of Parliament, so I was most grateful to Lord Michael Spencer for stepping into the breach. My thanks also to the many people who have been so very helpful and supportive in my life. You all know what you have done for me, and not forgetting absent friends.
“The investiture at Windsor Castle on Tuesday was inevitably truly special, as similarly was the gathering of everyone on Wednesday evening. My sincere appreciation is expressed to the King, my many friends, and to ‘One & All’ for such never to be forgotten moments.”
To view Sir Richard’s investiture, please link to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQXkIxsfto
Further information to note:
Sir Richard had accepted His Majesty the King’s invitation to become a Knight Commander in the Order of St Michael and St George in recognition of his business, sporting and charitable services to Kenya and Cornwall. He is titled Sir Richard Evans, KCMG OGW.
Sir Richard was born in Penzance, shortly after the end of World War Two. As a young man he represented Cornwall schools at Athletics, Swimming, Football and, in particular, Rugby, playing for his local team, Penzance & Newlyn RFC. He left Cornwall for King’s College, London where he studied civil engineering and captained the rugby team. In 1969 he was posted to Uganda to build UN funded clean water systems. He was teaching local engineers there when two were murdered following Idi Amin’s Coup D’Etat of 1971. He was evacuated back to the Water Research Centre in the UK but returned later that year to Kenya where he initially worked on the World Bank funded Mombasa water supply.
In Kenya he used his water engineering skills to improve the quality of fruit, vegetable and flower growing, and subsequently set up his own horticulture company, Homegrown Ltd, in 1982. This initially supplied Covent Garden market with fine beans and strawberries, subsequently becoming famous for supplying very high-quality roses to major UK supermarkets. Initially, to produce the best quality possible, he moved the wavelength of light into the optimum range for growing roses through the fabrication of special greenhouse covers. On the back of Homegrown’s growth and along with close friend, Martin Hudson, he established Flamingo Holdings, a UK distribution company in 1994, which continues to supply leading retailers to this day.
Sir Richard is credited with substantially improving Kenya’s balance of payments and for opening up market opportunities that created jobs and economic growth over several decades. Such was his influence that President Moi appointed him Chairman of the Export Promotion Council in 1992, charged with expanding Kenya’s foreign exchange earnings. In 1996 he was awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW), one of Kenya’s highest Honours, for his services to agribusiness.
After selling his horticultural interests in 2007, he established the award winning Hemingways group of luxury boutique hotels and the Hemingways travel business for both of which he remains Chairman. Following the success of the Hemingways hotel at Watamu on the Kenya Indian Ocean coast and the Hemingways Ol Seki safari camp in the Masai Mara, he was responsible for the design and management of the construction of the world-famous Hemingways hotel in Nairobi, modelled on the Augusta Masters clubhouse. The Hemingways Group goes from strength to strength and continues to increase its impact on conservation in Watamu and the Masai Mara as well as community rugby in Nairobi and the South Coast.
As a young man, Sir Richard continued to play rugby. In Africa he played for Kampala in Uganda and on arrival in Kenya joined the famous Nondescripts RFC. He went on to Captain his club, the Kenya International team known as The Simbas, and a combined East Africa team known as The Tuskers.
Over several years in the 1990’s Sir Richard came to the rescue of Penzance and Newlyn RFC, including paying off the mortgage on their Clubhouse. When the club was in serious difficulty he stepped in and funded its survival. He carried on as the major benefactor and under his leadership, and with a new name, the Cornish Pirates rose through the rugby tiers, from the second from bottom league to the Championship and firmly established themselves as a top 20 English rugby team. He also, of course, provided valuable help to Truro City Football Club, who faced their own threat to survival before he stepped in, supported them through Covid, three years in exile playing in Devon, and saw them promoted to the National League South.
Diagnosed in 2011 with Parkinson’s Disease, Sir Richard announced a “Sunset Plan” in 2022 for the future of the Cornish Pirates and Truro City, enabling him to pass on the baton for professional sport in Cornwall to new owners and investors, while the clubs are strong and successful. New owners came forward in support of the football club, for which he wishes continued success under its new leadership. It was his long-term championing of Cornish sport, culture and heritage that led to his investiture in 2013 as a Cornish Bard, and the awarding of his Cornish name “Morlader Pensans” – the Pirate of Penzance.
Living with Parkinson’s led Sir Richard to establish a new website named ‘livetobe100yearsold.com’ with the stated aim of helping like-minded individuals combat the downside of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia, whilst living life to the full. He certainly follows this creed spending many hours big-game fishing for marlin, which are then tagged and released under a conservation system championed by him in Kenya.
While well recognised in business and a generous benefactor to Kenyan and UK sports, Sir Richard is extremely private about his wider philanthropy. It was only quite recently that it has emerged that he funded schools, individuals in need of urgent medical treatment, and the living costs of disabled or parentless children in the UK and in Kenya.
A Citation from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office read:
‘Richard ‘Dicky’ Evans is recognised for his significant and sustained contribution as a British businessman overseas, building two hugely successful businesses in Kenya, creating wealth and employment and enhancing the reputation of the UK. In addition to his contribution to business, he has made a sustained philanthropic contribution to the UK, especially to sport in Cornwall over two decades, making a major impact in the county of his birth, and demonstrating a strong, consistent and deep long-term personal commitment to this region of the UK.’
