MEMORIES 512 somehow got sidetracked by the glamour model and soft porn star Fiona Richmond who in the mid-1970s was known as “Britain’s premier sex queen”.

In November 1979, soon after the release of her biggest film called Let’s Get Laid, she was in Bishop Auckland to open a refurbished branch of Burtons the tailors and to make the pulses of young men rise.

The Northern Echo: Fiona Richmond with Tom Ward, the manager of the Bishop Auckland branch of Burton the tailors in Newgate Street, in November 1979Fiona Richmond with Tom Ward, the manager of the Bishop Auckland branch of Burton the tailors in Newgate Street, in November 1979

But, says Sharon Griffiths, whose words used to grace this newspaper, she had an even more unexpected local connection.

“Fiona Richmond was actually quite posh – her father was a vicar in Norfolk,” says Sharon. “For a while she drove a sportscar number plate FU2 – very subtle. I think that might have been when she was with Paul Raymond of Raymond's Revue bar.”

Sharon is, of course, right: after growing up in an East Anglian vicarage, Ms Richmond’s career took off when she fell in with the London strip-club owner, with whom she had a long affair.

The Northern Echo: Fiona Richmond opening the Burtons store in Bishop Auckland in November 1979, with autograph hunter Mick Davison, of WillingtonFiona Richmond opening the Burtons store in Bishop Auckland in November 1979, with autograph hunter Mick Davison, of Willington

“But then she married James Montgomery, who was a lovely man, involved in classical music and a presenter at Southern TV when I was there,” says Sharon.

In fact, James met Fiona on a TV set when she was on one of his shows promoting one of her books – her titles included From Here to Virginity and Tell Tale Tits. They were wed in 1983.

“They were married for some years and she retreated from notoriety,” says Sharon.

“Anyway, James Montgomery's sister was Lady Sylvia Crathorne.

“So for a time, Fiona Richmond was Lord Crathorne's sister-in-law. And I'm sure after her vicarage upbringing, she fitted in perfectly.”

The Northern Echo: Fiona RichmondFiona Richmond

Lord Crathorne’s family seat is Crathorne Hall, near Yarm. Like his late wife – Lady Sylvia, renowned for her charity work, died in 2009 – Lord Crathorne has an unexpected claim to fame: he was John Cleese’s best man at his wedding to Connie Booth in 1968.

Does anyone have any stories to tell about his sister-in-law’s glamorous appearance in Bishop Auckland?