IT’S a good life for a microcosm of small businesses which has grown up within a small community in a village near York.

A little cluster of farm buildings, at Skipbridge Farm, Green Hammerton, hosts a variety of traditional rural businesses, as well as supporting the local business community.

And it’s now a complete family affair, with a recent marriage bringing the proprietors even closer.

Gill and Gordon Hall have lived on the 11-acre farm for more than 20 years. Both work as foster parents, bringing up foster children as well as their own at the family home.

About five years ago, they acquired the neighbouring cottages and invited close family friends Val and Glynn Wiggins to run a bed and breakfast, The Old Granary House, at the site.

More recently they have added a Caravan Club-certified caravan site, maintained by Gill’s parents and keen caravanners Maureen and David Clark, who stay there part of the week in their own caravan.

Even the family’s animals play their part, with horses, including miniature Shetland ponies, goats, donkeys, peacocks and alpacas providing a petting zoo for guests. They also give the alpaca wool to a friend to spin into jumpers and David and Maureen collect chicken’s eggs for the caravanners’ breakfasts.

The community includes Gill and Gordon’s son Tom and daughter Katie, who set up her own chimney sweeping business Katie Sweep, which was born from Gordon’s other work as a builder.

Gill said: “It’s really taken off and been so successful. Val and Glynn have done a phenomenal job with the B&B and we’re now starting to get repeat business.

“Our guests go to the local businesses, like The Crown Inn at Great Ouseburn, local tourism attractions and farmshops and it’s nice to think people are going out into the community and spending money.”

Katie has just married Val and Glynn’s son Thomas, which Gill said was the “icing on the cake”. The wedding was held at the farm and Gill said that with the fields and an outbuilding they call the Hobbit Hole, they are now considering taking bookings as a wedding venue.