The newest addition to Ripon’s hospitality sector opened its doors at 12 noon today (Saturday).

Adam Coulson, owner of the Portly Pig on Kirkgate, invited the Stray Ferret to an eve-of-opening sneak peek to find out what the independent bottleshop and taproom has to offer – and there was plenty to see.

The focus is on serving real ales, craft beers and ciders on tap in bottles and cans, while spirits and wines are also on the drinks menu.

The bottled and canned drinks are principally produced in Yorkshire.

Mr Coulson told the Stray Ferret:

“The majority of the drinks have been sourced from independent breweries, distilleries and wine suppliers based in Yorkshire.

“We’re offering something a bit different that we hope adds to the attraction of Ripon as a city with a great community of independent  businesses.”

Dog owners and their dogs are welcome.

The Portly Pig’s historic premises, which have been converted to include a ground floor bar and upstairs seating areas, have seen a variety of uses over two centuries.

Number 5 Kirkgate will be known to many as the former Oasis Florists and those with longer memories will recall it being the offices of the Ripon Gazette newspaper.

A civic society plaque by the front door shows that before then it was a Town (Council) House from 1835 to 1851and then a borough police station with four cells between 1875 and 1887.

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The Stray Ferret is the media partner for the St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards 2024, with our coverage kindly sponsored by Little Bird Made and Grantley Hall.

Nominations for Ripon’s 2023 St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards are open until Saturday September 30 and there is still time to nominate the organisations, individuals or businesses that you believe have made a positive contribution to enhance the life of the city.

The awards, bearing the name of the city’s patron saint, were launched by Ripon Together in the cathedral’s 1,350th anniversary year, to recognise the selfless giving of Ripon’s unsung heroes – many of them volunteers – who help others through their behind-the-scenes work.

Who received awards in 2022?

Here is a selection of last year’s winners.

In 2022, the Youth Award was presented by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke, to Rosie Sturt (pictured below) who led a team of young volunteers who have created a Lego Club at Ripon Library.

The aim of the club is to help young children to increase their social skills and confidence in the wake of the covid lockdowns.

A St Wilfrid’s Star was also presented to Sarah Jaques – a Ripon Library volunteer and co-ordinator – who won the community award for her tireless and dedicated work.

Her citation read:

“Without volunteers, there would be no library and there would be a great gap in the life of the city.”

For the overall 2022 volunteer of the year award the panel of judges selected Gloria Sturdy, who has devoted her life to supporting many causes in the city.

This includes the provision of lunches at Holy Trinity Church for people in need and sewing PPE kits for frontline workers during the pandemic.

The 2022 culture award was presented to the Ripon Theatre Festival organising committee, in recognition of it staging a highly successful inaugural performing arts event from a standing start.

Building on last year’s success the 2023 event, led by festival director Katie Scott (pictured above) again added considerably to the cultural life of the city.

Caroline Bentham, who has supported groups in Ripon through her community scrap fund, which raises money from the sale of recycled metal, received last year’s  environment award.

As well as being a supporter of many good causes, she is an active Girl Guide Leader and an assistant county commissioner.

The 2022 St Wilfrid’s Star Award for tourism was presented to to Ripon Community Poppy Project, whose decorative work and detailed designs have delighted local residents and  visitors to the city.

There was no bigger event in Ripon in 2022 than the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the army of non-stop knitters ensured that the city’s streets were wrapped in Royal bunting.

They went on to create a dazzling star-spangled backdrop for last year’s awards evening at Ripon Cathedral, while the trophies presented at the event were designed and produced by Jennyruth Workshops.

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Those who fought 83 years ago in the Battle of Britain, were remembered in a service held at Ripon War Memorial on Sunday morning.

The battle, which started in July 1940 and ended on October 31 of that year, was at its height in mid September and is recognised as the first major defeat inflicted on Germany in World War II.

For Karen Harrison, who attends Spa Gardens each year to pay her respects to all who took part in the conflict, there was an added poignancy, as her late father Leslie John Tweed almost lost his life at the hands of the Luftwaffe, but lived to tell the tale.

His story was recounted by Mike Chambers, chair of Ripon and District Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association (pictured above with Canon Matthew Pollard, who led Sunday’s service)

The retired squadron leader told how 19-year-old flight sergeant Tweed, flying a Hurricane fighter aircraft, became engaged in an aerial battle at 20,000 feet over Kenley near Croydon on September 6  1940.

After attacking a German Junkers JU88 aircraft, the young pilot’s plane was hit by return fire and he prepared to abandon it, but after removing his helmet and goggles he passed out.

Regaining consciousness at 1,200 feet he found the canopy splattered with his own blood and baled out, landing in a tree, suspended by his parachute over the wreckage of his aircraft.

Following hospital treatment flight sergeant Tweed returned to duty on December 12, 1940 and went on to serve in the RAF until 1972 when he retired as a flight lieutenant.

Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke laid a wreath on behalf of the city council.

Ms Harrison, who is secretary of the Ripon and District Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association laid a wreath in memory of her father and all members of the RAF who, like him, played their part in the Battle of Britain.

The civic party at the war memorial

Others to lay Wreaths included Group Captain Gareth Prendergast, Station Commander at RAF Leeming  and Squadron Leader Anthony Beasant of Menwith Hill, along with a member of the 886 (City of Ripon) Air Cadets, who were in attendance.

The Air Cadets stood to attention for the arrival of the RAF guard of honour

Ripon City Band, whose director, Mark Sidwell (pictured left) played the Last Post.

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High demand for flu and covid vaccinations led to traffic tailbacks and long queues in Ripon at the weekend.

The Park Street GP practice of Dr Ingram and Partners and Ripon Spa Surgery, which are across the road from each other, both held clinics on Saturday.

In an area of the city with only limited parking, people arriving by car experienced difficulty finding a space to park, leading to tailbacks from Park Street to Westgate and Blossomgate.

Cars outside Ripon Spa Surgery on Saturday.

There were also hold-ups for people who managed to find a parking space, or who arrived on foot, as the queue for the Park Street surgery stretched back to the Westgate and Blossomgate junction.

The number of people making appointments for vaccination may have increased following a Facebook post on Thursday (September 14) by Ripon and Masham Primary Care Network, which covers the two Park Street practices, along with the North House Surgery in North Street and Dr Akester & Partners in Masham and Kirkby Malzeard.

It said:

“At short notice we have secured some covid vaccine to co-administer alongside flu jabs at our GP practice flu clinics.”

“If you are eligible for covid vaccination, subject to supplies, this will be offered to you at your GP flu appointment at your surgery.

“We strongly encourage patients to consider having both on the same day, in order to help us to deliver this protection to as many patients as possible,

“If you wish to have your covid vaccine at your appointment you do not need to let us know in advance.”

The Stray Ferret  approached both Park Street practices regarding Saturday’s traffic issues and to ask if further flu and covid clinics are planned.

There had been no response at the time of publication from Ripon Spa Surgery, but a member of staff at Dr Ingram & Partners said a further clinic is scheduled for Saturday.

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The newly-appointed Bishop of Ripon received a warm welcome at a special choral evensong service yesterday.

For the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham the service, at which she and six others were installed as canons of the cathedral, provided an opportunity to meet for the first time with civic dignitaries from across the region and the cathedral’s clergy, choir and members of the congregation.

The service, attended by the Bishop of Leeds the Rt Rev Nick Baines and the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Ms Johanna Ropner, saw the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson carry out the installation ceremony in the quire (pictured below).

Bishop Anna’s consecration took place at York Minster in June, but she did not fully take up her new post until this month. when she and her family moved north from Surrey, where she was part of the Oxted team ministry in the Diocese of Southwark.

The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Ms Johanna Ropner, pictured following yesterday’s service with the Bishop of Leeds the Rt Revd Nick Baines and the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson.

Bishop Anna, who studied business and anthropology at Durham University, said in April after her nomination was approved by Downing Street:

“I have felt drawn back to the north of England for a number of years and have a strong sense of God’s call to this particular role.

“God has laid a number of things on my heart in recent times, including a passion for climate-care and justice; care for the wellbeing of clergy and all God’s people; a vision for a church that serves as much beyond as within its buildings; and children and young people at the heart of it all.”

The Bishop of Ripon is one of five episcopal area bishops in the Church of England Diocese of Leeds and has responsibility for a large area, including the Yorkshire Dales and the towns of Ripon, Harrogate, Settle, Skipton, Wetherby and Richmond.

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A section of one of the main roads in Ripon closed this afternoon due to a crash.

Bondgate Green was blocked between Farmison & Co and the Ripon bypass after a black Toyota car collided with a tree.

No other vehicles were involved.

North Yorkshire Police said the incident happened at about 11.50am.

A spokesperson added:

“A black Toyota Yaris car ended up crashing into a tree. The driver was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment. Her dog was also checked over by a vet.

“The driver reported a small dark car, possibly a Fiat, had caused her to take evasive action. The driver did not stop as they headed to Ripon city centre. They are urged to contact the police as soon as possible to assist the investigation.

“There was only limited traffic disruption while the ambulance was in attendance. The car was recovered at 1.10pm.

“If you are the driver of the small dark car, you possibly witnessed the incident or have dash-cam footage, please email Adam.Deacon2@northyorkshire.police.uk quoting reference number 12230175042.”

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Could a park and ride scheme be the answer to Ripon’s parking problems as it bids to attract more visitors?

That was one of the suggestions made at Monday’s full city council meeting, where Councillor Jackie Crozier called for a feasibility study focused on Ripon’s parking issues to be carried out.

She said:

“With more new housing coming on stream and an increase in visitors, we need to start to move forward by looking at all options that are open to us.”

“On a recent market day, some people who came to the city found it impossible to find a parking space and Ripon lost out because of this as they headed elsewhere.”

Councillor Andrew Williams, said:

“One of the things that we need to look at is how we could link Ripon’s new bus service into a park and ride scheme so that tourists and other visitors can park on the outskirts of the city and be brought in by bus.

“At the same time, to ease the pressure on parking spaces, we should encourage more residents to leave their cars at home and come into the city by public transport.”

As a first step in looking to find a solution to the city’s parking problems, it was agreed that North Yorkshire Council officers be invited to meet with Ripon City Council’s transport group and for preliminary discussions to be held.

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Ripon councillors are calling for new safety measures to be put in place near a city centre junction where four accidents have occurred in two years.

Concerns were raised at Monday night’s full city council meeting about the junction of Fishergate and Old Market Place, where a pedestrian was involved in an accident on the morning of September 1.

Councillor Eamon Parkin said:

“There have been four accidents here in two years and something needs to be done.”

A number of measures to make crossing the road safer for pedestrians were discussed, after Cllr Pauline McHardy proposed a zebra crossing be installed by North Yorkshire Council.

She said:

“This is a dangerous place for people to cross, but we could make it safer at little expense by putting white paint on the road.”

Councillors Barbara Brodigan and Andrew Williams, who represent Ripon on North Yorkshire Council, said the council doesn’t install zebra crossings any more.

Cllr Williams also said:

“The installation of a Pelican (light controlled) crossing  would cost thousands of pounds and be unlikely to be approved.

“We do, however, need to ensure that people can cross the road safely and I recommend that we ask North Yorkshire to put signs on posts at the approaches to the junction that say ‘Beware Pedestrians Crossing’.”

Councillors agreed to write to North Yorkshire Council requesting that new measures be put in place to make the junction safer.

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