Ripon Market Square set for fireworks finaleRipon Market Square will host live music culminating in a fireworks finale tonight at 10.50.
The pyrotechnics will bring an end to a day of coronation celebrations in the city.
Afternoon sunshine brought hundreds of people, including a large number of families with young children, to the square.
A Katherine Jenkins tribute act wrapped in a Union Jack, sang a range of stirring patriotic songs, while children queued for their turn to ride free of charge on the galloping horses and Sizzler fairground attractions.
Earlier today, Ripon Cathedral hosted a live screening of today’s coronation ceremony.
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Eve of coronation celebrations highlight Ripon’s royal connectionsResidents were rocking in Ripon last night as the ancient city kicked off celebrations for the new king and queen with an eve of coronation concert.
With connections to monarchy going back to 886 AD, when Alfred the Great is said to have recognised the bravery of locals for fighting off a Viking incursion with the award of a ceremonial horn, Ripon has remained staunchly royal and loyal.
The Market Square, where Royalists forces of Charles I fought off Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary troops in a Civil War skirmish in 1643, provided a fitting setting to celebrate the imminent crowning of the descendant who shares his name.
Crowds in front of Ripon Town Hall
The stage for last night’s free concert featuring the tribute acts Jersey Beyond, Aftersun Party Band (pictured below) and Complete Madness (main picture) was located in front of Ripon Town Hall where two plaques are in place to mark visits of the then Prince of Wales
The first came in 1994, and the second in 2002, when he became a Freeman of the City in recognition of his contribution to Ripon’s regeneration, which included the building of a new library and The Arcade retail development.
Amid the nostalgic rock and pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, came the ever-present link to the city’s historic past, when Patricio Maglio, a member of the city’s hornblower team, set the watch at 9pm.
Today (Saturday) following the Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey – which can be watched on large television screens in Ripon Cathedral starting at 9.30am – there will be further revelry on Market Square, with musical entertainment from 3pm and free fairground rides from 11am until 8pm.
The festivities will finish with a fireworks display between 10.50pm and 11pm.
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Chocolatier’s royal creation is catching the eye at Halls of RiponA business newly-arrived at Halls of Ripon department store is catching the eye with its hand-crafted creations that include a chocolate crown inspired by the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Ben Ellis, a former head pastry chef at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, took three months to make the spectacular sculpture using the finest Belgian chocolate, isomalt sugar work, marshmallows and edible inks.
The chocolate crown created by Ben Ellis
Mr Ellis runs Ben Ellis Pastry Chef & Chocolatier with his wife Vicky and specialises in the creation of handmade and hand-painted artisan chocolates, using fresh and raw ingredients, that are gluten free and suitable for anybody who is dairy intolerant or vegan.
He said:
“With the coronation in mind, I decided to make the crown as a showpiece to illustrate what I can do in creating chocolate-based edible art. I’m pleased to say that it has attracted a lot of attention.
“Every aspect of the crown can be eaten, including the jewels made with isomalt and the ermine made from marshmallows.”
Prior to setting up the business with his wife, Mr Ellis worked at a number of large restaurants and hotels in London and as the head pastry chef at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home to the Chelsea Pensioners and venue for the world-famous annual flower show, he created dishes for members of the royal family.
Fireworks finale will end Ripon’s coronation day celebrationsA fireworks display will provide a spectacular end to coronation day celebrations in Ripon’s Market Square on Saturday night.
North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have given the go-ahead to a 10-minute display starting at 10.50pm.
The return of pyrotechnics to the city centre follows the cancellation in 2021 and 2022 of Ripon’s traditional New Year’s Eve displays, because of safety concerns about the launch area for the fireworks at the rear of the town hall.
This issue has now been resolved with approval given to a new launch area on The Arcade Car Park.
The Market Square, which has been decked in bunting created by Ripon Community Poppy Project, will be a focal point for the free-to-attend event organised by Ripon City Council to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Today (Saturday) from 11am until 8pm, there will be free fairground rides and from 3pm onwards there will be performances on stage from Cilla & Friends; Katherine Jenkins tribute, Midnight Soul Sisters, and an 80s Pop tribute band.
The Flash: Queen tribute band takes centre stage at 9.30pm to give a rousing build up to the fireworks finale.
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Ripon Cathedral at the centre of coronation celebrationsRipon Cathedral will be the focus of celebrations for the bank holiday weekend for many people, with special events including live streaming of the coronation from Westminster Abbey and a commemorative service for the region on Sunday.
Floral displays by Ripon Cathedral Flower Guild and Ripon Flower Club, depicting the six stages of the coronation ceremony and the role of the King, now adorn the cathedral.
To add to the celebratory atmosphere, the cathedral’s bell ringers will ‘Ring for the King’ before both the coronation ceremony and the civic service on Sunday.
Among them will be four new recruits trained for the weekend’s events. The team of ringers has also been supporting ringers at other towers in the area so that they too can ‘Ring for the King.’
The coronation can be followed from 9.30am on Saturday, with live streaming on large screens in the surroundings of the cathedral nave.
Free light refreshments and activity sheets for children will be available with coverage continuing until after the royal family has appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
On Sunday afternoon the focus switches to a special commemorative service for North Yorkshire to mark the coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The service, which will see Ripon City Band accompany the cathedral choir, is being hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Ms Jo Ropner, representing the King and the Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson.
One of the highlights of the weekend will be a coronation beer festival on bank holiday Monday in the Dean’s Garden, where a large number of volunteers will be giving a helping hand, reflecting on the King’s request for a focus on volunteering on this day, as part of The Big Help Out.
Dean Dobson said:
“We are delighted to be playing our part in helping the region to celebrate the coronation. Our spectacular floral displays will speak of the spiritual dimensions of monarchy, an institution which binds us together as a national community. We pray for God’s blessing upon the King and the Queen and upon all the peoples of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
“Without a whole host of volunteers much of the weekend’s activities would not be possible. I am grateful to them and to our business sponsors for their wonderful support of the beer festival.”
For those attending Ripon Cathedral coronation beer festival, the Dean’s garden is entered from the corner of High St Agnesgate, from 11.30am to 5pm. Visitors can enjoy award-winning beers and ciders accompanied by hot food and live music.
To keep children entertained there will be a bouncy castle, ice cream van and children’s trails.
As last year, the main sponsor is Wolseley of Ripon and the cathedral’s business partner, Raworths solicitors, will also be heavily involved. Hambleton Brewery, Rudgate Brewery and Rick Jones from Valentinos of Ripon will support the event’s logistics. Further details are available here.
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The crowning glory of Ripon’s non-stop knittersRipon’s tireless team of non-stop knitters has transformed the city centre into Coronation Street with their skill and ingenuity.
The behind the scenes needle workers of Ripon Community Poppy Project are adept at creating handmade designs for all occasions, from Remembrance events to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and now, in celebration of her son’s crowning glory at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Within hours of taking down their Easter display, the King Charles III banners and bunting were put in place in High Skellgate, then on railings, the town hall balconies, bollards and on the post box at the entrance to The Arcade.
You can take a look at some of their creations below.
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Developer confirms its commitment to regenerate Ripon’s Spa BathsRipon-based development and investment company Sterne Properties has reaffirmed its commitment to regenerate the city’s historic Spa Baths.
Last June, the Stray Ferret revealed the company was acquiring the building from the then Harrogate Borough Council for an undisclosed sum.
But negotiations have taken longer than expected and Harrogate Borough Council was abolished at the end of last month and replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council.
Company director Robert Sterne said:
“This is a complicated site and obtaining planning for it will be a long process, but we remain 100 percent committed to our hospitality-based regeneration proposals.
“We look forward to presenting our proposals to Ripon City Council.”
In September 2021, the city council successfully applied to have the Edwardian baths building listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council. But at last night’s full council meeting, members voted unanimously to no longer pursue any future ambitions for its own development of the site.
With its track record of developing buildings for the city’s leisure, hospitality and retail sectors – including Curzon Cinema, Claro Lounge and Halls of Ripon – Sterne Properties feels well-equipped to take on the challenge of Spa Baths’ renaissance.
The company has had success in returning redundant properties, such as the former NatWest Bank building next to Ripon Town Hall and an empty furniture store on North Street, into destinations that add value to the city’s offer.
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Health Secretary called upon to keep Ripon dental practice openRipon City Council is seeking government intervention to stop the closure of Bupa’s Finkle Street dental practice.
At last night’s full council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to write to Health Secretary Steve Barclay amid concerns the planned closure of the practice will further reduce access to treatment for NHS patients in the city.
Bupa’s Finkle Street branch which has NHS and private patients on its books, plans to shut its doors on June 30, with the national company citing a lack of dentists to provide care.
Its Clock Tower practice in North Parade is unaffected, as are Harrogate’s Raglan Suite and Bupa Dental Care in East Parade – but none of these is accepting new adult NHS patients.
Cllr Peter Horton said:
“There are masses of people in Ripon in need of NHS dental care, but they now have to travel to places as far away as Guiseley and York to receive treatment from Bupa.
“This is completely unacceptable and we need to state in the strongest terms that we want the Finkle Street practice to stay open.”
Cllr Pauline McHardy said:
“No practices in Ripon are taking NHS patients and the situation is getting worse with more dentists going private.
“The government has overall responsibility for NHS dental services and they need to sort this out.”
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In addition to writing to the Secretary of State for Health, the council is also calling on Ripon Conservative MP Julian Smith and North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon area constituency committee to support its bid to keep the Finkle Street branch open.
Independent city council leader Andrew Williams said:
“This is a very serious issue, not just here but across the country with an estimated 11 million people having no dentist.”
The Finkle Street branch is one of 85 across the country being closed, sold or merged over the coming months. As well as problems with recruiting, Bupa said rising costs influenced its decision.
Last month, at the time of announcing the closures Bupa Dental Care general manager Mark Allen said:
“As a leading dental provider in the UK, our priority must be to enable patients to receive the care they need.
“For the majority of affected practices, this decision will allow commissioners to procure local providers for the NHS contract, tailoring services and investment to the needs of the local community, thereby providing a better opportunity for patients to continue access to NHS dental services.”
Bupa said it will hand back its dental contract in Ripon to the NHS, allowing commissioners to find a new provider for NHS dental services.
Ripon YMCA supporters brave the elements for the homelessStaff, volunteers and supporters of Ripon YMCA, gave up their warm beds to sleep outdoors on a cold, wet evening to highlight the issues of youth homelessness.
The Sleep Easy event staged at the weekend in the grounds of the city’s Workhouse Museum, carried the theme ‘Sleep out so others don’t have to’ and was designed to raise awareness and funds for the charity to help those who do not have a home of their own.
Jayne Shackleton, the YMCA’s community and development manager in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret:
“This is just a small taste of what it’s like for people who, for reasons such as family breakdown, find themselves with no roof over their head and no bed to sleep in.”
Her colleague, Bryony, who is a housing support worker, knows from personal experience about the crucial role that the charity plays in supporting the young and vulnerable who are facing difficult situations.
She said:
“At 16, I went to Ripon YMCA and over the two years that I lived there, I was given the encouragement to believe in myself, while providing the stability that I needed to put my life back on track.”
Bryony lived at Ripon YMCA for two years and now works for the charity
Bryony, added:
“I went on to study for a Youth and Community Work degree and with that qualification, I was proud to be able to return to Ripon to help people facing the same issues that I did when I was younger.”
Ripon Cathedral which, through its C3 Community Connections programme works closely with the YMCA , was represented at the Sleep Easy event.
Canon Matthew Pollard (pictured above, front centre), who joined the cathedral in the autumn, was among those who braved the elements.
He said:
“I have taken part in sleep outs for charities in Nottingham, Huddersfield and Bridlington, so this is my fourth.
“It is important to raise awareness of the YMCA as well as money to support the vital work that it does to support homeless people.”
In the past year the YMCA in Ripon has seen young people staying in cars, sleeping on a kitchen floor and in a shed, with many more ‘sofa surfing’.
The charity provides housing for 22 young people and offers individual support, skills and training, designed to help them reach their full potential.
Anybody who would like to support Ripon YMCA, can find out more here
Ripon Theatre Festival unveils expanded programme for 2023Puppets will be popping up in some unexpected places as part of a number of new features included in Ripon Theatre Festival’s expanded programme.
Organisers have added a series of pop-up mini events throughout Ripon, working with shops, cafés and city attractions to bring puppet shows and storytelling to unusual and intimate surroundings.
This includes Puppets for Breakfast at Wetherspoon’s Unicorn Hotel, a suitcase puppet show The Hare and the Moon in the Cabmen’s shelter in the Market Place and the GreenHouse shop on North Street, and Beached, an immersive puppet show at Ripon Cathedral, where performers and audience members wear headphones for the experience.
St Wilfrid’s Crypt in the Cathedral will see Fell-Foss Theatre’s rolling performance of The Wanderer and expert storyteller Gav Cross will bring Twisted Tales for Terrible Children to the somewhat spooky Curzon Cinema Cellar and the Courthouse Museum.
The second Ripon Theatre Festival will take place from Wednesday, June 7 to Sunday, June 11, featuring four days and five nights crammed with performances and activity.
Drama highlights include visits from up-and-coming theatre companies performing in Ripon Arts Hub, a return visit from open-air specialists Illyria with their family show Robin Hood at Fountains Abbey, and a production of Sense and Sensibility in the garden at The Old Deanery.
The festival will also be welcoming BBC Radio 4 favourite and gentle Northern activist Kate Fox, and Liz Grand with her one-woman show Where’s Mrs Christie?.
Rhubarb Theatre’s A Wonderland of Games will feature as part of the free family fun in Spa Gardens on Sunday June 11.
There are many festival events for children and families. In addition to shows at Ripon Library on Thursday and Friday , there will be street theatre, walkabout acts and pop-up performances throughout the weekend.
Circus, street theatre and community combine on Saturday at two performance zones, the Market Place and Minster Gardens (adjacent to Ripon Cathedral). Featured entertainment includes a comic escapology show from The Maniax and Dizzy O’Dare’s award-winning Giant Balloon Show.
Spa Gardens will be the focus of free family-friendly theatre and puppetry on Sunday June 11. The festival promises a “boredom-free zone” with visits from Hoglets Theatre, Rhubarb Theatre, Frolicked and Strange-Twig Theatre, alongside music and dance from community performers. A highlight of day will be performances of A La Puppet Carte when three electric tricycles open up to reveal three heart-warming puppet shows from Thingumajig Theatre.
Festival characters and performers will also visit Sunday’s Little Bird Artisan Market, adding additional colour and fun in the Market Place.
Thanks to the support of local businesses and key funders, much of the Festival is totally free to enjoy and ticketed events are low-cost.
Festival director Katie Scott said:
“We are delighted that this year we are offering many performances as ‘pay what you can’ events. We know that families in particular are feeling the financial crunch and this allows ticket purchasers to select their chosen amount or to opt for a free ticket. This is also a way of encouraging people to come to multiple performances by spreading their budget and trying different shows in different venues.”
The Ripon Theatre Festival programme also includes Overblown! a community-led evening of sketches and music, a premiere performance of work by local poet Ian Gouge, a musical travelogue for Sunday brunch from Steve Bonham, and Bread is Life – a lunchtime meze event where both Syrian stories and food will be shared. The festival opens on Wednesday, June 7 with dystopian comedy Happy Place at Ripon Arts Hub.