Ripon jobs in jeopardy as fashion retailer goes into administrationJobs are at risk on Ripon’s high street today after fashion retailer M&Co fell into administration for the second time in two years.
A notice on the door of the store on Fishergate says Gavin Park, Adele MacLeod and Rob Harding of Teneo Restructuring Limited were appointed joint administrators on Friday and are managing ‘the affairs, business and property of the company’.
A buyer is being urgently sought for the Scottish retail chain, which employs almost 2,000 staff in more than 170 UK shops.
The Ripon store remained open today but staff were unable to comment on the news or confirm how many people are employed there. In the meantime a time-limited flash sale has been launched.
Specialist fashion trade publication Drapers reported first on the Mc&Co news and quoted a spokesman from Teneo, who said:
“Like many retailers, the company has experienced a sharp rise in its input costs, which has coincided with a decline in consumer confidence leading to increased pressure on cash flows and trading losses.
“No immediate redundancies have been made and the joint administrators are exploring a potential sale of the business in an accelerated timeframe, during which time the company will continue to trade from its stores and website.”
Tough trading conditions exacerbated by covid lockdowns previously saw M&Co go into administration in August 2020, but the business was saved when it was bought by its Scottish owners the McGeoch family, in a deal that saw 47 stores close and more than 300 jobs lost.
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Christmas market cruise heading to RiponRipon Scenic Cruises is set to host its second Christmas market on the city’s canal.
Victoria Whitehead organised the first, which was held in 2018, and the second which is set to be held on December 17 and 18 from 11am to 3pm.
Richard Willis, father of Victoria, said:
“We’ve got the boat sat there, we’ve got the space why not put on a Christmas Market and cruise?”
So far Victoria and Richard estimate they have sold over 40 tickets for each day of the market and they hope to expand next year.
The firm will also be providing a ‘winter warmer cruise’ with mince pies and mulled wine at £8.50 a ticket.
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The cruise will travel down the Ripon canal and can hold up to 12 people.
The market is expecting at least five different stalls from local businesses and live music.
Tickets for the cruise can be bought on the day or at the Cathedral View Cafe at 2 Bedern Bank, Ripon HG4 1BS.
City councillors support the principle of £6m Ripon Cathedral developmentCity councillors have given their support in principle to Ripon Cathedral’s proposed £6 million standalone development on land to the north of the ancient building.
Members at Monday’s full meeting voted unanimously to support a proposal from leader Cllr Andrew Williams saying the council is in favour of the general principle of the development but is opposed to the closure of Minster Road.
The vote was taken following a presentation of the plans by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson and Colin Little, chair of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed Steering Group.
Ripon City Council is opposed to the closure of Minster Road as part of the development proposals.
In addition to their presentation, a model showing the planned development was available for councillors to see.
Dean John told the meeting:
“We have had a tremendous year with in excess of 100,000 people visiting the cathedral.”
He said attracting large numbers of visitors was beneficial to the wider Ripon economy, but also highlighted the need for the provision of modern facilities.
Dean John said:
“We have been looking for a solution to give the cathedral what it needs and this includes new toilets, new facilities for the choir, a gift shop larger than the one we currently have, a refectory and more storage space.”
Mr Little said the proposed cloistered two-storey stone building on Minster Gardens would be in keeping with neighbouring buildings in the conservation area and the development would include extensive landscaping that would increase the amount of public open space.
Cllr Williams said:
“We will be looking at the finer detail when the planning application is submitted, but the city council supports the general principle of this development, with the exception of the proposed closure of Minster Road, which we cannot agree with because diverting traffic elsewhere would cause many problems.”
He added:
“The cathedral draws in tens of thousands of visitors a year to Ripon and it should have decent toilets and other facilities to serve their needs.”
Should planning permission be granted, the building would include the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet facility for use by disabled people.
Cllr Pauline McHardy said:
“I am very excited about these plans. Our ancient city with its beautiful cathedral must move forward and the addition of facilities that make it more accessible to disabled people are most welcome.”
Delayed opening for temporary gym at Ripon leisure centreThe opening of the proposed £300,000 temporary gym at Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon has been delayed until the New Year.
On July 28, Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) said it had submitted a planning application to install the temporary structure on the car park next to the centre’s main entrance and added that it would open in the autumn at a date to be confirmed.
Today, an HBC spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:
“I’m led to believe the temporary gym will not require planning permission now and we’ll be looking at installing the temporary gym in the new year (date TBC).
“Ahead of opening, we’ll be making all customers/members aware.”
In the meantime, the gym located on the upper floor of the existing 1995 leisure centre where remedial ground stabilisation works are due to take place at a cost of £3.5 million will remain open.
At the time of HBC’s announcement in July, Cllr Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active which runs the centre, said:
“We remain committed to enabling people to enjoy physical activity.
“By providing a temporary gym, while the ground stabilisation works take place, we can minimise the disruption to current and potential customers and ensure they can continue to maintain their health and wellbeing goals.”
The need for ground stabilisation works follows the discovery of a void under part of the existing leisure centre understood to have been present for a number of years.
It was discovered when the reinforced concrete slab for the new swimming pool was cast.
The temporary gym will include equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre and expert advice and guidance will be provided by members of the Brimhams Active team.
Customers will be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area – as well as the sauna and steam suite – which opened in March and group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall.
Ripon’s Royal Engineers enjoy freedom of the city
Rousing military music resounded on city streets yesterday morning as Ripon’s Royal Engineers held their annual freedom march.
Members of the 21 Engineer Regiment based at Claro Barracks, who returned to the UK in September from postings in Cyprus and Poland, were joined by a band from the Royal Corps of Army Music, as 300 uniformed men and women marched past the town hall and down Kirkgate for a service held in their honour at the cathedral.
Eyes right as the Royal Engineers march past Ripon Town Hall and take the salute from city Mayor Councillor Sid Hawke and other civic dignitaries.
In line with tradition the Engineers, who were awarded the freedom of Ripon in 1949, exercised the rights bestowed on them 73 years ago, by marching in step to the sound of the band with drums beating and bayonets fixed.
The march down Kirkgate.
In addition to the six-month United Nations peacekeeping role in Cyprus that the Engineers took up in March and the detachment to Poland, Ripon-based sappers have served on operations in Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, providing light role close support that enables the army to live, move and fight.
The Royal Engineers attended a service at Ripon Cathedral
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Salvation Army in Ripon faces a ‘tsunami’ of Christmas needThe Salvation Army headquarters in Ripon is attempting to deal with a ‘tsunami of need’ as its Christmas appeal faces its most difficult challenge in 30 years.
Pat Clark, a leader at the Lead Lane church, told the Stray Ferret:
“With the cost-of-living crisis biting hard and people struggling to pay their increased energy, food, mortgage and rent bills, the call for assistance across the Harrogate district is growing by the day.
“This has been our most challenging year since we started the annual appeal in 1992 and at present we are attempting to keep up with the calls for assistance, but are dealing with a tsunami of need.”
Last year, with goods donated from Ripon Cathedral, churches across the district, businesses and individuals, 250 bags of tinned and packaged food items, including sweet and savoury goods and Christmas treats such as cake, mince pies and chocolates, were provided for families in financial difficulty.
In addition, 150 bags containing brand-new donated toys and presents for children and adults, were distributed and these, like the food bags, were given to recipients recommended by health and other community-based agencies acting as a link between the Salvation Army and the families.
Alison Hewitt, Salvation Army corps assistant at Lead Lane, said:
“The calls for help this Christmas are already proving greater than in previous years and we are seeking donations of food items such as tinned vegetables and meat, tinned and packaged soups, pasta, cereal, coffee, tea and long-life milk.
“We have already prepared 170 food bags ready for distribution, but still have some way to go and we hope that the community can assist us once more by making donations of both goods and gifts that will go to families who need a helping hand.”
Donations can be dropped off at the church on Lead Lane between 10am and 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays up until December 21. More details are available by calling 01765 692 657.
Candles and choristers light up Ripon Cathedral’s Advent serviceThe Ripon Cathedral Choir, led by director of music Dr Ronny Krippner, was in fine voice at yesterday evening’s candlelit Advent service.
As Christmas approaches, the spectacular event including readings, prayers and hymns, attracted a congregation of hundreds to the ancient building, founded by Wilfrid in 672 AD.
A central feature of the evening was the Advent procession (pictured below) which saw the cathedral’s choristers walk in two groups down the south and north aisles before meeting as one at the cathedral entrance.
They and the congregation sang together the processional hymn O come, O come Emmanuel!
Choristers walked in procession down the south and north aisles of the cathedral
The congregation was welcomed by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson, who said:
“Let us in this holy season reflect on the coming of Christ who brings light to the world.
“Let us leave behind the darkness of sin, walk in the light that shines on our path, and renew within ourselves the hope of glory to which he beckons us.”
The blessing was given by the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt. Revd. Dr Helen-Ann Hartley (pictured above with Dean John)
Judges cast their votes on Ripon’s Christmas windowsAn independent panel of judges, braved heavy showers to view and cast their votes for the 23 entries in the Ripon Business Improvement District’s Christmas Windows competition.
The panel, including the city’s Mayor and Mayoress Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda and the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson have had their say, but the final outcome of the competition rests with a public vote and the winning entry will be announced on December 19.
Dean John judging the window at Specsavers
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“Like Strictly Come Dancing, the votes of the public will be added to the marks given by the judges.”
More details on how to vote for your favourite Christmas window click here
Children were involved in producing the window display at Cathedral View Cafe
Ms Bathurst, pointed out:
“The theme that we set was peace and sanctuary and the judges were asked to bear this in mind when assessing the entries.”
She added:
“We are delighted with the number of businesses that took part, as the window displays combined with the city’s festive lights and our free parking after 3pm initiative on the Fridays running up to Christmas, all add to the attraction of Ripon.”
Dean John, said:
“It’s great to see the business community embracing the central Christmas messages of peace and sanctuary in an imaginative way that helps to lift all of our spirits in these difficult times.”
Emmy award for former Ripon Grammar School studentFormer Ripon Grammar School (RGS) student Mark Hills has won an Emmy award for his work in creating an audio production system credited with revolutionising the television industry.
The computer expert and his business partner Marc Bacos created the ground-breaking system used in the production of innovative soundtracks for hit TV series such as The Crown, The Queen’s Gambit, The Flight Attendant and Line of Duty.
The pair received their Emmys at a glitzy award ceremony in Beverley Hills and afterwards Mr Hills said that receipt of the small screen equivalent of an Oscar had come ‘completely out of the blue.’
He added:
“It’s great that as a technologist these awards are within reach. We hadn’t had any previous contact with the Television Academy.
“The judges seemed to be really impressed with what we had done.”
Their Cleanfeed system, which works for radio, TV and film, connects studios together so that the quality sounds as if it’s all being recorded in the same room.
Mr Hills, whose parents Peter and Greta live in Sharow, pointed out:
“We made this kind of technology accessible in a way it wasn’t before.”
The 41-year-old, who left RGS in 1999 to study computer science at university, is no stranger to awards.
In 2014, he was part of a large team at British visual effects company Framestore which won both the Oscar and Bafta for best visual effects for the film Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.
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Ripon groups offer warm spaces as winter approachesWith fuel bills soaring, a guide to more than 40 activities that people can join in to keep warm this winter has been produced by the Ripon Cathedral Community Connections group (C3).
The guide titled Find a Warm Welcome in Ripon, features the activities and facilities that churches, including the cathedral, charities, community groups, the library and other organisations across the city are providing, as people of all ages face a cost-of-living crisis caused by rising gas, electricity and heating oil prices.
Anne-Marie Tarter, of C3, told the Stray Ferret:
“The response from the community to production of the guide has been magnificent – for example, the Ripon churches told me what they were already doing and then added in whole new sessions specifically designed for people wanting a warm place to go this winter.”
Holy Trinity Church is providing a wide range of activities to help people keep warm
She added:
“Before long I had an amazing list of ideas for people looking for a warm place in Ripon and these have been included in a 4-page booklet.”
The activities cover people of all ages from families with babies and toddlers to the elderly and include free play sessions, free breakfasts and lunches, opportunities to become involved with sewing, knitting and other craft groups and indoor bowling.
Full details can be found by clicking here.
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