The Ripon Royal Engineers Association and the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion have joined forces to restore benches in the city’s Garden of Remembrance.

The restoration was carried out by former serving Sapper Keith Riley and the re-painted wooden benches with their brass plaques gleaming again, are back in place ahead of the service of blessing at the garden on November 5.

Mr Riley, who learnt carpentry along with many other skills during a 37-year career in the Royal engineers, told the Stray Ferret:

“It was an honour to be asked to carry out this work and I was pleased that I was able to do my bit.”

The newly restored benches

Kenn Hart, former serving Sapper and Ripon REA chair, said:

“I noticed that the three benches in the memorial garden were in a terrible condition, so I contacted Keith, who I know has expertise in restoration work of this nature.

“He was supported by two more former serving Sappers Alec Lutton, representing the Ripon RBL and Hamish Hamilton of the REA.”

How the benches looked before they were restored

All bills for the work were paid by the REA, on behalf of the community of Ripon.

Mr Lutton, who cleaned the memorial plaques on each of the benches added:

“We are grateful to H.A.Green & Sons, who have cleaned the plinth in the garden.

“It is important to keep the benches usable, for the many visitors who walk in the garden and may wish to sit and reflect on the past and the sacrifices made by our wonderful forces.”

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• Ripon gets ready for Remembrance services
• Ripon Library celebrates Royal anniversary

Ripon Library, which received a royal seal of approval, when the then Prince of Wales formally opened it two decades ago, is holding a double celebration today.

The Prince, who was proclaimed as King Charles III last month, was made a Freeman of the City in October 2002, in appreciation of his ‘unique contribution to the regeneration of Ripon.’

Part of that regeneration included the opening of a new library and the anniversary of his visit is being celebrated, alongside the fifth birthday of the Ripon Library Action Group (RLAG), whose volunteers work in partnership with permanent staff, to support the provision of services to the community.

The plaque at Ripon Town Hall which commemorates the then Prince of Wales being made a Freeman of the City

To celebrate both the library’s 20th anniversary and the partnership with RLAG, there will be a birthday party for invited guests this afternoon.

Sarah Jacques, chair of trustees of RLAG, said:

“I am really proud of the impact that the Library has in the city and surrounding villages.  We are statistically one of the most used and most successful libraries in the county.  That is down to the commitment of both the staff and volunteers working closely together.”

The library is central to much that happens in the city, including working closely with the theatre festival, poetry festival, Ripon Museum Trust, the YMCA and others on youth development.

It is also central to children’s education, going out to schools and running the summer reading challenge every year.

Ms Jacques added

“The library and our volunteers were honoured in the recent St Wilfrid’s stars scheme run by Ripon Together.  It was wonderful to see that the city appreciates what we do for everyone.”

This story is sponsored by Little Bird Made.

Jackie Crozier’s ambition is to make the Harrogate district and neighbouring areas a Mecca for artisan markets, where local traders can showcase and sell their hand-crafted goods and customers can find those extra special and unique items.

In the four years since she hatched a plan to hold an inaugural market in her home city of Ripon, Jackie’s Little Bird Made venture has spread its wings and now has more than ten venues in North and West Yorkshire where its events are regularly held.

Pictures above and below, from the bustling artisan markets held by Little Bird in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens last Christmas

The latest exciting addition to a fast-growing list of attractive and historic locations is Harewood House, where the talented and hard-working Little Bird team will curate a four-day Artisan Winter Market from Thursday November 3 until Sunday November 6.

Little Bird founder and managing director Jackie, said:

“This will be the largest event that we have ever staged, with more than 100 stalls each day located on the North Park Walk facing onto the magnificent 18th century country house.”

She added:

“It’s a fabulous setting for a pre-Christmas market and there will be a wonderful atmosphere for visitors and our community of traders.

“In addition to the wide-range of handmade goods and food and drink items on sale, there will be demonstrations of artisan crafts and a special letterbox where children can post a letter to Santa.”

Entry to the winter market is £5 and includes access to the grounds, but there will be no charge for Harewood members. Tickets can be booked by clicking here.

The market will be open daily from 10am until 4pm.

Jackie, who was born and bred in Ripon, launched Little Bird after being away from the city for more than 20 years, working as the Director of the Manchester Pride Festival and later as an events manager working on a number of high-profile events including the London 2012 Olympics.

The expertise that she gained in working with stakeholders including local councils, community groups, performers and suppliers, has been put to good use in developing the Little Bird business and ethos.

She said:

“Our aim is to create added value events that bring increased footfall to the marvellous market towns that we have in the Harrogate district and further afield.

“Visitors who come to our markets often stay to look around local attractions and spend money in shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs, before they go home.”

Jackie, added:

“We are planning to add to our list of locations next year and believe that there will be further economic, and community benefits all round if we can make this area a Mecca for artisan markets.

“We are also always looking for local artisans who would like to join us and share in the Little Bird experience.”

Upcoming Little Bird Christmas markets

Following the Winter Market at Harewood House, Little Bird will, for the second year running, be holding Christmas Markets with 75 stalls in the Sun Colonnade at Harrogate’s Valley Gardens on December 3,4,10 and 11.

Between November 12 and December 18, one day markets with up to 60 artisan traders present, will be held in Easingwold, Boroughbridge, Wetherby, Richmond, Thirsk, Leyburn, Harrogate Horticultural Nursery, Ripon, Driffield and Northallerton.

Click here to see the full list of Little Bird Made events coming soon.

Key locations in Ripon are being decked with thousands of knitted poppies ready for this year’s remembrance events.

Over the weekend, members of Ripon Community Poppy Project were given a helping hand from city firefighters as displays were put in place at the town hall.

Hazel Barker, who founded the project in 2018 with former mayor Cllr Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have knitted thousands of new poppies to replace some of the ones that have been used in previous years.”

She added:

“We are grateful, as ever, to the fire brigade for the tremendous help they have given us in putting up the town hall display.”

To support the work of the Community Poppy Project, a Concert of Remembrance featuring Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and the Duchy Belles, will be held at Ripon Cathedral on November 10, starting at 7.15pm.

Tickets are £12 and available from Stuff 4 Offices on Fishergate and the Wakeman’s House Cafe on Market place.

Hazel Barker and Councillor Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project, are pictured with the crew Ripon’s Red Watch, from the left: Firefighters Turner, Harvey and Foster and crew managers Fagg and Thwaites.

Meanwhile, the Ripon Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) has confirmed details of services to be held on November 5 and 13.

On Saturday November 5, the Garden of Remembrance created by the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion in 2018, following donations from the public, authorities and the business community, will be blessed by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson.

The blessing ceremony, followed by a two-minute silence at 11am, will be attended by the Mayor of Ripon Cllr Sid Hawke, serving officers, members of the RBL and standard bearers.

Guests and other attendees will have the opportunity to place a poppy cross in remembrance of the fallen who died, not only in the first world war, but all war and conflicts since.

Remembrance Sunday Service

Ripon’s Remembrance Sunday service will be held on November 13 at the war memorial in Spa Gardens, where there will be a two-minute silence before wreaths are laid in honour of the fallen, by civic dignitaries, members of the armed forces, the RBL and representatives of other organisations. Those planning to attend are asked to arrive by 10.30am.

On completion of the service at the war memorial, the civic party will proceed to the town hall where there will be a march past and salute.

The march past, including members of the Royal Engineers, standard bearers, veterans, Ripon City Band, cadets, scouts and guides and representatives of other organisations, will head down Kirkgate to the cathedral, where a service will be held.

Jeet Bahadur Sahi, chair of the RBL Ripon Branch, said:

“We remember those who lost their lives on active service in all conflicts, from the beginning of the First World War right up to the present day. We also remember all those who have served and their families.

“Remembrance events encourage communities to come together to honour those who served and remember their sacrifices.

 “We unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from Britain and the Commonwealth.”

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• Service celebrates Ripon’s patron saint

Ripon Business Improvement District (BID), has reflected on a busy first year, while looking forward to plans for the future.

Speaking at Monday evening’s annual review meeting in the Claro Lounge, BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said that the objective has been to generate increased footfall and profits for businesses in the Ripon city region, by raising its profile and making it more attractive to visitors and local residents.

She pointed out that initiatives undertaken since the BID came into being last autumn, have ranged from steam cleaning of more than 5,000 square metres of streets and ginnels, to supporting festivals and events and launching the Ripon Apprenticeship and Training Hub (RATH).

Other activities in the year include the installation of lighting in ginnels and alleyways, working alongside Ripon in Bloom to fund new floral displays and providing free, independent consultancy advice to businesses to help them identify savings that can be made on energy and other bills.

Ms Bathurst, said:

“It has been a busy first year and we thank all businesses that have worked with us to make Ripon and more vibrant place.”

She added:

“Looking ahead, we are planning further investment in home-grown events, a continuing programme of cleaning and greening, the full launch of RATH in schools and through employer networking events and progressing our wayfinding initiative.”

BID board member Rick Jones, owner of Valentino’s and the Water Rat gastro pub, said:

“Plans are in hand to introduce a walking map of Ripon, that will be available in all car parks and other locations, where there will be information boards.

“This will help to guide people and encourage them to explore all areas of the city.”

Fellow board member and leader of Ripon City Council, Andrew Williams, pointed out:

“The council is spending an additional £40,000 on Christmas lights this year, with the aim of attracting more visitors and increasing footfall, so that people with disposable income spend their money here.”

Chair of the BID board and owner of Newby Hall Richard Compton, who chaired the meeting, said:

“We are committed to creating an environment that will help businesses in Ripon and the outlying areas to succeed and a great deal has been achieved in a relatively short space of time.”

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• Bells ring out for Ripon’s patron saint

The Archbishop of York, The Most Revd. Stephen Cottrell, spoke of his ‘great love and devotion to St Wilfrid’ in a sermon to a packed congregation at Ripon Cathedral yesterday.

The Patronal Eucharist service marked the climax of six months of celebrations, which focused on the life and work of the city’s patron saint.

It brought leading clergy and civic dignitaries from across the region to the church founded in 672 AD.

The congregation at yesterday’s service.

At the conclusion of the service, the archbishop, attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner, the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Revd Nick Baines and the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, dedicated a newly-created ledger stone to the visionary Benadictine monk.

The ledger stone at Ripon Cathedral.

He said:

“Gracious God, as we celebrate the 1,350th anniversary of Ripon’s Anglo-Saxon crypt, we give thanks for its ancient stones which bear witness to your faithfulness to us in every generation.

“As Wilfrid, holy and bold, built up your church in his day, so may we now, in and through this cathedral, bear witness to the inclusive good news of your kingdom for this city, diocese and region.”

The archbishop, added:

“May this stone, now incorporated into the fabric of this ancient cathedral as a lasting expression of gratitude for our founding patron, St Wilfrid, prompt us to follow his example of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to your world.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, gave a reading from the New Testament.

Attendees at the service, led by the Bishop of Leeds, included the Harrogate Borough Mayor, councillor Victoria Oldham and the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, councillor Sid and Linda Hawke.

In his welcoming address, Dean John Dobson (pictured above) said:

“For six months we have been enjoying a full programme of events which has helped us mark the 1350th anniversary of St Wilfrid dedicating his great basilica here in 672 AD.

“That was a church building which spoke of wider, universal influence and the determination to equip the church for fitting worship and active mission in the world.”

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• Bells ring out for Ripon’s patron saint

The Archbishop of York and Bishop of Leeds will be at Ripon Cathedral for a special service tomorrow to mark the culmination of the cathedral’s 1350th anniversary celebrations.

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell and Rt Revd Nick Baines, will be at the 10.30am Eucharist Service, which will conclude with the dedication of a ledger stone honouring the cathedral’s founding father St Wilfrid

Throughout this year, the cathedral community has been telling the story of the missionary bishop and patron saint of the city, with art installations, son et lumieres, lectures and worship.

The ledger stone has been laid under the central tower, above the crypt dedicated by St. Wilfrid in 672AD and near to where the saint was buried. The crypt is the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral.

The stone has been created by letter carver Charlotte Howarth from Making Marks in Norfolk, who worked round the clock for four weeks to complete the work on time.

Her previous projects include the carving of the gilt lettering into the oak for the Remember Me memorial portico entrance at St Paul’s Cathedral, dedicated to those who died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carving the ledger stone was highly skilled and physically demanding work, using an extremely hard stone called Stanhoe Framp.

Ms Howarth, said:

“You become emotionally involved with a project when you work on it. I do think it looks fabulous, there is an overwhelming feeling of relief to see it laid in the floor of the cathedral.”

A bequest of £20,000 for the benefit of Quarry Moor, could lead to new recreational facilities for young people living in Ripon.

Ripon City Council, which holds the site in trust, agreed to use the donation received from the estate of a local parishioner, as the seed funding to get a major project under way.

At Monday’s full council meeting, council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“We already have £70,000 set aside to upgrade play equipment at the site and I recommend that we use the bequest to employ consultants who can develop a plan and help us to apply for Lottery funding and other grants.”

He added:

“We need to think outside the box and look for something that is big, bold and imaginative for the young people of Ripon, such as a climbing centre or trampoline park.”

Councillor Julie Martin-Long, who chairs the Quarry Moor Committee, said:

“This is a great location, with a lot of potential and it will be extremely helpful to have professional consultants advising us.”

The Quarry Moor Activities Centre

The site, which includes a nature reserve, children’s playground, and a run-down activities centre in a poor condition, is located next to McDonald’s on the Harrogate Road,

Quarry Moor was donated to Ripon by Alderman Thomas F Spence in 1945 and has been held in trust by the city council for the use of local people ever since.

The nature reserve was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1986 in recognition of its unique geology and rare, species-rich magnesian limestone grassland.

Through careful management over the years, it has become a place of nature conservation and quiet recreation, while providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

A six-acre portion of the site where the activities centre, playground, picnic area and parking facilities are located, does not come within the SSSI designation.

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• Opportunities to learn more about Ripon’s ancient trees

Ripon councillors are calling on North Yorkshire County Council not to sanction spending £3.5 million on remediation works at the city’s leisure centre.

The city council believes that other options should be fully investigated, including building a new centre at a different location where there are stable ground conditions.

The ground floor of the leisure centre has stayed closed due to safety concerns and Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) is to install a temporary gym on the site.

The call from city councillors comes after a report by engineering firm Stantec into the ground stability issues affecting the existing centre’s foundations.

The report, supplied following a Freedom of Information Request made to HBC, ruled out a new location for the centre, but Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to NYCC in May, said:

“They (HBC) are blindly and belligerently pouring money into propping up a centre that is nearly 30 years old and there is no guarantee that more funding won’t be needed after remediation works begin.”

He added:

“These works would take the total spending on this project to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget – and they can’t continue ploughing money into this site, with its known history of ground stability issues, including a sinkhole that opened up on the leisure centre car park in 2018.

“Instead of throwing good money after bad, we need to call on North Yorkshire Council, who will take over responsibility from April, to put an end to this additional spending and look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land.”

As part of the devolution process, any major financial decisions by HBC will need to be approved by NYCC’s executive. Permission needs to be given for capital projects costing £1 million and above.

A report to a meeting of HBC’s cabinet in August said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs of the remediation works but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.

“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.

“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.

“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complimented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”

The spokesperson, added:

“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”

This autumn, Ripon’s Skell Valley Project is celebrating the numerous ancient trees that can be found throughout the valley.

On October 26, the project team will be holding an Ancient Tree Discovery Day at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, where ancient tree advisor and author Brian Muelaner will be exploring the world of veteran trees.

The family-friendly event will run from 1-4pm and will include a slideshow and talk about the ancient trees of the National Trust and their cultural heritage connections.

This will be followed by a guided walk exploring the spectacular veteran trees of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

Attendance is free, but does have to be booked by contacting karen.collins@nationaltrust.org.uk

Before the discovery day, Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate is hosting a book talk on October 21 at Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate.

Running from 7.30pm until 9.30pm, it will feature authors Simon Toomer and Max Adams.

They will be discussing the importance of trees in the landscape and celebrating the wonder of trees. The event is being held in partnership with Little Ripon Bookshop, and tickets are available online or directly from the bookshop. Bookings can be made online by clicking here.

Gabby Crisp, Skell Valley area ranger said:

“Ancient trees are so important in the Skell Valley because of how incredible they are for wildlife and biodiversity.

“Rot holes provide homes for nesting birds, and invertebrates, which are vital to the ecosystem.

“We also consider the beauty and heritage value of our ancient trees. They’ve seen all the changes in the valley over hundreds of years and we need to continue to look after them.

“The Skell Valley is an important place for ancient trees. The designed landscape at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal means that there are lots of surviving ancient trees. There are lots of ancient and oaks and ash living in the valley too.

“Some of these are already suffering from ash dieback and one of the ambitions of the project is to monitor these so that we can plan for resilient future planting.  We’ll be working with volunteers to map and record veteran and ancient trees in the valley, and will be running a number of public events too”

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