After demand for The Bad Room went through the roof, Ripon author Jade Kelly’s debut book has been reprinted by publisher Harper Collins.

The author, who manages the Navigation Inn at Bondgate Green, features the harrowing true story about the abuse she and other children suffered when they were fostered by an evil woman.

From 11am and 1pm tomorrow, Jade will be signing copies at The Little Ripon Bookshop in Westgate.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Though the launch plan was disrupted by the covid lockdowns, once the book hit the shelves demand for it went through the roof and to date, 35,000 copies have been sold.

“It appears to have caught the eye of many people – perhaps because it tackles issues that have come to prominence in a number of high-profile inquiries.”

Ranked in the UK as the third best-selling in its genre, the book, which is also available as a download on Apple and Kindle, has been in the top five Amazon best sellers and is in constant reprint.

Ms Kelly has rebuilt her life and been manager of the Navigation since moving to Ripon in 2019.

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Me Kelly said:

“Writing it brought back many bad memories, but at the same time I felt it helped in my own healing process.

“I hope that reading it will help others who are facing, or have faced similar situations.”

As well as being available at the Little Ripon Bookshop, The Bad Room is on sale at WH Smith,  Waterstones and from Amazon.

Policing in Ripon has come under the spotlight once more, following the fourth vandal attack in 14 months on a rare listed building owned by the city council.

Though the Cabmen’s Shelter on Market Place East, is located just yards away from a CCTV surveillance camera,  nobody has been arrested, charged and prosecuted for damaging the historic building’s windows and door.

A possible reason for the lack of success in bringing the vandal or vandals to justice, emerged when the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council’s CCTV surveillance team charges police across the Harrogate district, £57 per hour for checking through and supplying footage.

Cllr Parkin, said:

“When I personally reported a vandal attack on the shelter, I was told by the police that I needed to give a precise timeframe in which the vandalism occurred, which is clearly ludicrous.

“Residents and visitors naturally assume, as I did, that the CCTV cameras covering Market Square and other parts of the city, are our constant guardians, watching over us 24 hours a day, while being a vital tool in spotting criminal behaviour and assisting in the arrest of those involved in violence or vandalism.

The CCTV camera at Market Place North, Ripon

‘Confidence further eroded’

“Once I realised  that there is no point in contacting the police if you can’t provide exact timings, my confidence in the standard of policing in the city was further eroded and I and other candidates out canvassing across the city in the run-up to last week’s election, discovered that dissatisfaction with the police in Ripon is widespread.”

Cllr Parkin, added:

“I also feel exasperated and sickened in the knowledge that an already deficient service is further impacted by Harrogate Borough Council’s commercialisation of CCTV surveillance, ironically operated by HBC’s housing and safer communities team.”

What does Harrogate Borough Council say?

The Stray Ferret asked HBC about the £57 per hour charge levied to pay for the team at the council’s centralised surveillance unit to look through and provide recorded footage, to help police with their enquiries.

A council spokesperson said:

“CCTV across the Harrogate district, which is owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council, has on-going infrastructure and running costs.

“As well as the costs to maintain the service, there are also costs associated with a CCTV control room, staffing and the on-going safe storage of footage.

“Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of any footage, this would require an appropriate individual reviewing it first, followed by providing the footage securely along with a witness statement. All while adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998.

“Therefore, any third-party that wishes to view and use any CCTV footage – such as an insurance company, enforcement agency or the police – is charged to do so.”

Response from Ripon police

Insp Alex Langley, who heads Ripon’s neighbourhood policing team, said:

He said:

“I understand the frustrations and concerns of the community on this damage issue and it is totally unacceptable for this damage to be repeated.

“There is CCTV in location and the footage is of excellent quality when zoomed in and an operator is following a suspect. The challenges that HBC face when operating cameras is that the district has many cameras that require monitoring.”

Our photograph shows the proximity of the Cabmen’s Shelter to the cctv camera located at the junction of Market Place South and Kirkgate

Incidents that go undetected

Insp Langley added:

“The control room at Harrogate has numerous operators at peak times covering these cameras, but sadly incidents like this can occur undetected.

“If there is another incident ongoing at the time that the operator is viewing elsewhere then matters can be unchecked and unnoticed. If a suspect stands at distance from the shelter and throws stones they can easily remain undetected and unsighted.

“The location is in the centre of Ripon, opposite a pub, taxi rank and very busy car park yet we never seem to have any witnesses and always discover the damage days after it has occurred.”

He added:

“I am really frustrated with the minor damages and unacceptable conduct of a small handful of local people that cause misery and issues for everybody else.

“What we have found is that when tackling issues of ASB (anti-social behaviour) by increasing patrols, resources and presence It does deter or displace people into other areas of the City where the Police presence is not as high or prominent.

“This is a constant and on-going battle to try prevent and deter ASB and damages such as this from occurring. We are currently working in partnership with local people and the community and we have just recently set up the Ripon Community Alcohol Partnership to try tackle alcohol associated issues.”

Insp Langley encourages anybody with concerns about policing issues in Ripon to attend a public meeting at new Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Monday May 16. The meeting starts at 8pm.

Read more:

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• Council’s formal complaint to crime commissioner about Ripon policing

Ripon voters heralded in a new era at both city and North Yorkshire level when they went to the polls last week.

Independent Andrew Williams was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council by a landslide in the Minster and Moorside division while Barbara Brodigan, standing for election for the first time, won comfortably for the Lib Dems in the Spa and Ure Bank division.

Prior to Thursday, Ripon’s north and south wards had been represented at North Yorkshire County Council by Conservatives Mike Chambers and Stuart Martin.

However, Cllr Chambers, who is also a member of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet, lost his county seat while first-time Conservative candidate Thomas Averre saw the seat formerly occupied by Cllr Martin change hands in emphatic fashion.

Conservatives relegated to third

Cllr Williams, who has served as Ripon City Council leader since 2020, was elected with the largest majority of any candidate standing in the 21 Harrogate district divisions.

He took the seat more than 1,100 votes clear of second placed Lib Dem Thomas Cavell-Taylor, while Mr Averre finished third of the three candidates.

Cllr Chambers will, like Cllr Martin, remain a member of Harrogate Borough Council until its abolition in April, when the new unitary authority comes into being.

He finished third of the four candidates in the Spa and Ure Bank division, behind victor Barbara Brodigan and lndependent  Sid Hawke, who won his city council seat and will remain on Harrogate Borough Council until it ceases to exist.

Survey of Ripon residents highlighted the issues

Cllr Brodigan, who will be one of 10 Lib Dems from the Harrogate district on the new unitary authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“We surveyed Ripon residents earlier this year to ask them about the main issues they want to have addressed.

Roads that can cope with traffic associated with new homes is a priority for newly-elected councillor Barbara Brodigan.

“These were principally over-supply of housing in the city and lack of a suitable road infrastructure to accommodate the extra traffic generated by the new homes.

“In addition, there are major concerns about the lack of facilities for young people, which is seen as one of the reasons for the high incidence of antisocial behaviour in the city.”

The former teacher, who has years of experience working in Leeds with students who had been expelled from their schools, hopes her expertise in dealing with disruptive children can be put to good effect locally and at North Yorkshire level.

Ripon’s needs ahead of party politics

Cllr Williams said:

“We had a clear message that the needs of Ripon and its citizens come before party politics and that resonated with the voters.

“They told us on their doorsteps, that they are worried about rocketing fuel prices, the cost of living crisis, the dreadful state of roads and pavements in Ripon and the poor standard of policing in the city.

“During weeks of campaigning, we knocked on thousands of doors and it was clear from those that we spoke with that illegal parties at Number Ten was barely an election issue.”

Looking ahead, Cllr Williams added:

“We will seek to work with Harrogate Borough Council, while it still exists and North Yorkshire County Council in its present form, to see power devolved and community assets returned to Ripon.

“We will also look to address other outstanding issues – a key one being the need for rapid improvement of policing in our city, which is not fit for purpose.

“The city council made a formal complaint to North Yorkshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, in March and we are still awaiting her response.

“The anti-social behaviour  that has plagued Ripon for years, grew worse with the covid lockdowns and we will be focusing on a root cause, which is  the very poor provision by HBC and NYCC of facilities and activities for young people.”

In addition to Cllr Brodigan’s election to the city council for the Lib-Dems, other new faces are Independents Jackie Crozier, Tony Duncan, Stuart Flatley and Julie-Ann Martin-Long, who join fellow Independents Jo Bate, Chris Hardisty, Sid Hawke, Peter Horton, Pauline McHardy, Eamon Parkin and Andrew Williams – all of whom were re-elected.

Read more:

• What went wrong for the Conservatives in Ripon?
• Lib Dems victorious in Harrogate district
• Ripon City Council says police are ‘not fit for purpose’

There was a sweet after-taste to Ripon Cathedral’s Beer Festival, as a tally up of takings showed it raised £18,000.

The event, held in the Dean of Ripon’s garden in the shadow of the city’s iconic cathedral, attracted a record 1,250 adults.

Their purchase of pints of craft ales, combined with tickets bought for the tombola, raised money that will help fund the music, heritage conservation and the education programme at the cathedral.

In this celebration 1,350th anniversary year, at the church founded by Wilfrid, the festivities will go on until October and there was plenty to toast and look forward to at the festival, making its return after two years of covid lockdowns.

Ready to pull the pints – the bar team at the festival

Sponsored by Wolseley, the event saw 42 different craft ales on offer from brewers including Hambleton Ales, Roosters and Theakstons.

Visitors had musical entertainment provided by The Temps, Reef Hound and Jaspa, while children who attended with their parents, had a bouncy castle, tombola and Brick Box Yorkshire’s huge quantities of Lego to keep them occupied.

Ripon Cathedral development manager Margaret Hammond, said:

“It was lovely to be able to host this annual fundraising event again after being unable to do so since 2019, due to the pandemic.

“It was a fantastic success and our supporters showed just how loyal they are after a three year gap, many familiar faces joined us again! We have such incredible volunteers and staff who help to make the event possible, thank you to everyone who contributed.”

Wolseley was the main event sponsor and many other local Ripon businesses, advertised in the programme distributed at the event. There was also support from the cathedral’s business partners Brewin Dolphin and Raworths Solicitors.

Rick Jones, owner of Valentino’s Restaurant and the Water Rat gastro pub, once again was integral to the event and has supported the Cathedral since the first beer festival more than ten years ago.

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An 81-year-old disabled gran from Ripon missed a special moment with her granddaughter because a council van was parked in a disabled space.

The woman, who asked not to be named, had been driven to Holy Trinity primary school to surprise her granddaughter at pick-up time.

But she was unable to park near enough to the school to do so because the disabled space was taken.

She contacted the Stray Ferret to raise awareness of the need for drivers to be more considerate.

She said:

“My granddaughter has recently started at the school and I knew it would be a lovely surprise for her if she came out of her classroom and I was there to meet her.

“I can only walk very short distances and was taken to the school by my son, but had to stay in the car while he went to Holy Trinity to collect his daughter.”

The woman, who is a blue badge holder, added:

“It was distressing and I would just like to ask those able bodied people, who think it’s OK to park in bays provided for the disabled, to be more considerate.”

Jeremy Dunford urges able bodied drivers to leave disabled bays free.

Jeremy Dunford, a trustee of Ripon Disability Forum, said:

“When people see empty accessible parking bays or areas they tend to think the following: ‘I will only be a couple of minutes’ or ‘There is plenty of space for others’.

“Others just think  ‘I’m in a rush, so where’s the harm?'”

“These people do it for their convenience and, to be brutally honest, to avoid having to walk too far.

“This is an option that many people with disabilities do not have.”

Read more:

• Ripon Cathedral Beer Festival attracts hundreds

• Tickets available for first Ripon Theatre Festival

Mr Dunford said the scenario facing the grandmother was common to all disabled drivers. He added:

“It is not about having to be near to a specific shop every time, it is about having access to buildings, areas and facilities with the relative ease that able bodied people have.

“We also have to say that parking up with a disabled passenger, leaving them in the car, and then going off is also unacceptable. This is also down to laziness

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“We’d like to apologise to the Harrogate district resident who sadly could not park in the disabled parking bay near Holy Trinity School in Ripon.

“Our vehicle shouldn’t haven’t been parked there and we be reminding staff who drive work vehicles the importance of disabled bays.”

Writers and poetry fans have a choice of two free events to attend in Ripon on Thursday at the library and Curzon Cinema.

At 7pm in the library, Rod Dimbleby from the Yorkshire Dialect Society, will speak about the life and work of John Hartley.

The prolific West Riding poet, author and performer, was born in Halifax in 1839 and was famous in Victorian England for his Yorkshire dialect poems.

After his work, Bite Bigger,was published by Alfred Wilson — a hatter by trade — Hartley’s career took off and was a sell-out hit that had to be re-printed because of demand.

Wilson, who became Hartley’s father-in-law when the poet married his daughter Sophia, published the Clock Almanack (named after the clock outside his hatter’s shop) and Hartley was the editor for more than 25 years.

Those wishing to attend Mr Dimbleby’s talk are asked to book tickets in advance

Write-on Ripon

Also on Thursday evening, with a start time of 7.30, Write-On Ripon is holding its third open mic evening at Curzon Cinema on North Street.

Dion Child, who launched the creative writing group last year, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our free-to-attend weekly meetings on Tuesday afternoons have attracted attendance from people ranging from published authors, such as Maggie Cobbett, to poets who enjoy playing with words.

“The open mic events, which began in February, are a natural extension of the writers’ group and provide a platform for writers to present their work to an audience of like-minded people.”

He added:

“I’m so pleased that they have taken off and we extend a welcoming hand to those among the ranks of Ripon writers, who want to come along.

“Curzon has kindly allowed us to use its facilities free of charge and the vaulted cellar under the cinema, where the acoustics and atmosphere are tremendous, has led us to give it the nickname of ‘the cavern of creativity’ in a nod to the Liverpool venue, from which the Fab Four found fame.”

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The quarter hour chime of the cathedral clock reminded visitors to Dean John Dobson’s Ripon garden that it was time to toast a successful launch to the city’s 1350 celebrations.

There was also a sense of relief that the annual beer festival he and his family host was back after two years of covid lockdowns.

Dean John, enjoying his pint of Wilfrid’s Ale — specially created in honour of Ripon’s patron saint — told the Stray Ferret:

“People have clearly missed it and this is looking like our biggest-ever turn out.

“It’s a great conclusion to the 1350 launch weekend, which provided the prelude to a whole host of activities and events between now and October.”

The bar team at the beer festival, ready to serve the first customers.

Bishop’s fingers on the pump – the Rt Revd. Jonathan Gibbs, who is the Bishop of Huddersfield, gave the bar team a helping hand

Baby Levi and his dad, Ben, were also on bar duty

To accompany the food and beers, seven bands provided live music.

The hundreds of people present between 11.30am and 5pm to try out some fine examples of the brewers’ craft, added to the thousands who had visited the cathedral for a wide range of events, talks and displays in honour of St Wilfrid, who founded the cathedral in AD 672.

Read more:

• The party gets started for Ripon’s patron saint
• Ripon wrapped in jubilee bunting

Volunteers have been making miles of bunting for the Queen’s jubilee for months and now Ripon Community Poppy Project has been putting it in place.

The project’s Knit and Natter team, with the support of women working from home, is ensuring that the city is ready for a right royal Bank Holiday celebration.

With the platinum jubilee just a month away, the painstaking task of installing their handiwork  started at the weekend.

Hazel Barker (right) with members of the Knit and Natter team proudly display their handiwork.

Hazel Barker, who set up the community project with Councillor Stuart Martin, initially to create knitted poppy displays for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day in 2018, told  the Stray Ferret:

“Our aim is to ensure that everywhere you look in the city centre and other key locations, such as the bus station and Spa Gardens, the bunting, will remind residents and visitors alike about the Queen’s remarkable  70 years of service to this country.

“With its royal and loyal theme, the design, consisting of golden-coloured lettering,  gold and red crowns and red, white and blue flags, is meant to catch the eye.”

The unmissable bunting at High Skellgate.

With help from an army of volunteers, the decorations have been fixed to railings and buildings, including gateways such as High Skellgate, where a huge bunting banner flies high and proud at the junction with Westgate.

Cllr Martin said:

“I would like to congratulate Hazel and all of her team of tireless knitters for their magnificent efforts, both in making the bunting and putting it in place.

“There has already been positive responses to it from local residents, visitors, retailers and other businesses, who are playing their part in joining in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”

Jools Halliwell, who owns Kirkgate House – a home furnishings and decorations shop on the bunting-wrapped route to Ripon Cathedral, added:

“It’s fantastic to see everybody getting involved in what is going to be a massive event for our magnificent city.”

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• Meet the women who are knitting for the Queen
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Ripon began its 1,350th anniversary celebrations in spectacular style yesterday, with a son et lumiere in the cathedral among the highlights.

Throughout the day, the work of Wilfrid, who founded the church in AD 672, was celebrated in words, artworks and music.

From the the focus on Ripon’s ancient roots, the night-time spotlight switched to Market Square, where four tribute acts performed in a free concert arranged by the city council. Rain that arrived in early evening, deterred some people from attending.

A Beyonce tribute, was one of four acts to perform on Market Square, with Craig David, Boy George and Freddie Mercury tributes also taking to the stage

Events and activities at the cathedral earlier in the day, included the first glimpse, for many visitors, of Chrissie Freeth’s series of 13 tapestries in her Beyond Words exhibition.

The  intricate woven works, depicting pre-Renaissance scenes, have previously been on display at the Royal Academy, Salts Mill and in Sweden, Latvia and Finland.

The exhibition will remain in Ripon until May 25.

The medieval world in woven form, can be seen in Chrissie Freeth tapestries

Alongside a guided tour, featuring a talk on the building’s hidden history, there was an opportunity to meet director of music, Dr Ronny Krippner, to learn about the organ that is central to the cathedral’s Sung Eucharist and other services.

After playing his special arrangement of the hymn Thine Be the Glory, he told the audience:

“The organ is an orchestra in itself, able to produce the sounds of many different instruments.

“It adds to the cathedral’s splendour, air of mystery and wonderment, with its booming sound able to be increased by pulling out the stops.”

Music master and apprentice – Dr Krippner, gave children, including five-year-old Rafael, a lesson in how to play the organ

For Rafael, a pupil at Cathedral School, it was a day to remember, as Dr Krippner, instructed him on how to hold a note.

The miracles of St Wilfrid

By the evening, the son et lumiere  created to provide a visual representation of the seven miraculous events in St Wilfrid’s life, flooded the cathedral with coloured light.

Among those miracles,  It is said that he was born in a house that was on fire, but survived without being injured.

It is also said that on the first anniversary of Wilfrid’s death, the moon and stars shone so bright that a lunar rainbow appeared over Ripon.

Hornblower Patricio Maglio, setting the watch on Market Square

The hornblower tradition

While the cathedral, is a dominant reminder of the city’s patron saint, another famous person, Alfred the Great, who has shaped Ripon’s rich history, is celebrated nightly on Market Square.

Last night it was the turn of Patricio Maglio,  from the team of four hornblowers, who delivered the blasts to the past, dating back to AD 886, when King Alfred awarded a ceremonial horn, in recognition of the way in which Ripon repelled a Viking incursion.

The unbroken tradition of setting the city’s watch was complete by the time the clock on the nearby cathedral clock struck nine.

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Concert for Macmillan will honour Ripon man of music

Ripon’s Wendy Richardson has a personal and heartfelt reason for hoping a forthcoming concert in Sharow will be a great success.

The Last Night of the Proms event at St John’s Parish Church on Friday, June 24 is being organised by Ripon Rotary Club’s and all proceeds will go to cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support, which cared for Wendy’s late husband David.

The former sports teacher, who died in 2019 at the age of 81, was a leading light in musical theatre, as both actor and director — first in Whitby, where he founded the seaside resort’s operatic society in 1966 and later in the Ripon area.

David is fondly remembered for his direction in 2017 of sell-out performances at Masham Town Hall of Brassed Off  performed by Masham Players, accompanied by the Ripon City Band.

The fundraising Last Night of the Proms event for Macmillan, is being held at St John’s Sharow on June 24.

Within two years of those performances, cancer had spread through David’s body and he lost his sight.

While family gathered around him at Harrogate District Hospital, they heard the sound of a trombone being played by a young woman in an adjacent room and asked the nursing staff if she would be prepared to play a tune for a man whose lifelong love of music brought entertainment for thousands of people and guided young artists into professional careers.

The young woman was delighted to play for him and Wendy, told the Stray Ferret:

“It was a moment that we will never forget. She played Concierto D’Aranjuez from Brassed Off and though David couldn’t see her, a smile came over his face and we all felt that her kind act had been a comfort to him.”

Shortly afterwards, he was moved to the Royal British Legion’s Lister House in Ripon for end of life care.

David, who did national service in the RAF, spent his final days in the peaceful surroundings of the care home, where family and friends said their last goodbyes to him.

Wendy said:

“I have long wanted to give something back to Macmillan. David was treated at the Sir Robert Ogden Centre in Harrogate and they were simply wonderful.

“Their care, support and treatment, gave him an extra year of life in which he enjoyed his garden and a couple of holidays in our caravan.”

Now, as her late husband had done in Masham five years ago, Wendy hopes that the Last Night of the Proms concert at St John’s, will also be a sell-out event, with soprano Jessa Liversidge singing rousing songs accompanied by Ripon City Band.

Tickets at £12.50, which includes a glass of Prosecco and interval canapes, are now on sale at the Realitea Tea and Indian Bistro on North Street and Stuff 4 Offices  on Fishergate.

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• EA called to investigate Sharow pollution incident
• Tickets available for first Ripon Theatre Festival