The televised state funeral of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will be screened at Ripon Cathedral from 9.30am on Monday.

All are welcome to attend to see the coverage from Westminster Abbey, where the funeral service will begin at 11am.

Before then, at 3.30pm on Sunday the cathedral will hold a service of commemoration for the region with the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Revd Nick Baines.

Those intending to attend the service are asked to be seated by 3pm and those unable to attend can see the service screened live on YouTube.

Throughout the period of mourning for the Queen, the cathedral is open for extended hours each day from 8am until 7pm for the lighting of candles and prayer until the day of the funeral.

People are invited to sign the books of condolence, leaving their own messages. Flowers can be left in a dedicated area of the cathedral grounds near the main entrance.

There was sorrow as well as smiles among the women of the Ripon Community Poppy Project (RCPP) Knit and Natter Group, when they met for the first time following the Queen’s death.

To lighten the mood, a knitted display, reminding the group of that, now famous, television moment, when Her Majesty had afternoon tea with Paddington Bear, enjoyed pride of place.

Alongside a photograph of The Queen, the display, included Paddington with his suitcase, a handbag, marmalade sandwiches and a corgi wearing a crown.

The knitted figures and accessories, were created by group members Carol Dunkley, Angela Turnbull and Lynn Hart,

A photograph of The Queen was in place among the knitted display

In the months leading up to the Platinum Jubilee, the Knit and Natter Group, along with others working from home, knitted virtually non-stop to create miles of bunting, carrying the initials ER, which was wrapped around the city.

It was a huge collective effort that earned a letter of thanks from one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting at Windsor Castle.

Yesterday, as they continued to produce the next poppy displays in time for Remembrance Sunday, they paused for silence.

Hazel Barker, who founded RCPP with former mayor of Ripon Councillor Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:

“There was sadness, as we held a minute’s silence to contemplate Her Majesty’s incredible reign and what she did for this country.

“Thoughts of her passing were then followed with the many happy memories that members of the group have of her, including her visits to Ripon.”

Hazel, added:

“It was clear with the James Bond film for the 2012 Olympics and the meeting with Paddington, filmed for the Platinum Jubilee, that Her Majesty had a great sense of humour.”

As part of yesterday’s reflective meeting, cups of tea and coffee were accompanied by sandwich biscuits, baked by Hazel and fittingly including a marmalade filling.

In special Evensong and Vigil services last night led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson, the congregation joined in one voice to remember the late monarch and offer sympathy and support for the new king – a Freeeman of the City for 20 years.

From the opening of the doors at Ripon Cathedral to the setting of the watch on Market Square events in the city underlined its deep royal roots.

It began with private prayers at the cathedral from 8am until 9pm and throughout the day people wrote  messages in the books of condolence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Books of condolence were signed throughout the day and will remain in place in the north transept of the cathedral for people to leave their messages.

The Bishop of Ripon the Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley gave blessings at the end of the Vigil Service in the cathedral and the setting of the watch ceremony

After the service the senior clergy and mayor of Ripon walked to the market square for the setting of the watch.

A plaque by the front door of the town hall, says that the honour bestowed on King Charles III in October 2002, when he was the Prince of Wales, was ‘In deep appreciation of his unique contribution to the regeneration of Ripon.’

Standing on the same steps that The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh stood on in May 2004, when Ripon celebrated the 400th anniversary of its Royal Charter, Mayor Councillor Sid Hawke was joined by the bishop and dean, canons Ailsa Newby, Michael Gisbourne and Richard Cooper and head verger Charlie Brown, as hornblower Allison Clark, announced that the watch had been set. (see main image)

Today there will be hourly prayers at the cathedral from 8am and a special choral Evensong at 5.30pm, to mark the proclamation of the King.

Tomorrow at 10.30am there will be a sung Eucharist service led by the Bishop of Ripon, followed by a choral Evensong at 3.30pm.

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Just 13 weeks ago, the bells at Ripon Cathedral rang out in joyous celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but today the bells were muffled as they rang out for an hour at midday to mark the passing of the UK’s most enduring monarch.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, led the jubilee civic service for North Yorkshire held at the cathedral on June 2, which was attended by the great and the good of the county.

From today and over the period of national mourning, the doors of the iconic church, founded 1,350 years ago by St Wilfrid, will be open to all, who wish to pay their respects to Her Majesty.

This can be done by signing the book of condolence in the north transept, through private prayer, by attending a service or leaving flowers.

Dean John, told the Stray Ferret:

“Back in June, we marked 70 years of The Queen’s magnificent service, now we come to celebrate her life and pray for her family.”

In a message on the cathedral’s website, he said The Queen was:

“One of the world’s greatest figures of our time, one who dedicated her life as monarch to the wellbeing of the people of this nation, the commonwealth and the wider world.

“She was a faithful Christian who drew on her faith to serve God and the common good in the role that God had given her.

“She wasn’t pious and didn’t let her exalted status unduly affect her. She reigned with great integrity, as seen in the images of her sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. She was a great servant of her people and an unequalled example of public service over the last century.”

The cathedral, which the Queen visited in 1985 for the Royal Maundy Service, has been the focus of celebration for its 1,350th anniversary since April, attracting visitors from across the region as well as overseas.

Over the coming days it is ready to welcome visitors, who wish to make their own tribute and reflect on Her Majesty’s remarkable reign.

Today, there will be an Evensong Service at 5.30 and a Vigil Service at 8.15.

The Cathedral will be open daily from 8am.

The Great North Art Show, which was due to begin at the cathedral tomorrow, is being postponed.

In the heart of the city of Ripon tonight, Her Majesty The Queen’s passing was marked with a respectful and dignified silence after the 9pm setting of the watch.

The ceremony, with its royal roots dating back to 886 AD and Alfred The Great, was performed by the obelisk on Market Square in the shadow of Ripon Town Hall, with its Union Jack Flag at half mast.

In June, this same space was the centre of the city’s celebration of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with large numbers in attendance.

A small group bowed their heads after the fourth blast of the horn by hornblower Patricio Maglio, as they joined him in the two-minute silence.

The silence marks the start of what will be many tributes the city and its residents will pay the Queen in the days of mourning to come.

Read More: 

• Lord Lieutenant pays tribute to the Queen from North Yorkshire
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Ripon councillors are determined to ensure festive cheer for retailers, residents and visitors to the city centre this Christmas.

While some towns and cities in the UK are putting plans for seasonal lighting on hold because of concerns over rising energy costs, Ripon will be going ahead with its civic display and switch on event.

However, concerns have been expressed. At Monday night’s full meeting of the council, Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Brodigan asked:

“With the increasing cost of electricity, could we be seen as being profligate or frivolous at a time when people are having to cut back on their use of power?”

Last year’s Christmas lights switch on in Ripon.

Independent council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“These are indeed difficult times and there there will be more ahead, but we want to ensure that the civic lights are in place to bring some degree of Christmas spirit to the city to benefit our independent retailers and give a lift to residents and visitors.”

This year, the festive programme in Ripon is being supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, which is paying for the production and distribution of a Christmas brochure, setting out the events that will be happening in the city.

Cllr Williams said:

“The council has been paying for the brochure for a number of years and we welcome this support from the BID.”

The Christmas lights are paid for from the parish precept and in 2020, the display  was extended following a £65,000 injection of funding from the city council’s events budget, made possible because of the money that became available after a number of planned public events had to be cancelled because of the covid pandemic.

In 2021 there was further investment in the display, designed to boost the Ripon economy by attracting more visitors.

Last year’s switch-on event on November 19 saw a large crowd gather on Market Square.

The stage is set for children to enjoy the limelight by performing at Ripon’s Junior Showtime.

Launched by Jill Powell, who has vast experience of helping young people to realise their artistic potential, the event will take place at Ripon Bowling Club on Friday November 25, starting at 7.30pm.

Between now and September 30, prospective performers are invited to send a video of their planned performance to her at jillyannew@gmail.com

The video should be no longer than three minutes.

Ms Powell said the aim is to provide a platform for young singers, dancers, magicians, musicians, comedians and poets, aged between six and 14, to showcase their talent.

She said:

“We are looking for 15 children who are not currently members of a performing arts group, to come forward and build their confidence with a performance in front of a friendly audience of family and friends.

“The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Councillor Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke, will also be in attendance.”

Ms Powell, who has run a performing arts school and been involved in musical theatre for many years, as an actor, producer and choreographer, added:

“I have worked with young people of all abilities and know that many of them don’t know just how talented they are, until they are given the opportunity to step onto a stage.”

Ken Jefferies was distraught after he lost a much-treasured item while on a visit to Ripon.

His cherished signet ring – a family heirloom with carnelian stone and intaglio depicting a Roman soldier – slipped off his wedding finger without him noticing.

When he realised it was missing, he began a desperate search, which saw him retrace his steps around the city streets and places he had visited.

The retired archaeologist and academic told the Stray Ferret:

“I was heartbroken and thought I would never see it again.”

He pointed out:

“The ring was given to me by my aunt Vivienne more than 50 years ago and I wore it as my wedding band.”

As well as being a constant reminder of his 56-year marriage to Marion, who died in 2021, the ring held memories of his aunt – a well-known actress who married into the Stevens family, owners of the former Grand Theatre in Glasgow.

The ring, with inscription, had originally been presented on November 4, 1899 to Vivienne’s father-in-law, Ernest Stevens, by members of the theatre’s band, in recognition of his writing and production of the smash-hit romantic musical For Bonnie Scotland.

Sharon Bielby, who played a part in ensuring that Mr Jefferies was re-united with the ring

Now, 123 years later, after passing down generations of the family, the heirloom was lost.

Among those in Ripon who Mr Jefferies told about the missing item, was Sharon Bielby, owner of a barber’s shop on North Street.

He said:

“I had been having my hair cut by Sharon on the day I lost it and I asked her if she would  look  out for it.”

Sharon spotted on social media that the ring, which had been damaged after being run over in a nearby road, had been found and contacted Mr Jefferies to give him the good news.

After providing the link between finder and owner, she also recommended that he take it to Red Buttons jewellers at Halls of Ripon  to see if it could be repaired.

Ring repaired and returned 

Jeweller Barry, son of Red Buttons owners Mike and Liz Cooper, painstakingly re-assembled the ring and it has now been returned to Mr Jefferies, without charge for the repair – though he insisted on making a donation to the military charity Team Endeavour, which is supported by Halls of Ripon.

Mike Cooper, said:

“The ring clearly has huge sentimental as well as historic value and we are pleased that Ken has it back in his possession.”

In a final twist to the tale, Mr Jefferies, pointed out:

“My late father Clifford was a pharmacist and was based in the shop where Sharon now has her barber’s shop – so you never know, he may have been looking after me.”

After covid lockdowns put the brakes on the annual Ripon Old Car Classic Gathering (ROCCG) shows in 2020 and 2021, it was back in gear this year raising much-needed money for charities.

The principal beneficiary from the 2022 gathering, held at the city’s racecourse, was Guide Dogs for the Blind, which has received £4,000 from the funds raised at the event.

ROCCG secretary Hazel Barker, told the Stray Ferret:

“Although not one of our best-attended shows, it realised a total of £5050.00 for distribution.

“The committee was very pleased with the final figure as it was uncertain as to how many classic vehicle entrants there would be due to the financial climate, the Covid pandemic, the weather and the number of visitors coming through the gate.

“All in all it was a great success.”

This was the 27th time that a wide selection of classic cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and tractors have headed to Ripon for the gathering which,  over the years, has raised thousands of pounds for good causes.

The gathering has raised thousands of pounds for Ripon charities

Profits from the event are shared between local charities and good causes and each year the ROCCG committee donates a large amount to one chosen charity and smaller donations to a number of other deserving causes.

Dementia Forward, Alzheimers, Vision Support, RNLI, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, St Michael’s and Herriot Hospices and Macmillan, all received £150 each.

The cheque presentations were made at Hazel House in Allhallowgate last week and each recipient gave a short talk on how the money would be spent.

All said that the pandemic had hit them hard and they were grateful to receive the cheque to help them continue with the work they were doing in our area.

The ROCCG committee is now looking forward to the 2023 event-at the racecourse on Sunday  July 30.

The show will once again be a family-friendly gathering of old and classic vehicles with the entry  fee held at £5. Further information can be obtained by clicking here.

There was a full complement of Ripon city councillors and a unanimous vote of thanks to Charlie Powell, when the council held a special meeting to recognise his long service.

Over 19 years the former councillor, who retired from local politics at the May elections, served both the Moorside and Minster wards.

In addition to being a parish councillor, he also represented Ripon for 10 years as an independent on Harrogate Borough Council.

The long service award was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Cllr Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, council leader Andrew Williams, said:

“Charlie served diligently and played a key role in a number of developments, not least his work in encouraging Curzon to open a cinema in the city, more than 30 years after the Palladium Picture House closed its doors.”

He added:

“With Curzon’s opening in 2013, local residents no longer had to make the journey to Harrogate or Thirsk to see the latest film releases.”

Curzon’s cinema on North Street Ripon

Cllr Pauline McHardy, said:

“Charlie has provided wonderful service to help improve the lives of people in Ripon and we all wish him a long and happy retirement from local politics.”

Before seeking election, Mr Powell served for 15 years in the Royal Engineers, then became a firefighter in Ripon for two years before starting out on a business career that took him all around the world.

He spent 18 years in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for the military aircraft division of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), then moved on to become a senior administrator with Waste Management International Ltd in Jeddah.

The business acumen that he gained over many years was put to good use in negotiations with Curzon  and in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.

A former deputy mayor, he has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.