Today’s Totally Locally party in Ripon provided a taste of how Kirkgate could be utilised throughout the year if the street was permanently pedestrianised.
The event, which was organised by independent traders in the city with the backing of Ripon Business Improvement District, attracted hundreds of visitors.
Despite an unfavourable forecast, the day of sunshine and showers saw family groups and individuals arrive from 10am to listen to live music, purchase gifts and enjoy some alfresco dining, as cafes, restaurants and other retailers lined the street with their stalls, tables and chairs.
Performers included the Hyde Family Jam (main picture) the All for One Ripon band (pictured above) and the Knaresborough Vestal Social Club Band.
Richard Hughes, one of the event’s organisers and owner of Manchega Tapas Bar on Duck Hill, told the Stray Ferret:
“Independent businesses, not just in Kirkgate, but throughout the whole of Ripon, have made this happen.”
Mr Hughes, (pictured above, centre) with colleagues from the left: Tilly Whild, Brad Lucas and Felix Lees, added:
“It shows what Ripon could do by properly pedestrianising Kirkgate and enabling small businesses to work together to unlock the street’s full potential by making it a vehicle free area.”
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“It has been great to see how traders in Kirkgate and other parts of Ripon have collaborated to create such a tremendous community event under the Totally Locally banner and we hope that there will be many more to follow.”
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Ripon Spa Croquet Club to hold free taster sessions
Ripon Spa Croquet Club is extending an invitation to anybody who would like to learn more about the game through taking part in a free taster session.
The club, whose lawns are located within the Studley Royal Cricket Club (SRCC), is holding two introductory sessions between 6pm and 7.30pm on Monday, April 17 and Monday, April 24.
Club secretary Sue I’Anson told the Stray Ferret:
“We had similar taster sessions last year which helped up to attract some new members and are hoping to build on this as we look to bring on the next generation of players.
“With this in mind, in addition to the introductory sessions at the Studley Royal ground we are, with sponsorship from the Croquet Association, making arrangements to visit two Ripon junior schools, where we will set up mini courses for the children to try their hand.”
She added:
“This is a great game for people of all ages, with the more seasoned players helping newcomers to master the technique of swinging the mallet and making good contact with the ball.
“It’s a sport that can be played at all levels, from simple enjoyment to the highest international standards.”
Anyone wishing to take part in the sessions should book in advance via email.
International pedigree
The club relocated to SRCC in April 2021 following the closure of the Spa Hotel, where it had previously played.
Formed as Ripon Spa Hotel Croquet Club, it was founded in the early 1990s by Croquet Association Federation officer Keith Smith, hotel owner Andrew Hutchinson and managing director Samantha Currie.
It soon attracted players from across the district, including Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Pateley Bridge.
By 1997, Ms Currie, Mr Hutchinson and clubmate Syd Jones all achieved world rankings and took part in the GC World Championships in Cairo and the pristine lawns within the hotel’s gardens had the distinction of hosting international matches.
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Hopes high for fireworks to light up Ripon’s Coronation celebrations
Hopes are high that Ripon will once again be able to stage a city centre fireworks display as part of the coronation celebrations for King Charles and Queen Camilla on Saturday May 6.
Traditional New Year’s Eve displays in 2021 and 2022 did not go ahead because of safety concerns about the launch site at the rear of the town hall, but a new location on a section of The Arcade Car Park looks set to get official approval.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“Following constructive discussions with officers at the new North Yorkshire Council, I am confident that we will receive the necessary approval required from the authority and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to hold a city centre display.
“Subject to that approval, the display on May 6, will provide the finale to an evening of free musical entertainment on Market Square, featuring a number of tribute acts.”
Cllr Williams added:
“It will also mean that the city can return to the tradition of holding a fireworks display as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.”
Ripon City Council’s programme for coronation celebration activities taking place on the evening of Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6, is still to be published, but will include free live music on both days and free fairground rides for children on May 6.
With its first fixture of the 2023 season just a fortnight away, Ripon Racecourse has announced a new sponsorship deal with William Hill.
The bookmaker, which has sponsored Ripon’s feature race of the year – Great St Wilfrid Handicap – since 1994, is now teaming up with the Boroughridge Road course to offer a bonus of £5,000 to the owner(s) of the inaugural William Hill Ripon Champion 2023, with an additional £1,000 going to the winning stable.
Running throughout the season, which starts on Thursday April 20 and finishes on Saturday September 30, each race winner will accrue three points, with two points for a second-place finish and one point for third. The horse that accumulates the most points across the season will be crowned the champion and will bag the £5,000 prize.
There will be additional points on offer for the Great St Wilfrid Handicap on August 19 – with five points to the winner, three for second and two for third.
Ruairi Stirling, racing sponsorship manager at William Hill said:
“The relationship between Ripon and William Hill goes back many years and this another sign that shows it’s as healthy as ever.
“We’re really keen to award the horses that run well at Ripon repeatedly and hopefully this new incentive will encourage owners and trainers to consider running there throughout the season.”
Jonathan Mullin, operations, marketing and Clerk of the course, said:
“We recognise how hugely important owners are to the sport and here at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse we have a lot of horses and owners who return to us regularly.
“It’s always fantastic to see the old favourites return and the nature of this competition with points for first, second and third, favours horses that run here more often. Hopefully we can reward one of those regulars by crowning them ‘William Hill Ripon Champion’ at the end of the season.
“It’s great to be able to partner with William Hill, long term sponsors here with this innovative new project and now we’re really looking forward to getting the season started and seeing the League table begin to take shape.”
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Partially sighted Ripon man thanks highways workers for removing trip hazards
A severely sight impaired Ripon resident has thanked highways workers for their swift action in attending to trip hazards near his home.
Graham Wilkey who lives in the Bondgate area, raised concerns about cracked and uneven pavements that made him wary of walking into the city centre, even with the assistance of Riley, his three-year-old guide dog.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“Riley can ensure that I cross roads safely and avoid obstacles such as signage blocking pavements, but he can’t stop me from falling if I trip on a broken paving stone and that’s why I decided to contact the council.”
Workmen patching the pavement near Mr Wilkey’s home
Following Mr Wilkey’s call, a highways engineer responded quickly to inspect the pavements and identified eight stones in need of removal.
On Thursday, two days before North Yorkshire County Council became the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1, workmen arrived to remove the damaged paving and replace it with tarmac.
Mr Wilkey said:
“I’d like to thank them for sorting out the problem so quickly and making the walk into the city centre safer for me and other sight-impaired people and those with mobility issues.
“There’s a lot of Ripon roads and pavements still in need of repair, but this is an encouraging start.”
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Temporary gym installed at Ripon leisure centre
The building that will house the £300,000 temporary gym at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre has been located in the car park near the entrance to the swimming pool.
The prefabricated structure was put into position yesterday morning using a long-reach mobile crane and while the opening date has yet to be confirmed, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council told the Stray Ferret:
“I believe it will be towards the end of the month (April) that customers will start to use the alternative gym.”
The temporary building
Once up and running, the temporary facility will enable the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool that opened last March.
This will pave the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5million to be carried out under the building.
The temporary gym, operated by Brimhams Active on behalf of the newly-formed North Yorkshire Council unitary authority, will be fitted out with Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre, and expert advice and guidance will be available.
Customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area – as well as the sauna and steam suite – as they will remain open as normal.
Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall.
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Last weekend’s planned installation of the £300,000 temporary gym in the car park at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon did not go ahead.
As reported in the Stray Ferret, the installation was scheduled to take place between March 25 and 26, with the leisure centre and adjacent children’s playground shut during the operation.
However, a spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said this morning:
“Unfortunately, due to the predicted high winds, the installation was postponed until this weekend.”
The spokesperson added the leisure centre and playground is now due to close at 6pm on Saturday (April 1) until Monday morning (April 3) to ensure the gym can be put in place.
Its Installation will enable the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool that opened last March, paving the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5million to be carried out under the building.
A week ago the council, which runs the site through its leisure company Brimhams Active, said the temporary facility would open next month:
In its statement, the council added:
“The gym will include the high-quality, state-of-the-art Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre, as well as expert advice and guidance from the Brimhams Active team.
“Customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area – as well as the sauna and steam suite – as they will remain open as normal.
“Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall.”
Groundworks are underway at a Ripon development site where a famous former city pub will be converted into flats.
In October 2021 Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to Leeds-based NRG Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd. to convert the Ship Inn on Bondgate into five two-bedroom flats.
The new development will also include four terraced houses, a detached dwelling and 14 parking spaces.
The Ship Inn closed in 2020 and while vacant the site was the scene of a number of incidents of violent and anti-social behaviour.
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At the time of submitting the planning application NRG, said:
“The site is now better suited for residential use, which help bring a more appropriate residential feel for the community, limited to scale and type which does not cause nuisance.
“The provision of new residents will potentially have some benefit to local enterprises and will add to and consolidate the general activity of Ripon.”
The non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project have transformed the city centre with their Easter displays.
Members of the project’s Knit and Natter Club and many more who work from home, have been creating the decorations since September and their meticulous handiwork can be seen around Market Square and other key locations.
The intricate displays, made up from 1,360 knitted eggs, more than 2,000 hand-crafted chain links and 53 woollen pictures featuring spring lambs, chicks, rabbits and flowers, have been fixed to railings, the Ripon Town Hall balcony and this post box (pictured above).
Hazel Barker, who co-founded the RCPP with former Ripon mayor Councillor Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:
“Our knitters work all year round creating displays for annual events including Remembrance commemorations in November and Winter Wonderland at Christmas.”
Councillor Stuart Martin (right) putting a display in place with Carol Dunkley and Bob McLennan
She added:
“In 2022, we took on the mammoth task of creating miles of royal-themed banners and other decorations that were wrapped around the city’s streets to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
“Now we are busily adapting these as well as creating new displays to mark the coronation of King Charles III.”
Ms Barker added:
“The Ripon Community Poppy Project was launched in 2018 to create displays for the city to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I and we haven’t stopped knitting ever since!”
The main pic shows an Easter display with (from left): Hazel Barker, Lyn Hart, Betty Hardisty, David Hardisty, Sandra Searle, Alwyn Hartley and Pat McLennan.
Priceless military heritage to be protected at Ripon development site
Fears that priceless elements of Ripon’s rich military heritage could be flattened to make way for the 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme have been allayed.
Jane Furse, a trustee of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, which has plans to create heritage trails on the development site, told the Stray Ferret:
“We were concerned that some extremely rare huts on the Deverell Barracks part of the site, and other historically important structures, would be demolished, but I’m relieved to say that this will not be the case.
“These huts are among the few surviving of their kind in the UK and help to tell the story of the vital national and international role that Ripon’s Royal Engineers played in just about every aspect of World War II and subsequent conflicts.
“This included training British and allied troops in the erection and use of Bailey Bridges in theatres of war such as Sicily and France and bomb disposal, that saved the lives of civilians and military personnel around the world.”
Minutes of Harrogate Borough Council’s February 23 planning meeting at which Homes England was seeking outline approval to progress development of the huge Clotherholme scheme, confirm that the huts and other structures will have protection.
Under the provisions of a Section 106 agreement the developer is required to put in place a strategy to ‘secure military heritage within the site.’
Jane Furse of Ripon Military Heritage Trust pictured at the barracks site
The planning meeting minutes also say:
“Prior to the commencement of works to each phase of development, a record (including photographs, drawings and summary of historic analysis) shall be made of a representative selection of buildings with military heritage on site and shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Copies of this record shall be placed on the North Yorkshire Historic Environment Record.”
Ms Furse, an architectural historian and former inspector of historic buildings with English Heritage (now Historic England) pointed out:
“Inclusion within the S 106 agreement means that the significance of military heritage assets at the site has been formally recognised and that is very welcome news.
“It means that we can go forward, in liaison with Homes England and other parties, to progress plans for military heritage trails at Clotherholme that alongside other heritage attractions, will add to the city’s development as a tourist destination.”
Bomb disposal and the American connection
The wooden huts at Deverell Barracks are of heritage importance, because they are identical to ones that were located at the nearby Harper Barracks which became the home of the Royal Engineers’ School of Bomb Disposal in 1941.
Setting up of the national school in Ripon, soon saw Royal Engineers based in the city providing vital training and passing on know-how to the Americans, in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, the USA naval base.
Ms Furse said:
“The Royal Engineers sought out examples of every known enemy bomb and developed countermeasures to defuse them. The School developed a rigorous training programme in bomb identification and disposal methodology.
“The Americans, although aware of the threat of unexploded bombs, had no proper procedures for safe disposal and the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941, meant that for the first time, they were faced with unexploded bombs scattered throughout their bases and the harbour.
“On December 9, the British Military Attache’s office in Washington received a request for a joint personnel exchange – an early example of the ‘special relationship’ between ourselves and the USA.
“A group of eight hand-picked American soldiers headed by Major Thomas J Kane, travelled to Ripon to train with the Engineers, arriving on February 1 1942.
“After six weeks of attending lectures and demonstrations, all of the U.S. Army ordnancemen passed the course and were made honorary Royal Engineers – they were even given official RE patches and allowed to wear them on the sleeves of their American uniforms.”
The expertise gained from the Royal Engineers in Ripon subsequently saw Major Kane set up the USA’s first Bomb Disposal School in Maryland.
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