A former head boy of Ripon Grammar School won a share of £1,250 for scoring zero after he and his grandmother took part in Pointless, the BBC quiz show.
The episode in which Nick Edwards and 82-year-old Christine Robson hit the jackpot was broadcast yesterday for a second time after previously being screened in May.
Those who have missed the programme can watch it on BBC iPlayer and see the pair coming up with the winning answer to the question: “Name any past winner of the Spanish, French or Italian Cup.”
Mr Edwards, who formerly lived in Copt Hewick, works for the sustainability team of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in Leeds, where he runs the circular economy programme, which aims to reduce waste and prevent non-biodegradable items from going to landfill.
Speaking about the experience of visiting London’s Elstree Studios and taking part in the show hosted by Alexander Armstrong with assistance from Richard Osman, he said:
“My greatest success might be winning Pointless. More importantly than the show itself was the fact that I did it with my grandma.”
And what do they plan to do with their winnings?
Mr Edwards said:
“We agreed to spend it on a big family meal out, but we haven’t been able to get everyone in one place yet. It will happen at some point, I’ve promised them!”
And finally, what was the answer to the footballing question that foxed the 100 people on the Pointless panel?
It was Real Zaragoza – winner of the Spanish Cup, the Copa del Rey, on six occasions.
Ripon’s parish precept, which is charged to council tax payers in the city, is being frozen at its current level for the third year in succession.
It means Ripon residents living in a Band D property will pay a parish precept of £70.77 for the financial year 2023/24. People in Bands A to C properties will pay less and those in Bands E to H will pay more.
Final council tax bills for the year ahead are calculated by adding the parish precept to the amounts also charged by the new North Yorkshire Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The latter two have yet to finalise their amounts.
Ripon City Council unanimously approved its draft budget for 2023-2024 at its January full meeting after independent council leader Andrew Williams told members:
“Because of the increased number of new houses built in Ripon, there are more properties over which the precept will be charged and we are able to raise a levy of £420,000 at no extra cost to the charge payer.
“This is an increase from the £411,000 raised in the last financial year and will enable us to fund, among other things, the programme of public and civic events throughout the year, further improvements to the city’s Christmas lights infrastructure and refurbishment of Hugh Ripley Hall to increase its earnings potential.”
In the new financial year that comes into effect from April, monies will also be earmarked from reserves to pay for any professional advice required arising from double devolution and negotiations on matters including the transfer of assets such as Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall and Market Square, to the city council
Cllr Williams said:
“These are very difficult times with the cost of living crisis putting families under greater financial pressure through increased food, fuel, mortgage, rent and other costs.
“Faced with these circumstances we thought it only right and proper to freeze the precept charge for the coming financial year.”
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Ripon Salvation Army appeal helped hundreds across the Harrogate district
More than 500 bags of food and gifts were distributed to families across the Harrogate district after an annual Christmas appeal run by the Salvation Army in Ripon.
Each year the church and charity takes part in the nationwide Salvation Army appeal, which provides food and festive gifts anonymously to people recommended by agencies in the community.
Church leader Pat Clark said:
“This year, with the cost of living crisis, we faced a tsunami of need and we would like to say a big thank you on behalf of all the families supported by the appeal.”
Approximately 250 bags of gifts and 300 bags of food were provided, with each family member receiving a main present, chocolates and several small gifts. The food bags contained basic non-perishable foodstuffs and festive goods – mince pies, cake and puddings.
Ms Clark said:
“The huge effort was only made possible through the work of volunteer packers and sorters, donations from the public and other churches , schools and businesses.
“Planning for next Christmas is already underway, as arrangements have to be made to store cans and packets of food ready for the huge demand in December.”
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- Wildflower planting programme launched at Ripon nature reserve
- Plan to install donation point for upkeep of Ripon park
Wildflower planting programme launched at Ripon nature reserve
The Skell Valley Project is inviting people to help restore wildlife habitats at Ripon’s Hell Wath nature reserve.
The £2.5 million project aims to provide a sustainable future for 12 miles of the River Skell through Dallowgill Moor and Ripon an on to the vale of York.
Throughout January, the project team will be working with the Friends of Hell Wath and Harrogate Borough Council to carry out habitat improvements by restoring areas of grassland and continuing to remove areas of scrub.
The areas for clearance have been selected with the aim of creating a rich environment for a wide range of animal and plant species.
The conservation work is part of the Friends’ management plan for the site developed in liaison with the four-year Skell project, which is led by the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
On Saturday January 14, members of the community can find out more about the wildflower planting programme and how they can become involved by meeting at the Ripon City Panthers clubhouse at Hell Wath, where a drop-in session will be held between 10am and 3pm.
Following the public event, scrub clearance will continue throughout the week with various volunteer groups. Information boards and maps throughout the site are being put in place to provide details of what’s happening.
Red Admiral is one variety of butterfly playing a key role in pollination at Hell Wath. Picture: Ripon Photographic Society
Hell Wath is a designated local nature reserve important for its grassland and contains species such as the common spotted orchid and adder’s-tongue fern.
Work so far has helped wildflowers recover and rare bee orchids have reappeared in key areas. This month’s work will ensure these wildflowers are not swamped by the encroaching scrub and woodland, which will create more feeding opportunities for pollinating insects.
The project’s area ranger Gabby Crisp said:
“We’d love the local community to come and give Hell Wath a hand by joining us on Saturday January 14 at a drop-in practical session we’ll be holding on site.
“We’ll be hand-cutting some scrub to allow space for the grassland and the wildlife it supports to thrive. It’ll be a great way to kick off the new year with some fresh air and a chance to burn off some Christmas calories too!’.
Jeremy Dunford, secretary of the Friends, added:
“Growing the wildflower population of the large grassland meadows is a key part of the management plan for Hell Wath. This will increase the range and number of butterflies and other insects in this area which will in turn see a larger variety of birds and small mammals at the nature reserve.
“Those unable to make the public event can still get involved in helping nature thrive in this special place from the comfort of home. Friends of Hell Wath are asking the local community to help by cultivating wildflower plugs to plant on Hell Wath in the autumn.”
For a £5 donation, the Friends will provide a pack of wildflower seeds, a tray of 12 biodegradable seeds pots, peat free compost to fill the trays and an instruction leaflet for cultivating the seeds provided.
- The first AGM to be held by the Friends of Hell Wath since it gained charitable status will be held at South Lodge, from 7pm on January 19. All are welcome to attend, although voting is open only to members of the charity. For more information click here.
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- Conversion of Ripon pub to new homes moves a step closer
- Plan to install donation point for upkeep of Ripon park
Conversion of former Ripon pub to new homes moves a step closer
The conversion of a famous former Ripon pub into flats as part of a new housing development is moving a step closer.
In October 2021 Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to convert the Ship Inn on Bondgate into five two-bedroom flats.
The vacant site has attracted various incidents of anti-social behaviour since the pub closed in 2020.
The new development will see the construction of four terraced houses and a detached dwelling on the site.
Original proposals to redevelop the site, which include the creation of 14 parking spaces, were submitted by Leeds-based NRG Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd.
Now Sharow-based firm Watson Batty Properties LLP has applied to the council to vary the planning conditions to allow for the external use of brick and render in the development.
Planning documents submitted to the council say the development should begin on or before October 13, 2024.
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At the time of submitting the planning application NRG Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd. 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.”
When hornblower Allison Clark (pictured below) set the watch on Market Square at 9pm, only a handful of people were present, but by the stroke of midnight Ripon’s New Year’s Eve revellers were singing and dancing in the rain.
Yesterday’s heavy showers that threatened to turn the evening of celebration into a damp squib, relented by 11pm and the crowds poured in to enjoy the free music that heralded in 2023.
Mayor Councillor Sid Hawke, who joined with his wife and Mayoress Linda, Ripon city councillors and other civic dignitaries in a torchlit procession from the cathedral to Market Square, led the countdown to midnight, flanked by the Bishop of Leeds The Rt. Revd Nick Baines and the Dean of Ripon The Very Revd John Dobson.
The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, pictured with The Bishop of Leeds The Rt Revd Nick Baines and The Dean of Ripon The Very Revd John Dobson
The Bishop and Dean John, were among the clergy who had taken part in the Watchnight Service at the cathedral that preceded the procession to Market Square, where a blessing was given.
Throughout the evening the tribute acts Exelle, Beyond Faith and Parklife, braved the elements to perform a broad repertoire of songs, ranging from the chart-topping numbers of girl bands to George Michael classics and the Britpop tunes of the 1990s.
The Weather Girls’ 1979 hit It’s Raining Men, was among the songs performed by Exelle (pictured above) while George Michael lookalike and soundalike Beyond Faith (pictured below) also wowed the crowd.
Last night’s concert organised by Ripon City Council, saw the curtain come down on an epic year that saw the city’s ancient square stage historic events including celebrations of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June to the mourning of her death in September and the subsequent proclamation of Charles III as King.
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With the time to take down Christmas decorations fast approaching, people living in the Ripon area are being urged to support a local charity and help the environment.
Once again, Ripon Walled Garden, operated by the Ripon Community Link charity, is running its popular and environmentally friendly tree collection and disposal scheme to raise funds to support the delivery and development of the services it provides for adults with learning disabilities.
The charity’s chief executive Victoria Ashley, said:
“Our Christmas fundraising campaigns are vital to the charity, every penny raised through our tree sales and tree collection service directly benefits local people with learning disabilities by helping to pay for staff costs and gas and electricity bills throughout the year to provide services, five days a week to over 55 individuals living with a learning disability.
“The monies raised from suggested donations for the tree collection and recycling service has never been more needed as we all feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Ashley, added:
“We are extremely proud to partner with Lightwater Quarries and Rudding Park Hotel who are both supporting the Tree Collection Campaign.
“In addition to volunteering to help us collect the Christmas Trees, Lightwater quarries over the last 3 years helped us purchase of a new minibus; supplied the concrete foundations for a new green house and a much needed toilet block, foundations and fundraising for a new classroom building as well as transform the look and feel of the charities main retail area, all of which ultimately help to provide much needed ongoing funds.
“Rudding Park has provided support in so many ways, on site, with events, teams helping us manage our woodland, providing golf sessions for our service users, and we are especially grateful for their donation of an overnight stay at Rudding Park as our Christmas Raffle prize which has helped us raise £2,430 this Christmas.“
Carolyn Sands, chair of the charity, pointed out:
“Ripon Walled Garden provides day care and learning opportunities for so many individuals and respite for their families.”
People living within a five mile radius of Ripon Walled Garden’s HG4 3HN postcode can book the service up until 5pm on Wednesday (January 4) via the Ripon Community Link website: www.riponcommunitylink.org or by calling 01765 609229.
The suggested donation is £7 for a tree up to 10 foot in height and £10 for a tree of 10 foot and above.
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Ripon set to welcome in the New Year with city event
Ripon will welcome in 2023 in traditional style on Saturday evening, with residents and visitors invited to the city’s New Year’s Eve gathering on Market Square.
The celebrations begin at 9pm when a member of the hornblower team will signal the setting of the watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.
The ceremonial event, dating back to 886 AD – the year in which when Alfred the Great became the first Anglo-Saxon King of England – will provide the prelude to a night of free entertainment.
The watch will be set by a member of the Ripon hornblower team prior to the start of the musical entertainment
Following the hornblower, three tribute acts will take centre stage for the final concert of the year organised by Ripon City Council.
The acts are Beyond Faith, performing the songs of George Michael and Wham, Xelle with the favourite numbers from the best-known girl bands and Parklife, singing Britpop hits of the 1990s.
Shortly before midnight a torchlit procession of civic dignitaries led by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda, will make its way from Ripon Cathedral to Market Square, in time for the countdown that heralds in the New Year.
The procession will follow the Watchnight service at the cathedral which begins at 11.15.
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No.5: Concerns remain over spiralling costs of Ripon leisure scheme
In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the ongoing saga over Ripon leisure centre, its delays and increasing costs.
The end is in sight for Harrogate Borough Council — but will decisions it made about building a new Ripon swimming pool and refurbishing the existing leisure centre at Dallamires Lane come back to haunt council tax payers after the authority’s abolition in April?
Money already spent on the project stands at £14.5 million and still to be added is £3.5 million for extra ground stabilisation on site and a further £300,000 for a temporary gym due to open in the New Year.
The contract awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019 was for delivery of the new pool and refurbished centre in May 2021 at a cost of £10.2 million. But the need for ground stabilisation works ahead of the pool’s construction added to the cost and caused delays.
The subsequent discovery in September 2020 of a ‘void’ close to the leisure centre entrance led to an investigation by engineering consultancy Stantec which identified ground stability issues under the leisure centre and a requirement for extensive remediation works to keep the building in use.
Opening of the temporary gym will enable the 27-year-old centre building to be vacated while work is carried out to shore up its foundations, but HBC has indicated that the need for more funding may be identified when this is underway.
The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, including a newly-constructed six lane swimming pool, opened in March – more than nine months behind the original schedule
A report to a meeting of council’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.
Concerns raised by Ripon City Council
Ripon City Council raised concerns about the costs for the additional ground stabilisation and called for an end to the spending on the multi-million pound project and for HBC to fully investigate other options, including building a new leisure centre at a different location where ground conditions are stable.
At its full meeting in October, Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, said the works would take the total spending on the project at Dallamires Lane to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget.
He added:
“They (HBC) 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.”
Response from Harrogate Borough Council
The call to search for an alternative location for the centre has been rejected by the borough council. A spokesperson for the 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 complemented 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.”
Read more:
- Ground remediation work at Ripon leisure centre to cost £3.5 million
- City council calls for an end to spending on Ripon leisure scheme
Sun shines as hundreds of Ripon pilgrims walk to Fountains Abbey
St Stephen’s Day in this busiest of years for Ripon Cathedral started with a Eucharist service, followed by a leisurely four-mile walk to Fountains Abbey.
The annual Boxing Day pilgrimage linking the two internationally famous and historic religious sites has been taking place in all weathers since 1976.
Bright sunshine and clear skies saw hundreds of pilgrims participate in this morning’s walk, following a procession led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson and children, who took it in turns to carry a cross along the way.
The pilgrims on the start of their journey head up Kirkgate.
With celebrations during 2022 to mark the 1,350th anniversary of the cathedral’s foundation by Wilfrid, this year’s walk had an added significance. as the pilgrims again retraced the steps of the 13 Benedictine monks who were the original founders of the abbey in 1132.
A group of pilgrims arrive at Fountains Abbey
At the abbey, the hundreds who completed the walk from the cathedral were joined by hundreds more (pictured below) for a carol service held in the cellarium.
The service included readings, prayers and traditional carols, with musical accompaniment provided by the Stray Brass Ensemble.
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