People who have had difficulty filling in the census form need not panic. Help is at hand to save those struggling a potential £1,000 fine.

The census support centre run by Nidderdale Plus in Pateley Bridge can provide assistance to anybody living in the Harrogate district.

It is based in the Nidderdale Plus community hub in Station Square, King Street and will be open daily between 10am and 4pm for the rest of this week and on Saturday and bank holiday Monday from 10am until 1pm.

The Census 2021 forms were posted to millions of households in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Helen Flynn, executive director of Nidderdale Plus, told the Stray Ferret:

“The census support centre, with its specially-trained advisors Sandra Walker and Heather Blundell, has been very busy since census day on March 21.

“We are proud to be the fourth highest performing census support centre in the north-east, North Yorkshire and Cumbria region so we have been punching above our weight, as we have been helping people.

“Completing and submitting the census form is a legal requirement and failure to do it could result in a fine of £1,000.”

People can walk in to the hub to get help with filling in their form.

Alternatively, they can call 01423 714953 for help and advice over the phone.

Ripon Little Bird Artisan Market will return on Monday.

The May Bank Holiday event will be the first staged by Ripon City Council for 18 months.

The covid lockdown put paid to all public and civic events planned by the council in 2020.

They included the 75th anniversary celebrations for VE Day, Saint Wilfrid’s procession and Remembrance Sunday.

Andrew Williams, council leader and chair of the city council’s events committee, said:

“For the first time in 18 months Ripon City Council is once again able to provide an event for local people to enjoy.

“I hope that as lockdown restrictions ease we will be able to return to the larger scale events that we have hosted so successfully in recent years.

“We have ambitious plans for the summer onwards and will provide further details on our plans as soon as we are able to do so.”

The time has come for Ripon City Council to stage its first event since the covid lockdown

The market will have more than 40 artisans selling homemade local products.

It will be open from 10am to 3pm and social distancing measures will be in place.

As well as providing a platform for the artisans to display and sell their goods, the council hopes it will attract footfall to benefit businesses in the city.

Items on sale will include clothing, jewellery, hand-crafted wood items and food.

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Jackie Crozier, owner and curator of Little Bird Artisan Markets, said:

“The Ripon artisan market celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of the local traders, inviting visitors and residents to discover artisanal crafts from up-and-coming local businesses and further afield

“As someone who was born and lives in Ripon, I am very proud to hold events in the city I am passionate about.”

For more information on the artisan market or to become involved as an artist, artisan or vendor, email info@littlebirdmade.co.uk.

Ripon’s nightly hornblower ceremony has been performed behind closed doors since March last year.

So the return of the city’s three hornblowers, who share the task, is keenly anticipated. But it seems the trio won’t be seen again on Market Square for almost two months at the earliest.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“It is not possible to make concrete plans until we have certainty over the total lifting of limits on social distancing.”

Stage four of the government roadmap out of lockdown says the removal of all limitations on social contact will take place no earlier than 21 June.

The obelisk and Market Square, where the nightly hornblower ceremony has taken place for centuries.

Cllr Williams said:

“The council has received numerous enquiries about when the hornblowers will be seen again at the obelisk.

“Naturally, we hope that there are no mishaps along the way to the lifting of restrictions.

“We are as keen as our residents, businesses and visitors to the city, to see and hear them on Market Square.

“We will keep people informed.”

The 9pm ceremony has been performed continuously, without fail, since Ripon was granted its first charter in 886 by the Saxon king Alfred the Great.

During lockdown, the hornblowers have ‘set the watch’ by blowing the horn at their own homes.

People have been able to watch this on Facebook.

Hornblowers Wayne Cobbett, Alison Clark and Richard Midgley are employed by the city council.

They perform the ritual on a rota basis.

In pre-covid times, this involves them making blasts of the horn at the four corners of the obelisk and a brief talk on the history of Ripon.

The event can attract large gatherings, particularly in summer months. 

Each hornblower has their own instrument from a collection of five, which still includes the ancient horn said to have been given to the city by King Alfred.

It’s a prized and priceless item, only on display at civic occasions. 

“Over the centuries, Ripon has had to fight off many threats from war to plague.

“The sounding of the horn and setting of the watch reminds us that we can and will overcome adversity – as we have done for centuries.”

Plans have been submitted to demolish a building that has been blighting a historic area of Ripon.

The proposal is to replace the derelict property in Moss’s Arcade with three two-bedroom townhouses.

An overview of the proposed development submitted to Harrogate Borough Council says:

“This is an important part of Ripon steeped with heritage.

“However the building on the site is very much a left-over redundant building, which blights the surrounding area.”

Pigeons inhabit the derelict building

The existing building, has been left un-used for many years.

Planning consultant James Robinson said in an overview in support of the planning application.

“This is an important part of Ripon’s inner city and is right in the middle of the conservation area.

“The location benefits from all essential shops, facilities and transport ( Ripon Bus Station over the road )

“This is the ultimate sustainable inner-city location.”

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• Ripon councillor celebrates 21 years of service

At Cllr Charlie Powell’s 80th birthday party this week – celebrated with a handful of fellow councillors and his wife and deputy mayoress Jill – there was a special surprise.

Cllr Peter Horton read out a document prepared by his family detailing his lifetime of achievement – including serving more than a quarter of his life on Ripon City Council.

Over more than 30 pages it covered the highlights in the councillor’s story of service and business success.

During 15 years in the Royal Engineers, he was posted to Germany, Northern Ireland, Aden, Libya, Borneo and Singapore.

After leaving the Army, in which he rose to the rank of sergeant, Cllr Powell served for two years as a fire fighter in Ripon.

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.

Cllr Powell played a key role in negotiating Curzon Cinema’s opening in Ripon

This was a role in which Cllr Powell represented his company as a guest of the Queen on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

He said:

“That was a remarkable honour and once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Although Army service and private sector work took him worldwide, Cllr Powell’s roots have remained firmly planted in Ripon, where his military career began.

At the age of 15, he attended the Army Apprentices School in Harrogate (now the Army Foundation College) and qualified as a carpenter, before joining the Royal Engineers.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Ripon is my home and a city I take great pride in.

“It’s a special place with a long history, unique character and traditions that make it stand out – such as the nightly Hornblower ceremony at the obelisk.”

He has served for 21 years as a city councillor and has been deputy mayor since 2017.

There have been many highlights during his political career, including successful negotiations with Curzon, which led to the cinema operator opening in the city in 2013.

Cllr Powell’s business acumen also proved crucial in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.

He has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.

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A job reference prepared by Mr K J Parfit, manager of support services for BAC at King Faisal Air Base, succinctly sums up the business capabilities that have subsequently been put to good use for the people of Ripon.

It read:

“I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Powell for any position requiring tact, intelligence and judgment.

“He has displayed all of these qualities in full measure.”

In a matter of minutes Andrew Waite and Michael Brown went from hirsute to hairless – and the bald facts speak for themselves.

Their head shaves have raised more than £1,500 for Macmillan Cancer Support, which is providing support for their respective brothers Martin and David.

Hats will be de rigueur for Andrew (left) and Michael for the next few weeks. (Photograph: Pat Waite)

Martin, who now lives in Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2020 and is receiving chemotherapy treatments.

David, who is chair of Nidderdale Young Farmers, discovered that he had leukemia in 2019.

His treatments have been provided at the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton.

Both have been supported by Macmillan over the course of their treatment.

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Pat Waite, who co-owns and runs the Sandwich Box takeaway in Back High Street, Pateley Bridge, with newly bald husband Andrew, said:

“Through the JustGiving page and other donations collected, he and Michael have raised more £1,500 and still counting.

“They would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all who have donated.

“Thanks also go to Russ Pool, who designed the poster to promote the event, and to Andrew Smith at Beauty Boutique for donating his time and skills to shave their heads.”

Anybody wishing to make a donation can do so via the pair’s Bold&Bald JustGiving page.

For seven years, a group called Defibrillators For Ripon has been installing defibrillators at selected sites in the city.

The sites range from churches to sports grounds.

As the covid lockdown eases, and more people go out to shop, socialise and play sport, the group is keen to raise awareness of where the potentially life-saving units are located and how to use them.

Alec Lutton, of Defibrillators For Ripon, told the Stray Ferret:

“A heart attack or cardiac arrest could happen to anyone of any age at any time, day or night.

“If you find someone having a cardiac arrest, start CPR straight away, phone 999 and once you give the operator your location, they will tell you where the nearest defibrillator unit is.

“Do not leave the person on their own – send someone else for the defibrillator.

“The person sent for the unit, will be asked by the operator for the code on the front of the cabinet, and then given the code to open it and obtain the defibrillator.

“Each has a built-in voice instruction guide, to help you use it.”

Ripon Rugby Club is one of 19 locations around the city with a defibrillator unit.

The defibrillators are set to ‘adult mode’, and must be moved to the setting 1-8, if a child is to be treated.

If someone has a cardiac arrest, the unit will buy precious time following the 999 call until a community first responder and ambulance arrives.

The defibrillators have been installed with help, guidance and approval from Yorkshire Ambulance Service, NHS England and Harrogate Borough Council, as well as businesses and sports clubs.

Mr Lutton said:

“Eleven of the units have been purchased through Ripon Lions Club, which has been supporting us since 2015.

“Many people within this wonderful city have made donations or organised fundraising events, including one remarkable woman who raised more than £4,000.”

Further information about Defibrillators For Ripon can be found on the Facebook page Defibs Ripon

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The locations of the defibrillators and their postcodes are:

• Allhallowgate Methodist Church. HG4 1LG
• Darnborough Gate. HG4 2TF
• Grosvenor Park. HG4 1UF
• Harrogate Road Methodist Church. HG4 1TG
• Hell Wath, Sports Hall. HG4 2SE
• The Moors Care Centre. HG4 2SB
• North House Surgery. HG4 1JT
• Ripon Bowling Club. HG4 1QW
• Ripon City Cemetery. HG4 2HH
• Ripon Farm Services. HG4 1TT
• Ripon Fire station. HG4 1LJ
• Ripon Golf Club. HG4 3HH
• Ripon Grammar School. HG4 2DG
• Ripon Racecourse. HG4 1UG
• Ripon Rugby club. HG4 2RD
• Riverside Village Management Ltd. HG4 1AJ
• Studley Roger village. HG4 3AY
• The Unicorn Hotel. HG4 1BP (Reopens 17 May)
• United Response, HG4 2TS

Campaigners in Ripon are calling for safety improvements for cyclists and scooter riders on their school commute.

Pupils at Sharow Church of England Primary School received an incentive to take two wheels or scoot to school when a shelter providing safe storage for bikes and scooters was installed during the Easter holidays.

The shelter was made possible by a £900 grant from the locality budget of Mike Chambers, who represents Ripon Spa on North Yorkshire County Council.

The Conservative councillor cycled to the school for the opening of the shelter, as did Bethan Dailey, her daughters Evelyn (8) Amelie (5)  and cycling campaigners Dr Chris Bennett and Ian Kendall.

Cllr Chambers told the Stray Ferret there was a need to create better cycleways and paths in Ripon to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

He said:

“We have got to plan for sustainable transport and I will continue to lobby for safe routes to be created for cyclists and pedestrians.”

Ms Dailey, who started cycling to school with her daughters during the covid lockdown, said:

“The traditional school run is a classic example of a short journey where cycling or walking instead of jumping in the car can reduce traffic levels.

“It also lowers carbon emissions and increases fitness.

“An easy solution in theory but in practice, there are many barriers to cycling and walking around Ripon safely.”

Jacqui Palmer, executive head teacher of Sharow C of E Primary School, is encouraging more children and parents to cycle and scoot to school (Photograph courtesy of Ian Kendall).

The one mile route from the family home in Ripon to Sharow proved so hazardous it prompted Ms Dailey to write an article for the Harrogate District Cycle Action group website.

In it, she pointed out:

“Ripon has practically no cycling infrastructure… there are virtually no cycle lanes at all, not on-road and not off-road.   If you want to stay safe cycling with kids in Ripon you are forced to use pavements, public footpaths, private lanes and cut-throughs, river walkways and canal tow paths.

“Cycling shorter distances with children is virtually impossible unless you break all the rules and cycle illegally on the pavement… even then, there are many hazards along the route”

Cllr Chambers, responded to the article and arranged for both the pedestrian and cycle track under the A61 bypass and the pavement and road into Sharow to be swept.

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Jacqui Palmer, headteacher of Sharow CE Primary and Skelton Newby Hall CE Primary, said:

“We hope to see increasing numbers of children cycling and scooting to school.  We are taking part in the Sustrans initiative Big Pedal 2021 from next week, and are planning to hold Bikeability courses this term.”

Ripon Grammar School (RGS) is seeking poems of the pandemic for its annual poetry challenge.

With the theme of “escape” the search is on for rhyme that have helped to reduce anxiety and provided solace during the covid lockdown.

Students, parents, past pupils and the wider Ripon community are invited to enter.

The Hullah Poetry Competition was launched in 2014 and attracts hundreds of entries every year.

Dr Paul Hullah, will judge the competition.

Judge Dr Paul Hullah, a past pupil of the school and now professor of poetry at Tokyo’s Meiji Gakuin University, explained his choice of theme for 2021.

He said:

“The last year has been difficult for all of us. We’ve had to work out new ways to live.

“We’ve all done our best, but enforced isolation, our new ‘indoor existence’, has not been easy for many of us.

“A lockdown limbo land of restrictions on movement has been a psychological as well as physical challenge we have all had to try to overcome.

“In such stressful, testing times, it’s important to find ways actively to reduce anxiety.

“Art — of which poetry is a fundamental form — can represent a welcome escape from the prosaic reality of our situation.

“Whether we’re producers of art, or consumers, or both, creativity stimulates the imagination and exercises the mind, inspires and elevates us.

“Whether it’s a Netflix binge watch, a video game, a fantasy manga, a favourite tune, a musical, a ballet, a book… or a poem, art offers us a meaningful exit route — dramatic, fantastical, and joyous — from the daily actualities in which we find ourselves, a temporary respite from the workaday mundanities that give life a regularity but are lacking in emotional release.

“Art is a medicine that soothes, and liberates: ‘Go anywhere, without leaving your chair’, as the song says.

“So, this year, the task is to write a poem of fourteen or more lines that somehow connects to the concept of ‘Escape’. Any poetic form, rhyme scheme or narrator is allowed.”

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Entries should be submitted you via email by Friday, by 16 July to Mrs Mars at marsh@ripongrammar.com. Prizes will be awarded in two categories.

It was time for many happy returns at Ripon City Netball Club this week.

The spontaneous singing of ‘Happy Birthday to You’, signalled the arrival on court of Jackie Laugher.

For the mother of Olympic gold medal winning diver Jack, it was the sporting icing on the cake.

On a sunlit evening, she met with team mates she hadn’t seen face-to-face for seven months.

Jackie told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s lovely to be back among friends.”

Families and friends – Helen and Amy Mackenzie (left) are pictured with, from left: Jackie Laugher, Lindsi Baldwin and her sister Kirsteen Dixon

Jack, who won his diving gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, had rung his mother earlier to wish her a happy birthday.

She said:

“He is always encouraging me and was pleased to hear I was heading out for netball training and keeping myself fit.”

For Jack, the road to Olympic gold started at Ripon’s Spa Baths where he was taught to swim by Sylvia Grice.

His sporting prowess was developed further at Ripon Grammar School, where he was taught by Sylvia’s daughter and PE teacher Helen Mackenzie.

The connection between the families continues, as Helen is head coach at Ripon City Netball Club, where her daughter Amy is a rising star.

She said:

“The aim since we set off seven years ago has been to create a club based on three words – participate, enjoy, succeed.

“We are inclusive, welcoming all-comers.

“This sees mothers alongside their daughters and siblings enjoying training and playing together.”

Club secretary Kirsteen Dixon who was present with her sister Lindsi Baldwin, said:

“These times are so special, it’s like turning the clock back to school days, when we first learnt to play netball.

“Many lasting friendships developed from this.

“The social aspect is as important as the sporting activity.”

Covid lockdown saw the suspension of netball in September.

Ripon City, which plays in the Hambleton, Harrogate, York and North Yorkshire Ambassadors leagues is now preparing for games later this year.

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With teams named after birds of prey – Falcons, Kestrels, Ospreys, Eagles and Hawks – it’s time to spread their wings once more.

As lockdown lifts further, many more will be flocking back to their Ripon Grammar School base.