The tightening of rules for public gatherings, mean that Santa won’t be seen in Ripon’s cabmen’s shelter on Sunday – but the Christmas market, with free fairground rides for children will still go ahead.

Changes affecting both indoor and outdoor venues and events, were announced this week by the government, as part of its Plan B designed to tackle the Omicron variant of covid.

Ripon City Council announced on its Facebook page:

“Unfortunately, the new COVID rules mean that Father Christmas will not be able to return to the cabmen’s shelter this week.”

The rare and historic listed building (pictured below) was transformed into a temporary grotto to coincide with the switch on of the city’s festive lights on 20 November.

Santa, who arrived on that day with two reindeer, attracted a large queue of families, whose children went to see him.

Though  the grotto is now closed, families and other visitors, will still be welcome on Market Square between 10am and 3pm on Sunday.

Free fairground rides for children will be in place next to the latest in the series of Little Bird Artisan Markets.

The following advice has been provided by the council for those planning to attend:

• People going to events are strongly advised to take a lateral flow test at home before attending
• Anyone with a positive test result must stay at home, and household members should follow national guidance for close contacts
• Face coverings should be worn indoors and in crowded spaces
• Keep a respectful social distance between yourselves and people who are not in your group
• Do not travel to the event if you are feeling unwell. If you start to feel unwell whilst at an event, you should leave the site immediately
• Follow all covid-19 measures in place at events, including regular hand hygiene

Work has begun at Hell Wath Local Nature Reserve in Ripon to restore precious wildlife habitats.

The conservation work is part of the £2.5m four-year Skell Valley Project, a scheme co-led by the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Skell Valley Project is working with Harrogate Borough Council to deliver the Friends of Hell Wath Nature Reserve management plan, which is part of a wider scheme of work to help nature thrive in the Skell Valley and Ripon.

Hell Wath (pictured below) is a wildflower-rich grassland, home to species such as common spotted orchid and cowslips as well as botanical rarities such as adder’s-tongue fern and bee orchid.

Invasive ‘scrub’ is spreading across the open grasslands, swamping out the wildflowers and reducing feeding opportunities for butterflies and other pollinators.

Councillor Andrew Paraskos, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Scrub, the bushes and thicket that develop at the edge of woodland, is an important wildlife habitat but left unchecked it can lose its value for nature and overwhelm the delicate grassland.

“While it can seem counter-intuitive to remove trees to help nature, this work is about maintaining the overall importance of the habitat at Hell Wath so that as many species as possible can flourish.”

The scrub removal is part of a wider scheme of work that will be delivered at Hell Wath as part of the Skell Valley Project.

During winter, a silted-up pond will be reinstated to restore habitat for amphibians and dragonflies. In coming years, the project will work to improve footpaths on the reserve, with better waymarking and interpretation.

Nabil Abbas, project manager for the Skell Valley Project, said:

“By working with our partners at Harrogate Borough Council and the Friends of Hell Wath, the charity established by volunteers to care for the site, we can make a real difference for nature in Ripon and for the people who enjoy visiting this lovely green space.

“We’re passionate about encouraging people to get involved in caring for the nature, wildlife and heritage around them. Next year there will be a programme of events giving people the opportunity to learn more about the wildlife in their local area.”

More information about the project is available at: nationaltrust.org.uk/skellvalleyproject

Ripon’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display is in doubt because of safety concerns about letting off fireworks behind the town hall

Ripon City Council, which has staged New Year’s Eve celebrations on the site since 1985, is exploring other options after being advised it can no longer set off fireworks on land behind the town hall.

It could spell an end to any further fireworks displays taking place in the Market Square.

Council leader Andrew Williams said:

“Following the redevelopment of the Claro Lounge (pictured below) next to the town hall and the flats above, which have balconies to the rear, the fireworks company have advised that it is no longer safe to discharge fireworks on the land behind the town hall.

“Harrogate Borough Council has been asked for permission to use part of the car park behind Sainsbury’s but this request has been refused. Discussions on this are ongoing.

“It may well be that as a result we are not able to find a suitable safe location to discharge fireworks from at future Ripon City Council events.

“I am currently exploring the possibility of having a laser light display for New Year’s Eve and will provide an update when I know whether this will be possible, or if we have managed to find a safe location to set the fireworks off from.”

Fireworks displays provided the finale to the Yorkshire Day weekend event concert on 31 July (pictured above) and the Last Night of the Proms concert in September.

On New Year’s Eve, there will again be free live music on Market Square from 9.30pm, with performances from the Big Boyband Reunion and Oasis tribute acts.

Nidderdale Community Welcome is urgently seeking a house to rent in or close to Pateley Bridge to home a refugee family.

The community group has already raised more than £12,000 to help a refugee family from Syria or Afghanistan, to start a new life in the UK.

Peter Wright, NCW’s housing lead, told the Stray Ferret:

“We need a two, three or four-bedroom property with a garden, on a bus route in Nidderdale, ideally near Pateley Bridge.

“The property needs to be available to the family for a minimum of two years, but the arrangement could easily extend for much longer.

“This offers certainty for landlords and avoids the cost and disruption of changing tenants regularly.”

Nidderdale Community Welcome is taking part in a scheme originally set-up by former Prime Minister David Cameron to welcome 20,000 Syrian refugees to the UK.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in the summer, an increased number of refugees from that country have also been offered the opportunity to come to the UK.

The Home Office and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will choose a family based on the number of bedrooms in the house that is secured for rental by NCW.

As part of their resettlement package, the family is entitled to housing benefit and can pay monthly rental ranging from £663 for a two-bedroom house to £1,067 for a four-bedroom property.

Mr Wright said:

“We can provide the bond and one month’s rent in advance, if required. If we find the right home before the family arrives and is able to move in, we could potentially provide a short period of 100% rental bridging to hold the property for them.

“Our charity will provide long-term support for the family and will act as the first point of contact between them and the landlord, to ensure that all communications are well-managed.”

Landlords able to help NCW in its search for a rental property, are asked to contact Mr Wright, via email on wrightpandh@gmail.com

Read more:

• Plans to convert Nidderdale pub into holiday cottage refused
• Community raises funds to support refugee group

Students and staff at Ripon Grammar School marked National Tree Week with an ambitious 3,000-sapling hedge-planting drive.

Hundreds of students gathered in the school grounds last week to plant the first 2,000 trees over two days.

The project was made possible by The Tree Council’s branching out fund, which supports schools and others across the UK to plant trees, hedges and orchards as National Tree Week inspires people to get outdoors and get planting in the first week of December.

Ava Edwards, who worked with Year 7 students on their massive planting project, in addition to digging in with fellow sixth formers throughout the week, said:

“The tree planting has provided fantastic opportunities for us all to get involved in regenerating the environment on school grounds.”

RGS gardening and wildlife champion, teacher David Bruce, who has been working with student volunteers from other year groups during lunchtime breaks, said:

“This year’s National Tree Week is more important than ever as we work together to tackle the climate and nature crises.

“Trees and hedgerows store carbon, reduce flood risks and improve our air quality, and by planting more we can help grow a greener future. The young people in our community are an amazing force for nature and by planting these new hedgerows they are helping to create a nature-filled legacy for all of us.

“We managed to get around two thirds of our trees planted so far, with the remaining 1,000 set to be planted at a more leisurely pace over the next couple of weeks. Although the planting is almost done, it’s not over because sustaining the growth of the young trees and maintaining them in a wildlife-friendly way is going to be an ongoing project.”

Ripon Grammar School has been named as the top performing state school in the north of England by The Sunday Times for the ninth year running.

The school, which ranked 53rd nationally, was the only school in the Harrogate district to make the top 10 in the north. Skipton Girls’ High School was second and Ermysted’s Grammar School, also in Skipton, was third.

The results are contained in the 29th edition of The Sunday Times Parent Power tables, which identify the highest achieving schools in the UK, ranked by their examination results from 2017-19. A total of 78 per cent of Ripon Grammar School pupils achieved A-level grades A to B during this period.

Jonathan Webb (pictured above with students), headmaster of Ripon Grammar school, said the accolade was a tribute to the efforts of staff and pupils during the pandemic. He added:

“After a truly difficult 18 months this will give our students and everyone who works at the school a real boost.

“We offer an exceptional all-round, holistic education, with music, drama and sport also thriving.

“Staff have created recently a pioneering new student development programme as now, more than ever, we need to ensure students gain the valuable skills, qualifications and experience outside the classroom which will prepare them well for life beyond school.”

The Plus One programme will be showcased at the school’s sixth form open evening on January 17.

Alastair McCall, editor of Parent Power, said the need for clarity about school examination performance had never been greater, following two years of centre- and teacher-assessed grades, during which the numbers of top grades had increased dramatically.

Mr McCall, said:

“At a time when some schools are making it hard to substantiate claims of academic prowess based on outcomes from 2021 and 2020, we believe these rankings – and all the additional information on offer in Parent Power – provide parents with a more reliable guide to academic achievement in schools today.”

Ripon City Council has issued new covid guidance in the run-up to staging another large public event in the Market Square this weekend.

The guidance follows measures brought in by the government this week to combat the Omicron variant of the disease.

The first of two artisan Christmas markets will be held on Sunday, alongside free fairground rides for children and a festive grotto with Santa (pictured below).

The city council said in a statement:

“Anyone who is planning on attending our events is encouraged to take a lateral flow test beforehand to help to stop the spread of covid.

“Please help us by following the guidance below if you are visiting our grotto, fairground and Christmas market on December 5 and 12.”

The guidance is as follows:

• People going to events are strongly advised to take a lateral flow test at home before attending
• Anyone with a positive test result must stay at home, and household members should follow national guidance for close contacts
• Face coverings should be worn indoors and in crowded spaces
• Keep a respectful social distance between yourselves and people who are not in your group
• Do not travel to the event if you are feeling unwell. If you start to feel unwell whilst at an event, you should leave the site immediately
• Follow all covid-19 measures in place at events, including regular hand hygiene

A record £25,000 was raised at Ripon Cathedral’s Christmas Gift and Food Fair, as 2,500 visitors braved Storm Arwen to attend the two-day event.

Proceeds from the fair (pictured above), held last Friday and Saturday, exceeded pre-pandemic levels and will help fund the cathedral’s development plans for the future.

As a covid safety measure, pre-bookable time slots were made available online.

Visitors, who came from Yorkshire and further afield, enjoyed a festive atmosphere, with 100 stalls selling seasonal gifts and food.

Aysgarth School Choir, The Yorkshire Decibelles, Knot Another Choir and Emily and Adrian Roberts were among those providing entertainment.

The pop-up cafe’s offerings included hot turkey sandwiches and homemade cakes, along with tea, coffee and mulled wine, all served by cathedral volunteers. Children’s craft activities, a chocolate tombola and a raffle were also available.

The cathedral’s development campaign manager, Margaret Hammond, said:

“The fair marks the start of the Christmas celebrations for the local community. It was wonderful to see so many people back enjoying the spectacular setting of Ripon Cathedral.

“There are so many individuals to thank for helping to make this year’s Christmas Fair such a truly special event: Freda Bottomley, one of our volunteers, along with Dean John and his team of clergy, raised a record £1,600 selling raffle tickets; 70 volunteers manned the door, served refreshments and baked wonderful Christmas Cakes which were sold on the fundraising stall.

“Ripon businesses including Morrisons supermarket provided raffle prizes and provided the mince pies. Soldiers from Claro Barracks helped set up the event and everyone worked incredibly hard and helped in so many different ways to make sure it was a huge success.

“The event completely relies on the generosity of volunteers giving up their time to help raise funds.”

Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) has said it is unable to reopen the Spa Baths while Ripon residents wait for the delayed opening of the new pool.

The reopening request came from Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, following Friday’s news from HBC that its multi-million pound scheme won’t be opening next week.

A fault found in the lining of the six-lane pool (pictured below) means that its opening will be delayed to an unspecified date in January.

In the meantime, Spa Baths, which was closed by HBC on 7 November, won’t be reopening as a stop-gap.

In response to an email that Cllr Williams sent to Councillor Stanley Lumley, HBC’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:

“The swimming pool at Ripon Spa Baths is currently being emptied and the utilities that serve the pool have been turned off.

“We have also transferred staff from the baths to Ripon Leisure Centre for training at the new pool or to other facilities across the Harrogate district to ensure leisure provision can continue to be provided.

“Therefore, we are unable to re-open the Spa Baths, residents will be most welcome in the short term at one of our other district pools.”

Earlier this week HBC said the fault with the new pool is not related to sinkhole issues. Cllr Lumley, pointed out:

“Every large building project has snagging issues to resolve when nearing completion and this project is no different, it is very important we address any defects before opening so we can hand over this superb facility for the people of Ripon.”

Cllr Williams, told the Stray Ferret:

“Surely, it would have been sensible to have kept Spa Baths open until all necessary testing at the new pool had been carried out, but Ripon residents now have to wait until an unknown date when they can go swimming once more in the city.

“For many, having to travel to Harrogate, Pateley Bridge or Knaresborough for a swim is not a practical proposition.”

He added:

“We have had delays, alongside substantial increases in the cost of the project and there is still uncertainty about the opening date.”

Read more:

• EXCLUSIVE: Ripon leisure scheme racks up additional £1m cost
• Conservative councillor says Ripon leisure scheme is poor use of public money