A mother of five has been talking to the Stray Ferret about the struggle to keep her head above water during lockdown and how it prompted dark ‘thoughts of ending it all’.

With the promise that her identity would be protected, the mother agreed to speak with us as she hopes it will help others.

This is her story.

“I had maxed out on my cards, the bills and red reminders were coming in and I had run out of food to feed my family.

“We had been living on pasta, perhaps with a bit of cheese sprinkled on it – but the last packet was now empty.

“I didn’t know where to turn and felt like a worthless failure, who had let her children down, everything looked bleak.

“I started having black thoughts about ending it all.”

Weekly food and recipes from Back to Basics, along with sound advice, proved a lifeline for a Ripon mother

But with practical assistance and advice, she is getting her life back on track. The mum found out about Back to Basics – an organisation that is helping Ripon families by tackling the fundamental issues of food poverty.

In addition to providing a regular supply of free ingredients and instructions on how to turn them into a nutritious family meal, Back to Basics helped the mother begin to sort out her finances.

She said:

“They could see that lack of food in my cupboards and fridge was just the tip of the iceberg.

“If I tried to pay overdue bills, I couldn’t afford to buy food and life was scary.

“Helen Mackenzie and her Back to Basics organisation saved my life.

“While teaching me how to make healthy meals on a budget, they also pointed me in the direction of people, agencies and advice services that have helped me to get my financial situation under control.”

Read more:

• Food poverty pioneers support the impoverished in Ripon
• Ripon Community donates 50 tonnes of food and other essential items
• Free fairground rides to help hard-up Ripon families this summer

In November 2019 – more than a year before coronavirus reached the UK – North Yorkshire’s former director of public health, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, published a report titled ‘Life in times of change – health and hardship in North Yorkshire’

This estimated that 92,000 people (15%) living in the county fell within the Government’s definition of poverty.

In Dr Sargeant’s report, he noted a re-emergence of destitution:

“There is still a striking similarity between poverty in the past and poverty today. They are still largely due to unemployment and low household income.”

He added:

“It can be hidden from view; where people live with the challenges of poverty among less disadvantaged neighbours.”

The covid crisis has made the situation worse for many families. This mother’s story shows how real those challenges of poverty are.

Have you been affected to be this story or in a similar situation? If you want to tell your story get in touch at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

Today’s early May bank holiday has seen a buzz of activity on Ripon Market Square as the Little Bird Artisan Market returned.

About 40 independent businesses are selling homemade local products and handmade goods, including clothing, jewellery, hand-crafted wooden items and food.

It is the first public event to be staged by Ripon City Council for 18 months.

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.”

Artisan markets are planned throughout the rest of the year, along with activities on key dates in the city calendar.

Stalls were spaced out across all of Market Square to ensure that social distancing could be maintained.

Ripon also awaits the return of the of the ancient hornblower ceremony to Market Square.

Its return and the staging of larger-scale events is reliant upon the removal of government social distancing requirements.

Currently, the earliest this can happen is 21 June.

The covid lockdown wiped out all public and civic events planned by the council in 2020.

They included the 75th anniversary celebrations for VE Day, Saint Wilfrid’s procession, Remembrance Sunday, switch on of the Christmas lights and the New Year’s Eve entertainment

Andrew Williams, council leader and chair of the city council’s events committee, told the Stray Ferret:

“It’s great to be able to hold events for local people once more.

“As lockdown restrictions ease we aim to hold larger-scale activities that can be enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

“This will attract more footfall that is beneficial to shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and our heritage attractions.

A 17-year-old from Ripon Grammar School, who is ranked in Britain’s top four for the 200m butterfly, will be heading to Grand Canyon University in Arizona.

Christa, from Dishforth, will study chemistry at the university, renowned for its exceptional sports teams, while setting her sights on the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

From Ripon Grammar School to Arizona and a scholarship that will help Christa’s Olympic bid.

The holder of numerous medals at national and international levels, Christa was pursued by three other US universities, who all offered full scholarships.

She felt Grand Canyon was the best fit and said:

“It will be amazing to train and compete in America, a thrilling experience to compete against the fastest swimmers in the world and train alongside Olympians.

“My goal is to compete in the 2024 Olympics after qualifying for this year’s Olympic trials.

“Grand Canyon will provide the best facilities, training programme and team dynamics for me over the next four years, allowing me to swim and study to the highest possible standards.”

As well as her tuition fees throughout her four-year degree course, the university will pay for accommodation and all other costs including food, sports kit and equipment, with the bonus of a personal spending allowance.

Christa’s aspiration for her freshman year is to qualify for the US National College Athletic Association Division 1 Swimming Championships – the fastest swimming meet in the world.

She learned to swim aged just six months and began competing when she was nine. Her mother Kathryn said:

“All the years of missing social events, days out and sleep due to 4am starts has finally paid off due to her hard work.”

She added:

“I would like to thank the staff at RGS for supporting Christa both academically and for her swimming throughout her time at the school.”

Christa is a member of the Northumberland and Durham Elite Training Programme and the Borough of Stockton Swim Scheme, and has been crowned county champion for Northumberland and Durham on numerous occasions.

Read more:

• Artisan market returns to Ripon
• Grant boost for Ripon Cathedral

Alongside her academic studies, she maintained a punishing training regime, consisting of 3.45am wake-up calls to travel 140-mile round trips for early morning and late evening sessions in the pool.

Christa plans to take a two-year postgraduate course in forensic science following her chemistry degree.

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.

Read More:

• When will Ripon’s hornblowers be heard again on Market Square?
• Row over Ripon Market continues

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.”

Read more:

• Row over Ripon and Knaresborough markets
• 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.

Read more:

• Where can you find a defibrillator in Ripon?
• SNP jibe infuriates Ripon councillor

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.

Read more:

• Nidderdale community supports re-settlement of refugee family
• Stump Cross fundraising continues

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

Read more:

• Ripon cyclists seek safety improvements
• Ripon grandmother’s charity run

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