From Ripon UK, to Ripon, California USA,  John Richmond’s memoirs have proved a transatlantic hit.

In less than a month, every copy of the first-time author’s book Beyond the Farm Gate has been sold and more than £5,000 has been raised for Breast Cancer UK.

The final 20 copies, from a print run of 400, are being shipped to America later this week and a re-print is under consideration.

The 86-year-old former mayor, who earned the nickname ‘Mr Ripon’ for his wide-ranging community work, told the Stray Ferret:

“The book is dedicated to my late and beloved wife Barbara who died of cancer in 2013 and I have been overwhelmed by the response to it.

“It appears to have struck a chord both here and in the United States.”

Three Ripons united in the States

The California connection, which features prominently in John’s memoirs, was established 46 years ago, when he was invited to represent the world’s foremost Ripon at the USA’s Bicentennial celebrations.

Flying out at short notice and his own expense, in February 1976, he travelled to San Francisco, where he met the mayors of newer namesakes from California and Wisconsin.

The trip gave him the platform to speak about his home city’s ancient cathedral and history and traditions established over more than 1,300 years, including the world-famous hornblower ceremony, with its Royal roots going back to 886 AD and Alfred The Great.

Brenda Lange has been liaising with Paul Richmond to arrange the Transatlantic transaction. Picture: Jeremiah North Ripon CA Fire and Rescue 

A huge hit in Ripon, California

A person who has taken a keen interest over many years in Ripon, North Yorkshire is Brenda Lange, who works for the fire and rescue service in Ripon, California.

Brenda visited with her parents when she was a teenager and they received a first-hand introduction from the Richmond family to the city’s ancient charms.

Following an article published in January 2021 about John’s receipt of the British Empire Medal, for services to the community, she contacted the Stray Ferret in a bid to track him down and send congratulations.

Since the contact was renewed, Brenda, colleagues and other citizens in Ripon, California, have become regular readers of the online news from Ripon UK.

She said:

“We were absolutely thrilled to read about the New Year’s Honour bestowed on John and when we also discovered that he was publishing his memoirs, we placed our advance orders and keenly await receipt of the shipment.”

Brenda, who has been liaising with John’s son Paul about the delivery arrangements, added:

“After reading the review of John’s book on the Stray Ferret, I just knew that I had  to buy it and I know there are many others here in Ripon, California, who are also very excited to have the chance to purchase it!

“We’re all looking forward to the arrival of the book shipment and can’t wait to read it. I’m sure it will be a huge hit here, too!

“I can almost guarantee that the demand for his book here in Ripon, CA, will far outstrip the first 20 copies!.

In addition to the anticipated extra demand for the book in California, John is mindful of the fact that a number of people living in Ripon and neighbouring villages want to get their hands on a copy.

He pointed out:

“Because a re-print is an expensive exercise, I could only commit to going ahead with it if I receive advance orders from here and America and I would ask anybody out there who still wants a copy to call 01765 607096.”

Read more:

• Memoirs of a former Ripon mayor to raise money for charity
• Ripon author’s support for Ukraine appeal

The Ship Inn will re-open its doors tomorrow, after a fire damaged the pub last October.

The fire, at the pub in Aldborough, was started by a washing machine and caused extensive damage. The restoration has cost £500,000 and the pub is now larger with enough seating to accommodate up to 200 people inside and outdoors.

Brian Rey and Elaine Howden, the owners of The Ship Inn, have been restoring the pub since January.

Brian said:

“It’s been amazing the response we’ve had from the community and our staff. We had 16 staff members and they all wanted to stay on, which I have to say was quite moving.

“We now can seat around 200 people throughout the garden and pub. We now have wi-fi outside and a second card machine to bring outside. We’ve also now bought a new pizza oven.”

Last October, the pub set on fire through an electrical fault with a washing machine. The emergency services were called when a fire alarm sounded at 2am.

Brian spoke about his experience when the pub set alight. He said:

“It was hardly believable, I thought I was hallucinating. When we called 999, five fire engines turned up. We were told that if we ingested smoke for another ten minutes we wouldn’t be here today.

The store room after the fire

“We just stuck some face masks on and I knew we needed to get out of there.

“After the fire, we had no heating so we spent a lot of time in bed, simply to get warm. We had one electric heater plugged in and that’s it.”

Read more:

• New Harrogate pub opens tomorrow
• Ripon pub set to unveil new £170,000 renovations

Brian and Elaine have seen many high-profile guests to their pubs, including Prince William and Harry, as well as Gordon Ramsay.

The couple’s old pub, The Fenwick Arms, was featured on an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares in 2006. In the episode Gordon said he had ‘a lot of respect’ for Brian, as well as claiming that their Yorkshire puddings were ‘excellent.’

The episode led Gordon and Brian to set up a ‘Real Gravy’ campaign, which was created to promote Brian’s gravy and Sunday roast.

“I’ve had five million emails about the Real Gravy campaign and I’ll never be able to get through all of them,” Brian said.

More than 200 amblers took part in the Boroughbridge Walking Festival over the Easter weekend.

The event saw people from as far away as Leeds and Wetherby visit the town and discover local walks.

Organised by Boroughbridge Walkers are Welcome group, the event aims to encourage people to the town and surrounding areas. There were a collection of walks featured in the festival to accommodate everyone with each walk sponsored by a local business.

The walkers were also told about the history of the town, attend a guided walk of Staveley nature reserve and learned of the connection between Ouseburn and the Bronte sisters.

“It was lovely to see so many people visiting the town, which is one of the aims of the group. We were lucky to have such good weather. Hopefully next year’s festival will see the return of the popular ghost walk and the afternoon tea walk at Myton-on-Swale.”

Northern Aldborough Festival has opened its priority ticket booking as it prepares to run from June 16.

The two-week festivals hosts some of the best-known names in jazz, classical opera and pop music. But this year it says it is taking on its biggest undertaking in 29 years by performing a semi-staged in-house production of Handel’s Theodora.

Friends of the Festival can get their tickets from today will tickets for the wider public on sale from May 3.

The 40-strong production will be performed in Alborough, near Boroughbridge, in the 14th century St Andrew’s Church. It will include a line-up of soloists, chorus and orchestra under the baton of Baroque specialist, Julian Perkins.

Theodora, played by soprano Fflur Wyn, will be directed by Joe Austin, whose recent credits include Katya Kabanova at the Royal Opera House.

The festival will also include an appearance by the British bass, Sir John Tomlinson, who will star in a new opera by John Casken based on Shakespeare’s King Lear.

There will also be performances from Blur’s Britpop rebel rock star turned cheesemaker, Alex James, and classical guitar player Sean Shibe.

Robert Ogden

The festival is run by a charity with a core mission to bring exceptional music to new audience, in rural locations it wouldn’t normally be heard. Robert Ogden, artistic director, said:

“There really is something for everyone. The festival is a chance to experience something really very special on our doorstep. It’s going to be incredible and a lot of much-needed fun, so we can’t wait to welcome audiences to be entertained, inspired and hopefully discover music they’ll fall in love with this summer.”

Other acts include an evening of jazz by Claire Martin, clarinettists Julian Bliss performing with leading pianist James Baillieu. Clare Hammond, a leading light on the UK piano scene, will play Schubert, Stravinsky and Schumann.

As well as established names, the festival supports young talent. It hosts a Young Artists Showcase, as well as the upcoming harp and saxophone duo, The Polaris Duo.

Read more:

• Harrogate’s Tewit Youth Band wins flurry of awards
• The Damned United to feature at Ripon Theatre Festival

On the final evening, the grounds of Aldborough Manor will be opened for the festival finale, an outdoor concert with fireworks that often attracts around 1,000 people.

The last night concert features Harrogate-born vocalist Alex Denny of The Big Cheese, with high-voltage pop and rock covers, supported by So 80s, who set a light show to 80s tracks.

Ripon Spa Croquet Club is enjoying a renaissance in its new surroundings of Studley Royal Cricket Club.

Covid lockdown from March 2020 and the subsequent sale of Spa Hotel, where the croquet players had been based for almost 30 years, signalled the need for relocation.

The move to SRCC is now complete, with hoops in place to play on a lovingly-tended surface adjacent to the cricket pitch.

The aim is to build on the club’s heritage, which saw international matches and world-class players do battle on the lawns of the hotel’s gardens.

The club’s international pedigree

Formed in the early 1990s as Ripon Spa Hotel Croquet Club, It was founded 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.

While the club’s historic achievements provide many happy memories for its older members, the emphasis now is on the future.

Chair and chief coach Ted Flexman told the Stray Ferret:

“With the fabulous facilities that we have at the Studley Royal ground, there is the potential to create one of the best croquet clubs in the north.”

One man went to mow – Studley Royal Cricket Club groundsman Trevor Rose.

The club is offering two free introductory taster sessions on April 25 and 27 to attract new members. The sessions are open to people of all ages and anybody wishing to attend should contact the club in advance. Further details are available by clicking on this link.

Club secretary Sue I’Anson said:

“This is a great game for people of all ages and abilities, with the more seasoned players helping newcomers to master the technique of swinging the mallet and making good contact with the ball.”

This has certainly been the experience of member Rod Grant, who added:

“I’d never played croquet before and then Ted invited me have a game and I have enjoyed taking part ever since.”

Sue I’Anson is pictured with, from the left Ted Flexman, Roger I’Anson and Rod Grant

Top facilities

SRCC, with teams in the York & District Senior League Premier Division and 3 more in the Nidderdale League divisions 2, 5 and 7, has one of the best clubhouses of any amateur cricket club in Yorkshire and its pitch among the biggest in the county.

Mr Flexman said:

“We have been made very welcome here and look forward to a long and happy relationship as we play our complementary sports side by side.

“Both require good hand/eye coordination and we hope that some of the bowlers and batsmen try their hand at swinging a mallet.”

Roger I’Anson,  who is in the process of obtaining his coaching qualifications, added:

“As well as the joy of taking part in the sport, whether a beginner or experienced player, it’s a tremendous way of making friends, with the clubhouse providing an excellent venue for pre and post-match socialising.”

Harry Whitaker, the owner of Mastachoice Fencing and Fabrication and apprentice Charlie Lister, constructing a storage shed that will be used to store croquet equipment

Roger I’Anson, who is in the process of obtaining his coaching qualifications, added:

“As well as the joy of taking part in the sport, whether a beginner or experienced player, it’s a tremendous way of making friends, with the clubhouse providing an excellent venue for pre and post-match socialising.”

Read more:

• Ripon wishes the Queen many happy returns
• Meet Ripon’s royal knitters

A farm shop in Minskip has lodged plans to create a dog walking field next to its premises.

Minskip Farm Shop, on Minskip Road, has submitted the plans to Harrogate Borough Council which would see agricultural land next to the store changed to create a walking and activity area.

The area, which is south west of the farm shop, would be fenced off and be open during daylight hours, such as 5am until 10pm in the summer.

The farm said in a statement to the borough council that the proposal represent another expansion of the business, which includes the shop and cafe known as Yolk Farm Kitchen.

In a planning statement, the developer said:

“The growth in popularity and demand at Minskip farm, alongside the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, has led to a growing need to increase and diversify their commercial offering to continue meeting local needs and employing more local people. 

“The proposed dog walking/activity field will contribute a new revenue stream for a nationally recognised and locally cherished business, whilst providing local people with a safe and secure area to walk and train their dogs.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

Read more:

• Plan to create microbrewery at Wild Swan in Minskip
• Fashion retailer Jules B to open in Harrogate

An artisan market is being held at Minskip Farm Shop near Boroughbridge on Sunday.

The market is the result of a partnership between Yolk Farm, which owns the shop and Little Bird Markets, which already runs numerous markets. including ones in Harrogate. Knaresborough and Ripon.

Stalls will sell handmade goods, artisan products and local produce.

Exhibitors include Marley Fields Pet Boutique, Flora & Co, which sells garden products, York Swirling Soapery and Blueberry Hill Preserves, which sells chutneys, preserves, honey, curds and cheeses.

Jackie Crozier, managing director of Little Bird Markets, said:

“We will have a wide variety of traders selling their artisan goods and Easter items, for last minute gifts. The farm shop will be open for food and the farm for visiting the animals.”

The farm, which provides alpaca experiences, is also running an Easter egg hunt.

The market will take place from 10am to 3pm at Yolk Farm on Minskip Road.

Read more:

• New monthly food market to start this weekend after storm forced cancellation
• Boroughbridge walled garden opens as wedding venue

The former RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse will be used to house asylum seekers, the government has announced today.

It’s part of a controversial Home Office plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed.

Before potentially being flown out to the African country, asylum seekers will be held in ‘reception centres’ across the UK for up to six months, with the first announced being at Linton-on-Ouse.

The site closed in 2020 after being used by the RAF for almost a century. It was most recently used as a jet training facility and Prince William trained there.

Although located in Hambleton, it is only about a mile from the Harrogate district, on the other side of the River Ouse. It’s close to villages Thorpe Underwood, Little Ouseburn and Nun Monkton.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, said in a statement he had been assured by the immigration minister that the time limit for any asylum seekers to remain at the site will be 180 days

Read more:

• Rodent droppings found in kitchen of Harrogate care home
• Review into how Harrogate’s ‘underused’ Stray can be better used for events

The government said it hopes the changes will help it “crack down” on people-smuggling gangs.

According to the BBC, 28,526 people are known to have crossed the channel in small boats in 2021, up from 8,404 in 2020.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

“The global migration crisis and how we tackle illegal migration requires new world-leading solutions. There are an estimated 80 million people displaced in the world and the global approach to asylum and migration is broken.

“Existing approaches have failed and there is no single solution to tackle these problems. Change is needed because people are dying attempting to come to the UK illegally.

The proposal has been criticised by human rights groups and opposition political parties.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the proposals a “shameful announcement meant to distract from Boris Johnson’s recent law-breaking”.

She added:

“It is an unworkable, unethical and extortionate policy that would cost the UK taxpayer billions of pounds during a cost of living crisis and would make it harder not easier to get fast and fair asylum decisions.”

The three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include the Harrogate district have remained silent so far on whether Boris Johnson should resign.

Number 10 said today that the Prime Minister and his wife Carrie, plus Chancellor Rishi Sunak, had been notified by the Metropolitan Police that they would be given fixed penalty notices.

The Met, which is investigating alleged covid law-breaking at 12 Whitehall and Downing Street gatherings, has issued more than 50 fines.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today led calls for Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak to resign.

Harrogate district MPs (from left) Nigel Adams, Andrew Jones and Julian Smith.

The Stray Ferret reported in January that Andrew Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, had said in a letter to a constituent:

“I followed coronavirus restrictions. I take the maxim ‘lawmakers can’t be lawbreakers’ seriously.”

Mr Jones added:

“In respect of the investigation announced by the Prime Minister in December, if this finds wrongdoing, and the police find that these actions were criminal, then consequences must flow from that.”

Read more:

• Oliver Bonas set to open store in Harrogate
• Andrew Jones MP urges Northern to ‘rethink’ cuts to Harrogate trains

The Stray Ferret contacted Mr Jones today asking for his views on today’s fixed penalty notice and whether he felt Mr Johnson should resign.

We also contacted Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, and Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, to ask whether they felt Mr Johnson should resign.

At the time of publication, none had replied.

Taxi drivers in the Harrogate district have hit out at “unfair” plans that could see them lose their licences if they get seven or more penalty points.

Harrogate Borough Council has put forward the proposal for approval at a full council meeting tomorrow in a move which it says is “reasonable” and will improve safety for passengers.

But cabbies argue the policy is too severe and will result in a further loss of drivers in the district.

Kevin O’Boyle, owner of Central Taxis, described the proposals as “draconian” and said it will become “far too easy” for drivers to lose their licences.

He also argued cabbies are more likely to pick up points than regular road users because they spend more time on the roads. Mr O’Boyle said:

“There’s a serious shortage of taxi drivers and this just isn’t going to help.

“I’ve done between 2.5 million and 3 million miles, and the chances of me getting points are much greater than the average driver.

“If you’re driving in a strange place that you don’t know too well, it’s easy to drift over the speed limit by a couple of miles per hour.”

Read more:

• Harrogate district taxi fares to rise by 5% to help drivers with ‘crippling’ costs
• New bus service to link Harrogate and Knaresborough with Yorkshire Dales

Under the proposals, drivers would still be given the chance to argue their case and give reasons why their licence should not be revoked.

Currently, the council said licences are reviewed on “an individual basis when points accumulate”.

It also said there is no minimum or maximum time that licences can be revoked for and that drivers can re-apply at any time.

Passenger safety

Speaking at a recent meeting, Gareth Bentley, licensing manager at the council, said while he recognised the concerns over a reduction in drivers, this had to be balanced against the safety of passengers.

He also said taxi drivers had to be treated differently to regular road users as “they are in an elevated position in terms of looking after people’s safety.” Mr Bentley added:

“There is a higher responsibility and a higher need for us to ensure safety.”

The proposals have been put forward as part of new statutory standards from the Department for Transport which all councils are expected to adopt unless there are “compelling reasons” not to.

However, the standards are silent on how many penalty points a taxi driver can get before their licence is revoked, and it’s up to individual councils to decide this.

Nearby in Leeds, hundreds of drivers have gone on strikes over similar proposals that could see them suspended if they get more than six points.

‘People will leave the trade’

Harrogate Borough Council held a consultation on its seven points policy during February and March when it received comments from several drivers, one of which described the plans as “unfair”.

The driver said:

“It’s just another example of one rule for everyone else and one for us as we are at the bottom of the food chain.”

Another added:

“The taxi trade is getting harder year on year with longer hours for less reward and councils are doing nothing to help.

“The long term result will be people leaving the trade.”

The policy has been recommended for approval by the council’s licensing committee at tomorrow’s full council meeting.