Editor’s Pick of the Week: Ghosts in Ripon and sprightly oldies in Harrogate

Charities rely on all kinds of fundraising. But income from ghosts? Ripon Museum Trust appears to be breaking new ground.

The charity, which runs the city’s Courthouse, Workhouse and Prison & Police museums, revealed in its annual accounts that hiring out a museum to paranormal groups had proved a “resilient” source of income.

Indeed — it yielded about £15,000 in the last financial year.

The accounts also said the number of visitors had increased by 12.6% — but did not say whether this figure included apparitions as well as humans.

I joined almost 800 park runners in Harrogate on Christmas Day — a remarkable number, well above the usual level.

Shortly afterwards we received this wonderful photo of three octogenarians who had all completed the five kilometre run.

Days later, another near-800 people took part in Ripon Runners’ annual Jolly Holly Jog. Festive jogging is clearly the thing.

Finally, the man fondly known — well, sometimes — as Captain Pothole turned 30 this week.

Keane Duncan packed a lot of politics into his 20s. He’s been a councillor for 10 years and three years ago became the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council. His responsibilites include potholes.

In a long post on X, the Conservative reflected on his ‘toughest but best year yet’ in which he lost to Labour’s David Skaith in the race to be elected York and North Yorkshire’s first mayor.

Ex-Daily Star journalist Cllr Duncan also revealed 2024 saw him turn his back on journalism and ‘start on a new path in a role I never expected’. 

He added: “It’s a rewarding, new challenge that I am incredibly grateful for. More on that soon…” 

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