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18
Nov
Red-letter day for postie Gary as famous Ripon pub reopens
After 15 years as a postie serving the people of Pateley Bridge and Summerbridge, Gary Jenner is back pulling pints in Ripon as he returns to the licensed trade.
He and his wife Hayley, with support from daughters Rhinnon, Natasha and son-in-law Craig Newcombe, reopened The Magdalens on Princess Road at the weekend and are delighted with the welcome they received from local residents and returning regulars.
Hayley, who is well-known by shoppers at the nearby M&S Simply Food store on Rotary Way, where she has worked for five years, told the Stray Ferret:
Excuse the pun, but Friday was definitely a red-letter day for Gary, as he has been wanting us to return to the hospitality sector for years and it's a deam come true for us to be running one of our favourite pubs in the city, at this lovely location in the heart of the community.
The response from people who, like ourselves have been regulars at The Magdalens for years, was overwhelming.
The Magdalens on Princess Road is one of Ripon's youngest pubs.
Gary said:
Recent times have not been so great for the Post Office and its workers and, as Hayley and I have more than 30 years of experience managing pubs in a number of towns and cities across the UK, we just thought let's go for it, when The Magdalens became available.
The couple, who previously ran the Red Lion at South Stainley (now The Inn at South Stainley) and the Mason's Arms at Bishop Monkton, have family members who will share in the duties at The Magdalens, enabling Hayley to continue in her part-time role at M&S, where she has worked since its opening in July 2020.
About The Magdalens
The pub opened in 1865 but is nevertheless one of the youngest hostelries in Ripon, where some establishments date back hundreds of years.
A previous landlord was Eamon Parkin, a three-times Mayor of Ripon, whose charity appeal helped to pay for the city's Christmas lights.
During covid lockdowns, he and his husband Nigel, who now run the King William IV in Blossomgate, provided a lifeline for local residents by turning The Magdalens into a community hub, providing emergency food packs and assistance for housebound people needing prescriptions to be collected.
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