Editor’s Pick of the Week: Finding refuge in the pub and ‘tatty looking’ Ripon

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After months of what appeared to be never-ending sunshine and heat, the cold winds blew into Harrogate to mark the start of autumn this past week.

It’s the type of weather where you want to head home and switch the heating on for the first time this year — or, if you are so inclined, find refuge in your local pub.

For people in Calcutt, the sight of a local boozer may soon become a reality again as plans have been put in to demolish and rebuild The Cricketers.

Long time readers may remember waking up to the news that the pub had burnt down in the early hours of April 1 last year. One resident told our reporter on the scene that it looked "like something out of War of the Worlds".

All being well, punters may soon be able to find refuge in a new pub on the site in the coming years — subject to planning, of course.

It’s not often that we in Yorkshire compare ourselves to, well, anything in Lancashire. However, for one night only, that trend was broken as the public realm in Ripon was compared to a seaside town in the neighbouring county at a Ripon City Council meeting.

North Street specifically was the subject of the comparison, with one councillor saying it is “beginning to look a bit like Blackpool” and was looking “tatty”. Make of that what you will.

Closer to home, you may be forgiven for thinking that the multi-million pound Kex Gill project was all but done.

The new section of the A59 at Kex Gill opened in August — albeit a year late. But, work is still not finished as the old road needs to be returned to moorland and nearby Church Hill needs to be remodelled.

So when will it be completed? The council cannot say and it appears there is no end in sight for the project.

John Plummer is away.