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30
Jul
It's 75 years since Ripon's Royal Engineers were granted the Freedom of the City and the anniversary was marked with a timely presentation.
On Saturday, members of the Ripon Branch of the Royal Engineers Association gathered outside the Town Hall to present the city with a clock made by retired sapper Mike O'Reilly, who completed his 23 years of Army service at Claro Barracks.
The clock was presented by Mr O'Reilly to the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke in a cermony attended by Mayoress Mrs Linda Hawke, city councillors, standard bearers, the city's bellman and a member of the hornblower team.,
Cllr Hawke, said:
We are extremely proud of the long-lasting relationship that Ripon has enjoyed with the Royal Engineers and this gift from the association will help to remind current and future generations of the city's rich military heritage.
The clock presented to the City of Ripon
The clock, which will go on display at the town hall, has the inscription, 'Presented to the City of Ripon on behalf of all sappers who have served in Ripon'.
A clock was also presented by the Royal Enginners Association to Stuart Martin, joint founder of the Ripon Community Poppy Project, in recognition of the Remembrance and D-Day 80th anniversary displays that the group has created for the city.
Members of the 21 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers, based at Claro Barracks are pictured on a freedom march through the city
Since being awarded the Freedom of the City in 1949, the Royal Engineers have had the right to march in step through Ripon to the sound of a military band with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.
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