11
Mar
Ripon Market cancelled tomorrow as high winds forecast
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Forecasted gusts of up to 50mph have prompted tomorrow’s (March 12) Ripon Market to be cancelled.
Stallholder Brian Murphy, whose family has traded at the weekly market for more than 110 years, told the Stray Ferret traders have today been informed the market will not go ahead – and anyone who turns up will be “sent home immediately”.
It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind across northern England, north Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which is in place between 5am and 8pm tomorrow.
Winds are expected to reach almost 30mph, with gusts of up to 50mph, in Ripon.
Ripon Market traders are now responsible for setting up their own stalls after the council stopped providing its loss-making set-up service.
This prompted many to use lightweight gazebo stands but Mr Murphy, who shared news of the cancellation on Facebook, told the Stray Ferret this was not a factor in tomorrow's cancellation.
He said:
It’s not to do with the new gazebos etc. as the legal limit for wind speed for council stalls or self-erected is set at 40mph for both. This is as much to do with our own public liability limit for wind speed as much as the council guidelines.
As such, everybody has been told that they are not allowed to attend tomorrow and will be sent home immediately if they do, and it will be reported.
Brian Murphy
Mr Murphy, a fruit and veg trader, said that when a council cancels a market, traders’ public liability becomes “null and void”.
“Obviously, it is illegal to stand without that”, he added.
The Met Office has warned of “periods of strong winds accompanied by heavy rain” across the country tomorrow, which could lead to disrupted travel and potential loss of power.
The market is held at Ripon's Market Place every Thursday and Saturday.
Posting on his Murphy’s Veg Ripon Market Facebook page, Mr Murphy reassured customers the situation would “calm down by Saturday” and extra stock would be available to buy when he returned to Ripon then.
Fountains Abbey has also announced it will close tomorrow due to the poor forecast. It said on social media:
"The Abbey, water garden and visitor centre are closed on Thursday, March 12, due to high winds forecast".
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