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30
Jul 2020
Ripon to celebrate St Wilfrid despite coronavirus
The covid pandemic may have prevented many large scale public gatherings but it is not going to stop Ripon celebrating its patron saint on Saturday.
For centuries, processions and mass events in honour of St Wilfrid have been held to venerate the man who shares equal billing with St Peter at the cathedral, which is located on the site where Wilfrid established a church in AD 672.
Born in Northumbria in AD 634, Wilfrid's name can be found on street signs, a primary school, cafe and Catholic church within the ancient city and other towns and cities across the country.
It's 912 years since King Henry I granted permission for the city to hold a fair to celebrate the birth of the saint and Ripon - a city that takes great pride in its heritage - has held on to this tradition.
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In normal years, a large procession would circle the city, led by an actor on horseback playing St Wilfrid and concluding with a service in the cathedral.
The procession, including Ripon city band and floats representing clubs, schools, businesses and neighbourhood groups, would pass the market place, where fairground rides, Morris dancers and much more would be present for the enjoyment of people of all ages.
Social distancing rules brought in by the government in a bid to beat coronavirus, mean that this year's celebration will, like the VE Day 75th anniversary celebration in May, be largely restricted to window displays, bunting and floral tributes along the route that the procession would normally take.
The Ripon City Morris Dancers Band will be performing in the garden of 12 Church Lane from 2pm and details of other activities can be found on the St Wilfrid's Procession FaceBook page.
To help raise awareness of Saturday's event, Paul Simms dressed as St Wilfrid and his wife Sue, walked the processional route, where they met Mayor of Ripon, councillor Eamon Parkin, outside his Magdalens pub.
Cllr Parkin, said:
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