Ripon Together has unveiled its FunFest programme of free summer activities and events for the city’s children and young people.
It is working in partnership with Ripon Business Improvement District on the initiative.
Details about the activities, ranging from river dipping in the River Skell to an exhibition wheelchair rugby match at Ripon Grammar School, can be found by clicking here.
The programme, which runs from Saturday August 6 until Thursday August 18, is inclusive and open to people of all abilities at venues with good accessibility.
Simon Hewitt, of Ripon Together, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have built on what we learned from running the post-covid lockdown Summer of Fun 2021 and focused on events that proved popular last year, while adding new activities.”
Ripon Spa Croquet Club, whose lawns are located at Studley Royal Cricket Club (pictured below) is offering the opportunity for young people to try their hand at the sport and child-sized mallets will be available.
The huge natural amphitheatre with its clubhouse, is the principal FunFest venue for events and activities on August 15, 16 and 18, including junior cricket and athletics coaching, an inflatable obstacle course, air rifle shooting and archery and a free hog roast and ice cream, supported by Morrisons supermarket.
Steve Harris, a trustee at the cricket club, said:
“We are very pleased to work alongside Ripon Together, Ripon BID and croquet club members, to support these community activities, which will benefit children and their families.”
The FunFest programme starts on Saturday August 6, with Friends of Hell Wath running forest schools at the nature reserve, funded by the Skell Valley Project.
There will also be a drumming workshop and family groups are invited to see what they can discover about doing some river dipping.
Swimming, climbing and Lego
Ripon Disability Forum in liaison with GB Wheelchair Rugby, has organised and exhibition match between Featherstone’s Yorkshire Lions and County Durham’s North East Bulls at Ripon Grammar School on August 13.
The school on Clotherholme Road will also be offering accessible swimming, a climbing wall and giant board games on that day while, in the city centre, Ripon Library will be the venue for a bicycle MOT, Lego event and sports and information roadshow.
David Ingham of Ripon Together said:
“We hope that as many children, young people and families as possible come to enjoy the free activities and we have made arrangements with YorBus for them to provide free travel to venues.
“This service can be accessed via the YorBus app and bookings for participation in the various activities that we have arranged can be made via the Ripon Together website.”
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Harrogate’s Finlay Bean makes cricket history by scoring 441
A Harrogate cricketer has smashed the record books by scoring an astonishing 441 for Yorkshire second XI.
Finlay Bean, 20, yesterday became the first triple centurion in Yorkshire’s second-team history in a match against Nottinghamshire.
By the time he was out today, he had compiled the highest score in Second X1 Championship history. He hit 52 fours and three sixes on the way to helping Yorkshire reach 814-7.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Bean, who plays for York Cricket Club, doesn’t currently have a contract with Yorkshire.
Second-team coach Tom Smith said:
“Finlay’s batted brilliantly.
“He’s been on the field for every single ball of the match, and it’s not just his skill that’s been impressive, it’s been his concentration levels as well.
“Personally, I’ve never seen 365 runs scored in a game before! It’s been outstanding.”
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Bean, like Knaresborough’s Jonny Tattersall, has been given a second chance at Yorkshire.
Born in Harrogate, he came through the Yorkshire age-groups and played academy and second-team cricket through to the end of 2020, also representing England under 19s.
Despite being offered an Academy contract, Bean left Headingley at the end of that season.
But, following some impressive league performances for York over the last two seasons, he has earned another shot with the county through second-team cricket in 2022.
New Sicklinghall cricket club pavilion gets go-ahead
Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans for a new clubhouse for Sicklinghall Cricket Club after an arson attack destroyed its previous building.
The club has been using temporary shipping containers since the fire in 2016 while fundraising for a replacement clubhouse.
It lodged proposals in November for a new facility with home and away changing rooms, kitchen, storage facility, toilet and scorer’s box. The club said it could be used for other community or sports events.
The club, which is situated between Wetherby and Kirkby Overblow, has played in the village since 1925 and is currently in the top tier of the Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League.
The club is within walking distance of Sicklinghall and the application will provide sports facilities for local children.
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Sicklinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to build a new clubhouse and scoreboard after an arson attack destroyed their previous building.
The club has been using temporary shipping containers since the fire in 2016 while fundraising for a replacement clubhouse. A JustGiving campaign raised over £6,500.
The club, which is between Wetherby and Kirkby Overblow, has played in the village since 1925 and is currently in the top tier of the Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League.
It has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for a clubhouse with home and away changing rooms, kitchen, storage facility, toilet and scorer’s box. The club says it could be used for other community or sports events.
The club is within walking distance of Sicklinghall and the application could provide sports facilities for local children.
Read more:
An image of the fire in 2016
Covid ‘pings’ forces Bilton Cricket Club to cancel charity fundraiser
Bilton Cricket Club’s charity fundraiser on Sunday has been cancelled after members of staff were forced to self-isolate after being ‘pinged’ by the NHS track and trace app.
The club had planned a family fun day with hot food, an ice cream van, children’s games, a bouncy castle and local businesses with stalls to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Organiser Matt Thomas said the news was “devastating” but he will attempt to arrange a new date either later this year or in 2022.
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He said:
“We can not operate the club properly and safely over the weekend and the fundraiser event for Sunday has had to be cancelled, which is devastating.
“We have sought advice from the Harrogate Borough Council and NYCC and our proposed actions are confirmed.
“I’m really sorry to everybody that the charity event can not go ahead. I will work with the club and everyone who was coming to have stalls and support the running of the day, to get an alternative date proposed, be that this year if possible, or next.
“Thanks to everyone for the support shown for this event, and as above, we will put this on, on a future date.”
Harrogate Cricket Club overcame Wetherby Carr Manor to win the Addison Cup in Knaresborough last night.
The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.
Harrogate scored 131 for 7 in their 20 overs then limited Wetherby Carr Manor to 99 all out.
Harrogate’s hero was captain Will Bates, who was named man of the match for scoring 59 in a game in which runs were hard to come by.
Will Bates collects his man of the match award.
Skilful, accurate bowling by Harrogate’s opening bowlers led to early wickets and the match was effectively over by the halfway stage of Wetherby Carr Manor’s innings.
Clive Addison, grandson of Harry Addison, who the cup is named after, presented the trophy at Knaresborough Cricket Club on Aspin Lane.
Next year the event will celebrate its 100th year.
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Harrogate Cricket Club aims for Addison Cup glory
Harrogate Cricket Club will take on Wetherby Carr Manor in Knaresborough today in the final of one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world.
The Addison Cup was first contested in 1922 and has been held every year since except 1943 and last year.
The 20-over competition is open to the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League.
League members include Birstwith, Boroughbridge and Staveley, Burnt Yates, Goldsborough, KIllinghall, Knaresborough, Knaresborough Forest and Pateley Bridge.
This evening’s final will see past winners Harrogate, who are top of Division 1, against unbeaten Division 3 leaders Wetherby Carr Manor, who are making their first ever appearance in the final.
The match starts at 6.15pm at Knaresborough Cricket Club on Aspin Lane.
Peter Horsman, the league secretary, said:
“With all league and cup cricket cancelled last season because of lockdown, it would be great to see a good crowd on Monday.”
The Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, which has 32 teams in five divisions, was founded in 1921 and in the following year the Addison Cup was presented to the league by the Addison family.
Members of the Addison family will attend and present the trophy this year.
A number of international test cricketers have played in the evening league, including New Zealand great Martin Crowe and West Indian batsman Rohan Kanhai.
Crowe was actually banned from the league for reacting badly to being given out — the glass in the changing room’s window suffered badly.
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Killinghall cricket club keeps pub-less village spirit alive
A cricket club is fostering community spirit after the last remaining pub in the heart of the village closed.
For years, Killinghall CC players enjoyed an after-match pint at the Three Horseshoes on Ripon Road.
But the pub has been razed to the ground to make way for a Tesco Express and The Greyhounds nearby has been closed for years, leaving one of the biggest villages in the Harrogate district bereft of pubs.
So the club, which is on a promotion charge in division two of Nidderdale and District Amateur Cricket League, has been opening its bar on match days and welcoming villagers along.
The move has proved popular as a steady stream of locals, not all of whom know the difference between a googly and a bouncer, enjoy the sun and a drink on Saturday afternoons.
Harvey Radcliffe, the club secretary, said:
“It’s important for us to be part of the village community. We used to support the Three Horseshoes and when it died we saw an opportunity for us to keep the community spirit going.
“We only open the bar when we are at home on Saturdays at the moment but we are hoping to open it on Fridays and Sundays too later in the year.
“We are trying to get a junior section going. If we can get more people down it might encourage more juniors to come along and play.”
After a nervy one-wicket win last weekend away to Alne, the club is back at its home ground on Otley Road today when the bar will be open for the match against Thornton Watlass.
A recent match in Killinghall
Killinghall are currently third in the division as they aim to return to division one after a five-year hiatus.
The team will be hoping for fair weather and a good crowd for this weekend’s event.
Mr Radcliffe said:
“A cricket club is the perfect place for an outside socially distanced event.”
“There’s an old fashioned village feel. Cricket is a massive social event. Sports clubs are important.”
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Garry Irvine appointed president of Harrogate cricket club Druids
Druids Cricket Club, the historic Harrogate club founded in 1915, has appointed Garry Irvine as its president.
Mr Irvine is a former Druids captain as well as an outstanding rugby union player who captained Harrogate RUFC and represented an Anglo-Scots XV against the All Blacks.
His appointment follows the death of previous president Simon Corner, a much-respected figure in the Harrogate area.
Druids is a nomadic social cricket club that celebrated its centenary in 2015 with a match against the famous MCC.
Such is the club’s standing that it was invited to play Yorkshire as part of former England Test bowler Ryan Sidebottom’s testimonial year.
Mr Irvine said:
“It’s an enormous honour to be appointed president of this famous club, following in the footsteps of the legendary Simon Corner.
“I’m determined to carry on the great work that Simon and previous presidents have done over the past 100 years in maintaining the great traditions of fun and fair play that the Druids were founded upon.
“As a club, we’d also love to welcome new people to become part of this great Harrogate institution, whether as players or supporters.”
The club plays friendly fixtures against other social or local Harrogate clubs, usually on Sundays.
Players of all abilities and supporters are very welcome to join the Druids.
For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page or contact club secretary Mark Moorby at melmoorby@hotmail.com.
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Phoebe Graham to promote women and girls at Harrogate Cricket Club
Professional cricketer Phoebe Graham has agreed to become Harrogate Cricket Club’s ambassador for women and girls’ cricket.
Graham, who is contracted to Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Northern Diamonds, will provide regular girls coaching.
She will also act as a consultant to the club on how to expand its number of female players and grow the game in the Harrogate district.
Graham, who is a fast bowler and qualified coach, will advise the club on formulating a schools’ programme to encourage more girls to take up cricket and help it work with other clubs in the area to promote women and girls’ cricket.
The club currently includes about 25 girls, whose season is due to start next month.
For the first time ever, Harrogate’s girls’ section has entered a team in to the Nidderdale under-13 boys league this summer.
Graham, who also runs a gender equality consultancy, will now build on work done by head junior coach Andy Hawkswell, along with Nat Crossland and Tim Robinson to further develop the girls’ section.
Club chairman Steve Clark said:
“This new partnership is an incredibly exciting one. We hope it will be a long-lasting relationship that ensures that women and girls’ cricket continues to grow and thrive in Harrogate.”
Graham said:
“Providing women and girls with opportunities to play sport is something that I am extremely passionate about and I love Harrogate’s commitment and long-term ambitions to grow the female section.”
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