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A bridal boutique offering new and second-hand dresses will open its doors in Ripon on Friday.
Gail’s Wedding Boutique, which can be found in Duck Hill Shopping Quarter, will sell pre-loved dresses which have been repaired to sell on, as well as new dresses and sample cut dresses.
Owner Gail Byrne, who lives in Ripon, has been a seamstress for more than 30 years. She decided to venture into the bridal industry after paying for her daughter’s wedding dress last year, which set her back more than £2,000.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“Don’t get me wrong it was worth every penny, but I couldn’t help but think how expensive it was for just a few hours of wear.
“It’s so much money which a lot of people don’t have, and I wanted to help those people.”
Ms Byrne will also offer repairs and alteration services, for both new and second-hand dresses, which would take “no longer than two weeks to turn around”.
Some of the dresses in store.
There will be a range of designer brands in stock, she added, but these will vary dependent on which dresses are brought in to re-sell.
“Brands and individuals bring their pre-loved dresses to me to repair and then sell on.”
Ms Byrne also said she has placed affordability at the forefront of her newest venture, with all dresses costing £1,000 or less.
She will also sell bridesmaids dresses and evening wear.
Gail’s Wedding Boutique will open on Friday, December 22.
It will be open Monday to Friday from 1pm – 4pm. The shop is appointment-only on weekends and after 4pm on weekdays.
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Plan submitted for restaurant and takeaway in Ripon food hotspot
Ripon’s food and drink hotspot may see a new hospitality business arriving in the New Year following the submission of a planning application to North Yorkshire Council.
The application for a change of use would, if approved, see the former offices of Newtons Solicitors at 4 Duck Hill turned into a restaurant and hot food takeaway.
The potential operator is un-named in the application which, if successful, would see the restaurant and takeaway using the ground and upper floor of the building.
The Silva Bells restaurant opened in March
It has been a busy year for property deals in this part of the city, with the Bikemongers off-road cycling retailer relocating last week to 2 Kirkgate, from its former base on Duck Hill and transactions that saw two new hospitality business open.
The Silva Bells opened in March in premises formerly occupied by the Bambudda Asian fusion restaurant at 23-25 Kirkgate and further up the street, The Portly Pig bottleshop and taproom, owned by Adam Coulson, opened in September in a historic building that was previously home to the Oasis florists and, before that, the Ripon Gazette newspaper office.
Main picture: The premises at 4 Duck Hill have been vacant since Newtons Solicitors relocated to Market Place South
Read more:
- New restaurant adds to Ripon’s hospitality offer
- Bottleshop and taproom opens in historic Ripon premises
Off-road cycling retailer relocates to larger premises in Ripon
There’s only a small distance between their old and new Ripon stores, but for Sam Huby and Theo Hiley it’s a very big move.
The joint owners of Bikemonger, which stocks Surly and Salsa off-road fat bikes and gravel bikes, set up business in 2019 in a retail unit tucked away on Duck Hill.
Yesterday morning they completed the relocation to premises four times the size at 2 Kirkgate.
They invited the Stray Ferret to see how they have transformed the former carpet store into a showroom for specialised bicycles, bikepacking goods and associated equipment and spares.
Mr Huby said:
“We sell both online and direct to customers who call in to see us and by quadrupling our retail space to almost 2,000 square feet, we now have the room to properly display the bikes and accessories, which will hopefully lead to growth in sales.”
Some of the bikepacking goods on display
Through its online presence, the independent niche bicycle business has attracted customers from far and wide,
Mr Huby said:
“The fat bikes have extra large tyres that can handle any type of terrain and we’ve sold one to a man who visited us from Norway and uses it for cycling in snow and ice, while another customer bought one for riding across the frozen waters of Lake Biakal in Siberia.
“Next month a man who lives locally, is calling to see us to collect a bike for cycling across the sand dunes in Saudi Arabia.”
Closer to home, Bikemonger will be looking after local customers from Ripon and surrounding areas who are buying bicycles as Christmas presents, or bringing in bikes for repair.
Mr Hiley said:
“The new shop is in a better location for us in one of the main footfall areas of the city and that will give us increased visibility and help us to attract passing trade.
“With our increased space we will also be able to cater for a wider base of customers and sell more off-road bikes that are suitable for children.”
Main picture: Theo Hiley (left) and Sam Huby, at their newly-opened store in Market Place South
North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information about the theft of rifles and a pistol from a vintage shop in Ripon.
Thieves broke through one of the front door panels at All Kinds of Everything on Kirkgate and stole second hand items including two air rifles and one vintage pistol.
The incident occurred between 4pm on January 13 and 9am on January 14.
North Yorkshire Police said in a statement today:
“We are requesting the public’s assistance to help gain any further information surrounding the full circumstances of the incident.
“In particular we are appealing for information about the vintage weapons seen in the pictures, one particularly distinctive rifle with the wording WALKER across the centre.”
Anyone with information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask to speak to Deborah Utley. You can also email deborah.utley@northyorkshire.police.uk
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12220007164.
Read more:
- Police warning after Land Rover thefts in Harrogate
- Men charged with theft from Harrogate and Ripon tips
Car driven off after colliding with Ripon city centre building
Police are appealing for information after a car drove into a property on Duck Hill in Ripon.
The collision happened between 4am and 4.15am on Wednesday, December 30, when a blue BMW collided with a commercial property and failed to stop.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:
“The collision caused structural damage to the business and as a result it has had to close pending building works. The vehicle failed to stop and it is believed that it was being driven by a man with another man in the passenger seat at the time of the collision.”
Anyone who witnessed the collision or remembers seeing the car prior to the collision is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible to help with the investigation.
Call the force on 101, select option two and ask for Alastair Graham-Merrett, or email alastair.graham-merrett@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk, quoting North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200247651.