Sarita McDermott and her talented team of dancers will provide a taste of Indian culture in Ripon on Monday evening (March 18).

Ripon Library is the venue and all are welcome to attend from 5pm to both watch and join in 11 traditional dances that will celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi.

To round off the evening, attendees are invited to sample, free of charge, some genuine Indian cuisine.

Ms McDermott (pictured above) who owns Realitea Indian bistro and tearoom on North Street has, through performances that focus on the Holi and Diwali festivals, given Ripon residents an insight into the the culture of her native country

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Holi signals the arrival of spring — focusing on love, new life and reconciliation. It’s all about making a fresh start, forgiving and forgetting, loving and looking forward, as we leave the cold winter weather behind us and enjoy the spring and sunshine.”

On Monday, Lisa Fletcher, who works at Ripon’s Walled Garden, will have her debut Holi dance, alongside Martin Grainger, who works at Reality and Bethany and Matthew Evason, who are employed at Jennyruth Workshops,

Main picture: The team led by Sarita McDermott performing at Holi Dance at last year’s event in Ripon Library. Picture Sarita McDermott

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The Stray Ferret is the media partner for the St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards 2024, with our coverage kindly sponsored by Little Bird Made and Grantley Hall.

Nominations for Ripon’s 2023 St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards are open until Saturday September 30 and there is still time to nominate the organisations, individuals or businesses that you believe have made a positive contribution to enhance the life of the city.

The awards, bearing the name of the city’s patron saint, were launched by Ripon Together in the cathedral’s 1,350th anniversary year, to recognise the selfless giving of Ripon’s unsung heroes – many of them volunteers – who help others through their behind-the-scenes work.

Who received awards in 2022?

Here is a selection of last year’s winners.

In 2022, the Youth Award was presented by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke, to Rosie Sturt (pictured below) who led a team of young volunteers who have created a Lego Club at Ripon Library.

The aim of the club is to help young children to increase their social skills and confidence in the wake of the covid lockdowns.

A St Wilfrid’s Star was also presented to Sarah Jaques – a Ripon Library volunteer and co-ordinator – who won the community award for her tireless and dedicated work.

Her citation read:

“Without volunteers, there would be no library and there would be a great gap in the life of the city.”

For the overall 2022 volunteer of the year award the panel of judges selected Gloria Sturdy, who has devoted her life to supporting many causes in the city.

This includes the provision of lunches at Holy Trinity Church for people in need and sewing PPE kits for frontline workers during the pandemic.

The 2022 culture award was presented to the Ripon Theatre Festival organising committee, in recognition of it staging a highly successful inaugural performing arts event from a standing start.

Building on last year’s success the 2023 event, led by festival director Katie Scott (pictured above) again added considerably to the cultural life of the city.

Caroline Bentham, who has supported groups in Ripon through her community scrap fund, which raises money from the sale of recycled metal, received last year’s  environment award.

As well as being a supporter of many good causes, she is an active Girl Guide Leader and an assistant county commissioner.

The 2022 St Wilfrid’s Star Award for tourism was presented to to Ripon Community Poppy Project, whose decorative work and detailed designs have delighted local residents and  visitors to the city.

There was no bigger event in Ripon in 2022 than the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the army of non-stop knitters ensured that the city’s streets were wrapped in Royal bunting.

They went on to create a dazzling star-spangled backdrop for last year’s awards evening at Ripon Cathedral, while the trophies presented at the event were designed and produced by Jennyruth Workshops.

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The focus was on family fun in the sun as Ripon Theatre Festival’s outdoor performers took centre stage over the weekend.

Yesterday’s bright sunshine brought hundreds of children, along with parents and grandparents to Spa Gardens, where they saw puppets, pirates, a Noah’s Ark show (pictured below) musicians, singers, dancers and many more entertainers.

Among them was Rhubarb Theatre (see main picture), which provided an interactive experience for the audience combining street entertainment with family games, featuring characters inspired by Lewis Carroll’s wonderland creations.

On Saturday, Ripon city centre Market Square, Minster Gardens, The Arcade, North Street and Kirkgate and Westgate, were among the venues for a eclectic mixture of alfresco theatrical performances, while the Flying Dodos and other puppet characters roamed the streets.

The Flying Dodos on North Street

Ripon Arts Hub, the cathedral, Curzon Cinema, the Claro Lounge, Wetherspoon’s Unicorn Hotel, the library and The Little Ripon Bookshop and Workhouse Museum, also hosted indoor festival events.

The Strange Twig pirates in Spa Gardens

Ian Gouge 

At Curzon Cinema, Ripon-based award-winning author and poet Ian Gouge, gave a premiere performance of his dramatic poem Crash while on Market Square, a large crowd gathered for a whole host of acts, including The Giant Balloon Show (pictured below).

Just a hop and a skip away at the cathedral, Ripon City Morris Dancers  attracted a large gathering as did dancers of a different kind when Sarita McDermott and her team of Bollywood-style performers, Bethany, Matthew and Martin, from Jennyruth Workshops, performed in Spa Gardens.

Ripon City Morris Dancers

Sarita McDermott (right) with the Bollywood dancers.

While it was a weekend for enjoyment across the city, the daily hardship of a life in poverty was given a dramatic twist at the Workshouse Museum.

Through interactive displays and presentations, volunteers in period costume told the story of what it was like for some of Ripon’s Victorian forebears.

Volunteers Lindy (left) and Judy showed visitors what wash day in the Workhouse was like for its Victorian inmates

The finale of Ripon’s second theatre festival came yesterday evening with Illyria’s action-packed production of Robin Hood  at Fountains Abbey and as the curtain came down on this year’s event, festival director Katie Scott (pictured below) told the Stray Ferret:

“It has been a great success. Building on last year’s launch we have seen increased ticket sales and hundreds of people attending the free outdoor events and pop up shows.

“This gives us a tremendous platform for next year.”

Festival director Katie Scott

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Ripon Business Improvement District launched its Easter windows competition today as it seeks to attract more visitors to the city centre over the upcoming holiday period.

BID manager Lilla Bathurst told the Stray Ferret:

“Our aim is to encourage visitor movement around BID businesses and we have been working in partnership with the wonderful team at Jennyruth Workshops, who have created 40 decorated Easter eggs for businesses to display and build their themed windows around.”

Jennyruth Workshops is a social enterprise in Ripon where adults who have learning disabilities are trained in a wide variety of skills.

Ms Bathurst added:

“We already have 35 businesses involved and the five eggs that we have remaining are available to any BID member wishing to participate.

“Any trader who would like to be part of this year’s competition can email manager@riponbid.co.uk”

Yorkshire Building Society has already received its decorative egg produced by Jennyruth and branch manager Rosanna Ferrazzano, said:

“It is beautifully made and stylishly decorated and will take pride of place in the window display that we create.”

Organisations, individuals and a business that have made a positive contribution to life in the city, gathered at Ripon Cathedral for the St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards.

The event was organised by Ripon Together as part of the cathedral’s 1,350th anniversary celebrations and more than 150 people were present to discover who had won the trophies designed and produced by Jennyruth Workshops.

At Friday’s presentation evening, the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, pointed out that the star was the symbol of St Wilfrid, who founded the cathedral in 672 AD.

He said:

“All of those who were nominated are stars for what they do to contribute to the life of Ripon and we thank and applaud them.”

One of the St Wilfrid’s Stars Awards produced by Jennyruth Workshop

Hundreds of knitted stars made by the Ripon Community Poppy Project were hung high in the nave for the presentation evening and there was special mention from Dean John for Alwyn Hartley, who produced more than 200 of them.

The dedicated team of knitters who have decorated the city with extensive displays for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, Remembrance Sunday and the Winter Wonderland at Spa Gardens, were winners of the award for tourism.

Lou Jones, who owns Oliver’s Pantry cafe on North Street with her husband Tim, received the business award and was recognised for ‘boosting the community’s wellbeing and signposting them to all that Ripon has to offer.’

St Wilfrid’s Stars youth award winner Rosie Sturt, is pictured with the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Sid Hawke, presented the youth award to Rosie Sturt, for her work in leading a team of young volunteers who have delivered a Lego Club at Ripon Library.

The aim of the club is to help young children to increase their social skills and confidence in the wake of the covid lockdowns.

A St Wilfrid’s Star also went to Sarah Jaques – a Ripon Library volunteer and co-ordinator – who won the community award for her tireless work.

Her citation read:

“Without volunteers, there would be no library and there would be a great gap in the life of the city.”

For the overall volunteer of the year award the panel of judges selected Gloria Sturdy, who has devoted her life to supporting many causes in the city.

This includes the provision of lunches each Thursday at Holy Trinity Church for people in need, to sewing PPE kits for frontline workers during the pandemic.

The culture award was presented to the Ripon Theatre Festival organising committee, in recognition of staging a highly successful inaugural performing arts event from a standing start.

Caroline Bentham, who has supported groups in Ripon through her community scrap fund, which raises money from the sale of recycled metal, received the environment award.

As well as being a supporter of many good causes, she is an active Girl Guide Leader and an assistant county commissioner.

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Tickets are now available for Ripon Poetry Festival, which has grown year on year to become the biggest event of its kind in Yorkshire.

The four-day feast of readings, performances, workshops and book launches, runs from September 22 to 25 at venues across the city.

Claire Thompson, who is outreach librarian at Ripon Library and one of the judges for the festival poetry competition, told the Stray Ferret:

“We attracted a record 260 entries this year from poets of all ages.

“This prompted us to produce separate anthologies of poems written by children and adults, selected for publication after catching the eyes of judges.”

The respective children’s and adult anthologies will be launched at 5.30pm and 7.30pm on September 24 in the Operatic Hall at Ripon Arts Hub.

Ripon Bowling Club at Bondgate Green is the venue on September 23 for The Testament of Jake Thackray.

Festival curator Andy Croft, who is a talented poet, prolific author and publisher, said:

“We were so impressed with the standard of entries received from children, that we decided they should have a book of their own.

“This will be the fifth time that we have staged the festival and this year’s line-up includes well-known poets Linda France, Helen Mort, Tara Bergin, Henry Raby and Jim Greenhalf.”

The festival will include posthumous launches of new books by Yorkshire poets David McAndrew, who taught English for many years at Ripon College and Vernon Scannell, whose work titled Farewell Performance, is being published to mark the centenary of his birth.

Humorous songs written by the late singer-songwriter, journalist and poet Jake Thackray, will  be performed by Mike Wilson and Keith Wilshere in an evening of entertainment at Ripon Bowling Club.

In addition to the arts hub and bowling club, a wide range of venues will be used to increase accessibility to events.

These include Community House, Evolve, The Walled Garden, Jennyruth Workshops, The Leper Chapel on Magdalen’s Road, Ripon Library, The Walled Garden and Thorpe Prebend.

As well as being available through the Ripon Poetry Festival website tickets can be purchased on the door or in advance from the Little Ripon Bookshop on Westgate.

Ripon’s extensive celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, are growing by the day, as June 2 fast approaches.

The latest initiative has seen Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels give specially ‘minted’ wooden pennies to every pupil at the 17 primary schools in the city and surrounding villages.

The pennies, which have been delivered to the schools this week by club members, feature the official platinum jubilee logo on one side and the club’s logo on the other.

They have been made by a team of workers at Jennyruth Workshops, which is a social enterprise that works with people with learning disabilities,

Workers at Jennyruth Workshops produced the 2,200 platinum jubilee pennies. Picture Jennyruth Workshops

Club member David Suddards, who has delivered pennies to Greystone Outwood Academy Primary, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have had 2,200 made by the our wonderful friends at Jennyruth Workshops, so that we can give them as a memento of the Queen’s magnificent 70-year reign.”

The pennies are being presented to primary schools by the Rotary Club of Ripon Rowels.

“The idea came from our president Bernard Thain, and we all thought it was a marvellous way of giving the children something that will be a lasting reminder of the platinum jubilee and what Her Majesty has done for this country.”

Mr Suddards, whose prized possessions include a specially-made spoon that he and children across the country were given to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953, added:

“Club members have been delivering the wooden pennies to all schools in Ripon and outlying villages, before they break up for the Whitsun holiday and we hope that this special gift will add to the enjoyment of this very special occasion.

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The mental health benefits of gardening are being celebrated at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which starts tomorrow.

Designers from across the country will be creating a flash of floral inspiration aimed at showcasing the country’s growing connection with plants and flowers.

The four-day event at the Great Yorkshire Showground will feature ‘Grow Your Home’, a colourful installation created by floral stylists from Leeds-based Leafy Couture.

The display, featuring hundreds of blooms around a central courtyard setting, offers visitors a glimpse of the joys which flowers can bring, which was particularly highlighted during the pandemic.

Show director Nick Smith said:

“After a difficult time for many of us, this year’s Spring show concentrates entirely on the positives which plants and landscapes can bring to us all.

“Gardening is the great leveller – from sweeping lawns to a simple window box, we can all benefit from the life-affirming pleasure which plants and flowers can make to our own personal space.”

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) has chosen the flower show to launch its latest campaign – ‘A Floral Summer of Celebration’.

Between July 15 and August 12, the town centre will be home to a floral trail featuring 10 unique displays, floral-themed shop windows and events starring key speakers from the world of gardening.

Pictured at their art deco-themed flower show stand: From left, Harrogate BID Chair Sara Ferguson, BID manager Matthew Chapman, Blameys florist Fran Addis, BID business and marketing executive Bethany Allen, Blameys owner Ruth Fisher and BID business liaison officer Jo Caswell.

This will be in addition to dozens of hanging baskets outside town centre businesses, the numerous flower beds maintained by Harrogate Borough Council, more than 200 barrier baskets funded by Harrogate BID and some specially commissioned floral street art.

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Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Harrogate is renowned for its floral displays; it’s the home to RHS Garden Harlow Carr, the stunning Valley Gardens, and of course the Spring Flower Show, which is one of the biggest and best in the North of England, if not the whole country.

“This summer, Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will see us celebrating our floral excellence and the return of Yorkshire in Bloom after a two-year absence.”

Featuring show garden features, plant nursery displays and floral art, the show will include plenty of colour, style and inspiration.

Local charities will also be showcasing their work, including Jennyruth Workshops in Ripon and Horticap in Harrogate.

This year the programme of live entertainment includes talks and demos across four stages.

A new show, ‘Human Gardener’ will offer a series of fun and engaging sofa conversations with the people behind the plants – from bee inspectors to fungi fanatics.

Over on the Gardener’s Kitchen stage, TV cook and chef consultant Stephanie Moon will create dishes from veg patch produce, with the help of grow-your-own guru Martin Walker. 

Meanwhile, the GROW! Live team will provide answers to  gardening questions, whilst the CREATE! Floral stage will host celebrity floral designer Jonathan Moseley.

Thousands of garden products, handmade crafts, gifts and specialist foods will also be on offer.

Tickets

Pre-booked tickets with a £3 saving on gate prices are available online until midnight tonight.

Thursday to Saturday tickets are £20.50 online, £23.50 on the gate.

Sunday tickets are £18 online, £21 on the gate.

Children under 16 are free when accompanied by an adult. General car parking is free.

A new Christmas-themed advent walk has been created in the Pinewoods, featuring decorated bird boxes for visitors to find.

Pinewoods Conservation Group, a charity that promotes the conservation of the woodlands, has teamed up with Ripon-based charity Jennyruth Workshops for the project. 

Jennyruth Workshops, which uses craft to help people with learning disabilities, has built and decorated 24 numbered bird boxes, plus a few extras. Each box will be displayed with a plaque showing the name of the worker who hand painted it.

Lucy Hind, who organised the event for the Pinewoods Conservation Group, said:

“We know residents and visitors alike continue to enjoy the Pinewoods, so we wanted to add some additional interest coming up to Christmas. These new bird boxes are a great addition and in line with our conservation efforts and gives us opportunity to support Jennyruth Workshop too.”

Nicky Newell, chief executive of Jennyruth Workshop, added:

“The Jennyruth Workshop team has really enjoyed being part of this project. The Christmas theme allowed our workers to be very creative with some amazing designs being produced.

“We really appreciate The Pinewoods for involving us and allowing us to showcase a small range of the products we produce and sell.”

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To help fund the event, Pinewoods Conservation Group is looking for 24 people, businesses, or organisations to sponsor a bird box at £20 each.

In January, following the event, supporters will be able to collect their bird box to keep or donate it to The Pinewoods to support their ongoing conservation efforts.