Red Arrows fly high over RiponRipon’s New Year’s Eve concert and fireworks display cancelledGALLERY: Ripon lights up as the countdown to Christmas beginsCouncillors reiterate call for Ripon Market economic impact assessmentGALLERY: Ripon Theatre Festival brings entertainment to city streetsGallery: Ripon’s Palm Sunday procession heralds the start of Holy WeekBlessed with bright spring sunshine, today’s annual Palm Sunday procession from Ripon Market Square to the city’s magnificent cathedral, heralded the start of Holy Week.
With Easter Sunday just a week away, people of all denominations congregated on the square for an ecumenical open air service led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below).
Christ’s triumphant journey to Jerusalem was re-enacted as clergy and choristers carried large palms and followed Lily the donkey attended by 12-year-old Phoebe and her 13-year-old cousin Liza.
The procession went from the city centre and down Kirkgate to the cathedral, where a Sung Eucharist service was held.
Donkey Lily was led by cousins Phoebe (left) and Liza
The walk, with choristers singing and led by the Cathedral’s director of music, Dr Ronny Krippner, took the procession along Market Place East before the turn into Kirkgate and into the ancient church for the 10.30 service.
Phoebe and Liza, pictured before they led the procession with Lily the donkey
Along the route, they passed an array of Easter-themed decorations created by the non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project. Two of their eye-catching designs can be seen below.
Crowning glory. The post box on Market Place East wearing its own Easter bonnet
Knitted Easter eggs adorn the trees around Market Square
Main image: Choristers on Kirkgate in Ripon’s annual Palm Sunday procession
Gallery: Sensational fireworks display sees New Year arrive with a bang in RiponThe New Year arrived with a huge bang as Ripon ushered in 2024 in spectacular fashion last night with a fireworks display, the like of which has never been seen before in the city centre.
For 10 minutes from the stroke of midnight on the Ripon Cathedral clock, revellers who had earlier danced to the Caribbean beat of the Jamsalana Steel Band were treated to an exhibition of precision pyrotechnics.
A pulsating palette of colours burst upon the night sky in wave after wave of controlled explosion and at its conclusion a gathering of more than 2,000 people on Market Square spontaneously applauded.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who put £1,000 of his North Yorkshire Council locality budget towards the cost of the display, told the Stray Ferret:
“We wanted it to be bigger and better than last year’s fireworks finale and it certainly was!”
He added:
“I’ve never seen anything like this in the city centre before and while I know it won’t have been to everybody’s liking, the automatic reaction of the audience spoke for itself.”
The number of people on Market Square grew throughout the evening and by midnight, more than 2,000 were present to see the fireworks
Last night’s New Year’s Eve event, paid for from the parish precept, has been staged over decades by the city council and is firmly established on the authority’s annual calendar.
Before Jamsalana (pictured below) struck up, there was the ever-present reminder for Ripon residents and visitors of the city’s rich heritage, when Wayne Cobbett, a member of the hornblower team, set the watch with blasts at the four corners of the obelisk.
The instrument that he uses, is the 1996 horn, donated to the city to celebrate the 1100th anniversary since Alfred the Great, the first Anglo-Saxon King of England, gave a ceremonial horn to the people of Ripon in thanks for the courage they showed in fighting off a Viking incursion in 886 AD.
The Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke, who was celebrating his birthday, was present for the setting of the watch and later, in another city tradition, he returned to Market Square with Mayoress Linda Hawke after leading a candle-lit procession from the cathedral, attended by clergy and members of the congregation.
The procession included the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson, Canons Michael Gisbourne, Matthew Pollard and the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, who blessed the crowd from the town hall balcony.
Main image: The spectacular fireworks display provided the finale to an evening of celebration on Market Square
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Call for BT to repair Ripon’s vandalised listed telephone kiosks
Telecoms giant BT is being called to repair a line of four grade II listed telephone kiosks in Ripon city centre that continue to suffer from attacks by vandals.
The classically designed kiosks, with their signature domed roofs, have been located on the eastern side of Market Square for decades and were listed in June 1987 by English Heritage.
They have fallen into a state of disrepair, with window panels broken and new evidence of recent vandal attacks. All four have been deliberately damaged.
Richard Taylor, co-chair of heritage watchdog Ripon Civic Society, who has taken a keen interest in the kiosks, reacted to the latest vandalism when he told the Stray Ferret:
“In the longer term, I hope that they can be re-purposed and vandal-proofed as they have been by councils in other towns and cities , but in the meantime, while they remain in BT’s ownership, they need to be repaired as soon as possible before they fall into a worse state of dilapidation.”
He added:
“It is rare to have a grouping of four telephone kiosks of this vintage – particularly in a city of Ripon’s size.”
Mr Taylor pointed out:
“They stand in close proximity to the cabmen’s shelter – another grade II listed building – and together they are part of Ripon’s heritage and are of special architectural interest.
“It would be great to eventually see the kiosks being used as something like an information hub, where local people and visitors to Ripon could find out more about the history of our ancient city.
“Ideally, one of the phones should be kept operational, as some people do not have mobiles.”
Designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, the K6 kiosks are iconic structures still seen in many places across the UK,
Workmen steam ahead with Ripon city centre roadworksNorth Yorkshire Council highway engineers and other workmen have been out in force in Ripon city centre today.
Engineers started three days of trial works to discover what exactly lies beneath the surface of the Market Place East and West roads.
Meanwhile, a council colleague was eradicating weeds and grass around the base of the obelisk and poking out of the joints between the paving sets on the southern half of Market Square.
He told the Stray Ferret the environmentally friendly means being used to rid the monument and square of unsightly growths is a combination of potato starch and steam, previously used for weed clearance in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.
The trial works began on Market Place East this morning.
Deeper down under the cracked and uneven block paving roads adjacent to Market Square, engineers are carrying out tests to find out more about their foundations, so that a scheme can be drawn up for comprehensive tarmac resurfacing costing £630,000 works to go ahead next October.
The trial work is scheduled to last until Wednesday and while it is ongoing each road will be kept open but reduced to a single lane, meaning traffic disruption and delays are likely.
North Yorkshire Council said in a statement:
“Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout and on-site personnel will assist in managing access to properties and businesses within the works area.”
Main picture: A council workman uses starch and steam to clear weeds on Market Square South.
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Ripon gets set for Saturday’s festive lights switch on
Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing on Saturday, with the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights, combined with an afternoon of family entertainment.
The illuminations will come on at 5pm and before then, Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm onwards with Santa and his reindeer, free fairground rides and live music between 3pm and 6pm.
The event is being organised by the city council, with support from Ripon Business Improvement District.
Festive lights on Fishergate are ready for Saturday evening’s city-wide switch on
Enhancements have been made to the city council’s decorative displays thanks to £4,000 of funding from the BID and the £7,000 raised through the Christmas Lights Appeal, run by Councillor Eamon Parkin during his three consecutive years in office as Mayor of Ripon between May 2019 and May 2022
The year-on-year improvements ensure that the city centre and adjoining streets will be lit with festive lights throughout the season.
For the second year running, the BID has paid for the production and distribution of 25,000 brochures, promoting Ripon as an attractive retail destination for both residents and visitors.
The brochure, which is being delivered to homes in the city and surrounding areas, highlights a strong mix of independent traders, while providing details about the events that will be happening in Ripon, between now and New Year’s Eve.
Main picture: Santa and his reindeer are due to arrive at 1pm
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