Ripon residents woke to a monstrous sight on Market Square this morning.
Alongside the 18th century obelisk, a modern-day fantasy creation of myth and mayhem from Netflix could be seen inside a giant snow globe.
The creature, with its multiple limbs, is making a one-day appearance in Ripon to mark the release on Friday of The Witcher season 2, part of which was filmed at nearby Fountains Abbey and Plumpton Rocks.
The series, starring Henry Cavill, is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s bestselling novels.
The globe, with its resident snow monster, is touring the UK and will only remain on Market Square until this evening.
The Witcher is based on a series of books and video games and features battles between humans, elves, witches, gnomes, and monsters.
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Ripon’s New Year fireworks in doubt over safety concerns
Ripon’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display is in doubt because of safety concerns about letting off fireworks behind the town hall
Ripon City Council, which has staged New Year’s Eve celebrations on the site since 1985, is exploring other options after being advised it can no longer set off fireworks on land behind the town hall.
It could spell an end to any further fireworks displays taking place in the Market Square.
Council leader Andrew Williams said:
“Following the redevelopment of the Claro Lounge (pictured below) next to the town hall and the flats above, which have balconies to the rear, the fireworks company have advised that it is no longer safe to discharge fireworks on the land behind the town hall.
“Harrogate Borough Council has been asked for permission to use part of the car park behind Sainsbury’s but this request has been refused. Discussions on this are ongoing.
“It may well be that as a result we are not able to find a suitable safe location to discharge fireworks from at future Ripon City Council events.
“I am currently exploring the possibility of having a laser light display for New Year’s Eve and will provide an update when I know whether this will be possible, or if we have managed to find a safe location to set the fireworks off from.”
Fireworks displays provided the finale to the Yorkshire Day weekend event concert on 31 July (pictured above) and the Last Night of the Proms concert in September.
On New Year’s Eve, there will again be free live music on Market Square from 9.30pm, with performances from the Big Boyband Reunion and Oasis tribute acts.
New covid guidance as Ripon prepares for another big weekend
Ripon City Council has issued new covid guidance in the run-up to staging another large public event in the Market Square this weekend.
The guidance follows measures brought in by the government this week to combat the Omicron variant of the disease.
The first of two artisan Christmas markets will be held on Sunday, alongside free fairground rides for children and a festive grotto with Santa (pictured below).
The city council said in a statement:
“Anyone who is planning on attending our events is encouraged to take a lateral flow test beforehand to help to stop the spread of covid.
“Please help us by following the guidance below if you are visiting our grotto, fairground and Christmas market on December 5 and 12.”
The guidance is as follows:
- People going to events are strongly advised to take a lateral flow test at home before attending
- Anyone with a positive test result must stay at home, and household members should follow national guidance for close contacts
- Face coverings should be worn indoors and in crowded spaces
- Keep a respectful social distance between yourselves and people who are not in your group
- Do not travel to the event if you are feeling unwell. If you start to feel unwell whilst at an event, you should leave the site immediately
- Follow all covid-19 measures in place at events, including regular hand hygiene
The Little Bird artisan market, featuring stalls offering locally-produced hand-made goods ranging from food to furniture, will be be open from 10am until 3pm on Sunday.
Members of Ripon Charity Pantomime Group, dressed in costumes for their forthcoming panto Rapunzel, will also be present.
Father Christmas and a reindeer will be in Ripon Market Square today.
They will be present from 1pm, as the city celebrates the start of the festive season with the switch on of its extensive Christmas lights.
The switch on takes place at 5pm and there will be free live music before and afterwards.
Freddie Cleary will be the first performer to take centre stage on Saturday afternoon
This starts at 2pm with a performance from Ripon-based singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Freddie Cleary.
From 4.10pm a tribute act will sing Christmas songs, followed by hits made famous by girl bands.
The entertainment comes to a climax at 6pm, when a Beatles tribute act takes to the stage in front of Ripon Town Hall.
Adding to the festivities, free fairground rides for children will be operating throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
The event is being staged by the Ripon City Council and paid for out of the parish precept, with the aim of attracting more visitors to Ripon, while providing family-focused entertainment for local residents and those from further afield.
Last year £65,000 was spent by the council to upgrade and extend the city’s Christmas lights, which can be seen in the retail core of Ripon and adjoining streets.
A rare building that is part of Ripon’s heritage has been damaged by vandals.
The cabmen’s shelter — a Grade II listed structure – dating back to the days of horse-drawn transport — was the target.
The shelter was recently refurbished and returned to Market Square at a cost of £22,000
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s enough to make you despair.
“We are doing our best to get ready for the easing of lockdown, by making the city more attractive for residents and visitors,
“Now we have suffered another mindless act of vandalism that detracts from all of our efforts.”
A window in the shelter was broken yesterday and Cllr Williams, along with the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, carried out a sweep-up after being alerted to the incident.
The window was temporarily boarded up and the broken pane will be replaced shortly.
The broken window on the cabmen’s shelter. Photograph: Ripon City Council
Police have been informed and Cllr Williams said:
“I hope the person or persons who did this were picked up on CCTV cameras covering the square.”
Yards away from the shelter, a broken window at the Tourist Information Centre in Ripon Town Hall remains boarded up, after being vandalised in December.
The city council, which has responsibility for the upkeep of the cabmen’s shelter, is waiting for landlord Harrogate Borough Council to repair the Tourist Information Centre window.
There has been a spate of vandalism in Ripon during the covid lockdowns.
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- Rare cabmen’s shelter returns to Ripon Market Square
- Mobile cctv to be used in fight against crime in Ripon
Windows at premises including the Ripon Cathedral office, shops in Westgate and Fishergate and a public house in High Skellgate, have been smashed.
In recent weeks, police patrols, particularly at weekends, have been stepped up in a bid to tackle a rising tide of violent and anti-social activity.
City councillors have called for action on policing numbers and also said they will join forces with the police to crack down on crime in the city.
Knaresborough Civic Society has launched a campaign to pedestrianise Castlegate and the Market Square.
The society feels that both areas are always busy with both cars and people and there isn’t enough space for adequate social distancing.
The Civic Society said its aim is to enhance the public space available and protect the town’s heritage. It also included plans to convert the area currently used by cars on Market Square into extra space for businesses or town events.
The Civic Society chairman James Monaghan said:
“Now is the ideal time to take bold steps to enhance Knaresborough’s public space, improve the pedestrian experience and make our streets safer.
“Castlegate is a popular shopping destination with narrow pavements. On busy days you already find shoppers walking down the middle of the street and maintaining social distancing on the pavements is impossible”.
Scenes such as these have encouraged the Civic Society launch their campaign for pedestrianisation.
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- WATCH to see how the Knaresborough pub Six Poor Folk is planning to reopen safely.
- Knaresborough Chamber launches a new plan to help businesses reopen following lockdown.
Castlegate business owner Andy Grinter supports the plans, he said:
“Its obvious that without action, we don’t stand a chance of social distancing. Without taking urgent, innovative measures we’re putting lives and livelihoods at risk. It’s clear that pedestrians need more space to walk and queue safely whilst maintaining social distancing.
“Giving customers room between premises and in public spaces will enable shops and businesses to bounce back and recover trade.”
The Society has written to North Yorkshire County Council and is now calling for other local groups to come forward and back their campaign.