Derby Day and Ripon’s royal connection to the world’s greatest horserace

Away from the the sights and sounds of the platinum jubilee celebrations across the Harrogate district, it’s a fitting day to remember another royal connection from the Ripon area that goes directly to the Queen, via her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

It was Derby Day on Epsom Downs and the world’s most  famous race grabbed national and international attention, with the easy winner and 5-2 favourite, Desert Crown, trained by Sir Michael, destined to earn a fortune at stud.

On the boundary wall at the Parish Church of St Lawrence in Aldfield — between Ripon and Fountains Abbey — there is a blue plaque recognising that William Powell Frith, the world-renowned painter, whose signature work was called The Derby Day was born in the tiny village on November 2, 1819.

Painter William Powell Frith

A portrait of William Powell Frith as a young man. Picture: Mary Evans Picture Gallery

His mother Jane, was house steward to Sophia Lawrence of Studley Royal, before the family moved to Harrogate in 1826 to manage the Dragon Hotel.

Nine years later, at the age of 16,  Frith decided to take his prodigious artistic talent to London, telling his family that his aim was to make his fortune.

This was no misplaced boast, as he was entered into the Royal Academy and earned the accolade of being one of Queen Victoria’s favourite painters.

Frith Plaque at Aldfield

The Queen, who is Victoria’s great great grandaughter, has never won the Classic race as either owner or breeder and the nearest she came was in her coronation year , when her horse Aureole finished second in the 1953 running.

Dreams of a fairy-tale win in platinum jubilee year were dashed when her horse Reach for the Moon was withdrawn from today’s race by joint trainers John and Thady Gosden, after the three-year-old colt suffered a training setback.

For only the third time in her 70-year reign, the 96-year-old Queen is also a ‘non-runner’ at Epsom today, with ongoing health issues meaning she will be watching the race on television.

Frith, who lived to the age of 89, died in 1909 assured that his Derby Day work created between 1856 and 1858 had earned him the fortune that he predicted.

His classic painting and other celebrated works – have put him forever in the frame as one of the world’s best known artists

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Major Harrogate employer CNG ‘enters liquidation’

A member of staff at one of Harrogate’s biggest companies has told the Stray Ferret that it has gone into liquidation today.

The CNG Group, which is based on Victoria Avenue and employs about 180 staff, is one of numerous companies affected by the spiralling increase in wholesale gas prices.

According to the source, staff were today informed they have lost their jobs.

The company supplies about 15 to 20 retail energy companies through its wholesale business arm and also has around 50,000 business customers.

The Stray Ferret understands that CNG has entered into the Supplier of Last Resort (SOLR) system and the administration and liquidation process.

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The employee, who requested anonymity, told the Stray Ferret:

“The staff were told to stay on and help the company close, they said that there was £12 million in the pot for redundancy pay outs.

“Just a couple of days later and today they have said that we will only be entitled to statutory redundancy through the government.

“There will be plenty of staff in a tricky financial situation, some have told me they are unsure how they will be able to pay their bills while they wait for the money to come through.”

The Stray Ferret has approached the CNG Group for comment but had not received a reply by the time of publication.

Land owner has ‘ambitious plans’ to reinstate Knaresborough fountain

Knaresborough could still see its Victoria jubilee fountain reinstated in a major boost for the town’s long-running campaign.

The owner of the land where the fountain currently lays has revealed that he is still in talks with Knaresborough Town Council.

Knaresborough Civic Society said last month that it was returning the money it raised to reinstate the fountain on Gracious street after talks with the land owner broke down.

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It seemed like the fountain would be lost. But the land owner, who would like to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret:

“I have ambitious plans for Victoria jubilee fountain which I have been working on for a while. Hopefully, I will be able to unveil what I have planned later this year.”

Cllr Andrew Willoughby, who chairs the jubilee fountain working group, also told the Stray Ferret:

“We are still negotiating with the land owner who certainly has some grand ideas for the fountain.”

“The campaign is certainly not over yet. The door is still swinging but it’s not open or locked.”

History of the fountain

Residents of Knaresborough bought the fountain in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee.

It was originally built on the High Bridge near the entrance to Mother Shipton’s cave and provided spa water from Bilton.

The fountain was later decommissioned and planted with flowers then in the latter half of the 20th century it was removed and deposited on private land.

Could Harrogate’s Queen Victoria monument be moved?

Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam has raised concerns the £7.8 million Station Gateway project could lead to the town’s Queen Victoria monument being moved.

The white marble monument on Station Parade was given to the town in 1887 and has looked down on many generations since.

But a consultation on the proposed gateway project, which would radically alter Station Parade, asks people for their views on moving the monument.

The consultation says:

“We have proposed changes to the way the space around the monument is used.

“These changes do not require the monument be moved but we would welcome people’s thoughts on whether this is the best location for the monument.

“We appreciate this monument is very important to the community and any plans to move it would require extensive and meaningful engagement with the public and key stakeholders.”

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Mr Neesam said he understood that in 1887, when Richard Ellis presented the statue, he inserted several covenants into the deed of gift, requiring that if any attempt were made to move the statue, the land should be offered back to the Ellis family.

It is not known whether the Ellis family still has any links with Harrogate but any attempt to move it could be problematic.

Karl Battersby, director of business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, which is one of the councils behind the gateway project, said:

“The proposals put forward for consultation do not require the Queen Victoria monument to be moved.

“It is not our intention to move the monument, nor is it necessary to the scheme.”

Asked whether he was satisfied with the statement, Mr Neesam said:

“I am not re-assured by this statement. If they have no intention of moving the statue, why invite public opinion?”

 

Blow to bid to reinstate Victorian fountain in Knaresborough

A bid to reinstate the Victoria jubilee fountain in Knaresborough has suffered a major blow, despite a successful fundraising campaign.

Knaresborough Civic Society hoped to restore the fountain, which was built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s 50th anniversary.

The society raised £6,000 and held talks with the owner of the private land where the fountain currently lays about moving it.

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But the land changed hands shortly before the fundraising campaign and the new owner has refused to release it.

James Monaghan, chair of Knaresborough Civic Society, confirmed the news in a letter to the town council. He wrote:

“It is with tremendous regret that we write to you to confirm we see no option but to return donations.

“Despite our best efforts, a strong desire and the generosity of Knaresborough residents it appears no progress can be made with the owner of the land.

“As such, we have decided to return the money raised to the donors. We also relinquish any request for funds reserved by Knaresborough Town Council.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we have reached this decision.

“Should the situation change we would be delighted to play our part restoring this key part of Knaresborough’s history.”

Mr Monaghan has delayed the return of the funds until February 28 in the hope that Knaresborough Town Council will be able to remedy the situation.

History of the fountain

Residents of Knaresborough bought the fountain in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee.

It was originally built on the High Bridge near the entrance to Mother Shipton’s cave and provided spa water from Bilton.

The fountain was later decommissioned and planted with flowers then in the latter half of the 20th century it was removed and deposited on private land.

In 2016 the previous owner of the land reached out to a local history group to try to put the fountain back in public hands.

The civic society planned to reinstate the fountain on Gracious Street, next to the Methodist church.

It aimed to raise the fountain with a plinth, replace the missing brass plaque and to replumb it as well.

But the fountain now faces an uncertain future.