Ripon Cathedral Archives - Page 26 of 27

Fond farewell to Ripon Cathedral’s music man

Andrew Bryden was concerned when his wife, Lisa, said they were going to see friends who needed urgent help.

What he didn’t know, was that she was taking him to a surprise party in Spa Gardens to celebrate his transformational 22 years of work as the director of music at Ripon Cathedral.

Mr Bryden, who has moved on to provide private tuition for organists and pianists, realised something was afoot as he approached the park.

Families he hadn’t seen in the flesh since the first covid lockdown in March suddenly emerged from behind trees with gifts in hand.

Photograph of Andrew Bryden meeting choristers at Spa Park

Choristers and their families went to Spa Gardens to say goodbye to Andrew Bryden (Photograph courtesy of Lisa Bryden)

He told the Stray Ferret:

“It was an emotional occasion and I am so grateful to the mums, dads, children and other friends who turned out on a damp and windy day.”

Read more:

The covid pandemic, which closed the cathedral in spring and put services such as Sung Eucharist in suspension, meant choir practice and other activities were restricted to virtual sessions on Zoom.

Mr Bryden said:

“I created a website and the use of technology, which was also employed to put services online during the first lockdown, meant we had a way of keeping the choir community connected.”

Community is a key word because the Ripon Cathedral Choir School on Whitcliffe Lane, which for generations developed the vocal talent of young choristers, closed at short notice in 2012 and is now being redeveloped for housing.

Chorister success

Suddenly Ripon Cathedral, whose choir is recognised as being among the best in the UK, had to change its focus.

An outreach programme, developed as part of Mr Bryden’s forward-looking strategy, saw more new members recruited from schools in the local community.

Children aged six and upwards were invited to take part in rehearsals and some eventually joined teenage and adult members in the 36-strong choir.

Testimony to the success of the strategy is the fact that within 10 years, the choir had six finalists in the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition, including 2018 winner Emilia Jaques.

With the cathedral back in lockdown, it will be some time before choristers will be heard in the ancient building.

When it does, many of those occupying the choir stalls, will be singing the praises once more of Mr Bryden and the part he played in their musical development.

Today is a Remembrance Sunday like no other

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by the Bishop of Ripon The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley. Today is Remembrance Sunday– at 11am there will be a two minute silence to remember the fallen.

A few days ago, a friend posted an image on social media which bore the words: “We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm: support each other, don’t judge, be kind”. When I have a Zoom-free moment to reflect on the past months, I’ve seen all those elements in play: support, judgement and kindness. Quite a lot of that has been on social media, but some of it has been in my own experience: things I have observed, conversations I have had, feelings that have bubbled up inside me. As we plunge into another lockdown in England I am having to dig deep and ensure that support and kindness are front and centre in all that I do, and that any hint of judgement is put firmly to one side. I wonder how you are feeling at the moment?

Today is Remembrance Sunday. Usually I would be in the Spa Gardens in Ripon at a Civic ceremony, followed by a service in Ripon Cathedral. This year I will be at home. When I became Bishop for Ripon, one of the objects I was given at my welcome service was a porcelain poppy made by pupils at St Aidan’s school in Harrogate. That poppy is currently outside our front door which has seen much less visitor footfall than usual, but it’s important it’s there. I am aware that some Remembrance events are going ahead, but I am also aware of many that have either been cancelled or have moved online.

In every respect however, this is a Remembrance Sunday like no other, and it’s particularly difficult for those veterans who are increasingly frail and anxious at this time. Back in August, on Yorkshire Day, I was delighted to be able to meet Captain Sir Tom Moore at a special (COVID-secure) gathering of various groups and agencies to hear about his new Foundation. Sir Tom may be 100, but his spirit radiates kindness, support and positivity. His attitude reminds me of another phrase which is on a card that sits on a bookshelf in my office, and which relates to words at the start of this reflection: “We cannot control the wind but we can direct the sails”. In other words, attitude matters, and there’s the challenge: to use this time of lockdown to nourish kindness towards those in need but also to be kind to ourselves, and through that to be bearers of hope in our communities.

Persimmon Homes submits plans to demolish Ripon Cathedral Choir School

Persimmon Homes has submitted plans to demolish the former site of Ripon Cathedral Choir School and build 12 apartments.

The housebuilding company originally received permission to convert the building on Whitcliffe Lane into flats and build 105 more homes in the vicinity.

But it now claims the historic building, which was home to Ripon Cathedral Choir School until 2012, is not “structurally sound” and should be rebuilt in a “like for like” manner.

A Persimmon report found significant fire damage, cracks in supporting walls and decay in the roof structure. The company said its original plans to convert the building would therefore put its workforce and future home-buyers at risk.

Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission to redevelop the site in February 2019. The council’s deadline for comments on the revised application is September 21.

The building was originally constructed as a late 19th Century grandstand. It was converted in the early 20th century into two semi-detached dwellings, then extended for use as a school.

Ripon Cathedral Choir School began using the site in 1960 until it closed in 2012. It had planned to merge with a local preparatory school but this fell through.

Its closure left Ripon Cathedral choir without a dedicated space to rehearse. The choir now rehearses in a former burial vault but the £6 million extension of the cathedral is intended to provide it with a new home.

Offensive graffiti removed from wall near Ripon Cathedral

North Yorkshire Police are continuing to investigate an incident in which graffiti, including an expletive, was daubed on a wall across the road from Ripon Cathedral.

The offensive message targeting the Conservatives has now been removed after being reported to the police last Friday morning.

Harrogate Borough Council tweeted today that although the graffiti did not appear on council land, it had decided to remove it “given the language used”.

Police ask anybody who has information about the perpetrators to call 101 and quote the reference number 12200150072.

The wall is yards from the cathedral on Minster Road – one of the main traffic and pedestrian thoroughfares in Ripon.

The graffiti is another example of anti-social behaviour in the city.

Other incidents include vandalised windows and fly-tipping.

Some of the anti-social acts have been carried out by children and earlier this year Ripon police called for parents to be more vigilant.

Sergeant Clare Mayes of North Yorkshire Police’s Ripon Neighbourhood Policing Team said:

“Parents, please take responsibility and find out where your children have been, what they’ve been up to and who they have been with – before you receive a knock on the door from a police officer.“

Many of the reports received by the police identify young people at the heart of the problems being experienced in the community.

Sergeant Mayes added:

“We all have a part to play in helping everyone to stay safe and feel safe in their homes and any behaviour which undermines this will be dealt with accordingly

“We are absolutely committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and will be doing everything we can to ensure our communities remain safe and pleasant places to live.”

She added:

“We know that lockdown has caused many of our community members to become isolated from their normal social groups and practices, but nothing excuses the unacceptable behaviour we have recently seen and had reported.”

Ripon Neighbourhood Policing Team says it is working with partner agencies to deal with incidents that are reported, but would urge the public to ensure reports are made by calling 101.

Graffiti daubed on wall near Ripon Cathedral

Police have appealed for information after graffiti appeared on a wall opposite Ripon Cathedral.

The daubed lettering, targeting the Conservatives with an expletive, appeared over night on Minster Road in the heart of the city.

It is just metres from the historic Cathedral, on the opposite side of the road.

Graffiti on the wall along Mister Road, opposite Ripon Cathedral

The graffiti appeared in the shadow of Ripon Cathedral last night

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“The graffiti was reported to police by a member of the public around 7am this morning. Officers are liaising with individuals at the cathedral about this. Anyone with information that could help police establish the full circumstances of the incident should call 101 quoting reference NYP–28082020-068.”

Four homes planned for garage site near Ripon Cathedral

A planning application has been submitted to replace four garages with townhouses in the centre of Ripon.

The garages, to the north of Court Terrace just off Kirkgate, would be demolished so the four two-bedroomed townhouses could be built.

Each of the four homes would have a small courtyard of around 9 square metres to the rear, along with a cobble-set frontage of 13.5 square metres. There would be space for four cars to be parked outside.

An application submitted last year was turned down by Harrogate Borough Council over fears that the area, known for gypsum deposits, was not proven to be stable for development. Although the applicant, Mike Kell, provided a report from an environmental consultancy, the council’s decision notice said:

“The submitted gypsum report and associated declaration form are not considered to comply with Policy NE9 of the emerging local plan by virtue that they do not sufficiently demonstrate that the site can be developed without creating issues of ground instability and the signatory does not meet the definitition of a ‘competent person’ within this policy.”

A new geotechnical report on the site has been submitted with the current application.

Objections to the original plans for three-storey homes were raised by Historic England, leading the applicant to submit new plans for two-storey homes instead. Planners acknowledged the run-down appearance of the site was out of keeping with the historic surroundings, less than 100m from Ripon Cathedral. Their 2019 report said:

“The design is similar to that of the cottages to the south of the site and is considered to be an improvement on the overall appearance of the local area and would have a positive impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

The new application can be viewed in full on the planning pages of Harrogate Borough Council’s website using reference 20/02809/FUL.

Ripon saint’s parade couldn’t go marching in

There was no marching in Ripon today as celebrations of the city’s patron Saint Wilfrid had to be significantly scaled down because of social distancing requirements.

The procession around the streets traditionally in step to the music of Ripon City Band, along with accompanying children’s funfair on Market Place, Morris Dancing and a service in the cathedral, were all cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, some citizens were still determined to ensure that a celebration of St Wilfrid would still go ahead, albeit in a reduced form.

For Pearl Abbot, the loss of this year’s procession came as a great disappointment, as she has been actively involved in the event for 30 years – many of which saw her working within a team to create elaborate themed floats for Ripon power contractor FB Taylor of Dallamires Lane.

Mrs Abbot told the Stray Ferret:

“I was sad when I heard that the procession could not go ahead this year. With it also being Yorkshire Day, my friend Val and I had planned to go along wearing costumes designed out of the Yorkshire Flag.”

With no city-wide celebrations this year, Mrs Abbot decided to transform the front garden and fencing at her home in Quarry Moor Lane, Ripon, into a carnival-style display featuring yellow, blue and white balloons, flags, hand-made paper flowers and an extensive exhibition of photographs from processions held in previous years.

Ripon Morris Dancers Band performed in Church Street

She hoped the display, assembled with help from granddaughter Joanne, would provide an enjoyable walk down memory lane for passers by. It will be in place over the remainder of the weekend.

Like the Hornblower’s nightly ceremony, which has been temporarily forced to take place behind closed doors and May’s VE Day 75th Anniversary Celebrations, activities had to be limited to protect public safety.

Ripon City Swimming Club, which usually has a float in the annual procession, erected a static display at the Spa Baths, with the message ‘Just Keep Swimming’ and not far away, in Church Street, Ripon Morris Dancers Band provided socially distanced entertainment.

The musicians, along with dancers, have been taking part in the St Wilfrid’s day event since 1983.

Ripon to celebrate St Wilfrid despite coronavirus

The covid pandemic may have prevented many large scale public gatherings but it is not going to stop Ripon celebrating its patron saint on Saturday.

For centuries, processions and mass events in honour of St Wilfrid have been held to venerate the man who shares equal billing with St Peter at the cathedral, which is located on the site where Wilfrid established a church in AD 672.

Born in Northumbria in AD 634, Wilfrid’s name can be found on street signs, a primary school, cafe and Catholic church within the ancient city and other towns and cities across the country.

It’s 912 years since King Henry I granted permission for the city to hold a fair to celebrate the birth of the saint and Ripon – a city that takes great pride in its heritage – has held on to this tradition.

Photo of St Wilfrid's Procession in Ripon from a previous year

In normal years, St Wilfrid’s procession sees large crowds line the streets of Ripon

In normal years, a large procession would circle the city, led by an actor on horseback playing St Wilfrid and concluding with a service in the cathedral.

The procession, including Ripon city band and floats representing clubs, schools, businesses and neighbourhood groups, would pass the market place, where fairground rides, Morris dancers and much more would be present for the enjoyment of people of all ages.

Social distancing rules brought in by the government in a bid to beat coronavirus, mean that this year’s celebration will, like the VE Day 75th anniversary celebration in May, be largely restricted to window displays, bunting and floral tributes along the route that the procession would normally take.

The Ripon City Morris Dancers Band will be performing in the garden of 12 Church Lane from 2pm and details of other activities can be found on the St Wilfrid’s Procession FaceBook page.

To help raise awareness of Saturday’s event, Paul Simms dressed as St Wilfrid and his wife Sue, walked the processional route, where they met Mayor of Ripon, councillor Eamon Parkin, outside his Magdalens pub.

Cllr Parkin, said:

“It’s a shame that we can’t have the usual celebrations of our patron saint this year. This is a big annual event for the city that draws large crowds, but public safety is paramount and once we have defeated coronavirus, we will be able to have the large-scale events once more.

“Thanks to Paul and Sue and others involved with the St Wilfrid’s procession, we will still mark the day – but in a quieter way this year.”

Ripon heritage attractions reopen to the public

Two of Ripon’s key tourist and heritage attractions have reopened their doors to the public and a third will re-open next month.

The Workhouse Museum & Garden and Prison & Police Museum, reopened yesterday (Wednesday) and the Courthouse Museum is expected to be open again from August 1.

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust, said:

“I am so excited to be able to offer a warm welcome to visitors once again. The whole team here has worked extremely hard to get ready to provide an enjoyable and safe museum experience.”

Photograph of Ripon's Prison & Police Museum

She added:

“I hope people will be inspired by the fascinating history we have at Ripon museums and will have fun with their families exploring our beautiful gardens and discovering the amazing stories within our walls.”

The museums will open six days a week, closing on Mondays for a deep clean, as part of a package of measures designed to ensure the safety of visitors, volunteers and staff.

Numbers of people allowed in at any one time are being limited. Visitors must have pre-booked and paid for their tickets and should present their email ticket on a mobile phone or a printed copy at museum receptions.

Ripon Museum Trust is also introducing additional cleaning and hygiene measures on its three sites, with social distancing markers in place to help visitors keep a safe distance apart.

Anybody displaying symptoms of coronavirus is asked not to visit.

The measures have been taken following government guidance and following Public Health England recommendations. The trust has received accreditation from Visit England, which recognises that government and industry Covid-19 guidelines are being followed, ensuring processes are in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

Visitors to the Workhouse Museum will be able to purchase refreshments and can bring a picnic to eat in the museum’s grounds.

Ripon Museum Trust previously received £40,100 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to safeguard its heritage buildings and provide much-needed support for essential costs during the coronavirus crisis.

COLUMN: “Speaking truth to power” is part of the job says Bishop of Ripon

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by the Bishop of Ripon, The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley. The Bishop was in the news recently after she received a death threat over a comment she made about the Prime Minister’s aide, Dominic Cummings, who drove from London to Durham during lockdown.

Following the Prime Minister’s appearance at the COVID_19 daily briefing a few weeks ago, I popped onto Twitter to see what the response was. ‘Fairly annoyed’ would be a summary of what I saw. I decided to contribute, and commented on a tweet from someone I know who was very upset at what the Prime Minister had said in defence of a certain official who had made a trip to Durham during the period of what we all thought was total lockdown. “Integrity, trust and leadership were never there; just a driven misguided ideology of power that has total disregard for the most weak and vulnerable, and those who work to protect and care for us for relatively low pay”.

A few moments later, as the comments started to roll in, I tweeted: “My parents live in Durham, an hour away from where we live. My father finished radiotherapy treatment just before lockdown. I’ve missed his birthday, Mothering Sunday and countless other catch-ups that would have happened. And that’s a fraction of a story compared with others”.

What happened next was both brutal and affirming as emails, phone-calls, and then hand-written letters started to pour featuring rather extreme views and threats and heart-rending stories of personal loss and thanks that Church leaders were speaking up. The reality is that Church leaders speak up quite often about all manner of topics, local, national and global, and this isn’t always noticed.

As much as we are living in ‘unprecedented times’, the conditions of anxiety and lockdown have created an atmosphere that is often toxic and unforgiving. I didn’t post those tweets lightly, I did so because my own personal story and the stories of so many I have heard in recent weeks has been seriously undermined by the behaviour of individuals who set policies and who I expect would model that in their own lives.

Speaking truth to power is an important aspect of my role as a bishop, and I do that aware of the potential to annoy and even offend. When I became a bishop in New Zealand over six years ago, my predecessor said to me that leadership was a bit like climbing a mountain: the higher you go the more scenic the views, but the more likely to attract complex weather systems. How true that is.

Chorister success

Read More:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read More: