A new-look independent high street venture opens in a familiar Ripon setting at 9am tomorrow.
Halls of Ripon is in the Fishergate building that formerly housed the Philip Hall and Wrens department stores.
The coronavirus crisis signalled the end for some retailers in towns and city centres, but four former Wrens tenants kept their dream for independents alive.
Linda Liversidge at her Legs & Co stall, where she sells classic and vintage fashion for women and men
Mike and Liz Cooper, Hedley Hall and Lloyd Sheard devised a plan while selling their respective goods from a temporary location in Queen Street.
Tomorrow, their dream becomes reality.
Mr Cooper told the Stray Ferret:
“We are home to 22 small retailers – 15 of which are coming to open in high-street premises for the first time.
“The demand for space has been phenomenal and we have attracted a great mix of businesses, selling items ranging from hand-made gifts and home furnishings, to womenswear and jewellery.”
Keeley Buller and her partner David Ward will be selling cakes, beverages and other refreshments at The Hive coffee shop within Halls of Ripon
He added:
“Our aim is to take independent retailing in the city into a new era, while creating a department store experience with a level of service that is attractive to customers.
“Each retailer has their own facilities for debit and credit card transactions.”
Traders who also want sell online can call on Ben Butler, who is running his e-commerce sales and marketing business at Halls of Ripon.
Goods on sale include famous-name model vintage cars
Mr Hall’s antiques, collectables and vintage model business was in the former Wrens department store from the day it opened.
He said:
“Mark Butler’s highly innovative and award-winning concept sadly suffered because of the covid lockdowns at key trading periods last summer and pre-Christmas.
“We have taken his ideas forward and, by continuing to provide affordable space with no strings attached, have created a platform designed to help small businesses to succeed.”
A broad spectrum of retailers have joined the department store
Because of its long history, heritage and natural attractions, Ripon in non-covid times has benefited from year-round trade brought by tourists and the local population.
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Mr Sheard pointed out:
Safety fears about proposed Ripon bypass roundabout sculpture“There has always been the demand for a department store of this nature in Ripon.
“It is attractive to traders like myself, because it is in a fantastic location for footfall.”
Councillors have expressed concern that plans to erect a sculptural montage of ancient buildings of Rome on a Ripon bypass roundabout could cause traffic accidents.
The five-metre high cast resin sculpture, with information plaque and lighting, is planned to celebrate Ripon Cathedral’s 1,350th anniversary.
But there are concerns it may distract motorists and cause accidents.
The cathedral plans to commission five major art works over a four-year period.
The proposed location for a boat sculpture depicting St Wilfrid’s sea travels.
Three of the works require approval from Harrogate Borough Council and a planning application has been submitted.
Under the theme of From Rome to Ripon, they will tell the story of the city’s patron saint and cathedral founder St Wilfrid.
The concept is supported by Ripon City Council, but at a meeting on Monday evening, they agreed to seek a meeting with the cathedral’s project team to discuss concerns.
City council leader Andrew Williams said:
“In principal, I fully support the artwork proposal, but I feel that we need to look again at the sculpture proposed for the roundabout.
“The bypass is a very busy road and I am concerned that the artwork with lights on could be a distraction to road users and lead to accidents.
“I also question how sensible it would be to have an information plaque on the sculpture – we wouldn’t want pedestrians to walk on to the roundabout to read it.
“Surely there must be a better location than this for the artwork.”
Fellow councillors agreed there was a need for further discussion with the applicant.
The council will write to Harrogate planners calling for the application to be deferred until this aspect of the plan is resolved.
The other two sculptures requiring planning permission are, firstly, of a boat containing figures that represent St Wilfrid on his sea travels. He made several visits to and from Rome during his time in Ripon.
This would be the first of the installations in June of next year.
The second installation, cast in bronze and standing five metres high, would depict St Wilfrid and a follower, which is planned for the corner of the Market Square that looks down onto Kirkgate.
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It is proposed that this will be in place by June 2024.
The artwork currently earmarked for the Ripon bypass roundabout would initially be installed from June 2025 in the narthex at the the western end of the cathedral, before being relocated.
Dresses fit for royalty adorn the aisles at Ripon Cathedral
A Century of Wedding Gowns at Ripon Cathedral features dresses from 1885 until the present day.
The collection includes a copy of the dress worn by Katherine Worsley for her marriage to Edward, Duke of Kent, at York Minster in 1961.
The exhibition’s curator is Kevin Thornhill, who worked for David and Elizabeth Emanuel on the famous long-train dress worn by Princess Diana for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.
On July 29, to mark the 40th anniversary of that royal wedding at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, there will be two fashion shows at Ripon Cathedral.
These will feature a copy of the dress and tiara worn by the late princess.
The exhibition illustrates the nuanced changes in wedding gowns and accessories over more than five decades
Mr Thornhill said:
“During my time working with David and Elizabeth Emanuel in London, I was given the absolute honour of being a member of the team who made the wedding gown.”
The finale of next month’s fashion show will include copies of the gowns from the royal collection, including those of the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne, along with exact copies of the tiaras worn at the weddings.
Something old, something new …
As well as royalty, the exhibition has a local theme.
It includes the dress worn by Christine Wood on her big day, in May 1964, when she married at Ripon Cathedral. Mrs Wood, who lives in Harrogate with her husband, Tony, contacted the organisers after hearing about the exhibition and donated her gown for the display.
She said:
“Having thought that I had lost my wedding dress during a house move, it turned up in a box in the loft years later and I love the fact that my wedding dress will once again be inside the cathedral after 57 years!”
Christine Wood and her husband Tony, with the dress she wore on their wedding day in 1964
Other items that will be on show until September include a gown donated by Kleinfeld, New York – known for the TV programme ‘Say Yes to the Dress’.
Fans of TV show Downton Abbey will be able to see a copy of the Crawleys’ Downton Tiara, alongside a wedding gown from 1898.
A 1923 winter velvet wedding gown, handmade by Coco Chanel for a family friend, will also be among the 50 on display.
The exhibition will run until September and shows are being supported by the cathedral’s business partner, Raworths Solicitors of Harrogate.
Ripon choristers sing their way to scholarship successUpper sixth formers Barnaby Sladden and James Kitchingman have sung their way to success.
The friends sang together for years in the Ripon Cathedral choir and are now heading to Cambridge and Worcester.
They have secured much sought-after choral scholarships.
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson, said:
“James and Barnaby were gifted members of Ripon Cathedral Choir when I arrived in Ripon in 2014.
“It is such a joy to see them using their musical talents and flourishing so brilliantly.”
Barnaby has been offered a tenor position in the Clare College Chapel Choir at the University of Cambridge.
He will also study maths at the university.
As well as singing with the world-famous choir, he will be involved in regular performances on radio and overseas tours.
Barnaby and James san together for 11 years in the Ripon Cathedral choir.
James won his place at Worcester Cathedral, where he will receive free accommodation in an eighteenth century flat above the cathedral’s Song School.
Barnaby, who is 17, is following in the footsteps of his parents, Dan and Ruth Sladden.
The couple met in the 1990s, when they were Cambridge choral scholars, Dan at King’s and Ruth at Clare College
James, 18, will spend his gap year singing at six services a week in the cathedral and helping to run the music department there,
Michael Barker, director of music at Ripon Grammar School, said:
“Choral scholarships are only given out to the select few students who have shown dedication over time and commitment to choral music.
“I wish them the very best of luck on the next stage of their journeys.”
As a choral scholar, as well as being paid £3,000 a year and enjoying rent-free accommodation, he is looking forward to free singing lessons and mentoring from acclaimed professional musicians.
The famous choir performs in major concert venues all over the UK and has toured in Japan, the USA, Israel and throughout Europe in recent years.
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Like Barnaby, James comes from a musical family.
His mother Cathy, sings and plays the piano, father Andrew, plays piano and organ and sister Helena, 15, is a keen electric guitar player.
Ripon’s saint will still have his dayThe covid lockdown is gradually easing, but Ripon’s annual celebration of St Wilfrid and his legacy will be scaled back for a second year.
St Wilfrid’s Day is one of the city’s biggest occasions of the year, marked with events and a large procession pre-pandemic. Thousands of people would line the city streets and congregate on Market Square.
Organisers are planning for a smaller celebration this year while looking to use 2021 as a platform to promote activities next year and beyond.
As well as being the 1,350th anniversary of St Wilfrid founding a church on the site of Ripon Cathedral, 2022 marks the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
The St Wilfrid’s Procession committee is in discussions with Ripon City Council about having a presence on Market Square over the weekend of 31 July and 1 August.
Committee secretary Sue Simms told the Stray Ferret:
“We did not feel running a large-scale procession this year would be a responsible choice.
“The situation was complicated by the fact that we would have needed to start applying for road closures back in October.
“Because of the coronavirus crisis, we couldn’t plan ahead with any degree of confidence at that time.”
As part of last year’s scaled-back St Wilfrid’s Day celebrations, the Ripon Morris Band performed at social distance in Church Lane.
The procession committee is planning for actors dressed as St Wilfrid and monks to take the traditional walk around Ripon, along with a pony or donkey on Saturday July 31.
It will end on Market Square, where the council is planning to stage a weekend of activities and entertainment for residents and visitors.
Ms Simms said:
“We hope to have space on Market Square to promote and celebrate our saint’s day.
“The objective is to build interest in taking part as entrants and organisers of the procession in future years.”
Last year celebrations of the city’s patron saint were limited to the St Wilfrid trail, with Ms Simms’ husband Paul, dressed as St Wilfrid, walking the route normally taken by a St Wilfrid actor on horseback, along with floats, Ripon City Band and others.
Across the city, businesses and residents maintained the tradition by putting St Wilfrid displays in windows and gardens.
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Looking forward, Ms Simms would like to hear from anybody wanting to become involved in the 2022 procession. She can be contacted on 07964854006.
In past years, pubs, schools, churches, friends, businesses, shops, streets, social, children’s and sports clubs have taken part.
Ripon Cathedral awarded £126,000 for re-opening
Ripon Cathedral has been awarded £126,000 from the second round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
The grant will help the cathedral re-open its doors when lockdown restrictions are eased on May 17.
It will also help provide new information to visitors and market the cathedral to fresh audiences.
The grant is being distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the public body Historic England.
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson DL said:
“Ripon Cathedral exists to serve the people of the region and visitors from across the country and beyond. We pride ourselves in welcoming people of all faith and no faith, as well as those who come as Christian worshipers and pilgrims.
“These much-needed funds will enable us to open our doors wide for all, as the country emerges from lockdown.”
Visitor numbers at the cathedral are still limited due to covid restrictions. However, it has been streaming some services on its YouTube channel.
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The owner of Newby Hall received £208,300 from the heritage fund and The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter High Harrogate received £39,800.
Four other cultural organisations in the district also received funding from the government fund through Arts Council England.
These were:
- Harrogate Theatre: £91,078
- Harrogate International Festivals: £80,000
- Ripon Museum Trust: £69,350
- Cause UK: £35,000
Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country in the second round of funding from the £1.57 billion fund.
Harrogate district churches hold services to mourn Prince PhilipRipon Cathedral and two churches in Knaresborough will be holding services this evening to allow congregations to offer their condolences.
Ripon Cathedral is holding a service of evensong at 6pm today to mark the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The cathedral told its congregation, via Facebook, that the service will include a reflection from the Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson DL. The service will be sung by the lay clerks of the cathedral’s choir.
Prince Philip died last Friday, aged 99
The Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, will be attending.
The tenor bell will toll ahead of the service, half-muffled.
Guests will require a ticket, which can be booked here, and the cathedral asks everyone to be seated for 5.45pm.
Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle last Friday, aged 99.
During the period of mourning the cathedral has been open to visitors. People have been invited take a candle and a prayer card and sit in the cathedral to reflect.
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In Knaresborough, the Parish Church of St John the Baptist and the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin in Goldsborough will be open for prayer vigils.
Due to covid restrictions the churches have said they will not be offering books of condolence.
All of this evening’s services will be held in line with coronavirus restrictions.
Ripon plans to celebrate two major events next yearThe Royal, loyal and religiously-significant city of Ripon is looking forward to two landmark events next year.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the 1350th anniversary of Ripon Cathedral coincide in 2022.
Huge city-wide celebrations will be held, with plans to turn buildings and streets red, white and blue.
Earlier this month, Ripon City Council set aside a budget of £105,000 to enable advance planning to take place.
Running from 2 June to 5 June, the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday will mark 70 Years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Ripon Cathedral, founded by St Wilfrid in 672AD will be playing a key role in the festivities.
At last night’s virtual meeting of the city council events committee, the Dean of Ripon The Very Revd John Dobson, said:
“This is a marvellous chance to celebrate two events – the like of which we have never seen before.”
He added:
“Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was commemorated with the building of the clock tower, which has been a city landmark since 1897 and we have the opportunity of marking The Queen’s history-making service to the UK in a very special way.”
The Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson is looking forward to a year of dual celebration for The Queen and Ripon Cathedral
Dean John was among representatives from a wide-range of voluntary organisations taking part in the meeting.
He congratulated the city council for the strong lead it is taking in planning for 2022.
Chair of the events committee and council leader Andrew Williams, pointed out:
“We want to ensure a year of well-organised events to be enjoyed by all.
“We will mark the start of it at one minute past midnight on New Year’s Eve, with our fireworks display.
“It will end in a burst of red, white and blue, signalling the start of a year of celebrations.”
Plans are being put in place now, so that equipment ranging from fairground rides for young children and staging for performers, can be booked well in advance.
The full programme has yet to be confirmed and the events committee remains open to suggestions.
Councillor Pauline McHardy, suggested that a large poster of The Queen be hung on the front of Ripon Town Hall throughout 2022.
She said:
“This would be a constant reminder of what our wonderful Queen has done for all of us for seven decades.”
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Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, Councillor Chris Hardisty pointed out:
“The Duke of Edinburgh will be 100 in June and we should find a way of celebrating his birthday.”
Cllr Williams said that this suggestion will be put on the agenda for the April meeting of the committee.
Love, Lent and Songs of Praise from Ripon CathedralSome say it with flowers, others express it in verse and it is a central theme of popular music and hymns.
The theme of love will take centre stage today – and it’s a special occasion for Ripon Cathedral, too.
Valentine’s Day comes a week before the first Sunday of Lent and Ripon Cathedral will feature in a special edition of Songs of Praise on BBC One at 1.15pm today. The pre-recorded programme focuses on the theme of Love and Lent.
Love and Lent will be in focus at Ripon Cathedral in a special edition of Songs of Praise
It includes a discussion between presenter Sean Fletcher and the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, who told the Stray Ferret:
“I reflected that often in Lent it’s popular to give something up.
“This Lent, because we have all lost so much in the past year, it’s an opportunity to take something up, to put on, as it were, the mantle of love
“We can be mindful of our neighbours and loved ones near and far.”
Dr Hartley said she reflected on the connections between Lent and lockdown. Although the former lasts just 40 days, it recalls Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness.
Similarly, though lockdown leaves many people feeling isolated, Dr Hartley reflected that nobody is alone, even if it can feel that way.
Asked why Ripon Cathedral is so special, having been chosen as the venue for tomorrow’s programme, Dr Hartley said:
“Cathedrals have a profound sense of place and identity and are buildings where people can come and find God and be found by God.
“What makes Ripon special is its 7th century crypt, and that sense of people over hundreds of years coming to this place, making pilgrimage and praying.
“There’s a real strength in that for us today.”
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On a personal Valentine’s Day note, Dr Hartley is anticipating the continuation of a much-loved tradition with her husband Myles.
She said:
Why it’s hard to tell the time of day in Ripon“He always declares Valentine’s Day ‘a season’!
“We will exchange home-made cards and enjoy a meal at home.”
Do people who live in Ripon know the time of day? Not if they have to rely on two civic timepieces that have been serving the city for decades.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams reported that the four-faced Victoria jubilee clock at the junction of Palace Road, North Street and Princess Road can be seen up to 22 minutes slow and also running fast from time to time.
He was not attempting a wind up and has asked for the workings of the clock to be looked into.
The Grade II Listed Building was built by the then Municipal Borough of the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1897, to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
The building passed into the ownership of Harrogate Borough Council with the reorganisation of local government in 1974.
Closer to home for city councillors, the Ripon Town Hall clock also appears in need of some timely maintenance.
By way of research, the Stray Ferret found the Town Hall Clock a good three minutes fast.
The Town Hall timepiece
Meanwhile at the city’s monumental timepiece, Queen Victoria would not have been amused with her clock a full three minutes slow.
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While the city’s civic clocks perform in erratic fashion, the one at Ripon Cathedral ticks all the boxes, with its quarterly and hourly chimes.
With the hands on the Town Hall and Victoria Clock’s four faces continuing to move in mysterious ways, Ripon’s residents need only look at the tower on the western frontage of the cathedral for the accuracy they seek if they want to arrive on time at work, school and appointments.
Here they will see that the clerical clock is a match for any hand-held digital device.