A Ripon student’s floral design has been turned into reality at the city’s Spa Gardens.
Evie Wood, 17, won a competition open to schools across the Harrogate district to design a floral tribute to King Charles III.
It was organised by the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council in conjunction with local In Bloom groups.
The winning Ripon entry was assessed by the council parks team and Ripon in Bloom.
Evie’s design in Spa Gardens
Ripon Grammar School pupil Evie has now seen her winning entry translated from paper to flowerbed by the council’s parks team.
Evie, who plans to take a degree in fine art, said:
“I am very interested in the design side of gardening.
“I knew the flowers that I wanted to incorporate and the colours I wanted to use and so I just went from there really. It was so nice to see the flower bed I designed come to life as I didn’t expect it to, so it was a really nice surprise!”
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Ripon BID looks to the future after a busy first year
Ripon Business Improvement District (BID), has reflected on a busy first year, while looking forward to plans for the future.
Speaking at Monday evening’s annual review meeting in the Claro Lounge, BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said that the objective has been to generate increased footfall and profits for businesses in the Ripon city region, by raising its profile and making it more attractive to visitors and local residents.
She pointed out that initiatives undertaken since the BID came into being last autumn, have ranged from steam cleaning of more than 5,000 square metres of streets and ginnels, to supporting festivals and events and launching the Ripon Apprenticeship and Training Hub (RATH).
Other activities in the year include the installation of lighting in ginnels and alleyways, working alongside Ripon in Bloom to fund new floral displays and providing free, independent consultancy advice to businesses to help them identify savings that can be made on energy and other bills.
Ms Bathurst, said:
“It has been a busy first year and we thank all businesses that have worked with us to make Ripon and more vibrant place.”
She added:
“Looking ahead, we are planning further investment in home-grown events, a continuing programme of cleaning and greening, the full launch of RATH in schools and through employer networking events and progressing our wayfinding initiative.”
BID board member Rick Jones, owner of Valentino’s and the Water Rat gastro pub, said:
“Plans are in hand to introduce a walking map of Ripon, that will be available in all car parks and other locations, where there will be information boards.
“This will help to guide people and encourage them to explore all areas of the city.”
Fellow board member and leader of Ripon City Council, Andrew Williams, pointed out:
“The council is spending an additional £40,000 on Christmas lights this year, with the aim of attracting more visitors and increasing footfall, so that people with disposable income spend their money here.”
Chair of the BID board and owner of Newby Hall Richard Compton, who chaired the meeting, said:
“We are committed to creating an environment that will help businesses in Ripon and the outlying areas to succeed and a great deal has been achieved in a relatively short space of time.”
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Long service award for former Ripon councillor
There was a full complement of Ripon city councillors and a unanimous vote of thanks to Charlie Powell, when the council held a special meeting to recognise his long service.
Over 19 years the former councillor, who retired from local politics at the May elections, served both the Moorside and Minster wards.
In addition to being a parish councillor, he also represented Ripon for 10 years as an independent on Harrogate Borough Council.
The long service award was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, Cllr Sid and Mrs Linda Hawke.
Speaking at Thursday’s meeting, council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“Charlie served diligently and played a key role in a number of developments, not least his work in encouraging Curzon to open a cinema in the city, more than 30 years after the Palladium Picture House closed its doors.”
He added:
“With Curzon’s opening in 2013, local residents no longer had to make the journey to Harrogate or Thirsk to see the latest film releases.”
Curzon’s cinema on North Street Ripon
Cllr Pauline McHardy, said:
“Charlie has provided wonderful service to help improve the lives of people in Ripon and we all wish him a long and happy retirement from local politics.”
Before seeking election, Mr Powell served for 15 years in the Royal Engineers, then became a firefighter in Ripon for two years before starting out on a business career that took him all around the world.
He spent 18 years in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for the military aircraft division of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), then moved on to become a senior administrator with Waste Management International Ltd in Jeddah.
The business acumen that he gained over many years was put to good use in negotiations with Curzon and in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.
A former deputy mayor, he has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.