Ripon Archives - Page 100 of 243

Organ donation brings £350,000 instrument to Ripon church

St Wilfrid’s on Coltsgate Hill, Ripon, has received an amazing early Christmas gift – an organ worth £350,000.

The Grade II listed church, which is among the city’s architectural gems and described as one of the finest Catholic parish churches in England, has taken delivery of a mechanical action pipe organ, formerly in use at the University of Huddersfield.

Built by JW Walker of Brandon in Suffolk for Castleford businessman Michael Phipps, the organ was subsequently donated by him to the university in 2008 and now, with the assistance of Dr John Rowntree, one of the UK’s foremost organ specialists, it has found a new home in Ripon.

Dr Rowntree, director of music at Douai Abbey in Berkshire, is chair of the British Institute of Organ Studies and the Committee for the Listing of Historic Organs,

Dr John Rowntree (left) and Canon Ian Smith, are pictured in St Wilfrid’s, where the organ will be installed in the loft at the back of the church

He told the Stray Ferret:

“This wonderful instrument is of Grade 1 class and, with its mechanical action, is particularly suitable for playing music from the Bach period.

“It will give a completeness to the restoration of this beautiful church and I look forward to being involved in its installation here in the New Year.”

Parish priest Canon Ian Smith, plays the organ and keenly awaits the day when he has the opportunity take to the keyboards and pedals.

He said:

“It’s a superb instrument and such a generous gift from Huddersfield University. We had to move quickly and, with invaluable advice from Dr Rowntree, all parts of the organ are now here and ready to be reassembled, once we have raised the necessary funding.”

Canon Smith added:

“In making the donation to us, the university had one proviso – saying that its students have the right to visit our church to play the organ. They will be made most welcome,”

Parishioner Barrie Price, who is chair of the church fundraising committee, which has raised £500,000 for an ongoing programme of restoration and development, pointed out:

“The organ is valued at £350,000 and would have originally cost considerably more.

“Its rebuilding and installation cost is quoted at £40,000 and the Leeds Diocese have agreed that we can go ahead for half this figure in the New Year, by loaning the parish the other half.

Mr Price, added:

“We have launched a special organ fund, which is separate from the Restoration Appeal, which we hope will raise this first half over the Advent period so that it can be installed early in 2024.”

Call for BT to repair Ripon’s vandalised listed telephone kiosks

Telecoms giant BT is being called to repair a line of four grade II listed telephone kiosks in Ripon city centre that continue to suffer from attacks by vandals.

The classically designed kiosks, with their signature domed roofs, have been located on the eastern side of Market Square for decades and were listed in June 1987 by English Heritage.

They have fallen into a state of disrepair, with window panels broken and new evidence of recent vandal attacks. All four have been deliberately damaged.

Richard Taylor, co-chair of heritage watchdog Ripon Civic Society, who has taken a keen interest in the kiosks, reacted to the latest vandalism when he told the Stray Ferret:

“In the longer term, I hope that they can be re-purposed and vandal-proofed as they have been by councils in other towns and cities , but in the meantime, while they remain in BT’s ownership, they need to be repaired as soon as possible before they fall into a worse state of dilapidation.”

He added:

“It is rare to have a grouping of four telephone kiosks of this vintage – particularly in a city of Ripon’s size.”

Mr Taylor pointed out:

“They stand in close proximity to the cabmen’s shelter – another grade II listed building – and together they are part of Ripon’s heritage and are of special architectural interest.

“It would be great to eventually see the kiosks being used as something like an information hub, where local people and visitors to Ripon could find out more about the history of our ancient city.

“Ideally, one of the phones should be kept operational, as some people do not have mobiles.”

Designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, the K6 kiosks are iconic structures still seen in many places across the UK,

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: ‘This group has changed my life’

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we talked to member of the young onset dementia group.

Before being diagnosed with young onset dementia, members of Dementia Forward‘s Time Out Together group were just like anyone else. One was the captain of Leeds Rhinos rugby, another a high-flying musician, and one a secretary for the Bank of England.

But everything changed before they reached the age of 65.

“We feel like a family – we are a family.”

This is how one member, Ally, described Time Out Together.

The group supports people living with young onset dementia – a form of the disease which affects people under the age of 65.

They meet every Wednesday and begin their day with coffee, cakes, and a catch-up. They laugh and chat and escape the evil disease they’re living with – even just temporarily.

Ally, who joined the group around nine months ago, said:

“I absolutely love it – it has changed my life.

“Everything we do is different – once we walked with llamas, and mine was named Gary!”

Time Out Together members visit the beach, nature reserves, play golf, visit art galleries, go on walking trips, go to the theatre and much more.

The purpose of the group is to socialise with people who understand them. The disease is robs these people of their former selves every day, but Dementia Forward works tirelessly to combat this.

Kev, the group’s volunteer bus-driver, said:

“It’s about laughing and joking together – we don’t judge here.”

Time Out Together is helping those living with young onset dementia and their carers every week, but the reality is that these people are fighting a downhill battle.

That’s why we need your help to ensure that the vital minibus service continues, and that people carry on receiving the care they need.

Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward, helping us hit our £30,000 target to buy the charity a new minibus and improving the lives of those living with dementia and the people around them.

Please give generously to those who need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

For those that need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 03300578592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Snow transforms Ripon into a winter wonderland

Residents woke up yesterday morning to find Ripon wrapped in a white blanket, as the first significant snowfall of the winter covered the city.

The Stray Ferret was on hand to capture images from the Millfield play area at Bondgate Green, as parents and children played, to Spa Gardens, where Mick Burns’ striking Alice in Wonderland sculpture was transformed into Alice in Winterland.

Families braved the winter weather for some weekend fun at the Millfiled play area

Spa Gardens will become a focus of Christmas celebration from December15 to 17, when an array of illuminated decorations will light up the parkland area.

The free family-focused festive event, open from 2pm until 8pm on each of the three days, will offer entertainment and visual delights, with a number of displays, alongside Santa and his sleigh.

The wonderland sculpture which features Alice and other characters from her adventures, is a lasting reminder of the city’s link to the world-famous books of Lewis Carroll (AKA Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) whose father was a canon at Ripon Cathedral and the author was a chorister.

The artwork, unveiled in 2013 and extended by Burns in 2014, was caught in the winter chill yesterday, but will be bathed in light for the wonderland event.

A wintry Ripon Cathedral, viewed from Minster Gardens

In Market Square, the city’s Christmas tree and reindeer decoration, provided a fitting festive setting for Ripon Town Hall.

The stylish Georgian building (pictured) was built in 1799 as a townhouse for Mrs Elizabeth Allanson and assigned to the corporation in 1897 by her heir the first Marquess of Ripon, who served as the city’s mayor for two consecutive terms from 1895.

The life and work of George Frederick Samuel Robinson, Ripon’s most high profile politician, who also served as Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1880 to 1884, is celebrated with a statue in his honour in Spa Gardens (pictured below)

Yesterday, his towering figure could be seen in the Narnia-like setting of the gardens, surrounded by evergreen trees coated in snow.

Landmark Ripon clock finally repaired after months of standstill

The Victoria Clock Tower in Ripon is now correct more than twice a day, having finally been repaired by North Yorkshire Council.

The landmark clock at the junction of North Street, Palace Road and Princess Road has been plagued by problems in recent years, sometimes running too fast, sometimes too slow, and most recently not at all.

While most people passed by without giving it a second thought, for others it was a source of concern.

Local resident Bernard White reported the problem to North Yorkshire Council in August, and followed it up at the beginning of November. He told the Stray Ferret:

“The clock’s been out of commission as much as it’s been in commission for the last three or four years. This time, it had been broken for about four or five months.

“I wrote to the council to ask for an update and they told me it was a faulty pendulum. They came this week and repaired it and it seems to be working fine now.”

The Victoria Clock Tower was commissioned to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and in the following June it was officially unveiled to a huge crowd at a civic ceremony. The Grade II listed building passed into council ownership in 1974.

Mr White added:

“The clock’s a feature in itself – the only other clock I know of in Ripon is at the town hall. It was built as a clock, and it should go as a clock, so it’s wonderful to have it back in working order.”

As we reported earlier in the year, the clock was due to be repaired in in March. It is unclear whether it was but had since developed another fault, or whether it never was fixed, perhaps due to the handover of responsibility for its running from Harrogate Borough Council to North Yorkshire Council on April 1.

The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Council for comment.

Photo of the Week: Snow at How Hill

This week’s photograph was taken by Andy Graham, capturing the snow early Thursday morning at How Hill, Fountains Abbey

Andy Graham

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: Supporting those with young onset dementia

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise money for a minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we talked about young onset dementia.

Dementia is often mistaken as a disease that only affects the elderly.

But young onset dementia is robbing people of retirement age – and younger – of their former selves every day.

It refers to those who develop symptoms of dementia under the age of 65, but the Dementia Forward team has helped people as young as 39. Karen Thomas, head of young onset, said:

“Often, GPs don’t recognise dementia in younger people. They can be tested for menopause, or anxiety, or a B12 deficiency.

“It takes some people four years to get a diagnosis – that means vital years of help and life have been cut into.”

Around 5% of those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s in the UK have young onset dementia – but how can they access the support they need if their condition is not recognised?

That’s where Time Out Together comes in.

The Time Out Together group at Castle Howard.

Time Out Together began 10 years ago when Dementia Forward took over a carers’ respite service at Harrogate Hospital. When the team heard the service would be axed, they immediately stepped in.

The group, which is now held every Wednesday in Burton Leonard, supports people living with young onset dementia. It provides a temporary escape from this awful disease and prevents people from struggling alone.

They begin by catching up over coffee and cake, before heading out on their chosen activity. The group has ventured across the district and beyond; they visit the beach, art galleries, nature reserves, they play golf, they go on walking trips, and much more.

Karen said Dementia Forward wants to connect the group with other communities and educate people on young onset along the way. She added:

“The young onset care service is based on the same model as the rest of Dementia Forward, but the advice they’re given is different – it’s much more tailored to their age.”

(L) one member, Mark, with the Nidderdale Llamas.

The team also helps people with legal aid, financial advice, employment and navigating relationships.

Whatever the needs of the person with dementia and their carer, Dementia Forward provides sensitive and specialist care to guide them through a dark time.

Dementia is a multi-faceted disease that affects everyone differently. Those living with young onset dementia can experience memory loss; a decline in co-ordination and movement; they can face complete personality changes and can even become entirely incontinent.

It’s an evil, silent disease that is taking people from their loved ones every day, and without Dementia Forward, many people would be struggling alone.

More than 50 people use the minibus service to access Time Out Together and the charity’s other social groups, which is why we need your help to keep it going.

However, Dementia Forward’s current bus is old and urgently needs to be replaced. The charity would seriously struggle to afford a new one, which is why they need your help to keep this vital service going. Without it, many people living with dementia wouldn’t be able to access the help and support they need.

Please give generously to those who need our help. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

The NHS found that one in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK are living with dementia. If you need urgent help or have a dementia-related enquiry, call 0330 057 8592 to speak to a helpline adviser.

Ripon HSBC closed for nearly two weeks for ‘essential maintenance’

Ripon’s last remaining high street bank has closed until December 13 for “essential maintenance”.

Diane Whelan (pictured), 86, was one of many disgruntled customers who arrived at the branch on the corner of High Skellgate and Westgate today to find it closed.

A sign in the window advises customers that the nearest branch is in Harrogate town centre. It adds that people can access remote banking online and on the HSBC mobile app.

The bank closed on Thursday (November 30) for essential maintenance.

Diane Whelan.

Ms Whelan told the Stray Ferret:

“This could not be more inconvenient, with Christmas just over three weeks away.

“Why couldn’t this work have been done at some other time?”

Ms Whelan has been an HSBC customer for more than 60 years and was calling to get a statement.

She said:

“I’m afraid I don’t do online and I’m sure other people like me will feel the same.”

The closure of Halifax in November 2022 left HSBC, which has no external cash machine, as the city’s only remaining bank.

Ripon school to hold ‘Elf Day’ in memory of pupil killed in A61 crash

Holy Trinity Church of England School in Ripon is holding an elf-themed day today in memory of a pupil who was killed in a fatal collision on the A61.

Six-year-old Ihor Bartieniev, who was Ukrainian, died as a result of a collision on the road between Ripon and Harrogate in September.

Ihor’s mother Daria Bartienieva, 35, and stepsister Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, were also killed in the crash.

To celebrate his life, pupils and staff are invited to dress up as elves, wear elf hats or simply wear red and green non-uniform clothing.

Children will take part in the school’s trinity trot, whereby pupils run laps of the playing fields, and activities organised by older pupils.

In addition, the school has asked pupils to bring a donation which will fund a story-telling chair in Ihor’s honour.

Headteacher of Holy Trinity School, Sue Sanderson, said:

“Ihor always had great tales to tell, so a story-telling chair seems a fitting way to celebrate his life.

“It will travel through school with his classmates.”

Ms Sanderson also described Ihor as being “so full of fun and sparkle”.

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal 2023: How does Dementia Forward work?

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is to raise £30,000 for a much-needed minibus for Dementia Forward in the Harrogate district.

The appeal is kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

Please give generously to support local people and their families living with dementia. Let’s not forget who needs our help this Christmas.

Today, we find out how Dementia Forward works.

For over a decade, Dementia Forward has become a lifeline for thousands of families in the Harrogate district.

Many don’t know where to turn after a dementia diagnosis. Their lives have changed suddenly, and it can feel lonely and isolating. But the Dementia Forward team are on hand every step of the way to provide unrivalled support.

The dementia support advisers’ (DSAs’) first step is to visit the person living with dementia and their carer at home. They want people to feel as comfortable as they can in a time of such uncertainty. The advisers form a relationship with them and let them know they’re not alone.

One of the founding members, Kathy Patton, said:

“We see how they are, see how they feel about the diagnosis and signpost any help they need.

“That’s our core service.”

The team make it their mission to advise on what they see in front of them – rather than to frighten people over what is to come – and, from there, the support and care remains.

For those that may not be ready to take the leap with Dementia Forward yet, the team makes routine check-ins every six months to ensure the person is doing well and to provide any updated guidance that may be needed.

Better yet, the core service is entirely free.

Some of the Dementia Forward team.

The DSAs tailor their care and support to the individual. Whether this is emotional or physical support, financial or legal advice, the team understand the condition and the needs of the families, and work tirelessly to meet them.

CEO Jill Quinn said:

“Once the ducks are in a row, we work with people to keep them well. Our advisers need to know everything in their area that could help them – like walking groups, singing groups etc.”

Dementia Forward also offers regular social groups across the district. These offer a temporary escape from the disease, a place to feel understood and less isolated, as well as much-needed respite for carers.

The charity’s Hub Club takes places every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Those living with dementia spend the day at the Burton Leonard’s site and enjoy hours of games, puzzles, music and good company.

People with dementia can also visit the weekly wellbeing café, which offers board games, table tennis and lunch to enjoy. It’s a safe space where they can feel heard and carers can offload to others sharing the experience.

Kathy added:

“Dementia Forward is support for the person with dementia and their family or carer.

“The support can be as much or as little as they want.”

Dementia Forward also hold monthly coffee mornings for those living with dementia, their carers, their families, and anyone else in the wider community. They fundraise for the charity and educate people on dementia and the life changing affects it has.

But none of this would be possible without Dementia Forward’s minibus service. The minibus is already used by more than 50 people in the district; it allows those living around Harrogate and Ripon to attend social groups and access support they may not otherwise receive.

Every donation to our campaign will go directly to Dementia Forward to help us hit our £30,000 target.

Please give generously to those that need our help this Christmas. Click here to donate whatever you can – you never know when you, your family or a friend may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.

Thank you.

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