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Local dignitaries, alongside representatives from the Royal Engineers, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Police, gathered at Ripon Town Hall to see Councillor Sid Hawke elected as the city’s mayor for a third term in office.

Ripon City Council’s annual meeting and mayor making ceremony was held last week and this coming Sunday Cllr Hawke will be installed as mayor at a civic service to be held in Ripon Cathedral.

He will be accompanied by his wife Linda, who will be mayoress during his mayoral year.

Local dignitaries pictured during the mayor making Ceremony

Speaking following his election, Cllr Hawke, said:

“I am proud to be elected as the mayor of this wonderful city for a third time and thank my fellow councillors for their continuing confidence in me.

“I would also like to thank the many people who supported me throughout the past year, particularly in helping to raise thousands of pounds for my chosen charities Ripon Dementia Forward and Harrogate and District Mind.”

Born and bred in the city, Cllr Hawke is semi-retired and has previously served in the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in Ripon.

He was elected to represent the Ure Bank ward on Ripon City Council in 2002 and became mayor for the first time in 2008-2009.

His recently completed second mayoral year proved a busy one, including the Queen’s platinum jubilee in June, the mourning of Her Majesty’s death in September, the subsequent proclamation of King Charles III and coronation celebrations – all of which involved major civic events in Ripon.

On being elected as mayor for the third time, Cllr Hawke matches fellow Independent councillors Eamon Parkin and Pauline McHardy, both of whom served three terms in mayoral office.

At the mayor making event Cllr Parkin was elected to serve as Cllr Hawke’s deputy.

Main picture: The Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda (middle row, centre) with Serjeant at Mace, David Coates, councillors and the Dean of Ripon the very Revd. John Dobson, following the mayor making ceremony.

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Read more:

• Government rejects 13-home plan on former Ripon timber yard
• Ripon firm Farmison begins phased re-opening

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An artist from Ripon who left an abusive marriage with thousands of pounds of debt has created a business with a turnover of £1 million.

Bonny Snowdon, 52, became a professional animal portrait artist in her mid-40s after her daughter bought her a colouring book and pencils seven years ago.

Despite not having drawn since she was a child, Bonny made it her full-time job within a couple of years, and now has a waiting list of 1,500 people hoping to commission one of her “hyper-realistic” pet portraits.

As well as Bonny Snowdon Fine Art, she has founded the Bonny Snowdon Academy and teaches 2,500 members how to create life-like drawings of their favourite animals. Most of the students are UK women aged 45 and over, thought she does have some from around the globe including India, Iran, the US and Australia.

The academy has inspired many of them to move into the art world in their professional lives and given them a new lease of life. Bonny said:

“Creativity is a portal to another world. It allows us to disappear from our everyday life – and if you don’t lead a very nice life that is just the most amazing thing.

“It quietens the mind – ‘busy hands, quiet mind’ is the saying and it’s so true. Creativity in any form is in my opinion essential for healthy minds. I know myself how helpful it was, disappearing for hours with my colouring book.”

The reason Bonny wanted to disappear into her artwork was a difficult home life.

She was subjected to mental abuse by her former husband, particularly after his father died. She said:

“He had always had a bit of anger issues and could be paranoid but nothing that really worried me. There were times where he’d put his fist through the wall but they were very few and far between.

“Then his dad died, and he took the death really badly: he became depressed but wouldn’t get help and things would swing from being okay to really awful. I lived on eggshells for years, not knowing when he was going to blow up.

“It got to the point where I was scared of talking about certain subjects: money was the main one, I could never talk about it and that’s the main reason I got into debt, I was too frightened to talk to him about needing to pay off a phone bill, that I ended up taking out credit cards and over time, the debt ballooned to over £22,000.

“In the end, he started talking about suicide and even told me he had located a place to do it, which terrified me. I tried so hard to support him and get him to the doctors, I rang the doctors and made appointments for him and went with him but when he sat there, he just said he was fine. It was a really dreadful time.”

Eventually, her husband moved out of the home they shared with their three children. He went on to marry someone else, but took his own life during the covid lockdown less than two years later.

Though she was no longer in the abusive relationship, Bonny’s home life was still financially difficult. She said:

“When he moved out, we discussed putting the family home up for sale, but I had nowhere to live and I had three teenage children and my three dogs. I remember being so worried about trying to find a rental property that would fit us all and take the dogs.

“I had just become a full-time artist and was not earning a huge amount of money then and had no real way of taking a mortgage on myself and paying him half the house. I was looking at rental properties which were going to cost more than the mortgage, and they didn’t take dogs.

“I can remember feeling sick all the time, trying to be okay for the children and run my then very new business.”

Bonny’s determination to make a success of her business has paid off.

She is on track to turn over £1 million this year, up from £450,000 in 2022, with a team of three now involved.

But knowing how difficult her life was during her marriage, Bonny is using her work to support IDAS, the north of England’s biggest domestic abuse and sexual violence charity. She is awarding free scholarships to her academy, including a year’s free membership and art materials, to five women it supports.

She said:

“Domestic abuse can happen to anyone at any time, mentally as well as physically. I wish with all my heart that these charities didn’t have to exist, but sadly having experienced mental abuse first-hand, I know what a lifeline they are and I feel honoured to be able to support them.

“There are ultimately two different kinds of people who join my membership: those who already have the skills and determination and just want an extra push in development, and those who are finding things a challenge, particularly around lack of self-belief and confidence.

“Being part of a community where everyone is cheering you on has a huge effect on self-esteem, having people who are feeling the same things, worrying about the same things, but are overcoming them and then sharing their stories really helps to show that it can be done.

“Everyone seems to think that they are the only ones who feel a certain way, but it’s just not true.”

As well as her art work and academy, Bonny offers some free tutorials, guides and events on her website, as well as a podcast. It’s a Bonny Old Life aims to increase people’s confidence by sharing inspiring personal stories, championing success, and supporting people to realise their dreams.

Read more:

• Harrogate woman’s first novel focuses on coercive control
• Artist ‘delighted’ to open second gallery in Knaresborough

A public meeting is being held in Ripon next week to hear views on how to shape a new tourism strategy for North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Council, which came into existence last month, is devising a strategy to boost the county’s multi-million pound tourism industry.

As part of this, the council is staging three free workshops, including one at the Old Deanery in Ripon from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday.

A council press release this week said the events would “gather information and views from key organisations and enterprises involved in the tourism sector to develop the first countywide destination management plan”.

Attendees will be asked about their priorities and aspirations for the tourism industry as well as the strengths, opportunities and challenges being faced by North Yorkshire’s visitor economy.

Newby Hall. Pic: Mervin Straughan

The council’s Conservative leader, Cllr Carl Les, said:

“The opportunity to develop the first county-wide plan to promote tourism is a major milestone for North Yorkshire.

“The views of businesses and organisations involved in tourism will be key to developing the strategy and the future of the industry as a whole.”

Read more:

• Harrogate council’s tourism body facing uncertain future
• Value of Harrogate district tourism up by £31m, new figures reveal

In-person events will also be held in Ripon, Skipton and Scarborough followed by two online sessions from 5.30pm to 7pm on Tuesday, May 23, and then from noon until 1.30pm on Thursday, May 25.

The draft destination management plan is due to be finalised by the end of June, before being presented to councillors the following month.

A bid is then due to be submitted to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in September for North Yorkshire to be home to a Local Visitor Economy Partnership, which would involve both the private and public sectors and would need to follow a new national process to be eligible for support and potential funding from the government.

Tourism in North Yorkshire accounts for 11 per cent of the county’s overall economy and employs 41,200 workers.

The county is home to two National Parks for the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, as well as Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, which is one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire also has stately homes, including Castle Howard, Kiplin Hall and Newby Hall, as well as 23 English Heritage sites, including Whitby Abbey, Richmond Castle and Rievaulx Abbey, along with the recently acquired Thornborough Henges.

The county also has a wealth of famous food and drink producers responsible for brands including Bettys Café Tea Rooms, Wensleydale Cheese, Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea.

Further details of the workshops are available here.

You can complete a 10-minute questionnaire on North Yorkshire’s visitor economy here.

The temporary gym at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon looks set to remain in place until March next year.

The £300,000 facility, which is operated by Brimhams Active on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, was installed last month.

The installation enabled the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool, paving the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5 million to be carried out under the building.

In a statement due before next week’s full council, Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing, confirmed that the facility is expected to be in place until next year.

He said:

“The temporary gym will include the high-quality, state-of-the-art Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre.

“As well as expert advice and guidance from the Brimhams Active team, customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area, as well as the sauna and steam suite as they will remain open as normal.

“Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall. The new swimming pool will remain open as usual.

“The temporary gym will be used until the refurbishment project is completed by March 2024.”

Read more:

• Temporary gym installed at Ripon leisure centre
• Government rejects 13-home plan on former Ripon timber yard
• Ripon firm Farmison begins phased re-opening

The installation of the gym comes after an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre after an underground void was discovered in 2020.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.

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A Ripon nail salon has won best salon in Yorkshire at the Hair and Beauty Awards UK.

LoveUrban Nail Design, which was founded by Samantha Lund, picked up the award for “Best Nail Salon” in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Ms Lund, who started her business during the covid lockdown after training to become a nail technician eight years ago, said she was “incredibly proud” to win the prize.

She said:

“I am incredibly proud of my accomplishments and so grateful to my family and clients for their unwavering support over the years, and so thankful to The UK Hair and Beauty Awards for voting me and my salon as the Best in Yorkshire and Humber.

“I love my career and all the challenges it gives me.”

Harrogate BID commissions street entertainers

Harrogate Business Improvement District has commissioned a series of street performances to take place in Harrogate town centre.

The street shows run until Christmas and will take place in areas across the town.

Harrogate street performance artists return to the town centre.

It will include performers such as Val & Halla, PC Gone Mad, Maniax, Edmund & Hillary and the Dub Step Elves.

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID, said: 

“Our street performers have a great reputation for developing engaging and visual street theatre performances and shows.

“When we have arranged this type of entertainment previously, everyone has enjoyed the comical and family-friendly nature of these lively performances.

“We are delighted to bring the entertainment back to the town centre through a series of new shows.

“We have already received lots of positive feedback on the artist performances from residents, and we are sure that they will bring plenty more smiles.”

Read more:

• Business Breakfast: Ripon auctioneers announces new name and sales structure
• Business Breakfast: Harrogate family launches UK’s first stocked German kitchen business

The government has rejected a plan to build 13 homes on a former Ripon timber yard.

Red Tree Developments wanted to demolish buildings at the site of the former NY Timber yard to build the homes. The site on Trinity Lane was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.

However, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan in December 2020 on the grounds that the scheme would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area.

The developer took the authority to appeal. However, the government’s Planning Inspectorate has now dismissed the challenge.

Zoe Raygen, planning inspector, rejected the proposal on the grounds that the scheme did not have sufficient ground investigations and the impact on nearby heritage assets.

She said:

“The loss of the undesignated heritage asset would be harmful and would cause harm to heritage assets, but this harm would be outweighed by the benefits of the proposal.

“The proposal is in conflict with Policy NE9 of the Local Plan, and given the implications for stability and safety of future occupiers, this brings it into conflict with the development plan as a whole.

“The material considerations I describe above are not sufficient to outweigh that conflict in this instance.”

Read more:

• Developer appeals refusal of 13-home Ripon scheme
• New plans submitted for redevelopment of former Ripon timber yard site

Jay Everett, a planning consultant who submitted the appeal on behalf of Red Tree, said the loss of the timber yard building would offer “no contribution to the setting”.

Red Tree bought the 0.64-acre plot, which is adjacent to the listed buildings, Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, from Cairngorm Capital for an undisclosed sum in 2020.

In its original planning application, the developer said the timber yard, which is not listed, must be replaced due to its “poor state of repair”.

Meanwhile, Red Tree lodged a separate application for the site in February.

The new proposal seeks consent for the change of use and conversion of the former warehouse space to form 12 houses.

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A three-day weekend of celebrations and volunteering saw thousands of people mark the coronation of King Charles III in the Harrogate district.

Stray Ferret reporters were out and about every day capturing the fun and numerous activities taking place to commemorate the historic occasion.

Sunday’s glorious weather attracted a huge turnout to Knaresborough Castle for Party in the Castle.

Sunday Party in the Castle. Pic: Charlotte Gale Photography

People getting into the swing of the coronation concert at Knaresborough Castle. Pic: Charlotte Gale Photography

Knaresborough Castle was lit up for the occasion. Pic: Mike Whorley Photography

The royal city of Ripon once again proved it is the little city that knows how to stage a big party as live music filled Market Place on Saturday and Sunday nights, culminating in fireworks to the sounds of a Queen tribute band.

Ripon Cathedral also provided a focus for official events marking the coronation.

Jo Ropner, Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire and Dean John Dobson at Sunday’s coronation commemorative service at Ripon Cathedral

Mr and Mrs Alex Petherbridge and their daughters Tabitha, Silvia and Claudia arrive to watch Ripon cathedral’s livestream of the coronation.

Carr Close in Ripon enjoyed the best of the weather when it staged a street party on Sunday.

Fireworks in Ripon Market Place rounded off Sunday’s activities.

In Harrogate, a big screen in Valley Gardens broadcast the coronation live. Many community groups staged events in villages nearby and also organised volunteering activities yesterday as part of the Big Help Out national initiative.

Watching the coronation in Valley Gardens

Oatlands Community Centre’s coronation gathering

Community Fit’s Anna Gazier (left) and Lisa Tilburn, who work with HADCA, litter picking in Valley Gardens.

Three generations of bell-ringers took part in Saturday’s coronation service at St Wilfrid’s. Pictured are Sally McDonagh, mum Shirley and daughter Bethany, 11.

Sixteen thousand plants were woven together to create the royal cypher on Montpellier Hill.

The sun shone in Masham for its parade of floats on Sunday and nearby Kirkby Malzeard had a lunch party.

One of the Masham floats

Masham Market Square on Sunday

Flying the Union flag in Kirkby Malzeard

Read more:

• As it happened: Second day of coronation celebrations in Harrogate district
• As it happened: Harrogate district celebrates King Charles III coronation

A bus company has defended an increase in fares for a Nidderdale school service after the cost rose to nearly £1,000 a year.

The price of a bus from Ripon to Nidderdale High School jumped from £600 to £950 for the forthcoming school year starting in September.

The figure amounts to a 58% increase in price compared with the previous academic year.

Procters Coaches, which runs the bus, said diesel costs, wages and insurance meant the cost had to be passed on.

Jennie Eyres, who lives in Ripon, has a daughter heading to the school this September.

She said that she was “astonished” to find the hike in cost when she was looking to send her child to Nidderdale.

Ms Eyres said:

“As a parent with a child intending to start at Nidderdale in September, travelling from Ripon, I was astonished to find out how expensive the bus was, and even more so to find out the huge hike in price that has happened since the previous academic year.

“We are all very aware of costs going up all around us at the moment, and to an extent we do understand. However this is much more than the 10,15 or even 20% rise that could potentially be expected.”

Ms Eyres said diesel prices had actually gone down since the middle of last summer, and should not be cited as a reason for the fare increase, adding:

“The cost of insurance has increased by 20% and wages approximately 10% – neither of these are figures that back up the increase of almost 60%.”

Read more:

• Two Harrogate primary schools to install solar panels
• Tim Milburn appointed headteacher of Harrogate’s Rossett School

Nidderdale High, which has 401 pupils on its roll, said it had subsidised the cost that had been passed on as part of the bus contract.

Kath Jordan, headteacher at the school, pointed out that governors had taken the decision to subsidise the cost “very significantly” despite the hike.

She added that officials at Nidderdale were mindful of the cost of living when setting prices for parents.

She said:

“The governing body were very mindful of cost of living pressures this year when making the difficult decision to increase the cost of bus passes and have increased the level of subsidy paid by the school to keep the cost to parents as low as possible, whilst also trying to balance this against the increased cost pressures on the overall school budget.

“The Ripon bus service is used entirely by families who live outside the school’s catchment area and therefore are not entitled to free transport to school provided by the local authority. There isn’t a public bus service available for families to use. Families who choose Nidderdale High School and live out of catchment are responsible for transport to school.

“We are delighted that so many families from beyond our immediate catchment area have recognised the high quality of education and care for the individual that we offer at Nidderdale High School and have made the positive choice to be part of our school community.”

Kevin Procter, managing director at Procters Coaches, said his company had to handle the cost of inflation like other businesses.

Mr Procter, who has run the school bus for six years, said he sympathised with parents but had to make the service cost-effective.

He said:

“Things go up in price and do not go down, unfortunately.”