The right royal city of Ripon is sending many happy returns to the Queen — along with a very special card.

The card, larger than any Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle windowsill can accommodate, has been produced in time for delivery for the monarch’s 96th birthday on April 21.

Accompanying eight-year-old Edward Blythe’s giant imaginative creation, will be a book containing thousands of birthday greetings from the people of  Ripon.

Edward, a pupil of Moorside Primary School, told the Stray Ferret:

“I decided to have a corgi wearing a crown as my design, because I know they are the Queen’s favourite dog.

“I hope she likes it.”

Edward and his winning design, is pictured with, from the left: The Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin, city council leader Andrew Williams, Claire Rowett, headteacher of Moorside Primary School and Jeremy Dunford of Ripon Together

Ahead of its extensive programme of platinum jubilee events in June, Ripon City Council decided it would be a fitting early kick off to the celebrations, if it sent the Queen a special birthday card.

Hundreds of primary and secondary pupils and students at schools in Ripon and the wider area, took part in the project, supported by the council, Ripon Cathedral and Ripon Together.

Cllr Parkin said:

“This city has extremely long royal roots, going back to Alfred the Great in 886 and his donation of a ceremonial horn to his loyal supporters, for fighting off a Viking attack.

“Ripon also fought on the side of the Royalists in the English Civil War and our Royal Engineers have enjoyed the Freedom of The City since 1949.”

Former Moorside primary pupil Cllr Williams, added:

“As well as being a good fun exercise for the schools, asking children to create a special card for the Queen, has provided a creative way of letting them find out more about her incredible 70 years of service to this country.”

Year 3 pupil Edward was congratulated for the striking multi-textured card by Moorside Primary headteacher Claire Rowett,  who said:

“This is a fantastic achievement, well done to him.

“We are currently planning our jubilee celebrations as a school.”

Production of the card was handled by Jeremy Dunford, of Ripon Together, who said:

“It will be sent by special delivery – Royal Mail, of course!”

Read more:

• Meet Ripon’s royal knitters
• Ripon plans extensive Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Villagers in Bishop Monkton say climate change has led to increased flooding in their village over the past decade — and two housing developments, with a total of 125 new homes, will exacerbate the problem.

Bishop Monkton Action Group was formed two years ago to raise awareness in the village about a 98-home development on Moor Road by Alfa Homes and 25-homes by Kebbell Developments on Knaresborough Road.

The group’s members are residents Kenneth Barker, Jonathan Beer, Harvey Bigg, Martin Minett, Raj Selvarajan and Bob Upton.

Both sites in the village, which is five miles south of Ripon, were allocated for development in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which means they are likely to be approved in some form.

But the action group is holding out hope that they will be dismissed outright because surface water at the two sites will run off into Bishop Monkton Beck, a small river that runs through the village.

Major implications

The group says freak flood events are becoming more common in the village.

One resident submitted an objection to both developments that said from 2011 to 2020 the village faced nine days of floods, which was the same as the previous 50 years combined.

A spokesperson for the action group said

“The wider cumulative impacts of these developments will have major implications to the village in our view.”

The Alfa Homes proposal

Read more:

• Plan to build new classroom at Bishop Monkton school
• Plan to expand Bishop Monkton caravan site

Flood risk assessment

A flood risk assessment submitted on behalf of Alfa Homes says surface water from the development will be discharged into Bishop Monkton Beck, which the Environment Agency classes as a river.

The developer said it has factored in a 30% increase in rainfall due to climate change but the risk of flooding would remain low.

A flood assessment submitted on behalf of the smaller Kebbel Developments scheme said surface water run-off into the river “will not increase flood risk elsewhere.”

That scheme will store water in a tank before it is discharged into the river.

However, members of the action group fear the two schemes, as well as a plan to increase the number of caravans on a local holiday site, could make flood events like those seen in 2015 and 2020 worse.

The two applications have almost 300 objections between them, with many people citing fears about flooding in the village.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the flood authority, said HBC should refuse the application on flood grounds. It said:

“[The development] will ultimately increase the risk of flooding and exacerbate an already flood prone area; potentially further jeopardising people, property and critical infrastructure.”

Mike Mulligan, director at Kebbell Developments, sent the following response:

“The site is allocated for residential development in the adopted Harrogate Local Plan and therefore the principle of development has already been established. The comments and concerns of local residents on surface water flooding are noted and our engineers are liaising with the relevant bodies on the detailed design of the on-site attenuation and drainage scheme.

“We can confirm that the surface water drainage scheme for the development will meet all the necessary requirements. The key principle of the scheme is to ensure that the surface water is attenuated on the site in a large storage tank before being slowly discharged into the Beck at an agreed discharge rate.”

Afla Homes did not send a response at the time of publication

The Easter school holidays are almost here, but for many families this means two weeks of the children at home and increased costs of keeping them entertained.

This year in particular most of us are feeling the crunch thanks to a huge rise in the cost of living and soaring energy bills.

We have teamed up with parenting website Harrogate Mumbler and put together six free or low-cost ideas for the Easter holidays across the district.

Kayti Mewis, content creator for Harrogate Mumbler, said:

“You don’t always have to spend a fortune to have a fun day out with the kids. For example, we always enjoy a day at Valley Gardens with a picnic over the holidays.”

Free street entertainment in Harrogate town centre – from April 9

Following the success of Harrogate Business Improvement District’s (BID) street entertainers during the October half-term last year, they will be back in the town centre over the Easter holidays.

On Saturday, April 9, Pete and Ged Moss the gardeners will be in town with their ‘Easter Egg Stravaganza walkabout special’.

They will entertain crowds with their musical wheelbarrow, brimming over with colourful Easter eggs of all shapes and sizes – expect lots of audience participation.

On Good Friday, April 15, the Easter Bunny will be taking some time out from his Easter duties to share some early treats with the children of Harrogate. He will be at the Victoria Shopping Centre at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 3pm.

On Saturday April 16, ‘Val N Halla’ will be travelling in their musical longboat through the town centre. The two Abba-obsessed Scandinavians will bring “entertainment, mayhem and mirth wherever they go”.

Peter Rabbit and Friends Easter Trail at Swinton Estate, near Ripon – April 9 to 24

Head to Swinton Bivouac for an Easter adventure with Peter Rabbit and Friends.

Help Peter and Benjamin to save Easter by rescuing all of the Easter eggs from the clutches of the pesky Samuel Whiskers.

Solve the clues to crack the code that will open the chest to rescue the egg – and earn an Easter treat for yourself as well.

There will also be an opportunity to explore the ruins and follies of Druid’s Temple, built in 1820, reconnect with nature in the woodland of Swinton Estate and take in the views over the Leighton reservoir.

Trail maps are £5, with each completed answer sheet earning a prize. All money from the trail goes directly to the Friends of Grewelthorpe School (FROGS) charity.

The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt – April 9 to 24

Organised and presented by Painting Pots Knaresborough, this quirky event is now in its fifth year.

There will once again be 17 ceramic bunnies hopping into local businesses.

The bunnies are hand-painted in vivid patterns, some inspired by characters or recognisable personalities and products. Painted mostly in house by Laura of Painting Pots, and more recently Natasha Gilyard.

A map with the locations of the bunnies is hand-drawn and painted by local artist Helen Salmons, who is known as The Relentless Crafter, while the bunnies themselves are the handiwork of Natasha Gilyard and Painting Pots’ Laura.

The maps can be purchased for £3 from Painting Pots, Castlegate, and the Oldest Chemist Shoppe, Market Square.

Bunny hunters use the map to find the bunnies, fill in their form and hand them back in to receive a sweet treat, a wristband, sticker and entry to win prizes donated by local businesses.

Over the last four years, The Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt has raised more than £6,000 for local charities. All profits this year will go to Lucie’s Animal Rescue and Inspire Youth.

The event will be officially launched at the Knaresborough Spring Fayre on April 9, where there will also be the first ever Great Knaresborough Bunny Hunt Parade.

Activities at Knaresborough Library – April 16 and April 21

Hoglets Theatre will be performing their play The Sleep Pirates on Saturday, April 16 at 2pm, featuring swashbuckling pirates, flying ships and shooting stars.

The event is aimed at families with children aged four to eight. Places are limited so booking is essential and children need to be library members. Pop in to the library or call 01609 533610 to book your place.

Alternatively, enjoy some arty fun with a print workshop with artist Lana Grindley on April 21 at 2pm.

Children aged 7 to 11 are invited to design and print their own book cover artwork, inspired by their favourite book illustrations. The designs will be displayed at a special exhibition in the library following the workshop.

Book your free ticket here.

There are also some great events at places that offer membership. If you are already a member, these events are usually included, or have a small additional price:

The Giant Easter Egg Hunt at RHS Harlow Carr – April 9 to 24

Enjoy a supersized family adventure this Easter holiday at RHS Garden Harlow Carr.

Go hunting for the larger-than-life hand-painted eggs hidden around the garden on ‘The giant Easter egg hunt’, and from Good Friday to Easter Monday meet the Garden Detectives for more family fun.

The Easter egg hunt sees children equipped with an explorer pack. Follow the trail around the garden to find the giant painted eggs. There are fun puzzles to solve and plants and wildlife to spot along the way.

Children will be rewarded with a free chocolate treat after completing the trail.

The event is free to RHS members and children under 5.

Easter egg hunt at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal – until April 17

Pick up an adventure trail for £3 and follow the map to complete 10 fun activities during your visit.

See if you can shake like a squirrel, rise like the sun and listen to nature’s orchestra. Complete the trail and earn your chocolate egg reward at the end.

Grantley Hall Hotel and Wellness Retreat enjoyed triple triumph at last night’s Ripon Civic Society design awards, presented by mayor Councillor Eamon Parkin.

Owner Valeria Sykes who has spent more than £70 million creating one of the UK’s most luxurious venues, was among the property developers, architects, representatives from organisations and members of the public, present for the awards ceremony at the Workhouse Museum in Ripon.

Also in attendance were members of the Sterne family, whose long-term investments in Ripon, have added significantly to the city’s retail, leisure and hospitality offer.

Grantley Hall was awarded the Price Flagon for best restored building, the Hazzard Silver Cup for best new building and the Helen Whitehead Award for best project.

Grantley Hall Hotel and Wellness Retreat Picture: Jack Hardy

Before leaving with the three trophies, Ms Sykes told the Stray Ferret:

“I have been involved in the restoration and development of a number of historic buildings in addition to Grantley Hall and it is always gratifying to have work recognised.

“Whether you have a major scheme, or a small private development, design awards give encouragement and help to lift standards.”

Sterne Properties can claim to have its fingers in many pies in Ripon, including Appleton’s, whose upper-crust pork creations can be seen in the window of its distinctive premises on Market Place East.

Robert Sterne receives the Taylor Plate for best contribution to city centre revitalisation

Across Market Square, the company’s latest large development earned the first award of the evening – the Taylor Plate for the best
contribution to city centre revitalisation.

RCS chairman and awards compere Christopher Hughes, congratulated the Sternes for their transformation of the former NatWest Bank building, next to Ripon Town Hall.

He pointed out that as well as creating the space for The Claro Lounge cafe bar to locate in the city, the total refurbishment of the building has also brought stylish apartments with stunning vistas, including  a view of the cathedral.

Ripon Cathedral’s Fallen Angels Project, was among the eight award winners

There was recognition for the cathedral in this special 1,350th anniversary year for the church of St Peter and St Wilfrid – the foundation stone upon which Ripon has been built.

Its intricate Fallen Angels project, which saw repair and refurbishment of medieval misericords in the quire earn the RCS Craftmanship Shield.

Other winners

In addition to their focus on the built environment, the society’s judging panel looked at the natural environment and rewarded the Pennycroft Restoration Project at High Batts Nature Reserve, with presentation of the Younge Rosebowl for best Environmental Improvement.

Mr Hughes said that the work at the West Tanfield reserve has been ongoing for almost 50 years and a programme of continuous improvements has been carried out by hundreds of volunteers.

The Sustainability Award was presented to the developer of The Stoneyard – a residential scheme off Stonebridgegate and, in a moving finale to the evening’s awards ceremony, the John Whitehead award for Civic Excellence, was awarded for the 2018 Armistice Commemorations led by the Ripon Community Poppy Project.

Presentation of the award, in recognition of a programme of activities that marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, was held up by covid lockdowns.

Last night, however, Councillor Stuart Martin and Hazel Barker, who set up the Community Poppy Project, accepted the trophy on behalf of the many people involved in the commemoration activities.

Read more:

• Why are Ripon women doing knitting for the Queen?
• How you can help a Ripon Ukraine appeal reach its £20,000 target

The Sunday Times has identified Harrogate as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The newspaper’s annual Best Places to Live list, published today, names the town as one of nine places in the north and north-east of England, and 70 nationally, which are among the most desirable.

Judges cited the town’s schools, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as among its attractions, describing it as “all the fun and fresh air of Yorkshire without any of the gritty bits”.

They listed an average house price of £390,000, which they said had risen by 20% in the last two years.

The Times and Sunday Times property editor Helen Davies, one of the list’s judges, said:

“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective. Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place.

“For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people? 

“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH [working-from-home] revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.”

Read more:

• Masham named in Sunday Times Best Places to Live
• Harrogate named UK’s best place to work from home

Ilkley has topped the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2022, though Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire was named as the best place to live in the north and north-east of England.

Also on the list for the region were Leeds City Centre, Cawthorne in South Yorkshire, Hovingham and Great Ayton in North Yorkshire, Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear, and Morpeth in Northumberland.

Harrogate last appeared on the list in 2016. In 2020, Ripon was featured, while last year Masham was singled out as one of the top places to live.

Property website Rightmove has frequently listed Harrogate as one of the happiest places to live in the UK.

More dubiously, a BBC Two programme named it as the country’s “porn capital” in 2010, with more people browsing for explicit content than anywhere else. Three years earlier, it was identified as the second-worst place for problematic drinking in a study conducted by the North West Health Observatory at the Centre for Public Health.

Harrogate District’s Chamber of Commerce is due to hold its monthly Business Safari event.

The members-only speed networking event will be held next week at St George’s Hotel.

You can sign up to the monthly agenda through the Harrogate Chamber website.

Plant competition for school children hosted by Johnsons of Whixley

Johnsons of Whixley in Harrogate is holding a competition for primary school children.

To celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee and gardening, £250 worth of plants will be sent to the winner’s school, including ten plants for their own home garden. Those in second and third place will also win a plant.

Children under the age of 11 can participate by drawing an imaginative Jubilee Garden. The form can be downloaded here.

Children must create a drawing of a jubilee garden as part of the competition

JW is a three-generation run family business which grows and supplies trees, shrubs and plants to UK-wide planting schemes.

The company plays an active part in the community, having collected donations for Ukraine and providing plants to Baby Rainbow Memorial Garden last month.

Read More:

• Daleside Garage in Pateley Bridge to relocate this year
• North Yorkshire economy recovering from pandemic, says report

Two fire crews tackled a scrap metal fire at K. A. Anderson metal recyclers on the Dallamires Lane industrial estate in Ripon this evening.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the large recycling site shortly before 8pm.

Dark acrid smoke billowed into the evening sky

A member of the K.A Anderson management, who was on the main gate to the premises to give fire crews access to the site, told the Stray Ferret:

“Nobody has been injured, it’s simply a fire that has started in a skip.”

The fire was quickly brought under control by the fire crews

Thick clouds of dark acrid smoke billowed into the sky over Dallamires Lane, as officers worked to put out the fire.

They quickly had it under control.

K. A Anderson, a specialist in all aspects of metal recycling, is a third generation family-run business, operating for almost half a century,

It says on the company website that the recycler has built a professional reputation for scrappage, processing and raw metals supply throughout the UK.

The company provides a complete metal recycling service, for many businesses and its major clients include Google and Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The Golden Lion pub in Ripon is set to open a new beer garden after undergoing renovations costing over £170,000.

The pub in Allhallowgate will open the space, which the owners describe as a “secret garden”, this weekend.

Pub owner Nigel Ayton explained:

“We started renovations before Christmas and are set to open this Saturday. We’ve called it the secret garden due to the fact that looking at the pub you would have no idea it had such a beautiful open area at the rear.”

Mr Ayton and partner, Shelly Herron, initially took over The Black Swan in 2019 on a trial tenancy, before taking on a pub in Easingwold.

But due to the location and the distance from their families, Mr Ayton and Ms Herron decided to move back to Ripon after enquiring about The Golden Lion in January 2021.

Read More:

• Derelict Ripon pub to be converted into home
• Ripon pub set to close this weekend

Despite initially being told it wouldn’t be a long-term agreement, in October 2021, Greene King announced they would invest £170,000 into the pub.

Mr Ayton added:

“It’s not been the best of starts for us as we decided to go into the pub trade/business in December 2019, only to be faced with lockdowns. But now we feel things have turned the corner and can’t wait to get the Golden Lion on the map.”

A team of dedicated knitters are creating Ripon’s royal miles of bunting to wrap around the city in celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The all-woman Knit and Natter Club has combined needlecraft and design skills to make masses of red, white and blue bunting emblazoned with golden crowns and  the initials E:R.

With less than two months to go until the extended June bank holiday jubilee weekend, organiser Hazel Barker told the Stray Ferret:

“We have received hundreds of requests from shops, businesses and other organisations in Ripon, who want to decorate their buildings to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

“We’ve still got a little way to go, but we are getting there.”

Collectively, thousands of hours of unrelenting effort has gone into this proud production line.

Mrs Barker, who was made a Freeman of the City of Ripon, for services to the community, said:

” At our homes we are spending every spare minute beavering away making the various elements of the bunting, from flags to the emblems of the four UK countries.

“A group of us then meet on Mondays to create the displays in readiness for them to go on everything from railings to retail premises, the town hall and the entrance to Spa Gardens.”

The knitters meet weekly at Hazel House, in the grounds of Community House

The weekly meetings are at Hazel House – a building in the grounds of Community House, named in honour of Mrs Barker for her work with the Girlguiding Association.

In addition to this, other knitters work from home, with regular supplies of wool provided for them.

The team, totalling 30, is also responsible for the countless hours of behind-the-scenes work that creates Ripon’s Remembrance displays.

They are part of the Ripon Community Poppy Project, founded by Mrs Barker and Councillor Stuart Martin, to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War  in 2018.

Funding for the project

The community project is funded by donations from members of the public and businesses and supported by organisations such as the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and an army of volunteers who put up the displays.

For the platinum  jubilee display, £2,500 of the sum used to buy the wool, netting and other materials was raised from the sale of decorative covid masks with Christmas designs on them.

And it comes as no surprise to discover that those whose painstaking work will be seen on the city streets in June, are the women behind the masks as well.

Read more:

• The waters beckon for Harrogate district paddlers
• Will regeneration of a Ripon pub site reduce crime?

The list of candidates standing for election to the new North Yorkshire Council in the Harrogate district has been revealed.

Voters will head to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to the authority, which will replace both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

The Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Green Party and independents have all fielded candidates ahead of polling day.

Harrogate Borough Council has published a list of election agents and names of candidates. A full list of party candidates will be published today (April 6).

A total of 21 councillors will be elected from the Harrogate district as the council is made up of new divisions.

The deadline to register to vote is Thursday, April 14. You can register here.

List of Harrogate district election candidates

Coppice Valley and Duchy

• Patricia Ann Foxall, Labour Party
• Peter Charles Lacey, Liberal Democrat
• Leighton Anunda Regayre, Green Party
• Graham Kevin Swift, Conservative
• Daniel Jonathan James d`Arcy Thompson, Independent

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

• Lucy Jayne Gardiner, Independent
• Samuel John Gibbs, Conservative
• David Johnson, Liberal Democrat
• Paul Ko Ferrigno, Green Party
• Andrew Williamson, Labour Party

Bilton Grange and New Park

• Matthew Robert Scott, Conservative
• Monika Slater, Liberal Democrat
• Tamsin Jade Worrall, Green Party
• Andrew Morris Zigmond, Labour Party

Harlow and St Georges

• John Charles Adams, Labour Party
• Sarah Jane Hart, Independent
• Steven Jackson, Conservative
• Andrew Rickard, Green Party
• Michael John Schofield, Liberal Democrat

Read more:

• No deals expected between Harrogate district opposition parties ahead of election
• Council chiefs promise ‘seamless transition’ to new North Yorkshire Council

Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone

• Helen Burke, Labour Party
• John Radcliffe Ennis, Conservative
• Patricia Ann Marsh, Liberal Democrat
• Anna Rosanna McIntee, Independent

Fairfax and Starbeck

• Philip Anthony Broadbank, Liberal Democrat
• Elizabeth Susan Lumby, Conservative
• Gordon Schallmo, Green Party
• Christopher John Watt, Labour Party

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

• Paul Steven Haslam, Conservative
• Deborah Anne Havercroft, Labour Party
• Andrew Graham Kempston-Parkes, Liberal Democrat

High Harrogate and Kingsley

• Christopher James Aldred, Liberal Democrat
• Geoffrey Ronald David Foxall, Labour Party
• Timothy Ian Myatt, Conservative

Knaresborough West

• David Tom Crosthwaite, Labour Party
• Philip George Ireland, Conservative
• Matthew James Walker, Liberal Democrat

Knaresborough East

• Sharon-Theresa Calvert, Labour Party
• Edward William John Darling, Conservative
• Hannah Gostlow, Liberal Democrat

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate

• Edward Charles Clayson, Labour Party
• David Ryland Goode, Liberal Democrat
• Michael Harrison, Conservative
• William James Rigby, Green Party

Oatlands and Pannal

• Justin James Peter Chan, Liberal Democrat
• Gillian Rosemary Charters, Green Party
• John Mann, Conservative
• Margaret Smith, Labour Party

Boroughbridge and Claro

• Andrew Bell, Liberal Democrat
• Noel Frank Evans, Independent
• Clark Pearson, Green Party
• Jonathan William Starkey, Independent
• Robert Windass, Conservative

Read more:

• How the Harrogate district’s wards will change ahead of local election
• Dispute over Harrogate council by-election raised in House of Lords

Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale and Tockwith

• John Philip Hall, Yorkshire Party
• Alexandra Graham Marsh, Green Party
• Andrew John Paraskos, Conservative

Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale

• Alison Harris, Yorkshire Party
• Stanley Lumley, Conservative
• Andrew James Murday, Liberal Democrat

Ripon Minster and Moorside

• Thomas James Averre, Conservative
• Thomas Mark Cavell-Taylor, Liberal Democrat
• Andrew Williams, Independent

Ripon Ure Bank and Spa

• Barbara Jean Brodigan, Liberal Democrat
• Robin John Burgess, Green Party
• Michael Geoffrey Chambers, Conservative
• Sidney James Hawke, Independent

Washburn and Birstwith

• Ian Roger Galloway, Independent
• Nathan Roger Hull, Conservative
• Paul Geoffrey Trewhitt, Green Party
• Thomas Watson, Liberal Democrat

Wathvale and Bishop Monkton

• Nicholas Malcolm Brown, Conservative
• Hannah Katherine Corlett, Green Party
• Christopher James Knight

Ouseburn

• Richard Musgrave, Conservative
• Arnold Francis Warneken, Green Party

Masham and Fountains

• Margaret Edna Atkinson, Conservative
• Felicity Clare Cunliffe-Lister, Independent
• Judith Mary Hooper, Liberal Democrat