Ripon Archives - Page 165 of 202

Lidl supermarket in Ripon set for go-ahead

Plans for a new Lidl supermarket at St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon look set to be given the go-ahead by councillors next week.

The new 11,840 sq ft store, which would create up to 40 jobs, has been recommended for approval at a meeting of Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

If councillors agree with the recommendation, the supermarket would occupy two units at the £10m retail park, which opened in July last year.

A report to next Tuesday’s meeting said:

“The proposed development is acceptable and meets the requirements of the sequential and retail impact tests.
“The development will create jobs and provide economic benefits to the local area.”

The plans were submitted to the borough council in May following a virtual consultation with the local community earlier this year.

Lidl previously said the store would represent a “multi-million-pound” investment into the Rotary Way retail park, which is currently only occupied by Marks and Spencer and owned by Leeds-based retailers Rothstone Estates.

Separately, plans for a Lidl store at the former Lookers car dealership on Harrogate’s Knaresborough Road were approved by the borough council last month.

The German supermarket chain previously said these plans will also create up to 40 jobs.

Ripon mayor’s charity event proves a hit

The Magdalens pub in Ripon was alive with the sound of music, as city mayor Eamon Parkin and consort Nigel Guy hosted an afternoon of fun and fundraising.

Proceeds from Saturday’s event, which are still to be finalised, will be shared between Ripon Vision Support and the Ripon Christmas Lights Appeal.

The hog roast and music was arranged after the covid pandemic put paid to the mayor’s ball, which is normally a key fundraiser on the civic calendar.

Cllr Parkin, said:

“I thank the many friends from different organisations and businesses in Ripon, who supported the event and people who travelled some distance to be with us.”

Those who attended included the Pollard family from the north-east — Marjorie, Sharon and Natalie.

Mayor Cllr Eamon Parkin (left) and his consort Nigel Guy, pictured with the Pollard family from the left: Marjorie, Natalie and Sharon

Sharon said:

“We’ve been coming to Ripon for many years and struck up a lasting friendship with Eamon and Nigel.

“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

The Pollards left with an England women’s football shirt signed by members of the World Cup team – just one of many items sold at the charity auction.

The Counterfeit Celts provided music ranging from reggae to Irish folk and rock.

The Counterfeit Celts played from their wide repertoire.

Also providing entertainment was Ripon singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Freddie Cleary who, like the band, had attendees singing along.

Many in the audience had last seen him performing on stage as the opening act at the Yorkshire Day Weekend concert.

In the spotlight — Freddie Cleary.

The auction and raffle, included numerous donated items on offer, ranging from sporting memorabilia to jewellery.

Cllr Parkin is set to go into the record books by becoming the first Mayor of Ripon to serve for three consecutive terms.

He will remain in office until May.

Rich history of Ripon church opened to visitors

One of the Harrogate district’s finest churches is to open to visitors and local residents this week after undergoing a £500,000 restoration.

St Wilfrid’s, on Coltsgate Hill in Ripon, will open from 10.30am to 4pm on Friday for the first in a series of four Heritage Open Days,.

The national programme sees historic places invite people to visit free of charge. The church, which opened in April 1863, is one of this year’s main attractions as it is considered to be one of England’s finest Catholic places of worship.

The grade II* listed building was designed in French Gothic style by the prolific York architect Joseph Hansom, inventor of the Hansom cab.

Features include stained and coloured glass, an imposing altar screen or reredos designed by Edward Pugin depicting scenes from the life of St Wilfrid and other fine statuary, carvings and artwork.

Windows in the tower were replaced as part of the refurbishment.

These include ornate medallions of saints above the nave arches by Salviati of Venice, and the side altar of Our Lady of Fountains, brought from the private chapel of the Marquess of Ripon at Studley Royal after his death.

The marquess converted to Catholicism in 1874 – six years before becoming viceroy and governor general of India.

Born at 10 Downing Street, when his father Viscount Goderich was briefly Prime Minister, he was a towering parliamentary figure in Victorian Britain and a major donor to St Wilfrid’s and to Ripon, where he was elected as the city’s mayor in 1897.

An addition to the 158-year history of St Wilfrid’s is a dramatic holograph-style set of stations of the cross, commissioned by a benefactor to the restoration appeal.

Many local people and organisations donated to the fundraising programme headed by parishioner Barrie Price.

This, combined with a Heritage Fund lottery grant, provided the money needed for the restoration and will fund further improvements, among them better access to the church.

In addition to Friday’s open day, three more open days will be held on Saturday and Sunday and on Thursday next week.

Entry is via the front door steps or ramp on Coltsgate Hill and parking spaces are available in the church car park, accessed via Trinity Lane.

The Last Night of the Proms – Ripon style

Ripon will go from rock and pop to pomp and circumstance in its final free mass entertainment event of the summer next weekend.

Organised to coincide with the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the city will welcome fans of the more classical style of music to Market Square on Saturday, September 11.

The event, from 7pm until 11pm, features a tribute act singing songs made famous by Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins.

Also taking the stage in front of Ripon Town Hall during the evening will be the Dishforth Military Wives Choir.

Live music will be provided by an ensemble of 17 musicians and a fireworks display will provide the finale.

The free weekends of entertainment have been paid for from the Ripon parish precept, which is funded by council tax.

The previous ones brought tribute acts ranging from Queen to the ABBA Forever tribute group.

As well as providing free family entertainment, which has also included fairground rides for children, the intention has been to bring more people to the city centre and drive footfall to benefit local traders.

City council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“They’ve been enjoyable and trouble-free events that have put smiles on a lot of faces.

“You could see that people are delighted to be finally free of the restrictions that were necessary during the covid lockdowns.”

More free events in Market Square are scheduled for autumn and winter.

During the October half term holiday there will be further family-focused activities, followed in November with the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights.

Bringing the curtain down on 2021 will be the famous New Year’s Eve entertainment — an alfresco party that normally sees hundreds of revellers rocking around Ripon’s obelisk.

Ripon company that played key role in covid marks 50 years in the city

It was many happy returns for Wolseley today, as the company marked 50 years in Ripon with the reopening of its headquarters.

The building on Boroughbridge Road underwent a £500,000 refurbishment during lockdown.

While that was underway, Wolseley continued to supply vital plumbing and building materials to the NHS in its fight to save lives and beat the pandemic.

At today’s family open day, Wolseley chief executive Simon Oakland told the Stray Ferret:

“The NHS required critical building materials and parts for the repair and maintenance of hospitals and we provided them throughout the lockdown.”

The Wolseley UK headquarters on Boroughbridge Road.

The Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate was one of the major infrastructure projects the company supplied.

Mr Oakland said:

“We are proud to have been involved in supplying every Nightingale Hospital in the UK and have also supported the UK mass vaccination programme through the provision of refrigeration equipment.”

New training centre

The company, which opened its headquarters building in 1971, has 280 employees based in Ripon, and a further 120 at its Melmerby distribution centre.

The Boroughbridge Road site provides administrative services, including finance and IT support and UK-wide the company has 500 branches with 5,000 employees.

Ripon City Band provided musical entertainment.

At today’s community party to celebrate 50 years in Ripon and the centre’s reopening, head of office and finance director Mark Stibbards, told invited guests:

“We have some people who have worked for us for 40 years and they are part of a great team.

“We employ locally in this area and have throughout our history, supported Ripon charities and other organisations, including Ripon Walled Garden, Ripon Cathedral Primary School and Ripon City Football Club.”

A new training centre on the site will not only develop the talent of the Wolseley team but also provide opportunities for community organisations that help individuals improve their skills and employability.

Farhan, who works in the IT department at Wolseley is pictured with his wife Samera and their six-year-old daughter Maiza on one of the children’s rides.

Today’s celebration event was attended by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson, representatives from charities, Wolseley employees and their children, former company directors and members of the community.

The Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, who cut a ribbon to signal the reopening of the offices, said:

“I was born and bred in this city and have known Wolseley for most of my life.

“The 50 years of investment and employment they brought by selecting Ripon for their headquarters is greatly appreciated.”

Major Ripon employer Wolseley celebrates 50 years in city today

One of Ripon’s biggest employers is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary today.

Wolseley UK, which supplies building materials, is holding a family open day to coincide with the reopening of its head office.

The company, which employs more than 320 people in the city, is set to welcome all employees back today after its offices underwent a £500,000 refurbishment.

Face painting, a coconut shy and a performance from the Ripon City band will take place.

Mayor of Ripon, Eamon Parkin, will cut the ribbon on the grand reopening.

Danny Bryan, employee engagement officer at Wolseley, said:

“Naturally, we’re incredibly excited about this step forward for our business, and it is sure to have a profound, positive impact on the local community worth shouting about.”

The company began life in Ripon in 1971 as The Wolseley Hughes Group.

It was based on Boroughbridge Road, where it remains to this day, and was made up of three companies OBC, Yorkshire Heating Supplies and Granville Controls.

In 1985, the company expanded its site and by 1996 was known as Wolseley Centres.

Parent company Ferguson sold Wolseley UK to a private equity firm, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, for £308m in January.

Ripon to get two CCTV cameras after ‘mini crime wave’

North Yorkshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner has pledged to pay for two CCTV cameras in Ripon following a “mini crime wave”.

The two cameras are set to cost £10,000 each, but Philip Allott, the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner, has said his office will foot the bill.

It follows a spate of anti-social behaviour in the city, including an alleged knifepoint robbery of a teenage boy Bondgate last month. A 17-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man were later charged and remanded in custody.

Mr Allott told a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council‘s Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee today that his office was willing to pay for the extra cameras, but warned that other measures would have to be taken to bring down crime.

He told councillors that police already had resources to investigate and apprehend offenders and that other measures to take kids off the streets were needed.

Mr Allott said:

“In Ripon where there has been a mini crime wave, primarily thanks to four families where the perpetrators have been held on remand pending court appearances. We need to work with partners.

“I can make sure the police have resources and indeed in Ripon they have, to investigate and apprehend offenders but we need to look at diversion stuff we can do.

“The city council yesterday evening is keen to get not one but two extra cameras from the borough council. We will fund that and the cost is £10,000 each.

“But somebody has to do that application to my office, I cannot do that application alone.

“Equally, we do need councillors in particular to help in terms of local partnerships and safety hubs to help us with the diversion stuff that we can provide to take kids off the streets.”

Harrogate beauty queen sets sights on UK crown

A 23-year-old supermarket worker has been crowned Miss Harrogate Galaxy and is now ready to take on other beauty queens in the final of Miss Galaxy UK.

Victoria Hind, from Sharow, near Ripon, was crowned Miss Harrogate in her first pageant last month and will now compete in November’s final.

Ms Hind said she always wanted to compete in pageants but prior to lockdown didn’t think she had the confidence.

After suffering with anxiety for some years, she is hoping this competition will boost her confidence and teach her to “grab every opportunity that comes my way”.

Pageant life is a little different to Ms Hind’s day job at Sainsbury’s in Ripon.

The Miss Galaxy UK final at the Park Hall Hotel in Lancashire consists of four rounds; an interview round, an evening wear round, a fashion wear round and a swimwear round.

If she wins she will have the chance to travel to America to compete in the Miss Galaxy International final next summer.

Ms Hind said:

“I’m really excited, its something I’ve wanted to do for a while but I was too nervous.

“It’s not just a beauty pageant; it’s about girls supporting girls. This gives me a reason to step out my comfort zone.”

Ms Hind has already made an appearance as Miss Harrogate Galaxy at Ripon Races and is looking forward to attending more events during her reign.

She also plans to use her platform to raise money for the charity Dogsforgood, which trains dogs to live as assistance dogs in people’s homes.

The charity helped find her step-dad, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, an assistance dog so she is determined to raise as much as she can.

Ripon’s Curzon cinema finally looks set to reopen

There are finally positive signs that Curzon is planning to reopen its Ripon cinema, but the company says that the date is not yet known.

The premises on North Street have been closed since the first covid lockdown in March last year.

At present, Ripon is not listed among the 13 locations on the Curzon website, but a recruitment advert in the cinema’s windows suggest it is gearing up for a reopening.

However, when approached by the Stray Ferret about the duty manager position being advertised under the heading ‘We Are Recruiting’ a member of the Curzon customer service team, said:

“I can confirm that we are reopening but we do not have a date set yet for this to happen.”

The duty manager’s role is described by the cinema chain as involving ‘work alongside the general and assistant managers on all aspects of running the cinema.

This is currently the only role in Ripon being advertised on the jobs section of the Curzon website.

The advertisement in the windows at North Street says the company is seeking a person who, among other things, has ‘strong communication skills’ can ‘lead by example to provide top class customer service at all times’ and is willing to ‘act as an ambassador for Curzon at all times.’

Recruiting, but no confirmed reopening date as yet for Curzon’s Ripon cinema.

The London-headquartered BAFTA award-winning integrated film company was founded in 1934.

Alongside its cinemas, members can view film at their homes through its streaming service.

As the covid lockdown restrictions on cinemas and live theatre were progressively eased by the government earlier this year, Curzon issued confusing and contradictory statements about its plans for the two-screen Ripon venue, when approached by the Stray Ferret for updates on its plans.

Curzon’s opening in Ripon in November 2013, provided film lovers in the city and the surrounding rural areas, with their first cinema since the closure in 1982 of the Palladium Picture House on Kirkgate.

Post lockdown, those seeking the cinema experience have been able to see films screened at Harrogate’s Odeon and Everyman.

Rare heather moorland holds up TV transmitter replacement

Plans to replace the fire-damaged Bilsdale transmitter and restore TV and radio signals for large swathes of the Harrogate district are being held up by the transmitter’s location within a rare heather moorland.

The blackout of Freeview TV channels and loss of radio signals has affected thousands of homes, particularly in the northern part of the district, after a major fire on August 10 put the 1,030 ft mast out of action.

Patience is wearing thin among many people, who have now been affected for three weeks.

Stray Ferret follower Lynette Cooper, who lives in central Harrogate, summed up the mood when she said:

“I’m totally fed up. For weeks now, I haven’t been able to see any of my favourite programmes.

“It’s the same for my daughter Helen at her home in Pickering and a friend told me that some elderly people at a Harrogate nursing home she goes to, just sit there with nothing to watch.”

The Bilsdale transmitter, built on the moors near Helmsley in 1969, is one of the most powerful transmitters in the UK, serving hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners from North Yorkshire to the North East and beyond.

Fire crews were called to Bilsdale mast near Helmsley this afternoon after reports of smoke coming from the area.

The Bilsdale mast’s moorland location.

In a statement on August 13, transmitter operator Arqiva said:

“Our plan involves the erection of an 80m temporary mast at Bilsdale and we have been surveying the site to identify the best alternative locations within the restrictions we have.

“Included in this is the fact that Bilsdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning we have to seek agreement to place any additional equipment.”

In its most recent update since the fire incident, the company could still not provide a likely date when services would be restored. It said:

“We continue to work through the process to enable access to the Bilsdale site to build the temporary mast.

“There is no specific new detail to share at this point but we are continuing to work round the clock to find a way forward.”

The transmitter’s location within a government-protected area of 44,000 hectares of moorland continues to be a stumbling block.

The area was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its heathland habitat and breeding birds. Special permission needs to be granted for access across it.

Natural England says on its website:

“Heather moorland is rare on a worldwide scale – there is probably less heather moorland in the world than tropical rainforest.

“One of the largest continuous expanses of upland heather moorland in England and Wales is here in the North York Moors – a sheep could wander from Egton to Bilsdale without leaving it. Moorland covers a third of the North York Moors National Park and most of the higher ground is covered in heather.”

The area is also a designated Special Area of Conservation — a status reserved for important plant habitats in Europe — and a Special Protection Area because of its importance to breeding birds.

Although the access issues are yet to be resolved, Aquiva said last week some Freeview services had been restored for those who receive signals from smaller relay sites. None of them are in the Harrogate district.

A TV Licensing spokesman has said customers unable to receive TV coverage for more than a month will be eligible for a refund or free extension of their TV licence.

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