Ripon Men’s Shed opened its doors this week, bringing an enormous collaborative effort to fruition.

Following a June 2019 meeting at Community House in Allhallowgate to gauge interest in the project, the charity’s trustees – Andrew Makey, Caroline Bentham, Ed Moore and Tony Johnson – made great strides, in spite of the intervening limitations brought by covid.

The Men’s Shed movement, which addresses issues of loneliness and social isolation, has a specific focus on the older male population, but women are welcome too.

Getting to know the drill – Catherine Limbert joins in woodworking activities with fellow members

There are also Sheds in Harrogate, Starbeck and Pateley Bridge, offering weekly activities ranging from joinery to the restoration of bicycles.

Mr Makey, who is responsible for publicity for Ripon Men’s Shed, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our initial focus is on woodworking, but there are opportunities to look at other areas as well, such as computers.

“The activities, which the members will decide upon themselves, provide a focus and we hope that through their attendance, they will get to know each other and enjoy the social interaction.”

For John Hayson, a retired master plumber living in Boroughbridge, the Men’s Shed will be something to look forward to.

He said:

“I’ve been in hospital recently and after I was discharged, I was bedridden for a few weeks.

“That left me feeling hopeless, particularly as I have a disabled wife that I am caring for.

“I heard about the men’s shed and thought that attending it would be a way of rebuilding my confidence and making friends, by being with like-minded people for a few hours a week, while my wife is looked after by some lovely neighbours we have.”

Catherine Limbert is currently the only female member, but is not phased by being in an all-male environment.

Catherine Limbert — looking forward to learning new skills and making friends at the Men’s Shed

The NHS nurse said:

“I’m happy to speak with anybody and to learn from the expertise they have in areas that I’ve never tried before, such as using an electric drill.

“I have a couple of free days a week and this is a great way of getting out of the house, learning DIY skills and meeting new people.”

While the social aspect of the shed is good for members, it is also beneficial for the people involved in delivering the sessions.

The Ripon Men’s Shed premises, to the rear of the New Life Church in Water Skellgate

Barry Sutton, who was formerly secretary of Selkirk Community Shed, has brought the knowledge he gained in Scotland back to his native country.

The retired forester and now community volunteer, said:

“I believe it’s important for people to stay as active as possible, use their skills and have a sense of purpose.

“Being involved in an organisation like this is a win-win situation for all involved.”

Read more:

• How is Ripon’s mayor making history?
• Ripon’s ancient crypt reopens at the cathedral

With a chair lift provided from monies secured by Ripon’s North Yorkshire county councillors Stuart Martin and Mike Chambers, the Tuesday sessions between 10am and 4pm are being made as accessible as possible.

Anybody wishing to become a member, or get involved in other ways, such as making a donation or providing practical assistance with provision of tools that can be used in woodworking sessions, can find out more on the Ripon Men’s Shed Facebook page.

Ripon Cathedral’s crypt, which is the oldest surviving building in any English cathedral, reopened to the public today.

The Anglo-Saxon crypt, which is the highlight of many people’s visits to the cathedral, was built by St Wilfrid as part of the stone church he erected in the 670s. It is believed to be a copy of the tomb in which Jesus’ body was laid after crucifixion.

The crypt has been closed to the public since March last year due to covid but is now open to visitors between services from 9.30am until 5pm.

Next year will mark 1,350 years since the construction of the crypt in 672.

Joe Priestley, marketing officer at the cathedral, told the Stray Ferret some clergy had occasionally used the crypt for private prayer and services during the last 17 months but its small confines were not compatible with social distancing requirements. He added:

“People do find it to be a very moving space.”

Read more:

• Join the pilgrims walking from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey
• Ripon A-Level student who battled tumour aims to become a doctor

The Mayor of Ripon is heading for the history books after being asked to stay in office until May.

Councillor Eamon Parkin, who became mayor in 2019, will be the first person to hold the title in the city for three consecutive years.

His term has been extended due to covid, which forced the cancellation of many of the civic events that normally take place in a mayoral year, including the fundraising mayor’s ball.

However, in its place,  he and his consort Nigel Guy will host a hog roast and afternoon of entertainment on September 4 at the Magdalens pub that they own and run.

Tickets are available from the pub and proceeds will be shared between Ripon Vision Support and the Ripon Christmas Lights Appeal.

The Mayor’s hog roast will raise money for Ripon Vision Support and the city’s Christmas Lights Appeal.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I planned the fundraiser as the finale to my term, but then my city council colleagues asked me to stay on, giving me more time to raise money for both causes.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be mayor of this wonderful place.

“With its unique character, rich heritage and community-minded approach, Ripon has weathered storms for more than 1,300 years — the latest being the coronavirus crisis.”

Ripon’s resilience

Like other small businesses in the city, The Magdalens suffered the financial effects of lockdown, social distancing requirements and limitations on the number of customers able to visit.

But the hardship faced by the pub and so many other traders brought a collective response that underlined Ripon’s resilience.

Read more:

• Ripon police and fire station in line for £1.2 million upgrade
• What’s the difference between re-wilding and re-naturalising? 

Cllr Parkin said:

“During our enforced closure, Nigel and I decided to turn the pub into a community hub, where neighbours could call for help, or drop off donated goods and other items for delivery to people in self-isolation.

“But we were not the only ones providing this kind of support and it was replicated by individuals, groups and organisations, all spontaneously rallying to assist others in need.”

With the easing of lockdown seeing the city return to a more normal way of life, Cllr Parkin can look back on highlights that emerged in the darkest hours of the pandemic.

Among them, is his long-held desire to see the extension of area covered by Ripon’s Christmas lights, adding to the city’s festive attraction for residents and driving greater footfall to benefit local businesses.

The decision to extend Cllr Parkin’s term in office until May will ensure that the person selected to be the city’s first citizen next year will be able to look forward to a term in office back in sync with the normal civic calendar.

A Ripon student diagnosed with an ovarian tumour during her A-Levels has achieved the grades she needed to go to university and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

Amy Goodwin, who studied at Ripon Grammar School, missed several weeks of school and underwent surgery. Today she was awarded an A*, two As and a B in maths, biology, chemistry and physics.

She said staff at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton had inspired her:

“I had such good doctors and nurses who looked after me well and put me at ease”.

Ms Goodwin had to wait nine weeks for confirmation her tumour was benign. Having made a good recovery, she is now looking forward to starting her course in medicine at the University of Sheffield in September.

She said her experience had given her new insight into her future career:

“It made me think about how doctors come across to patients and how they present information to them.

“I have always been interested in being a doctor, mainly because I want to be able to help people.”

Read more: 

• Live: A-level results arrive in the Harrogate district
• Ripon police and fire station gets £1.2m upgrade

Meanwhile, fellow Ripon Grammar pupil Mena Scatchard will travel to the USA on a £250,000 sports scholarship after receiving an A* in geography and As in biology and chemistry.

Ms Scatchard is one of the fastest young middle-distance runners in the UK and will study liberal arts at the prestigious Ivy League university Princeton.

Middle distance runner Mena Scatchard, who is off to America.

Ripon is set to get free public wi-fi as part of a roll out of the infrastructure across North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are behind the project, which aims to boost digital connectivity.

The county council is introducing free public wi-fi to 16 market towns.

The borough council put froward £300,000 to include Ripon in the scheme, which will be the first town in the district to receive free public wi-fi. Harrogate and Knaresborough will also be part of the project.

Today’s statement by the county council announcing the news did not say when the rollout would be completed.

Gary Camplejohn, treasurer of Ripon City AFC said the initiative would provide “real benefits” to Ripon. He said:

“Having publicly available free Wi-Fi will hopefully enable locals and visitors to explore Ripon digitally with a view to finding what they need to stay longer and support the local economy.

“From a personal perspective, having free Wi-Fi in the city centre gives me added comfort that my 11-year-old daughter could communicate with relatives via internet communications in the event of her mobile credit running out.”

Cllr Graham Swift, cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the borough council, said:

“It is believed that more than 80 per cent of adults have a smartphone and we all like to have high-speed connectivity wherever we are. That’s why we’re funding this scheme, which is being supported by the county council.

“Providing free wi-fi in public spaces, such as Ripon, supports our economic growth strategy which aims to make the Harrogate district the best place to live, work and visit.”

Read more:

• Classic art meets contemporary at Fountains Abbey
• Ripon Together organises a summer of free play for children

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said:

“Our free public wi-fi project is very good news for the local economies of the town centres which are part of this scheme. It provides the opportunity to our residents and visitors to access the internet and to find out what local businesses have to offer.

“Following on from the successful introduction of this free service in Scarborough, Northallerton and Leyburn, Ripon residents and visitors are now able to benefit from this latest investment in North Yorkshire’s digital infrastructure.”

The scheme is partly funded by a £3 million investment from York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership as part of its allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

The not-for-profit group Ripon Together has organised a mass walk called the Yorkshire Pilgrimage from the the city’s cathedral to Fountains Abbey next month.

Like the Boxing Day pilgrimage between the iconic religious sites, which has been staged for 45 years, walkers will trace the steps of the 13 Benedictine monks who, in 1132 AD, were the original founders of the abbey.

The pilgrimage, which takes place on 4 September, is part of Walkshire series of walks organised this year by the tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire, which encourages people to discover the county’s great outdoors.

It is also part of  Ripon Together’s Healthy Journeying campaign to encourage people to walk in the Yorkshire countryside, following the lifting of covid restrictions.

The Ripon Together Yorkshire Pilgrimage will depart from the cathedral at 12.30pm on September 4.

The walk will be led by Canon Barry Pyke, of the cathedral, and will take approximately an hour at a leisurely pace.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend John Dobson, said:

“Ripon Together has been promoting walking and cycling for a couple of years now.  This is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Ripon and across the region to walk together from the oldest cathedral in the country to Fountains Abbey, one of Yorkshire’s World Heritage Sites.

“Ripon Together is devoted to improving the wellbeing of people in Ripon and the area. I am delighted that people are uniting to encourage healthy journeying and urge people from across the area to join us in the pilgrimage.”  Further walks and cycle routes can be found at https://www.ripontogether.com/healthy-journeying/.”

Book in advance

Justin Scully, general manager at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal said:

“The past 18 months have been tumultuous to say the least, so we’re delighted that the long-running tradition of a pilgrimage between Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey is taking place in September.

“We know that the pilgrimage, which normally takes place on Boxing Day, is much loved by our community and we were so disappointed that we couldn’t run the event in 2020.”

The Yorkshire Pilgrimage is free to take part in, but to ensure a safe journey Ripon Together needs to know the numbers attending in advance.

Tickets for the event are available through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pilgrimage-from-ripon-cathedral-to-fountains-abbey-tickets-158397195275.

For those who cannot access that link, paper numbered tickets are available from Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey visitor centre.

There are three food outlets at Fountains Abbey.  Cakes and liquid refreshments will also be available on the Abbey Green.

Read more:

• Classic art meets contemporary at Fountains Abbey
• Ripon Together organises a summer of free play for children

Music will be provided at the abbey by Ripon City Band, which is one of the country’s leading brass bands.

They will perform two sessions, including Yorkshire pieces, finishing at about 3.30pm.

Philip Allott, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, has announced a £1,162,000 upgrade for the building shared by Ripon’s police and fire officers since 2018.

The spending will improve facilities deemed ‘no longer fit for purpose’ at the Stonebridgegate site.

Following a fact-finding visit to the city in June, Mr Allott (pictured below) said he would give police officers the resources they needed to tackle crime.

A statement, which has now been issued by his office, said plans for refurbishment had stalled due to ‘site complications’.

It added:

“This has now come to a head and the current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose for either service.”

Under the county’s previous crime commissioner, Julia Mulligan, the city’s former police station on North Street was sold to a private developer.

In 2014, a conditional agreement for the disposal was signed and North Yorkshire Police pledged to provide new ‘fit for purpose’ premises within 18 months.

But this did not materialise and in February 2018 the Ripon policing team moved to the fire station.

This subsequently raised concerns among city councillors and members of the public about the ability of the police, with its limited resources and cramped accommodation, to handle a spike in anti-social behaviour, vandalism and other crime.

The statement issued by Mr Allott’s office added:

“An options assessment has been conducted to develop a suitable solution in conjunction with key stakeholders across the two services.

“A modular build on the current site to provide accommodation, with continued use of the appliance bays and tower, has been determined as the most suitable option which delivers a good medium-term solution in a reasonable timescale, and which provides the best value for money to the public purse.”

Read more: 

• Ripon suffers further violent and anti-social behaviour
• North Yorkshire Police slow to answer non-emergency calls

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Council negativity towards Christmas market is affecting traders

The benefits to the town of the Christmas market are enormous and the increased footfall and spend attests to this. The market is close enough to the town centre for everyone to benefit.

Unfortunately, Harrogate Borough Council this year has decided otherwise. It is saying that “the event plan did not take into account the risk of overcrowding and necessary evacuation procedures, counter terrorism measures and the ongoing risk of covid”.

However this is not the case — the site is open with easy access to the outside, the council closes the roads and there are big concrete blocks at the top of the hill. It doesn’t get overcrowded — it’s less busy than indoor shopping centres, football stadia, nightclubs etc where people are in close contact for more than the guidelines of 15 minutes.

That the council was not in touch with the organisers prior to making this decision reflects very badly on them.

Organising an event of this nature takes a great deal of time and planning and attractions have already been booked, such as the reindeers and Father Christmas! It is very late in the year for stall holders to make alternative arrangements.

I am a local craftsman and rely on events like this to stay in business, and I am only one of many in a similar situation. The government policy at the moment is to get the economy moving again as soon as possible.

Harrogate Borough Council’s negative attitude is hindering this process.

Lyn Grant, Harrogate

Labour’s politics of envy over Julian Smith’s advisory roles

Thank you for giving us details of Julian Smith’s lists of advisory roles. He is obviously highly regarded by these organisations who value his skills and expertise, why otherwise would they recruit him?

The comments of ex-Labour candidate Brian McDaid are wholly inappropriate. MPs on all sides of the House of Commons have similar advisory rolls and provided they are recorded on their register of interests they are quite normal.

Might I add that I have had occasion to seek Mr Smith’s assistance on three occasions since he was elected as the MP for Skipton and Ripon and he has on all occasions responded promptly and met me locally at his regular surgeries.

His re-election suggests he is doing the job by the electors. The politics of envy will never be a worthy news item.

Brian Hicks, Pateley Bridge

Read more:

• Deadlock on Harrogate Christmas Market talks
• Stray Views: Is Harrogate in decline?

Poor shopping, beggars… is it any wonder people are avoiding Harrogate?

Today I met with a friend from outside the area who was saying how much she used to enjoy coming in to Harrogate to shop but doesn’t come in any more.

The reasons given were so many empty shops, cheap discount stores on what was the upmarket street and beggars sitting and almost partying around the town.

I later walked up Parliament Street and in a doorway just before the old Debenhams store there were five people with drinks, sleeping bags etc and a mess on the pavement that appeared to be vomit.

Is it any surprise that people are becoming reluctant to come in to Harrogate? Do enough people care and if so what can be done about it?

Sandra Fielding, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Film enthusiasts in Ripon remain in the dark about the future of the city’s Curzon cinema after the company released contradictory statements about its plans for the North Street site.

The cinema chain has said it gave ‘misleading information’ to the Stray Ferret when we got in touch in May about its reopening plans.

As the government moved towards the easing of covid lockdown restrictions, the company said in a statement on May 18:

“Curzon Ripon is planning on reopening June 4, 2021.”

Not coming soon… advertising for one of the films that was due to be shown at Curzon Ripon before it closed in March last year.

However, less than 24 hours later, on 19 May, it said:

“Unfortunately, due to Curzon Ripon’s venue being so small, with only 20 seats, they are unable to open safely at present with the government guidelines for social distancing.

“As soon as they can safely reopen there will be updates on the website.

“We apologise for the disappointment this may cause but we want to be able to reopen safely whilst following guidelines.”

Now, after a Curzon customer raised fresh concerns about reopening with the Stray Ferret, the London-headquartered company said this week it would like to ‘apologise for the misleading information’ given and for ‘the delayed reopening of our Ripon venue’.

But the question marks over its reopening remain.

The company said in a statement:

“As soon as we open the venue it will be shown on our website.

“We haven’t lifted our covid restrictions in any of our venues, due to this we can’t re-open Ripon until we lift our social distancing measures.”

Ripon not on Curzon website

The two-screen Ripon cinema, which opened in November 2013, is not currently featured on the company’s website, where 13 venues are listed.

Seven of the Curzon cinemas are in London, while in the north the company has locations in Sheffield and Knutsford, both of which have three screens.

Annual memberships range in price from £65 for a package that provides five credits for tickets or home cinema streams, to Curzon Cult + costing £850 per annum for 10 weekly credits.

A film lover, who was bought the basic £65 package in March 2020 as a birthday gift and asked to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret:

“More than a year after I received the gift from my family, I contacted Curzon’s national number in May to ask when I could watch films in Ripon again.

“I was advised go to the cinema on June 4 and it would all be sorted out.

“Then I saw the story on the Stray Ferret saying that the cinema would not be opening on 4 June.

“I was annoyed and rang Curzon to ask why they had given out wrong information, but gave up after being on the phone for more than an hour listening to a repeat message saying that they were dealing with a high volume of calls.

“This is a very unsatisfactory situation and Curzon is doing itself no favours by treating its customers like this.”

Read more:

• Cinema-lovers pray that Curzon Ripon will reopen
• Ripon Olympic hero’s TV kiss from Tokyo 

In its statement on Tuesday, Curzon said:

“For our Ripon members who brought an annual membership there will be a full extension for the time they missed out on their membership due to us closing our venues.

“If anyone missed out on a screening due to our venue closure, we do offer a full refund for this, if they could contact us with a booking reference.”

Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith will be paid £3,000 an hour to advise a green energy company for another 12 months.

Mr Smith was first appointed to the advisory position at Ryze Hydrogen in August last year when it was announced he would be paid £60,000 for 20 hours work.

The MP’s register of interests reveals he will have the same arrangement with the company from August 1 until July 31 2022.

Ryze Hydrogen produces and distributes the low-carbon fuel hydrogen. Its chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Irish bus manufacturer. Mr Bamford is also a board member of the family-owned JCB company.

As Mr Smith was the Northern Ireland secretary until February 2020, he was warned by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments about a “perceived conflict of interest” in taking on the role.

‘Very lucrative remuneration’

Mr Smith has been an MP since 2010 and is paid £81,932 a year for the position.

Alongside his MP’s salary, he earns an additional £130,000 for being an external advisor to three private companies.

Brian McDaid, who stood for the Labour Party against Mr Smith in Skipton and Ripon in 2019, previously told the Stray Ferret that the MP should focus more on his constituents.

He said:

“During these times of austerity and the impact of the pandemic on us all, Mr Smith must be struggling on his MP’s salary to have to seek additional work with very lucrative remuneration.

“His constituents deserve so much better, especially during these very difficult and uncertain times.”

Mr Smith’s three jobs

Ryze Hydrogen: £60,000 for 12 months. He is expected to work 20 hours.

In August last year, Mr Smith took an advisory role with Ryze Hydrogen. Its chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus production company that has a relationship with the Northern Ireland Office in government.

Simply Blue Management: £2,000 a month for one or two hours a month over 12 months.

In January this year, Mr Smith began advising Cork-based firm Simply Blue Management. Its website describes itself as ‘the leading early stage developer of sustainable and transformative marine projects’.

MJM Marine: £60,000 for 12 months. He is expected to work 30 to 40 hours.

From March 2020, Mr Smith began advising MJM Marine on ‘business development’. The company calls itself a ‘leading international specialist in cruise ship refurbishment’. It’s based in County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Stray Ferret contacted both Julian Smith and Ryze Hydrogen about the appointment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.