Ripon beautician praying for PM to save weddingsHairdressers and brides-to-be in the Harrogate district will have their fingers tightly crossed this evening.
Social distancing restrictions were due to end on June 21 but now it seems the 30-person cap on wedding guests could be extended for another four weeks, throwing numerous wedding plans in jeopardy.
Some people have already put back their weddings as many as four times because of the coronavirus crisis.
Now they are relying on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, not to ruin their big days yet again.
Deborah Chalmers, of Love Hair & Beauty in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret:
“Three quarters of the bookings I have are for weddings with more than 100 guests.
“With the government’s roadmap to June 21 and the anticipated lifting of covid social distancing requirements, people were counting on finally getting married.
“They thought they were safe to book a post-June 21 date and everything that goes with it.
“Now there is another big question mark and we are all hoping and praying that a way can be found to allow weddings with more than 30 attendees to go ahead.”
Brides-to-be across the Harrogate district will be listening carefully to this evening’s announcement from Boris Johnson.
Later this year, Ms Chalmers celebrates her 10th anniversary of being in business in Ripon.
Over the decade she has prepared hundreds of brides and their bridesmaids for weddings.
She said:
“You can be in a restaurant with 100 people that you don’t know, or at a sporting event with thousands, so surely the Prime Minister can come up with something.
“I fully understand that there is a need to keep everybody safe, but perhaps we would be OK if there was covid testing available for all attending a wedding and those, like myself, providing services on the day.
“It will be desperate if weddings for some are put off for the fifth time, or if the limit on attendance remains at 30 and they have to un-invite family members and friends if they decide to go ahead with their ceremony.”
For Ms Chalmers and other businesses in the wedding sector, it has been a tough 16 months.
She has managed to keep ticking over by providing hair and beauty treatments for smaller weddings.
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Fortunately, customers forced to postpone have stayed loyal when rearranging for different dates.
She said:
“For some, the wedding has been a long time coming, but we stay optimistic in the knowledge that the brides will eventually, have their big day.”
Ripon votes to create Business Improvement DistrictRipon traders have voted in favour of turning the city centre into a Business Improvement District.
BIDs have been set up across the country, including in Harrogate, as a way of creating safer, cleaner and better promoted city and town centres.
In Ripon, more than 280 businesses within a defined area will contribute to an annual budget of £160,000 for improvement projects.
Of the firms who voted during a ballot held over the last month, 80% were in favour.
The plans for a BID have been in the works since 2019 and will generate £800,000 over five years. This will come through an extra levy on top of business rates.
The BID has already won the support of Harrogate Borough Council which has agreed to lend £20,000 for start-up costs and will contribute around £30,000 over the five year period as a levy payer.
Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development of the council, said the BID will allow businesses to “take control of their own destiny”.
“I am very supportive of BIDs – they allow small and medium sized businesses in tightly defined geographical areas to raise funds for specific things that impact them the most.
“Ripon is an area which relies on tourism and hospitality, so getting footfall in the city centre and surrounding areas will be crucial.
“BIDs are only successful when they have a clear plan… and Ripon BID have created a fantastic prospectus which clearly demonstrates what they are trying to achieve.”
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Now firms have voted in favour of the BID, a limited company will be set up with 10 directors drawn from the business community to manage the funds.
A number of local businesses have already expressed strong support for the plans include Abacus Smarter Accountants, G Craggs Ltd and Sterne Properties, as well as other organisations including Ripon Community House, Ripon Museums Trust and Ripon City Council.
A business plan, launched earlier this year, identified the BID’s priorities as street cleaning and maintenance, festivals and events, car parking, toilets, landscaping and tourism.
In a statement included in the plan, Richard Compton, BID chairman and owner of Newby Hall, said the city had the potential to become “one of Yorkshire’s great success stories”.
“I believe Ripon can emerge strongly from the huge challenges presented by the covid pandemic.
“We have so much to offer and as we perhaps see the light at the end of the tunnel, all of the city’s businesses need a plan to boost the place, for the benefit of all those who shop, live, work and visit our stunning city.”
Ripon’s Community Diamond receives her sparkling prize
The first winner of the Ripon Community Diamond Award has received her special custom-made prize.
Suzanne Bowyer, was selected from a high calibre entry of nominees.
The award was sponsored by The Vintage Rooms and run in conjunction with the Stray Ferret.
It set out to find people who go the extra mile to help others.
The independent judges were the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin and Bishop of Ripon The Rt. Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley.
Suzanne selected a custom-made white gold necklace featuring the diamond as her prize.
They chose Suzanne for her outstanding work at the Community House Food Support service in Allhallowgate.
It has helped hundreds of people trapped in food poverty because of the financial strain brought by the pandemic.
The presentation of a custom-made necklace with diamond, white gold setting and chain was delayed because of the covid lockdown.
Now, however, Suzanne has collected her prize and said:
“It’s a great honour to receive this award.
“I look on it as recognition for the whole team.
“They work so hard at Community House and continue to help people in need.”
Speaking on behalf of both judges, Dr Hartley, pointed out:
“There are so many community-minded people in Ripon
“Any one of the nominees would have been a worthy winner.
“That meant we had the very difficult task of finding just one individual.”
The original idea for the award came from Mike and Liz Cooper, owners of Red Buttons Jewellers and Hedley Hall, who run an antiques, vintage models and collectables business.
The friends traded together in the former Wrens department store and, when it closed, relocated to The Vintage Room in Queen Street.
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Mr Cooper, said:
“We congratulate Suzanne on her selection as the city’s first community diamond and thank all those who made the award happen.
“Through the nomination process, we found out about the people who are the beating heart of Ripon and make it such a special place.”
Ripon suffers further violent and anti-social behaviourPolice in Ripon have further violent and anti-social behaviour to investigate this morning.
Last night a man in the city suffered cuts when he was hit in the face with a stone thrown by a thug.
The incident was reported on social media by the man’s wife, as a warning to others.
She said:
“The small minority of trouble-making kids are at it again in Ripon town centre.”
The woman advised others to take care:
The stone, which cut her husband’s forehead, narrowly missed his eye and glasses.
It was thrown by one of a group she said were ‘hanging out’ in the alley next to M&Co in Fishergate.
Pictured above is the alley near where the attack took place, and the CCTV camera on Market Square North.
Just yards away from where the incident occurred is a CCTV camera that faces onto Market Square.
Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“I just hope that the camera captured images of the group, which can help the police with their enquiries and to make arrests.
“I’m also hopeful that the camera will assist them in catching the vandal or vandals, who smashed windows at the cabmen’s shelter at the weekend.
“It’s the second time in a matter of weeks that it has been attacked and we now face another repair bill.”
Cllr Williams, has led the city council’s calls for more patrols, high-visibility policing and use of mobile CCTV in Ripon.
He and fellow councillors have said they want to work alongside the police to eradicate Ripon’s recurring problems of violence, vandalism and criminal behaviour.
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Police were informed after three windows were smashed in the cabmen’s shelter.
It’s the second time in less than three months that the unique structure belonging to the city council has been vandalised.
Dating back to the days of horse-drawn transport — it is the UK’s only mobile listed building, after Royal Engineers installed wheels as part of a re-fit.
The shelter recently underwent a further extensive refurbishment costing £22,000, before being returned to Market Square.
Lidl submits plan for new Ripon storeGerman supermarket chain Lidl has submitted plans for a new supermarket in Ripon.
The company has tabled the proposal for St Michael’s Retail Park in the city following an online consultation.
Lidl has planned for a 1,100 square metre store, which it says will create up to 40 new full time and part time jobs.
The company announced its intention to expand into the city last year and earmarked the £10 million retail park as its preferred location.
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Now, plans for the supermarket have been lodged to Harrogate Borough Council which will make a decision on the development at a later date.
A spokesperson from Lidl GB said:
“Many people have welcomed the proposed Lidl store, which would bring competition, increasing choice and providing a boost to the local economy through job creation.
“Many also mentioned that a store on this site would reduce the need to travel out of the city to shop and therefore keep expenditure in Ripon. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their support so far and we look forward to further sharing and discussing our plans with them.”
The plan for Ripon comes as Lidl has also tabled a proposal for its first Harrogate store on the on the site of the former Lookers car dealership on Knaresborough Road.
Ripon’s Jack Laugher selected for the OlympicsRipon diver Jack Laugher has today been named in the Great Britain diving team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Laugher, who made history at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by becoming the first ever Olympic champion in diving for Great Britain, is one of 12 people selected.
Other leading names include Tom Daley, who hopes to win his first Olympic gold medal.
Laugher will defend his Olympic crown in the men’s 3m synchro event. He will also target a second Olympic medal in the individual 3m springboard event, after taking silver in that competition five years ago.
Laugher, who represents City of Leeds, will be joined in the synchro by Rio 2016 bronze medallist Daniel Goodfellow, with Edinburgh’s James Heatly the other pick in the 3m individual.
British Swimming described today’s squad as “phenomenally strong”.
Alexei Evangulov, British Diving performance director, said:
“This has been the longest Olympic cycle ever, however the hardest part of it was the last year – our team exceeded all my expectation in terms of coping with all the challenges we experienced during the pandemic.
“There were a lot; pool closures, isolation, quarantine, uncertainness, competitions postponements, you name it. Our divers not only managed to secure their physical and technical shape in this situation, but also significantly improved their diving quality.”
The Olympics are due to take place in Japan from July 23 to August 8.
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Rival racing pigeons banned from Ripon racecourseRival homing pigeons who race against the clock across the UK have been banned from starting their race from Ripon Racecourse after a wagon used to house the birds got stuck on sodden grass.
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing trained pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance.
Specially designed wagons collect up to 1,000 pigeons before releasing them at Ripon Racecourse in what is known as “pigeon liberation”.
The aerodynamic birds then use a built in homing system to hurtle through the sky and reach home. They are microchipped and their times are recorded.
But following some recent wet weather, the trucks got stuck on the grass — which led to an upset racecourse having to call a local recovery firm to rescue it.
A pigeon liberation
James Hutchinson, managing director and clerk of the course at Ripon, told the Stray Ferret there have been two incidents where drivers drove the heavy wagons “without due consideration” onto the sodden grass, leaving them stranded.
He added:
“We attempted to help extracting these vehicles but due to their size we were unsuccessful. A local recovery firm had to be called to complete the job and we were left with damage to repair to the grass car park.”
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The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) tweeted earlier this week that it had received notice from the racecourse that pigeon liberations can no longer be accommodated from June 1 and the site “has been cancelled”.
It warned pigeon fanciers that the nearest alternatives are 10 miles away in Harrogate and 29 miles away in Malton.
However, homing pigeons flying above the cathedral city could return soon after it appears the racecourse has had a change of heart.
Mr Hutchinson added that discussions with the RPRA are underway to consider the resumption of pigeon liberations “at the earliest opportunity”.
An RPRA spokesperson told the Stray Ferret they hope to be able to resume pigeon liberations in Ripon in the future.
Ripon firms vote on whether to create Business Improvement DistrictThe ballot to decide the future of Ripon’s proposed £800,000 Business Improvement District is underway.
BIDs have been created across the country, including in Harrogate, as a way of increasing footfall to towns and cities. Businesses pay annual levies to fund projects.
More than 280 Ripon businesses have until next Thursday to vote on whether they wish to pay a levy to fund projects to create a safer, cleaner and better promoted city centre over the next five years.
A group of city leaders have been working on the plans since 2019 and will generate £800,000 in funding over five years if they win the backing of businesses through the ballot.
They have already won the support of Harrogate Borough Council, which has agreed to lend £20,000 for start-up costs and will contribute about £30,000 over the five-year period if the BID goes ahead.
Speaking at a meeting last night, councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the council, said:
“This council strongly supports the creation of Business Improvement Districts – these have been extremely successful throughout the United Kingdom.
“As a Conservative, I’m pro-self-determination and this enables the people of Ripon to generate funds for themselves for the things they think are critical for their businesses.
“I’m confident that with the right plans and actions this will go a long way to playing an important part of the whole regeneration programme that is taking place in Ripon.”
Majority required
For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all the properties, must be in favour.
Abacus Smarter Accountants, Specsavers, Office Ally, G Craggs Ltd and Sterne Properties are among those to have already expressed support, as well as other organisations including Ripon Community House, Ripon Museums Trust and Ripon City Council.
The results will be announced shortly after the ballot closes.
If the BID goes ahead, a limited company will be set up with 10 directors drawn from the business community to manage the funds.
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A business plan was launched earlier this year and set out the BID’s top priorities, including street cleansing and maintenance, festivals and events, car parking, toilets, landscaping and tourism.
In a statement included in the plan, Richard Compton, chairman of Ripon BID and owner of Newby Hall, said:
“I believe Ripon can emerge strongly from the huge challenges presented by the covid pandemic. Our unique local retail and leisure businesses have weathered much of the storm finding new ways of working and collaborating.
“We have so much to offer and as we perhaps see the light at the end of the tunnel, all of the city’s businesses need a plan to boost the place, for the benefit of all those who shop, live, work and visit our stunning city.
“The BID will re-invest in the priorities that matter locally, appreciating that Ripon is the gateway to the Dales, with tourists an important element of the business mix.
“The business plan has been crafted to capture the essence of Ripon and address issues that businesses have told us need attention.
“We need to drive footfall into our shops, restaurants, bars, museums and attractions – both in the city centre and the outer areas.
“We are on the point of making Ripon one of Yorkshire’s great success stories”
£7,000 raised so Ripon boy with rare cancer can enjoy outdoor spaceFamily and friends of a 13-year-old Ripon boy are trying to raise funds to create a safe space outdoors for him to enjoy with friends.
William Riddler was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare and aggressive type of cancer, in March 2021.
Due to infection risks, William cannot socialise with his loved ones indoors so instead they want transform his front garden into a paved area. They have plans for a wooden shelter, jacuzzi and television.
Family friend, Sarah Bostock, has known the family for 20 years. She set up the just giving page 10 days ago after William’s condition worsened in hopes they can complete the works sooner.
It has already raised more than £7,400, but the target is for £10,000.
William first discovered a lump on his calf. Investigations found the cancer had spread to his eye bones, pelvis, spine, thighs, knee, ribs and sternum and possibly other areas of his body.
The Outwood Academy student is currently undergoing four different types of chemotherapy at Leeds General Infirmary.
Ms Bostock says she is praying William will be in the small percentage of patients that fight this nasty disease.
She said:
“I work full time so I couldn’t help in other ways but I still wanted to contribute. He loves the water so the jacuzzi was his idea. William is great, he’s cheeky and always playing jokes on people. I can’t believe how the community has come together to support the family.
She [William’s mum Louise Riddler] deserves this, she’s always helping other people and now people can see that she needs help too.”
William getting comfy on some of the garden furniture donated by Morrisons in Ripon.
The family is hoping to have the space ready by the summer so William has somewhere to go with friends after treatment.
Ms Bostock is keen to keep fundraising and reach the £10,000 target. She said Mrs Riddler has been “overwhelmed” with the support for her son.
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Ms Bostock added:
“The family is staying positive because William is so positive so it’s helping them.”
Donations have come in from businesses and people local to the family in Ripon. Others have pledged to shave their heads all in aid of William’s outdoor space.
To support the fundraising, click here.
County council invests £723,000 in Ripon SEND schoolA new satellite school developed for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has welcomed more than 40 new pupils in Ripon after a £723,000 investment.
Mowbray School, Ripon, received the money from North Yorkshire County Council to open on the site of the city’s former Moorside Infant School.
The new school opened two of its classrooms last year to 12 pupils. It now hosts five newly equipped and fully refurbished classrooms, indoor and outdoor play and sensory equipment, calm rooms and a forest school.
The school will help children learn within their local area instead of travelling out of the county to get the specialist education they need.
It serves the Ripon, Harrogate, Boroughbridge and Knaresborough area and is a satellite of Mowbray School in Bedale.
The developments opened up a number of new jobs locally. The school has 30 members of staff and more are set to be hired when the kitchen opens.
Jonathan Tearle, Mowbray School executive headteacher, said:
“This has been a project four years in the making.
“It’s a fabulous facility and one which we are very proud of – it’s such a credit to the dedication and work of our staff. It’s been nice seeing the school grow from 12 to 42 pupils over the last few months.
“Seeing how the children have benefited is fantastic. It’s been uplifting to see them exploring the playground and playing and developing friendships.”
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Works are set to continue; the school recently put in a planning application to build a Rebound Training Centre at the site. This means the children can use trampolines with staff to improve their wellbeing.
In the summer a cycle track will also be installed so the pupils can use their adapted bikes and trikes.
The schools is part of the county council’s current strategic plan for SEND in North Yorkshire. The plan will see more funding invested into creating SEND provision in the county’s mainstream school.
There are more than 3,450 children and young people with education, health and care plans in the county.