Ripon Spa Baths gets date to reopen in May

Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed that Ripon Spa Baths will reopen to the public on May 14.

The council posted on its Twitter account that the pool would be open for lane swimming and family sessions two weeks today.

It said the sessions must be pre-booked and can only be 45 minutes long.

Earlier this month, Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, had said he hoped to open Ripon Spa Baths and Starbeck Baths in May.

Neither pool reopened on April 12, when covid regulations allowed. The council said this was due to staff shortages and difficulties around social distancing.

Its other pools, including the Harrogate Hydro and Nidderdale Pool, reopened this month. Knaresborough Pool remains closed for urgent repairs.

Ripon city councillors had campaigned for Ripon Spa Baths to be saved after ‘for sale’ boards went up in March and questions were raised over the future of Starbeck Baths when it remained closed.

Cllr Lumley has previously said Starbeck’s pool would be opened “very soon after” Ripon Spa Baths, but the council is yet to confirm a date.

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Full steam ahead! Newby Hall’s dream job for train enthusiasts

Are you a train enthusiast wanting to get your career on track? Newby Hall is advertising for a new full-time driver for its miniature railway.

The stately home and gardens between Ripon and Boroughbridge is looking for a full-time driver and engineer to run its narrow-gauge railway.

The railway has 1.2km of track taking nearly 50,000 passengers each year through the estate’s gardens.

Newby Hall said in a statement the successful applicant needs to be enthusiastic about trains and engineering and have relevant experience. They will have to drive along the steam, battery and gas-powered track and be in charge of train, track and station maintenance.

If your childhood dream was to be a train driver then operations director, Stuart Gill, says this is the ideal job for you:

“This is a chance to perhaps turn your hobby or childhood dream into a career, particularly if you feel your job aspirations have been shunted into the sidings.

“We need someone who has a real passion for trains and engineering, preferably with previous relevant experience, and they also need to be great at managing our team of amazing railway volunteers.”

The successful applicant will also be responsible for the interactive Tarantella water fountain in the children’s play area.

To find out more about the job, click here.

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Ripon Cathedral awarded £126,000 for re-opening

Ripon Cathedral has been awarded £126,000 from the second round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

The grant will help the cathedral re-open its doors when lockdown restrictions are eased on May 17.

It will also help provide new information to visitors and market the cathedral to fresh audiences.

The grant is being distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the public body Historic England.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Rev John Dobson DL said:

“Ripon Cathedral exists to serve the people of the region and visitors from across the country and beyond. We pride ourselves in welcoming people of all faith and no faith, as well as those who come as Christian worshipers and pilgrims.

“These much-needed funds will enable us to open our doors wide for all, as the country emerges from lockdown.”

Visitor numbers at the cathedral are still limited due to covid restrictions. However, it has been streaming some services on its YouTube channel.

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The owner of Newby Hall received £208,300 from the heritage fund and The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter High Harrogate received £39,800.

Four other cultural organisations in the district also received funding from the government fund through Arts Council England.

These were:

Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country in the second round of funding from the £1.57 billion fund.

Artisan market returns to Ripon on bank holiday Monday

Ripon Little Bird Artisan Market will return on Monday.

The May Bank Holiday event will be the first staged by Ripon City Council for 18 months.

The covid lockdown put paid to all public and civic events planned by the council in 2020.

They included the 75th anniversary celebrations for VE Day, Saint Wilfrid’s procession and Remembrance Sunday.

Andrew Williams, council leader and chair of the city council’s events committee, said:

“For the first time in 18 months Ripon City Council is once again able to provide an event for local people to enjoy.

“I hope that as lockdown restrictions ease we will be able to return to the larger scale events that we have hosted so successfully in recent years.

“We have ambitious plans for the summer onwards and will provide further details on our plans as soon as we are able to do so.”

Photo of Ripon Town Hall

The time has come for Ripon City Council to stage its first event since the covid lockdown

The market will have more than 40 artisans selling homemade local products.

It will be open from 10am to 3pm and social distancing measures will be in place.

As well as providing a platform for the artisans to display and sell their goods, the council hopes it will attract footfall to benefit businesses in the city.

Items on sale will include clothing, jewellery, hand-crafted wood items and food.

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Jackie Crozier, owner and curator of Little Bird Artisan Markets, said:

“The Ripon artisan market celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of the local traders, inviting visitors and residents to discover artisanal crafts from up-and-coming local businesses and further afield

“As someone who was born and lives in Ripon, I am very proud to hold events in the city I am passionate about.”

For more information on the artisan market or to become involved as an artist, artisan or vendor, email info@littlebirdmade.co.uk.

 

 

When will the Ripon hornblower return?

Ripon’s nightly hornblower ceremony has been performed behind closed doors since March last year.

So the return of the city’s three hornblowers, who share the task, is keenly anticipated. But it seems the trio won’t be seen again on Market Square for almost two months at the earliest.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“It is not possible to make concrete plans until we have certainty over the total lifting of limits on social distancing.”

Stage four of the government roadmap out of lockdown says the removal of all limitations on social contact will take place no earlier than 21 June.

Night time photo of Ripon Market Square

The obelisk and Market Square, where the nightly hornblower ceremony has taken place for centuries.

Cllr Williams said:

“The council has received numerous enquiries about when the hornblowers will be seen again at the obelisk.

“Naturally, we hope that there are no mishaps along the way to the lifting of restrictions.

“We are as keen as our residents, businesses and visitors to the city, to see and hear them on Market Square.

“We will keep people informed.”

The 9pm ceremony has been performed continuously, without fail, since Ripon was granted its first charter in 886 by the Saxon king Alfred the Great.

During lockdown, the hornblowers have ‘set the watch’ by blowing the horn at their own homes.

People have been able to watch this on Facebook.

Hornblowers Wayne Cobbett, Alison Clark and Richard Midgley are employed by the city council.

They perform the ritual on a rota basis.

In pre-covid times, this involves them making blasts of the horn at the four corners of the obelisk and a brief talk on the history of Ripon.

The event can attract large gatherings, particularly in summer months. 

Each hornblower has their own instrument from a collection of five, which still includes the ancient horn said to have been given to the city by King Alfred.

It’s a prized and priceless item, only on display at civic occasions. 

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Last March, before the ceremony had to go behind closed doors, Mr Midgley said:  

“Over the centuries, Ripon has had to fight off many threats from war to plague.

“The sounding of the horn and setting of the watch reminds us that we can and will overcome adversity – as we have done for centuries.”

 

Fresh plans for housing at former Ripon timber yard

New plans have been submitted to build 13 homes at the former NY Timber yard in Ripon.

Harrogate Borough Council refused previous plans in December when chief planner John Worthington said the scheme by Red Tree Developments would cause “unacceptable harm” to the Ripon Conservation Area.

The site is adjacent to the listed buildings The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church.

Christopher Hughes, chairman of the Ripon Civic Society also objected to the plans and said the structure should be retained due to its historical importance.

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The building in 1929.

For its latest application, the developer has included a document prepared by planning consultancy firm mb Heritage & Planning, which specialises in historic buildings.

The document, which evaluates the importance of the site as well as its impact on local landmarks, concluded that whilst the existing buildings have ‘some heritage value’ a scheme that involved retaining the original buildings was not financially viable.

Planning consultant Jay Everett also supported the application on behalf of the developer. He said:

“In my view, the proposed development represents the optimum viable re-use of the site, which will deliver substantial public benefits that outweigh the ‘less than substantial harm’ arising from the demolition of the existing building.”

Harrogate Borough Council will now decide whether to accept the application.

Ripon taxi driver ‘dumbfounded’ by lack of mask-wearing in cabs

A taxi driver from Ripon has pleaded with customers to wear facemasks and protect drivers from covid as too many passengers are ignoring the rules.

Richard Fieldman, who has been a cabbie in Ripon for 28 years, said the last 12 months had been “absolutely horrendous” for the trade.

After not working since New Year’s Eve, the owner of A1 Cars recently began taking passengers again.

However, he told the Stray Ferret he’s been disappointed by the number of people who either don’t get in his taxi with a mask, or don’t wear one properly.

Taxi passengers must wear face coverings unless they have an exemption.

Mr Fieldman said:

“You ask them to put their masks on when they get in the taxi, but they pull it down as soon as the car sets off.”

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Mr Fieldman said he was “dumbfounded” by customers claiming they forgot their masks, adding that he believed many people didn’t think being in a taxi posed the same risk as being in a shop.

He estimated that seven out of 10 passengers wore masks, and the large minority that didn’t included many older people. He said:

“They’re just as bad. You can’t blame it on young people flouting the rules.”

He added:

“I had two lads get in with masks last week. The next minute I look in the mirror they’re chomping on sandwiches.

“People think with covid it’s game over, but it’s not.”

Eight motorists fined in Ripon in police metal theft campaign

Eight motorists in Ripon have received fixed penalty notices as part of a week-long police metal theft campaign.

North Yorkshire Police revealed today it stopped more than 100 vehicles at two roadside checkpoints on Ripon bypass and the York ring road during last week’s campaign.

In Ripon, this resulted in three untaxed vehicles being seized as well as the eight fixed penalty notices.

Police across the country took part in the campaign, partly in response to fears about the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles.

Hybrid vehicles, which contain more precious metals in their catalytic converters, and 4x4s, which are more vulnerable because of their higher chassis, are particularly at risk.

The campaign also targeted fly tipping and metal theft from places of worship.

Officers carried out patrols at more than 40 churches, particularly in remote areas, to check security and raise awareness with local residents about metal theft.

Rural areas, including North Yorkshire, are believed to be particularly vulnerable to metal thefts.

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Inspector Clive Turner, of North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force, said:

“Following the covid pandemic, metal prices may start to rise, risking an increase in metal theft and associated crimes.

“Vital public services – such as transport, power and telecommunications – can be severely affected, and construction work can be interrupted and delayed, resulting in a significant knock-on economic impact.

“Similarly, the theft of catalytic converters causes disruption and expense for vehicle owners.

“Heritage sites can also be targeted by metal thieves, including places of worship – and this may result in irreparable structural damage.

Inspector Turner added the campaign had presented “a good opportunity for us to work alongside partners to keep up the pressure on those responsible” and urged people to report suspicious activity.

The police did not provide further details about the nature of offences that resulted in the fixed penalty notices, which can be issued for offences such as driving without due care and attention, using a mobile phone whilst driving, vehicle defects and no insurance.

 

Plan to replace Ripon eyesore with townhouses

Plans have been submitted to demolish a building that has been blighting a historic area of Ripon.

The proposal is to replace the derelict property in Moss’s Arcade with three two-bedroom townhouses.

An overview of the proposed development submitted to Harrogate Borough Council says:

“This is an important part of Ripon steeped with heritage.

“However the building on the site is very much a left-over redundant building, which blights the surrounding area.”

Photo of derelict building at Moss's Arcade

Pigeons inhabit the derelict building

The existing building, has been left un-used for many years.

Planning consultant James Robinson said in an overview in support of the planning application.

“This is an important part of Ripon’s inner city and is right in the middle of the conservation area.

“The location benefits from all essential shops, facilities and transport ( Ripon Bus Station over the road )

“This is the ultimate sustainable inner-city location.”

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Tribute to Ripon’s deputy mayor for 20 years’ service to the city

At Cllr Charlie Powell’s 80th birthday party this week – celebrated with a handful of fellow councillors and his wife and deputy mayoress Jill – there was a special surprise.

Cllr Peter Horton read out a document prepared by his family detailing his lifetime of achievement – including serving more than a quarter of his life on Ripon City Council.

Over more than 30 pages it covered the highlights in the councillor’s story of service and business success.

During 15 years in the Royal Engineers, he was posted to Germany, Northern Ireland, Aden, Libya, Borneo and Singapore.

After leaving the Army, in which he rose to the rank of sergeant, Cllr Powell served for two years as a fire fighter in Ripon.

He spent 18 years in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for the military aircraft division of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), then moved on to become a senior administrator with Waste Management International Ltd in Jeddah.

Photo of Curzon Cinema, Ripon

Cllr Powell played a key role in negotiating Curzon Cinema’s opening in Ripon

This was a role in which Cllr Powell represented his company as a guest of the Queen on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

He said:

“That was a remarkable honour and once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Although Army service and private sector work took him worldwide, Cllr Powell’s roots have remained firmly planted in Ripon, where his military career began.

At the age of 15, he attended the Army Apprentices School in Harrogate (now the Army Foundation College) and qualified as a carpenter, before joining the Royal Engineers.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“Ripon is my home and a city I take great pride in.

“It’s a special place with a long history, unique character and traditions that make it stand out – such as the nightly Hornblower ceremony at the obelisk.”

He has served for 21 years as a city councillor and has been deputy mayor since 2017.

There have been many highlights during his political career, including successful negotiations with Curzon, which led to the cinema operator opening in the city in 2013.

Cllr Powell’s business acumen also proved crucial in guiding the development of Quarry Moor Park and Nature Reserve as a place for public enjoyment.

He has also been a stalwart supporter of Ripon in Bloom.

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A job reference prepared by Mr K J Parfit, manager of support services for BAC at King Faisal Air Base, succinctly sums up the business capabilities that have subsequently been put to good use for the people of Ripon.

It read:

“I have no hesitation in recommending Mr Powell for any position requiring tact, intelligence and judgment.

“He has displayed all of these qualities in full measure.”