It was opened by royalty in 1905 and has seen generations of spa-goers and swimmers spend countless happy hours there. But Ripon Spa Bath’s long history as a leisure venue has come to an end.

The Grade II listed building – which was the last of its kind to open in England – closed on Sunday.

Staff are being transferred to a new swimming pool set to open at Ripon Leisure Centre on 8 December.

If and for what use the baths will reopen to the public will depend on the outcome of a sale by Harrogate Borough Council, which recently announced it had found an unnamed bidder for the building.

However, the sale has not been a straightforward one so far with concerns being raised that the venue could lose its community use before Ripon City Council successfully applied for it to be nominated as an asset of community value.

This protected status means any sale has been put on hold for six months to allow time for community bids to come forward.

Councillor Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, said the authority was exploring a “number of options” for the baths which he shared his favourite memories of.

He said:

“My mum used to swim in the spa baths as a child in the 1940s and has happy memories of being able to swim all afternoon on a Saturday for 4 pence.

“She has less happy memories of jumping off the top diving board onto the head of one of her friends.

“I remember learning to swim at the spa baths in the 1970s and many local residents will I am sure have memories of the spa baths.

Read More:

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• Ripon Spa Baths opens after more than a year closed

“We must now ensure that happy memories can be created in a new era of swimming in Ripon at our new pool.

“Ripon City Council are continuing to explore and evaluate a number of options regarding the future use of the spa baths site and we remain committed to working to ensure that the site continues to provide facilities for local residents.

“We want to ensure that the listed front of the spa baths is returned to its former glory as part of any new use for the site.”

Listed status

Councillor Williams previously said he held positive talks with the unnamed bidder but added the city council wanted to “keep all of our options open” and had asked to be considered as a potential bidder itself.

Harrogate Borough Council has always insisted it has been open to any offers for the venue which was opened as a spa by Princess Henry of Battenberg in 1905.

It was more than 30 years later when the swimming pool was built to the rear of the building, which is known for its terracotta-clad frontage and gained listed status in 1980.

The new swimming pool and upgrades at Ripon Leisure Centre were due to be completed earlier this year but are now facing further delays after the discovery of an underground void revealed the need for further groundworks.

These works are likely to lead to a six-month closure of part of the venue, although the opening of the new swimming pool will not be affected.

Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith is back in the spotlight for having three consultancy roles that earn him an extra £144,000 a year.

The Guardian reported today that MPs could be barred from holding consultancy positions.

It listed Mr Smith as the second highest paid of 30 MPs that would be affected by the move.

The news comes after the former Conservative MP Owen Paterson MP was found to have used his position to lobby the government on behalf of two companies that paid him.

The issue has reignited the debate over whether MPs should be allowed to hold external positions, and prompted allegations of sleaze.

As previously reported in the Stray Ferret, Mr Smith has three advisory roles outside of Parliament. They are in addition to his £81,932 annual salary as an MP.

All the roles were approved by the Advisory Committee of Business Appointments.

Mr Smith was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from July 2019 to February 2020.

In August 2020 he began advising Ryse Hydrogen, whose chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus manufacturer. The contract is £60,000 for 20 hours of work.

He is also paid to work for 30 to 40 hours over 12 months for MJM Marine, a cruise ship refurbishment company based in County Down. This contract is also for £60,000.

In January 2021 he began another role, advising Cork-based sustainable energy and aquaculture company Simply Blue Management. He is paid £24,000 over a year for up to two hours work per month.

Read more:

• Ripon MP Julian Smith extends £3,000 an hour advisory role
• Julian Smith MP criticised for taking on third lucrative advisory role

Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat leader on Harrogate Borough Council, said Mr Smith should “rethink” his other jobs and added that MPs should be stopped from taking on other work.

She said:

“His job is being an MP. To take on a paid position is so wrong. 

“From a purely democratic position, when you’re elected that should be the major concern, not distracted with outside jobs.

Shan Oakes, co-ordinator for Harrogate & District Green Party, said she was “appalled” by the Owen Patterson affair.

Ms Oakes, who attended the Stray bonfire on Saturday night holding rubbish bags with ‘Tory Sleaze’ written on them. added:

“With Harrogate having lots of Tory voters we assumed we’d get a lot of flack but we had not one negative comment. People were saying ‘thank you’.

“The whole thing stinks. Once these mechanisms of democracy are meddled with like this then we’re on a real road to ruin.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Smith to comment but did not receive a response.

Ripon Cathedral will play host to a concert this coming weekend to raise money and awareness for a local mental health charity.

Wellspring Therapy and Training, which is based in Starbeck, provides affordable counselling to people suffering from mental illness.

Harrogate concert pianist Julian Saphir and soprano Eleanore Cockerham, a former member of internationally-acclaimed singing group VOCES8, will star in the November 12 concert, which is called A Night to Remember.

They will be joined by local choirs and performers, including Nidd Chorale, Unity Voices, Harrogate Theatre Choir, and St Aidan’s School Chamber Choir.

The concert also aims to raise awareness by exploring themes of memory and thanksgiving.

Concert Co-ordinator, David Moon, said:

“This event is a wonderful opportunity to explore and experience the power music has on our mood and raise money for Wellspring, which is providing a vital wellbeing service in our local community.”

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Referrals to Wellspring shot up during covid, forcing the charity to temporarily suspend its waiting list. Operations have now returned to normal and the charity has supported over 700 people in the last year.

Sarah James, therapeutic lead for the charity, said:

“Our counsellors are frequently working with adults who present with depression, anxiety, trauma, loss, relationship issues, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, loss of confidence and stress. Many people we support have been signposted to us for more in-depth/long-term therapeutic work that is too expensive for many people to fund for themselves.”

The concert begins at 7pm on November 12. Tickets start at £12 for adults and £5 for children, and are available online here.

Ripon Community Hospital is set to undergo a £161,000 refurbishment.

NHS Property Services, which owns the building, is carrying out works to the hospital site to upgrade its roofs, kitchens and heating system.

The organisation has handed a £161,231 contract to Richmond-based Acomb Construction Ltd to take on the work.

It comes as part of NHS Property Services’ five-year plan for the hospital and the improvements will form the second phase of works to the site.

It will include upgrading some of the 30-year-old flooring, roofing and a range of electrical units for the building.

Read more:

• No Harrogate district walk-in vaccine centres as clinics ‘at capacity’
• Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site to reopen for just two weeks
• Harrogate people face trip to Leeds for booster jab walk-ins

Health bosses said the work was part of an ongoing refurbishment of Ripon hospital, which will bring the site “up to standard”.

They added that the work had been designed with the input of staff and that the nurses’ station will be refurbished along with new kitchen facilities and a staff breakout area.

Martin Salmon, senior construction manager at NHS Property Services, said: 

“NHS Property Services is committed to a 5-year investment plan that aims to bring Ripon Community Hospital up to the very best of standards, providing first-rate facilities for staff and patients. 

“We are pleased that once these improvements have been made, they will help the NHS to deliver excellent patient care.”

Few major employees in the Harrogate district have experienced more turbulent times recently than Wolseley.

The plumbing and heating merchants, which has a £1.8bn turnover, employs almost 5,000 staff globally, of which 270 are based in Ripon and 150 at a distribution centre in Melmerby.

Besides covid, this year Wolseley has been at the sharp end of Brexit and been sold to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier and Rice for £308 million.

The man navigating the choppy waters is Simon Oakland, who has been chief executive of Wolseley UK since January last year.

Mr Oakland, who has a background in private equity, has been with the company in its various guises since 2012.

He doesn’t hide how difficult the last 18 months have been, particularly for staff in Ripon. The site, which opened in 1971, provides support functions, including accounts, payments, IT support and HR and have such felt the brunt of all the changes.

“As a business we have been through a lot of difficulties. There had been damaging cost cutting measures and we’ve been through a few strategic initiatives that haven’t been successful.”

The company, he says, lost customer focus when it integrated divisions in 2017. But a divisional restructure, completed in July last year, was the catalyst for recovery, he says.

The new suite at Ripon.

The figures back him up. In the financial year ending 31 July 2020, Wolseley lost £250 million of sales. Profit, forecast to be £60 million, came in at £6 million, partly due to covid.

But recently published accounts for the financial year ending 31 July 2021 show £75 million profit – considerably up on the pre-covid £54 million figure of 2019. Mr Oakland says:

“This is the first year of genuine growth since 2012.

“From August 1 last year we have had a strong recovery. The market is strong, but we’ve taken a lot of market share.”

He highlights the acquisition of 32 branches of Graham Plumbers in July as evidence of recovery.

Brexit blues

Brexit has not affected demand but it has disrupted the supply chain by making it harder for small European manufacturers to import into the UK.

It’s also created “real complexity” with exporting products to Northern Ireland, says Mr Oakland. The company now has to provide detailed certificate of origin forms and prove its products to Northern Ireland wont be moved on to the Republic of Ireland. He says:

“The process of importing from Europe is going to continue being a small stone in our shoe.

“The process of moving products to Northern Ireland is going to be very complex. Even with the number of exemptions in place now it’s incredibly complex. If those exemptions come off it will be even more complex.”

Read more:

• Major Ripon employer Wolseley celebrates 50 years in city today
• Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears
• Hot Seat: Harrogate Town’s new CEO aims to take club to new heights

Until this year Wolseley was part of a FTSE 100 company called Ferguson PLC, which operates in the US, Canada and the UK. But its demerger from Ferguson and sale to Clayton, Dubilier and Rice led to huge change.

“The demerger caused a lot of work and that significantly impacted teams in Ripon, especially finance and IT. We were fully integrated on IT with US and Canada and had to migrate.”

Private equity firms don’t have the best reputations but Mr Oakland says:

“I spent 20 years in private equity. I get private equity inside and out. There are different styles. Some buy defunct businesses and liquidate stock. At the other end you have firms that understand the sector and try to support and grow the business.”

Clayton, Dubilier and Rice fall into the latter camp, he says, and “bring real strategic insight”. But it wasn’t an easy sell to staff.

“I took the decision in July 2020 to be totally open with colleagues and told them it was likely we would be sold to a private equity firm. They took a lot of confidence from the fact that I have been a partner in a private equity firm. That helped to defuse the uncertainty and the Chinese whispers.

“The real theme was that we would be able to tap into our independence.”

50 years in Ripon

Wolseley was founded in 1887, when Frederick York Wolseley launched the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine. The firm expanded into manufacturing and in 1899, the first Wolseley horseless carriage went on sale in the UK at £120.

It acquired a number of heating companies in the 1960s. Today plumbing and heating account for £1 billion of the £1.8 billion turnover. Your home’s boiler, pipework, bathroom fittings and gas and electricity meters could well have been made by Wolseley.

Part of the refurbished Ripon site.

The company opened its Ripon office on Boroughbridge Road in 1971. The site reopened this year after a £500,000 refurbishment, which included a new learning and development suite for training courses. Mr Oakland says:

“It’s completely transformed the business in Ripon. It was very tired inside.”

Mr Oakland was born in Dewsbury and his grandparents lived in Starbeck. He is based in Warwickshire and says he looks forward to his trips north:

“I love it. It takes me back to the places where I went to as a kid.”

He enjoys food and wine and tries to complete one or two triathlons each year. Training isn’t easy when you’re on the road three or four nights a week but after a period of upheaval, quieter times at Wolseley may be ahead. He says:

“The business is in a really good place now.”

It might not be the Alps, but Grantley Hall is set to bring a touch of “chalet chic” to the district with the launch of its new winter drinking and dining venue this weekend.

The luxury hotel, near Ripon, has transformed its summer marquee into a winter wonderland – complete with cozy blankets and sheepskins, twinkling lights, vintage skis and sledges and festive décor.

It is hoped Après at The Orchard will appeal to residents in the local area, rather than just hotel guests, who can combine it with a stroll around the stunning grounds.

Sarah Baines, Grantley Hall’s marketing manager, said:

We want people in the local community to feel like we have an open door and it’s not just an exclusive venue you can’t come and visit.”

Sneak peak

We were invited along for a sneak peak at the new Alpine-inspired winter retreat ahead of a glitzy après-ski night party on Saturday and its launch to the public on Sunday.

If you haven’t visited Grantley yet, it is definitely one for the list. The staff could not be more accommodating and it really is a stunning hotel.

The transformation from a whimsical summer escape to a snuggly winter retreat had just begun when I was shown into The Orchard, a sailcloth marquee located on the West Terrace, boasting sweeping views of the gardens.

The Orchard at Grantley Hall.

Due to an event taking place earlier in the week, the small team was tasked with decorating the venue in just two days. This is no mean feat as it’s a big space. For their sake, I was relieved to hear they didn’t have to cart the huge olive trees out of the marquee, but instead were going to adorn them with twinkling lights.

Up for the challenge

Although a lot of work is involved in the glitzy transformation, the enthusiastic staff were completely up for the challenge. I have no doubt it will look incredible for the glamorous launch party on Saturday, which has around 100 people on the guest list.

Sarah said:

“It’s all very exciting. The thought process for The Orchard was built on the back of al fresco dining, which came on the back of the pandemic.

“We just saw a real opportunity to create a more creative outdoor dining experience. You can just throw the sides open and walk out into the grounds.

“We had the conversation internally about what do we do about it in winter. The Orchard has got a following now and it’s a really nice space and is something we didn’t want to lose.

“This way we can run it all the way through the year.”

Visitors and hotel guests will be able to enjoy some real winter treats from an Alpine-inspired menu including boozy hot chocolates, warming cocktails, a traditional cheese fondue and tartiflette. There is also a melting Valrhona hot chocolate cake with malted milk chocolate sauce and homemade marshmallows on there, which is obviously first on my list.

Cheese fondue for two.

Sarah said:

“It’s a lot more casual than the rest of the hotel. We really do now have something for everyone.

“The menu is a real mix and it includes small plates, nibbles and flatbreads.

“You can splash out and go for it and make it a full celebration, or you can simply come for a flatbread and a coffee. You could even just come for drinks and have a couple of hot chocolates and a wander around the grounds.”

Since opening its doors in 2019, Grantley Hall has quickly earned a reputation as a top destination for the rich and famous.

It is a stately countryside stay, a glitzy resort, a wellness retreat and a foodie haven. And it is without doubt the place to be you want to show off on Instagram.

Read More: 

• Behind the scenes of Harrogate’s new £6m food hall
• Stray Foodie review: The Galphay Inn, Ripon

The 18th-century mansion, which has been dubbed by guests as “The Ritz of Ripon”, opened as a hotel after a £70m refurbishment.

It boasts 47 rooms, four restaurants, including one with a Michelin star, and 30 acres of sweeping wooded parkland and grounds.

Booking and opening hours

Après at The Orchard is open to the public from Sunday, November 7 until the end of March 2022.

The opening times are:

• Wednesday to Thursday: 5pm – 9pm
• Friday to Sunday: 12pm – 9pm

Bookings can be made online here, via email at dine@grantleyhall.co.uk or phone 01765 620070.

Ripon’s only toy shop has moved to a new location in time for Christmas.

Although The Easy Learning Shop has only relocated a matter of feet, owner Pete Wilkinson believes it can make a big difference.

He has moved from inside the Duck Hill Shopping Quarter to a unit on Duck Hill with a street frontage.

Mr Wilkinson told the Stray Ferret:

“This is something I’ve wanted for some time, as it gives me the opportunity to do window displays that change through the year, with Christmas an obvious time to try and catch people’s eyes.”

Animal glove puppets at the Easy Learning Shop

The shop, which sells traditional wooden toys and games, alongside puppets, books and goods designed to help educate children as they play, opened four years ago, when Mr Wilkinson was forced to change career.

He said:

“I was a bus driver for 18 years and used to drive the 36 double deckers, but that came to an abrupt halt after I sustained serious back injuries in a fall, which made driving buses too painful.

“I had to look for something else to do to earn a living and that’s when I decided to go into retail and I’m pleased to say that things have worked out.”

Since the move on Monday, he has already attracted new customers and he looks forward to building on that as the festive season rapidly approaches.

Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have compiled a list of events coming up this weekend in the Harrogate district.

Bonfires in Masham and Bilton were cancelled this year but we have still managed to find nine that are due to go ahead either on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Let us know if we have missed your event and we will add it to the list email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197 and we will add you to the list.

Friday 5th November

Knaresborough Cricket Club Fireworks Night

Where: Aspin Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 8EP

When: 6:15pm start, 7pm firework display

Tickets: adult £2, concessions £1

Aspin Park Academy, Knaresborough

Where: School grounds, parking on Manse Lane, Knaresborough

When: 5pm start, 6.30pm firework display

Tickets: Advance online booking – adults £4, children £3, family ticket £12, preschoolers free. On the gate – adults £5, children £4

Ripon Rowels Rotary Charity Bonfire and Firework Display

Where: Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG

When: 5:30pm start, 7pm fire lit, 7:30pm firework display.

Tickets: adults £6, children £3, family (2 adult, 2 child) £12, under 3s free

Spofforth Village Firework Display

Where: Spofforth cricket ground

Timings: Gates open 5pm

Tickets: Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Tockwith & District Agricultural Society Annual Bonfire & Firework Display

Where: Show field, Cattle Moor Lane, Tockwith, YO26 7QH

Timings: 6pm start, 6:30pm fire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: 13 and over £5, under 13s free

The Tockwith event is back.

Saturday 6th November

50th Annual Stray Bonfire, Harrogate Roundtable

Where: The Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ

When: 6pm start, 6:30pm fire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: free entry, donations welcome

Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire

Where: Pateley Bridge Showground

When: 5:30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: free entry, donations welcome

Wath and Melmerby Community Bonfire

Where: Roger Clarke Motor Engineers, The Sidings, Melmerby, HG4 5EX

When: 6pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: £5 per family

Sunday 7th November

Staveley Arms Bonfire

Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT

When: 4pm-6pm

Tickets: £3 per person

Swinton Bivouac Quiet Bonfire Night

Where: Swinton Bivouac, Masham, Ilton, Ripon, HG4 4JZ

When: 6:30pm bonfire lit. There will be no fireworks or loud bangs.

Tickets: free entry, food and drinks available from the Bivouac Café

Starbeck Community Firework Night – Harrogate Railway Sports and Social Club, Friends of Starbeck School

Where: Harrogate Railway Sports & Social Club, Station View, Starbeck, HG2 7JA

When: 5pm start, 6:30pm fireworks

Tickets: under 5’s free, 5 to 15’s £1, over 16’s £2

Harrogate Borough Council officials have said the new Ripon swimming pool will be safe to open despite news this week that further ground investigations are necessary.

The six-lane pool on Dallamires Lane is due to open on December 8. The adjoining leisure centre is due to partially open on the same date.

The council issued a statement this week saying it planned to carry out “ground remedial works and a thorough investigation programme” of the leisure centre site, which could result in further remedial work and a six-month closure.

It follows the discovery of a void near the leisure centre last year, which prompted an investigation at an estimated cost of £110,000.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority whether it remained confident the pool was safe to open next month despite the need for further work, which will include commissioning a 3D map of underground soil conditions

A spokesperson said the sites were “two separate foundations” and that the swimming pool was safe to use.

Safety concerns

As reported by the Stray Ferret, Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh has consistently raised concerns with the council about the suitability of building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.

Mr Mackintosh told the Stray Ferret that public safety at the site had “to be the overriding consideration” and that he would be writing to senior Harrogate councillors ahead of their decision on further investigative works on Wednesday.

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also previously raised safety concerns following an investigation by consultancy firm Stantec into the “cavity” that appeared at the site in September last year.

News of the latest investigation raises questions over whether the ground instability problems can be permanently solved and how much it will cost taxpayers to fund any further remedial works that may be required.

The city’s leisure centre will only be partially open when the new swimming pool comes on stream in five weeks time.

The ground floor is to remain closed, while the first floor gym will open.

Read more:

• Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears
• Ripon leisure centre won’t fully open with new pool

Council officials said in a report that the leisure centre could continue to operate half open while investigations at the site are carried out, possibly in the New Year.

It said:

“In August 2021, an officer decision was made, following advice from the consulting engineers that Ripon Leisure Centre could continue to operate on the reconfigured and refurbished first floor.

“The consulting engineers informed officers that they did not believe that there had been a geological change to the risk profile of the building since the initial void at the right hand side by the entrance was discovered in 2020.”

However, the site will close for six months if further further work is required. The report added that the investigation would not affect the swimming pool.

Void discovered

When asked why the first floor of the leisure site was to remain open instead of closing the entire building during the investigations, a council spokesperson said “the consulting engineers have advised the existing leisure centre can remain open”.

The void is understood to have been beneath the older half of the centre for several years and was discovered near where a sinkhole opened up in 2018. Ripon is notorious for sinkholes.

The initial investigations covered around 15% of the building’s footprint and if approved by senior councillors next week, the remainder will be surveyed.

It is likely this will lead to the need for ground strengthening works, similar to what was done to stabilise the ground beneath the new swimming pool.

During this time, the council said it would look to provide gym facilities at a different venue in the city which is one of the UK’s most sinkhole-prone areas.

Local Conservative MPs Andrew Jones and Julian Smith abstained from the controversial vote in the Commons yesterday on whether to suspend former minister Owen Paterson.

MPs voted by 250 to 232 to put off a decision on whether to suspend Mr Paterson.

A total of 98 Conservative MPs did not take part in the vote, despite pressure from the party leadership to vote in favour.

They included Mr Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Mr Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon. Both men rarely rebel from the party line.

Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams, who is Minister of State without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office, voted with the government.

The Leadsom amendment was put forward after a Parliamentary standards watchdog found Mr Paterson had breached lobbying rules by approaching MPs about two firms he was working for as a consultant.

Read more:

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The vote was carried and would have seen the formation a new cross-party committee of MPs to review the process for policing MPs and postponed Mr Paterson’s 30-day suspension from the Commons.

But following a fierce backlash, today, the government has now said it will rethink its plans.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House, said the changes would not go ahead without cross-party support. He added a further vote on Mr Paterson’s suspension will go ahead.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Smith and Mr Jones about the vote but has not received replies.