The Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park in Ripon has a new 60-strong artwork exhibition

Above: Fish Pool by Diane Maclean

Go on an immersive journey through art and nature at the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, near Ripon, at its new 60 collection artwork exhibition entitled Sculpture in the Landscape. It opens for the season next week on Thursday April 18 until the end of October 2024.

Showcasing artists from across the globe, the pieces are dotted around the 45 acres of gardens and will be on display along with the 90 mixed media permanent sculptures.

Willow Snow Tiger by Leila Veneer

From monumental installations to intricate pieces, each sculpture will invite those visiting the garden to think about the artwork in a unique and thought-provoking manner. This is all to the backdrop of the gardens that are home to more than 20,000 plants, including one of the North’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias.

Visitors can expect to encounter sculptures crafted from a myriad of materials, each telling a unique story and the garden can make for a great day out for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and families alike.

Barn Owl And Vole by Bryn Parry

Will Roberts from the Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park said:

“We are delighted to present this exhibition, celebrating the intersection of art and nature.

“This year’s exhibition features a rich tapestry of creative expressions, offering visitors an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of both the sculptural and natural worlds and provides a platform for established and emerging artists to showcase their talent while fostering dialogue about the environment, culture, and society.”

The artwork will also be available for visitors to buy should they wish; just head to this link for details.

Gallery

A Vessel by Cillian Briody

Mr And Mrs Pig by Henrietta Bud

Fallen Fruit, Apple III by Chris Moss

A Vessel by Cillian Briody

The Watchman by Rory Cannon

A Brisk Walk by Simon Conolly RBSA, RSMA

Aderyn by Stephen Page

Swift Return by Gill Wicks BA(Hons) Fashion Design, PGCE

Blue Door Sycamore by Dave Watkinson

READ MORE:

Meet the Ripon leather workers following St Wilfrid’s path

Stiches that bridge time between ancient and modern craftsmanship are linking the skills of two outstanding leatherworkers in the Ripon area.

The handmade heritage stretches back to the foundation by Wilfrid of the city’s cathedral in 672 AD

Master craftsman Andy Bates, a mentor on the BBC’s Make It At Market BAFTA Award-nominated series, has been sharing his in-depth knowledge with Bridie Rimmer, whose bespoke handmade Luxe Rebel Leather Co, brand of leather jackets and fashion wear is proving popular with glam rock and and country music stars.

The like-minded leatherworkers who produce goods of the highest quality for different types of clientele, first met at a leathercraft workshop run by Andy at Ripon Workhouse Museum last year.

A selection of Luxe Rebel Leather Co garments, all made by Bridie Rimmer

Andy said:

“It was a serendipitous meeting, because we were able to discuss how the skills and techniques of leathercraft, which go back centuries, still apply to this day and Bridie is using them to create specialist high-end bespoke goods that have great visual appeal, while my customers commission me to produce one-off items ranging from belts to boots and items that are used in theatrical productions.”

One of Andy Bates’ dramatic pieces of leatherwork. 

Bridie’s clients include Canadian Jo-Jo O’Donoghue, lead singer with the fast-rising glam rock band Jo-Jo and the Teeth and her stunning designs are also worn by other artists including country musician Kezia Gill.

She has also caught the attention of the organisers of an industry award, where  Rebel Luxe Leather Co has been shortlisted for a sustainability award for her environmentally-aware operation, which sees waste is minimised through use of offcuts to make other small leather goods. Some left over leather is also donated to local schools.

Speaking about how she developed her latent talent, Bridie said:

“I taught myself how to make a jacket from an existing one and after many frustrating attempts, it worked!  I then developed the patterns to change them into a unique rebellious stylish piece.

“I am completely self-taught in leather and when I wanted to expand and explore more into the leather world, Luxe Rebel Leather Co. was born; with creativity and chic style at its core.”

Jo-Jo O’Donoghue, lead singer of Jo-Jo and the Teeth in a jacket made by Bridie Rimmer. Picture: Kamila Jarczak

She added:

“I am passionate about finding my customers’ unique styles and igniting their confidence by working closely together to develop a piece that personally speaks to them, in a way that nothing else in the current fast-fashion industry could.”

In the footsteps of Saint Wilfrid

Andy, who is a keen archaeologist, historian and member of the Heritage Crafts organisation, pointed out:

“We can trace back the leather-sandaled  footsteps of Ripon’s Patron Saint Wilfrid, and find his link to leatherworking both here and in Hexham.

“‘More than 1,300 years later, working alongside Bridie and others willing to share their know-how and craftworking tips, I am planning to run more workshops.

“This is in the hope that they will become the catalyst that helps craftsmen and women to join forces and put Ripon back on the map as a centre of excellence for the production of hand-crafted leather goods.”

Main image: Andy Bates and Bridie Rimmer, pictured with examples of their work at Bridie’s Melmerby studio.

Read more:

 

 

 

 

 

Community group agrees price to buy Grewelthorpe pub

Campaigners have taken a major step towards buying a pub between Masham and Ripon.

Friends of the Crown, a not-for-profit group, is working towards buying the Crown Inn at Grewelthorpe and converting it to a community pub.

The group was formed following the closure of the Crown Inn last year.

The pub is owned by Admiral Taverns, which owns 1,600 UK pubs. However, the company accepted the campaigners’ offer on Monday to buy the pub subject to funding.

The group now aims to raise a minimum of £450,000 to fund the purchase and refurbishment.

It has applied for a grant of up to £250,000 from the government’s community ownership fund, which is a four-year scheme to support groups in purchasing community assets at risk of being lost.

In addition, group chair Martin Glynn told the Stray Ferret it would then require a further £200,000 of community donations.

He said the group conducted a survey to find out how many people supported the initiative shortly after the pub’s closure.

It revealed a total of 96% of the 120 responses supported the idea of a community pub, and the group has since received £177,000 of pledges from the local community, Mr Glynn added.

He added:

“The fund opened this time around with a much shorter window than anybody anticipated so it was a huge amount of work to get our bid ready, but we managed it — with an hour to go!

“I’d just like to say a very big thank you to everybody who helped – it really was a team effort. We just want our pub back in Grewelthorpe, and this week has seen us make big strides to achieving that.”

Friends of the Crown hopes the new pub will “service community needs” and provide a “welcoming destination for locals and visitors”.

The campaigners say they want to provide good food and drink, rather than just a “drinkers den”, and provide work and training opportunities for local people.

The group said it expects to hear back about the funding application in a few months’ time, adding it will then fundraise for the remainder of the money in the months following.

Read more:

 

Bus operator defends itself after parents’ frustrations over new Boroughbridge service

A bus operator has responded to concerns raised by Boroughbridge parents about a new service serving schoolchildren.

East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd, which trades as East Yorkshire Buses, this week took over the 22 service, which French-owned Transdev ran between Ripon and Boroughbridge.

The move, funded by North Yorkshire Council, means Boroughbridge High School pupils now have to use the 82 or 83.

However, parents claimed they were “not informed” about the change of operator and pupils’ pre-paid Transdev tickets were no longer valid.

The Stray Ferret put these concerns to East Yorkshire Buses. A spokesperson yesterday said:

“East Yorkshire Motor Services commenced operation of several public service routes on April 8, 2024, following a contract award from North Yorkshire Council. On our first day of operation of one of these services which calls into Boroughbridge High School, we became aware that some customers possessed period tickets issued by the previous operator which were yet to expire.

“To prioritise customer satisfaction and ensure a smooth transition, we took immediate action to accommodate these existing tickets for a grace period of one week. This decision was made to afford customers ample time to transition onto our service offerings seamlessly.”

Duncan Gray, whose granddaughter is a pupil at the school, told the Stray Ferret some children were “were initially refused to travel” with Transdev tickets, but after “protests from parents” they were permitted.

The spokesperson said in response:

“We have not been made aware of any reported instances where customers were denied travel due to possessing tickets from the previous operator. In fact, during the inaugural journey to Boroughbridge High School from Ripon, all such tickets were accepted without issue, as confirmed by our managing director who was present onboard.

“To further reinforce this commitment, a senior staff member was onboard the service this morning, and all legacy tickets were once again accepted without hesitation. We have also reiterated this message to our drivers and controllers to ensure that there are no issues.”

Another parent Tasha Newcombe, who also expressed concerns to the Stray Ferret following the change of operator, today said ticketing was “not the issue” now — instead the problem is “how late the bus is running”.

She added:

“On Tuesday they arrived at school at 9.30am as it was so late, and yesterday after school the children were waiting for 40 minutes to be picked up. It’s just ridiculous, some of these children, I believe year 7, have had exams this week which they have been late to.

“The timings really need sorting as this is going to impact on their education, and being late after school means missing clubs etc.”

Mr Gray reiterated Ms Newcombe’s concerns, adding his wife is driving their grandchildren to school this week as the bus has been “15 to 20 minutes late in the mornings”. He also said:

“The situation has to change otherwise the kids will be late every morning!”

East Yorkshire Buses said its priority was the “provision of reliable, efficient and customer-centric transport solutions”.

Read more:

‘A huge disappointment’: Ripon GP surgery responds to merger announcement

Ripon Spa Surgery has responded to an announcement that a merger between GP practices in the city will move forward without it.

Last year, the NHS proposed merging the city’s Ripon Spa Surgery with North House Surgery and Park Street Surgery.

However, in an update sent to patients on Friday, partners at Park Street Surgery and Park Street said they will be moving forward with the merger but without Ripon Spa Surgery.

This was after they said it was found to be in after it was found to be in an “unexpectedly poor financial position” during the due diligence process.

The partners at Ripon Spa Surgery have now issued a joint statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that outlined their sadness at the decision.

They sought to reassure patients that the practice remains financially viable and said bosses are looking to make improvements in the coming months.

Dr Charles McEvoy, Dr Penny McEvoy, Dr Matt Mielcarek and managing partner Samantha Miles said:

“Due to the extremely difficult financial climate that general practice is facing, along with some specific challenges we have faced in the past couple of years, it will not be possible to bring our finances in line with the other practices in Ripon in time for the merger to proceed as planned.

“Although we still wanted to be part of the merger, it is with heavy hearts that we must acknowledge North House and Park Street’s decision not to proceed. This is truly sad and a huge disappointment for us, but we must emphasise that we remain financially viable as a business and will be working hard to improve the situation over the coming months.

“We are already discussing the way forward, both as a partnership and as a practice team, in order that we can continue to provide a service to our patients and safeguard the future of our practice for staff and patients alike.”

The merger between North House Surgery and Park Street Surgery will take place before October 2024. The new practice will be called Fountains Health.

The two practices will close for four afternoons over the next six months so staff can be brought together to prepare for the merger.

Read more:

5 things to do in Harrogate and the district this weekend£1.3m to be spent resurfacing pothole-ridden roads in Harrogate district

Anyone who has driven around the Harrogate district recently will have noted the poor state of the roads, with a prolonged spell of wet weather making the pothole problem worse.

But there are now hopes the situation could finally improve for road users after the government announced that £1.3m previously allocated for the rail scheme HS2 will be spent resurfacing roads in the area including in Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped the northern leg of HS2 last year and pledged to use money intended for the scheme on improving transport in the north.

Today the Department for Transport has revealed which local authorities across Yorkshire will benefit from the latest tranche of funding for road resurfacing, which it says will result in £991 million in reallocated HS2 funding for the region.

Roads in the Harrogate district that will be resurfaced are below along with how much each set of works will cost:

Councils across Yorkshire will now be required to submit quarterly reports from June, announcing work which has taken place over three months.

The government says it means residents will be able to scrutinise the progress of the works as these reports will be published online.

Transport secretary Mark Harper said:

“We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest £991 million in Yorkshire and the Humber as part of the biggest-ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.

“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure residents can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”

Meanwhile, it was announced last month that North Yorkshire Council will receive £3.5m from HS2 to put on extra buses across 20 different routes.

Read more:

Parents outrage over Ripon to Boroughbridge school bus change

Parents at Boroughbridge High School have expressed concern about the lack of information on changes to a Boroughbridge bus service.

Duncan Gray, whose granddaughter is a pupil at the school, contacted the Stray Ferret after the number 22, which formerly took students from Ripon to the school, ceased operating.

French-owned Transdev, which operated the route, has handed over the service to East Yorkshire Buses. According to East Yorkshire Buses’ website, the changeover has been funded by North Yorkshire Council, and pupils now must use the 82 or 83 to get to school.

The new service runs between Ripon bus station and York, via Boroughbridge and surrounding villages.

However, Mr Gray said parents were “not informed” about the change of operator and he added pupils’ Transdev tickets were no longer valid on the new service.

He said:

“The timetable has changed, meaning the kids arrive at school five minutes before start time. My granddaughter and dozens of other kids didn’t get to school until 9.30 today.

“There was no consultation on this transfer of service.”

Mr Gray also said pupils with Transdev tickets were initially refused to travel on the new service. However, after “protests from parents” the pupils were eventually permitted, he added.

Read more:

Another parent, Tasha Newcombe, also expressed concern about the short time pupils now have to catch the bus after school.

She told the Stray Ferret the changeover had been an “absolute shambles”, adding:

“I know that on pick-up in the afternoon the new bus gets there slightly earlier, meaning the children are now having to rush as soon as the end of the day bell goes.

“The [new] bus is smaller, so on the way home yesterday the kids were all stood up all the way back on country lanes.

“There were a lot of anxious children yesterday when they saw the new bus and were told their pre-bought tickets were not valid for the new bus.”

The Stray Ferret contacted Boroughbridge High School to ask about the new service, including whether the school was aware of the change, but it declined to comment.

We also approached Transdev and East Yorkshire Buses about the move, but neither firm replied by the time of publication.

The news comes after major changes to several Harrogate district buses were announced last week. However, the termination of the 22 was not included in the listed changes.

Ripon man pleads guilty to damaging cars in Bishopton

A Ripon man has pleaded guilty to damaging cars in the Bishopton area of the city this year.

Mohammad Ahmadi, 38, of Bishopton Place, faced three charges of criminal damage when he appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday last week.

He admitted smashing the wing mirror of a Kia Sorrento at Bishopton Place on February 15, causing £200 damage.

Ahmadi pleaded guilty causing £1,000 damage to a BMW at Bishopton Place on January 22 by keying the door and also admitted keying the door of a VW Polo on January 13, causing £1,000 damage, on Bellman Walk.

He will be sentenced at York Magistrates Court on May 3.

Read more:

Ripon Grammar student organises charity concert for paralysed 15-year-old

A Ripon student is organising a fundraising concert in aid of paralysed Ripon Grammar student Alan Nowicki.

Daniel McClean, 17, is organising the event to take place next week.

In December, 15-year-old Alan had a life-changing accident that left him paralysed from the waist down. He fell from a pull-up bar in his bedroom and as he landed, hit his head on the hard floor.

Alan was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary where it was discovered he had suffered a spinal fracture resulting in a severe spinal cord injury. After 11 days and emergency surgery, he was transferred to Wakefield Pinderfields Hospital.

Alan’s mum, Kamila began a £20,000 fundraising campaign to fly her son to Poland for rehabilitation after she was quoted UK treatments at over £10,000 a week. The fundraiser is still live and has now reached over £23,000.

Kamila said:

“Most of it has been spent already on our nine-week rehab stay, flights, wheelchair and other rehabilitation equipment that I’ve bought for home use. I don’t have a top figure in mind really – every little helps.

“Alan is doing really well, he’s super strong and fit, positive thinking throughout. No change in terms of the paralysis but he has regained feeling further down on his tummy, so fingers crossed.”

Alan Nowicki at the Polish rehabilitation centre, Donum Corde.

Alan aims to get back to school to sit his GCSEs and begin A-levels. Before the accident he was in the RAF Air Cadets and aspires to be a pilot, a dream Daniel McClean shares.

Daniel said:

“When I heard what was happening and what we had in common it struck a special chord. For someone wanting to be a pilot it is potentially a career-ending injury.

“I don’t know Alan but when I read about his accident I couldn’t abide the thought that the help he needed wasn’t immediately being provided to him. It really struck me that I or anyone could be in that situation.”

Three student bands will take part in the concert. Mr McClean is a drummer in the band Yellow Number 5, which is among them. He told the Stray Ferret he aims to raise over £1,000 towards Alan’s treatment.

Daniel McClean’s band, Yellow Number 5

He said:

“I have spoken with Alan’s family and had confirmation that they are coming to the concert. They are very grateful we are doing this. I am also very grateful to Ripon Grammar for going out of their way to support me with this. This is definitely the biggest thing I have organised but everyone has been very supportive and at the end of the day it is about getting Alan the care he needs.”

The concert is among a number of fundraising events organised by members of the Ripon Grammar School community, including a home baked foods stall run by students and a non-uniform day where students paid £2 each to wear non-uniform.

The concert will take place April 18 from 7.30-10pm and is only open to students of Ripon Grammar School and their families. There is no ticket fee but volunteers will have donation buckets at the event. To donate online, click here.

Read more: