Ripon Archives - Page 71 of 201

Last summer concert brings hundreds to Ripon Market Square

Hundreds of people gathered on Ripon Market Square yesterday for the last large-scale public event of the summer organised by the city council.

Families with children from tots to teenagers came early in the afternoon to ride the Ferris wheel and roundabout, both of which proved a constant draw until dusk, when tribute acts took centre stage in front of the town hall.

The queue for the Ferris wheel stretched the length of Market Square

Evening entertainment was provided by tribute acts playing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, while the Big Boyband Reunion, played a selection of the chart-topping songs made famous by leading boy bands.

The crowd on Market Square steadily grew throughout the evening.

One of the concert highlights came when the Neil Diamond lookalike and soundalike sang Sweet Caroline, the adopted anthem of the England women’s football team.

Sweet Caroline struck a chord with the Ripon crowd

The Robbie Williams tribute act

Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me rang out before sunset arrived and at 9pm Allison Clark, a member of the Ripon hornblower team (pictured below) provided a reminder of the city’s ancient roots, by performing the nightly setting of the watch ceremony, which has reputedly been carried out without break for more than eleven hundred years.

You can watch a live video from last night on our Facebook page.

More free Bank Holiday entertainment

The free family-focused entertainment continues in Ripon on Monday, with a street party in Kirkgate from 11am until 4pm and a Spanish-themed fiesta on Minster Gardens from 5pm until 9.30pm.

Organised by independent businesses in the city as part of the Totally Locally initiative developed with Ripon BID, the Bank Holiday event will see the closure of Kirkgate from 9am.

Ripon woman given suspended sentence for intentional strangulation

A woman has been given a suspended sentence for intentional strangulation and criminal damage in Harrogate.

Angela Freebury, 44, appeared before York Crown Court for sentencing yesterday (August 24).

She admitted strangling the named victim on Harewood Road in Harrogate on September 23 last year.

Ryan Donoghue, prosecuting, told the court that Freebury, who was intoxicated, had asked the victim for a cigarette but was refused.

The 44-year-old, whose address was given as Blossomgate, Ripon, then went back to her room and proceeded to be verbally aggressive from her window.

The victim began recording on her mobile phone, Mr Donoghue said.

He added:

“Twenty minutes later, the defendant returned downstairs.

“The complainant was recording. The defendant took it from her hand and threw it on the ground.”

Mr Donoghue said Freebury then took the victim by the throat with her left hand and compressed, which an eye witness said lasted for between five and 10 seconds.

The victim had to push Freebury in the chest to get her to let go, the prosecution added.

She was arrested, but offered no comment when questioned by police.

Mr Donoghue told the court that the attack was “sustained and repeated”.

The defence said Freebury had a “number of problems” that she is “quite clearly unable to deal with”.

Judge Sean Morris sentenced her to a 10 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

Freebury was also ordered to undertake 30 rehabilitation days.

BT reveals plans to remove two rural phone boxes

BT Group has revealed plans to remove two payphones from rural locations near Ripon.

The company has applied to North Yorkshire Council for planning permission to take away phone boxes in Grantley and Winksley.

According to planning documents submitted in support of the application, the Winksley phone box has not been used for any calls in the last 12 months, while the one in Grantley has been used five times.

People have 90 days to object to the plans.

Planning documents say communities can also apply to adopt phone boxes and transform their use. They add:

“Thousands of boxes have been reinvented as cafes, mini-libraries and defibrillator sites. Communities can adopt most red boxes for just £1.”

The deadline for making representations to BT is November 20.

Ripon nursery Busy Bees rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Ripon nursery Busy Bees has retained its ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.

The government inspector said in a report published this week the nursery on Kearsley Road provided a “safe and nurturing environment” where “children are happy, motivated and keen to learn”.

The report said leaders “create an ambitious curriculum that staff follow and implement well” and staff “have high expectations for children’s behaviour”.

It added:

“Children behave well and are kind and considerate to their friends. Staff provide good support to help them understand how to manage their own behaviour.

“For example, they teach children who struggle with their emotions to use deep breathing strategies to help them feel calm.

However, Ofsted said the nursery’s ample outdoor resources were “not as stimulating as indoors for children to extend their learning through play” and “occasionally, not all parents and carers are fully involved in their children’s learning”.

The inspection, which took place on July 17, was the first since 2019, which also rated the nursery as ‘good’.

Busy Bees is the UK’s largest nursery group, with almost 400 nurseries.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visited the company’s Harrogate nursery this week.

Ripon’s Old Deanery to launch fine dining after key appointment

Plans put on hold because of covid are finally set to come to fruition at the Old Deanery in Ripon following the appointment of Adam Jackson.

The award-winning executive chef is working with owners Rebecca and Chris Layton to provide fine dining and accommodation to sit alongside the wedding and events business the couple launched two years ago at the historic grade two listed Minster Road property.

The Jacobean mansion is situated in the shadows of Ripon Cathedral.

Ms Layton told the Stray Ferret:

“We always had an appetite for making the Old Deanery a fine dining destination that would be open on a more regular basis, but covid meant that we had to put our plans on hold.

“Now we believe that the time is right and Adam joins us as part of our exciting plans to open as Yorkshire’s newest dining experience. He is already working on menu development.”

Executive chef Adam Jackson. Picture: The Old Deanery

Award-winning Mr Jackson was head chef at the Black Swan at Oldstead, near Thirsk, where he helped it win its first Michelin star in 2012.

He then set up his own York restaurant The Park in Marmadukes Town House Hotel, which gained three AA Rosettes.

Latterly, he has worked at the Faversham Arms in Helmsley and the Bow Room at Grays Court in York.

From November, in addition to its weddings and receptions, The Old Deanery will be open for dinner, bed and breakfast stays and meals, including grazing-style meals and Sunday lunches.

Police warn of spate of ‘shoddy’ rip-off builders in Ripon

Police have warned people in Ripon to beware of shoddy builders turning up on their doorsteps offering to carry out work.

A Ripon police post on the North Yorkshire Community Messaging website on Saturday said it and trading standards had received a number of reports recently of poor workmanship.

It said:

“Would-be builders have turned up on spec at people’s homes offering to replace guttering, point chimneys, repair roofing etc.

“Work carried out has been found to be sub-standard and shoddy but has been charged at a premium rate.”

Police urged people to be cautious of employing unknown door-to-door tradesmen.

Ripon woman charged with sexually assaulting boy under 13

A Ripon woman is facing five charges relating to sexual offences against a child.

Denise Povall, 60, has been charged with four counts of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity with her.

She has also been charged with sexually assaulting a boy under 13 by touching him.

The offences are alleged to have taken place around 15 years ago.

Ms Povall, of Bondgate Green in Ripon, is expected to enter pleas to the charges at a hearing at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Friday, September 1.

New roadworks revealed for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon

Details of upcoming roadworks for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon have been revealed.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, posted details of scheduled resurfacing schemes on his Facebook page.

The information is set out below with details of where and when each scheme will take place and the accompanying plan to manage traffic.

North Park Road, Harrogate

Monday, August 21 to Friday, September 1 (7pm to midnight)

21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th 29th – traffic management – combination of two-way lights and road closure during working hours

23rd, 30th, 31st and 1st Sep – traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained