Ripon Market Square will host live music culminating in a fireworks finale tonight at 10.50.

The pyrotechnics will bring an end to a day of coronation celebrations in the city.

Afternoon sunshine brought hundreds of people, including a large number of families with young children, to the square.

A Katherine Jenkins tribute act wrapped in a Union Jack, sang a range of stirring patriotic songs, while children queued for their turn to ride free of charge on the galloping horses and Sizzler fairground attractions.

Earlier today, Ripon Cathedral hosted a live screening of today’s coronation ceremony.

Read more:

• Coronation celebrations underway in Harrogate district
• How Ripon Cathedral is marking the coronation
• Knaresborough coronation event ‘good for the town’, say residents

A former Ripon Grammar School student designed the dress which Queen Camilla wore to today’s coronation ceremony.

Bruce Oldfield, 72, came up with the idea for the white silk dress which Camilla wore during proceedings at Westminster Abbey and later at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Camilla’s outfit was also embroidered with roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks to represent the four nations of the United Kingdom.

Mr Oldfield has been designing Queen Camilla’s dresses for more than a decade.

The 72-year-old grew up in Ripon after moving to West Mount, a Dr Barnados Care Home, when he was 13.

He went on to study at Ripon Grammar School before pursuing a career as a fashion designer.

Mr Oldfield told the BBC that Her Majesty was “wonderful to collaborate with”.

Read more:

• Coronation celebrations underway in Harrogate district
• How Ripon Catherdal is marking the coronation
• Knaresborough coronation event ‘good for the town’, say residents

Residents were rocking in Ripon last night as the ancient city kicked off celebrations for the new king and queen with an eve of coronation concert.

With connections to monarchy going back to 886 AD, when Alfred the Great is said to have recognised the bravery of locals for fighting off a Viking incursion with the award of a ceremonial horn, Ripon has remained staunchly royal and loyal.

The Market Square, where Royalists forces of Charles I fought off Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary troops in a Civil War skirmish in 1643, provided a fitting setting to celebrate the imminent crowning of the descendant who shares his name.

Crowds in front of Ripon Town Hall

The stage for last night’s free concert featuring the tribute acts Jersey Beyond, Aftersun Party Band (pictured below) and Complete Madness (main picture) was located in front of Ripon Town Hall where two plaques are in place to mark visits of the then Prince of Wales

The first came in 1994, and the second in 2002, when he became a Freeman of the City in recognition of his contribution to Ripon’s regeneration, which included  the building of a new library and The Arcade retail development.

Amid the nostalgic rock and pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, came the ever-present link to the city’s historic past, when Patricio Maglio, a member of the city’s hornblower team, set the watch at 9pm.

Today (Saturday) following the Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey – which can be watched on large television screens in Ripon Cathedral starting at 9.30am – there will be further revelry on Market Square, with musical entertainment from 3pm and free fairground rides from 11am until 8pm.

The festivities will finish with a fireworks display between 10.50pm and 11pm.

Read more:

• Fireworks display for Ripon’s coronation celebrations
• How Ripon Catherdal is marking the coronation

North Yorkshire Council has said it has no plans to build a learner pool in Ripon following calls by local councillors and residents.

There have been hopes in the city that a facility to help children under four learn to swim could be built by the new council despite the now-abolished Harrogate Borough Council opening the £18m Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane only two years ago.

The new facility has a six-lane pool — but not a smaller pool.

Critics say this forces families with young children to go to Knaresborough, Harrogate or even further afield for swimming lessons.

Parents who formed Ripon Pool Action Group published a survey last year that found there are over 1,000 children of pre-school age living in the Ripon area that could benefit from a learner pool.

At a meeting of Ripon City Council last week, council leader Andrew Williams, who also sits on North Yorkshire Council as an independent, said the city council would be writing to the new authority asking it to commit to building the pool.

But Nic Harne, North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of community development, said the new council, which is looking to make savings, has no plans to build a learner pool.

Mr Harne said: 

“Residents will understand that it is extremely expensive to build and maintain swimming pools so the right thing to do is to ensure that there are safe and secure facilities to meet the local demand.

“Therefore, we have no plans to build a learner pool in Ripon.”

Leisure facilities in Ripon are run by Brimhams Active, an arm’s length company set up by Harrogate Borough Council.

North Yorkshire Council, which now owns Brimhams Active, has pledged to undertake a £120,000 review of leisure services with the aim of creating a countywide model for delivering leisure and sport by 2027.

Mr Harne added: 

“As we bring together our leisure provision under the new council, we are reviewing all our facilities across the county to ensure they continue meet the needs of their communities.”

Read more:

• ‘Undemocratic’ to ask Harrogate residents to pay for town council without stating its powers
• Harrogate leisure chief defends Ripon pool location amid ground stability concern
• ‘We want our learner swimming pool’, say Ripon councillors

This story is sponsored by Vodafone Pro Broadband.

The Stray Ferret has teamed up with Vodafone Pro Broadband to bring our readers an exclusive deal! Not only are we leading you to the fastest possible internet speed, but we are also offering a FREE voucher to some of your favourite stores in return.

To celebrate Vodafone Pro Broadband’s full fibre-optic service launching in the Harrogate district, we are offering Stray Ferret readers a free £50 or £75 voucher to either The White Company, M&S, Morrisons or Amazon to those that sign up through our affiliate link.

Gifts don’t need to be exclusive to birthdays or Christmas…gift yourself the fastest internet speed, as well as that White Company candle you have been eyeing up with our exclusive deal.

Need more convincing?

Are you part of a family with multiple devices under one roof? Or are you a gamer needing the fastest internet to ensure a winning streak? Or perhaps you work from home and just want the ease of super fast broadband? Whatever your broadband needs, Vodafone Pro Broadband will make the frustration of slow broadband magically disappear.

Many broadband providers across the UK offer full fibre as far as the telephone cabinet near your house, but from there, use copper cables to your home. It is the copper cables that slow down upload and download speeds massively.

Vodafone Pro Broadband, however, uses full-fibre optic cables at every stage to your home, meaning even the most digitally congested households don’t need to worry about slow broadband.

Availability

Vodafone Pro Broadband is already available in Harrogate and Knaresborough, with availability in Ripon coming soon.

So, whether you’re after a new pair of slippers, some garden furniture or just a lovely bottle of Champagne – as well as super fast broadband, of course — treat yourself using our exclusive affiliate programme.

Find out more about Vodafone’s Pro Broadband and how you can redeem your voucher now.

Simply click here to get started. 

A dance group for over 50s that launched in lockdown is opening classes in Harrogate town centre.

Following the success of classes in Darley, Ripley, Ripon and Knaresborough, Happy Dance will begin hosting weekly sessions in Harrogate in May.

The group began during the pandemic, with just five members dancing over zoom. Three years later, Happy Dance boasts over 80 members aged between 53 and 93.

The classes take place in various village halls and consist of 45 minutes of upbeat dancing. They involve stretching, balance, work-out sequences, or just ‘boogie exercise’.

Happy Dance founder Jane Waring is an experienced dancer and qualified RAD ballet teacher. She choreographs dances for all fitness levels to ensure members can work to their own abilities.

Ms Waring focusses heavily on the social element of the classes – particularly for those combatting feelings of loneliness – and encourages members to carry on the socialising after.

Ms Waring told the Stray Ferret:

“I can almost guarantee that at the end of class you will feel happier, taller, lighter and proud you have danced for 45 minutes, had fun, laughed and danced well over 3,000 steps!

“It is so good for your well-being.”

Happy Dance will be held in Harrogate at St Robert’s Centre, on Robert Street. Classes will take place every Tuesday at 11.45 am, beginning on Tuesday, May 16.

Booking details can be found on the Happy Dance website.

Shortly before Christmas, Andy Clarke heard rumours all was not well at Ripon firm Farmison & Co.

Having spent a career in retail, including six years as chief executive of Asda, Mr Clarke was aware of the company’s mission to ‘eat better meat’ and innovative business model, which had attracted clients including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.

He was approached about getting involved but was busy at the time. He adds:

“The phone went quiet for a while and then there was a bit more noise about the company being in a challenging position. When it went into administration, I decided to look in more detail.”

Farmison entered administration on April 6 — Maundy Thursday. The ensuing Easter drama ended, appropriately, with a resurrection when a consortium spearheaded by Mr Clarke acquired the business from the administrators just over two weeks later.

It prompted a collective sigh of relief in Ripon, where Farmison was one of the city’s largest and most feted employers, with almost 100 staff and numerous awards.

Farmison will stay at Bondgate Green

Some former staff, who lost their jobs when administration happened, are being rehired and new ones are being sought as Farmison prepares to recommence trading within weeks.

What possessed Mr Clarke to get involved as executive chairman? He says:

“I’ve lived in Yorkshire most of my life and I’ve always been keen to support Yorkshire businesses. I’ve a strong affection for local and Yorkshire. I was chair of Leeds Bradford Airport for nearly five years.

“When I saw what I believed to be a great brand at risk of disappearing I felt I had to have a look to see if I could help. At that point I didn’t know what help was. It soon became clear I had to find a partner and invest in it.”

From then, events moved rapidly.

“It became a race to see who was going to rescue the business. In the final throw of the dice, we were given approval by the administrators who felt our bid to take forward the business and protect jobs was the strongest.”

Read more:

• Ripon firm Farmison to trade again after buyout completed
• Ripon firm Farmison begins hiring staff as it prepares for comeback

The four-strong consortium also includes Gareth Whittle, the founder and former managing director of Chilli Marketing. But not Farmison co-founder John Pallagi, who was heavily involved in the race to save the company until the last minute. Mr Clarke says:

“We discussed with John what role he might play. We are still talking to John – there could be a role for him in future. He developed a great brand and his vision to ‘eat better meat’ is what attracted me.”

Mr Clarke says the immediate challenges are to refocus, manage the cost base and stabilise the business to bring it back to growth. No drastic changes to its business model are planned. He says:

“It’s fundamentally a good business that ran out of petrol because the cost base was too high.

“We are primarily a B to C supplier. That’s the primary purpose of the business and I would suggest that will be retained.”

Mr Clarke, who lives in East Yorkshire, says he’s had “brilliant support” from suppliers even though Farmison’s administration left some being owed money. He says:

“It’s sad that these businesses have lost out because of the previous company and the previous management team. We will develop a stronger business together.”

He reaffirmed Farmison’s commitment to its Bondgate Green site in Ripon by saying the consortium has assured the landlord it intends to stay. He says:

“It’s a great site. We are at the heart of the community.”

‘Eat better meat’ is Farmison’s strapline

Mr Clarke, who is also chair of Menzies Distribution and holds other senior roles, will divide his time at Farmison with his other business ventures.

Chief operating officer Michelle Kennedy is in charge of day-to-day operations, supported by commercial director Andy Cavanna and finance manager Liam Duggan.

“I add value through my experience but when it comes down to it it’s about the capability of the team to work together and get this business back to where it’s meant to be.”

Even with his long experience in retail, however, he says the Farmison acquisition has been “quite a journey”.

“I’ve driven the Ripon Road on more occasions than ever before. It’s been great. I’ve loved it. It’s a very exciting business to be involved in and we hope we can make it successful again for Ripon.”

This week’s photograph was taken by Andy B, capturing The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley in its final days.

Andy B

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

This story is sponsored by Vodafone Pro Broadband.

What could be better than the fastest possible internet speed? Perhaps a free voucher as well as the fastest possible internet speed…

The Stray Ferret has teamed up with Vodafone to spread the word about its brand-new Pro Broadband connection. With a deal exclusive to the Stray Ferret, Vodafone are offering customers that sign up via our affiliate programme a free voucher in return.

Whether it’s Netflix buffering, your Zoom meeting glitching, or the PlayStation freezing mid-game, we’ve all been frustrated over poor broadband connection. Fear not, Vodafone Pro Broadband is here to answer the Harrogate district’s internet wishes.

Rather than using copper cables that slow down upload and download speeds, Vodafone use full fibre-optic cables every step of the way for connection, with download speeds of up to 900Mbps.

Loosely translated: your internet will be very fast.

What does it really mean?

Internet speed is integral to the day-to-day running of our society, but it can be a tricky thing to understand.

Broadband speed is measured in Mbps (megabits per second). The higher the Mbps, the faster your internet speed. The faster your internet speed, the more devices can be used at once under one roof.

How would this benefit me?

Maybe you’re a family with a smart TV, a gaming console and congested internet use. Maybe you’re working from home and looking for super speedy download connections; or perhaps you’re just wanting to rid your home of slow WIFI. No matter which one you are, Vodafone Pro Broadband could certainly help you.

Vodafone Pro Broadband uses full-fibre optic cables all the way to your house, with download speeds around 15 times faster than a copper cable connection — reaching a top speed of 910Mbps.

The stress of a slow internet speed will soon be a distant memory.

Availability

Vodafone Pro Broadband is already available to households across Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The full-fibre service will also be on offer to Ripon residents very soon.

Voucher Scheme

Stray Ferret readers can sign up using this link and will redeem a voucher up to £75 with either Amazon, M&S, Morrisons or The White Company. 

Find out more:

Visit vodafone.co.uk/broadband/pro-ii to find out more about Vodafone’s Pro Broadband.

Councillors in Ripon have called on the new North Yorkshire Council to build a learner pool so children aged under four can learn to swim in the city.

Last year, Harrogate Borough Council opened the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane to replace the city’s 116-year-old Spa Baths.

However, the project has been dogged by controversy due to spiralling costs related to concerns about sinkholes.

The current cost of the project is estimated to be £18m — which is £8m over-budget.

The now-abolished council was also criticised for not building a smaller pool alongside the main pool.

It does offer swimming lessons through arms-length council leisure company Brimhams Active but they take place in the six-lane, 25-metre pool that is designed for adults and older children.

This means families have to take young children to Knaresborough, Harrogate or even further afield for swimming lessons.

At a meeting of Ripon City Council on Monday night, council leader Andrew Williams, who also sits on North Yorkshire Council as an independent, said the city council would be writing to the new authority asking it to commit to building a learner pool in Ripon.

He said: 

”It’s a very sad fact that Harrogate Borough Council when considering building a new pool couldn’t find the £630,000 that was needed to provide Ripon with a learner pool, the same as children in Knaresborough and Harrogate have.

”Instead, we were told that this was unaffordable but they could find £8m to fund incompetence and overspend. I find that incredible. It’s just a sad record of Harrogate council’s inability to deliver anything properly.”

Read more:

• ‘Undemocratic’ to ask Harrogate residents to pay for town council without stating its powers
• Harrogate leisure chief defends Ripon pool location amid ground stability concern

Parents who formed Ripon Pool Action Group have campaigned for a learner pool in the city for several years and last year published a survey that found there are over 1,000 children of pre-school age living in the Ripon area.

The survey suggested there was a demand for a learner pool with 63% of parents saying they would swim with their children once a week if Ripon had one.

Cllr Pauline McHardy, who on Harrogate Borough Council was an outspoken critic of the leisure centre project in Ripon, said she backed the bid to build a learner pool.

She said:

”I raised this at Harrogate council and said it was disgusting they couldn’t find money for the learner pool.”

North Yorkshire Council has been approached for comment.