The children’s paddling pool at Borrage Green Lane playground in Ripon is being refurbished, with funding from North Yorkshire Council.

City council leader Andrew Williams, who also represents the Ripon Minster and Moorside division as an Independent on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“The work on re-lining the pool is being carried out to prevent future leaks.

“The aim is to have it re-opened ahead of the school summer holidays. so that families can use it once more.”

A new concrete base has been put in place as part of the refurbishment.

In addition to the re-lining of the pool in time for the arrival of warmer weather, Ripon City Council is arranging for portable toilets to be put in place at the playground for the third consecutive summer.

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• New sponsorship deal for Ripon Races
• Months of roadworks ahead on Ripon to Harrogate road

This story is sponsored by Ripon Races

Ripon Races are under starter’s orders for another exciting season, with thoroughbred stars providing the thrills on the track and live musical entertainment adding to a memorable day or evening out at ‘Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse.’

The first fixture for 2023 will be held on the afternoon of April 20 with a further 16 days featuring races over sprint, middle and long distances to follow,

Dates for the diary include Ladies’ Day on Thursday June 22 and the highlight of the season on Saturday August 19, when many of the UK’s top stables will have sprinters vying for the £75,000 prize money in the ultra-competitive  six furlong Great St Wilfrid Handicap, which has been sponsored by William Hill since 1994.

Free entry for under 18s

Famed for its floral splendour, Ripon provides an attractive and welcoming setting for racegoers of all ages, including families, where accompanied under 18s go free of charge and groups of 11 people and above, can enjoy discounted entry to the paddock area by booking in advance.

Catering to suit all tastes

Alongside the floral beauty that provides a feast for the eyes, the Boroughbridge Road course has a wide range of food and beverage outlets to suit all tastes and budgets, from the award-winning Club Restaurant and Silks and Saddles Bar in the Club Enclosure to the Fountains Bar in the Paddock Enclosure. There’s also the stylish Champagne and Seafood Bar and the Wakeman and Claro bars.

Jon Mullin, operations and marketing manager at the course, said:

“Racegoers wanting to dine in style can enjoy the a la carte menu at the Club Restaurant, while The Fountains Bar caters for those looking for a quick bite to eat.”

He added:

“The aim of our friendly racecourse team is to provide a fantastic and affordable day or evening out at great value for money, including four family fun days throughout the season, free parking and a free shuttle bus service on race days between Ripon city centre and the course.

“Mindful of our award-winning  environmental credentials and our aim to cut carbon emissions, we offer reduced price entry to people arriving by bicycle or those whose race day journey  includes travel on the 36 Leeds/Harrogate bus service to and from Ripon.”

A day out for all the family

Ripon prides itself in being a family friendly course and in addition to providing free entry for under 18s who are accompanied by adults, it is hosting four special family fun days during the season.

These will be held at the afternoon meetings on  April 29, May 21, August 7 and August 28 (Bank Holiday)  where there will be a wide range of activities and fun for all ages from Punch ‘n’ Judy and fancy dress to Kub Karts, bouncy castles, fairground rides, arts and crafts, circus, face painting and much more all free for children

Evening meetings

The delight of an evening at the races can be enjoyed by Ripon racegoers on May 12, June 7, June 21 (when the course will hold its Best Dressed Gentleman competition) July 10, August 8 and September 5.

An award winning course

Ripon finished ahead of a strong field of entrants to become a winner at the 2022  RCA Racecourse Association Showcase & Awards.

It beat Hamilton Park, Go Racing in Yorkshire, Scottish Racing and The Jockey Club to collect the Racing Connection Award, for an innovative scheme that it ran to recognise and reward the work of stable staff.

This followed on from the RCA Spotlight Award that the course received in 2019 for its Green Cycle Maps initiative.

Ripon Races are under starter’s orders for another exciting season, with the first fixture for 2023 on the afternoon of April 20th. 

Click or tap here to get your tickets for Ripon Races now. 

Today’s Totally Locally party in Ripon provided a taste of how Kirkgate could be utilised throughout the year if the street was permanently pedestrianised.

The event, which was organised by independent traders in the city with the backing of Ripon Business Improvement District, attracted hundreds of visitors.

Despite an unfavourable forecast, the day of sunshine and showers saw family groups and individuals arrive from 10am to listen to live music, purchase gifts and enjoy some alfresco dining, as cafes, restaurants and other retailers lined the street with their stalls, tables and chairs.

Performers included the Hyde Family Jam (main picture) the All for One Ripon band (pictured above) and the Knaresborough Vestal Social Club Band.

Richard Hughes, one of the event’s organisers and owner of Manchega Tapas Bar on Duck Hill, told the Stray Ferret:

“Independent businesses, not just in Kirkgate, but throughout the whole of Ripon, have made this happen.”

Mr Hughes, (pictured above, centre) with colleagues from the left: Tilly Whild, Brad Lucas and Felix Lees, added:

“It shows what Ripon could do by properly pedestrianising Kirkgate and enabling small businesses to work together to unlock the street’s full potential by making it a vehicle free area.”

Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:

“It has been great to see how traders in Kirkgate and other parts of Ripon have collaborated to create such a tremendous community event under the Totally Locally banner and we hope that there will be many more to follow.”

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• Ripon Spa Croquet Club offers free taster sessions
• New sponsorship deal for Ripon Races

Ripon Spa Croquet Club is extending an invitation to anybody who would like to learn more about the game through taking part in a free taster session.

The club, whose lawns are located within the Studley Royal Cricket Club (SRCC), is holding two introductory sessions between 6pm and 7.30pm on Monday, April 17 and Monday, April 24.

Club secretary Sue I’Anson told the Stray Ferret:

“We had similar taster sessions last year which helped up to attract some new members and are hoping to build on this as we look to bring on the next generation of players.

“With this in mind, in addition to the introductory sessions at the Studley Royal ground we are, with sponsorship from the Croquet Association, making arrangements to visit two Ripon junior schools, where we will set up mini courses for the children to try their hand.”

She added:

“This is a great game for people of all ages, with the more seasoned players helping newcomers to master the technique of swinging the mallet and making good contact with the ball.

“It’s a sport that can be played at all levels, from simple enjoyment to the highest international standards.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the sessions should book in advance via email.

International pedigree

The club relocated to SRCC in April 2021 following the closure of the Spa Hotel, where it had previously played.

Formed  as Ripon Spa Hotel Croquet Club, it was founded in the early 1990s by Croquet Association Federation officer Keith Smith, hotel owner Andrew Hutchinson and managing director Samantha Currie.

It soon attracted players from across the district, including Harrogate, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Pateley Bridge.

By 1997, Ms Currie, Mr Hutchinson and clubmate Syd Jones all achieved world rankings and took part in the GC World Championships in Cairo and the pristine lawns within the hotel’s gardens had the distinction of hosting international matches.

Read more:

• New sponsorship deal for Ripon Races
• Months of roadworks ahead on Ripon to Harrogate road

Ripon is preparing for a bank holiday street party after Knaresborough took centre stage yesterday.

Knaresborough Spring Fayre saw thousands of people visit the sun-bathed Market Place.

The activities included a free petting farm, a free craft tent, fairground rides, a spring window competition, a magician and an appearance by the Easter bunny.

It was the second time the spring fayre has been staged by Knaresborough Business Collective, which was set up by a group of small businesses to make the town centre more vibrant.

Yesterday’s event certainly had the town buzzing for the entire six hours from 10am to 4pm.

Collective member Natalie Horner said:

“It was such a brilliant day and a huge success for both the event itself and the shops in town too.

“The weather was lovely and it was so nice to see so much community spirit and joy in town.”

The Nailery won the spring window competition.

The forecast looks a little less kind for tomorrow’s street party on Kirkgate in Ripon, but spirits will no doubt be equally high.

Kirkgate will be closed to traffic from 10am to 4pm while residents and visitors enjoy live music, al fresco dining and entertainment.

The event is part of the Totally Locally scheme being adopted by traders and Ripon Business Improvement District to encourage people to spend with independent businesses in the city.

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• Artist ‘delighted’ to open second gallery in Knaresborough
• ‘Intense’ talks to save Ripon firm Farmison after buyout collapses

Niamh Radford-Naylor

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.

Intense negotiations are taking place over the bank holiday weekend to save one of Ripon’s largest employers .

Premium meat retailer Farmison & Co ceased trading on Thursday and entered administration. Most of the 92 staff were made redundant.

All items on the company’s website are currently listed as ‘out of stock’.

Farmison co-founder John Pallagi told the Stray Ferret he was talking to a consortium led by two Yorkshire businessmen about a management buyout.

It comes after buyout talks with another online butcher, Tom Hixson of Smithfield, fell through.

Mr Pallagi said:

“I hope to have some news by the end of the long weekend.

“Farmison isn’t trading at the moment but I haven’t given up hope. We are an amazing business and this is a great opportunity.

“We have half a million people on our database and an established UK brand that has won many awards. There’s every reason to keep this company alive.”

Mr Pallagi said last night he had been engaged in 48 hours of exhausting talks with the potential new owners after administrators FRP took control of the company on Maundy Thursday.

He said the firm had serviced all orders that had been placed and a “small working team” remained on site to deal with any unresolved issues.

Read more:

• 90 jobs at stake as struggling Ripon firm Farmison seeks buyer
• Kirkgate to close for Easter street party in Ripon

Last year Mr Pallagi sold Farmison, whose customers include Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, to Scottish private investors Inverleith LLP.

He remained as chief executive and a new three-year business plan was agreed. But when the plan faltered he approached Ripon and Skipton Conservative MP Julian Smith and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for help.

Mr Pallagi said:

“I’m a fighter. I’ve been in this business for 21 years and I’m confident we can turn around this wrong turn that we’ve taken.”

Mr Pallagi started Farmison to work with local farmers and encourage people to ‘eat better meat’.

Despite sales doubling to £12m in 2021, the company then made a loss of £2.6m.

A veteran of the Falklands War has presented a soldier’s letter he found 40 years ago to the Argentinian Ambassador to the UK in the hopes of finding its original owner. 

Jim Phillips, who lives in Ripon, was serving with the Royal Engineers in Port Stanley when he found a “bluey” – a blue-coloured airmail letter often used by soldiers posted overseas – which had been written by an Argentinian soldier to his wife or girlfriend back home. 

Knowing how much soldiers and their families in all countries value hearing word from each other, he wanted to return the letter, but it was lost during a house move. 

Fortunately, the letter came to light again just before Christmas 2022, when Jim was looking for something else. He said:

“I instantly sent an email to the Argentine embassy in London to help me get this letter to either the sender or recipient, or either of their families. I informed the embassy as I was coming down to London I could pop it into reception. No, they said, the ambassador will come to Ripon to accept the letter from me personally.” 

So last week, Jim met the Argentinian Ambassador to the UK, Javier Figueroa, over lunch at Grantley Hall, near Ripon, to hand over the lost letter.

Mr Figueroa, who has long taken a special interest in the Falkland Islands and last year said the war had been “stupid”, promised to do everything he could to ensure the letter got back to its rightful owner, a Corporal Balbuena.

In an Instagram post on the embassy’s account, Mr Figueroa called the the episode a “heartwarming story”, and said he “appreciated Mr Phillips’ gesture“.

The Argentinian soldier’s letter 

Jim said: 

“Hopefully, the Argentine soldier concerned is still alive and this letter will find its way back to him and perhaps he can then deliver it personally.

“On a personal note, I would like to thank Ambassador Figueroa for taking the time to come to Ripon to accept the letter, also to thank him for his hospitality, friendship and help in getting this letter home.” 

The Falklands War was fought over 10 weeks in 1982 and began when the right-wing military government of Argentina sent a surprise invasion force, which took possession of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia on April 2. 

The UK, then led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a task force of ships, aircraft and soldiers to take back the islands, which are internationally recognised British Overseas Territories.

The conflict, which ended on June 14 with a British victory and the capture of more than 11,000 Argentine soldiers, claimed more than 900 lives, over 70% of them Argentinian. 

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• Royal Engineers to remember the Falklands dead at Ripon ceremony
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Councillors have criticised North Yorkshire Council after it confirmed not all meetings will be live streamed online.

North Yorkshire Council replaced the seven district and borough councils, including Harrogate, as well as North Yorkshire County Council on Saturday.

It is the largest council area in England, spanning over 3,000 square miles with most of its meeting taking place at County Hall in Northallerton.

During the covid pandemic, the government passed legislation to allow council business to continue online. Meetings took place on apps such as Microsoft Teams and were live streamed for residents to watch on YouTube.

Since pandemic restrictions were lifted, Harrogate Borough Council continued to live stream all of its meetings whereas North Yorkshire County Council only routinely live streamed executive and full council meetings.

Following a question by a councillor, a senior officer at the new council confirmed in an email that the previous North Yorkshire County Council live streaming arrangement will continue.

County Hall in Northallerton

This means that at the moment, the only chance residents will get to see what is happening in a host of other meetings, including those concerning public health, education and transport, is if they travel to Northallerton.

However, meetings in Harrogate, such as planning committee, licensing committee and area constituency committee, will be streamed using equipment bought by Harrogate Borough Council.

But they will no longer include developments affecting Ripon, Masham and Pateley Bridge as meetings in Harrogate will cover the Harrogate and Knaresborough parliamentary constituency.

The email concludes by saying the new council is reviewing “what is possible and practicable” regarding live streaming meetings in the future.

Three-hour round trip

In some parts of Craven such as Ingleton or Bentham it’s a three-hour round trip to County Hall.

Andy Brown, Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, said residents should not be expected to travel to Northallerton to “watch democracy in action.” He added:

“Working online can save hours of travelling and make the meeting more efficient. It is crazy that I am travelling for 90 minutes to attend meetings that could be done online.

“It is wrong that meetings which could be steamed into the homes of every interested member of the public are not conducted as openly as possible.”

Andy Solloway, Independent councillor for Skipton West and West Craven said:

“The outgoing Craven District Council have been recording meetings for years, and live streaming them, especially decision making ones, would be a good thing for local democracy and for public participation and engagement.”

Read more:

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Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for Ouseburn, also said he was in favour of the council live streaming all meetings:

“Someone should be able to open their laptop in their house and see what the council is up to. Sometimes it’s like watching paint dry but you can have it on in background. That is transparency and engagement.

“The meetings should all be streamed if we’re serious about carbon and the impact we make ourselves. There’s a lot of support for it.”

What the council says

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for democratic services, Cllr
David Chance, said:

“We are committed to ensuring that the new North Yorkshire Council has local
communities at its heart, despite serving such a vast area across the county.

“The online streaming of council meetings has been an important way of making sure that access is available as widely as possible to both councillors and members of the public.

“Meetings of full council and the executive will be routinely streamed online, and we will continue to record and broadcast planning and licensing meetings that were previously overseen by district and borough councils.

“We will consider broadcasting or recording other meetings when there is a strong public interest or where there are facilities in place that enable it to be readily done.

“The new council is the third largest in the country, and now oversees services that were previously delivered by eight authorities in North Yorkshire. There are therefore a significant number of meetings each year, which is in the region of 200.

“We are reviewing what is possible and practicable regarding the recording and broadcasting of meetings, taking into account the facilities which are available across the county, the IT and democratic support that is needed as well as investment in IT infrastructure.”

Roadworks are set to bring three months of disruption to motorists travelling between Ripon and Harrogate.

The A61 will be dug up as part of fibre optics company City Fibre‘s £46 million digital infrastructure upgrade in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Work has been completed in most areas. However, signs have gone up on the A61 Ripon Road warning that nighttime work will take place between April 17 and July 13.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at City Fibre said:

“From April 17, we will be starting work on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon.

“This work will last for approximately three months and will require traffic management on one side of the road.

“Works will take place 7pm to 6.30am, Monday to Friday, with the road returned to two-way traffic every morning.”

Traffic lights will be in place during these hours, and no detours are planned.

A City Fibre spokesperson added “there may be a small amount of weekend work, subject to confirmation with highways”, adding:

“If this is the case, City Fibre will actively avoid any weekend with a major local event like Harrogate Flower Show.”

The entire length of the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate will be affected.

Ms Johnston said:

“CityFibre is investing £46m in transforming Harrogate and Ripon’s digital infrastructure and bringing next generation full fibre connectivity to almost every home and business in the area.

“This is a major undertaking, which is why we work closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to manage disruption as best we can and ensure works are delivered quickly, and always to our high standards.”

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• Harrogate road to be closed until November