There was laughter and tears at St Michael and all Angels’ Church in Littlethorpe near Ripon this morning, as family and friends gathered to celebrate the remarkable life of Sylvia Grice, who died last month at the age of 90.

Every seat in the village church, where she worshipped for 31 years, was taken, as warm thanks were given through prayer, poetry and hymns for decades of dedicated service to the community, in which she taught an estimated 250,000 local people to swim. The family invited the Stray Ferret to attend.

In addition to teaching a skill for lifelong enjoyment and one which can be used to save the lives of others, she was a stalwart supporter of charity, raising funds for the church, Saint Michael’s Hospice and Yorkshire Air Ambulance, to name but a few, through her famous garden parties, where she sold a wide array of items that she baked.

Today’s funeral service was led by the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson (pictured),

In the eulogy given by the Revd Canon Michael Glanville-Smith, he said:

“It’s difficult to know where to start when talking about a woman who touched so many lives in so many  ways.”

But with help from Sylvia’s daughters Alison and Helen, he was able find out and share at least one anecdote that many attending the service may not have heard before.

He pointed out that when she received her MBE for services to swimming in 2011, from the then Prince of Wales:

“She told the future King Charles about the benefits of swimming and even offered him a lesson if he ever ventured north!”

In 2019, the former Barnardo’s girl, who spent her early school years living at Red House — the charity’s children’s home on Palace Road — was awarded the Freedom of the City of Ripon for her services to the community.

From humble beginnings, she became one of Ripon’s best known and loved citizens and Dean John reflected on Sylvia’s life-long achievements, when he said:

“We have lost somebody who was very precious.”

Read more:

• Death of a ‘remarkable and inspirational’ woman
• Littlethorpe legend celebrates her 90th birthday

Knaresborough’s new £17.5 million leisure and wellness centre will open on December 11.

The centre includes a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool with flume and a 60-station fitness suite.

There is also a studio for group fitness classes, a bespoke group cycling studio, sauna and steam rooms, a café and an outdoor children’s play area.

The centre has been developed next to the old Knaresborough Pool, which was built in 1990 and last refurbished 20 years ago.

Work on the exterior of the site.

The changing room area.

Cllr Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said:

“I am delighted that we have an opening date for this exciting new leisure provision for Knaresborough – it’s a perfect Christmas gift for the town.

“The local community had long outgrown the old pool – there was a call for fitness provision as well as spaces for classes and post workout relaxation spaces.

“By shifting the service offer from conventional swimming pool provision to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive.”

The project is part of a wider £47.9 million investment in leisure provision, including the recently completed refurbishment of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon.

All the centres are managed day-to-day by Brimhams Active, the council’s health and wellbeing company.

Read more:

• Celebrations planned for 900th anniversary of Knaresborough Castle
• Briggate roadworks likely to last ‘several months’ in Knaresborough

One of Ripon’s most remarkable and best-loved residents has died at the age of 90.

Sylvia Grice taught an estimated 250,000 people to swim, including Olympic diving champion Jack Laugher, over the space of 50 years.

She died yesterday — three months after celebrating her 90th birthday.

Sylvia, who lived in Littlethorpe, devoted much of her life to teaching people to swim in a city that has three rivers and a canal. She was awarded an MBE in 2010 and given the Freedom of the City of Ripon in 2019.

Daughter Helen Mackenzie announced the news on social media this morning. She said:

“While we are thrilled she is now at peace, we are distraught at the thought of life without her. Rest in peace Dame Sylvia – you were loved by many and will be missed by all.”

Sylvia with Olympic champion diver Jack Laugher.

Hundreds of tributes have already been paid on social media — many by people Sylvia taught to swim.

The messages included “such an amazing and inspirational lady who will be missed”, “Sylvia was a remarkable lady, she was respected by everyone who knew her”, “One of the most incredible and impactful woman I have ever had the joy to meet” and simply “What a Ripon legend”.

A life helping others

Speaking to the Stray Ferret at her mum’s 90th birthday party, Helen said Sylvia broke her leg at the age of three and was in traction in hospital until she was eight.

She added:

“She learnt to swim when she was 15 and married my dad, Jim, the love of her life, when she was 20.

“When my sister Alison and I came along she regularly took us to swim at Ripon’s Spa Baths and caught the eye of the manager Fred Windsor.

“He encouraged her to become a qualified swimming teacher and over the years she went through all of the grades to become an Amateur Swimming Association tutor and then a Fellow of the Institute of Swimming Teachers.”

Sylvia used her qualifications to help people of all ages and abilities, from toddlers having their first visit to the pool to her mother-in-law Florrie, who learnt to swim when she was 58.

She taught people to swim at Ripon Grammar School and at Ashville College in Harrogate, where she set up Triton Swimmers and away from her busy teaching schedule, found time to run the Spa Gardens cafe, be an active member of Ripon Lions and raise money for numerous charitable causes.

Read more:

• Ripon’s hornblower to ‘call the watch’ in London for first time
• ‘Multiple cracks’ detected at Ripon leisure centre

A price increase at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon has been halted after complaints from customers prompted a councillor to intervene.

Brimhams Active, the company that runs leisure centres in the Harrogate district on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, recently increased its monthly membership fees.

The council has spent £45 million on upgrading facilities in the district and this week re-opened the former Hydro under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

But the decision to increase the monthly membership fee at Ripon by £6.50 led to a backlash because customers are still using a temporary gym in the car park due to the delayed completion of ground stabilisation work on the old part of the building.

Group exercise classes are being provided offsite at Hugh Ripley Hall.

Work remains ongoing at Ripon leisure centre.

Mark Tweedie, managing director at Brimhams Active, said recent upgrades meant it now offered “significantly improved swim, gym and group exercise opportunities” but membership fees had increased.

He added:

“Although significant investment has been made to deliver a new state of the art leisure facility in Ripon comprising of a new swimming pool, sauna/steam experience and new gym equipment, following customer feedback we have acknowledged that the membership offer remains comparatively limited due to the delayed works to refurbish the ground floor facilities which will include upgraded group exercise studios.

“Therefore, we have committed to holding back on increasing the price of our all-inclusive membership for Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre customers until we are confident the offer is comparable to our other facilities.”

Cllr Andrew Williams

Cllr Andrew Williams, a member of the Conservative and Independents group on North Yorkshire Council who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside, raised residents’ concerns with the council.

Cllr Williams said the council had agreed not to proceed with the £6.50 monthly price hike in Ripon. He said:

“I welcome following my intervention the decision to withdraw plans to increase the fees in September and to revisit the whole situation when the facilities in Ripon are comparable with those elsewhere in the area.

“This is a clear example of the council listening to the concerns raised by residents and seeking to respond positively and swiftly to address their concerns.”

Cllr Williams added:

“Any future decision on the fees at Ripon leisure centre will have to be subject of appropriate consultation.”

‘Fantastic value’

Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre opened this week.

Mr Tweedie said Brimhams Active’s all-inclusive monthly membership fee, which allows unlimited swim, gym and group exercise at all of its facilities, “represents fantastic value which we have been able to achieve despite significantly increased operational costs”. It costs £44.95 a month or £35.95 for concessions at non-Ripon sites.

Besides new facilities in Ripon and Harrogate, the gym at Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre in Pateley Bridge has been refurbished and the new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is due to open this year.

Mr Tweedie added:

“We also bringing a new leading edge customer offer for people who take out a Brimhams Active membership. This involves a range of new, more personalised, services designed to support members with a holistic approach to help them achieve their health and wellbeing goals to be their best selves.”

Read more:

• Ripon Canal to celebrate 250th anniversary with open day on Saturday
• Ripon school ‘heartbroken’ over death of six-year-old pupil

A Harrogate woman is set to swim the equivalent distance of the English Channel for the 11th time in aid of charity.

Angie Russell, who lives in Bilton, will take on the challenge to raise money for Aspire.

The charity, which was founded in 1982, provides practical support those who have been paralysed by a spinal cord injury.

Angie was inspired to help after reading an article about how the organisation helped a man who broke his spine in a car accident.

She will take on the Aspire channel swim on September 18, which tasks participants with swimming 22 miles over the course of 12 weeks.

Those taking part can swim the distance in their own time and at a place of their choice, such as a local swimming pool.

Speaking ahead of the swim, Angie said:

“I love swimming because I love the water and the freedom it offers, the meditative state it brings and the relaxing and stress-relieving benefits, as well as general fitness and toning.  

“I enjoy the Aspire channel swim because it gives me the focus of swimming a certain distance within a certain time. 

“I have a busy life and it gives me an ‘excuse’ to take time for myself to go swimming and to help a good cause.”

The Aspire channel swim has so far seen 381 swimmers sign up and raised £6,144.

For more information on the challenge and to donate, visit the Aspire website here.

Read more:

• Raworths renews Harrogate Literature Festival sponsorship
• Pop-up shop offer proves a hit with Knaresborough businesses
• Celebrity TV chef to speak at Harrogate literature festival

North Yorkshire Council has confirmed Harrogate Hydro will not re-open until after the school summer holidays.

The Hydro is undergoing a £13.5 million refurbishment and will welcome customers back under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

With schools set to break-up today, many families would have been looking forward to using the swimming pool, which has now been closed for 15 months.

But the Stray Ferret revealed this week that was unlikely to happen.

Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, has now confirmed:

“We had hoped that the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre would be open in late August but, unfortunately, due to unplanned works being required, it will now be early September.

“Refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved and this complex construction is no different.

The leisure centre in Jennyfields closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But January’s scheduled re-opening did not happen. In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

Now the scheme has been pushed back again but there was better luck for leisure centre users in Knaresborough, with news that the town’s new facility has not been further delayed.

Mr Harne said:

“The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre remains on-track to open in November.”

Read more:

• Another Harrogate Hydro delay appears to rule out summer holiday swimming
• Harrogate heavyweights out in force at Selby by-election