Puppets will be popping up in some unexpected places as part of a number of new features included in Ripon Theatre Festival’s expanded programme.

Organisers have added a series of pop-up mini events throughout Ripon, working with shops, cafés and city attractions to bring puppet shows and storytelling to unusual and intimate surroundings.

This includes Puppets for Breakfast at Wetherspoon’s Unicorn Hotel, a suitcase puppet show The Hare and the Moon in the Cabmen’s shelter in the Market Place and the GreenHouse shop on North Street, and Beached, an immersive puppet show at Ripon Cathedral, where performers and audience members wear headphones for the experience.

St Wilfrid’s Crypt in the Cathedral will see Fell-Foss Theatre’s rolling performance of The Wanderer and expert storyteller Gav Cross will bring Twisted Tales for Terrible Children to the somewhat spooky Curzon Cinema Cellar and the Courthouse Museum.

The second Ripon Theatre Festival will take place from Wednesday, June 7 to Sunday, June 11, featuring four days and five nights crammed with performances and activity.

Drama highlights include visits from up-and-coming theatre companies performing in Ripon Arts Hub, a return visit from open-air specialists Illyria with their family show Robin Hood at Fountains Abbey, and a production of Sense and Sensibility in the garden at The Old Deanery.

The festival will also be welcoming BBC Radio 4 favourite and gentle Northern activist Kate Fox, and Liz Grand with her one-woman show Where’s Mrs Christie?.

Rhubarb Theatre’s A Wonderland of Games will feature as part of the free family fun in Spa Gardens on Sunday June 11.

There are many festival events for children and families. In addition to shows at Ripon Library on Thursday and Friday , there will be street theatre, walkabout acts and pop-up performances throughout the weekend.

Circus, street theatre and community combine on Saturday at two performance zones, the Market Place and Minster Gardens (adjacent to Ripon Cathedral). Featured entertainment includes a comic escapology show from The Maniax and Dizzy O’Dare’s award-winning Giant Balloon Show.

Spa Gardens will be the focus of free family-friendly theatre and puppetry on Sunday June 11. The festival promises a “boredom-free zone” with visits from Hoglets Theatre, Rhubarb Theatre, Frolicked and Strange-Twig Theatre, alongside music and dance from community performers. A highlight of day will be performances of A La Puppet Carte when three electric tricycles open up to reveal three heart-warming puppet shows from Thingumajig Theatre.

Festival characters and performers will also visit Sunday’s Little Bird Artisan Market, adding additional colour and fun in the Market Place.

Thanks to the support of local businesses and key funders, much of the Festival is totally free to enjoy and ticketed events are low-cost.

Festival director Katie Scott said:

“We are delighted that this year we are offering many performances as ‘pay what you can’ events. We know that families in particular are feeling the financial crunch and this allows ticket purchasers to select their chosen amount or to opt for a free ticket. This is also a way of encouraging people to come to multiple performances by spreading their budget and trying different shows in different venues.”

The Ripon Theatre Festival programme also includes Overblown! a community-led evening of sketches and music, a premiere performance of work by local poet Ian Gouge, a musical travelogue for Sunday brunch from Steve Bonham, and Bread is Life – a lunchtime meze event where both Syrian stories and food will be shared. The festival opens on Wednesday, June 7 with dystopian comedy Happy Place at Ripon Arts Hub.

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 12.30pm.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

The GreenHouse, an environmentally and ecologically-focused business in Ripon, is celebrating a successful first year this week.

Rebecca Crallan, who owns and manages the independent retailer based in North Street, told Business Breakfast: 

“We’ve had a fantastic first year year and are looking forward to many more.”

The business operates with a planet-friendly ethos, selling home and garden supplies designed to have minimal impact on the environment through use of refillable bottles, biodegradable packaging and the sale of items ranging from compostable sponges to bamboo toothbrushes, wax food wraps to solid shampoo bars.

Ms Crallan added:  

As a footnote to its first year of trading, The GreenHouse has donated 137 pairs of socks to homeless people via Thriving Earth’s donation initiative

Harrogate climate firm appoints new scientist

A Harrogate-based climate technology firm has appointed a new climate scientist.

Flotilla, which is based on Station Parade, has hired Dr Charlotte Weaver to the company.

Dr Weaver joins the firm after working with charities such as the United Bank of Carbon.

She will be tasked with carrying out data analysis of Flotilla’s carbon accounting to ensure its accuracy for businesses to use to monitor their carbon footprint.

Dr Weaver said:

“I am ambitious and hard-working with a passion for the environment. Flotilla’s drive for creating a greener future through helping businesses reduce their emissions thus really appeals to me.

“I’m also excited to be part of the talented, experienced, and friendly team that is Flotilla.”

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Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal. 

A Ripon business has been endorsed by retail entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.

The GreenHouse, which is based on North Street, opened three months ago and offers an array of home and garden supplies.

Owner Rebecca Crallan messaged Mr Paphitis on Twitter as part of his Small Business Sunday campaign, which picks six weekly winners to be endorsed on his social media.

The winners also get a chance to network with other small businesses and include a profile on the Small Business Sunday website.

Mr Paphitis picked The GreenHouse and, as a result, shared the Ripon business with his 490,000 Twitter followers and 34,000 Instagram followers.

Ms Crallan said:

“The GreenHouse has only been open three months but I’ve been warmly welcomed by the community in Ripon, both shoppers and fellow retailers alike. 

“It is great to have support from Theo because it’s been tough trying to raise our profile and Theo has recognised our hard work and helped spread the word about what we do to his following.”

Harrogate jewellers wins shop frontage grant

A Harrogate business has been awarded a £750 grant to improve its shop frontage.

Fattorini’s on Parliament Street, which reopened under new management in March, has been granted the money by Harrogate Business Improvement District.

Harrogate BID Matthew Chapman, left, and Fattorini’s director Wayne Beales outside the Parliament Street jewellers.

The grant was part of £10,000 awarded to BID levy payers to help improve the frontages of their businesses.

Other businesses awarded grants include The Den, Cold Bath Brewing, Drum and Monkey and the new Coach & Horses.

The jewellery business used its £750 to refurbish the Victorian canopy and install a new facia board and signage.

Wayne Beales, Fattorini’s director, said:

“Being a BID levy payer, I’m delighted that our application for a grant was approved.

“The painted canopy and new signage has really helped us shout about our revival. It has certainly made us stand out from other businesses on Parliament.

“I would also recommend all levy paying retailers to take advantage of the next round of BID improvement grants, so Harrogate town centre can really shine.”

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• Carter Jonas makes new senior appointment in Harrogate
• Harrogate pregnancy brand raises £2m to grow company