Ripon gets set for Saturday’s festive lights switch on
Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing on Saturday, with the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights, combined with an afternoon of family entertainment.
The illuminations will come on at 5pm and before then, Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm onwards with Santa and his reindeer, free fairground rides and live music between 3pm and 6pm.
The event is being organised by the city council, with support from Ripon Business Improvement District.
Festive lights on Fishergate are ready for Saturday evening’s city-wide switch on
Enhancements have been made to the city council’s decorative displays thanks to £4,000 of funding from the BID and the £7,000 raised through the Christmas Lights Appeal, run by Councillor Eamon Parkin during his three consecutive years in office as Mayor of Ripon between May 2019 and May 2022
The year-on-year improvements ensure that the city centre and adjoining streets will be lit with festive lights throughout the season.
For the second year running, the BID has paid for the production and distribution of 25,000 brochures, promoting Ripon as an attractive retail destination for both residents and visitors.
The brochure, which is being delivered to homes in the city and surrounding areas, highlights a strong mix of independent traders, while providing details about the events that will be happening in Ripon, between now and New Year’s Eve.
Main picture: Santa and his reindeer are due to arrive at 1pm
Read more:
No Christmas lights switch-on event in Harrogate this yearHarrogate’s Christmas lights will be switched on in three weeks’ time — but once again there won’t be an official event marking the occasion.
The event, which traditionally drew a crowd to the town centre to mark the start of the festive season, was halted due to covid.
It has not returned since and Harrogate Business Improvement District confirmed in a social media post the situation has not changed. It said:
“Harrogate BID are excited to announce that the Christmas lights will be switched on from Thursday 16th November in the town centre to kick start the festivities.
“As previous years, there will be a ‘soft’ switch on and no official event.”
The Stray Ferret asked Matthew Chapman, chief executive of the BID, why the big switch-on wasn’t happening this year.
Mr Chapman said:
“Whilst we totally understand and respect how popular the Harrogate Christmas lights switch-on used to be, taking feedback from our members on the return on investment it offered, it was decided to utilise our festive budget in more impactful ways as well as funding events throughout the year such as the Harrogate Celebration of Fashion, Harrogate Music Weekender and recent Britain in Bloom gold award-winning Floral Summer of Celebration.
“As with all projects at Harrogate BID, we are constantly reviewing and will do so again in 2024.”
Read more:
About 500 Harrogate firms set for ballot on whether to keep BIDBusinesses in Harrogate will begin voting on June 1 on whether to continue to fund services such as street cleaning and Christmas lights.
Currently 462 town centre businesses with a rateable value above £19,000 pay a levy to Harrogate Business Improvement District.
The BID spends the money on additional services to those provided by local authorities to attract footfall into the town centre.
But its first five-year term is ending and it will cease operating if a majority of businesses vote ‘no’ to another five-year term.
BID chief executive Matthew Chapman at last night’s event.
Last night Matthew Chapman, chief executive of the BID, launched the organisation’s term two business plan at the Doubletree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel.
The plan reveals the BID is forecast to have £510,000 income a year — down on current £554,000 a year — because of a recent re-evaluation of rateable values on town centre businesses.
Mr Chapman said the BID, like many businesses, would have to “do more with less” but he maintained the organisation provided a valuable service through activities such as its street ranger Chris Ashby, street deep cleaning, Christmas lights, match-funded grants, street entertainment, targeted free parking and floral baskets and planters.
Street ranger Chris Ashby
Locally, Ripon, York, Leeds, Skipton, Ilkley, Otley, Bradford and Northallerton have bids although Knaresborough rejected one.
The business plan says:
“Harrogate BID is needed more than ever before and we ask you to please use your ballot paper to vote ‘yes’.”
Council to abstain in vote
However, the BID won’t be able to call on the local authority to support its bid — unlike five years ago.
Harrogate Borough Council previously used its block vote for businesses it ran to vote in favour of the BID.
But North Yorkshire Council, which replaced it this month, has said it will abstain.
Asked last night how he felt about this, Mr Chapman said:
“It’s a little disappointing but it could also be positive because it will be a true business vote.”
Mr Chapman added he wasn’t aware of any other councils that abstained in BID votes.
The ballot will run from June 1 to 28 and the result will be announced on June 29.
Read more:
Council freezes Ripon parish precept for third year runningRipon’s parish precept, which is charged to council tax payers in the city, is being frozen at its current level for the third year in succession.
It means Ripon residents living in a Band D property will pay a parish precept of £70.77 for the financial year 2023/24. People in Bands A to C properties will pay less and those in Bands E to H will pay more.
Final council tax bills for the year ahead are calculated by adding the parish precept to the amounts also charged by the new North Yorkshire Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The latter two have yet to finalise their amounts.
Ripon City Council unanimously approved its draft budget for 2023-2024 at its January full meeting after independent council leader Andrew Williams told members:
“Because of the increased number of new houses built in Ripon, there are more properties over which the precept will be charged and we are able to raise a levy of £420,000 at no extra cost to the charge payer.
“This is an increase from the £411,000 raised in the last financial year and will enable us to fund, among other things, the programme of public and civic events throughout the year, further improvements to the city’s Christmas lights infrastructure and refurbishment of Hugh Ripley Hall to increase its earnings potential.”
In the new financial year that comes into effect from April, monies will also be earmarked from reserves to pay for any professional advice required arising from double devolution and negotiations on matters including the transfer of assets such as Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall and Market Square, to the city council
Cllr Williams said:
“These are very difficult times with the cost of living crisis putting families under greater financial pressure through increased food, fuel, mortgage, rent and other costs.
“Faced with these circumstances we thought it only right and proper to freeze the precept charge for the coming financial year.”
Read More:
Photo of the Week: Harrogate Ferris WheelThis week’s photograph was taken by Nick Payne, capturing the lights and movement on the Ferris Wheel during this year’s Christmas Fraye.
Nick Payne
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.
Photo of the Week: Fountains Abbey at nightThis week’s photograph was taken by John Shepherd, capturing the moon shining over Fountains Abbey at the Christmas illumination night.
John Shepherd
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.
Boroughbridge all set for late-night Christmas shopping tonightFestive spirit will be flowing in Boroughbridge tonight as the town hosts its annual late-night shopping, Christmas tree lights switch-on and a visit from Santa.
The event, organised Boroughbridge and District Chamber of Trade, will see shops stay open until 8pm.
The night will begin with the official Christmas tree lights switch-on in Hall Square at 5.30pm, followed by carols from three school choirs — Boroughbridge Primary and High School and Roecliffe Primary.
Boroughbridge Lions will host Santa and his sleigh and there will be community stalls, children’s rides and a donkey and miniature horse.
Read more:
Festive food and drink will include the Scouts’ roast chestnuts and Brighter Boroughbridge’s mulled wine and mince pies stall. There will also be a hog roast.
The shop window display competition theme this year is A Christmas Panto, with entries to be judged tonight,
The lights on the Christmas tree will be switched on by BBC Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Sean Hynes.
Chamber president Derek Hufton said:
“Anyone coming along will find the town buzzing.
“There will be lots of great independent shops to browse and buy Christmas gifts from.
“Santa and his sleigh, along with the kids’ rides, will be big attractions to the younger generation. But wrap up warm!”
Harrogate’s free Christmas lights extravaganza to be switched on todayA free daily Christmas lights show lasting 90 minutes will be switched on today.
Computer engineer Dale Hughes said the show will be bigger and even more spectacular than last year’s, which attracted daily visitors to Norwich Drive in Jennyfields.
Mr Dale has installed 42,000 low energy LED lights outside his home, which light up in time with a musical soundtrack.
Following the success of last Christmas’ show, which involved 26,000 LEDS, Mr Dale severely doubted he would be able to organise anything this year when he was hospitalised with a back injury.
Fortunately he recovered in time to arrange a Halloween extravaganza and now he’s looking forward to wowing visitors again.
This year’s lights are ready to go.
The father-of-five was inspired by videos showing lavishly decorated American houses, adding:
“I’ve always wanted to do something different rather than go to B&Q and buy some lights and plug them in.”
The show will run from 5pm to 7.30pm daily. It lasts 90 minutes and at 6.30pm is replayed on a shorter loop.
Mr Hughes has also arranged a New Year’s Eve variation that includes Auld Lang Syne at midnight.
There is a serious side to the fun. Last year’s event raised £1,150 in donations for Martin House Children’s Hospice and Mr Dale wants to generate £2,000 for the same charity this time. QR codes line trees near the lights show and people can pledge donations online. Visit here for more information.
Do the neighbours mind?
“Fortunately they love it. But I only do it from 5.30pm until 7pm because I don’t want to upset them too much!”
Judges cast their votes on Ripon’s Christmas windowsAn independent panel of judges, braved heavy showers to view and cast their votes for the 23 entries in the Ripon Business Improvement District’s Christmas Windows competition.
The panel, including the city’s Mayor and Mayoress Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda and the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd John Dobson have had their say, but the final outcome of the competition rests with a public vote and the winning entry will be announced on December 19.
Dean John judging the window at Specsavers
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“Like Strictly Come Dancing, the votes of the public will be added to the marks given by the judges.”
More details on how to vote for your favourite Christmas window click here
Children were involved in producing the window display at Cathedral View Cafe
Ms Bathurst, pointed out:
“The theme that we set was peace and sanctuary and the judges were asked to bear this in mind when assessing the entries.”
She added:
“We are delighted with the number of businesses that took part, as the window displays combined with the city’s festive lights and our free parking after 3pm initiative on the Fridays running up to Christmas, all add to the attraction of Ripon.”
Dean John, said:
“It’s great to see the business community embracing the central Christmas messages of peace and sanctuary in an imaginative way that helps to lift all of our spirits in these difficult times.”
Thousands of lights bring festive feel to Harrogate town centreThe Christmas lights have been switched on in Harrogate, heralding the start of the festive season for local businesses.
The displays are organised by Harrogate BID, which said the run-up to Christmas is a vital time of year for retailers, especially against a challenging economic landscape.
The organisation has used its levy payers’ money to fund 100,000 bulbs across the town centre, including festive figures and motifs.
Unlike in previous years, there was no official switch-on event, but the lights are now illuminated and will be displayed until after Christmas.
The lights on the trees along the Stray – which are traditionally lit throughout winter rather than for Christmas – were turned on at the end of October.
Meanwhile, a series of festive attractions will be brought into the town centre during the Christmas period. Today saw the arrival of the first signs of the ice rink, which will open to customers on Friday, December 2.
Read more: