Read more:
Ripon received a surprise visitor when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived for an unannounced hour-long walkabout and meetings with local businesses and politicians.
Yesterday’s Totally Locally street party organised by the city’s independent traders and supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, provided a platform for Mr Sunak, along with Keane Duncan, the Conservative Party candidate for next month’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, to mingle with crowds on Market Square.
The Bank Holiday Monday event, which was launched last year, is designed to raise awareness of what the ancient city has to offer in a modern-day economy.
BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:
“The Prime Minister was able to see for himself what the collaborative efforts of Ripon’s strong mix of independent retail and hospitality businesses can achieve.
“There are clear indicators, both in terms of the investment in new openings and refurbishments in the city centre and footfall analysis, that a post-pandemic revival is underway.”
City councillor and deputy mayor elect Jackie Crozier (pictured below) whose award-winning Little Bird Made artisan markets are held on Market Square and locations across Yorkshire, introduced Mr Sunak to coffee maker Tom Bolland of the Happy Barista — a regular attendee at the Little Bird events.
For 11-year-old Lilly, daughter of Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, there was an opportunity for a photograph with Mr Sunak outside Ripon’s historic town hall.
Rishi Sunak, pictured with Cllr Andrew Williams and his daughter Lilly.
Cllr Williams said:
“There’s an interesting fact that links our current Prime Minster with one dating back to 1827, because the Marquess of Ripon, who donated the town hall building to the then borough council in 1897 after two terms as mayor of the city, was born at 10 Downing Street while his father Viscount Goderich was in office.”
Mayoral candidates
The election for the first mayor of the York and North Yorkshire combined authority will take place on Thursday May 2 and, in addition to the Conservative Keane Duncan, the other candidates are:
- Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Lib Dem)
- Kevin Foster (Green Party)
- Paul Haslam (Independent)
- David Skaith (Labour),
- Keith Tordoff (Independent)
Main image: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is discussion with Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst.
Fireworks and live music to greet New Year in RiponRipon will be dancing to a Caribbean beat when it welcomes in 2024 this evening (Sunday).
Residents and visitors are invited to the city’s New Year’s Eve gathering on Market Square, where the live music will be provided by the Jamsalana Steel Drum band.
The traditional event on Ripon Market Square attracts thousands of revellers each year
The band will strike up at 9:45pm and the evening will conclude with a fireworks display at midnight.
Before the start of the celebration event, organised by Ripon City Council and paid for from the parish precept, at 9pm a member of the hornblower team will signal the setting of the watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.
The ceremonial event, dating back to 886 AD – was instigated by Alfred the Great the first Anglo-Saxon King of England – and will provide the prelude to a night of free entertainment.
Today’s forecast is indicating that the rain and winds brought by Storm Gerrit will have reduced but, as with all outdoor events, it’s always advisable to bring an umbrella!
Full coverage of Ripon’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, will be published by the Stray Ferret on January 1
Main image: Tonight’s fireworks display will herald in the New Year
Ripon’s historic market square won’t be ripped up and tarmacked
Readers of two national newspapers along with Ripon residents and visitors have been reassured that the city’s Market Square is not going to be ripped up and replaced with tarmac.
On Saturday, in the wake of news North Yorkshire Council is going to spend £630,000 on resurfacing the Market Place East and Market Place West roads, the Daily Mail and Daily Express published stories claiming the historic Market Square would also be resurfaced with tarmac.
A comprehensive resurfacing scheme has been included in the council’s capital budget programme for next year, because the current road surface, made up of block sets on top of a raft foundation that rests on a bed of sand, is constantly breaking up under the weight of vehicles, ranging from cars to double decker buses.
Market Place East
The Daily Mail story said that there was:
“Fury at plans to dig up stones of historic market square”
While the Daily Express claimed:
“A beautiful market town is being ruined with the council ripping up the historic square to lay tarmac.”
The reports led to concern but Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who is a member of the Conservative and Independents group on North Yorkshire Council, confirmed there is no such plan.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s unfortunate that the two papers appear to have got hold of the wrong end of the stick and given their readers a mistaken impression of what is actually planned.“The resurfacing with tarmac, which is going to take place next October, is designed to ensure a uniformly smooth surface for the roads on either side of the square, making them safe for use by pedestrians, drivers and cyclists.”
Cllr Williams added:
“Part of Ripon City Council’s double devolution bid is to take control of Market Square, so that we can ensure that the block sets on the square, which were put in place 20 years ago, are properly maintained at this historic location.”
Main picture: Market Square will not be resurfaced with tarmac — but roads on either side will be.