A silent vigil was held on Ripon Market Square this morning at which a group of campaigners called for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The situation in Palestine has deteriorated since October 7, when Hamas invaded Israeli villages over the border from Gaza and killed an estimated 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. It is estimated that more than 12,000 Palestinians – the majority of them women and children – have died in Israeli attacks since then.
Vigil organiser Andy Croft (pictured centre in our photograph) told the Stray Ferret:
“We are not taking sides and are carrying the flags of both Israel and Palestine, as we call on the UK government and opposition to support the growing call for an immediate ceasefire.
“Too many people have already died and it is heartbreaking to hear about the civilian casualties and see television pictures of tiny babies having to be moved from intensive care incubators because the hospital that they were in no longer has the electricity to power them.”
Mr Croft added:
“We have decided to hold a weekly half hour silent vigil by the obelisk at 10am each Monday until there is a ceasefire and are holding it in Ripon so that local residents who want to join the ceasefire call don’t need to travel to Leeds or York.
“Before organising the event, we sought and received approval from North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council and also liaised with Ripon City Council.”
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Last summer concert brings hundreds to Ripon Market Square
Hundreds of people gathered on Ripon Market Square yesterday for the last large-scale public event of the summer organised by the city council.
Families with children from tots to teenagers came early in the afternoon to ride the Ferris wheel and roundabout, both of which proved a constant draw until dusk, when tribute acts took centre stage in front of the town hall.
The queue for the Ferris wheel stretched the length of Market Square
Evening entertainment was provided by tribute acts playing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, while the Big Boyband Reunion, played a selection of the chart-topping songs made famous by leading boy bands.
The crowd on Market Square steadily grew throughout the evening.
One of the concert highlights came when the Neil Diamond lookalike and soundalike sang Sweet Caroline, the adopted anthem of the England women’s football team.
Sweet Caroline struck a chord with the Ripon crowd
The Robbie Williams tribute act
Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me rang out before sunset arrived and at 9pm Allison Clark, a member of the Ripon hornblower team (pictured below) provided a reminder of the city’s ancient roots, by performing the nightly setting of the watch ceremony, which has reputedly been carried out without break for more than eleven hundred years.
You can watch a live video from last night on our Facebook page.
More free Bank Holiday entertainment
The free family-focused entertainment continues in Ripon on Monday, with a street party in Kirkgate from 11am until 4pm and a Spanish-themed fiesta on Minster Gardens from 5pm until 9.30pm.
Organised by independent businesses in the city as part of the Totally Locally initiative developed with Ripon BID, the Bank Holiday event will see the closure of Kirkgate from 9am.
Ripon is preparing for another bank holiday weekend of free family-focused entertainment, featuring live music, fairground rides and a Spanish-flavoured fiesta.
Tomorrow (Saturday) a ferris wheel and Mini Miami ride will be among the attractions on Market Square from 12 noon until 8pm, as part of the last public event of the summer organised by Ripon City Council and financed through the parish precept.
From 7pm until 11pm music will take centre stage, with tribute acts performing the hits of Neil Diamond, Elton John and Robbie Williams, before the Big Boyband Reunion provides a rousing end to the entertainment.
Popular tunes and ancient tradition will come together at 8.55pm when a member of the Ripon hornblower team sets the city watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.
The Easter street party in Kirkgate brought hundreds of visitors to the city
Bank Holiday Monday street party
As a follow-up to the highly-successful Easter Bank Holiday Monday street party held in Kirkgate, Ripon’s independent businesses have joined forces once more to arrange an event designed to draw visitors into the city and entertain local residents.
Kirkgate will close to traffic from 9am, for a day of entertainment running from 11am until 4pm and including buskers and on-street food and drink offers.
Between 5pm and 9.30pm, Minster Gardens will be transformed into a musical fiesta venue, with decorative lighting for a paella picnic among the trees.
The entertainment will be provided by Knaresborough Vista Social Club, Bailey Brown and virtuoso Ukrainian violinist Nadia.
There will be a horsebox bar and a pop-up paella restaurant supplied by Manchega Tapas Restauarant, whose owner, Richard Hughes, said:
“Ripon should be the destination for anyone visiting the north of England! It has everything to offer.”
He added:
“This whole event is an example of the local business community promoting a can-do attitude. It has been funded almost entirely by donations from local businesses and also by sponsorship from Voneus Broadband, along with ongoing administrative support from the Ripon BID, as part of the excellent Totally Locally initiative.”
Mummers provide a humorous take on Ripon’s rich history
St Wilfrid celebrations brought thousands of people to Ripon’s Market Square on Saturday, but after the procession was over, one tradition featuring the city’s patron saint was still to be carried out.
Since 1986, when Ripon celebrated the 1100th anniversary of its Royal Charter granted by King Alfred the Great, the Wakeman Mummers have, without fail, performed a short, humorous play about the history of the city as a postscript to the Wilfrid festivities.
Performed in rhyme and including music from melodeon player Roy Hardacre and a Morris dance finale, the play can be seen for the third night running this evening at 8.45 near the obelisk and facing onto Ripon Town Hall.
Jim Coulson, who wrote the words and takes the part of the Wakeman, will be joined by fellow mummers Peter Meese in the role of St Wilfrid, Andy West as King Alfred, Bellman Dave Blight and Ted Dodsworth as the Ripon Citizen.
The Morris dance finale
Mr Coulson told the Stray Ferret:
“The idea of the play is to tell, simply and with humour, the story of the granting of Ripon’s Charter in 886 AD coupled with the name of the city’s patron saint.
“The week of St Wilfrid’s Feast, which follows on from the procession, was chosen as the most appropriate time of year to perform this play.
“Because all traditions must start somewhere, we can claim that, having performed it every year since 1986 without a break, the “St Wilfrid Play” – as it is popularly known – has now become a well-established tradition in the city.”
This evening’s performance will be the last in the short run, but those who are unable to see it can be assured the Wakeman Mummers will be back again next year.
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Car quilt designed to grab attention for Ripon charity event
The prolific knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project have stepped up a gear with their latest imaginative creation – a multi-coloured quilt for a car!
Designed to catch the eye, the vehicle with its hand-crafted fitted cover will be on display on Ripon Market Square for three days starting tomorrow (July 14) and a further three days from July 21, before featuring in the St Wilfrid’s Procession on July 29.
Hazel Barker, co-founder of RCPP and organiser of the project’s Knit and Natter Group, told the Stray Ferret:
“We came up with the idea as a means of publicising the Ripon Old Cars Classic Gathering at Ripon Racecourse on July 30, which will raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK and 10 local charities.”
The car with its knitted quilt
She added:
“The event has been held for almost 30 years and proceeds from it have been donated to charities and local good causes.”
Following the 2022 gathering, Guide Dogs received an award of £5,000 and previous beneficiaries include the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the Teenage Cancer Trust and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
The Knit and Natter Group, which meets each week at Hazel House on Allhallowgate and other knitters who work from home, have had a busy year so far.
They have created themed city centre decorations for the Easter holiday and the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, while continuing to knit thousands more poppies that will be in place for this year’s Remembrance events in Ripon.
The hot topic of river pollution will come under the spotlight at the community group Ripon Together‘s first-ever green fair on Sunday.
Katie Reeves, a director of Some Consulting — a Ripon-based environmental consultancy — will address the issue at 2.30pm in Ripon Town Hall
Ms Reeves, a member of the Ripon Together environmental group, will look at the measures people can take to help make Ripon’s Ure, Skell and Laver rivers cleaner, better for wildlife and for everyone.
Mike Kaye of Energy Oasis, will give presentations and answer questions about renewable energy for farms, businesses and community projects at 11am and 1pm.
Details of all speakers and organisations involved with the fair can be found by clicking here.
Running from 10am until 4pm, it will be held at Ripon Town Hall and on Market Square, where city councillor Jackie Crozier, owner of Little Bird Artisan Markets, has allocated space for a number of environmentally-focused organisations to have stalls.
Ripon Together director David Ingham, said:
“We’re bringing together professionals, organisations and volunteers who are keen to see environmental improvements across the city and who can advise people on what they can do and who to work with.
“We’ve been supported by Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal and some of their team will be part of the artisan market, talking about their environmental work and hosting children and family activities.”
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Ripon Together puts environment on its agenda
The hot topics will be climate change and a range of environmental issues, when Ripon Together holds its first-ever Green Fair in the city on Sunday June 25.
Running from 10am until 4pm, the event will be held at Ripon Town Hall and on Market Square, where city councillor Jackie Crozier, owner of Little Bird Artisan Markets, has allocated space for a number of environmentally-focused organisations to have stalls.
Ripon Together director David Ingham, said:
“We picked the date to coincide with the market, knowing that several regular stall holders are green businesses and we hope to attract a similar or overlapping audience.”
Ripon Cathedral, the National Trust at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, are also involved in organising the fair.
A key aim of the event is to raise awareness of the environment in Ripon and the surrounding area and how to help to look after the city’s three rivers, canal, local wildlife and green spaces, through reducing waste, collecting litter and limiting the use of plastics.
In a bid to reduce carbon emissions, there will be a focus on public transport, electric vehicles, walking and cycling more, while looking at how homes and businesses can reduce their energy use and save money.
Advice will be available on retrofit, renewable energy and insulation and visitors will be able to find out how making small changes in their daily lives can make a difference.
Mr Ingham, pointed out:
“We’d like to see what people, and especially young people, are interested in, to give or find them reliable advice and to help to achieve change.
“We are trying to provide information and opportunities and must all work together to reduce carbon emissions, have cleaner air, rivers and seas, warmer and greener homes, save money and help reverse climate change.”
Separately from the Green Fair discussions have been held with local schools about solar projects to reduce their massive energy bills.
Ripon Together has a good range of contacts with people who are involved in many established organisations and is well placed to help make the environment a priority in Ripon.
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See Ripon’s Royal Engineers display equipment and skills on Market Square
An impressive display of machinery and skills used by Ripon’s Royal Engineers in many parts of the world can be seen on Market Square until 3pm today.
Since 1949, the Engineers have had the Freedom of Ripon and the right to enter the city with drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed.
Lance Corporal Craig Kerr (left) and Sapper Conner Bull, who have charge of this Terrier tractor, used in mine clearance and other tasks.
They will exercise that right tomorrow morning, when hundreds of members of 21 Engineer Regiment based at Claro Barracks will march through the city streets.
Ahead of this, today’s Freedom Weekend activities are designed to give members of the public a close-up view of equipment, engineering techniques and construction skills, such as bricklaying, concreting and plumbing, employed by the regiment, at many different locations.
In recent years, 21 Engineer Regiment’s main focus has been on support to UN peacekeeping operations and has included deployments to Afghanistan, Cyprus, Poland, Somalia and South Sudan.
Among their key skills is bridge construction, dating back to World War II, when Engineers based in Ripon were involved in the development and installation of Bailey bridges, which played a crucial role in many theatres of war.
Today, people will be able to see displays showing how a medium girder over bridge – a modern-day successor the bridge invented by Donald Bailey – is constructed.
Attendees will also be able to see gymnastics displays, visit information stalls and meet with members of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, whose aim is to protect priceless heritage assets at Ripon’s barracks site when it is redeveloped for housing.
Our main picture shows Lance Corporal Adam Smith (left) and Corporal John Rogers in front of a Mastiff Mk III armoured vehicle used for force protection.
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Flash:Queen and a fireworks display fit for a king provided a sparkling end to two days of coronation celebrations on Ripon Market Square last night.
The accomplished tribute act entertained a crowd of more than 1,500, with a selection of favourite hits from the songbook of Mercury, May and Taylor.
The 90-minute top of the bill performance, featuring Radio Ga Ga, We are the Champions, Under Pressure and Don’t Stop Me Now, among others, engaged the audience and saw many join in the Queen classics that have become rock anthems.
The band was still performing on stage when Ripon Town Hall clock clicked onto 10.50pm, and a fireworks display lit up the sky above buildings in Market Square East, providing a double crescendo that brought the night of entertainment to an end.
Celebrations to mark the coronation of their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, were organised by Ripon City Council and funded from the parish precept,
They included more than 12 hours of musical entertainment provided by tribute acts and Tamsin (pictured above) who performed under her own name,
In addition to the coronation concerts held over two days ,free fairground rides were provided yesterday and proved popular with children of all ages.
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Ripon Market Square set for fireworks finale
Ripon Market Square will host live music culminating in a fireworks finale tonight at 10.50.
The pyrotechnics will bring an end to a day of coronation celebrations in the city.
Afternoon sunshine brought hundreds of people, including a large number of families with young children, to the square.
A Katherine Jenkins tribute act wrapped in a Union Jack, sang a range of stirring patriotic songs, while children queued for their turn to ride free of charge on the galloping horses and Sizzler fairground attractions.
Earlier today, Ripon Cathedral hosted a live screening of today’s coronation ceremony.
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