The Mayor of Ripon is heading for the history books after being asked to stay in office until May.

Councillor Eamon Parkin, who became mayor in 2019, will be the first person to hold the title in the city for three consecutive years.

His term has been extended due to covid, which forced the cancellation of many of the civic events that normally take place in a mayoral year, including the fundraising mayor’s ball.

However, in its place,  he and his consort Nigel Guy will host a hog roast and afternoon of entertainment on September 4 at the Magdalens pub that they own and run.

Tickets are available from the pub and proceeds will be shared between Ripon Vision Support and the Ripon Christmas Lights Appeal.

The Mayor’s hog roast will raise money for Ripon Vision Support and the city’s Christmas Lights Appeal.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I planned the fundraiser as the finale to my term, but then my city council colleagues asked me to stay on, giving me more time to raise money for both causes.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be mayor of this wonderful place.

“With its unique character, rich heritage and community-minded approach, Ripon has weathered storms for more than 1,300 years — the latest being the coronavirus crisis.”

Ripon’s resilience

Like other small businesses in the city, The Magdalens suffered the financial effects of lockdown, social distancing requirements and limitations on the number of customers able to visit.

But the hardship faced by the pub and so many other traders brought a collective response that underlined Ripon’s resilience.

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Cllr Parkin said:

“During our enforced closure, Nigel and I decided to turn the pub into a community hub, where neighbours could call for help, or drop off donated goods and other items for delivery to people in self-isolation.

“But we were not the only ones providing this kind of support and it was replicated by individuals, groups and organisations, all spontaneously rallying to assist others in need.”

With the easing of lockdown seeing the city return to a more normal way of life, Cllr Parkin can look back on highlights that emerged in the darkest hours of the pandemic.

Among them, is his long-held desire to see the extension of area covered by Ripon’s Christmas lights, adding to the city’s festive attraction for residents and driving greater footfall to benefit local businesses.

The decision to extend Cllr Parkin’s term in office until May will ensure that the person selected to be the city’s first citizen next year will be able to look forward to a term in office back in sync with the normal civic calendar.

The Workhouse Museum in Ripon is providing another illuminating experience.

The Allhallowgate building is being lit up shortly after dark each evening with displays celebrating the city’s past.

The images are being projected onto the museum, which is currently closed due to lockdown.

Organised by Ripon Museum Trust, the idea follows the successful Christmas lighting display, which used the building as a backdrop.

Ripon’s proud history of community service is captured in a photographic display projected onto the Workhouse Museum shortly after dark.

Called Serving Our Community – Images from Ripon’s Past, the light show features historic photographs from the Ripon Re-Viewed collection.

It includes images of civic leaders, emergency services, voluntary groups and others who have provided community service in the city.

The message taken from the past applies to current times, making the point that ‘together we are stronger’.

Helen Thornton, director of Ripon Museum Trust said:

“We had some fantastic feedback from the community on our Christmas lighting display and we wanted to keep it running.

“After talking with Ripon Re-Viewed, we came up with the idea to display some brilliant historic photos of Ripon in days gone by,

“It’s a way to bring the community together through our shared past, at what is a difficult time for many. Hopefully the display will intrigue and inspire anyone passing by the museum.”

Designed and created by locally-based audio-visual and lighting specialists Fusion LX, the light show runs for two hours each evening.

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Mandy Whitehead, project lead at Ripon Re-Viewed, said:

“A big thank you to the Workhouse Museum and Fusion LX for the opportunity at this time to share some of the fabulous images from Ripon’s past, of local people serving our community.

“We hope it will give the local community an insight into life in Ripon across the years.”

The display can be viewed for two hours just after dark.

Ripon’s three museums are currently closed due to the national lockdown.

Full details of the museums’ reopening will be published online at riponmuseums.co.uk as soon as they are available.