Monday 13 December 2010
Cabmen's Shelter to go for repair
News today that the Cabmen's Shelter will be taken from the Market Square for repair on Wednesday (16 Dec) and will be returned by the end of February. At last there seems to be some resolution of this sorry saga. Now, we need to see a regular maintenance programme put in place so that it never again gets into such a dreadful state.
Friday 3 December 2010
EGM APPROVES BOUNDARY CHANGES
At the EGM of the Society last night members voted to accept the change to the constitution that will alter the boundaries of the Society. Our ‘area of benefit’ will now be ‘the city of Ripon and surrounding villages’. Thank you to everyone who gave their views and especially to the members who turned out on a freezing night to vote. We are very grateful.
At the Member’s meeting before the EGM we presented Barrie Price, former President of the Society, with a painting by local artist Alan Matthews of Ripon’s Spa Baths. Barrie retired at the Society’s AGM in November.
At the Member’s meeting before the EGM we presented Barrie Price, former President of the Society, with a painting by local artist Alan Matthews of Ripon’s Spa Baths. Barrie retired at the Society’s AGM in November.
Tuesday 23 November 2010
TALK FEATURES IN YORKSHIRE POST
The next talk to the Society, by Vice President Maurice Taylor, is featured in today's Yorkshire Post. The article about the talk, on 'Historic Houses around Ripon', is illustrated with pictures of Markenfield Hall and of Norton Conyers. We may need more chairs out on 2 December!
Saturday 13 November 2010
Eric Wright Group celebrates Civic Society Award
You can read about the reaction to the latest award from the Society to the Eric Wright Group, designers and constructors of the new Booth's supermarket complex, on the Group's website; http://www.ericwright.co.uk/news/eric-wright-wins-best-new-building-award-two-years-running/
Friday 12 November 2010
Society's response to the 'Ripon Vision 2015' proposals
The Society has set out its response to the 'Ripon Vision 2015' proposals. The text of the response is as follows:
RIPON CIVIC SOCIETY’S RESPONSE TO THE ‘RIPON VISION 2015’ PAPER PUBLISHED BY STANLEY MACKINTOSH
Ripon Civic Society believes that there is a pressing need to change the traffic and parking policies for Ripon, and it urges action as soon as possible to achieve this.
In March 2010 Ripon Civic Society published a Policy Statement about traffic management in Ripon. That statement remains the Society’s policy. It encompasses many of the ideas now put forward by Mr Mackintosh in ‘Ripon Vision 2015’.
The Civic Society does not endorse Mr Mackintosh’s plan as a whole, though it acknowledges that many of its elements have a common purpose with our Policy statement and, if implemented, would lead to some of the same ends.
It may be helpful, therefore, if the Civic Society sets outs its points of difference with ‘Ripon Vision 2015’, and offers a different perspective on priorities.
The Society urges that consideration be given to the purposes and use of the Market Square once it is pedestrianised. While it sees the removal of the traffic as an important part of moving Ripon forward, it will not do just to have the Square as an empty space all the time. That was never the purpose of the Square, and should not be once traffic is removed. The Society will put forward plans for the Square in the near future.
RIPON CIVIC SOCIETY’S RESPONSE TO THE ‘RIPON VISION 2015’ PAPER PUBLISHED BY STANLEY MACKINTOSH
Ripon Civic Society believes that there is a pressing need to change the traffic and parking policies for Ripon, and it urges action as soon as possible to achieve this.
In March 2010 Ripon Civic Society published a Policy Statement about traffic management in Ripon. That statement remains the Society’s policy. It encompasses many of the ideas now put forward by Mr Mackintosh in ‘Ripon Vision 2015’.
The Civic Society does not endorse Mr Mackintosh’s plan as a whole, though it acknowledges that many of its elements have a common purpose with our Policy statement and, if implemented, would lead to some of the same ends.
It may be helpful, therefore, if the Civic Society sets outs its points of difference with ‘Ripon Vision 2015’, and offers a different perspective on priorities.
The Society does not accept that there is a need for a multi-storey car park behind Sainsbury’s. Ripon does not need huge amounts of additional parking, and what is needed could be achieved by our proposal to extend the car park opposite the hospital in Firby Lane, with an extra deck under it approached from Somerset Row and additional surface-level parking abutting Black Swan Yard.
The Society does not accept the need for any extra shopping provision behind Sainsbury’s store. It is appreciated that the suggestion is made as an enabling measure, to provide income, but the Society believes that there would be significant disadvantages in terms both of effect on the commercial heart of the city and on the landscape.
The Society believes that there is great value in implementing the first part of the Mackintosh plan, but does not approve of routeing the No 36 bus along Westgate.
The Society urges that a priority for any change should be the construction of a new link road from Low Skellgate to Firby Lane, which is the key to unlocking the road system in Ripon. The other link road, from the roundabout by the Bus station to St Marygate is not so urgent, but could be part of a one-way system that would allow Allhallowgate to become one-way and assist in allowing coaches to approach the city centre, drop off passengers and then park elsewhere.- The Society believes that taxis should not remain in the Square but should be relocated near the bus station.
The Society urges that consideration be given to the purposes and use of the Market Square once it is pedestrianised. While it sees the removal of the traffic as an important part of moving Ripon forward, it will not do just to have the Square as an empty space all the time. That was never the purpose of the Square, and should not be once traffic is removed. The Society will put forward plans for the Square in the near future.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Grammar School talk
In a brief talk to the Upper VI Form at Ripon Grammar School, Ripon Civic Society Chairman David Winpenny told them about the Society and its work, and how important it is for them to be civic-minded wherever their life takes them. They are the future - even more so if the Big Society idea works.
Friday 5 November 2010
AGM Report
Last night's AGM marked the retirement of our President, Barrie Price, after seven years in the post. Unfortunately, Barrie was unable to be with us, but the Society has a picture to present to him in the near future, to mark his generosity to the Society.
In his place the committee has appointed Nigel Rawlinson, formerly Vice-Chairman, as President. Vice-President Dorothy Taylor, who took the chair for the first part of the meeting, welcomed Nigel to his new role.
In Nigel's former place as Vice-Chairman, the meeting voted Graham Taylkor to the post. The other officers were voted back in - David Winpenny as Chairman, Keith Surman as Treasurer and Sheila Winpenny as Secretary.
With the retirement of former committee members Chris Tunnard and Diana Howard, to whom the Chairman paid tribute in his report, there were two vacancies on the committee. They were filled by Richard Taylor and Chris Hughes. Joan Rosher, Membership Secretary, who retired by rotation, was re-elected to the committee.
The Chairman's report on the state of the society is given below:
Madam Vice President, Ladies and Gentlemen
I’d like to start this evening by paying tribute to one of our Vice Presidents, Ted Pearson, who died not long after our last AGM. A long-serving member of the Committee and a stalwart of not just our Society but of Ripon as a whole, Ted was always supportive of us, and we are grateful to have had him on our side for so many years. He will be missed by many people.
A number of our other older members have also died this year – we are grateful for their support. A younger member, who joined us not too long ago and was a regular at meetings and on our visits, was Ian Macdonald. His recent death after illness robs us of another member who was willing to play his full part in the Society. Our sympathy goes to his family and, of course to the families of all our other deceased members.
Turning to the past year’s event, it’s always good to begin on a high note, with our awards! This year we were again a runner up in the Civic Society’s Week Competition organized by the Yorkshire and Humberside Association of Civic Societies (known as YHACS) – as ever, the award is on display tonight! Just as an aside to that, I should mention that the idea of a competition for civic societies has now been copied from us to be used as a national event by Civic Voice, the successor to the Civic Trust. Where Yorkshire leads, others follow!
This year Civic Voice also ran its first competition – for Civic Society newsletters and websites. And while our newsletter didn’t achieve a place in the top few – we were up against some glossy publications from much bigger societies – I’m pleased to report that our website was equal second alongside Wakefield, just behind the winner, which was Brighton. It’s really gratifying that we did so well, and we’ll try to keep the site bright and shiny over the next year, too. If you’re part of the digital generation (or even if you’re not, but you can use a computer!) do have a look at the site – it has plenty of information on it. And so far this calendar year we’ve had getting on for 60,000 ‘hits’ on it, so it must be of some use, we hope!
The committee believes that it is important that Ripon Civic Society is part of the larger Civic Societies movement, especially now when economic pressures are affecting all aspects of civic life. We have joined both YHACS and Civic Voice. I am a member of the executive committee of YHACS, and the Society is regularly represented at the YHACS main meetings – the Secretary and I will be at the one in Selby on Saturday – and if you want to go along, you’ll be welcome, too! It’s a good opportunity to meet representatives of other societies in Yorkshire and the Humber area, and pick up ideas and tips from them. We are also in regular contact with Civic Voice, which provides useful information and is running campaigns and training sessions.
As far as the City of Ripon is concerned, we also try to play our full part in matters that affect its wellbeing and which could lead to its improvement. I am a member of the board of the Greater Ripon Improvement Partnership – GRIP – and I am responsible for looking after the interests of the environment and infrastructure. I know that there are different opinions about whether GRIP should exist, whether it has any powers or whether it is trying to do the right things. My view is that, under the chairmanship of Judith Donovan, the group has brought together a wide variety of disparate bodies who are trying to work together – and that includes not just people like us in the voluntary sector, but also the three tiers of local authority under which we work (I had nearly said labour, but that might be inappropriate!). Of course, ‘by their deeds shall ye know them’ – and it will be by its achievements or its failures that GRIP will ultimately be judged. It is a genuine attempt to TRY – and it’s important that we support it rather than take the easier route of sniping.
Many of you will have attended the presentation last week by our member Stanley Mackintosh about the possibilities of pedestrianising parts of the city by rerouting traffic, adding additional parking and building two new link roads. This is not a Civic Society plan, nor have we wholly endorsed it, but we set up last week’s meeting because we believe that it sets out clearly the problems that Ripon has and offers solutions. It has, we hope, opened up the debate to a wider audience, and we shall continue to put pressure on the relevant authorities to try to take at least some of Stanley’s plan forward. We are very grateful to Stanley for all his hard work – and there was an impressive amount of it! – in helping to push this matter up the local agenda.
In my report last year I mentioned two concerns – the Spa Baths and the Cabmen’s Shelter. As you will be aware, in the current economic climate we are unlikely to see any progress towards a new swimming pool for Ripon, and therefore part of the threat to the current Spa Baths has been put into abeyance. We will, though, continue to monitor what is happening to the maintenance of the Baths, and we shall continue to discuss with others what should eventually happen when – if ! – the country finds itself reasonably well-off again.
Last year I reported that the Cabmen’s Shelter had been listed – and the City Council was not very happy about it. This year Ripon City Council has been awarded a grant by Harrogate Borough Council for its restoration – a grant that is available because it is a Listed Building! We rest our case. We were promised that the Shelter would be taken for restoration in October; as far as I am aware it is still there. We hope that restoration will begin soon – in its current state it will deteriorate even more rapidly over the winter, even if we are spared the cold and snow of last winter. Once it is returned to the Square, we would look to the city council for a plan of regular upkeep, so that it never returns to its current dilapidated state.
You will, I hope, be aware that there is to be an Extraordinary General Meeting after the talk by Maurice Taylor on 2 December, to discuss the changing of the Society’s boundaries. We have been discussing this for some time in Committee, and we appreciate the comments that some of you have made. As your recent letter will have told you, we now have the Charity Commission’s go ahead to put the change to a meeting. We hope you will come along in December to make your thoughts known and to vote on the change, which we feel is important for the Society’s future – 25 per cent of you, our members, live outside the city, so the move seems to meet a need.
In association with the local branch of the Ramblers, we have put together a series of six walks leaflets that take people around the city, along the canal and the rivers and out to Studley Royal. We are about to apply, with the help of Harrogate Borough Council’s Economic Development Unit, to the Awards for All part of the National Lottery for funding to print them and supply extra waymarking,. This application may be made under the GRIP banner, because Lottery like to see bids from all-inclusive groups – but the leaflets will still have the Civic Society brand and the Ramblers’ brand on them. One other leaflet is in preparation – one that has been specially requested by the manager of the Tourist Information Centre in Ripon. This is a new plaques trail leaflet, which is constantly being requested. So that will form part of the lottery bid, too.
And, speaking of plaques, we have one new one already up, to astronomer and pyramidiot Charles Piazzi Smyth at his former home, now Clova House Care Home, and another on its way at the Canal Basin. We are grateful to Chris Tunnard and Brian Carroll for their help with these new plaques. In a new departure, we yesterday ordered some new, small stainless steel circular plaques with a diameter of 100mm (that’s 4 inches to the non-decimal among you – are you the same as the non-digital, I wonder!). They will have on them the Civic Society’s name and logo, as the simple words ‘Award Winner’. They will be available for anyone who wins one of our Annual Awards, at a modest cost to them. The idea is that they can place them on their buildings, shops or offices to show that they have won one of our prestigious accolades. It will help them to show others that they have been given an Award, and will help the Society by getting our name even more around the city.
There are other ways we do that, too. The regular column in the Ripon Gazette still seems to interest people, and the Gazette is still happy to take it – it does help to fill the empty columns, I suppose! Our regular monthly talks, like the one earlier this evening, are well attended, although we were a little disappointed with the turnout for the special lecture by Dr Jonathan Foyle. The talk attracted people from as far away as Hull and Sheffield, but very few from Ripon, which was a shame.
The Heritage Open Day in September was again well-attended, with lots of people coming to the Gazebo, which we open specially, to the Masonic Hall and, for the first time this year, the cathedral’s ringing chamber and bell tower. We are grateful to everyone who helped at the Gazebo, and to our Masonic and Cathedral friends who gave their time to open their buildings.
We have had two successful visits this year – a visit by cars to Helmsley Walled Garden and to the English Heritage Store, and one by coach, on a sunny day, to Grantham, where we were given a tour of St Wulfram’s Church, and to nearby Harlaxton Manor, where we enjoyed the over-the-top decoration. We are very grateful to committee member Daphne Allen for her work in ensuring that both these trips went smoothly. There are already plans afoot for next year’s visits – one, in May, will be to Hellifield Peel, featured on Grand Designs and to nearby Gledstone Hall, one of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ last country houses; the other is planned to go to Hexham and the new Sage Building at Gateshead. Members will receive information as soon as it’s available.
And we haven‘t forgotten the fountain! Nigel Rawlinson is looking after it, and we now have one of the foremost fountaineers (if there is such a word) on the job. We hope to see progress soon!
This year membership numbers have kept very steady, at just over 180. That means that since 2006 we have increased our membership by 50 per cent. Thank you very much for your support – we really do appreciate it, and a strong membership means we have a strong voice in the city.
Of course, the Society cannot be run without a good committee, and I’m very pleased that we have such a thing! I am very grateful to everyone on the committee – I’m sorry that I probably haven’t time to mention you all by name now, but feel free to polish your halos! I must, though give special thanks to two committee members who are retiring at this AGM. First, to Chris Tunnard, who, in at least his second incarnation on the committee, has been especially helpful on the plaques and on steering us away from any legal pitfalls. He has kindly indicated he will be available for consultation in the future.
The other committee member who is retiring is Diana Howard, to who we are very grateful for all her hard work, especially in organising the programme of talks, being in touch with the speakers and making sure that we always have a good talks series each year. This is a very important job, and we have much to thank her for.
I hope that you will agree that Ripon Civic Society is currently in good heart, and that we are making some progress. You may know the church at Staunton Harold in Leicestershire, now owned by the National Trust. It was built by Sir Robert Shirley in 1653, during the upheavals of the Commonwealth. Over the door is an inscription which speaks of Sir Robert having ‘done the best things in ye worst times and hoped them in the most callamitous’. We may not be living in calamitous times (though your point of view may depend on your choice of newspaper), but the times are difficult. Nevertheless, Ripon Civic Society hopes to continue to do the best of things to our own utmost ability, and I and the committee are very grateful for your support.
In his place the committee has appointed Nigel Rawlinson, formerly Vice-Chairman, as President. Vice-President Dorothy Taylor, who took the chair for the first part of the meeting, welcomed Nigel to his new role.
In Nigel's former place as Vice-Chairman, the meeting voted Graham Taylkor to the post. The other officers were voted back in - David Winpenny as Chairman, Keith Surman as Treasurer and Sheila Winpenny as Secretary.
With the retirement of former committee members Chris Tunnard and Diana Howard, to whom the Chairman paid tribute in his report, there were two vacancies on the committee. They were filled by Richard Taylor and Chris Hughes. Joan Rosher, Membership Secretary, who retired by rotation, was re-elected to the committee.
The Chairman's report on the state of the society is given below:
Madam Vice President, Ladies and Gentlemen
I’d like to start this evening by paying tribute to one of our Vice Presidents, Ted Pearson, who died not long after our last AGM. A long-serving member of the Committee and a stalwart of not just our Society but of Ripon as a whole, Ted was always supportive of us, and we are grateful to have had him on our side for so many years. He will be missed by many people.
A number of our other older members have also died this year – we are grateful for their support. A younger member, who joined us not too long ago and was a regular at meetings and on our visits, was Ian Macdonald. His recent death after illness robs us of another member who was willing to play his full part in the Society. Our sympathy goes to his family and, of course to the families of all our other deceased members.
Turning to the past year’s event, it’s always good to begin on a high note, with our awards! This year we were again a runner up in the Civic Society’s Week Competition organized by the Yorkshire and Humberside Association of Civic Societies (known as YHACS) – as ever, the award is on display tonight! Just as an aside to that, I should mention that the idea of a competition for civic societies has now been copied from us to be used as a national event by Civic Voice, the successor to the Civic Trust. Where Yorkshire leads, others follow!
This year Civic Voice also ran its first competition – for Civic Society newsletters and websites. And while our newsletter didn’t achieve a place in the top few – we were up against some glossy publications from much bigger societies – I’m pleased to report that our website was equal second alongside Wakefield, just behind the winner, which was Brighton. It’s really gratifying that we did so well, and we’ll try to keep the site bright and shiny over the next year, too. If you’re part of the digital generation (or even if you’re not, but you can use a computer!) do have a look at the site – it has plenty of information on it. And so far this calendar year we’ve had getting on for 60,000 ‘hits’ on it, so it must be of some use, we hope!
The committee believes that it is important that Ripon Civic Society is part of the larger Civic Societies movement, especially now when economic pressures are affecting all aspects of civic life. We have joined both YHACS and Civic Voice. I am a member of the executive committee of YHACS, and the Society is regularly represented at the YHACS main meetings – the Secretary and I will be at the one in Selby on Saturday – and if you want to go along, you’ll be welcome, too! It’s a good opportunity to meet representatives of other societies in Yorkshire and the Humber area, and pick up ideas and tips from them. We are also in regular contact with Civic Voice, which provides useful information and is running campaigns and training sessions.
As far as the City of Ripon is concerned, we also try to play our full part in matters that affect its wellbeing and which could lead to its improvement. I am a member of the board of the Greater Ripon Improvement Partnership – GRIP – and I am responsible for looking after the interests of the environment and infrastructure. I know that there are different opinions about whether GRIP should exist, whether it has any powers or whether it is trying to do the right things. My view is that, under the chairmanship of Judith Donovan, the group has brought together a wide variety of disparate bodies who are trying to work together – and that includes not just people like us in the voluntary sector, but also the three tiers of local authority under which we work (I had nearly said labour, but that might be inappropriate!). Of course, ‘by their deeds shall ye know them’ – and it will be by its achievements or its failures that GRIP will ultimately be judged. It is a genuine attempt to TRY – and it’s important that we support it rather than take the easier route of sniping.
Many of you will have attended the presentation last week by our member Stanley Mackintosh about the possibilities of pedestrianising parts of the city by rerouting traffic, adding additional parking and building two new link roads. This is not a Civic Society plan, nor have we wholly endorsed it, but we set up last week’s meeting because we believe that it sets out clearly the problems that Ripon has and offers solutions. It has, we hope, opened up the debate to a wider audience, and we shall continue to put pressure on the relevant authorities to try to take at least some of Stanley’s plan forward. We are very grateful to Stanley for all his hard work – and there was an impressive amount of it! – in helping to push this matter up the local agenda.
In my report last year I mentioned two concerns – the Spa Baths and the Cabmen’s Shelter. As you will be aware, in the current economic climate we are unlikely to see any progress towards a new swimming pool for Ripon, and therefore part of the threat to the current Spa Baths has been put into abeyance. We will, though, continue to monitor what is happening to the maintenance of the Baths, and we shall continue to discuss with others what should eventually happen when – if ! – the country finds itself reasonably well-off again.
Last year I reported that the Cabmen’s Shelter had been listed – and the City Council was not very happy about it. This year Ripon City Council has been awarded a grant by Harrogate Borough Council for its restoration – a grant that is available because it is a Listed Building! We rest our case. We were promised that the Shelter would be taken for restoration in October; as far as I am aware it is still there. We hope that restoration will begin soon – in its current state it will deteriorate even more rapidly over the winter, even if we are spared the cold and snow of last winter. Once it is returned to the Square, we would look to the city council for a plan of regular upkeep, so that it never returns to its current dilapidated state.
You will, I hope, be aware that there is to be an Extraordinary General Meeting after the talk by Maurice Taylor on 2 December, to discuss the changing of the Society’s boundaries. We have been discussing this for some time in Committee, and we appreciate the comments that some of you have made. As your recent letter will have told you, we now have the Charity Commission’s go ahead to put the change to a meeting. We hope you will come along in December to make your thoughts known and to vote on the change, which we feel is important for the Society’s future – 25 per cent of you, our members, live outside the city, so the move seems to meet a need.
In association with the local branch of the Ramblers, we have put together a series of six walks leaflets that take people around the city, along the canal and the rivers and out to Studley Royal. We are about to apply, with the help of Harrogate Borough Council’s Economic Development Unit, to the Awards for All part of the National Lottery for funding to print them and supply extra waymarking,. This application may be made under the GRIP banner, because Lottery like to see bids from all-inclusive groups – but the leaflets will still have the Civic Society brand and the Ramblers’ brand on them. One other leaflet is in preparation – one that has been specially requested by the manager of the Tourist Information Centre in Ripon. This is a new plaques trail leaflet, which is constantly being requested. So that will form part of the lottery bid, too.
And, speaking of plaques, we have one new one already up, to astronomer and pyramidiot Charles Piazzi Smyth at his former home, now Clova House Care Home, and another on its way at the Canal Basin. We are grateful to Chris Tunnard and Brian Carroll for their help with these new plaques. In a new departure, we yesterday ordered some new, small stainless steel circular plaques with a diameter of 100mm (that’s 4 inches to the non-decimal among you – are you the same as the non-digital, I wonder!). They will have on them the Civic Society’s name and logo, as the simple words ‘Award Winner’. They will be available for anyone who wins one of our Annual Awards, at a modest cost to them. The idea is that they can place them on their buildings, shops or offices to show that they have won one of our prestigious accolades. It will help them to show others that they have been given an Award, and will help the Society by getting our name even more around the city.
There are other ways we do that, too. The regular column in the Ripon Gazette still seems to interest people, and the Gazette is still happy to take it – it does help to fill the empty columns, I suppose! Our regular monthly talks, like the one earlier this evening, are well attended, although we were a little disappointed with the turnout for the special lecture by Dr Jonathan Foyle. The talk attracted people from as far away as Hull and Sheffield, but very few from Ripon, which was a shame.
The Heritage Open Day in September was again well-attended, with lots of people coming to the Gazebo, which we open specially, to the Masonic Hall and, for the first time this year, the cathedral’s ringing chamber and bell tower. We are grateful to everyone who helped at the Gazebo, and to our Masonic and Cathedral friends who gave their time to open their buildings.
We have had two successful visits this year – a visit by cars to Helmsley Walled Garden and to the English Heritage Store, and one by coach, on a sunny day, to Grantham, where we were given a tour of St Wulfram’s Church, and to nearby Harlaxton Manor, where we enjoyed the over-the-top decoration. We are very grateful to committee member Daphne Allen for her work in ensuring that both these trips went smoothly. There are already plans afoot for next year’s visits – one, in May, will be to Hellifield Peel, featured on Grand Designs and to nearby Gledstone Hall, one of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ last country houses; the other is planned to go to Hexham and the new Sage Building at Gateshead. Members will receive information as soon as it’s available.
And we haven‘t forgotten the fountain! Nigel Rawlinson is looking after it, and we now have one of the foremost fountaineers (if there is such a word) on the job. We hope to see progress soon!
This year membership numbers have kept very steady, at just over 180. That means that since 2006 we have increased our membership by 50 per cent. Thank you very much for your support – we really do appreciate it, and a strong membership means we have a strong voice in the city.
Of course, the Society cannot be run without a good committee, and I’m very pleased that we have such a thing! I am very grateful to everyone on the committee – I’m sorry that I probably haven’t time to mention you all by name now, but feel free to polish your halos! I must, though give special thanks to two committee members who are retiring at this AGM. First, to Chris Tunnard, who, in at least his second incarnation on the committee, has been especially helpful on the plaques and on steering us away from any legal pitfalls. He has kindly indicated he will be available for consultation in the future.
The other committee member who is retiring is Diana Howard, to who we are very grateful for all her hard work, especially in organising the programme of talks, being in touch with the speakers and making sure that we always have a good talks series each year. This is a very important job, and we have much to thank her for.
I hope that you will agree that Ripon Civic Society is currently in good heart, and that we are making some progress. You may know the church at Staunton Harold in Leicestershire, now owned by the National Trust. It was built by Sir Robert Shirley in 1653, during the upheavals of the Commonwealth. Over the door is an inscription which speaks of Sir Robert having ‘done the best things in ye worst times and hoped them in the most callamitous’. We may not be living in calamitous times (though your point of view may depend on your choice of newspaper), but the times are difficult. Nevertheless, Ripon Civic Society hopes to continue to do the best of things to our own utmost ability, and I and the committee are very grateful for your support.
Thursday 4 November 2010
AGM AND TALK TODAY!
Don't forget TODAY'S talk on Listing Buildings from Alison Clarke of English Heritage, and the important AGM that follows. Note, too, the EGM after the talk on Thursday 2 December, when we shall discuss the motion to widen the Civic Society's boundaries.
PEDESTRIANISATION ON THE MOVE
The public meeting about Stanley Mackintosh's plans for pedestrianisation, traffic and parking in Ripon showed that there is a great deal of interest and concern about the problems that the city faces. An informal show of hands indicated that a large majority at the meeting was in favour of making the Square and Kirkgate into pedestrianised areas.
We now need to keep up the pressure on the authorities that have the determining voice in the matter. But we are moving in the right dircetion!
We now need to keep up the pressure on the authorities that have the determining voice in the matter. But we are moving in the right dircetion!
Monday 25 October 2010
Society's next talk is on listing
The next meeting sees Alison Clarke of English Heritage talking about how buildings are listed. The latest of Ripon's listed building is the Cabmen's Shelter, which was donated by the Civic Society to Ripon City Council more than 10 years ago. The City Council tried hard to get the listing overturned. Now they are using the fact of its listing to obtain a grant for the Shelter's repair for Harrogate Borough Council. The Shelter is due to leave the Market Square this month for work to be carried out.
Sunday 17 October 2010
WEBSITE RUNNER UP IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
Ripon Civic Society's website was runner up in a national competition organised by Civic Voice. The results were announced at the AGM of Civic Voice in Peterborough.
We were beaten by Brighton Civic Society - of course, Brighton is considerably bigger than Ripon! Wakefield (also bigger!) was the other Society in contention.
This is what the Civic Voice newsletter says:
You can see Brighton Society’s website here and view Cambridge Past Present and Future’s newsletter here
We were beaten by Brighton Civic Society - of course, Brighton is considerably bigger than Ripon! Wakefield (also bigger!) was the other Society in contention.
This is what the Civic Voice newsletter says:
The first Civic Voice Awards for best website and newsletter provided a stiff competition with nearly 20 entries in each category. After a vote among civic volunteers to provide two shortlists, Brighton saw off Ripon and Wakefield for the website award. Brighton was commended for the easy on the eye design, regular news updates, clear navigation, concise writing and its use of social media. In a closely fought contest Cambridge took the honours over Birmingham and Wakefield in the competition for best newsletter. It was praised for the variety of interesting articles, strong masthead and the use of personal stories. Both Brighton and Cambridge also provided easy ways for people to get involved and encouraged feedback.
You can see Brighton Society’s website here and view Cambridge Past Present and Future’s newsletter here
Friday 8 October 2010
Ripon Civic Society Awards 2010
This is the complete list of winners in the Annual Awards 2010 - pictures are by Andrew Curtis
The Hazzard Silver Cup for Best New Building: Booth’s Supermarket and adjacent retail units
Highly Commended: new houses in Robinson Court, Little Studley Road 
The Price Flagon for Best Restored Building: Ripon Workhouse Museum
Highly Commended: Hazel House Guide Headquarters
The Younge Rosebowl for Best Environmental Improvement: Ripon Workhouse Garden
The Craftsmanship Shield for Best Craftsmanship: Railings at Ripon Workhouse Museum – craftsman Tim Harrison
The Taylor Shop Front Award for the Best Shop Front: Tutto Bello, North Street and Talking Heads, Old Market Place (joint winners)
Highly Commended: Bernard Nicholson Funeral Directors, Water Skellgate
The Helen Whitehead Salver for the best project: Ripon Workhouse Museum for refurbishment, garden and railings 
The John Whitehead Award: Ripon Spa Gardens Tuesday 5 October 2010
RIPON VISION 2015
The Society is facilitating a PUBLIC MEETING at Allhallowgate Methodist Church Hall on Thursday 28 October starting at 7.30pm, at which member Stanley Mackintosh will talk about his wide-ranging proposals for the city. His paper, RIPON VISION 2015, is available for download (it's a big file!) at http://www.sendspace.com/file/s3vn7g
Please come along to hear what Stanley has to say, and join in the debate.
Please come along to hear what Stanley has to say, and join in the debate.
Friday 1 October 2010
WHAT ABOUT THE UNICORN?
We are told that the Unicorn Hotel, which is now closed and in the ownership of J D Wetherspoon, is not currently scheduled for refurbishment and reopening by the company. This appears to mean that it will stay cloed for the foreseeable future.
This probably makes sense to Wetherspoons, and in a large city might not matter too much. But in a place the size of Ripon, to have the main hotel on the Market Square empty - and in a prominent position on the main route from the Square to the Cathedral, is a major setback. We urge Wetherspoons to look again at the schedule and make Ripon a priority.
This probably makes sense to Wetherspoons, and in a large city might not matter too much. But in a place the size of Ripon, to have the main hotel on the Market Square empty - and in a prominent position on the main route from the Square to the Cathedral, is a major setback. We urge Wetherspoons to look again at the schedule and make Ripon a priority.
Thursday 23 September 2010
CABMEN'S SHELTER SET FOR RESTORATION
News at last that the Cabmen's Shelter in the Market Square is to be restored. We are told that it will leave the Square in October and return early next year. The work is in part being paid for by a grant from Harrogate Borough Council. The grant would not have been available had the shelter not been made a listed building at the request of the Civic Society, against the wishes of the City Council. We look forward to its return, in pristine condition. We also urge the council to put a regular scheme of inspection and maintenance in place, so that it never gets into so parlous a state again.
Monday 20 September 2010
AWARDS CEREMONY
Plans are well underway to give out the 'glittering prizes' that are Ripon Civic Society's Awards. The Awards ceremony takes place at the Spa Hotel on Thursday 7 October. Come along and see who's won what! The evening begins with a win reception at 7.00pm and the ceremony begins at 7.30pm. We'd be pleased to see you there.
Thursday 29 July 2010
NO GAZETTE COLUMN THIS WEEK
We've just heard that there will be no Civic Society column in this week's Ripon Gazette. This seems to be because there has been a sub-editing problem, which has resulted not only in the loss of the column but of other news and pictures, too. Given that Ripon news is always at a premium in the newspaper (though there's always room for Harrogate news . . .) this seems a great pity.
The column will (probably) appear on 6 August.
The column will (probably) appear on 6 August.
Wednesday 28 July 2010
BANDSTAND POWER SUPPLY
The Yorkshire post has a story about the proposed supply to the bandstand inthe Spa Gardens. It mentions that Ripo Civic Society has welcomed the move in princile, but that we have 'voiced concerns over the impact the current proposals will have.'This is what we wrote to Harrogate Council about the proposal:
'Ripon Civic Society has considered the plans for the proposed electricity supply to the Bandstand in the Spa Gardens, which is a Listed Building. We support the idea of an electricity supply to the Bandstand but are unhappy with this proposal.
'The drawings show a 400 x 400mm box, but the accompanying Fortress Range brochure does not include this size, the nearest is 636 x 400 x 180mm. The proposed box is very utilitarian, and is to be painted black. Access will no doubt be required so it cannot be screened in the flower beds, and it may need a small path or paving in front. The exact location adjacent to the Bandstand is not identified on the plans.
'We would suggest that, if the base of the Bandstand is hollow, could the electrics not be housed inside beneath the floor, with a simple lift up lid in the floor for access?
'We feel that there is insufficient information on the current proposal and, while supporting the principle of an electricity supply, we are not able to support this application as it stands.'
We await the descion of the Council, which is due on Tuesday 3 August.
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