De Rigueur

Early evening found me strolling around a damp and somewhat desolate town centre. A dispiriting experience you might think, and so it was until there, in the window of a local hostelry was the bright and cheery sight of a Christmas tree! Not, as you might think, in a 'low dive'; no! This was a posh joint, where slacks would not look out of place and golf seems a reasonable topic of conversation. One imagines they are using irony; rather in the way that Americans use it when wearing white tie at an evening that is very clearly black tie.

Problems Snowball

The perennial and you might rightly think, tedious topic of parking has raised its head again, though not in its usual guise of 'Why can't we park all over the market square'. No...... this time there is a new twist to the saga. A small row is brewing over on Twitter about Cllr Andrew (Andy) Williams, Ripon crooner & current Mare and the fact that he has his own designated parking space on the south (pedestrianised) side of the square. 'Why should he have a parking space at all,' it was asked, 'is he, in some way, better than the rest of us?' (insert your own answer here!)
But then another grain of sand was introduced into (Andy's) Vaseline: Not only does he use the space to park for official business, alleged the Tweeter, but also when drinking in what was described as 'Spoons.
So, the question should be asked.....If he is using his space whilst sipping at a Snowball or two, should he not be doing so in one of the many independent drinking establishments in the town rather than putting his money in the till of a Watford based company and its distant and, no doubt, minted shareholders?

Here he is with his official chauffeur rolling in for another 'sesh' at 'Spoons: "A Snowball and a half shandy for my driver landlord!"

Addendum: This is not the only storm kicking off over in Twitter-land.......
See here

Reasons to be cheerful (part 3)

Ripon Hornblower 

George Pickles (Pickles the noun, not the verb!) A fine ambassador for Ripon. Keep up the good work George.

Twits?

So Ripon City Council are now on Facebook and Twitter! A step in the right direction would you say? Perhaps it will be utilised as an open forum for debate - a place where the people of the town can air their views and get a response; or perhaps it will simply be yet another opportunity for councillors to post photos of themselves dressed up like a herd of pantomime dames (collective noun for pantomime dames?? A widow of dames - a twanky - a stage?). Of course, most people do use social media such as this for verbal twattery and posting pictures of themselves and friends looking ridiculous but since this is the default position of our esteemed (sic) council it would be nice to see them taking a new direction.

I've just had a comment from Anon asking is this a picture of the Ripon Mare. Don't be silly Anon - it looks nothing like the Mare; this is he:

Do You Really Want Costa Coffee In Ripon?

Do you want another blight on the townscape of Ripon? Another haemorrhage of your money to a multi-national chain? Have a look here: www.notocosta.co.uk

Just as Ripon is beginning to shuffle grudgingly towards the 21st Century with the opening of some interesting, independent shops, coffee shops, wine bars and galleries the last thing it needs is to be dragged backwards by another cheap chain purveying its homogenous shite.

So, Ripon Council, Harrogate Borough Council: What are you going to do about it? As if we didn't know