A Savory Is Born

Every year a saviour comes to Ripon on a white horse. He comes to save our souls and his name is St Wilfrid – or it might just be Bomber! It can only be a month or so before another blessed saviour comes to town on his white charger this time allegedly to save our city from the economic quagmire; it is of course Edwin J Booth – though he may just come in his Bentley!
How he is going to pull off this remarkable feat we cannot say. Suffice it to say there are many members of our councils, both parish and borough, who are utterly confident that this is the case.
Booths supermarkets' target group is the middle class shopper - the kind of people who drink wine regularly, people who at present, use the local butchers and delicatessen. Booths have clearly demonstrated by their actions that they care not one iota for the future of their trading neighbours in Ripon and for those traders the future looks bleak indeed.

Who Are They Watching?

It is an unpleasant and unnerving thought that we might be watched by complete strangers as we go about our daily lives. Of course we are all accustomed to the
proliferation of surveillance cameras in the UK and this has given rise to comparisons with Big Brother – CCTV in our streets and shopping arcades, in shops, on police vehicles and ‘body worn’ cameras on the police themselves. But is it all being done for benign reasons of public safety and crime prevention and where are we safe from the state’s prying eye?

You would think, would you not, that the answer would unquestionably be in your own home, but here in Ripon at least, this may not be the case.
Harbinger would like to know why at 08.50 on the 22nd April this surveillance camera appears to be pointing directly into the upstairs (bedroom?) windows of the apartment opposite. The camera remained at this angle for at least 15 minutes and then turned to face up the street.

The Human Rights Act states: CCTV operators must be fully aware and signed up to the system Codes of Practice and Procedures, including matters relating to Human Rights, Data Protection, PACE Act 1984
It says: ‘Everyone has the right to respect for private and family life, his home and his correspondence’. And further: ‘All surveillance carried out must be ‘necessary in a democratic society’.

There may of course be a perfectly innocent explanation for this but if this were my bedroom, or worse, that of my teenage daughter I would be feeling rightly indignant and would, under those circumstances seek to identify who is responsible for this gross infringement of privacy and human rights.

Come on Harrogate Council: explain yourselves.

Market Square Madness

What a delight it is to see our lovely Ripon market place used, as it should be, for a market. The visiting continental market has used the space wonderfully and Riponians are wandering about enjoying the space at last. The market square could be used every day for all sorts of events and markets; sadly however this is unlikely to last as the cretins will soon have it tarmaced over and the cars all over it once again. "Get out of the way, we don't want you people here, this is a car park."

St Bernard Bateman and climbing partner Don (Whillans) Grundy, moments after their successful attempt on Duck Hill (North Face).

St Bernard led the first pitch from base camp at ‘The Deli’ in an audacious ‘Alpine Style’ assault; this included the first of two challenging traverses. Having set up a hanging belay at the bottom of the ‘Difficult Steps’ he allows the immensely experienced ‘Don’ to lead through the gruelling and technically demanding second pitch

“ It wasn’t easy”, said Don “ after yesterday’s rain some of the steps were greasy but my crampons eventually found grip and I mantleshelved out and set up the second hanging belay to bring St Bernard up”.

The pair completed the infamous ‘Difficult Steps’ in record time despite the prevailing conditions only leaving the final, and most dangerous pitch – the Kirkgate Traverse – to St Bernard.

The crossing of Kirkgate can be incredibly dangerous due to signage suggesting an absence of traffic but “thanks to the incompetence of Harrogate council's parking dept' one can be mown down at any time” said St Bernard “and that’s the way we like it – fast and dangerous!” Astonishingly the Kirkgate Traverse was achieved without mishap and the triumphant pair gained the summit (known as 'The Chair') and planted the traditional flag of victory before the weather began to close in and it started to spit.

Youthful Mayor Elect Says "I'll Put Ripon First."

George Pickles: A Very Naughty Boy.

I really can't be bothered with this silly little story, and yet it seems to have grabbed the headlines in the Gazette for weeks now.
So, the hornblower George Pickles has had an official reprimand from our esteemed Mayor 'earinged' Sid Hawke for 'attending events without official permission' and 'communicating with the press'. Perhaps Mr Pickles should restrict himself to his original remit in which case I shall expect to see him patrolling the town in the early hours in order to ensure we all sleep safe in our beds.
I suppose it is indicative of a wider stupidity, arrogance and insularity on the part of many members of our council though why we should be suprised at this defeats me.

'Chance For Ripon To Shine' Squeaks the Gazette.

In what the paper describes, somewhat over grandiosely, as ‘a top level business seminar’ councillors, business leaders, tourist chiefs (whatever and whomsover they might be) and David Curry MP spent a morning cocooned in the opulent splendour (sic) of the Spa Hotel discussing Ripon’s future.
Seizing the opportunity presented by the opening of Booths supermarket this summer appears to be the message they are promulgating. Well, Harbinger would like to know exactly what opportunity this might be, other than for Mr Booth himself to make a great deal of money at the expense of existing traders. Unless we are careful we will all, inevitably find ourselves shopping there, because many of the shops we know and love will not be equipped to compete and will close.

‘Ripon must tidy itself up’ so said former Business Woman of the Year Judith Donovan; how right you are Judith! So who is going to talk to the likes of W.H. Smiths and get them to do something about the disgraceful state of their premises and who is going to compel Mr Michael Hutchinson (right) to clean up the premises he owns in the town and allows to fall into disrepair?

Yes, it’s all well and good holding ‘top level’ seminars but what action will we see?

Yoof (addendum)

Hawke and I'Anson the 'brains'
behind Matrix under 18s night Ripon’s sticky floored Matrix was once again the venue for an under 18s club night last night. The ‘brainchild’ of Mayor Sid Hawke and ‘fully supported’ by night club owner Chris I’Anson (well it would be wouldn’t it?) these evenings have been hailed by the pair as ‘a great success’..…Really! And exactly what criteria are they using to gauge this success?
Once again last night the police control unit was parked in the market square and by 7.30pm there was a disproportionately large police presence outside the club including a police car, a police van, eight or ten police officers and judging by the hysterical shrieking of 'you can fuck off, You can FUCK OFF' a young lady was about to be taken into Her Majesty's care for the remainder of the evening. Who knows what had brought her to this emotional state but it may be, of course that someone was cheating during the 'Pass the Parcel'.
We see no reason why the already stretched tax payer should have to foot the bill in order to boost the profits at Mr I’Anson’s tacky establishment, nor do we see why children as young as 13 years of age should be exposed to the appalling language and behaviour that takes place with depressing regularity both inside and outside the club.

And here's the scene at 7.30pm:

Daniel Hannan Speech

Here's something a little less parochial: this is one of the most devastating speeches I've had the pleasure of watching since the heady days of William Haig's leadership of the Tory party.

Winpenny wins over shortsighted council

So, a row has broken out about the cabmen’s shelter in the market square. David winpenny, chairman of Ripon Civic Society has apparently had the thing listed; well good for him. “Because it is now a listed building it has more protection and the council is legally obliged to take care of it properly." He said.
It seems however that the council in their usual shortsighted way would rather do the job on the cheap (no surprise there!). Councillor Jeremy Banyard said it was a pity the civic society hadn’t worked with the council over the issue. What he means of course is it’s a pity they hadn’t toed the council line!

Yoof

“There’s nothing to do; I’m bored”. Such has been the mantra of the teenager since God was in short trousers, and as likely as not the response would be: “Well get out from under my feet and find something to do.” No longer it seems. We are now expected not only to find things for other people’s offspring to do, but to pay for it into the bargain.
The night club in our town was turned over to teenagers in the early part of last evening (nothing new there, the latter part of the evening is always turned over to teenagers) though they were prevented from drinking alcohol on the premises. I imagine it was a scheme to give their livers a rest since weekend evenings usually end for many of them either in the back of a police van having given their best mate’s head a kicking for looking at their girlfriend, or semi-conscious in a pool of vomit and urine in a shop doorway.
Anyway, the first I knew of this event was when we went into town for an early evening drink and found the place teeming with police; there was even a mobile incident unit in the market square! What the hell sort of a message are we sending to these kids – you’re all so big and dangerous we need the riot squad to control you? They are still children; if they misbehave then give them a talking to, call their parents to come and get them, ban them from future events but do NOT aggrandise their silly behaviour by laying on a madly disproportionate police presence.The police tell us that they will not monitor community events such as local parades, sporting events etc. for lack of funding, and yet they will squader vast amounts of tax payers money policing a children’s party!

Cretins

So, the south side of the market place is finally and grudgingly clear of cars; one wonders how long it will last before the cretins in charge find an excuse to allow them back? No doubt the rationale (if you can term it such) will be: well, it’s just a waste of space when what we need is parking space. OF COURSE WE NEED PARKING SPACE….BUILD A FUCKING CAR PARK!
A market place such as ours could be used so well, for so many things including, dare I say – a market. It should be a meeting place for the community, a place to sit and talk, children to play, have a coffee, perhaps a drink. Licence the area and police it as they do on the continent and indeed in many places in the U.K. The council’s obsession with cars and supermarkets has, and continues to be the primary ruination of this town.

This is what we should be aiming for:People sit outside for coffee and drinks all over the world; not just in the warmer climes - Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, even Moscow. All we need is the courage to make the change and make the most of what we have. Let's get rid of the cars and the trucks and the bloody taxis and make room for people.