Ripon Gazette

Articles written by former chairman David Winpenny that were printed in the Ripon Gazette.

  • THE FINAL COLUMN – THANK YOU FOR READING!

    This is the 569th of these columns. It is also the final one – and the only one that I shall write in the first person! I shall retire today…

  • JUST OFF OUR LOCAL MOTORWAY

    Motorways are convenient for getting about the country – though not usually the most pleasant of experiences. Most service stations leave much to be desired, though there are exceptions; the…

  • THE CIVIC SOCIETY’S AWARDS 2018

    It’s always pleasing to be recognised for our achievements. Whether we’re awarded gold medals at the Olympics, a knighthood from the Queen or a new badge to be sewn on…

  • HOW TO FINISH THE UNFINISHED

    How do you complete an unfinished building? Perhaps it’s not a question you’ve had to consider; when you buy a house you will expect it to be finished. Yet the…

  • ANGELIC VISITATIONS – RIPON INCLUDED!

    How often is Ripon visited by angels? Saturday is the feast day of St Michael and All Angels – Michaelmas Day – so it’s a topical question, perhaps. We can,…

  • SECRET RIPON BOOK PUBLISHED

    ‘Blowing your own trumpet’ is not usually considered to be a good thing. The thesaurus gives its alternatives as boastfulness, pretension, ostentation, swagger, self-promotion, one-upmanship, hubris, attention-seeking and (a nice…

  • FROM CHURCH INSTITUTE TO HAIR SALON

    The Institute. Somehow, the words have (except perhaps for the WI) a rather old-fashioned ring. Institutes must be, we tend to think, a hang-over from the 19th century when serious-minded,…

  • HERITAGE ON VIEW IN HODs

    It’s September – and Heritage Open Days are here again. Close attention to these columns over the years will have given you the lowdown on the phenomenon that is HODs…

  • HOW SHORT IS A SHORT CANAL?

    The standard answer to a question like ‘How long will it take?’ is another: ‘How long is a piece of string?’ May we offer an alternative to that somewhat annoying…

  • GRAFITTI – BAD AND GOOD

    We all complain about graffiti. Louts who deface walls by scratching in their names or insults to others, or who use spray paint to leave their often-ugly mark on any…

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