01/01/12 - A Happy New Year to one and all!

One of the highlights of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Ripon was seeing warmly dressed members of the Cathedral congregation, lit candles in hand, merging in the Market Place with the scantily clad revellers from The Matrix (Ripon’s only night club) and the various pubs.  Each to his own, I suppose.  I particularly enjoyed seeing John, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, exchanging a high five with a cheerful young lady from the latter group.

As usual, speeches were made from the Town Hall balcony and the watch was set by the inimitable Ripon Hornblower, George Pickles.  To mark the beginning of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, the fireworks which followed were largely red, white and blue.  Now on with 2012!