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BBC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
9,000 people ride Ripon's big wheel in three weeks
A city's new 108ft (33m) ferris wheel has been hailed a "tremendous success" after almost 9,000 people rode on it in three Big Sky Wheel, which closed on Sunday, opened in the centre of Ripon's Market Place on 5 was the first time the attraction - which offered views of Ripon Cathedral, Fountains Abbey and the White Horse at Kilburn - had been set up in the Bathurst, manager at Ripon Business Improvement District, said the wheel, in place over the Easter school holidays, had "really put Ripon on the map". Ms Bathurst said the attraction could be "seen from everywhere" with residents, visitors, and businesses all offering "very positive feedback" and the wheel creating "a fantastic buzz around the city"."Views from the wheel have been wonderful and it was brilliant over the school holidays, as an activity for parents and grandparents to do," she was a temporary stop to the wheel's spinning after it became engulfed in smoke when its generator caught fire two days after was extinguished using a bucket of water before the fire service Dabell, events officer for the parks and grounds team at North Yorkshire Council, said months of preparation had been needed ahead of the wheel's installation, to ensure there was enough space and ground strength in said: "We've had it in Harrogate as part of the Christmas market offerings, so we thought, why can't we use it all around the district?"Speaking about the chances of the wheel becoming a regular fixture in the city, Ms Bathurst said: "It may not be something that we do every year, one's got to be careful of too much repetition."But I would very much hope that if we don't get something next year, then perhaps the year after, and if not same thing, then something similar." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hundreds celebrate Scarborough's annual Skipping Day
Hundreds of people have descended on a seaside town to take part in its annual Skipping Day, which has been held every year since early last event, in Scarborough, was first officially recorded in 1903, and is held on Shrove Tuesday following the day's other traditional activity of pancake racing. Many school pupils get half a day away from classes to take part, with the town's Foreshore Road being closed to cars for the celebrations. Les Shannon, from the Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre, said local residents had fiercely defended the unique tradition over the years, saying "we need to preserve it". Mr Shannon told BBC Radio York: "Every time we get a new headmaster, the first thing they want to do is stop the [half day of school], but locally we push very much to keep that tradition."He said in its early days, most of the town had an "unofficial bank holiday" as servants and labourers were given a half day off for Lent. Celebrations would begin after the town's "pancake bell" was rung at midday, which originally signalled the beginning of Lent and then, in the 1800s, became the cue to start cooking pancakes, Mr Shannon explained. Scarborough councillor Janet Jefferson, who had the honour of ringing the bell this year, said she had taken part in the town's Shrove Tuesday celebrations since she said she became "seriously involved" when she began judging the pancake races 15 years ago. She said participants were judged not just on their speed, but also their costumes and ability to entertain the crowd. "The actual races are very very competitive," she added. Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Ripon kicked off its Shrove Tuesday celebrations with its own tradition of a pancake race between the Dean of Ripon Cathedral and the Residentiary Canons. The Very Reverend John Dobson said: "We wear our red cassocks just to help give us a bit of extra speed.""It's a great day. There's always a great sense of celebration," he added. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
