Ripon honour the fallen with incredible soldier tribute to mark Remembrance Day

Throughout the period of remembrance, Ripon is showered with poppies as a symbol of remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.

But this year, the Ripon Community Poppy Project wanted to add a new element to the poppy displays.

Thanks to a grant from Ripon City Council, Jennyruth Workshops has been very busy designing, building and painting 12 wooden soldiers that are to become part of the displays across the town.

Nicky Newell, CEO of Jennyruth Workshops, said: “We were delighted to be asked to be involved in this year’s display.

"Working together with the Ripon Community Poppy Project, we have created 12 soldier silhouettes to be placed around Ripon and knitted lots of poppies too.

"It’s really important to be part of projects that benefit the whole community and we’re looking forward to delivering the rest of the soldiers.”

The Ripon Community Poppy Project started knitting thousands of poppies back in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary and they are now installed annually as a mark of respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Councillor Stuart Martin, from the Ripon Community Poppy Project, said: “We very much wanted to add some new dimension to the poppy displays that we put up so we approached Jennyruth Workshops and asked them if they could help us.

"They applied to Ripon City Council for a grant for the wooden silhouettes that are now adorning the Cathedral and will be enriching other parts of Ripon.

"I would like to say thank you to Jennyruth Workshops and to Ripon City Council for their support.

"It’s really important to the poppy project that we try and improve, mix up and change the dimensions every year so that we’ve got something new for visitors to Ripon and for residents to enjoy.”

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John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, shared how important the Ripon Community Poppy Project is to Ripon Cathedral.

"We’ve just taken delivery of two of these soldiers looking brilliant in the North Transept of the cathedral along with some of the displays of poppies.

"We’re delighted that the cathedral is benefiting from all the people who will be visiting over these coming weeks in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday.

"This is a great project and we’re keen to support it by working with Ripon Community Poppy Project and Jennyruth Workshops, two great organisations within this city.”

On Remembrance Sunday, there will be a service held at the war memorial in the Spa Gardens from 11am where there will be a two-minute silence and the laying of wreaths.

A concert of Remembrance will also take place on November 10 at Ripon Cathedral from 7.15pm, paying tribute to our war hereos with music from the Ripon City Band, Dishforth Military Wives Choir and The Dutchy Bells.

Tickets are £12 and can be purchased from the Stuff 4 Offices or The Wakeman Cafe.

Any profits made will go to the Ripon Community Poppy Project.

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