White rose of Yorkshire festival appeal

Ripon Cathedral Revealed - a festival of flowers, music, spirituality, food and drink starting on April 28 - will feature installations of the handmade roses tumbling down the front of the building, like the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, around the outside and on an archway and stands inside.

The Rev Canon Elizabeth Sewell, Canon Educator at the cathedral, is keen that as many people as possible create Yorkshire roses.

“We already have around 50 roses with many more promised,” she said.

“Schools are getting involved as well as clubs, groups and individuals. We have even have one school making metal and ceramic roses. My Learning Assistant, Moira Siara, and I, are happy to visit schools to inspire pupils and staff and to give advice,” she said.

“To encourage mass participation, we have crochet, sewing and knitting patterns available free from the cathedral shop or from our website. Alternatively, people can create their own patterns using whatever materials they wish and there are ideas available via internet search engines.”

Inside roses should be no more than six inches in diameter, ideally with a safety pin on the back. Outside roses should be at least six inches in diameter.

Roses can be taken to the Cathedral Shop or posted to the Cathedral Office (Minster Road, Ripon. HG4 1QS) before the event enabling the first part of the installation to be in place as the festival opens, or take it along during the festival and put it in place.

Workshops to make more Yorkshire roses will be held during the festival to boost numbers for the display.

“When the Tour de France started in Yorkshire, people responded in their hundreds, if not thousands, by knitting mini cycling shirts to be displayed at locations along the route. That is the spirit of hand-crafted community creativity we are looking to recapture for the festival.”

Tickets for the festival are now on sale on line at www.riponcathedral.info/revealed/ which also gives details of the many events that are happening. They cost £15 for the Jazz Preview Evening that launches the Festival and £8 for each day of the festival. Entry for children is free.