He has provided support from his localities budget towards a fundraising concert, which raises the funds needed to ensure the displays can be repeated annually. Ripon is a military town and 300 of today’s troops will be present for a Remembrance Sunday service in the Spa Gardens, where Cllr Martin will also attend as County Council chairman, followed by a further service at the Cathedral, where the second of Ripon’s two war memorials is situated.Īnecdotal evidence from businesses in the area suggested they benefitted from the presence of visitors who travelled to pay their respects, he said. Without them, we would not be able to do the things we do and it is important to remember them.” Installing the display annually is a task which requires almost military precision - with volunteers from the Ripon Community Poppy Project, set up with assistance from Cllr Martin and residents Hazel Barker and Carol Dunkley.ĭisplays have been installed around the town and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service staff volunteered to help get the blooms to some of the more hard-to-reach locations.Ĭllr Martin said: “Those who made the sacrifice we remember gave us the freedom we have today. It is an impressive sight and was made possible through a ‘viral’ online campaign several years ago which saw knitted poppies donated from worldwide locations alongside widespread support from the local community. Within the last few days, North Yorkshire’s chairman Cllr Stuart Martin - who helps to ensure the display survives by providing support towards fundraising from his localities budget - has spoken to people in town from Cheshire and Lockerbie, visiting specifically to view the display. The town is currently decked with around 65,000 poppies, mostly knitted, which are there as a visible recognition to those who gave their lives in the two World Wars and other conflicts.īut like the Tower of London poppy installations which marked the centenary of WW1, Ripon’s display now attracts visitors from many miles away.
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