Ripon Hornblowers in full cry this Yorkshire Day – The Yorkshire Post says

THE RIPON Hornblowers are one of the ancient – and quaint – traditions that help to make Yorkshire so distinct from other counties.
Allison Clark is one of the Ripon Hornblowers who is upholding an ancient tradition.Allison Clark is one of the Ripon Hornblowers who is upholding an ancient tradition.
Allison Clark is one of the Ripon Hornblowers who is upholding an ancient tradition.

Long may this last. They are part of a historic ritual which can be traced back to 886 when Ripon’s first citizen was appointed to keep the city safe from Viking invaders.

Patrolling with his deputies, the ‘wakeman’ was charged with blowing a horn every night at 9pm at the four corners of the market cross to signal the start of his watch. It became the start of a ceremony that has survived the passage of time, two world wars and then the Covid-19 lockdown when the current team sounded their horns from their gardens to maintain their devotion to duty.

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Now they’re waiting to follow Buckingham Palace’s lead on when they should resume their official ceremony duties which can draw crowds of curious visitors.

The Ripon Hornblowers have not been deterred by the Covid-19 lockdown.The Ripon Hornblowers have not been deterred by the Covid-19 lockdown.
The Ripon Hornblowers have not been deterred by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Perhaps it should be the other way round as they prepare to blow their horns with even more pride on this Yorkshire Day.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

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And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

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