Ripley’s Annual Well Dressing event ended with a blessing ceremony on Saturday 9th June 2007.
The blessing ceremony which took place by the fountain outside Ripley Town Hall, was led by Reverend Andrew Edmunds from All Saints Church in Ripley.
The ceremony followed a week of well dressing workshops at Amber Valley Borough Council’s Tourist Information Centre on Ripley Market Place. Led by artist Jenny Anthony and her team, the workshops were attended by residents of Amber Valley, visitors to the area and over 150 pupils from St Johns Primary School in Ripley, Ripley Junior School and Lons Infant School in Ripley.
Shirland Brass Band entertained the congregation, which included Amber Valley Mayor and Mayoress Councillor Peter Arnold and Ms. Kathryn Gillman and Ripley Town Mayor Councillor Robert A P Phillips-Forsyth and his consort.
The 2007 Well Dressing focused on the tradition and heritage of Ripley town centre and its surrounding area. This year’s well dressing brought together:
- the achievements of Butterley Engineering (established in the late eighteenth century and known for the contribution to St Pancras station),
- the infamous Oxford Street Zoo (opened in 1908 by the local businessman and entrepreneur at the time John Marshall),
- past and modern day transport featuring both the Ripley Rattler (local name for the tramcars that ran the 15 miles from the centre of Nottingham through the surrounding countryside to Ripley from 1913 to 1932), and the modern day Trent Barton bus,
- the market place and traditional annual charter fair (dating back to 1251 which grants one market one day a week and one fair each year lasting three days) and
- town centre shopping in Ripley throughout the years.
Amber Valley Mayor, Peter Arnold said “I would like to congratulate everyone who took part in the event, it is good to see youngsters enjoying and taking part in the tradition of Derbyshire. I’d also like to thank Denby Pottery for donating the clay that was used as a base for the well dressing, Eley’s Fruit, Veg and Floristry shop on Oxford Street for donating the plants for the flowerbed by the fountain and Jenny’s team for running the workshops”.
Ends
News release issued by the Council’s Policy and Change Unit (01773 841655)
