The Ripon Hornblower Legend. George Pickles is the legend 3 cheers for George

Carr House Farm B&B in Ampleforth hosts fundraising breakfasts

Carr House Farm B&B in Ampleforth hosts fundraising breakfasts TWO Chelsea pensioners will be enjoying a home-cooked Yorkshire breakfast next week at a fundraising event organised by a local B & B. Anna Lupton and her husband Jack Peckitt, from Carr House Farm, in Ampleforth, are hosting two morning 'parties' to raise funds for the Chelsea Royal Hospital as part of Breakfast Week. Three years ago the pair raised almost £9,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and decided to organiser another fundraiser after meeting a group of Chelsea Pensioners in October. As part of the event, there will be a dinner at the White Swan in Ampleforth where George Pickles, the Ripon Hornblower, will make a special address to guests. Ian Rogers, of RV Rogers in Pickering, will also present two of Ampleforth roses to the visiting Chelsea Pensioners as well as two locally grown Tommy’s Roses. Both varieties of roses have been bred at RV Rogers in Pickering – the Ampleforth variety is raising money for Help for Heroes and the Tommy’s Rose has been specially created for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of The Great War. Anna said: “Back at the beginning of October we were privileged to meet some of the Chelsea Pensioners when they came to North Yorkshire, so I have had this plan in my head since then.” "Unfortunately, due to family illness I am not able to give as much time to feeding 120 at in one go as I did last time, plus it also took weeks of hard work and generosity from a host of people. Anna added: “But with it being Breakfast Week - the week bed and breakfast people taken it upon themselves to raise funds for good causes - I still want to do something." The breakfasts will be held on January 26 and 27 at 9.30am with the dinner at the White Swan on the first night from 6.30pm Anna said help had been provided by Robert Thompson and his team at the White Swan and former licensees from the area Jim and Wendy Davison. "Two Chelsea Pensioners are staying with us and will head both breakfast tables each morning," she added. "They are such lovely people and it wonderful that a couple of them are able to come back to Ryedale and join us for this event."

Dinner with Chelsea Pensioners .. Also Breakfast tickets still available

You may remember 3 years ago when we raised over £8,700 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as part of the breakfast week -Shake Up ,Your Wake Up. It took a lots of weeks hard work and generousity from a host of people. Unfortunately this year as my mother has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of thyriod cancer I am not able to give as much time to feeding the 120 at one go as I did last time. But with it being Breakfast Week- the week bed and breakfast people taken it upon themselves to raise funds for good causes I still feel I want to do something. Back at the beginning of October we were privileged to meet some of the Chelsea Pensioners when they came to North Yorkshire .So I have had this plan in my head since then. Things are finally coming together and we can know let you know... I am passing on some of workload to Robert Thomspon and his hard working team to produce a dinner on the Monday evening , Thus been in a position to raise more money for the Chelsea Royal Hospital. We have 2 Chelsea Pensioners coming to stay with us for a few days. On the mornings Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th Jan 2015 we are hoping you will come and join us at 9.30am . Each table of 6 will be headed by a Chelsea Pensioner.It will give you ample opportunity to hold a conversation with him over breakfast and plenty of photo opportunities. Tickets are £15. As these are limited and going quickly you may like to attend the evening event We are also holding a 3 course Dinner at the White Swan in Ampleforth on the Monday night 6.30pm for 7pm . George Pickles -the Ripon Hornblower will be pleased to know that Roast beef and Yorkshire puddings are on the menu. Ian Rogers of RV Rogers of Pickering will be presenting The Chelsea Pensioners with Tommies Roses which were speically created for the 100 year memorial. There have been grown on the soil that the children brought back from the Battle of the Somme on a guncarriage. We hope that these will be planted in the Royal Chelsea Hospital Gardens along with one of the newly named "Ampleforth" roses. Jim and Wendy Davison who used to be the licencees at the Horse in Ampleforth have helped to bring about this event and will be in atendance throughout . So any one who knows this lovely couple will know we will all be in for a good night Tickets are £25- 01347 868526.

George Pickles the Ripon Hornblower

I have written about George Pickles before even done a YouTube of him.I didn't think George had been given enough recognisation for his dedication .An MBE perhaps, so when I tweeted this one day last year Gary Verity picked up on this and set out to make things right. This was the result. I just happened to be there.... The Ripon man in charge of maintaining the world’s longest ongoing tradition has been made a Yorkshire Patron. Ripon Hornblower George Pickles has been handed the honorary title – and famous Y badge – by tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire in recognition of his continued services to the county’s tourism. George said: “I’m delighted to have been recognised in this way and it’s a real honour to say I’m now a Yorkshire Patron. I think that over the years as the Ripon Hornblower I’ve welcomed more than 70,000 from all four corners of the world and with the Tour de France coming, I hope to welcome many more.”Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, handed him the honour in Ripon’s famous market square. He said: “Yorkshire is known the world over for our famous welcome and George encapsulates this. Not only does he offer visitors a warm welcome, but fulfils an important historical and now globally-famous role.” It is said the role of Hornblower is to safeguard the continuity of the ancient ceremony of 'Setting the Watch' which has been carried out every evening on the market square without a miss for around 1128 years. It is the longest ongoing unbroken daily ceremony in the world. It dates back to around 886 when Alfred the Great visited the City in the midst of the Vikings’ conquests. He was so impressed by the place and support he was given by the people against the intruders that he decided to grant the community a Royal Charter. As it was a spontaneous decision he did not have a parchment scroll or anything of that prepared. All he had to offer them as a symbol of the Charter was a horn. A Wakeman was also then appointed to sound the Horn at the four corners of the market cross at 9pm each evening to let the people know that the watch was set and they could retreat to their homes knowing the Wakeman would be awake and vigilant to any potentials intruders. For more information on the Hornblower and the role’s fascinating history see George’s website at www.the-ripon-hornblower.webs.com

George Pickles and then Lockwoods..

Ripon is quite that undermentioned gem. I am one of George Pickles biggest fans ,-George's role is the Ripon Hornblower and every night dutifully George blows the horn at 9pm to set the watch to keep the town safe. This is a ritual which has gone on unbroken for 1100 years. Most place stop serving food at 9pm but not in Ripon and one of the ladies who works in the Ripon Museum directed us to Lockwoods. Just before 9.30pm and the staff were so helpful .The food was delicious and the puddings outstanding. I had a terrine,toast and a huge pile of chips with aoili and this wonderful chocolate and raspberry creation. Libby our Kiwi helper had seafood linguine and was also tempted by the chocolate dessert. Certainly a place I would go again and happy to recommend to guests

George Pickles - a very special person.

As I said in my previous blog that I had been to visit the Museums in Ripon. I have been wanting to go to hear the Hornblower for such a long time. When you live on the door step so to say you never go. This was the ideal opportunity to do the two together.George Pickles is the Hornblower and a nice man he is too. Afterwards he hands out lucky wooden pennies and I was lucky enough to receive one. The next day I won £25 on the premium bonds and other things have happened too . Hearing the Hornblower I know will be the highlight of my year.One of those things you remember all your life. A tradition kept alive by George going every evening come hail or shine to do his duty. It is very humbling to see how he embraces his job and welcomes people from all over the world.The monies he gets for doing this is spent on having these wooden pennies made which up to count has given away 22,000. A remarkable man. I hope he will get a medal from the Queen to mark his dedication. George has a very informative website which will tell you so much of interest please spend time to visit it http://www.the-ripon-hornblower.webs.com. Also I have made a Youtube so you can hear what happens at 9pm every evening. You will find it under CarrHouseFarm -Ripon Museums and the Famous Hornblower.