Thursdays have been market days in Ripon for more than a thousand years, and the market still offers a variety of fresh produce, meat, fish, baked goods, pet stuff, clothes, haberdashery, greeting cards and mobile phone covers - you name it, they have it. Maybe not exactly the latest fashion or best quality, and the number of stalls has decreased over the years, but it is still a good market that attracts many visitors and makes for a very busy town centre on Thursdays.
My sister and I had a stroll round the market and bought some fruit and veg. After dropping our purchase off at the cottage, we returned to town centre and browsed the shops.
Lunch was taken again at Oliver‘s Pantry, and a good rest back at the cottage, followed by tea/coffee on the bench in front of the house were next. Then it was time for one of our favourite passtimes: visiting book shops! The Little Ripon Bookshop is our favourite here, but we also looked at what the others had to offer. I ended up buying five paperbacks, a mix of fiction and non-fiction.
The limiting factors are of course weight and space - we have to keep in mind that we always have to be able handle our luggage ourselves during the entire journey, including stairs and changing not only trains but also train stations in London and Paris.
We choose not to walk back to the cottage directly, but take a detour to include the spa gardens, which were beautiful with their summer flowers.
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| A place we walked past on our way to Ripon Spa Gardens |
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| Spa Gardens |
After our evening meal of salad, cheese and toast, I spoke to O.K. via Facetime, and the day ended with an episode of Vera.
It had been mostly sunny at 22 C all day - not bad for North Yorkshire, not bad at all!
How I would love to see that market! The spa gardens! Oh, you would never get me out of there! And Vera, I've now seen all episodes of Vera which makes me sad. Loved that show. Didn't you, pet?😊
ReplyDeleteThe spa gardens are very pretty, my one picture does hardly do the place justice. There should be other pictures of it in older posts.
DeleteVera was one of the few detective shows my Dad enjoyed, too. He liked her character.
Thursday in Ripon is the time to visit, the English are so good at open air markets.
ReplyDeleteAs a child of six in my Glasgow school I remember reading about an English covered
market, and I had the feeling I had walked in one, in another life.
It was years before I visited the enclosed market in Oxford, one of the most attractive.
So glad your return to Ripon is everything you dreamed about, so many memories.
I was thinking about the Wednesday bell-ringers in your last post.
Again that reminds me of the bells of Oxford when I first went there in 1969.
*Come and shop at Ripon Market.* YouTube.
There are covered markets (or at least there used to be) in several Yorkshire towns, Mexborough comes to mind. Good when the rain is lashing down! But Ripon‘s market square is spacious and beautiful, a true centre of the town and host tomall sorts of activities.
DeleteMany of our markets are struggling to survive, so I'm pleased to hear Ripon's is still going. It would be sad if they disappeared. Barnsley is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI‘ve been to Barnsley many years ago but it wasn‘t a market day, and we only went to the Alhambra and then had a drink at Yate‘s (or Yates‘?) pub.
DeleteA lovely day - and I like that you manage to build in “ rest time “ too. May I ask what books you bought ?
ReplyDeleteSiobhan x
They will all eventually appear as reviews on my blog 😊
DeleteTom Felton‘s autobiography, two mysteries (each part of a series I like) and another one set in the past in a big mansion, and a book about Northern England.
Glad you and your sister are having so much fun! The days fly by, don't they?
ReplyDeleteThey do, but somehow we really pack a lot into them while at the same time getting some very welcome rest.
DeleteHope you enjoyed your Yorkshire holiday.
ReplyDeleteThank you, L, still do until Thursday.
DeleteWoo hoo - sun! It's been so grey here in London. Thanks for commenting on my blog, I'm glad the posts are getting through. It's so long since I have been to Ripon - I was researching Lewis Carroll because his dad was dean of Ripon cathedral, but I actually found it more interesting exploring Ripon! I intended to get up to Yorkshire again this summer, it is two years since I was in Leeds and Sheffield but I have been so very busy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know you‘ve been to Ripon when you were researching for your book about Lewis Carroll. It is an interesting place to explore, full of history & mystery.
DeleteThis looks so very lovely -- and wonderful to be able to enjoy bookshops with your sister. I would love that!
ReplyDeleteIt is all that, Jeanie - lovely and wonderful!
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