Saturday 27 April 2019

An Interview

Some of you know that my sister and I have been friends with George Pickles, former Hornblower of Ripon, and his lovely wife Lilian, for some years now.
Maybe you even recall that I have posted an interview with George a few years back to mark New Year's Eve; that interview is here. Or the intriguing story George allowed me to share as a guest post to mark Christmas one year; that story is here

In 2017, I learned that Ripon had introduced its first female Hornblower to keep up the tradition of setting the watch that has been going on for more than 1,000 years.
Of course George knew more about it and, as befits his generous and kind nature, he introduced us to Allison this year. We met on Ripon's market square in time to attend the setting of the watch by her. Allison then told us and the other visitors a bit about the history of the tradition, and when the others left, George introduced us. A pleasant chat followed before it was time to get out of the chilly night air and back to our warm cottage.

My sister took this photo of George, Allison and myself. (I have both George's and Allison's permission to publish it here.)


Since then, Allison and I have exchanged emails, and she has agreed to answer a few questions. Here is our interview:
1. How did it happen that you became the first female Hornblower in the over 1,000 years of this tradition? (I know you told me briefly, but I want to make sure I get it right!)
The Hornblower job was advertised in our local paper The Ripon Gazette (apparently it is the first time the role has ever been advertised). I applied and was interviewed. I don’t know how many people applied and were interviewed but the interview panel decided to appoint two of us, me and Richard M. This meant that we now have a team of four hornblowers. 


2. Were there any changes the City had to make for you because you are a woman, for instance to ensure your safety? 
No changes were made. I have never felt unsafe on the square. There are usually a lot of people around. My husband often comes with me for company and George gave me the number of the police who control the surveillance cameras on the square so if I did feel uneasy I would ring them in advance and ask them to monitor me. 


3. Sometimes women in predominantly male areas of life feel they have to work extra hard to be taken seriously. Do you ever feel this is the case in your position as first female Hornblower?
I have not felt this at all in this role. Everyone has been very welcoming and encouraging. A lot of people who have watched the ceremony have congratulated me on being the first woman to be appointed to the role and have seemed genuinely pleased. 


4.  What is the biggest challenge of being a Hornblower?
The biggest challenge for me was learning to blow the horn so it was a good consistent note. I had not come from any previous experience of playing an instrument and I am told that the horn I use is the most tricky one to blow so this was my biggest challenge and I had to do a lot of practising!


5. Has this position influenced other aspects of your life, and if yes, how?
Being a Hornblower has made me more interested in local history and I have joined The Civic Society as one way to learn more. I have also read more books and articles about Ripon. It has also made me appreciate living in Ripon even more and I feel very proud of the City and its history and traditions. 


6. Ever thought about retiring from it?
No - I feel I have only just begun and am happy to continue whilst I am enjoying it.
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Allison, thank you so much for your time! It was lovely meeting you in March, and I hope we'll meet again during my next Yorkshire Holiday!

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Addendum:
My blogging friend Monica from Sweden has posted about her visit to Ripon in 1974 and seeing the hornblower - please have a look here.

Thanks to George, I can tell you that the name of Monica's Hornblower was either Phillip Harrison or Brian Waines. How do I know this?
Check this photo of the plaque on the obelisk on Ripon's market square as it used to look like until someone decided to take it down (and not update and restore it, as was the original idea after George retired a few years ago):


Isn't it fantastic how one thing can lead to another in the blogging world? When Monica saw the Hornblower in 1974, little did she know that 45 years later she was going to post about it, inspired by someone else's post about a more recent meeting with another Hornblower!

20 comments:

  1. This is a fascinating tradition.

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  2. A good interview. I am really glad there is a woman among the hornblowers, now.

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  3. Thank you for publishing details of your interview with Allison the first lady to take up the role of Ripon City Hornblower since the custom began in the year 886. Also much appreciation for including me in your comments and for the links to details of my service as Hornblower. I hope you and Allison keep in regular keeping you up to date and promoting not just the Hornblower and the legend, but the City of Ripon. Well done both.

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    1. Hello George! Thank you for popping over and commenting. Without you, this interview would not have come about!
      My regular readers know how much we love Ripon in particular and Yorkshire in general; I could go on and on about it.

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  4. Perhaps you should write to Ripon Council to see if you can be a guest hornblower next time you stay there. I think you would look really cool in a hornblower's outfit but like Allison you would need to practise the hornblowing. To help you could join a brass band in Ludwigsburg.

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    1. O.K. plays the trumpet in his village's brass band - he'd be much better prepared for that. Guest hornblowers... now there's an idea!

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  5. Meike, I'm not sure if I have perhaps said it before, but your posts about the hornblowers of Ripon bring back memories for me. This time I decided to go back in my photo album and look for "evidence", and as I found it, I have just posted about it on my own blog, with reference to your post here. I thought maybe your hornblowing friends might like to see it as well :)

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  6. I love the suggestion from Y.P. Wouldn't OK love that you could also blow a horn? Love this post! Thanks very much for the interview and I love that George left a comment too! Wish I could meet him and his wife. Doggone it , I need to go to Yorkshire!!😊

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    1. I agree, Kay, you need to go to Yorkshire!!

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  7. Nice to learn that old traditions can be updated for the 21st century. I came across your post on the Ripon horn blower from Dawn Treader's blog. I write a blog on my collection of vintage photos of musicians. Back in 2011 I posted a story on a German family's holiday snapshots of the Ripon horn blower taken in the 1920s or 30s. The horn might be the same one Allison plays now.
    https://temposenzatempo.blogspot.com/2011/09/hornblower-of-ripon.html

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    1. Hello Mike, thank you very much for popping over and pointing me towards your post with pictures from nearly a century ago - so fascinating, and some of the shops are still the same!

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  8. Monica has posted a very nice picture on her blog. I do wish to return to Ripon, I didn't have enough time there last time I visited, some years ago, and I didn't get to see the Hornblower. In fact, I rather wondered what it could be, although I obviously guessed it was an ancient custom. Thanks for the interview, interesting to hear from the Hornblower herself!

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    1. It would be nice to read about a Ripon visit of yours, Jenny - always interesting to learn what others see in a place that is familiar to oneself, I find.

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  9. I hope you are well....You are so quiet and not only on your own blog. Be well.

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    1. You are so kind, Kristi! I am actually very well - just on my way home from two weeks off work, one of which we've been spening hiking in the mountains in South Tyrol. Internet access was very limited there, hence my unusual quietness.

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  10. I'm just catching up. It's taking longer than I expected. I remember your previous posts. Your interview was fascinating.

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    1. Thank you, Graham, and thank you for taking the time to read up on my older posts.

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