Ripon newsletter: December 2023

Welcome to your final Ripon quarterly newsletter of 2023! As the end of the year draws ever closer, our York campus gets ever quieter as students finish their lessons. For many alumni, we know December is another nostalgic time, full of remembrances of singing carols with friends, house Christmas dinners and enjoying Ripon in the colder weather.

In this newsletter, we share news about an upcoming alumni-led reunion this summer, information about A Very Ripon Christmas and share some new photos from your old campus.

A Very Ripon Christmas

Last week we held A Very Ripon Christmas at Ripon Golf Club. We had a fantastic time connecting with some of our Ripon alumni community. It was wonderful to hear some of your stories and see some of the amazing pictures you brought along to share!

As part of the event, we created a mini-exhibit about life at Ripon College in the 1920s. You can read the inspiration for these exhibits on our blog.

You can find out more about the day on our website. You can also look at photos from the day on Flickr.

New photos from Ripon

We have a confession to make. After A Very Ripon Christmas, your alumni team had a short wander around the old College grounds. Luckily, the weather was on our side, and we were able to take some current photos of what the original building looks like today.

It was the first time any of our team had visited our old College grounds, and for us, it was wonderful to see the original building in person. Photos don’t do it justice!

If you have any photos of Ripon College or Ripon campus you’d like to share with us, please email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.

News from Ripon

Many of you will no doubt remember the nightly Hornblower tradition which started back in 886AD. Recently, a tribute to Ripon Hornblower George Pickles, who held the post for 12 years, has seen people from around the world taking part. You can find out more about this tribute on the BBC News website.

The Telegraph also named Ripon as among one of the UK’s prettiest towns. Whilst we all know Ripon is actually a city, its charm is undeniable! Find out more about Ripon’s latest accolade on the York Press website.

In more festive news, a giant inflatable snow globe will be arriving in Ripon this week! The snow globe will be the perfect winter photo opportunity for locals and tourists alike. Find out more about where it will be in Ripon over the next few weeks on the Ripon Bid website.

Upcoming summer reunions

Did you know that there are two reunions happening in Ripon next year? Organised by alumni who attended Ripon, they’re set to be fantastic events!

If you started your studies at Ripon between 1987 and 1994, you’re invited to a Reunion on Saturday 15 June 2024. Organised by Meg, it will be held at Ripon Rugby Club. Tickets cost £15 and need to be booked and paid for by emailing Meg directly.

Many alumni have already booked their tickets, and even arranged to stay at The Unicorn! After you’ve bought tickets, you can also be added to a Facebook Group which will include details about who’s attending, as well as updates closer to the time.

If you started your studies before 1987, there is another reunion being held in Ripon this Summer. Unfortunately, this has already sold out with a substantial waiting list. If we receive any information about places becoming available, we will let you know if your next newsletter!

Festive traditions

Last week we held our annual Christmas Carol Service in York Minster. This annual tradition is much loved by our students, staff and our local alumni.

But what sort of traditions did Ripon College and our Ripon campus have around Christmas? We know that for many years, the annual Christmas party was a highlight of the festive season at Ripon College. Christmas plays also played an important part in the College year, with many students taking parts as performers, stage hands and costume designers.

For many years, the start of December was also Old Students Day. Alumnae would return to campus to take part in friendly sporting matches against current student teams before enjoying the College’s hospitality.

Later, we know many students enjoyed singing carols around Ripon before taking the festivities inside to local pubs.

If you have a favourite memory from your time studying with us, we’d love to read it! Please complete an alumni snapshot to share your stories with our wider alumni community.

Honorary degrees

Did you know that we’ve been granting honorary degrees to our alumni who were awarded their Certificate in Education before 1980? If you, or someone you know, studied with us before 1980 and was awarded a Certificate in Education, you are eligible for our honorary degree scheme. Our honorary degree scheme recognises the academic rigor of the original Certificate in Education courses. Although not an upgrade or replacement for your original qualification, we know the importance of this initiative for our alumni.

To apply, all you need to do is email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk with the following information:

• Your name, and any previous names you might have had
• The course you studied, including any major or minor subjects
• The years you studied with us
• Your address (we’ll post your certificate to you)
• A scan or photo of your original Certificate, if you still have it

If you no longer have your original Certificate, please don’t worry! There are other ways we can verify your details, it might just take a little longer.

Please note that there will be a small delay in processing your applications over the Christmas break, but that we will respond to each application individually as soon as possible.

Romance in Ripon

It’s not even Christmas, but we’re already thinking about Valentine’s Day! In recent years, we’ve shared stories from our alumni community about how our alumni community met ‘the one’ whilst studying with us.

We’d love to share some of your stories this Valentine’s Day, which is why we’re asking you so early. We want to include as many diverse stories as possible, including from alumni in our LGBTQ+ community. Please email us your Ripon love story to be included in this year’s Valentine’s Celebration.