The job took me to the beautiful little northern city of Ripon England this week. Wolseley UK's (our largest company - the one from whom we took the name Wolseley) Tech Centre (IT Department) is located there and I had meetings with some of the people there.
Ripon is the oldest city in England, designated a city because it has a cathedral. The cathedral, as I hope you can tell from the pictures, is huge.
Ripon is the oldest city in England, designated a city because it has a cathedral. The cathedral, as I hope you can tell from the pictures, is huge.
It is also the forth smallest city in England having a population of only about 17,000. The cathedral is literally directly across the street from the hotel at which we stayed. (the second picture of the cathedral was taken from the front door of the hotel to show you how close it is) The hotel looks to be as old as the cathedral, made from similar materials. But the interior is very nice and cozy. There are only 11 rooms. The restaurant is great.
The cathedral was originally built in the 600's but was destroyed and rebuilt about a 1,000 years ago started by a guy named Archbishop Roger. (don't you love the name?)
There is a river that runs through the middle of town called the Ure, with several little bridges across the river. Really very pretty. Here's a view from one.
There is a river that runs through the middle of town called the Ure, with several little bridges across the river. Really very pretty. Here's a view from one.
If you expand the picture (below) of the tower in the center of the square, you will see a horn as part of the mayor's symbol at the top. The custom of blowing the wakeman's horn every night at nine o'clock, maintained to this day, is said to have originated about 700. It was probably at first a means of calling the people together in case of a sudden invasion, but was afterwards a signal for setting the watch. A horn with a baldric (cross belt) and the motto "Except ye Lord keep ye Cittie ye Wakemen waketh in vain", taken from Psalm 127, forms the mayor's badge which is what I believe is at the top of that tower. Unfortunately, I did not hear the horn blow probably because we were still at dinner each night at 9:00. Classic European late meals.
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We went to a small restaurant called 'Lockwoods', just off the town square, definitely the best food I've had in England. On the town square is a hotel called 'The Unicorn Hotel' (see the unicorn on the right side?) that has been there for over 700 years. A couple hundred years before Columbus did his thing!
