Happy New Year - Ripon Cathedral Watch Night Service

 I attended the Watch night service at the Ripon Cathedral - well almost Watchnight Service - we actually left the cathedral at 11.45 in time to walk up to the Market Square for Midnight.

The New Year is a very special time - time to make resolutions - so I am happy to attend a watchnight service.

The Cathedral is Old - The Saxon Crypt was built in the 600s but the Much of the church you see today dates from the 12th century, though most of the nave was substantially rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries.

When these walls were built the dodo still happily roamed Mauritius (- Dodo- discovered 1598, extinct by 1681.)

but on the other hand we didn't have potatoes to eat in this country!!

 The cathedral was packed - I knew to attend very early to get a good seat. I sat next to a group that had come in from Leyburn 20 miles away and to another group that had a visitor from Philadelphia.

The Dean invited us to invite more friends next year so that we could have double the attendance

I only took the pictures as people were leaving.

During the prayers we  had lit our candles




Then we processed out of the cathedral

I was reminded of earlier in the month when the ground was white with snow







Here is a picture I took before the service with the hornblower (Actually a friend standing in for the regular hornblower who was on holiday) waiting at the Town Hall to accompany the mayor to the cathedral. The hornblower has been blowing his horn at 9pm, on the Square and at the Lord Mayor's House for many 100s of years -- (Well he was blowing it in 1943 as evidenced by this Pathe News video)

The market pace was full of people. Just before midnight, the Bishop and then the Lord Mayor came to the Town Hall balcony. We counted down to midnight.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.  And cheered.

The Fireworks were let off.

Happy 2011 everyone.