Angel Dinner raises £20,000 for Cathedral

Bridget Kendall, the BBC’s Diplomatic Correspondent, (pictured above right Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire (left) and Dean the Very Revd Keith Jukes) revealed that her father was  born in Ripon and her brother is called Wilfrid, when she gave the after-dinner speech at this year’s Angel Dinner, held at Ripon Cathedral.

The dinner took place in the stunningly relit Cathedral nave, and three hundred and forty three guests from all over England heard the BBC reporter talk about her years with the corporation and life as one of the first female reporters travelling alone to remote places.

This year proceeds from the dinner have gone towards the refurbishment of the Cathedral’s magnificent Harrison and Harrison organ and it was the sound of the organ, played by Director of Music, Andrew Bryden which accompanied the reception at the start of the evening.

A four course gourmet dinner from the Yorkshire Party Company was served to guests during which musical entertainment came from the Girls’ choir and the Cathedral’s lay clerks. An auction conduced by Charles Smailes of Feather Smailes & Scales, Harrogate conducted an auction of 8 items raising  £7,600 and music continued into the early hours with  live band. “City Lights” from Manchester.