'Let there be Light' - Easter service at Ripon Cathedral to commission new lighting, wiring and seating

A special Easter service has been held at Ripon Cathedral to celebrate the switching on of its new lighting, and the installation of 282 specially built oak chairs at the culmination of  two projects totalling around £800,000 (eight hundred thousand pounds).

Pictured above are the Dean of Ripon, Keith Jukes (rt) the Archdeacon of Richmond, Ven Janet Henderson (centre) and Justin Bartlett (left), MD of Treske of Thirske who designed and custom made the ‘St Wilfrid’ Chairs. They will be dedicated at an Easter Day celebration service at 11.30am, to which all those who have supported the project have been invited.

The Easter Sunday Cathedral service comes at the culmination of the six month ‘Vision Project’ for the complete rewiring and re-lighting of the Cathedral. The lights were switched on in the Nave and Choir to reveal the conclusion of this £700,000 project which has been supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, by individual donations and by events organised by the Ripon Cathedral Development Campaign. Environmental sustainability has been uppermost in the project with low energy light sources used wherever possible.

Picture right-- Janet Henderson and Keith Jukes stand by new floor lighting.

The service included not only the the dedication of the custom made oak ‘St Wilfrid’ chairs, but a further 400 folding chairs, known as the ‘St Peter’  seat. To fund the new chairs, a £100,000 ‘Chairs and Spares’ Appeal has been taking place and all those who have sponsored a chair have received a personal invitation from the Dean of Ripon to attend the Easter Sunday dedication service. Initial funding for the new seating has been provided by the Friends of Ripon Cathedral.

The Dean, the Very Revd  Keith Jukes, said “We are extremely grateful to all those who have given so much towards this major refurbishment of the Cathedral. Removing the pews, and replacing them with superb oak chairs will give us the flexibility we need for major events.”

The Cathedral’s oak pews which date from the 1930’s have been sold – with fourteen turned into refectory style tables. Two of the tables have been delivered to buyers in Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chairs on the move...Left to right- Dean of Ripon,Very Revd Keith Jukes; Mr Justin Bartlett of Treske of Thirsk (who custom made the new chairs); Mr Toby Wallis of the Friends of Ripon Cathedral; Ven Janet Henderson, Archdeacon of Richmond

Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Ripon Cathedral, who provided the funding, the Nave and Choir have also had new audio and data cables laid in preparation for the new sound system to be installed later in the year.  A new Induction Loop has also been installed and was commissioned at the special Easter Day service. In addition, kneelers with designs commissioned by the Friends, which have been embroided over the years by committed members of the congregation, were also dedicated.