POLICE_WORLD_4_2016

Cultural

Ripon Police Museum Neil Hallam , Editor Derbyshire Branch members Peter and Olivia Dowling joined Elaine and I for a thoroughly recommended trip to Ripon. T he trip was a recce for a possible Blue Knights outing, so we enjoyed some fantastic motorcycling through Yorkshire’s The restored building began life as a small prison, then became a Police Station, with its own Cell Block. Madam Tussauds type exhibits demonstrated what life was like for the Victorian prisoners, and we were able to get into the spirit

beautiful roads and scenery. Even the most scenic of journeys need a destination, and ours was Ripon with its trio of interactive, police related museums. The same admission ticket, costing £12 gave us access to the Workhouse, Police and Court Museums. Sadly, the Court Museum was short of volunteers and closed early. But our ticket is valid for 12 months, giving us another excuse to visit Yorkshire. We started in the Workhouse, which has been restored to its former glory and is staffed exclusively by volunteers. All the volunteers get into the spirit of the building by dressing in appropriate clothing to give a very immersive experience. A group of Brownies visiting at the same time were certainly immersed into the days of the Workhouse, where the staff had them sweeping floors and beating carpets. We were spared such chores as we watched the youngsters learn about Victorian life. The main focus of our visit was he Police Museum, which did not disappoint. Like the Workhouse, this was also fully restored, with many interactive exhibits, but did not have the actors we encountered at the Workhouse.

Olivia gets the birch

of things with historic uniforms to try on. Today, our prisons try to focus more on

rehabilitation than retribution. In the heyday of Ripon Prison, the balance was the other was around. When a convict was sentenced to Hard Labour, their labours were often performed through pointless activity in their cell. In one example, a device with a crank handle is fitted in a cell. The prisoner would be sentenced to a set number of handle rotations. Bad behaviour would be punished by the jailor “turning the screw” and making the handle more difficult to turn. In another example a wooded treadmill is fitted in a cell, where the prisoner had to walk continuously uphill. Olivia could not resist trying out the Birching Stool, where more severe punishment was handed out. Peter was not brave enough to fully put the apparatus to its intended use. We had a thoroughly enjoyable visit and look forward to returning to visit the Court Museum. One tip on accommodation, Ripon is very expensive, but nearby Thirsk is much more reasonably priced.

Peter relives his time as a motorcycle officer

Neil tries out the Treadmill

Elaine and Peter join the Ripon Police

The cell block

POLICE WORLD Vol 61 No. 4, 2016

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