Archive

TEACHERS at a York school had to block their school gates to prevent students staging a walkout for peace. Pupils at Fulford School and at others around York were today threatening to stage an anti-war protest hours after the stand-off. Fulford School

SOLDIERS from York who are serving in the Gulf have been sent boxes of goodies by the British Polio Fellowship. Members of the fellowship from the Yorkshire region filled many large comfort boxes with sweets, magazines, books, beverages and toiletries

A YORK woman whose husband is stationed in Kuwait, has spoken out about her fears of war. Bombardier Stephen Newton, 29, born and raised in York, said goodbye to his pregnant wife, Marie, and their two children more than a month ago. While he prepares

THE mother of a North Yorkshire soldier out in Kuwait called today for Britain to rally behind "our boys" as they prepare for war. Frances Ellerker has decided to fly the flag - or two flags to be precise - outside her home in Shipton- by-Beningbrough

ANTI-WAR campaigners have been pedalling for peace around the streets of York city centre. The cyclists have been towing round an A-board to raise awareness of the anti-war demo in York tomorrow. York Against The War (YAW) spokesman Rory Palmer said:

A YORK church leader today revealed he is to reach out to Muslim groups in the city as Britain prepares to attack Iraq. The Rev Martin Baldock said it was vitally important to make sure there were no "divisions along faith grounds" if a conflict did break

There is no moral case for war with Iraq, York University politics professor Haleh Afshar tells STEPHEN LEWIS. It really is all about oil... HALEH Afshar is growing tired of politicians playing the Halabja card to justify war with Iraq. You know the argument

ORGANISERS of one of York's biggest-ever demonstrations have set up a temporary office to handle inquiries and co-ordinate administrative matters. York Against The War says there has been an unprecedented level of interest in what is being billed as the

A GROUP of black-clad women held a silent vigil for peace in the heart of York today. The women, part of a movement called Women In Black, were taking part in an international protest against war in Iraq and highlighting International Women's Day. Similar

SENIOR Labour councillors are set to join a huge anti-war protest march in York - putting themselves in direct opposition to government policy on Iraq. The march, organised for a week today, is expected to be the biggest modern-day protest seen on York's

I OBJECT strongly to DM Martin's letter (February 28) referring to York Against The War as the "save Saddam campaign". Most people accept that Saddam Hussein is a brutal tyrant, but we do not believe that killing 500,000 Iraqi civilians (the UN estimate

FORTY soldiers left York today for the Gulf as conflict with Iraq looms ever closer. The party is among about 500 members of 2 Signal Regiment, based at Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road, who are being deployed to the Middle East. More than 400 soldiers

HOW can we believe Tony Blair when he says that it is for humanitarian reasons that he is prepared to launch an aggressive war against Iraq? The only certainty of war is that it will result in people being killed. Taking life is the complete opposite

SADDAM Hussein is a rank amateur when it comes to developing biological weapons, invading a smaller neighbour, torture, showing disregard to his own people or state-sponsored terrorism. Consider the following. - Unit 731: This was the secret Japanese

YORK could be facing civil disobedience and strikes if war with Iraq goes ahead. Anti-war campaigners in the city say if the massive demonstrations seen at the weekend are ignored they may have to take more direct action. Over the weekend, Tony Blair

Evening Press feature writer STEPHEN LEWIS joins peace protesters on the biggest march in British history. THE man with the megaphone had good news. "I am unreliably informed that even the BBC - yes, even the BBC - are saying that one million people are

MORE than 100 people marched through York at the weekend to show their opposition to a war with Iraq. In a display of solidarity with the hundreds from the city who headed to the mass demonstration in London, two groups of anti-war protesters came together

PETROL prices are rising in York after speculation about war in Iraq pushed up the cost of fuel on world markets. The Petrol Retailers Association warned today that further increases were on the way at filling stations across the country in the next few

The looming shadow of war has made a young York couple switch their honeymoon plans from sunny Turkey - to the sophisticated charms of Belgium. Scott Precious and Jennifer Newton have pulled out of their long-awaited honeymoon trip to the Mediterranean

WOMEN stood in silent protest against a possible war with Iraq, in a vigil at the University of York. The event last night echoed the vigils of Palestinian and Israeli women over the last 15 years. Members of the all-female society known as 51% were led

ANTOINETTE McCormick left York today on the first leg of her mission to become a human shield in Iraq. She revealed that if her efforts and those of other volunteers failed to deter the USA and Britain from bombing Baghdad, she has no intention of bailing

A LEADING North Yorkshire businessman today urged Britain to fight for a share of the spoils of war, following a military victory in Iraq. Iain Dale warned of the dangers of the Americans "hogging" the economic benefits of post-war reconstruction work

Cyber Santa, who was just touched-off at Pontefract on his latest outing, can go one better at Catterick tomorrow. The James Hetherton-trained gelding goes for the SIS Digital Number One For Course Data Handicap and will again be partnered by tiny apprentice

GEORGE WILKINSON takes a walk in the Wolds where frost and sunshine create a winter wonderland NORTH Grimston was blessed with snow on the fields, frost on the hedges and, through the mist, a soft sunlight that glowed on the golden dial of St Nicholas

GEORGE WILKINSON braves the snow to rediscover the joys of winter walking. SNOW - or 'snow shock' as the headlines proclaim - and with it came personal fury that I hadn't managed to organise proper all-weather mobility. The new (nearly new) car wouldn't

GEORGE WILKINSON makes the most of some winter sunshine and enjoys the breathtaking views from the Cleveland Hills The Cleveland Hills sharpened up in watery sunshine and we were delighted to abandon plan B - low level from Guisborough Priory. Crossing

George Wilkinson heads out across Hamer Moor ROSEDALE Abbey deep in the North York Moors is ever so popular. Nearby, tucked away a mile or so to the east, hidden in a roll of moor, is a quite secret and nameless valley. Well, one we had never explored

My GARDEN rain gauge was brimming, so we decided to walk on sand. Our choice was Allerthorpe, in the Vale of York, and a drive of a dozen miles from the city on one-time Roman road. We left the pleasant village for a farm track through very flat farmlands

GEORGE WILKINSON witnesses the potato harvest near the village of Scackleton. THE village of Scackleton is long and linear, with two pumps, shaggy sheep, a pond and a hint of an ancient moat. It lies bang in the middle of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding

GEORGE WILKINSON explores the most northern of the Yorkshire Dales Many thanks to Mark Reid for covering for me and doing the walk the last two weeks. I have been on my travels, to London (not for the march) and then to Arkengarthdale the most northern

Ilkley is one of the most elegant towns in England, a former spa town that has retained the dignified air that would have once attracted the wealthiest people to this "heather spa" in search of a cure during the Victorian and Edwardian era. However, there

FOR perhaps a final fix of the purple heather this season we took ourselves off to Hawnby Moor. North we walked, three abreast, a mile and a half along a dusty track that penetrates and bisects the moor. Part of the territory looks fortified by turret-like

THE landscape backdrop to today's walk is purple heather. The political backdrop is a huge and hugely successful public access arrangement. The land at Bolton Abbey is owned by the Duke of Devonshire who this year publicly apologised for the treatment

IT was tanking down on the North York Moors, stair rods. A lonely long-distance runner splashed past the car park on the edge of Wykeham Forest, everyone else was sensibly indoors, we tried to get our waterproofs on without a soaking. Then came some hanging

GEORGE WILKINSON meets the black-painted Darlington Mummers on his way to a waterfall that inspired Turner We pulled up outside the Green Man just as the black-painted Darlington Mummers boarded their coach. Folk festivals, for this was one - the inaugural

J B Priestley wrote in his English Journey: 'We reached Buckden, towards the head of the Dale, and a notable goal for Bradfordians, who have emptied the barrels at the inn there many a time...'. Seventy years later there were 30 cars in the Upper Wharfedale

THE Howardian Hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. After being repulsed by vegetation and crops on a walk out of Terrington, I thought AONB might expand as Area of Outstandingly Nullified Byways. Later in the week we tried again from Terrington

George Wilkinson heads for the coast at Goldsborough and finds a lovely quiet spot just up the coast from busy Whitby GOLDSBOROUGH is a little village - a farm, a pub, a few old sandstone houses and an expansive sea view wide enough to show the curve

GEORGE WILKINSON works up an appetite with a stroll along the river at Linton WE did this toddle in a fine evening after a longer walk nearby in the southern Dales. Supper was our main objective, and as the pub at Linton is on the Inn Way we felt there

George Wilkinson goes in and out of cloud as he walks on Thimbleby Moor above Osmotherley WE sat in the car on Thimbleby Moor above Osmotherley as the rain lashed the windscreen. Cloud at one thousand foot smeared out the top of Black Hambleton, the nearest

SERIAL seekers of wild floral shows, if you have done the daffs and the bluebells and have a taste for pink then head out now from York, for just one mile, and see the docks in bloom on Fulford Ings. A better bet than the 'retro-hippy' dandelions at this

Saltmarshe is a hamlet on the Yorkshire side of the River Ouse about five miles upstream of the Humber Estuary. We visited because Mr Ayre from Elvington, an Evening Press reader, sent in a tempting route. Thank you, we enjoyed the walk very much. The

GEORGE WILKINSON goes on the trail of a faint path out of Glaisdale We left the straggling village of Glaisdale and climbed out on a road that becomes 'unsuitable for motors', had a sit on a bench, enjoyed the long rich views down the Esk Valley and moaned

Kettlewell was as lovely as ever except for a migration of caravans and a pipeline. Rain was forecast from the west, there was a dusting of snow on Great Whernside and we had barely set off down Lovers Lane by the sparkling River Wharfe when, late in

George Wilkinson discovers an unmissable walk in the Wolds THIS is a wonderful Wolds walk, one of the best I have done. We started at Fordon which is a farm, a mini church, a house or two, that's all, a hamlet at the junction of North Dale, East Dale

Many thanks to Evening Press reader Shamuna Aslam for the gist of this gourmet's gambol to Helmsley via Harome. Rather than gamble on the buses I have started you at Oswaldkirk, which is served by Moorsbuses from York, Helmsley and elsewhere. We began

VICTORIA Ellis recently did an Evening Press walk on the North York Moors near the Hole of Horcum. There has been a fuss about it. A walker has phoned the paper complaining that her party was turned off the route; farmers have phoned the paper complaining

Ken Walker, a reader and walker from Camblesforth, near Selby, has written a kind letter to me and has requested more routes south of York. Fair point. So I went to Cawood for a big sky river ramble. We started near the arched steel swing bridge, channelled

There were streaks of snow on the colder slopes of the Cleveland Hills but in Great Ayton, ice cream consumption continued institutionally at Suggitts' caf. Visitors to this famous refuelling stop looked out over the River Leven; hard core cyclists slurped

GEORGE WILKINSON is back on his feet and makes the most of a late-winter snowfall Snow, a rare treat, and to make the most of it, to avoid any chance of slush, we changed our plan, from the gentle hills around Coxwold to the high ground of Bransdale.

You may think that travelling to Hawes deep into Wensleydale for a three-mile toddle is a long way to drive for a short walk. We had our reasons. One, we wanted a look at the Dales Countryside Museum which is showing an exhibition called Tracks In Time

Victoria Ellis enjoys a smashing walk on a newly discovered track If you have driven the Pickering to Whitby road you might have noticed enticing countryside in the northeast quarter about a mile before you reach the Hole of Horcum. The latest edition

The path we fancied near Grassington was still closed. So we decamped a mile or two down Wharfedale and settled on the village of Burnsall, which Wainwright described in 1991 as 'neat and compact... well endowed with nature and a lovely riverside setting

I WROTE to our MP, Hugh Bayley, some weeks ago asking him to agree to support the demand for a referendum on the proposed new constitution for the EU, which aims to create a unitary European state, but have not received a reply. In his speech to the Labour

We took a random route to Pickering Castle turning uphill at the North York Moors Railway station, up through the slopes of old terraced houses. I noticed three stones named Ellis in a Quaker graveyard, a pleasant place to lie, eternity with a view. The

As a chocoholic of many years eating, I can vouch for the fact that this tasty creation is good for you ('A chocolate a day can keep the doc at bay' April 21). What I cannot understand is how anyone manages to get by on just one or two chocolate bars

Today's eight-mile route is a splendid way to stride into the New Year. We started at Pateley Bridge, crossed the River Nidd and took the quiet back road through the village of Bewerley. The next half-hour is a slog uphill and part of a popular little

VICTORIA ELLIS suggests the perfect walk for Boxing Day to help clear away the post-Christmas cobwebs This is a walk for Boxing Day, and has the following characteristics - easy strolling, pubs at the start/finish and halfway round, simple navigation

York's Place Research Centre published a booklet last month called A Guide To The Wetland Heritage Of the Vale Of Pickering. I just had to go out and have a look and chose the carrs and ings (one-time marshlands, reedswamps or whatever) south of West

Hold Caldron is one of my sweetest childhood haunts. Arriving here has a magic, as the quiet back road twists round a corner and suddenly dips steep into another world, and then stops at the bottom, deep in a lovely valley, at a stone bridge over a river

GEORGE WILKINSON stretches his legs before an appointment with the surgeon's table... If you drive the road from Thirsk to Ripon you will have been stopped at the start of this walk by the traffic lights on the bridge over the river at Skipton-on-Swale

We are back in 'Heartbeat Country', TV land Goathland, on the beaten track, but with a hill or two to make the heart beat faster and plenty of fun. I joined the unchained army of amblers (just got a car park place) and set off down an abandoned railway

George Wilkinson hits the trail again, for a moorland walk among the heather. Regular readers will have noticed that a couple of weeks ago the paper described me as 'incapacitated' (much to the amusement of my friends) and Victoria Ellis has kindly done

Victoria Ellis takes in the views on a walk along the coast from Scarborough. The car park took a bit of finding, being curiously unsigned, but when I pulled up it would have been worth the drive just to sit there and enjoy the views of Scarborough Castle

VICTORIA ELLIS temporarily takes over from George Wilkinson, who is incapacitated, and leads a walk to Cawthorne. Cawthorne Camp on a midweek morning was busy with walkers and dog walkers and lorries delivering topsoil. In the first century you might

George Wilkinson heads to Wharfedale I had to laugh as I drove into Grassington; some wag had put up a sign that read 'Twinned with Dodge City'. However, seven miles further up Wharfedale, at the village of Starbotton, Dodge City had a certain resonance

I broke my rule of 'never try to get anywhere on a Bank Holiday' to do a route recently recommended by the North York Moors Authority. This is useful for me as I don't have to worry about it too much and I think will be nice for you as it's a pleasant

Deep into the far reaches of Nidderdale, at Scar House Reservoir, there was but one other car. I asked the occupants which way they were going round the water. They thought anticlockwise. Using the plughole principle, and being in the Northern Hemisphere

AN Englishman's home is his castle, they say - and these days it's getting so you would need a drawbridge to ensure a bit of privacy. The Jehovah's Witnesses used to have a monopoly on unwelcome doorstep sales techniques. But now everyone's at it - double

A YORK couple told today why they are backing their daughter's plans to become a human shield in Iraq. John and Mairi McCormick - who both served in the Second World War - say they do not believe an American attack on Iraq would be a just war. The couple

THE daughter of a York couple is planning to join a human shield in Iraq in an effort to avert war. Antoinette McCormick, whose parents, John and Mairi McCormick, live in Huntington Road, intends going on a coach convoy of anti-war activists leaving London

YES... says GEOFF HOON, defence secretary, NO...says FRANK ORMSTON, of York Against The War. Geoff Hoon... In a recent written statement, the foreign secretary set out the Government's policy objectives for Iraq. These make clear our commitment to the

YORK MP Hugh Bayley today urged Britain to stand against a gung-ho rush towards war with Iraq. He asked Prime Minister Tony Blair to avoid entering war through a misplaced loyalty to the United States. And, in an echo of the warning given by Cabinet "

LEADING defence MPs are coming to North Yorkshire to assess the county's readiness amid growing tension over terrorism and a possible war against Iraq. Westminster's powerful Defence Select Committee is to visit the army's brigade headquarters at Imphal

York-based sportsman Tristan Hale has been short-listed to be the Whitbread Young Achiever of the year. The 19-year-old University of York student is one of 36 young people nominated in the sport section by Brendan O'Donovan, president of the university's

YORK Rugby Union Club team manager Allan Robsertshaw believes it is time for a 're-jig' of the Yorkshire Cup after his side were forced to hand scheduled second round opponents Doncaster a walkover last night. The pressure of their crucial Yorkshire One

Workers laboured into the early hours to make sure York awoke to see its Millennium Bridge proudly in position. The river reopened after a 30-hour closure at 6am, with the new 310-ton bridge secured three hours earlier. After a meticulous operation the

ANTICIPATION was written on the faces of Millennium Bridge watchers as they squinted in the autumn sun and waited ... and waited ... and waited for York's new superstructure to glide into place. The engineers never promised it would be a fast show. And

Anticipation was written on the faces of Millennium Bridge watchers as they squinted in the autumn sun and waited...and waited...and waited for York's new superstructure to glide in to place. The engineers never promised it would be a fast show, and even

The Blue Bicycle restaurant could continue trading as normal despite its owners being declared bankrupt, its landlord's solicitor claimed today. Solicitor Robert Onyett said the Fossgate business could "trade out of its difficulties" with the support

NESTLE Rowntree added the John Smith's Bitter Cup to the North Riding Cup in sensational sudden-death shoot-out fashion on Sunday and are still on course for an unprecedented four trophies in a season. Rowntrees were trailing 2-0 with just three minutes

YORK'S Millennium Bridge has 'fallen' victim to October's heavy downpours. Heavy rain, a week's worth falling yesterday alone, and a 'flood watch' now in force, scuppered plans to launch the bridge tomorrow because the River Ouse is becoming too swollen

VOLUNTEERS are requested to come and join in the conservation work at York Cemetery this weekend. The next Action Day at the 24-acre site, off the city's Cemetery Road, takes place on Sunday, when the tasks to be tackled are likely to include clearing

PROSTATE cancer sufferer Bryan Metcalf has backed the Yorkshire Cancer Research Free Will Scheme, which aims to safeguard the future of cancer research in the region. Mr Metcalf, 57, of Hambleton, near Selby, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996

A SHOT at the Central Area title in October is still on the cards for York cruiserweight Jamie Warters despite his controversial draw against Phil Day. Although Warters did not produce the most polished of displays at the KC Arena, the Jorvik Warrior

THE creditors' committee appointed at the acceptance of the Company Voluntary Arrangement in the Supporters' Trust takeover of York City are poised to challenge the fees charged by insolvency firm, Jacksons Jolliffe Cork. JJC were appointed administrators

A SEVENTIES-style protest was brought to the gates of York chocolate factory Terry's in an effort to highlight the plight of Third World coffee farmers. Oxfam supporters dressed in wigs and fashions from 30 years ago waved placards outside the Bishopthorpe

ANGRY residents in an East Yorkshire town are furious after a power surge blew up thousands of electrical appliances. More than 5,000 homes and businesses in the Pocklington area were affected by an abnormal surge in electricity after a fault occurred

THE second Gulf War, the Sars virus and the shaky US economy have all caused a drop in numbers of overseas tourists coming to York, leading city hoteliers have said. Tourism bosses used today, St George's Day, to launch a major new initiative, Project

A CAR driver involved in a collision which left a three-year-old boy fighting for his life has been arrested. Callum Keith MacDonald, from Selby, was airlifted to Hull Royal Infirmary after the collision on the A645 at Drax. He was described today as

Floral glory will sweep horticulturists off their feet at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. More than 25,000 people are expected to visit the Great Yorkshire Showground during the colourful four-day event, which begins tomorrow. A total of 430 exhibitors

A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a collision with a car on a North Yorkshire road. The biker, riding a red and white Honda CBR Fireblade, was involved in a collision with a blue Vauxhall Cavalier on the B6451 at Norwood Mast, near Harrogate. He died at the

THE crucial York Central development is not certain to go ahead, the leader of City of York Council warned today. Dave Merrett said there was a long way to go before the multi-million pound housing and business development, behind York Station, became

YORK Rugby Union Club team manager Allan Robsertshaw believes it is time for a 're-jig' of the Yorkshire Cup after his side were forced to hand scheduled second round opponents Doncaster a walkover last night. The pressure of their crucial Yorkshire One

STEPHEN LEWIS talks to a children's author who believes in making history as horrible as possible... TERRY Deary never meant to write any Horrible Histories. The actor turned children's author actually meant to write a book of historical jokes - but somehow

If you liked best-seller Captain Corelli's Mandolin, you will love this colourful novel by DL Smith. The Miracles Of Santa Fico is a charming novel, which unravels a series of "miracles", both real and conjured up, during a summer in a remote Tuscan village

FRESH problems are dogging York's Millennium Bridge, with council chiefs admitting that they have no idea what is causing cracks on the walkway. In the latest of a series of problems to hit the £4.2 million project, parts of the bridge have been fenced

IT WAS meant to be a monument to civic pride in the new century ... but police today admitted the Millennium Bridge site is now a major nuisance. York-based Chief Inspector Andy Bell spoke out as high temperatures prompted many youngsters to congregate

DRIVERS who take their vehicles across York's newest bridge are set to be blocked by new laws. City of York councillors will be asked to ban motor vehicles from New Walk, the riverside footpath from the Blue Bridge up to Fulford, and the Millennium Bridge

The Duke of York will give York's Millennium Bridge the royal seal of approval when he visits later this month, City of York Council revealed today. The Duke has accepted the council's invitation to visit the £4.2m bridge project during a trip to York

YORK'S shiny new Millennium Bridge may have opened in a blaze of publicity this week, but residents living nearby think its glaring night-time lights are not such a bright idea. Anne Tracy, a teacher at All Saints School, who lives in Finsbury Avenue

THE creditors' committee appointed at the acceptance of the Company Voluntary Arrangement in the Supporters' Trust takeover of York City are poised to challenge the fees charged by insolvency firm, Jacksons Jolliffe Cork. JJC were appointed administrators

WHAT a Golden Jubilee weekend you had. When the celebrations were at their height earlier this month, we went out and captured events across North and East Yorkshire on camera. But there were far more street parties and other events than we could get

THE Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in York got off to a cracking start with a weekend of colourful events in the city. Bunting, balloons and Union flags were draped across York as people came together to celebrate the Queen's 50 years on the throne

JUBILEE joy is on the cards for York and North Yorkshire this bank holiday, say tourist chiefs. Despite gloomy weather reports for Monday and Tuesday, attractions anticipate a bumper session as the Queen celebrates and Sven's men go into battle. Many

The nation's biggest ever sing-song will take place when the Beatles' classic All You Need Is Love rings round the country on Monday. Following the success of the massed performance of Lou Reed's Perfect Day in 2000, Sir Paul McCartney has endorsed the

JUBILEE Bank Holiday Monday is party day throughout the UK, and at the heart of the celebrations in North Yorkshire is BBC Music Live, bringing the music to the party. BBC North Yorkshire and City of York Council, the organisers of York Live 2002, are

THE Queen's association with York Minster continued in the 1980s. After celebrating the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent there in 1961, and distributing the Maundy Money there in 1972 she toured the great church again in November 1988. This was

TEN years after the royal wedding, York was celebrating again. It was the city's 1,900th birthday, a wonderful reason for a year-long party. And the guests of honour were the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. York had organised hundreds of events scattered

YORK had a long wait to see the Queen after her visit in 1988. The city did not host the sovereign during the Nineties, but that only heightened the sense of expectation when it was announced she would tour York on July 27, 2000. Cheering crowds greeted

YORK MP Hugh Bayley came under fire today over his backing for war in Iraq. Paul Kind, a member of City of York Labour Party's executive, was among 60 York Labour Party members who heard Mr Bayley oppose UK military action in Iraq without a second UN

THE situation we are in with Iraq is not black and white as some letter writers suggest. If anyone can say they know what should be done they must have more understanding than I of the situation. The weapons inspectors would not have been allowed to operate

THE York parents of would-be human shield Antoinette McCormick fear she has reached Baghdad - only hours before the bombing of Iraq by American and British forces is expected to start. John McCormick said Antoinette had phoned him at 5pm yesterday to

YORK MP Hugh Bayley today backed the Government in waging war against Iraq after taking the "toughest decision" of his political life. Mr Bayley said he would reluctantly swing behind Tony Blair in tonight's crucial Westminster vote - as Labour rebels

COUNCIL staff across York are being called on to walk out of work and occupy the city centre the day that war breaks out. The action call to employees and other concerned individuals was made at the city's biggest anti-war protest, when an estimated 5,000

A FORMER soldier from North Yorkshire today spoke out strongly against any attack on Iraq - while his soldier son prepares for war with the British Army in Kuwait. John Ward, of Tollerton, said he was "worried sick" about Royal Engineer son Simon, 21.

HUNDREDS of York residents are expected to take part in a survey that will offer a revealing snapshot into public attitudes to war with Iraq. York academic Professor Roy Carr-Hill is leading the poll, which focuses on the build-up to war and the effect

GULF war widow Anne Lennox spoke today of her concerns for the families of Servicemen preparing to fight in a new war against Iraq. Her father, John Lofthouse, said it was a great pity that "tyrant" Saddam Hussein's regime was not sorted out during the

THE campaign group York Against The War has spawned a local offshoot - Fishergate Against The War. The new group held its inaugural meeting this week. Spokesman Steve Roskams said Fishergate was an area particularly concerned by the imminent threat of

Despite the biggest backbench Labour rebellion ever against Tony Blair, war with Iraq looks more likely by the day - especially since Britain, the US and Spain tabled a "war resolution" at the United Nations. Here, The Ministry of Defence and the Foreign

YORK is set to hold its biggest-ever anti-war demonstration. The campaign group York Against The War (YATW) hopes more than 5,000 will take part in a mass march and rally in the city. The demo, which YATW says will involve locally and nationally-renowned

ANTI-war campaigners descended on York police station to demand an investigation into Britain's Trident nuclear weapon system. Members of York Against The War and York Weapons Inspectors, handed a letter to Inspector Andy Everitt, claiming that the system

ONLY a complete fool would want to go to war. I have the greatest respect for the peace protesters who are currently opposing war with Iraq. However, I also have genuine doubts as to whether they are right. I cannot help visualising the then British Prime

A YORK-BASED Internet shoe company is offering British soldiers U.S. desert boots at cost price. Stuart Paver, managing director of shoe-shop.com, responded to reports that there was a surge in demand for the tough GI footwear by soldiers unhappy with

IN response to D M Martin and R S Pearson (February 13), I shall be marching for peace. And yes I do vote and yes I do know how it is we came to enjoy our present freedoms and no I do not belong and never have belonged to any political party. There should

'WE DON'T want war' - that was the message from hundreds of York area peace protesters who today headed to London for what could be Britain's biggest-ever demonstration. More than 1,500 demonstrators left the city to deliver a hard-hitting anti-war message

YORK tourism bosses are expecting a slump in American visitors because of heightened terrorist tension in Britain. Staff at the city's tourist information centre, in St Leonard's Place, have notice a marked decline in visitor enquiries from the U.S. -

RESERVISTS from a North Yorkshire RAF base are among the latest military personnel in the county to be mobilised as part of the build-up for a possible war with Iraq. A total of 60 reservists from 609 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based at RAF

A LEADING York peace campaigner says opinion in the city is now "overwhelmingly" against war with Iraq. Chris Fuller, spokesman for York Against the War, said: "There has been a mix of anger, horror and frustration at what is happening. "Public opinion

ANTI-war campaigners are to gather around the Eye of York tomorrow in solidarity with those meeting for the mass demonstration in London. Organiser Dr Keith Davis will be waving a banner and is covering his body with slogans such as "not in my name" and

MPs in the York area today spoke out about a possible attack on Iraq - the day the UN Security Council received its crucial report from chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. Any evidence of an Iraqi "smoking gun" could lead to the fresh UN resolution that

FOUR York mothers have sent Tony Blair and George Bush a "heartfelt" Valentine's Day message with a difference. Belinda Noda, Jenny Kelleher, Teejae Frear and Sally Temple have called for "love not war" to be made across the world in the face of the possible

TWENTY coachloads of peace campaigners are now set to travel from York to the national demonstration in London against a war on Iraq. York Against the War says more coaches were booked yesterday in response to a surge in demand for tickets for the event

GEORGE WILKINSON ponders the mysteries of the past as he takes us on a walk in the Yorkshire Dales... We parked in the nice little car park near the Druids Temple in the Dales, donned waterproofs rather than white cloaks and, leaving the mystic for later

George Wilkinson heads to Robin Hood's Bay for a bracing New Year walk. HAPPY New Year all. Here's a walk from Robin Hood's Bay for a hard January day when a minimum of the other half million visitors per annum are of the same mind. The station car park

GEORGE WILKINSON leads us on a Boxing Day walk where the animals take the scenery - and the walkers - in their stride Friday the 13th we walked a route selected for Boxing Day, but superstition ran like rain off waterproofed backs, and we had a super

PLAN B it had to be, because the dales' moors were erased by cloud. So we dropped down into Lofthouse, donned our waterproofs and set off for five safe miles, almost every step the Nidderdale Way. We met other walkers: this is a pleasant and popular walk

George Wilkinson steps out near the Humber Bridge for a walk at Ferriby Sluice. LINCOLNSHIRE this week, but only just, for a wander by the Humber Estuary. The world's third longest suspension bridge was worth the price of a pint (£2.50 toll), the walk

GEORGE WILKINSON heads to Fountains Abbey for a wander round a World Heritage Site. FOUNTAINS Abbey and the adjacent landscaped water gardens at Studley Royal are a World Heritage Site, fabulous and a real must. If you haven't visited them already then

Grewelthorpe is a nice village near Ripon, and near the quite gruelling but enchanting Hack Fall Woods, which were a popular and picturesque tourist attraction in the 18th and 19th centuries and apparently featured in all the best guides. We left Grewelthorpe

GEORGE WILKINSON takes a brisk walk by the sparkling River Esk then heads out on to the moors on a gloriously crisp, clear day Iwondered if the car park at Egton Bridge was ever blessed with any North York Moors sunshine. The village huddles deep in the

George Wilkinson enjoys an Indian Summer walk in Arkengarthdale. This is the last of my three walks in Arkengarthdale, a place I can recommend. The dale is a distance from York, that's why I did it in a midweek-break/saver fashion. Three days of glorious

THERE'S nothing like a few squatters to make an absentee landlord sit up and pay attention. For something like 20 years, the White Swan Hotel in Piccadilly has stood empty. For such an important building in the heart of York to have remained unused for

GEORGE WILKINSON experiences stoat encounters of the furred kind in Arkengarthdale. Arkengarthdale was peaceful, we were at Whaw in the sunshine morning, nothing made a sound and nothing moved except a pair of stoats that scampered on the verge. A mile

While George Wilkinson is away, Mark Reid leads the first of two walks, here setting off in search of John O'Gaunt's Castle THE Washburn Valley is true Dales country, with stoutly-built stone barns and sinuous walls dividing up the fields of deep velvety

We came into Huggate on York Lane and left a landscape burnished in the harvest time heat for the cool of the Wolds Inn at noon. Thereby "mad dogs and Englishmen" were delayed a while, and it was hot, more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Huggate is a low

GEORGE WILKINSON stages a moorland walk in three acts. THE moors are starting to purple. But perhaps more than ever there are many moorland paths overgrown with the heather. I spent the best part of a wasted day last week to the north of Danby Beacon.

My busman's holiday, this time from Anglesey, with a view from the tent of Snowdonia tapering down to the Lleyn Peninsula, tepid showers and a deafening dawn chorus of Welsh jackdaws. We had come for the Newborough Warren Nature Reserve, one of our favourite

AT THE Lion Inn at Blakey, roadies were setting up sound equipment for outdoor midsummer music on the moors. Just down the road a few yards after Ralph Cross we drove into Westerdale and then to the lovely sheltered car park and picnic spot called Hob

WE DROVE to the North York Moors Sutton Bank Visitors Centre and then along the dead straight Cleveland Road to where its Tarmac stops and it becomes the famous Hambleton Road. Here there are arrows for cycle trails - '12 miles, highly technical', 'seven

WE got up early and beat the Bank Holiday traffic to the western dales, seeking a quiet and very colourful walk on the land between Grassington and Malham. The sun shone on Boss Moor and a big owl was floating along the gritstone walls till ushered away

Today's walk could have been made for the Moorsbus Service. A short ride from Helmsley takes you to the top of Newgate Bank in Bilsdale and then you can walk back to the town over moors and through the bluebell valley of Riccal Dale using newly designated

Bolton Abbey is one of my favourite starts, a sentiment shared by the populace; there were more walkers than I have seen all year. This, my fourth visit for the Evening Press, was for a newish route up the Valley of Desolation and a little-publicised

George Wilkinson boards the bus for daffodil country When I mentioned to a Farndale friend that I was going out for a walk in his valley he said without a smile 'daffodils are not the only flower'. Farndale sees 50,000 visitors over Easter, when the banks

YOU reported how some former Labour supporters were upset with the Government's use of military force against Iraq and had decided not to vote Labour in the council elections in May (April 19). I am a member of the Labour Party with strongly-held views

Fantastic views are your reward when you brave the contours out of Clay Bank, says VICTORIA ELLIS There is a choice of car parks today. The big one on the top of Clay Bank offers, as a backdrop to boot lacing, the majesty of the Cleveland Plain. But for

FROM provincial hacks and the mega-stars of journalism we are deluged in wisdom about the war in Iraq. We get half-baked opinions from people who have never been to the country, never served in the armed forces and have no real knowledge of the subject

VICTORIA ELLIS works up an appetite after walking in Coverdale. (Please note that since this article was written on the 19th January the pub has re-opened and a warm welcome awaits you!) Carlton in Coverdale was bright, sunny and quiet on Saturday morning

MORE in hope than with judgement, we set off in the fog on Saturday morning to the Wolds for some valley wandering. A phone call to a publican had given some cause for optimism about the weather not being 'too bad'. With hindsight I think my phone call

When we got to Broxa Forest on the North York Moors it was typically wet, gloomy and misty winter weather, so no views from the bench. So we slipped straight into a larch wood and then soon found a nice sunken track through Silpho Moor with beech and

VICTORIA ELLIS takes a gentle stroll through the lowlands surrounding Brearton Brearton is surrounded by Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Ripon and Harrogate, the closest about three cross-country miles away. But the little village is tucked away from the

VICTORIA ELLIS takes in the medieval ruins along the Magna Via from Helmsley We drive north out of the centre of Helmsley, not as usual on the busy Bilsdale road, but on a more ancient parallel highway. It is the Magna Via, first recorded in 1145. We

IF YOU travel out of Helmsley on the Scarborough road, you soon slip through two little villages squeezed together, Beadlam then Nawton. The pair persist as separate identities which is confusing. Every reference book has two sets of entries. In 1754

Victoria Ellis discovers a mobile phone is an essential piece of kit for lone walkers There were walkers about but the goose presiding over West Ayton's village green was hardly welcoming, very protective and advancing with lots of hissing. I gave a bit

Grosmont is this week's destination for George Wilkinson. Today we have a triangular route on high moor with terrific views out in all directions, and the triangle filled with heather. A short walk that would combine nicely with a few hours at Whitby

GEORGE WILKINSON hops on the Moorsbus for the 'forbidden land' The Moorsbuses have been cruising the North York Moors like a fleet of Marie Celestes. Here is a chance to take a ride and do a linear route recommended by the parks authority. You jump off

George Wilkinson is enchanted by an evening stroll around Nunnington NUNNINGTON had already settled in for the evening, Nunnington Hall resting after its daily flux of visitors. The River Rye was running in clear, just a little coloured. A touch of breeze

George Wilkinson discovers a walk full of interest through Roman remains at Malton. Today we have a super little easy wander, chock-a-block with interest, straight out from the market town of Malton. Derventio, a Roman fort site, makes a good start. Once

FOR the first time, York Minster has decided to charge visitors an entrance fee. The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, will not be alone in feeling disappointed and saddened by this decision. After all, as he points out, the Minster is a place for prayer

YORK-based soldiers have already flown out to the Gulf to make preparations for a possible war with Iraq, the Evening Press can reveal today. A handful of signallers from 2 Signal Regiment, based at Imphal Barracks, in Fulford Road, have been among the

A MILITARY couple brought their York wedding plans forward because of the increasing threat of war in the Gulf. Corporal Leah Sandys-Parsons, 28, is on 24-hour stand-by to be flown to the region within two weeks as a member of the Catterick-based Royal

HUNDREDS of reservists could be sent to Strensall Barracks for medical training as part of military preparations for war with Iraq. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was today expected to announce the mobilisation of 7,000 reservists, along with the deployment

FRESH to your door is the usual way for one North Yorkshire company - now it's aiming to be fresh to the banquet. Food wholesaler Moorsfresh is set to be involved in the Eat Local Banquet to be held next month. The prestigious Evening Press-Dean Court

DAYTIME TV darling David Dickinson has made his North Yorkshire "comeback". The presenter of BBC's Bargain Hunt returned to Harrogate, after being banned from a prestigious antiques event in the town earlier this year. The antiques expert known affectionately

AN EIGHTEEN-year-old man was appearing before Northallerton magistrates today, charged in connection with an alleged burglary. Michael Kenneth Gath, 18, of Bramley, Leeds, was arrested in connection with the alleged incident in Pilmoor, near Easingwold

FRESH to your door is the usual way for one North Yorkshire company - now it's aiming to be fresh to the banquet. Food wholesaler Moorsfresh is set to be involved in the Eat Local Banquet to be held next month. The prestigious Evening Press-Dean Court

A FUNDRAISING "Magical History Tour" has been enjoyed by shoppers, signalling a landmark for a York youth theatre company. Performers from Stagecoach Youth Theatre took to the streets of the city, performing the history of York to the tune of Beatles

New Earswick Rugby League Club Under-12s put up a battling performance in their final game of the season before losing 24-14 to Dudley Hill. The massive team from Bradford were made to work hard by a determined All Blacks, who scored tries by Brad Swainston

YORK travellers are being urged to take advantage of a bus service with a difference in the city. Transport bosses are looking to raise awareness of the Pink Badger service - which runs from Badger Hill to Piccadilly in the city centre. The "hail and

YORK Minster has finally decided to charge visitors. Chief Reporter Mike Laycock looks at the background to the controversial decision, which has saddened and disappointed the Archbishop of York, among others. THEY had hoped this day might never come.

York is set to enter the year 2001 with its Millennium Bridge still closed to the public. Chairman of the Millennium Bridge Trust Paul Chesmore told the Evening Press today the heavy flooding of the Ouse had "severely delayed" work on the £4.2m bridge

THE last act is being played out for a piece of York's theatrical history. The Rowntree Players' production of The Importance Of Being Earnest will be their last play to be rehearsed in the Nestl dining block, on Haxby Road. The players have rehearsed

CAMPAIGNERS are urging York council chiefs to consider reopening a disused rail route at Monks Cross. Members of the Minsters' Rail Campaign, along with Pocklington deputy mayor George McManus, have asked City of York Council planners to look at reinstating

THERE was a photo-finish at the Willows on Easter Saturday when less than half a pound separated the sell-out Bob.Co Open. Pegs on Ridge Pool dominated proceedings for a second week with catfish playing a major role once again. Graham Broadley (Bob.Co

The waiting is over. Three years in the making - and much longer in development - York's new Millennium Bridge finally glided majestically into place over the River Ouse today. An army of proud engineers, designers and construction workers rubbed shoulders

SEVERAL York racing cyclists have made rapid starts to the new season. Matthew Eastwood of VC York won the Wetwang road race, taking the verdict in a four-man sprint, while Paul Watson was a solid second in the Clifton CC hilly time trial at Sheriff Hutton

WHAT was all the fuss about? Leeds United confidently strolled to a 2-0 home victory over Fulham to virtually guarantee their top flight safety last night. Relegation pressure was eased by Mark Viduka's double and means that West Ham's Premiership bubble

THE launch date for York's new Millennium Bridge has been set for next Wednesday. Crowds of spectators are expected to flock to see the elegant arc structure being floated out across the Ouse before being fixed in place. The bridge, inspired by the simple

The race to take control of City of York Council is entering its final stages, with voters going to the polls on May 1. Over the next few days, Political Reporter Richard Edwards questions leaders of the four largest groups on key York issues. Today,

THE elegant arch of York's new Millennium Bridge rises above the banks of the River Ouse. The structure, inspired by the simple design of a bicycle wheel, is now almost ready to be swung out over the water from its resting place near Rowntree Park, and

PEOPLE in North Yorkshire are being urged to back a campaign to slam the door on doorstep sales. The move follows a survey of more than 2,000 households across North Yorkshire where people were asked their views and experiences about "cold calling". The

BILL McCall, who masterminded the ambitious scheme to restore Pickering's landmark Memorial Hall, has been presented with the town Rotary Club's prestigious Service Before Self Award. A former mayor of the town, he has lived in Pickering for 13 years,

FIREMEN at Tadcaster - from left, Tony Sorby, Richard Turnbull, Steve Newton (in cab), Bob Hoskins and John Conder - with the new "heavyweight" tender that will slash the time it takes to free trapped road accident victims. The £200,000 super appliance

POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a car crash near Pocklington, which led to a 70-year-old man being taken to hospital. The accident happened at about 6pm yesterday on an unclassified road between the A166 and Millington, in East Yorkshire. A Toyota

YORK City fans have been thanked for their 'overwhelming' kindness since the death of striking legend Keith Walwyn last week. Walwyn's widow Liz has received numerous flowers, cards, letters and calls of condolence from City fans saddened by the death

AN ANXIOUS wait for the Supporters' Trust ended this afternoon with the news the Football League has given the fans' take-over of York City the green-light. Endorsement from the League's bigwigs was the last piece in the jigsaw required by the supporters

VANDALS have smashed a valuable sandstone lion that guarded the gates to a North Yorkshire country house. The ornamental lion, which was about three-feet tall, stood on a pillar at the gates of Norton Conyers Hall, near Ripon. Vandals pulled the lion

A HORSE-RACING family are in the running to buy the first York house valued at more than £1 million. The family, who have not been named, are among the first to show an interest in Field House, off Tadcaster Road, which overlooks Knavesmire. The Victorian

A STUDENT died when her mother drove into the path of a coach travelling at more than 60mph at the notorious A64 Bilbrough Top accident black spot, an inquest heard today. Rachelle Ansell, 19, was a front seat passenger in a Peugeot, which was driven

CONFUSED York visitors have hit out at tourism authorities after it took them two days to obtain information about celebrations for the Queen's Birthday last Monday. A Scarborough couple have told the Evening Press of their struggle trying to find what

A VILLAGER who found an alleged intruder in his garage bound his hand and feet and tied him to a lawnmower. Ian Fairwood, of Pilmoor, Helperby, near Easingwold, was woken at dawn by a phone call from his neighbour, who said someone was in his garage.

YORK Minster is to charge visitors an entry fee for the first time. The decision comes after a voluntary donations scheme launched last year failed to bring in enough cash. The Dean and Chapter revealed today that fewer than a quarter of visitors had

Walkers and cyclists were reassured today that York's Millennium Bridge is safe to use after cracks appeared on the pathway. City of York Council said the network of jagged lines in the asphalt surface had been caused by someone apparently driving a Transit

Two communities from either side of the Ouse were united today with the opening of York's Millennium Bridge. Residents from the Fulford Road and Fishergate area met up on the crossing with their counterparts from the South Bank and Bishopthorpe Road district

York's Millennium celebrations came to a late but great climax today when a £4.2 million new bridge across the Ouse was officially opened. Hundreds of residents and cyclists gathered on the Millennium Bridge as the Lord Mayor, Councillor Shan Braund,

York's Millennium Bridge will finally open today - in time for the Easter holidays. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Shan Braund, will cut a ribbon at 10:45am to officially open the foot and cycle bridge over the River Ouse this morning. The York Millennium

AN ANXIOUS wait for the Supporters' Trust ended this afternoon with the news the Football League has given the fans' take-over of York City the green-light. Endorsement from the League's bigwigs was the last piece in the jigsaw required by the supporters

YORK City fans have been thanked for their 'overwhelming' kindness since the death of striking legend Keith Walwyn last week. Walwyn's widow Liz has received numerous flowers, cards, letters and calls of condolence from City fans saddened by the death

YORK residents are grabbing a golden opportunity to celebrate 50 years of the Queen's reign this Bank Holiday weekend. People from York will be joining events in the city and around the country as the nation marks the historic occasion. Army veteran John

TWO madcap monarchists are camping outside Buckingham Palace for 36 HOURS this weekend for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Louise Robson and Graham Hollingworth, from Cemetery Road, York, want a bird's-eye view of the monarch as she parades down

ROYALIST and photographer Jim Wilson took these pictures of the Queen while she was staying at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Although she is the most photographed woman in the world, Mr Wilson, a former president of the York Camera Club, does not

STEPHEN LEWIS meets the man behind the music for a TV drama-documentary about a scallywag 'superstar'... JACK SHEPPARD was an unlikely man to become a superstar. He was small, weasely and, at 22, spoke with a stutter. On top of all that he wasn't, admits