Archive

  • Iraq war was wrong

    I now think the war in Iraq was, as stated before it started, illegal. Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Have we killed thousands of innocent people for the ramblings of President Blair and President Bush? Why should we pay? I say, forget Mr

  • Cycling for health

    It was good to see Jane Tomlinson raising money to fight cancer by cycling the length of Britain (April 24). Research evidence has shown a benefit from exercise by reducing cancer risks. On Sunday local people can take part in the Macmillan Cancer Relief

  • Pride amid play-off place pain

    THE disappointment of last Saturday's defeat against Exeter and the realisation that the play-offs are now virtually out of reach, will last all summer. Through all the trials and tribulations the players have endured it was a fantastic achievement to

  • You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

    FARMERS' market favourites are to feature at a banquet being held in York to celebrate fresh local produce. Andrew Stewart, of Yoadwath Mill Trout Farm, Kirkbymoorside, is going to provide a tasty dish of fresh trout mousse with horse radish cream for

  • Centenary school flies high

    CENTENARY celebrations for a York school have been launched, with balloons being released in the city centre. Children from the Minster School released about 180 balloons to celebrate the anniversary of the re-founding of the school in 1903. The school's

  • Major event for Morris lovers

    THE Yorvik branch of the Morris Minor Owners club will be holding its annual fundraising car boot and fete at The Lodge, 302 Strensall Road, Earswick, York, on Saturday, May 10, from 10am to 2pm. Lots of historic cars will be on display as well as many

  • Can you stay in the saddle?

    HORSE enthusiasts are to be given an unusual opportunity to test their skills next week at a York car dealers. Young fans have been invited to try out the "Triggerthon" at John Gill Ltd at Monks Cross on Tuesday. "Trigger" is an electronic horse who tests

  • Villagers step up bypass campaign

    CAMPAIGNERS are bringing their demands for a new road into the 21st century with a text message road sign. Protesters at Shipton-by-Beningbrough, near York, have been calling for the A19 to bypass their village since the 1930s. The current plan by North

  • Brownie pack enjoys 50th birthday party

    THE 50th birthday celebrations of 30th York Heworth Brownies saw a special award presented to their founder. The celebrations, held at Heworth Church Hall, Melrosegate, included the meeting of old and new Brownies of the brigade from over the years, with

  • Food thief had not eaten for three days

    A HUNGRY, homeless man turned to theft in order to eat for the first time in three days, York magistrates heard. Carl Michael Burns, 22, stole sandwiches, chocolates and crisps worth £8.09 from Jackson's store in Bootham. Steven Ovenden, prosecuting,

  • 'Scrap charges' - MP

    A NORTH Yorkshire MP is demanding free prescriptions for patients with asthma, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease and cystic fibrosis. Harrogate's Phil Willis has joined a Westminster protest against the NHS continuing to charge patients who are

  • Families' consent vital on organs

    HOSPITALS will now be ordered to get "clear and detailed" consent from families before carrying out a post-mortem operation. The guidelines have been published in response to the NHS organ retention scandal. An audit revealed between 50 and 499 organs

  • Boy saved father's life

    A NORTH YORKSHIRE teenager who saved his father's life by using his Scout medical training has been commended for his actions. Sam Ackerley, 15, used resuscitation techniques when his father, John, collapsed at the family home in Bewerly Road, Harrogate

  • Triples trio's fightback in vain

    EDDIE Howcroft, Alan Storey and Alwyn Redhead staged a tremendous comeback in the Eric Hopwood Triples Trophy bowls final against last year's winners, Peter Littlewood, Barry Walker and Noel Cammidge. But it was all in vain. Howcroft's side trailed 14

  • Hogg in headlines

    HORWATH Pulleyn Heselton York Vale Cricket League division one champions Norwich Union took maximum points at Ovington as the season got underway on Saturday. Batting first, Norwich Union reached 16-2 before asserting their control to amass 218-6, centurion

  • Town duo get busy to finish

    PICKERING Town and Selby Town face a hectic run-in to the Northern Counties East League premier division campaign with the first of two games in the space of three days tonight, writes Tony Curtis. The Pikes face a daunting trip to premier division champions

  • Drivers claim tie rule is risk to lives

    FURIOUS York cabbies claim their lives could be endangered by new smart dress rules for drivers serving the city's railway station - because the regulation ties could be used to strangle them. Drivers wanting to renew their £428-a-year station rank permits

  • 'Gate's Wharfe factor

    HARROGATE will now face old foes Wharfedale in the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Cup as the Claro Roaders maintained a successful start to their defence of the trophy. The defending champions booked their place in the last four against the Dalesmen courtesy

  • Turkey plant closure row

    CIVIC leaders in a North Yorkshire town are at loggerheads over the impact of a factory closure making 300 workers unemployed. Officials are in dispute over what impact the closure of Brandons Turkey factory at Dalton, near Thirsk, will have on the local

  • End of the road for Scott

    FORMER York City midfielder Scott Jordan has been released by Scarborough and is giving up the game. The 27-year-old who scored the goal at Bootham Crescent which ultimately beat Manchester United in the League Cup in 1995, suffered a cruciate knee injury

  • Driver was five times drink limit

    A FAMILY man who drove while five times the alcohol limit has been jailed for three months. Joseph Francis Harley, 35, was making his second journey in 24 hours after drinking when a police officer spotted his erratic driving and sent out an all-cars

  • Witnesses plea in death probe

    POLICE are searching for two women to help them with a murder investigation. William John Smith, 62, suffered head injuries in an incident outside Yates's Wine Lodge, in Low Ousegate, York, on April 18. Mr Smith died in Leeds General Infirmary without

  • Lions' pride

    YORK City Football Club will finally erase their 'chequered past' with the unveiling of their new badge. The club received more than 150 entries from their competition to design a new badge, with fans invited to vote on the best three as selected by the

  • Widow loses last-ditch fight to keep pylons off her land

    PYLONS campaigner Rosalind Craven was devastated today after losing the final round of her "David and Goliath" battle against National Grid. A High Court judge refused the 61-year-old widow leave to appeal against a judgement allowing the company to build

  • Fleetwood Mac, Say You Will (Reprise) ***

    ROCK'S longest-running soap opera takes a new turn with a mostly satisfying new album, even if the publicity gush about the "definitive" line-up is wide of the mark. Some of us still think that was the one that included Peter Green in it all those centuries

  • The Yardbirds, Birdland (Favored Nations) *****

    THE first studio album for 35 years from one of Britain's most influential blues/rock outfit is a smasher. The band that spawned guitar legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck now features founder members Jim McCarty (drums) and Chris Dreja

  • Pink Floyd, The Dark Side Of The Moon (EMI) *****

    It's time to set the controls for the heart of the imagination. Thirty years after The Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd's finest hour, was unleashed on an unsuspecting world, EMI has re-released it in full mind-engulfing 5.1 surround sound. Thanks to

  • York firms backing charge for carriers

    Are we a nation of wasters? ZOE WALKER goes in search of an answer... WE all know we could make more effort to recycle. We could take our glass and newspapers to local recycling points. We could turn potato peelings into compost instead of landfill. And

  • Closing the doors on doorstep callers

    CITY OF YORK Trading Standards is supporting the Trading Standards Institute's (TSI) call for a ban on doorstep cold-calling for property repairs, maintenance and improvements. This follows publication of the results of a national survey which revealed

  • Balakheri Khan hit heights for Stoute - 01/05/03

    Sir Michael Stoute, due to be represented by Russian Rhythm in Sunday's Sagitta 1,000 Guineas, can land the feature race under the same sponsors, at Newmarket tomorrow. Stoute saddles Balakheri in the £100,000 Sagitta Jockey Club Stakes and Johnny Murtagh's

  • At least squatters are looking after the White Swan Hotel

    I DON'T condone the occupation of an empty building, but find it difficult to understand why the owners of the White Swan Hotel in York's Piccadilly, above, have started proceedings against the occupants. I am no expert in the law relating to this subject

  • Hospital angels

    Our son Maxwell was born several weeks ago at York Hospital - a place we will always remember, not only for our gorgeous son, but also for the care we received from the midwives and staff. Maxwell made a dramatic entrance, after 41 hours of contractions

  • Police spending

    It is enlightening to see how the police authorities appear to be spending our recent 76.09 per cent council tax increase on such important events as: - Saturday, April 5: Scores of police officers defending "RAF" Fylingdales against a handful of peace

  • All girls together

    In early April, a group of former Queen Anne pupils met for lunch at Bedern Hall, many of them for the first time in 51 years. They were "girls" who were at the school from 1947 to 1952 and were known as the "L" form. The idea of a reunion was first mooted

  • Get knotted ...or not?

    YORK cabbies who are annoyed about being told to wear ties should look across the Pennines to Stockport. Last month, a government worker, Matthew Thompson, became an instant hero among supporters of open necks when he won a case at an employment tribunal

  • Wash up, doc

    PATIENTS at York Hospital are being encouraged to ask doctors a seemingly impertinent question: have you washed your hands? While this may sound a little forward, it is in fact a pioneering example of patient power. Patients are being urged to ask the

  • Odd choice of TV arbiter

    ANYONE looking to define typical attributes of the English television viewer would be unlikely to put athleticism or Christianity high on their list. So who has been appointed as the new TV regulator to arbitrate in matters of taste and decency? A God-fearing

  • Medic gets a taste of Big Apple

    IT was just like a normal day at work for York paramedic Glen Gears when he joined crews in New York as part of a six-day exchange visit to the Big Apple. Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) paramedic Glen, 34, based at York ambulance

  • Move to bring back York railway link to Beverley

    COUNCIL planners are to call a meeting to discuss reopening the railway line linking York and Beverley. Planners at East Riding of Yorkshire Council are hoping to organise talks with colleagues at neighbouring councils in North Yorkshire, York, Ryedale

  • You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

    FARMERS' market favourites are to feature at a banquet being held in York to celebrate fresh local produce. Andrew Stewart, of Yoadwath Mill Trout Farm, Kirkbymoorside, is going to provide a tasty dish of fresh trout mousse with horse radish cream for

  • Giving a little back

    FUNDRAISERS at an exclusive North Yorkshire school aim to raise enough money to fund the building of a new school in the developing world. Ampleforth College will hold a fundraising evening this weekend to raise £5,000 for the Pahar Trust, a British-based

  • Filling a need for painless dentistry

    INNOVATIVE new technology is coming to York to take the fear out of a visit to the dentist. Two surgeries in the York area have made a huge investment in state-of-the-art machinery which will help to make obsolete the much-feared dentist's drill. Dentists

  • Women raise cash for air ambulance

    WOMEN in Tadcaster have raised money to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) flying. The Tadcaster Countrywomen's Association has donated £400 to the YAA. They raised the money with a series of events, including coffee mornings, market stalls and bring-and-buy

  • Public image

    THREE local MPs have swapped politics for photography - and will see their work displayed in a prestigious Westminster picture exhibition. York's Labour MP Hugh Bayley, and Tories John Greenway and Greg Knight, from Ryedale and East Yorkshire respectively

  • How 'sporting heaven' could make difference

    THIS picture of sporting heaven is set to provide a lifeline to dozens of sports teams and hundreds of sporting individuals across York. The computer-generated image shows how the Civil Service Sports Council's proposed £7 million complex would fit in

  • York guns to be melted down

    A TOTAL of 32 guns were surrendered in York on the last day of the month-long firearms amnesty. Overall, 17 handguns, four rifles, 22 shotguns, 16 air rifles, 11 air pistols, 27 imitation firearms, and 1,682 assorted rounds of ammunition were handed in

  • How to help campaign to save the sparrows

    STARS of the small screen are calling on people across North Yorkshire to support the RSPB, and get counting sparrows as part of a survey looking at the species' dramatic decline. Numbers of house sparrows have more than halved in the last 25 years and

  • Rosie stays on toes

    A YORK dance student who achieved success in an important exam only six months after breaking a bone in her foot is set to continue her dancing career in style. Determined Rosie Pethullis, 15, of Acomb Road, York, is to take up a three-year scholarship

  • Scoutmaster placed on sex offenders' register

    A NORTH Yorkshire scoutmaster is today a convicted sex abuser after a jury heard how he abused Scouts during a 12-year period. Four former and current members of the youth movement described night encounters when David Scrivener, 54, fondled their private

  • Warriors seeking to expand

    SELBY Warriors may soon consider getting an under-14 side up and running. The Warriors only started their junior section this year but it is continuing to develop well. Junior coach Dave Sowden said: "Karl Simpson has done a great job in getting some

  • The face of a killer on the run

    THIS is the face of convicted killer Claire McDermott, who is still on the run from Askham Grange Prison near York. McDermott, 28, who is also known as Claire Weston, walked out of the prison on April 14 and is still at large. North Yorkshire Police are

  • Victory required at final hurdles

    NEW Earswick All Blacks and York Groves face crucial last matches at opposite ends of their respective leagues on Saturday. All Blacks entertain Ossett Trinity wanting two points to boost their promotion challenge in Yorkshire League division one, while

  • Ryedale police chief appointed

    A NEW police chief has been appointed for the Ryedale, Hambleton, Scarborough and Whitby areas. David Short, who has headed North Yorkshire Police's Eastern Area on a temporary basis in the last few weeks, was selected from 11 applicants to officially

  • Have you washed your hands, Doc?

    A PIONEERING "patient power" project could see doctors at York Hospital being quizzed - on whether they have washed their hands. Patients at York Hospital will be urged to ask doctors the question before they examine them, as part of a pilot scheme to

  • City fan escapes banning

    YORK City fan Can Mustafa Hussein reacted angrily when home fans threw stones as he waited to enter Lincoln City's Sincil Bank ground, a court heard. Lincoln magistrates were told that police were on duty at the match when a group of 60 supporters from

  • Oh baby, it's good to be back

    PROUD York father Chris Watts held his baby daughter Olivia for the first time -and declared: "She's gorgeous." The soldier, who returned home to Fulford yesterday from Iraq, was unfazed at the prospect of being woken up at night by her crying. He said

  • Rowntree team in great form

    NESTL Rowntree Athletics Club snatched joint second place in their opening National Junior Athletic League match of the season at Huntington Stadium in great style. The 4 x 400 metres relay team broke the club record in the last event. That meant that

  • Dancing youngsters go to the poles!

    NORTH Yorkshire children are getting their dancing shoes on ahead of Mayday celebrations. More than 20 youngsters from Sinnington Primary School, pictured, will perform maypole, clog and stick dancing on Bank Holiday Monday. The children, who are all

  • Op dilemma for Alex

    YORK City Knights have been hit by a new injury dilemma with the news Alex Godfrey's operation has been put on hold - which could rule him out for ten more weeks. The 24-year-old winger was expected to undergo a hernia operation this week but the specialist

  • Neale inquiry opens in York

    THE long-awaited Richard Neale inquiry began in York today. The inquiry, taking place at the Hilton Hotel, near Clifford's Tower, will investigate how the NHS handled complaints against the disgraced North Yorkshire gynaecologist. Neale, of Langthorpe

  • Claire gets polling card for birthday

    CLAIRE HESSEY celebrated her 18th birthday today - by voting in the local elections. She came of age just in time for today's poll, which will decide the make-up of both district and parish councils. Claire, a student at Selby College, recorded her vote

  • Asphalt thugs threaten vicar

    A vicar is in fear of his life after he stood up to a rogue gang who charged him £12,000 for resurfacing the car park of a York church. The Rev Chris Coates, who has been vicar of St Andrew's Church in Bishopthorpe, York, since October, has received death

  • Op dilemma for Alex

    YORK City Knights have been hit by a new injury dilemma with the news Alex Godfrey's operation has been put on hold - which could rule him out for ten more weeks. The 24-year-old winger was expected to undergo a hernia operation this week but the specialist

  • Lions' pride

    YORK City Football Club will finally erase their 'chequered past' with the unveiling of their new badge. The club received more than 150 entries from their competition to design a new badge, with fans invited to vote on the best three as selected by the

  • Ian McCulloch, Slideling (Cooking Vinyl) **

    COLDPLAYS' Chris Martin has taken to wearing Ian McCulloch's old trenchcoat. As thanks, he turns in a couple of cameos on McCulloch's first solo album since Mysterio in 1992. Without consulting the sleevenotes, you wouldn't know it was enamoured fan Martin

  • The Buzzcocks, The Buzzcocks (Cherry Red Records) *

    THE Damned play York Barbican Centre, Toyah Willcox is on prime-time TV - and the Buzzcocks have released a new album. In which decade am I living? Famed for asking the best question in pop history - Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (You Shouldn't Have

  • The Cramps, Fiends Of Dope Island (Vengeance) ***

    PUNK pioneers specialising in trashy, primal rock'n'roll, The Cramps coined the term "psychobilly" to describe their horror-comic-inspired sound and look back in 1976. Now, still led by singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy, they have arisen from

  • Independence day dawns for Shaun

    STEPHEN LEWIS meets two York men enjoying the freedom of living on their own for the first time - thanks to a new way of paying for social care Shaun Lavery went out nightclubbing a few weeks ago. It was, he says with a big grin, absolutely fabulous.