A MAJOR revamp of York Central Library is to be carried out later this year in an attempt to attract more visitors and offer more community services. The library, off Museum Street, will close for six to eight weeks in the autumn, as the first phase
TRIBUTES have been paid to a leading figure at the University of York who has died only months away from his retirement. Dr Ron Weir, provost of Derwent College, senior lecturer in economic history and a whisky expert, died on Saturday night from a suspected
There’s always someone who succeeds in pulling off cheery optimism and capability in a crisis without making other people feel inadequate, isn’t there? While everyone else is rushing around in a blind panic fending off irate customers, dealing
A FURRY favourite of York City football club has been nominated for a top award for his dedicated work raising money for charity. Alex Bedingham, the man inside the costume of the club’s mascot Yorkie the Lion, has been nominated in the Charity Fundraiser
A YORK-BASED charity which helps tribespeople in a remote part of Thailand is looking for 14 volunteers to take part in a sponsored trek in the region. The Karen Hilltribes Trust says the eight-day trek will go through forested mountains near the Burma
FUNDRAISERS from York developers Harrison have helped a little Nepalese orphan walk for the first time. Seven-year old Anita Shresta lost part of her right foot after being badly burned on an open cooking fire as a baby. After her mother died, her father
JOHN Godber’s study of love, luck and relationships starts in a familiar place. A man and a woman bicker with the scathing intensity that can grow in proximity’s shadow. Their banter has an aggressive affection, so that what sounds like hostility is
MATHS and PE were on the curriculum again when one York councillor went back to school for a taste of life in the classroom. As well as spending time in lessons at St Barnabas School, in Jubilee Terrace, Coun James Alexander had a taste of school dinners
ONE of York’s universities is forging closer links with the city’s hospital. Executive members from York St John University and York Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust today signed a memorandum of intent, ensuring co-operation and collaboration between
HIGH street retailer Debenhams has confirmed it is pressing ahead with a second York store, despite the recession. The Press revealed last year how the department store was planning to move into the former PC World premises at Monks Cross this summer
BUSINESSMEN and women from across the region are backing The Press’s York Means Business campaign – and told how they are still winning orders despite the recession. The campaign aims to promote positive developments in the local economy, and a number
DOZENS of employees at a private hospital in York have been told their jobs could be at risk, The Press can reveal. Nuffield Health York Hospital chiefs today said they needed to reduce the number of hours worked there by about 300 per week because
Award-winning author Meg Rosoff has been speaking to pupils from York schools on the process of writing and researching a novel from an author’s perspective. Meg, who has been singled out as a name to watch in the literary world, has written three books
PLANS have been lodged with the district council for Selby’s biggest public building project in a generation. The £16 million hospital and council HQ scheme proposed for the Doncaster Road site of the Selby War Memorial Hospital will now be scrutinised
The rain came down in bucketfuls, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of members of a North Yorkshire theatre company as they held their official photo shoot. In fact when members of Tadcaster Theatre Company got together, to publicise their forthcoming
PUPILS at a York secondary school have had all lessons suspended for a day to take part in a healthy activities fundraising event. A spokesman for All Saints’ RC School said the pupils raised thousands of pounds for good causes by taking on several challenges
HE IS a Second World War veteran who survived the Normandy landings to return home unscathed. But it never occurred to Patrick Holland to ask for any war medals. Medals were the last thing on his mind when he returned home and saw his wife and
WHY all of a sudden has York become a roadworks nightmare? Everywhere I seem to travel either the road is being dug up or the path is been altered, causing massive delays. Surely those in charge know that we have a very bad traffic problem as
A FAMILY home is much more than just a roof over your head. It is a place of shared memories; a place where you bring up children, invite friends, have arguments and make up again afterwards. As you reach the later stages of life it is also a place
CAN someone tell me what has happened to the letter T? People of all age groups are all missing out the letter T in their conversations. Am I missing something here? Has it officially been withdrawn from our alphabet? Celebrities are a particularly
I SHOULD like to point out a slight error in the web reference that follows your report on the Local List (York landmarks brought together online, The Press, March 5), and also add a bit more background information to the article.The correct reference
DESPITE the economic recession, Leeds Bradford Airport is currently seeking to expand its airport terminal and is hoping to increase passenger numbers from nearly three million passengers per year to five million by 2012/13. Any expansion on
GUEST speaker Professor Gervase Phinn, centre right, and John Butler, centre left, president of the York Society of Chartered Accountants, greet top table guests at the society’s annual dinner. Mr Butler welcomed author Professor Phinn to the
WITH reference to the article “The mains detraction” (The Press, March 10), as well as the loss of business during the works, traders (and the council) should also be worried about the quality of restoration they can expect. It would be worth
WITH regard to the accident to a Tucano aircraft at Linton-on-Ouse, the Royal Air Force has display pilots, not stunt pilots. I would also like to point out the excellent safety record of this aircraft. In ten years of operation, I believe this
I WAS absolutely appalled and disgusted to watch the demonstration of Muslims in Luton and to read their insulting banners. I was at the homecoming in York of the UK Medical Group. It was wonderful to see them and to acknowledge their bravery
DEFYING the recession – that’s Debbie Tyrell, who has opened up a new gift shop in Tadcaster. Debbie said Ivy Cottage gifts and interiors would be selling crafts and other items made by people within the region, including pottery, photographic prints
THE cost of the troubled scheme to build a new cycle route along York’s Water End has soared by almost 70 per cent to more than £500,000. The project hit problems last week when a contractor’s excavator burst a water main, shutting the road
THE longest-serving secondary school head in Selby has announced his retirement. The Rev Francis Loftus, who has been headteacher at Barlby High School for 19 years, will leave at the end of the summer term. Mr Loftus came to Barlby after working at
A DRINK-DRIVER is starting a prison sentence after coming to the rescue of a Selby woman who was being hounded out of her home. Steven John Williams pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit, without insurance and while disqualified when he appeared
A MAKEOVER for a young business in York has sparked a flurry of new contracts for the firm. Climatize UK, established in York six months ago by Byron Ward and Johnny Vintis, supplies, installs and maintains air conditioning, heating, ventilation, refrigeration
BUSINESSES are struggling to access funding from the Government’s guaranteed lending initiative, according to York accountants Garbutt & Elliott. It is thought only one Yorkshire business has successfully applied for funding under the Enterprise Finance
A brand new Michael Vaughan, fighting fit and refreshed after a winter away from the game, could line up for Yorkshire in their Pro ARCH Trophy opener against Surrey at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi today. Vaughan reiterated he should not have
SUPER sub Onome Sodje salvaged a “fantastic” point for York City as they drew 1-1 at Forest Green Rovers in the Blue Square Premier last night. Sodje struck in the 85th minute at the New Lawn to snatch an unlikely point after Kaid Mohamed’s
PLANS to bring a big wheel back to York have cleared the first hurdle, after ruling councillors gave tentative approval to a new site. World Tourist Attractions wants to put a wheel in St George’s Field car park for three months, to gauge public
RISING York rally driving starlet Ashley Slights has discovered a winning formula. The 16-year-old took the chequered flag in the first event of the newly-formed Junior Formula 1,000 Rally Championship. Slights steered his one-litre Toyota Yaris to
ONCE upon a time, Britons used to go to freak shows, bait bears and hold cock-fights for entertainment; nowadays, we buy Heat magazine and watch reality TV. We used to tour mental hospitals and enjoy a good hanging; today we watch the unravelling lives
RALLY aces Dave Bennett and Alistair McNeil revved back to form in the Malcolm Wilson Rally in the Lake District. They piloted their 1400 cc Corsa car to sixth overall and first in the 1.4L class leaving Bennett to declare: “It was a great
HOW many former professionals does it take to raise money for a North Yorkshire football club? Not the beginning of a joke, incidentally, which will come as a relief to those familiar with Diary’s sense of humour. The answer is 14 and the club
MOTORISTS suspected of drink-driving who fail a breathalyser test may be about to lose the right to demand a blood test. The legal alcohol level for driving is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. But motorists whose breathalyser test reveals
Creating a Michael Jackson-inspired production has to be one of the hardest shows to choreograph and direct, as the performers have to live up to one of history’s most renowned artists. Yet the cast of Thriller – Live managed to pull it off, due to
ONOME Sodje reminded York City manager Martin Foyle of his goalscoring ability with a precious late equaliser at relegation rivals Forest Green Rovers. Substitute Sodje struck on 85 minutes to secure City a 1-1 draw in a match that their hosts dominated
Heworth’s Neil Wood is now only one win short of Ken Taylor’s record of nine victories after beating club colleague Steve Burdett three frames to one in the York Conservative Clubs’ Tayrol Scruton Cup final. Burdett made the first mistake in a bout of
Heworth ‘A’ opened up the York Conservative Clubs’ Carlsberg UK Snooker League title race after defeating leaders Malton ‘A’ 4-3. The teams shared the first four frames as Tim Foggin (28 break) and Phil Hart won for Malton and Mark Winskill (26) and
The families that play sport together stay together, so York Knights’ upcoming star Danny Ratcliffe explains to The Press Knights reporter PETER MARTINI. NIGEL CLOUGH played football under famous dad Brian at Nottingham Forest, Frank Lampard
SHOPPERS will soon be able to park for free in Malton town centre. Motorists currently have to pay £1 to leave their vehicle in the 96-space short-stay car park in Malton Market Place for one hour, or £1.80 for two hours. But from May 15, people
Mick Easterby, having successfully produced Provost to justify favouritism at Southwell last week, sends the five-year-old back to the same course tomorrow with excellent prospects of supplementing that victory. The Sheriff Hutton trainer saddles nap
HOUSING chiefs will try to persuade thousands of York home-owners to down-size, to help tackle the city’s chronic shortage of suitable properties. A keynote report produced by City of York Council says 78 per cent of private homes in the city are officially
WORK is under way to tidy up the two rows of trees which line York’s Parliament Street. Tree surgeons have been working high in the branches of the London plane trees to carry out the five-yearly work, known as pollarding. A spokeswoman for City of
