They may be called The Crookes, but this hotly tipped Sheffield band fell foul of some crooks minus the ‘e’ when burglars nicked laptops containing their entire song catalogue. Happily, the chiming, flamenco-flavoured Bloodshot Days survived the crime
Breabach play at the Black Swan Folk Club’s last concert of the spring season at the National Centre for Early Music, York, next Friday. “It’ll be an emphatically Scottish night with one of that country’s foremost young bands,” says club organiser Roland
THE advance notices said Ellie would be as good as Goulding, and they were right. First sparking curiosity when she performed on Later With Jools Holland last November – before the release of debut single Under The Sheets – she was named winner of
Legendary blues guitarist Steve Phillips plays The Basement at City Screen, York, tonight in a rare opportunity to catch him with his full band The Rough Diamonds. When Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler was putting together his Notting Hillbillies in
Rory Bremner’s 8pm show at Harrogate Theatre on Thursday has sold out. As Britain readies itself to vote in the tightest General Election in a generation, the political satirist and impressionist is taking to the road again for 12 dates on his first
SUPERSIZED crook George Jolicur has escaped jail by being too fat. Jolicur, who weighs 43 stone, regularly ripped off burger bars to satisty his huge appetite, reports The Mirror. He would drink milkshakes then refuse to pay, claiming the milk was off
YORK band Elliot Minor open their Satellite Tour with a home-city show on Monday at Fibbers, the first of five dates that take them onwards to the London Relentless Garage on Tuesday. Further dates follow at the Birmingham 02 Academy on Wednesday,
THE moment I heard Hoppipolla, the anthemic Sigur Ros track which has since graced a thousand Sky Sports highlight reels, I fell for Jón Thor Birgisson’s other-worldly vocals. What a voice – spectral but warm and joyously emotive. That Jonsi, as he is
WHAT immediately strikes home on listening to this live concert recording from June 4, 1978, is just how remarkably creative Costello was at the time. “All songs written by Elvis Costello” it says in smallprint on the CD – and what songs: Accidents
MARTIN Scorsese fans will already have heard the Murphys even if they don’t know it. Their best-selling single, I’m Shipping Up To Boston, formed one of the counterpoints of The Departed, but, as this hometown showcase of a week-long St Patrick’s knees-up
THIS album was tracked and recorded on Breakglass Studios’ latest gizmo, a 1968 Neve mixing console allegedly used on Led Zeppelin’s magnum opus Physical Graffiti. That gives a sense of the scale of the dense, dark, echoing guitar songs of this
FUNNY thing, country music; can’t stand it most of the time, but curiously one of my biggest heroes is Steve Earle. Not far behind comes Sid Griffin. His 1980s band The Long Ryders were considered pioneers of alt-country and Griffin likes to describe
Carly Simon got snippy with Adrian Chiles on The One Show the other week. Obviously the woman has taste. Carly was in the UK to promote Never Been Gone, a collection of much-loved songs from her archive, re-recorded in an acoustic fashion, plus
ELECTION fever kicking in and how the heart sinks at a track entitled “SDP”. A paean to the failed fence-sitters, perhaps? No, and how the heart lifts to heights refreshed by the Danish five-piece’s second album. Music fans should buy this, beg
Estee Roberts once inquired about an assistant’s job at Artfulness, Amie Antoniak’s gallery and café in Goodramgate, York. Five years on, in the wake of Amie deciding to relinquish the gallery to focus full-time on painting, former St Peter
Mark Braithwaite, artist in residence at the Braithwaite Gallery in York, features on the cover of the May edition of Artists & Illustrators magazine. Published this weekend, the magazine is Britain’s most prominent publication for professional and amateur
Firstly, the figures, because they are drool-inducing, the sort of stats that appear alongside only very special cars. Up front, the Nissan GT-R has a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine producing 478bhp and 428lb/ft of torque. At the back is a transaxle
WAKEFIELD Jazz has sent out an SOS to boost funds for the long-running club. The club will run a car boot and table-top sale on Sunday, July 4, and is keen for offers of help. Contact colin_booker25@yahoo.co.uk In the meantime, make a date
THE unlikely issue of trees has been placed on the General Election campaign agenda by one of the candidates bidding to represent York. Susan Wade Weeks, who is standing for the Conservatives in the York Central seat, has launched a campaign aimed
OLDER voters in our region could sway the balance of this year’s much anticipated General Election, according to new research. Age UK says voters over the age of 55 would hold the majority of votes in more than half the seats across Yorkshire. The research
IF it’s tonight, then it’s Harrogate, and tomorrow must be Pocklington, but don’t ask Dillie Keane where she’s going. “I’m at the stage in my life where people point me in one direction and I go there,” she says. Thankfully, she has a far greater sense
BY day, fighting crime is always on his mind, but at night this police sergeant becomes the King Of Rock ’n’ Roll. Sergeant Neil Wood, of Micklegate safer neighbourhood team in York, has travelled as far as Luxembourg to entertain audiences with his
Upstage Centre Youth Theatre’s first production of 2010 will be Jim Cartwright’s Two. As the title indicates, this moving slice of pub life in a northern town is usually performed by a cast of two: a bickering landlord and landlady, who also play the
A LEUKAEMIA patient is joining cricket legend Sir Ian Botham as he celebrates 25 years of charity walking. Leslie Johnson, from Rillington, will be walking with Sir Ian at Manchester’s Heaton Park tomorrow, the first leg of his ten-day charity walk to
ON A whim, motoring boss Stewart Lawton has bought an empty pub in Tadcaster which had an asking price of £250,000. Now Mr Lawton, who owns Ford dealership Lawtons of Tadcaster, plans to spend another £100,000 to get the empty Coach And Horses in Commercial
TIME is set to go backwards in The House Of Avalon, which opens in York next month in a bid to change people’s lives. The chic new seven-day-a-week vintage clothing and coffee shop in High Petergate is set to create new job opportunities and add to York
A CHOIR from the University of York will set out on a nine-day tour of China later this month. The chamber choir, known as The 24, will head out to the Far East to perform at the University of York’s second graduation ceremony in Beijing on April 17.
MEMBERS of the Pan European Motor Cycle Club based at Squires Cafe, near Sherburn-in-Elmet, took part in their annual Easter Egg Run at the weekend. Club members at the event, which has been held for the past 18 years, travelled to Martin House
On the back of running their Little Num Num Club acoustic nights over the past few years, York musicians Andy Gaines and Chris Helme are setting up a new record label, PR, management and promotional company, Little Num Num Music. The success
VASHTI Bunyan puts Kate Bush’s legendary long years of silence in the shade. Between Just Another Diamond Day’s muted release on a tiny pressing in 1970 and Lookaftering’s arrival in October 2005 there were the years of disenchantment, long-term exile
ONCE the wild child of Tinseltown, Drew Barrymore is having a crack at directing for the first time with the rites-of-passage movie Whip It! Barrymore, 35, is steeped in Hollywood: not only were her parents and her grandparents actors, but her godparents
WITH reference to the article about Dr John Sentamu hoping to bring Christian debate to the pubs of York, what’s all that about (Easter message from archbishop, The Press, April 3)? The average pub drinker wanting to relax for an hour after a day’
CHARACTER BUILDING could make history at Aintree tomorrow. Not only could he become the first North Yorkshire-trained winner of the Grand National for more than half a century, but he also gives Nina Carberry the chance to become the first woman to be
YORK City hat-trick hero Richard Brodie is likely to be left out for tomorrow’s Blue Square Premier clash at relegation-threatened Eastbourne. Brodie picked up a slight hamstring strain as he claimed the match ball during City’s 5-0 thumping of AFC Wimbledon
That’s rich, Coun Simpson-Laing accuses us of failure? She says we have failed to address that the reason only five, yes that’s five, homes have been completed in five years from City of York Council’s 50 per cent affordable homes policy, is due to
WITH reference to the report concerning Andy Henwood’s long wait for a kidney transplant (The Press, April 3), yes, 18 months on dialysis three times a week (12 hours over three days) takes the stuffing out of one. I was on dialysis three days a week
AFTER a blistering start, York’s greens giant Simon Dyson faced an uphill slog to retain his interest in the US Masters beyond the half-way cut. The York-born world number 56 – making his Masters debut – finished the first round way down the star-studded
EASTBOURNE Borough will entertain York City desperate for three points to assist their battle against the drop. The Sports currently lie one point and one place above the Blue Square Premier relegation zone but have played a game more than third-bottom
Politicians say they do not take notice of the polls, but when they showed the two main parties getting closer they panicked. Millions of pounds have already been spent on large, silly, childish posters on 600 sites around the country; they
Leeds United manager Simon Grayson faces a potential selection headache up front for the visit of Southend tomorrow. Luciano Becchio could return, but Mike Grella and Max Gradel have also staked claims to partner Jermaine Beckford. Becchio missed the
IT could be a defining weekend for Tadcaster Albion. Paul Marshall’s top-of-the-table side entertain second-placed Brighouse Town in Northern Counties East League division one knowing a win might just hand them the title. Albion, who were learning lessons
Vic Venturi, who already has winning form over the unique Aintree fences, can write his name into the history books tomorrow by becoming the latest winner of the Grand National. The 40-strong field for the John Smith’s-sponsored showpiece, which boasts
TWO and a half years of hard work get the seal of approval at York RUFC tomorrow. The Clifton Parkers officially open their two-storey Shipton Road clubhouse with a cracking Yorkshire One derby match against Malton & Norton. Teams have been using the
Khyber Kim, who found only Binocular too good in last month’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, can gain compensation at Aintree tomorrow. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding, twice a Cheltenham winner earlier in the season, ran the race of his life
Adil Rashid reckons match practice in the United Arab Emirates and Barbados in the last two months has helped him prepare for today’s start of the County Championship season. The leg-spinner says he is the type of player who benefits more from bowling
THEY’LL be dancing in the streets of Zimbabwe – but poor old Alfred must be spinning in his grave. Scrabble’s owners, Mattel, announced this week that they are to abandon the “no proper nouns” rule when they relaunch the game later this year. Good
BILLY Youth Theatre is a new initiative that enables schools and youth groups to present a shorter version of Billy Elliot, in a nationwide project that will culminate in a West End gala in July. Ryedale Youth Theatre’s production is the first off
A KEEN overnight frost made for a slow start to the angling contest at Oaktree Leisure. However, things picked up as the water warmed and Rob Ogilvy got the carp going at peg 27 with maggot and corn at 12 metres. That brought fish to 6lb as he worked
MICHAEL HEELS was the goal hero as Skelton booked their place in the Ian’s Cars of Barlby Sunday Morning Football League Senior Challenge Trophy final. Gary Smith had put Skelton ahead against Severus, and, after Mark Woodward equalised, Heels struck
HOLGATE WMC hosts The John Smith’s Darts League Finals Night tonight at 8pm. Competing for the division one individual title are Chris Thompson (St Paul’s), Steve Atkin (Acomb), Mark Hartley (Shepherds) and Carl Pooper (St Paul’s). The division
IT’S a frustrating sort of day for Jonathan Graves, a bit like most days really. This time 500 panes of glass haven’t arrived, it’s raining and he’ll be fighting a losing battle if they don’t turn up soon. Jonathan is on the phone, as he often is
A long-range effort by Kev Martin proved the difference as Huntington Rovers edged out Haxby United in an 11-goal thriller in the York Minster Engineering League premier division. Goals by Chris Dempsey (2), Pete Laidlaw (2) and Tom Shirley put Huntington
A BNP General Election candidate has been on one of York’s parish councils for nearly 18 months, despite never having been elected. Party member Cathy Smurthwaite was recruited on to Heworth Without Parish Council with many residents never knowing, and
BLOOD found in the home of missing York woman Mandy Bishop does belong to her, police have said. The results of the forensic tests raise fears that Mandy suffered an injury of some kind and now needs medical attention. Police have also
TENANTS have given York Housing Association the thumbs-up in a survey, with a vast majority saying it is responsive and effective in delivering services. The association, which provides affordable homes for more than 660 families, couples and single
POLICE closed off part of a canal near Selby yesterday after the discovery of what were believed to be four large mail bags. A team of six police officers with search dogs, four firefighters and a fire station manager were called to Brayton Canal at
THIS Selby area couple have been presented with a top award for their work with the Children’s Society over the last 30 years. Michael and Margaret Halton have co-ordinated fundraising for the society in South Milford and surrounding villages. The
A MOTORIST escaped from a blazing car unhurt after it burst into flames in York city centre. Firefighters were called to Dixons Yard off Walmgate, at 3.32pm yesterday after receiving a call from the driver of a Volkswagen Polo whose engine had caught
THE fight to secure the future for hundreds of rail workers in York has won cross-party support from the city’s political leaders. City of York Council last night called on the Government to ensure the 350 Jarvis employees made redundant when the company
PIGEONS are making the lives of residents in a Selby street a misery because of the mess they make. The pigeons roost under a bridge next to Fernlea Close, near the bus station, but during the day spend their time in people’s gardens. This means their
Two Askham Bryan residents who met while working on the land in North Yorkshire, have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Ken and Mary Black first met in 1948 when Ken was working on the land and Mary was in the Land Army, and they married
YORK’S former Lamb & Lion hotel has been placed on the market for £1 million, with potential buyers already showing an interest in the historic property. The hotel in High Petergate shut down suddenly last month, causing the loss of 23 jobs and leaving
York Minster is back in the black – but only thanks to substantial legacies and a raft of measures to control costs and boost income. Accounts for the nine months to December 31, 2009, have revealed a surplus of £210,000, which compares
RIVAL supermarket giants are set to go head-to-head in their bid to open stores in a Ryedale town. Aldi and Lidl’s separate applications to set up shop in Welham Road, Norton, will be decided by the district’s planners next week as they are discussed
Stamford Bridge residents think their village is blooming lovely – and they hope the judges agree. An inspection for the Village In Bloom competition took place yesterday, and Bryan Lawson, chairman of Stamford Bridge in Bloom, is hopeful of success.
ORGANISERS of this year’s Miss York competition plan to go scouting for girls the day before auditions are held later this month in a bid to encourage more entrants. Miss England boss Angie Beasley, who has taken charge of the 2010 York contest
A chapter in the story of the railway is heading to York, where recent rail history is being preserved in a national archive. With companies like GNER and Railtrack ceasing to operate, a permanent home was needed for their records. The National Railway
TRAINING grounds at a North Yorkshire army base containing structures resembling mosques have been described as “stupid” and “wrong” by a member of the Muslim community. Professor Mohamed El-Gomati of the University of York said he believed the structures
NORTH Yorkshire Police have appealed for the public’s help in protecting badgers and dogs from illegal baiting. A disturbed badger sett was recently found in the county and police are now investigating whether this was a result of the blood sport. Badger
A FAMILY-OWNED business in York is flourishing despite the difficult financial climate. Tech Tyres is an independent garage which has more than doubled its staff in recent years, despite facing the worst global economic crisis in decades. Company director
