Archive

  • Extra Routes Added to York's Gritting Network

    City of York Council is preparing for more snow, which may hit York during the next few days, by adding extra routes to the gritting network. Nineteen secondary routes have been added to the existing network, which includes the following streets:

  • York City fans put off going to Luton

    THE start time of tomorrow's York versus Luton football match has been brought forward to avoid trouble, but has put many fans off travelling to the game. Bedfordshire Police made the decision to bring the kick-off at Luton Town forward to prevent a

  • Police arrest eleven in raids across York

    ELEVEN people were arrested and thousands of pounds worth of drugs seized in a series of police raids in York. Officers executed a series of early morning warrants as part of Operation Secure, and encouraged members of the public to pass information

  • Cinderella, Grand Opera House, York, until January 2 2011

    WHO better to shake up the world of Cinderella at the Grand Opera House, York, than Milkshake! and Shake! star Jen Pringle? The York-born children’s television presenter is playing a “quite posh, but not too posh, ditzy and magical” Fairy Godmother as

  • Mazda6 estate 2.2D

    The Mazda6 estate is the ideal workhorse for the fleet and private buyer. CARS such as the Mazda6 estate are rarely in the spotlight. It’s a sensible choice, a workhorse, practical and competitive on stuff like strong residual values, CO2 emissions

  • Jack And The Beanstalk, York Theatre Royal until January 29

    THE anniversaries keep on coming among the long-serving cast members of the York Theatre Royal pantomime. Martin Barrass, perennial slapstick stooge to Berwick Kaler’s dame, is appearing in his 25th York pantomime, playing Nobby Nutt in Jack And The

  • Dick Whittington, Harrogate Theatre until January 15, 2011

    Howard Chadwick has graduated to the queen’s pudding of pantomime roles. After five years of playing assorted bumbling characters at Harrogate Theatre, he is starring as the dame, Sarah The Cook, in Dick Whittington. “I’ve been Friar Tuck; Alderman Fitzwarren

  • Round-up of A Christmas Carol performances

    There are four variations of A Christmas Carol doing the festive rounds. We check them out... BAH humbug! The streets of York are to play host to a new promenade version of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol over five nights, starting tonight

  • Review: James, Leeds 02 Academy, Tuesday

    SOME comebacks focus on the old hits, unashamedly so in the case of York’s Shed Seven. James always defied easy categorisation, and merely coming back when “we’re growing old” (to quote Destiny Calling) was never going to satiate Tim Booth, the front

  • Tickets go on sale for Adele gig at Leeds 02 Academy on April 14

    TICKETS go on general sale today for soul singer Adele’s concert at the Leeds 02 Academy on April 14, one of seven dates that month to promote her second album, 21. Released on January 24, the album was recorded in Malibu with legendary Johnny Cash producer

  • Jazz notes

    OVER the next week, many jazz joints will be in holiday mode until January (Wakefield Jazz reopens on January 21), but plenty are still open. The Dean Court Hotel, Duncombe Place, has helped to keep jazz alive in the heart of the city of York with monthly

  • Annie Lennox, A Christmas Cornucopia (Island) ***

    Wrapping: Ye Olde World with Annie dressed as a winter maiden in green velvet dress and garlanded in red roses. Inside, Annie explains why she has recorded an album of Christmas songs: “I have sung these carols since I was very young… they

  • Pink Martini, Joy to The World (Heinz Records) ***

    Wrapping: Very jolly cut-out skyline with pink snow-flaked sky behind; fancy-pants, but CD notes difficult to extract. Style: Quite an eclectic mix, with full-on Disney-style holidays songs, mixed with unexpected delights, such as the Ukrainian

  • Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas II You (Mercury) ****

    Wrapping: Mariah just gets better looking every year. As always, Carey’s wares are beautifully packaged. Fans will appreciate the deluxe CD & DVD product. Content: Half a dozen traditional carols are chucked in for good measure, but mostly

  • Michael Buble, Let It Snow (Warner) *

    Wrapping: Minimalist blue and silver, just a name, title and a giant snowflake. Content: A Christmas mini-album, reissued from 2003; five tracks of big voice and big background sound including The Christmas Song and I’ll Be Home For Christmas

  • Susan Boyle, The Gift (Syco) ****

    Wrapping: Serene and poised black-and-white SuBo is living proof that absolutely everyone can scrub up well with a bit of effort. Content: Seven traditional winter melodies and three more secular songs of inspiration: Lou Reed’s Perfect Day

  • Family's Christmas lights display to help York Against Cancer

    A FAMILY is lighting up its street every night with Christmas cheer until next year to help cancer victims. The Williams’ annual spectacular in aid of York Against Cancer gained extra poignancy when they lost their near-neighbour Anne Muncaster, 68,

  • Candidates in queue to take Knights captaincy

    FIVE players are in the running to be York City Knights’ captain for their upcoming Championship season. Jack Lee, Alex Benson, Duane Straugheir, Jonny Presley and Ryan Esders will battle it out to be head coach Dave Woods’ main man – but the Knights

  • Royal Oak pub reopens after £300k revamp

    A PUB in York has reopened its doors following a £300,000 revamp. The new-look Royal Oak, in Goodramgate, boasts an extended orangery eating area, but the front bar remains for loyal customers who remember the pub of old. Licensee Sara Skrzypiec

  • Barwic Parade Primary School receives £2,000 from police fund

    STAFF and pupils from Barwic Parade Primary School were presented with a generous donation from police officers this week. Det Supt Dave Edwards and Det Insp Ian Wills presented head teacher Ian Chadwick with the cheque for £2,000, which was donated

  • Review: Ian Brown, Fibbers, Wednesday

    IAN BROWN has never been known for an immaculate singing voice, yet he remains one of the cockiest, most iconic frontmen in Britain. It’s 21 years since Brown came to prominence with Madchester legends The Stone Roses, and the years can virtually

  • Season’s bleatings - not everyone finds Christmas exciting

    One week to go … and I have done nothing about Christmas. Squat. Big fat zero. No cards written. No presents bought. No tree up. And am I panicking? Nope. Well, not much. There is far too much hoo-ha about Christmas. Too much time and money and stress

  • North Yorkshire Police cuts "won’t weaken us"

    North Yorkshire Police are facing big cuts in funding and manpower. Chief constable Grahame Maxwell spoke exclusively to STEPHEN LEWIS. NORTH Yorkshire chief constable Grahame Maxwell came out fighting today with an uncompromising warning to

  • Rail operator Grand Central to revamp and extend services

    YORK train operator Grand Central celebrates its third birthday tomorrow, having doubled its passenger numbers over the past two years. Managing director Tom Clift has revealed there are 40,000 passenger journeys the company’s East Coast Mainline trains

  • Restorers herald feat on 16 legs

    IT arrived in an incomplete, but ramshackle state, but now this rare Georgian 25ft Gillows dining table has been lovingly brought back to life by family firm of restorers AG Podmore, of Poppleton, York. And that now-gleaming early 19th century table

  • Eco blueprint at former sugar factory site

    A BLUEPRINT for a new eco-development in York has been opened up for discussion so residents can make their views known. The former British Sugar site on Boroughbridge Road has been marked out as an urban eco-settlement by the Leeds City Region, a group

  • Match preview: Luton Town v York City

    MIDFIELDER Danny Racchi will be unavailable for York City’s Blue Square Bet Premier clash at Luton Town tomorrow. Racchi’s three-month loan stay from Wrexham has expired but City boss Gary Mills is interested in bringing the former Huddersfield and Bury

  • Six Luton Town players absent for York City clash

    LUTON Town will be without six players for tomorrow’s home match with York City. The Hatters main problems are in midfield where Alex Lawless is ruled out due to a clause in the loan deal that saw him leave the Minstermen for Bedfordshire last month.

  • Student loses ponytail in aid of charity

    A gap year student at a North Yorkshire private school has had a metre of her hair cut off and raised more than £1,000 for a school meals feeding programme for the world’s poorest children. Milly Cooper, 19, had her locks cut by Nicholas Higham, headmaster

  • Ken Bates: Simon Grayson’s the man for Leeds United success

    AS he nears his second anniversary in charge at Leeds United, manager Simon Grayson has earned a lavish tribute from chairman Ken Bates. Grayson’s next task in the npower Championship is to try to inflict a second successive defeat on leaders Queens

  • Tadcaster Albion review priorities for season

    TADCASTER Albion boss Paul Marshall says his team’s brilliant form might force a change in priorities. After joining the Northern Counties East League premier division for the first time in their history at the start of the season following a title-winning

  • Bootham Crescent to host challenge match

    YORK-BASED footballers have scored a festive treat by earning a rare opportunity to play at Bootham Crescent. For the first time in many years York City’s home will play host to a representative challenge match between a York Minster Engineering Football

  • Yorkshire's Ryan Sidebottom yearns to outdo his father Arnie

    Winning silverware is the obvious goal that Ryan Sidebottom has going into the 2011 county cricket season with Yorkshire – but the club’s new signing is also aiming to usurp someone he knows very well. The former England left-arm swing bowler is determined

  • Pickering Town face long trip to Nottingham

    Pickering Town will be hoping the weather won’t get in the way of their longest league trip of the season. Last Saturday’s home match with Long Eaton United was postponed because of the weather and they take the return trip to Nottingham in the knowledge

  • Mitre on the move in division one of John Smith’s Darts League

    MITRE moved to joint-second place in division one of the John Smith’s Darts League with a 7-3 win over Acomb. Mitre’s stars were Kirk Bevins (20), John Quantock (19), Pip Hair (140 c/o for 15) and Steve Atkins (17, 20), while Acomb’s best were Lee Brundrett

  • 2011 ‘honour’ thrills apprentice jockey Julie Burke

    AS presents go, Julie Burke is absolutely delighted with the gift under her Christmas tree this year. The 21-year-old apprentice rider, who has taken the northern scene by storm since moving over from Ireland in the summer, has been awarded the prestigious

  • Wetherby Racecourse takes cover to beat the frost

    WETHERBY Racecourse are covering their track with frost covers in an attempt to ensure their lucrative two-day Christmas meeting beats the wintry weather. The meeting, held this year on Sunday, December 26 and Monday, December 27, is the biggest at the

  • Aggressive dogs alert in Strensall

    I WOULD like to make dog walkers aware of two aggressive dogs being walked by the River Foss in Strensall. These dogs, one German shepherd and one black Labrador-type dog, attacked one my lurchers, pinning him down and inflicting severe bites to

  • Schools money not so new

    I AM amazed at the comment from Coun Andrew Waller in The Press of December 15 stating that York will receive a million pounds in pupil premium as though this is new money. He fails to tell the public of York that this is already included in the

  • Inconsiderate traffic on York Road, Haxby

    MR A P Cox (Letters, November 30) has virtually said he does not care about the welfare of the residents in the streets he drives along because they are public highways. This is typical of the attitude of many drivers on York Road, Haxby, as witnessed

  • North Yorkshire Police to axe 550 jobs

    HUNDREDS of police officers and civilian staff in York and North Yorkshire are to be axed as force bosses try to balance their books. North Yorkshire Police said yesterday that Government cuts would cost them more than £19 million in the next

  • Lee Denham back to add ‘grunt’ to York RUFC pack

    YORK RUFC head coach Sean Bass is looking to “leader” Lee Denham to help his side round off 2010 with a derby victory over Selby tomorrow. Clifton Park, weather permitting of course, will host the Yorkshire One duel and Bass is backing his men to return

  • ‘Don’t attack our real paymasters’

    I READ with interest the letter from Charles Everett (Letters, December 14). His idea to raise extra revenue by imposing higher taxes on the rich didn’t work in the 1970s and won’t work now. Basically, many people on high incomes will leave. They could

  • Thanks to good Samaritans in Piccadilly

    TWO women and a man, supported by staff from nearby shops, came to the assistance of my wife when she fell heavily on the afternoon of Monday, December 13, in Piccadilly. I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the kindness and comfort you gave

  • Sir John Major, dancing Ann Widdecombe and the poodles

    REMEMBER John Major? The PM who described his colleagues as “b*******”. Is it really any surprise that Sir John wants the Con-Dependent Coalition to run beyond 2015? What’s not to want: a junior coalition partner willingly playing at

  • National police force possibility

    WITH reference to Joining Forces (The Press, December 11), I predicted that police forces in Yorkshire would amalgamate to become probably the second largest police force after the London Metropolitan Police. Previous to 1829, when the new police was

  • Thanks to gritters

    THE sight of the gritting lorry in Allanson Grove was very welcome. It took a while for it to reach our back street, but it took only two hours to get a reply from Coun James Alexander, with a promise of urgent help, when I drew his attention to

  • Bus passengers face rise in fares

    BUS fares are set to rise for Arriva passengers across York and North Yorkshire. On January 2, Arriva will put up some fares in North Yorkshire, with the price of a day ticket going up from £4.70 to £5 and the price of a weekly ticket going from £19

  • Mum unaware of Bridlington blaze deaths

    THE mother whose three children were killed in a house fire in Bridlington more than four weeks ago still does not know her children are dead. Samantha Hudson, 27, of Fitzwilliam near Pontefract, has been in a coma since the incident, and remains unaware

  • Soldiers shiver in the snow as winter returns to region

    BITTERLY cold weather from the Arctic has swept across York, North and East Yorkshire, preceded yesterday by a heavy burst of snow in towns such as Easingwold and Malton. Blizzard conditions at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate failed to prevent

  • Bridlington Hospital ‘has a viable future’

    AN EAST Yorkshire hospital has a viable future, but its lost maternity services and cardiac monitoring unit will not return, according to the Health Secretary. On a fact-finding visit to Bridlington Hospital, Andrew Lansley said he wanted the site

  • Fresh hope for York's Bonding Warehouse

    YORK’S Bonding Warehouse – which has lain empty and boarded up for the past decade – could be turned into a hotel and restaurant. The owner of the landmark riverside property has revealed that an unidentified national company wants to buy the Grade II

  • York woman beats food fixation to lose weight

    TWO years ago Gabrielle Brownlie’s love of food had spiralled so out of control her life was in danger. She tipped the scales at 23 stone 11 pounds, had a body mass index of 53.5 and was classed by her doctor as chronically morbidly obese.

  • Watchdog clarifies position on top police officer

    THE Independent Police Complaints Commission has clarified the outcome of a misconduct hearing involving the deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire, Adam Briggs. The Press reported earlier this month that Mr Briggs was “relieved” to have been cleared

  • Old White Swan on song for pub awards hat-trick

    A POPULAR watering hole in York city centre has been nominated for a hat-trick of gongs in The Press Pub Awards. The Old White Swan in Goodramgate has been put forward by customer April Scowen in the best entertainment, best food and best real ale categories

  • Family burial ruled out for father-of-six John Kelly

    THE grieving partner of a York man who died in mysterious circumstances has abandoned hope of burying him with his family – because she cannot afford the bill. Lisa Boden says father-of-six John Kelly will instead be cremated at York Crematorium at 11am

  • Skydiving death at Bridlington ‘accidental’

    THE death of an East Yorkshire skydiver whose parachute did not open when he jumped from an aeroplane at a music festival was accidental, an inquest has ruled. Ryan Brown, of Rawcliffe, near Goole, was killed when he took part in a parachute jump at

  • Bird experts issue festive fat warning

    Sharing a Christmas dinner treat with the birds could kill – but the odd mince pie is fine, according to the RSPB. Despite many people thinking all fat is good for birds to give them energy and nutrients, only lard and suet should be used. Other

  • Selby Abbey restoration work wins awards

    RESTORATION work at Selby Abbey has been recognised with two prestigious awards. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) awarded the project its Yorkshire White Rose Award, which celebrates excellence in architecture across the region

  • Family’s final date with Hairy Bikers

    CULINARY crackerjacks from York have been helping BBC2’s Hairy Bikers record their popular cooking TV series. The Raman family from Strensall, is in the running to be crowned as the country’s best culinary relatives in a search for Britain’s best cooking

  • Councillor defends actions to tackle snow and ice in York

    A LEADING councillor has defended the “wonderful” job done by York workers in tackling recent snow and ice, following complaints that side roads and pavement had been left treacherous. Ann Reid, City of York Council’s executive member for neighbourhood

  • Kellingley Colliery reopens after gas explosion

    PRODUCTION has restarted at a North Yorkshire colliery following an explosion which brought its operation to a halt last month. The blast on November 30 led to more than 200 miners being evacuated from Kellingley Colliery, but the workers then had

  • Sally Bell awarded the MBE

    A WOMAN from North Yorkshire has been awarded the MBE at Buckingham Palace. Sally Bell, of West Mount, Tadcaster, is the associate director of emergency preparedness for NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, and was given the MBE for her services to nursing.

  • Bogus hospital letters alert

    POLICE and health chiefs have issued a warning to patients in East Yorkshire over fears bogus letters are being sent out. A letter sent to a woman claimed to be from Castle Hill Hospital in Hull and invited her to attend its cancer unit, but she became

  • Affordable housing target decision “too little too late”

    A BID to kick-start stalled developments in York by cutting the affordable housing targets has been criticised as “too little too late”. City of York Council’s executive has agreed to reduce the number of homes for people on low incomes which must be

  • Under-age drinking crackdown

    POLICE are cracking down on East Yorkshire pubs and off licences serving alcohol to under-age drinkers. Humberside Police regularly carry out under-age test purchasing operations in pubs, off-licences and restaurants across East Yorkshire in a bid to