Archive

  • Answer due on roads cash bid

    THE future of road maintenance in York could be decided this month, when council chiefs learn the result of their bid for millions of pounds of public money. City of York Council has submitted a bid to the Department for Transport for Private Finance

  • Club pitches in for brave Lynsey

    A brave young woman is on the ball when it comes to fundraising for a charity close to her heart. Courageous 23-year-old Cystic Fibrosis sufferer Lynsey Beswick enlisted the help of two teams of footballers to raise £120 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust

  • Nature charity off to paradise

    IT was set up in memory of a York environmentalist, John Lally, who died 12 years ago. Now the John Lally International Foundation is set to restore a piece of paradise lost in Goa, India, after winning a £10,000 lottery grant. The money will fund a

  • Raider fright for sleeping woman

    A WOMAN was left shocked and frightened after a burglar broke into her York house while she lay in bed. The victim said she was still "shaken up" by what had happened. Police are looking for a man suspected of entering the property in Pottery Lane.

  • Dire diet of chip mums

    IF ONE image sums up the lumpen proletariat that is this nation's underclass, it's that picture of the fat woman from Rotherham, bingo wings flapping, pushing battered sausages and chips through the school railings to her salad-dodging son. It really

  • How I heard the barking news from home

    DEPRESSED at the news that the manufacturer of Airfix models had gone bust (no grandson of mine will now ever enjoy the vicarious thrill of filling a plastic Messerschmitt BF 109E with petrol, setting fire to it and throwing it out of the attic window

  • These eco fools have cost us a fortune

    SO it's goodbye to Crusty, Scratchy, Dopehead and their assorted entourage of lentil eaters, tree-huggers and soap-dodgers. Yes, dear reader, the eco demo at Drax power station finally ended on Monday when the last of the protesters packed up their

  • I've no WMDs on me

    WE FLY at dawn. Yes, Italy, seeing as you've asked. Villa with a pool, on the coast south of Genoa. Being a middle-aged, middleclass white man who couldn't possibly be a terrorist threat, I'm anticipating the full monty at airport security so I'll

  • British animal instinct is crazy

    I'LL tell you what's wrong with this country - our perverse attitude towards animals. And not just our pets. Do you know which is the richest charity in Britain? You'd assume that it was something really important, like Cancer Research or the

  • Motorway crash leads to a complete farce

    I WAS driving down one of our country's major motorways the other morning when a Czechoslovakian lorry driver 100 yards in front of me drifted across two lanes and smashed a passing BMW into the central reservation. So I did what any good citizen would

  • We'd be better off just banning flying altogether

    NOW OBVIOUSLY no one wants to get blown out of the skies en route to Torremolinos, but am I alone in thinking that the government might have over-reacted a little in banning hand luggage and severely restricting what items can be carried onto a plane?

  • Oh, the dangers of playing hopscotch. . .

    THE POLICE helicopter hovers overhead. Three Transit vans roar down the country lane, disgorging a riot gear-clad snatch squad. Meanwhile an Armed Response Unit has plotted up in a nearby hedge, fingers hovering on the triggers. And all because

  • It's in our genes

    A FOOTBALL chant popular with the Neanderthal branch of the Ingerland Supporters' Club, to be sung at Johnny Foreigner once the Channel has been safely negotiated, goes: "If it wasn't for the English you'd be Krauts ?" While the ditty certainly lacks

  • These gay men should not have been foster dads

    NOW I'VE nothing against gay people. I think I've made it abundantly clear that as long as they keep their practices private, and don't do it in the street and scare the horses, then it's up to them. I'm also one of those tolerant people who doesn't

  • Oh, the lost art of being a boy

    WHEN THEY come to judge the reasons for the complete breakdown of British society in a 2025 show trial, they should call as evidence The Dangerous Book For Boys. Not because it has contributed in any way to the disintegration of life as we knew it,

  • The police had to do something

    WHEN you look at the eyerolling protestations of the Liberal Left over the botched Forest Gate anti-terrorism raid, it's difficult not to scratch one's head and wonder what on earth is going on. I don't for one moment believe that MI5 relies solely

  • Oh, the dangers that lie in a cake

    IN THESE difficult days of international terrorism, it is important that we are eternally vigilant. So what if it takes 450 policemen, assorted spooks and a helicopter to arrest two young brothers who'd raided the dressing-up box before going out to

  • York actor lands part in Corrie

    An actor from York is getting a taste of fame as he appears in Coronation Street this week. Andrew Dunn stars as the plumber who tries to whisk Janice Battersby (Vicky Entwistle) off to a new life in France. Andrew, 49, who lives near York Hospital

  • A64, Christmas Day

    Photograph by Peter Bradshaw, Tadcaster © The copyright of this image remains with the photographer

  • Christmas rose

    Photograph by Peter Bradshaw, Tadcaster © The copyright of this image remains with the photographer

  • St Mary's, Tadcaster

    Photograph by Peter Bradshaw, Tadcaster © The copyright of this image remains with the photographer

  • Woodhall Lane Level crossing, Heminborough

    DESCRIPTION: Essential maintenance work DETAILS: 22:00 Saturday to 09:00 Sunday DIVERSION: A local alternative route will be signed DISRUPTION MAY OCCUR BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING DATES: START DATE: Saturday 13 January 2007 END DATE: Sunday 14

  • Family in tax blunder hell

    A FAMILY of six is being asked to survive on the equivalent of only £3.50 a day each, because blundering tax chiefs are wrongly claiming back tens of thousands of pounds, they said. Anishia Walshaw, 33, said she and her family were struggling to

  • New drive to stop speeders

    SPEEDING motorists in York are to be curbed, after new lower limits were introduced in two problem areas. Council bosses have allocated £65,000 of Local Transport Plan funding to pay for the changes, which they say are in response to residents' concerns

  • NHS cuts cost York man life-saving surgery

    THIS man fears he could be dead by 60 unless he gets life-saving obesity surgery, but health bosses have just knocked him off the waiting list. Dad-of-two Philip Cooper, 40, from Woodthorpe, in York, has been waiting for a gastric band operation at York

  • Bouncing burglar is sent to jail

    A BURGLAR who raided a garage belonging to an off-duty policeman escaped by using a trampoline to vault over a six-foot fence, a court heard. Gary Windsor, 25, was disturbed by police inspector Nicholas Wattam when he ransacked his garage on October

  • Bullying back on the agenda

    BULLYING is back on the agenda as education chiefs in North Yorkshire look at ways to beat the classroom menace. Councillors will meet on Tuesday to look at the ways schools tackle bullying across the county. Currently the education authority advises

  • Studying: the form

    COMING up with New Year's resolutions shouldn't be that tough for teenagers facing the prospect of pending A-level exams. Education reporter Haydn Lewis looks at a few ways parents can help make the process of revision less painful. AS pupils start

  • The silver lining.

    The silver lining of the festive spending clouds are shining through. The 1940s war debt to the USA is finally paid off, largely by the older generations, which should leave extra money in our purses. The pound is at record levels. And, this month is

  • York welcomes rise in minimum age to buy cigs

    THE increase in the legal age at which teenagers can buy cigarettes is being welcomed in York, as the city's hospital has already brought in a smoking ban in its grounds. The Department of Health announced on Monday that the minimum age for purchasing

  • When dogs attack, blame the owners

    The mauling to death of five-year-old Merseyside girl Ellie Lawrenson has reignited the debate over whether we need stricter controls over dangerous dogs. STEPHEN LEWIS and CHARLOTTE PERCIVAL report. THERE is no doubt in Bill Parker's mind who is responsible

  • Fares blow for rail travellers

    TRAIN companies and the Government have come under fire after fares for services out of York were hiked by up to 5.5 per cent. Passengers are today paying an extra £3.10 for a GNER saver return fare from York to London, after the cost rose to £75.10.

  • Barry Fry sticks at £100,000 for Clayton

    PETERBOROUGH United chief Barry Fry is digging his heels in over a fee for York City hot property Clayton Donaldson. The Posh's drector of football says it's unlikely the Minstermen's top scorer will be moving to London Road this month - because he

  • Derelict building repeatedly targeted by arsonists

    VILLAGERS fear a derelict tannery near York could pose a serious danger for teenagers after it was again targeted by arsonists. The tannery, in Sheriff Hutton Road, Strensall, has been a magnet for vandals and arsonists since it fell out of use. It

  • Lingard lift

    WINGER Lee Lingard is hoping to be fit to play in one or both of York City Knights' two remaining friendlies after undergoing minor surgery. Lingard has been struggling with a damaged knee in pre-season but went under the knife yesterday for a check-up

  • Friendly fire

    TADCASTER Albion will host a friendly against Selby Town at Ings Lane tonight (7.45pm). Both sides were not in action in the Northern Counties East League at the weekend with Tad not having a scheduled fixture, while the Robins' home game against Long

  • Horse rides out of Leeds

    LEEDS have sent Geoff Horsfield back to Sheffield United after the loaned striker asked for Christmas leave. Leeds chairman Ken Bates revealed: "Horsfield came in and asked if he could have Christmas off. Dennis Wise's response was to send him back

  • York hit by skipper exit

    YORK RUFC have suffered a huge blow to their promotion hopes after captain and fly-half Carl Paterson left Clifton Park to rejoin North One high flyers Hull. Paterson, the son of former York Wasps rugby league assistant coach John, skippered the side

  • Selby/Drax celebrate Jubilee win

    THE battle of the Selby clubs in Men's Division Two of the York Badminton League saw Selby/Drax emerge as 6-3 winners over Selby Jubilee. Steve Parr and Phil Brunyard led the Drax charge with three wins for 146-103 while Andy Hatfield and Pete Murphy

  • Prop Jack runs riot

    JACK STEARMAN was the hero as New Earswick All Blacks reached the York and District Cup final, overcoming a brave performance by York Acorn A'. The teenage prop scored four tries as All Blacks won 34-12, a scoreline that flattered the hosts as they

  • Help us out

    HUNTINGTON Tuesday Badminton club are looking for a new base. The club have been at Huntington School for many years, but had to find a new home because of extensive building repairs. They have been playing at Archbishop Holgate's School, but now

  • Pock’s French connection

    Pocklington RUFC are planning to go on an end-of-season tour to La Rochelle, on the west coast of France, in the second half of May. The club are to send out an advance party - comprising club president Tim Slater, captain Mick Beard and rugby manager

  • Byas quits

    DAVID Byas last night officially left Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He had a final meeting with Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan at Headingley and turned down the new post of director of cricket development and opted to leave the club. The

  • Rashid and Bresnan in England ‘A’ tour squad

    YORKSHIRE leg-spinner Adil Rashid has received an early St Valentine's Day message by hearing he has been included in the England A' squad for their month-long tour of Bangladesh which begins on February 14. And accompanying the 18-year-old all-rounder

  • Old Malton on the march

    OLD Malton will entertain Scalby in the second round of the Scarborough and District FA Cup after dispatching Filey Town 3-1 in front of more than 250 fans. Sam Thackray fired the home side ahead, but Stuart Dickens equalised for Filey, who were reduced

  • High, but not so dry

    ANGLERS turning out for the New Year's Eve contest on the Ouse between Dunsforth and Widdington were greeted to a belated and unwanted surprise. The river had swollen ten feet overnight and anglers were left perched on the top of the flood banks. Undetered

  • Foreign affair

    NEIL CALLAN, number one jockey to Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan, can take the honours at Wolverhampton tomorrow. Callan teams up with trainer David Evans and the pair are fancied to land a double with The London Gang and Global Traffic. The former gained

  • Green leader’s gridlock alert

    NEW developments are threatening to "completely gridlock" York, the city's Green leader has warned. The warning came as opposition councillors delivered their New Year messages for 2007. Andy D'Agorne, leader of the Green Party group on City of York

  • Huge pay-off for on-move payroll firm

    HIGH-tech firm Mitrefinch has begun 2007 with completion of the first stage of a huge expansion of its premises in Clifton Moor. The time and attendance specialist, whose staff grew last year from 78 to 90, has spent more than £250,000 refurbishing and

  • Slimming? Switch to Plan B

    A SERIES of free eight-week courses to beat the effects of Yuletide blowout has been launched for the 4,500-plus members of Bannatyne's Health Club, in Nether Poppleton, York. The club's Plan B weight management courses at peak and off-peak times include

  • Yorkshire escapes 'sickies'

    BLACK Tuesday was not as black as it was painted in Yorkshire. The post Yuletide "sickies" endured by some companies in the UK have not affected the region's companies as severely. Penny Hemming, pictured, chief executive of the Yorkshire branch of

  • Easter already.... how did that happen?

    THEY say Christmas gets earlier every year. It's a perennial moan: the festive season arrives barely before summer is finished. But an email that arrived in The Press' inbox yesterday - the first working day of 2007 - suggests that all our seasonal celebrations

  • Health cuts rapped

    HEALTH bosses have come under fire for announcing drastic new cost-cutting measures just before Christmas. Coun Ian Cuthbertson, who chairs the York council's Health Scrutiny Committee, has voiced fears over the radical new measures released to GPs

  • When shops let us down

    WHENEVER people have sung the praises of internet shopping, I have always stuck up for the high street. I admit eBay's got its uses, especially in tracking down the sort of (un)popular music I prefer - generally stuff that's long since left the bargain

  • More traffic misery for motorists

    DRIVERS and pedestrians face another month of disruption, after the completion date for roadworks in part of York was delayed. Following the completion of the housing development at Tedder Road and Slessor Road in Acomb, residents have been waiting

  • Homes for families too

    NOBODY who lives in York can have failed to notice the spread of new apartments in the city. Every available scrap of empty land, every ageing riverfront warehouse or decent-sized building, seems to have been seized for development or conversion. In

  • Battersby’s boy

    WHO ever thought Janice Battersby would be capable of such great good taste? The Coronation Street stalwart has found herself a new love interest. And it is none other than plumber Roger - played by affable York actor Andrew Dunn. It is great

  • I’m waiting in pain for my op

    MAY I, through your pages, deliver a message to the persons in the local Primary Care Trust who are responsible for the cancellation of operations (Lives at risk', The Press, December 29). I am living with constant pain and rarely get a full night's

  • Case for charity

    IN the past I have been known to protest loudly over the fact that while the police have their helicopters paid for out of the rates, ambulance helicopters are funded out of charity. I have also raised this question in the pages of the aviation

  • Dial a wonder

    SINCE I became a widow, I rely on the Dial and Ride service to take me into town and to the supermarkets for shopping. I do not know where City of York Council find the drivers, but I cannot speak too highly of them; they look after us oldies as

  • Wrong to hang

    SURELY no one would disagree with the contention that Saddam Hussein was a wicked man. He was sadistic, vainglorious, and his regime was monstrous. His sentence was just' for the 148 murders at Dujail, but we all know he was responsible for the deaths

  • Labour pains

    I WOULD never have thought that, in my 67th year, I would see a Labour Government that, through its membership of the EU, encourages the unlimited arrival of foreign workers, who are prepared to work for pitifully low wages in order to drive down

  • Fantastic voices

    WITH reference to the CD review (The Press, December 28), quoting Westlife as a bunch of good-looking Irish lads with half-decent voices, Ian Sime obviously doesn't follow the charts. Westlife have fantastic voices, and nearly always perform live

  • Tap dancing...

    A WEEK ago, I rang City of York Council about a tap that couldn't be turned off in the gents public toilets at Coppergate. As it was running quite fast and the water was hot, it was wasteful on water and on the fuel that heats it. I called in this

  • Right that boxer has been stripped of MBE

    I SEE that "Prince" Naseem Hamed has been stripped of his MBE after being jailed for a hit-and-run car crash. Quite right too. So often people in the public eye think that laws that govern us all do not apply to them. How strange it is then that Lord

  • Ex-gurkha Lt Col Ade Clewlow gets medal

    A SOLDIER has been honoured with an MBE in recognition of his charity work while stationed in York. Lt Col Ade Clewlow commanded the Gurkha Signal Squadron at Imphal Barracks for two years between August 2003 and December 2005. During that time,

  • New alert after laptop theft

    BUILDING Society bosses have issued a renewed warning for people across York and North Yorkshire to be vigilant about their personal details after one of its laptops was stolen. The computer was taken during a domestic burglary at the home of a Society

  • Crackdown on yobs at library

    POLICE are set to step in to help curb antisocial behaviour at a York library. Youngsters have been accused of gathering at Tang Hall Library in Fifth Avenue, and causing problems. As previously reported in The Press, City of York Council has had

  • May the pork be with you, Fred

    A SELBY pig producer has called for more volunteers to keep tabs on the proportion of pigmeat sold in local supermarkets which is British. Fred Henley checks the labelling on pork, bacon and ham products at the Tesco, Morrisons and Somerfield supermarkets

  • Answer due on roads cash bid

    THE future of road maintenance in York could be decided this month, when council chiefs learn the result of their bid for millions of pounds of public money. City of York Council has submitted a bid to the Department for Transport for Private Finance