Selby Dam Bridge is set to close for 12 weeks next month, bringing traffic misery to thousands of motorists travelling through the town centre. The closure, starting on Saturday, February 18, is part of the final phase of the £18 million scheme to improve
THE number of people backing The Press's Cut The Closures campaign conhas now swelled to more than 6,000. Since we launched ourcampaign to save sub-post offices in late November signatures have poured into our Walmgate office. More than 800 of these
HUNDREDS of youngsters and their families will benefit from a new children's centre in west York. The one-stop shop for youngsters and families is due to be completed within weeks at Westfield School in Acomb, which has more than 703 pupils on its roll
ANOTHER customer has blasted the Abbey bank after fraudsters siphoned money out of his account. York painter and decorator Jeff Gooding says that after more than £200 was removed from his Abbey account, the bank first refused to give him a small overdraft
HIGH winds which caused lorries to overturn meant traffic misery for motorists as they forced the closure of the A1 in North Yorkshire . Nine trucks were blown over in the gales between 9.30am and 2.20pm, leading the police closing the motorway at Junction
THE Archdeacon of York had a shock when he thought he was pictured on the front page of The Press - in our Crime Gallery. The Venerable Richard Seed, who is also vicar of the Holy Trinity Church in Micklegate, couldn't believe his eyes when he spotted
A MAN has died after a fatal crash at a North Yorkshire stately home. The motorist was driving his light blue BMW along The Stray from the direction of the A64 towards Slingsby when the car hit the right hand side of an historic stone arch at Castle
A NATIONAL watchdog has ranked maternity services at York Hospital in the top half of the country. The Healthcare Commission report said the Wigginton Road site was one of the "better performing" hospitals in the country - although there was still room
THE controversial "religion" favoured by movie stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta has come to York. The Church of Scientology Mission of York has opened at Matmer House in Hull Road - one of 14 Scientology "churches" now open in the UK. According to
CRIME at two York hospitals has fallen by 18 per cent in 12 months. The massive drop at York Hospital and Bootham Park Hospital has been welcomed by police and the hospital's security team. They have put it down to a range of measures introduced in
COMMUNITY safety leaders are celebrating after crime in York fell by more than a third. Safer York Partnership has far exceeded the targets it was set by the Government in 2005. Jane Mowat, director of Safer York Partnership, said she was delighted
FIRE chiefs expect to find out next week if North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service will escape three years of cuts in Government funding. The Press revealed earlier this month how a deputation of senior officials from the county asked a minister why the
THE Press has won a national award in recognition of its work in the fight against cancer. After last year's successful Race For Life event in York, Cancer Research UK decided that The Press was the newspaper in England that had given the most outstanding
ARTISTIC director Damian Cruden unveils York Theatre Royal's spring and summer season against the backdrop of a potential city council cut in funding. "Local government has a handicap because of the way it's the piggy in the middle between voters and
IF you have seen a production at York Theatre Royal, have you wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Or what the dressing rooms look like? On Sunday comes your chance to answer these and other questions, when the theatre opens for tours and teas
YORK Musical Theatre Company will hold open auditions for the new musical The Scarlet Pimpernel on Sunday, February 24. Times will be allocated per person, and these auditions will be preceded by audition rehearsals on February 19 and 20 at 7.30pm
LOUISE Page's haunting drama Salonika is being given its first British staging in more than 20 years at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds. "I got a phone call while I was walking along a street in the west of Ireland, in a town called Dingle, from
THE full cast is in place for the first British tour of Disney's High School Musical Live On Stage!, which opens this week in Bromley en route to a week's run at the Grand Opera House, York, in March. The leading roles of Troy Bolton and Gabriella
JOURNALIST turned playwright Dave Windass has called on his days in the fourth estate for his latest play for Hull Truck Theatre, On A Shout. "I was working on the Holderness Advertiser when, seven years ago, I went down to Spurn Point to write a feature
MERCURY Music Prize nominee Kathryn Williams is teaming up with film music composer, session player and member of a famous musical clan, Neill MacColl, in a new partnership that will play Pocklington Arts Centre on April 12. Kathryn and Neill first
THE start of a new year is not a cause for a comedian to chuck away his old joke book and start all over again. "Our year tends to run from August to August, for the Edinburgh Fringe, " says Mark Watson, who is on the road this winter, playing Leeds
BURGERS, fries and shakes could be on tap 24 hours a day if a York fast food restaurant wins the right to be open all hours. McDonalds at Clifton Moor has lodged an application with City of York Council to be able to serve customers until 5am - it currently
INSPIRED by a true story of flatulence on an aeroplane and the chaos caused by its unfortunate expellant, Al Pitcher's show Idiot Wind offers sanctuary to anyone who has failed to think before speaking. Were you the aforementioned proponent of noxious
SHEILA Ferguson, from The Three Degrees, and Rowetta, once of Happy Mondays and later a star of the first series of The X-Factor, will be joined by the London Community Gospel Choir for The Songs Of Sister Act at the Grand Opera House, York. The gospel
FLOODING has forced the postponement of the Unit 5 exhibition in The Gallery at Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton le Hole, until the summer. This week's extreme weather conditions have led to an increase in humidity levels, causing concern for gallery manager
YORK Light Opera Company is to present My Fair Lady at York Theatre Royal from February 12 to 23 in a musical production adapted from George Bernard Shaw's play and Gabriel Pascal's motion picture Pygmalion. The ever popular songs by Alan Jay Lerner
INCIDENTAL exercise is a phrase which has entered popular parlance in Australia to describes exercise built into everyday routines, such as walking up and down stairs. For musicians, everyday routines can involve lifting enormous amplifiers, PA speakers
PIANIST Peter Donohoe makes the second of three appearances this season at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, on Wednesday. Each of his recitals is based around one of the last great piano sonatas of Beethoven, this one featuring
MACKEM lads The Futureheads are heading to the future on their own label after leaving Warners. Their first release on Nul Records will be the March 3 single, The Beginning Of The Twist, preceded by a series of low key student union gigs this month
BILL WYMAN leads his Rhythm Kings at Harrogate International Centre tonight, when doors open at 7.30pm for the 8pm start. Tickets cost £26.50 on 0845 130 8840. The former Rolling Stones bass player returns to North Yorkshire for another night of
SHEFFIELD indie folk singer-songwriter Nat Johnson is taking time out from her band Monkey Swallows The Universe to pursue a solo career. In her first gig of 2008, she plays the Basement Bar, City Screen, York, on Wednesday, when the 8pm set is likely
CULT San Diego slackers Trumans Water cross the pond to play Fibbers, York, on Thursday. "Inspired by Pavement, Captain Beefheart and The Fall, these indie darlings have adapted the musical term 'squigglycore': old-skool hardcore meets old-skool punk
THE release of One Night Only's debut album, Started A Fire, is being put back a week to February 11 by the Vertigo label. The Helmsley five-piece's second single, Just For Tonight, will be released on Monday as planned and already has acquired Record
BERNARD WRIGLEY has agreed to play an extra show at the Black Swan Folk Club, Peasholme Green, York, after more than 30 names were placed on the seat reservation list fully ten days before his first gig on January 31. "I was regretting my mistake in
THE turn of the year marks the return of Alison Moyet to the live circuit on her first tour in three years. The 22 dates will put her latest album in the spotlight after the Essex blues diva released The Turn last October, her first set of original
KING CREOSOTE and Sundays go hand in hand at Fibbers. On the Scotsman's previous visit to York, in February 2006, he played an afternoon show at the Stonebow bar, and this weekend he returns for an evening engagement. "The afternoon gig went really
A great-grandfather conned his way to £27,000 in benefits as he lived in Thailand with his new wife, a court heard. David Martindale, 63, claimed three different state handouts on the grounds that he lived alone in Giles Avenue, Tang Hall, York, said
MORE than 1,100 smokers stubbed out their habit in just three months after the ban on smoking in public was introduced last July. That compares to just over 700 who quit in the same three months a year earlier. We know the smoking ban wasn't to everybody's
The all-new Jaguar XF took top honours at the 31st annual motoring "Oscars", the What Car? Car Of The Year Awards 2008, sponsored this year by the RAC. The Jaguar beat 14 category winners during a glittering ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel
WITH reference to "Rush to grow bio-fuels will lead to disaster" (Soapbox, January 18). Rigorous debate on the sustainability of bio-fuels should be welcomed, but arguing all bio-fuels are disastrous is just as simplistic and unhelpful as arguing they
IT may seem ridiculous, but three years ago York was ranked as one of the 40 highest crime areas in the country. We actually came in at number 35 - mainly because of the high levels of bicycle thefts and criminal damage. Now for the good news. Since
WITH the closure of the garage in Lord Mayors Walk, surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been missed to open up a further view of the city walls - the hope being that at some time in the future the rest of the buildings to Monk Bar will go, giving
CITY centre councillor Brian Watson has been named as the Lord Mayor of York for 2008/09. The appointment of Coun Watson, one of the two Labour representatives for Guildhall ward, was formally announced at last night's full meeting of City of York Council
I was appalled to read how our so-called elected representatives are, instead of looking after our interests, looking after their own (Councillors' 11 per cent pay rise, The Press, January 18). If these people, who are all volunteers, are not satisfied
"SHE brought such a lot of happiness to such a lot of people. She was my Christmas angel and I'm just so lucky she was mine." This was the tribute of a heartbroken mother, who lost her beautiful daughter only two days before Christmas when her life was
WITH reference to the article in The Press on Monday, January 21, entitled: "Where have the landmarks gone?", and the mention of the Old George Hotel, Fossgate. I was astounded to read the report from the York Civic Trust, "the sacrifice of the Old
Well, once again York has a bit of rising water. It is becoming clear to me that in the ten years that I have lived in and around here that City of York Council and the Environment Agency have very little idea of how to reduce this annual event. When
PLANS to build a huge eco-town on the outskirts of York were labelled a "monstrous joke", as councillors formally voiced their opposition to the scheme. Coun Richard Moore (Lib Dem), slammed proposals for 5,500 homes on green belt land, immediately north
TIGHT waistbands, empty bank accounts, winter vomiting viruses and miserable weather tend to give many people an unwelcome attack of the blues at this time of year. According to the Samaritans, suicide levels peak during January and psychologists even
COUPLES want their wedding day to be the happiest day of their lives and for the day to run smoothly, but even after all that planning things can go drastically wrong. Consumer Direct Yorkshire & The Humber receives a number of complaints about wedding-related
With public debates being held next week on the survey of the A19 into York, has no thought been given to redesigning the Fishergate and Barbican area? Why can't we have Barbican Road and Cemetery Road to its junction with Fulford Road one-way from
One of York's largest private employers has launched its latest campaign to inspire young entrepreneurs. A series of business workshops for every secondary school in York and North Yorkshire, run by CPP Group Ltd, is now under way. The Holgate Road
GRETCHEN Peters doesn't play the Nashville queen. Songwriter to the stars she may be, but when she flew in from Tennessee on Tuesday, she headed for a Pocklington pub quiz. Wednesday's concert - the first of a belated tour to promote last year's
WITH reference to "After 14 years my ME has been cured" (The Press, January 18). As chairman of the York and District ME Group I would like to comment on this article, which suggests that CFS/ME is a discreet illness and that the Lightning Process
I suggested the Archibishop of Canterbury use the power, influence and wealth of the church to help ease the plight of the 130,000 homeless children he mentioned (Challenges posed to church leaders, Soapbox, January 15). In response, Maurice Vassie
COUNCILLORS have unanimously backed proposals to give themselves an 11 per cent pay rise and pension rights. At last night's meeting of City of York Council, members of all four parties voted to increase the basic allowance from £6,300 to £7,000. Coupled
To all readers fighting post office cuts, I would to make you aware of another campaign that is going on, and that is to try to restore the recently cut Sunday collections from mailboxes nationwide. There is a petition available to view and sign on
THE growing need for industrial units and warehouse space in York is soon to be eased. The latest £2 million phase of industrial units at The Forum on the southern tip of York Business Park in Nether Poppleton has now been completed and is ready to generate
AT THIS time of year there are lots of people joining gyms for the first time to achieve their New Year's resolutions. For those beginners, and also the seasoned veterans, here are some essential exercise and fitness tips for before, during and after
An overwhelming display of public support for landlords who faced having their licence revoked has stopped a York pub from possible closure. Last December, two local residents called upon City of York Council to review the licence of The Golden Ball
YORK City manager Colin Walker is counting on KitKat Crescent's biggest crowd of the season for the visit of Blue Square Premier table-toppers Aldershot tomorrow (3pm). The Minstermen have only exceeded 3,000 fans on two occasions this season from 17
What does your voice say about you? Probably much more than you think. CHARLOTTE PERCIVAL speaks to a York academic and TV presenter who can tell you all about it. "SO speak to me in Selby," says Professor David Howard. "What is your real accent like
NEW figures have revealed that the number of North Yorkshire smokers successfully quitting with the help of the NHS has increased by a massive 56 per cent since the smoke-free legislation. More than 1,100 people stubbed out their last cigarette in the
LONG-TIME leaders Aldershot will arrive at York City tomorrow knowing defeat could see them surrender the initiative in the Blue Square Premier title race. Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Forest Green - the Shots' first Recreation Ground reverse in almost
WHAT is wrong with the beautiful young women of York? The city hit the national headlines a year or so ago after Miss York organisers revealed how they might need to look to London and elsewhere in the UK for contestants, after experiencing a shortage
GOD ONLY knows what the citizens of London must have made of it all. After years of illiterate teenage hoodies running free to stab and shoot one another - and us - with seeming impunity, suddenly 20,000 policemen appear on the streets of the capital
LEADING health professionals descended on York for the second stage of a major NHS review. The city was chosen to host the landmark event, which was one of nine to take place across the country. More than 100 clinicians and patients attended York Racecourse
YORK City boss Colin Walker will let Chris Beardsley decide whether he wants to return to KitKat Crescent or extend his loan stay at Kettering. Beardsley has scored five goals in four matches since signing for the Poppies at the turn of the year and
YORK residents will have the chance to see their city in a new light this weekend, when a host of venues throw open their doors. The annual Residents 1st weekend takes place tomorrow and Sunday, with more than 50 museums, tours and attractions open to
YORK City Knights will not know until July how many promotion places are up for grabs from National League Two. It was confirmed at yesterday's Northern Rail Cup launch that no final decision had been taken on how many teams would be promoted to National
PICKERING Town's epic FA Vase journey resumes tomorrow when the Pikes make the trip to Surrey for their rearranged fourth round clash with Merstham. Last Saturday's scheduled meeting between the sides fell victim to the weather, but Town head south tomorrow
A STEADY start was posted by Simon Dyson as the North Yorkshire club class ace sought an early advantage in the Qatar Masters. The 30-year-old went into today's second round at the Doha golf complex handily placed on level par after a solid first day
The absence of Exotic Dancer from the Letheby And Christopher Chase, Cheltenham's feature race tomorrow, has given the race a very open look. Many can be given chances on bits and pieces of form but the Neptune Collonges, trained by Paul Nicholls, is
WHEN the floodwaters finally subside, and the ground gets a little harder, make a note of Lawaaheb. The former Flat horse showed a talent for the National Hunt discipline when bolting home by 13 lengths in the New Bramham Hall for Conferences and Banqueting
OLYMPIC hopeful Richard Buck steps up his bid for a Beijing berth tomorrow. The City of York Athlete will be running the 400 metres for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in the Norwich Union International in Glasgow. The 21-year-old clocked
THE miserable weather looks set to leave Tadcaster Albion with a hefty bill, after the clubhouse became flooded. Manager Jimmy Reid said the Ings Lane pitch was waterlogged, and the clubhouse had also now been hit. He said: "The pitch can take it, but
Yet another weekend of match action looks to be under threat as the River Ouse reached its highest level for a number of years this week. The odds on levels dropping sufficiently by tomorrow to allow the pegging of the weekend's only match booking
YORK darts ace Chris Thompson's run to the third round of the PDC Stan James Players Championship in Gibraltar was curtailed by Steve Beaton. Thompson lost 3-0 to Beaton after ousting Colin Lloyd 3-2 in round two and Robert Watson-Lang 3-1 in the
TOP match weight of a forgettable weekend in York was Tony Hewson's 74lb 8oz at The Willows. Hewson of Leeds Angling Centre, fishing at peg 35, alternated waggler and pole with maggot for a dozen carp to 5lb to which he added quality ide. More than
BARBER and would-be councillor Terry Smith has undergone facial surgery after being badly beaten up at his York salon. Terry, of Heworth, said he had seen a specialist on Wednesday and been told to come in as an emergency to York Hospital yesterday to
AS the world comes to Leeds United's Thorp Arch base, the Whites head for Luton Town tomorrow and a clash against similarly fated opposition. The Hatters - like Leeds - were docked points for financial troubles. However, unlike Leeds the Hatters were
Hounds rattled up five wins out of five when they beat Shipton 4-1 to close the gap on the York F1 Racing-Premier Karting Sunday Football League leaders to three points. In the only first division fixture to beat the deluge, first-half goals from full-back
Rain played havoc with the York Sunday Afternoon Football League programme with just a brace of matches surviving the deluge. Bubwith White Swan took to the conditions likea swan to water to pip their Winning Post hosts 3-1 in the first division. Peter
PUNTERS have the chance to go behind the scenes when the ever-popular Middleham Stables Open Event is held on Good Friday. The successful training yards of Middleham will be thrown open on March 21. Last year more than 7,000 people attended and more
LESSONS need to be learned to ensure people's homes and businesses are protected from future flooding, a city chief said today. Andrew Waller commended the Environment Agency and council teams for working tirelessly to limit the impact of this week's
HOME clashes could be the key to York RUFC's survival in North 2 East but life will not get any easier against Aspatria at Clifton Park tomorrow. After a dominating performance against Morpeth ended in defeat last time out, York now face a Cumbrian outfit
A NEGLECTED garden that hides the remains of a Roman Fort has attracted a major cash windfall to boost its restoration. The Derwent Riverside Project has secured £90,558 through the Yorventure Challenge Fund, funded by North Yorkshire-based waste management
York City Knights Supporters' Club are hosting a race night and karaoke at the Half Moon, Strensall, tomorrow. The first race is 8.30pm, and the karaoke will start after the last race. The proceeds will go towards the £20,000 the Supporters' Club have
COUNCILLORS and business owners in Selby district have reacted furiously to plans to trial weight restrictions on a country road, forcing heavy goods vehicles through a built-up town centre. North Yorkshire County Council plans to implement the trial
NEW figures have revealed that the number of North Yorkshire smokers successfully quitting with the help of the NHS has increased by a massive 56 per cent since the smoke-free legislation. More than 1,100 people stubbed out their last cigarette in
AN OVERWHELMING display of public support for landlords who faced having their license revoked has stopped their pub from possible closure. Last December, two local residents called upon City of York Council to review the licence of The Golden Ball
BARBER and would-be councillor Terry Smith has undergone facial surgery after being badly beaten up at his York salon. Terry, of Heworth, said he had seen a specialist on Wednesday and been told to come in as an emergency to York Hospital yesterday
