Celebrations as Hole in Wand accepts bookings into December

The team behind The Hole in Wand invited Cllr Ashley Mason, the Sheriff of York, to join them for an official opening ceremony and try out the indoor course with his wife Danielle, Sheriff’s Lady.

The nine-hole, Harry Potter-inspired attraction opened in May in the Coppergate Centre.

Phil Pinder, co-owner, said: “We had a baptism of fire. We have been full since we opened. We had some flow issues but have now got those right.

“We are really grateful to those people who have come and helped us make it what it is today. Some of the holes were a bit harder than we first thought so we've tweaked those so they’re easier but still a challenge.

“We’ve made a few improvements to the course to ease flow from customer feedback during our trial opening period.

Cllr Ashley Mason, Sheriff of York, and his wife Danielle, Sheriff’s Lady, trying out the wizard selfie car.

"We’ve installed our wizard selfie car for anyone visiting the new shop at the Tavern. We’ve also had a giant chocolate sculpture made of our Gargoyle Grobblenook by Ashley McCarthy, from The Old Sun Inn at Colton.

Ashley McCarthy with his giant chocolate sculpture of the The Hole in Wand's Gargoyle Grobblenook.

"People can guess the weight for £1 for the chance to win a £100 family VIP package at The Hole In Wand, with all proceeds to the Lord Mayor's charities. It’s a bit of fun to get people’s spirits up and to get them involved in the charities which do great work in York."

The Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York are supporting York Mind, Safe and Sound Homes (SASH) UK, and the Wilberforce Trust as their charities.

Phil added: “We already have bookings in November and December. It is great. We are selling out quickly on Saturdays, probably two weeks ahead of the weekend.”

The attraction will be launching a daily opening ceremony from Yorkshire Day, with the first booking invited to take part and receive a gift.