Olympic Torch to travel the length and breadth of Yorkshire during its 70-day UK journey
London 2012 Olympic Torch - photograph courtesy of London 2012
The Olympic torch’s 8,000-mile journey around the UK has been revealed today, along with the names of most of the 8,000 people who will take part in the relay and carry the flame.
Arriving in the UK on 18 May, the Olympic torch’s 70-day journey begins in Land’s End the following morning and will pass within 10 miles of 95% of the population as it passes through 1,018 places before arriving on 27 July at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Of the 8,000 torchbearers, 700 will be celebrities and athletes, whilst 7,300 will be those people who have been nominated for contributions to their local community or for great stories of personal achievement.
Around 110 people will carry the flame during each day of its journey for around 300m each.
For a detailed street breakdown of the torch’s journey through Yorkshire (including its journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway), click on the links to the BBC News website’s PDFs below:
Beautiful spring day in the gardens. Photo courtesy of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens
As part of National Gardening Week, Stillingfleet Lodge Garden Centre will have an Open Afternoon, with no admission charge, on Wednesday 18 April between 1.00 and 5.00 pm.
National Gardening Week has been initiated by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage as many people as possible to digging/weeding/planting. The week runs from 16-22 April and there’ll be a host of other activities taking place to inspire and provide ideas to help everyone to get involved.
Snowdrops - photo courtesy of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens
And Stillingfleet Lodge Garden Centre is the ideal place to visit if it’s inspiration you’re looking for. It has a variety of very different types of garden – from the structured rill garden, to a wildflower meadow, and there’s a woodland walk, a vegetable plot, a pear tree garden, a poultry run (yes, they keep chickens too – and there are some rare breeds), and a wildlife pond. There’s a coffee shop for when visitors need a break (try the homemade cake, it’s delicious), a playground to keep the kids happy, and a nursery with a large range of plants for sale.
The Coffee Shop - photo courtesy of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens
Stillingfleet Lodge isn’t just a garden centre – it’s also home to Vanessa Cook who bought it as a run-down property in 1975, and has transformed the house and gardens into a delightful place to live, work and relax and, in so doing, a prime visitor attraction. Vanessa will be on hand during the Open Afternoon to answer questions about the plants in the gardens.
Pulmonaria - photo courtesy of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens
The Royal Horticultural Society is the country’s premier gardening charity – patron Her Majesty the Queen. Stillingfleet Garden Centre is one of a select group of RHS Partner Gardens and entry is free to RHS members.
The Garden Centre is open between 12 and 14 afternoons a month from April to September and the normal entry price for adults is £4.50. Find out more details of opening times, workshops and prices from their website.
North Yorkshire Moor Railway, Hugh Dennis at Grosmont - picture courtesy of NYMR
For the next three weekends (until 25th March), the North Yorkshire Moors Railway will be running extra trains – six services instead of four – from both Grosmont and Pickering stations. The Railway, which winds through the North York Moors National Park, has featured in numerous films and TV shows including the Harry Potter films and, most recently, on BBC TV’s The Great British Countryside.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway, children enjoying a ride on a steam train - picture courtesy of NYMR
It’s marvellous travelling on a steam train chuffing away through some of the finest scenery in the land and it’s a great activity for kids of all ages to experience. Even better is that for the next three weekend in March train-travellers can take advantage of low winter fares. Day rovers cost £7.50 for children, £15 for adults and £13 for concessions. Even better value is a family ticket of up to 2 adults and 4 children – all for £31.
The first train leave Grosmont at 9.15 am, and departs from Pickering at 10.00 am, and all the trains call at every station in between.
The General Manager of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Philip Benham, said that another attraction will be that Engine 75029 (which used to be called the Green Knight) will be on the tracks, as well as the Scenic Diesel Railcar.
As well as all the many other reasons, 2012 really is a good year to visit York if you’re a chocolate lover. Not only is there a new visitor attraction devoted to York’s long involvement with chocolate and confectionary, but from 6 – 9 April this year York will be hosting its first Chocolate Festival.
This will celebrate and commemorate the fact that York and chocolate have been linked together for many years – as far back as 1781, when the City’s population was just 17,000 people, York had eight confectioners to satisfy the craving for that heavenly taste. Chocolate is still an important part of the social and economic fabric of York – indeed, the rich and comforting smell of cocoa and chocolate hangs in the air on those days when the beans are roasted.
Over the four days of the Festival some of York’s stars of the confectionary world such as Kit Kat, Aero, Smarties, Chocolate Orange and the almost eponymous Yorkie Bar will be fêted – and no doubt enjoyed!
There’ll also be a window on the area’s workers in chocolate – from the artisan craftspeople who make the chocolate, to the chocolatiers who skilfully use chocolate to make delicious confectionary, desserts, pastries and cakes.
The Festival will hold a chocolate market – displaying the finished products of the chocolate makers’ and the chocolatiers’ endeavours – with the opportunity to learn more about this most seductive of foods through workshops, tasting sessions, and presentations in local museums on the history and background of York’s relationship with the cacao bean, cocoa and chocolate, the industry that became such a major part of the City, and how new chocolate products are developed and branded.
All in all, it sounds totally yummy and not to be missed.
Did you know that Nestlé makes a million bars of Kit Kats every day in York?
Picnic in the Park - picture courtesy of Thirsk Picnic in the Park
Thirsk’s Picnic in the Park is fast becoming one of the must-see events of the year, and this year’s line up is likely to prove very popular indeed.
Counterfeit Bee Gees, picture courtesy of Thirsk Picnic in the Park
The Counterfeit Bee Gees will be headlining, complete with state-of-the-art stage lighting and sound and playing everybody’s favourite Bee Gees hits from the last 4 decades. Dominic Halpin & The Honey Bs swinging show band will be supporting and the terrific summer’s evening entertainment will be spectacularly rounded off with a firework finale.
Dominic Halpin & the Honey Bs - picture courtesy of Thirsk Picnic in the Park
This year’s event will be the 7th Picnic in the Park and will take place on Saturday, 14 July in the extensive grounds of Thirsk Hall in aid of the charity Action Medical Research.
Tickets go on sale on 1 March and if you buy before 31 April you’ll get “early bird” tickets – £16 for adults (full price £20) and £8 for ages 12-16 (full price £12), under 12s are free (accompanied by an adult).
Tickets can be purchased by calling one of the following numbers:
Thirsk Tourist Information on 01845 522755
The Zillah Bell Gallery on 01845 522479
CB Furnishings at Castlegate, Thirsk on 01845 525575
CB Furnishings at Standard Way Industrial Estate, Northallerton on 01609 772916
or over the counter at Calverts Rug Shop, Thirsk (cash or credit cards welcomed), 01845 521644
There will be food available to buy at the event, or you can bring your own picnic. If you would like to bring your own gazebo, please call Sue Calvert on 07971 177050 to book your pitch.
If you thought the panto season was over, think again!
We’ve discovered a few more pantos in Yorkshire scheduled for mid-February. You can check them out below, and underneath them you can find our original blogs listing many of the pantos across the North, East, South and West of Yorkshire, some of which also run into February.
If you have a panto you’d like us to mention, please send us details.
Haxby
Aladdin by the Flying Ducks (Panto) Group
15-18 February 2012
15th, 16th & 17th - 7.30pm
18th – 2.00pm matinee and 6.30pm evening show
Haxby & Wigginton Methodist Church Hall, The Village, Haxby, YORK YO32 2JJ
Tickets – Adults £6.00: Children £4.00
Tel: 01904 690 757
Wass
Tick Tock by Wass Panto Group
Tick Tock at Wass Village Hall
18 February – 2.00pm matinee and 6.30pm
Wass Village Hall, Wass, York YO61 4BE
Tickets: Matinee – adults £4, children £2. Evening – adults £5, children £3
Box Office: 01347 868 132
Click the links below to see our original posts listing pantos throughout Yorkshire:
Olton Hall, better known to many as the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter films, will form part of the event – picture courtesy of NRM
WIZARDRY AND HOCUS POCUS AT THE NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM IN YORK
It’s time to dig out your broomsticks and dust down that old pointy hat and head down to the National Railway Museum in February for their enchanting family event – Wizard Week.
And with a special prize on offer for the Best Dressed Wizard or Witch, it’s anticipated that kids and big kids from miles around will be turning up in marvellous costumes to give the event a really magical feel (the prize includes a lesson in magic from The Magic Hatter (a real life wizard) and an Owl Experience at Falconry UK). You can uploaded pictures of yourselves dressed as witches or wizards whilst at the event to the NRM’s Facebook page here.
One of the stars of the show will be the steam engine from the Harry Potter films – Olton Hall (or the Hogwarts Express, pictured above), whilst you will also have the chance to fly a broomstick (using green screen technology), meet a talking dragon (called Derek!), watch owl displays and daily wizards duels. Magical science demonstrations will also be on show, presented by the resident wizards and witches at the museum.
Hello Yorkshire will be at the event on Saturday, 11 February and will be posting a blog with pictures during the weekend, so please check back soon to find out how we get on with Derek the Dragon and on our broomsticks…
In the meantime, if you’re planning to go to York for the event and need somewhere to stay, check out some York hotels and York B&Bs on Hello Yorkshire.
Entry to the National Railway Museum in York is free, as are most of the events during Wizard Week although the broomstick flying and craft activities will have a small charge. For more information, please see NRM’s website here.
Left to right: Ukweli Roach as Tom, Sam West as Zak, Orla Brady as Mrs Sheringham, Hattie Morahan as Hannah and Tobias Menzies as Richard. Picture courtesy of ITV.
York is widely fêted as Britain’s most haunted town or city and its inhabitants over its 8,000+ year history seems to have had a penchant for the gory – from pillaging Vikings to Roman Gladiators. Indeed, one of the city’s top attractions is the “steeped-in-blood” York Dungeon.
Tom, Zak and Mrs Sheringham stroll down Low Petergate in York, picture courtesy of ITV
So perhaps it’s long overdue that York can now make claim to angels. Not just any angels mind, these are ones which feature in a brand new ITV drama from the writers of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. This heavenly new programme is called Eternal Law and starts at 9pm on ITV1 on 5 January 2012, starring Samuel West, Ukweli Roach, Hattie Morahan, Tobias Menzies and Orla Brady.
Tom and Zak on the roof of York Minster, picture courtesy of ITV
The two main characters – Tom and Zak – are lawyers, but not your run-of-the-mill city lawyers – these guys are angels who have been sent to earth to help humans in their everyday lives.
The series promises to be a witty, vibrant and original drama, and York provides the stunning backdrop with its magnificent Gothic cathedral proving to be the perfect setting for the angel storyline.
Richard outside the Mansion House, York - picture courtesy of ITV
Already a favourite tourist destination (and voted the most beautiful British city and the place most Brits would like to live in a 2011 survey), York is likely to see a further increase in visitors over the coming months as its picturesque locations enjoy superb coverage on film including Stonegate, St William’s College, Bettys Café Tea Rooms and Petergate.
Mrs Sheringham in St Helen's Square, York - picture courtesy of ITV
Other Yorkshire locations used throughout Eternal Law’s first series of filming include Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, Richmondshire and Kirklees.
Whether you’re looking for angelic lawyers or just keen to visit one of Britain’s best-loved cities, check out the York hotels or York B&Bs on Hello Yorkshire.
Santa Special on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway - photo courtesy of the NYMR
Guess who’s coming to town? For an extra special trip to see Santa, why not enjoy a trip back in time on a fabulous steam train to meet Father Christmas in his grotto.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s popular Santa Special will depart from Grosmont and Pickering stations between 17-20 December. Ticket prices are £13.50 (adult and child fares) and you will experience a wonderful steam journey through the North York Moors National Park, meet Father Christmas and enjoy a mince pie and hot drink (or a festive tipple for adults). Kids will also receive a quality gift from Santa.
In addition, during this period, Christopher Vine, the popular children’s author, will be signing his books about trains at Pickering Station’s shop – they are a perfect stocking filler for young train lovers and can be purchased in the NYMR station shops starting from just £2.99.
Please book tickets in advance (01751 472508 or www.nymr.co.uk), timetable below:
Gervase Phinn - photo courtesy of Richard Benson, Danum Photos
Cruse – the charity which helps counsel bereaved people – is having a Christmas fundraiser at the Central Methodist Church in St Saviourgate, York on Friday 16 December with one of Yorkshire’s best-loved and wittiest authors and raconteurs, Gervase Phinn, as special guest.
The evening will take the form of a Carol Service with an unusual slant as Gervase will be telling anecdotes and stories gleaned from his years in education as a teacher and school inspector.
Gervase has been showered with awards over the years – including honorary doctorates and fellowships from a host of universities and he is a consultant for the Open University as well as the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at the University of Teesside. He has written many novels and children’s books and has made numerous appearances on local and national TV and radio.
Gervase Phinn - photo courtesy of Richard Benson, Danum Photos
Besides being laugh-out-loud funny, Gervase’s books also radiate warmth: he clearly loves children, is passionate about education, and has an ear for dialogue – particularly those things that children innocently come out with but which have adults in stitches.
Gervase Phinn’s latest book is called Out of the Woods But Not Over the Hill and you can buy it by clicking on the image of the book below:
Gervase has also written a book using anecdotes drawn from some of the many school nativity plays he has seen. A Wayne in a Manger is available here:
Another highlight of the evening will be the reading of a poem called Smile written by 15-year-old Emily Henman-Green, a pupil at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, which was picked by York Cruse as the winning entry in a recent competition.
Emily Henman-Green's winning poem - Smile - will be read out during the evening. Picture courtesy of Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate, York.
The money raised by the Christmas Cruse event will help finance the training of volunteers and supervisors for counselling bereaved children and adults.
Tickets for this very worthy evening are £10.50 and offer excellent value for money – as anyone attending will not only be helping a very deserving cause but will also come away feeling right-royally entertained.
The evening kicks off at 7:30pm in the Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, York. Tickets can be purchased by calling 01937 834 702 or emailing york@cruse.org.uk
