THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Friday, 23 October 2026

Morning, York. Batten down the wheelie bins: Storm Boelo arrives on Saturday, on the same day trains between York and Leeds stop for nine days. Also today: a missing Poppleton man is found safe, baby cinema clubs get the green light for grown-up films, and a bear that once lived in the Museum Gardens is getting her own show.

🌬️ Storm Boelo and no Leeds trains: a weekend to plan ahead

The Met Office has named Storm Boelo, which will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England this weekend. A yellow wind warning covers the far north of the county, including Leyburn and Bedale, from 6pm on Saturday (24 October) until 9pm on Sunday, with widespread gusts of 55–65mph and up to 70–80mph on exposed coasts. York sits outside the warning for now, but all of Yorkshire is forecast to turn wet and windy on Saturday, and possible impacts include tiles blown off roofs, power cuts and disruption to roads and rail. Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer says warnings "will continue to develop", so it's worth checking the forecast before you head out.

If you're heading to Leeds, there's a second thing to plan around. No trains run between York and Leeds from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November while the Transpennine Route Upgrade team finishes installing the new Common Lane bridge at Church Fenton. The old bridge dated from 1900–01 and is too low for the overhead wires needed for electric trains. Direct rail replacement buses will run between the two cities (the quickest option), with extra buses for the stations in between. Buses are also replacing trains between Darlington, York and Doncaster because of separate East Coast Main Line works, so check before you travel and allow extra time.

👉 Read more: York Press — Storm Boelo · YorkMix — weather warning · York Press — no York–Leeds trains

📰 NEWS

✅ Missing Poppleton man found safe and well

Good news on one of the appeals in yesterday's Brief. North Yorkshire Police say Alan Sage, 43, from the Nether Poppleton area, who was last seen in Malton on Monday, has been found safe and well. Police thanked everyone who shared the appeal.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🏡 Langwith "garden village" promises a big bus boost

The developers behind Langwith Village, the plan for almost 3,400 homes on the former Elvington Airfield, say it would bring a "significant" improvement to local buses. Caddick Group hopes to apply for outline planning permission early next year. Speaking at a consultation event at the Yorkshire Air Museum on Tuesday, Caddick's Chris Procter said: "To get people out of their cars, we need to get them onto buses," and suggested early links to the park and ride. Resident Richard Fawcett wants proof: "It can take an hour to get into York in the morning and an hour to get out in the evening." The site is already earmarked in the council's Local Plan, and the scheme also proposes schools, shops and workplaces.

👉 Read the full story at BBC News

🎬 Baby cinema clubs can now show 15 and 18 films

Parents at York's baby cinema clubs (City Screen, Everyman, Vue and Cineworld all run them) will no longer be limited to U, PG and 12A films. The council's Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed on Tuesday that venues can show 15 and 18 films on a case-by-case basis, following similar moves in Leeds and Chelmsford. Mum Harriet Sands told councillors the clubs are one of the few activities that cater for parents as well as babies. Some councillors worried about what babies might be exposed to, and the council will share expert advice with cinemas to help them pick films and manage screenings.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🥡 Police and Home Office object to Barbican Road restaurant licence move

North Yorkshire Police and the Home Office have objected to a bid to transfer the premises licence of the Sky Blue Chinese Restaurant on Barbican Road to Yuk Chuan Pang. The restaurant's licence was revoked in September after immigration raids last year found illegal workers. Police say their evidence shows a business link between Ms Pang and the previous licence holder, which she has denied, and the Home Office says she hasn't shown she carries out proper right-to-work checks. The venue's operating company went into liquidation in September owing £102,412, including £95,000 in Home Office fines. Councillors hear the application on Thursday 29 October.

👉 Read more: York Press · YorkMix / LDRS

💷 £21,000 of criminals' cash to help keep York's nights safe

The council has agreed to hand £21,000 recovered from scams investigated by national Trading Standards teams to York BID, to support the city's Purple Flag status for its evening and late-night economy. The money comes through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme, which puts the proceeds of crime back into communities. It'll go towards things like family fun days, pitched as an alternative to stag and hen culture in the city centre, and Best Bar None awards for well-run pubs and bars.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

⚖️ Police officer convicted of sexual assaults at York nightclub

A West Yorkshire Police officer, PC Martin Brough, 44, from Morley, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three women at Popworld on George Hudson Street in December 2024. He will be sentenced on 3 December.

👉 Read more: York Press · YorkMix

🏙️ AROUND THE CITY

🚗 Monks Cross Link fully reopens on 6 November

Light at the end of the cones. Redrow Yorkshire says its roadworks at Monks Cross will finish on Friday 6 November, when the northern roundabout reopens and two-way traffic returns to Monks Cross Link. The final phase is resurfacing and road markings. Street lighting and landscaping will carry on afterwards, but without any more closures.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🥪 New sandwich shop for Acomb's Front Street

Murphys of Acomb opens on Front Street on Monday (26 October) from 8am, in the former Sandwich Hut. It's run by Simon and Beverley Murphy, previously of Hearts of Ampleforth, with around 13 sandwiches on the menu and Dancing Goat coffee.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🌈 A sensory room at Energise, and a sensory garden in Huntington

Energise Leisure Centre has opened a new sensory room for under-fives, paid for with funding from Mayor David Skaith and the Combined Authority, with interactive light and sound panels, glow blocks and a calm space to explore. Over in Huntington, volunteers including GoodGym York and Rooted Gardening York have built a new sensory garden at Huntington Library on Garth Road.

👉 Read more: YorkMix — Energise · York Press — Huntington Library

🍛 York's top 10 curry houses revealed

Readers of The Press have picked the 10 finalists in its Best Curry House contest: 29 States, Bengal Lounge, Bombay Spice, Kalpakavadi, Mirchiz, Spice Clay Oven, Sylhety Lounge, The Parvin, The Viceroy and Woodthorpe Spice. Profiles of each start on Monday, and voting is by slip in the printed paper. Is yours on the list?

👉 Read the full story at York Press

⚽ SPORT

Lindsey: "Everybody calm down, we're doing okay"

Scott Lindsey pushed back at a "very negative" press conference on Thursday after questions about York City's form. City are sixth in League Two after 11 games, unbeaten at home and selling out, but Tuesday's 1-1 with Accrington was a third straight draw and there's been just one win in seven in all competitions. "I am delighted with the start that we've had," said Lindsey, adding that "we have got absolutely zero right to beat anybody at this level." The Press's talking points piece credits Ollie Pearce with six goals and four assists in 11 games, but asks whether City are missing a physical presence up front.

👉 Read more: York Press — Lindsey · York Press — five talking points

Young Minstermen into the North Riding Cup quarter-finals

An academy-heavy York City side came from behind to beat Fishburn Park 3-1 at Whitby on Wednesday night. Sutton Greening scored twice, including a penalty, and Ben Farrar added the third, with Lindsey watching on.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

Tributes to former City goalkeeping coach John Vaughan

John Vaughan, who started his coaching career at York City in 2003 and also worked in the club's academy, has died aged 62. A Cambridge United favourite with 231 appearances, he later coached at Huddersfield, Birmingham, Barnsley and Bradford, who all paid tribute.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🎭 CULTURE

🎟️ £15 theatre tickets for 16 to 30-year-olds

York Theatre Royal has launched a free membership for 16 to 30-year-olds, giving £15 tickets for The Penelopiad and many of its Main House shows. Margaret Atwood's retelling of The Odyssey from Penelope's side stars Amelia Bullmore and is directed by Juliet Forster. To mark the launch, members get a free vegan hot chocolate and cookie from Ringtons before the show on Thursday 29 October from 6.30pm. Just add the membership to your basket when you book.

👉 Read more: York Press · YorkMix

📖 "Our Judi from Heworth" publishes her memoir

Dame Judi Dench's memoir, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, is out now, and she takes readers back to her York childhood: she grew up in Heworth, went to The Mount School and played an angel and then the Virgin Mary in the York Mystery Plays. The Press has dug out rare photos of her visits home from the late 1960s. According to The Guardian, the book also calls the 2019 Cats film "a waste of all that goodwill and talent".

👉 Read more: York Press — rare photos · York Press — on Cats

🎨 York artists open their studios in November

Fifteen artists from the York area will open their studios for North Yorkshire Open Studios' winter event on 7 and 8 November, from stained glass and recycled-silver jewellery to screen-printed gig posters and linocuts. It's a good one for early Christmas shopping.

👉 Read the full story at YorkMix

📅 THIS WEEK IN YORK

🍺 Yorktoberfest's last weekend is in the Big Top at York Racecourse tonight (7pm) and Saturday (1pm and 7pm).

🎲 York Board Games Convention is at St Peter's Junior School from Friday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm.

🎤 Say Owt Showcase, an evening of poetry, music and comedy, is at York Theatre Royal tonight at 8pm.

👠 Everybody's Talking About Jamie finishes its run at the Grand Opera House on Saturday 24 October.

⚽ The Crescent's first table football tournament starts at 3pm on Saturday. It's open to all ages and abilities, with partners drawn at random each match.

😂 Troy Hawke brings Never Stop, Never Change! to York Barbican on Saturday at 7.30pm.

🏰 Fountains by Floodlight goes ahead tonight, but Saturday's event at Fountains Abbey is cancelled because of the weather. Ticket holders get automatic refunds.

🚌 No York–Leeds trains from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Rail replacement buses run instead.

👉 Read more: YorkMix — what's on this weekend · York Press — Fountains Abbey

🐻 AND FINALLY...

There really was a bear in the York Museum Gardens. In 1831 she was sent off to London, travelling there on top of a stagecoach (which, frankly, sounds like the best seat in the house). Now she's coming home, sort of. Bear and the Band brings Martin Watt's story to life with live storytelling, an animated film by filmmaker Andy Burns, and music from Kirkbymoorside Town Brass Band, at the Tempest Anderson Hall at the Yorkshire Museum, back in the very gardens where she once roamed. It's on Saturday 24 October at 7pm, and it's a cosy indoor plan for a stormy night.

👉 Read the full story at YorkMix