THE YORK BRIEF - WEEKEND WRAP UP ⏰ November 14 - 15, 2026

Morning, York. The city centre has an ice rink again for the first time since 2010, and we've got the prices, the après bar and the spice bags. Plus £1m to get people off the streets by Christmas, York City's return to Rochdale, the first York Krampus Run, and York Minster's very medieval answer to Friday's Microsoft outage.

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⛸️ Thor's on Ice is open: York's first city-centre rink in 16 years

Skating is back in the middle of York for the first time since 2010. Thor's on Ice opened on Thursday on the paved patio behind York Art Gallery in Museum Gardens, and runs until 3 January. Sessions last 45 minutes and cost £12–14 for adults, £11–13 for children and £10–12 for students, service personnel and senior citizens. There are two rink-side stalls, one from Lucia serving mulled wine, cocktails, champagne, coffee and soft drinks, and one selling Chinese "spice bags" (chicken, halloumi or vegan chicken) and fruit crumbles. Up on the gallery balcony, Lucia's Après Bar has heaters, blankets and table service, and there's a £6 photobooth and a marshmallow toasting station too. The Press went along on opening night and found ice dancers on hand to coax nervous skaters away from the side, and said numbers were kept under control even as it got busier. Clear and dry today, so it's a good one to try before Sunday's drizzle arrives.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

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🏛️ POLITICS & COUNCIL

🏠 £1m to help get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas

More than £1m of government money has been handed to York and North Yorkshire to help people sleeping rough into accommodation by Christmas. City of York Council gets £484,314 and North Yorkshire Council £578,361 in the first year of a three-year scheme, which could total £4.3m by 2028-29 if the Ministry of Housing confirms it. Official estimates say about 50 people slept rough across York and North Yorkshire in 2025-26, down from 64 the year before. York's executive member for housing, Cllr Anna Perrett, says the council will work directly with people sleeping rough to find them suitable accommodation with tailored support.

👉 Read the full story at BBC News

📚 David Walliams books stay on York library shelves

Explore York, which runs the city's libraries, says it will keep stocking David Walliams's books despite the allegations against the children's author, which he denies. Explore says it only withdraws books on its usual stock criteria (condition, usage, relevance, or unlawful content), not "solely because of allegations or concerns relating to an author", though the number of copies may change with demand. School leaders' union ASCL has asked the government for guidance for schools.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

💻 Friday's Microsoft outage hit York's GPs, council and police

A global Microsoft outage from late Thursday left GPs, councils and businesses across York and North Yorkshire without email and Teams on Friday. The Priory Medical Group, which runs surgeries including Fulford, Heworth and Acomb, couldn't reach its online platform first thing but was back by late morning. City of York Council warned that calls would take longer to answer and put more staff on the phones, and North Yorkshire Police asked people to phone or report non-urgent crimes online instead of emailing. Microsoft said by midday it was seeing "encouraging recovery progress in Europe".

👉 Read the full story at York Press

💙 York City donate £1,500 to Haxby fan hurt in Krakow

York City have donated £1,500 to the GoFundMe for Harry Marchant, 19, from Haxby, who was among 16 people wounded in the gun attack in Krakow last Saturday. Harry has had surgery and is in a stable condition in hospital in Poland. The fund, which has now passed £18,000, is to help get him home once he's fit to travel, and players including Ollie Pearce, Ryan Fallowfield and Frankie Maguire have also given.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

⚽ SPORT

York City back at Rochdale, scene of that goal

York City head to Rochdale today (3pm) for the first meeting since April's final-day title decider at the Crown Oil Arena, when Josh Stones scored in the 13th minute of stoppage time to send City up as National League champions. City are still looking for a first away win in League Two, with three draws and four defeats on the road, but Ollie Banks insists there's no worry in the dressing room: "we definitely should have had at least two or three wins away from home." Scott Lindsey says keeping the fit-again Stones grounded is "like caging a lion", and hopes to give him a big impact off the bench on the way back to a start. Lindsey has also said the team want to win today for Harry Marchant.

👉 Read more: York Press: Ollie Banks · York Press: Josh Stones · BBC Sport: the rematch

Knights skipper Liam Harris signs for two more years

York Knights captain Liam Harris, 29, has signed a new two-year deal. He has made 149 appearances since rejoining from Halifax in 2022, and kicked the extra-time winning drop goal against Featherstone in the 2025 1895 Cup final at Wembley. Injuries limited him to 12 games in 2026, but he still scored six tries. "With the new ownership, the club are building something special," he says.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

A homegrown pathway for York RLFC

Long-serving Will Leatt is York RLFC's new Head of Youth, overseeing the player development pathway and the club's future bid for academy status. New Squires and Bachelor programmes will sit above the existing Excel programme, so young players can keep developing in York instead of leaving the city. "For too long they have had to leave the city to continue their development," he says.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

⚖️ CRIME & COURTS

Shoplifter jailed after M&S thefts

Carl Reddin, 52, of Burdyke Avenue, Clifton, has been jailed for 16 weeks after admitting four thefts of food from Marks & Spencer between 26 October and 7 November, worth £340.35 in total. The thefts breached a suspended sentence given in October for stealing from Tesco Express and TG Jones. His solicitor told York magistrates that Mr Reddin had lived on the streets for most of his life and was struggling to cope with having his own accommodation and household bills.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

Appeal after parcel taken from Bootham Terrace doorstep

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after a parcel was taken from a doorstep in Bootham Terrace at 4.30pm on Friday 6 November. The man was wearing a black woolly hat, a royal blue coat, black bottoms and white trainers. Call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting 12260220739.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🚗 TRAVEL

🚌 PassVenture: a York-made guide to days out on your bus pass

A new York project called PassVenture is looking for local residents to help with its pilot, according to an email from its founder, Jackson Cassedy. It's a free web app for people with English concessionary bus passes, especially older and disabled residents, suggesting days out by bus: its website currently lists trips such as Helmsley and the edge of the North York Moors, and wetland nature reserves near York. There's no app store download or subscription. If you've got a bus pass and fancy a go, the pilot feedback survey has 11 questions and takes about three minutes.

👉 Find out more at PassVenture · Pilot survey

🚦 A slow Friday on the rails and the ring road

Friday started with a points failure at Harrogate that disrupted trains between Leeds and York via Harrogate until about 8.30am (the Micklefield route wasn't affected). By the afternoon, the AA was reporting "severe" delays on the A1237 ring road, peaking at 13 minutes eastbound near the Huntington Road exit and eight minutes westbound near the Poppleton roundabout, plus delays on the A64 towards Malton. The cause of the road delays hadn't been confirmed.

👉 Read more: York Press: trains · York Press: ring road

🎭 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

🖼️ Three new Mary Ellen Best watercolours for York Art Gallery

York Art Gallery has bought three watercolours at auction by the York-born artist Mary Ellen Best, known for her detailed scenes of life in the 1830s and 1840s. Two are portraits of her son Frank, at three months and at two-and-three-quarter years old, and the third is a study after the Italian painter Tiepolo. The gallery now holds 20 of her works. While you're there, this is the last weekend for the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition, which closes on Sunday 15 November and is included in general admission.

👉 Read more: York Press: Mary Ellen Best · York Press: Aesthetica Art Prize

🦊 A giant badger and fox at the National Railway Museum

York graffiti artist Ben Walgate has finished a nature mural trail at the National Railway Museum, with giant-sized images of a badger and a fox and a train crossing a viaduct. "Trains and graffiti have a long history together, so being invited into the Railway Museum as a graffiti artist to paint something for train lovers feels pretty special," he wrote. He also said the piece will always mean a little more, as he lost his best friend, fellow graffiti artist Rew, while he was painting it.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🟢 Shrek the Musical, coming soon to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre

Diary note for next week: NETheatre brings Shrek the Musical to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre for 11 shows from 20 to 28 November, with two alternating casts (Team Fiona and Team Dragon), costumes styled on the West End production and, yes, tap-dancing rats.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🐟 ONLY IN NORTH YORKSHIRE

🎸 Scarborough's Open Air Theatre has a record summer

Scarborough Open Air Theatre drew more than 180,000 people this summer, its best year since it reopened in 2010, with Alanis Morissette, CMAT and The Streets among the acts. Back in 2011 it attracted just 12,264. The council reckons the 8,000-capacity venue on an island in Northstead Manor Gardens is worth £16m to £18m to the local economy, and Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon and Ronan Keating are already lined up for 2027.

👉 Read the full story at BBC News

🏦 A permanent bank for Whitby

Plans have been submitted to turn Whitby's former Virgin Money branch at 72-74 Baxtergate into a permanent Cash Access UK banking hub, replacing the temporary one that opened on Church Street in March 2025 after the town lost its last bank branch. The 1888 building has been a bank before, as both a Yorkshire Bank and Virgin Money. North Yorkshire Council hasn't set a date to decide.

👉 Read the full story at York Press

🗓️ WHAT'S ON IN YORK THIS WEEKEND

🎄 York Christmas Market is open on Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square all weekend, until 21 December (closed on Tuesdays this year).

⛸️ Thor's on Ice, behind York Art Gallery in Museum Gardens, and Yorkshire's Winter Wonderland, with its outdoor rink, funfair and Santa's Cabin, are both open for skating.

👹 The first York Krampus Run takes over the streets today, starting from the Black Swan on Peasholme Green (9am to 4pm): horns, chains, bells and hand-carved masks, warning the naughty to mend their ways.

🎤 Boyzlife, Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden doing the Boyzone and Westlife hits, are at York Barbican tonight at 7.30pm.

👻 2:22 A Ghost Story by Neon Crypt finishes its run at Theatre@41 on Monkgate today (2.30pm and 7.30pm).

🐭 A Christmas Tail: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse opens at Fairfax House on Castlegate today, 10am to 5pm, until 3 January.

🎁 York Explore Christmas Fayre at Explore York Library on Museum Street today, 10am to 4pm, with the Supersingers Choir at 10.30am.

🛍️ Acomb Christmas Market on Front Street, 10am to 3pm, until Sunday.

🎨 Winter Art Market at Spark, today and tomorrow, 12pm to 6pm, with more than 30 independent creators and artists.

🌲 Nutcracker Trail: 12 giant nutcrackers inspired by The Twelve Days of Christmas around the city centre, until 3 January. Find them all for the chance to win a £250 York Gift Card.

🕯️ Christmas at York Castle Museum (snow on Kirkgate) and free family activities at the National Railway Museum are on all weekend.

🖼️ Aesthetica Art Prize: last chance, it closes at York Art Gallery tomorrow.

🏓 Pickleball: The Pickleball Shed on Goose Lane, about 15 minutes north of York, hosts its Autumn MLP Open today, according to the club's event page: eight teams of two men and two women, 28 games each, DUPR-rated with a team average of 3.75 or above. It's a competitive event rather than a taster, so check with the club about watching. (The Pickleball Shed)

⚽ Away day: York City are at Rochdale at 3pm.

Sources: YorkMix: things to do in York this weekend, York Press: Nutcracker Trail, The Pickleball Shed

👉 Read the full guide at YorkMix

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⛪ AND FINALLY...

Spare a thought for York Minster, cut off from its emails by Friday's Microsoft outage. Or rather, don't: a Minster spokesperson told the Press its collections team would be "training up staff in the manufacture of illuminated documents", preparing vellum and parchment for "missives worthy of the beautiful York Gospels". The organists were said to be learning morse code to replace the "All Users" emails, via the Grand Organ, the stonemasons were working on a whole language of Mason's Marks to request cups of tea by hand-carved stone, and the choir would carry messages between offices in Gregorian plainchant. "Those working from home may have to wait longer for their messages to arrive." We've all been there.

👉 Read the full story at York Press