THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Monday, February 23, 2026

Good morning, York! 🏰 What a weekend it's been. The Vikings have conquered our streets again in spectacular fashion, ITV cameras have been spotted rolling on Micklegate, and a Michelin-starred chef is championing our great city on the national stage. Beyond the drama, there's plenty of practical news for York residents this Monday — from number plate warnings to Co-op till changes and major travel rule updates. Brew in hand? Let's go. This is The York Brief.

⚔️ ARTS, CULTURE & HISTORY

🏆 Thousands Watch Jorvik Viking Festival 2026's Epic Climax; Thousands of spectators lined the streets of York on Saturday as hundreds of Viking and Saxon warriors marched from Deans Park past the Minster, through Stonegate, and down to the Eye of York for the climactic Battle of York - the grand finale of the 2026 Jorvik Viking Festival. Re-enactors came from as far as Somerset and Blackpool to take part in what is regarded as Europe's biggest Viking festival. Tickets for all major events had sold out weeks in advance.

📸 Fun, Fighting, Fire and Flags - The Vikings Battle for York in Pictures; If you missed the spectacle in person, YorkMix has captured the full drama in a stunning photo gallery - shields clashing, fire blazing, and flags flying as Vikings and Saxons battled it out at the Eye of York. Worth every click.

🥇 York Archaeology Hails Festival an Epic Success; York Archaeology has officially declared the 2026 Jorvik Viking Festival a triumph, with visitor numbers and engagement surpassing expectations across the week-long event. The festival wrapped up on Sunday after a packed programme of living history, combat demonstrations and immersive experiences across the city.

📰 NEWS

🎬 Film Crews Spotted on Micklegate - ITV Believed to Be Filming; Film crews have been spotted working on Micklegate this weekend, believed to be associated with ITV. The popular York-set detective drama Patience - now in its second series on Channel 4 - previously filmed extensively across the city including Micklegate, the Shambles and Precentor's Court. No official confirmation yet, but Yorkers are keeping their eyes peeled for familiar faces.

🕍 'Deeply Concerning' Rise in Antisemitism in York and North Yorkshire; York and North Yorkshire's policing deputy mayor Jo Coles has described figures showing a rise in antisemitism as "deeply concerning." A report by the Community Safety Trust Jewish charity recorded 38 antisemitic incidents in North Yorkshire in 2025 - up sharply from just 15 in 2022 - as part of a national total of 3,700 incidents across the UK. Coles confirmed the Combined Authority is forming a new interfaith group to bring community leaders together to tackle hate crimes. "Hate has no place in York and North Yorkshire," she said.

🏛️ York Castle Scheme Gets Tweaked - Have Your Say on 1190 Memorial; City of York Council has drafted proposed changes to the 1190 Memorial Space within the approved Castle and Eye of York scheme, following concerns raised by York's Liberal Jewish Community. The broader £9.9 million scheme - which will see Castle Car Park transformed into a park, children's play area and riverside walkway after closure this spring - was approved in December. New proposals for the memorial space include moving it closer to the site entrance, ensuring it's large enough for school trips and gatherings, and exploring a Peace Garden concept. Residents can comment now at the My Castle Gateway website. (Source: YorkMix )

🚗 Acomb Man Beats City of York Council at Bus Lane Tribunal; Stuart Russell of Wetherby Road has successfully overturned three £70 penalty charge notices issued by City of York Council after being caught by bus lane cameras on Low Poppleton Lane in Acomb. He argued road markings were faded and barely visible. The council didn't even contest the appeal, due to a technical glitch in their back-office system that failed to alert them the tribunal was taking place. The adjudicator threw out all charges. The council insists all signage meets required standards, but admits it was a technical failure on their part.

🦷 York MP Calls for Urgent Action After 'Devastating' Tooth Extraction Stats; York Central MP Rachael Maskell has renewed calls for dental reform after NHS data revealed 56,143 tooth extractions were performed in ,English hospitals last year a 14% year-on-year rise. Maskell said progress on the dental contract remains "too slow" and that children in the most deprived communities are over three times more likely to need a tooth extracted than those in affluent areas. She has spent a decade campaigning alongside the British Dental Association and says the NHS urgently needs more dentists both trained and retained.

🔒 Castle Mills Lock Gates Set for £1.36m Replacement This April: The River Foss Society has confirmed a major £1.36 million project to replace the ageing timber lock gates at Castle Mills Lock will begin in April. The gates, last , replaced back in 1986;have exceeded their 30-year lifespan and are now rotting, leaking extensively and at risk of failure. City of York Council, as Navigation Authority, says replacement is a statutory obligation. The lock will be drained, fish rescued, and works are expected to complete by early July.

🗑️ Fly-Tipping Row - Should Community Skips Come Back to York? A heated political row has erupted between Labour and the Liberal Democrats over fly-tipping in York. The Lib Dems proposed spending £52,000 on community skips in worst-affected areas as part of their alternative budget, voted down by Labour on 12 February. The Lib Dems argue that rising garden waste charges (now £52 a year) and reduced tip hours are fuelling illegal dumping, with 2,807 reported fly-tipping incidents in just the first three quarters of 2025/26. Labour say their new Neighbourhood Caretakers scheme is working and York still has one of Yorkshire's lowest fly-tipping rates.

🅿️ North Yorkshire Parking Charges Set to Rise - Costing Drivers an Extra £3.5m; North Yorkshire drivers face a significant hike in parking charges under plans that are expected to cost motorists an extra £3.5 million collectively. The county-wide increase affects residents across York and North Yorkshire who use council-managed car parks. With York sitting within the county, this directly impacts residents who park across the wider area for work, leisure and family visits.

🚨 CRIME

💔 Third Arrest Over Tragic Deaths of Teenagers at Bridlington Holiday Park; A third man, aged 27, has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter as Humberside Police continue their investigation into the deaths of Cherish Bean, 15, and Ethan Slater, 17, whose bodies were found at Little Eden Holiday Park near Bridlington on 18 February. Carbon monoxide poisoning is believed to be a factor. Two previously arrested men — aged 33 and 42 — have since been released on conditional bail. Cherish's mum said in tribute: "My perfect girl, my angel, has left this world and we are broken as a family."

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

🍗 Yo Yo Wings Now at Victor J's Bar — Enter the Lord of the Wings Challenge; Popular York chicken spot Yo Yo Wings has expanded to a second kitchen residency at Victor J's Bar on Finkle Street, serving wings, strips and burgers every day alongside their Museum Street Tavern home. To celebrate, they've launched a 'Lord of the Wings' challenge — devour five extra hot wings in three minutes and you eat for free. Fail, and it's a £10 forfeit but you earn a spot on the wall of fame. Wing Wednesday and Friday burger deals are also on the menu.

⭐ Michelin-Starred Chef Backs York Visitor Levy; Andrew Pern, chef-owner of The Star Inn at Harome - which retained its Michelin star earlier this month - has publicly backed a visitor levy for York, calling it a "total game changer" for the region. He told the Yorkshire Post the levy could drive investment into communities and provide hospitality businesses with much-needed support. A North Yorkshire Council survey found 71% of respondents opposed the idea, but Pern pointed to Paris and Barcelona as proof that visitor levies don't damage tourism numbers.

🛍️ BUSINESS

👗 First Look: Notions Vintage Opens Expanded Home at Aldwark Mews; Just 15 months after opening in Colliergate, Notions Vintage has moved to a larger three-room space at 6 Aldwark Mews, launching on 18 February. The new store features rails of pre-loved womenswear, a dedicated menswear room stocking rare 80s sportswear from Fila, CP Company and Armani, plus a music room packed with LPs and CDs. The vintage-styled interior even features a semi-circular cocktail bar doubling as the till.

🌍 NATIONAL NEWS

✈️ Major 2026 Travel Rule Changes - What York Holidaymakers Need to Know; More than half of Brits are planning to travel abroad in 2026, but a wave of new border rules could catch travellers out. Key changes include: EU biometric entry checks now rolling out across Schengen borders; ETIAS travel authorisation launching later in 2026 for trips to 30 European countries (requiring a pre-approved permit and €20 fee); and from this week (25 February), dual British nationals must travel to the UK using only a valid UK or Irish passport, or face being denied boarding. Experts are urging holidaymakers to check all documentation well in advance and avoid scam websites offering fake ETIAS approvals.

🛒 Co-op Introduces 'Open All Hours' Flexi Checkouts in 150 Stores; Co-op is rolling out a major checkout revolution, new dual-screen "flexi tills" that can instantly switch between staffed and self-service operation. Being installed across 150 stores by April, the technology promises shorter queues at peak times while keeping a friendly cashier option during quieter periods. Future features will include parcel collection. York has multiple Co-op stores, so residents can expect to see these new tills arriving soon. (Source: York Press)

🚘 DVLA Warning: Check Your Number Plates Before March 1st; With the new "26" registration plates launching on 1 March, the DVLA is warning all UK drivers to make sure their current licence plates are road legal, or risk a £1,000 fine and a failed MOT. Key rules: characters must be the correct font and spacing, plates must carry British Standard mark BS AU 145e if fitted after September 2021, and characters must not be reflective or removable. Drivers are urged to only buy from DVLA-registered suppliers and to double-check any personalised or modified plates now.