THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Monday, November 3, 2025

Good morning, York! ☁️

A sobering weekend as tragedy struck close to home on Saturday’s LNER service, a light aircraft crash in Sherburn, and arson attacks continue in York suburbs. But there’s community spirit too – from York’s Neo Walk founder backing Miss Great Britain to new restaurants opening and MPs fighting for our countryside. Let’s dig in.

Weather Forecast for York (Monday, Nov 3):

Currently around 46-48°F (8-9°C) with passing clouds. High of 53°F (12°C), low of 44° (7°C). Overcast conditions with a chance of light rain later this evening. Southwest winds 7-10 mph. Feels like 40-44°F - chilly, so a jacket is recommended. AccuWeatherTimeAndDate

🚨 MAJOR INCIDENTS & TRANSPORT

🚂 LNER train stabbing: Heroic York-based rail worker fights for life - A York-based LNER staff member remains in life-threatening condition after heroically trying to stop a knife attacker on Saturday evening’s 6.25pm Doncaster to King’s Cross service. Police say CCTV shows the worker’s actions “undoubtedly saved many people’s lives” when the attack happened just after the train left Peterborough. A 32-year-old British national from Peterborough is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. Ten people were taken to hospital, with five now discharged. The attack - which police say is not terror-related - caused widespread disruption to LNER services throughout Sunday. More News on York Mix, York Press

✈️ Man, 70, dies in light aircraft crash at Sherburn Aero Club - A 70-year-old man from Leeds died Sunday afternoon when his light aircraft crash-landed on the runway at Sherburn Aero Club. The sole occupant was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 1pm. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has been notified. His family is being supported by specially-trained officers. Read story on York Mix

🔥 CRIME & JUSTICE

⚖️ Paedophile monk Peter Turner dies in prison aged 85 - Peter Turner, the former Ampleforth Abbey monk who sexually abused pupils over decades, has died in HMP Swaleside from natural causes. The 85-year-old, previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, was serving a 21-year sentence after admitting 14 offences against three pupils. He died from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm on February 6 this year. It was his second conviction – he’d previously served time in 2005 for abusing 10 pupils in the 1970s and 80s. More update on Gazette and Herald

🔥 Sheds and bins torched in latest arson attacks on York suburb - Firefighters were called twice Saturday night to Scarcroft Road where arsonists struck again. First, two bins were set alight at 9.19pm, extinguished using knapsack sprays. Later, crews from York and Easingwold attended two shed fires at allotments off the same road – both believed deliberate. The attacks are part of an ongoing pattern of arson in the York area. York Mix

⚽ SPORT

⚽ York City bow out of FA Cup in dramatic 3-2 defeat to Barnsley - York City suffered heartbreaking late defeat at Oakwell on Saturday, bowing out of the FA Cup after Barnsley’s Marc Roberts headed a stoppage-time winner. Manager Stuart Maynard said “on another day, we could have won it” after his side pushed League One opposition all the way. Attendance: 5,953 (2,780 away fans making the trip).

🏛️ LOCAL GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

💬 Rachel Maskell launches ‘One York’ campaign asking for your three words - York Central MP is asking everyone in the city to share three words that best describe York. Maskell’s three words are “community, inclusion and caring.” The campaign aims to bring the city together and encourage shared pride. University of York’s Vice Chancellor Charlie Jeffery and leaders from York Carers Centre, York Foodbank, and York LGBT Forum have all shared their words. Submit yours at oneyork.org – all will be collected into a WordCloud.

🌾 Selby MP raises serious concerns about ‘enormous’ solar scheme - Keir Mather has written to Island Green Power expressing constituents’ worries about the 2,500-acre Light Valley Solar project proposed between York and Selby. The MP’s concerns include the scheme’s scale, much of it on ‘best and most versatile’ agricultural land, fears it may grow further, and potential interference with flood defences.The scheme would consist of seven solar farms powering 115,000 homes.

“We have a proud agricultural tradition, and food security is a key component of national security,” Mather wrote.

🚩 North Yorkshire Council threatens £38 removal fee per flag - Thirsk Reform UK member Shaun Remmer has been told he’ll be charged £38 per flag if he continues putting St George’s Cross flags up on council property. North Yorkshire Council has removed around 120 flags erected in and around Thirsk, costing an estimated £4,560. The 49-year-old father-of-three, who’s spent over £600 on flags, was warned the practice is unsafe. The council says people have been climbing ladders on highways, risks flags blocking CCTV and road signs, and the matter has proven “deeply divisive” across communities. Coverage on York Mix

🅿️ Christmas parking charges confirmed for market period - Parking charges will increase to weekend rates (Sunday-Thursday) during the Christmas Market, 13 November - 21 December. Ten car parks affected, though Bishopthorpe Road, East Parade and Rowntree Park remain at current prices. Residents can still use Minster Badge for discounts. Extra Park & Ride buses will run with free travel for up to three kids per paying adult. Update on the City of York Council Website.

All income generated from parking goes back into transport in the city. We are spending more than ever before on highways maintenance and are also investing in our bus network and in walking and cycling routes to help residents and visitors to travel sustainably.

🏛️ REGIONAL POLITICS

🎭 Former Ripon mayor explains resignation ahead of no-confidence vote - Councillor Jackie Crozier has spoken out about why she resigned as Ripon Mayor rather than face a vote of no confidence. In a YorkMix Radio interview, she said she was never officially told why the vote was called and the “pettiness and squabbling” took a toll on her mental health. “I still keep hearing some of the rumours that are going around and it’s hard because I live in Ripon and I work in Ripon,” said Crozier, who was Ripon’s first out gay female mayor and youngest woman to hold the position. The vote was prompted by “confidential staffing issues” but Crozier says she couldn’t think of anything she’d done wrong.

🎗️ COMMUNITY & HEALTH

💪 York businesswoman backs first disabled Miss Great Britain winner - Lyndsay Watterson, founder of York’s Neo Walk walking stick company, supported Kirstie Haysman all the way to the Miss Great Britain crown. The 37-year-old from Sussex made history as the competition’s first disabled winner, having suffered from Lyme Disease for years. Lyndsay, who lost her own leg to MRSA after knee surgery in 2007, provided Kirstie with coordinated walking sticks for each outfit during the competition. “She’s just great,” said Kirstie of her York supporter. More on Gazette and Herald.

♿ York Disability Week returns 29 November - 6 December - Over 30 free in-person and online activities will celebrate the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. From wheelchair rugby and accessible football to singing choirs and woodworking workshops, the ninth annual event has something for everyone. There’ll be talks, exhibitions, drop-in advice sessions, and an information fair at York City FC’s stadium. Check yorkdisabilityweek.org to sign up.

⛳ Hospital charity golf day raises £10,000 for breast unit - Eighty golfers at Sandburn Hall raised over £10,000 for York Hospital’s Magnolia Centre breast unit waiting area refurbishment. More than 13,000 patients use the waiting area annually, often spending 5-6 hours during one-stop clinics. The charity plans to make this an annual event. Coverage on Gazette and Herald.

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

🍣 New Japanese restaurant Hatsu opening soon on Low Petergate – and they’re hiring - York is soon to welcome Hatsu, a new Japanese restaurant at 71 Low Petergate. Birmingham-based company Hatsu One Ltd secured an alcohol licence earlier this year for the Grade II listed building, which has sat empty since The Tea Palace closed suddenly in September 2022. The historic site once housed York’s famous printer Thomas Gent in the 1600s. Hatsu is currently hiring cocktail bartenders, waiting staff, and kitchen staff. News on York Mix

🎨 ARTS & CULTURE

🐝 Glowing bees to swarm down Walmgate in December - A hive of resin-cast bees illuminated by solar-powered smart lights will form a glowing swarm down Walmgate. ‘Swarmgate’ is an artwork by Pocklington artist Gemma Wood, the final output of the Walmgate Reframed Project designed to celebrate Walmgate’s history, creativity, and community. Funded through the Vibrant & Sustainable High Street Fund.

The installation unveils 11 December 2025. “Inspired by York’s beekeeping heritage and the old tradition of ‘telling the bees,’ it celebrates connection, communication, and the collective buzz of Walmgate,” said Wood.

🎭 HISTORY & HERITAGE

💍 Gunpowder Plot ring to go under the hammer for £12,000 - A 16th-century gold ring bearing the inscription “Yovr Frende in Deede” may have belonged to a Gunpowder Plot conspirator. Found by a metal detectorist near Robert Catesby’s Warwickshire birthplace, the rare inscription is unknown on similar rings from that era, according to the British Museum. Experts say it could symbolise the plotters’ loyalty and pledge to the “deed” of destroying Parliament on November 5, 1605. Goes to auction November 12 at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire, expected to fetch £8,000-£12,000.

💬 GOT A STORY? Email us your York news tips and we’ll share them in tomorrow’s Brief.

The York Brief is your daily digest of what’s happening in and around York. Compiled with care for our city.That’s your Monday sorted. Stay safe out there, York. 🌧️

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