THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Thursday, November 13, 2025

🌤️ Good Day, York!

Right then, let’s crack on! Thursday brings mostly cloudy skies with showers, so keep that brolly handy. The Christmas Market opens its doors today (half hour later than planned), and there’s a brilliant new Nutcracker Trail designed entirely by York kids. Here’s everything happening in our fair city today.

Today’s Weather:

Mostly cloudy with occasional showers. High of 10°C, low of 6°C. Humidity around 85%, light winds from the southwest.

📰 NEWS

🎄 Christmas Market opens today with 30-minute delay York’s Christmas Market launches this morning at 10:30am – that’s half an hour later than originally scheduled. The delay follows approval of an anti-terror traffic regulation order affecting blue badge holders’ access. The market runs daily until December 21st, featuring 80% Yorkshire traders across Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square. Seven fewer huts than previous years will create more space and reduce bottlenecks. More at Yorkshire Live

💧 River Foss named Europe’s worst for pharmaceutical pollution Heartbreaking news from the council chamber: the River Foss is the most polluted river in Europe for pharmaceutical contaminants, according to University of York scientist Dr John Wilkinson. Councillors heard sewage spills into the Ouse lasted 24,872 hours in 2024 – up from 16,000 hours in 2023. Spills into the Foss totalled 3,594 hours. A motion calling for tougher wastewater treatment rules was backed last week. Details at YorkMix and Yorkshire Post

🚶‍♀️Walk for Wellbeing hits half-million milestone - The charity fundraising initiative Walk for Wellbeing has raised over £500,000 for Hospitality Action since launching in 2020, with this October’s event alone bringing in £165,000 from more than 1,400 participants across the UK. Hospitality & Catering News York hosted its first-ever Walk for Wellbeing event in October, with Splendid Hospitality Group and the Hospitality Association York bringing the 20km charity walk to the city. Hospitality & Catering News

🪖 New Armed Forces support guide published A comprehensive support guide for Armed Forces personnel in York and North Yorkshire launched during Remembrance week. The guide covers health, mental health, education, employment, housing and benefits for veterans, serving members and reservists across the region. It’s available online and in print at community locations. Read more at City of York Council

“We want to bring together all the support across the city and county that benefits the Armed Forces community into one, easy to access reference guide. This guide highlights the wide range of support we have on offer. No one who has ever served in the Armed Forces, or their families, should be disadvantaged because of their service, and this guide shows how we will we meet that commitment.”

🌱 Bioeconomy Cluster launches The York and North Yorkshire Bioeconomy Cluster has officially launched to position the region as the UK’s bioeconomy hub. Building on the BioYorkshire Partnership, it brings together businesses, academics and policymakers to drive sustainable growth in agritech, bio-based products and sustainable food production. Find out more at The Business Desk

🏛️ Bootham Bar scaffolding coming down Scaffolding will come down from Bootham Bar this month as roof replacement work nears completion. The project on the 11th-century gateway is due to finish mid-December, on schedule. Workers discovered a handwritten note from 1978 left by former plumber Mick Colley, now 62, who worked on the walls as an apprentice 46 years ago. Current stonemasons have placed their own photograph and message back into the walls for future generations. Learn more at YorkMix

Quirky press-on nail shop opens in Stonegate - A new female-run business has opened at 8 Stonegate, selling reusable press-on nails, trinkets and jewellery. MaYonail, owned by pianist Ruyi Liu who also has a shop in Leeds, offers handmade nails ranging from £8 to £35 including York-exclusive designs. York Press

📬 Postboxes of the future rolling out Royal Mail is rolling out 3,500 solar-powered “postboxes of the future” across the UK, including York. The new design allows customers to send parcels up to shoebox size through a postbox for the first time. A barcode scanner opens a drop-down drawer, and customers can track parcels using the Royal Mail app. It’s the biggest redesign in the iconic red postbox’s 175-year history. Details at ChannelX

🚨 CRIME

₿ Bitcoin fraudster jailed after York arrest Chinese fraudster Zhimin Qian has been sentenced to 11 years after being arrested in York in April 2024. The 47-year-old, found beneath her bedclothes at a York Airbnb, masterminded a £5.5 billion Ponzi scheme defrauding 128,000 victims in China before fleeing to the UK. Police made the world’s largest ever cryptocurrency seizure – assets currently worth around £4.8 billion. She spent six years on the run living in luxury hotels across Europe. Read more at Yorkshire Post and Protos

💼Politics

Hollinrake calls for business rates axe to help local firms - Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake has laid out Conservative plans to scrap business rates entirely for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with rateable values up to £110,000. Writing in his latest column, Hollinrake argued the move would give breathing space to local pubs, independent shops and cafés facing rising costs. York Press.

🏛️ COUNCIL

👑Margaret Wells set for second stint as York’s lord mayor - Labour’s Margaret Wells is set to return as York’s lord mayor after councillors approved her nomination, with the Clifton ward member due to take on the role next May when current Conservative Lord Mayor Martin Rowley’s term ends. Wells, who served as lord mayor during the 2024-5 municipal year, said she had only scratched the surface of meeting York’s army of volunteers when she previously held the post. Yahoo News

🇨🇳 Current lord mayor defends China trip amid criticism - York’s lord mayor Martin Rowley has defended a recent trip to Nanjing, China, despite having reservations about some of the country’s actions. The Conservative lord mayor said the sister city link with Nanjing was an important bridge for York which would mark its 10th anniversary next year, and would bring economic benefits including encouraging more visitors from the city of 9.5 million. Yahoo News

🌺 REMEMBRANCE

🪖 Call to defend poppy from “misuse” by flag campaigners - York resident Heather Disley told councillors that groups behind campaigns to display national flags around the city were now attempting to claim the remembrance symbol for their own ends by placing poppies on lamp posts. Disley said the poppy represents all who gave their lives including Black and Asian veterans, not just White British servicemen, urging people to defend the symbol. York Mix

🚆 TRAVEL

🚂 Rail disruption ahead for Newcastle passengers York passengers traveling to Newcastle should plan ahead for late November. Major signalling works at Darlington Station will affect services from November 29 to December 1. CrossCountry, LNER, Lumo, Northern and TransPennine Express will all run rail replacement buses during the £140 million station upgrade. The work will bring new platforms and improved train flow on the East Coast Main Line. Learn more at Gazette & Herald

A64 closed after serious crash near York - A serious crash closed the A64 eastbound between York and Tadcaster on Wednesday evening, with North Yorkshire Police reporting that a vehicle had crashed into a bridge at the A659 junction at Headley Bar YorkMix. The eastbound carriageway was expected to remain closed for some time, with drivers urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes YorkMix.

🎨 WHAT’S ON

🥜 Kids take over York Nutcracker Trail York’s much-loved Nutcracker Trail returns today with a brilliant twist – all 10 giant nutcrackers were designed by children from across York! Running until January 4th, the trail features designs by young artists hand-painted onto life-sized sculptures by local artist Marc Godfrey-Murphy (MarcoLooks), a former CBeebies animator. From hundreds of colourful entries, ten were selected. Trail maps are free from Visit York Information Centre on Parliament Street. Details at YorkMix and YO1 Radio

York’s coolest festival announces 2026 return - York Ice Trail is returning for 2026 and will take place on February 7th and 8th with the theme ‘An Enchanted City’, featuring stunning ice sculptures telling unique stories throughout York’s streets and snickelways Little Vikings. The free family-friendly event, organised by Make It York, drew over 67,000 visitors in 2025.

👮 COMMUNITY

👮 Malton Police seeking new volunteers - Police in Malton are launching a campaign to recruit Police Support Volunteers, with the initiative set to be unveiled at the Malton Christmas Market on Saturday, December 6 The Scarborough News. Volunteers will support officers in activities ranging from crime prevention campaigns and cleaning police vehicles to preparing Parish Council reports and assisting with police training as role players The Scarborough News.

“The activities we’re looking for volunteers to undertake range from supporting officers in crime prevention campaigns, cleaning and maintaining police vehicles, preparing Parish Council Reports and assisting with police training as a role player.”

🚗 Police take several uninsured cars off York roads - North Yorkshire Police have seized several uninsured vehicles from York roads in a crackdown targeting illegal drivers. Inspector Clive Turner said driving without valid insurance not only breaks the law but devastates the lives of many road users each year. West Yorkshire Police Dept

🏉 SPORT

⚡ Knights make double signing ahead of Super League debut York Knights are building their Super League squad with two quality signings. They’ve brought in Hull FC hooker Denive Balmforth on a season-long loan and Penrith Panthers prop John Sagaga, 21. Balmforth, who recently earned his first Wales caps, brings pace off the bench. Sagaga becomes the first player to swap the Australian powerhouse club for York under their partnership deal. He’s made 11 NSW Cup appearances. Head coach Mark Applegarth: “I’m really excited to work with both of them.” More at Yahoo Sports and Hull FC

That’s your Thursday wrapped!

Grab that umbrella for those showers today, and if you’re heading into town, don’t miss the Christmas Market opening on Parliament Street – just remember it starts at 10:30am!