THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Tuesday, November 25th, 2025
Flood alerts remain active across the Lower Derwent, a York man receives an 18-year sentence for historic sexual offences, Gear4music reports bumper profits as Elcocks closes after half a century.
🌧️ Morning, York!
Grab your coffee and settle in - today’s bringing partly sunny skies, but flood alerts remain active across the Derwent. From courtroom sentences to festive train journeys, and local businesses both thriving and closing their doors, here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening in our city this Tuesday.
Weather Update ☁️
“Partly sunny skies with a high of 7°C (45°F) and a low of -2°C (28°F), feeling more like 3°C with northwest winds gusting up to 24mph, AccuWeather reports. Just a 10% chance of precipitation—but keep that brolly handy with flood alerts active across our area.”
🚨 FLOOD WARNINGS
⚠️ Red Alert Issued for River Derwent - Property flooding expected from 6am today at Buttercrambe Bridge near Stamford Bridge, warns the Environment Agency via Gazette & Herald, urging residents to act on flood plans. River levels at Buttercrambe hit 1.19 metres yesterday evening - flooding becomes likely above 1.30 metres.
🌊 Amber Alerts Remain Active - Flood alerts continue for the Lower River Derwent affecting Elvington, Pocklington, Wilberfoss, Stamford Bridge and Wressle, York Press reports. At Elvington Sluices, levels peaked at 6.32 metres this morning - just over the 6.1m normal range.
💼 BUSINESS
🔧 Elcocks Tool Hire Closes After Nearly 50 Years - The family-run tool hire firm with headquarters on Hospital Fields Road ceased trading on November 12th and will enter liquidation on December 10th. Run by the third generation of the Elcock family, the closure resulted in 10 redundancies. Directors cited market decline, supply chain disruption, and the collapse of a major national buying group earlier this year as insurmountable challenges. The Business Desk Reports
📈 Gear4music Reports Bumper Half-Year Results - York-based online musical instruments retailer Gear4music reported revenues jumping 31% to £80.7m in the six months to September 30th. The company swung to a £2.7m pre-tax profit from a £1.2m loss last year and plans to open a new Yorkshire distribution centre within 12 months to increase capacity by 2.5 times. The BusinessDesk reports
🏠 Copmanthorpe Chippy Up for Sale - Copmanthorpe Chippy on Church Street, the only fish and chip takeaway in the village, is on the market after many years in business, Gazette & Herald reports. The owner is returning to full-time education for a career change. With weekly turnover of £4,250 and rent of just £192 per week, the well-presented business comes with a new 10-year lease.
💻 Major Cybersecurity Awards Coming to York - The Real Cyber Awards is moving from Leeds to York for 2026, with the event expanding to a full-day conference at The Milner Hotel on October 30th. Founded by Leeds-based Consultants Like Us, the national awards celebrate companies and individuals working to keep us safe online. York St John University and Make It York have already signed on as sponsors, with entries opening in January 2026. Yahoo UK News reports
🏗️ Developer Urges Landowners to Come Forward - Yorkshire-based Beal Homes is calling on landowners in North Yorkshire to work with them to deliver much-needed new homes as the government pushes to build 1.5 million homes by 2029. Chief executive Richard Beal says the family-owned housebuilder currently has three developments totaling 625 homes in for planning permission, with land under option for a further 2,000 plots. Gazette & Herald reports
🏠 Former Care Homes Heading to Auction - Two former assisted living properties near Market Weighton are heading to auction on November 27th with a combined guide price of £300,000. The six-bedroom detached buildings offer strong potential for redevelopment into residential homes, holiday lets, or shared living. Located in rural North Yorkshire, they’re just 30 minutes from York and 20 minutes from the M62. Yahoo UK News reports
🚂 TRANSPORT
🎄 Flying Scotsman Christmas Markets Trip - Book now for the December 14th festive journey as the legendary locomotive travels from York to Newcastle for the Christmas Markets. The train stops in York around lunchtime where passengers board the Flying Scotsman for the journey north, passing Durham Cathedral en route. Standard tickets are £175 (£155 for children). Mechtraveller reports
💼 Rail Jobs with Salaries Up to £36K Available - Rail jobs are available across York and Scarborough with salaries reaching £36,000, according to YorkMix (link inaccessible). Network Rail is advertising a GBRX Communications Manager role in York with a salary of £36K-£42K, alongside various other positions in project management, engineering, and operations across the region. York Mix.
🚊 Rail Fares Frozen for First Time in 30 Years - York commuters will benefit from a national rail fare freeze announced by the Chancellor—the first in three decades. Regulated fares including season tickets and peak returns will not increase in March 2026, with commuters on busier routes saving more than £300 per year. Gov.uk reports
One of the government’s six objectives for the reformed railways is that they should be affordable. As plans for Great British Railways gather pace, this is a positive sign that affordability for passengers is being given the high priority it deserves.
🚨 CRIME & SAFETY
🔒 York Man Jailed 18 Years for Historic Sexual Offences - Gene Neville Wright, 40, was sentenced at York Crown Court after being found guilty of seven charges including rape and sexual assault of a woman and four girls between 1996 and 2011, North Yorkshire Police Reports. The victims showed immense courage in giving evidence twice after Wright denied all charges. He’s been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
🚔 Man Injured Fleeing Police on Ring Road - A man sustained a leg injury while attempting to evade officers near the Great North Way and Millfield Lane roundabout shortly before 2am Monday, Gazette & Herald reports. The incident closed part of the outer ring road until 10:45am, causing severe delays. North Yorkshire Police has informed the Independent Office for Police Conduct as per standard procedure.
💔 REMEMBRANCE
🕊️ Former Head Teacher Dies in River Ouse - Elizabeth Margaret Chisholm, 85, a former head teacher from Alma Terrace, was found in the River Ouse on October 22nd, York Press reports. A coroner’s inquest heard she had been reported missing by family, and a note was found indicating intention to take her own life. Our thoughts remain with her family. If you’re struggling, the Samaritans are available free 24/7 on 116 123.
🏗️ HERITAGE & INFRASTRUCTURE
⚡ Emergency Plans for Station Frontage - Cracks discovered in York Railway Station’s former bus shelter canopy have prompted emergency removal plans after structural engineers warned of “risk of collapse,” . The WWII-era canopy, built in 1940, is deemed structurally inadequate and contractors refuse to work beneath it. The arched portico itself will remain as part of the Station Gateway project’s new supercrossing. Gazette & Herald reports
🎨 COMMUNITY & ACHIEVEMENT
🏆 York Architects Triumph in Prestigious Scottish Competition - brown + company on Blossom Street took first place in the National Design Ideas Competition for a new community facility at Edinburgh’s Portobello Promenade, . Judges praised their “quietly confident” proposal for the Porty Cooperative Café as “a modest café, social hub and practical toilet block” that delivers “community-driven simplicity.” Bdaily reports
🏃 York Solicitors Near Finish Line of Year-Long Challenge - Lee Stephens and David Rogers from Bridge Employment Solicitors have completed 10 half-marathons this year for York’s Chocolate and Co café. With just two more to go in November and December, they’re raising £3,000 for the Lowther Street social enterprise that supports people facing addiction, homelessness, or involvement with the criminal justice system. Gazette & Herald reports
🏈 York College Students Set for Miami Dolphins NFL Game - York College dance students are flying to Miami this Wednesday for a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to perform at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium before the Dolphins vs New Orleans Saints game on Sunday. The Sim Balk Lane students impressed producers so much during rehearsals that they’ve been bumped from halftime to the primetime pre-kick-off slot. York Press reports.
🌱 York St John Living Lab Launches Student Grants - The University’s award-winning Living Lab is stepping up climate resilience work with the return of the Friendly Living Fund, offering students up to £400 for projects tackling the cost-of-living crisis. Previous initiatives have included sustainable period products, vertical farming, and community composting. A People’s Assembly on Student Activism takes place Thursday, November 27th. York St John reports
💪 York City FC Foundation Launches Mental Health Push - York City FC Foundation is promoting self-care with two weeks of themed digital content highlighting local mental health charities. Foundation manager Paula Stainton says the initiative coincides with National Self Care Week and the government’s new Men’s Mental Health Strategy. At the November 29th match against Aldershot, the foundation will host a marketplace featuring stalls from Kyra Women’s Project and Andy Man’s Club. Gazette & Herald reports.
🗳️ Ward Boundary Consultation Launched - A public consultation has been launched to shape new council wards for York. The consultation will determine how the city is divided into electoral wards for future council elections. YorkPress reports
🎨 York International Women’s Week Calls for Events - York International Women’s Week 2026 has launched its call for event submissions under the tagline “Weaving Women’s Stories,”. Organisations, groups, and individuals can submit proposals for in-person or online events to create “a powerful platform for conversation, connection, inspiration – and activism.” The initiative is part of the York Human Rights City Network. the YIWW website announces
At the core of YIWW is a commitment to the human rights and dignity of all.
As we start the planning cycle for YIWW2026 we are all too aware that we are living in a troubled world and facing increased divisions and tensions within our own city. We are powerfully reminded of the importance of mutual respect for all, and of the networks of diverse local groups and individuals who work relentlessly to foster meaningful supportive connections for all.
🎭 ARTS & CULTURE
🎪 Theatre Royal Unveils Sleeping Beauty Cast - York Theatre Royal has announced the full company for its festive Sleeping Beauty production running December 2 to January 4. West End performer Jocasta Almgill stars as Carabosse, with CBeebies star Jennie Dale as Fairy Moonbeam and panto veteran Robin Simpson returning as Dame Nurse Nellie. Creative director Juliet Forster says audiences are “in for a real treat.” Gazette & Herald
💰 COUNCIL
🏴 Council Spent £19K Removing Flags - York Council spent £18,978 removing unauthorised flags from lampposts and street furniture—far less than the initially estimated £250,000. A Freedom of Information request revealed York spent more than any other council in England on flag removal. The flags were part of nationwide “Operation Raise the Colours” campaign that sparked controversy over racism concerns. Gazette & Herald reports
That’s your Tuesday wrap, York!
From flood warnings to festive train journeys, historic sentences to heritage wins - another day of stories that shape our city. Stay safe out there, especially near the Derwent, and we’ll see you tomorrow morning with more of what matters in York.
