The York Brief - Weekend Wrap ⏰ Saturday, November 1, 2025

Hello York! 🌤️

Happy November – the clocks have gone back, Halloween’s been and gone, and we’re well into autumn proper. Loads happening this week, so settle in.

Weekend Weather for York:

Saturday: Early light rain clearing to partly cloudy skies with sunny intervals. Temperatures reaching 11-12°C with light winds picking up to a gentle breeze. Clear and calm evening dropping to 7°C.

Sunday: Starting mostly dry with partly cloudy skies turning sunny by morning. Temperatures rising from 7°C to 10-11°C. Sunny and mild afternoon with a gentle breeze continuing. Turning overcast later in the evening. Full Weather Prediction!

Grab your jacket but leave the brolly – mostly dry with sunny spells both days! 🌤️

🎭 ARTS & CULTURE

🌊 Great Wave coming to York Art Gallery - York Art Gallery just dropped exciting news for 2026 – Hokusai’s iconic “The Great Wave” is heading to York. The Japanese woodblock print masterpiece will be on loan from Maidstone Museum as part of “Making Waves”, running from February 27 to August 30. The exhibition will showcase Japanese prints from the 17th to 21st centuries, focusing on the golden age of artists like Hokusai, Hiroshige and Utamaro. Plus, York Museum Gardens will get a new Japanese-style garden to accompany the show. - Read more at YorkMix

🐝 “Swarmgate” – new illuminated artwork for Walmgate - Pocklington artist Gemma Wood is bringing some buzz to Walmgate with “Swarmgate”, launching December 11. The project is the final piece of Walmgate Reframed, funded through the Vibrant & Sustainable High Street Fund. - Read more at York Press

🎬 Aesthetica Short Film Festival (5-9 Nov) - The 15th Aesthetica Short Film Festival is running this week (November 5-9) with over 300 films screening across York venues, plus online through November 30. . Asff Read more at ASFF

🚨 CRIME & JUSTICE

⚖️ Ex-council director denies “six-figure payout focus” at tribunal - Neil Ferris, former City of York Council director, spent this week in an employment tribunal hearing in Leeds. The council’s defending the restructure, saying the new role was similar in responsibility. The tribunal continues. Read more at YorkMix

“My view was that the director of city development role was a role without substance that would have left me in an untenable position.

🚔 Wanted man Lewis Berkley arrested - York police’s hunt for 26-year-old Lewis Berkley ended this week after he was arrested. Berkley was wanted on prison recall for breaching licence conditions after being released. Police had been searching York and Selby before finding him. Read more at Gazette & Herald

⛓️ Scarborough man gets first-ever North Yorkshire trafficking order - In a landmark case, 36-year-old Robert Viv Chinchen from Scarborough has been handed a five-year Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order – the first in North Yorkshire. The order expires in 2030. PC Sophie Milner led the investigation which gathered evidence of Chinchen exploiting multiple victims. Read more at Gazette & Herald

🚗 Late-night crash in Acomb - Emergency services were called to Cornlands Road in Acomb just after midnight this morning (Saturday) following a collision. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said everyone was out of the vehicle when crews arrived. - Read more at Yahoo News UK

🎪 WHAT’S ON

🎭 Thornton-le-Dale players perform for roof appeal - The recently reformed Thornton Players are staging their first production “’Ow Much fer a Roof?” – a specially devised piece supporting the Raising the Roof appeal for Lady Lumley’s Almshouses. The 1656 almshouses in Thornton-le-Dale (near Pickering) need £100,000 for vital roof repairs. All proceeds from the performances go towards the appeal, which also covers temporary accommodation costs during building work. - Read more at York Press

🎄 CHRISTMAS & EVENTS

⚡ Drax signs £157m battery storage deal - Drax has signed a major agreement with York-based developer Apatura to acquire three battery energy storage projects totalling 260MW. The £157.2m deal will see construction start in 2026, with the first site in Scotland operational by 2027. Read more at Yorkshire Post

🏠 COMMUNITY

🎵 The Crescent venue facing closure threat - York’s beloved grassroots music venue The Crescent is under serious threat from a proposed development next door. Plans for 21 aparthotel units, 9 residential flats and commercial space at the former York Brewery site could spell the end for the 1904-built venue. The venue is calling on the community to object to planning application 25/01841/FULM by November 6. Micklegate councillor Pete Kilbane has called in the application to a planning committee. - Read more at YorkMix

🎓 University of York increases safety patrols - The University of York has announced new steps to tackle hate crime after reports of growing hostility both on campus and across the city. Campus safety patrols are being made more visible with better training and equipment, and the university is working closely with North Yorkshire Police. The university confirmed there are no plans to reduce Campus Safety staffing – instead they’re investing in more front-line patrols aligned to demand, particularly at night. Read more at The Tab

🪖 WWI memorial at Holy Trinity to be restored - The Bedern Roll of Honour at Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate – honouring nearly 400 former pupils from Bedern National School who served in WWI – is heading off for restoration on November 11. The memorial lists “Old Boys” from one of York’s poorest areas, with red lines under names marking those injured, captured or killed. Over £2,200 was raised from a Raree Show performance at Merchant Taylors’ Hall during the Georgian Festival, plus donations. Before it leaves, you can view the board one last time on November 9 between 11am-3pm at Holy Trinity. Read more at Gazette & Herald

🎄 CHRISTMAS & EVENTS

🎅 York Christmas Market traders announced – just two weeks to go! - With only two weeks until kick-off (November 13), York Christmas Market has revealed this year’s traders for the Alpine chalets on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square. Proper Yorkshire focus – 85% of traders are from the region, with every single food trader (100%) representing Yorkshire. Favourites like Tommy’s Pies are back, plus loads of new faces offering handcrafted gifts and festive treats. The market runs through December 21. Read more at YorkMix

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK

🍛 Atithi shortlisted for Best Curry House - Atithi in Fishergate has been shortlisted in the Best Curry House 2025 competition. The restaurant, which opened in early 2019 and was named in the top 10 dining spots in York by Press readers this month, picked up a Customer Favourite award in the British Curry Championship earlier this year. Read more at Gazette & Herald

🌟 PEOPLE

👔 EmAble adaptive clothing brand honours Emily’s memory - A York family’s EmAble adaptive clothing brand, created in memory of Emily Rhodes, is preparing for its full launch in February. Matthew Rhodes (26) and his mum Joanne Nicholson (58) have designed comfortable, adjustable clothing with access points for medical treatments. Read more at Gazette & Herald

⚽ SPORT

💔 York City icon Colin Addison passes away aged 85 Football legend Colin Addison, who started his career at York City as a teenager before helping the club win promotion to the third division, has died aged 85. Best remembered as the player-manager who masterminded non-league Hereford United’s legendary 2-1 giant-killing of Newcastle United in the 1972 FA Cup – one of the competition’s greatest ever shocks. His four-decade management career spanned the UK, Spain, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar. Read more at York Press

🎟️ York City sell 2,560 tickets for Barnsley FA Cup clash - The Minstermen have sold out their away allocation for tomorrow’s (Saturday) FA Cup First Round tie at Barnsley, with 2,560 travelling fans set to pack the North Stand at Oakwell. The 3pm kick-off sees National League York take on League One Barnsley – two divisions apart. Read more at York Press

York Record Fair - Discover a huge selection of quality vinyl records at York Racecourse on 1st November. Over 50 top sellers with 150 tables – that’s about 150,000 records! Rock ‘n’ roll, soul, punk, prog, indie, reggae, metal, electronic, jazz, classical and much more. Whether you stay for seven hours or pop in for 30 minutes, there’s sure to be something for every music enthusiast. More info

Mark Steel – The Leopard in My House - Join multi award-winning, BAFTA-nominated writer and comedian Mark Steel for his new tour The Leopard in My House. The topic? His battle with throat cancer. A battle he is winning (thankfully) and which only his rapier wit could fashion a comedy tour show out of. Cancer has done nothing to dull Mark’s acute political observations or quash his “frankly bonkers” energy: you will laugh, you will cry, but you’ll laugh again, and again, and again. More info

The Magpies - Transatlantic folk band The Magpies are quickly becoming one of the most exciting and innovative acts on the contemporary roots scene. Combining sublime harmonies with exquisite musicianship and impressive songwriting, The Magpies traverse Anglo and American roots, drawing inspiration from traditional Celtic folk, bluegrass and Appalachian trails, to create an effortless melting pot of music. More info

Winter Open Studios 2025 - We welcome the return of our popular Winter Open Studios. This will be a great opportunity to find those unique gifts or drop a hint to a loved one! More info

RBL Festival of Remembrance 2025 - This year’s annual RBL Festival of Remembrance will once again feature the York RI Band and the York Military Wives Choir, and for the first time, they are also joined by the Service Children’s Community Choir. This year will commemorate VE & VJ Day and there will also be the traditional Service of Remembrance. More info

That’s your York Brief for November 1, 2025. Stories covering the city’s latest news, events, and developments. Enjoy your weekend in York!

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