THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Weekend Wrap Up - December 27 - 28 2025

Good morning, York!

Right then, hope you survived Boxing Day without getting trampled at the sales or stuck on the A64. While some of you were queuing for half-price jumpers, others were sat in the dark wondering when Northern Powergrid would sort themselves out. And as we marked ten years since those devastating floods, the city proved once again it’s a place that remembers, rebuilds, and refuses to give up. Welcome back to The York Brief.

🌤️ WEATHER UPDATE

Saturday: A cool but mainly dry day in York with cloudy skies and highs around 6–8°C, feeling chilly in the breeze. Early fog patches should lift by mid-morning.
Sunday: Similar conditions continue with overcast skies and highs near 6–7°C, and only a small chance of light drizzle. Winds will be gentle, and nights will stay above freezing.
Source: Met Office / local forecast summary Met Office

🚌 TRANSPORT & TRAVEL

🎓 University students just won free bus travel for their kids - here’s how they did it
Student parents at the University of York have won their campaign for free bus travel for their children within the university’s designated ‘free zone’ between east and west campus. First Bus described the £1 child fare as “an anomaly” and will introduce GPS-activated child free travel tickets from the end of January. York Outer MP Luke Charters supported the campaign, working with student representatives to secure the change.

"Coming hot on the heels of securing a new bus service for Bishopthorpe residents, I'm pleased to be taking constituents feedback and turning it into tangible results. I’ll always keep fighting for fairer, more reliable transport across York, and to improve the area we all call home.”

🚗 Boxing Day shoppers turned the A64 into a car park between York and Flaxton
The A64 between York and Flaxton experienced significant queuing traffic on Boxing Day, with drivers asked to avoid the area if possible. The congestion came as shoppers headed to city centre stores despite cold and frosty conditions. Graham Jack, director of Porters menswear in Stonegate, reported their busiest day of the year with queues forming before opening. York Press

♿ Dial-a-Ride’s absence is ‘an open wound’ - and disabled people are being left behind - The ongoing absence of Dial & Ride in York is an open wound, the council’s transport spokesperson has said amid calls to bring back the service as soon as possible. Cllr Kate Ravilious said the lack of progress on reinstating the service for elderly and disabled people two years after it was axed was frustrating. Disability rights campaigner Flick Williams told a council meeting the absence was shameful and an apparent lack of urgency was unforgiveable. The council included £20,000 in its 2025/6 budget to fund a study into a replacement service. York Mix

⚡ UTILITIES

🔌 Pickering woke up to no electricity on Boxing Day - here’s when the lights came back on - Homes and businesses in Pickering around Eastgate and the town centre were left without electricity on Boxing Day morning. Northern Powergrid identified the issue and expected power restoration for most customers by 3:30pm-4:30pm Friday. Director of customer service Louise Lowes apologised for the disruption during the holiday period.

💡 101 York homes spent Boxing Day morning in the dark after power cut
Properties in and around Fifth Avenue and Derwent Way lost power on Boxing Day morning. Northern Powergrid reported 101 customers affected by the unplanned outage. The company said teams were working to understand the extent and restore service as quickly as possible.

“We know that power cuts can be really difficult. That’s why our teams are ready to support you and provide you with a 10/10 service while we work as quickly as possible to get your power back on.”

🛍️ RETAIL

🛒 Queues, bargains, and 25,000 shoppers - Boxing Day sales packed York despite the cold - Queues formed outside York city centre stores Friday morning despite cold and frosty conditions. Porters menswear in Stonegate saw customers waiting before opening, with everything reduced to half price for their busiest day of the year. York Designer Outlet expected over 25,000 customers on both Boxing Day and December 27, with the venue recording 4 million visitors across 2025.

🍺 HOSPITALITY

🍻 Sam Smith’s is looking for 120+ couples to run their pubs - including three right here in York - Tadcaster-based Sam Smith’s Brewery has listed 121 management couple vacancies for its pubs across the country. The vacancies include the York Arms by York Minster, the Brown Cow in Hope Street, plus several in Knaresborough and Tadcaster. The salary is advertised at £55,180 for a management couple (£27,590 each), plus a rent-free management flat with utility bills paid. Some vacancies have existed since before the pandemic over five years ago.

🍽️ COMMUNITY

🎄 This York restaurant fed hundreds for free on Christmas Day - and used 45kg of chicken by noon - Middle Feast in Lendal opened Christmas Day from 10am-3pm to feed homeless people and those working through the festivities for free. Owner Wael Garas reported people queuing from 10am, with the Lebanese restaurant using 45kg of chicken by midday. The third annual service offered chicken and lamb doner shawarmas plus vegan options. Customers who insisted on paying had their donations directed to the I am Reusable food bank.

❤️ Seven York families who’ve fostered for 200 years combined were honored at the Mansion House - Seven fostering households were honoured at the Mansion House, receiving certificates from Lord Mayor Councillor Martin Rowley for completing 20, 30, and 40 years of fostering. Sue and Martyn Hill, the longest-serving carers recognized, have fostered for 40 years. Together, the honoured carers have provided more than 600 children with safe and loving homes, with a combined total of more than 200 years of service.

🌊 Ten years on: How York’s spent millions to make sure Boxing Day 2015 never happens again - Thousands of properties have been better protected since the devastating floods in York on Boxing Day 2015. More than 600 properties along the Foss and its tributaries were flooded when the Foss Barrier and Pumping Station were overwhelmed. Since then, the Environment Agency has spent tens of millions of pounds upgrading the barrier and pumping station. Work on the Foss Storage Area completed last October now protects 490 properties in Strensall. York Mix

🎓 EDUCATION

👶 York’s oldest nursery is reopening in February after an £61,937 rebuild - and they want former pupils to come - St Paul’s Nursery School in Holgate is preparing to celebrate the opening of a brand-new building early next year. A reopening date is planned for Wednesday, February 25 for children and a grand opening party on Saturday, February 28. The nursery opened on December 1, 1936 and was gifted to the local authority by the Rowntree family, making it the oldest nursery in the city. Head Claire Rigden said the team hopes to hear from someone who attended as far back as the 1930s or 1940s.

📺 University archivists just discovered a lost Steptoe and Son Christmas script from 1963 - University of York archivists discovered an unseen Steptoe and Son script intended for Christmas 1963 in the Borthwick Institute for Archives. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson during the show’s golden age, the script features Harold throwing a party for trendy friends while dealing with Albert’s lack of festive spirit – ending with both getting chicken pox on Christmas morning. The storylines were eventually recycled for a 1973 Christmas special.

⛪ FAITH & CIVIC LIFE

✝️ Archbishop of York says Israeli militias stopped him visiting Palestinian families at checkpoints - The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said he was “intimidated” by Israeli militias during a visit to the Holy Land this year. During his Christmas Day sermon at York Minster, he said: “We were stopped at various checkpoints and intimidated by Israeli militias who told us that we couldn’t visit Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank.” He described how YMCA charity representatives in Bethlehem gave him an olive wood nativity scene carving showing a “large grey wall” blocking the three kings from getting to the stable.

🎬 ENTERTAINMENT

📺 From Patience to a new Christmas film - here’s where you’ll see York on your screens in 2026 - Series two of hit TV drama Patience returns to Channel 4 from Saturday 7 January 2026 at 9pm, with filming having taken place inside and outside York Minster. The new series features Ella Maisy Purvis as Patience Evans, Mark Benton and Nathan Welsh, plus new cast member Jessica Hynes. A brand new Christmas film Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint is also coming in 2026, starring Celia Imrie, Richard E Grant, John Bradley and Karl Pilkington. And comedian Jon Richardson’s new series A Yorkshire Pub follows him restoring The Plough in Fadmoor, North Yorkshire.

🏊 SPORT & FITNESS

🥇 This Olympic champ’s York swim school has more than doubled - and it’s teaching something crucial - Tom Dean’s York swim school has grown from 135 members to over 300 since opening at The Mount School in Dalton Terrace earlier this year. The triple Olympic gold medallist’s program teaches water safety alongside swimming skills, with nearly 20 adult learners ranging from their 20s to 70s. The school partnered with the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation to provide free sessions for 1,000 young people nationally who wouldn’t otherwise have access to swimming lessons.

⚽ Injury-time drama! How 10-man York City snatched a point in front of 8,000 fans - Josh Stones’ injury-time thunderbolt salvaged a 2-2 draw for York City against Boston United at the LNER Community Stadium on Boxing Day. Playing with 10 men after Ollie Banks’ red card, City looked set to lose after Connor Teale headed Boston in front with five minutes left. But Stones latched onto Harrison Male’s pass to thunder home an equalizer in the penultimate minute of seven added on, denying nearly 8,000 fans the chance to see City equal a club record of eight consecutive wins. York City FC

🏃 From NHS ‘artificial pancreas’ at 15 to running 200 miles across deserts - meet York’s ultramarathon hero - Jonty Brown, 35, from Harrogate now living in London, was one of the first people to receive an NHS “artificial pancreas” at age 15. The technology continually monitors blood glucose and automatically adjusts insulin delivery through a pump. Brown, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 12, has become the first diabetic to run nearly 200 miles across the UK and the 340-mile Los Angeles to Las Vegas Speed Project via Death Valley.

🎭 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

🎄 Still haven’t got your festive fix? Here’s what’s still open today and tomorrow

Christmas might be over, but York’s festive season is still in full swing this weekend. Here’s what you can still catch:

🎭 Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal - The 2025/26 panto with Jennie Dale (Captain Captain from CBeebies’ Swashbuckle) as Fairy Moonbeam continues through Sunday 4 January. Expect stunning costumes, gorgeous sets, and dazzling special effects at St. Leonard’s Place. Book Tickets

⛸️ Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland - Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the glistening outdoor ice rink, thrilling funfair, and cosy alpine café The Chalet at York Designer Outlet are open through 4 January. Perfect for burning off those mince pies. More Info

🧙 Christmas at Castle Howard with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz - The house is transformed into the magical world of Oz through installations, soundscapes and projections. Running 10am-4pm daily through 4 January. More Info

🐭 A Christmas Mousequerade at Fairfax House - Wander into the glittering world of Georgian York where the Fairfax family are preparing for a spectacular Ball. The mischievous Townmice are back causing festive mayhem. Open 10am-5pm through 4 January. Updates

🎄 Christmas at York Castle Museum: A Very Yorkshire Christmas
The famous Victorian street Kirkgate is decked out with beautifully decorated pine trees, twinkling garlands, and a fresh layer of snow. Live performances of traditional carols throughout. Open 10am-5pm daily through 4 January. More Info

🌲 Christmas Tree Festival at York Minster - 70 trees on display in the cathedral’s stunning Nave, Chapter House and Lady Chapel, decorated by local businesses, schools and charities. Add your own Christmas message to a tag on the prayer trees. Open 10am-4pm through Monday 5 January. More Info.

👠 Cinderella at Grand Opera House - York’s biggest Christmas show stars Lisa George (Coronation Street) as Fairy Godmother and Tobias Turley as Prince Charming. The Grand Opera House spectacular runs through 4 January with various show times. More Info.

That’s your York wrap for today - a city still buzzing after Boxing Day, full of kindness, grit, big stories and plenty of festive sparkle. Whether you’re ticking off another Christmas tradition or taking a well-earned moment to yourself, enjoy your day, stay safe in the mist, and we’ll be back soon with more from around our city. ✨🌲