THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Weekend Wrap Up - Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2026
Medieval shrine comes home after 500 years, £51m land deals close including The Retreat, Hull Road potholes fixed, and next weekend's Ice Trail gets 36 sculptures confirmed.
Right then – weekend's here and York's buzzing. We've got medieval treasures coming home, property deals worth millions, including The Retreat, and next weekend's Ice Trail lineup confirmed. Plus, there's wizard tourism in The Shambles, roadwork charges approved, and a landlord throwing darts for his baby son. Let's crack on.
💰 BUSINESS & PROPERTY
🏘️ The Retreat York sold for the 120-unit scheme as region attracts major investment; Major property transactions including The Retreat in York – that landmark 40-acre estate with Grade II* listed buildings – sold to PJ Livesey for a 120-unit residential scheme. Savills Leeds team delivered £51.43m across 11 sites in 2025, totalling 1,198 housing plots. Other Yorkshire deals include Whitby's Sandpiper Close (241 homes) and Boroughbridge's Chapel Hill Phase 2 (195 units, 40% affordable). Despite national market challenges, Yorkshire keeps attracting "strong and diverse buyer interest."
🎨 Creative Chrysalis plans revealed – 1,000 sq m hub for festivals and emerging talent; Creative Chrysalis plans revealed – a proposed 1,000 sq m arts and culture hub in the city centre. Would support festivals, showcase emerging talent, and cement York's status as the region's creative heart. Part of the York Prospectus, it could generate £124m in social value (£37.82 return for every pound invested). Aims to strengthen York's role as the UK's only UNESCO City of Media Arts. Needs £3m investment to get going. Goes before the council meeting on Tuesday, 3rd February.
📰 CITY NEWS
📊 Independent report shows 40,000+ jobs possible with £1.2bn investment; Independent Sewells Advisory report shows York's development could create £12.1bn in social value, 40,000+ construction jobs, and 2,700 operational roles. The York Prospectus (approved November 2025) focuses on innovation, culture, heritage-led growth, affordable homes, and tackling inequality. Projects need £1.2bn capital investment, but Council Leader Claire Douglas says benefits will be massive. Includes Centre for Heritage, Bio-Yorkshire Campus, and Station Gateway scheme.
“In November last year we approved an ambitious long-term plan for York’s future, providing a practical framework for delivery shaped by local priorities.
⚖️ 'Crime – Not to Care' campaign catches two residents dumping waste; Two residents copped it in the council's 'Crime – Not to Care' campaign. Jake Calam (28, Foxwood Lane) fined £1,170 for dumping waste July 2024-July 2025. Lianne Hodkinson (43, formerly Riverside Gardens) was fined £1,020 after her waste was fly-tipped by an unlicensed carrier she found on social media. Message: Check your waste carrier's license, or you're liable.
"Keeping York clean should be a key priority for us all, the council, residents, businesses and visitors. Fly‑tipping undermines that goal by blighting our neighbourhoods and wasting people’s Council Tax by diverting spend away from improvements to our public spaces."are
💸 York and Scarborough hospitals are grappling with RAAC problems and maternity repairs; York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals won't hit financial balance, Chief Executive Clare Smith confirms. Facing £24-31m deficit. Issues include £9m RAAC problems at Scarborough Hospital, £1.3m for maternity roof repairs, and £1.9m for York SCBU refurbishment that's running behind schedule. Tough times ahead for the Trust. (YorkMix)
🤝 The Rachael Maskell visits York hub offering showers, meals, and activity groups; Rachael Maskell visited York's women's centre offering support to vulnerable women – including those in the criminal justice system, experiencing homelessness, or struggling with addiction. Centre provides showers, laundry, hot meals, and activity groups. York Central MP said: "For too long, women have not been supported in the way they need, and this centre is really important for bridging that gap." Deputy Mayor Jo Coles praised the visit.
🚧 TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE
💷 Roadworks Companies Face £2,500 Daily Peak-Time Charges
🚦 North of England's first lane rental scheme approved – operational by spring; Game-changer approved. Department for Transport backs North Yorkshire Council's lane rental scheme. Companies doing roadworks during peak hours face up to £2,500 daily charges, operational by spring. Successfully trialled in London and Kent – congestion dropped as firms worked outside peak times to dodge fees. Surplus funds are reinvested in highway maintenance. First scheme of its kind in the North of England.
🕳️ Hull Road Potholes Fixed After Cold Snap
🔧 Council crews repaired exposed cables near Tang Hall Lane junction; Council crews jumped on it on Thursday, January 29th. Potholes near the Tang Hall Lane junction had exposed yellow armoured cables after the road surface disintegrated during recent cold weather. Lib Dem activist Andrew Mortimer flagged the issue. Council's Dave Atkinson said there's been "an unfortunate increase in road damage" from wet and cold weather but repairs are happening "as quickly as possible." Report road issues at www.york.gov.uk/reportroadspavements (York Press) | (YorkMix)
🎨 Colo ur & Light Road Closures Reminder
💡 Eye of York transforming into an illuminated spectacle from Tuesday; The Eye of York roads close nightly from 5 pm-9 pm from Tuesday, 3rd February, through Sunday, 22nd February. The York Castle area from Tower Street junction is affected. Free event transforming York Castle Museum and Clifford's Tower with choreographed illuminations revealing York's rogues, rebels, and legendary figures. Shows run 6-9 pm nightly (every 10 minutes on loop). Emergency services allowed access. Diversions signed.
Colour & Light arrives in York on February 4
🚉 Tea Room Square Shut for Station Gateway Works
🚧 No vehicle access as pedestrian-friendly space takes shape;No vehicle access off Station Road into Tea Room Square – access through portico only. No right turn out either. Diversions via Lendal Gyratory for Blossom Street traffic. Station Gateway project is creating a pedestrian-friendly space around the station entrance. Works are ongoing as the major transformation continues.The
🎭 WHAT'S ON & ENTERTAINMENT
❄️ Ice Trail Confirmed: 36 Sculptures Next Weekend
⛸️the "An Enchanted City" theme with FREE entry, live carving, and Ice Village; York Ice Trail 2026 returns 7-8 February with "An Enchanted City" theme. 36 ice sculptures by Icebox specialists across the city centre, 10:30 am-4 pm both days. FREE entry. Live carving demonstrations from 12 pm daily. New Ice Village on Parliament Street with themed traders, food, and magical gifts. Interactive displays, including Ice Ice Baby neon photo op. Ice carving masterclasses bookable (£35+VAT for 2 people, 40 minutes). Trail maps at Visit York Information Centre. Complete the trail, get a special sticker.
(YorkMix)
🎪 Barbican Gets Leadership Shake-Up
🎵 Rebecca Stevenson promoted to Deputy GM after climbing through the ranks; Legends Global announces promotions. Sam Ryder promoted to Director of Concert Hall Development while continuing as GM Connexin Live Hull. Rebecca Stevenson steps up to Deputy General Manager at York Barbican – she joined in September 2021 as Events Manager and has worked her way up. Strengthening the concert hall portfolio across the region. Proper talent development.
💙 COMMUNITY & CHARITY
🎵 Crescent Gig Raises £2,600 for Millie Wright Charity
💚 The 5:15s headline Saturday night for Leeds Children's Hospital families; Cracking night at The Crescent Community Venue on Saturday 24th January. The 5:15s headlined with Five Time Steady supporting. The Millie Wright Children's Charity supports families at Leeds Children's Hospital with practical and emotional help. Founded May 2022 by Ceri and Nigel Wright in memory of their daughter Millie who died aged 13 in August 2021. Event organiser Thomas Dickinson calls it "the best night out in January" and they're planning to run it for years.
🎯 Heworth Pub Landlord's Darts Marathon for Baby Son
💙 Phil Gamble targets 100,000 points in 12 hours for York SCBU on March 1st; This is lovely. Phil Gamble from The Heworth Inn is hosting a 12-hour charity darts challenge on March 1st (11 am-11 pm) for York's Special Care Baby Unit. Target: 100,000 points (8,333 per hour). His son Charlie spent 17 days in SCBU after being born on December 23rd with breathing problems. Phil said the first 72 hours were "the scariest thing", but the staff were brilliant. Money raised through donations and raffles. Live music from Tangentle Vibes with an open mic from 3pm. Public invited to throw a few darts and help hit the target.
📖 TRT Rehab Founder Publishes Transformation Guide
📕 ,Iwona Michalska's 7-step guide to rebuilding life after rock bottom; Iwona Michalska's book is out. The TRT Rehab founder (Shipton-by-Beningbrough functional rehab centre) has published "How to change your life fast, when it rains: A 7-step guide to rebuild your life when everything falls apart." Available on Amazon for £12.99 (hardcopy) or £7.99 (Kindle). Graphics by York artist Aneta Sliwinska, herself a TRTrehab client. Iwona knows about hitting rock bottom – she rebuilt her body, mindset, and life from scratch, then created TRTrehab to help others do the same.
🎓 EDUCATION
🐕 Askham Bryan Gets National Dog Training Recognition
🏅 ABTC formally recognises Canine and Feline Behaviour programme
Proper accreditation landed. University Centre Askham Bryan's FdSc Canine and Feline Behaviour and Training programme now formally recognised by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). Graduates can now become Animal Training Instructors (ATI) and/or Animal Behaviour Technicians (ABT). Opens up professional pathways for students passionate about working with dogs and cats. Big win for the college.
(Darlington & Stockton Times)
🏛️ HERITAGE & CULTURE
⛪ Medieval Treasure Finally Comes Home
🏺 St William's shrine fragments return to York Minster after 500 years; St William's shrine fragments are back at York Minster after 500 years in exile. The shrine was dismantled and literally buried under York's streets between 1538-1541 during the Reformation. Exhibition opens today (Saturday 31st Jan) marking the 800th anniversary of St William's canonisation, complete with a cinematic 3D reconstruction by York-based Viridian FX studio showing how the two-storey stone monument would've looked in its glory days. (BBC)
🏆 Medieval Students Scoop Top Honours
📚 University of York grads bag prestigious prizes for groundbreaking research; University of York medieval studies grads picked up prestigious prizes at the January 8th ceremony. Naoki Matsumoto won the Garmonsway Dissertation Prize for groundbreaking research on transgender experiences in the Middle Ages. Jessica Sherburn bagged the Olivia Toubkin Prize for work on Viking Poetry. Beth Harckham-Edwards took the Richard III Prize for her thesis on Earl Thomas Beauchamp II's lost tomb. Proper academic gold.
🧙 The Shambles: Yorkshire's "Diagon Alley"
✨ Tourists in wizard robes flooding medieval street from around the globe; Tourists in full wizard robes are flooding The Shambles from Asia, America, and New Zealand. Shop workers say it's "one of the UK's busiest shopping streets" with customers from different continents daily. The 900-year-old former butchers' row is now home to Harry Potter-themed shops like 'The Shop That Must Not Be Named.' Workers love the vibe – "it feels like a real slice of Diagon Alley" with cobbled streets, wonky wooden beams, and side alleys. Busy March-September, quieter now through March.
(Yorkshire Live)
📅 WHAT'S ON IN YORK THIS WEEKEND
🎟️ Saturday 31st January
🏛️ York Residents' Festival (All Day) – FREE
The big one kicks off today. Free entry to York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum, York Art Gallery, plus food and drink offers, shopping discounts, and guided walk deals across the city. You'll need proof of your York postcode. Last chance for tickets at limited venues. More Info
🎵 Songs of Joy In Winter (3pm) – FREE
St Clement's Church on Scarcroft Road hosts Renaissance devotion to contemporary reflection. Sacred and secular music with clear melodies and rich harmonies to lift your spirits. Donations go to The Joseph Trust. Details
🕺 Man In The Mirror – MJ Tribute (7:30pm)
York Barbican hosts CJ, one of the world's top Michael Jackson tribute artists. Full setlist: Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Smooth Criminal, plus dazzling choreography, visual effects, and authentic costumes. This one's a proper show - more Info.
🎭 The Constant Wife – Final Night (7:30 pm)
York Theatre Royal wraps up Somerset Maugham's glittering 1927 comedy. Constance is the perfect wife whose husband is devoted to both her AND his mistress (who happens to be her best friend). Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade's adaptation. More Info
🩰 Nutcracker in Havana – Final Night (7:30 pm)
Grand Opera House closes Carlos Acosta's Cuban take on the festive classic. Tchaikovsky's score reimagined by Cuban composer Pepe Gavilondo, performed by 20+ dancers from Acosta Danza. Ballet meets Cuban dance traditions.
🚀 Owt O'This World! – Matinee (2:30 pm)
New Earswick Folk Hall. Blue Light Theatre Company's family panto about the Swaggle Sisters stranded on an alien planet by the Yorkshire Space Agency. Proper Yorkshire – all profits to MND Association York and York Against Cancer. More Info
🎟️ Sunday 1st February
🎤 Gyles Brandreth: Can't Stop Talking!!! (3pm)
Grand Opera House. The jumper-loving This Morning star who holds the world record for longest after-dinner speech (12.5 hours!) works out why he's been "burbling and babbling since he was a baby." Should be brilliant. Details
🏳️🌈 York LGBT History Month 2026 Launch (6pm)
York Castle Museum kicks off LGBT History Month. This year's theme: "Science and Technology" – performers sharing lived experiences, talks on current challenges, community organizations showcasing projects, plus networking opportunities. Details.
That's your lot for this weekend – the last hurrah of January 2026. Get your York postcode proof sorted and make the most of Residents' Festival while it's here, catch those final night performances before they close, and don't sleep on next weekend's Ice Trail (7-8 Feb, 36 sculptures, FREE entry).
York's buzzing. Stay warm, stay informed, and we'll see you in your inbox next week.
