What’s on in York: Sky Ride returns to York for final lap!

Following the hugely popular Sky Ride in 2015 which saw over 8,000 cyclists take to the city’s famous streets, the country’s last ever Sky Ride big city event will take place in York on 11 September.

Cyclists of all ages and abilities will have the chance to take to York’s historic streets on two wheels on a fantastic 7km route taking in some of city’s most famous landmarks, including York Minster and Clifford’s Tower.

During Sky Ride York there will be music and entertainment, competitions plus a traffic-free route to ride around the centre of York that will allow bike riders to see York from a different perspective.

Sky Ride York will launch at 11am at the scenic start location at the Eye of York overlooked by Clifford’s Tower, although riders can join anywhere on the route until 4pm. Road closures will be in place throughout the morning until approximately 5pm, or as soon as possible after the event has finished to ensure the safety of everyone taking part.

The York Festival of Cycling will take place on the same day and will once again give residents and visitors the chance to take part in all sorts of pedal powered activities in Rowntree Park, a stone’s throw away from the Sky Ride Route. A stunt team will also be on hand throughout the day to show off their jaw dropping skills.
(more…)

Lets Get Ready To Grumble

York Explore Library :

Fri 12 Aug :

Various times :

£2

Aug 12_Get Ready To Grumble1 Lets Get Ready To Grumble is an interactive musical performance suited to outdoor and woodland settings.

Aimed at 6 -12 years olds, but appropriate for much younger audiences, the 30 minute performance features anarchic humour, physical slapstick, live music and sock puppetry. A subversive take on classic children’s fairytales,

Lets Get Ready To Grumble takes inspiration from the Little Red Riding Hood featured in Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, Michael Rosen’s imaginative storytelling and the musical stylings of Tim Minchin.

Grumbly Bear is a cranky, cantankerous young bear, always grumbling about this, that and the other. The residents of Grumbly Wood are fearful of his bellyaching and avoid troubling him at all costs. One day, he meets the feisty Little Red, who confronts him on his grumbliness and encourages him to embark on grumbly management, with mixed success. Through the therapies dispensed by woodland creature friends and through a journey of self-discovery, the residents of Grumbly Wood learn to accept and appreciate Grumbly Bear for his many talents.

Adaptable for a variety of spaces and locations, the performance requires no sound or lighting tech, and the only set is one small pop-up tent and some signage. The performance features three cast members, five specially-written songs and selection of hand-made sock puppets, with the audience encouraged to join in the songs and interact with the show.

We are touring family-friendly festivals and events from May 2016 onwards to Green Man, Deer Shed and Riverside Festival.

There are three sessions available

11.30am – 12.00pm

1.30pm – 2.00pm

2.30pm – 3.00pm

To book tickets or for any more information please contact any York Library or York Explore on (01904) 552828 or york@exploreyork.org.uk

An Evening with Susan Fletcher

York Explore Library :

Wed 10 Aug :

6.30pm – 7.30pm :

£6 (£5 with a York Card)

Aug 10_Susan Fletcher Susan Fletcher won the Whitbread Prize for First Novel in 2004 for her debut novel Eve Green which also won the Betty Trask Prize in 2005 and was on Richard and Judy’s Summer Read list the same year.

Let Me Tell You about a Man I Knew is her sixth novel, narrated by the wife of the doctor who tended van Gogh in his last, madly frenetic painting years.

“As I began to research I discovered there had been a warden at the asylum in Provence, Charles Trabuc. But he’d also had a wife. And intriguingly, Van Gogh had painted them both. It was on seeing Jeanne’s portrait – her high-necked dress as if being restrained, and the soft, sad kindness to her face – that I felt my new novel settle around me. I knew, with certainty, whose story I would tell. Whilst I’ve used Van Gogh’s letters, art and numerous biographies as a basis for this novel, Jeanne’s tale is all my own. It is her year, as I imagine it – her year of knowing this extraordinary man and how it altered her.”

Tickets can be bought online or at any York library.

There are 100 tickets available.