What’s on in York: Martyn Waites- The Old Religion

Jun _10Martin Waite

York Explore Library :

Wed 20 Jun :

6.30pm – 7.30pm :

£5

Join Martyn Waites as he launches his new thriller the Old Religion.

The Cornish village of St Petroc is the sort of place where people come to hide. Tom Killgannon is one such person. An ex-undercover cop, Tom is in the Witness Protection Programme hiding from some very violent people, and St Petroc’s offers him a chance to live a safe and quiet life. Until he meets Lila.

A dark, twisted, fast-paced page-turner, The Old Religion is a contemporary British rural crime thriller that combines deft plotting and evocative landscapes with richness of character.

‘Waites is one of the very best crime writers we have, simple as that. I’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time and, boy, it was worth waiting for. I don’t know if I devoured IT or IT devoured ME…’ – Mark Billingham

‘One of the brightest stars in the British crime writing firmament’ – John Connolly

For fans of Peter May and Ann Cleeves comes a new thriller featuring ex-undercover police officer Tom Killgannon. Welcome to the dark heart of Cornwall . . .

He was running from his past.

She was running from her future.

Sometimes helping a stranger is the last thing you should do . . .

Martyn Waites was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama and worked as an actor for many years before becoming a writer. His novels include the critically acclaimed Joe Donovan series, set in the north-east of England, and The White Room which was a Guardian book of the year. In 2013 he was chosen to write Angel of Death, the official sequel to Susan Hill’s Woman in Black and in 2014 won the Grand Prix du Roman Noir for Born Under Punches. Martyn wrote the bestselling ‘Brennan and Esposito’ series under the pseudonym Tania Carver. To date, the series has sold over 190,000 copies. The first book in the series, The Surrogate, was nominated for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year Award.

To book tickets please click here.

Future plans for York libraries

 Council to tender for new service provider

Acomb Explore Library

City of York Council’s Executive will be asked to consider proposals for the future development of York’s Libraries and Archives at a meeting later this month (21 June).

If the proposals are agreed, the council will look to appoint an operator for the service for the next 15 years with a contract of £32 million; maintaining the existing level of funding despite pressure on budgets

The existing five-year contract with Explore Libraries and Archives Mutual Limited expires on 31 March 2019.

The move is likely to cause concern that the substantial progress made by the current operator will be jeopardised. Working together the Council and contractor have managed to sustain the existing network of facilities across the whole City – unlike the situation in  most other parts of the country.

The tender documents may raise the prospect of reduced hours or “volunteer only”  manning at some small branches.

Some of the Councils “outsourcing” deals have failed spectacularly.

Yesterday the Warden Call CIC was revealed to have crashed financially and it will now be brought back “in house”.  “Make it York” has had a troubled couple of years while GLL has been criticised for chasing footfall, since it took over the Councils leisure centres, at the expense of a timetable with a broader appeal.

The procurement plans follow a citywide consultation from November 2017 – February 2018, which 2,484 people responded to, giving their views on the council’s vision for the future of the city’s library and archives service.

Key elements of the consultation feedback include:

  • The need to retain key services such as borrowing books, providing a reading and studying space, and providing access to computers
  • The desirability of providing a reading cafe on site
  • The importance of the library as a community hub with opening hours to reflect the needs of local residents
  • Libraries providing state of the art learning spaces
  • Maximising the best use of the buildings through partnership working
  • Respondents broadly supported for the vision of moving away from stand alone library buildings and recognised the need for partnerships to create services co-located with other community amenities.

Key proposals for the future service include:
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‘The Lily and the Rose”, introduced by author Nick Morrice

Jun _14 Nick Morrice

York Explore Library :

Thu 14 Jun :

6.30pm – 7.30pm :

Free

York-based author Nick Morrice speaks about and reads from his autobiographical novel which is based on four key periods in his life. The book is dedicated to the contemporary composer Bob Chilcott whose musical setting of the medieval lyric poem, ”The Lily and the Rose”, led the author to discover surprising parallels between his own life and the medieval legends of ‘The Quest for the Holy Grail’ and ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’.

This is an illustrated talk with an opportunity for questions afterwards. Signed copies will be available at £10.00.

This event will take place in the Marriott Room, at York Explore Library
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Unique “Northern Lights” exhibition at York Minster this weekend.

See York Minster in a new light when the cathedral opens its doors after hours for Northern Lights, a new light projection and sound installation which will transform the Minster’s Nave.

Saturday and Sunday 16th & 17th June

8:00pm

Click to book ticket

Artists from double Guinness World Record winning company The Projection Studio have designed the piece, taking inspiration from the Minster’s stained glass and architecture.

Visitors will have the chance to experience the Minster at dusk, with its cavernous Nave completely cleared of chairs and filled with music from the cathedral’s organ, before the light and sound installation is shown at 9.30pm.

Projection artist Ross Ashton and sound artist Karen Monid have designed the piece to be an immersive experience, using the roof of the Nave and Great West Window – which features the famous Heart of Yorkshire – as a backdrop for the breath-taking light projection. Visitors will be surrounded by music and sound effects as part of the experience, including music recorded by the York Minster Choir.

The events have been organised to raise awareness and funds for a new conservation campaign to extend state-of-the-art protective glazing to all 128 of the cathedral’s mostly medieval windows over the next 20 years. Learn more about the project here.

Doors open at 8:00pm with last admission at 9:00pm. The Northern Lights installation will show from 9.30pm with the event finishing at approximately 10pm.

If you are unable to attend there is an opportunity to bid “on line” in a silent auction for some amazing prizes. All proceeds are going to the Minster conservation project

Click here for details

What’s on in York: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Six Impossible Things

Fairfax House :

Thu 14 Jun :

7.00pm – 8.30pm :

£14.00 (Members £12.00) Includes refreshments

Ben Russell, Curator of Mechanical Engineering at the Science Museum, considers the ‘Impossible’ in the Age of Reason … unimaginable new technologies, mind-blowing scientific discoveries and revolutionary new ideas. Challenging everything that had gone before, these advancements brought into sharp focus the tensions between imagination and wonder, rationality and reason. In doing so, they provoked controversy, and pushed the boundaries of what Georgian Britain was prepared to believe in.

For more information please check out this web site

What’s on in York: Explore a Story

Jun _14 Explore A Story The Gruffalo

York Explore Library :

Thu 14 Jun :

2.00pm – 3.00pm :

£2

‘Explore a Story’ is an interactive storytelling session for 2-5 year olds. The session uses props and games to get the children involved in bringing the stories to life. The sessions give children the opportunity to use and develop their imaginations within the storytelling, and helps to develop their creative skills beyond the sessions also.

This interactive style of storytelling shows the children different ways to read a story and opens up and re-imagines how the stories are put together.

Come with us through the swishy swashy grass on a bear hunt, with teddy to the moon, or on a perilous quest to find some secret treasure. They are encouraged to bring their own ideas and build them into the session on a journey through the imagination.

Tickets £2 per child. For children aged 2 – 5 years old.

Available to pre book by coming into any York library or by telephone on (01904) 552828.