What’s on in York: The Hallé in York 4th November 2017

Elgar – The Dream of Gerontius

Saturday 4th November 2017

York Minster, York

Tickets from £20

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Conductor
Sir Mark Elder

Featuring:
David Butt Philip, Tenor
Claudia Huckle, Contralto
Neal Davis, Bass-Baritone

Choir:
Hallé Choir
Hallé Youth Choir

Gerontius is a dying man, an ‘everyman’ character who commends his soul to God and prays with his friends for a safe passage into the next life. Elgar’s choral masterpiece follows his journey through death, where he meets the guardian angel who guides him past his demons and a brief moment facing the Almighty before leaving him among all the souls in Purgatory to await final salvation. ‘This is the best of me’, wrote Elgar at the end of a score that is full of deep passion, blazing virtuosity, momentous climaxes and a profound sense of mystery. Heard in the splendour of York Minster, with Sir Mark Elder conducting the Hallé and an outstanding team of soloists, this will surely be an unforgettable performance.

Ticket Information>>

This event is managed by Ryedale Festival. Please refer to the booking link for more information.

Get into gear for the Festival of Cycling

 

A renowned free event, the York Festival of Cycling will return once again to Rowntree Park on Sunday 3 September.

The cycling event has something for the whole family with all sorts of fun pedal powered activities and attractions for people to take part in.

There will be bikes and trikes of all shapes and sizes including adapted bikes, balance bikes and tandems for people to test ride on the day.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “The festival of cycling gives residents and visitors a great opportunity to find out about the travel and health benefits of cycling, no matter how old or fit you are. It’s also a fantastic way to see our great city!”

BMX stunt team ‘Savage Skills’ will be performing throughout the day showing some of the amazing stunts and tricks that can be done on two wheels. There will also be ‘The AirBag’ for those brave enough to try out their own airborne tricks without the worry of a hard landing.

North Yorkshire Police will be on hand with their state of the art ‘dot peen’ property marking machine. They will be security marking cycles and other valuable items during the day free of charge.

The i-Travel York team will also be available to provide travel advice and information for residents to encourage them to try out sustainable modes of travel, including cycling and walking. For more information visit www.itravelyork.info

What’s on in York: Pollination – Telling the Bees Community Art Project (inc parent and child workshop)

York Explore Library :

Mon 21 Aug :

1.30pm – 4.00pm

:Free

Aug _21pollinationWe are working in partnership with Explore York and Universities of York, Sheffield and Lancaster on a digital making and design project called Telling the Bees.

The completed artwork called PolliNation will be formed from more than 300 individual hexagons, created using coloured pencils on pieces mdf. All pieces made during session time will be kept by the tutors and exhibited as a final piece in Explore York library during the autumn as part of the Telling the bees festival.

This workshop is open to people of all abilities and age ranges. Children over the age of 7 are welcome, if accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.

To book online click here.

Westfield ward committee improvements – list published

The Council, has published a list of projects that will be funded from the Westfield ward delegated budget this year. Most other wards have announced similar lists. The Westfield list can be found by clicking here

Although covering 30 months of funding, the list does include schemes which have not yet got off the ground.

Amongst them are plans for diversionary activities in the beleaguered Chapelfields area.

Allocations include

  • £6,841 funding to tackle anti-social behaviour across the ward.  Out of that fund, £376 was allocated to pay for CCTV maintenance on Bramham Road between September 2017 to September 2018.
  • £1500  was transferred to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Chapelfields area.
  • £3,521 funding to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Chapelfields area

The Chapelfields programe is described as “a multi-agency team involving police, LAT and Public Health as well as local community groups who will seek to address anti-social behaviour through targeted diversionary activities for local children and young people. This will link to the Communities that Care programme which is being developed by the local police”.  £500 has been paid for Urbie sessions (a community youth activity bus project) in a local church car park. Further visits are expected in September

Residents have written to the Council asking for an update on the progress with these projects and a similar initiative at the Kingsway West MUGA which although allocated £2000 in the budget, also does not seem to have started yet.

We wish the authorities well in their attempts to defuse the situation.

Westfield survey priorities at 18th August 2017 (excluding Foxwood)

The results of the Ward Committees ballot, which sought residents priorities on use of its delegated budget, have not been published yet.

However the results of a similar door to door survey conducted by local Councillors are available.

So far over 1540 forms have been returned.

They show strong support for five projects.

These include funding for leisure activities for younger people and security improvements. 

 

 

Anti social behaviour peaks in Chapelfields

Dispersal order in place from 5:00pm today

Police are warning that robust action will be taken following eight days of high level anti-social behaviour in York’s Chapelfields estate.

There have been more than twenty five incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Chaplefields area between 9 August and 16 August.

The nature of the incidents, have included anti-social use of mopeds and motorcycles, arson, drug use and criminal damage.

The groups of youths, sometimes up to thirty in number, causing this hazardous disruption have also been using threatening and abusive language towards residents and the police.

Circumstances of some of the more serious reports involved a flat window being forced open and fireworks thrown inside, a youth threatening an officer with a piece of wood a group climbing onto the school roof, where the skylight has been previously smashed by a group of the youths.

Bramham Road

The incidents have taken places across various locations in the area including Bramham Road, Bramham Avenue, Chaplefields Road, Westfield Place and Barkston Grove.

A dispersal order is going to be implemented at 5 pm today which will last for 48 hours. The dispersal order will cover an area of Bramham Road which includes the junction of Barkston Grove, and another area of Bramham Road which covers Costcutter and the junctions either side of Bramham avenue.

Inspector Lee Pointon of the York North Neighbourhood Policing Team, said:

The levels of anti-social behaviour this group are committing is just astonishing and they are causing so much misery amongst the community in Chaplefields.

Many residents, including the elderly and vulnerable, have felt intimidated, have been verbally abused, and are scared in their own home. This is totally unacceptable behaviour.
These youths are ruining what should be a respectable community enjoying the summer months and school holidays. Instead, we are seeing this group of defiant individuals who have no intentions other than to be nasty, cause desolation and despair amongst the public.

My team of officers and PCSOs are working hard to identify these youths and exercise the powers we can to deter them from this anti-social behaviour.

A dispersal order will be put in place today that will last for 48 hours. Anyone who breaks the order will be arrested. If the order is deemed successful, it will be continued throughout next week”.

Anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour or who has any information is asked to contact police. Dial 101, press 1 and speak to the force control room.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In the recent survey conducted by local Councillors in the Chapelfields estate many residents complained about what they regarded as the low police profile in the area.

  • 39% of respondents described policing in the estate as “poor”
  • Better security was the most requested improvement for the area

June edition of Chapelfields Focus newsletter

Chesney Field Council decision on 19th October UPDATED

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNCIL WILL NOT NOW DISCUSS THE CHESNEY FIELD ISSUES ON 19TH OCTOBER. INSTEAD THE QUESTION OF PROVIDING FENCING AND A STORAGE CONTAINER ON THE SITE WILL BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER MEETING WHEN THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR LEISURE WILL REVIEW THE PROPOSALS. THE MEETING WILL, OF COURSE, BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS.

EARLIER: Despite overwhelming opposition to the proposal to fence off most of the Chesney Field public open space, the York Council is set to discuss the plan at a meeting of its Executive taking place on 19th October.

The same meeting will also consider selling off land at Burnholme and plans to provide sports pitches on land at the “Askham estate” on Tadcaster Road.

However it is the proposal to erect 1 metre high railings, on the public open space on Foxwood Lane, that is likely to attract the most controversy.

Chesney’s Field Interpretation board unveiled last year

Council fencing plan

Public meeting

The Foxwood Residents Association is organising a public meeting to discuss the issue. It will take place on Wednesday 20th September starting at 7:00pm. The meeting will take place at the Foxwood Community Centre and will be attended by those Council officials who favour the railings plan.

Local Ward Councillors have now completed delivering a door to door survey to households in the Foxwood area seeking views on the Council’s plans.

Of those who have responded so far

  • 124 (72%) do not want to see the amenity area fenced off
  • 48 (28%) support putting railings round up to 60% of the area

These was no support for securing the whole of the site.

Most respondents said they had no objection to the current arrangements where football and rugby pitches are marked out on the area and rented on a seasonal basis by local clubs.

There was no opposition to plans to level the 2 pitches.

There was strong opposition to siting a shipping storage container on the open space, although some said they had no objection to one being located in the Thanet Road sports area (Acorn Field) behind the landscaping mounds.

Additional trees were planted on Chesney’s Field

Views about the provision of a trim track or outdoor gym were mixed. Some favoured provision of such a facility (which is not dependant on the area being fenced off) on Chesneys field although others felt the provision would be more appropriate on the Acorn field, where there is already a significant amount of sports infrastructure (and which is already secured with 2 metre high railings).

Residents were asked where provision for the local football club, which faces eviction from the Council owned pitches at Lowfields, should be made. The majority of respondents said that the Lowfields plans should be redesigned to allow the existing pitches to remain.

Others pointed to the Councils promise to provide an alternative on Tadcaster Road, while some asked if the joint use of pitches on the Acorn Rugby field was possible (given the projected cost of the project which is put at £40,000)

Foxwood residents, who have so far not completed the survey, can do so “on line” at http://tinyurl.com/Chesneyaug

 

 

 

What’s on in York: History Agents

York Explore Library :

Thu 17 Aug :

2.00pm – 3.30pm :

£2

Aug _17History AgentsCan you solve mysteries from York’s past? Become an archive detective, searching real ancient documents for clues.

Discover fascinating true stories from York’s archives by carrying out your own investigation into stories from the city’s past.

Together with Thea Jacob of Song Box, bring to life the characters and places hidden in the city’s archive by delving into our intriguing collection of photo albums, maps, minute books, scrap books, diaries and more.

Enjoy this rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and into Explore York Archive’s strong room to search for evidence of lives lived, jobs worked and places inhabited by people of York. Find intriguing historic records and piece together true tales from times past.

Suitable for 4-10 Year olds.

Booking is in person through any Explore York Library or by telephone at  York Explore Library on (01904) 552828 or  Acomb Explore Library on (01904) 552651.