Category: Uncategorized

Howard Mosley-Chalk is a father and a husband. But more importantly he is a man. These are his (un)manly words. I’m writing this in an upstairs room, peering down out of the window at my two eldest children playing in the garden. One has a water pistol and is intentionally soaking himself, while the other […]

Tony Chalcroft gives us the lowdown on our gardens Let’s start with the welcome summer visitors. I’ll be opening my one acre fruit, veg and flower garden for charity again this year as part of the National Garden Scheme. Dates are Sunday 8th July 1-5pm and Wednesday 11th July 2-7pm. Everyone is very welcome. Admission […]

by Chris Brown, of Browns Nurseries Q. I have recently moved house and the garden’s soil is mostly clay. Could you give me some advice on gardening on clay and recommend some plants, please? The new gardener often views a heavy clay soil with despair because it is poor to warm is spring, poorly drained, […]

The first ten days of the month looks like being a busy period with family reunions and special days out: the 5th 6th and 7th are important dates for cementing new friendships and relationships. From the 10th onwards there is a mild feeling of anti-climax, and you need to create new targets and new dates […]

Ahead of the theatre opening on 25th June, we caught up with the chap behind the ambitious Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre – Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre.   Hello. Who are you? James Cundall, Chief Executive of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Founder of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre. And what do you do? Lunchbox Theatrical Productions are […]

A few weeks ago, a casual conversation between friends revealed that some of the locals in the room had never walked on the city’s walls. Or rather, The Walls, because they should only be referred to using the utmost of reverence. I mean, come on you guys, have you SEEN them? Oh right, most of […]

Prior to the performance of Jackson – Live in Concert at The Grand Opera House on 21st September, we caught up with CJ, Michael Jackson impersonator and star of the show.   WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE ARTIST? I have been inspired by Michael Jackson from the age of about 4 […]

Bursting onto the stage of The Grand Opera House, 16th -21st July, Hairspray tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, on a mission to follow her dreams and dance her way onto national TV. We catch up with Brenda Edwards, formally of The X Factor, […]

One door closes while another opens. As the “opening door” is the one to go through, let’s celebrate rather than commiserate. It’s time to dump anything that is old and past its sell-by date and there are new adventures beckoning. Some changes on the job scene are to your advantage, so the golden rule is […]

Resident ‘Gadget Boy’ Howard takes a look at the month’s news in tech, science, and stuff that he would like people to buy him. Please. Be sure to scroll down for this month’s top gadgets… Confirmed: the GDPR will send you to sleep Over recent weeks you’ve probably received dozens of emails about GDPR (including […]

York Maze’s Hallowscream event has been named the best in the UK at the annual Halloween and scare attraction industry awards. York Maze Hallowscream has built a dedicated fan base who return year on year to experience the five live-action haunted house attractions. In 2017 they added a new haunted house, stage show and put […]

Ask Chris Brown from Browns Nurseries. Q. Chris, how do I prune lavender to keep it tidy and flowering throughout the summer? English lavender is a fully to half hardy evergreen shrub with aromatic, often grey-green foliage and scented flowers, which are usually mauve or purple, but sometimes white and pink, in summer. Lavender is […]

“Don’t be weedy” was a favourite shout of one of my PE teachers. Humiliation, rather than motivation, was his style. His exhortation is one I’m always reminded of when on the plot at this time of year. Weeds may just be ‘flowers in the wrong place’, but lush weed growth in late spring can rapidly […]

Dan Tait delivers his thoughts on local, national, and international sporting clashes. Pray silence. No sooner has the football season ended, and optimism begins to rear its ugly head. After York City picked up a paltry 1 point from a possible 18 in the final throws of the campaign to finish a dismal 11th place, […]

“I have reached that age”, muses the narrator of Anita Brookner’s Incidents in the Rue Langier, “when a woman begins to perceive that she is growing into the person she least plans to resemble: her mother”. Well, I know just how she feels. The other day, I was having a quiet rummage in my photo […]