York Festival of Ideas

The Festival of Ideas is taking place from Thu13 to Sat 29 June at various venues across the city.   The Festival is organised by the University of York along with many other partners, and hosted by multiple venues including York Explore, the Mansion House, Yorkshire Museum, the University and Explore Acomb Library.

This year's programme, with a theme of North and South, brings together a range of world-class speakers, exhibitions, performances and a host of stimulating and interactive experiences for people of all ages, including York residents and visitors to the city.

Headline speakers including Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, broadcaster and novelist Melvyn Bragg, screenwriter of Cranford and Call the Midwife, Heidi Thomas, archaeologists and broadcasters Michael Wood and Michael C Scott, and novelists including Judith O’Reilly and Jenni Fagan.

For further information visit: http://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2013/

Celebrate the past, the present and the future...

Sun 30 Jun, 12noon to 4pm in Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square

York has a long standing association with the militiary, of which it is extremely proud.  This event will have representatives from the Army, Navy and Air Force and will provide entertainment and fun irrespective of age.  From the Variety Marquee featuring a variety of acts including the Military Wives Choir, the sight and sound of the Yorkshire Regimental Band to a paint balling experience and many other activities.  There will even be a field hospital, military kitchen and weapons display as well as military vehicles and a world war 1 cinema!.

For further information please go to www.yorkfestivals.com 

All the fun of the fair

West Bank Park will be transformed into a festive focus for the community, when it's annual summer fair takes place.

At the West Bank Park Fair on Sun 30 June, from 1pm to 4pm, families will be entertained with a falconry display and fun dog show with classes including best pooch smooch and dog most like its owner.

There will be a bouncy castle, climbing wall and for those who prefer to watch and listen, people can pull up a chair for the musical entertainment from live local bands.

Over 20 community stalls will be run by groups selling cakes or plants or offering games, tomboloas and showing people the sort of work they do.  There will also be face painting and henna tattooing, and a chance to drive model cars or try your hand at playing bowls. Besides trying out street sports or having a football kick-around, why not try arts and crafts activities including storytelling, juggling and willow weaving?

The event is being organised by City of York Council in conjunction with the Friends of West Bank Park, and is financially supported by the Holgate Ward Committee. Jenny Cairns, a City of York Council ranger said: "This is usually a very well-attended summer fair and is a great demonstration of what a traditional summer fair is all about. The park will be buzzing with activity on Sunday afternoon with something for everyone to enjoy."

Entry is free but there is no parking on site so all visitors are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport. West Bank Park is in Holgate, with entrances on Acomb Road, New Lane and Hamilton Drive. For more information contact Jenny Cairns tel: 07833 436832 or email: jennifer.cairns@york.gov.uk  

Saints and sinners

Sun 30 Jun, 1.30pm to 3.30pm at York Explore

See our historic city through Medieval eyes as we explore the people and human stories behind the facades of the great monuments. This guided walk tells of good and evil, of saintly intentions and of worldly ambitions as grand knights and flamboyant churchmen assert their status. Discover also the people in the shadows - the devotees of alchemy and the occult. This is a rich and varied portrait of a tempestuous era.

We will all meet in the Garden Room at York Explore Library to enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee with a delicious slice of cake. This will give everyone a chance to meet each other and for the tutor to give a quick briefing.  The walk will then start and end at the library.

To book a place, please contact York Explore on 01904 552828 or exploreyork@york.gov.uk or book online through the Inspire website: www.feelinginspired.co.uk

Are you taking the 'P' ?

Sun 16 Jun, 9am at Rowntree Park

It’s time for men to get out their running shoes and raise money for charity. The annual York prostate cancer fun run is looking for hundreds of runners and walkers willing to spend Father’s Day completing a scenic three miles in and around the city centre.

The only criteria for taking part in the 4th R U Taking the P? run is to be male. Sporting prowess is not necessary and entrants are welcome to run, jog, walk or use a wheelchair to cover the route. Already some men who have survived prostate cancer have signed up.

Joint organiser Brian Hughes, of York Knavesmire Harriers, said thousands of women turn out every year for the annual Race for Life in aid of breast cancer, but prostate cancer is barely spoken about, despite 37,000 new cases being diagnosed every year in the UK.

The race on June 16, Father’s Day, starts outside the main gates of Rowntree Park and takes the runners and walkers over the Millennium, Skeldergate and Blue Bridges, through Tower Gardens and St George’s Field, up to Clifford’s Tower and in two loops round Rowntree Park itself.

Entry forms are available from Yorkshire Cancer Research’s website at yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk

Carnival time!

Sun 16 Jun, 12noon to 8pm in York city centre

The students from the University of York have pulled out all the stops to bring a festival to the centre of the city which will include two stages, one presenting bands and choirs, the other dance and much more.  The carnival parade will commence from the Minster Gardens at 12.45.  Other activities will be in Parliament Street. 

For information on the parade, the artists, drummers and dancers performing, the workshops available and the stalls and companies attending are available on www.yorkcarnival.org 

It's not all black and white

If you want to know more about support agencies for dementia in York and how libraries can help, come to Tang Hall Library on 6 June 10am to 3pm for our mental health information fair; tea and coffee will be available too!

For more information please contact Tang Hall Library on 01904 552655

Have a bash!

Mon 3 Jun, 1pm to 3pm at Rowntree Park

Over the last 4 years we have been trying to remove the 'Himalayan Balsam' (Impatiens glandulifera), an invasive weed, from the park.  It grows so densely it shades out other plants and stops them growing.  We need to pull it up before it starts spreading thousands of seeds.

The work we have done over the last few years is definitely working so join us to continue this work and see if we can get rid of it for good!

For more information please contact Jenny Cairns on 07833 436832 or jennifer.cairns@york.gov.uk

Free lunch

Sun 2 Jun, 11am to 2pm at Rowntree Park

The Big Lunch is a national annual event, and this year the Halifax Bank are organising a fun day in Rowntree Park around the performance area.  Free food (while supplies last), a band to entertain, face painting and much, much more, so bring the family!

For more information visit: http://www.thebiglunch.com/

Bowl me over!

Saturdays 1, 8, 15 and 22 June at York RI Bowls Club Holgate Road

York RI Bowls Club are giving you the opportunity to take part in a series of free taster sessions, you never know you this might be your sport!  So why not come along and have a go? Bowls can be provided. Please wear flat shoes.

For further information or to register your interest then please contact Stephen Atkinson on 01904 795655

Doggy delights

Sat 1 and Sun 2 June, from 10am at Bustardthorpe Field, York Knavesmire

Flyball Racing is the dog sport for everyone. Imagine four dogs, competing against each other, side–by–side on two separate racing lanes. Then picture a packed crowd of spirited spectators waiting to hear "Get Your Ball" and the excited barking of the competitors at the cue to start the race. If you can envision racing lanes with four jumps, spaced ten feet apart, and a Flyball box at the end of each lane you know the thrill of Flyball Racing. The anticipation of a great race is just one of the reasons that Flyball Racing has become such a popular sport for dog enthusiasts all over the world. Flyball Racing has developed from its humble beginnings in a wood shop in North America to a sport that, due to its large number of participants, has become a more formalized competition. Large or small, fat or thin, dogs of all breeds compete.  A guaranteed fun experience.

Food and drink available on site.