Late summer book sale!

Acomb Green Summer Fair

Sat 24 Aug, 1pm to 4pm at Acomb Green

An afternoon of family fun awaits residents and visitors at the third annual Acomb Green Summer Fair.

Why not come along for the falconry display showcasing birds of prey including owls and eagles, or enter your pooch in the ‘Doggy X Factor’ competition which is free to enter with prizes to be won for the community’s most appealing canines.  Other activities available will be:

Live music,
BBQ,
Bouncy castle,
Charity stalls,
Street Sports,
Tombolas,
Ice cream,
Climbing wall,
Face painting,
Come and see our new play area!

Entry: Free

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

Want your child to be a Wimbledon wonder?

Mon 5 to Fri 23 Aug

These tennis sessions are for children aged 4 to 14yrs.  Children aged 4 to 9yrs will attend the 1pm to 2pm session and children aged 10 to 14yrs will attend the session taking place at 2pm to 3pm.

All attendees will receive tuition from a highly qualified tennis coach. The tennis coach (Andy) is fun and engaging and on previous camps children have developed their skills while having fun.

Sessions cost £4 per person per class and operate on a pay as you play basis, limited spaces are available - to book your child on to a camp please contact: andycrockett@tennisforallyork.co.uk

Adult cycle training

Sat 3 Aug, 10am to 1pm, Rowntree Park

If you or someone you know has never learned to ride a bike or not been on a bike for a number of years then this training would be ideal. The sessions will be broken down into hourly slots, led by City of York Council cycle trainers who will provide friendly help and advice to get you in the saddle, no matter what your previous experience - anyone can learn!

Bikes can be provided

Cost: Free

Booking is essential - if you wish to attend or for further information please contact Sarah Prescott on 01904 553377 sarah.prescott@york.gov.uk

Fun in the park!

Hull Road Park Summer Fair, Sat 3 Aug 1pm to 3.30pm

Our summer fayre promises fun for all the family.  And this year promises to be bigger and better than ever and we would love you to join the fun.

There will be a huge range of stalls and activities including:

Birds of prey flying demonstrations       
Fun dog show

Live music                                                 
Climbing wall

Model railway                                           
Face painting

Henna tattoos                                           
Storytelling                                                

Arts and crafts                                        
Willow weaving

Charity and community stalls                
Food and drinks

Bouncy castles                                        
Street Sports

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

Balsam bashing

Over the last 4 years we have been trying to remove this invasive weed from Rowntree 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!

Meet at Rowntree Park, Mon 19 Aug 1pm to 3pm

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

Learning is for everyone so don't miss out!

An amazing programme of over 300 adult education courses will be available for autumn 2013 including painting, drawing, flower arranging, dressmaking and many new and unusual courses,  booking is open from July.  Brochures are being delivered from 1 July around York and are available from libraries or online at www.yortime.org.uk

For more information or to book:

• Online www.yortime.org.uk
• Phone 01904 552806 Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm
• In person at our new West Offices, Station Rise - Mon, Weds and Fri 10am to 4pm (Please note: booking can no longer be made at York Explore)

All our courses are sold on a first come first served basis so don't miss out.  Book up in July for your autumn courses!

Do IT now!

Beginners computer courses, ECDL (ITQ), CLAIT, Camera to Computer, Legal Typist, various workshops in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, PowerPoint Presentations.

Various daytime and evening classes at venues across the city, including drop in sessions in the Library Learning Centres at Explore Acomb, Clifton, Tang Hall and Explore York.

Please ring Julie or Grace on 01904 552666 to arrange a personal assessment.

Wall to Rock - an introduction to outdoor climbing

Ask any climber, and they will tell you that indoor climbing is great, but outdoors is where the fun, the atmosphere and the exhilaration really begins. This introduction to outdoor climbing experience is the perfect place to start this amazing sport.

Wall to rock is on Sat 13 July, depending on the weather either at Brimham Rocks or Almscliff Crag.

This one day introductory course is aimed at beginners and indoor climbers, aged 18 and over, who would like to gain an insight into the challenges of outdoor climbing.  The day will focus on introducing outdoor climbing techniques, communication and identifying hazards.  We will be using one of the fantastic local gritstone crags to the west of York - Brimham Rocks or Almscliffe Crag.

All equipment will be provided and the emphasis will be on enjoyment of the challenge and having fun.

Details of the venue, where to meet and a KIT LIST will be emailed to you in good time before the event.

Cost: £55

To book visit: www.yortime.org.uk or phone 01904 552806

Have you got an EYE for watercolour painting?

This watercolour landscapes workshop is being held on Sat 20 July 10am to 3pm at The Eye of York. 

During the session you will gain practical knowledge and learn tips and techniques for producing landscapes in watercolour with the emphasis on gaining skills and sharing practical knowledge.  Through tutor presentation, demonstrations, practical exercises and individual guidance you will cover areas such as: washes for skies, creating clouds, the importance of tone, scale and placement, colour mixing and handy tips to produce buildings in perspective.

So come along and let us bring out the artist in you!

Cost: £30

Rowntree Park birthday party

The annual summer fair will take place on Sat 13 July 2013, 2pm to 5pm and promises to be a great day out for all the family. The event is being organised by City of York Council’s ranger team and the Friends of Rowntree Park.

The Rowntree Company gave Rowntree Park as a gift to the people of the city 92 years ago on 16 July 1921 in memory of workers who fell during the war.  Every summer a ‘birthday party’ is held to remember this event, and a cake will be cut during the celebrations in honour of the park and its origins.

Attractions at the birthday party include a birds of prey display, live music, face painting, community stalls, food and drinks, ice creams, bouncy castle, yarnbombing, story telling, willow weaving and a fun dog show.

Parking is limited to disabled badge holders only, so other visitors are asked to walk or take public transport.  Please note the car park will be closed all day to allow time to set up and take down.

For more information contact Jenny Cairns tel: 07833 436832 or email: jennifer.cairns@york.gov.uk  

Will your children dare take the challenge?

Join this year’s Summer Reading Challenge running in every York library from Sat 13 July to Sun 15 Sept 2013.

Our Theme is a mysterious adventure called “Creepy House”.  We challenge all 5 to 12 year olds to read 6 books in 3 stages.

Stage 1: The Awful Upstairs - read two books and collect stickers to reveal its residents.

Stage 2: The Gruesome Ground Floor - read two more books to discover who is hiding there.

Stage 3: The Spine-tingling Cellar - read two final books and complete the challenge by unveiling the bone shaking Skeleton Family Robinson.

Every time you read a book there will be a small prize and everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a draw to win a Kindle Fire HD .  There is also a mini challenge for Under 5s to collect stickers as they read.

The challenge launches at Explore York Library with a day of activities on Sat 13 July 11am to 4pm, but don’t worry if you can’t get there you can join up any time over the summer at any York library.

Roll back the years with Hula-cise!

Thur 11 July 8pm to 9pm at Tang Hall Community Centre

Hula Hooping is the newest fitness craze sweeping the nation.  Come and join us for a free taster session and learn how to reap the amazing benefits from this fun, low impact, calorie burning workout.

For further information or to register your interest then please contact Catriona at catriona.sudlow@york.gov.uk or on 01904 553377.

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