SO beggars can be choosers. A survey by police officers found that none of those begging in York city centre was homeless. They were on the street not through necessity but out of choice. In effect they are "professional" beggars who believe they have
YORK Register Office is preparing for a bumper Christmas this year, with 60 marriage ceremonies planned for December. Christmas Eve is already fully- booked and there are only a few spaces left on Saturdays throughout the festive season. Robert Livesey
THE onset of the festive season brings with it the seasonal seduction that is the office party. And while the Diary has yet to receive as much as a cold shoulder from an amorous colleague, it seems we are very much in the minority in York. According to
SCINTILLATING Selby Town soared to the top of the Northern Counties East League premier division after a dramatic 3-2 win at old rivals Goole. In a lively start, Selby's Tom Matthews had a shot clip the outside of a post, while a Tom Reid cross grazed
ELVINGTON, who had conceded two goals in each of their previous five matches in division two of York and District League, let in three for the first time but still won 5-3 at home to Strensall. Scorers for the visitors were Matt Brown and Mick Piper,
New Earswick gained their first win of the season in Reserve A and condemned visitors Kartiers to their first defeat of the season. John O'Neil hit two goals for the hosts, with Simon Archer adding the third. Pocklington moved up two places in the table
Sheriff Hutton have gone back to the top of Leeper Hare York and District League division three after being the only one of the top eight sides on Saturday to win. They beat the previous leaders Moor Lane 2-0 with goals from Jamie Tymon and Mathew Hartas
YORK RUFC beat Ryton 60-3 in their home Powergen Durham and Northumberland League 1 fixture. It was their most convincing win of the season and puts them on equal points with Durham City and Northern some three points behind leaders Percy Park. Actually
HARROGATE could not live with National League Two leaders Doncaster, crashing to a 53-3 defeat. They conceded five of the seven tries in the last quarter. Harrogate turned over too much ball, missed tackles and mistakes ruined promising positions. A Lee
Despite having to rearrange the team prior to kick off York RI gave a commanding display in defeating Thornensians 50-5 in their Yorkshire Three game at New Lane. RI attacked from the start with powerful runs from Mallon, Smith and Thomas. When stopped
AFTER 25 years clocking in with the same company, life should hold no surprises. Not so for Bill Ellis, 53-year-old development analyst and hardware project leader who helped found award-winning IT firm Mitrefinch in Clifton Moor, York, in 1979. He was
YORK businesses which fail to remove graffiti eyesores on their property could be billed for cleaning costs by the council. Owners of phone kiosks, bus shelters, cable boxes, businesses and even schools may be hit in the pocket if they repeatedly refuse
'Mobile madness' (Evening Press, December 3) reports on five motorists and one cyclist spotted in Low Ousegate using mobile phones, however the pictures show only five motorists. The editorial comment on page 14 only mentions five motorists and no mention
IT may be helpful to provide some statistics about the council's ResPark scheme. The Residents' Parking scheme has 48 individual zones. Last year in those zones an astonishing 166,430 visitor permits were issued. This huge number means that in more than
Has the council at last gone too far as it attempts to impose a tax on outdoor leisure by making a charge and a time limit for using the Rowntree Park car park? The main people to be hit by this will be those families with young children and the elderly
As a resident of the area (Straylands and Woodlands Groves) threatened with a rising bollard, I agree wholeheartedly with those who have written to the Press to object to the term "rat-run". Many other residents also regard this route as a perfectly legitimate
SOUVENIR hunters will be able to grab a piece of York's Barbican Centre when the York building's interiors are auctioned off in a public sale later this month. Items from the Barbican's kitchen, cafs, bars and offices will all be sold off when representatives
YORK Nestl workers are braced for industrial action after rejecting a pay offer, it was revealed today. About 100 staff in the Wigginton Road factory's warehouse and distribution section reacted angrily at being offered less than other departments. The
NO beggar on the streets of York is homeless, a study has revealed. Since April, Safer York Partnership has been monitoring the people begging in the city, with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) compiling a database. The results of the ongoing
A FAMILY of eight today demanded a move from their cramped York council house. Mum-of-six Vikki Ledger - expecting twins in April to take the total in the property to TEN - says her house is so full she feels like she is "living in a cage". Space is so
FORTRESS Elland Road? More like Sandcastle Elland Road. Leeds United were washed away by Leicester City to leave them hovering five points above relegation quicksand with about half of the season already slipped through the egg-timer. Just a fortnight
KETTERING Town were left counting the costs of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Harrogate Town in more ways than one. Not only did Kettering lose to one of their Conference North promotion rivals at Wetherby Road but they also had Barry Hateley controversially
YORK City Knights will kick off their LHF Healthplan National League Two campaign with a home game against Swinton Lions on Easter Monday. And that holiday home comfort will follow on from a cracking start to the season when the Knights head off to the
FURIOUS church leaders today warned that York Dungeon's festive attraction, Satan's Grotto, would expose children to "evil forces". Clergymen across the city have written to the Dungeon's bosses asking them not to open the display, which replaces the
NO one is more surprised than David Gray to be playing in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship final in York tomorrow. He snatched a 9-8 victory from the jaws of defeat last night to earn a clash with the winner of tonight's semi-final at the Barbican
SUPER Scot Stephen Maguire is being spurred on by the pressure in his York bid for snooker glory. He swept aside world number nine Stephen Lee 9-4 at the Barbican Centre last night with a devastating display of break-building to march into tomorrow's
TWO of the tournament outsiders will clash in York tomorrow for a place in the final of snooker's second biggest tournament. And tonight a former world and UK champion and the new hot-shot of the season bid to get into the last four. Joe Perry, the world
YORK snooker fans are seeing an inspired player who could be spearheading a new generation of talent. That's the view of one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Six-times world and UK champion Steve Davis was full of praise for Stephen
ONE is hoping to stay on cue for success at the Barbican this week, while one is currently taking a break from sporting action in York, but snooker and football's Steve Davis namesakes met in the city yesterday afternoon. Davis, the snooker version, prepared
Bonjour. And that, my friends, is pretty much all my French vocab sewn up in one neat little package. Even my six-year-old (happy birthday scruff bag!) is more accomplished at foreign lingo than me. When we were on holiday in France, he not only managed
YORKSHIRE star Paul Hunter's determined bid to win the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship was on track today after a tough opening victory which he likened to a scrap in the boxing ring. "I feel like I've been nine rounds with him, though I don't
NEW British Open snooker champion John Higgins may miss his opening salvo in the Travis Perkins UK Championship at the Barbican, York, because his wife is expecting a baby. The Wizard of Wishaw starts his bid to regain the UK title with a second round
Monday, December 6, 2004 100 years ago: A most amusing scene was witnessed in the York City Police Court when a man described as a farmer, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, was brought before the chairman of the bench, on a charge of being drunk and incapable
A NUMBER of York clergy today condemned the Satan's Grotto feature at York Dungeon. They particularly object to the scroll on which visitors can sign away their soul. We respect their concerns. But to suggest this established seasonal feature dabbles
Sympathy is a rare emotion at football matches but there was bucketloads of it at Harrogate Town on Saturday for visiting manager Kevin Wilson. Forget robbed - Kettering were positively mugged of three points. by some controversial refereeing. Town boss
COPMANTHORPE led the way on a day of 'firsts' in Leeper Hare York and District League. The premier division's bottom team scored their first league win of the season with a 2-0 victory at home to Haxby thanks to two first half goals. Mark Bellah rounded
Selby lost 24-10 at Yarnbury in Yorkshire One on Saturday seven weeks to the day after beating them 47-14 in the Intermediate Cup at Sandhill Lane. Selby have taken only one point from their last four league games. Yarnbury were the more committed side
Pocklington's attacking prowess and defensive discipline shone as they ran in eight quality tries to beat Heath 48-10 in Yorkshire Two. Struggling Heath took the lead with a fifth minute penalty, but Pocklington got their act together and scrum-half Sam
Malton and Norton flanker Phil Ryan was sent off for throwing a punch in the first half of their North East Two 29-10 defeat at Huddersfield. Malton had been awarded a penalty 15 metres out and in front of the posts when Huddersfield killed the ball.
In Tipping's Tipples, Mike Tipping calls in the girls to put festive fizz to the test. Since this is the first anniversary of the Tipping's Tipples wine column, I thought it was good cause for celebration. What better way to celebrate than with that fizzy
UNSURE what to buy the history buff in your life for Christmas? Read on, and you may find an idea or two. Our review of some of the most recent additions to the local history bookshelf starts with Patrick Howat's Railways Of Ryedale. This is a completely
FOUR players were sent off in an explosive finish to Heworth ARL Club's victory against Widnes St Maries at Elm Park Way. It was a sour end to a fine victory for the Black and Whites - only their second National Conference division two win of the season
SENIOR figures from more than 20 York businesses are preparing to swap the boardroom for the classroom tomorrow. They are sitting in on lessons at a Back To School event at Manor CE School in Low Poppleton Lane, York. Delegates from the likes of CPP,
Brian Rothwell, who ended a long losing run over jumps when Celtic Blaze won at Wetherby on Saturday, can score at Sedgefield tomorrow. The trainer, based at Nawton near Helmsley, saddles Always Rainbows in the cantorsport Classified Hurdle and the six-year-old
"MOSTLY Autumn are York's biggest music act". The only correct statement in Richard Foster's review of their concert at the Grand Opera House. How can he say many of the songs were the same? The audience were blown away by two hours of original material
REGARDING the relatively new law on the ban of mobile phone use while driving unless using a hands-free kit, why does the blatant disregard for the law introduced last year get so much publicity when speed limits implemented decades ago are still not
Because it is nearly Christmas may we have a Turkey Of The Year award? My nominations go jointly to the police and the Government for their stance against driving while using mobile phones - the Government for not fining enough, the police for not enforcing
THE New Road Safety Bill does not go far enough (Too many die on our roads, December 1). I agree with the use of mobiles being banned when driving. But what about smoking while driving? A motorist holding the wheel with a cigarette between his fingers
We have had Nestl using traditional Christmas decorations to advertise its products. We have had York Dungeon proposing to feature a Satan's Grotto. We hardly dare think what will come next. Christmas is a wonderful festival to celebrate, so let us put
RESIDENTS of Stockton Lane and Hopgrove Lane should take note of the council's proposed intelligent bollard to be installed on Straylands Grove at Malton Road. The purpose of this measure is to stop "rat-running" through the estate, but placement of the
I MUST respond to your article about the proposed rising bollard in Straylands Grove. Why does Peter Evely and his colleagues regard every road that is not a main thoroughfare into York as a "rat run"? Their latest madcap scheme to add Straylands Grove
I OFFER our sincere thanks to the people of York for their generosity to Hebden Bridge Junior Band. On a busy but bitterly cold day on Saturday, November 27 the 30-strong band of young musicians played for around three-and-a-half hours in St Mary's Square
IF John Haigh and his hunting pals across the country do not want to abide by the law of the land, jail the lot of them! If the likes of them have their way they would probably bring back bear-baiting, dog fights and even cock-fighting. Everything gets
THE manager of a children's nursery in York said she felt helpless in her fight against mobile phone giants because an application to put up a mast near her business looks set to get the go-ahead. As reported in the Evening Press last week, Allyson Bolland
YORK businesses which fail to remove graffiti eyesores on their property could be billed for cleaning costs by the council. Owners of phone kiosks, bus shelters, cable boxes, businesses and even schools may be hit in the pocket if they repeatedly refuse
CHRISTMAS shoppers were treated to an eyebrow-raising fashion show in a York department store. Crowds of people put down their shopping bags to watch the spectacle in the window of Brown's of York, in Parliament Street. Scantily-clad models sashayed down
THE Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, has warned that the Anglican Church could "implode" through divisions over homosexuality and women bishops. Dr Hope, 64, issued his stark warning in an interview with a Sunday newspaper on the eve of his retirement
Sheriff Hutton have gone back to the top of Leeper Hare York and District League division three after being the only one of the top eight sides on Saturday to win. They beat the previous leaders Moor Lane 2-0 with goals from Jamie Tymon and Mathew Hartas
COPMANTHORPE led the way on a day of 'firsts' in Leeper Hare York and District League. The premier division's bottom team scored their first league win of the season with a 2-0 victory at home to Haxby thanks to two first half goals. Mark Bellah rounded
AS A tiny baby fighting for life, Daniel Garbutt was the first infant to be taken into York Hospital's new Special Care Baby Unit 21 years ago. Today, a far cry from the fragile 2lb 7oz youngster who arrived at the unit only hours after it opened, Daniel
YOUNG hot-shot Stephen Maguire destroyed David Gray 10-1 in last night's Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship final. Maguire, 23, has now shot up to third in the provisional world rankings after winning the tournament which could have been held in York
The pride of Yorkshire snooker was at home in Leeds today feeling totally browned off after the collapse of his bid to win the Travis Perkins UK Championship. Failing to pot the far from difficult brown under pressure in the deciding frame saw him lose
PAUL Hunter was battling today to buck the trend in the Travis Perkins UK Snooker Championship after shock defeats left only two of the world's top eight players in the event. Two more former world and UK champions bit the dust at York's Barbican Centre
SNOOKER'S cramped schedule came under attack from a former world and UK champion just before he left York's Barbican Centre last night after being knocked out of the Travis Perkins UK Championship. John Higgins, beaten 9-7 by 22-year-old Welshman Ricky
YORK City Knights will kick off their LHF Healthplan National League Two campaign with a home game against Swinton Lions on Easter Monday. And that holiday home comfort will follow on from a cracking start to the season when the Knights head off to the
