Bus reliability concerns – Public meeting announced

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Residents and commuters are being invited to join local bus providers and City of York Council transport officials to discuss proposed changes to local bus services.

The changes come at a time when concerns about bus service reliability are growing.

The best performance in York, in recent years, came in 2010/11 when 75% of bus services ran on time. The Council has so far refused to publish the real time reliability stats which are now gathered routinely by bus operators using GPS systems. This process is more accurate that the manual samples on which previous reliability information have been based.

We think that reliability stats should be published routinely as they are for rail services.

The drop-in event is taking place at York Explore Library on Monday 6th August between 10am and 6pm and is apparently aimed at “consulting with residents on proposed bus service changes set to be implemented later this year”.

“ Proposed changes include the Sunday services to Bishopthorpe, South Bank, Dodsworth Avenue and Hamilton Drive, the daytime services to Skelton and Rawcliffe and the daytime week day services to Dodsworth Avenue”.

So little information has been made available so far that we doubt whether there will be much of a turn out.

NB. Usage of buses in York has been fairly stable over the last 5 years and reverses the trend seen in many other parts of the country.

Learn syncronised swimming at the Energise pool on Cornlands Road – 10th August

Make a splash with synchronised swimming at Energise

Energise are launching an exciting new synchronised swimming course, the first of its kind to take place at the leisure centre.

The course is a fun introduction to the challenging sport of synchronised swimming, where residents can learn new water skills, meet new people and create an exciting water routine to music.

The sessions will start on Friday 10 August, running from 7.30pm – 8.30pm, and are open to everyone, men and women, adults and children (aged 8 years and over). Cost is only £2.00 per lesson, and children under 16 are free.

Synchronised swimming has a great range of health benefits which include increasing muscle strength in both the upper and lower body, it can develop the body’s cardiovascular system, help to improve balance, posture and concentration, increase agility and flexibility.

People wishing to take part in the sessions must be confident in deep water, able to swim 25 metres and tread water.

What’s on in York: August – October 2012

For more information on events in York please visit the following web sites
1. Minster http://www.yorkminster.org/calendar/ or tel. 0844 939 0015
2. York Theatre Royal https://www.yorktheatreroyal.purchase-tickets-online.co.uk/public tel (01904) 623568
3. York Barbican http://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/ tel. 0844 854 2757
4. Grand Opera House http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/ tel. 0844 847 2322
5. Visit York http://www.visityork.org/seeanddo/whats-on/ tel. 01904 550099
6. Yortime https://www.yortime.org.uk/eCommunityEvents/yortime/Default.aspx
7. Early Music Centre http://www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=152 tel. 01904 658338
8. York Racecourse http://www.yorkracecourse.co.uk/ tel. 01904 620911
9. York City Football Club http://www.yorkcityfootballclub.co.uk/ tel. 01904 624447

• York Mystery Plays 2nd – 27th August York Museum Gardens In The York Mystery Plays return to York Museum Gardens, where a 1400-seat covered theatre is constructed within the ancient walls of St Mary’s Abbey. The event combines the talents of over 1,500 volunteers working alongside theatre professionals and staring Ferdinand Kingsley (Playing God/Jesus) and Graeme Hawley (Playing Satan).Performances will last approximately 3 hours and there will be evening and matinee performances. All seats are under cover. For further information visit: http://www.yorkmysteryplays-2012.com/.

• Fiddler on the roof 2nd/4th Aug Thurs/Sat Grand Opera House

• Frances Jackson, Royal Recital 4th Aug Sat 7:00pm Minster

• 8 Wonders tour 4th Aug Sat Minster Investigate how the number 8 has shaped York Minster through technology and design, from 1212 to 2012. Hidden stories reveal how the number 8 has shaped York Minster’s past, but is also shaping its future. From the world’s greatest treasures to the smallest hidden curiosities. There is more to see than ever before. Led by one of our guides.

• Golf Lessons 4th – 1st Sep Sats Heworth Golf Club

• Fiddler on the Roof 2nd/4th Aug Thur/Sat Grand Opera House

• Yorkshire Medieval Festival 4th/12th Aug Sat/Sun Barley Hall http://yortime.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/a-very-medieval-summer-comes-to-york.html

• 10k Run 5th Aug Sun 9:00am Knavesmire Join in or come to cheer on at the Jane Tomlinson 10k as up to 8,000 people take to the streets to raise funds and awareness for their favourite charities

• National Youth Guitar 5th Aug Sun 4:00pm Early Music Centre

• Extreme Stunt Show 8th Aug Wed 7:30pm Knavesmire

• Angelina Ballerina 7th/9th Aug Tues/Thur Grand Opera House

• Mystery Plays backstage tours 9th/24th Aug Museum Gardens

• Ruby Turner 10th Aug Fri Theatre Royal

• Stoneyard open day 10th Aug Fri 9:30am Minster

• Synchronised Swimming 10th Aug Fri 7:30pm Energise pool, Cornlands Road

• Snake Davis 11th Aug Sat Theatre Royal

• Boiling Frog 11th Aug Sat Grand Opera House

• Summer Fair 11th Aug 1:00pm Hull Road Park

• Royal Recital David Pipe 11th Aug 7:00pm Minster

• Mystery Cycle Lectures 12th/26th Aug Tempest Anderson Hall

• An Air of Mystery 13th Aug Mon 10:00am Early Music Festival

• New Swimming Pool opens 14th AugustHull Road http://www.york-sport.com/york_sport_village.php

• Dandy Dick 14th/18th Aug Tues/Sat Grand Opera House

• Fabulous Flags 15th Aug Minster

• Elizabeth Chadwick (historical novelist) 16th Aug 7:30pm York Library

• The Unthanks 17th Aug 20:00 Minster Described by The Guardian as ‘Haunting, original and magnificent’ Mercury nominated Tyneside band The Unthanks have a peerless approach to folk music. Their paradoxical journey of staunch traditionalism and sonic adventure continues with a collaboration with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band; the National Champions of Great Britain, regarded by many as the best and most consistent public subscriptions band in the world.

• Al Morrison 17th Aug Fri Theatre Royal

• Football: City v Wycombe 18th Aug Bootham Cres

• Proms 18th Aug Sat 7:30pm Castle Howard

• Ben Horden, Royal Recital 18th Aug Sat 7:00pm Minster

• Jazz Jamaica 18th Aug Sat Theatre Royal

• Duke of Yorks final battle 19th Aug Sun 2:00pm York Library Revisit and explore this epic War of the Roses battle, which saw a decisive Lancastrian victory and Richard, Duke of York killed and his army destroyed

• The Proms 20th Aug Museum Gardens

• Storyteller Susanna Oldfield 21st Aug Tues 6:30pm York Library

• Race meeting 22nd/25th Aug Knavesmire

• Pee Wee Ellis JazzFunk 24th Aug Fri Theatre Royal

• Summer Fair 25th Aug 1;00pm Acomb Green

• Gospel Singers 25th Aug Sat Theatre Royal

• John Scott Whiteley Royal Recital 25th Aug Sat 7:00pm Minster

• Festival of the rivers 26th Aug Sun 1:00pm Riverside

• Vintage Motorcycle run 27th Aug Mon 10:00am Yorkshire Air Museum

• Crowns fit for Kings 29th Aug Wed Minster

• The stories windows tell 30th Aug Thurs 4:00pm Library/Minster Director of the Glazier’s Trust Sarah Brown introduces us to the beauty of York Minster’s medieval stained glass, starting with a talk on its history and the stories it tells, and concluding with a special guided tour of the Minster.

• Keep up 30th – 2nd Aug Sept Theatre Royal

• Farmers market 31st Aug Fri Parliament Street
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York stories keeps children busy during holidays

The York Stories 2012 project – part of York 800 – is offering a great deal to keep children occupied over the next few days.

The project needs a mascot – the ‘storysaurus’ – and there are two sessions for children with Richard Kay and Mary Passeri, storytellers from ‘Telling Arts’, to develop the mascot, develop the storysaurus character, go on a trail, create a York Story and collect York Stories to share.

The sessions are in the Garden Room, York Explore Library Learning Centre, on Thursday and Friday 2 and 3 August, from 2-4 pm. Children wanting to take part should attend both free sessions if possible.

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York Stories 2012 aims to uncover tales from the military

York Stories 2012 – part of York 800 – is looking for participants for a project which enables members of the Armed Forces community in York to tell their untold stories.

Working with City of York Council’s Arts and Culture Service and the Armed Forces community (Military Civil integration Project & Army Welfare Service), Armed Forces Community Presents… will capture and share stories of the military community in and around York, from serving members of the armed forces to veterans, families, cadets, TA members and linked organisations.

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Advice from the Police on “tech support” computer scams

Cybercriminals might call you on the telephone and claim to be from companies such as Microsoft.

They might offer to help solve your computer problems or sell you a software license.

However, once they have access to your computer, they can do the following:
•Trick you into installing malicious software that could capture sensitive data, such as online banking user names and passwords. They might also then charge you to remove this software.
•Take control of your computer remotely and adjust settings to leave your computer vulnerable.
•Request credit card information so they can bill you for phony services.
•Direct you to fraudulent websites and ask you to enter credit card and other personal or financial information there.

Neither Microsoft nor their partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes.

The following advice is taken from Microsoft’s Cybercriminal Tech Support Scam website, which also has links to further reading:
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