Join The Lord Mayor And Sheriff At The Assize Of Ale

F’r yet anoth’r year, the hist’ric tradition of the assize of ale shall beest taking lodging in y’rk.

Or as us modern folks say, for yet another year, the historic tradition of the Assize Of Ale will be taking place in York. The excitement will begin at the York Mansion House and will make its way round the most gallant public houses of York whilst testing the best beverages to make sure that they are of the upmost quality. All are welcome, especially those attending in the dress of the medieval fashion.

This famous tradition dates back to when the Sheriff of York and Lord Mayor would call on their sergeants to test the quality of ale around York so that it was of enough quality to be served to the people of York. Any sergeant whom refused this offer would be fined or sent to the pillories which is why in the modern day, those who attend provide donations to local charities, with often larger sums being given due to how merry the attendees are, as well as some being punished in the pillories with soggy sponges.

Throughout the day, there will also be a birds of prey display for those who are brave enough to face the talons of the falcon. For others who are are Bake-Off fans, the thrilling best bread competition will take place at 1pm, with York’s top bakers fighting for the approval of the Sheriff! For all nobles and knights, the medieval feast will start at 5:30pm in York Brew with the small fee of either 500 shillings, 32 horses or £25. Pre-booking is suggested so as to prevent the Sheriff’s guards from denying you entry. To do this, simply follow this link to secure your place at the feast.

Therefore, to reenact this historic tradition once more, join the Lord Mayor Chris Cullwick and the Sheriff Sue Hunter for the most cheery afternoon of the year!

Hob Moor History Walk is Back!

Once again, Elizabeth Smith, armed with her historical knowledge, will be providing an hour long Hob Moor History walk. No advance booking needed and attendance is open to all. The walk shines a light on the often dark history of Hob Moor with plagued corpses and the coffins of knights being only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this ancient site. So join Elizabeth at 2:30 on the 6th of August at Hob Stone on Little Hob Moor for an enlightening afternoon.

Concern for future of ward-funded activities

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed concern that a ‘ban’ on allocating ward funding could lead to planned summer holiday activities for young people being axed.

Cllr Stephen Fenton at the York Knights session held at York Acorn ARLFC on 30th May

In recent years, Lib Dem councillors in wards across the city have jointly commissioned York Knights Foundation and York City Football Club Foundation to deliver free activity sessions for young people, which also included the provision of drinks and snacks. These sessions are open to all. When the council budget for 2023/24 was passed in February, Lib Dem councillors protected ward funding so that schemes such as these could continue.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe’s Lib Dem councillors have now been told by council officers that they cannot allocate some of the 2023/24 ward budget to fund activities for young people in the July / August summer holiday period. It is understood that this ‘ban’ has been imposed as the incoming Labour administration plans to propose an ‘emergency’ budget in July, meaning that ward funding is in limbo.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe councillor Stephen Fenton has called on the new administration to commit to retain the full ward funding allocations agreed in February, so that ward schemes and projects can go ahead.

He said “The summer holiday sessions run by the Knights and York City have been very popular, and at a time when family budgets are stretched, the ability to offer free-of-charge activities is more important than ever. It would be such a shame if we had to axe the planned summer programme because of a ban on allocating the ward funding that was agreed back in February.

“At this time of year, ward councillors would ordinarily be inviting local voluntary and charitable organisations to apply for ward funding to support local projects that benefit the community. It now looks as though we won’t be able to do this, unless there is a commitment from the new administration to protect ward funding.”

Weekly ‘Cuppa & Cake’ drop-in sessions at St James the Deacon

Residents are invited to call into a drop-in session being held every Monday from 1 to 2.30pm at St James the Deacon Church on Sherringham Drive in Woodthorpe.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward’s new Local Area Co-ordinator, Catherine Claudius-Cole, will be available for a chat and to offer support and advice.

What’s on – York Open Studios 2/3 & 9/10 April

York’s artists and makers are inviting residents into their home studios on the weekends of 2/3 & 9/10 April.

To find a full list of the open studios, go to https://www.yorkopenstudios.co.uk/

Here is a list of the open studios in the Dringhouses, Foxwood and Acomb area.

  • No. 18 – Anthea Peters at 6 Middlethorpe Drive – Silver toadstools adorn Anthea’s jewellery designs along with snails, flowers and ‘found’ objects: to create wearable pieces of jewellery in silver and gold, complemented with copper accents, gemstones and enamel.
  • No. 19 – Karen J Ward at 8 Middlethorpe Drive – Bespoke precious metal and gemstone jewellery. ‘One off’ pieces of wearable art. Also introducing ‘Small Vessels’ a collection of silversmith designs in silver and copper
  • No. 20 – Pamela Thorby at 11 Middlethorpe Grove – Ceramic vessels of community and contemplation. Domestic and sculptural work showing Japanese influence with ‘chattering’ marks, sometimes willow handles; with themes of sweeping shoals, rhythmic gesture and coded pattern
  • No. 21 – Lucie Wake at 15 Slingsby Grove – Lucie adores the process of sliding oil paints across canvas, to create her stunning portraits. The backgrounds are the polar opposite, dripping random overlaid colours, which make her portraits ‘pop’
  • No. 22 – Peter Donohoe at Walnut Cottage, 17 Tadcaster Road – Peter’s work is an  exploration of human relationships, the semi abstract, androgynous figures are an expression of affection between two persons, regardless of gender. The sculptures are hand worked copper
  • No. 23 – Phil Bixby & Caroline Lewis at 24 Hob Moor Terrace – Phil makes black and white photographs, shot on 35mm film, which he develops and scans to produce high-quality inkjet prints which explore texture and lighting. Caroline creates mainly landscapes inspired by Yorkshire and the surrounding countryside – multi media using tissue paper, lino printing, acrylics and water colour, to produce depth and layers
  • No. 24 – Constance Isobel & Jacqueline Warrington at 3 White House Rise – Connie uses gold, silver and high quality gemstones, sourced from ethical UK retailers. Traditional techniques are applied to create her exclusive precious metal work. Jacqueline makes precious metal jewels and silver vessels, employing traditional techniques such as raising, chasing, repousse and forging. She also makes silver ‘icons’, exploring her interest in folklore and the saints
  • No. 25 – Richard Frost at 36 White House Gardens – Furniture and decorative wooden items. Richard’s designs often incorporate patterns, which he achieves through manipulation of contrasting woods and veneers
  • No. 38 – Lisa Lundqvist at the studio behind 55 Green Lane, Acomb – Lisa is an Eco-artist, using natural processes like eco-printing and rust to create textiles and also oil paintings evolving from intuitive  mark-making with found organic objects  
  • No. 39 – Moira Craig at 51 Otterwood Lane, Foxwood – Botanical prints, showcasing the natural dyes within plants. Using flowers and leaves from local gardens to create vibrant memories of summer. Contemporary pieces that blend traditional flowers into impressionistic compositions