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The Great Yorkshire Show | 13 July – 15 July 2010 | Harrogate

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:40:01 +0000

Each year the Great Yorkshire Show attracts in excess of 125,000 visitors, why not go to the showground this year and be part of it!

This will be the 152nd Great Yorkshire Show and last year some 130,000 visitors came through the gates.

The thousands of animals competing for the coveted championship awards remain as the focus of the event, but around the 250 acre showground visitors can enjoy fashion shows, a huge food hall promoting regional food and drink, the new Garden Show and demonstrations of country activities such as sheep shearing and dry stone walling.

The Great Yorkshire Show is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and HRH The Prince of Wales is the Patron.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is delighted that HRH The Princess Royal is to visit the 2010 Great Yorkshire Show: the Princess will tour the famous farming and countryside show on the first day of the event which runs from Tuesday 13 – Thursday 15 July.

The show is no stranger to royal visitors. Most recently, in 2008, Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh were guests of honour, and two years earlier, The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall toured the show. The Princess last visited the Show in 1992.

The Great Yorkshire Show Highlights:
Tuesday 13th July 2010 -
* Livestock Judging
* Fashion Show featuring some of Yorkshire’s Olympic hopefuls at 2.30pm in the Skipton Building Society Fashion Pavilion
* Sheep Shearing competitions

Wednesday 14th July 2010 -
* Bolddog Lings Motorcycle Display Team
* Christine Walkden answering gardeners questions in the New Garden Show
* Band of the Brigade of Ghurkas

Thursday 15th July 2010 -
* Ripon Select Foods Cock o’the North Show Jumping
* Cattle Parade – see the finest livestock parade in the Main Ring
* Rosemary Shrager sharing her recipes with game

And many more presentations and competitions for livestock, vegetavles and all thing Great and Yorkshire!

Dates:
Tuesday 13th July 2010
Wednesday 14th July 2010
Thursday 15th July 2010

The Showground is open between 7.30am and 7.30pm (no admission after 5pm), apart from Thursday 15th July when the show will shut at 6.30pm.

Show programmes will be available on the day of the show, containing full event listings and programme, a guide to what’s on and the all important show map!

Tickets can be bought on the gate for admission on that day only.

How To Get There:

The Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, is easily accessible from road, rail or air.

From the A1(M) junctions 45 – 47, follow the signs for ease of access to the Show.

Shuttle Bus -

Harrogate District Travel operates a FREE return bus service from Harrogate Bus Station (next to the Railway Station) to the Showground commencing daily at 7:30am until 7:30pm. Buses are not low floor and wheelchair access is limited. Buses depart every 20 minutes from the town centre and the service is FREE.

Address:

The Great Yorkshire Showground

Railway Road

Harrogate

North Yorkshire

HG2 8PW

Party Like It’s 17:59 | Guinness and St Patrick’s Day | March 17 2010

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:42:32 +0000

It’s St Patrick’s Day party time again!

Celebrate the first St Patrick’s Day of the new decade in style by trying a Guinness Black Velvet cocktail or impress your mates down the pub with some St Patrick’s Day facts & stats, plus tips on how to enjoy the perfect pint of Guinness!

Wednesday, March 17th, will see people from all over the UK heading down to pubs and bars for a mid week party to raise a pint of the beloved black stuff in celebration of St Patrick’s Day.

Thousands of pub owners will be decorating their interiors with those famous black, white & green decorations and gearing up for the ultimate St Patrick’s Day party of the new decade.

How to drink the perfect pint of GUINNESS

This St. Patrick’s Day, when you are raising a pint of GUINNESS with friends to say cheers to the Irish, be sure to follow Master Brewer, Fergal Murray’s guide to the perfect way to enjoy a pint of the ‘black stuff’:

*Hold the glass with the Guinness harp facing you and your thumb over the harp
*Never look down. Look at the horizon and bring the glass to your mouth, not your mouth to the glass
*Take a sip, breaking the seal of the head of your pint
*Enjoy the Guinness cream moustache left on the top of your lip
*Each time you take a drink from the pint, hold the glass in the same position and repeat above, letting the liquid flow underneath the head of the pint
*Expect to experience the malty sweetness at the front of your mouth, the roasted flavour at the side and the distinctive Guinness bitterness at the back

With over 5 million pints of the black stuff to be sold this year….

GUINNESS Brings St Patrick’s Day to Life

Join St Patrick’s Day celebrations at your local

With party celebrations set to last well into the weekend, the makers of Guinness are set to join in one of the liveliest parties of the year by sending out St Patrick Day party kits to thousands of pubs across the UK. Each kit will be filled with iconic black, white & green white hats & props, limited edition glassware & cash prize competitions that will help bring the party to life. Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day for over 15 years and this year is no different with over 5 million pints of Guinness expected to be sold in the UK.

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with GUINNESS

St Pat’s facts

*Over 5 million pints of Guinness are sold in the UK each year on St. Patrick’s Day
*Over 13 million pints of Guinness are raised on St. Patrick’s Day across the globe, which brings more than 150 pints to life every second
*Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day, one of the liveliest calendar celebrations for over 15 years
*Last year, Guinness celebrated 250 years since the signing of the 9,000 year lease at St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin
*The St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin produces 4 million pints of Guinness every day
*Today, Guinness is popular around the world and sold in more than 150 countries
*Gas bubbles travel downwards, instead of upwards, bringing a pint of Guinness to life with its famous surge and settle motion

Black Velvet Recipe and History

Ingredients:
Flute of Champagne
Flute of GUINNESS Extra Stout
Serves 1 (1.3 units)

GUINNESS mixed fifty fifty with Champagne. Legend has it that this famous drink was invented in 1861 at Brook’s Club in London. Prince Albert had died, everyone was in mourning, and the story goes that the steward at the club, overcome with the emotion of the occasion, ordered that even the champagne should be put into mourning, and proceeded to mix it with GUINNESS. The taste was so delicious, Black Velvet became extremely popular.

Anna Brown’s Beef, Onion & Guinness Pie

For this recipe be sure to use shin beef as it is well suited to the long slow cooking process. Stewing steak tends to disintegrate, as opposed to shin beef which has gelatinous fibres running through it.

1.5Kg Shin Beef cut into 2″ cubes
2 medium onions peeled and sliced onions
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 pt Guinness
1 pt beef stock
1 pack ready roll puff pastry

Method
Place the cubed shin beef and the onion in a casserole dish and coat with the seasoned flour. Pour in the Guinness and the stock and bring to simmer gently on the hob. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and place in an oven preheated to 140 Celsius for at least 2 to 3 hours until beef is tender.

Cook pastry as per the pack instructions, cut into individual portions about 5″ by 5″ square. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and spring greens.

External Links:
Guinness website
Guinness on Facebook
…for further St Patrick’s Day information
Splendid website

If you would like to see your event here email support@directoryofyork.net

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Mothering Sunday | 14 March 2010 | Mothers’ Day Menus and Music!

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:03:17 +0000

Treat the One you love this Mothers’ Day, with a wonderful Mothers’ Day menu at one of the following restaurants.

Make March 14th 2010 a memorable Mothering Sunday, with a chance to say “Thank You” to our Mums!

Event	Date	Venue / Link	What's On	Town / City
Mothers' Day Set Menu	Sunday 14th March 2010	Cafe Rouge	Mothers' Day Menu	Harrogate
Mothers' Day Concert	Sunday 14th March 2010	Fairfax House	To celebrate Mothers Day, Fairfax House is providing a delightful combination of music and afternoon tea, in the splendid surroundings of the Saloon. Soprano, Jessa Liversidge and pianist Malcolm Maddock (from York Musical Theatre Company), will take you on a trip down memory lane with a selection of well-known favourites from musicals and film. A perfect gift for Mothers Day!	York
Mothering Sunday Jazz Lunch	Sunday 14th March 2010	Lockwoods	Treat your very special Mum to a very special lunch with live smooth jazz and a gift.	Ripon
Mothers' Day Set Menu	Sunday 14th March 2010	Cafe Rouge	Mothers' Day Menu	York
Mothers' Day	Sunday 14th March 2010	Bingley Arms	Mums are very special people. So why not treat yours to a little bit of culinary luxury this Mother's Day.The Bingley Arms in Bardsey will help you give Mum a great big tasty thank you for everything she's done over the past 12 months. Our mouth watering range of lovingly prepared dishes will leave Mum both spoilt for choice and in seventh heaven.	Harewood

If you would like to see your event here email support@directoryofyork.net

For England! St. George’s Day 23rd April 2010

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:27:54 +0000

St George and the Modern Day

Despite the patron saint’s dashing credentials, the tradition of Saint George’s Day had waned by the end of the 18th century when union took place with Scotland.

Ironic then that Burn’s Night, the Scottish celebration, and St Patrick’s Day are more widely celebrated in England than the country’s own National Day.

But things are about to change, however.

In 2006 Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, proposed in the House of Commons that St George’s Day should be a public holiday and a campaign is afoot to give Saint George’s Day the recognition it deserves. Recently the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, gave his backing to the movement which he said had been ignored in London for far too long.

English Heritage, the Royal Society of Saint George, and the St George’s Day Events Company are just three organisations dedicated to encouraging and promoting celebrations, whilst the St George Unofficial Bank Holiday calls for people to take the day off work and celebrate their Englishness!

This year, events will take place in London in Trafalgar Square and across the country, including parades, maypole dancing, Morris dancing, theatrical and musical shows, and food festivals.

Saint George’s Day – 23rd April

Saint George, the patron saint of England, is also a romantic figure of medieval romance and legends: a chivalrous knight, a devout martyr and most famously, a heroic slayer of dragons.

Despite his ubiquitous presence in churches, paintings, frescoes and English literature, St. George himself is an unlikely choice for patron saint of England as he is celebrated in many nations across the world - he wasn’t English and probably never even visited the country.

Nevertheless, the date of his death on April 23rd became England’s National Day, and by the fifteenth century was a major feast and national holiday rivalled only by Christmas.

Saint George became a household name: mentioned by Bunion in Pilgrim’s Progress; in Shakespeare’s Henry V, his name is invoked before battle – “Cry God for Harry, England and Saint George!”; and secular mummers’ plays revolved around his character.

In later years his name was adopted by King George V, who instituted the George Cross for acts of great heroism, the highest decoration awarded to civilians.

The Real Saint George

St George is usually depicted as an allegorical figure: sitting on a horse, brandishing a shield and cross, as the cringing dragon expires beneath his sword, but the real Saint George was made of flesh and blood and was born in Roman times to a noble family in Libya.

Raised as a Christian, he became a Tribunus in the army of the Emperor Diocletian and part of the Imperial Guard. In the year AD 302 Diocletian decreed that all Christian soldiers should be arrested and those remaining should offer sacrifices to the Pagan Gods.

George refused, and renounced the edict in front of his fellow soldiers. After being cruelly tortured on a wheel of swords, he was publicly executed on April 23 - when it was said that several witnesses were converted to Christianity on seeing his suffering.

Legends of how Saint George slayed the dragon may have their origin in the story of his execution, as historians believe that the dragon is an allegory for Diocletian himself, who was known as “the dragon”.

George and the Dragon

The story tells how a dragon had made its nest in the spring that supplied the people of Silene (probably Cyrene) in Libya, to whom a daily sacrifice of a beautiful maiden had to be made.

As the supply of eligible females dwindled, the only one available was the King of Egypt’s daughter. When St George heard of her plight, he rode to her rescue and fought a long and hard battle with the dragon, during which he was forced to take refuge under the boughs of an orange tree that protected him from the dragon’s poison.

Eventually he managed to pierce its skin through the only part of its body unprotected by its scales: under the dragon’s wing, and George won the heart of the lady.

Becoming Saint George

The legend of George against the Dragon spread throughout the Roman Empire.

George was widely seen as a saint, and his popularity increased among Europeans after the Crusades, when the red cross of St George was worn on the white tunics of the Crusaders to differentiate them from their enemies in battle.

He was canonised by Pope Galasius l in 1494, who played down the more fantastical elements of the story by describing him as among those “whose names are justly reverenced among men but whose acts are known only to God”.

In 1222 the Synod of Oxford declared St George’s Day “a feast day in the kingdom of England”. As the country’s patron saint, St George was called on to save it from enemies in times of peril.

So come on! April 23 is the time to gird your loins, pin a red rose to your lapel, fly the flag of St George and eat some roast beef and Yorkshire pud or fish and chips (or even chicken tikka massala!).

External Links:

St George’s Day Dot Com Website
English Heritage: St George’s Day
The Royal Society of St George
St George’s Day Events Company

Chester St George’s Day | Liverpool St George’s Day | York St George’s Day | Leeds St George’s Day | Newcastle St George’s Day

If you would like to see your event here email support@directoryofyork.net

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Celebrating St Patrick’s Day: 17th March 2010

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:24:21 +0000

Saint Patrick in History

Saint Patrick’s Day wouldn’t have come into being without the help of the holy man himself, and without doubt Saint Patrick is one of the more colourful saints.

Saint Patrick lived in the mid to late fifth century; modestly self-described in his spiritual autobiography the Confessio as a “most humble-minded man”, he was snatched at the age of 16 by British raiders from his home village of Bannaven Taberniae (possibly in Cumbria) and sold into bondage to a chief named Milchu.

After six years tending sheep and swine on the slopes of the Slemish mountain in Antrim, he turned to God. When he finally managed to escape back home, he had a vision of a man holding letters and heard the voices of the Irish people imploring him to return.

He did so, and over the next thirty years launched a successful mission in which he was said to have rid Ireland of snakes (a symbolism of paganism since they were probably never there in the first place), explained the mysteries of the Holy Trinity with a three-leaved shamrock to the king at Tara, and baptized and ordained thousands of clerics with the result that Ireland was the only country in western Europe whose conversion to Christianity was achieved without martyrdom.

It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17th 460 AD either at Glastonbury in England or Saul, Downpatrick, in Ireland, where his jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and the anniversary of his death came to be celebrated as a feast day.

Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day – or Paddy’s Day as it’s fondly known – became a National Holiday of Ireland, Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland and Public Holiday in the Irish Republic in 1903, though it had been celebrated for many years.

It is also a day for religious observance, for attending mass, spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide, being first placed on the liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church in the early 17th century: to more secular folk, Saint Patrick’s Day is better known for its parades in major cities like Dublin, Belfast, New York, London and Sydney, with marching bands, elaborate floats, Irish dancing, street theatre and a carnival atmosphere.

In some towns even the rivers are dyed green!

In the hundreds of Irish pubs throughout the world, Irish and non-Irish alike can enjoy the craic when there’ll be shenanigans galore with much “wearing of the green”, imbibing of Guinness and Irish whiskey, Irish-themed food, toe-tapping music, a convivial atmosphere, and a helping of good old Irish blarney.

Saint Patrick’s Day: 17 March 2010

To be sure, there’s not many saints’ days on the liturgical calendar that offer such an opportunity to make merry, and on Saint Patrick’s Day you’ll find roughly 70 million Irish emigrants and their descendants uniting in cities across the world to celebrate the notion of being Irish.

Of course there’ll be no festivity as great as the one in the Emerald Isle itself, where shamrocks will be worn on lapels or caps, green, white and orange badges sported, girls will wear green in their hair and copious amounts of Guinness will flow because as all Irish know:

“In heaven there is no beer, That’s why we drink ours here”.

St Patrick’s Day

The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in the Irish Free State in Dublin in 1931.

In mid 1992 a campaign was begun to use Saint Patrick’s Day as a festival to promote Ireland throughout the world. Each year, members of the Irish Taoisigh (government) travel to the White House to present a shamrock to the president of the United States of America.

In Northern Ireland, although the day was originally seen as a Republican festivity, the flag of Saint Patrick is flown as a symbol of equality, and offers an opportunity for unionists and nationalists to come together and celebrate their common identity.

And as the Gaelic saying goes: Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig – may you have all the blessings of Saint Patrick’s Day and the “luck of the Irish”.

Who knows, if you’re very lucky indeed, you may even see a leprechaun!

If you would like to see your event here either email support@directoryofyork.net
or simply post a tweet @doyorkuk

To get much better exposure for your event why not write a short piece
with the details of what’s happening, when and where and send it to support@directoryofyork.net

This way we can get your event seen by many, many more people.

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York Restaurants Valentine’s Menus

estherrosie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:13:43 +0000

Looking for York restaurants for Valentine’s Day? Look no further! We’ve put together as many menus as we could find for York Valentine’s Day 2010.

If you would like your restaurant, bar or pub Valentine’s event here pop it over to us at: support@directoryofyork.net

Shangthai Restaurant

Church Cottage,
Escrick,
York, YO19 6EX

Shangthai Valentine’s Menu - £28 per person

The Ivy Lounge

The Grange Hotel

1 Clifton
York
YO30 6AA

The Ivy Lounge Valentine’s Menu – Five courses for £55 per person

Hotel 53

53 Piccadilly, York YO1 9PL

Hotel 53 Valentine’s Menu – three courses for £29.50

Strada York

75 Low Petergate, York, YO1 7HY

Enjoy the passion of the Italian’s this Valentine’s Day. Strada Leeds Valentine’s Menu costs just £25 per person for three courses complimented with a glass of Prosecco

J Bakers

7 Fossgate, York, YO1 9TA

Valentine’s Night at J Bakers – £50 per person

Burythorpe House

Burythorpe
Malton
North Yorkshire
YO17 9LB

Burythorpe Valentine’s Menu – £47.50 per person

The Churchill Hotel

65 Bootham, York, YO30 7DQ

The Churchill Hotel Valentine’s Menu - Seven courses for £49.95

Loch Fyne York

12 Walmgate, York, YO1 9TJ

Loch Fyne Valentine’s Menu – £30 per head

Cafe Rouge York

52 Low Petergate, York, YO1 7HZ

Cafe Rouge is donating £1 from every three course Valentine’s Menu, running from Friday to Sunday, bought across all its restaurants in the UK to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity ‘Kiss it Better’ Campaign.

The Cafe Rouge Valentine’s Menu offers a great choice of enjoying a delicious brunch menu (before 12 noon) for just £12.95 per person. The ideal way to start the day.

Or you can opt for lunch/dinner for £24.95 per person.

Melton’s Too

25 Walmgate, York, YO1 9TX

Melton’s Too Valentine Menu - £21 per person

La Tasca

21 Back Swinegate, York , YO1 8AD

La Tasca Valentine’s Menu

(pdf download) – £16.95 or £21.95 per person

Castlegate Restaurant

31 Castlegate, York, YO1 9RN

Castlegate Restaurant Valentine’s Menu - £29.50 per person

Leeds Valentine’s Restaurant Menus

Chester Valentine’s Restaurant Menus

Liverpool Valentine’s Restaurant Menus

Newcastle Valentine’s Restaurant Menus

Directory of York for Local Events and Local Businesses

The York Historic Pub Tour

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:56:58 +0000

The York Historic Pub Tour

The historic pub tour visits four of York’s most famous pubs with a generous sample of Yorkshire Real Ales (or soft drink) included in the price.

It departs daily whatever the weather – in fact umbrellas are provided in the event of rain – at 1.30pm, 5.00pm, 7.00pm and 9.00pm from St Helen’s Square near Betty’s Tea Rooms (Tea? What’s that?).
The tour lasts for approximately one hour and fifty minutes, and takes visitors through the winding snickelways of York on a tipsy trail with an informative guide reeling off plenty of tall tales and shocking stories on the way.

The price of the tour is £7.95 to include some liquid refreshment with special group rates available and it’s closed from December 24th to January 1st.

Departs:
Near Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms
6 – 8 St Helen’s Square
York YO1 8QP

For further details telephone 01904 795950

A total of four of York’s historic pubs are visited so it could well be that the walk back may take a little longer whilst the dark alleyways could take on a somewhat rosy hue.

York Historic Pub Tour

If you know of a tour or guide that should mentioned on the Directory of York, then drop us a line at support@directoryofyork.net

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Celebrate New Years Eve @ Burn Hall

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:25:48 +0000

New Years Eve 2009/2010 @ Burn Hall Hotel

CELEBRATE YOUR NEW YEAR IN STYLE AT BURN HALL

A five course dinner is served from 7.00pm with dancing until 1.00am with resident DJ and a glass of champagne to see in the New Year.

£60 per person, Tables of ten £500
To reserve a table and for best accommodation rates call 01347 825400

Address:
Burn Hall
Tollerton Road
Huby
York YO61 1JB

Tel: 01347 825 400

For Further Information, Visit the Burn Hall website or email enquiries@burn-hall.co.uk.

Party Like It’s 2009! NYE @ The Duchess

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:02:47 +0000

New Years Eve Party: The Duchess, York

You know the score…..

NYE @ The Duchess….

early bird tickets on sale now…..

The Duchess Website

New Years Eve @ The Duchess Facebook Page

Up The Racket on Facebook

New Year’s Eve Bash with Up The Racket vs Popaganda: 31 December 2009

Doors Open: 10.00pm, last entry 1.30am, bedtime 3.00am
Min age: 18+

Location:
The Duchess
Stonebow House
7 The Stonebow
York YO1 7NP

Tickets:
£6.00 from the venue
£6.00 + booking fee (online)
£10.00 on the door

New Year’s Eve Bash with Up The Racket vs Popaganda NYE

NOISY BOXES! FLASHING LIGHTS! POP TUNES BY THE BEAT COMBOS OF YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW! PUB PRICES! SEXY BAR STAFF! EVEN THE BLOKES!

So … you already know Up The Racket has been running the best New Year’s Eve nights since whenever: only this year in a bigger, brighter space! With lots of comfy seating, two bars so you don’t have to wait forever to get served, enormous dance floor so you can throw ‘yer shapes and, of course, that fantastic Duchess atmosphere entirely free of well, you know, u.n.d.e.s.i.r.a.b.l.e.s.

And this year it’s a straight fight between indie electro rock’n'roll explosion Up The Racket and Popaganda, the area’s only guilty pleasures event where it’s OK to play Wild Cherry, Pendulum, Fall Out Boy and Johnny Cash on the same night. And, yes yes yes, the odd rock anthem here and there…

Please note you must be 18 or over to gain admittance

New Years Eve Party in York: The Gallery @ The Movies

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:12:19 +0000

New Years Eve Party @ The Gallery, York

The Gallery Website

The Gallery New Years Eve

Email The Gallery

New Years Eve: The Gallery @ The Movies

Hollywood comes to The Gallery!

Themed bars, celebrity fancy dress, a red carpet…
…it’s all going to be here as The Gallery goes Tinseltown!

Dress code: Smart and presentable
Age Restrictions: Strictly Over 18

Price at door: £10.00 – Online price: £6.75

Address:
The Gallery Nightclub
12 Clifford Street
York YO1 1RD

Tel: 01904 647947