From the 1984 York Rock Festival – Echo & The Bunnymen and The Sisters of Mercy shaking the Knavesmire to modern blockbuster crowds, the tradition runs deep.
Remembering the huge gigs that have rocked York Racecourse – including pictures and memories from the 1984 York Rock Festival on Knavesmire. (Image: Submitted)
Sir Tom Jones drew more than 30,000 in 2015, arriving just in time to deliver a masterclass under evening skies.
There had been fears the then-septuagenarian sex bomb himself would be a non-runner after a respiratory infection had put paid to his earlier concerts at Saint Tropez and in Germany.
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Sir Rod Stewart kept the sell-out momentum rolling, with his July 2019 concert at York Racecourse held on a specially-constructed pop-up venue on the Knavesmire.
STILL WEARING IT WELL Rod Stewart at York Racecourse in 2019. Picture Cuffe and Taylor Rhodes (Image: Cuffe and Taylor Rhodes)
There have been screams for Boyzone in 2018, club vibes as Craig David brought his TS5 set, and pop-punk revivals with Busted.
In July 2021, 30,000 thousand fans packed York Racecourse again for the first time in almost two years due to the Covid pandemic.
Racegoers watched a series of races followed by a concert by pop band McFly on the second day of the course’s Music Showcase weekend.
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Races had been held behind closed doors the previous year while York’s capacity had been limited to 4,000 at meetings earlier that year.
Olly Murs charmed the crowds at York Racecourse Picture Jeremy Phillips Photographer (Image: Jeremy Phillips Photographer)
Those restrictions on numbers at race meetings had been removed under the Government’s recent relaxation of Covid rules.
In 2022, about 45,000 packed in for Madness and Sugababes, proving the appetite only grows.
As this season returns, memories of Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones lighting up 2012 remind us that the music is just as big as the racing.
Emergency services were called to the Pilton area of the capital after the fire broke out last night.
A woman has been taken to hospital after falling from a window during a flat fire in Edinburgh. A number of residents were evacuated as a precaution after the blaze broke out in Pilton last night.
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Emergency services were called to a block of flats on West Pilton Avenue shortly after 9.15pm on Saturday, June 13. At its height, up to 20 firefighters were on scene to tackle the blaze.
Four fire crews including a specialist height appliance were dispatched by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to bring the fire under control. Images shared with Edinburgh Live from the scene show flames leaping from a first floor window.
Thick smoke was seen billowing above the homes with black scorch marks on the side of the building as the fierce fire took hold. Despite the best efforts of emergency crews, a 43-year-old woman fell from a first floor window.
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Speaking to our sister title, one local said: “It looked pretty bad. You could see and hear the intensity of the fire. It’s just terrifying what can happen. I just hope everyone is ok.”
The cause of the fire is unknown and enquiries are ongoing. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.40pm on Saturday, 13 June, 2026, we were called to a report concern for a woman who had fell from the window of a flat in West Pilton Avenue, after a fire started within the property.
“The 43-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. A number of residents in the block were evacuated as a precaution.
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.”
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Flight AC937 has turned back towards Scotland after declaring an emergency over the Atlantic Ocean.
An Air Canada flight from Edinburgh has turned back after declaring an emergency over the Atlantic Ocean. Flight AC937 was due to arrive at Montreal-Trudeau Airport at 2.50pm UK time but is now heading back towards Scotland.
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The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner departed the capital shortly before 10am – around 40 minutes later than original scheduled. About an hour into the flight, the general emergency 7700 squawk procedure was initiated and the pilots turned the aircraft around.
Data from flight tracking app FlightRadar24 shows the plane traveling east over Atlantic Ocean several hundred miles off the coast of the Western Isles at the time. It is currently flying back over the Hebrides towards the Central Belt.
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The nature of the emergency is currently unknown and it is not known whether the aircraft will return to Edinburgh Airport or land elsewhere. Emergency response squawking 7700 means a general emergency has been declared.
It can cover a range of scenarios including a technical or medical emergency. The procedure allows air traffic controllers and ground crews to respond to the emergency in the most effective manner.
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Air Canada has been contacted for comment.
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Sprawled over 80,000 square metres, the colossal structure will be the biggest hotel in the country (Picture: Gołębiewski Pobierowo)
Thirteen floors, 1,240 rooms, 80,000 square metres: a colossal mega-hotel on the Baltic Sea is about to open.
On Wednesday, June 17, the five-star Gołębiewski Pobierowo will open its doors to guests.
While it won’t be the largest in Europe – narrowly beaten by the Royal National Hotel in London (1,630 rooms) and the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest (1,459 rooms) – it comes a respectable third place.
Rooms at the hotel, in the Polish resort of Pobierowo, can already be booked, starting at £300 (€350) per night. Suites go up to £775 (€900).
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Marketing chief Marta Maslowska says more than 2,000 bookings were made in the first 24 hours alone.
There is, however, a catch. Of the 1,240 rooms, only 500 have been completed, according to German outlet BILD.
But for guests who do stay, there’s a lot to look forward to.
The outdoor pool is 104 metres long and 60 metres wide (Picture: Gołębiewski Pobierowo)
As well as a vast outdoor pool, 104 metres long and 60 metres wide (more than double the size of the Olympic standard), there is a water park with whirlpools, water slides, a sauna, and a salt grotto.
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In addition to the wellness area, local media reports that the hotel is planning to have a cinema and a supermarket, and activities for travellers who can’t sit still: climbing walls, a bowling alley and volleyball courts.
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There will also be a pianist serenading guests in the lobby, and a disco and entertainment area for children.
On the hotel’s website is the promise of four-themed restaurants, though it’s not clear what the themes will be.
It’s all set on the banks of Plaża w Pobierowie, a two-and-a-half mile long beach with soft white sand and the dazzling waters of the Baltic Sea.
The hotel towers over the forested landscape (Picture: Gołębiewski Pobierowo)
A short drive down the pretty coastal roads there are charming seaside villages such as Trzęsacz, famous for its 15th-century church and an interactive museum, which brings visitors on a journey to the past.
A half-hour walk is the town of Pobierowo. In the summer, it has an outdoor inflatable park and treetop climbing experience, and it’s a popular destination for active breaks.
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The hotel, which will be the largest in Poland, is the brainchild of the late entrepreneur Tadeusz Golebiewski.
He started out as a waffle baker, then in 1972 founded the biscuit manufacturer Tago and later built up a hotel empire.
An Instagram account for the hotel, curated in Polish, already has more than 9,000 followers.
Pobierowo is about an hour from Solidarity Szczecin-Goleniów Airport, which is served by Ryanair from Liverpool and London Stansted.
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With flight times of under two hours from London, this Polish seaside gem could become popular with Brits looking for a short seaside break.
In recent years, Poland’s Baltic region has seen an uptick in visitors, as tourists increasingly shun the sweltering heat of southern Europe in favour of milder climates.
For the past two summers, visitors have packed Gdańsk’s historic old town, lounged on Sopot’s long beaches, and wandered the cliffs near Gdynia.
‘Poland’s coast increasingly attracts tourists from further abroad,’ said Katarzyna Smierzchalska, marketing manager at Hotel Nadmorski in Gdynia.
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She noted that international guests are looking for relief from intense heat elsewhere.
Further east along the Baltic Coast, resorts in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniaare also seeing a rise in visitors.
Lithuania’s Baltic Coast is increasingly popular with travellers (Picture: Visit Neringa)
Lithuania’s tourism board reported that the capital Vilnius clocked a record 10 million international arrivals in 2025.
Coastal regions such as Palanga are also increasingly popular with holidaymakers who want a beach break without the Mediterranean heat, and crowds.
Our writer Lucy Daltroff recently travelled there and said she has never been rewarded with ‘such inviting beaches, beautiful nature and consistently good food’.
Rickie Rowell, 24, of Hilton Road, Bishop Auckland, admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance on June 28, 2025, on Jubilee Road and Laurel Court in Shildon, County Durham.
Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard Rowell drove a Honda Civic although he was already banned from driving.
On June 10 magistrates sentenced him to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, due to what the court described as his “flagrant disregard for people and their property”.
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Rowell must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work, attend up to 10 days of rehabilitation activity as directed, and follow instructions from a responsible officer for 12 months.
He was disqualified from driving for an additional 12 months.
Rowell must also pay £200 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.
His guilty pleas were taken into account when sentencing.
Use our interactive widget to fill your car for less
The cheapest place to fill up your car with petrol in Greater Manchester today (14 June) is at a Costco Wholesale garage in Oldham.
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According to the latest data supplied by retailers, a driver in an average family car could save up to £13 by filling up at this forecourt – compared to the most expensive petrol station.
The Costco Wholesale garage at The Broadway in Chadderton is charging motorists 144.9p per litre, which means it would cost £91 to fill up an average 55 litre tank. This is based on a feed of live petrol prices which is published by the government.
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Here are the cheapest places to top your car with petrol today:
146.9p – Texaco, Lime Service Station, Manchester, M28 3NS
146.9p – Asda, Moss Bank Way, Bolton, BL1 8QG
The most expensive filling station in Greater Manchester is a BP station at 2b Sunbank Lane in Altrincham. The cost of standard petrol at this station is 159.9p, meaning it would cost a total of £103 to fill up an average family car at this forecourt.
For the owners of diesel cars, the cheapest place to fill up is the Costco Wholesale garage in Stretford. The cost of a litre of standard diesel at this forecourt is 164.9p, according to prices supplied by retailers.
Here are the cheapest places to fill up your car with standard diesel today:
You can use our interactive widget to find out the price of fuel at the petrol stations near you.
UK drivers are currently paying 155.9p per litre of petrol, while people who own diesel vehicles are paying 177.9p on average.
In Greater Manchester, owners of petrol cars are currently being charged 3.3p less than the national average of 155.9p. Diesel car drivers in the region are paying 4.1p less than the national average.
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The cheapest place to buy petrol in the country is at a Costco Wholesale garage in West Thurrock, Essex, where a litre of standard petrol is 143.9p. The most expensive petrol station in the country is a Cluanie Inn Hotel garage in Inverness where motorists are charged 189.5p a litre.
The prices quoted are for standard grade petrol (E10) and for standard grade diesel (B7).
The figures are supplied by the major retailers under a scheme operated by the government to ensure motorists are given a fair deal at the petrol pumps.
Released in 2007, The Jane Austen Book Club centres on a group of women in a reading circle who choose to examine the works of the cherished Pride and Prejudice author.
Yet the themes from Austen’s novels begin to mirror their own romantic lives.
The members discover their relationships, both former and current, beginning to unfold like contemporary interpretations of Austen’s literature.
The Jane Austen Book Club is based on American author Karen Joy Fowler’s 2004 novel of the same title.
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The film featured an impressive ensemble cast, including Emily Blunt from The Devil Wears Prada, renowned American actress Kathy Baker, Judging Amy’s Amy Brenneman, NYPD Blue’s Jimmy Smits, Hugh Dancy of Hannibal, Lost’s Maggie Grace, and distinguished actress Maria Bello.
One viewer headlined their 10/10 review: “A brilliant and emotional film.”
They continued: “Those who made it really loved and understood Jane Austen (and literature in general). Anyone of admires her books will find in this movie lots to think about.”
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They noted it was “one of the most intelligent” films they’d seen.
Another highly-rated review commended the production, stating: “[The Jane Austen Bookclub] is a remarkable achievement, an oasis in a Hollywood landscape that has forgotten how important creativity and talent must work together to produce quality work.
“Thank the Gods for these moments, when the silver screen still manages to shine golden.”
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Another reviewer awarded it 9/10, writing: “I loved this gem of a movie. It had some very funny moments, but mostly it was sweet, utterly charming and moving.”
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They went on to say: “I would heartily recommend this film, whether or not you are a fan of Jane Austen (you do not need to have read the novels to watch this film) – it’s a definite keeper for me, and one I shall be watching again.”
Yet another viewer sang its praises: “This film is an absolute delight from beginning to end. Showcasing a marvelous cast of actors and a quaint but fun and interesting story line.”
They concluded: “Definitely worth the watch if you love romantic comedies and Jane Austen.”
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The Jane Austen Book Club is currently available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.
Graham Coggins, 47, of North Marine Road in Scarborough, pleaded guilty to causing public nuisance at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court after climbing to the rooftop of a property in Alma Square, Scarborough on Monday (June 8).
It comes after North Yorkshire Police were called to the area shortly after 6.15pm after reports of a man “shimmying” across rooftops in the street, climbing onto a property’s chimney and shouting.
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The court heard how Coggins was allegedly on the roof following a dispute over the ownership of a dog.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “As a negotiator was prepared to attend Scarborough, officers from Scarborough’s Retail Crime Unit engaged with the man from a platform provided by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, who also attended to help to get the man to safety.”
The incident caused Westborough, between York Place and Northway, along with Alma Parade, to close as a police cordon was place along the area.
Coggins eventually climbed down from the rooftop of his own accord and was arrested by officers at the scene.
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He was handed a Community Order, which comes with a six-month alcohol treatment order and rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Coggins was also fined £80 and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £114.
The first festival of its kind in the Tees Valley and Stockton, the Deaf Empowering Festival, will take place on Saturday, August 8 at Egglescliffe School from 10am.
Organised by the Deaf Empowering Network (DEN), the event promises a full day of workshops, live shows, games, food, and artisan stalls.
Craig Jones, chief executive of DEN, said: “As CEO, I am incredibly proud to see the Deaf Empowering Festival come to life – the first deaf-led festival of its kind in Stocktonand the Tees Valley.
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“This is a landmark moment for our region and a true celebration of Deaf culture, empowerment and community.
“It brings Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of hearing people, children of Deaf adults, alongside parents of Deaf children, right to the heart of where they belong: visible, valued and celebrated.
“This is more than a festival; it is a powerful movement, breaking barriers, raising awareness and driving real inclusion across our communities.”
DEN is a deaf-led organisation with a mission to enable better life choices for Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of hearing people.
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The festival aims to strengthen community ties, improve access to information, and foster a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.
A host of deaf celebrities and guests will join the day, including TV star and celebrity cook Yvonne Cobb, comedian Gavin Lilley, and England/GB Deaf Footballer and Captain, Jamie Clarke.
Visitors can also enjoy an interactive session with Julie, founder of BSL Animal Care, on animal health and first aid, BSL song performances, and BSL taster sessions.
Family-friendly activities include a bouncy castle, basketball shoot-out and penalty shoot-out, and more.
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Emergency services such as Cleveland Fire Brigade and Cleveland Police will be present, with police offering a drone demonstration.
Health charity SignHealth will also be offering information.
The festival is sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland.
Entry is just £1, payable by cash on the day, and includes a raffle ticket.
Cavan v Dublin Live stream and TV information, throw-in time, betting odds and all you need to know ahead of today’s All-Ireland Football Championship clash
Everything you need to know about the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 2B clash between Cavan and Dublin on Sunday, June 14
Cavan take on Dublin this weekend in Round 2B of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
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Cavan enter this fixture on the back of a gut-wrenching extra-time loss to Westmeath in Round 1, fully aware that any further slip-ups could spell the end of their campaign.
Dublin, meanwhile, find themselves under considerable pressure following their stunning defeat to Louth. The Dubs have endured a torrid run by their own high standards, having also fallen short in the Leinster Championship, and anything other than a win on Sunday would bring their season to an early close.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fixture:.
The annual Witches Coven gathering will return to York’s Patrick Pool on Saturday, June 20, at 6pm.
Hosted by the Hocus Pocus Hotel, the free event promises an evening of mystical entertainment, storytelling and family-friendly fun in the centre of York.
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Camelia Andrei, owner of the Hocus Pocus Hotel, said: “The Coven is all about bringing together a community of like-minded people who share a love of magic.
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“Every year, we welcome visitors from across the UK, and it’s wonderful to see new friendships form and familiar faces return.
“As we celebrate four years of Hocus Pocus Hotel, we can’t wait to welcome everyone back.”
Attendees at the last Witches Coven (Image: Provided)
Guests can enjoy blessings, complimentary drinks from The Potions Cauldron, chamber visits and the popular Coven Couture Contest.
Wristbands are also available in the Hocus Pocus shop which offer attendees exclusive discounts, experiences, and gifts.
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York’s storyteller Mad Alice will also return to lead an atmospheric evening tour through the city’s historic streets.
Attendees at the last Witches Coven (Image: Provided)
Vincent Roberts, owner of the Hocus Pocus Hotel, said: “When we opened Hocus Pocus four years ago, we never imagined quite how many people would connect with what we were building.
“The Coven has become a chance to bring that community together in person and celebrate everything the hotel stands for.”
For more information visit https://hocuspocusyork.com/events/
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