07/03/2011

Main News

Art in Yorkshire - in York

Works by some of the most famous names in the world of art are coming to Yorkshire this year as part of a compelling programme of exhibitions and events.

Art in Yorkshire - supported by Tate and Welcome to Yorkshire, will see works by iconic artists such as David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Dame Barbara Hepworth featured in exhibitions taking place in 19 urban and rural galleries, including York, across the county.  The strength of Yorkshire's art collections will be highlighted alongside significant loans from Tate's Collection.

The programme launched with the arrival of David Hockney's magnificent Bigger Trees Near Warter or/ou Peinture Sur Le Motif Pour Le Nouvel at York Art Gallery - the first time the painting has been shown outside London.  The painting will be on show until 12 June 2011.  Measuring 12m by 4.5m, the painting is made up of 50 smaller canvasses of a landscape near the East Yorkshire village of Warter.

Other highlights of the Art in Yorkshire programme which can be seen in York include:

York St Mary's: Cornelia Parker's Thirty Pieces of Silver

28 May until 30 October

More than 1,000 objects that Cornelia Parker has flattened by steam roller into 30 disks which hover above the ground in the serene and peaceful setting of York St Mary's.

Public contact: For more information about the programme, visit www.yorkshire.com/artinyorkshire

Press contact:  Lee Clark, Media Co-ordinator, York Museums Trust, Tel: 01904 687673 or email lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

Yorkshire Museum in the running for prestigious Art Fund Prize 2011

Newly redeveloped, the Yorkshire Museum is in the running for the Art Fund Prize 2011, the UK's largest arts prize.  It is among ten museums to be long listed for the prestigious £100,000 award.

The Art Fund Prize rewards excellence and innovation in museums and galleries across the UK for a project completed or undertaken in 2010.  Following a shortlist of four museums to be announced on 19 May, the £100,000 cash prize will be awarded to the ‘Museum of the Year' at a ceremony on 15 June.

Yorkshire Museum has been selected this year for Letting in the Light - Revitalising the Yorkshire Museum for the 21st century.

Chair of the Judges is Michael Portillo with a host of other culture, museums and heritage experts.  They will visit the ten long-listed museums before meeting to decide on the shortlist.  They will all take part in official visits but will also be free to visit institutions incognito.

Members of the public are invited to vote online at www.artfundprize.org.uk for their favourite long-listed museum - and tell the judges who they think should win. Public voting on the long list closes on 3 May 2011.

Press contact:  Marina Bradbury, Email: mbradbury@artfund.org Tel: 0207 225 4888

Discover the secrets of the Hidden Minster

York Minster is known the world over as a magnificent example of religious architecture on the very grandest scale.  The building which contains some of the country's oldest and finest stained glass is now giving visitors a chance to go behind the scenes and explore the hidden depths of the Minster.

The following tours are available:

Bedern Glaziers' Studio

Tours every Wednesday and Friday at 2pm, £7.50 per person.

The Bedern Glaziers' Studio tour offers you a chance for a ‘behind the scenes' glimpse of conservators at work on some of the Minster's finest windows.  The conducted tour with a specialist guide will introduce visitors to the complex challenges of modern stained glass conservation in action. (Pre-booking is essential through the York Minster Box Office)

Evening Hidden Tours

25 March 2011 (on sale from 15 March)

Tours start at 7pm and 8.30pm, Pre-booking essential.

Maximum10/tour, Minimum age: 16 years

These tours allow visitors to see parts of the Minster previously inaccessible to visitors.

The West End and Bell Towers

Visits the South West Tower, Clock Chamber, Ringing Chamber, Bell Chamber, the outside western gallery and the Great Peter ringing chamber.

The Chapter House Roof & Masons' Loft

Visits both the impressive structure of the Chapter House timber roof void and the fascinating Masons' Loft above the vestibule.

Early Minster

Explores the passages to the north and south of the Crypts as well as a breath-taking trip up to the top walkway over the Five Sisters window.

All of the above guided tours and the following specialist tours below can be arranged for pre-booked groups only at other times throughout the year. Tel: 0844 939 0011 or email groups@yorkminster.org

Stoneyard and East Front £5 - (Maximum 10/tour)

Tour begins in the Stoneyard where you will see the setting out office, masons' and carvers' workshops.  The tour moves to the East Front where, after ascending the hoist, it is possible to see the work being carried out on the Minster.

Broderers £5 per person (Maximum 10/tour)

A guided tour of the embroideries in York Minster, looking at altar frontals, hangings in the sanctuary, antimacassars and kneelers.

Press contact: Lisa Sinclair, Communications and Marketing Officer, 0844 939 0014 , 07843339979, lisas@yorkminster.org

York Theatre Royal transforms itself all a-round

York Theatre Royal is gearing up for one of its most adventurous seasons to date.

2011 will see the Theatre transform its main stage into the round from May to November, after the success of the 2010 summer production, The Wind in the Willows.  This was the first production to ever be performed in the round at this historic theatre and proved so popular with audiences that the theatre has decided to transform the stage for seven months of 2011.  

York Theatre Royal is embarking on its largest ensemble season to date, with a repertory company of 12 actors who will perform in both the Studio and the Main House shows.

In addition, gearing up for the 2012 Mystery Plays York Theatre Royal and Riding Lights Theatre Company will perform ‘Two Planks and a Passion' in July 2011:

In the shadow of York Minster labourers from the Painter's guild are preparing to perform their Mystery play for the festival of Corpus Christi.  To their surprise King Richard II and Queen Anne arrive in the city to escape the political intrigues of the London Court.  Suddenly, from the Mayor to the marketplace, the entire community of York explodes in a fever of affection, expense and hilarious posturing as rival guilds battle it out to impress the royal party with their wagon plays. 

A wonderfully and poignant play about the people and history of York, this is Anthony Minghella at his most glorious.

Public contact for York Theatre Royal: Visit www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Press contact for York Theatre Royal: Rebecca Storey, Press and Media Manager, Tel: 01904 550149, Email Rebecca.storey@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Yorkshire Museum brings history to life in the 21st century 

The Yorkshire Museum reopened its doors on 1 August 2010 following a nine month, £2million refurbishment project.

Five new galleries showcase some of Britain's most significant archaeological and geological treasures in brand new interactive displays.

The Yorkshire Museum is a must-see destination in a tour around the city of York.  The redevelopment has created a truly innovative home for the museum's collections.  Significant displays include:

The Vale of York Viking Hoard - the most significant Viking find in more than 150 years; the Head of Constantine - from what is thought to be the earliest portrait statue of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great; the famous Cawood Sword - only the fifth Viking sword of its type ever to be found and by far the best preserved, with a mysterious inscription that has never been solved; the Middleham Jewel and Ring -thought to be the finest pieces of Gothic jewellery found in Britain; The York Helmet - Dated to approximately 750 to 775, this iron and brass helmet is the most outstanding object of the Anglo-Saxon period to survive in Europe.

For more information about all of the finds on display at the Yorkshire Museum, visit www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk

Press contact: contact Lee Clark, Media Coordinator at York Museums Trust on 01904 687673 or email lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

Yorkshire Air Museum wins National Tourism Award

The Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial in Elvington just outside York, have won a prestigious tourism award voted for by the public - the national Going Places Best Attraction 2010/2011 Award.

The Yorkshire Air Museum is enjoying a winning streak following a recent announcement that they have been shortlisted for their film ‘Flightpaths' in the 10th Imperial War Museum Film Festival Awards.

The Museum will also be announcing plans in 2011 for the very first French Memorial in an English cathedral to be inaugurated at York Minster on 20 October.  The plaque is in commemoration of the only two French Heavy bomber squadrons of World War Two who flew with RAF Bomber Command from RAF Elvington, York.  Over 1600 people are expected to attend including senior officials from Britain and France.

The Allied Air Forces Memorial and Yorkshire Air Museum is the largest independent air museum in UK, it is the only allied air forces memorial in Europe and the only base used by the French Heavy bomber squadrons of RAF Bomber Command. The Museum and Memorial is based on the largest original Bomber command Station open to the public and is within a 20 acre parkland site with 15 main exhibitions, 70 historic aircraft and vehicles, a 300 seat restaurant and shop, plus new for 2011 the 7 acre, Nature of Flight woodland walkway and butterfly conservation area in association with English Nature, British Butterfly & moth Association, DEFRA and the Environment Agency.

Public contact: For more information visit www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

Press contact: Ian Richardson, email pr@yorkshireairmuseum.org Tel: 01904 608718 / 07740 992 832

Get green-fingered at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens

Stillingfleet Lodge Garden and Nurseries, just 6 miles outside the City of York, offers visitors an interesting and enjoyable afternoon out in a stunning setting in the grounds of an 18th century farmhouse.  It is one of the few Yorkshire gardens that are free for RHS members.

Established over 30 years ago, the gardens run over two acres, using cottage garden principles.  In 2011, visitors can also take the opportunity to get involved and perk up their gardening and artistic skills, with a series of courses running over the open season, including:

• Poultry Keepers Course
• Willow Weaving with Rachel Carter
• Shade Plants
• Gardens Walks with Vanessa Cook
• New Ways to Improve your Garden
• Fascinating Ferns with Barry Wright
• Watercolour Painting with Helen Wright
• Beekeeping

Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens is open from 2nd April through to 28th September every Wednesday and Friday and the first and third Saturday and Sunday of every month from 1pm - 5pm. 

Public contact: For more information about the courses running over 2011, or to find out more about visiting Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, visit http://www.stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk/ or call 01904 728506

Press contact: Vanessa Cook, Email Vanessa.cook@stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk; tel: 01904 728506

Bridge that saved the line project receives national award

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has received a national award for the successful completion of a £750,000 railway engineering project that helped safeguard the future of the line.

The Heritage Railway Association, which represents over 100 preserved railway lines across the UK, has awarded the NYMR with its Large Groups Annual Award 2010 for the way it undertook a vital bridge renewal project.

The project to renew Bridge 30, situated between Grosmont and Goathland on the moors, seemed to capture the hearts of a world-wide audience and certainly rallied the many thousands of supporters and members of the preserved line.  Without the new bridge the future of the railway would have been very bleak.

A book commemorating the completion of Bridge 30 and written by the railway's Civil Engineer, Nigel Trotter, is available from all NYMR retail outlets priced at £5.00.  Train services for the 2011 season commenced on Saturday 19 February.  Full details can be found on www.nymr.co.uk or by telephoning 01751 472508. 

Press contact: Phil Bustard, NYMR Marketing & External Affairs Manager, Tel: 07837 405249.

New Exhibitions

Investigate Coppergate - JORVIK Viking Centre continues its facelift

JORVIK Viking Centre has introduced two new galleries to the museum which use new scientific research to tell us more about the objects and human remains excavated at Coppergate over 30 years ago. These new galleries have been funded through a grant by the Wolfson Foundation.

In a new "Investigate Coppergate" gallery, displays include two human skeletons from the dig. Using newly commissioned studies the female skeleton is used to tell visitors how the Vikings of Jorvik lived, what diseases and afflictions they suffered from, what they ate and even what she looked like. Working with archaeologists from Universities across Britain this new research is brought to the public for the first time.

The final gallery at JORVIK has been transformed to reveal "The Last Vikings of Jorvik" and takes a look at the final battles of the Viking-age in York which signalled the end of the Viking -age and the coming of the Normans. Skeletal remains showing battle wounds and a full skeleton with evidence of severe trauma are on display and discussed in terms of what science can tell us about how they died. This gallery also discusses the legacy of the Vikings and mix of cultures that survived in York after 1066.

Press contact: David Scott, York Archaeological Trust, Tel: 01904 543426.

National Railway Museum on track to become art destination

Art lovers will be able to see previously unseen works of art at an exciting new gallery opening at the National Railway Museum in York this summer.

The brand new purpose-built exhibition space will host an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions showcasing the Museum's unseen art collection alongside railway-inspired works of art from across the world.

The National Railway Museum's vast art collection comprises of 11,222 posters, 2,358 prints and drawings, 1052 paintings and 1,500,000 photographs, many of which have never been on public display.

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the arrival of the Japanese Bullet train, the Shinkansen at the NRM, the first exhibition with the working title ‘Japanese Railway Prints of the 1870s' will showcase Japanese Meiji era woodcuts.  Loaned from The Modern Transport Museum in Osaka, these stunning prints reflect the period of ‘railway mania' which surrounded the opening of the first Japanese railway line between the administrative capital of Edo (Tokyo) and the port of Yokohama.

Public contact: For more information and exact opening dates visit www.nrm.org.uk and to find out about future exhibitions.

Press contact: Catherine Farrell, Senior Press Officer, Tel: 01904 686281, Email: Catherine.farrell@nrm.org.uk

DIGgin up Shipwrecks

New exhibition opens 12 March

DIG's newest exhibition will showcase the amazing remains of the Swash Channel wreck, which dates from the Tudor era, and find out how archaeologists uncovered an amazing 400-year-old merman.

There will also be a chance to find out marine archaeologists find and preserve discoveries from under the sea at sites around Britain.

Dig! provides a unique and exciting archaeological experience. The simulated archaeological investigation includes an excavation, site hut, and science laboratory and research library. Visitors can excavate parts of a Roman fortress, Viking City, Medieval burial site and Victorian workers cottages. They will find real artefacts that have been discovered by the archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust in York over the last 25 years. Once an interesting object has been uncovered, the visitors will go to work to find out what they can discover about life in the past from their artefacts.

Public contact: To find out more about DIG and the new "Shipwrecks" exhibition visit www.digyork.com or call 01904 615505. Press contact: For more press information please contact Hannah Trinder at The Partners Group, Tel: 01904 610077

New exhibitions at York Art Gallery for 2011

David Hockney's largest masterpiece travels to York

Bigger Trees Near Warter by David Hockney
12 February 2011 - 12 June 2011

David Hockney's painting Bigger Trees Near Warter, on loan from Tate, is the largest painting the artist has ever produced. Featuring two copses, a huge sycamore tree, buildings and early flowering daffodils, the painting comprises of 50 individual canvas panels and takes inspiration from a site at Warter in the Yorkshire Wolds. This is the first time the painting has been seen in Britain outside of London.  

Public contact: For more information visit www.yorkartgallery.org.uk  Free admission, open 10am to 5pm.

Press contact: For more information please contact Lee Clark, Media Coordinator at York Museums Trust on 01904 687673 or email lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

A passion for the nude: First major William Etty exhibition for over half a century on display at York Art Gallery in 2011

25 June 2011 - 22 January 2012

The life and works of one of Britain's most significant yet controversial artists will be explored in a major new exhibition at York Art Gallery next year.  William Etty: Art and Controversy, will be the first comprehensive reassessment of Etty's art in over half a century.  This will be the largest collection of his work including 78 paintings, more than 1,000 sketches and drawings, plus letters and other papers.

William Etty is York's most famous artist and was the first major British painter to specialise in the nude before the 20th century.  Born in York in 1787, he was the seventh child of a miller and baker and would often draw in chalk on his father's shop floor. In 1798 he was apprenticed to a printer, but in 1805 his uncle paid for him to go to London and to enter the Royal Academy Schools in 1807.

The exhibition will explore in depth Etty's equivocal status; from stalwart of the Royal Academy - elected to be an Academician ahead of John Constable - to being exiled from the artistic elite because of what was seen as a "perverse" passion for the voluptuousness of the female nude. 

Press contact: For more information please contact Lee Clark, Media Coordinator at York Museums Trust on 01904 687673 or email lee.clark@ymt.org.uk

Ex-coal miner turns artist at According to McGee

Contemporary art gallery ‘According to McGee' is showcasing the artistic talents of an ex- coal miner in its latest exhibition -'A Life Underground: Workings from the Coalface' which runs from 5th March until the 28th March 2011.

Artist Harry Malkin was born in Castleford and is exhibiting in York for the second time.

His artistic journey started from drawing on his father's back when he came home from the pit, to political picketing and ultimate frustration with the strike of 1984, and now he has turned to the redemptive powers of art.

Harry worked for 20 years as a fitter at Fryston Colliery before leaving when the pit closed in 1985 and retraining as an artist. He has lived in Castleford all his life. He has the best possible hands-on experience of the subject he paints and, having spent years working as a coal miner and is renowned for capturing scenes of life down the pit.

According to McGee, 8 Tower Street, York, YO1 9SA

Public contact: For more information about the exhibition and for future exhibitions at ‘According to McGee' visit www.accordingtomcgee.com or email greg@accordingtomcgee.com

Press contact: Holly Bonarius, Tel: 01904 671709, Email: holly@accordingtomcgee.com

Unique York

On the tail of York's cats

A new walking trail which is introducing visitors to York's hidden ‘cats' is now available. 

The history of York's cat statues dates back to 1920, when Sir Stephen Aitcheson placed two on a building that he owned in Low Ousegate.  Some say he put them there to scare away rats and mice though it's more likely that he thought they would be eye-catching and attractive.

Others followed his idea and the odd cat started to appear around the city.  It was in 1979 that a local architect called Tom Adams (who had drawn black cats as his signature since the 1950s) decided to resurrect the idea by placing them on buildings he designed.  York based sculptor Jonathan Newdick was then commissioned to bring them to life.  Unfortunately Tom passed away in 2006 aged 75, though his dream lives on in new commissions of York cats.

The trail follows a route around the main streets of York that takes about two hours to complete and gives people information and clues to help them spot the 16 cats that are currently featured.

Press contact: Keith Mulhearn, Complete Yorkshire, Tel: 07707 892747.

Tours, Talks and Private Views at Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a spectacular eighteenth-century palace, which has been home to the Howard family for 300 years. The construction of this magnificent palace took more than 100 years and spanned the lifetime of three Earls and numerous architects and craftsmen.

In 2011 visitors can choose from a calendar of tours, talks and private viewings to delve deeper into Castle Howard's history and culture.

Mausoleum Tours gives an opportunity to visit the most mysterious and imposing building in the Castle Howard landscape, where generations of the Howard family are buried in the vaults.  The tour also includes a visit to the Temple of the Four Winds not normally open to the public.

Monumental Tours cover the heart of the famous 18th century landscape taking in the Avenue, Gatehouse, Mock Fortifications, Pyramid, Mausoleum, and Temple with exclusive access to the buildings.

The 2011 programme of talks includes

• The Castle Howard Landscape;
• Gaslight and Riot: The Visit of Queen Victoria to Castle Howard;
• Grand Tours and Farcical Journeys: The Howard Family on their Travels;
• Castle Howard and Brideshead: Fact, Fiction and In-Between

Following each talk there will a chance to view related material from the archives.

In addition there will be two special evenings where hidden treasures from the collections will be on view for people to look at and even handle:

• A History of Castle Howard in Ten Objects
• Treasures from the Library of Castle Howard

Public contact: Visit www.castlehoward.co.uk to find out more information and view the calendar of events.  To book, please contact Alison Douglas on 01653 648621 or house@castlehoward.co.uk

Accommodation News

Luxury cycling holidays in historic York

Hotel Du Vin in York have teamed up with York based Scoot Cycling Holidays to offer the kind of cycling holiday that sounds wheely fantastic.

Visitors to York can combine cycling around the beautiful historic city and surrounding countryside knowing that when they return luxury awaits. 

A special cycling package has been created in York, Tour du Vin, offering guests a 2 hour guided cycle tour followed by a 2-course Sunday lunch at Hotel du Vin.  Guests can then explore York on foot or if they can't get enough two wheeled travelling then hire cycles for the afternoon.  The package includes bed and breakfast and is available on Sundays only for £175 based on two people sharing a room.

For more information on a cycling break at Hotel du Vin visit www.hotelduvin.co.uk or www.scootcyclingholidays.co.uk

Press contact: Ammie Stowell, Email: ammie.stowell@hotelduvin.com Tel: 07971321574.

Upcoming Festival/Events

York Mystery Plays to make a return in 2012

2 - 27 August 2012

The world famous York Mystery Plays are set to make a return to their original setting in Museum Gardens in the summer of 2012.  The Passion Plays of England are some of the oldest pieces of English literature. They were performed on the streets of Britain's medieval cities on the church Feast Day of Corpus Christi, around midsummer.  This spectacular production is returning to York in a joint production from York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Museums Trust.

York Mystery plays have a very historic tradition and have been performed in York since the middle of the fourteenth century until 1569, suppressed in the Tudor times and resurrected when published in 1885. Large scale productions then began in 1951 on a 10 year cycle. The original production in 1951 was in Museum Gardens against St Mary's Abbey, so York Theatre Royal's production in 2012 is taking these historic plays back to its famous setting.

There are only four cities in the UK that do the cycles historically and York is the most famous one.  This production will be one of the biggest, most historic theatre productions in the country, staged outdoors in the Museum Gardens against the backdrop of medieval St Mary's Abbey.

A manuscript of the York Plays dating back to 1463 still survives in the British Library. 

Past performers of the York Mysteries have included Judi Dench (launching her career),  David Bradley (playing Jesus in 1976), Christopher Timothy (Jesus in 1980), Simon Ward, Robson Green

Press contact: Rebecca Storey, Press and Media Manager, Tel: 01904 550149, Email Rebecca.storey@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Find out more about ‘hidden York...'

Take a walk in York...

Lady Peckett's Yard, Coffee Yard, Mad Alice Lane, Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate.  The names alone are irresistible.  A network of ‘ginnels' or alleyways winds through the historic core of York as it has done for centuries, each with a story to tell.  You can explore almost the whole of the city centre using these medieval shortcuts.  York has its own name for these tiny lanes - ‘Snickleways' - a word coined by a local tour guide made up of the word ‘Snicket', ‘Ginnel' and ‘Alleyway'.  YorkWalk, established in 1990, offers a programme of themed walking tours of York throughout the year. Many of these explore the hidden York, and unwind the fascinating history of the city.  These include, amongst others:

Inaccessible and Hidden York

A unique chance to enter parts of York never open to the public, to descend into cellars and Roman remains, and explore secret passages, crypts, medieval churches and hidden Georgian interiors.

The Graveyard, Coffin and Crypt Tour

A chance for visitors to explore the hidden city of the dead; descend to a secret crypt, sample Roman and medieval coffins and visit plague sites.

Historic Toilet Tour

A saga of convenience from Roman hygiene to C19th attempts to prevent ‘nuisance' and promote public decency.  Also visitors are able to sample the dubious comforts of medieval garderobes.

Guy Fawkes Trail

Visitors can explore the (several!) birthplaces and haunts of one of York's most infamous sons - Guy Fawkes of Gunpowder Plot fame.

For more information visit www.yorkwalk.co.uk Tel: 01904 656244 Email: admin@yorkwalk.fsnet.co.uk

Press contact: Kay Hyde, PR Manager, Visit York.  Tel: 01904 554451 Email: kh@visityork.org

For those who prefer self-guided walks and tours, Visit York has produced a series of nine walking trails for the city, including Medieval Churches, a Railway Heritage Trail, A Rowntree Trail - taking visitors on a tour of the city's chocolate heritage, a Roman Trail and many more.  For full details visit www.visityork.org/explore

The Retrace York City Rubbings Trail

The Retrace York City Rubbings Trail, introduced in Autumn 2008, is a new experience for visitors on the city walls.  A map of York has been split up and scattered around the city's ancient walls.  Visitors can assemble a complete map, travelling around the walls in any direction, by taking a rubbing of each panel.  The panels highlight a route around the historic defences and also reveal some of York's fascinating past along the way.  The trail's aim is to encourage children to walk the whole way around the city walls and experience areas of the city which are not normally used.

For more information visit www.visityork.org Tel: 01904 550099 Email: info@visityork.org

Press contact: Kay Hyde, PR Manager, Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451 Email: kh@visityork.org

York - An award-winning city

2010 - Most Friendly Place To Live

York was named ‘friendliest place to live in the UK' in June 2010, beating 28 other UK destinations including Cambridge, Newcastle and Edinburgh.  Coined the Friendly Index, a survey questioned 3,000 people in the UK about how often they spoke to their milkman, postman or local policeman. 

2010 - York - ‘City of the Year'  - Coach Tourism Awards

York was crowned ‘City of the Year' at the 2010 Coach Tourism Awards.  Coach operators and readers of Coach Monthly Magazine, which organises the awards, voted for York above other tourism hot spots including Bath, Chester, Liverpool and Southport. This is the third time York has won this accolade at the Coach Tourism Awards having scooped the ‘City of the Year' title in 2006 and 2008.

2010 - York - 2nd Most Group Friendly Destination in the UK

The Group Travel Awards are organised by Landor Travel Publications and voted for by the 10,000 readers of Group Travel Organiser Magazine, a publication aimed at group travel specialists throughout the UK.  (Hull winner).

2010 - Google Street View Awards -

The Shambles - Most Picturesque Street in UK

Stonegate - 2nd Best Street for Fashion in Britain

Fossgate - 3rd Best Street in Britain for Food

Gillian Cruddas, Chief Executive of Visit York said, "It's fantastic news for York to secure a hat trick in the Google Street Awards and just goes to show there's no other city in the UK quite like York.  It's quite amazing that the Shambles, mentioned in the Domesday book and York's oldest street, has now been voted for on line through Google - a real case of the modern world appreciating our heritage.  We hope this award will bring more visitors into York to explore the wonderful shops and cafés, both in the Shambles and across the city."

For a complete history of York's awards, please contact Kay Hyde, PR Manager on 01904 554451 or email kh@visityork.org

Journalists:

If you would like to visit York on a press trip we'd be delighted to hear from you, please contact:

Kay Hyde

PR  Manager

Visit York

1 Museum Street

York

YO1 7DT

Email kh@visityork.org

Visit www.visityork.org/media

Public Contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel 01904 550099 or visit www.visityork.org