Time to get out and about in Yorkshire - fun for all the family
Looking for some diary dates in August and September ? Heres our pick of the best, from gardens to golf
Treasure Trails
OK, so the summer hols are coming to a close — but you’ll still need something to keep the kids entertained on those long, socially distanced weekends. So how about a treasure trail around various Yorkshire locations, which is a good way to find out about a place while having fun at the same time? (We took a trail around York University Campus recently, and very good it was too). The Trails cost £9.99 (plus P&P if required) and are suitable for groups of up to five. treasuretrails.co.uk
Sparkling Bradford
Want to explore Bradford? New for 2020 is the Sparkling Bradford website, which highlights things to do under the titles of Be Inspired, Eat Local, Shop Local and The Great Outdoors. There’s also a Your Bradford feature where local people are asked to share their experiences of Bradford’s gems through photographs, videos, poetry and reviews.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The NYMR has been back chugging down the tracks again since August 1 with ‘pre-booked, non-stop steam-hauled, services with limited capacity.’ At the time of writing, tea rooms and station shops haven’t re-opened, but travellers will have an opportunity to buy refreshments before they board the train.
Golf gadabout
September 15 & 16
Welcome to Yorkshire and Ian Woosnam Senior Invitational
This two-day golf event features various famous golfing faces including Ian Woosnam (his name is in the title, after all) and past Ryder Cup Captain Mark James. Day one will be a Pro-Am competition where teams play with one of the professional golfers taking part in the Senior Classic the following day.
THEATRE
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Scarborough
Here’s a bit of good news: the SJT is beginning to fizz back to life. Its McCarthy auditorium reopens with a cinema programme from August 20th, albeit with a limited capacity and advance booking essential. The Eat Me Café @ SJT has been reopen since August 1st and is operating from the first-floor bar. And don’t forget there’s the While You’re At Home section of the SJT website, featuring loads of links to theatre and other cultural activities for young and old(er) alike.
GARDENS
Helmsley Walled Garden
This beautiful garden is back open to the public again after lockdown, although you’ll need to book tickets in advance. The website notes that initially the garden ‘will open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, last entry 4.30pm. These days should increase as we all get used to the new conditions.’
Newby Hall, Ripon
The gardens, playground, railway, and exhibitions at Newby are all back open again. Naturally, the number of visitors who are able to access the gardens at any one time is being limited, so all tickets must be purchased or validated in advance via the Newby Hall website.
EXHIBITIONS
Until October 25
Menagerie
The gardens at Harewood House, near Leeds, have been accessible to the public since July, but now the House is open, too. This will give visitors the chance to see Menagerie, a collection of eight sculptures by acclaimed British artist Kate MccGwire, connecting themes of nature, sustainability and art, that have never been seen before. It includes a brand-new commission called Cavort, a floor sculpture made from the feathers of game birds, which can be found in the Yellow Drawing Room.
A Light in the Darkness & Drawn from the Pits
National Coal Mining Museum
The re-opening of the Coal Mining Museum shines a light (pun intended) on two new exhibitions. The first is a new permanent installation called A Light in the Darkness which explores the contribution of Sir Humphry Davy and other innovators to the development of the miners’ lamp which provided light to work and also saved the lives of countless miners. Then there’s Drawn from the Pits which reveals the difficulties and joys of life in the mining industry and the community that grew around it. That one runs until March of next year.
Until April 2022
Damien Hirst
The idyllic setting of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park makes an incongruous backdrop for this exhibition from the bad boy of British sculpture. If truth be told there are only four (admittedly giant) works on display — Charity (2002-2003), Myth (2010), The Hat Makes the Man (2004-2007) and The Virgin Mother (2005-2006) — all of which came to came to YSP as part of 2019’s Yorkshire Sculpture International. But Hirst, the one-time enfant terrible of the British art scene famous for his shark in formaldehyde and frozen head made of blood, is an acquired taste; so, this handful of works should be more than enough to frighten the horses.
Until November 1
Bill Brandt/Henry Moore
Because of the pandemic, this acclaimed exhibition (the broadsheets loved it) has been extended to November 1. The show brings together over 200 works highlighting the relationship between photographer Bill Brandt and sculptor Henry Moore, who first met during the Second World War and discovered they shared interests in themes of labour, society, industry, the British landscape and the human body. 01924 247360
September 5 & 6
Art in the Gardens
A weekend when Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens turns into an art and craft village; and if you pop along you can look at — and buy, should it take your fancy — the artworks on display. Around 350 artists and craftspeople are expected, exhibiting more than 4,000 pieces of work, so it’s one of the largest outdoor art exhibitions in the north.
DANCE
September 28 - October 18
Locked down. Locked in. But living
As a direct response to the coronavirus, three dance companies have created pieces that explore the theme of isolation caused by the lockdown. Each work — performed in and around the Grade II listed building which houses the Lawrence Batley Theatre — has been filmed and is available to watch online. Featuring choreography by Jordan James Bridge (dancer, Studio Wayne McGregor), Daniel de Andrade (Artistic Associate, Northern Ballet) and local lad Gary Clarke (Artistic Director, Gary Clarke Company). Ticket holders will book the day they want to watch the performance and receive a screening link via email which will expire after 24 hours.
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
ATTRACTIONS
York Dungeon
The good folks at the York Dungeon scare because they care. And now they’re back in business after reopening in July with social distancing measures in place and a requirement for guests to wear face masks. Temperature checks will be in place at all entrances for guests and team members. Pre-booking is essential.
From August 17
Puttstars
From mid-August you can tee-off at an indoor mini-golf centre in the new York Stadium, featuring three nine-hole courses and an amusement area. Scores are digitally calculated using screens at each hole, which are then thoroughly cleaned after each group has used them. Booking slots are limited to control capacity, groups are restricted to a maximum of six people, and players will be given the option of wearing disposable gloves.
National Science and Media Museum, Bradofrd
The excellent National Science and Media Museum reopened to the public on August 19th (entry is free, but booking is required). At the time of writing, the venue’s cinema screens were remaining closed, but galleries are open.
National Railway Museum. York
If you can’t socially distance at the National Railway Museum, where can you socially distance? Its halls — featuring some of the most famous steam locomotives in the world — are vast. That said, visitor numbers will be limited each day to avoid overcrowding and you’ll need to book your (free) tickets in advance. The Great Hall was the first part of the museum to open with other areas including Station Hall, the Warehouse and outdoor spaces due to reopen soon afterwards. Good to have the venue back again after its COVID closedown.
DOWNLOAD
Music for our Time: York Early Music Festival Online – The Director’s Cut
If you missed the very first York Early Music Festival online back in July, don’t despair: festival Director Delma Tomlin has chosen her highlights and made them available for download (for £4.99). Artists include the acclaimed countertenor Iestyn Davies and vocal ensemble Stile Antico.
LIVE MUSIC
September 3 - 6
Sounds in the Grounds
We’ve missed live music over the last year, but Sounds in the Grounds is bringing it back again, so grab a picnic and prepare for a night of socially distanced alfresco entertainment in the grounds of Ripley Castle. Choose from four concerts playing across four nights including Beyond the Barricade, a night of musical showstoppers; Abba Mania (which speaks for itself, rather); The Bootleg Beatles; and — yee-hah — a Country Night in Nashville. The support act for each concert is The New York Brass Band, a York-based contemporary New Orleans-inspired brass band which always goes down a storm at Glastonbury.
Ripley Castle, Harrogate
