Summer Holiday Fun
At North Yorkshire Water Park
The school summer holidays are finally here and North Yorkshire Water Park is offering fun for all of the family to help everyone celebrate in style throughout the six-week break.
Whether you need to entertain the little ones in the holidays, or an adrenaline chaser looking to try out some new water sports, this leading Scarborough attraction is the place to be this summer. And if one day isn’t enough, check out the popular campsite or Lake View Lodges to extend your stay!
The Café @ North Yorkshire Water Park is open every day, serving delicious food and refreshments to leave you refuelled and recharged after an action-packed session of thrilling adventures.
Showcasing a wide selection of activities for all ages and abilities, adventure awaits for the whole family this summer.
For the thrill seekers:
Make a splash on the two showstopping inflatable waterparks – try the newly refurbished ‘Wipeout’ course, which has four new exhilarating and challenging obstacles to put you to the test, from an extended lateral-climbing obstacle course to an audacious anvil-shaped jumping platform. The popular ‘Warrior’ course will provide endless fun with its giant slides, climbing walls and more, allowing you to race against your friends to conquer the obstacle course in record time.
For those who are interested in trying out new water sports, North Yorkshire Water Park offers kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding and wakeboarding, where you can have lessons with instructors. For those who are more experienced, practise your flips and tricks and learn new skills whilst soaking up the sunshine.
If you’d rather stick to dry land, why not fly across the scenic lake on the 250m zipline from its 13m high tower, perfect for adventure lovers. You can even race your friends to the end!
For the water babies:
Enjoy a family day out where parents and little ones alike can have an unforgettable day with Splash Kingdom, an inflatable enclosed water park for children aged 3-7 years which allows younger guests to bounce around in a safe environment. Relax and soak up the sun whilst your little ones enjoy the great outdoors!
North Yorkshire Water Park also offers sailing taster sessions and lessons for little ones who want to learn a new and exciting sport, as well as pedalos to hire so you can explore the scenic lake.
For the fitness fanatics:
If you prefer to keep dry, you can take a bike ride, jog or walk along the 2.5k track and take in the beautiful views of the lakes. There’s also a climbing wall where you can challenge yourself and choose from easy, intermediate and difficult routes.
For those looking to ditch the public swimming pools and enjoy the great outdoors, why not explore the lake and try open water swimming? Providing endless benefits for the mind and body, it’s the perfect way to release your endorphins.
For those rainy days:
If you’re looking to keep the family entertained on a rainy day, why not try the newly launched Puzzle Rooms at North Yorkshire Water Park? Featuring 30 challenging tasks that are designed to test perception, general knowledge and problem-solving abilities, the activities have been designed with all age groups and abilities in mind to ensure no one misses out on the fun!
For further information and to book please visit;
www.northyorkshirewaterpark.co.uk
Malton Food Lovers Festival
Home to artisan producers and award-winning independent businesses, visitors to the Malton Food Lovers Festival, Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th August this year can expect a huge array of unique stalls with tasty treats and gorgeous gifts, celebrity chef talks and demonstrations, live music and fun for all the family in foodie heaven.
The Food Lover’s Festival is free to attend, and a Park and Ride is available at each entrance to Malton from the A64, with a free shuttle bus service to the event. Malton is also accessible via public transport with frequent train services to the town from York and Scarborough and Malton is on the award winning Coastliner bus route.
Children can get in on the action too with cooking lessons of their own, as well as fun activities and rides for them to enjoy. With live music, entertainment and a festival bar, Malton Food Lovers Festival will have a real party atmosphere.
For more information visit www.visitmalton.com
Leeds West Indian Carnival
Leeds West Indian Carnival takes place on bank holiday Monday 28th August. A showcase of the best of Caribbean culture for people to celebrate and enjoy.
The main parade will be setting off from Potternewton Park at 2pm to go around the streets of Harehills, Roundhay and Chapeltown.
For more information visit www.leedscarnival.co.uk
Summer Activities Announced For
York’s Chocolate Story
In a nutshell: York’s Chocolate Story is unleashing the most unusual chocolate flavours to celebrate their Summer of activity. The 6 chocolate flavours have been created by YCS’s chocolatiers to revive visitor’s favourite tastes of the season. The selection includes wine, smoked barbecue and cheese, watermelon, flower and seaside.
York’s Chocolate Story’s ‘choc-tastic’ experiences for Summer. Visitors can immerse themselves in the world of chocolate with interactive tours, Summer Masterclasses, captivating walking tours, Truffle Rolling, cooling milkshakes, and the finest Belgian Chocolate.
Pricing: Tickets to the attraction start from £15.75 per adult and £13.50 per child. Boxes of the six unusual flavours are available for £6.50.
Golf Games And Activities At Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
Oulton Hall, a renowned golf resort just outside Leeds city centre, offers the perfect family friendly activities for kids of all ages.
Come rain or shine, keep the kids entertained with an afternoon of golf activities, including a session in their newly installed Trackman Range Bays – where families can have their own space to swing, put and drive in an exciting and competitive manner using top, next level golf technology.
As well as golf-ball tracking, and playful games to have a go at, TrackMan Range has a virtual golf element where families can experience some of the world’s more renowned golf courses, all from the same spot in Yorkshire.
Designed for all ages and all golfing skill levels, this new experience offers hours of fun. Oulton Hall’s friendly team will also be around to help you make use of everything this nifty software can do.
Pricing-wise, it’s, £8.50 for 50 balls (30-minutes) or £12 for 100 balls (60-minutes). Open every day, you can plan a summer holiday day out with Trackman Range Bays at Oulton Hall by visiting
www.oultonhallhotel.co.uk/golf/driving-range to book a slot.
After a session on the green, why not head over to The Claret Jug to refuel? In a casual setting, within the grounds of Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, The Claret Jug has something for everyone including sandwiches, pizzas, light bites, and pub classics, available all throughout the day and evening.
Proudly unique and bursting with character, just five miles from Leeds, Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort is set in an 18th century country estate with stunning views.
The whole resort provides the perfect blend of grown-up relaxation and kid friendly fun with special kid’s menus and dedicated family swimming times. It’s also perfectly positioned for visiting many brilliant local attractions such as Temple Newsam, Cannon Hall Farm, Eureka! and Go Ape.
And if you’re looking to make a full stay out of it, kids under sixteen stay completely FREE.
Explore a wealth of family friendly fun at Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, at www.oultonhallhotel.co.uk
Yorkshire Sculpture Park – Fun For All Ages
Yorkshire Sculpture Park has an inspired summer programme of fun for all families to enjoy over the coming weeks.
Taking inspiration from YSP’s gallery exhibitions, this summer holiday programme of events and pop-up projects is designed to spark creativity, curiosity and shared moments of wonder and delight for all ages. Everything from a family rave, wax and clay sculpting to experiencing huge clouds of foam bubbles is included.
The programme will continue every day throughout the summer, with a closing event on the weekend of Saturday 2 September.
Budding artists can join in with shared live painting sessions with artist Natasha Joseph, collectively creating a Wonderwall of individually coloured panels. There are Family Life Drawing sessions with artist Jo Blaker, a Rangoli Radio Meditation Workshop, as well as family-focused creative writing sessions taking place throughout the day. Leeds-based poet and illustrator Matthew Hodson will be hosting a Poetry Reading for families with reading from his collection of nonsense poems Forwards Always. Matthew’s book is a toy, a script, a game and a puzzle, designed to be activated by performance and play.
Following on from the Opening Celebration Day visitors can take part in Abigail Burt’s project Lost-Wax for Lost-Species in the Bothy Gallery, five minutes from the Visitor Centre. Reflecting on climate issues and species loss, participants will be invited to make a wax sculpture of an endangered or vulnerable animal. The collection already includes hundreds of amazing models and will continue to expand throughout the summer.
Other activities and events to look forward to include:
Activated twice daily, Roger Hiorns’, A Retrospective View of the Pathway temporarily transforms the landscape with vast bubbles of foam.
Sound Wave Collider is a multi-sensory, immersive installation devised by Halifax–based Theatre IOU and David Wheeler, with a soundscape by artist Jason Singh. This unique deep-listening experience features the sounds of living organisms, biofeedback from plants, and electronically processed birdsong from the surrounding landscape.
Guerilla Calligraphy, a mesmerising collaboration between Arabic script calligrapher Razwan Ul-Haq and Qawwali and Sufi music expert Dipak Mistry.
Inner Horizons by Bradford-based artist Cat Scott explores what it might sound and feel like to be within a bubble. Step inside the Boathouse to become part of a magical and fluid landscape (Saturday 26 August – Sunday 10 September).
YSP Associate Director Helen Pheby said: “Curiosity & Wonder encourages fun and imaginative ways of engaging with the world around us, and there is really something for everyone whether you enjoy playing, creating, participating or simply relaxing and watching the world go by.”
All Curiosity & Wonder daytime activities and events are free and included with YSP admission.*
25s and under have free entry. To book tickets and find out about the full programme with dates visit www.ysp.org.uk
*with the exception of the evening dining experiences at The Weston. Bookable in advance.
An ‘All Star Summer’ Across The Emmerdale Village Tour & Coronation Street Experience
ITV and Continuum are offering a fabulous ‘All Star Summer’ across The Emmerdale Village Tour and Coronation Street Experience with cast members from the shows joining selected afternoon visits every weekend until the beginning of September.
These unique ‘Star Tours’ have been huge hits with hundreds of visitors at the new Coronation Street Experience and now the Emmerdale Village Tour will experience them for the first time.
Throughout the summer guests will be able to have guided tours around Emmerdale’s beautiful Yorkshire village set, or a wander around Coronation Street’s famous cobbles, before being surprised by a top-secret member of the cast for a very special meet, greet and photo opportunity.
Neil Curry, Guest Experience Manager from Continuum Attractions says “Our guests tell us they want to get as close to the shows as possible, they also say that meeting the cast is one of their all time ‘bucket list wishes’, so we thought we’d turn the Summer into a soap meet and greet spectacular!
It’s genuinely the best fun to see the surprise and excitement when our visitors come face to face with one of their favourite cast members on the actual set where they work”.
James Penfold, ITV’s Controller Commercial, Brand Licensing said “We’re really excited to say that some of the biggest names on our shows will be waiting to say hi to those lucky enough to get these tickets. These are once in a lifetime moments for so many people, a lot who have travelled from the other side of the world to visit us. It’s definitely going to be a Summer to remember”.
With up to 1000 guests visiting each day, fans need to book as soon as possible to not be disappointed.
Tickets for the dates (noted below) are now on sale with limited spaces available each date.
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All Star Summer Events will run every weekend until Sunday 3rd September
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Coronation Street Star tours will be every 30 mins between 1.45pm – 4.15pm
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Emmerdale Village Star Tours will be every 30 mins between 1.30pm – 4pm
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Guests wishing to buy tickets for both soaps will get a 15% discount on their booking.
www.emmerdalevillagetour.co.uk / www.coronationstreetexperience.co.uk/events/all-stars-summer
Pirates & Mermaids – Summer At
Mother Shipton’s
This summer it’s time to SHELL-abrate at Mother Shipton’s Pirates & Mermaids event.
Take a trip under the sea to meet their very own magnificent mermaid and swashbuckling pirate!
Explore the Little Mermaid’s enchanted cavern filled with gadgets and gizmos aplenty, whozits and whatzits galore!
Will you get lost in her magical world of dinglehoppers and thingamabobs?
SCUTTLE along the ARRR-mazing adventure trail to discover FIN-tastic nautical scenes and countless MER-mazing photo opportunities – you’re guaranteed to have a WHALE of a time.
Runs until 3rd September, 10am to 5.30pm
Booking is essential via;
https://mothershipton.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
Experience The Game-Changing Story Of Sport And Injury At Thackray Museum
Thackray Museum of Medicine has launched its summer season’s schedule, featuring an exciting lineup of exhibitions and events related to sports for all the family. Entitled “On the Bench,” it presents the opportunity to learn the science behind sports from different perspectives – professional athletes, sports medical professionals, and sports enthusiasts.
The main exhibition focuses on bringing to the forefront the incredible individual stories of injury from former Leeds Rhinos player Stevie Ward, and the brilliant untold story of Norman Francis (Coach for Let’s Do More Basketball), while the Leeds Roller Dolls Rollerderby will focus on team sport injuries.
The exhibition features objects donated by the athletes alongside medical and physiotherapy equipment routinely used to treat sports injuries, telling the stories of their careers, injuries, treatment, and road to recovery. The exhibit also includes photographs by the incredible Ian Beesley, showcasing his documentation of the Bradford Bulls during their peak of fame in the memorable 2001 season. It demonstrates the care people in sports receive from physiotherapists and doctors, alongside the personal and emotional support integral to mental well-being while recovering.
“On the Bench” also provides visitors with a rare opportunity to peek behind the scenes and onto the treatment table, where they can hear firsthand injury stories from the athletes themselves. When does the pain threshold become intolerable?
Stevie Ward will share his personal experiences with head injuries and how they have shaped his transition into a new career beyond the world of sports. Moreover, he will recap the inspiring story of his extraordinary comeback from a shoulder injury, culminating in his pivotal role in the Rhino’s triumphant 2017 Super League Grand Final win.
Commenting on the exhibition, Stevie Ward expressed his excitement: “It appears the injuries I had in my career are resulting in something I could never have imagined! I am so proud to be part of creating “On the Bench” alongside the Thackray Museum of Medicine. With Thackray at the heart of such a huge sporting city like Leeds, I think it’s going to be the first remarkable insight and look behind the curtain into how athletes recover both mentally and physically in the pursuit of glory.”
Another remarkable story showcased in “On the Bench” belongs to Norman Francis, an ex-basketball player and the current coach of the Mandela Warriors in Chapeltown. Francis shares his personal journey of resilience, recounting the challenges he faced after losing his leg and how he overcame this setback to continue coaching and nurturing the next generation of Leeds’ basketball stars.
While discussing the project, Norman Francis said: “When I learned about the exhibition, I realised that it is about helping people. And that’s what I do, that’s why I coach. I try to help the kids who want to play basketball understand it, enjoy it, and succeed in it.”
Norman also added: “The examples of other people who move on after their injuries inspired me during my recovery process. As well as my own experience helped me understand that we all have some kind of barriers in our lives. But if you focus and believe, have hope and trust, then you can get over that, move on with your life and enjoy it. This is the message I aim to translate.”
In addition, the exhibition will feature the Leeds Roller Derby Club, a women’s flat-track roller derby team. Players Catherine Robins and Vicky B will share their inspiring tales of persevering in roller derby despite setbacks, a sport in which injuries such as severe bruising and sprains are commonplace.
Across the summer holidays, families are invited to take part in activities exploring how athletes prevent injuries and how they are treated if they do. From trying your hand at physical warm-up routines used by your favourite sports stars to test your skills at sling and cast making, there’s something for every sports fan in the family. Inspire your own future health and sports heroes with our new interactive science show “Thackray Science LIVE”. Visitors aged 7+ can join the Thackray Boffins as they uncover the secret science that sits behind medical innovation and discovery. What is the physics at play when someone breaks a bone, what are the limits of the natural elasticity of our bodies, and how do external forces affect an athlete when they’re hitting the track at full speed – expect live demonstrations and explosive action as the Boffins answer these questions and more.
Activities will take place every day of the school holidays, with Thackray Science LIVE happening every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
For more information, including ticketing and event details, please visit;
www.thackraymuseum.co.uk/event/on-the-bench-summer-at-thackray
Have You Booked In For
The Summer Challenge?
The summer of sport has made its way into the county’s libraries, because this year’s Summer Reading Challenge takes sports and games as its theme under the title Ready, Set, Read!
The challenge is open to children aged four to 11, and the task is to read six library books during the summer holidays, collecting prizes along the way, and a medal and certificate when they complete the challenge.
But that’s just the start. Libraries across the county are helping families to keep their children entertained during the summer break with dozens of events linked to the challenge, in addition to their regular activities.
We highlight a few of them here, but pop into your local library to find out what’s on and get involved.
Events are free unless stated, but places are limited, so make sure you book a place with your library in advance.
The Summer Reading Challenge
At Malton, free activities include Tom Palmer’s football reading game at 11am on Friday, 11 August; and illustrator Liz Million showing how to draw Human Beans at 2pm on Tuesday, 22 August.
At Pickering there is a chance to meet author Tom Palmer on Friday, August 11, at 2pm. That event costs £1.
Events will also take place at Helmsley and Kirkbymoorside during the holidays, so contact the libraries for details.
Activities at Filey library drawing “human beans” with Liz Million, at 10.30am on Tuesday, August 22, as well as other events during the month.
Have a ball at Harrogate library on Tuesday, 8 August, at 2pm. Choose a ball to take home after you have given it a full workout on a range of fun challenges. This costs £2. On Friday, 11 August, at 10am and 2pm there will be a Pop-Up Cinema screening of a family film.
Knaresborough library offers a Lego session on Thursday, 9 August, at 10am, games on Thursday, 24 August, at 2.30pm and more.
Among the events at Richmond library are a puppet show at 2.30pm on Tuesday, August 15, and a detective mystery event with author Gabriella Gordon on Saturday, August 19, at 2pm.
Summer Reading Challenge With A Theme Of Sport
Catterick library explores a day in the life of an astronaut with author Mike Barfield on Thursday, 24 August, at 2pm.
Among other events, Selby library offers the Summer Reading Pop-up Book Club at 10.30am on Tuesday 15 and 29 August.
Skipton library will host a drawing and storytelling workshop with Summer Reading Challenge artist Loretta Schauer, August 8, from 4pm to 5pm. Tickets cost £3.
At Whitby library, children aged four to 11 can take part in the six-week programme. The scheme encourages children to read six library books over the summer holidays, and the library is supporting the challenge with numerous events.
On Thursday, 10 August, from 10am to noon, children can help to build a sports stadium from Lego. On Thursday, 17 August, from 10am to noon, there will be sporty crafts, offering the opportunity to decorate a sports bag, trophy and mascot keyring for £2 per child. On Thursday, 24 August, 10am to 11am, Colebrooke Productions will offer a Ready-Set-Read! cheerleading and dance session. On Thursday, August 31, 10am to noon, Yorkshire Rotters will host their Smoothie Bike and Love Food, Hate Waste activity.
There are many more events than those included here, so pop to your library soon to find out what is on offer.
Learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge at;
www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk
Immerse Yourself In Culture At First Ever Skipton Now Festival
A month-long celebration of a North Yorkshire town’s heritage and culture is under way this month with a packed catalogue of entertainment.
The first ever Skipton Now festival promises fun for families, visitors and residents, with everything from historical guided walks to pop-up cinema screenings.
People of all ages can immerse themselves in the activities taking place in areas of Skipton which have benefitted from the Skipton High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project.
The festival got off to a lively start with Yorkshire Day on Tuesday, August 1, celebrating God’s Own Country with various Yorkshire-themed activities.
North Yorkshire Council’s HSHAZ team will have a stall in the High Street where visitors can pick up a free Skipton Now programme outlining what is to come.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, housing and leisure, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “Skipton Now will be a unique celebration of the town and I am sure it will be extremely popular with people of all ages.
“A lot of hard work has gone into the festival and it is a credit to all those involved, including Skipton BID and the town council, as well as the team here at North Yorkshire Council.
“It will be an unforgettable month kicking off on Yorkshire Day.”
There will be plenty for people to try their hand at, including being a curator for the day at Craven Museum, learning knitting and crochet techniques with Yarndale, painting in the Roses and Castles canal boat style, writing and producing a song, or becoming a photographer using just your mobile phone.
Other highlights include an Anthony Horowitz play at Skipton Little Theatre and a Mad Scientist Silent Disco at Skipton Town Hall.
The HSHAZ scheme is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and administered by Historic England and seeks to use the historic fabric of the town to regenerate the High Street.
Many of the events are running throughout the month, such as Fresh Perspective’s interactive paint by numbers trail around Skipton, highlighting the heritage of the town’s buildings.
There is also the chance to entertain children for free every Wednesday until August 23 at recreational areas in Skipton, featuring bouncy castles and giant games.
View the complete programme of Skipton Now events online at;
