Work has already begun in Scarborough, where North Yorkshire Council’s waste and street scene teams have started installing gull-proof litter bins. The new bins feature fully covered, heavy metal flaps designed to prevent gulls from accessing rubbish and scavenging for food.

The installations form part of a broader urban gull strategy covering Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey. Council executive members will discuss the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, 4th August.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Richard Foster, said: “Gulls are a defining feature of the county’s coastal communities; however, their growing number in urban areas creates challenges.

“Although we can put measures in place to manage their impact, our message to the public is to stop feeding them – they are opportunists and any encouragement can lead to scavenging and taking food.

“This proposed strategy sets out a clear, balanced approach that recognises both the importance of protecting these species and the need to minimise their impact on residents, businesses and visitors.”

Under the proposed strategy, a total of £119,500 would be allocated in the first year. Alongside the specialised public bins, the council plans to supply residents with gull-proof sacks and conduct seasonal jet-washing in street hotspots.

Gull species, including herring gulls and kittiwakes, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. However, growing urban populations cause friction due to noise, nesting, fouling, and aggressive food scavenging.

The proposed strategy was developed using evidence and feedback from local businesses, conservation data, and consultation with the Yorkshire Coast Urban Gull Partnership, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Yorkshire Water.

Key aims of the plan include improving public understanding of gull behaviour, cutting off access to food waste, installing safe deterrents, and conducting ongoing population surveys.

If approved, the strategy will guide the council’s management approach across the coast, with regular reviews to ensure the measures comply with wildlife conservation laws while keeping public spaces clean.

​To help ensure more residents can afford to live in their local communities, North Yorkshire Council has committed to delivering 500 new council homes by 2029 through its Housing Revenue Account.

​Currently, more than 7,000 households are registered with North Yorkshire Home Choice, the choice-based lettings scheme used to allocate social and affordable housing across the county.

​Buying completed properties directly from developers forms a central part of the council’s strategy, allowing affordable housing to be brought to the market much faster in high-demand areas.

​The latest proposal under consideration would see the council acquire 10 new-build homes in Knaresborough, where over 500 households have listed the town and surrounding villages as their preferred location.

​Of the 10 properties, seven would be available for social rent to families in need, including five four-bedroom and two three-bedroom houses. The remaining three properties would be offered through shared ownership to help buyers take their first step onto the property ladder.

​The proposals will go before the council’s executive committee on Tuesday, 4th August.

​North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “As one of the largest councils in England, one of the biggest challenges we face is a lack of affordable housing.

​“Increasing the supply of affordable housing is one of our key priorities as we work to ensure more local people and families can access homes where they want to live.

​“We have committed to delivering 500 new council homes by 2029 to help meet this demand, and acquisitions such as these help increase the supply of high-quality affordable housing while also supporting the creation of healthy and sustainable communities.”

​Funding for the potential Knaresborough acquisition would come from a mix of the council’s Housing Revenue Account, Homes England grant funding, and receipts generated through shared ownership sales.

​The move follows similar schemes approved in December, which saw plans greenlit to purchase 10 properties across Bedale and Ripon.

​To further accelerate home building, the council also voted earlier this month to enter into a joint venture with national housing developer Lovell Partnerships Ltd. Working as equal partners, the joint venture aims to unlock council-owned land to deliver environmentally sustainable housing, infrastructure, and green spaces, supporting wider government targets to deliver over 4,000 new homes annually across the region.

When 11-year-old Matilda Pritchard passed away suddenly in April 2024, her father, Steve, and their family channelled their grief into fundraising. Inspired by Matilda’s passion for litter picking and protecting the environment, they set out to support local and national causes in her name.

Now, Steve, a former digital agency owner, is taking that commitment a step further by embedding charitable giving directly into his newest venture, Leadquity.

Leadquity is a B2B referral platform that helps digital agencies generate business through trusted recommendations rather than traditional lead generation methods. From day one, the company will donate 30% of its profits to children’s charities in honour of Matilda.

Steve said: “When Matilda died, I desperately needed something positive to focus on. The fundraising became a channel for my grief. It gave us something to work towards as a family and helped us feel that, despite everything, we could still make a difference.

“As the fundraising developed, I realised I didn’t want that impact to stop once we’d reached a target. I wanted to build something that could continue generating support for children’s charities every single day.”

The initial charities supported through Leadquity focus directly on Matilda’s love for the environment and the challenges she faced as an autistic girl. Steve is also in the process of establishing Matilda’s Legacy as a registered charity to raise funds for organisations supporting children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities.

Matilda, affectionately known as ‘Tills’, passed away in her sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

In the months following her passing, the Pritchard family launched a fundraising initiative for Keep Britain Tidy. Their initial goal was to raise £11,213 in honour of Matilda’s birthday on 11 February 2013.

After surpassing that figure within weeks, they raised their target to £42,000 to fund the charity’s Eco-Schools programme for five years, covering the time Matilda would have spent in secondary school.

While driving the fundraising efforts, Steve continued running his digital agency. However, balancing work responsibilities with grief eventually led him to step back from the business at the end of 2025.

Following a short break, Steve focused on creating a solution to a problem he had faced for years as an agency owner: securing reliable leads without relying on cold calls or costly lead-generation tactics.

Developed alongside a specialist software engineer, Leadquity connects digital agencies with freelancers, consultants, and industry influencers who recommend services to their own networks. Referrers earn a commission on successful connections, while agencies only pay for validated leads.

Steve added: “Losing Matilda changed our outlook completely. Of course I still need to work and make money, but business absolutely can be a force for good. I don’t want fundraising to be something that we only do on the side; I wanted to build it into the DNA of work too.”

While the late Queen Elizabeth II was famously known to favour the Devonian method of putting cream on first, nationwide research shows that 71% of Brits insist jam goes first, leaving just 29% in the cream-first camp.

The findings come as the humble cream tea experiences a revival among younger generations, with 52% of younger Brits noting that the traditional tea time treat has found a new audience on TikTok.

Feelings on the subject run deep. According to the poll, 30% of Brits hold strong opinions on the correct assembly order, while 37% admit to judging others for building their scone “incorrectly.” A further 20% said they would refuse to eat a scone that was assembled the wrong way, and 22% have engaged in heated arguments with friends over the topic.

The debate extends to pronunciation as well, with 55% of respondents pronouncing “scone” to rhyme with “gone” and 45% saying it rhymes with “bone.” Over a third of respondents confessed to silently judging someone over how they pronounce the word.

To address the divide, Costa Coffee believes it has created a solution with its new half-and-half scone. Using a specially designed dual-piping bag, both jam and cream are applied simultaneously to create a balanced swirl.

To mark the launch, the first dual-swirl scone was served to the Mayors of Saltash and Kingsbridge at Costa’s Saltash store, located directly on the Devon-Cornwall border.

Cllr Brian Stoyel, Mayor of Saltash, said: “We’re proud that Saltash has become the home of Britain’s latest chapter in the great scone debate. The beauty of Costa’s 50/50 scone is that it celebrates both traditions rather than choosing between them. After trying it for myself, I can confirm it’s every bit as delicious as it sounds – proof that sometimes, bringing people together is even better than settling the argument.”

Andrea Stewart, Global Head of Food at Costa, added: “Our research shows Britain remains divided when it comes to how people top their scones, so we thought it was about time someone brought both sides together. Rather than choosing between two much-loved traditions, we wanted to create a playful compromise that celebrates both approaches and gives everyone a way to enjoy their cream tea.”

The launch coincides with the return of scones to Costa Coffee menus for the first time in over five years. The items are available in more than 1,000 stores nationwide, alongside an Afternoon Bundle featuring a regular hot or iced drink with a scone, jam, and cream starting at £6.49 in participating locations through 21st October 2026.

The limited-edition A5 hardback brings together the cheeky one-liner jokes hidden inside Penguin biscuit wrappers since 1932 alongside brand-new commissioned jokes. The publication marks the first hardback tri-band book released in Penguin Books’ 90-year history.

Created to celebrate the National Year of Reading 2026, the book aims to encourage families to share moments of reading and laughter together. Children’s author Michael Rosen has written the foreword for the edition.

Five jokes featured in the collection include:

• Why did the penguin use a fish as a bookmark? She didn’t want to lose her plaice.
• Why do penguins get homesick? There’s snow place like home.
• What did mummy penguin say as her kids left for school? Have an ice day dears.
• How did the penguin cheat at football? He was always diving.
• What do you call a penguin who can’t stop smiling? A pen-grin.

James King, Marketing Director for McVitie’s Penguin, said: “For generations, McVitie’s Penguin biscuits have been making people smile with the jokes inside every wrapper, while Penguin Books has inspired millions through the joy of reading.

“We’re incredibly proud to bring these two iconic brands together to celebrate the National Year of Reading with a collectable item that gives fans another reason to embrace those shared moments of curiosity, silliness and laughter.”

Rebecca Sinclair, Chief Brand Officer at Penguin Books, added: “We’re delighted to be bringing these two iconic Penguins together for the National Year of Reading. This partnership celebrates the joy of reading and our belief that books belong in everyday life.

“Humour has a unique way of bringing people together, and we hope this collaboration inspires everyone, from young readers to lifelong book lovers, and those rediscovering reading, to take a book and biscuit break.”

The hardback edition is not available through standard retail sale, but readers can win one of 3,000 copies via promotional McVitie’s Penguin packs in supermarkets nationwide. A further 20,000 Google Play audiobooks are also available to win through the promotional packs.

An estimated 12,000 people took part over the opening weekend, turning the city centre into a giant interactive board game.

Running until 30th August, the game is free to play and features questions based entirely on Leeds history, culture, and achievements. Players move through category locations across the city, including Wellington Place, the Merrion Centre, and Trinity Leeds, collecting wedges before facing a final question at Leeds City Museum.

Brought to the city by LeedsBID in partnership with toy and game giant Hasbro, the event forms part of the Leeds 400 celebrations marking four centuries since the city received its charter.

The game also offers a screen-free summer activity for families. The UK board game market has grown by roughly 11% annually as households look for ways to spend time together offline.

Martin Dickson of LeedsBID said: “What a phenomenal first weekend of Trivial Pursuit Leeds with tens of thousands of people picking up a game card and venturing across the city centre to test their knowledge of all things Leeds. In what is an extra-special year, this is a citywide celebration of the stories, achievements, and surprising trivia from the last four centuries.

“At a moment when the whole country is talking about getting children off screens, Leeds has turned itself into a giant board game and not for the first time. We think this could be how cities do summer from now on.”

Hannah Sweeney, Senior Manager of Location Based Entertainment at Hasbro, added: “Trivial Pursuit Leeds was the natural next step from Monopoly Leeds. We wanted residents and visitors to lean into the learning, curiosity and knowledge as Leeds celebrates 400 years.”

Alongside the trivia, each category location doubles as a mini-exhibition featuring historical local artefacts. Highlights on display include the original BBC Children in Need Pudsey Bear created in 1985, a signed Leeds United 2025 – 26 home shirt, a Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto Dame costume from the City Varieties Music Hall, and a Coronation jacket made from local AW Hainsworth cloth.

Digital category hosts including Alex Zane, Ruth Goodman, and Daniel Norcross guide players along the trail, alongside pun-filled host characters Trivia Newton-John and Quiz Pine.

Trivial Pursuit Leeds runs daily until 30th August. Category locations are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. The central hub at Leeds City Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. To start playing, visit trivialpursuitleeds.com.

Running from 10th to 16th August, their limited-edition Bay Explorer Afternoon Tea gives the classic British ritual a lovely Yorkshire spin. The hotel itself was built back in 1897 by a local sea captain, sitting right where it can soak up some of the best views of the coast.

The experience starts with a little journey aboard a golf buggy, which shuttles guests down into the heart of the old fishing village. You get an hour to wander through the maze of narrow, cobbled streets, pop into the independent shops, and soak up the village’s famous maritime and smuggling past.

Once you head back up to the hotel, you take a seat in the AA Rosette Osborne’s Restaurant, which looks straight out over the bay.

The kitchen has put together a menu packed with regional flavours alongside traditional favourites. On the savoury side, you’ll find honey roast Yorkshire ham with beer chutney, oak-smoked salmon, and goat’s cheese and beetroot tartlets. The standout bite is definitely the Robin Hood’s Bay Fisherman’s Treat, which features dressed Whitby crab on sourdough bruschetta with saffron aioli.

The sweet treats lean into local lore too, like the dark chocolate and sailor rum truffle cleverly named the Smuggler’s Sweet, served alongside classic Victoria sponge, raspberry red velvet cupcakes, and warm fruit scones loaded with strawberry jam and Chantilly cream.

Executive Chef Ryan Osborne said: “We’ve created an afternoon tea that is inspired by the Yorkshire coast. The Robin Hood’s Bay Fisherman’s Treat and the Smuggler’s Sweet reflect the village’s history and pay tribute to the fishing and smuggling heritage. Together with traditional afternoon tea favourites, these distinctive touches create an experience that reflects the unique character of Robin Hood’s Bay.”

The Bay Explorer Afternoon Tea runs from Monday 10th August to Sunday 16th August at Hotel Victoria on Station Road in Robin Hood’s Bay. Prices start at £25.00 per person, which includes a golf buggy ride (subject to availability), and you’ll need to book online in advance to secure a spot.

The prosecution followed an investigation by North Yorkshire Council trading standards officers into Eastern European Mini Market Ltd and its director, Ersilia Loredana Oltean, both based on Ramshill Road in Scarborough.

Court proceedings revealed that cigarettes sold at the premises lacked required health warnings and standardised packaging. During inspections, officers also seized 142 vaping products exceeding the legal two-millilitre limit for nicotine liquid.

The seized vapes provided between 3,500 and 7,000 puffs each. Under UK law, the two-millilitre capacity limit caps device output at roughly 600 puffs to restrict nicotine intake.

Oltean received an £800 fine, a £320 victim surcharge, and was ordered to pay £2,183 in prosecution costs. The company received a separate £100 fine and a £40 victim surcharge.

Cllr Richard Foster, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, said: “This successful prosecution sends a clear message that businesses selling illegal tobacco and non-compliant vaping products can expect robust enforcement action.

“The law requiring health warnings and standardised packaging for cigarettes, along with restrictions on the size and labelling of vaping products, is designed to protect consumers and support public health.

“The vapes found on sale in this case contained far more nicotine-containing liquid than is legally permitted, while the cigarettes failed to meet legal packaging requirements.

“We know residents are concerned about the availability of illegal tobacco and vapes in their communities, and trading standards officers will continue to investigate reports and take action where offences are identified.”

Residents can report suspected illegal or age-restricted product sales through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.

Running from Friday 6th November 2026 to Sunday 3rd January 2027, the experience promises to transform the historic estate into an interactive wonderland. Visitors will see everyday objects, artwork, and furniture within the house come to life, taking on voices to share stories, secrets, and a bit of festive humour.

The concept takes inspiration directly from Harewood’s own history. Local writer Christina Lewis has worked alongside Harewood’s Curator and Archivist, Rebecca Burton, to craft a script based entirely on real stories, residents, and items found within the estate’s archives.

Zoë Hughes, Head of Public Programme at Harewood, said: “What makes Christmas at Harewood so special is that it belongs to this House. It isn’t something that could simply be lifted and placed somewhere else; every story, every character and every moment comes from Harewood’s own history.

“Working with Studio McGuire and Christina allows us to look at the House in a completely different way. We’re bringing stories out of the collections and giving visitors the chance to discover little details they may never have noticed before. There are layers of meaning throughout the experience, whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning year after year.”

Since Harewood first opened its doors for the winter season back in 2017, the annual event has become a firm favourite for local families, staff, and volunteers.

Zoë added: “Christmas is one of the most rewarding and busiest times of the year at Harewood. Since we first opened the House for Christmas in 2017, it has grown in ambition year after year, evolving from a new seasonal opening into one of the highlights of our programme.

“It’s incredibly special to see how the whole organisation comes together, from our volunteers and creative teams to our collections, visitor experience and hospitality teams, all working towards creating something magical for visitors. Seeing people walk through the doors and experience something we’ve spent months bringing to life is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.”

Harewood House will share further details about individual room displays in September.

Magic at the Mansion runs from Friday 6th November 2026 to Sunday 3rd January 2027. Tickets start from £24.50 for adults and £10 for children, while Harewood members and children under four can enter for free.

Hoi Polloi is a new arrival bringing Singaporean hawker stall classics to Leeds. The halal-certified menu includes spicy peanut-glazed chicken satay, traditional chicken rice sets served with broth and pickle trays, pak choi sides, and desserts like banana pie and coconut jelly.

Hermanos Caliente is specialising in authentic, gluten-free Mexican tacos. Options range from slow-cooked pork carnitas and saucy birria tacos with dipping consommé to vegetarian “Baja Shroom” tacos featuring buttermilk-fried oyster mushrooms and chipotle ranch.

Hot Butter is a new trader serving American comfort food, featuring freshly made Philly cheesesteaks, crispy chicken wings, and loaded fries.

Doles Dirty Bags is returning by popular demand with their signature Irish-inspired spice bags. Dishes combine crispy seasoned chicken or tofu with golden fries, sautéed peppers, onions, and aromatic spices.

7 Star Flag is serving handheld, golden corn flatbreads known as Venezuelan arepas, stuffed with fillings ranging from slow-cooked meats to charred halloumi.

Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “Trinity Kitchen is a place where friends, families and colleagues can come together to discover exciting street food from around the world, all under one roof. We’re proud to continue bringing a diverse mix of flavours to Leeds, from exciting new vendors to foodie favourites that our guests know and love.”