Martin Limon tells the story of the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin who was executed at York 270 years ago

The Castle Museum is one of the many attractions York has to offer visitors. Housed in 18th century buildings that were once a gloomy prison for some of the county’s most infamous and dangerous criminals a recent £200,000 refurbishment tells the story of the people who were once incarcerated there. Probably the most celebrated was Dick Turpin, although when he was first brought there his true identity was unknown as he was masquerading as someone called John Palmer.

Howard M. Beck reports on the momentous event that made the Yorkshire Wolds the centre of world attention

Coloured lights and strange fireballs in the sky, accompanied by wooshing noises or sonic booms. No, we are not talking about UFO sightings nor the start of an alien invasion of earth, but more probably the appearance of another mysterious interstellar traveller - the meteorite. We now know these stony messengers from deep space have collided with our planet and struck the surface of the moon (hence its cratered appearance), on a regular basis for billions of years since the creation of the Solar System.

How new technology is providing a window on a bygone world
Words: Yvette Huddleston
Photographs: Walter Swan

It’s a treasure trove of fascinating images of Yorkshire representing around 15,000 film and video items from the 1880s to the present day. The collection includes newsreels, documentaries, promotional films, home movies and animation, some of it extremely rare. And now this fantastic archive of the way we used to live will be available for all to see. It is being placed online by the Yorkshire Film Archive, based at York St John University in Clarence Road. In November last year, the archive launched on the internet, initially placing 21 hours of film online to coincide with its 21st birthday. The interactive facility will develop into an ever-growing resource.

Almost all of us hanker to know more about our families and their origins; the popularity of genealogy in general and of television shows like 'Who Do You Think You Are?" in particular is proof that our roots are increasingly important to us.

Beech Family Trees is a Yorkshire company that helps people open up the fascinating world that is family history.  The company points out that: "Everyone's history is filled with delights and surprises. We can research anyone's British ancestry and produce a bespoke family tree that is perfect for their needs."

Undertaking research to compile a family history can be a time consuming and painstaking business. So why not let Beech Family Trees do the work for you?"  And the company pledges. "All our work is carried out in a professional, friendly and dedicated manner allowing us to produce a detailed and accurate record of your family’s history. Why not treat your loved one to a family history as a Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary or Christmas gift?"

Beech Family Trees offers three main packages for you to choose from: Bronze, Silver or top of the range Gold. Once you have chosen the package that suits you best, you provide the Beech researchers with some basic information and leave the rest to them.

To find out more please call 07880 563414 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Prehistoric Yorkshire
Jonas Holdsworth explores the monuments of our distant  ancestors
Photographs: Joe Nash

IN a field near Boroughbridge huge vertical stones rise mysteriously from the morning mist. On moors above Wharfedale strange fairy-rings of standing stones peer through the heather. Enormous boulders carved with still undeciphered symbols gaze down on the modern inhabitants of Ilkley. At Thornborough in the Vale of York titanic earth mounds form rings so big that passers-by would need an aeroplane to appreciate their shape and scale. In ancient barrows on the Yorkshire Wolds our distant ancestors sleep forever. Welcome to the world of Neolithic Yorkshire, an enchanted, ritual landscape far removed from our age of motorways and malls. Welcome to the Yorkshire of the Stone Age.