Ryedale in North Yorkshire

NEW: Ryedale Flood Defence – 3D Working Model movie released early!

NEW: Due to mounting concern and controversy surrounding the late publication of the North Yorkshire County Council Flood Study report into the flooding and pollution in Malton, Norton and Old Malton, the release of the movie of this revolutionary means of flood prediction has been brought forward to calm public fears… Designed, built, operated and filmed by Simon Thackray.

With music by Billy Jenkins. Watch the movie! (Duration: 1 min – 32 secs)

NEW: Channel 4 News in Brawby – Simon interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

Watch the launch of POTTY on Channel 4 News!

NEW: The Malton Myopic
Bringing you the news where it matters – round your Cod!

The North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour

The North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour meanders through magnificent Ryedale countryside with poet and Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan as tour guide. The tour retraces the footsteps of Elvis from the time he lived in North Yorkshire and also formed part of a BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play. This is a surreal and totally improvised commentary on the places of special relevance to the King’s past life in Malton and Pickering.  Learn about the famous knitted Elvis wigs!

Alan Tomlinson and the River Seven – a Simon Thackray art event.

Improvising trombonist Alan Tomlinson was featured on Today on Radio 4 and recently performed a duet with, and in, the River Seven in Rosedale (soon to be part of a new feature-length film documentary about British improvised music, narrated by Stewart Lee). Alan also performed for The Shed’s Fish and Chip Van Tour (as seen on the Richard and Judy Show).

The Shed sits between the rocking North Yorkshire moors and the rolling Yorkshire wolds. Scarborough, Whitby and Filey are only a short drive away and Simon particularly likes the Fish and Chips from the Lemon Tree in Kirkbymoorside and Fusco’s in Whitby. Ryedale is peppered with hotels and b and b’s, holiday cottages and campsites, and a few are within walking distance of The Shed – our famous music and poetry venue.

GUARDIAN – TRAVEL 20.3.10
The insiders guide to the world’s best small music venues.
Musicians, DJs and authors reveal their favourite hangouts.
“The Shed was the inspiration for my tour of village halls around Britain, which I am currently writing up as a book. And, after 235 villages, The Shed is still the loony best.” Hank Wangford, Guardian. Read the whole article:

From Pickering you can travel through the spectacular scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors by steam train (one of the film locations for Harry Potter) all the way to Goathland (Aidensfield in Heartbeat) and Grosmont. Castle Howard is one of Britain’s finest stately homes, located in the beautiful Howardian Hills only fifteen miles northeast of York. Built in 1699 by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, Castle Howard was the location for the TV series Brideshead Revisited.

During the summer months, traditional agricultural shows are held across Ryedale, including Rosedale Show, Farndale Show, Bilsdale Show, Malton Show, Ryedale Show (Welburn near Kirkbymoorside) and Boon Hill Show (Newton Upon Rawcliffe near Pickering) and Thornton Le Dale Show. There is a major traction engine (steam) rallies at Pickering and Helmsley and the world famous Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race ® (below).

The Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race ®

BBC Radio 4 records programmes at The Shed and people travel from across the UK and Europe to see international artists performing contemporary jazz, folk, blues, world music, comedy and poetry in this intimate and friendly space. One of the smallest and probably the most famous micro-venue in the UK, The Shed plays host to artists as diverse as Hank Wangford and the Lost Cowboys, Snake Davis, Martin and Eliza Carthy, Katia Labeque, Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Ian McMillan, Billy Jenkins, Stewart Lee and more..

“The Shed is the best venue in England” David Thomas.

“It’s like being in a weird episode of Heartbeat.” Alexei Sayle

Hovingham Hall is located directly opposite The Shed in the picturesque village of Hovingham (The Shed sometimes uses Hovingham village hall). This historic 18th Century house was the childhood home of The Duchess of Kent and is open to the public from 4th June to 7th July 2007 (closed Sundays). For over 400 years Hovingham has been the home of the Worsley family. The Palladian house was built between 1750 and 1770 by Thomas Worsley to his own design and is unique being entered through The Riding School.

Nunnington Hall. The sheltered walled garden on the bank of the River Rye, with its delightful mixed borders, orchards of traditional fruit varieties and spring-flowering meadows, complements this mellow 17th-century manor house. From the magnificent oak-panelled hall, follow three staircases to discover family rooms, the nursery, the haunted room and the attics, with their fascinating Carlisle collection of fully furnished miniature period rooms.

Eden Camp is an original Prisoner of War camp built in 1942. Reconstructed scenes, using movement, lighting, sound, smells (even smoke machines) will transport you back in time and make you feel that you are taking part in the history of wartime Britain. Eden Camp is an excellent day out for visitors of all ages, with assault courses to keep the younger visitors amused, and won the English Tourism Council’s England for Excellence Award for Visitor Attraction of the Year in 1998.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway – Pickering’s famous steam railway – travelling to Goathland and Grosmont from Pickering.

Ryedale Tourist Information – buy tickets for The Shed in Malton and Pickering

Ryedale Folk Museum. Step back to the 18th Century! The museum has collections dating from pre-history to the 20th century and includes a thatched cruck cottage, an Elizabethan manor house and the oldest daylight photographic studio in the country.

Beck Isle Museum at Pickering comprises 24 rooms packed with displays which describe social, domestic and working life in the 18th century. The museum includes a collection of local photographs by Sidney Smith and William Marshall planned England’s first Agricultural Institute here in the early 1800’s.