The Mayor is Asking For Two Quid a Night, Every Night
🌟 The Scarborough Rundown - Events, Activities, Live Music & Good News! 😊
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Hey Scarborough! Here's what's happening this week 👋
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has come out in favour of a £2-a-night visitor levy, telling a Harrogate hotel crowd it would be a total game-changer for the region. At that rate, the scheme could raise £52.2 million a year. The hospitality industry, unsurprisingly, is not quite so keen.
On a more straightforward note, the Yorkshire Coast has had a good week on the beach front - thirteen Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for 2026, with Scarborough North Bay, Filey, and Whitby all making the list. Bridlington South picked up its first Seaside Award since 2022.
If you're after a night away before the summer crowds arrive, this country house hotel near Scarborough has a 4.7 on TripAdvisor and a spring offer that includes a three-course dinner, overnight stay, and full Yorkshire breakfast. The reviews speak for themselves.
And for November, The Bowie Experience is returning to the Spa - a full A to Z run through the hits, which means yes, Ziggy gets his moment. Tickets are available now.
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📰 Scarborough Life
💸 Tourist Tax: The Mayor's Calling It. York and North Yorkshire's Labour Mayor has backed plans for an overnight visitor levy, telling a Harrogate hotel crowd it would be a total game-changer for the region. At -2 a night, it could raise -52.2 million a year. The hospitality industry is less enthused.
🎸 Ziggy's Coming Back to Scarborough. The Bowie Experience returns to the Scarborough Spa this November for a full run through the hits, A to Z - and yes, that means Ziggy. Tickets available by phone or online.
🏖️ Thirteen Beaches, Zero Excuses. The Yorkshire Coast has picked up thirteen Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for 2026, with Scarborough North Bay, Filey, and Whitby among them. Bridlington South got its first Seaside Award since 2022.
⚖️ North Yorkshire Takes York to Court. A row over highway maintenance funding has turned legal, with North Yorkshire Council pursuing a judicial review against the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. The disputed split change would divert -20 million from county roads to York over four years.
🎵 The Manfreds Are Coming Back. Following a sold-out show last May, the Spa Theatre has announced a return date for The Manfreds on 20 November. Tickets by phone or online, with 1626 Suite upgrades available.
🍵 Dinner, Bed, Breakfast - and a Cream Tea Thrown In! Wrea Head Hall is a country house hotel near Scarborough with a rare 4.7 TripAdvisor rating. The Spring Offer packages up an overnight stay for two with everything from a three-course dinner to a full Yorkshire breakfast. Check the reviews before booking.
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🌬️ Wind Farms Approved Off Yorkshire Coast. Two Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms have been granted planning permission, with a combined 3 gigawatt capacity - enough for three million homes. A retired offshore manager from Scarborough says successive councils have shown no enthusiasm for the grants available to capitalise on it.
🐦 Bempton's Gannet Season Goes Record-Breaking. RSPB Bempton Cliffs welcomed 135,561 visitors in 2025 - an 18 per cent rise - after grant-funded marketing pushed footfall into the quieter months. It is also the only mainland gannet breeding colony in England.
🧛 Dracula Bar Opens on Church Street. A Bram Stoker-themed bar has taken over a Grade II listed former post office at 100 Church Street in Whitby, complete with a log burner and a full gothic fit-out. The town council had reservations; planners were not troubled.
🌊 Scarborough Joins National Sewage Protest. This Saturday at noon, protesters gather on South Bay as part of Paddle Out 26 - one of 50-plus simultaneous demonstrations across UK beaches, rivers, and lakes. Surfers Against Sewage says the government's Clean Water Bill locks in the system, causing the problem.
🛖 Try a Market Stall for Free. North Yorkshire Council is offering first-time and existing traders a free day's pitch at markets in Whitby, Pickering, Ripon, Thirsk, Northallerton, and Helmsley - applications open until the end of August. Traders bring their own gazebo and tables; the pitch costs nothing.
🐕 The Annual Beach Dog Debate, Reopened. A BBC piece revisits North Yorkshire's seasonal dog restrictions, in force across Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey beaches from May to September. Fines run up to -1,000 - though the council argues the blanket ban is simpler to enforce than a time-based one.
🚂 The Forget-Me-Not Train Hits the Telly. A dementia-friendly service running between Whitby and Middlesbrough - with live music, homemade snacks, and hand massages - features on Songs of Praise this Sunday at 1 pm. Next departures are 21 May, 16 July, and 17 September.
🌿 North Yorkshire Maps Its Nature Recovery. A new Local Nature Recovery Strategy - covering woodland, wetlands, and nature-rich sites - has been launched jointly by North Yorkshire Council, City of York, and the Combined Authority. Every county in England is required to produce one.
🏗️ Seven Projects, Ten Years, One Consultation. The Scarborough Neighbourhood Board has named its priority regeneration targets - including the Brunswick Shopping Centre and the Stephen Joseph Theatre - after 1,294 residents and businesses had their say. The full list goes before the North Yorkshire Council Executive on 26 May.
🎻 A Tribute to the Man Who Ran the Spa. Virtuoso violinist Andy Long performs a lunchtime concert honouring Max Jaffa OBE, who led Scarborough Spa Orchestra for thirty years, at St Martin on the Hill Church on 28 May. Tickets are -15 from Record Revivals on Northway or at the door.
⭐ Readers’ Choice: Top Posts From Last Issue
💍 They Got Married There. Now They Own It. Ox Pasture Hall has reopened as Asquith Hall Hotel & Spa under Wesley and Chloe Nunns.
🏨 York's Leading Luxury Hotel Has 30% Off Until June. Walking distance from the train station and The Shambles, with a vault spa that opened last year. Check it out.
🥾 Mulgrave Opens the Gates. The Mulgrave Estate has launched three new walking routes covering 17.4 miles of woodland and farmland.
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🎸Events, Activities & Live Music
We keep it short here - head to our EVENTS PAGE for links and future events.
Monday, 18 May
09:45 🎯 Flat Green Bowling - Burniston and Cloughton Bowling Club
14:00 🧘 Tai Chi Classes - Filey Evron Centre
18:30 🧘 Zumba Fitness Class - Newby & Scalby Community Hall, Scarborough
18:45 🥊 Beat Boxing Fitness - Queen Street Methodist Church, Scarborough
19:30 🎧 Clubbercise - Queen Street Methodist Church, Scarborough
20:00 🎶 Live Music: Folk Club - The Merchant Irish Bar, Scarborough
Tuesday, 19 May
11:15 🎯 Social Bowls - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
14:00 💃 Line Dancing: Improvers - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
14:00 🎨 Afternoon Art Session - Robin Hood's Bay Studio & Gallery
18:15 💃 Ballroom Fitness Class - Newby & Scalby Community Hall, Scarborough
19:00 🎨 Scarborough Flower Club - Westborough Church, Scarborough
19:30 💃 Modern Jive Lessons - Roscoe Rooms, Scarborough
19:30 🎯 Quiz Night - The Merchant Irish Bar, Scarborough
Wednesday, 20 May
10:30 🎯 Chess & Conversation - Eastfield Library, Scarborough
10:30 🧘 Zumba Gold Class - Newby & Scalby Community Hall, Scarborough
11:00 💃 Circle Dancing - St. James Community Hall, Scarborough
13:00 🎯 Board Games Sessions - Haddock Hideaway, Scarborough
17:00 🧵 SEWcial Sewing & Textile Craft - Stitched by the Beach, Scarborough
18:00 🧵 Sewing Classes with Millie - Burniston Methodist Church, Scarborough
18:45 🧘 Peach Squad: Workout - Queen Street Methodist Church, Scarborough
19:00 💃 Scarborough Dine and Dance - Scarborough Spa
19:15 🎨 Scarborough Camera Club Summer Visit - Meet by RNLI, Scarborough
19:30 🎧 Clubbercise - Queen Street Methodist Church, Scarborough
19:30 🎯 Quiz Night & Jackpot - The Ramshill, Scarborough
Thursday, 21 May
09:45 🎯 Social Bowls - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
13:30 🎭 Spitfire Girls - Stephen Joseph, Scarborough
18:30 🎨 Evening Art Session - Robin Hood's Bay Studio & Gallery
19:30 🎭 Spitfire Girls - Stephen Joseph, Scarborough
20:00 🎶 An Evening with… Alastair James - The Crescent Lounge, Scarborough
20:30 🎯 Quiz Night - Highlander Hotel, Scarborough
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Complete starred sections. For a FREE LISTING.
Playa de Mallorca’s Top-Rated Stay: Sea Views & Old City Walls
Travellers on TripAdvisor have ranked Es Princep as the number one hotel in Playa de Mallorca, and the location plays a big part in that. It sits right by Palma’s historic city walls, with views across Palma Bay, making it easy to explore the old town on foot while still feeling slightly removed from the busiest areas.
The rooms are light and uncluttered, with large windows, modern bathrooms and either sea or city views. They are comfortable places to spend time, rather than just somewhere to sleep.
The hotel works particularly well if you want a central base without being right in the middle of nightlife. The spa, pools and on-site dining make it easy to slow things down between exploring, and the overall feel is polished but not showy.
Find out why travellers rate it so highly
👋 That’s All For Now 🎬 From town to coast, there's always something happening in Scarborough. Sue | Editor | The Scarborough Rundown |  |
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