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The York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir was founded in York in 1925, by a group of men from the Leeman Road Adult Boy’s Club. They came together out of a love of singing, rehearsing in the front parlour of a house on Leeman Road. The founding members sought the direction of conductor Cecil H. Fletcher, and over the next ten years Fletcher oversaw the growth of the choir to over fifty members.

The choir experienced a severe decline in membership as a result of the World Wars, followed by the death of conductor Fletcher. The choir survived this period, becoming informally known as the Cecil H Fletcher Memorial Choir into the 1980s.

Sefton Fearne took over as conductor, and worked to rebuild the choir following the drop in membership. In 1950 Fearne retired due to ill health and was succeeded by Archie W. Sargent.

Sargent retired in 1962 and was succeeded by Richard B. Lister. In 1962; with Robert Patterson, then curator at York Castle Museum; Lister helped initiate the first the ‘Carols in Kirkgate’ concert, which raised money for the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund. The York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir performed at the first ‘Carols in Kirkgate’ event, which continued for over fifty years.

In 1968 the choir formed a relationship with Münsterscher Männergesangverein (Münster Male Choral Society), a choir from York’s twin city Münster, in Germany. The choirs have done multiple visits to each other’s respective cities.

In 1972 the choir became a registered charity, to help improve public knowledge of the choir, and to help the choir to support other charities through their performances.

Richard B. Lister stepped down as Musical Director in 1980, at which point David Keeffe took over the role. Subsequent Music Directors also include Richard Bowman, Margaret Martin, Ian Colling and Berenice ‘Berry’ Lewis.

As well as performances and charity concerts, the choir have historically competed in competitions across Britain and Europe.

The York Society of Magicians was founded in 1945 by the then Lord Mayor of York, Harold Chapman de Bourg. De Bourg was a magician and wanted to establish a magic society in York to meet likeminded people. De Bourg invited other amateur magicians to Mansion House, where the inaugural meeting of the Society was held on 8th March 1945. At that first meeting the York Society of Magicians was established.

The society’s first headquarters were in the Rechabite building and then afterwards Middleton House in Monkgate.

The society started its ‘Night of Magic’ shows at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in 1951, which were held annually until 1987. The Society’s other activities include annual dinners, and monthly meetings where members discuss magic and share magic tricks.

The society includes amateur magicians, hobbyists and professionals. In some periods the society has had an active junior department as well as an adult society.

The society was closed down in 2021.

Resident of York who collected an extensive collection of theatre programmes for performances in York theatres and by York theatre groups.

At least two generations of the Loadman family ran a shop initially at 5 College Street, then at 37 Stonegate and at Minster Gates, York, as a dealer in antiques, old china, furniture, and curios.

The shop was started by Thomas Loadman between 1871 and 1881, and operated until at least the 1950s. Thomas Loadman was born in Helmsley in 1819 as the son of a brewer. He married Jane Sollitt in 1845 in York. Thomas Loadman worked as a gas inspector for most of his career and appears to have opened the shop as a dealer in old china alongside this role later in life with the support of his wife and children. Several of his children helped to run the shop and continued to run it after his death. This includes: Margaret Elizabeth Loadman, born 1847, who moved the shop to Stonegate after Thomas Loadman's death; Eugene Loadman, born c 1865; and Herbert Myers Loadman, born c 1873.

First listed in Kelly's Directory of York in 1896-1897 as R.B. Mills, auctioneer and emigration agent, 16 Stonegate. By 1900, the business is listed as Richard Bell Mills, valuer and ocean passenger agent, Minster Gates.

R.B. Mills occupied 7 Minster Gates as a travel agency, variously described as an ocean passenger agent, a shipping agent, and a tourist agent, until at least 1975, but appears to have stopped trading by 1985.