Welcome to the award winning Ilkley Chat!

Ilkley Town Council [ITC] is keen to gather residents’ views about the recent changes to car parking, made by Bradford Council, which came into effect in the town at the start of the year. Changes included, removing the one hour free street parking from most streets around the centre and an extension of the charging period to 8pm, it was 6pm previously. Ilkley Town Council says it was not happy with Bradford’s decision to plough ahead with the changes, despite its recommendat

Mark, Mason and James ready for service Outside the Box is getting set to expand some of its activities to Otley through a new partnership with society Otley Common. The Community Benefit Society is transforming Otley Methodist Church into a vibrant social, cultural and entrepreneurial hub. The partnership will see Outside the Box providing services from the substantially refurbished Otley Common premises. Louise Hale, CEO of the Ilkley charity that runs Outside the Box said:

L-R: Steve Hall [Pendle] and Andy Sharpe [LCC] Leeds Children’s Charity has announced a two-year charity partnership with Pendle Sportswear in Ilkley. The charity is based at Lineham Farm in Eccup, a beautifully restored 17th-century farmhouse close to Golden Acre Park, the perfect setting for children to experience a break filled with fun, adventure and learning. The partnership will see the Ilkley based business supply the charity with complimentary printing and many items

Violinist Andy Long Ilkley Philharmonic Orchestra’s [IPO] Spring concert in March will feature popular works by Rossini and Mozart. The concert takes place in All Saints and will feature the violinist Andy Long, as IPO’s conductor, John Anderson, explains: “We are delighted to welcome back virtuoso violinist, Andy Long, to perform Mozart’s much-loved violin concerto no. 5 in A, nicknamed the ‘Turkish’. Turkish music was very much in vogue in Austria when Mozart was inspired t

L-R: Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Sue Staton, Jos Mountcastle.  Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID) has been awarded the prestigious Silver Award in the Community Project category at the National BID Awards 2026. The awards ceremony, held on Monday 9 February at the Leonardo Royal London City Hotel, celebrated exceptional achievements in Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) from across the UK. The National BID Awards shine a spotlight on the vital role BIDs play in revita

Cameron [left] and Vivienne, with Cameron's brother[right] “Have a good sense of humour” is just one of the pieces of advice given by a couple at a care home in Ilkley as they enjoyed their 50th Valentine’s Day together.   Love was in the air when the team at Care UK’s Mayfield View, on Lower Railway Road, arranged a special dinner for Cameron and Vivienne Stewert.   Cameron, 76, and Vivienne, 82, dressed to the nines to enjoy some champagne and a romantic meal prepared by th

A popular craft beer and bottle shop in Ilkley has announced in a statement that it will closed from the end of February 2026. Fuggle & Golding Tap House on Leeds Road opened in 2015, and build a reputation for offering the best local, national & international brews. The statement on the shop's Facebook page said: "Unfortunately, Fuggle & Golding will be closing its doors on the 28th of February 2026. "We understand that this disappointing news will come as a shock to many, t

Ilkley Pool & Lido Community Group has announced a new programme of full moon swims for 2026. The group's most popular events of the year offer a chance to swim into the evening, bathing in a magical combination of water and moonlight in one of the most beautiful pools in the UK. Last year the sell out swims attracted visitors from all over the country, with 70 percent of visitors travelling from out of the area to attend. Visitors came from as far afield as Birmingham and Ke

Nutrition plays a powerful role in cancer prevention and survivorship and an online talk on 24th February sets out to explore the current evidence surrounding this topic. Given by Ilkley GP, Dr Janet Kyriakides, the online talk will attempt to explain how certain dietary patterns can reduce cancer risk and recurrence and may also improve quality of life. It will offer some practical guidance to help people to achieve this. Dr Janet Kyriakides, is an Ilkley GP with a special i

Tickets are now on sale for Yorkshire’s biggest week of the year, the Lexus Ilkley Open. Between 7 th  – 14 th  June, tennis players from across the World will be bringing their talent to the grass courts at Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club (ILTSC). With the event growing in popularity each year, fans are being urged to purchase tickets quickly so as not to miss out on the highlight of Ilkley’s Summer calendar. From centre court to centre stage, the week will not be short o

The Ilkley Great Get Together team is appealing for donations for its Easter parcels which are given out each year to eligible families in the Ilkley area. A spokesperson said: "We are supporting 240 children with over 100 food parcels at Easter. The families are incredibly grateful, and this is a vital support for the holidays "We are so grateful to be getting free veg from Tucker at the new veg shop on Leeds Road, Moor Fruit & Veg' The team is asking for donations of: Easte

The Craiglands Hotel {Photo: Ilkley Civic Society] A new exhibition opens this month at Ilkley Manor House looking back at Ilkley's former health resort heritage. Visitors will be able to journey back in time and discover the fascinating story of how Ilkley became one of Britain’s most celebrated health resorts in the Victorian era. This exhibition is being curated by Ilkley Civic Society's Local History Hub and will explore the origins and impact of Ilkley’s Hydros through c