Welcome to the award winning Ilkley Chat!

Entries for the 2026 Ilkley Half Marathon and Ilkley 5K open next week Entries for the 2026 Ilkley Half Marathon and Ilkley 5K will open next Monday [20th October], promising another unforgettable weekend of sport, community spirit, and scenic running in the heart of Wharfedale. Organised by the Ilkley & District Round Table, the event has become one of the region’s most anticipated races since its launch, attracting runners from across the UK to experience Ilkley’s warm hosp

Outside the Box Café are a finalist in the Café of the Year category The finalists have been announced for the Telegraph & Argus Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Awards and three local businesses are in the running. Nominations closed on 21 st  September and both Jigsaw in Ilkley and The Carriage with showrooms in Burley-in-Wharfedale and Guiseley are nominated for Retailer of the Year , and Ilkley’s Outside the Box Café could walk away with Café of the Year . Amy Robinson

Mauro Bertolino (centre) surrounded by Ilkley Youth Choir Seniors and music teachers Emma (far right) and Stephen Bradnum (far right) Ilkley Youth Choir Seniors had the honour and pleasure of opening for Italian piano virtuoso Mauro Bertolino at his concert in Bradford Cathedral last week as part of his global tour. The choir sang two songs, You Raise Me Up  and The Blessing , the dramatic setting and clear acoustics complementing the beauty of the music and voices. This was

The first afternoon concert will feature James Carrick-Buchanan and Glen Piano Trio Ilkley Concert Club has announced its fifth series of afternoon concerts show-casing talented students from the Royal Northern College of Music [RNCM]. These one-hour concerts are full of interest and variety, open to everyone and an afternoon treat for those who prefer not to go out on dark November evenings all taking place between 2.30pm and 3.30pm at the King’s Hall on Station Road in Ilkl

Emma Nelson, owner of Merry Paws in Burley A group of professional dog walkers from the Ilkley area have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Emma Nelson, owner of Merry Paws in Burley, after rare, irreversible side effects from cancer treatment left her unable to safely run her business alone. The fund aims to cover the cost of a wheelchair and help allow Emma to continue to work in the job she loves. Emma beat cancer following intensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and bra

Come and Sing at the Clarke Foley Community Hub Last Saturday the centre of Ilkley was ringing with the amazing sound of almost one hundred voices joining together in song for ‘Come and Sing’. Ilkley Choral Society arranged the event on 11th October at the Clarke Foley Community Hub, and participants came from as far away as Northumberland especially to take part. The musical focus for the day was Carl Orff’s well-known ‘Carmina Burana’, a dramatic and full-blooded 20th centu

L-R Steve Rhodes, Helen Rhodes, Felicity Rhodes (Photo: Heidi Marfitt) Ideal Extraction Ltd in Ilkley has been announced as a finalist in the category ‘Builders of Tomorrow - Construction, Property and Engineering’ at the prestigious Yorkshire & Humberside Family Business Awards 2025.   Based in Ilkley, Ideal Extraction is a specialist engineering company providing bespoke dust and fume extraction systems, primarily in the woodworking sector. The company also offers ongoing m

Opening on Thursday 30th October in the Wharfeside Theatre at Ilkley Playhouse is The Unfriend by Steven Moffat.  The play is a darkly comic and sharply witty exploration of British manners, social obligation and the unintended consequences of politeness. Peter and Debbie, a seemingly typical middle-class British couple, befriend Elsa, an eccentric American woman, during a holiday. In the spirit of polite conversation, they exchange contact details, expecting never to hear fr

Ashlands Garth enjoys a convenient yet discreet location just off the A65 and Ashlands Road Almost half of the homes at a highly sought-after new Ilkley development by renowned Keighley based builders R N Wooler & Co, have already been reserved and sold - and a brand-new show home has just opened its doors. With just eight homes remaining, the launch of the show home provides potential purchasers with a real insight into the exceptional build quality, high specification finis