York Guides

Calls for more Government financial support for beleagured hill farmers brought a swift response from the Environment Minister at Great Yorkshire Show yesterday.
Ben Bradshaw, who was touring the showground, immediately assured them the government "is keen to ensure a future for those farming the uplands.
"They play a very important role, not only in producing excellent, high quality beef, but also in looking after the environment, " he added, but stopped short of promising them more cash.
However, he said the Government was already examining ways of helping hill farmers when the present allowance scheme ends.
"This will change to reflect the changing priorities of the Government and the general public," he said.
The problems facing hill farmers came to light last week in a National Trust report which predicted a "a chaotic and unplanned loss of land management capability in the hills with severe and widespread consequences."
The conservation charity said the majority of upland farms such as in the Yorkshire Dales and on the North York Moors were facing a severe fall in income.
The problem stemmed from the separation of support payments from food production to caring for the environment.
This had a exposed the stark reality that livestock farming in the hills was not profitable and in many cases was a loss making exercise.
The Trust said there was a new risk that the UK would lose grazing animals which help manage some of the nation's most spectacular landscapes and wildlife.
The pleas for continued help for hill farmers were led at the show by Tenant Farmers Association national chairman, Reg Haydon who warned that the Single Farm Payment introduced as part of Common Agricultural Policy reform must be supplemented by some other form of support.
Mr Haydon said the problem stemmed from the way in which the Government had chosen to implement the new Single Farm Payment, which reduce levels of support for hill farms
Mr Haydon said: "The Government and all those organisations that campaigned against the simple historic model for implementing the Single Payment System are responsible for this mess.
"We warned the Government that its system would lead to a host of problems. Sadly our predictions are coming true.
"We have seen disruption to the land market, disruption in the relationships between landowners and tenants, disruption to normal business and now predictions of environment catastophe in the hills."
Mr Haydon said it had been the government's intention to stop Hill Farm Allowance payments in 2006 which would have been another huge blow to the uplands.
While the National Trust had asked for an increase in funding for the allowance from £27m to £50m the tenant farmers had been working with the National Beef Association on a proposal to raise the budget to £100m.
Mr Haydon said: "Without significant increases in output prices, a reduction in costs, including rents, and an uplift in investment from the Government there will be a rapid depopulation of animals from the hills with obvious environmental consequences.
Richard Betton, the National Farmers Union's North-East representative on a new upland working group studying the issue, said a continued and well-funded allowance was an absolute lifeline for all hill farmers across the Yorkshire region.
He said: "They play an essential role, not just in the livestock industry, but in terms of ensuring future thriving rural businesses and not least a fantastic landscape for which this country is renowned."
The deputy national president of the County Land and Business Association, David Fursdon said the allowance must be maintained, if not increased, to give extra help to hill farms who would find it difficult to complete in an entirely commercial world.
As temperatures on the showground soared Mr Bradshaw sampled a glass of Wold Top Brewery's beer, one Yorkshire's newest micro breweries at Wold Newton near Driffield.
It is run by Tom Mellor and Derek Gray who grow high class malting barley.

Botham's prize duty
Liam Botham, rugby playing son of the legendary cricketer Ian, was called upon to add some celebrity clout to the Great Yorkshire Show yesterday.
Botham Jnr, a sports star in his own right who has played Rugby Union and Rugby League at the highest level, was invited to present the winning rosette at the Charolais cattle show.
One of the winners, farmer Steven Nesbitt, 45, who reared Charolais near Darlington, has a connection with the Botham family as Liam Botham's
wife Sarah was born on the Nesbitt farm.
Mr Botham, a former Leeds Rhinos player, said: "I know enough about these cows to know a good one when I see one and Steven's are pretty good."
Mr Nesbitt, whose animal won in the two-year-old bull category, said he invited Liam to raise some publicity for the day.