Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

That's it from me today, we'll be back on Monday at 07:00 with the latest news, sport, weather and travel updates from across York and North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, here are five things we've learned today:

• The row over changes to York's Clifford's Tower is heading towards a legal battle
• York Minster's bells may still remain silent this Christmas after bell-ringers elsewhere reportedly rejected an invitation to ring them
• A charity single recorded in memory of murdered Yorkshire MP Jo Cox has been released today
• If you want to know what happens to the three million items staff at York's Royal Mail Delivery Office handle each week in the run-up to Christmas, peek behind the scenes here   
• And a meat pie launched into space by scientists has landed in North Yorkshire

I'll leave you with a wonderfully contrasting display of a county of two halves.

Sunshine and blue skies in York today half an hour ago, courtesy of Gary Gimmick, and an hour earlier, a very misty Scarborough, sent in by BBC Weather Watcher Dave.

Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

It wouldn't be the festive season without shawms, sackbuts, rebecs, gitterns, curtals, bagpipes, recorders and chalumeaus, would it?

But if you've mislaid yours, fear not: this coming Sunday you're in for a real treat.

Members of the York Waits, a 16th century "living history" band, are due to perform Godday My Lord Sire Christemass along with a multitude of fascinating instruments.

You can take a look at a few of them here and have a listen too:

You can see and hear The York Waits this Sunday at 14:30 at St Olave's Church, on York's Marygate.

More on the amazing news that a pie has returned safely to the ground in North Yorkshire after being launched into space from the other side of the Pennines.

Sheffield firm SentIntoSpace say the pie landed in Low Bentham about 50 miles from where it was launched, at about 13:30 on Thursday.

"It was in decent shape, apart from the fact the lid came off when it landed and it had broken into two pieces," said Dan Blaney from SentIntoSpace.

Tracking software revealed the meat and potato pie attached to a weather balloon climbed to 29,500m (97,000ft).

It had been launched about two-and-a-half hours earlier from Roby Mill in Wigan, Greater Manchester, before landing near the Lancashire-North Yorkshire border.

The bells of York Minster could remain silent this Christmas after bell-ringers elsewhere reportedly reject an invitation to ring them.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Police are appealing again for information about the theft of 600 bottles of wine, external last month.

A pallet of wine was delivered to a premises in Langbar near Bolton Abbey on Tuesday 8 November.

It was last seen at abouut 20:00 that day, and was noticed missing the following morning.  

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

Despite extensive enquiries, the wine has not been recovered, say police.

The pallet contained a variety of wine worth thousands of pounds in total, including nearly 300 bottles of Domaine des Vercheres Macon Villages 2014.

Police say in the run-up to Christmas it's possible the wine may be offered for sale. 

Officers are appealing for anyone with information about the theft, or who is offered wine for sale in suspicious circumstances, to contact them.

Keeley Donovan
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

This afternoon, it'll continue to brighten up with some sunny spells. 

Mainly light southerly winds with a top temperature of about 10C (50F).

The top stories from our York newsroom this lunchtime include:

• A legal bid is lodged against plans to construct a visitor centre at the foot of York's Clifford's Tower
• The bells of York Minster could remain silent this Christmas after bell-ringers elsewhere reportedly rejected an invitation to ring them
• One year on since the closure of Kellingley Colliery, former miners have been "betrayed" by the government over compensation money, according to a Yorkshire MP

The bells of York Minster could remain silent this Christmas after bell-ringers in Leeds reportedly rejected an invitation to ring them.

York Minster dismissed its 30 volunteer bell-ringers in October due to "safeguarding issues".

The York Press, external has reported that Leeds bell-ringers have opted to stand by their colleagues and refused York's offer.

The Dean and Chapter have not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

You might have missed this when I first mentioned it a week ago...

So, for a cheery, festive start to the weekend, do yourself a favour and experience this "musical" Christmas message from North Yorkshire Police.

I assure you the corners of your mouth will rise:  

Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan has been commissioned by the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authoritie, to pen a poem celebrating the wonders of the county's dark skies.

Known as the Bard of Barnsley, Ian will draw on his observations of stargazing and hunting down the Aurora Borealis - otherwise known as the Northern Lights - as well as the special qualities of the night sky in the areas of low light pollution found in both national parks. 

Image source, Mark Bulmer Ebor Images

The verse will be completed just ahead of the two northern National Parks' second joint Dark Skies Festival, a week-long event during next year's February half-term. 

Jericho Keys

The Christmas shopping's done, the presents are wrapped and the parcels put in the post.

But what happens to the parcel then? 

I've been to the Royal Mail Delivery Office in York today to find out how staff there handle three million items in a week:

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

It's feared that money for healthcare in North Yorkshire might end up going to cities outside the county.

NHS England needs to save £22bn by 2021, and each area of the country has to have a five-year health plan covering exactly how money will be spent. 

But North Yorkshire is covered by three separate plans, which also take in places like Middlesbrough, Leeds and Hull.

Jim Clark, who heads the North Yorkshire County Council committee which reviews health services, says the authority's asking the Health Secretary to create one single plan for the county.

The plans are are due to be discussed at a meeting later.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Today is the official day for people to furtle around in the back of the wardrobe and dig out their festive fashion.

It's a day when it's almost obligatory to display garments both gaudy and garish, tacky and tawdry - in other words, to wilfully wear wacky woollies.

Here's an example of just how bad things can get. BBC Radio York's Grace Winpenny, Nathan Turvey, and Elly Fiorentini look like they got dressed in the dark at a jumble sale.

Thankfully, it's all in a good cause and if you join in the fun today by wearing festive knitwear you could be raising money for Save the Children, external who've organised the jolly jumper wearing.

If you're wearing yours today, send us a pic via Twitter, external, Facebook, external or email. 

Scientists have sent a meat and potato pie into space to see if travelling to a height of nearly 20 miles would change it in any way. 

It was attached to a weather balloon and launched from Wigan, in Greater Manchester.

It reached the stratosphere then came back to Earth, landing about 50 miles away in North Yorkshire. Check out the video above for the pie's eye view:

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

City of York Council says it's disappointed a legal bid's been lodged at the High Court asking for its decision to allow English Heritage to develop the historic Clifford's Tower to be examined.

Independent councillor Johnny Hayes has applied for a judicial review of the decision, and last night he handed in a petition to the council with almost 4,000 signatures against the plans.

The plans for the 13th century landmark include a visitor centre at the foot of the tower and a cafe within its walls.

In a statement, the council point outs the review will "only be concerned with the processes followed by the planning committee and will not consider the merits of the application itself".

It adds: "We're entirely confident we have followed due process at all stages of the application."

A review will cause a delay "unnecessary to English Heritage's project to provide greater access to, and enjoyment of, Clifford's Tower", the council adds.

Sarah Urwin
Political Reporter, BBC Radio York

There are concerns health services in North Yorkshire may suffer due to changes in the NHS. 

Draft five-year plans setting out exactly how health cash will be spent have been released.

Under the plans, parts of North Yorkshire are included with West Yorkshire and others with Middlesbrough.

County councillors are worried those big urban areas will get the bulk of funding for services:

Health leaders across North Yorkshire are due to meet later to discuss these plans.

BBC Radio York

This week on BBC Radio York we've been looking at what Christmas means to some of the many communities around the county.

So far we've heard from the Polish, Chinese and Ugandan communities.

Today, we hear from North Yorkshire's Jewish community:

Len Tingle
Political Editor, BBC Look North

There's a chance that this year's chart-topping festive single will have a lot more to say than "Merry Christmas everyone".

At least three of the contenders for the 2016 "Christmas Number One" are hoping they will be sending their own more serious message from right here in Yorkshire.

It has to be said that as potential recording superstars they are an unlikely line-up.

They include former miners from Doncaster, South Yorkshire firefighters and friends of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, who was victim of an appalling hate crime. Read more in my latest blog.

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

More now on the possibility of legal action being taken over plans to develop York's 13th century Clifford's Tower.

English Heritage want to build a new visitor centre and cafe on the site, but a York councillor says he's lodged a claim in the High Court asking for a judicial review into how the decision was taken.

At a meeting last night, Independent City of York councillor Johnny Hayes handed in a petition with almost 4,000 signatures against the plans. 

He's says he's now asking for a judge to look at the case:

Andrew Barton
BBC Local Live, York

Almost exactly a year after the closure of North Yorkshire's Kellingley Colliery, hundreds of miners who lost their jobs there are fighting to improve their redundancy pay. 

When the mine closed on 18 December 2015 it marked the end of deep-pit coal mining in Britain.

Miners who worked at Kellingley claim they're entitled to a compensation claim of over £3,000 each, money which the government paid to miners at Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire.

Yorkshire MP Yvette Cooper says the miners have been "betrayed" by the government and says she'll take the fight to Parliament: