York Hall

The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.

The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.

The hall is owned by Tower Hamlets Council and in 2004 was threatened with closure. However, the hall was saved, and in 2005 it underwent a major multimillion-pound refurbishment in a joint project between the local Tower Hamlets council and Greenwich Leisure. The site is split into three sections: a leisure centre with pool and gymnasium; a Spa and a multi-use events hall.

The historic Turkish Bath or banya in the basement was the last publicly run example in the East End of London. In 1972 there were still six Turkish baths, a legacy of the high Jewish population of Russian and Polish origin. This included the traditional suites of Russian and Turkish steam rooms, sauna, relaxation lounge. This popular and often full facility was closed and re-branded as and upmarket "Spa London" by the council in July 2007, amid vocal protests from its users. Treatment rooms were added to provide a range of upmarket beauty treatments. Where customers used to give each other a massage with the traditional Yiddish schmeis free of charge, they now have to pay £56 on top of the £21 admission, whilst treatments such as Hydrotherapy Hydration Purity Rituals have been introduced. Neal Hounsell, Head of Leisure Services at Tower Hamlets, justified the re-branding on the basis that the borough was one of the most deprived in London.

York

York (ⁱ/ˈjɔːrk/) is a historic walled city at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England, and is the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events in England throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities making it a popular tourist destination for millions.

The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.

In the 19th century, York became a hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.

York (group)

York is a German electronica music duo, founded in 1997 by musicians and brothers Torsten and Jörg Stenzel. Producing ambient, downtempo, chillout, house and trance, their productions are known for catchy guitar hooks, atmospheric soundscapes and delicate dance textures.

Career

Torsten Stenzel began his musical career early in his childhood, learning the piano from the age of five when he began his classical training. In the early 1990s his musical orientation changed, and he discovered the growing techno/house movement. He built his own recording studio. Torsten Stenzel is credited for several gold and platinum awards, an 'Echo' nomination and over three million record sales.

Jörg Stenzel has, since the age of eleven, been interested in stringed instruments, the guitar in particular. The two brothers combined their talents in 1997 and project 'York' was born.

York has released four successful UK singles. Their first single, "The Awakening", reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1999. Their second single, "On The Beach" (which sampled Chris Rea's song, "On The Beach") was their biggest hit, the 'CRW edit' helped the single to reach #4 in the UK chart in June 2000, and it sold over 200,000 copies. The next chart entry "Farewell To The Moon" reached #37 in November 2000. Their final UK hit single to date was "The Fields of Love" which featured ATB. It reached #16 in January 2001.

York (explorer)

York (1770–1822) was an African-American slave best known for his participation with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Enslaved by William Clark, he performed hard manual labor without pay, but participated as a full member of the expedition. Like many other expedition members, his ultimate fate is unclear. There is evidence that after the expedition's return, Clark had difficulty compelling York to resume his former status, and York may have later escaped or been freed, but nothing is entirely clear on this.

Early and family life

York was born in Caroline County near Ladysmith, Virginia. He, his father, his mother (Rose) and younger sister and brother (Nancy and Juba), were enslaved by the Clark family. York was William Clark's servant from boyhood, and was left to William in his father's will. He had a wife whom he rarely saw, and likely lost contact with her after 1811 when she was sold/sent to Mississippi. It is not known if York fathered any children.

Lewis and Clark Expedition