Nestled within 500 acres of peaceful English woodland, the new North Star Club offer unique, luxury breaks in the Yorkshire Wolds.
Feel as though you need to escape the pressures of 21st century life? Then we have the perfect getaway for you. This woodland retreat offers 8 boutique suites that can accommodate up to 6 people.
Image: The North Star Club
Founders Christian and Carolyn Van Outersterp are multi award-winning designers who made a huge name for themselves revolutionising the contemporary fireplace market, earning themselves a coveted Prince of Wales medal by HRH Prince Charles. They also founded CVO Firevault, a showroom and restaurant bar named “one of London’s best kept secrets” by Time Out and “a triumph” by Harper’s Bazaar.
Image: The North Star Club
Feeling tired and exhausted by urban life, the couple escaped to the country in 2008 and fulfilled their dream of creating an eco-chic glamping business. Leading the UK's glamping revolution, Jollydays was born; an authentic woodland camp based in York which celebrated the great British outdoors and allowed people to camp in style and luxury.
Jollydays Glamping has been showered with awards since and attracts visitors from across the UK; eager to expand, the couple opened The North Star Club in 2014 and their success has been ongoing ever since.
Image: The North Star Club.
The 8 woodland suites are all decked out to the highest degree and provide all you need for an indulgent and unique staycation.
There's a cosy sitting room with a double sofa bed, a large bedroom with a kingsize bed and wood burner, a second bedroom with bunk beds and a spacious bathroom with a bath and separate walk-in shower.
All suites have all the amenities for a more than comfortable stay including a two ring gas hob and charcoal barbecue on your private veranda.
Image: The North Star Club
If you want to kick it up a notch, the Star Suite features a spa bathroom with an opulent copper bath and a glorious private infra-red sauna. All of the suites are individually designed in their own unique themes inspired by the people and places of the UK.
Think a rustic and airy hideaway clad in whitewashed timber and decorated with silver birch detailing for The White Rose suite, and nautical style touches for The Whitby Suite with recycled driftwood and chunky ropes hanging from the ceiling.
The suites are truly like something you've never seen before and will provide a perfect pad for a celebration or simply a weekend treat, which we all deserve every now and again.
Image: The North Star Club
Although tempting to stay in all day due to how gorgeous the suites are, there is so much to see and do around the North Star Club that you will be spoilt for choice for activities.
Located just outside the village of Sancton which boasts an array of delicious eateries, including award-winning pub The Star; a country walk followed by a cosy pub lunch seems like the obvious choice to spend a Sunday.
Image: The North Star Club.
Other activities include trying out polo at the White Rose Polo Club, taking a flying lesson at Wolds Gliding Club or playing your favourite water sport at Allerthorpe Park.
You could even attend York or Beverley races during your stay or go Clay Pigeon Shooting at the nearby shooting ground. The options really are endless and are all only minutes away from the club- and if you're stuck for inspiration, there's a huge list of recommended activities can be found here on their website.
Image: The North Star Club
Prices for a two night stay start from £650 and differ depending on what time of year you wish to stay.
With the suites sleeping up to 6 people, a stay at the North Star Club is the perfect place to get together and enjoy the best of what the Yorkshire countryside has to offer. We must admit, we are dying to book ourselves in and be a part of the North Star Club.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”