Here are some of the best-read stories by Wakefield Express readers in 2025
Here are some of the best-read stories by Wakefield Express readers this year.
A lot has happened in the Wakefield district in 2025, and readers were interested in a wide range of topics – from celebrating prom and school starters, to looking back at old pictures of the district’s markets, or uncovering hotspots for fly-tipping.
Here are the stories which received the most page views each month this year.
January: Pictures from nights out across Wakefield
In the month we kicked off the new year, Express readers loved seeing our archived pictures of nights out in Wakefield.
The 33 pictures were taken in 2008, and show party-goers enjoying nights out at Reflext, Mex, Tryst, Quest, Viva and Havana.
Read the story here.
February: Worst street for fly-tipping
Readers were keen to know where waste was illegally dumped in the district most frequently.
The article listed the top ten streets across Wakefield, Pontefract, Castleford and Normanton for fly-tipping incidents in 2024.
It also listed how many incidents each street had that year, with the ten streets sharing more than 400 incidents between them.
On the day we celebrated National Puppy Day (March 23), readers couldn’t resist this article showcasing eight puppies which were up for adoption at Dogs Trust Leeds.
The article included adorable pooches all under two years old, including Goose – a French Bulldog Pomeranian Crossbreed – and a beautiful Beagle called Carmi.
Read the story here.
April: A look inside Jane McDonald’s house
In April, readers got a glimpse into the glamorous life of a celebrity with this article revealing pictures of Jane McDonald’s Wakefield bungalow, which had been put on the market for £1million.
The pictures show off its pristine open-plan kitchen, paved driveway, bedrooms and home office.
Read the story here.
May: A look inside an abandoned nightclub
The most read story in May was this article looking inside the former Kiko’s nightclub in Pontefract.
The nightclub opened in 1974 but closed suddenly in 2011 and had been left abandoned since 2016.
The photos were taken by an urban explorer, and reveal the former nightclub’s dilapidated interior.
Read the story here.
June: Archived teacher pictures
In June, readers took a trip down memory lane with this article featuring archived pictures of teachers.
The 18 pictures feature staff members from schools in Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford and capture special moments over the years, from school starters, to festivals and award presentations.
Read the story here.
July: Prom pictures
With exam season over, readers shared pictures of their sons and daughters in Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford donning their gladrags for prom.
The 40 photos show the smiling year 11 and sixth-form students pictured with friends and family as they celebrate the end of the school year and the start of the summer holidays.
Read the story here.
August: Firm fined £200K after Castleford father and son died in site incident
The most read article in August was this devastating story about a Castleford father, David Bottomley, and his 17-year-old son, Clayton, who died after falling from a building site.
The pair had been working 30 metres up on the exterior facade of Unity Building in Liverpool when the platform failed in May, 2021.
The company which supplied the platform – Adastra Access Ltd of Middlemore Lane West, Aldridge, Walsall – was found guilty of breaching Section 6(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and in August this year was was fined £200,000, ordered to pay £14,886.01 in costs and a victim’s surcharge of £2,000 at Liverpool Magistrates Court.
Read the story here.
September: Best places for a carvery
As we entered September, readers were interested to know where they could go for a comforting and warming roast – the perfect antidote to the cooler weather as the autumn crept in.
Featuring the best rated places for a carvery in Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford, the article lists 16 places readers can find delicious Yorkshire puddings, mash, gravy and meat, and includes how many reviews each one had, its rating, and its location.
Read the story here.
October: Archived market pictures
The Wakefield district has a rich history of markets, and our photographers have captured the stalls, people and events in them across the years.
This article published in October invited readers to delve into our archives and look at 36 pictures taken from 1999 to 2010 of life in the Wakefield, Pontefract, and Castleford markets.
Read the story here.
November: School starter pictures
This gallery of 35 pictures featured adorable photos of the first day of reception for children across Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford.
The pictures of reception pupils and their teachers document an exciting and emotional day for the children and their parents.
Read the story here.
December: Fly-tipping
In December, readers were interested again in the worst streets for fly-tipping.
This time, the article – which resulted from a freedom of information request submitted by Wakefield Express to Wakefield Council – revealed the 20 worst streets for fly-tipping this year in Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford.
The article compared fly-tipping cases with the previous year, as well as how many people received fixed penalty notices this year compared with last year.
Read the story here.