prequel: York, Dec ’88

As a teenager, Chris would take the train from Leeds to York for the day, and that is what we did.  I think this part of the trip was the most exciting for him because he had so many good memories of York.  Whitby had been my favourite place EVER but York had many fascinations.

York on the River Ouse

My connection with York before this had been knowing something of the York and Lancaster roses being symbols of war, and growing, in my garden, from Roses of Yesterday and Today, the White Rose of York.  (They still carry the York and Lancaster rose.)

Ouse River, with Christmas tree

Had I a digital camera then, I would have had photos of the train, the place where we went for coffee in the mornings in Leeds, the local pub where we went on those Chapel Allerton evenings….but back in the days of film, I was more sparing with my shots and they tend to be either tourist sights or things that to me were  very evocative of England.

York is surrounded by an ancient city wall.

ice house by the city wall

Another great thing about traveling with a Leedsman is that he knew things like “That’s an icehouse”, and knew where the best sights and museums were to be found.

York City Wall

The wall runs right by little back gardens.

rooflines of York

approaching Yorkminster

Yorkminster

inside Yorkminster

The “Five Sisters” windows, Yorkminster, circa 1270

Yorkminster, the rose window, rebuilt in the 1980s after a fire using original techniques and materials

inside Yorkminster

inside Yorkminster

Lady Mary

the rooflines of York

“The Shambles”, a street so narrow it is said two people could touch hands by reaching from second story windows

Christmas window

lanterns and windowboxes

tiny windowpanes

York windows

I do adore the way the English adorn their storefronts with Christmas trees.  A friend from the south of England tells me it is not just a Northern thing.

York City Centre

York City Centre…those trees!

York shop window, another favourite photo of mine

wreaths and windows

York market

York Market

Inside the York Museum,  where entire city streets are recreated to scale.

replica city street

in the York Museum

I love recreations like this; we have such a street in the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco.

York Castle Museum,  this display reminds me of the Rust and Dust Room of the Olde Towne Trading Post in Ilwaco:

in the York Castle Museum

We also went to the Viking Museum, where one rode in a tramcar backwards in time (not really, but it cleverly felt that way) to a ancient village which was filled with so much of the real stench of life back then that the museum had a problem with bad smells wafting to the nearby neighbourhood.

And then….after another night in Chapel Allerton, we left for London.  The north stayed with me, and must have called out to Chris because years later he moved back there.