Temporary structures have been something of a theme in York this year, with the Spark container park making headlines. Spark will be in York for at least a couple of years but making a rather more brief appearance in our city is Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre York which has popped up on Castle car park in…
York can be a slightly backwards looking city, happy to rely on existing glories rather than pushing forward. This can be reflected in the restaurant scene. When places are established there’s an attachment, justified in many cases, that can last for some time after the place in question has disappeared which can become unwelcome baggage…
The Whippet Inn has been well established in York for some time as one of the best places to go for a meat fix. Its expertise in charring meat to the right point is difficult to argue with but that specialism makes it rather less appealing for the ever increasing vegan population. With that in…
The combination of Fossgate and Walmgate has long been a hotspot of restaurants in York, one of the first areas in the city to really find itself embedded in the food culture, which has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. With that being the case, it’s a little unusual to hear…
Sara Danesin is pretty well known around York these days thanks to her 2011 appearance on Masterchef which took her oh-so-close to winning. Since then, she’s built a successful business as a chef consultant and hosts a successful supper club from her home in the city. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy her food a…
Leeds is only a short hop on the train and, while I do get there semi-regularly, there’s a good list of places that I’ve yet to make it to. Included amongst these is The Cat’s Pyjamas, which counts Jay Rayner amongst its many fans. Thankfully the opportunity to check it out has now landed a…
York isn’t short of history. There’s a huge amount to learn about the history of our beautiful city. From Viking Jorvik, through Roman Eboracum and Victorian expansion to the present day, it’s easy to find most aspects of our history reflected in tourist attractions dotted across the city. Recent times have seen a reduction in…
There are widely documented concerns about some of the main shopping streets in York, some being blighted by empty units and a general malaise compared to more prosperous economic times. I don’t doubt that, in time, there’ll be solutions found to reverse this trend, but in the meantime some streets on the periphery of the…
I love quirky local museums. I’m never happier than when I happen upon a haphazardly curated old folk museum or village museum with odd exhibits. Keswick used to be a particular goldmine for these things, with the Cars of the Stars Museum, James Bond Museum, Puzzling Place and many others. A few of these are…
Bootham is a fine street from which to find the centre of York. A series of spectacular buildings and hotels are dotted along the road that features the handsome St Peter’s School, which famously counts Guy Fawkes as an alumnus. The striking hotels along the thoroughfare don’t, in general, do a good job of shouting…