Mick was working in York last Friday so I decided to tag along, he said he'd be able to drop me off on his way and then pick me up again when he finished. I got to York just in time for the shops opening and it was lovely and quiet, I've never seen the Shambles so empty. The buildings in this historic street are from the fifteenth century and though you don't get a very good idea from this photo, they lean into the middle of the street and their roofs almost touch. It was historically a street of butchers shops and houses. Records from 1872 state there were twenty six butchers on this street. The Shambles is believed to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series so it's no wonder that a Harry Potter themed shop has sprung up there, The Shop That Must Not Be Named stocks all manner of Harry Potter merchandise and must be number one on the list for any fan visiting York.
I had a little mooch around the Shambles Market. It isn't a large market but there's a variety of different stalls.
One of the things I love about York is that there's so many independent shops along with all the high street stores. Fossgate dates back to Roman times and was home to York's fishmarket. Traders brought their wares from the east coast to sell, a tradition which lasted right up to the Victorian era. Fossgate today is full of independent businesses, cafes, bars and shops.
This guy was tempting me to go in to the Teddy Bear Shop on Stonegate. I managed to resist but Eleanor's still got soft toys I've bought from here in the past.
If I hadn't been on my own I could have been persuaded to go in to this charming little pub for a swift half. Mind you, it's said to be haunted so perhaps not. The Punch Bowl has been a pub for over four centuries.
York Minster, such an imposing building. It can be seen towering over the surrounding shopping streets. It's many years since I've been inside the Minster, there's an admission charge these days which starts from £10, I consider that to be quite hefty. I remember visiting when I was a child and seeing someone brought down from the tower on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance as they'd suffered a heart attack at the top. It's funny the things you remember, and it made me wary of climbing all those stairs. Then back in 1984 I remember the photos on the front of the Yorkshire Post showing the Minster on fire after it had been struck by lightning. It caused £2.25m worth of damage.
You can't go to York without visiting Betty's Tea Rooms. You can see how popular Betty's is, just look at everyone waiting for a table. I bypassed the queue and went in to the shop instead where I chose some tasty treats to take home with me.
Two chocolate and passion fruit bombs, two caramel slices and a chocolate and orange rascal.
Two ganache mice, a sheep cupcake and a marzipan pig, how cute is he?
Don't worry, they weren't all for us, one of the bombs was shared three ways, it was so rich, it was delicious though.
I also came home with a couple of bargains which I picked up in the M&S sale as well as some make up, some cards I'll be needing for upcoming birthdays, some yarn I picked up from a wonderful wool shop on Colliergate and some fancy shampoo and conditioner that Eleanor uses. I also couldn't resist this sign.
If he doesn't lick you to death, he'll get you with his waggy tail.
Mick picked me up again at about 2pm. I'd had such a lovely day that I didn't want it to end so we picked Eleanor up from home and went out to Bella Italia for Pizza before she had to go to work.
Mick tells me he'll be going back to see the same customer in York again soon so I may just have a repeat of this shopping trip then.
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