At the end of April we had a two night stay in York and it’s the first time I’ve been there for years. We had tickets booked to a James concert at The Barbican on Friday night so based the trip around that.
Back
in November I booked our accommodation and got something special. I was shocked
at the cost of accommodation in York, such as Premier Inn, Travelodge and basic
B&Bs well over £100 a night with not even breakfast included, so I decided
to spend a little extra and say somewhere more memorable. We were in a
beautiful old building, once the home of Joseph Rowntree, that’s recently been
renovated to a high and beautiful standard. It was very stylish and comfortable
and in the centre of the city so was great for getting around. Oh, and opposite
M&S Food Hall so perfect for treating ourselves to a nice bottle of gin.
Mr Crafty Blueberry got a lot of fun out of making people laugh as they paused to take photos of the timber framed building next door, waving and smiling at them or resting with his feet out of the window to enjoy the breeze.
The James concert was great. I rarely go to live music events as I find the noise and crowds a bit much, so this was a real novelty. I don’t like dancing in public so I never know what to do with my body when I’m there! But this time it was partly orchestral and that made it a good opportunity to simply close my eyes at times and let it wash over me. I find many James tracks deeply moving and being surrounded by the music was beautiful.
The
next day was warm and bright – which is still rare at the moment – and we
walked all around the walls. This was my favourite part of the trip, just me
and Mr CB walking along the old walls, raised up out of the Saturday crowds.
And what crowds there were; York was heaving with people and it was like a
little London.
We
ate and drank well whilst we were away but my favourite by far was the The
Cheese Trader where we had fries topped with chorizo, seasoning and whole baked
baby Camembert cheese. Oh my word, it was amazing and I’ve copied it for dinner
at home since then. I’ll definitely be going again.
By the time we got home on Sunday we were both worn out, and it really was too busy to fully enjoy so next time we go back it will be mid-week when it’s quieter. But I had a good time and it was full of interest and fun, and that contrasted wonderfully with the calm and quiet of getting home.
