Admire

Whatever the weather St Martin's Little Admiral  on Coney Street is always at his post, and always on time.

Streamlined on road and rail

Two art deco inspired vehicles at the National Railway Museum. For another angle on this blog, go here where you also find informative links on the Duchess of Hamilton and the Chrysler Airflow. The picture is rather dark; I don't know how to deal with this kind of lighting with the relatively simple equipment I use.

Museum Gardens lodge

Directly opposite Lendal, the Museum Street lodge by the gate to the gardens is not to be confused with the much older gatehouse on the Marygate entrance.

St Sampson's in the snow

The rear of St Sampson's church on Patrick Pool at the beginning of the month, showing signs of failed snowball attempts to get the snow to slide. The church closed for worship in 1969 and is now an over-60s day centre.

Wintry Wormald's

Wormald's Cut is the short stretch of water on the right where the banks of the Foss were excavated in the 1790s to facilitate commercial river transport. Flour milling became more important from the mid-1800s and in 1888 or thereabouts, Henry Leetham and Sons built a mill and silo here, significantly increasing the traffic on the Ouse and Foss. See here for more.

Lady in Red 8

As a change from frost and snow, here is an exhibit from the huge York site of the National Railway Museum. The sister-site, Locomotion, is in Shildon, County Durham, about an hour and half further north by car. 

The premier ( Shildon) railway museum contains many exciting exhibits. It is located on a 6 hectare site incorporating historic monuments and buildings full of interactive displays and an eco-friendly building 'Collection' which houses up to 60 vehicles, many from the National Collection. The museum also includes a play area, picnic area, modern art monument, gift shop and cafe.

Pleased to meet you …

meat to please you, as the old butchers' joke goes. This is part of the Christmas or St Nicholas Market on Parliament Street about two weeks ago.

Bridge over untroubled water 3

Fowl on the frozen Foss with this blue bridge in the distance. Season's greetings to all!

Red brick art

More detail of the building seen a few days ago which forms this corner of Parliament Street and High Ousegate, withAll Saints Pavement just squeezing into the frame. 

Groves grooves 4: too late?

Houses playing in a Groves street a few days ago, with a wall-mounted post-box. You are probably too late if you want it to arrive before Christmas.

Frozen Foss

Yesterday started at minus 10 and rose to minus 5ºC. This is the River Foss looking downstream towards Foss Bridge which provides the link between Fossgate and Walmgate. 

Snow slide

There is usually some kind of children's ride in Parliament Street during the holiday period. The distant tower is York Minster, and this is snow from the beginning of the month. 

River reflections

A long view downstream to Ouse Bridge, York, from the City Screen boardwalk. 

Unfair competition?

This is last week's snow; so far York has escaped the new wave of wintry weather. City Screen versus St Martins le Grand - no contest, even at Christmas.

Bow, bottles, box

A display of bottles in the bow window above Pandora, a well-established gift shop in Stonegate, two minutes on foot from  York Minster.

All Saints' too

A wintry view south-west across the river to central York's other All Saints' church on North Street. This one has a spire, All Saints Pavement a lantern tower.

Little and large

The affectionately named St Mike's beside his (or her)  big sister, York Minster. This is a wintry version of this photo.

Bridge over untroubled water 2

The River Foss flows gently by a few pretty tame geese on Huntington Road, just before Monk Bar roundabout. The bridge carries the A1036 to Heworth Green, then on to the A64 to Malton, Whitby and Scarborough.

Groves grooves 3: Grade II

According to this site, Groves Chapel on Clarence Street, no longer in use as a place of worship, now houses NHS offices. The ground floor windows are boarded up and painted. Folk who know their architectural terms will enjoy this extract from the aforementioned site:

… pediment has oculus in tympanum, acroterion
and antefixae.

Try York Stories here for more on York's former non-conformist chapels.

Christmas market 2

Getting ready for customers on Parliament Street. Enlarge to see what's on offer. 

Stonegate 1: black and white

This striking building is in Stonegate, the street that runs directly from St Helen's Square to York Minster via the very short Minster Gates. The picture needs to be enlarged to appreciate the detail in the woodwork and the glazing.

All Saints' lantern 3, York

Taken from the Marks and Spencer corner of Parliament Street, this shot shows the lovely All Saints lantern tower and some of the ornate brickwork on the bank opposite.

Signs in the snow

This is High Petergate, showing signs for Café Concerto, Monkey Puzzle Jewellery, The Three-Legged Mare and The Little Apple Bookshop.

Groves grooves 2: sweet sounds?

A studio hidden away on the Groves. I like the pun, simple though it is and find the poster neat and effective. Lots going on here, especially for the younger age bracket. Now in its 10th year, the centre is on MySpace and hosts York's Access to Music programme.

For the benefit of non-native speakers:

 jam (n.) = sticky fruit and sugar-based product to spread on bread, toast and scones

jam (v) = to play or practise music with other musicians

Gillygate 1: prickly pop

Gillygate should have featured on this blog before now; this busy street runs just outside and roughly parallel to the north-western section of York city walls and houses several nice cafés and restaurants. This is The Cactus Trading Centre which sells what it says on the sign; you should be able to make out enough to give you the idea.

Hopeful chairs

Too early for much custom in York's Christmas (St Nicholas) Market on Parliament Street. This was just after nine in the morning.

Groves grooves 1

So reassuringly British, these bay-windowed terraced houses on the Groves lie just to the north-east of York city centre, bordered by Lord Mayor's Walk, Clarence Street, Haxby and Huntington Roads and Monkgate. Being very close to York St John University, the Groves is a popular student let area. I think this is Neville Street. 

Five million bricks

The luxury Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa stands just inside the city walls a few minutes walk from York Station. Formerly the headquarters of North Eastern Railways, building commenced in 1902 during a recession, and was completed four years and five million bricks later. 

Blue bridge blues

This is not the only blue bridge in York, as we have seen here. This more angular construction is a hand-cranked lifting bridge which allows traffic to pass from the Ouse to the Foss and vice-versa . Flooding prevented a close-up, but go to the Jolly Green P to see something like a normal water level.

Furniture, not fries

Another remarkable piece of architecture on Fossgate, now a home furniture store which has been trading since 1947. Their home page gives an angled view of the building, showing its position in the street; unfortunately they have not included anything on the history of the building but see Freda L's comment below and this for another closed York cinema.

Spurriergate 3

Thanks to Pierre-Antoine Bordonné for this picture taken during his visit to York a few weeks ago. This is The Spurriergate Centre, a café with a difference: coffee and cakes upstairs, self-service lunches downstairs, with fair trade goods and a counselling service also available. The Ten Commandments have been left intact, which is not surprising, as the centre is still  run by York Anglicans. For views of the exterior, try here and here.

Purple Haze

… is on Facebook! Visit this vintage clothing boutique on Walmgate for everything from 80's prom dresses to ageless vintage shoes, bags and jewellery. 

Rowntree Park 5

Hermes in autumn light. I should perhaps have cropped the plinth.

Friars Terrace, York

Just off the heart of the city and reflected on the flood-waters of the River Ouse, these lovely South Esplanade period dwellings catch the late afternoon sun. This is Friars Terrace in York, three minutes on foot from Clifford's Tower, Ouse and Skeldergate Bridges, and the Castle Museum. Half a million or so, depending on the property, in case you were wondering. An inside view is available here, at least at the time of writing.

La Place Verte

The Belgian coffee house and shop on Skeldergate Bridge, located in the old motor and toll house, here overlook it older neighbour, Clifford's Tower. At the time of writing, this café is for sale! The website gallery is worth a visit both for the produce and the surroundings.

Angel stoned in York cemetery

A second picture from the recently discovered York cemetery and nature park. I find this sculpture both poignant and elegant. See this recent post for more on this 24 acre green space just out of the city walls.

MToo

Owned and managed by Michael and Lucy Hjort, this versatile Walmgate establishment, set in a 17th century building is a must for good value dishes you can actually taste and for friendly, efficient service.  The website is well worth a visit, and there is  another family-run restaurant of the same name in  Scarcroft Road. 

Rowntree Park 4

This is the view from the café terrace, a great place for a relaxing drink, providing you are well wrapped-up. The park is on the right bank of the River Ouse, to the south of the town centre, five minutes walk from Skeldergate Bridge. 

Flood light

The King's Arms and other premises have their feet in the water as the River Ouse bursts its banks once again. November through January are York's wettest months, so expect more of this. Riverside businesses are used to it, and the water here is low compared to 2000, as Simon Caldwell's photographs will show you.

The eagle has landed

Soon to reopen as an Italian restaurant, this decorative brick building is on Fossgate, next to this timber framed establishement we visited just a few days ago. 

No bananas, but …

lots of other stuff at Dave Dee's Banana Warehouse, for which see this earlier post. 

Happy days?

Well, right here the flooding has only inconvenienced walkers for whom the riverside path opposite has been inaccessible for a few days. The River Ouse in York frequently bursts its banks, so folk are used to it, and this is a relatively light occurrence. 

Hogwarts Express

To coincide with the arrival of the penultimate Harry Potter film, here is the famous train photographed in the National Railway Museum in York. No sign of Harry or Hermione, however, but there was a steady stream of youngsters entering and leaving the driver's cab to have their pictures taken. Hogsmeade station itself is located at Goathland, which Heartbeat fans will know as Aidensfield, near Whitby.

Walks Around Goathland

Going Dutch …

in Ogleforth, York. With its warm brick design, leaded windows and sympathetically refurbished interior, the Dutch House makes a superb upmarket self-catering holiday let.  Probably York's oldest brick building, dating from 1648, it graces  this quiet street leading to Grays Court, the Treasurer's House and the north side of the Minster.

The expression going Dutch means sharing the cost equally, often between a couple going out for a meal. The Dutch, like the Scots and folk from the Auvergne in France, used to have a reputation for being careful with money. Many of us would need to go Dutch to be able to stay here.

You're late for tea!

Yet another timber-framed jettied (jutting out) house, this time on Fossgate, the street which heads south-east away from York city cente before running into Walmgate. Something super is going on here, but I can't remember what! A close-up of the red brick building next door will follow shortly. 

Slightly off the main tourist track, Fossgate and Walmgate are worth a visit for their boutiques, cafés and restaurants and for the view along the River Foss. 

Walk Around the Snickelways of York

The Complete Snickelways of York

York Minster gets a head …

during last week's impressive son et lumière otherwise known as the Illuminating York festival which attracted large crowds both here at the great south door and in Dean's Park on the other side of the cathedral.

Best Loved Hymns from York Minster

John Scott Whiteley: The Grand Organ of York Minster

York Minister Choir: Christmas Carols From York Minster