Yorkshire

36 Hours in York

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

6 weeks ago I had the unexpected pleasure of some time off, with my other half. We decided to make sure it was quality time together and to get away from the humdrum of home for a bit.

We stayed at the rather lovely Principal York Hotel which, despite it’s elegant appearance, was not quite as smoothly run as I’d have hoped, but it all got sorted in the end!

After checking in, we headed out to explore.

I think I must have a Christmas-sensor embedded in me because I can sniff it out anywhere and was quickly drawn into this store.

Our next stop was to The York Museum.

By the time I’d been dragged out of Christmas-land, time was ticking on a bit… The very kind attendants at the museum reassured us that we would have time to do one wing and helpfully, gave us a pass so that we could return the next day for the other half of the museum.

The museum was formerly a Prison and we spent our first day in the Women’s Wing – which housed a number of historical exhibits and (most impressively) a full scale replica of a Victorian Street, complete with back alleys and stores for you to wander in and out of.

After all that time-travel we were feeling a bit peckish so headed to Betty’s (a Yorkshire institution!)

Dinner was a little disappointing so I’ll skip over that and move on to Day 2…

We returned to the Museum bright and early, ready to tackle the next wing. This holds an eclectic mix of modern day history (1960s – Present Day) and a centuries-old history of the prison.

Once back outside we headed for the Shambles. (Perhaps the most instagrammed street in York.)

A few people have assumed it influenced the Harry Potter stories or was used in the film (there’s actually very little to link the two) and as a consequence Potter-mania has invaded the street.

By far the best of these shops is The Shop That Must Not Be Named.
People quite literally queue up to shop here…

After all that horcrux-hunting I was hungry again.

York is famous for it’s history with Chocolate (and with fruit pastilles – but as I’m a chocaholic that’s of little interest to me.)

Monk Bar is just the sort of shop to fulfil any craving you might have. But I can particularly recommend the liquid chocolate shot in a chocolate cup!

Our visit to York was choc-a-block and I will be back again soon!

Something for the Weekend: Yanks Weekend

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

I grew up in a part of England that’s constantly coming alive with quirky traditions. Yanks Weekend is one such tradition. I’m not sure it can be explained all that succinctly but I’ll try…

In 1979 Richard Gere made a movie called ‘Yanks’. It was about a group of American soldiers stationed in Britain and was set in the English countryside. The little villages (where I grew up) played a starring role in the film and for the last 16 years this fact has been marked with a 2-day celebration. For one weekend a year we step back in time to the 1940s. There are fairs, aerial displays and parades through the streets. A lot of people get into the spirit of things by dressing up vintage style – and there’s an awful lot of swing dancing.

Last year was one of the best and busiest yet – and the first time I’ve been able to experience it for quite a while so I thought I’d give you all a little taste. You can find out more about this brilliant and bizarre event here and if you’re interested in seeing it for yourself it’ll be taking place on 6th and 7th August in Saddleworth.

Something for the (Bank Holiday) Weekend: Food Festival

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

Monday is a national holiday in the UK so I am currently in the midst of a lovely and relaxing long weekend. Today I ventured out to Cannon Hall Farm to see what was on offer at their food festival.

There were tents as far as the eye could see selling all kinds of food, lots of it local to Yorkshire. I did a lap before settling for a Caribbean lunch and some homemade ice cream for pudding (and I’ll be dining on all the yummy extras I bought tonight!)

It runs until tomorrow evening so if you are in the area I would recommend a visit. There are also cookery classes and workshops on offer – and live music in the evening.

Something for the Weekend: Fountains Abbey

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden has to be one of the more breathtakingly beautiful places I’ve ever visited. It is a little of the beaten track (just outside of Ripon) but it was well worth the trek. The Abbey itself was built almost 900 years ago, and having survived Henry VIII’s closure of the monasteries is one of the most complete abbey remains in the country. A truly historic place.

The water garden that surrounds it was created in the early 18th century and is an equally tranquil place of beauty. They gardens themselves are peppered with a number of building’s known as follys (each of which is currently filled with a unique piece of artwork).

I took far too many pictures so here are just a few of my favourites to give you a taste…

The Great Yorkshire Fashion Show

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

As promised here is a peek at some of the glorious outfits I got to witness at last week’s Great Yorkshire Show. The Fashion Show took place in the Fashion Pavilion and featured a mixture of graduate designers, high-street brands and couturiers.

With so many beautiful dresses on show I was hard pushed to say which was my favourite (though I think James Steward’s gowns may have just swung it!) Which do you like best?

Designers and Collections:

Batley College of Art and Design
Sheffield Hallam University
Charlotte Lucy
Phase Eight
Hull School of Art and Design
Hobbs
James Steward Couture
Beth Hirst (Millinery)

Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Charlotte Lucy
Phase Eight
Hull School of Art and Design
Hull School of Art and Design
Hull School of Art and Design
Hull School of Art and Design
Hobbs
Hobbs
Hobbs
James Steward
James Steward
James Steward
James Steward

The Great Yorkshire Show 2015

girlintheprettydressLeave a comment

I have been dreaming of the perfect day out at Great Yorkshire Show for a while – and this week I got my wish. After missing out in recent years, I finally managed to get time off work to visit this annual celebration of all things rural and Yorkshire.

I grew up in a rural community and love spending time in the great outdoors. I’m also very aware of where my food comes from – I always ensure my food is free-range and do my best to shop local. Events like this are pretty much paradise for a foodie like me, but they also support other local businesses and help to maintain/promote countryside traditions which might otherwise be lost.

After a short journey I arrived at the show ground. The sun was beating down, there were ice cream vans everywhere, and white tents as far as the eye could see. I grabbed a quick mid-morning snack and settled down to watch the sheep shearing competition. It’s safe to say I have no idea what the rules were – or even who the winner was – but it was a terrific atmosphere all the same.

Afterwards I made my way to the fashion tent for the Fashion Show (more on that later this week!) before roaming the show ground and soaking it all in. In the afternoon I settled in by the main show ring for the ‘mane’ event (get it?) – the much anticipated Shetland Pony Grand National – and stayed to watch the show-stopping draught horses compete against each other.

If you happen to be in the area next July, I would definitely recommend you spend a day here.