On your right as you pass along Duncombe Place towards the Minster is the office building of Gray's Solicitors. It is a rather fine looking building and if you look a little more closely you will see extra details indicating it having been used as the York Dispensary in the past.
As you walk down Duncombe Place towards the Minster allow your eyes to be drawn away from the Minster as you pass the stage door entrance of the theatre to allow yourself to look at this imposing Roman Catholic church.
The Antiques Centre is at the junction of Duncombe Place, Blake Street, Museum Street and St Leonard's. In the left hand background you can see the St. Leonard's building. To the right is the stage door of the theatre.
The solicitors in this building have moved and the name plates next to the pillars have been removed.
Harker's is Cafe bar set in the corner of St. Helen's Square across the road from the Post Office which you can see in the coner of the photograph. It is situated on the site of the Roman Praetorian Gate, one of the main entrances to the Roman town of Eboracum.
Standing next to Swarovski on the corner of St. Helen's Square and Blake Street is the imposing facade of a branch of TSB. I remember this building as the Yorkshire Penny Bank and the Penny being droppped during inflationary times to become Yorkshire Bank before being taken over by Llooyds TSB.
St. Helen's Square is surrounded by elegant buildings. Swarovski restaurant also bears the name Terry, the former York chocolate company who were previous owners of the building. A classic case of asset stripping in the name of "concentrating on core business!"
York was host to the 5th International Sword Spectacular this weekend with groups visiting from the continent as well as English groups. Numerous styles of sword dance were represented. The photo above is a group from York known as Black Swan Rapper caught in the tumble movement.
Longsword group St. Martins, a group from Germany lifting a dancer with flag on the swords.
Portsmouth with their adapted Morris dance perform Vandals of Hammerwich with cutlasses as a sword dance.
Grenoside from Sheffield in their distinctive tunics and clogs perform a Yorkshire Longsword dance.
And finally the lock or rose as it is sometimes known.
 |
| Click on photo to link to Sword 2008 photo album |
Yes I am goping to say it again, lift your eyes up above the ground floor and also above the first floor to find this little architectural gem above The Willow Chinese Restaurant in Coney Street.
Buidling adornments around York can be interesting this crest is on the corner of the Starbucks Coffeeshop in Coney Street. The crest is about all that remains to indicate the former presence of the Martins bank that used to occupy the site. Martins bank was bought by Barclays Bank in 1969, when all of its branches were swallowed up as brancjhes of Barclays. Under the usual Bank rationalisations the site was sold off by Barclays and eventually became a Starbucks.
Peter Lane at the junction of Market Street and Feasegate leads to two snickelways, both of which lead you into High Ousegate.
I know I have said it before but I'll say it again; look at the floor levels above the ground floor level when walking around York. There is more interesting architecture at this level. There are sections of coloured glass panels and scrolled iron work in both Athena and Yorkshire Building Society buildings.
This wonderfully ornate doorway is the entrance into Barclays bank from Parliament Street.
This is the door to the lower room of the Merchant Adventurers that you see to the left of the stairs as you come in from Fossgate
St Crux church is used by other churches to run jumble sales and coffee mornings. This is the first time I have seen a queus like this for them opening.
This is probably York's shortest snickelway appropriately linking York's shortest street, Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate, with the Shambles.
This clock is all that remains of a John Smith's pub called The Clock. M&S bought the space to expand the shop in the late 1960s.
This bus was parked in Parliament Street yesterday morning handing out free samples of Muller Rice. There also was a competition form to fill in, didn't look that closely so I don't know what the prize was.
Fossgate is one of my favourite streets in York and it has much to commend it. It is the location of one my favourite pubs; in fact I bought the house I live in because it is only twelve minutes walk to the Blue Bell. As well as some fine restaurants like Harvilles and interesting buildings the street now boasts a delicatessen selling some good quality foods. It is run by Susan Hardy who also runs the Blue Bell with her husband Jim. Sales of one of their best selling lines, a quality ice cream has been interrupted by the breakdown of the brand new freezer that had only been working for a few days. Best of luck getting a replacement. If the same level of enthusiasm and interest is generated as there is at the Blue Bell this should soon become a thriving little business.
This is a busy junction where Hawthron Grove becomes East Parade and Mill Lane crosses the main flow into Harcourt Street. At busy times the junction can be a major slowing point and has to treated with care as some driverscan be particularly impatient. In the background is the Shell garage on Mill Lane.
I am not sure of the purpose of these ornate looking items they are situated on either side of the former railway line and either side of the bridge making four in all. Pity about the graffiti, it is such a blight. This is the bridge by the Gasometer as Layerthorpe becomes Hawthorn Grove.
The disused railway line from Foss Islands to the Scarborough line by Nestle used to run into the Nestle factory. After the line was no longer used it was converted to a cycle and pedestrian track. Unfortunately a lot of the route has been marred by graffiti which is a particular problem in this area of town.
Probably one of the most expensive petrol garages in York, petrol here has been going up ahead of most the other garages and now stands at 109.9p per litre. As can be seen in this photo bicycles are a popular mode of transport in York though probably less popular nowadays that traffic is so heavy.
Although the garage is still correctly known as Glen Garage a lot of people look at you blank when you use that name and only understand what you are talking about when you describe it as "The Suzuki Garage". The cars are washed every morning to take the previous days dust off.
The gentleman crossing the road just in front of the garage is Brian on his way to get his morning paper before heading down to the alotment to put a few seeds in.
In the bar some wonderful tiles were uncovered under layers of wall paper and paint the motif stretches across the width of the bar.
The walls above the picture rail are adorned with "sets of three" including the common set of three flying mallards. There are also flying pigs, geese, frogs, plump ladies diving into water and dolphins. Probably the most valuable of these is the flying Guuiness Toucans. The pub is also worth a visit for the beer which is well kept and served by pleasant staff.
The subtitle to this piece could well have been "Ebor Morris tour the Bars and Bars of York".
Sherrif's ride performed outside Walmgate Bar and then time for a beer, but what a shame that the Rook and Gaskill didn't open at 12:00 as shown on the list of opening times on the door.
Oh dear, no drink here so we did a dance without music as a requim for a pub we have enjoyed in the past!
After refreshing ourselves in the Swan we returned to the walls to perform at the corner by Baile Hill that overlooks the Swan.
Time for another break at the Golden Ball in Bishophill.
I'm going to count to ten and when I open my eyes I am going to make this nasty brown stuff dissappear!
Interruption to the tour as the section f walls from Micklegate to Station Rise were closed. Although the notice said Monday to Friday and it was now Sunday the gate was locked. Looks like the work overran by a few days! This was an opportune time to go and do our half hour session in King's Square
King's Square brought out loads of photographers as a half hour session was performed for the York Carnival. After a short refreshment stop in the Blue Bell a few stalwarts continued the tour and headed off towards Bootham Bar to continue the last section of available wall.
More tourists taking photos in the rain as Stu gets ready to do a solo jig by York Minster.
The lad does a solo jig outside the Minster.
The hardest part of touring the city walls is getting the sticks up and down the steps. A short video clip of the survivors dancing at Robin Hood Tower can be seen on UTube http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=50-MeI0Wf1Y
The lad does another solo jig, where does he get the energy?
With much ceremony the sticks were dropped at the bottom of the stairs at Monk Bar to mark the end of the tour at the point that it had begun in the morning.
Well, another round on the bag didn't do us any harm (well not too much). The survivors relaxing at the Tap & Spile in Monkgate.
