Bulmer's Now Gone

Bulmer's shop on the corner of Lord Mayor's Walk by Monk Bar is now empty, deserted and up for sale. The shop was described as a selling service. You would take your items for sale into the shop where they would be displayed and when they were sold you collected your money less a fee paid to the shop. I have heard tell that the building is to be bought bu a hotel chain and turned into yet another hotel. I am amazed at how quiet the photograph seems, I must have timed it well for there to be no traffic in the picture although it was taken at about ten o'clock in the morning.

Spring is sprung the grass is ris

Went out today looking for signs of spring. Daffodils by the city walls near Monk Bar and the Ice House a definite portent of Spring. Lets not be hasty though, about this time last year the Daffs were out and then we had a covering of snow a few days later.
Another sign of Spring or even that Easter is not far off now, a cross in the churchyard of St Cuthbert in Peasehome Green surrounded by crocus.

Flowering Cherry - York Cenmetry

A warm sunny afternoon, ornamental cherries flowering, it gives the feeling that spring is just around the corner. You can be certain though that if I am showing photos of cherry trees in blossom that we will be having some more snow before too long. Last year I when I showed cherry trees there was snow very quickly folowed.

This was the wintery scene at the appropriately named Ice House by Monk Bar on 23 March last year when we woke to a blanket of snow. This scene always reminds me of a Christmas pudding topped with a sprinkling of icing sugar, all that is missing is the sprig of holly!

Lovely Bow Windows

I have often admired this well proportioned house at the end of Jewbury where St Maurice road starts. I particularly like the bay windows and the ornate architrave of the door. The photograph was taken from the walls on the section between Monk Bar and Foss Islands.

York Minster - South Side

Following Ruby's posting on York Daily Photo yesterday I looked through my own blogs on York Minster thinking that I had used this photo at some time and could not find ia blog with it. in So here it is, almost the whole of the west side of the Minster taken from beside the railings of the Minster School. Years ago, pupils at the Minster Schol used to wear red caps but I haven't seen a red cap in ages. Have they abandoned that part of the unform? This section of road used to be open to traffic and took a heavy load as part of the route between Leeds and Scarborough. During the summer and bank holidays the road would be nose to tail with traffic with several bottlenecks like the lights at Monk Bar, the junction by the Assembly Rooms and the junction by the Yorkshire Insurance (Norwich Union) building.

Robin Hood Tower

Robin Hood tower on the York City Walls is not an original feature. It was added in Victorian times and is a Victorian interpretation of what a good mediaeval tower should look like. You get to the tower from Monk Bar or Bootham Bar. From the tower is a superb view of York Minster.

Goodramgate - Oxfam Shop

In the short stretch of Goodramgate running up to Monk Bar you can find four charity shops including this Oxfam shop on the corner of Aldwark.

Ebor Morris tour the city walls

The subtitle to this piece could well have been "Ebor Morris tour the Bars and Bars of York".

The musicians by Monk Bar.

Inside the walls at Walmgate bar.

The dances have been around for a long time so the sign is probably appropriate!

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.

Daffodils Under the Walls - Monk Bar

One of the delights of this time of year is the daffodils planted on the slopes under the city walls. This particular view is of the slopes not far from Monk Bar and the Ice House

Spring Time Daffodils By Robin Hood Tower

Daffodils by the city walls make a yellow carpet near to the Robin Hood Tower between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar.

Bile Beans - Lord Mayor's Walk

Here is another view of the Bile Beans wall from ground level rather than viewed from the walls as in an earlier blog. The building is situated on Lord Mayor's Walk just round the corner from Monk Bar.

Monk Bar

Just round the corner from Ogleforth is the magnificent Monk Bar. Just to confuse everday English speakers in York the gates into the city are known as bars and the word gate incorporated into a street name derives from the Norse for street. Monk Bar stands at the end of Goodramgate which translates as the Street of Goodrun. I have heard it called Good-Ram-Gate by an American Tourist with a distinct pause between each word!

York Minster framed by trees

I have included this shot of the Minster taken from the walls along the stretch by Lord Mayors Walk between Monk Bar and Bootham Bar as another in the series of green spaces within the city walls.

The Ice House - Monk Bar

You can see the ancient ice house from the city walls not far from Monk Bar as you walk along the walls towards Jewbury and Foss Islands. For a view from ground level turn into the yard of the public house next to Monk Bar and walk through the beer garden. As the name suggests this building was used to store ice for food preservation purposes before the days of fridges.