There’s no place like York

I lived in York for four years, and it remains my favourite city in the UK. I read recently that “you belong in three places: the place you grew up, the place where you went to college and the place where the person you love is” and so it’s not surprising that York will always be an important place to me. It was the place where I studied, the place where I took my first graduate job, and it was the city where James and I met. However, I still had a nervous sense of anticipation about my recent visit. It was over 18 months since I’d last been to the city and a lot can change in that time. Part of me was worried that going back would feel so much like going home that I’d want to leave Bristol immediately, and a larger part of me was concerned… View Post

Places you should visit in England

When I was a child I couldn’t understand why people came on holiday to England, or why you would stay in England if you could go abroad. I was lucky to go on quite a few foreign holidays and I loved them. It was great getting to see new places and (usually) some warmer weather. However as I’ve gotten older I’ve appreciated England more and more. There are places I love to visit and even more that I want to visit. Last year in particular I realised how much the country had to offer as I saw a lot more of it, including places that would never have been at the top of my bucket list. This week is English Tourism Week so it seems like a good opportunity to share some of the places that I think you should visit in England whether you live in the UK or… View Post

York Cocoa House

Some places just feel like returning home, and for me I think York will always be one of those places. As the city where I spent my student days, and some time afterwards, I got to know it very well and have some fantastic memories of my time there. Even though I feel completely comfortable in York, it still felt slightly odd returning after a little while and seeing the things that had changed. Whilst I had limited time to spend in the actual city (I was primarily there for a dance competition) I still managed to fit in some of my old haunts. View Post

Top Ten Bars in York

With the York Food and Drink Festival now in full swing, and having already shared my top ten places for food in York, I thought it was now time to share my top places to go for a drink. York has an incredible number of bars and pubs and in recent years it has become very popular with hen and stag parties for that reason. Consequently, on weekends and race days you will have to expect places to be busy and loud. However, due to the range of establishments you are likely to find somewhere a little quieter and it means there is plenty of choice depending on what you like to drink! View Post

Top ten places for food in York

In honour of the York Food and Drink Festival which takes place from the 23rd September – 2nd October this year, I thought I’d give a quick round up of my top ten places to go for food in York. The Food and Drink Festival is well worth a visit. Parliament Street is taken over by a fantastic food market, and a range of tastings, demonstrations and workshops take place throughout the week. I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to make it this year, so I’ve reminisced about some of my favourite places to go for food in York for the purpose of this quick guide. View Post