Hi, Lucie Loves readers - this is Lucie’s mum, Joanne, and a blog about my follow up trip to York, after my first visit to York with Lucie, last November.

After enjoying our previous trip so much, my husband Mike and I, decided to visit York for my birthday weekend. We’d booked to arrive on Friday 20th January and stay until Sunday 22nd January, to make a long weekend of it. I was eager to show him just why I love the place so much.

In fact, my parents also came to York for a New Year break. They stayed at Galtres Lodge, on Low Petergate. So when they told us that it was very central and everything within walking distance, we decided to book there too.

First things first, the hotel has an arrangement with The Black Horse Pub (formerly The Tap and Spile) on Monkgate, which means that it’s only £5 a day to park there for the weekend. 

We decided to leave our luggage in the car until it was time for us to check into our hotel at 2pm, and go to York Tourist Information Centre to pick up our Visit York passes. You can buy a 1, 2 or 3 day York Pass which are £38, £50 and £60 respectively, although they are a little cheaper at the moment for Winter until 31/3/17. In the January sale you can get 20% OFF ALL PASSES, by entering offer code JAN17 (case-sensitive) at the checkout.

The York Pass gives you free access to many attractions within York such as York Minster, The Castle Museum,York Dungeons, York Brewery, Jorvik Centre (although, please note, that it doesn’t reopen until 8/4/17, due to the really bad flood it had) the York City free hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour, and many more attractions. You also get a full colour guide book on York and Beyond York attractions, discounts in selected shops, cafes and restaurants too! 

After a short walk back to the car to get our luggage, we checked into Galtres Lodge. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. We walked up to our small but cosy room, and then decided to have a meal in Michael’s Brasseriedownstairs. I had their delicious steak pie and my husband had the chicken wraps.

York is a great city to explore, whatever the season, and there was a lot on our list to try and fit into this short city break. We decided to visit York Minster first. I’d been last time I visited and had the guided tour, which is really informative and very interesting. My husband was also very impressed. 

Another must-see part of any trip to York is The Shambles. You really feel that you’ve stepped back in time, standing amidst the old buildings – surrounded by heritage that has been so lovingly preserved. 

Another of York’s highlights is its nightlife. We’d researched which pubs to visit in the run up to our trip. I’d looked on the Culture Trip App for The Top 10 Pubs and Bars in York. 

We only managed 3 of them this time around (any excuse to visit again!) - Evil Eye Cocktail Bar, The House of the Trembling Madness and The Stone Roses Bar, although we did try to go for a mix of old, modern and quirky. We also visited The York Arms – described on Trip Advisor by one reviewer as “a wonderful and unexpected Gay pub”, The Punch Bowl, The Yorkshire Terrier Pub and The Three Tuns Pub (which was amazing to look at as it’s very lopsided and quaint from the outside).

The full list of the Culture Trips Top 10 Pubs in York are:

1. THE BLACK SWAN - PEASHOLME GREEN
2. THE DRAWING BOARD - NEW STREET
3. EVIL EYE COCKTAIL BAR - STONEGATE
4. GUY FAWKES INN, HIGH PETERGATE (the place where Guy Fawkes was born)
5. PIVNI - 6 PATRICK POOL, CITY CENTRE
6. HOUSE OF THE TREMBLING MADNESS - STONEGATE
7. STEIN BIER KELLER - 5 TOFT GREEN
8. STONE ROSES BAR - 4 KING STREET
9. YE OLDE STARRE INNE - STONEGATE
10. 1331 - GRAPE LANE

On Saturday, after a delicious, hearty Full English breakfast at Galtres Lodge we set off to York Art Gallery, and then we walked up the many steps to Clifford’s Tower, only to find MORE steps inside it to get to the top! But it was well worth it, the 360 degree views all around you of York are rather spectacular. Admission to Clifford’s Tower is also included in the York Pass.

From there, we crossed the road and spent a good few hours in The Castle Museum. We saw the famous Victorian Kirkgate Street, The Shaping of the Body Exhibition (400 years of fashion, food and life), The 1960’s Exhibition and Toy Stories (Toys on show from the last 150 years.) 

And finally, the very sobering and thought provoking 1914: When the World Changed Forever (about the First World War). We then went to see the Debtors Prison, which is well worth a visit.

After walking back into the city centre, we were going to go to York Dungeons but there was quite a queue, and as we didn’t want to queue in the rain, we decided to leave that for our next trip. We were overwhelmed by the food choices on offer – Fish and chips, Nepalese Curries, Mexican Food, Tapas, Vegetarian Restaurants, Afternoon Teas, Fine Dining experiences, Pub meals, Traditional English cuisine, Italian, French and many more! It is truly a food lover’s delight!!!

The shopping is fantastic, so diverse – a real shopper’s paradise. There are the big department stores such as Browns, Fenwicks and Debenhams. The usual high street stores, The Coppergate Shopping Centre, The McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Shopping Experience - but my personal favourites are the small independent, individual shops selling everything from fudge, antiques, vintage clothes, hats, gifts, jewellery and much, much more. 

I’ve decided that I’m coming back for another weekend, before Christmas, to do my Christmas shopping. My favourite shops are all near each other – Jo Malone, White Stuff, Kiehl’s, White Company, Joules and many more. We may try to incorporate this year’s Illuminating York Festival or theAesthetica Short Film Festival again, in October/November 2017.

On Sunday, after another delicious breakfast, we had another walk round to do some shopping. It was my birthday weekend, remember! And while it was freezing cold (-1º) it was still sunny, so we wrapped up well and walked around the walls - the views of the Minster from there are amazing.

I really want to bring my Grandson to the Jorvik Centre, when it reopens. Thank you again, York, for another great weekend, and my husband’s also become a York-lover too. We’ll be back!

Words ~ Joanne Lloyd (Lucie’s mum)

Photography ~ © Lucie Kerley