Our updates

Well this weekend we decided to head to York as it’s only a 25 min train ride from Leeds.
It’s a really old town with lots of little pedestrian only cobbled streets. There is one street called ‘Shambles Street’ and when you walk down it you see why –a lot of the building are quite crooked and jut out all over the place. It’s a really pretty township with loads of pubs, cafes and food shops. Plus it has really good shopping – apparently lots of people come here to do their Christmas shopping as things are all quite compact. But it was busy enough when we were here on a Saturday, so will stay well clear during the Christmas hassle and Bustle. However they do have a designer outlet store a few miles out of York which we did catch the bus too. It’s like dressmart but bigger again with bigger brands - although we didn’t find any bargains that were a ‘must have’ and came home empty handed.

Most of the old protective city walls are still in tact, and you can still walk around them. You get some quite nice views on the walls and see things you wouldn’t get too if you just walked around the city. The minster (cathedral) here looks huge, but we didn’t have time to go in. We will come back another Saturday and look at things we didn’t get a chance to this time round – perhaps for go the sleep in and get the early train!

We also visited the remains of Clifford Tower. Some history on the Tower for you to read below.

As one of the most important cities in England, and an important base for holding and administering the north, York was the site for two of the castles William the Conqueror built in the years immediately following his conquest. The principal castle was begun in 1068, as part of a campaign to subdue anti-Norman sentiment in the north. Its wooden defences focused around and atop the motte; they were destroyed during a local rebellion the following year, but rebuilt by the Normans after suppressing the rebels and taking harsh reprisals on York.

In the latter half of the thirteenth century, the keep was rebuilt in stone. It was given a quatrefoil plan, of which there is no other example in England. The keep later became known as Clifford's Tower after Roger de Clifford, who was hanged there in 1322.

Next bigger trip for us is Paris – our first trip to Europe, so were both looking forward to that. We head there on the 17th and will go to the All Blacks vs France match on the Saturday nights – Go the AB’s!!

We have been following the NPC via the internet updates and Steve’s pretty happy with Wellington. He’s getting up extra early to watch the game this Saturday on Sky. I am secretly routing for Waikato to top the table though!