Posts Tagged ‘York’

Yorkshire Air Museum

{ February 14, 2011 @ 11:30 am } · { Culture, Family, Yorkshire places }
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On the way back from Whitby the other weekend we decided to make a pit stop near York to get some fresh air and some food. We weren’t planning on ending up at the Yorkshire Air Museum, but we saw the sign posts from the A64 and made an impromptu decision. It seemed logical given our love of boats and trains that we should seek out another transport museum!

It turns out it’s the largest independent air museum in Britain, with over 50 aircraft and loads of wartime memorabilia laid out in various hangers. You can get a very close look at a lot of the planes, which are being lovingly maintained and restored and we even got to have a look inside a Dakota plane, like the ones Tom’s granddad flew in during the second world war. This felt quite chilling for me, who feels quite removed from wartime history, not having heard first hand tales of it from grandparents. However, taking Millie inside that plane, felt very odd, and reminiscent of the great granddad she’s never met.

I quite enjoyed looking inside the air traffic control tower – it was amazing to see some of the complex set up, considering it was pre-computerisation. It was also nice to see how many women were involved both working at the base, and also in building the planes in America.

We had a decent spot of lunch in the ‘mess’ – sandwiches and roast potatoes, and drinks – about £10 for the 3 of us, which didn’t seem bad. It was however, £7 per adult to get into the museum (kids under 5 are free), which initially seemed a bit steep – but we easily spent 3 hours there and there was still loads we didn’t get to see. Millie seemed fascinated by the aircraft and happily toddled around with us, and it was great to see other families with small children there too.

Overall, you could take from it what you wanted. From my superficial interest in the workings of the base, to Tom’s more in depth interest in the planes and the missions. Plus, even though I am not a massive supporter of the armed forces, it only seems right to take a moment at the Allied Air Forces memorial there to remember those who worked and fought and died for their country.

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The Secret Tearoom on tour: York

{ October 25, 2010 @ 11:00 am } · { Baking, Cafes & Coffee shops, Culture, Specialty Food Emporia, Yorkshire places }
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This Saturday I was lucky enough to get a sought after ticket for another MySecretTearoom event. This time the tearoom was not at its usual secret location, but was ‘on tour’ in the lovely city of York as a joint venture with Little Pretty Things Chocolates. We set off by train and then on foot excitedly counting the numbers along Micklegate to find the unassuming entrance to the venue. Inside we were greeted and shown into the room where the delightful tea was laid out.

It was a bright and airy room with one large table in the centre, which was laid with a lovely lace tablecloth, silverware and beautiful mismatched china. A mouthwatering array of delicate sandwiches, tartlets, tea loaves, scones, and chocolate fudge cake was displayed on platters and cake stands. Tea from the York Coffee Emporium was plentiful and there was even a specific recommended tea to go with the divine chocolate fudge cake! I particularly enjoyed the tea loaf served with Wensleydale cheese, and the extremely light buttermilk scones complimented by a tart homemade ‘allotment jam’. I think it is no mean feat to cater a tea party to this standard.

Company around the table was diverse and conversation flowed between perfect strangers introduced through a common love for food! (A refreshing reminder that common ground is not too far beneath the surface of any situation). At the end guests were encouraged to take home leftovers to enjoy, and of course there was a tasting bag of chocolates. These included interesting flavours such as blue cheese, rhubarb and real ale chocolates, which are made with proper Yorkshire ingredients – yummy!

All the components of a fabulous tea party were there – great tea, delicious baking and good company. However I did feel that it lacked a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ compared to the previous event I had attended. I think this boils down to the intimate elements of having tea in someone’s home, that you just can’t take with you to another venue. Enjoying the garden, seeing the kitchen where the food was made, and almost feeling like part of their extended friends and family. With that tiny niggle aside, this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and it’s always great to try something different. I would without doubt recommend it to any lover of tea and cake, and it’s a brilliant way to meet new like minded people. Plus, the clandestine element to it makes it all the more fun!

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The Farmer’s Cart

{ October 29, 2009 @ 11:10 pm } · { Cafes & Coffee shops, Yorkshire places }
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Living in Leeds when your mother lives in Scarborough provides a constant quest for new places to ‘meet 1/2 way’ for a catch up. Today we had a tip to try the Farmer’s Cart, near York and we were very impressed.

It’s easy to get to from the A64 and is a bit of a hidden gem. It includes:

1) A large shop brimming over with fresh farm produce, from fruit & veg to a great meat counter and a lovely selection of homemade cakes & bread. Everything looked so much more vibrant and fresh than what you see in the supermarket, and really well priced.

2) The cafe – serving seasonal meals and cakes. We had delicious mushrooms on toast but there were plenty of interesting specials like pumpkin soup (served in a pumpkin!) and beef burgers with chips served in a plant pot!

3) Animals – you could go an look at their Gloucester old spot pigs, goats, hens & Shetland ponies. Which were all getting lots of attention from the half term crowds.

4) Seasonal interest – obviously with it being Halloween this week there was the obligatory pumpkin carving and rides on tractors. But alongside pumpkin water races and firing corn on the cobs out of a tube to knock over pumpkins! Quite novel and entertaining for all the families, but cheap too (only about £1 for activities). They also do a lot of ‘pick your own’ in spring/summer.

A great find in the York countryside if you fancy a little trip out of Leeds. A bloody good lunch and mouthwatering ingredients to cook up a healthy feast!

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