Birdsong's Trip to the UK

The Shambles, York

Monday, October 24 - York, Shambles, Museums

Raining, raining. We had heard in Oban from a fellow B&B resident that York has an excellent new computerized genealogical library, Bothwick Institute Readership Library.

Fi looked up the number and I called about it. They said anyone can just walk in, but what they have is very early wills and probate records, for which you need an accurate name, death dates, and parish name. No good for us, sadly. Their records are not yet on the internet. She suggested we try origins.org web site.

Walked to the train station for next reservations for London. Good we did it early: trains later than 9:00 AM were sold out!

Walked, walked the picturesque old streets, including The Shambles, a very narrow especially quaint street. The word Shambles comes from the Saxon word Fleshammels, meaning street of the butchers. It's one of the best preserved medieval streets. The street was mentioned in the Doomsday book,1086!

Lunch of topas. No naps! Toured beautiful Fairfax House, beautifully restored and furnished. (Bought a book about it.) It quit raining! On Rick Steve's recommendation, logged onto the Internet to check e-mail at The Evil Eye.

The postman, Charles, we met in Bootham Tavern said there are 187 pubs in the walled old town, and that we had to go to the Blue Bell, the smallest. We did, but it was too crowded to get a drink.

On to the Red Lion, one of the oldest pubs and very quaint. As we were leaving, a woman hailed us and asked where we were from. "California", I said. She looked very surprised. I asked, "Where did you think we were from?" She said, "York countryside!"

That shows you how we were dressed: my dumpy flannel hat, and Larry in his green tweed "Andy" cap. No American white tennis shoes. We were flattered NOT to look American! We are sometimes embarrassed to be American, seeing the looks and behavior of some other Americans.

Walked the long way to the far side of old town to eat at Mama Mia's for dinner. Drizzle, drizzle, or as a Kiwi we met said, "It's spitting."

Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Yorkshire Museum

Walked and walked looking for the Tourism Office, which the GPS said was near. Glady had been overlooking it right next to Bootham Bar.

Went to Yorkshire Museum, with great Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Viking artifacts. Next door are ruins of St. Mary's cathedral, destroyed by Henry VIII.

Drinks at White Horse across from the wall. Next door was Minster Inn which had "real ale". Sharon, a property manager, told us to eat around the corner at The Chart House - too much food! We thought the US had large servings! They brought a bowl of boiled potatoes and carrots we didn't touch.