Beechwood Grange Caravan Club Site, York

Sunday, January 10th 2016

The pending arrival of a new Grand-daughter, this month, means we are not heading for the Spain and the sunshine, this month.

However, since we are both suffering from "campervan withdrawal" symptoms, we decided on a few days away in the UK.

Our initial thoughts were either Keswick or York.

Unfortunately, December 2015 has been exceptionally, wet and TV coverage  has painted a picture of flooding and devastation in both places, indeed, Rowntree Park, the Caravan Club site near York Centre is closed due to flooding, and most of the roads in Cumbria appear to be impassable.

A brief respite in the continual rainfall, for all of one day, convinces us to "go for it" and we head York, Beechwood Grange Caravan Club Site.

Monday, January 11th 2016

Second, or is it third day, without rain, but, it is freezing cold. You cannot have everything, I suppose.

We decide to visit York.

There is a "Park and Ride" at Monks Cross, but, it is decided it is too far to walk to. Technology comes to the rescue, and, Google informs me we can catch a bus from a Hopgrove to York. 

Quite why there would be a bus-stop at this location is a mystery, it is a good ten minutes walk outside of the village, with just four houses nearby.

But, Google knows best, and a number 843 bus for Leeds, via York arrives, spot on 10:29, just as Google said it would.

At this stage, we do not know it, but, we have walked at least as far to this bus stop as we would have to Monks Cross Park and Ride and Shopping Park, since the major part of our time in York is to be spent "in the shops", one may ask, why not just go to Monks Cross? But, I have more sense than to ask such questions.

If anything, it is even colder in York City Centre than it is "out in the countryside".

After a brief stroll through The Shambles taking in The Shambles Market, we decide on a bit of culture, ie a visit to York Minister, thankfully, it is heated!

We obtain our Concession entry tickets for a paltry £18, the bonus is, they are valid for a year, as many visits as we like.

To be fair, there is a lot to see in this magnificent building, and, soon, we find we are running out of time, lunch beckons.
A pleasant Tea Room, in The Shambles, provides a very pleasant lunch.

Pleasantries over, we hit the shops, as usual, I fail to understand the female mind, we have exactly the same stores in Newcastle, selling exactly the same things, so, why visit the York branches of the same stores?

Tuesday, 12th January 2016

A visit to Monks Cross Retail Park, more shops!

Kathleen finds more things should would like for her birthday, while I join the other husbands "parked" outside of the Changing Rooms, whilst potential purchases are "tried on".

Lunch, then home.

Despite the media coverage, we see no sign of the floods, not so much as a discarded sandbag.