The main news is that this is no longer the main news page. Site news and all kinds of other interesting things can now be found in a new section called News & Views, which has, among other things, photos waiting for words.
I've added a couple of short pages on Illuminating York. Not sure I'll have much to add over these colder and darker months, but will do my best.
New page: Former Capaldi ice cream factory - a characterful reminder of 20th century small-scale industry. A building I've been taking photos of since 2007, expecting demolition - but hurrah, Fetter Lane retains a building with charm and character.
I've included on this site pages on some of York's impressive parks, but as another website makes clear, across the country there are many that aren't so nice, in fact they're crap ... (but the captions are very funny).
See update and links on this page.
Tree watch: An application has been submitted to fell two established trees between the Theatre Royal and the De Grey Rooms. The planning pages on the council website show that many applications to fell trees are under consideration, including a couple more involving trees in gardens along Bootham. Carry on like this and we'll have very few trees left ...
New pages on this site:
York's early nurserymen - on the Telford, Backhouse and Rigg plant nurseries
and Snippets from the archives
Can I just mention again that Martin Wainwright called York Stories 'an extremely good website ... well worth visiting.' ?
Just added a page on a handsome sculpture I discovered recently on Bishopthorpe Road, and a page on the new Foss bridge at Hungate.
Trees in towns under threat. 'Number 5' of the tree pages produced in the last fortnight, since Mark Snow climbed up a tree in Irton. The tree had five individual protestors in its branches over the fortnight. Respect to the tree and its many supporters, in the branches and on the ground. No respect to the other side - in fact disgust, at the senseless hacking down of a healthy and handsome tree.
This website was mentioned by Martin Wainwright of The Guardian, in this article.
More on trees - poetic tributes - 1 | 2
Trees may have to have their own dedicated section on this website, I think ...
The Irton tree - why everyone should care ... pages 1 (serious) and 2 (somewhat satirical).
New pages added: a random and various round-up, 2011 - six photos, with notes - various things spotted in the last six months or so and not yet fitted in elsewhere on the site.
Also - Running after the Scarborough Flyer
Apostrophe dilemmas
Council offices, St Leonard's Place
Catching up on changes: remembering a horse repository, and welcoming a cycling hub; and a short wander nearby, from the soulless to the quietly sublime.
New pages added, after recent wanderings from one railway station (via a new entrance) to another (aka West Offices/new council HQ). And a long-overdue page on Micklegate.
A pleasing perspective - hidden behind the art gallery. Photo by Boba Low.
The WW2 buildings behind the art gallery are a 'rare survival' on a city centre site. An interesting and imaginative response to them would be to keep a part, remodelled and refurbished for future use. Instead, the planning application recently submitted is for their demolition.
The YMT article on the plans: Hidden area of York set to be opened to public for spring 2012.
What might have more educational and cultural value to future generations? A 'rare survival' of wartime building on a city centre site, or a blank space covered with gravel. It's obvious really, isn't it. But it seems that in York, if it's not Roman or Viking, or medieval or Georgian, it's got no chance. Perhaps because we're surrounded by so much that's more obviously and attractively 'historic', and have so many venerable remains to maintain, we can't accommodate 20th century history.
Recent updates have been a bit serious. Time to lighten up a bit, and admire a lovely pair of jugs.
An appreciation of Gillygate, plus looking back at the 1971 ring road plans and appreciating 'people power', forty years on.
It's Yorkshire Day today, apparently, or as I prefer to call it, Geoff Boycott Day - as he's the Yorkshire person the radio stations always get on air, on Yorkshire Day.
To celebrate Yorkshire Day/Geoff Boycott Day, recent additions to this site include: memorials to tough but thoughtful Yorkshire folk, a new page on the lost houses of Union Terrace, a page about an old coat, and St Mary's Tower, and more on the siege of York in 1644 ... plus a general revamping of the site, and the addition of various maps. And if I can just mention again my book...
There's a renewed interest in the old Bonding Warehouse, as it's now back on the market, so just added: a new (2011) page. There are also some photos of the interior, with thanks to Graham.
An updated edition of Chocolate and Chicory: York and beyond, by bicycle is now available from lulu.com. See this page for more.
A new batch of pages -
In 'details': a new sculpture, an old lion, and some even older sarcophagi. Plus, to celebrate the imminent summer solstice, an overdue appreciation of a clever bit of local recycling.
In 'buildings': the former WMC on Lawrence St, once occupied by the Tuke family, now on an 'at risk' register.
In 'memorials': a crumbling monument to a forgotten tragedy.
Also - updated - information on the WW2 service hostel buildings, in their later use by the York School of Art - with thanks to John C.
Hurrah, it's spring, the swifts are here! - and the bats are flitting about, and it's time for bat surveys, and a couple of bat facts, and links to bat-related information ...
I've updated the page on the 'hutments', and added on a separate page some interior photos from their days as a service hostel, during the Second World War.
New pages added: an update on Airspeed: a 1930s adventure - interesting plans for the 'eyesore' Airspeed/Reynards building in Piccadilly - currently unattainable as the council won't offer a viable term for the lease of the building ...
Also: pages on visions for York in 1843 and 2011. To accompany the pages on the 21st century vision I've included information on T J Maslen's view of the city in 1843, with some of his suggestions for the city's improvement. There's also an online form if you feel inspired to send me any of your own visions for the 'city beautiful' of the future.
Sorry about the SHOUTY headline ... but a problem with undelivered/lost messages has just come to light.
This only applies to emails sent recently via the Contact form, as far as I can tell. It affected messages sent on 5 March, and may have been a problem since 28 Feb. Channels of communication seem to be operating normally now, but if you sent me a message via this website between 28 Feb and 5 March, and haven't had an answer, this is why, so please re-send your message if you can.
Several pages on The Museum Gardens have just been added, in the Green spaces section.
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8857647.Bats_scupper_big_wheel_plan/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-12489249
Just added: Bowling green battles
I forgot to mention, in all the excitement, that this website was selected for inclusion in The British Library Web Archiving Program.
I've escaped at last from the Museum Gardens area, to bring you dreams of flight, down at the old bus depot. And a perusal of the infamous White Swan Hotel, Piccadilly, York's favourite 'eyesore'.
Also added recently - the First World War memorial cross at St Cuthbert's, York.
The page on the WW2 airmen's huts, has been rewritten, and another page added, explaining why I care.
Accompanying the above, I've been assembling photos and information relating to the 'Baedeker raid', including photos of local memorials, a list of York's civilian casualties and a personal account of the air raid.
There's also an evocative walk through wartime York, and a little further afield, a recognition of women's role in the war, in the WAAF memorial plaque at Elvington.
Finally, a snapshot of celebrations as the war ended, including a fab recording of the Minster bells on an old scratchy 78 (via YouTube). (Really is worth a look - well, a listen.)
A return to the subject of graffiti seemed long overdue. As it was long overdue, material has accumulated in my ever-growing collection of photos, and it's ended up being three pages long - Graffiti, revisited 1 | 2 | 3
Just added, a new section - Details - short pages, on small things.
Also a page on our recently frozen Ouse, with historical observations on past big freezes. Also observations on some WW2 hutments awaiting demolition.
Associated with these is a controversial planning application for a new big wheel.
This month, www.yorkstories.co.uk has been online for seven years. It's the same age as Facebook, but not quite as famous.
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