Bad Bargain Lane

Bad Bargain Lane, York.

I saw this street when I was out doing politics to York yesterday. What a weird street name. I'd love to know the story behind it.

Welcome To York

I found this sign, with a few seats and an abandoned tourist notice behind an abandoned public toilet next to the Barbican Centre.

The Barbican Centre used to be York's main leisure centre, but now it's empty and sad. Obviously the empty sadness has spread to this bit of public land, which has obviously seen better days.

No Teacher

Down an alley, just past the "free sex" messages - Voltaire.

Sorry for the days of no posting, work has been really busy of late.

Banana Warehouse

Mannequins in The Banana Warehouse, whichis one of my favourite shops in York. While being mostly full of furniature, the Banana is one of those shops that stocks all kinds of junk, with the occassional prize.

So far, the only thing I've brought from there is a copy of The Origin of the Species, some postcards that belonged to a dead nun and a signed photo of some 50's music hall singer. But I guess that gives some indication ofthe contents of this place.

Rooftops of York

A view from the city walls, ofthe minster. Two major landmarks at once.

Raggedy Old Flag

I was surprised on moving to York to see how common the Yorkshire flag is.

Flags have been getting more common in England over the last decade, and symbols of Yorkshire identity seem to have become more common in that same time.

I just wish people would take more pride in their symbols. This flag has been through the wars a bit. Maybe they should think about getting a new one.

The Ouse.

I give you: The River Ouse!

I love this river, I really do.

When I was about about nine, my family visited York from the South of England. I don't remember much of it. There was a wall. There was the Jorvik Centre. There was the queue for the Jorvik Centre, and there was the River Ouse.

I remember that in my head York was associated with a northern Kingdom of mountains and wildness, and that, in my head at least, The Ouse carried a bit of those mountains with it.

When I walk over it every day, it reminds me of mountains and this other world that doesn't really exist.