The Grand Old Town of York….

The coolest things in York are in the Shambles….

What do I mean by this? If you would like to find out, you’re in the right place. There is a place in the city of York called the “Shambles“, after the butchers’ benches that were used to display meat. There was also a narrow channel in the middle of the street where the butchers used to dump the blood and guts from the animals that had just been slaughtered. Back then as well, the houses were so close together, it is said that if a person leaned out of their upstairs window, and the person in the house across did the same, they would be able to shake hands! This place was so messy, crowded, and disorganized, it’s name, shambles, became a word in the English dictionary.

But York didn’t start with the “Shambles”, it started with the Romans, who first built a military base on the site of the city of York because it was strategic. It was a plateau with two rivers flowing near it, so the Romans could use the water to transport building materials and themselves and it was a source of water to drink, cook, and bathe. In the Medieval period, the walls that the Romans had first put up were added to with the building materials of the time. I found this really interesting because usually the older walls are torn down and are replaced with new walls.

There have been some famous people from York, but the most famous is Guy Fawkes. He is the best known member of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up King James the First and Parliament.

Guy Fawkes was born in York and was originally a Protestant before he went to St. Peter’s school, where he was converted to Catholicism by his head teacher. Every year on Guy Fawkes Day, St. Peter’s school has a bonfire but don’t burn a dummy, because they don’t want to burn their old student. The city of York doesn’t burn a dummy either, because York was his home, and it would be disrespectful.

To all you candy and chocolate lovers reading this, did you know that the candy company, Rowntree, originated in York and was bought by Nestle? York was also the birthplace of Terry’s chocolate orange and apple, and the Kit Kat! I never wondered before where all the popular candies came from, because I never even thought to ask! Now that I know where some sweets come from, I’m much more interested in learning where my favourite candies were first made.

A sweet shop in York.

The candies in the store window.

York is a beautiful city with amazing architecture and a fascinating history of Romans, Saxons, even Vikings! All these events have made York the city it is today.