Recent Articles:
The Great Northern Dickens Expedition
Imagined Review: Dickens in York (1870)
GO DO: A Diary of the new and unexpected (2)
Go Do: A diary on trying the new and unexpected
Role at One&Other:
Favourite time of year:
Autumn: The cooling of the air; the smell of decaying leaves and horse chestnuts; my birthday. It has it all, really.
Favourite travel destination:
Barcelona.
Secret hideout in York:
Coffee Culture. You’ll find me either on the sofa or in the window seat. At the very least I’ll be eyeing those places covetously.
Favourite things about living here:
Everything is so close! Something interesting is always a brief walk away.
Best bars:
The Habit; the City Screen Bar; The House of Trembling Madness; The Slip; The Golden Slipper; The Swan; The Three Legged Mare; The Guy Fawkes. I could go on, but writing an exhaustive list would give my current hangover a rather unpleasant edge.
Best insiders tip:
? Ever wanted to hear some sea shanties sung by redoubtable gentlemen in a pub with a diverse supply of local ales? If yes – and it damned well should be – go into The Slip on a Sunday evening.
Icon:
Spider Jerusalem. He’d probably threaten to tear my eyes out for saying so. Good job he’s a work of fiction, then. Werner Herzog is the non-fictional man I most admire.
Best view of the city:
My flat. Out of one window, you can see the Minster and the beautiful lantern tower of All Saints’ church. Out of the others, the Hogarthian madness of Walmgate on a Saturday night.
Favourite shop:
Give the Dog a Bone, Travelling Man and Rebound.
Best place to eat:
Melton’s Too. Fresh local food, and its breakfasts are brilliant. Besides, any place that has asparagus and lobster festivals is worth mentioning.
This time next year I will be:
I have no idea. Perhaps turning writing, or making people laugh, into a gainful career.
Top 5 bands:
My first musical love, Orbital, would be at the top of the list. Tom Waits would almost definitely in there somewhere. Apart from that, I really can’t choose three more. I’d change my mind within five minutes, and probably discover something new within a day. For example, I’m falling for Fever Ray as I type.
Favourite era:
Something which reeks of excess and iniquity: The Restoration at the time of John Wilmot; The Regency, when the great Careme was cooking up hundred-course meals at the Brighton Pavilion; or Weimar Berlin.
If I was an animal I would be a:
A panda. I trust that no explanation is needed for this.
