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Role at One&Other:
Writer
Favourite time of year:
My favourite time of year is Autumn, when the leaves are falling from the trees it makes me think of new beginnings and the prospect of cosy spots in York to snuggle up with a hot chocolate or spicy mulled wine. The tourist crowd reduces to a general patter between the frolics of the summer and the Christmas rush, and the chill in the air while you cycle keeps you alive!
Favourite travel destination:
My favourite travel destination is Italy and its winding shuttered streets, Tuscan countryside, elegant cities, glistening lakes, mouthwatering pasta, gorgeous architecture and the best cappuccinos I have ever experienced. Need I say more?
Secret hideout in York:
Rowntree Park can be full of people and yet it still feels like a secluded spot, especially made for you, for that moment.
Favourite things about living here:
In the words of Julie Andrews, ‘these are a few of my favourite things’: the way the city never lies dormant, the range of quirky architecture, hearing the Minster’s bells chime, being a stone’s throw away from everyone who live here, and the way you don’t actually have to be ‘doing’ anything to love the place- you can just soak it up!
Best bars:
The best bars in town, due to their unique attitude, are undoubtedly Evil Eye, Thirteen Thirty One and The House of Trembling Madness. No question, the art is to circulate Stonegate and The Quarter.
Best insiders tip:
Walk around the walls, you will see the city in an entirely new light. But most of all make sure you pop into Grays Court from its garden entrance so you can pretend you are in a period drama, as you sip tea and eat scones, in the luxurious country house.
Icon:
Christopher Nolan: writer and director of Inception. Anyone who can create a plot and visual experience so complex, so real, and yet so fragile, is a hero in my eyes.
Best view of the city:
If you cycle alongside the river from Millennium Bridge towards the city it captures the best view of York, and of course by bike is the way the city must be viewed!
Favourite shop:
The second-hand Minster Gate Bookshop is my favourite shop in York. It spans five floors of which you negotiate via tiny staircases. You can wile away your time in its nooks and crannies while finding that perfect read.
Best place to eat:
This is a ludicrously hard question to answer as York is bursting with gorgeous eateries. But there is one place which holds a special place in my heart, and that is Thirteen Thirty One on Grape Lane. I have shared their (most amazingly sauce piled) nachos with one of my best friends too many times to remember! It is a quirky spot with a fantastic menu selection: breakfast, lunch, dinner and all that falls in between! The sofas and bunting in the courtyard outside add that special something.
This time next year I will be:
……no longer 21!
Top 5 bands:
Muse, The Kinks, Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, and Elbow.
Favourite era:
The glamour, films, and music sensations of the 1950s make it my favourite era. But less of the domestic goddess and more Audrey Hepburn-esque !
If I was an animal I would be a:
….. zebra.
