I just got back from a weekend in York. Spoils from the trip include a copy of Ted Hughes‘ Hawk in the Rain (which I first encountered on a previous trip to York whilst dining in The Tasting Room) and some sneaky phonecam photos of the inside of Fairfax House.
It’s a beautifully restored 18th century townhouse with a mind blowing collection of Georgian furniture and clocks. One of which was apparently worth £750,000 when valued some years ago. Every piece had at least three different functions and numerous secret compartments – a vital requirement back in the days before password protected zip files and .htaccess controlled folders were available.
Take the time to visit if you are ever near York. One word of advice though; avoid visiting Fairfax House, the medieval Clifford’s Tower and the nearby Cafe 31 in the same morning. All three are suffering from settlement and movement to some degree and there isn’t a perfect right angle to be found anywhere. Result: dizzyness and mild nausea until you find some flat ground again.