Category Archive for: ‘Wedding’

There are more photos over at Flickr, this time courtesy of Jocelyn’s brother Mikel.

I particularly like this one of Jocelyn with Ruthy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iannelson/sets/450641/

Hey, guess who appeared on page 2 of the York Evening Press yesterday..?

Wow, what a day that was!  Hope everyone who attended enjoyed the wedding as much as we certainly did – thanks to all for coming along to share the day with us.

We have uploaded some photos of the day to Flickr for your enjoyment.  If anybody has any more pics to share, we’d love to see them, so please pass them on!  Mailing us a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM would be most appreciated, and we can then upload them all to the same site.

Photos from Digital Cameras
Photos from Disposable Cameras
Tom Hudson’s Photos
Mikel Duffy’s Photos
 
Alternatively, all photos from our wedding day are tagged with "ourwedding", so you can browse them all at flickr.com/photos/iannelson/tags/ourwedding if you wish.

Nine days to go.  We are no longer being asked "how are the wedding plans going?", instead the repeatedly-asked question is "are you getting nervous?!"

Well, yes, of course we are!  Who wouldn’t be nervous, this close to getting married?  But everything seems to be going to plan, and we’re getting through our multitude of tasks steadily, so almost everything is now in place for a fun day on the twenty-third.

We have sorted out the table layout, and Jocelyn has made some name place cards.  We’ve also made service booklets for the church service, and name cards for the tables (which we’ve opted to name after seven streets in York).  My speech is written, and our clothes, hotel, transport, and all-important wedding rings are all sorted.

The fact that most things are sorted out with a week to spare is particularly good news as Jocelyn’s family begin arriving from the States tomorrow morning and we’re looking forward to spending some time with them all before the wedding, and taking a few days out from the hectic planning to act as makeshift tour guides and see the UK sights.  Should be fun.

Finally, weather forecasts for 23rd April are now available on weather.com!  How accurate they can be in predicting the notoriously changeable British weather so far in advance, I’m not sure, but it’s looking promising at present:  Partly cloud, high of 13C, low of 5C, with a 10% chance of rain.  Fingers crossed..

We have finalised the menu for our wedding breakfast – full details are online here. 

Please let us know if you would like the veggie option (baked goats cheese parcel), as we are aware that many non-veggies won’t fancy the salmon.

Ian’s stag do is taking place (appropriately enough) on the weekend of April Fool’s Day, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.  This page contains some useful info for those of you who are attending!

Accommodation

We have twin rooms booked at the Newcastle Novotel (phone 0191 214 0303, postcode NE3 3HZ), at a cost of £63 for the Friday night and £79 for the Saturday night – pay on departure, breakfast is an additional £11.50 pp if you can face it.  There’s a pool, sauna, gym (yeah, as if we’ll make use of that…), and a bar open until 12 midnight (more likely to be patronised).

So, staying for both nights we have:

• Ian, Rich H
• Luke, Paddy
• Bruce, Daffy
• Damo, Rich K
• Jez, Simon
• Ant, Max

and for the Saturday night only:

• Alleyn, Paulo
• Jammy, Dave S

All the rooms are booked in my name, with the exception of Plow n Paulo’s which is booked under Mr P Roberts!

Update: Cllr Alex Williams is now also able to attend on the Saturday night, but as the Novotel is now full he is being forced to seek alternative accommodation nearby!

Friday activities

None.  Well, maybe a couple of lemonades, but definitely no heavy drinking until the early hours like on the first night of Richy’s stag epic as we have to be up early Saturday morning for:

Saturday activities

Paintball (www.universalpaintball.org.uk) begins at the ambitiously early hour of 0830.  £20 a head including 500 balls, body armour is £2 extra, gloves £1 extra.  They have hot drinks available and do burgers etc for lunch if we fancy eating there.  No deliberately ganging up on the stag please!

A full day of paintball is unachievable at my age (and fitness levels!), so the rough plan for the Saturday afternoon is to go bowling or find a nice quiet pub with comfy armchairs and a couple of pool tables! 

Saturday evening we are booked into the Hyena Comedy Cafe (phone 0191 232 6030, postcode NE1 4QT), which conveniently has an Indian restaurant on site – we have a table booked for 7pm, the latest we can eat and get upstairs for the comedy which starts at 8:30pm.  The comedians finish around 11pm, then the place stays open as a bar/club until 2am.

Sunday activities

Recovering and having a few quiet drinks (probably of Irn Bru rather than the alcoholic variety) over a game of Risk before it’s time for everyone to head back home, exhausted but happy…

I can’t wait.  Any queries, drop myself or Richy an email or give us a call.

Daffy, would now be a suitable time to sincerely apologise for the flowery yellow dress and hat which I picked for you to wear on your stag do?  It seemed funny at the time (and it went well with the pink wig and black fishnets), but now I see the error of my ways – it wasn’t big and it wasn’t clever, and I’m sure you’re far too mature to want to exact revenge next month, right…?

So you’re coming to York for our wedding, and you’ve decided to make a weekend or longer out of it? That’s great to hear, and you won’t be short of things to do during your visit. Here are some of our favourite sights and tourist attractions in the city:

The Minster [info]

Let’s face it, you couldn’t miss the Minster if you tried. At 160m long, 76m wide and 71m high, it is the largest Gothic cathedral north of the Alps, dominates the York skyline and is visited by over two million people every year. An entry charge of £5.00 per adult has recently been introduced to help with the upkeep of this magnificent building, which remains well worth a visit.

Castle Museum [info]

Visited by ourselves last weekend, this award winning museum tells the tale of ordinary Yorkshire folk in the not-so-distant past. Admission £6.00 adults, £3.00 children.

Yorkshire Museum & Gardens [info]

Another fine museum, set in a unique location. Admission £4.00 adults, £2.50 children.

Jorvik Viking Centre [info]

Famous interactive museum which has been visited by practically every child in the UK – I think a trip here must be on the National Curriculum. Admission £7.20 adults, £5.10 children.

Clifford’s Tower [info]

After the Minster, Clifford’s Tower is probably the most famous landmark in York. It has rather a bloody and troubled history, but now provides peaceful and serene views for miles from its walltop walk. Admission £2.50 adults, £1.30 children.

The Roman Bath [info]

Yes, it’s another pub. But this one has a tourist-trapping-trick up its sleeve in the form of a genuine Roman bath in the basement! Lots of fascinating historical information and a low entry fee (less than the cost of a pint of their beer) make this a worthwhile visit. Admission £2.00 adults, £1.00 children.

The Bar Walls [info]

They’re free, they’re brilliant fun, and they offer some of the best views of the city. The walls are almost 5 kilometres long in total, but you can get on and off at various points so needn’t commit yourself to walking the full circuit in one go. A walk around the walls also takes in the four magnificent gateways (bars) to the city – Walmgate, Micklegate, Monkgate and Bootham.

The Railway Museum [info]

Now free to all visitors, the National Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the world, and makes a great day out for the whole family.

The Shambles [info]

Shambles claims to be the most visited street in Europe, and anyone who has ever tried to walk down it on an August Bank Holiday weekend might be inclined to agree with this. Jocelyn’s first words on seeing Shambles were "it looks just like Disneyland!" which I have never quite understood. The street itself was mentioned in the Domesday book and the buildings (which lean out into the street most disconcertingly) are fifteenth century, and brilliantly preserved. It really is one of York’s gems.

Ghost Tours

York is officially the most haunted city in Europe, and once the sun goes down (oh OK, at about 1930/ 2000), a handful of entertaining ghost walks set off from several points liberally advertised around the city. Look out for gothic gentlemen in top hats carrying small stepladders and you’re on the right lines.

Merchant Adventurer’s Hall [info]

Built between 1357 and 1361, this Guild hall on Piccadilly is one of the finest buildings of its kind in Europe. Admission £2.50 adults, £1.00 children.

Treasurer’s House [info]

National Trust-owned medieval town house close to the Minster. Admission: £4.80 adults, £2.40 children. Ghostly tours of the cellar are a couple of quid more.

While York isn’t as famous for it’s restaurants as it is for its pubs, there are still plenty of great places to eat in the city. Here are some of the culinary delights we’ve enjoyed recently:

Betty’s / Little Betty’s

Betty’s is a hugely popular traditional tearoom in the centre of town (St. Helen’s Square) with an art deco interior. The kind of place Jeeves and Wooster would have enjoyed, and the kind of peaceful olde-world place that compels me to slam my fists on the table and yell "We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here, and we want them now!" (although I have yet to fulfil this urge). Little Betty’s is, well, smaller, and cosier, on nearby Stonegate.

Russell’s

Also on Stonegate you will find one of the two branches of Russell’s (the other being on Coppergate). These fine English restaurants offer a fantastic roast dinner at a reasonable price. Timeless.

The Blue Bicycle

If you’re willing to spend a little extra (or someone else is paying!), then treat yourself to a meal at the Blue Bicycle on Fossgate, a mighty fine restaurant which was famously once a brothel. The menu is quite simply stunning, from the hors d’oeuvres of roasted garlic and fresh bread through to freshly made liquorice ice cream for dessert. Everything is great, though they have a particular penchant for fish dishes. Take a fat wallet, an empty stomach, and good company.

Krusties

At the other end of the financial scale, Krusties sandwich shop on the tiny street of Patrick Pool in the centre of town (ask for directions!) will fill your belly with superb hot tasty baguettes of epic proportions for just £2.20.

Plunketts

Plunketts is a reasonably priced restaurant with a popular Tex-Mex style menu, impressive CD collection, and a fabulous interior. Don’t be dissuaded if there are no free tables on arrival, as this gives you the perfect excuse to head upstairs to the bar where you can even see the Rolling Stone’s signatures on the walls.

St. William’s College Restaurant

Well, we have to include St. William’s College as we’re holding our wedding reception here! But seriously, the restaurant itself is well worth a visit any day of the year. Fantastic tasting food.

Pizza Express

Yes, we know it’s a chain, but the York branch is particularly nice, with lofty high ceilings and pleasing views across Lendal Bridge and down the Ouse. Besides, the menu seems to have become more interesting and varied recently. Good value and great service here, with rarely a need to wait for too long.

Viceroy of India

Finally, if you simply want to induldge in the national dish, you will find one of the city’s better Indian restaurants just outside the city walls on Monk Gate. An extensive Indian menu is on offer, in pleasant clean surroundings with attentive friendly staff. Classic.

 

York is renowned for having an excellent variety of pubs and bars (it’s one of the reasons I decided to move here in 2000!).  The website http://www.yorkpubguide.com/ currently has information and reviews on 256 such establishments, but if you’re only visiting for a day or two, you probably won’t have time to try them all.  So, let me make a few suggestions:

The Last Drop [yorkpubguide.com]

If I’m not at home on a Thursday night, then I’m probably at The Last Drop, chewing the fat with the ioko crowd and enjoying a pint or two of Terrier.  This quiet city-centre pub has no fruit machines, jukeboxes, pool tables, children, or other distractions.  It does, however, have half a dozen real ales, mostly from the excellent York Brewery range.

Lendal Cellars [yorkpubguide.com]

Would be one of Jocelyn’s favourite pubs were it not for the way that the fag smoke hangs around beneath the low ceilings.  But what do you expect from a subterranean pub lurking within some cellars between the Mansion House and the Post Office?  Still, it has bags of character, decent ales, and does a good range of hearty pub grub, so well worth a visit.

The Maltings [yorkpubguide.com]

The Maltings consistently ranks as one of the most popular pubs in York, despite the fact that its small size limits the maximum occupancy at any one time to 4 adults and a whippet^*.  Poky it may be, but this place is packed tight with character, humour, and some expertly kept guest beers which you’re unlikely to spot in the bigger places.  Close to the train station too, so a good place to pop into whilst waiting for your ride home.

^{*OK, so I’m exaggerating.  Slightly.}

Tap and Spile [yorkpubguide.com]

Our local, and we kinda like it – fairly quiet of a weekday evening so Jocelyn and I occasionally pop here to chat, read the papers and maybe even sit in the beer garden in more clement weather.  Again, a reasonable range of ales on offer (are you beginning to realise what the primary criterion is for inclusion in this list?)

Ha! Ha! Bar [yorkpubguide.com]

Ha, tricked you!  Not a real ale in sight at this shiny and slightly expensive city-centre pub, conveniently situated between Coney Street and Davygate.  Can be a bit busy at weekends but is generally quieter during the week and the daytime when the comfy armchairs, newspapers and coffee can be quite appealing.

Exhibition Hotel [yorkpubguide.com]

I think the Exhibition is underrated and often goes unnoticed, but it’s a decent enough pub very close to Bootham bar.  They have a surprisingly sizeable and peaceful beer garden to the rear of the building.

Old White Swan [yorkpubguide.com]

A great historic pub with a lovely interior, good selection of beer, and usually some live music or quiz to keep you entertained.