johnsunter.com - The adventures of an ordinary person...

When I was 8, we had a school trip to York (my brother and Frank came).

30 years later, whilst attending a computer course in Leeds, the course finished early and I decided to take the half hour train to York, and retrace the steps of that early adventure.

First stop, the York Railway museum.

The largest in the world, and unlike when I was 8, its now free to enter.

The Mallard, is the fastest steam train ever to run.

It was clocked at 2 miles per minute.

An exact replica of Stephenson's Rocket.

It is of special importance to me, as its maiden voyage was in my home town of Manchester, and put Manchester at the forefront of the industrial age.

A statue dedicated to George Stephen, the father of the modern railway.

I visited a railway museum in Berlin, and although the trains were impressive there, they got a bit samey, after a a while.

The York museum wasn't like that at all, they had "helpers" and "explainers" all over the museum.

I was especially interested by this, the original Royal train, belonging to Queen Victoria.

The museum has an excellent reputation, around that world.

Its for this reason, that the Japanese, actually gave them an entire Bullet train to use as an exhibit.

Still the fastest train in the word, having traveled in one in Tokyo, its literally like traveling in a bullet.

Upon leaving the museum, I walk along the bridge next to it, which crosses the river Ooze.

It was pleasant to walk along the bank of the river, underneath the trees, on my way into town (I prefer to go off the beaten track and avoid main roads and walkways.

I bought a ticket for a 1 hour boat cruise, along the river.

The boat before mine, had loads of school children queuing to get on board, and it reminded me, of when I queued there.

It was very peaceful on the river.

This Bridge was built by George Stephenson's son.

The live commentary said that the Ooze is fed by 3 rivers, and collects most of the rain that lands on the Yorkshire dales.

Our guide said there were many good pubs in York, but this one (the Kings Arms) was considered the original riverside pub by the locals.

Unfortunately, the river often bursts its banks, and the pub is frequently in the news due to flooding.

York's famous Minster Gate.

A stairwell I found during a walk along the wall.

As a Chester resident, I couldn't resist a walk around them.

Unfortunately, the walls no longer run in a full circle.

The walls weren't as well preserved as the ones in Chester, but they had spectacular views of the city.

The Shambles, Europe's best preserved medieval street.

Originally, the street was full of butchers shops, but now caters for tourists, with numerous souvenir shops.

There are places in the street, where a person can extend both arms and touch the walls on each side.

As stated on this plaque, the Shambles is mentioned in the doomsday book, so we know that it must have existed for 900 years at least.

A recreation, of a mid 1700's pub.

It looked very familiar to me, and at first I didn't realise.

The rocks in Sydney, has pubs built by the original residents, who arrived in the 1700's

They must have built them just like the ones "back home", which this is a replica of.

A slightly more modern exhibit, a kitchen from the 1980's.

I was speechless, our kitchen was exactly like that.

A recreated victorian street at night.

They actually had an actor dressed as a policeman, walking up and down the street for authenticity.

A farmhouse from the 1800's most of the things in the room, are home made.

A living room from the 1950's.

It illustrates the fireplace being replaced by the television, as the main focus of the room.

Some of the artifacts in the museum that were lent for copying by the makers of the excellent series, Sharpe.

Included at the bottom, is famous 6 barreled knock gun carried by the character Sergeant Harper.

The cell where Dick Turpin spent his last night before execution.

The bed was made of cast iron, I recon after a few hours lying on that, he welcomed death.

A day in York, retracing the steps of a School trip after 30 years.