Sunday 29 April 2018

Sunday evenings are Pizza Evenings at the Grapes...

....and occasionally on other evenings. Word has spread that these pizzas are amazing, they are so fresh and tasty, not like some of the cardboard rubbish you can come across.

You can either eat the pizzas in or bring them home .





Here you see the landlord as chief pizza-maker and the lovely landlady sat in her famous chair ,which had previously belonged to Queen Victoria . It was featured on last Sundays Antique Roadshow which was at Castle Howard. We spied a few people queuing up that we knew and saw Blenkers waiting patiently too.

This week I managed to get my pizza home to take a photo before it was eaten on the way !

The Grapes is in Slingsby just 3 miles from Castle Howard so makes a great change to visit a pub every now and again a bit further from home.
The Grapes is a pub with many little rooms and is very popular with locals as well as passerby too.

 The Grapes Inn is an authentic spot to cosy up by the fire or enjoy the sunshine.
“Everyone is welcome whether you’re a farmer in your wellies, someone walking the dog who fancies a drink or a group of girls dressed up for a great night out.” – Catharine Spooner, landlady


Breakfast time with a difference

Tuesday 3 April 2018

The Mansion House in York

I was really impressed the other evening when I was invited along by Make it York to the Mansion House in York.

Past the grandeur of the prominent green doors and beautiful facade lies an inspiring, interactive environment where you can experience the story of York’s past and present. See how every Lord Mayor from the middle ages to the present day has danced, dined and entertained.
Marvel at the stunning gold and silver collections, explore the dramatic interiors and uncover civic secrets hidden within its walls. From the grandeur of the state room to experiencing life below stairs, in the restored Georgian kitchen, York Mansion House is a pleasure to discover.
The York Mansion House is the earliest purpose built house for a Lord Mayor still in existence and predates the Mansion House in London by at least twenty years. The home was built as a place for the Lord Mayor to entertain visitors to the city and to house York’s wonderful civic collections.
Standing in the heart of our vibrant city, the Mansion House has been home to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of York since 1732 and is still in use today.
My favourite bits were dressing up as a judge complete with wig and cat and also the kitchens as I found them fascinating and lots of memories of my childhood. And in the dining room that  same styled sideboard which my parents have except I think ours was grander as theMansion House only had shelves in theirs and we have a drink cabinet behind one of the doors which holds 16 bottles not that anyone drinks it .It is full of bottles people have given them for Christmas and  we keep for "better days than Sundays".
Certainly worth a visit when you are next in York and 
ps Newly opened The Ivy Restaurant is just across the street