York - Benningbrough Hall, York City Walls and more

After departing Keswick in the Lakes  district we travelled towards York, stopping at the magnificent Benningbrough Hall, just before York.   This beautiful 18th century home is managed by the National Trust and has many wonderful displays and interactive exhibits.

 The day we visited Benningbrough was also the day when the artist & illustrator Ray Mutimer was sketching and signing copies of the latest book he has illustrated - favourite nursery rhymes.  Ray Mutimer is the illustrator of Postman Pat and many other children's characters.

 Here is Ray Mutimer sketching in the copy of the book we bought.

 Here we go - Little Red Riding Hood - completed in around 5 minutes:

 Emily completes a sketch to give to Ray Mutimer:

 A very large teapot in the gardens of Benningbrough Hall

 Benningbrough's manicured gardens:

 More dress up opportunities!

 Who are these two?

 Emily uses the interactive portrait make to create a single portrait of herself, then a group portrait:

 Emily sculpts a nose ...

 Could you fit this bed in your home?

 A view of the York city walls...

The enormous York Minster Cathedral:

 Admiring one of the many fabulous shops in York:

 The Purple Man - Emily just had to go and say hello...

 Oh dear , how long will it take for that purple paint to wash out?

 Some of the exquisite garments on display in Molly Brown's..... think I need a another credit card for some of these!

 Shopping, York style...

 More views of York Minster...

Barley Hall, a rediscovered Tudor era home in York...

 ....stupid deaths, stupid deaths....  (Recognise this grim reaper?)

 The "surgeons" practising in the time of the plague in England in the 1600s wore these masks with beaks filled with herbs , to protect themselves against catching the plague...

 Inside York Minster cathedral...

 Another busker....didn't like his puppet much...

 We visited the "Story of Chocolate in York" exhibit, which told the story of Rowntrees and Terry's chocolates.  It was very well done, and also delicious...

 We dropped into this pub which had the ruins of a Roman bath ; enjoyed a talk by a PhD historian from Oxford University...

 Dave couldn't help himself!

 Take that Emily!

 More York shops...

 We had a few frights at the York dungeon!

 Some of the colourful characters walking the streets of York...

 One of the gates in the York city walls...

 The front of our apartment building, just 5 minutes walk from the city centre...