A couple of changes will be made but this should be the general format once again.
Wednesdays will be review day so I’ll be carrying out a top 3 review unless it’s a special occasion.
Thursdays starting from 24th June shall be opinion pieces written by Alex Nicholson so it should be a surprise even to me.
Fridays will see the return of Gossip Friday which shall now be a selection of my ten favourite celebrity and media stories.
Finally Sundays will see the return of the News Round Up which will also be a selection of my ten favourite stories of the week.
The only warning I can give is that I’m currently in the middle of switching jobs (and cities) which may result in some pieces not making it out on time or at all that week but make sure to follow the Twitter feed or my Facebook status to keep in the know of the latest updates.
Anyway, on with today’s piece – Review Wednesday!
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Today being a special day with the restart of the blog I thought it best to make an effort and bring a personal review of two cities I’ve visited recently.
Firstly we’ll start with York.
Only getting an evening and part of the next day to get around has meant that I’ve only been able to experience some of the sights of York, for example I would have loved to have gone on a walk of the amazing city walls however I had some more unusual experiences awaiting.
Heading into town in the early evening with friends of my other half to guide me around I first ended up exploring a rather odd shop named “The Trembling Madness”; I’m sure from the name alone you can imagine the oddness I was about to experience.
The front of shop may seem quite small but walking through its true glory is revealed. The back room of the shop contains an extraordinary array of beers from around the globe whilst the floor above is host to South-East Asian themed restaurant. Available in the front of shop is a selection of other alcohol, cheese and various pork based pies (I recommend the pork and apple pie myself) whilst infront of the till itself are some odd confectionary to buy. Curious I sampled a chocolate covered scorpion whilst the other half tried some Thai green curry crickets although chocolate covered spiders were also available. I found the scorpion a bit too crunchy for my liking as well as leaving a numbness of the tongue whilst TOH found the crickets to actually be rather nice. If you fancy treating yourself to one however you may want to think again at a price of £2.99 for one scorpion or a pack of three or four crickets.
Further along the street is a bar run by the owners of the Trembling Madness with another odd name of the “Evil Eye Lounge”. The atmosphere on entering is youthful and energetic with vibrant colours and slightly neo-new-age menus. The selection of beers is once again immense but feeling fruity I opted for a cocktail (or two) which resulted in each time having to pick from the menu what I wanted then being told I’d much rather have something else and have something created off-menu from scratch. Though I do prefer getting what I ask for I must say that these guys know their stuff and the resulting cocktails were perfectly tailored to the flavours that I had asked for (as well as rather alcoholic). If you were going to have a night out around York then the Evil Eye Lounge must be on that list at some point, it would be too good to miss out on.
After indulging in a bit of drink it was time to try the next new thing, a ghost walk. As so many run in the city we opted for a more light-hearted one, no jumpy bits, just more of a tour around the city recounting it’s more colourful days. The walk we took started from the cathedral which runs everyday at 19.30. Though it cost £4 and ran only for an hour it was a fun experience due to the interesting stories and surroundings as well as the pleasant attitude of the guide and genuine good humour.
Following on from there was a tour of just a few of the many bars and pubs of York, none of which were really noteworthy enough to mention due to (unfortunately) poor service as well as a busy environment.
On the following day with just enough time for a quick tour allowed the time for another couple of gems to be found.
Firstly “The Whisky Shop” doing what it says in the name, the shop itself contains a wide selection of whiskies and drinking implements. Good prices and good staff make it a stop on a tour to get a souvenir tipple.
The second and by far my favourite stop however must be the Luxury Ice Cream Company. A small and beautifully decorated shop it was a pleasure just to enter it with its bright pastel colours, camp decoration and almost Carroll-esque seating. My favourite part (and hopefully yours too in the future) was the wide selection of freshly made ice cream for an exceptional price (£2.70 for a 3 scoop tub with a flake). If you ever do get the chance to visit I suggest a mix of chocolate, black cherry and Turkish delight but please make sure you’re hungry before you go, the size of the scoops are gargantuan.
Now for the second stop, Coventry.
The centre of Coventry seemed surprisingly small considering it’s history and importance however there is an odd clash of medieval, 60’s and modern all converging and giving the impression of travelling through time by turning the corner of a road.
The centre of what appears to be the medieval part of the city was the ruin of the cathedral that had been destroyed during the war. Walking around the interior of the ruins can be both beautiful and eerie as artwork with both religious and hopeful statements or imagery. The only way this is spoiled is by the close proximity of the neighbouring church with its modern edges and “in-your-face” art that though beautiful in it’s own way seems more of a badly drawn caricature of the cathedral itself.
Whilst stopping for lunch I found a reasonably priced restaurant with pleasant ambience and an exceptional view of the cathedral as it just sat on the corner of the churchyard with a view of the spire. If you ever want to just relax and unwind in a suitable environment then I strongly suggest you visit the (as they call it) “eatery” with the name “Twenty 4 Bayley Lane”.
Around the corner from the cathedral finds the shopping districts which vary between high and low end swirling together along with the 60s style and modern architecture (as well as a huge statue of Lady Godiva). If the aim is for a day of shopping then Coventry has got to be on that list.
One final place I must mention is an exhibition titled “Life in Coventry” which can be found at the Glass House Exhibition Hall on Earl Street. The exhibition itself is a display of artwork made by refugees and migrants reflecting their personal views, how they view Coventry and images of what they miss or have left behind. Though few have training in art it won’t matter as even the pieces submitted by children won’t fail to have an emotional effect.
Anyway, that’s all for the Review Round Up this week but stop by again soon to check for more updates.
