Well we had booked to go to York in the motorhome as usual for our birthdays and we had managed to book about eight days to get both our birthdays in. Something we had not managed to do in the past, we had only ever got my birthday or Dot's in but never both. The booking was made in April 2018, very early as you have to be.
Then on the 8th of February we got a email from the club canceling the pitch, this was less than a month before we were due to go. The council were doing work on the road into the site and it would be closed. We got an apology that meant nothing, we were not even offered a different date to use the site, only sites close by but useless to us in the van. We had booked train tickets to Harrogate from York on my birthday which were also useless now.
So we immediately booked a hotel for my birthday but for the three days we booked it cost the same as the the week and a bit for the campsite. The Novotel we booked is just opposite the campsite on the other side of the river and another cost was the parking of the car, another £39.
Sunday the 3rd of March
As we could not be in the hotel until after two, we had arranged to meet young Ralph in Bishopthorpe for lunch. It was a Sam Smiths pub we went to, Me and Dot had been before many years ago and we were not used to Smiths pubs with food. Well I am glad we had booked The Ebor Inn, as it was fealy full in there and the Sunday Dinner was really good. Me and Ralph had the beef and Dot had the pork, all three of them were very good and Ralph paid the bill for my birthday.
After lunch Ralph set of back to home and Me and Dot set off to the Hotel, we were still early but we got into our room ok. Quite a nice room with a nice view over the river towards the campsite we should have been on. Anyway we got ready and set off into town.
The weather had changed and the rain was on and off as we wandered about the shops, we called into the Jack Wills shop to see if a parcel had arrived for Emily but we would have to call back on Tuesday. We then made for the train station to pick up our tickets for the trip out to Harrogate tomorrow. When we came out of the station the rain was really bad, so we headed straight into The Maltings to keep dry and have a beer.
In a break in the weather, we made our way to the The Pavement Vaults were we had another beer before making our way back to the hotel. We called into a small Sainsbury on the way back, to get something to eat but all I fancied was a cheese and tomato baguette and Dot a small salad.
Back at the room we watched Sunday night TV and had a drink that we had brought with us along with our food.
Monday the 4th of March, my birthday
Up early had weetabix for breakfast and made for the train station. We got there with about quarter of an hour to spare and found the platform for the right train, York station is very busy. Not a bad trip and we arrived in no time at all.
We were to meet old friends here but not for a while so we went shopping and got some good stuff in TK Max. As we came out of the little shopping center we bumped into Len and Margaret and headed towards Spoons, as we caught up on the last few years. In there we had a couple of pints and a good catch up but they had to go, so we said goodbye and set off shopping again. Only it started to rain so we went into the Slug and Lettuce and had our dinner in there out of the rain.
After lunch we started shopping again but soon got fed up, it's not that good when it keeps raining. So we headed back toward the train station The Harrogate Tap and had a beer in there. We didn't have long before the next train and you can no longer get from the pub onto the platform as you could last time. So I drank up and headed out the front door and into the station, through the turnstiles.
Back in York after a wander round we found a new pub and went in there, The Market Cat is a very nice pub but the toilets are on the second floor, that is the only fault with it.
From there we called into The Pavement Vaults again on the way back to the hotel and again popped into a Tesco this time and got crisps and a salad for supper. But it was much later than yesterday.
Tuesday the 5th of March
It was later when we set of out today about quarter to two, the first thing to do was go to the Jack Wills shop to get the parcel for Emily. Then we sat in the Cathedral gardens and had our sandwiches we got passing Tesco for lunch.
As we continued shopping I got some Leffy glasses from a secondhand shop, we also got a recipe book from a book shop and that did not weigh much. Eventually I needed the toilet so we had to go into The Duke Of York for a beer and a wee. As we sat in there looking out of the window, we got a sight of the local drunks, couples drinking strong lager. It was only about half past three and these people were falling about and also falling asleep. Luckily they moved on before we left the pub.
We continued with the shopping until we could not be bothered anymore and made for the new pub The Market Cat. This time in there we had Weihenstephan wheat beers, not the cheapest but really good beer.
Eventually we also had food in there as well, Dot had a chicken salad and I had a pizza, both very good. We also had a few more of the good beers as well before we went back to the room.
Wednesday the 6th of March
We did not get up until after nine, there was no rush to get going, the hotel leaving time is before twelve. So we had plenty of time for showers and to get packed up ready to leave.
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