Away day in York

Pandemics and rail strikes aside, my department has an annual "away day" in which we all head off somewhere for a day to do a bit of brainstorming about how the department should operate, away from the constant ringing of the phone and client emails. Last year we did this in York. So Friday morning train from Kings Cross.

Then a day of talks and discussion sessions at Malmaison hotel in York - much nicer inside than out! 

Followed by an early evening boat trip. Unfortunately we just got out of the hotel to be met by a downpour of biblical proportions while we were standing on the riverbank awaiting our boat. Fortunately the shower passed and left us with a rather nice trip.

You can see from the dark clouds just what a monsoon had passed over us!

When first onto the river we found we were sharing it with a lot of rowing boats. From the look of the youngsters in them it seemed like a school sports lesson. And a more bedraggled lot of schoolkids you couldn't imagine. But you would look like that if stuck in a boat with no shelter, the river beneath you only marginally wetter than the sky above!

In teh end was dry and pleasant enough to go up on deck and enjoy our drinks al fresco.

After the boat trip we had a couple of hours to ourselves before dinner. Being the compulsive sightseer that I am, I went on a walk around the walls. (York having the most complete City walls in the country - and I have been round a few times over the years.)

Cliffords Tower, newly renovated, but too late in the day for me to visit.

And then a very fine dinner

Nice rooms too

Saturday morning we were free to go home whenever, so I first had another walk, in rather finer weather, with particular reference to York Minster.

Unfortunately I couldn't visit the Minster itself. It was closed because the Queen had just died. But many spontaneous floral tributes. Well deserved after a lifetime of service to the nation. Hard to imagine how you could be a better monarch than Elizabeth. Certainly better than some elected head of state.