I’m back!

Okay, with so much online demanding our attention you might not have noticed I was even gone. Or, maybe you follow me on social media and knew I was gone, and the why and where as well.

As many of you know, although I’m a naturalized American, I was born and raised in the United Kingdom. I don’t often get back; the last time was in 2014 and then a series of events – the last of which was the global pandemic – prevented me from returning more recently.

In February, my mother died. Now, I’m not saying that to garner sympathy – we had a complex relationship – but it meant I had to go back. My father lives in the ancient city of York, so I moved there temporarily through March and April of 2022. Long story short, I wasn’t able to do much what I had planned. Nor was I able to work. So, to coin a cliche, I turned lemons into lemonade, and decided to explore York instead.

York isn’t perfect. It has modern day issues such as homelessness. But the draw is two-fold. Firstly, there’s the history. The city was founded by the Romans in the first century, and became the capital of a Roman province. It later became a place of importance for the Vikings. William I of England put down a major rebellion, it endured the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, and was besieged by Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. It then became a social and cultural center for wealthy northerners during the Georgian and Regency eras. More recently, it became known as a center of the railways and the chocolate industry.

Secondly, it was once said there was a pub in York for every day of the year. While that doesn’t quite hold true now, there are still plenty of places to eat and drink. Visit on a Saturday and you’ll find that many of the pubs are packed. Did I get to sample some local brews? Of course I did.

So, hang with me. Over the coming months, I won’t only post book reviews. I’ll also blog some of my explorations and discoveries of York and it’s surrounding area. I hope you’ll enjoy these posts as much as you’ve enjoyed my reviews.