The main thing that brought us to York was the National Railway Museum. Since he was about four years old, our eldest had a bit of a train obsession, and specifically wanted to go to this museum to see the Mallard. We were a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to expectations — if his interest in trains hasn’t fully waned, it’s certainly been divided across many other topics. (“Dad, can we discuss the sacking of Troy?”). But we needn’t have worried. He was beyond happy to be in a giant room full of locomotives, seeing them up close, reading all about them. In the final assessment, he judged it “better than Titanic museum,” and spent a blissful two hours in a space designed especially for people who love trains as much as he does. His younger brother was just as excited about the whole place (having absorbed much of the interest over the years) and had a grand time as well. A great success all round.

The rest of York was also very pleasant. We loved the renovation and conservation structures at Clifford’s Tower (it’s really brilliant architecture and design), wandering through the Shambles, looking at landmarks like York Minster and the old city walls. It’s a very compact, walkable city, and a lovely place to spend a few springtime days.