And You, Sodomite...
Aug. 15th, 2010 12:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeReal ale, political discourse and ecclesiastical architecture? To whom would you look to imbibe in such convivialities? Why, my good friend Aremay and his merry men of mirth. By which I mean that we had a day out in York on Friday.
Having days off in mid-week can get quite lonely on the rare occasions when I am granted them but Aremay is off university, I am off my mind and desperate to experience new adventures. So we arranged to meet at Leeds Station and go to York with the hope of supping some fine ale at a local tavern or brewery. In fact, our destination was York Brewery, established in 1996 and growing ever since, they now make a fine selection of ales which are becoming increasingly noted in Yorkshire and beyond. The beers from there won awards in 2007 and 2008, it was the first new brewery opened in York for 40 years and it is one of those places that is reviving old traditions because the demand for real ale is becoming strong again. It's good to see such a small business fluorishing in this world of multi-national fizzy lager crap.
As part of the tour - which really was all of two rooms and an observation deck where we could see some fluffy yeast that looked like a soiled Aero - we also got two half-pints to sample, one before and one after. The kindly gentleman with a ginger beard allowed us student prices even though I have not been a student for many a year now. He told us all about how ale was made and a variety of other little tit-bits and facts which were truly fascinating. He also told us his life story, which was one of those humbling moments in which you develop an empathy with someone yet you don't quite know why. We were the only two people on the tour, which undoubtedly helped. I got told off for asking too many questions though, although at the end he was very forthcoming with answers and I discovered a hell of a lot. This tour was a world away from the industralised mechanisation that was the Guinness factory tour in Ireland - this was quaint, genteel and thoroughly Yorkshire. The brewing vats, the odour, it all had a Victorian feel about it. We got to try grist and various other hops in neat form, they tasted like Weetabix.
Meanwhile, the little bar, which is actually a members' club, had a 1930s full-length radio sat in one corner (sadly exposed to the leaky roof above) and olde maps of Yorke adorned the walls - maps in which Aremay had a particular interest. It had an uneven wooden floor with a little shop selling bottled brews in one corner. It was a snapshot of another age and everyone was friendly - particularly the guy with whom I discussed Teesside geography, no doubt to Aremay's complete stupefaction. I also bought three bottles of sweet sweet ale for my beloved Wolfie and we got a discount for that too. The man liked us, we liked him and I hope to go back there as it truly was a relaxing place to be. He said he had a lot of respect for students as ale was becoming big amongst their crowd, to his evident surprise. He says they have supported the brewery a lot through the years and I like to think we did too. Even the York University Real Ale Society pays them a visit.
Friday being Summer, rain ensued and we stayed behind for a third half to prevent ourselves from getting soaked. I tried the Terrier and the Constantine and the Guzzler. The latter is nice and light if I remember, the middle was as noble and strong as the emporer after which it was named and the former was like a small yappy dog that tries and humps your leg. Actually, it's their best selling ale and has a smooth taste that was eminently drinkable. Lovely.
I had a chicken and cauliflour sandwich, with mint dressing, from Mr Sandwich (I think there is a £ sign in the name somewhere but can't remember where - and I wouldn't want to be sued for infringement of trade mark) on the Shambles - all sandwiches £1 - you can't go wrong. I was also greedy and had a Maid of Honour in one of the backstreets. It was well tasty. A pastry thing with jam in the middle and icing atop.
After the York Brewery we went to York Minster as Aremay had a year pass which meant we could get free entry. The last time I had been there must have been 20 years ago and it was great exploring the place as an adult, learning a lot about the centuries of ecclesiastical history which this building contains. It was great trying to work out the words and paintings which had been scratched out or painted over after the Reformation, and by Puritans in the subsequent decades. It was also fascinating to imagine the Minster as a Catholic rather than Protestant church, bedecked in jewels, gold and paintings that would have looked quite wonderous. In a way, the Puritan period in UK history robbed these great buildings of their content, meaning they are mere shells of what they once were. The architecture may be there but ultimately, you only get half the story. The Church is a shell - an ornate and beautiful one perhaps - but a shell nonetheless. However, remnants of the paintwork can be seen everywhere and we had a lot of fun exploring and wondering. The red was particularly noticeable as not all of it had been stripped away in the cracks of the masonry. The fact it's also a living church allows the imagination to soar. There was even a lady selling furry faces there so it's good to see the Anglican faith is furry-friendly.
Aremay knows a lot about ecclesiastical architecture so I learned a great deal from him, particularly regarding church building. He pointed out incomplete arches, buttresses, the way the church leans in certain directions and various other architectual anomalies I would never have noticed. The historical, political and religious discussions which dominated the day were tremendously interesting as I acquired more knowledge on the religious history in England. Aremay knows a lot about shields, coats of arms and the various areas and functions of a church. He was also envious I had looked around some of the smaller churchs in York as part of my degree. My period of history is Early Modern which complemented Aremay's love of Medieval well so we compared notes and learned a lot from each other. The same was true in some of the other churches we visited in York, as well as in the Crypt where we saw remnants of the Roman basilica, the Norman Church (which was built right on top of the Anglo-Saxon one) and the modern Medieval one. We charted the different architectual styles and studied the graffiti upon the stones, probably there from the 11th century to donate which mason had carved the stone (the graffiti was in the form of easily-identifiable symbols). It was also great noting in real life the full effect of the Reformation and how it changed Britain. The Crypt itself was interesting with its saintly relics. Many in the 11th and 12th centuries particularly went on pilgrimages to see these tombs, proving that the cult of celebrity is not a modern invention.
The rest of the day was more alcohol related as we had a nice fish and chip supper in The Cross Keys pub in York before we decided to head back to York station to head back to Leeds. However, with half an hour to kill until our next train, we got a coffee in the Costa Coffee above the big clock in the station. I bought a hot chocolate - the top was all bubbled up like a dark brown Crunchie. It was a work of art. This also proved to be a wise choice as not only did I inadvertently flick my long hot chocolate spoon at a lady accidentally, but we also saw The Scarborough Flyer, the steam train that does regular excursions between York and Scarborough. It passed through York whilst we were there and the scurrying and excitement surrounding the age of steam is unparralleled. It truly was a wonderous and magestic sight to see the train pull its Pullman carriages through York as if it was the 1940s all over again. Again, it made me hark back to a simpler time as I watched the steam puff out of the engine and inevitably condense on the electric powerlines above. It's hard to describe the sight but from our aerial advantage, the juxtaposition of the steam engine and the curved roof of York station was very evocotive. Then I saw the Costa Coffee sign to my right...
After viewing the train, we boarded our less exciting TransPennine Express affair to Leeds to try the Brewery Tap near the Station. This was a pub which is run by two former apprentices of the ginger beard guy (remember him) and one of my favourites in Leeds. I said I would show Aremay it but alas at 7.30pm on a Friday, it was quite busy. We ended up in Mr Foley's after I bumped into a friend and a work college just wandering about randomly for a final beer before heading our separate ways. The problem was that three and a half beers and a cold made me restless for the rest of the night but no matter, it was a great day nonetheless :-)
Having days off in mid-week can get quite lonely on the rare occasions when I am granted them but Aremay is off university, I am off my mind and desperate to experience new adventures. So we arranged to meet at Leeds Station and go to York with the hope of supping some fine ale at a local tavern or brewery. In fact, our destination was York Brewery, established in 1996 and growing ever since, they now make a fine selection of ales which are becoming increasingly noted in Yorkshire and beyond. The beers from there won awards in 2007 and 2008, it was the first new brewery opened in York for 40 years and it is one of those places that is reviving old traditions because the demand for real ale is becoming strong again. It's good to see such a small business fluorishing in this world of multi-national fizzy lager crap.
As part of the tour - which really was all of two rooms and an observation deck where we could see some fluffy yeast that looked like a soiled Aero - we also got two half-pints to sample, one before and one after. The kindly gentleman with a ginger beard allowed us student prices even though I have not been a student for many a year now. He told us all about how ale was made and a variety of other little tit-bits and facts which were truly fascinating. He also told us his life story, which was one of those humbling moments in which you develop an empathy with someone yet you don't quite know why. We were the only two people on the tour, which undoubtedly helped. I got told off for asking too many questions though, although at the end he was very forthcoming with answers and I discovered a hell of a lot. This tour was a world away from the industralised mechanisation that was the Guinness factory tour in Ireland - this was quaint, genteel and thoroughly Yorkshire. The brewing vats, the odour, it all had a Victorian feel about it. We got to try grist and various other hops in neat form, they tasted like Weetabix.
Meanwhile, the little bar, which is actually a members' club, had a 1930s full-length radio sat in one corner (sadly exposed to the leaky roof above) and olde maps of Yorke adorned the walls - maps in which Aremay had a particular interest. It had an uneven wooden floor with a little shop selling bottled brews in one corner. It was a snapshot of another age and everyone was friendly - particularly the guy with whom I discussed Teesside geography, no doubt to Aremay's complete stupefaction. I also bought three bottles of sweet sweet ale for my beloved Wolfie and we got a discount for that too. The man liked us, we liked him and I hope to go back there as it truly was a relaxing place to be. He said he had a lot of respect for students as ale was becoming big amongst their crowd, to his evident surprise. He says they have supported the brewery a lot through the years and I like to think we did too. Even the York University Real Ale Society pays them a visit.
Friday being Summer, rain ensued and we stayed behind for a third half to prevent ourselves from getting soaked. I tried the Terrier and the Constantine and the Guzzler. The latter is nice and light if I remember, the middle was as noble and strong as the emporer after which it was named and the former was like a small yappy dog that tries and humps your leg. Actually, it's their best selling ale and has a smooth taste that was eminently drinkable. Lovely.
I had a chicken and cauliflour sandwich, with mint dressing, from Mr Sandwich (I think there is a £ sign in the name somewhere but can't remember where - and I wouldn't want to be sued for infringement of trade mark) on the Shambles - all sandwiches £1 - you can't go wrong. I was also greedy and had a Maid of Honour in one of the backstreets. It was well tasty. A pastry thing with jam in the middle and icing atop.
After the York Brewery we went to York Minster as Aremay had a year pass which meant we could get free entry. The last time I had been there must have been 20 years ago and it was great exploring the place as an adult, learning a lot about the centuries of ecclesiastical history which this building contains. It was great trying to work out the words and paintings which had been scratched out or painted over after the Reformation, and by Puritans in the subsequent decades. It was also fascinating to imagine the Minster as a Catholic rather than Protestant church, bedecked in jewels, gold and paintings that would have looked quite wonderous. In a way, the Puritan period in UK history robbed these great buildings of their content, meaning they are mere shells of what they once were. The architecture may be there but ultimately, you only get half the story. The Church is a shell - an ornate and beautiful one perhaps - but a shell nonetheless. However, remnants of the paintwork can be seen everywhere and we had a lot of fun exploring and wondering. The red was particularly noticeable as not all of it had been stripped away in the cracks of the masonry. The fact it's also a living church allows the imagination to soar. There was even a lady selling furry faces there so it's good to see the Anglican faith is furry-friendly.
Aremay knows a lot about ecclesiastical architecture so I learned a great deal from him, particularly regarding church building. He pointed out incomplete arches, buttresses, the way the church leans in certain directions and various other architectual anomalies I would never have noticed. The historical, political and religious discussions which dominated the day were tremendously interesting as I acquired more knowledge on the religious history in England. Aremay knows a lot about shields, coats of arms and the various areas and functions of a church. He was also envious I had looked around some of the smaller churchs in York as part of my degree. My period of history is Early Modern which complemented Aremay's love of Medieval well so we compared notes and learned a lot from each other. The same was true in some of the other churches we visited in York, as well as in the Crypt where we saw remnants of the Roman basilica, the Norman Church (which was built right on top of the Anglo-Saxon one) and the modern Medieval one. We charted the different architectual styles and studied the graffiti upon the stones, probably there from the 11th century to donate which mason had carved the stone (the graffiti was in the form of easily-identifiable symbols). It was also great noting in real life the full effect of the Reformation and how it changed Britain. The Crypt itself was interesting with its saintly relics. Many in the 11th and 12th centuries particularly went on pilgrimages to see these tombs, proving that the cult of celebrity is not a modern invention.
The rest of the day was more alcohol related as we had a nice fish and chip supper in The Cross Keys pub in York before we decided to head back to York station to head back to Leeds. However, with half an hour to kill until our next train, we got a coffee in the Costa Coffee above the big clock in the station. I bought a hot chocolate - the top was all bubbled up like a dark brown Crunchie. It was a work of art. This also proved to be a wise choice as not only did I inadvertently flick my long hot chocolate spoon at a lady accidentally, but we also saw The Scarborough Flyer, the steam train that does regular excursions between York and Scarborough. It passed through York whilst we were there and the scurrying and excitement surrounding the age of steam is unparralleled. It truly was a wonderous and magestic sight to see the train pull its Pullman carriages through York as if it was the 1940s all over again. Again, it made me hark back to a simpler time as I watched the steam puff out of the engine and inevitably condense on the electric powerlines above. It's hard to describe the sight but from our aerial advantage, the juxtaposition of the steam engine and the curved roof of York station was very evocotive. Then I saw the Costa Coffee sign to my right...
After viewing the train, we boarded our less exciting TransPennine Express affair to Leeds to try the Brewery Tap near the Station. This was a pub which is run by two former apprentices of the ginger beard guy (remember him) and one of my favourites in Leeds. I said I would show Aremay it but alas at 7.30pm on a Friday, it was quite busy. We ended up in Mr Foley's after I bumped into a friend and a work college just wandering about randomly for a final beer before heading our separate ways. The problem was that three and a half beers and a cold made me restless for the rest of the night but no matter, it was a great day nonetheless :-)
