I had a trip into York city centre this afternoon, and found a number of changes to mitigate the effect of Covid-19. This area of grass (College Green) has been adapted to provide an outdoor seating area, and there is a large teepee to provide sheltered seating. There are temporary toilets as well.
There are numerous small cafe and snack bar establishments near here, particularly on Goodramgate, which can only seat a small number of people, so now potential customers can buy takeaway food and eat it here.
In the background is the east end of York Minster, with it's massive window, the size of a tennis court. It's a shame that the view of the minster is partly obscured, but if it helps to protect people from Covid-19 and allow local businesses to function again it is a small price to pay.
It isn't long ago that scaffolding was removed from the east end of the Minster, following a massive restoration project that has lasted quite a few years. The stained glass was dismantled and cleaned piece by piece, and the transformation in the detail and clarity in the glass is remarkable.
I'm not sure what happened to the 'O' in the large YORK letters on the left of the shot - perhaps someone was looking for an unusual souvenir of their visit to York!
The city centre was quite busy - certainly more busy than at any time since the lockdown began, and only a small proportion of people are wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, so I think my visits will be infrequent until pupils go back to school in September and things quieten down a bit.
great composition of the times we are living in. At least York is adapting with the times.
Maybe the O of York was not placed, as it would be a very tempting seat.
Looking forward to learning more about York, Not sure when or if I can ever come visit
Pity the 'O' has been taken away - I hope this is for some repairs. It is amazing how our ancestors could build cathedrals like this with the few tools they had and how they could form a window so big. We had a few weeks carefree from Covid19 but this last week the number of infected people have increased up to those we had at the begining of lockdown.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and fav, they are very much appreciated.
Margaret, I would much prefer the moor tops, but sadly I have no way of getting there this year.
Kathy, I will get a reserved sticker put on the K for you.
I'm beginning to wonder if there ever was an O in the lettering, since where it would have been has quite well worn grass and seems to form a main access to the seated area.
John Thornton of Coventry, master glazier, glass painter, was employed in 1405 to work on the East Window. He got a £10 bonus on top of his £56 fee for completing the work on schedule in 1408. Astonishing, eh? But what a beautiful sight the window is now, I’m sure he and his craftsmen would be delighted to see it restored to its former glory.
It's an amazing piece of work, and in better condition than it has been for a very long time. It's fascinating to see how bright and colourful the glass is when you look closely at it.
Ian
August 2nd, 2020
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Maybe the O of York was not placed, as it would be a very tempting seat.
Looking forward to learning more about York, Not sure when or if I can ever come visit
Thanks for explainining and info.
Also thanks to Katharine for het nice comments.
The Minster looks quite majestic after its facelift.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and fav, they are very much appreciated.
Margaret, I would much prefer the moor tops, but sadly I have no way of getting there this year.
Kathy, I will get a reserved sticker put on the K for you.
I'm beginning to wonder if there ever was an O in the lettering, since where it would have been has quite well worn grass and seems to form a main access to the seated area.
Ian
It's an amazing piece of work, and in better condition than it has been for a very long time. It's fascinating to see how bright and colourful the glass is when you look closely at it.
Ian