Turn to the right of St. Leonard's Place or go straight ahead to the Museum Street? That was the choice we had after visiting the largest Gothic Cathedral in northern Europe, York Minister. We were looking for a local pub to rehydrate our thirsty throats. Yes, we were quite weary and tired after traversing from one street to another. I must say we were wowed with the town centre’s magical beauty in which most streets astonished our expectations. There were well- preserved historical buildings occupied by big commercial establishments; known hotels; affordable yet unique inns; friendly local eating places and also, well established pubs. Like the Thomas's of York Pub managed and operated by Kelly and the Toy Team.
Travelling can be exhausting and rewarding at the same time too...
There is a Red House Antique Centre occupying a detached building which is painted in the shades of red (almost salmon) and white. It is indeed brightly conspicuous for visitors and the like! The façade of the building featured a common 2-storey edifice but inside, it had 3 floors without the inclusion of its basement. It had wooden staircases and mezzanines to reach each floor and view the stored classic/ vintage collectible items. A place to explore and if you couldn't find what you are looking for, why not warm yourself up at their cafe & tea room while thinking about their collections that are on sale. Without a doubt, you will find this antique centre easily as it's next to the Saint Wilfrid's Catholic Church on Duncombe Place.
I stood on a hoisted pedestrian refuge island surrounded with leafy concrete boxes. For a few minutes, I was transported back to the Victorian period because of the vintage and rustic street signs. Can you imagine the sound of galloping horses pulling heavy commercial carriages? If you can, I am sure that you will be ensorcelled, too! Yes, it was a mesmerising occurrence and eventually the street signs guided us through to stay away for awhile from the madding crowd.
We crossed over Blake Street and walked on the verge of Museum Street. Adventitiously, we entered a brick-made building with a personalised train station pub's name, ornate Victorian entrance, rows of chimney pots and restored sash windows. Literally, the front windows had on them prints of the local and known recipes as well as posted cut out images of illustrious royalties and renowned actors.
At long last, we found a local pub with a warmth and jocund ambiance. We walked through the door and on the right side was a stately cosy room with the hanging portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and a union jack flag throne chair, too. Apart from those, the interior of the room has an enlarged fixed picture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with her subordinates onto the wall with the 16th-century's Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate name above it. Can you now guess the name of the room? It's labelled and known as The Queen's Room!
There was also a staircase leading onto the first floor which was sheathed with unique menu wallpapers and unconventional hanging objects. You will never fail to find their toilets, too! We stayed on the ground floor and went down a short plight of steps to order our refreshments. Sadly, they didn’t serve my choice of non-alcoholic drink which is why, Kelly (the manager) suggested a drink I might like to sip. I thought I would end up having a glass of lime and soda but her suggestion was satisfying!
We sat and relaxed snugly for an hour on their eye-catching contemporary patchwork sofa which was placed conspicuously on the dance floor area. After that, we moved to another elevated room which was only separated from where we were by a glass unit containing fragile items. The elevated room was interiorly designed with artworks brightly displayed and philosophical sayings on the walls. A very flamboyantly bare-faced section of the pub indeed! I didn’t walked around like I would normally be which would mean examining each floor and even entering 'No Trespassing' rooms. As far as I can vividly remember, it had quarter-turn stairs with newly painted wooden banisters, a huge double hung paned window with half-moon designed and a kelham hall up chandelier.
In the daytime, Thomas's of York Pub is an affable drinking/eating place operated by Kelly and the Toy Team. It is a local pub with a contemporary twist and quaintness which has been valued as a cherished rendezvous for all types of gender. The pub itself has been managed smoothly for years and withstood the test of time because of the management's full and special support to the LGBTQI+ community. When night falls and specifically on Saturday night, this pub becomes a bustling bar boosted with the appearance of special artist(s) and whooping sound systems producing state-of-the-art music. Generally speaking, it is a welcoming place to meet new friends, greet amiable people and connect with the lovely ones; either with a drink in your hand or just simply enjoying the disco- dance rhythms. If ever you plan to visit York, visit and connect with Kelly and the Toy Team who will make you loose and care-free while at Thomas's of York Pub.
(With Queenie)
(With Alex, Mike and Darren)
We were fully energised and zoomed our way back into the madding crowd. I just couldn't believe that York had lots of gems; places to relish and all reached on foot. The experience of this great city was especially warm because of the conviviality of the local people.
