York for £1

Have you ever wondered how much fun you can have in a northern city for a pound (and by northern I am, of course, referring to anything higher than Exeter). Up in the extreme north, then, in York, you can actually do quite a bit for £1 as Mr. Barnard and myself found out yesterday.

CITY BUS TRIP
Duration: 1 hour
Price: £1
Review: Having little battery life left in our cameras the evidence of Sunday's day trip around York are rather limited. However, Mr. Barnard was able to take a few photos of different places in York at the height of the second floor of a double decker bus. It was a little bit chilly and away from the front of the bus, it was difficult at times to hear what the lady was telling you, about the local landmarks.

JORVIK VIKING CENTRE
Duration: not too long
Price: free (with York card on special weekends like that)
Review: Having heard mixed reviews of the Jorvik Viking Centre Mr. Barnard and I went to check it out. There is an interesting time travel ride at the beginning with a little film about a boy and a girl going back intime, and wearing lots of different period clothing. This was followed by a sort of ride that is usually reserved for haunted houses at theme parks. However, there were not any ghosts and we were taken around York, as it was back in ye olde Viking days. Comic relief is provided by one man having difficulty with his stools. Other than these rides, the Viking Centre tails off and goes a bit down hill. Although you get to wear Viking helmets and cloaks to have your picture taken and can play the archaeologist with goggles, plastic tweezers, magnifying glass and a tray of assorted "artefacts". Mr. Barnard suggested it was not as engaging as a museum in Chester.

YORK DUNGEON
Duration: moderate to good
Price: free (with York card on special weekends like that)
Review: This was one of the highlights of the day. With real life actors and water being squirted, as well as the chance, to turn a big torture wheel thing, this was the most interactive part of the day. First we visited the doctor, who talked to a manakin with a tape recorder inserted in it. Mr Barnard did his best to try and make the actors speak out of character. Your beloved MJ was tried and convict of being "extremely guilty" on account of dressing up as a woman and running amock in old York city - allegedly. Mr Barnard did his best to leave with a jar of leeches. We also met an Irish Viking that also knew a bit about the history of Irish emigration too.

TOTAL:

Bus ride + Jorvik Viking Centre + York Dungeon = £1

Ideal.