I went for a mini-holiday in the historic city of York a month or so ago with Kate.

We stayed in a really cheap and lovely hotel called 'Elliots' near the town centre. On one evening we ate in a particularly memorable restaurant, the name of which I will have to dig up from the match packet I kept. Apart from the staples of a stay in York (the minster, Betty's, and until recently, the nearest Borders book shop to me) I discovered a lovely bookshop called the little apple bookshop. I got a signed copy of 'The Algebraist', by Iain M. Banks (I'm struggling through it slowly now) which got a good review in an issue of Interzone, and a signed copy of Alexander Mc-Call Smith for my dad's birthday (which was this week).

(I also picked up a book of Philip K Dick non-fiction in Borders)

Caught Ocean's 12 at a little cinema, went to an Abbey (Kate will have to remind me of the name) and took some nice pics (I'll upload and link soon) before coming back via Durham and catching Phoebe and co., friends from uni. It snowed like crazy on the way back.