Mythly

Category: york ghost

  • York

    Part 2

    Day two in York got off to a frantic start. There was a hotel breakfast to enjoy, or maybe not if you ask for the vegetarian option and the sausages are still frozen when they arrive… Luckily there was tea and pastries so all was not lost.

    After breakfast was a complicated hotel room scene of me going ‘I need that for the school visit this morning so let’s make a pile by the window, I don’t need that until the award ceremony this afternoon so it can go on the bed, I don’t need this at all anymore it can go by the door to go in the car, actually no, can I have that back, wait… do I have all the props for the school visit, do I need a coat, maybe we should start again…?’ and generally triple-checking everything in a haze of public-speaking fuelled anxiety.

    We arrived at fabulous Vale of York school and were met by their wonderful school librarian, Susie, and superstar student helper, Jacob. We got everything set up and started the presentation to a brilliant group of creative readers. They joined in, asked me loads of tricky questions, told me about their own stories and creative projects, we unwound so much ‘spidersilk’ that we ran out of space in the library, it was brilliant and I had a great time. I think the students did too!

    A display of the shortlisted books in the Vale of York school library.

    Next we drove to St Peter’s and sorely wished we’d washed the car. We live down a long, pothole- riddled, overgrown lane in Devon and we don’t even notice the mud on the car anymore. Until we park in front of this beautiful building!

    St Peter's school, absolutely beautiful! I made sure to crop our filthy car out of the picture, we rather lowered the tone.

    We had a lovely authors’ lunch in the library, then headed into a hall full of incredible artwork by the students. One student had a whole sketchbook for Stitchwort, it was beautiful! There was a cake, sculptures, drawings, paintings, fan- fiction, manga, scripts, reviews; the school staff had to drag the authors away because we wanted to see everything!

    Beautiful cover art and one of many lovely reviews.
    Sculpture, needlefelt, collage, and a beautiful portrait of Etta Starling. the diversity and effort involved in the artwork was amazing!
    I immediately noticed the cake was based on the cover of 100 Tales from the Tokyo ghost Cafe, but I didn't immediately spot the lollipops on the top representing each book, the school, and the book award! The creativity was fantastic!

    In the hall we each had a lovely, handwritten card welcoming us to the York Book Awards, chocolates with each of our book covers printed on, and a York Ghost! I had to be a well-behaved adult and not immediately open my ghost. (That lasted until we got back in the car, I’d opened my ghost before we’d pulled out of the parking space)

    Our lovely gifts from the organisers.

    We each had to do another talk, I was even more nervous in the hall than in the library, so I can only hope it was coherent! Luckily I went first, so everyone will have immediately forgotten mine. Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada told some wonderful ghost stories, with a live drawalong, and Tom Palmer had a real WW2 artefact with him, which helped him to connect to the past while writing The Angel of Grasmere.

    Chie and Julian, with Chie's wonderful Kappa drawing, snacking on a cucumber (I didn't know cucumber's were a Kappa's favourite food!)

    Next were awards to the students for their exceptional artwork, and then the book award! After a tense few minutes of anticipation Tom Palmer won with The Angel of Grasmere!

    Group photo! I do not photograph well, so I always look awkward!

    We then had a mad signing session with all of the excited students. Chie drew bunnies, I drew spiders, we took some photos together and it was time for the long drive back to Devon, with my two York Ghosts (and my lovely family!)

    My book cover chocolates!

    I had a wonderful few days, York was beautiful and the YBA were brilliant. We all thought the event was incredibly well organised and everyone involved had added so many thoughtful and personal touches. We were all blown away by the amazing staff and students, and I hope I can visit York again soon!

    We arranged our York souvenirs on the fireplace when we got home.

    If you’d like to know more about Julian Sedgwick go here; Home | Julian Sedgwick

    Chie Kutsuwada is here; Chie Kutsuwada Manga | illustration

    Tom Palmer’s website is; Tom Palmer | Children’s Author

    And the annual York Book Awards are here; In the Media – York Book Award

    Some excellent York Folklore by Icy Sedgwick; Devils, Cats, Tiny Streets & Witches: York Folklore At Its Best – Icy Sedgwick

    Came home to this idiot…

    Heimerdinger, poised and elegant as ever.

    I have a Ko-fi page, where you can ‘buy me a coffee’, should you ever wish to. Although I don’t actually like coffee, I like tea or hot chocolate. And cake. There’s a few free downloads available on Ko-fi, and I will try to remember to post more on it!

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  • York

    Part 1

    In November 2024 I received an email, telling me I was shortlisted for the York Book Award. My book, The Stitchwort Curse, had only been out for a few weeks, and I couldn’t believe it! I was invited to visit York, speak at the schools involved, and meet the students. I was honoured and delighted to say yes!

    York is quite a long way from Devon, and a bit complicated on the trains, so lovely Mr Dawe took time off work to drive us up. We left Devon at 5am, and were in York in time for lunch, and sightseeing!

    If you ever have chance to go to York definitely go, it’s beautiful. We only had a few hours to look around, there’s so much more to see! We’ll be back!

    The exterior of The York Ghost Merchant, a very small shop in the quaint, cobbled street called the Shambles. The shopfront is brick, with black paintwork. A red rope is across the door, the shop is so small only a few people are allowed in at a time.

    York was full of roadworks when we arrived, so navigating was a bit stressful. There is a park and ride outside the town, which might be easier if you’re just there for a day. We were staying in a hotel, and had overnight bags, so we found a 24 hour space at the station car park.

    As soon as we’d parked we immediately headed to The Shambles to visit the York Ghost Merchants. I’ve seen York described as the most haunted city in England, the most haunted city in Europe, and even the most haunted city in the world! The York Ghost Merchants certainly lives up to the ‘city of a thousand ghosts’ reputation, if you look up at the first floor window above the shop front you can see row upon row of ghosts!

    Yes, we bought 5 ghosts; one for me, two for my daughter, one for my parents (who were looking after dogs, cats, kittens and our other teenager) and one for a friend, who doesn't know about their ghost yet, it's a surprise... (so I can't post this page until they've had their present!)

    One of my teenagers had come along for the trip, so we excitedly joined the queue. We were very lucky, the queue can reach 3 hours long, but on a weekday afternoon, outside of school holidays, it was just 20 minutes.

    One of the ghosts we adopted! This one is plain white with black eyesockets.

    The shop is amazing, it’s so hard to choose a ghost as they’re all completely charming. There are also peepholes to look through, cabinets to open, and when you’ve made your selection you can photograph your ghosts in this little scene. The staff are lovely too!

    The York Ghost Merchants https://www.yorkghostmerchants.com/

    The Society of alchemists, where you can buy dragon egg bath bombs and other magical delights!

    Mission Ghost accomplished we explored the rest of the Shambles, including the market and street food.

    We didn't go inside, but this looks like a scene from a Studio Ghibli movie.

    As we only had an afternoon for sightseeing we decided not to try and rush through a visit to York Minster, but visit again and do it properly! There’s so much to learn about the minster I’d rather do some research beforehand, so that I don’t miss anything.

    The very large, beautiful and imposing York Minster.

    Hidden Wonders of York Minster – Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hidden-wonders-of-york-minster

    One of artist Mr Finch's spiders, on the ceiling of The Imaginarium.

    I’m not usually a big fan of shopping, unless it’s a bookshop. As we were exploring my teenager said how so many of the shops in York were an ‘experience’, and I think that’s why we enjoyed it so much. I’ve wanted to visit the Imaginarium ever since they first exhibited some of Mr Finch’s work, and I was so happy to see some giant spiders on the ceiling!

    The Imaginarium (@imaginariumyork)https://www.instagram.com/imaginariumyork/

    We walked into what we assumed was a cake shop, but no. It was soap! The Yorkshire Soap Company was another amazing shop, with candy pink carousel horses, and a terrifying velour mannequin. If Willy Wonka ran a soap shop instead of a chocolate factory…

    The terrifying pink mannequin (I'm not good with dolls, ventriloquist dummies, robots, mannequins etc)

    The Yorkshire Soap Company https://yorkshiresoap.co.uk/

    A pink carousel horse, and beautiful soap cakes.

    It was time to go and check into our hotel, and grab some dinner. Then we were back out for a Ghost Walk!

    York at night, the lights reflecting in the river.
    Our wonderful ghost walk tour guide.

    The stories were the perfect blend of history and spookiness, all while surrounded by the ancient buildings where it all happened!

    I've been reading the other shortlisted books; 100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe is by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada, and I really enjoyed it!

    Then it was time to head to bed with a book, and hope our hotel room wasn’t haunted…

    Is that a York ghost in my bed?!

    Part 2 coming soon… (that was a lie, I’m rubbish at doing things quickly! Hopefully this month!)