Tag Archives: york

Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter

Fossgate Merchants' Quarter
“Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter” — Pedestrians stroll through the Fossgate Merchants’ Quarter, York.

We stopped in York for two nights this past spring, breaking up a train ride from Edinburgh to London. We had not been to York before, but had heard that it would be worth at least a quick visit. There’s a lot of interesting things to see: The Yorkminster Church (where we stopped to hear some music), the historic walls around the town, the river, and the old central area within the walls, especially the well-known “Shambles” area.

Despite a few signifiers of York, I think of this photograph as being more a generic street photography type, with interesting buildings and other details and a small crowd of passers-by. The location is within the old section of town, roughly on the fridge of the Shambles area.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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The Shambles

The Shambles
“The Shambles” — People walk along a narrow street in the Shambles, York.

We broke up our train ride from Edinburgh and London with a short visit to York during our United Kingdom trip earlier this year. It was quite a varied trip, starting with shoreline towns to the west in Scotland, then walking the Great Glen Way to Inverness, visiting a few other urban areas of Scotland, and finally concluding in London. The train trip from Edinburgh to London is fairly long, so it seemed like a good idea to break it in two and spend a couple nights here.

“The Shambles” are (is?) a well-known feature of the old part of York. This is an area of narrow, curving streets and tiny businesses crowded together. We visited this section on a cloudy morning when we were looking for coffee and breakfast — needs that were satisfied by a scone shop near when I made the photograph.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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A Window In York

A Window In York
“A Window In York” — Looking out of a window in the Shambles, York, England.

We made a short, two-night stop in York on our train trip from Edinburgh to London. York isn’t exactly an unvisited place, but it is on a smaller scale than the other two cities and was a pleasant respite from the big city vibe of those locations. We had lovely lodgings on a side street, and it was only a short walk across a bridge into the older part of town. We walked over there on this morning looking for breakfast, and we ended up at this “scone shop” in the Shambles.

Yes, the Shambles. If you don’t already know, that description in the English language (“What a shambles!”) derives from this area of York, where tiny businesses crowd together in shops and stalls along very narrow streets. This scone shop was quite small, but the scones were delicious! On the first floor there was barely room for the two of us to stand at the small counter and place our order, and the upstairs eating areas were not much larger. We settled in at a table beneath this windows that provided a view over the nearby neighborhood.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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When It Reigns I’m Poor

When It Reigns I'm Poor
Graffiti covered, weathered door and brick walls, Manhattan.

When It Reigns I’m Poor. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Graffiti covered, weathered door and brick walls, Manhattan.

These are, or so it seems, the words of “Mario” according to the inscription on this urban doorway. I’m always intrigued by the odd bits of street wisdom found among the less sophisticated graffiti and simple visual vandalism found in places like this. These texts often have an ironic, streetwise quality, but also reflect a simple view of the world, where the words are perhaps taken to be more profound than they actually are. That being said, I kind of like this one.

While those who read my posts know that I just returned from a visit to pandemic-plagued Manhattan, this photograph comes from an earlier visit a few years ago. Back then it was easier to simply head out and walk wherever I felt like going, as we did on this day. Now you can go out on the street — and it is perhaps safer than going indoors — but you are likely wearing a mask and avoiding other people.

Update June 21, 2022: The actual “Mario” contacted me, and you can read what he wrote in the comments below on this page.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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