I seem to be having a slight shopping problem here in York. I've spent more money here than in London or anywhere else, but gee it's been good. I'm off to the York Minster this afternoon though which will even out the culture vs shopping.

I've accessed the net mainly from the library here and always have a squizz at the ruins out the front. I managed to find out about them this morning and it seems they are a 13th century hospital which made me shudder. Somehow I don't think 13th century hospitals were quite a happy place and can't imagine some of the painful stuff that went on there.

Everything (obviously) is old here and really beautiful. You'd presume that Brits would come over to Oz and think 'wow, this is so beautiful. It's so modern' while looking at a 1970's yellow brick home. The cottage we are staying in is brand new. Very rare, especially for the village we are staying in. It turns out the old lady who owned the old cottage in front, where our landlords live, sold it to them with a DA for our place. This is really difficult to achieve but she happened to have a place on the parish council and hence got the DA approved.

Speaking of old, we had a lovely conversation with an old lady in easingwold, a market town about 7 miles out of Newton on Ouse - the village we are staying in. We wandered into 'an antique shop' which actually turned out to be the front room in her home. the oldies bought all this Irish linen from her and spent around $100. you could tell she didn't sell much and this was a really big deal to her and she kissed and hugged everyone goodbye with tears in her eyes. turns out she's 89. As the mother said, it is the people you meet that make it memorable.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. Yesterday we went to Thirsk, the action packed town that is the home of Herriot country. unfortunately it was after 5 pm by the time we went to go there, but I think I had already had enough of an adrenalin packed day with all the cups of tea.

Unfortunately Moyra, I won't have time to visit Scunthorpe, I did really want to go. Saturday morning we'll leave earl burl and go to Haworth, where the Bronte parsonage is and hopefully have time to pop into castle howard, scarborough and on to Edinburgh by 4pm.

I have been completely freaking out about driving in Edinburgh but everyone says its really easy and I'm getting used to the car now so i'll give it a bash. It's great to hear from everyone so much, I have alot of postcards to send. Big Kev, I don't have your address though so if you want something you'll have to let me know.

I think i'll have to get a shipping container for all the stuff for Bronte. I keep seeing heaps of fantastic things. I have actually now made a vow to avoid any shop that sells child related products. It's also a full time job stopping the mother from buying out the Peter Rabbit store. Speaking of the little b, I think the best way to sum up the 'aroma' of North Yorkshire (outside the city' is that it smells like Bronte. Everywhere you go, you get out of the car and are overwhelmed by it. That is about the only thing I won't miss about Yorkshire. It truly is fantastic. A great mix of city/country, great access, heaps of heritage, heaps of fantastic shopping etc etc. Anyway, I'm rambling. big hello to all.