YORK

Susan, Sebastian, our friend Barry and I had a delightful if slightly odd mini-break in the historic town of York, 90 kilometres west of Perth. It was one of the earliest villages created by colonists and an impressive number of 19th and early 20th century buildings and houses remain intact. We stayed in a house built in 1910, with those wonderful all encompassing verandahs that I love. A perfect place to sit and catch the sun on a winter morning or watch the flocks of pink and grey galahs and the ring necked parrots flying into nearby gum and olive trees. 


The "odd"-ness of our holiday was that almost nothing that might have been of interest to tourists was open on Tuesday or Wednesday and in some cases Thursday and Friday. The Residency Museum wasn't open. The Holy Trinity Church with the Robert Juniper stained glass windows wasn't open. The Courthouse Art Gallery wasn't open. The other two galleries weren't open. The bookshop did (hurrah) open on Thursday so we could call in there before we departed. And the main street at night time with all it's historic buildings was deserted apart from two kids mucking around putting a real estate brochure stand into a rubbish bin and sending it careering down the street. That's for you do for fun in York.


On a more positive note, the Sock Factory was open. Who would have thought that small scale manufacturing of socks was happening in a modest country town? 


The lack of things to do did encourage us to go exploring further afield to Beverley where an art and craft shop was open but again, there wasn't much else to do apart from admire its Art Deco town hall.

On the way back, we called into Toodyay which is only 10km closer to Perth than York but where some shops and galleries were open. What makes the difference betweeen the towns I wonder? Needless to say, while Sebastian was off having bush walks and finding numbats and echidnas, Susan, Barry and I workshopped what could be down to encourage more activity to attract tourists. Mind you, maybe the locals don't want us. Maybe they are happy to be able to get a park outside the town hall or the chemist without having to compete with visitors. 

Anyway, the beds of Burnley House were warm and cozy; sitting around nattering about politics, AI, univeristies, and art with Barry was stimulating; and it was interesting to revisit towns we hadn't been to for 40 or 50 years. 

Sebastian, Susan & me in the Farmer's Home Hotel, Northam

Susan & Barry on the top of Mt Brown, York




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