Bishops Visit – York the city of the Viking – St Leonard’s Hospice and lighting the Christmas Tree in St Helen’s Square

It started with a band, horns and drums assembling in the square around a plain fir tree. Then the school children assembled on the dais and the crowd closed in. The carols started and the crowd sang along to all the old favourites, Good King Wenslas, Silent Night, Once in Bethlehem and more. We were shivering with cold but transfixed by the joyful sight. St Leonard’s Hospice was lighting the Christmas Tree in St Helen’s Square, in the old town of York.

Then suddenly the tree was lit up to spontaneous applause and cries of Merry Xmas. This was the end of our first day in York. Filled with the spirit of Xmas we journeyed home to our hotel. We would have tomorrow to explore more.

 

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Glendon

Retired Australian Lawyer having worked representing the innocent and the not so innocent in Australia and some of the remote parts of the world and having travelled widely through Europe, Western Russia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Thailand Malaysia Solomon Islands northern China, Hong Kong and the UAE So now that I have the time I am writing about my travels present and past. Hope you enjoy exploring off the beaten track.