quirky

The Shambles in York is a magical spot, particularly when the nights draw in and the Christmas lights get switched on. Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century.

A street in one of Britain’s oldest cities, York, is a captivating spot brimming with unique shops, cosy pubs, and lively bars.

The Shambles, as it’s affectionately known, is a labyrinth of winding, narrow lanes nestled in the heart of North Yorkshire. It transforms into a magical place when the nights grow longer and the Christmas lights twinkle.

At the middle of the area lies a lane actually named the Shambles, renowned as possibly the best-preserved medieval street globally, even earning a mention in the 1086 literary sensation, the Domesday Book.

Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century. The name ‘Shambles’ is believed to have evolved from ‘Shammel’, an Anglo-Saxon term for the shelves that were once a common sight in the open shopfronts. While the ancient name and buildings persist, the purpose of most shops has evolved over time.

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The butchers who once busily chopped, skinned, and portioned meat here have long since departed. The only remnants of their trade are the meat hooks they used to display their goods on the shopfronts. Nowadays, the Shambles accommodates a variety of businesses. Still, its medieval overhanging buildings and tight alleyways remain intact, offering visitors a sense of stepping back in time.

During my university days, I spent three years in York, witnessing the Shambles transform with the changing seasons and times of day. At Christmas, the streets were bustling with eager shoppers seeking a bargain and a warm pastry to ward off the cold.

During this bustling period, it might be wise to head to one of the quieter yet equally enchanting streets on the other side of town until the crowds thin out in the evening.

In the summer, the Shambles are filled with the sound of busking students, hen parties, and day-trippers there to sample some of York’s pubs. Whether the widely circulated claim that the city has a pub for every day of the year is indeed true takes far longer than a day, a long weekend, or even a three-year degree to verify.

This is largely because you’ll likely find yourself repeatedly visiting the superb House of Trembling Madness.

My favourite time to visit was in the dead of night, after a stop at one of these many pubs or the now sadly closed and much-missed Willow – a delightfully grubby club/Chinese restaurant. In certain sections of the Shambles, you can touch both sides of the street with your arms outstretched. The best time to test your wingspan is once all the other visitors have headed home.

In recent years, the narrow lane has become saturated with wizard-themed shops, thanks to its striking resemblance to the fictional Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. When the relentless peddling of magical merchandise becomes overwhelming, visitors can retreat to the shrine of Margaret Clitherow.

Step inside this peaceful sanctuary and you’ll find respite from the bag-wielding mayhem that’s left firmly outside. The shrine welcomes the public throughout the week and holds Mass at 10am each Saturday.

A quick walk through one of the Shambles’ snickelways (narrow alleyways) brings you to the Shambles Market, an open-air venue selling food and various goods. TikToker That Girl Fleurr, who explores destinations around the UK, recently declared the Shambles ‘the most magical street’ in Britain in a video. It’s a sentiment that’s difficult to challenge.

Jerry Rebbeck, who runs Wheelwrights York, told the Express: “Many of the buildings in the centre of York are centuries old, and have a spooky charm about them – walking down Micklegate at night feels like walking through a ghostly storybook.

“Within the city centre, historic buildings such as 85 Micklegate, a late medieval timber-framed terraced building, loom over the narrow street and look particularly eerie in the moonlight. Walking down the Shambles, famed for its likeness to Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, you can see ghostly-looking old buildings such as 37 The Shambles that cast long shadows and add to the city’s paranormal feel. It’s these atmospheric streets and striking old buildings that help make York a picturesque backdrop for a Halloween weekend.”

The Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau hosts more than 20 enclaves of the Belgian town Baarle-Hertog. Inside some of those are Dutch enclaves. It is a confusing and unique place.

A European town with a most peculiar history is split between two nations, boasting dual legal systems, contrasting architectural styles and separate populations.

The Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau contains more than 20 enclaves belonging to the Belgian town Baarle-Hertog. Within some of these sit Dutch enclaves.

Numerous residents find themselves living in properties bisected by the international boundary, meaning married couples retire to bed in separate countries or must cross into another nation simply to make a brew.

Approximately three-quarters of the area’s roughly 9,000 inhabitants hold Dutch passports, with the lion’s share of the territory falling under Dutch control. This situation—combined with Belgium’s more relaxed approach to landscaping—has previously sparked friction between the Baarles.

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“Back in the days when the schools emptied out at the same time, teenagers would fight,” Willem van Gool, chairman of the Baarle tourist office, told the BBC. Such hostilities eased during the 1960s when school finishing times were staggered to prevent the two communities from encountering each other on the streets.

The Dutch and Belgian sections of the town do exhibit different building styles, but unless you’re an architecture buff, the easiest way to discern your location is by observing the pavement markings. There are white crosses with ‘NL’ on one side and ‘B’ on the other, while house numbers are marked with the corresponding flag.

Dutch pavements are lined with meticulously pruned lime trees, whereas the Belgian areas boast a variety of trees that are allowed to grow more freely.

Another distinction is Belgium’s more relaxed planning laws, which can be advantageous for homeowners. When one man wanted to develop a building straddling the border, the Dutch planning committee rejected his proposal.

Undeterred, he constructed a second front door leading onto Belgium – enabling him to apply and secure permission from that country’s planning authorities.

Staff at a bank straddling the two countries would cunningly shift its paperwork from one side to the other whenever tax inspectors came knocking.

These days, much effort is expended determining who will foot the bill for various public infrastructure projects and who is accountable for resurfacing roads connecting both countries. Even the town hall is bisected between the two nations, with a vivid border line slicing through the mayor’s office.

The unique arrangement is particularly beneficial for teenagers who fancy a drink. While the legal drinking age in the Netherlands is 18, Belgians can legally enjoy a beer or wine at 16.

If youngsters are turned away by a Dutch barkeeper, they can simply cross the road for a Belgian pint. Fireworks, while banned by the noise-sensitive Dutch, are also available for purchase in Belgium.

The history of this dual-nation town is long and intricate, beginning with numerous medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. When Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands in 1831, efforts began to determine which part belonged to which country.

It wasn’t until 1995 that all areas of no man’s land had been allocated.

Nowadays, most residents of both Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog hold dual citizenship. The success of this complex arrangement has been such that advisors to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have studied the area as an example of how two different communities can coexist peacefully.

There are plenty of reasons to visit the charming UK village but most tourists admit they’re there purely because of the destination’s memorable name

Usually when planning a staycation, most people will look at the hotels, attractions and restaurants on offer in a destination; but there’s one tiny village in Wales that’s catching people’s attention purely because of its name.

While Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llantysilio­gogogoch is hardly a new destination, in recent years thanks to social media it’s continued to become increasingly popular for UK holidays, as people flock to the spot to get photos next to the village’s station signs.

After all, at 58 letters long it’s not one you’d see every day! The name is so lengthy that some signs have to be specially made to accommodate it. As a result, tourists are flocking there to snap a photo by the signs, with visitors having to now queue for the photo opportunity. It’s a far cry from the UK’s five worst seaside towns including a resort with a one-star beach.

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Locals have embraced the fame with shops selling mugs, magnets and other souvenirs emblazoned with the full name.

Travel experts at walking holiday specialists Mickledore say that that name was “deliberately lengthened in the 19th century as a publicity stunt to attract visitors and boost trade”. They added: “The Welsh language is known for its compound words and descriptive place names, often drawn from local geography, landmarks, or saints. In this case, the name loosely translates to ‘St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave’.”

Clearly those Victorians had the right idea, as centuries later and that publicity stunt still works. In fact, it’s estimated that around 200,000 tourists visit the village every year, just to snap photos right by the signs and say that they’ve been able to tick it off the bucket list.

“You have to visit here, just to get a photo of the signs.. There is one on the station building, and one on the platform. The station is still in use today, and there is free parking next to a small mall, where there is a nice gift shop,” one happy holidaymaker wrote on Tripadvisor.

Another added: “This is the most interesting place that you mustn’t miss if you visit Anglesey. The longest train station name that you can never find anywhere else, in Welsh language.”

Luckily for tourists who turn up, there’s more to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch than just its name. Because of its popularity, you can find everything from cosy cafés to boutiques and budget-friendly hotels in the area, not to mention it’s right by the Menai Strait so it’s ideal for hikers and ramblers who want to do some exploring.

Oh, and as for how you pronounce it? The Mickledore team have put together a handy explainer. They added: “The generally accepted pronunciation in Welsh is: [ɬanˌvairˌpuɬˌɡwɨnˌɡɨɬˌɡɔˌɡɛrəˌxwɨrnˌdrɔˌbʊɬˌɬanˌtəsˌɪljɔˌɡɔˌɡɔˌɡoːx]. For English speakers, that’s ‘clan-vire-pooll-gwin-gill-go-ger-uh-kwin-drob-ool-llan-tis-il-io-go-go-goch’.”

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Once upon a time, PBS was virtually the only portal through which British mysteries came to America. Jeremy Brett‘s peerless Sherlock Holmes, two flavors of Miss Marple, David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, Roy Marsden and Martin Shaw successively as Adam Dalgliesh, “Inspector Morse” and its prequel “Endeavour,” Michael Gambon in “Maigret,” Helen Mirren in “Prime Suspect,” “Rumpole of the Bailey,” “Foyle’s War,” the Benedict Cumberbatch contemporized “Sherlock,” Alec Guinness in John LeCarre’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Wallander” with Kenneth Branagh — classics, all. With the rise of cable, as channels looked abroad for content, there was eventually competition for shows, and in the streaming environment, with BritBox and Acorn TV wholly devoted to bringing U.K. content to the U.S., there is even more.

Meanwhile, PBS, which used to run “Mystery!” under its own flag, now has it booked as part of “Masterpiece.” Yet it still nabs some genre gems, often with something conceptually extra, recently including the meta “Magpie Murders” and its sequel, “Moonflower Murders.” Now comes “Patience,” an ingratiating episodic series premiering Sunday, whose title character, played by Ella Maisy Purvis, is autistic (as is Purvis herself).

Adapted by Matt Baker from the French series “Astrid et Raphaëlle,” it stars Purvis as Patience Evans, a civilian clerk working in the seemingly uninhabited and endless archives of the York police department, where, by wheeling some shelves together, she has fashioned herself a little fortress of solitude in which she hides out with some pet mice. In the opening two-part episode, she detects a pattern linking a new and old murder, which brings her into the orbit of detective inspector Bea Metcalf (Laura Fraser), her juniors Jake Hunter (Nathan Welsh) and Will Akbari (Ali Ariaie) and their boss Calvin Baxter, played by Mark Benton, whom BritBox watchers will recognize from “Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators,” if considerably cleaned up and a little lighter.

While Bea sees the merits of bringing Patience into the investigation, Jake rejects her, both as an outsider and as “temperamentally unsuitable for this kind of work,” though — spoiler alert — he will come around. (It’s a friendly show.) “I don’t care if she’s autistic,” says detective Bea, “I just care if she’s right.” (She is — mostly.) For her part, Patience tells Bea, “Your deductive leaps of logic can be haphazard and your notes are cursory,” but she admires her clearance rate, the best in the country.

Whether diagnosed (or diagnosable) or not, the quirky sleuth has been a feature of detective fiction since Holmes first whipped out a magnifying glass. Fans and scholars have retrospectively diagnosed the character as being on the spectrum, and you can easily find essays and discussions as to whether Poirot’s fastidiousness at least borders on OCD. There are arguments pro and con, but some fraction of the neurodivergent community is happy to claim them as their own. In this century, television has given us “Monk,” “Bones,” “Professor T.” (also via PBS, and streaming from the website), the ongoing “Ludwig” and broadcast shows “Will Trent,” “Elsbeth” and “High Potential,” with heroes whose preternatural, if not pathological, focus amounts to a superpower. (Diane Kruger’s Det. Sonya Cross on FX’s “The Bridge,” is often held up as particularly true to life.) Of course, all fictional detectives, whether social, antisocial or introverted, tend to be superhuman to some degree, whatever personal challenges they might face, with a more original, more acute perception than their colleagues. That’s why we love them.

Billy Thompson (Connor Curren) leads an autism support group that Patience (Ella Maisy Purvis) attends.

(Eagle Eye Drama / Toon Aerts)

The opening episodes offer a primer in autism, conducted mainly by Patience’s godfather, retired Det. Douglas Gilmour (Adrian Rawlins), with whom she lives, and Billy Thompson (Connor Curren), who leads an autism support group. (Curren is also autistic.) If it’s a little on the money in terms of dialogue, it’s useful information given that many are aware of autism without knowing much about it — it shows up more on TV because it shows up more in the zeitgeist, and screenwriters are always looking for a new angle. (It’s especially welcome here, given the ignorant remarks of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current secretary of health, on the causes and experiences of autism.) Still, the neurotypical viewer might wonder how accurately the series portrays neurodivergence, and indeed, within the community, which is nothing like homogeneous, one finds a multiplicity of views. (The series has already shown in the U.K.) That Purvis, now 21 and diagnosed at 17, is herself autistic, suggests that, while she’s playing someone other than herself, the series is to some degree true to her own experience.

Patience carries two umbrellas in case one breaks. (It rains a lot in England, you know.) Building up to approaching Bea, she writes out what she wants to say in a conversational flow chart. She won’t cross a “police line, do not cross” tape unless ushered through and she jumps from an elevator as soon as it becomes too crowded (and exceeds its legal capacity). She’s incapable of small talk (“Are you just being polite or do you really want to know?” she asks Bea, when Bea asks how she is), but does point out that Bea’s socks are mismatched and tells cute forensic specialist Elliot Scott (Tom Lewis) that “Your surname’s a first name and your first name’s a surname,” though, to be picky about it, both names are first names and surnames. Still, it’s the beginning of something.

The mysteries are of the usual unusual sort common to cozy mysteries. (They can be a little sillier than they’re meant to, but it’s not fatal.) Why are apparently happy men killing themselves, on the fourth Friday of the month? One, set in a natural history museum, involves fossils; there’s a locked room mystery (with a mystery writer for a victim), which delights Patience, an Agatha Christie fan, and there’s a corpse that seemingly walks off a table in the morgue. Patience, who cannot resist an unsolved puzzle, is drawn reluctantly out of her shell, and Bea begins to notice things in her young son Alfie (an impressively individual Maxwell Whitelock) that remind her of Patience.

There are times when characters act less than reasonably, or less intelligently than their official position might indicate. If Patience is fast in making calculations and connections, the others can seem slow off the mark, and although everyone is on the case — in cop shows, teamwork typically makes the dream work — she makes the breakthroughs that lead to a solution. Of course, the very logic of the series demands she be invaluable, and in this regard, it’s no different from most mystery series, where one character is out ahead of everyone else in solving the crime.

Not everything makes perfect, or even imperfect, sense. But as always, the plots are there almost as a pretext to spend time with the characters, and the whole cast is good company. But Purvis especially, in spite of Patience’s self-containment, radiates quiet charisma — new-star power. A second season, happily, is already on the cards.

THEY say age is just a number – but how old you feel does not correlate to the number of candles on your birthday cake. 

A new study found 36 years old is the age when most of us notice we are no longer in the first flush of youth.

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But there are plenty of ways to continue to feel young at heart. 

Here Laura Stott suggests ways to turn back time in a flash, whatever your age . . .  

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

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Whether it’s a fun run, starting dance lessons or walking 10,000 steps a day, set a target that is achievable. 

Completing a task that stretches your capabilities has been shown to build confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment, which makes us feel more youthful.

Feeling physically fitter puts a youthful spring in your step, too. 

SAY CHEESE

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Forget Botox or going under the knife, if you want to take decades off in an instant, then just smile more.

Research has found that people with happy faces are perceived as younger than they are, and also feel it. 

One study found that images of cheery faces were considered much to be more youthful-looking than those with neutral expressions. 

PUT ON RECORDS YOU LOVED IN YOUR YOUTH

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Whether these are rave tunes or power ballads might depend on how many decades have passed – and whether you first heard them on CD, vinyl or cassette.  

But whatever, listening to those songs can turn back the years in your mind. 

Studies show that favourite sounds activate a region of the brain linked to autobiographical memories. 

HAVE MORE SEX

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Making love can leave you looking and feeling five years younger, according to one study. 

The research, for the charity Age UK, revealed that keeping busy between the sheets makes older adults both look and feel years younger.

Experts believe this is because sex releases feelgood hormones, endorphins. Another UK study even found that regular sex can make you look up to seven years younger. 

STAND UP STRAIGHT

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As we get older, practising good posture is a proven way to look and feel younger.

Keeping your spine tall, shoulders down and core strong will stop your skeleton from looking outwardly old, by preventing stooping or sagging.

It can make us feel more confident which also turns back the clock cognitively. 

Whether sitting, standing or walking, pay attention to posture, to harness its instant anti-ageing benefits. 

TRY NEW FOODS

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If you always eat the same foods, change things up a bit. 

Whether that means a cuisine you’ve never tasted, at a new restaurant, or just varying your mealtime routine, these new experiences should make you feel open-minded.

Even if you don’t enjoy the flavours, breaking a dietary rut should make you feel younger. 

STAY ORGANISED

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From filing your paperwork, to sorting your wardrobe, good housekeeping has been proven to make people feel younger. 

Researchers in 2019 concluded that the more ordered people’s homes were, the more youthful they felt – with a structured environment boosting their optimism and improving memory, even longevity. 

GET SOME KIP

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Studies show that tiredness from a lack of quality shut-eye can make us feel ten years older. 

Participants who did not have sufficient sleep reported feeling older than their real age. 

In contrast, research in Sweden, at Stockholm University, found that being well rested can make us feel up to four years younger. 

YOUNG AT HEART

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Embracing a youthful mindset can also work wonders. 

Don’t dismiss activities or opportunities as not being for you because of your age – challenge those ideas.  

Whether it’s downloading TikTok, a new hobby or wearing this summer’s latest trend, remain curious about new things – whatever your age. 

How to reverse ageing in just 2 weeks, according to royal go-to nutritionist

LONDON -based Gabriela Peacock, who has helped the likes of Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie prepare for their weddings.

She told Fabulous: “The science is evident that we all have the power to make simple life changing alterations to better our future selves – no matter what genetic hand we might have been dealt with.

“The reality is, we all sometimes indulge in unhealthy eating habits like processed foods, smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol, inhaling city pollutants, and even drinking water from plastic bottles – none of this is good for us. 

“All this does is promote the ageing process, but we all have the potential to change this.”

It may be hard, but try to keep away from sugary carbohydrates, because they feed chronic inflammation, which is one of the worst enemies of reversing ageing. 

Now only will you end up putting on weight if you consume them regularly, but your energy and hormonal levels will be affected and this will influence how you look and feel.

Whatever your age or state of health, it’s never too late to reverse how quickly you are ageing and embrace the energy and vigour of a younger you.

Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, are essential in neutralising free radicals—the culprits behind premature ageing. 

Integrating a spectrum of colourful fruits and vegetables into your diet provides a potent source of antioxidants.

Omega-3 fatty acids, abundant in fatty fish like salmon and flaxseeds, are vital for maintaining skin elasticity and hydration. 

Omega-3s act as nourishment for your skin, locking in moisture and diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collagen, a structural protein dwindling with age, can be replenished through collagen-rich foods like bone broth and lean protein sources.