Day Trip to Ripon

On the 2nd of December my mum and I had our Christmas shopping day planned. We weren't sure where to go but then I thought I would like to go to Ripon, and then we decided we would take Lee and my stepdad along with us for the day too. So we all went in the same car and we got there in good time. I actually drove there! We parked in the long stay car park and walked up an arcade that is new since any of us were last in Ripon. It had some lovely shops in! In fact the first one was a very good charity shop where my mum found some Jacques Vert slingback shoes and matching handbag, which she snapped up as she was about to go on a cruise and thought they would be perfect for it. We then went in a cute clothing boutique where my mum kindly bought me a very festive jumper as part of my Christmas presents.

We went in a cafe and had a coffee and a little breakfast - I had a toasted teacake which was lovely. We walked up to the main square and then through to the cathedral. We went in, my mum and I looked around more than Lee and my stepdad. We lit some candles which I nearly always do in churches, and we spoke to one of the priests who was really friendly and had a lot of information for us. Their cushions round the edge are all about Ripon and one of them had York St John on it, which is where I went to university! It was Ripon & York St John at one point but the Ripon campus shut just before I arrived there - or maybe as I arrived, not sure. It was nice to see the cathedral. 

We went back to the square and went into the Lounge which is one of the chains, I like them. We just wanted a drink; I had mulled wine and so did my stepdad. My mum had some kind of cocktail but I'm not sure what. We then did some more shopping, I managed to get quite a few Christmas presents. By this time it was getting on a bit so we went into a pub for some lunch. It was nice food, my mum and I shared some wine too. By the time we left the pub and were back on the square it was starting to get dark. My stepdad was flagging a bit by this point so he went and found a pub to sit in and Lee, my mum and I did more shopping, I think we went in nearly every shop that Ripon has! We finally went to the pub to meet Norman. I think it was about 4.30 by this point and as we didn't want to set off and get stuck in rush hour traffic on the A1, we decided to just sit there for a couple of hours and chill. So it was a bit later by the time we dropped my mum and stepdad off! 

As it was nearly Christmas I had pulled out all my sparkly tights so I was wearing them with some boots. I also got my vaguely festive skirt out of storage. It was a dress which a friend gave me but the top didn't fit me, so my mum made it into a skirt for me. It is a wintry scene and I get a lot of compliments on it! On top I was wearing this teal coloured top which I don't remember buying but I love the colour! 

Breakfast in a cute little cafe

Looking up at the cathedral. I must have been in there before because we spent a lot of time in Ripon when I was little, as we had a caravan and we used to go near Ripon a lot, but I don't remember it at all. So it was nice to see

I love all the old saints, this was cute to see

Apparently Lewis Caroll was a choir boy at Ripon cathedral and may have based Alice in Wonderland on some of the things he found there

I also really like stained glass windows

Oh this is the cushion that mention my university!

Christmas decorations in the pub, which was nice

Here we all are. I can't remember what I had to eat

This cute little thing is in the main square 

And there were festive lights too!

My outfit when we got home

And my tights and boots!