About these pages

These pages record my own 'York Walks' around my hometown, in 2004. They don't include maps or directions. They're partly an 'art project' and partly 'local history'. Possibly partly 'psychogeography', though I was unfamiliar with the word at the time. I was also unfamiliar with the term 'photo essay', but I guess that also describes these pages.

One afternoon in early January 2004 I wandered down Marygate taking photos, trying out my first digital camera. A few more local excursions followed, and I began to think about putting the photos onto a website. I'd already set up several websites, for myself and others, and this 'York walks' idea seemed like an interesting new project.

I bought the domain name yorkstories.co.uk on 25 January 2004, and set about getting the photographic records of my wanderings onto the web.

As winter moved on to spring, it seemed logical to split the pages into sections, to reflect the seasons of the year.

There are around 100 pages, with the largest batch from the summer months, when, of course, the weather was better for wandering.

Many of the buildings I photographed have since been demolished, and many of the empty building sites photographed have since been filled (though some are still empty, with planned development held up by the current economic climate).

It seemed important to record the many changes taking place in the local landscape. I also became aware that going for a walk through a familiar city, equipped with a camera, meant seeing familiar things in a new way.

I hope these 'York walks 2004' pages are of interest to anyone looking for information on the 'real' York and how it looked in one year in the early 21st century, a time of much redevelopment and an apartment-building boom.



These pages have been left as an archive. The record of 'York and its changes' continues – visit www.yorkstories.co.uk.

© www.yorkstories.co.uk