Barnitts is a lovely shop selling things like lighting and other home ware. It's a big well laid…read moreout shop and although I often go in I've only bought one thing from there-a gorgeous big feature lamp which people always comment on when they come round. The only reason I rarely buy things there is because it's quite pricey compared to the likes of Ikea and in this day and age price is important!

Need something for your house? Go to Barnitts…read more Need something for the garden? Go to Barnitts. Doing some DIY? Barnitts again! If you need it, Barnitts will probably stock it and won't charge you an arm and a leg for it. Student discount is available on most items that aren't already subject to discount. From wooden spoons to wood screws and from pans to pond liner, Barnitts literally have it all. Sounds like we're on commission? Well we're not, get yourself down to the shop that goes on and on and on. Worth noting that they currently open on Sundays in the run up to Christmas only.

If you have a full day left in your York adventure I would highly, highly recommend this amazing,…read morebeautiful, historical Castle Howard. It is not only a Castle but the inside that is well worth the visit. With amazing treasures that you can seriously not find elsewhere. Plan your day accordingly and I would suggest coming here right when they open. Which is 10:30 AM and parking is free. It is a little track to get here but it is well worth it. This place has tons and I mean tons of great places to take photos. Overall you could spend the whole afternoon here and not even notice that time has went by so quickly. It was truly amazing and I'm grateful that I was able to see this in person and honestly I wouldn't mind coming back a second time just to visit this amazing Castle Howard. Put it on your must see places!! You won't be unsatisfied for sure I guarantee it!

We visited Castle Howard three days ago and it was a very enjoyable experience. Firstly, the…read moregardens: although very little was in bloom, there's a lot of beautiful statuary and also a large/beautiful fountain. The home is large and has many rooms filled with lovely items. Another very appealing aspect concerns all of the people working there; we spoke to three women working in various sections of the home and they were quite friendly, and the young guy working at the ticket desk was equally friendly. There are a few gift shops and they have some nice items. An interesting aspect is that Castle Howard is still lived in by descendants of the original owners.

The Garden of Eden in York, run by Angela Ellis-Skelton, is truly a great find. The staff in there…read moreare helpful and so knowledgeable, which is useful as I know nothing about flowers! Angela is a Master Florist and does everything from general bouquets to weddings and funerals. She once even made a car out of flowers (how?!) If you're looking for flowers in York I'd definitely recommend popping in here.

I only went to Homebase for the first time last week, as I normally go to B and Q for my DIY needs…read more I found Homebase really similar in terms of prices and product range. Would go to either one of them in the future as like I said there's not much difference between the two. I also found the staff at Homebase really helpful in helping me find what I wanted.