Just before COVID really ramped up and the closures came in, Michelle and I managed to squeeze in a roadtrip across Northern UK. It was not a spur of the moment decision as it had been planned and booked the year before, nor was it something we expected would be as easy and typical as trips in the past.

Though the immediate affects we experienced were thankfully minimal, UK was clearly at the verge of a massive and serious event. The attitude and spirits of the citizens were beginning to be withdrawn, like taking shelter just as the sky begins to darken and winds begin picking up before a massive storm.

We kept our eyes and ears constantly on the news throughout the trip, waiting for that one alert that flights are canceling and borders are closing so we can cancel everything race straight to Heathrow to get home. Fortunately none of that happened, though it was largely by luck. Had the trip been a few days later, we would have been a much more drastic situation.

All that said though, we managed to complete the trip largely uninterrupted and so here are the pics! The plan was to land into Heathrow, grab a car and immediately drive to York. We spent 2 nights there, allowing us a full day in the city, before heading further north.

I have been lucky enough to have visited some pretty old cities, but never have I been to a place that had such close ties to the medieval period as York. The castle, walls, and towns feel more incorporated into the living city than many other places I’ve been to.

Of course I have to capture any forbidden European cars, such as this wonderful purple RS6 Avant.