Happy New Year!

Yes, I know, a slow start but I am gradually getting back into my drawing stride.

I have just come back from a weekend in York, visiting family in my old home town and taking a fresh look at some of the York streets that I would like to draw over the course of the coming year. There is one particular street in York which I love to visit, known fondly by the locals as the Bishy Road.

It is a good step away from the tourist hot spots but it is always buzzing! Hardly surprising when there are so many great independent outlets such as the Pig and Pastry and Cycle Heaven – the latter is always a big attraction for my husband whenever we visit.

What really strikes me as the key to this thriving street is the great community spirit and the handy, reasonably priced car park alongside.

It was great this Christmas when we had free car parking here in our town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, more please! Let’s support our local communities wherever we are by providing access to our town centre shops.

So here is a flavour of street drawings to come and if you do visit York, don’t forget to have a look at Bishopthorpe Road, it’s a ten minute walk south of Clifford’s Tower and Skeldergate Bridge. Right, time to sharpen my pencils and get sketching!