Prosecco and Pie explores York

One of my favourite things about working as a freelance writer is that I (kind of) get to pick and choose when I work. It had been a while since my nanna and I had been on 'one of our trips' (we've been all over, mostly to London to go to the theatre, or that time I spent six happy hours in the Tower of London and completely wore her out), so when she asked if I'd like to go to York sometime this week, I jiggled a few meetings and deadlines around and we hit the road.

York is about a two hour drive from where we live in Newcastle, but more like three if you have your nanna in the car. We got to York at lunch time and started our day with a coffee in one of York's many tea rooms and cute coffee shops.

Star-shaped chocolate sprinkles and a Christmas tree biscuit? It must be Christmas!

After a quick refuel, we joined the crowds at the annual St Nicholas Christmas Fayre - a pop-up market that meanders along York's bustling Parliament Street filled with the sights, smells and spirit of Christmas! 

What could be more evocative of Christmas than the smell of roasted chestnuts?

I loved these little guys

Hot chocolate with a shot of Baileys or brandy to keep the cold at bay?

The market was alive with sounds of excited Christmas shoppers, filled with the sight of cute Christmas decorations, gorgeous handmade gifts and the smell of hot roasted chestnuts. There was even a merry go round at the end playing music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker!

I've only been to York a handful of times but whenever I visit I feel so at home. There's something about York's labyrinth of winding streets and ginnels that feel wonderfully homely, everyone is so friendly and the place has such a buzz about it. It's one of my favourite places to go shopping - everything is so close to each other and there's a perfect mixture of high street names, big brands and gorgeous quirky gift shops that you could spend hours wandering around.

Eagle-eyed Harry Potter fans might recognise this famous street - The Shambles was the inspiration for Diagon Alley

It wasn't long before our tummies started to rumble and we headed off in search of something to eat. I've always wanted to visit the famous Bettys which are a cluster of tearooms that date back to 1919. Encompassing everything quaint and quintessentially British, Bettys Tearooms are the brainchild of Swiss baker Frederick Belmont and serve proper afternoon tea in four picture-perfect locations across Yorkshire.

Nobody knows why Frederick Belmont named his craft bakery 'Bettys', but it's an old English name that serves mouthwatering English classics. A word of warning if you're planning to visit though - be prepared to queue. We waited patiently on the stairs for over 20 minutes to get a seat, but once you're in it's definitely worth it.

We shared three tiers of dainty desserts, homemade fruit scones smothered in clotted cream and berry compote and a selection of sandwiches - all washed down with a glass of pink champagne.

We decided to work off lunch with a little more wandering, so made our way around the majestic York Minster and discovered the most beautiful boutique that could possibly exist!

Brightly lit with beautiful chandeliers, the shelves of The Imaginarium  are filled with gorgeous silk scarves, glass bottles labelled 'festive spirit' and 'elixir of youth', silver candleholders which spun magically on their own, little knick knacks like miniature silver dolls house furniture and gilt rocking horses. Ornate armoires were filled with trinkets and six foot toy owls and rabbits sat on sofas and chairs as you explored the shop.

You weren't allowed to take any photos inside the shop, so these have been taken from The Imaginarium's website because I had to show you how gorgeous it was!

As dusk began to fall above York's cobbled streets we headed back to the car for home, but not before popping into a few more shops for a mince pie and mulled wine... 

I wore my 'Chloe' bag and Christmas pudding hat for the occasion

The Christmas lights and window displays looked so pretty, I definitely recommend popping down for the day and doing some Christmas shopping, whether you go by train or car, it's really not that far at all.