Monk Bar 1955.

A Memory of York.

As I was living near Monk Bar in 1955, seeing the photo brought back some good memories. I lived at 28 Monkgate (behind the photographer on the left) in 1955. My sister still lives nearby - through the Bar, turn left at what used to be Saville's Chemists and then round the back of Goodramgate into St. Andrewgate. The scene in the photo has not changed all that much. You cannot drive through the Bar itself anymore. The Bay Horse on the left is still there but the Post Office next to it just out of shot was removed for a road widening scheme, as was St. Maurice's Church out of shot on the right where I attended with family. Though I have been living in the US since 1987, I do get back to York fairly regularly and so keep up to date with what's going on. Bulmer's is still there on the right but the fish shop on the left where I would buy fish for my mother has long gone. The upstairs room in the Bar is not a small museum. Under the archway of the Bar on the right is a shop full of model trains etc. That is one of the few shops that was there when I lived in Monkgate and still survives! Along with the Newsagents through the Bar on the right.

I miss living in York quite a bit. I didn't appreciate it all that much when I lived there (until 1966) but, looking back, it was a very nice city to live in at that time, and still is except perhaps in the summer when the tourists crowd the place out! In my day there weren't many tourists - one of the many changes that resulted, for example, in a block of houses and shops out of shot on the left being converted into a MonkBar Hotel to cater to the tourist trade, along with numerous new B&B's and restaurants in Monkgate and Goodramgate

George Moyser.