SHORT STORY: To Liz

To Liz

By Robin Lewis-Light

“It’s a very simple game,” said Lisa, my girlfriend. “Here is a map of York, with some instructions.”

         I nodded. I was a new arrival to York and she had lived here most of her life. She wanted me to get to know York better, and this was her way of doing it. It would be fun, she assured me.

         I looked at her, smiled and watched her walk away, sitting down on one of the seats in Parliament Street before looking down at the instructions.

         “Head towards the road of bollards, and turn towards the timepiece hanging down,” was the first instruction.

         I looked at the map. Ah; this first one was easy. Bollards: Cone-y Street. Right. I walked towards Coney Street, looking for a timepiece. I saw a huge clock hanging down, and walked towards it.

         I got to the clock and looked at the instructions.

         “Carry on, but do not go too far. When you hear the call turn right and you do not want to be Judged!” was the next instruction.

         I looked at the map and headed onwards. Ah; Harkers. The call. I turned right. Judges Lodgings was down the street ahead, so turning right had been the correct thing to do. Then I looked down again.

         “You need a solid entrance, but that is the way forwards!” she had written, and I looked around St Helen’s Square. Ah; Stonegate. A solid entrance. I headed up Stonegate and read the next clue.

         “Pass where our bonfires might have started, and there is a coffee shop where you can see me and our newest friend Liz!” 

         I walked past the place where Guy Fawkes had been born, and smiled; heading towards the coffee shop called Bennett’s that looks out towards the Minster. I waved at Lisa who was looking back at me.

         “Coffee?” she said as I approached and I gave her a nod.

         “That was fun,” I said. “But I don’t get the Liz bit?”

         Lisa smiled at me and pointed towards the Minster.

         “If you look back, the newest statue on the Minster is of Queen Elizabeth the Second.”

         I looked across at where she was pointing to. Yes; there was the statue of our late, great Queen looking back at me.

         “That was a fun way to find out a little about York,” I said.

         Lisa smiled.

         “Oh, that was just the start!” she said.

Robin Lewis-Light lives in York and loves the ancient history of the city.