I have recently discovered a new knitting group near where I live called Snickleway knitters and last night decided to go along and join the group, I didnt know what to expect having never been to a knitting group before but I really enjoyed it, they meet every wednesday from 5-8pm in a pub called the Snickleway in the city center of York they also meet occasionally at another pub called The Royal Oak, both pubs are close to the minster and it is easy to get a bus from my house. When I arrived I waited for almost an hour and no one turned up so I decided to pack up and go home, on my way home I looked into the window of the Royal Oak and saw two ladys knitting and realised that this was one of the weeks they were meeting there and not at the Snickleway I should have asked which one they were meeting at when I messaged them on ravelry. I went in and introduced myself and was welcomed with open arms I was really pleased as some knitting groups are not that welcoming to men, the ladys introduced themselves and we talked about our projects and some more people turned up and I had a really great time, however I will not be drinking next week when I go, I decided to have a glass of cider and when I ordered it the landloard warned me that the one I ordered was very strong being a traditional cloudy cider and the pint I ordered was the same as drinking a pint of wine which I thought was fine thats only about two glasses of wine, needless to say after finishing the glass I had to stop knitting and I felt rather tipsy lol. But all in all I had an amazing time and the group were really friendly and I will be going again next week, in other news I baked some muffins today and fitted a new light in my Kitchen and tomorrow myself and Adrian are going to buy a new car, Adrian thinks its time for a new Jaguar and who am I to argue.

The Royal Oak York



This is The Royal Oak where the knitting group meet



This is the room where the knitting group takes place.



And this os one of the bars inside The Royal Oak


The History of the Royal Oak

Dating back to the 15th Century and situated on the ancient street of Goodramgate, there has been a structure on the site of the Royal Oak since Viking Times, and indeed the area sits within the original Roman Fortress built here nearly 2000 years ago.

The Snickleway York.



This is the other pub that the group meets at.

The Snickleway is supposed to be the most haunted pub in York I found this article about it.....

York is one of the oldest cities in Britain, it is also one of the most haunted. The Snickleway Inn in Goodramgate dates back as far as the medieval times and as you would expect it has been renovated many times over the years. The Inn has undergone several name changes, in 1994 it changed from the Anglers Arms to the Snickleway Inn. The Inn still has many of the buildings original features, the beams and woodwork in the pub has been kept in immaculate condition.

Derek Acorah names "The Snickleway" as being amongst Britain's 100 Scariest Places to Visit in his book. The Inn is thought to be haunted by at least 5 active spirits that make their presence felt around the premises.

On the first floor and particularly on the stairs the ghost of a young girl has been seen. Over the years there have been numerous sighting s of the little girl sitting on the stairs watching the customers at the bar. The landlords cat (now departed) often seemed to enjoy playing with an invisible partner and purring around the legs of an unseen figure. It is said that the spirit is that of a young girl who met her death when a horse and cart delivering beer ran her down and killed her just outside the pub.

The Bar area is home to two different spirits the first an old gentleman, who's ghost often enters the pub through a wall and then walks across the bar to take a seat as soon as he sits down he vanishes. Further investigation found that there used to be a door at the exact location in the wall, which not even the landlord had known about.

The ghost of a man in Elizabethan era clothing has been witnessed by members of staff, behind the bar. The identity of this spirit is not known it is thought that he may be a previous member of staff. The ghost is often seen either first thing in the morning or at closing up time.

Upstairs the ghost of Marmaduke Buckle is thought to reside. Born in 1697 of a wealthy family, but crippled, he was tormented and persecuted by his contemporaries. He retreated to his room at the Inn, suffering from a deep depression he hanged himself from the beam. Marmadukes ghost has been seen in his old room looking out of the bedroom window. His spirit is also believed to be responsible for doors mysteriously opening and closing and light turning on and off in the upstairs rooms.

On the top floor of the Snickleway Inn there is a presence that is not often seen, but is identified by the strong smell of lavender. The spirits identity is not known, the lavender may be related to perfume of a previous occupant. Lavender was used to stifle the smell of rotten corpses, during the great plague. In 1604 alone 3512 of the population of York succumbed to plague, the spirit maybe related to this much earlier point in time.

The ghost in the cellar is neither friendly nor playful, the only entrance to the cellar is through a trapdoor behind the bar. The gas taps which pump the beer up from the cellar are frequently turned off, by the entity. On investigation the taps are found to have been off with such force that it requires considerable strength to turn them back on again. Staff that have gone down to change the barrels have had tools and stones thrown at them by an unseen assailant. One medium who visited the property described the entity as a 'creature of great age and intelligence and surrounded by utter evil'

well I know its a long post but I hope some of you find it interesting now do I put it in hobbies or history hmmmmm hobbies I think.

Michael.