York Guides

York Civic Trust and York Council are joining English Heritage's "Save our Streets" campaign and hopes to rid streets of dozens of superfluous signs.
The trust and council carried out an audit of unnecessary poles, signs, bollard and junction boxes, concentrating on areas where important views of buildings such as York Minster and the Mansion House were being obscured.
They will start in Duncombe Place, where a "forest of signs, poles, junction boxes, telephone boxes and taxi shelters seriously obstruct one of the finest views of the Minster in the city", according to the trust's annual report, which describes the sight as "an iconic view of international significance".
The report goes on to highlight other locations – such as Clifford's Tower and further out from the city centre, at Layerthorpe and Fulford Road – which suffer from "truly awful signage clutters".
Bill Woolley, York Council's acting head of environmental and development services, said traders who are members of York Business Pride were helping to pay for the changes.
"We will start with some of the more sensitive sites," said Mr Woolley.
The civic trust last night held its annual meeting, with English Heritage Chief Executive Simon Thurley the guest speaker.
Before the meeting, Dr Thurley viewed some of the locations which will benefit from de-cluttering.
The trust cited the example of "no parking" signs on poles which are not necessary where double yellow lines are painted.