DAN RUTSTEIN and friends became visitors for the day to see what their city really has to offer

Residents First Weekend gives locals a chance to see York as a tourist attraction. DAN RUTSTEIN and friends became visitors for the day to see what their city really has to offer "Why did no-one tell me this stuff was here?"

Residents look round the York Story museum in Coppergate. Pictures: David Harrison

These were the words that my companions for the day, all resident in York for at least three years, uttered at every new attraction we visited.

Our whistle-stop tour of York took us to nine of the city's tourist highlights with the Castle Museum being a firm favourite, a fantastic attraction packed away inside a beautiful building.

The museum has everything for the visitor, hands-on fun for our immature side, the Victorian streets for atmosphere and hundreds of displays that take you through the centuries up to the present day.

The place was packed with locals who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and no doubt learning something too.

By the time we got to the York Brewery we'd had enough of history and culture and settled down to an illuminating tour of the brewing process.

Hundreds of residents had taken the tour on the Saturday - it seems having their own beer means a lot to locals - and they want the tourists to come and see it too.

Hot off the press: The Evening Press got in on the act with tours of our Walmgate headquarters, where locals watched the day's paper roll off the presses

After a hard day treading the streets taking it all in we retired to the Dean Court Hotel for a luxurious night's accommodation.

The plush hotel served up a wonderful room and a great view of the Minster, a building in which all residents can take pride.

Seeing all York has to offer in one day is impossible, but we got a glimpse of what it is that attracts the (many) visitors.

One thing is for sure, after all the rushing around of being a tourist, I really need a holiday.

A question of romance for lucky winners

Romantic surroundings in which to pop the question, a last night of fun and freedom before the birth of a first baby, and a touch of sheer luxury for a pensioner.

Those are just some of the requests that won 160 lucky couples a night of unashamed indulgence in one of York's top hotels.

More than 300 people entered the Evening Press's "Win a free night in a luxury hotel" competition, run with the City of York Council and the tourism bureau, as part of the Residents First weekend.

Each had to say in no more than 30 words why they deserved to spend a night in one of the city's top hotels.

The entries included the poetic:

"In ambience fine, my love divine

Shall feast at sumptuous dinner.

Ascend replete to bedroom suite,

Nearby to York's great Minster.

See! Bended knee. Accepted plea!

Ex-bachelor and spinster!"

And the more direct but obviously deserving:

"For the sheer luxury - I am a pensioner."

The Evening Press hopes that each one of the lucky winners found their night of pampered luxury all they had hoped for.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.