A friendly word

YOU'VE got the baby, the designer pram and matching holdall full of nappies, wipes, cream, change of clothes, favourite toy... and you're all set for your first shopping trip into town as a parent.

You only want to go to Boots in Coney Street to buy junior a dummy, but the task involves a level of planning more worthy of a trek across Antarctica.

Here are just some of the questions you have to consider...

u Will you be able to get the pushchair on the bus, or will you have to walk?

u Once in town, which is the approach to Boots; via Market Street or Coney Street?

u What if junior needs a feed: where can you go to breastfeed/warm up a bottle?

u Where will you be able to do a nappy change?

These and more (oh, so much more) are some of the challenges parents face daily.

Ideally, a friend who has already cracked the Getting Around With Baby malarkey will be able to point you in the right direction (and tell you the only way into Boots with a buggy is via Coney Street, the other entrance has steps), but nothing beats having the answers at your fingertips.

Which is where the Child Friendly York book comes to the rescue. It is nothing short of a parent's bible: telling you how navigate the city with a child (or more) in tow.

The book, produced by local members of the National Childbirth Trust, was a hit when it was first published four years ago. Now, an updated version has been published, featuring the latest word-of-mouth recommendations on everything from planning a day out with children to going to restaurants and cafs with them or on a shopping trip, as well as advice on travel, childcare, sports and leisure activities.

New for 2006 is a chapter on leisure activities for the over-fives, featuring an extensive list of clubs and activities such as chess, martial arts, golf and orienteering.

Each listing has been checked out by trust members, and a set of symbols is used to highlight which child-friendly features you can expect to find at the shops, cafs or visitor attractions in the guide. For example, a double buggy is used to show accessibility; a baby signals in-store loos with baby-changing. Entries also have a grid listing linked to a city centre map.

Lucy Hjort, of the York NCT, says York has made some small progress in the past four years in its child-friendliness.

She said: "There is a lot more in the way of parks and facilities, lots of effort has been put into improving that. And because of the first edition of the book, there is a wider shared knowledge of where you can go with your child."

She said one of the best projects was the Big Scream at York City Screen, Coney Street, which runs a cinema club for parents and under-ones on Wednesdays at 11am. "The only people in there are people with children, so everybody is in the same boat," said Lucy.

Also listed in the book are clubs and activities such as music groups, gym clubs and baby massage, which are perfect for parents to do with young children.

Disappointingly, however, Lucy is not aware of any businesses becoming more child-friendly since the book was first published in 2002.

She said: "Businesses that are featured love the fact they are in it but businesses who are not in it don't come to us and say: 'we want to be in it, what can we do?'"

More positively, she said parents had benefited from new disabled access laws, which make many places easier to navigate with a buggy. However, Lucy said it was frustrating that disabled toilets did not always have children's facilities. She said: "That is the most logical place to put baby-changing facilities and a lot still don't have them."

Louise Ballard, of Fulford, York, is mum to three children under five: Reuben, four, and two-year-old twins Arianne and Solomon.

She thinks York is reasonably child friendly, but feels there is room for improvement.

She said: "The parks are very good and the outdoor play area at the Designer Outlet is great because the children can play outdoors in the rain. M&S is excellent because you can get in with a double buggy."

Louise also rated highly the Castle Museum, York's Central Library, Castle Howard and the Spurriergate Centre.

Boots in Coney Street got the thumbs down for having its baby goods upstairs and Louise lamented the closeure of the Barbican Centre with its pool, softplay area and caf.

She said: "York really needs some in-town facility where children can play inside."

Child-Friendly York (£4.99) available from Borders, Visitor Information Centres or by post by writing to Tracey Dixon, Middlecroft Grove, Strensall, YO32 5UR, with a cheque made payable to NCT York for £5.75 (which includes the postage and packing).

Updated: 10:19 Tuesday, April 25, 2006