Roses is a sports competition between the universities of York and Lancaster, taking its name from the War of the Roses between the rivals House of York and House of Lancaster. It's the largest inter-university sports competition in Europe and is, as you would expect, a little busy. A week or so before the event began I signed up as a volunteer, specifically to help with Camera Operations during the event. In the end, I covered three fixtures across the event (Indoor Ultimate Frisbee & Netball 1st on the Saturday, and Badminton Open 2nd on the Sunday).
Despite the large number of fixtures and responsibilities, there was nothing to do on the Friday. So I spent it travelling around York! It's a lovely city, with some fascinating history. I began by walking for around 40 mins or so from the University of York's central campus to the walls of the city, travelling through the Shambles (a historic marketplace) to the goliath gothic cathedral of York Minster. I admired the view of the cathedral, and continued, walking down the city's medieval walls to Bootham Bar, an entrance to the city, and walked further to the city's Museum Gardens. It was here that I learnt of the elusive Tansy Beetle - a species of beetle only found along the River Ouse in the city (and some random spots in Cambridgeshire). I spent two hours looking for the beetle, but alas had no success. Defeated and moderately sunburt, I walked back to campus, stopping by at the historic sites of Baile Hill and Clifford's Tower, before returning back. Despite the lack of rare beetles, it was a really lovely wander. The city is beautiful, and makes for some stunning photography - I hope you enjoy my photos!