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The Shambles in York is a magical spot, particularly when the nights draw in and the Christmas lights get switched on. Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century.

A street in one of Britain’s oldest cities, York, is a captivating spot brimming with unique shops, cosy pubs, and lively bars.

The Shambles, as it’s affectionately known, is a labyrinth of winding, narrow lanes nestled in the heart of North Yorkshire. It transforms into a magical place when the nights grow longer and the Christmas lights twinkle.

At the middle of the area lies a lane actually named the Shambles, renowned as possibly the best-preserved medieval street globally, even earning a mention in the 1086 literary sensation, the Domesday Book.

Many of the structures lining the street today trace their origins back to the late 14th century. The name ‘Shambles’ is believed to have evolved from ‘Shammel’, an Anglo-Saxon term for the shelves that were once a common sight in the open shopfronts. While the ancient name and buildings persist, the purpose of most shops has evolved over time.

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The butchers who once busily chopped, skinned, and portioned meat here have long since departed. The only remnants of their trade are the meat hooks they used to display their goods on the shopfronts. Nowadays, the Shambles accommodates a variety of businesses. Still, its medieval overhanging buildings and tight alleyways remain intact, offering visitors a sense of stepping back in time.

During my university days, I spent three years in York, witnessing the Shambles transform with the changing seasons and times of day. At Christmas, the streets were bustling with eager shoppers seeking a bargain and a warm pastry to ward off the cold.

During this bustling period, it might be wise to head to one of the quieter yet equally enchanting streets on the other side of town until the crowds thin out in the evening.

In the summer, the Shambles are filled with the sound of busking students, hen parties, and day-trippers there to sample some of York’s pubs. Whether the widely circulated claim that the city has a pub for every day of the year is indeed true takes far longer than a day, a long weekend, or even a three-year degree to verify.

This is largely because you’ll likely find yourself repeatedly visiting the superb House of Trembling Madness.

My favourite time to visit was in the dead of night, after a stop at one of these many pubs or the now sadly closed and much-missed Willow – a delightfully grubby club/Chinese restaurant. In certain sections of the Shambles, you can touch both sides of the street with your arms outstretched. The best time to test your wingspan is once all the other visitors have headed home.

In recent years, the narrow lane has become saturated with wizard-themed shops, thanks to its striking resemblance to the fictional Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. When the relentless peddling of magical merchandise becomes overwhelming, visitors can retreat to the shrine of Margaret Clitherow.

Step inside this peaceful sanctuary and you’ll find respite from the bag-wielding mayhem that’s left firmly outside. The shrine welcomes the public throughout the week and holds Mass at 10am each Saturday.

A quick walk through one of the Shambles’ snickelways (narrow alleyways) brings you to the Shambles Market, an open-air venue selling food and various goods. TikToker That Girl Fleurr, who explores destinations around the UK, recently declared the Shambles ‘the most magical street’ in Britain in a video. It’s a sentiment that’s difficult to challenge.

Jerry Rebbeck, who runs Wheelwrights York, told the Express: “Many of the buildings in the centre of York are centuries old, and have a spooky charm about them – walking down Micklegate at night feels like walking through a ghostly storybook.

“Within the city centre, historic buildings such as 85 Micklegate, a late medieval timber-framed terraced building, loom over the narrow street and look particularly eerie in the moonlight. Walking down the Shambles, famed for its likeness to Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, you can see ghostly-looking old buildings such as 37 The Shambles that cast long shadows and add to the city’s paranormal feel. It’s these atmospheric streets and striking old buildings that help make York a picturesque backdrop for a Halloween weekend.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez was pepper-sprayed and stabbed multiple times during a late-night altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver in a downtown Indianapolis alley, which resulted in criminal charges against the Fox Sports analyst, according to court records filed Sunday.

Based on hotel video footage of the altercation early Saturday and the driver’s statement to police, an Indianapolis police affidavit alleges that Sanchez, smelling of alcohol, accosted the driver of a box truck that backed into a hotel’s loading docks, leading to a confrontation outside the vehicle that prompted the driver to defensively pull out a knife.

Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso, the affidavit signed by a police detective said. Sanchez remained hospitalized early Sunday, according to police. The truck driver, identified as P.T., had a cut to his left cheek, it said.

Sanchez was in stable condition, Fox Sports said Saturday. There was no immediate update Sunday.

His initial court hearing was set for Tuesday in a Marion County courtroom.

Sanchez stabbed multiple times

As the altercation escalated, the driver feared “‘this guy is trying to kill me’” and pulled his knife as Sanchez came at him, the affidavit said. Sanchez was initially stabbed two or three times, then stabbed again when he went at the driver again, it said.

“The next thing P.T. knew was Mr. Sanchez looked at him with a look of shock, he slowly turned around and Mr. Sanchez took off northbound in the alley,” the document said.

Sanchez was in Indianapolis to call Sunday’s Raiders-Colts game. Instead, he was charged with battery resulting in injury, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication — all misdemeanors. Police got a warrant to obtain Sanchez’s phone and clothes from the hospital, the document said.

There were no immediate court records indicating whether Sanchez had legal representation yet.

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears said Sunday that his office would “follow the facts and the law wherever they lead.”

“What began as a disagreement between a 38-year-old former professional athlete and a 69-year-old man should not have escalated into violence or left anyone seriously injured,” Mears said in a statement.

Fox Sports announcers acknowledge Sanchez’s absence

Sanchez told police at the hospital that all he could remember was grabbing for a window, the court document said. Sanchez said he didn’t know who else was involved or where the altercation happened.

“Friday night in Indianapolis, one of our team members, Mark Sanchez, was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we are still trying to wrap our heads around,” Curt Menefee said Sunday on Fox’s primary NFL pregame show. “At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark and his family and all of those involved.”

Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Chris Myers also acknowledged Sanchez’s absence on Sunday before introducing Sanchez’s replacement, Brady Quinn. Myers said he wanted to send thoughts and prayers to Sanchez and everyone involved in the incident.

Police officers found Sanchez with the stab wounds when they were dispatched to a downtown pub about 12:35 a.m. Saturday. The truck driver was found in the alley.

Details of the confrontation were disclosed in the affidavit, based on video footage and the truck driver’s statement to police.

The video showed a man believed to be Sanchez running in the alley toward the truck, the affidavit said. The driver works for a company that specializes in commercial cooking oil recycling and disposal, and he was performed his work duties, it said.

Sanchez opened the truck door and began talking to the driver, the affidavit said. Sanchez told the driver he couldn’t be at the loading dock and that Sanchez had spoken to the hotel manager, the document said. Sanchez smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred, the driver told police.

Affidavit says Sanchez threw truck driver to ground

Sanchez followed the driver from side to side of the truck, the court document said. When the driver darted toward the driver’s door, video showed Sanchez “grabbing and throwing” the driver toward a hotel wall, it said. The fight continued against a dumpster and Sanchez threw the driver to the ground, it said.

Sanchez climbed into the truck but got out when told by the driver he wasn’t allowed in, it said. Sanchez repeated that he spoke to a manager and didn’t want the driver to replace fryer oil, the document said. Sanchez tried again to get into the truck and blocked the driver from calling his manager, it said.

Believing he was in danger, the driver grabbed pepper spray from his pocket and sprayed Sanchez’s face, it said. Sanchez wiped his face and advanced toward the driver again, it said.

The driver then pulled his knife and stabbed Sanchez as the ex-quarterback came at him, it said. The driver fell onto pallets on the ground, he told police.

“While P.T. was on the ground, he could only see the feet of Mr. Sanchez coming at him, making P.T. realize that he was in a life-or-death situation,” the affidavit said.

The driver made it to his feet and stabbed Sanchez the last time as Sanchez came at him, it said.

Sanchez had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2019. He appeared on ABC and ESPN for two years before joining Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021. The Long Beach native led Mission Viejo to a 27-1 record as a starting quarterback, winning a Southern Section Division II title in 2004. He later starred at USC from 2006 to 2008, passing for 3,965 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to a Rose Bowl win.

He left college early and was selected by the New York Jets with the fifth pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Sanchez also appeared in games with Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.

Schreiner and Marot write for the Associated Press.

Brits looking for staycation inspiration for their next family getaway may want to consider adding this beautiful UK city to their travel wishlist

Parents considering UK holidays for their next trip with the kids might want to bookmark a trip to the UK’s most ‘family-friendly city’ which has everything from a chocolate-themed attraction to Vikings and even links to Harry Potter.

York is already a firm favourite for Brits looking for fun-filled city breaks, but it’s recently been firmly established as a must-visit for families after a study found that it had 793 kid-friendly activities, 6 museums per capita, 215 family-friendly restaurants.

Plenty of history buffs flock to the hotspot for attractions such as York Minster or the York Castle Museum, while there’s an impressive array of kid-friendly attractions. One highlight has to be York’s Chocolate Story, an interactive attraction which takes you through the city’s links to chocolate-making, complete with a chance to make your own chocolate, and even take on a chocolate and sweet themed treasure trail through the city.

Meanwhile budding history fans are sure to enjoy a trip to the JORVIK Viking Centre where you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the year AD 960, as a ride takes you through the reconstructed city of Jorvik filled with 360-degree views of the settlement. There are also plenty of displays and artefacts to explore.

If you’ve got a Harry Potter fan in the clan, then you may want to head to The Shambles, a historic street full of medieval buildings and independent shops, with a vibe that budding wizards have described as a ‘real life Diagon Alley’.

For those days when the British weather doesn’t play along (let’s face it, this applies most of the time), there are heaps of museums around the city sure to appeal to the whole family. One that often impresses visitors is the National Railway Museum, which is home to around 100 different trains, and artefacts that showcase the best of the UK’s railway history.

The more daring of families – and older kids – may want to also brave the York Dungeons, with live shows and interactive displays. (While the attraction is a lot of fun, there are some scares along the way so it’s recommended for children aged 8 and above, although you can bring in younger visitors at their parents’ discretion).

With so much on offer, it’s no wonder that earlier this year, a study from LNER found that the city was the UK’s most family-friendly spot. The team behind the research explained: “Few destinations blend fun and history quite like York, making it our top English destination for families. With a wide range of things to do with children, this historic, walkable city punches well above its weight when it comes to variety and charm.”

Want to check it out for yourself? You can book trains to York with LNER. As for accommodation, you can find hotels in York from £48 a night on Lastminute.com, while Premier Inn and Travelodge both have hotels in the city where you can sometimes find rooms from £39 during their sales.

You can also find out more about the city and its attractions on visityork.org.