Picture Post: Ouse complaining now about our grey skies?

For what seems like months, those who braved the daily boat tours have had to squint through drizzle and low clouds at the historic buildings which line the water.

Then one day last week, the unthinkable happened. Blue skies, recently as rare as hen’s teeth, were spotted above the city and for a while at least it seemed like spring had finally arrived.

One of the most striking buildings along the bank, pictured here, is the Guildhall. Its roots date back to the 15th-century when trade in the city was largely controlled by all powerful guilds, representing the merchants, manufacturers and money men who had made York one of the most important financial centres in the country. Funded by the Guild of St Christopher and St George, it opened in 1445 and would provide the backdrop for some of the key moments in the city’s history.

Occasionally used as a Court of Justice, in 1586 it was where the infamous trial of Margaret Clitherow was held. With the country in the grip of a widespread persecution of Catholics, the 30-year-old mother-of-three made the most public of stands.

To prevent her children having to testify, Margaret refused to plead. Some expected she would be thrown in prison, but the judge was determined to make an example of the young woman with a big heart.

It was Good Friday when Margaret was led to Ouse Bridge where, made to lie on a rock, her own front door was placed on top of her small frame. Loaded with rocks, it wasn’t long before woman who would become known as the Pearl of York was crushed to death.

The Guildhall remained largely unchanged for the next two centuries, but in 1942 almost 500 years of history came to an end when it found itself the target of the Baedeker air raids. Much of the structure was damaged and the new building, rebuilt in the style of the original, was opened by the Queen Mother in 1960.

Technical details: Nikon d3s camera, 12-24mm lens, exposure 500th sec at f8, iso 200.(SH1001/181a.)