If you like customising everything under the sun with quirky buttons, buckles, ribbons and trim, then this is the place for you. The first shop opened in Harrogate in 1956, and there is another in Ilkley, and a third in a wonderful medieval building in York. Drusilla White, the daughter of Duttons founder, travels the world in search of fabulous buttons, and offers the largest selection in the UK - over 12,000 to be precise. They range from sparkly diamante to vintage glass, shell, wood and ceramic. Unusual designs include buttons in the shape of hats, lighthouses, owls and fish. They sell a great hessian bag for you to customise, and every other haberdashery item you could ever need. Buttons from Duttons can even be spotted in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Evita!

www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk
Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, HG1 1QE
+44(0)1423 502 092
Google map: bit.ly/rtptkh

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The House of Avalon is a vintage clothing store full of quirky little surprises in York. After picking through a stunning array of vintage gear - from gorgeous tea dresses to sparkling handbags and headgear - you can enjoy a cup of tea and a cupcake or large slice of victoria sponge in the Avalon's cafe. While you browse or eat, enjoy the classic films which are projected onto a screen in the cafe. To add to Avalon's many charms, you can also get your hair styled into a retro do by a talented stylist before you leave. The shop is a project of the Avalon Group aimed at providing work opportunities to people with different abilities. A delightful shop with a social conscience. You will leave smiling.

5 High Petergate, York, YO17EN
www.thehouseofavalon.org.uk
+44(0)1904 622055
Google map: bit.ly/aadnLB

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Betty's on St Helen's square is a Yorkshire institution and rightly so. Sitting in the Art Deco glazed dining room watching the world go by is a rare treat. Rare because the outdoor queues can be most off putting.
If it is windy and raining I recommend a trip round the corner to Little Betty's, located on York's prettiest medieval street - Stonegate.
The food, service and quaint ambience remain in Little Betty's but the queues are shorter and indoors. The upstairs rooms even have one extra special treat - open fires.
Sandwiches and cakes are available to takeaway from shops in both tearooms.

Betty's, St Helen's Square
Little Betty's, Stonegate

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Accommodation directory for anyone wanting to book their hotel or B&B before they get to York. Also some local information on travel and attractions in York.

www.roomsinyork.com

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