IS YORK as dull as ditchwater ... or a city of stunning architecture and vibrant cultural life?

Author Paul Furness claims the former, council and tourism bosses the latter.

Mr Furness, in the introduction to a new “alternative” history of York, complains the “chippy Northerners” who were once York’s heart and soul have been “shipped out to Selby and the suburbs” while the city centre has become a “dumping ground for the Southern middle class”.

Even York’s history has been sanitised, Mr Furness claims. It has become a city of drab festivals that encourage everyone to dress up as Romans or Vikings. “At times, it feels as if we are drowning in an enormous pile of slightly soiled antique lace,” he says.

It is only on the weekend or when the races are on that York really comes alive again, Mr Furness claims. Then it regains the “magical, foul-mouthed raucous enjoyment of life that is what this old city is really all about.”

That’s one view, certainly. But, as Visit York boss Kate McMullen points out, York is also a city “loved by visitors and residents for its rich history, stunning architecture and vibrant cultural life.”

Part of the joy of York is the mix of people now living here, more and more of whom come from all over the world, adds Charlie Croft, the city council’s assistant director of culture. “This dynamic diversity has helped make us one of Europe’s most creative cities, and it’s why so many want to live, work, study and visit here,” he said.

So: dull or vibrant?

It probably depends on what you like. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.

We’re not entirely convinced, however, that most York residents really want a foul-mouthed and raucous city centre – however magical that may seem to some.