The new old York  Steam trains, Viking toilet moss and 26 women
in Doris Day wigs make York as much fun as its transatlantic
namesake for a family break. No wonder the Americans come over
to recreate their battles, writes Martin Love Castle Howard
Castle Howard  Through the swirling smoke, a solitary figure
staggered into view. He was dragging a leg and his left arm hung
lifelessly by his side. A second gun shot echoed across the
grass and, finding its target, brought him to his knees. His
eyes bulged and his mouth gaped in a silent scream. Then, with
arms flailing, he threw himself on to his back. After a minute
or two his convulsions subsided and he lay perfectly still in
the warm afternoon sunlight.  'Is he dead yet?' asked our
incredulous four-year-old. 'No,' we laughed. 'He's just
pretending.' A full-scale, blood-and-guts re-enactment of the
American Civil War hadn't been what we'd expected when we
arrived at Castle Howard, but the 19th Indiana Infantry and the
88th New York State Volunteers brought such