Whatever you do, enjoy. You might be unimpressed with a UK winter Christmas as its unusual to have snow & not very much like the Xmas Card scenes, but ya never know how it can be.
If you do go to Bath & Bristol, the Cotswolds is not so far away - Bristol to the furthest away end is only about 60 miles - & a nice day trip.
Liverpool is my favourite city in England nowadays and is such a wonderfully vibrant city for music and culture.
The Beatles museum is fantastic
The Two Cathedrals are glorious, the Anglican is the biggest in Europe and Gothic - the roof terrace affords phenomenal views across the city, the Catholic is like a landed spaceship
Just near the Catholic Cathedral is the Philharmonic pub which is a glorious old marble and oak pub with lots of small private alcoves and corners named after famous composers.
The Philharmonic Hall opposite that affords a world class concert orchestra
Strawberry Fields is well worth visiting, and Penny Lane and of course Woolton Chruch where the whole Beatles thing started when John and Paul first met
You absolutely have to visit the childhood homes of Paul and John which are now open for tours by the National Trust - one fo the best things I have ever done and reduced me to tears at points!
The Albert Dock is full of great bars and restaurants for dinner at night
The Cavern of course is worth a visit and has lots of live music
St George’s Hall and some of the other architecture such as the Cunard India Buildings are the equal of anything else in the country, if not the world.
From Liverpool you can easily reach both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales which are exquisite areas of wild country.
I also second the Cotswolds, Stratford, Dorset as lovely too.
Jonathan
You make the UK sound so appealing 
Well, thinks, scratches head for more thinks, sadly I have say yes it is. Maybe why I like to migrate to warmer climes around that time of year.
Only problem is a significant other likes to have hugs cuddles & other seasonal merriment with the family all around at Christmas, but get Christmas over & I’m off.
We are headed in the same direction as you early next year…
Best
David
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Seadog
Not really well aligned with your name however, if military history is your bag, one of my favourite locations is IWM Duxford which is home to a huge array of historical planes and tanks, including the incredible US Air Force museum which crams in, amongst many others, a Blackbird, Warthog, B52 and U2. I could easily spend a day here - provided I had plenty of warm clothes as airfield environments can be perishing cold! https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford
For a slightly more reflective experience, the National Memorial Arboretum is an incredible place. Open all year round except Christmas Day, it might prove a bit too bleak at that time of year but it is one heck of a place to relate to British military history. http://www.thenma.org.uk/about-us/videos/a-short-introduction/
You’ll be ready for a lovely warm pub after either or both of these locations!!
Peter
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Cheers Jonathan and Peter.
Liverpool will be no problem with a day trip from York, only 2 hours by train (and I can enjoy the view on the way !)
I’ll lock in the IWM Duxford. Always wanted to see up close WW2 era planes.
I think I’ll play around with London, Salisbury; York and add/delete days as required. I am trying to find a few extra days, at least 3, to try and squeeze in Edinburgh too.
Thank you everyone for some great ideas. If I plan well I think I can achieve most - if not all - of what I want to see/do in about 15-17 days. I plan on staying in these City’s and have day trips to the sights / places I want to see, experience.
I would second Liverpool as a good option, the city centre is quite small, and there’s lots to do, all within walking distance. Of course, London is huge by comparison and has a lot more going on, but I think Liverpool is a nice alternative.
If you like military history both the Army Air Museum and the Fleet Air Arm Museum might be worth a look in , both are just off the A303 but on either side of Stonehenge.
I would try to get to Scotland for Hogmanay , also try and take in one of the Premiership football games on Boxing Day (always good crowds) , or if you are into music why not try and get to see and hear the Christmas Eve service of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings at Cambridge ?
That’s always where Christmas starts for me, absolute imperative that I sit down listen on Radio 3 (I have a Magnum Dynalab) and it always sounds superb.
I have suggested the service from Kings and the IWM at Duxford would not be too far away from that
… even regular Evensongs in the university cities are on a very high level. In my humble opinion this is a massively underrated cultural phenomenon. It is the very source for your musical tradition.
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Yes, an under-rated choral tradition
Do bear in mind that there is so much to see and do in LIverpool that 2 days is an absolute bare minimum and you could very easily do 3! The Beatles childhood homes alone will take most of an afternoon and are absolutely unmissable!
Jonathan
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