diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index cc8fc399..8aee0df5 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 environment:
   CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN: C:\\Miniconda36-x64
   matrix:
-    - TARGET_ARCH: x64
-      NPY: 1.16
-      PY: 3.6
 
     - TARGET_ARCH: x64
-      NPY: 1.16
+      NPY: 1.17
       PY: 3.7
 
+    - TARGET_ARCH: x64
+      NPY: 1.17
+      PY: 3.8
+
 platform:
     - x64
 
@@ -24,18 +25,30 @@ install:
         throw "There are newer queued builds for this pull request, failing early." }
 
   # Add path, activate `conda` and update conda.
-  - cmd: call %CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%\Scripts\activate.bat
-  - cmd: conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no --set show_channel_urls true
-  - cmd: conda update conda
-  - cmd: conda config --add channels conda-forge --force
-  - cmd: conda config --set channel_priority strict
-  - cmd: set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
-  - cmd: conda install conda-build vs2008_express_vc_python_patch
-  - cmd: call setup_x64
-
-  - cmd: conda.exe create --name TEST python=%PY% numpy=%NPY% cython pip pytest pytest-cov
-  - cmd: conda info --all
-  - cmd: conda activate TEST
+
+        - set URL="https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Windows-x86_64.exe"
+        - curl -fsS -o miniconda3.exe %URL%
+        - start /wait "" miniconda3.exe /InstallationType=JustMe /RegisterPython=0 /S /D=%PYTHON%
+        - "set PATH=%PYTHON%;%PYTHON%\\Scripts;%PATH%"
+        - call %PYTHON%\Scripts\activate
+        - conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no --set show_channel_urls true
+        - conda config --add channels conda-forge --force
+        - set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+        - conda install conda-build vs2008_express_vc_python_patch
+        - call setup_x64
+        - conda create --name TEST python=%PY% numpy=%NPY% cython pip pytest pytest-cov
+        - conda activate TEST
+        #  - cmd: call %CONDA_INSTALL_LOCN%\Scripts\activate.bat
+        #  - cmd: conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no --set show_channel_urls true
+        #  - cmd: conda update conda
+        #  - cmd: conda config --add channels conda-forge --force
+        #  - cmd: conda config --set channel_priority strict
+        #  - cmd: set PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+        #  - cmd: conda install conda-build vs2008_express_vc_python_patch
+        #  - cmd: call setup_x64
+        #  - cmd: conda.exe create --name TEST python=%PY% numpy=%NPY% cython pip pytest pytest-cov
+        #  - cmd: conda info --all
+        #  - cmd: conda activate TEST
 
 # Skip .NET project specific build phase.
 build: off
diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index 90815976..12ffdc97 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ version 1.1.0 (not yet released)
 
  * If only_use_python_datetimes=True and only_use_cftime_datetimes=False,
    num2date only returns python datetime instances and raises an exception
-   if this is not possible.
+   if this is not possible.  num2pydate convenience function added which just calls
+   num2date with only_use_python_datetimes=True and
+   only_use_cftime_datetimes=False.
    Remove positive times check, raise ValueError if python datetime
    tries to compute a date before MINYEAR (issue #134)
 
diff --git a/cftime/_cftime.pyx b/cftime/_cftime.pyx
index 04a07a9e..7c0cce73 100644
--- a/cftime/_cftime.pyx
+++ b/cftime/_cftime.pyx
@@ -247,9 +247,19 @@ def date2num(dates,units,calendar='standard'):
             return cdftime.date2num(dates)
 
 
+def num2pydate(times,units,calendar='standard'):
+    """num2pydate(times,units,calendar='standard')
+    Always returns python datetime.datetime
+    objects and raise an error if this is not possible.
+
+    Same as
+    num2date(times,units,calendar',only_use_cftime_datetimes=Falsee,only_use_python_datetimes=Truee)
+    """
+    return num2date(times,units,calendar,only_use_cftime_datetimes=False,only_use_python_datetimes=True)
+
 def num2date(times,units,calendar='standard',\
              only_use_cftime_datetimes=True,only_use_python_datetimes=False):
-    """num2date(times,units,calendar='standard')
+    """num2date(times,units,calendar='standard',only_use_cftime_datetimes=True,only_use_python_datetimes=False)
 
     Return datetime objects given numeric time values. The units
     of the numeric time values are described by the `units` argument