Old News Blog 2009
Sun 27 Dec 2009 Our White Christmas
The thaw began on Saturday, but I doubt if the North Sea had warmed up much for the Boxing Day Dip. There were still patches of snow on the grass above the beach, as the brave swimmers took to the water to raise money for charity. That’s about 10 days of lying snow since it began on Fri 18 Dec, with overnight temperatures down to -6 C and occasional top-ups of more snow as the days went by. Main roads to, from and within Whitby have remained open throughout, with just occasional short interruptions until the next snowplough cleared the way. In Whitby and at sea level, almost all of the snow has now gone, but the outskirts of the town and the villages beyond are still fairly white, while the high moors remain under several inches of snow.
Want to know just how well insulated your house is? The next time you have had a fresh snowfall, just look up at your roof and compare it with your neighbours’ roofs. The one with the most snow on top is the roof which is loosing least heat, thanks to a good thick layer (12 inches) of loft insulation!
Thu 24 Dec 2009 Happy Christmas Everyone
Wherever you happen to be spending Christmas, everyone here at VisitWhitby.com wishes you a warm, happy Christmas and a healthy New Year!
Sun 20 Dec 2009 Holidays Abroad Anyone?
I have just returned from a lovely few days in the Lake District, to find that Whitby and the North York Moors are looking lovlier than ever in a fabulous winter wonderland of snow. All the local main roads are open and passable with care. If you still need convincing, the BBC News tells me that several major UK airports are closed because of snow, hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed, 5 Eurostar trains have broken down in the Channel Tunnel and thousands of travellers have been disrupted, French ferry ports are affected by bad weather and the UK Borders Agency is taking industrial action. Are you really sure you want to go overseas to get away from it all? Why not just stay in the UK this Christmas and have a wonderful holiday in the Whitby area? Contact some of our advertisers on this website and ask them about late vacancies and special offers…
Fri 11 Dec 2009 Wild Flowers will Bloom
Despite last night bringing our first real frost of the winter, the National Park scheme to encourage grassland wild flowers has just ended its first phase. Thanks to a three year Heritage Lottery funded project, there will be improved conditions for wildflowers and invertebrates across 400 hectares of flower-rich grasslands, as well as the creation of over 10 hectares of new grassland using locally-collected grass and wildflower seed. Flower-rich grasslands are considered to be the most threatened habitat in the North York Moors National Park. The Grassland Project focused on the restoration of the most diverse but rather fragmented remnants of limestone grasslands found in the south of the National Park.
Surviving on road verges, quarries or steep banks (which were either not considered part of general farm management or were inaccessible to machines) these grasslands escaped the agricultural revolution that saw many other grasslands ploughed out or heavily fertilized. Now however, they are suffering due to lack of management. Because many are neither grazed by domestic animals nor cut for hay, they are gradually being consumed by scrub or bracken. Over the three year project, the National Park Authority has given advice on and helped set up management agreements to ensure farmers and landowners are rewarded for continuing to restore and maintain their flower-rich grasslands. Many will also be assisted periodically by the National Park Authority’s volunteers. The Project has undertaken practical restoration work such as fencing for livestock and the removal of scrub and weeds on around 155 hectares of grassland. It has also arranged for contractors to maintain some of the most flower-rich verges, where careful cutting is needed to prevent the loss of wild flowers.
Sun 06 Dec 2009 Victorian Robin Hood’s Bay
After the wettest November ever recorded in the UK, last night’s rain made Falling Foss waterfall truly spectacular as I walked in Littlebeck this morning. Then on to enjoy the Victorian Weekend at Bay, where I arrived at the Dock just as their Grand National Duck Race was finishing and the local children were trying to catch the small plastic ducks as they were swept downstream in the swollen beck. According to the magnificently dressed Bay Village Cryer, this year’s race was completed ‘in record time’!
All the car parks above the village were full, the sun came out and we all had a lovely time strolling around the village admiring the many scarecrows, visiting the Christmas stalls, eating the roast chestnuts and savouring the nooks and crannies of this timeless village. Lots of local people were dressed in Victorian costume and the whole weekend event was declared a great success. More…
Wed 02 Dec 2009 Whitby Museum A Credit
Accreditation has been awarded to our Museum by the government’s Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). Whitby Museum and its associated library are managed by the volunteers of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society and it houses a wonderful collection of artifacts, all with a Whitby connection. From impressive locally-found fossils, to a Shipping and a Captain Scoresby section, there are also such local wonders as the gruesome Hand of Glory and the magnificently named Captain Merriweather’s Tempest Prognosticator.
The present Museum building is based on the Art Gallery provided for the residents and visitors of Whitby by Alderman Pannett, who also donated the recently restored Pannet Park within in which the buildings stand. A temporary exhibition of his life and works is currently on display in the Museum and shows just what a generous and far-sighted man he was. More…
Fri 20 Nov 2009 Driest National Park in British Isles
As England experienced its heaviest rainfall ever recorded in a couple of hundred years (12 inches / 30 centimeters in 24 hours in the Lake District National Park yesterday), it is always reassuring to know that here in the North York Moors National Park we have the driest National Park in the British Isles. I like to tell visitors that, especially if it’s pouring.
Thurs 19 Nov 2009 Baytown Victorian Weekend preparations
Preparations are well advanced for the 16th Victorian Weekend in Robin Hood’s Bay, starting on Sat 04th December. Organised by the Robin Hood’s Bay Tourism Association, one of our Sister Sites, this year’s event is planned to be one of the biggest so far. The proceeds will go to good causes in and around Bay, or Bay Town, as it is called locally. Events include a Pantomime, Concerts, a Duck Race, Scarecrow Competition, Christmas Stalls, Father Christmas, the Bay Town Cryer will be in full voice, as well as Street Entertainment, etc, etc. Why not come dressed in Victorian costume, or even enter yourself for the Queen Victoria Competition?
For lots more details just click on our Sister Site button (left hand column) or on our own What’s On Events Page. You will be amused!
Sat 14 Nov 2009 The South Wind doth Blow…
…and we shall have more lovely weather. Friday night was a bit windy, but while the South of England may have suffered ‘the worst storm so far this winter’ with on-shore winds driving heavy seas up onto the coast, here on the North East coast it was only a strong wind from the land towards the sea. Granted, there was a bit of rain as well but on the morning afterwards the local woods were open as normal and I enjoyed a lovely walk to admire the autumn colours. With some of the leaves now off, the views are better than ever and show the beck below and the gushing waterfalls in full flow. It’s still mild enough to find the odd insect on the wing and sunny enough to need a hat to keep the low sun out of your eyes, but my outdoor tomatoes are still ripening. Take a look at our sister site www.WhitbyWeather.com to see just how wet and windy it was here, compared to the weather you’ve just had this past weekend. Remember: the North York Moors is the driest National Park in the UK!
Mon 09 Nov 2009 A Walk on the West Side
We started from the public car park on Whitby Marina, just by the slipway, where we could see a flock of about 30 Redshank in a high tide roost on the pontoon just across the river. Tightly packed on the downstream end of the floating walkway, the Redshank are here most high tides as they rest and wait for the falling tide to uncover their feeding areas on the seaweed-covered rocks around this coastline. Three Turnstone flew in to join them, as we followed the river past the freshly laid foundations of new Marina building. Its unusual roof shape will reflect the iconic Gothic arches of Whitby Abbey and the jawbones of the whale to be found on the West Cliff.
A couple of Mallard swam and dabbled in the river just behind the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, with assorted Gulls (Herring, Greater Black Backed and Black Headed) flying overhead. At this time of year the definitive black head of the Black Headed Gull is reduced to a small black dot behind each eye, but with winters getting milder it should be only a month or so before the first birds are back in full breeding plumage and ready for the spring. As we walked past the swing bridge and towards the fishing quay we saw another high tide roost of about 25 Turnstone on Tate Hill Pier, but none at all on the beach of the same name.
Reaching the West Pier we scanned the stone ledges of the East Pier, searching for the lines of Turnstone which sometimes roost there in their hundreds - but not today. From the West Pier Light we scanned the inside of the East Pier Extension, but still no sign of what we had really hoped to see. From the very end of the West Pier Extension we scanned every joint in the stonework and every crack in the concrete opposite, but still nothing. It was only when we returned to the outside edge of the West Pier and looked back out towards its Extension that we finally found them, huddled into the horizontal joints just below the Warning sign near the extension bridge: four Purple Sandpipers, or ‘Purps’ to all their friends. These small, plump wading birds from the High Arctic spend their winter holidays on the Whitby coast and just loaf about on the wave-splashed ledges as they waited to start feeding again when the tide falls. Given a higher tide than today’s 4.3 metres, there should be even greater numbers of waders to enjoy.
Tue 03 Nov 2009 That was the Weekend that Was
August can be busy, but somehow the last Saturday in October seemed even busier! Every Whitby bed and breakfast, and every Whitby hotel had ‘No Vacancies’ signs out and the traffic almost ground to a halt as the Goths arrived to strolled up and down the streets. There seemed to be as many Goth Watchers as Goths, and everyone enjoyed the sights (or the attention). English Heritage organised special Goth events at Whitby Abbey and the promenading carried on in good humour far into the night.
Harry Collett, Chairman of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, pointed out that this Goth Weekend had coincided with the end of the school half term holiday, making Whitby even busier than ever. ‘Many of the Goths’ he added ‘extended their weekend visit by arriving a few days early or staying on for a few days afterwards. We welcome both the Goths and the Goth Watchers’ he said. Whitby police reported that there had been no trouble whatsoever, and a ‘goth’ time was had by everyone.
Fri 30 Oct 2009 A Great Gathering of Goths
All Hallows Eve is this weekend and a thousand or more Goths are arriving in Whitby for their big annual event. Large numbers of Goth-watchers are also arriving, to admire them and their impressive costumes. Every venue is booked for live bands every evening, but the big attraction for all of us non-Goths is just their casual daytime strolling the streets and ’strutting their stuff’ in such expensive and unusual finery. See www.TopMum.co.uk for the full programme of Gothic events in Whitby this weekend.
Sun 25 Oct 2009 Captain Cook Commemorative Service
Marske Fishermen’s Choir sang sea shanties as the congregation filed into St Mary’s Church at the top of the 199 Steps. After a rousing ‘Eternal Father’ (perhaps better known as ‘For those in peril on the sea’) the minister said ‘We also meet to celebrate Whitby’s great seafaring heritage, a heritage which owes much to Captain Cook; to his spirit of adventure, to his thirst for knowledge, to the exercise of his authority with compassion, to the meeting of different cultures and the discovery of new worlds.’ Then a reading from Captain Cook’s Journal, a song by East Whitby Primary School, a sermon by the Canon Theologian from York Minster, another reading, another hymn ‘Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?’, another prayer and Marske Fishermen’s Choir sang us back out into the warm sunshine with ‘I watch the sunrise’ and ‘Botany Bay’.
After refreshments at nearby Abbey House cafe, we all made our way from the East Cliff, through the town, to the West Cliff and its imposing statue of Captain Cook looking out to sea. With another song from the Fishermen’s Choir, the children of East Whitby Primary School handed a wreath to each of the visiting Mayors and the representitive of the Assistant High Commissioner of Australia, to be laid at the feet of the great man. As the ceremony continued, we followed the Captain’s gaze to see that a rainbow had appeared just off Whitby harbour mouth. Then, just by chance, the Whitby Lifeboat returned to port and sailed right through the centre of the rainbow arch. Well done, Captain.
Thu 22 Oct 2009 Esk Valley Community Rail gets Awards
At a National Railway Awards ceremony in Carlisle, hosted by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, our own Esk Valley Railway Development Company (EVRDC) was awarded 2nd place in the Best Marketing Event category for their Goth Music train. They also got another 2nd place in the Passengers Matter category for their redesigned website , which is one of our Sister Sites.
Angie Thirkill, Development Manager for EVRDC, explained ‘These awards are a great achievement in recognition of all the work that EVRDC staff and volunteers have put in to promote the Middlesbrough to Whitby rail link as a sustainable form of transport, through the North York Moors National Park, from city to coast.’
Fri 16 Oct 2009 Queen Mary 2 salutes Whitby Lifeboat man
Cunard’s majestic cruise ship Queen Mary 2 paused just off Whitby this afternoon, as her Captain paid his last respects to long-serving Whitby Lifeboat volunteer Roy Weatherill.
Hundreds of cars and thousands of people lined the shore as she lay just off the Bell Buoy and, presumably, many of her passengers and crew also admired the impressive view of Whitby from the sea.
Then, with a mournful blast of her klaxon, she moved across the bay and continued Northwards on her 5th birthday ‘lap of honour’ around the British Isles.
You can keep tabs on all the ships passing Whitby with the excellent Ship Tracker on our sister site, WhitbyWeather.com
Wed 14 Oct 2009 Council Backs 10:10 Campaign
At last night’s meeting, Whitby Town Council agreed to back the 10:10 Campaign and to reduce its own Carbon footprint by 10% before the end of 2010. Terry Jennison, Mayor of Whitby, will be at the first showing of The Age of Stupid film (see below) and will announce the Town Council’s commitment.
Mon 5 Oct 2009 The Age of Stupid is Coming
This ground-breaking film about the urgent need to reduce our Carbon footprint is coming to Whitby, with free public showings at Whitby Coliseum on Fri 23 Oct at 7.30 and on Sat 24 Oct at 1.30 and 3.30 pm. One of the first ten schools in the UK to sign up to the 10:10 Campaign - to reduce our Carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010 - was Whitby Community College. Now all the other secondary schools in the town have also signed up and more organisations and individuals are expected to join this grassroots movement to make our national politicians take Climate Change more seriously.
Whitby and this particular coastline is particularly at risk from rising sea levels and coastal erosion, and it is very clear that local young people are very aware of this.
Wed 30 Sept 2009 Mellow Fruitfulness
Our lovely long Indian Summer with its warm, dry sunny days now, at long last, seems to be changing to a more autumnal time of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Huge bunches of bright red berries dot the many Rowan trees on the moor edge while the hedgerows are laden with big, juicy Blackberries and in the gardens Apple trees are bent down with a heavy crop. In the Oakwoods Jays fly back and forth noisily with acorns as they hide them for mid-winter survival rations. This morning the garden hedge was festooned with dozens of dew-laden spider webs and I heard the first Gabble Ratchet of the year.
Canon Atkinson, author of ’Fourty Years in a Moorland Parish’ wrote of his absolute terror the first time he heard the Gabble Ratchet, as he walked across Danby Moor many decades ago. His hair stood on end as the fearful noise seemed to surround him and yet there was nothing to be seen. His instinct was to flee in sheer terror down into Danby Dale and he ran all the way home to the Vicarage. He never spoke of the incident again until he was writing his memoirs - by which time he had learned that it was only the sound of a high-flying flock of wild geese flying south on migration, and not an invisible pack of hell hounds chasing him across the moor!
Thurs 24 Sept 2009 Music and Ale Trains
Another popular season of Music and Ale trains on the Esk Valley Railway from Whitby to Middlesbrough has almost ended. Every Friday evening from late July to mid-September there was a mobile party on board, featuring real musicians and a real ale bar. There is only one more Music and Ale Train to come this year, on Fri 30th October, to coincide with Whitby Goth Weekend.
Travel up the beautiful Esk Valley on the train leaving Whitby at 19.15 and be entertained with live music performed by local bands. Returning from Middlesbrough at 20.44, it arrives back in Whitby at 22.11. An additional service will then return to Middlesbrough at 22.25. Apart from the glorious scenery, refreshments and live music, this is an ideal way to visit local pubs at the many villages along the line for a meal and a relaxing few drinks before returning on the late train. See our Sister Site EskValleyRailwayfor more details about one of the UK’s most scenic railway journeys through the North York Moors National Park to Whitby, Yorkshire.
Thurs 17 Sept 2009 Cleveland Way National Trail goes up
The Cleveland Way National Trail – which this year is celebrating its 40thbirthday – has seen a boost in walkers during the first six months of 2009. Footfall counters hidden at four locations along the 110-mile route show a 26% rise in users between January and June, compared with the same period last year. The biggest increase was 34% for the counter at Saltburn and between them the four counters clocked 37,213 users. Following a horseshoe line around the North York Moors National Park, the Cleveland Way was the second National Trail in England and Wales to be designated. It is one of 15 National Trails providing opportunities to walk, cycle and horse ride through some of the finest landscapes in England and Wales.
Malcolm Hodgson, National Trails Officer for the Cleveland Way, said: “Walking is not only a great way to keep fit but it’s also relatively cheap and it would seem that in our current cash-strapped climate, more people are pulling on their boots and enjoying the local countryside. With a great diversity of landscape and heritage in a relatively small space, the North York Moors is a walkers’ paradise offering everything from a short stroll to longer distance routes such as the Cleveland Way.”
The Cleveland Way National Trail is funded by Natural England, the North York Moors National Park Authority, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Scarborough Borough Council. More information on the Cleveland Way National Trail including suggestions for shorter, circular walks can be found at www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway
Wed 09 Sept 2009 Observer Escapes to the Esk Valley
Our magnificent purple moors in late summer have been enjoyed by a keen observer in last Sunday’s Observer newspaper. One of their Great British Escapes was to enjoy ‘a purple carpet stretching for miles’ on either side of the River Esk, just upstream of Whitby. They recommended staying in Whitby itself, or at a pub in nearby Egton village, or in a refurbished railway coach at Goathland and visits included the National Park visitor centre at Danby or Whitby Abbey. For places to eat they mentioned Greens of Whitby (see Wed 02 Sept 2009 below), the Magpie Cafe in Whitby - or ‘what may well be the best Sunday lunch in England (from £10)’ at The Wheatsheaf pub in Egton - the very same pub they recommended for accommodation as well, so they must have been very impressed!
Wed 02 Sept 2009 Local Food, Glorious Food
Local food from the Whitby area has made the headlines again this week. Once again the Magpie Cafe been rated highly by Jay Rayner, food critic of the Observer newspaper, but Falling Foss Tea Garden near Sneaton was featured in last Saturday’s holiday section of The Guardian. Of the seven best Cream Teas in the UK, Jack and Steph’s haven at Falling Foss was ranked alongside the V & A Cafe and Yew Tree Farm at Coniston!
Then the readers of the Whitby Gazette voted the Riverside Fisheries in Church Street as their favourite fish and chip shop for a third year, and Ed Baines, celebrity chef of ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish was in action in the kitchen theatre of last weekend’s Coastal Flavours of Whitby festival. With Whitby’s own award winning Seafood Chef of the Year Rob Green, who is usually found at Green’s Restaurant in Bridge Street, they all celebrated our wonderful local foods and flavours. Then, just to put the cap on our superb coast and its wildlife, Miranda Krestovnikoff and the Marine Conservation Society announced that Sandsend beach is one of the top ten beachcombing beaches in the UK, coming second only to Selsey Bill in West Sussex.
‘Oh I do like to be beside this seaside…’
Thurs 27 August 2009 Purple Picnic on the Moors
This is the purrfect week for a Purple Picnic in the middle of our moors. In late August the heather (also known as Ling) is in flower and since the North York Moors has over 190 square miles of heather moorland, we now have the biggest floral display imaginable. The 20 mile journey across the blooming heather to Whitby is like crossing a vast sea of flowering purple to arrive at our very special ’island’ of Whitby and the Esk Valley.
So buy a locally made pie from one of our Whitby or village butchers, a few locally grown tomatoes and some local cheese (possibly even Wensleydale if all else fails). Add locally baked bread, some Yorkshire butter, heather honey and a suitable drink. Now take yourselves up onto a moortop (Danby Beacon is a good one) and settle down to ‘eat the view’. All around you everything you see is a farmed landscape, created over centuries by many generations of Yorkshire farmers. As your eye sweeps across the largest area of heather moorland in England, enjoy your purple picnic and look for the moors, dales and villages where each of your picnic ingredients was created. Then, while the scenery is at its very best and while you are at peace with the world, ingest, digest and assimilate everything that is so very special about this wonderful place.
Mon 24 August 2009 Whitby Jet Set Display
The RAF’s Red Arrows display team thrilled thousands of spectators this afternoon as they painted the sky red, white and blue. With hardly a breath of wind to blow them away, the coloured smoke trails they left behind hung in the still air as proof of their flying skills. All the rolls of the Chicken Run manouver remained long after the two jets had flown directly towards each other and then passed by with only feet to spare. The multi-coloured loop of the flight of five hung in the air as the flight of four flew across their path and right through the centre of the perfect smokey circle. Their spectacular display lasted a full 25 minutes but was over all too soon, leaving all Whitby absolutely spellbound.
Sat 22 August 2009 Whitby Regatta Folk Week
Our busiest weekend of the year and the weather is warm and dry. I used the Park and Stride (a 10 minute walk into the town centre) from Caedmon School at the end of the high level bridge on the A 171. Off duty folk dancers in full costume strolled about the town centre as the Boys Under 14 teams rowed across the finishing line at the Fish Pier, the finale of their 1.4 mile race along the coast. Made my way through the harbourside crowds and up to the West Cliff, where Inclognito, the Lancashire based clog dancers were just finishing their set. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Royal Air Force and lots of other stands lined the clifftop and the public address system warned us all that the Hurricane would arrive at 3.30 pm.
The Hurricane did reach Whitby right on cue, but accompanied by the Spitfire and the Dakota - making up the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which flew over the sea at clifftop height. A huge cheer went up from everyone on this natural grandstand as they flew past, with first the Spitfire and then the Hurricane returning for a series of rolls and half loops. Then the Dakota was back again, this time with the side door wide open and the white gloved Dispatcher waving back at us, before they all set off together along the coast. Don’t worry, they’ll be back again tomorrow. Once they’d gone the Boys Under 18s Rowing Race began and the local Goathland Plough Stots started their ancient sword dance at the feet of Captain Cook’s statue. In a world first charted by Captain Cook, where else could you find WWII aircraft flying above a 169th annual Regatta with the oldest sword dancing team in the world performing as part of the 6th biggest Folk Week in the UK? It could only be Whitby!
NB: Why do we have both big events in the same week? The answer lies in the tides which are only Regatta-friendly twice every month, as well as in the RAF Red Arrows Display Team’s availability (they’ll be here on Mon) and the fact that Whitby Folk Week has to keep its place in the summer calendar amongst all the other top 10 Folk Weeks around the UK. The result is that every so often the two events inevitably coincide, and when they do both organisations cooperate to maximise the opportunity for everyone.
Mon 17 August 2009 Vintage Gathering for Regatta
Many beautiful vintage cars have been heading for Whitby today, in preparation for next weekend’s Regatta. Fortunately the weather has been fine and sunny, so the occupants of these lovingly cared-for vehicles had a pleasant, if stately, trip. Together with vintage steam engines, tractors and motor bikes, they will all be on display on the West Cliff this weekend.
So, if you find yourself in a long tail-back of traffic this week, please be patient - these fine old antiques are going as fast as they can!
Sat 08 August 2009 Whitby Swing Bridge Centenary
Our Grand Old Lady is 100 years old today. Her 100th Birthday Party was a real show stopper and the ceremony was watched by over a thousand people. The Whitby Jets Juvenile Jazz Band was followed by the Cleveland Police Band and Folk Group Coblers Monday. The three Mayors of Whitby Town, Scarborough Borough and North Yorkshire County Councils attended, as did dozens of costumed members of Saltburn Victorian Society. The bridge opened to river traffic and, as a flotilla of small boats sailed through, a descriptive plaque was unveiled at each end of the bridge. When the bridge was open to road traffic again all the dignitaries and those in costumes met in the middle for a photo shoot, recreating the photos of the original opening in 1908. Marske Fisherman’s Choir rounded off the day as the bridge and its road and river traffic returned to normal. Apologies for any delays, but it will be another 100 years before it happens again!
Exhibitions of local school work about the bridge can be seen at the Tourist Information Centre for the next 2 weeks, and of historic and more recent pictures and paintings (including the original engineer’s drawings) at the Whitby Town Council’s Art Gallery in Pannett Park for the next 3 weeks. The Whitby and District Tourism Association (WDTA) has published a History of Whitby Swing Bridge, available for £3.50p from John Freeman Studio in the Market Place off Church Street. Paper copies of the descriptive plaques are also available at 50p (all proceeds to WDTA).
Wed 05 August 2009 Pirates Queue for New Playground
Phase One of the £1.4 million refurbishment of Pannett Park in the middle of Whitby was opened this afternoon by Whitby Mayor Terry Jennison. Children were invited to attend dressed as pirates and hundreds of assorted pirates and others all queued patiently to try it out once the new play equipment was declared ‘Open’. More than 20 brand new and purpose built outdoor play structures have been provided, as well as safety flooring throught the playground and seats around the sides for parents. See blog for 14 Jan 2009 for background.
The work elsewhere in the Park continues, but everyone worked really hard to get the new playground up and running for the school holidays. Later this year the terrace around the Art Gallery and Museum entrance will have been restored, not to mention the Lily Pond and the network of paths.
Sat 01 August 2009 Today is ‘Yorkshire Day’
This morning at the Dock End in Whitby the Yorkshire Declaration of Integrity was read out to the assembled multitude:
‘I, Heather Coughlan the Deputy Mayor of Whitby, being a resident of Whitby in the North Riding of Yorkshire declare:
That Yorkshire is three Ridings and the City of York, with boundaries of one thousand, one hundred and thirty four years standing
That the address of all places within these Ridings is ‘Yorkshire’
That all persons born therein or resident therein and loyal to the Ridings are Yorkshire men and Yorkshire women
That any person or corporate body which deliberately ignores or denies the aforementioned shall forfeit all claim to Yorkshire status.
These declarations made this Yorkshire Day 2009. Yorkshire Forever! God save the Queen!’
The tall ship Grand Turk in the nearby Dock End flew the Yorkshire flag and a uniformed Captain Cook (alias Harry Collett, Chairman of the Whitby and District Tourism Association) was Master of Ceremonies. There were Yorkshire songs from the Whitby Community Choir and Yorkshire poems from Ernie Marsden and Mike Wray, while white roses were sold by costumed members of Whitby in Bloom to raise money to make Whitby even more attractive. Background…
Thu 30 July 2009 Dolphins from Moray Firth
Earlier this month volunteers and members of the public took part in a national survey of whales and dolphins around the UK coast. Bottlenose dolphins seen off Whitby a few weeks ago have now been identified as known individuals usually seen in the Moray Firth, near Inverness. Some dolphins have distinctive markings or scars and can be identified from photographic ‘mug shots’. Other dolphin sightings off Scarborough would, if confirmed, be the furthest South on the East coast they have been reported. More…
Wed 22 July 2009 Hinderwell draws them in
Drivers passing through Hinderwell village may be surprised to see a Police Officer permanently stationed at either end of the village, Dr Who and his Tardus on the pavement, President Obama giving a press conference in a garden, a giant black spider in a lane and a Member of Parliament milking a Cash Cow in a gateway. These are just a few of the hundred characters taking part in this year’s Hinderwell and Port Mulgrave Scarecrow Festival. The residents have let their creative imaginations run: just add 8 lengths of black flexi-hose to a 1 tonne bale of silage wrapped in black plastic and Hey Presto - a giant black spider sitting by a hedge! The Festival continues over this weekend and is well worth a visit.
Originally St Hilda’s Well, Hinderwell is on the A174 coast road between Sandsend and Staithes. Some 1,400 years ago St Hilda of Whitby Abbey had a retreat here and blessed the well, so giving the village its name. Turn off the A174 by the church to reach nearby Port Mulgrave, which also has more scarecrow characters on display. Originally a mining village built in the 1800s, the mine had a horizontal tunnel which opened out just above sea level so that 3000 tons of iron ore a week could be loaded straight onto the boats in the minature harbour. How a quiet and overgrown industrial site, the miners’ terraced houses and the coastguard cottages are now occupied by those who enjoy the rugged peace and quiet.
Friday 17 July 2009 Children Set Their Salmon Free
Children from Castleton Community Primary School have released over 35 young salmon into the River Esk, Yorkshire’s only Salmon river. The salmon were raised from eggs by the children in a special hatchery tank installed in their classroom as part of a project organised by the North York Moors National Park Authority, in partnership with Jetset Trout in the Classroom UK and the Environment Agency. Since April, when the hatchery was installed, the children have been learning all about the ecology of the River Esk and have written poems, designed posters and created artwork and reports about their classroom residents. They’ve also learnt about the endangered freshwater pearl mussel which also lives in the River Esk and depends on salmon (and trout) as a host for its larvae.
Simon Hirst, the National Park Authority’s River Esk Project Officer said: “The children have done a fantastic job in raising the salmon by helping to feed and care for them. These fish will remain in the River Esk for approximately 2 years as they grow and develop until they are big enough to migrate out to sea. Hopefully they’ll then return to the River Esk in about 4 years time to spawn and produce young of their own. The project has been really enjoyable and we are hoping to repeat it with another school in the Esk valley next year.” Emma Snaith, aged 6, from Castleton Community Primary School was one of the children who helped look after the salmon. She said: “When we first got the salmon they were just eggs, then they hatched and fed from their egg sacs. Then they grew and we needed to feed them. Our caretaker, Mr McCulley helped us to look after them. I’ve really enjoyed having them in the classroom.” Further information on the Salmon in the Classroom project can be found at www.jetsettitchuk.org .
Saturday 11 July 2009 Edinburgh Festival comes to Whitby
This evening two top comediens tried out their material en route to the Edinburgh Festival. Jimmy McGhie delighted the Whitby Coliseum audience with his stand up comedy about the Northern Meeting and how it affected his life. He took careful note of our reaction to each part of his routine, warning his audience that wewould decide which gags made it into his Edinburgh routine - and which did not. Then the Pete Firman Magic Show, with the UK’s Number 1 comedian / magician, who kept us all on the edges of our seats. There was lots of audience participation and we all left completely baffled but highly entertained.
Amuse Whitby is a series of Saturday night comedy shows at the Coliseum this July. Run by Hilarity Bites in association with Musicport, last week we enjoyed Dave Twentyman, Barry Dodds, Sam Gore and headliner Alun Cochrane from Mock the Week, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Have I got News for You. Still is come is Chris Ramsay, Carl Hutchinson, Danny McLoughlin and headliner Duncan Oakley on Sat 18 July, then Tom Deacon, John Gordillo and MC Steffen Peddie on Sat 25 July 2009. If this month’s preview of comedy on its way to Edinburgh is anything to go by, then this year’s Edinburgh Festival should be a brilliant!
Monday 06 July 2009 Whitby on Top National BBC TV
At this evening’s meeting of the Whitby and District Tourism Association (WDTA), Chairman Harry Collett (Whitby Walks) told how he was interviewed for last Friday’s BBC TV’s Breakfast show, as well as for BBC News 24 and also for our regional BBC Look North. On air, Harry explained that Whitby is ‘the jewel in the crown of the Yorkshire coast’ and has many other attractions nearby, including the delightful dales and villages within the North York Moors National Park.
All this free exposure on national television has been estimated as worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Harry explained to the meeting that it will help to convince many British families to holiday in the UK this year, rather than travelling overseas and risking the usual fuel surcharges, airport delays and the poor exchange rate. Holiday bookings in the UK are already up this year, suggesting than many Brits are already aware of the advantages of UK holidays.
The WDTA is one of three partner organisations to create this www.VisitWhitby.com website. You can read more about the WDTA and their Members under the Tourism Assoc (WDTA) button in the left hand column.
Thursday 02 July 2009 Heat Wave Continues
A friend just returned from holiday claims it’s hotter in Whitby than it was in Tuscany. Whitby Weather’s met station on the West Cliff recorded yesterday’s maximum temperature at 29.5 degrees Centigrade (84 degrees Fahrenheit) and today it felt almost as hot. This heat wave has lasted all week and may even continue into next week. The whole coast has been busy, from Staithes through Runswick Bay and Sandsend to Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay. The RNLI reminds everyone to cover up, use a high factor sun cream and to swim only where the beach has lifeguards.
Some of us, however, prefer cooler conditions and we may take one of the many boat trips out of Whitby, or hire a rowing boat or canoe on the River Esk at Ruswarp. There are cool and quiet riverside tea gardens at Sleights and at Lealholm villages, with riverside beer gardens at Ruswarp, Beckhole, Egton Bridge, Lealholm and Castleton. Stepping stones and fords can be found at both Darnholm and Littlebeck, or on the River Esk at Grosmont, Egton Bridge, Glaisdale and Lealholm, giving everyone the chance to paddle in the cool river. My own favourite hot weather retreat is in the shady oak and beech woods just above the lovely Falling Foss waterfall, a couple of miles south of Sneaton village.
28 June 2009 Guardian Holiday Supplement Loves Whitby
This weekend’s ‘The Full English’ supplement with the Guardian newspaper has not one, not two, but three separate items about the Whitby area. Subtitled ‘Great things to do in 10 minutes, an hour, a day, a week’, it rates its very best Ten-minute Treat as ‘climbing the town’s 199 steps’, and it even knows that local tradition demands you should count them as you go. Arriving at the top with even one step too many (or too few), means you should go back and start all over again! Best of all, the Guardian even lists www.VisitWhitby.com as the one website to use.
They also asked ten Authors to share their favourite escapes, with GP Taylor recommending the dramatic coastal walk along the disused railway line from Ravenscar via Robin Hood’s Bay (one of his American companions was convinced that Baytown was really a film set) to Whitby. He praises the visitor centre at Whitby Abbey and says that the old town ‘oozes mystery and charm’ and ‘the views bombard the senses to overloading’. And finally, the back cover of the supplement is a full page colour photo looking down on the spectacular Larpool Viaduct spanning the River Esk, labelled with suggestions to spend 90 minutes on a train ride, 2 hours on a riverside picnic, 3 hours pony trekking, 1 morning fishing, 1 afternoon on a country walk or 1 week in a riverside cottage. What a lot of good ideas in this weekend’s Guardian!
23 June 2009 Wonderful Whitby Lifeboat Weekend
Thousands watched the excitement in Whitby harbour last weekend, as the crews and Friends of the Whitby Lifeboats organised entertainment for the whole family. Both of our Lifeboats were joined by the Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat, as well as the RunswickBay rescue boat and a Rescue helicopter. Practice rescue scenarios were demonstrated, with a ’casualty’ transfer from sea to air. Quite a contrast from the days of our old rowing Lifeboat, which is on show daily in Whitby’s Lifeboat Museum!
Everyone enjoyed the spectacular show and the stalls and displays around the harboursidebandstand were well supported withgenerous donations to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Sunday’s weather was very good and some visitors had a look around Whitby’s Trent Class Lifeboat, which is usually called into action when the weather is at its very worst. On those occasions only a hardy few ever see her volunteer crew take her out on an emergency call, out through the harbour mouth in the teeth of a gale and far off into the night to rescue those in distress at sea. For local storm photos and a video of stormy Sandsend, see http://www.whitbyweather.com/index.php?p=1_40_Storms
19 June 2009 A Week of Birding
With birder friends staying nearby this has been a week of bird watching. The Song Thrush sings every morning in the garden, while the young Robins are taught to use the bird feeders outside the kitchen window. One day we travelled 40 miles south towards Flamborough Head to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) nature reserve at Bempton Cliffs. This spectacular seabird city has tens of thousands of Gulls, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Puffins and Gannets nesting on the cliff ledges just below the path. Another day we went 40 miles north, crossing the unique Transporter Bridge over the River Tees to the recently opened Saltholme RSPB reserve. Their brand new eco-friendly visitor centre is very impressive, as are the hundreds of wildfowl and wading birds in the surrounding wetlands. Best of all was our morning at our own Runswick Bay, just sitting in the sun enjoying a coffee and admiring the beach and Kettleness beyond, while House Martins swooped endlessly over the village and a Blackbird sang his liquid song. Not forgetting the sunny afternoon on the moor top above Commondale, with Skylark singing high in the sky while Curlew called us into the moor and Red Grouse told us to ‘Go back!’
16 June 2009 Independent and Observer love Whitby Food
Whitby has long been famous for its fish and chips but now two major national newspapers have just published their local recommendations as well. The Independent has a ‘Unique Guide to the 50 Best Dishes to Order in Britain’s Finest Restaurants’, which includes fish and chips at the Magpie Cafe, while the Observer ‘Guide to Best Summer Pubs’ recommends the food at the nearby Duke of York pub. Both are next to Whitby harbour and the fish quay where, if you get up early enough, you can watch the day’s catch being auctioned.
09 June 2009 Lonely Planet loves North York Moors
In the June edition of the Lonely Planet magazine, their guidebooks authors have handpicked their own UK Top 15 holiday destinations. While Cornwall, the Isle of Tiree and Devon might have been expected to take the top 3 positions, the North York Moors National Park was placed 9th. We were just beaten by London and Oxford (which some might say was hardly a fair comparison!), while trailing behind our own marvelous moors were the East Sussex Coast, Suffolk, Somerset, the Lake District, the Llyn Peninsula and Pembrokeshire.
The North York Moors is the largest area of heather moorland left in England and Wales and offers, as they say, the best area for walking. Many ancient paths radiate outwards from Whitby Abbey, making this area an ideal base for a walking holiday. The Esk Valley Walk meanders for some 30 miles from the source of the River Esk high on Westerdale Moor at Esklets, along the valley and finishing at the end of the West Pier extension at Whitby harbour, meeting the 110 mile long Cleveland Way National Trail.
02 June 2009 Busy on the Coast
Strolling along a sunny Church Street today I was delighted to see that the Penny Hedge is still intact, having withstood far more than the ‘three high tides’ required by the ancient legend (see 20 May 2009). This past week has been ideal school holiday weather, with our North Yorkshire seaside towns and villages almost as busy as in August. From Robin Hood’s Bay, through Whitby to Runswick Bay and on up the coast to Staithes, all have been very popular with visitors during this hot weather.
For those who prefer the wide open spaces, try exploring just a few miles inland. The Esk Valley villages are much less busy and more likely to have vacancies than on the coast. It’s also cooler on the moor top or under the shade of the trees. If you want to dabble your feet in the water, many of our villages have stepping stones across the river, as at Lealholm or Egton Bridge. I opted for a stroll to Falling Foss waterfall through the lovely, cool, damp shade of Littlebeck Woods near Sleights. My dog loved it, too - paddling across the ford and lying down in the shallow waters of the Little Beck to cool off.
26 May 2009 Brilliant Bank Holiday Weather
Sunday felt like the hottest day of the year so far and Bank Holiday Monday was almost as good. The sun shone from a near cloudless sky and the whole Whitby area was busy with both day visitors and overnight guests. Most accommodation along the coast was showing a ’No Vacancies’ sign, but there is usually more chance of finding somewhere to stay if you try the less busy villages a few miles inland.
The roads and car parks were also operating at or near full capacity, but there is always another way - leave your car at home, or at least well outside the busiest areas, and travel into the Whitby area by train! The steam trains from Pickering to Whitby were running all weekend with up to 7 carriages each, while our Sister Site the Esk Valley Railway from Midddlesbrough to Whitby now has 4 carriages on every service at weekends and during school summer holidays. In addition, the Esk Valley Railway has just launched it’s new, improved website which now has lots of useful information about Timetables, Fares and Railcards, Maps, etc.
20 May 2009 Penny Hedge Planted
At 9 am this morning the sun was high and the tide was low for the annual Planting of the Penny Hedge ceremony in Whitby harbour. The Mayor of Whitby watched, as did several press photographers and about 50 spectators. This ancient tradition creates a short length of traditional wattle fence or ‘hedge’ of woven Hazel rods, as a penance for accidentally killing a hermit from Whitby Abbey during a wild boar hunt.
It has been carried out every Ascension Eve since the crime was committed in 1159 AD, a remarkable tradition which speaks volumes about the pride in our local history. Every aspect of the story is recorded, from the names of the culprits, the scene of the crime at Eskdaleside Hermitage, the source of the Hazel rods at Stray Head Wood in Littlebeck, and even how they must be cut using a ‘penny knife’. This may be a corruption of ‘penance knife’ or perhaps it’s just a knife worth one old fashioned 12th Century penny.
17 May 2009 Warm Welcome for Whitby Weather
Our newest Sister Site is WhitbyWeather.com, with lots of local weather details. Fascinated by the fast changing weather patterns so close to the coast, they set up their own met station on the edge of Whitby, some 200 yards from the sea, using professional meteorological equipment. The data is fed into a computer and uploaded to the website daily. Predicting Whitby’s weather can be particularly difficult, with the moors to the west and the sea to the east, so there is lots of information on the site to help you.
As well as the Current Conditions there is also a growing Weather Archive of past readings, Forecast Weather and a wonderful section on Storms. Other local weather information includes the Inshore Forecast, Rain Radar and Surf Reports. Even if it’s blowing a gale, you can still enjoy the drama of our big seas!
12 May 2009 BBC Countryfile on Esk Valley Railway
I’ve never been train-spotting before, but this afternoon we drove up the Esk Valley looking for the perfect place to photograph the Middlesbrough to Whitby train on the Network Rail line. Most stock photos are close-ups of the train itself, withlittle of the surrounding scenery. Or lovely long shots from the moor edge, showing the whole width of the EskValley with the moors beyond and a tiny little train in the middle.
What BBC Countryfile asked for was a single photo of the train andthe magnificent scenery of the North York Moors National Park. We had a lovely lunch of freshly baked goodies on the village green at Lealholm, fed the Mallard ducklings on the River Esk and then tried several locations further up the valley. Eventually we choose one between Lealholm and Danbyandstood on the side of the road to compose the shot. With the empty railway line framed by a gap in the hedge, Great Fryup Dale beyond, Glaisdale Moor to the left and Danby Crag to the right, we waited. Suddenly the colourful diesel dashed past, our cameras clicked and it was gone. Did we get the perfect shot? Who knows. We’ll just wait for the BBC to decide if it’s good enough for their planned series on Scenic Railway Journeys of the UK…
06 May 2009 New Captain Cook Exhibition opens for Easter
The Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby’s Grape Lane has a new exhibition entitled ‘Cook and Canada, A Reputation in the Making’. Opened in time for a busy Easter weekend by the Canadian High Commissioner, this new exhibition includes some of the earliest charts drawn by local Yorkshireman Captain James Cook. Having made his reputation as an outstanding marine cartographer in Canada, Cook was later commissioned to lead several major voyages of discovery, which included putting Australia on the map - literally.
For more information on Captain Cook and his connections with Staithes and Whitby in Yorkshire, click here or visit the Captain Cook Memorial Museum website for full details. The new exhibition is on until 31 Oct 2009.
30 April 2009 Whitby Goth Weekend
Last weekend we welcomed thousands of Goths on their annual spring visit to the town. Almost every Whitby hotel and bed and breakfast was fully occupied by elegantly dressed Goths of all ages. It’s the Gothic heritage of Whitby Abbey which brings them here, together with Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ scenes written in Whitby and the ever popular Whitby Jet jewellery. This year more Goth-watchers also came, not only to enjoy Whitby but also to admire the ornate finery of the lavishly dressed Goths as they parade their remarkable costumes around the town. Black may be this year’s colour (again) but Goth clothes are never drab and are frequently enlivened by colourful highlights in their hair, make-up or accessories. Try being a Goth-watcher yourself with another short film about this month’s Whitby Goth Weekend 2009 posted by local photographer Sarah Macmillan on her website.
Better still, why not come to Whitby this autumn as either a glorious Goth or just as a Goth-watcher, and enjoy the Hallowe’en Goth Weekend on Fri 31 Oct to Sun 01 Nov 2009? Details are on our Sister Site to the left of this page.
24 April 2009 YouTube and Spirit of the 40s
An excellent video of last weekend’s Spirit of the 40s event has now been posted on YouTube by local film-maker Sarah Macmillan. Her own website is also well worth a visit (www.northernlandscapes.org.uk) and has lots of other local photos and films, including Whitby Folk Week and Whitby Goth Weekends. As Sarah Macmillan says on her website: ’I feel very lucky to live in such an exciting and unique region. I am dedicated to continue to photograph, film and record my view of the wonderful Northern Landscapes.’
20 April 2009 Successful Spirit of the 40s Weekend
Finishing with the Gala Concert on Sunday evening, the whole weekend was judged a great success. Harry Collett, Chairman of the Whitby and District Tourism Association (WDTA) said ‘The turnout at each of the events on the programme was excellent. The Black Market in the Bunker was well attended on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday morning and in glorious sunshine a large number of visitors watched the firing demonstration, organised by living history re-enactorsfromthe Northern World War II Association.’ In addition to all the day time events around the town, the volunteers of the WDTA also organised a Hangar Dance or Gala Concert on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, persuading many visitors to stay in Whitby for several nights, instead of just coming as day visitors. Vintage vehicles, including a beautiful Rolls Royce, drove through the town, while Veterans chatted to the youngsters making Gas Mask Boxes in the children’s workshops. Some children even arrived on the steam train dressed as ‘evacuees’ with their names on labels tied to their coats.
Next Year’s Spirit of the 40s Weekend is already being organised by the WDTA for Fri 16, Sat 17 and Sun 18 April 2010. TTFN!
15 April 2009 Busy Easter is a good start
Whitby is popular with visitors throughout the year, but somehow Easter still marks the beginning of the main summer season. This year it was particularly busy, even though the weather could have tried a bit harder! Many visitors took advantage of our railways to avoid the inevitable traffic problems on the roads and car parks: either park at Pickering and steam straight through to Whitby town centre on the North Yorkshire Moors [steam] Railway, or else take the diesel train from any UK Network Rail station, via Middlesbrough, and arrive right in the middle of Whitby. Full details on our Maps and Travel page…
Preparations are well underway for our nextbig event, the Spirit of the 40’s Weekend which starts this Friday evening. Organised by the volunteers of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, there will be military re-enactors, vintage military vehicles, a Black Market in the Bunker, a Hangar Dance, etc - all in 1940’s style to commemorate the end of the Second World War and the return of peace. Find full details of the weekend’s Programme in our What’s On Events Calendar…
11 April 2009 BBC Countryfile features Whitby and the Moors
Don’t miss the new look Countryfile programme on BBC 1 television this Sunday (7pm on Sun 12 April 2009) when they will be showing their recent visit to Whitby, the North York Moors National Park and the Cleveland Way National Trail.
09 April 2009 We’re ready for Easter and the Summer
It really feels like Spring has arrived - flowers are blooming, steam trains are running in and out of Whitby again, there are lots of things to do and places to stay, museums and galleries are open for the season, cafes and restaurants are filling up, shops are busier and there is a real buzz about the whole valley which suggests that summer is on its way! Check out What’s On and its Events Calendar to see what is happening while you are here, use the interactive Google Map on our Maps and Travel section to find your way here or to explore the local area. If you have specific questions try our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs and Answers) page, or else use the Contact form at the foot of every page to Ask Abi.
30 March 2009 VisitWhitby.com Welcomes Paid Advertising
This week our publishers, Bow House Ltd, started to sell paid advertising space on VisitWhitby.com - as well as providing two Free Listings for all members of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, as before. Please support our advertisers as their ads help to fund this community-led website. If you wish to advertise your business here, just click on Advertising on the footer of almost every page. This self-funding website is a unique venture for the Whitby area, a three-way partnership between a commercial publisher and two local voluntary organisations: the Tourism Association and a brand new Community Interest Company (Cic). For full details, click on About on the footer.
26 Mar 2009 Ravenscar - The New Town that Never Was
A very bracing walk today from the long-abandoned Ravenscar Railway Station, past the few sample house-types that were ever built, and up towards the moor. A hundred years ago this whole area was going to be another Brighton or Blackpool, but today’s strong winds off the sea were probably the real reason why investors decided not to back this particular venture - apart from it being on a clifftop some 200 metres (600 feet) above sea level! The Curlew and Lapwing are back on our moortops now, but today was too windy for their wonderful calls and display flights. Please remember to keep your dog on a lead when you walk across any heather for the next few months, as all our moorland birds nest on the ground and are easily disturbed. From the path past the National Trust Countryside Centre we admired the view across Robin Hood’s Bay to the village of ‘Baytown’ itself, a view which really must be one of the very best views in the North York Moors National Park, if not in all England.
17 Mar 2009 Whitby Guidebook 2009 launched today
This morning volunteers from the Whitby and District Tourism Association (WDTA) took delivery of 60,000 copies of their annual free guidebook to the Whitby area. Thousands of copies went into safe storage for later in the season, while a fleet of WDTA members’ cars delivered many more to key distribution points around the Whitby area. One comment the drivers heard frequently from the hoteliers and business owners was: ‘We’d better take an extra box this year, because they always go so quickly.’ Last year supplies ran out and an extra 7,500 guidebooks had to be printed part way through the summer season. The guidebook is published by Bow House Ltd and the advertising not only pays for its production but the profits help to fund many of the big events organised by the WDTA, including the Spirit of the 40s Weekend on the 17, 18 and 19 Apr 2009. Copies of the Whitby and District Guidebook are free and can be collected from most hotels, guesthouses and shops in the area, as well as the Tourist Information Centre in Whitby. Hopefully, it will soon be available on this website…
13 Mar 2009 Railway Steams into Short List
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has been short-listed for ‘Best Attraction’ and ‘Best Marketing Campaign’ categories in the 2009 York Tourism Awards. Results will be announced in early April, but hopes of success are high. Over 300,000 passengers ride on the steam trains (and occasional diesels) every year, and many trains run right through from Pickering to Whitby station - a very useful alternative to car travel. Philip Benham, NYMR General Manager, said ‘This is great news. We… appreciate getting the recognition our people so richly deserve.’ The railway relies on over 300 volunteers and 100 paid staff to operate. In the peak season it provides 12 return services per day between Whitby and Pickering, acting as an important gateway to the moors and coast. [More details on VisitWhitby.com's Maps and Travel page].
09 Mar 2009 Crocus River Begins to Flood
Now that Spring is really in the air, the main road into Whitby is very colourful as our River of Crocuses comes into flower. Tens of thousands of blue and white Crocus bulbs were planted in time for last year’s Yorkshire In Bloom competition, just one of the many spectacular floral displays around the town. Now in its second year, our Crocus River is well established and will be looking its very best over the next couple of weeks. You’ll find it flowing for hundreds of yards as it meanders along the wide grass verge of Mayfield Road, approaching the town on the A171. Last year Whitby’s ‘In Bloom’ efforts won their county class and went on to win a Silver Gilt in the national Britain In Bloom competition. There are other floral features and a bit more fine weather will reveal all!
02 Mar 2009 The Proof of the Pudding…
Every year the Whitby and District Tourism Association (WDTA) publishes the very popular Whitby Guide Book for visitors. Last year’s edition was so popular, in fact, that the original print run of 40,000 complimentary copies had to be supplemented in mid-summer by printing another 7,500! This year the 7thEditionof the Whitby Guide Book was given its final proof-reading last week and it’s now on the way to the printers. They expect to deliver the paper copies to Whitby later this month, when the volunteers of the WDTA will start to distribute it throughout the area. Copies will then be available from the Whitby Tourist Information Centre and from hotels, guest houses, etc throughout the area. The Whitby Guide Book is published in conjunction with Bowhouse, who also mastermind this website (see ‘About this Site’ on the footer). It may even be possible to publish the Guide Book here on VisitWhitby.com for you to read your very own virtual copy…
27 Feb 2009 Winter Almost Over?
The snow has gone from the moortop but a few columns of smoke rise in the distance. These are traditional ’swiddening’ fires, an ancient moorland management technique when shepherds and gamekeepers carefully burn off small areas of old heather while the peaty soil is too wet to be damaged. The wet roots are unaffected and the fresh, tender young heather shoots they will produce are the main food for the moor sheep and wild red grouse. Without any swiddening the heather would grow old, tough, less vigorous and less nutritious until sheep and red grouse, shepherds and gamekeepers are all gone and the largest area of heather moorland in England would be replaced by bracken and scrub. Withswiddening, however, heather is rejuvenated and the mosaic of moorland habitats is maintained. Swiddening will soon be over for another winter and sheep and lambs, red grouse, curlew and lapwing will be back on our heather moors for yet another year.
18 Feb 2009 Esk Valley in Wintertime 2009
A friend who lives and farms high on the North York Moors above Danby writes: Well, the snow has gone and I, for one, am glad. It had been laying here for two weeks and it was getting a bit ‘old’. Maybe I’m just seeing it from the ‘grumpy hill farmer’ point of view but it did cause us extra work, making sure our sheep were fed when the snow had covered up what scant vegetation there was, and also we had to lead water to those sheep housed in buildings where the water pipes had frozen. I’m glad to say that my grumpy attitude towards the white stuff was not shared by all, as demonstrated by the many young people who dragged their sledges to Freeborough Hill for a rather quick descent. Also, my two year old discovered the fun of building a snowman for herself. That did indeed bring a smile to my face. Of course the media made a big meal of it, but ‘Hey! - it’s February in the Northern Hemisphere. Guess what? It’s winter’.
Many thanks to the Editor of our Sister Site www.EskValley.com for writing about the recent snow and how it affected everyone some 15 miles inland from Whitby. NB: It has all melted away now and temperatures are already 10 degrees Centigrade above freezing.
12 Feb 2009 Programme for Whitby’s Spirit of the 40s Weekend
Harry Collett, Chairman of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, invites you to a weekend of pure nostalgia on 17th, 18th and 19thofApril 2009. Celebrate the end of the Second World War and the return of peace with a town full of 1940s military and civilian re-enactorsin costume, a Black Market in the ‘Bunker’, Home Front displays, a Continental Market and ‘Hanger Dances’ on Friday and Saturday evenings. You can rub shoulders withcostumedsailors, soldiers and airmen, travel around town on the unique steam bus, watch the firing display or listen to the pipes and drums. Round off the whole weekend with a Sunday evening Gala Concert, including Marske Fishermen’s Choir and the Kirbymoorside Brass Band. The full programme can be seen on our What’s On Events Calendar posts for 17th, 18th and 19th April 2009.
07 Feb 2009 Whitby’s First ‘Green Tourism’ Award
Owners of The Waverley Guest House, Stephen and Julie Ward, are delighted that their efforts have now been recognised with this Gold Award. Members of the Whitby and District Tourism Association for several years, they have always recycled but now they also try to be more energy efficient and to buy their food and other goods as locally as possible. This not only helps to reduce food miles but also supports other small businesses in this area. Stephen said they wish to be eco-friendly, environmentally responsible, ethical and with a clear conscience about how they run their business and their lives. ‘We will always be the first accredited Green Tourism business in the Whitby area and we are very proud’ he added.
03 Feb 2009 Snow and Thaw for the North York Moors
We all woke up yesterday morning to find several inches of snow blanketing the Whitby area, making the scenery even more spectacular than usual. Everyone knew it was coming and a fleet of gritting lorries fitted with snowploughs worked day and night to keep the main roads open. Diesel trains continued to run as normal on the Esk Valley Railway between Whitby and Middlesbrough but most schools in the Whitby area were closed for the day as pupils from the more remote farms and villages were badly affected. Snow showers continued on and off for much of the day but by late afternoon the thaw had begun and today the sun is shining again. Looking across the Esk Valley today I can see far more green grass than white snow, but the moortops still look very white from down here. All the main roads ‘connecting Whitby to England’* are open as normal.
*A phrase first used by the businessmen of Whitby in 1832 when they invited Stevenson the great railway engineer to a meeting at The Angel Inn in Whitby, ‘..to discuss the possibility of connecting Whitby to England by rail’… That’s how isolated this area used to be when we still had proper winters!
29 Jan 2009 Whitby Station Refurbishments Started
Network Rail passengers from Middlesbrough to Whitby on the Esk Valley Railway will be delighted that improvement works have begun this week. Over the next few months this 162 year old architectural feature of Whitby’s heritage will have a new portico roof over the North entrance, new platform canopy glazing and all the electrics and rainwater guttering improved and renewed. ‘The rail journey along the Esk Valley is scenery at its best. It is essential that the passengers’ first impressions of Whitby are positive ones’ said Angie Thirkill, Development Manager for the EskValleyRailway Development Company which promotes the railway within the community it serves. It also provides local support to the train operator, whilst working closely with Whitby and the EskValley villages to deliver a sustainable rail service for the benefit of both residents and visitors.
22 Jan 2009 Whitby’s Park and Ride Approved by National Park
Permission for Whitby’s Park and Ride scheme was today given by the North York Moors National Park Authority, within whose boundaries the proposed parking field lies. On the A171 a couple of miles outside Whitby town centre, the parking field will be landscaped to hold several hundred cars, screened by new tree planting and served by a new roundabout. A covered waiting area will have information and public toilets, and shuttle buses will carry passengers to and from Whitby. New electronic Variable Message Signs on the approach roads will show how many (or how few!) town centre parking spaces are currently available, thus helping drivers to decide where best to park. Construction work will start in a few months and the whole scheme will be ready for visitors to use in 2010.
14 Jan 2009 Big Lottery Grant for One of Whitby’s Hidden Gems
The National Lottery has just awarded £1.4 million to Pannett Park in the centre of Whitby. Opened in 1928 and a quiet haven in this busy seaside town, it has a special place in the region’s history as it was bequeathed by Robert Elliott Pannett, a local man who played a major role in the town’s civic development. He also created a museum and art gallery within the same site. This huge grant will enable the whole park to be restored, including the beautiful lily pond, and the creation of a new play area full of state-of-the-art equipment designed with the help of local youngsters. A commemorative garden will also be created, as well as a series of community gardens where local groups and schools will look after their own piece of the park. The innovative plans also include the creation of a Jurassic Garden to celebrate Whitby’s geology and link it to the exhibits within the town’s museum.
10 Jan 2009 New Trawler ‘Pleiades’ Launched
At precisely 2pm on this grey January day a giant yellow crane lifted the newest trawler from the Parkol Marine shipyard where she was built. It swung her across the yard where the next trawler is already taking shape, over the side and lowered her gently towards Whitby harbour. Weighing nearly 100 tonnes and some 17 metres from stem to stern, ’Pleiades’ made a very impressive sight. To the skirl of bagpipes (she is destined for Scottish waters) and cheers from the crowd, a bottle of champagne was smashed on her steel bows just before she was lowered triumphantly into the water. This is the latest launch of a Whitby-built boat, in a proud tradition that spans many centuries and includes the wooden sailing ships used by Captain Cook to explore and map the 18th Century world.
26 Dec 2008 Boxing Day Dip
A thousand spectators lined the beach and pier to cheer on a hundred brave fund-raisers who dashed into the sea at Whitby on Boxing Day morning to raise money for charities and worthy causes. The Boxing Day Dip, organised by the Whitby and District Lions, has been running in the town for 36 years now and the event is a firm festive favourite. This year again saw scores of people dressed in wacky costumes and festive outfits taking the plunge, together with sporting clubs and associations and a number of brave youngsters. 20% of the funds raised go to the Lions’ Club for good causes, with the rest donated to charities of the participants’ choice.
19 Dec 2008 This new-look VisitWhitby.com website goes live
04 Nov 2008 Whitby Goth Weekend a great success
Hallowe’en 2008 saw the biggest ever gathering of Goths from all over the world at Whitby. The event was hailed as a great success by local residents and businesses, as well as by the visiting Goths themselves.
