Returned yesterday after my annual (sometimes bi-annual) visit to my sister's on Teesside, on the English north-east coast.
The seated trio is myself with my sister and her hubby, Ted.
During my stay visited Whitby, the best known town close by. It was once a thriving fishing port, and though it still has that industry, it's on a much-reduced scale.
Whitby was given particular additional fame by Bram Stoker who chose to have his Count Dracula land in England here.
In the final picture, on the summit of the hill are the ruins of St Hilda's Abbey, originally 7th century and sacked by the Vikings two centuries later, though nothing of the original remains apart from the site. It was restored in 1078 and remained an establishment of high national and indeed, international, significance until 1540 when Henry VIII dissolved all the country's monasteries on declaring himself head of the church in England in place of the Pope . (The little 'ship' in the same photo is a tourist sight-seeing boat for harbour and sea trips. Tacky, but also rather quaint.)
Okay, history lesson over. Now let's get back into routine.
Did you see / go on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway? They run a few trains there, don't they?
ReplyDeleteIf you go up onto the cliff top on the northern side of the river - that's where we took the Former Bitch for a windswept caper when we were there about three summers back. (I'm sure you wanted to know that!).
Your pics reminded me. It'a a fine place and generally I prefer it to Scarborough.
Yes, Micky. I went on the North Yorks steam railway about 5 years ago, all the way from Grosmont to Pickering. A great experience - and very nostalgic for those of us who recall the times when ALL trains were steam-run. But the scenery around there is so glorious anyway. My childhood was spent in that area and it was a great adventure for us to go for our Summer hols to Glaisdale - all of TWENTY MILES from where we were living!
ReplyDeleteI didn't go up to the cliff top on this visit but have done it a couple of times in the past (but with no F.B. to accompany me!). It's well worth trudging up all those steps.
I too prefer Whitby to Scarborough. As well as being significantly smaller, Whitby retains some of its olde-worlde historic charm that so many other places have sadly lost.
I can't see any resemblance between you and your sister. I did notice however your long legs! How tall are you?
ReplyDeleteBeing the stalker that I am, I immediately revved up Google Earth and took a look at Whitby. I found the marker for The Dracula Experience, and it gets great reviews. No doubt a lot of fun.
I noticed my seemingly long legs in the pic too, Larry, but I think it's a trick of perspective - maybe the photo was taken on the wrong focal length. I'm actually only just on 6 foot tall, though having said that, I've always been the tallest (well, since growing up) as well as the darkest in the family - swarthier even than my dad from whom Portuguese ancestry comes, hence our surname. (My mum was English on both sides.)
ReplyDeleteYes, Whitby is a fine place and though I haven't yet 'done' the Dracula Experience it is widely regarded as one of the country's better tourist attractions of that kind.
Glad you got away Ray. The pics are lovely. Bring on a history lesson any day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kyle. I feel quite 'chuffed' that you liked the pics too.
ReplyDelete