Monday 31 May 2010

Whitby Weekend

Hello again, here I am with my new chum James Cook. Actually I didn't realise Wonderful Man had me in this photo, I was too busy looking at this...
Very pretty eh?
This is Whitby on the East coast of England.
If you look carefully just above the houses you can see the 99 steps up to the Abbey ruins.
Would you like to climb up them?
No!
Just as well I did it for you then isn't it.

We chose to climb the steps earlyish in the morning before it got to warm and busy.

There he is WM, half man, half mountain goat.

Obviously I could have dashed past him but I had to keep stopping to take photos for you lot.

thank goodness.

99 steps is a lot of huffing and puffing.

But well worth it when you get to the top.



Looking left inland and then...

right to the sea.

Now we're at the top lets go and take a look at Whitby Abbey, destroyed by the Germans during the war.

What goes up must come down.

back at the bottom.

The Duke of York pub where we had our evening meal looking out over the harbour..

Lots of little shops for us to look at, I think we should concentrate on the important ones.

This one is a must if you visit Whitby. The Shepherds Purse.
It's full of the most beeeeeeaaaaaauuuuuuutiful things. Velvet flowers, gorgeous soaps, the most feminine floaty clothes, ribbons and lace, jewellery, bags all manner of scrumptiousness. OH yeah and they sell whole foods too. I did ask if I could take photos but unfortunately they said no.

The next thing I need to show you is Bobbins yarn shop in the old Wesley Hall.

there are also a few antiques mingled in with yarn, but we won't bother ourselves with them.

the colours, the textures, the huge hanks!

Hmmmm yarny goodness.

Time for some fresh air me thinks. How about a walk along the harbour walls.

WM kindly asks if I would like to climb to the top of the lighthouse.

I politely decline, after all I have the pressing business of cards to write.

WM had a cracking view from the top.
There I am on the first white bench, scribbling away.

The far end of the pier

I really didn't enjoy walking along here as I could see between the gaps in the planks!

and then we had to turn around and go back.

This is a smaller version of Captain Cooks famous ship the Endeavour.
.
Enough fresh air, time for more shopping. Fabric shopping!

This is Judiths Fabrics on Brunswick Street.

floor to ceiling with haberdashery goodness.

all very neatly stacked and ordered

buttons, buttons and more buttons.

the lovely lady herself, very helpful and oh soooo tidy!


Back outside again. Let me introduce you to Elizabeth the steam bus! Vernon her owner and driver is potty about steam engines. In fact Vernon is quite famous in a very anonymous way. He drives the stream train at the beginning of the TV programme 'The Royal' and he drove the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.

Elizabeth herself is rather special. The government changed the road traffic act for her back in 2005. Apparently all road vehicles have to have their exhausts at the back but Elizabeth's is at the front. So they changed it for steam buses, of which she is the only one.

Aaaah... ll.45pm and we're still sat outside in our short sleeves. Bliss!
Well that was our weekend in Whitby.
A gloriously hot and sunny birthday treat weekend!
.
Nearly forgot... for those of you who asked... a ginnel is an alleyway.
.
Love Fi x


35 comments:

Nina O'Brien said...

oh what a beautiful place - the yarn looked lovely too :) oh now my feet are itching to go have a look too!! great post!!

Anonymous said...

That has taken me back, it must be about 13 years since we were in Whitby. I loved it, it is such a pretty little town. I remember being in Bobbins, it was a brilliant yarn shop.
Vivienne x

Pea Green Kitty said...

Lovely pics, I was on the lookout for myself in the backround as I was there at the same time! hehe!!
xx

lynn said...

oh fi thank u for the trip down memory lane..the shepherds purse..when i was one week away from giving birth to my son ..my 3 yr old had the BIGGEST tantrum and knocked a whole sack of lentilly things all over the floor...and bobbins what can i say i still have yarn stash and the carrier bag ...and i remember pulling in to get petrol and the guy in front handed me the nozzle and ...it was david essex!!i did have my lippy on that day ..he was soo sweet he tapped on the window and blew m a kiss..i can't remember driving home to glaisdale that day..lynnie

Laura said...

What lovely pictures! We don't do it often enough but Hubby and I love having a wander around places like this - we forget sometimes how many wonderful places this country has to offer!

It looks like you guys had a wonderful time though - thanks for walking those steps for us, I don't think I would have managed being that I am sooo unfit at the moment ;-)

xxx

Jude said...

Well, I've never been to Whitby, feel like I have now...thank you..glad the sun was out!

Where the nodding violets grow said...

I love Whitby. I had part of my honeymoon there. Thank you for sharing the photos. As a piece of extra info, in the book Dracula, his ship comes in at Whitby.

KC'sCourt! said...

Another on my list of places to visit! I must go there it looks wonderful!
Julie xxxxxxxx

Mandy said...

What great photos, Fi! You certainly had a lovely weekend. I love Judith's shop! I bet you could spend a lot of time (and money) in there! Thank you for sharing! Great post!

(Thank you for your note re furniture. I will take a look at Ikea). :)

Annie said...

What fab pics Fi. Thanks for sharing your weekend with us. You didn't say how much your bought in those shops but I'm sure you couldn't not buy something :-)
A x

Helen said...

One of my mostest, bestest places to stay too!!! Glad you had a wonderful time, love Helen xx

French Knots said...

We are going to Whitby for the first time later in the year. I'm going tobribe the family with ice cream so I can mooch around the wool shop and fabric shop in peace!
Looks like you had a splendid weekend.

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Wow... thanks for the day trip... I needed that!

X Alex

Justine said...

What a lovely post, Whitby really is a fab place isn't it? It's been a while since I visited but the East Coast is generally our fave place to visit! Justine xxx

VintageVicki said...

*adds Whitby to the places to visit wishlist*

99 steps - not sure about those though.

Sue said...

You obviously had a great weekend, Whitby looks gorgeous. I love the picture looking over the roof tops and that fabric shop, I think I'd still be in it!

Lululiz said...

Gosh, so many beautiful photos, it almost felt as if I had been there myself! Never been to Whitby, but it looks like a fabulous place.

H said...

Gorgeous! We live under an hour away but it's ages since we went...you've inspired me!

melanie said...

What a fab place, I really want to visit Whitby now. :) xxx

Serenata said...

Wow, wow and wow, what a beautiful place, such fabulous photos. Going to have to put that on my 'would like to visit one day' list! Thanks for the tour :-)

Autumn Mist said...

Goodness, it's been a while since I last went to Whitby, we had the children with us at the time. I have climbed those steps, so I was with you all the way! It's as bad as going up Steep Hill in Lincoln. Glad you had a good time, the photos are great.

sylviesgarden said...

Oh what a wonderful post! Whitby has to be one the best places in the country. I really need to go back.
x

folksmith said...

OMG! i loved your photos, especially the abbey. way too much walking, my husband would have loved it!

Susan said...

Know all of those shops, behind the Shepherds Purse, down the ginnel, is a cafe called Sandlers Yard, and it has the most gorgeous apple pie.

And know the Duke of York well too, even though I'm tea total!

I will probably be late summer before we go back, we tend to go out of season, and it's wonderful when it's icy in December.

Susan

Twiglet said...

Oh what a nostalgic trip that was - heavenly pics of my favourite place!!! We have some very similar ones from all the lovely walking holidays we had over there. It really is as wonderful as it looks folks!!! Thanks for that Fi. I bet you went home feeling thoroughly refreshed and batteries boosted!! Jo

Gilly Tee said...

what lovely photo's. I'd forgotten how nice it is as it's been a few years since I've been. Might have to go again.
Gill

harmony and rosie said...

Whitby looks beautiful. My children would love the steam bus but I have to plump for the haberdashers, it looks a real find of a place. Glad you had the weather for it too. x

Unknown said...

lovely photos Fiona - take me right back to my childhood - Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay were our usual family seaside day visits from our home between Ilkley and Skipton. We also used to call a ginnel a snicket - lovely local words :o)

Alijane said...

I love Whitby, such a lovely place. You look like you had a fab weekend, nice photos too.

Alison
x

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOooooo this is simply wonderful! Views, sun, friends, and shops full of delightful things. I love shops like the last one. I tend to just go in and stand and stare!!! Thank you for sharing and bringing back fond memories of climbing the 99 steps - we had a cream tea when we came down at the little tea shop at the bottom. Couldn't go any further until the tea was drunk!

Anonymous said...

MERCI FIONA POUR CETTE BALLADE TRES RAFRAICHISSANTE ET TRES JOLIE ET BIEN SUR CELA DONNE ENVIE DE VENIR VOIR CE COIN DE L ANGLETERRE
TOUS LES TISSUS DANS LE MAGASIN DE PATCHWORK ???
A TRES BIENTOT
BONNE FIN DE SEMAINE ET BON WEEK END

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hello! Lovely photos - I have never managed to find that haberdashery shop - must look more carefully next time we go. Glad you had a good weekend - it is a lovely place isn't it? Was at the creamery on Wednesday for tea with a friend - thought of you.

crafty-stamper said...

Hiya Fiona looks like you enjoyed your weekend I love Whitby but feel the same about the gaps where you can see the water!! Have always followed your blog and finally got one of my own
Carol (Gill) x

Maggie Ann said...

How fantastic! You must have had a wonderful time. The yarn shop is enticing...I wonder how the prices were. And the fabric shop WAS sure tidy...however did she reach up to the top of those bolts of fabric I wonder? Thanks for sharing your lovely time.

Diane said...

I love Whitby - especially when there is a goth weekend on! And the Shepherds Purse is one of my fave shops EVER!!! (and also the cafe behind it) but Ive never found the fabric shop - time for a revisit me thinks!!! Did you do the smokehouse?