Final day of Whitby

Another bright sunny day when I finally woke up, about half ten. Been really lucky with the weather this year. Shorts on every day, and only Monday rained. Shame it was Regatta Day.

Walked up to the Abbey, and got my favourite views out over Whitby Bay and the estuary of the River Esk. By now I'd remembered that I could take panorama shots with my camera .



Went in Whitby church, which always looks to me as though someone built a church then threw lots of different bits at it.


Really unusual inside, with lots of small enclosures which people sat in.



The posh ones have names on the doors, and some are labelled "for strangers only".


The pulpit has three tiers, and an ear trumpet as the wife of the vicar was deaf and she sat at the bottom with the tubes from the trumpets in her ears.

Walked down the 199 steps from the Abbey to the town and got more great views.


Stuart has a terrible habit of muttering random numbers as we go down, which really annoys the kids as they run up the steps counting them as they go up...

Just past the bottom of the steps is the kipper smoking house, much featured on various TV cooking programmes.


Caught a bit more dancing at the Bandstand, bumped into loads of friends as we wandered round, and then had my fourth Whitby fish for lunch. I've eaten so much fish my brain will be great, but am a bit worried about the waistline....

It was so sunny, I walked along the beach. It's a very traditional seaside beach, with deck chairs and wind breaks for hire, donkeys, ice cream, families building sand castles ( and a sand whale!), and playing cricket.

Friday afternoon is traditionally the workshop showcase where everyone who's been in a workshop during the week learning to play an instrument or learning a new dance tradition gets the chance to perform it in front of an audience. This year we went because my friend Rebekah had been in the clog workshop, learning some great Pat Tracy mixed rhythm steps. Here she is doing the Lancashire Irish ones.



Rapper is always a popular workshop, and this year was no exception, with Snark Rapper having about 8 sets up, some in fancy dress. At the end of the demo, they got all the teams to come together in one giant curly ( you need to be a rapper dancer to understand that). And it was followed by some big multiple locks, some worked, some took longer!



Then the final procession led by the Whitby Garland made with local heather, collected from the moors on Thursday. Traditionally carried by a sword team, this year it was Snark's turn.



Also traditional for them to drink a glass of beer in all the pubs they go past. Glad to say they managed it.



We regrouped back at the cottage and cooked a great fish pie (more fish, even had crab as a starter). Thought we'd better try and drink what we'd got left, before packing the cars tomorrow morning, after all, don't want to take any home do we? Sat around for a while then walked up for a final pint at The Elsinore, then to the final ceilidh. Martin Harvey calling and Hekety playing, a great way to finish. By midnight all of the other events have finished and everyone piles into the Spa. The dance floor is rocking and bar packed. Finished with The Willow Tree again, and then everyone comes in for the closing ceremony.

The garland is paraded in

and then guarded by the attendant team, as the company, led by Will Noble, sings Wild Mountain Thyme:



Then, the garland is dismantled by the team and everyone gets a piece of heather as a symbol of good luck and peace, and to make sure you return next year. Now everyone waits patiently for their piece:


Up until about 15 years ago the garland was suspended in the ceiling, and then lowered, and there was a free for all!

Here's me with my heather, not looking as if I've drunk too much at all!