Last one from Whitby

Last day today. It's been great - yesterday we went on a boat trip to Staithes, had an hour ashore, and came back. It was a lovely trip, but I was glad to be back in Whitby afterwards. Staithes is very pretty and quaint. The bit we saw was anyway, but it had an eery, museum like quality. There was a butcher's shop with prices marked in shillings and pence, and items weighed by the pound. I wondered where the real every day stuff was, or if people that live there all the year round have to go elsewhere by car for their shopping.

Aah, last day today. Will finish here and pop into Bothams for some gifts to take home, and some fresh bread to have with our using up leftovers lunch. This afternoon, we'll go and find a quiet spot somewhere near the abbey and just gaze about us. Then maybe wander across town to the West cliff and have a coffee in the little place among the beach huts. More wandering, and then to the Khyber for our final meal in Whitby - so hard leave such a special place....returning in November though, so not too hard!

Wonderful Whitby

A relaxing day yesterday...sad that when you get to the really, really relaxed state, it's almost time to go home. Spent a lot of time up on the West cliff again, this time with Phil and Jake. We all sat in the cafe and had ice cream and coffee. Big decisions to make over the next two years - would we want to move here? I would, Phil would, Jake sometimes would and Sarah definitely wouldn't. I feel a definite pull from the North and would like to explore places further up the coast, and we will.

Whitby is so beautiful though and has got a bit of everything. Nothing beats the view of the vast North Sea, the view of the church and the abbey, and indeed the views from the abbey down to the town and the sea. Today we're going on a boat ride to Staithes- it will be great- we'll have an hour to look around and then come back. Don't want to go home.

Not Folk Week in Whitby

Aah a nice soothing week this week, recovering from the last one. Went to a session at the Station pub on Sunday - quite different to the ones I'd experienced at Folk Week. People just sat round in a kind of messy circle, and took it in turns to lead a song or tune. I had to have a go, so I sang (nervously) will the circle be unbroken- it was quite fun, and people fully joined in the chorus! It was a really warm and friendly atmosphere there, would definitely go again. Yesterday Phil and Jake went fishing- Jake caught the most enormous cod-he's got the photos to prove it. We ate this, and the whiting and mackerel they caught, for dinner last night. So completely fresh and delicious. While they were fishing, I went for a walk onto the West cliff, had a coffee and cake in the cafe by the chalets. Very good and very relaxing just staring out to sea. Only three more days and then home. Boo. Don't want to go home.

Last Day at Folk Week

Friday today. Last day of Folk Week, but hooray, we are here for another week. Yesterday I read a lot more of Dracula; it's really good and Whitby features far more strongly than I expected. Only did one folky activity yesterday, which was to attend the Queen ceilidh. It was great. I just wore a dress, but quite a few men had made a real effort. The two winners were a tall man in very high black boots and a schoolgirl outfit, and a teenager dressed as a Freddie Mercury's tombstone! This was clever as fitted a side Whitby vibe as well! 

I've decided that the late night ceilidhs are the ones to go for. More teenagers just going mad, so fewer people tutting that you're not doing it quite right. The dances have felt a little more stressful than they did last year, maybe we've been at more of the early, brightly lit ones. They seem more serious. The bands playing have been great though, and last night they were excellent at camping up the Queen songs.

Today we went to part two of the all abilities workshop; excellent again. I think one of their children's workshops would be about my level to assist me in playing by ear. Bumped into Alan and Patricia in the courtyard cafe - can't remember what it's called - We know them from Ealing Country Dance club, and they kindly brought several of our musical instruments by car to Whitby and will take them back tomorrow. Patricia has extremely long hair. She hasn't had it cut for 22 years. Jake would very much like me to do this, and the other day I recklessly told him that I would not cut it again apart from a little tidy now and again.

Found folk week a bit tiring this year, possibly because we were far away from the Pavilion etc, so everything felt more important due to travel time etc, and we didn't stay to end of ceilidhs as would have been soooo late going to bed. It'll be different next year. 

Met a very nice man at a few workshops; Nick - he has moved here from Somerset. He encouraged us to make the move, too and told Phil that fiddle players are needed here, as the weekday sessions are somewhat devoid of them.

More on Monday as Coliseum internet caff is closed at the weekend.

Whitby Folk Week

So here for Folk Week again. The second time intentionally. Fifth time in wonderful Whitby. 

Folk Week is very hectic - we are staying in a flat a little out of town this time, so haven't been dipping into quite as many activities as before. Activities we have done have been a mixed bag.

I was overjoyed to see activities aimed at the inexperienced this year, but several of these have proved disappointing. Somehow you are already assumed to have a very good ear, or a working knowledge of the more popular tunes. The two workshops that really did what they said on the tin, and were suitable for all abilities were, in no particular order, Pete Cooper's Appalachian tunes workshop, and an all abilities fiddle workshop where we learned a couple of tunes from the South West. What both did was to call out the notes, rather than just expect you to hear them accurately and judge what the next one is going to be in the space of a nanosecond. Anyway, both good, and the only ones that I have left feeling I've joined in properly and also learned something.

Dancing - haven't done so much this year, partly because the teenager's been in two minds about whether to come to the Ceilidhs and we've only had one set of keys to the flat, so Phil's had to zoom backwards and forwards with the boy between the Pavilion and the outer reaches of the town towards the new bridge. Did go and see Eliza Carthy and the Park Bench Social Club on Monday night, with a lead in from Eliza and Saul Rose on the accordion. Exciting stuff. A harp player with a flautist went first and were dreamily magical. 

Tonight is the Queen ceilidh. Last year I dressed up for the Abba one, but this year, although I can picture how men could dress for the Queen ceilidh -ie flamboyantly, I have no idea what to wear.  It will be a non-Queen specific swirly dancey frock.

Our flat: Although it is very nice, it's a long way from everything...also, we have a disagreeable neighbour who greeted us on day two with demands that we did not bang the doors, and telling us that he lived in Whitby all the year round. All this said very aggressively. He is the only unpleasant person I have come across in Whitby, apart from, of course, impatient and intolerant ceilidh dancers. They are of course a tiny minority of our fellow revellers.

What I'm really pleased about though, is that we have managed to secure a house for next year's Folk Week, and over in our favourite part of Whitby, too. Clever us.

More tomorrow.

Whitby 2008

Arrived in Whitby on Saturday. This year we thought we'd launch straight into Folk Week for our first week and then have a week up here to relax and recover afterwards. So far this seems like the best way round. Did it the other way last year and we went home exhausted! Nothing like the exhaustion we experienced afterwards though, when we moved to my dad's to look after him.

This year the journey went smoothly - we sent our luggage ahead - just like the Victorians and Edwardians did, and timed our journey well. The Coastliner bus was a double decker and very comfortable. This time, we had a holdall, a carrier bag and a violin, last year it was 3 violins, two guitars, fishing rods and two suitcases. A company called Carry my Luggage took the strain this time, and charged about 90 quid for the return taking of two suitcases and some fishing rods from London to Whitby.

Aah Whitby, so beautiful; so unchanging. well some little changes maybe. A smart bar by the harbour called Marine is rather nice. Noticed another couple of new restaurants and bars, too. Phil and I had coffee and a piece of lovely cake at Marine yesterday afternoon-too early for me to sample the oysters with a glass of wine at that point, but I'll be going back! What a thing to be able to sample an oyster or two while taking in the view.

Thought I'd read Dracula this year. Am on about chapter 7 at the moment, with the description of Whitby - Mina describes the view from the West Cliff. Am struck by how unchanged this view is. 

Half way through Folk Week now. Have been to a few workshops aimed at all abilities, or beginners. Amazing how some have an element of sadism involved...

The best one's been a mixed ability workshop for fiddlers. Now that is how such a thing ought to be run. We were expected to play by ear, but instead of, as in some, being expected to pluck notes out of the air and hope for the best, we were patiently told which notes were involved, and how we could join in with chords and drones even if we lost the thread of the tune. Definitely the most competent and confident I've felt so far in a group fiddling situation.

More tomorrow. 

Not Long Now

Two weeks to go until we're in Whitby. Folk week first this year, then a week to recover afterwards. How fantastic will it be? We've already got the programmes for folk week...last year there was an ABBA ceilidh, this year there's going to be a Queen ceilidh..what shall I wear. Just about managed a 70s ish outfit last time - big hat, flares, long top...the Queen were 70s too....weren't they? More glam maybe? more rock 'n roll? 

I've been in training for the hills and the dancing recently. For a month or so I've been to back to my dance classes, tried to be a bit more careful re: food, and walked very quickly to work with Ali la Peche ! With all the stresses of the past twelve months, I'd abandoned it all, and a very unwanted few pounds crept on. Never mind, off it will all jolly well come, and hopefully in time for our holiday. I'm also revisiting the cCanadian Air Force exercises which got me into pretty good shape before I had Jake I seem to remember. 

This folk week there seem to be a few more things going on for people who aren't already experts at joining in sessions. There are fiddle workshops suitable for all abilities, and some sort of sessions for people who aren't quite ready for a full blown session. That's me. 

So, I'm in training with the violin, too. That has suffered over the past year, but I'm probably still better than I was last time we were in Whitby. We've barely seen Pete the guru. Time to stop now, as I've promised myself a quick practice this evening.