After our little journey aboard the Santa Express, we took
the short car ride to Whitby for lunch and general mooching around.
Of course, it would be rude to go to Whitby and not have
fish and chips – so I've provided an obligatory shot of my Cod Meal. Very tasty it was
too.
For those of you who have never been to Whitby, it is an
intriguing place, with a rich and fascinating history. Captain James Cook
(founder of Australia) was a resident and HMS Endeavour which he captained was
built there. There is also a huge whalebone memorial dedicated to the former
Whaling industry.
Whitby is also well known as being the setting for Bram
Stoker’s “Dracula” and does a good trade off this horror theme. If you visit St
Mary’s Church sat atop the windswept cliffs, you can almost imagine what
inspired Stoker to write his book. Not far from the church lies the ruins of
Whitby Abbey – again, a forlorn relic that envokes some kind of mystical eeriness.
With it being winter, we weren’t bothered by summer crowds
and perused the sweet shops, cake shops and craft shops in The Shambles at our
leisure. We were even lucky enough to see the swing bridge open – a very
exciting thing if you are a 6 year old, or a 34 year old engineering geek!
