3 June 2009

The weather had turned decidedly cooler but it was still bright and clear. We said our goodbyes to Kate, who was setting off back to Adlington, then went into Whitby. Fi and Dan went their own way for the day, and Dad and Tim were doing a 10 mile walk via Robin Hoods Bay. That left me, Nick and Emily, Sarah and Tom, Mum and Pam.

We settled on taking a half hour boat trip first, as we were offered a good deal and we thought we should go in case the weather changed (a good plan, as it turned out). For now, the sky was azure, with some interesting cloud formations above us.

Our vessel was the old lifeboat, Mary Ann Hepworth, manned by a sailor in a thin T-shirt; we were huddled in several layers as a vigorous north wind chilled us. He thought it may be too rough out on the open sea, and as we inched slowly out between the jaws of the two long piers he declared that we had better turn back and cruise up-river instead. As he carried out the turning manoeuvre we were tossed around in the swell like a toy boat, and we were perfectly happy with his decision.

The Esk Valley was very pretty, and we travelled up as far as a picturesque red brick viaduct that towered over us.

An added bonus was the river's proximity to the railway line, because we were fortunate to catch some glimpses of a steam train as it left Whitby.

After our ride we led the others to our old haunt, Sanders Yard, for a slap-up lunch. Emily and Tom were kept entertained by a chest of toys at the restaurant, and we were early enough to bag some squishy chairs in the lounge area. Back out in the chill wind we walked up the 199 steps to the abbey.

Emily had dropped off in the carrier, and as it was spitting with rain we took refuge in the gift shop, to the detriment of our funds. On the way back into town we called in at Fortunes smokery to get some of their famous kippers

then joined the few other hardy souls braving the biting wind on the exposed jetty. It was quite exhilarating to see the huge rollers pound the pier.

Graham arrived in the evening, still a bit sooty after a day cleaning steam trains at Bury. It was a baptism of fire for him, as Tom and Fern galloped around in a state of high excitement. He must have wondered what he was letting himself in for.