Around Whitby

A damp day in Whitby, chasing a wild goose and sketching, sketching, sketching.

I catch the bus into Whitby and head for The Monks Haven Tea Shoppe again for breakfast. It’s raining hard and I am relieved I have decided not to hike today.
I have two motives for spending today in Whitby: I want to retrace my steps from the day I lost my camera here and I want to sketch as much as I can before starting my journey home tomorrow. Since losing my camera I have been going over and over in my head where I went and what could have happened. I hope that by going over that again, but on the ground, I might bring a sense of closure.

I visit all the places I can recall and one that I have only recently remembered, to ask, just in case, about the camera. I am suspicious about one of the places and after today’s visit, I still think it was the most likely location that the camera disappeared. Just to be clear, it is not anywhere shown in my sketches!

I reach the end of my wild goose chase and it does resolve things a little. The remainder of the day is spent sketching and probably eating too much because I have to buy something in each of the places I go into!

Sherlocks, Flowergate. A dark maze of Holmesian decor, wonderfully atmospheric, slightly kitsch in a tongue-in-cheek way. I really liked it.

Cranberry Swamp, Skinner Street. An unusual bistro with a big communal table as well as comfy soft seats and mad wallpaper. It must have been a classy shop at one time but I can’t find any history for the site. Good if you like Gluten Free.

St Mary’s Church, East Cliff. Founded in the 12th Century but now mostly wonderful 18th Century interior with box pews, a gallery and a high ornate wooden pulpit. I want to go into the gallery but it isn’t allowed so I get permission to sit on a chair in the choir to draw. It is wonderfully peaceful with recorded Gregorian chant playing. Looking at my drawing later, I realise that I have the floor-level wrong on the left, but that’s the way it goes, sometimes I just don’t see things until too late!

Abbey Steps Tea Room. A pretty little tea shop at the bottom of the Abbey Steps. I left out the people, it wasn’t as empty as this!

Back in Staithes, I visit the Cod & Lobster one last time and go back up the hill to Trig Point 49 to pack my bags. Tomorrow I travel to Scarborough ready for a long journey home the following day.

Not far for me but my pen travelled a few miles today!