The Waverley - Whitby

New Trip Advisor award 2011

2011-05-27T16:05:00.000+01:00

The Waverley

We're back

2011-04-24T17:46:00.000+01:00

Problems with posting pictures seems to be sorted so we have come back. Went for a nice walk yesterday into Mulgrave Woods and up to the old castle, probably about 7 miles in total. Never seen the castle before. Path is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays and most people don't know it's there.

Got back home just before massive thunderstorm, quite spectacular lightning - just as well as had no coats with us.

NYMR

2011-03-27T16:31:00.002+01:00

There are 2 special events this year for North Yorkshire Moors Railway and Whitby. The first is 175th Anniversary of the Whitby - Pickering line from 29th April to 8th May. Click for more details. The bringing of the railway was the birth of Whitby as a tourist destination and the railway is a continuing interest of many of our visitors.

The second event that is officially coming into town this year, as we heard yesterday, is Railway in Wartime most commonly referred to as War Weekend. We went to the War Weekend in Pickering with our friends back in 2003, long before our move to The Waverley, and the atmosphere was fabulous. When we have more details we will update our posting. For more information in general follow this link, War Weekend and for some pictures from when we went in 2003 click here.

2011-03-11T17:07:00.000Z

New YouTube Posting by LBCC

2011-03-07T22:14:00.001Z

Lynn has posted a new video to YouTube - "Having a Colonoscopy". Those of you who know us know that we support Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign and have been involved with the charity ever since it was created because I (Stephen) had bowel cancer back in 1997. Hopefully the video will help any of you who may be about to undergo a colonoscopy now or in the future. There is a permanent link to the video at the bottom of the column to the left.

WHITBY ABBEY VOTED UK’S MOST ROMANTIC RUIN

2011-01-27T14:27:00.001Z

Whitby Abbey has just been voted the UK's most romantic ruin, check out the reports on the BBC and Whitby Gazette sites. The photo below was taken from The Waverley by one of our guests, all of our rear rooms have views of the Abbey.

Whitby Abbey from The Waverley

Many of our regular guests actually ask for room 9, despite it being our smallest room and at the top of 51 stairs, simply for the spectacular view of the Abbey and sea. Why not have a Romantic weekend in Whitby to celebrate Valentine's day?

Click here for mor images of Whitby and The Abbey

We are opening for Valentine's Weekend

2011-01-25T11:18:00.000Z

After our extended closure for our own holidays, Christmas and a bit of decorating we are reopening for Valentine's Weekend on 11th February. Come and indulge yourselves for a few days in Whitby and ask us about ideas on where to book that romantic meal. We look forward to seeing guests, both old and new. Whatever you choose to do have a romantic start to the year.

5 years at The Waverley

2010-11-02T12:06:00.004Z

With the close of this year's Goth Weekend we have reached the end of another season, it's hard to believe that it is our 5th. The photo has been hijacked from our regular guest Joz's Facebook page. (Joz writes horror books, click here for his site)

The speculation and rumour about the Goth Weekend dates appears to be resolved with a move to November, see The Gazette for more details.
The original Goth Weekend is promoted by Jo Hampshire's site TopMum and the traditional date of the last weekend in October will now see the Bram Stoker film festival which has been held mid October for the last 2 years. Some Goth fringe events promoted by Dark Daisy, run by Jo Hampshire's ex husband Sam Hoyle, will be held alongside the film festival.

This is all a little confusing but I think that sums it up.

Thank You to our guests for our new Trip Advisor Award

2010-10-21T20:27:00.000+01:00

When we opened the post this morning we were very surprised to receive a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence, this is despite that we are slipping down the rankings. Some people will remember that we were ranked as No 1 on the hotel side of the Trip Advisor site, but when we received the Trip Advisor Traveller's Choice award earlier this year it was realised that we are a guest house and not a hotel, consequently we were moved onto the B&B side of the site. There is a great deal more competition on that side and as the ranking is based on quantity as well as quality of reviews we could not hope to be in the higher rankings as we have fewer letting rooms than some, coupled to only being open for about 9 months of the year and having many regular guests as well as plenty who do not have access to computers. There is also a weighting on Trip Advisor towards the more recent reviews.

Unlike most places we do not solicit reviews from our guests, nor do we offer any inducement to get them to do so, but we are always very grateful when someone takes the time and effort to put a comment on the review site. If you would like to see our reviews click here. Thank you to all of our guests.

Watch out for the Christmas Tree

2010-10-21T20:04:00.000+01:00

When you are coming to Whitby on the A169 over the moors from Pickering look out for the Christmas Tree around a mile, or maybe a bit more, after RAF Fylingdales. We first noticed the tree about this time last year when there was only one bauble. Over the next few weeks a couple more appeared and at Chrismas last year there were no more than half a dozen. Since then it seems that every time we pass there is another ornament, some tinsel and now the top is adorned by a star. Technically people are probably littering, but seeing the tree develop makes us smile each time we pass on our weekly trips to visit family.

Whether you are coming to stay at The Waverley, somewhere else or just on a day trip, look out for the tree on the left hand side after passing the early warning station and hopefully it will make you smile too.

50 Pints and Still Counting

2010-09-23T18:02:00.000+01:00

Proud day today as Julie has given her 50th pint of blood. Unfortunately I (Stephen) can't give bood any more but Julie has more than made up for that. It is a common misconception that if you have a common type of blood that there is no need to donate, whereas more of the blood is needed simply because it is more common. Everyone who can give blood should do so because there are very few people who would refuse to take blood except on religious grounds. Follow this link to find out more http://www.blood.co.uk/

Julie is proudly wearing her new badge whilst sporting the bandage where the blood was taken.

Fancy New Year in Whitby?

2010-09-14T13:59:00.002+01:00

Esk Valley Theatre, Glaisdale

2010-08-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

We have lived in Whitby for approaching 5 years and each year have promised ourselves that we would go to Esk Valley Theatre (EVT) but have never got around to it. This year we have been twice.

On Tuesday last week 8 of us went to see a Pocket Panto production of Dick Whittington - There were 4 generations of our family there ranging in age from 4 to 90 and one person from each generation really didn't like the idea of a panto. How wrong we were, every one of us had a great time watching the three performers enact the tale of Dick on his London adventure and we all laughed throughout the performance.

In contrast to this just the 2 of us went to see Second from last in the Sack Race on Monday night (instead of watching the Regatta fireworks in the rain!) and once again had a fabulous night. EVT is only a theatre for one month a year but the productions of both programmes were excellent. We will be back next year.

Regatta

2010-08-25T15:15:00.000+01:00

Once again the Regatta and Whitby Folk Week have coincided, but looking at the Regatta website we are pleased to see that common sense now prevails as there should be no further conflict for the next 5 years at least. We wish both events every success going forward.

This year's Regatta was what we have come to expect with the usual attractions, rides and Monday fair but it is a shame that it cannot revert more to what it was 40 years ago and be less of a commercial enterprise. We were sorry that the Monday was somewhat of a washout and unfortunately the Red Arrows were unable to make an appearance because of the weather, let's hope that next year the sun will shine for the three days. The Carousel pictured here was a new attraction which seemed to draw plenty of attention. Because of the weather we did not venture out on Regatta Monday until the evening when we went to Glaisdale, but more of that in the next blog.

Proud Parents watch Jessica Jump

2010-08-15T13:37:00.000+01:00

Jessica 15 seconds from landing

After 3 aborted attempts, due to inclement weather, Jessica has finally done her skydive to raise funds for Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign and has apparently become one of the 0.03% of the world's population to have jumped from an airoplane. Even though I (Stephen) would have liked to do this when I was younger, Jessica took up the gauntlet and effectively did it on behalf of her old man as well as LBCC because I'm not sure that I have the bottle any longer!! Sad but true.

In total she raised going on for £500 but, more importantly, awareness of bowel cancer has been raised. We finished the rooms in time to be able to go to see her jump and very proud parents we both are too.

If you would like to see more photos you can see them with this link skydive album and if you would like to see about the charity please click here.

Mulgrave Woods

2010-07-31T17:31:00.002+01:00

For the first time since we came to Whitby we had both the time and the inclination to discover Mulgrave Woods. We did, however, make the mistake of following (or more appropriately try to follow) the walk in the pocket guide "Walks around Whitby" by Nick Channer which is as clear as the mud we were walking in at times. Having said that we have had a lovely afternoon and we will certainly return with a better guide or map. Within a hundred yards of the entrance to the estate there wasn't a soul to be seen, and all afternoon we only encountered 5 other people. Most people obviously respect the countryside as the whole walk was litter free, except for a few cigarette ends around a seat in the clearing. We will never understand why some smokers seem to think that tab ends are not litter! If you would like to see a few more photos click here.

A hundred years old - She's entitled to break down now and again

2010-07-24T15:48:00.000+01:00

We have lived here for going on 5 years and this is the longest breakdown of the bridge we can recall, but as a man said while I was taking these photos "A hundred years old - She's entitled to break down now and again". Nobody is sure how long the repairs are likely to take but there are rumours that a part is being awaited from abroad. Meanwhile the local ferrymen are doing a roaring trade in shipping people across the Esk at £1 a trip. Alternatively there is a free shuttle bus running every 15 minutes from 6:00am until midnight each day until the problem is resolved. It has certainly made a difference in town though as many more people than usual can be seen on the west side. Follow the link in the Whitby Gazette or the Whitby Swing Bridge site for the updated position. (Incidentally you can now share our blogs by clicking the links below each)

World champions again

2010-07-16T14:12:00.000+01:00

Bill Cockerill can be seen on the left presenting the World Doubles Quoits trophy to Paul Welford (centre) and Paul Mendelsohn at the annual event held in Beamish last weekend. Paul Mendelsohn has been the recipient of this trophy on several occasions over the last few years although normally partnered by his brother Mike. Mike couldn't make it this year so Paul Welford stepped into the breach to help claim success for Whitby yet again.

Paul Mendelsohn lives opposite us at The Waverley and delivers our milk daily. Unfortunately he was knocked out of the singles and finished in 3rd place.

Mother and baby - That time of year again

2010-07-16T13:59:00.000+01:00

We have now lived in Whitby for going on 5 years and don't really hear the gulls most of the time. For the last 3 years parent gulls have been bringing their offspring onto our kitchen roof to learn how to fly, often leaving them all day. The youngsters' cry sounds like a cross between a cat and a child, but as already said we don't hear it unless we are specifically listening for them. Fortunately they are collected by the parent at the end of the day and so are not left crying overnight. We don't really understand how the young birds get onto the roof as when they are alone they will not fly, maybe it is just a confidence thing that they only fly when mum is close by.

The Cinder Track

2010-06-24T17:58:00.000+01:00

When walking down to Whitby Community College this afternoon we noticed new "old" sineage on the bridge under the railway leading to Stakesby Vale. Cinder Track refers to the old Whitby Scarborough line which apparently was unusually laid on a cinder track. The route of the old railway, which was closed in 1965, is now used as a public footpath, cycle path and bridleway. If you are feeling energetic you can walk the 21 miles to Scarborough or you could stop off at many places along the route. We often walk to the Larpool viaduct and then down into Ruswarp and back along the footpath to Whitby. Here are a couple of links that may be of interest.

The Cinder Track Walk - Scarborough to Whitby & Cinder Track Improvement Team

WHITBY is the TOP YORKSHIRE RESORT

2010-06-18T12:31:00.000+01:00

WHITBY has come third in the top all time favourite UK seaside resorts in an independent survey of more than 4,000 people by consumer magazine Which? In the survey WHITBY is the TOP YORKSHIRE RESORT

Blackpool came first in the survey with Brighton close behind, we've never been to Brighton so can't comment but we are glad that Whitby doesn't resemble Blackpool except that it is in the north and has sea and sand! More importantly Whitby is ahead of Scarborough which was voted fifth favourite.

In 2006 Whitby was voted Britain's best seaside resort in a poll of seaside destinations by Holiday Which?. See the report in Whitby Gazette

I (Stephen) was interviewed on Radio Tees today and you can hear the broadcast by clicking on the link and fast forwarding to around 2.21 into the programme.

Pannett Park

2010-06-15T20:22:00.001+01:00

We wandered through Pannett Park this weekend for the first time since the official reopening earlier this month and very pleased we were. It was a beautiful day and we sat in glorious sunshine, reading by the pond. There is a fabulous playground which our grandchildren make use of when they visit. The park gardens, museum and tearoom are well worth a visit if you come to Whitby.

You can read about the official reopening in The Gazette.

Recycling plant tour

2010-06-01T18:10:00.001+01:00

We've had nothing to say for a while that would have been of interest, but today we really had our eyes opened and learnt a bit about how the recycling plant at Seamer Carr works. On first arrival we thought that the site looked disorganised, but we quickly learnt that they work within the constraints of a very tight budget based on around 5% of the council tax we each pay. They are also working within the physical constraints of the site which is adjacent to the landfill site. Starting with the landfill there is a generation plant burning the methane generated by the site and feeding sufficient electricity into the national grid to power around 7000 homes. The processes, which are in the main automated, succesfully separate paper, cardboard, PET plastics, aerosols, aluminum and steel cans into separate areas for collection and forwarding to various companies who use the materials. The site is also a collection point for the recycled glass, although no sorting is done at Seamer Carr. We had thought that the change from separate collection of various coloured glass and clear glass to all going into the same collections was a retrogade step, but now we know better. When the glass was separated at the point of collection there was an inevitable problem of incorrect glass being put into the bottle bank and this would then need sorting manually. Now the glass is forwarded to a plant for use and the process is now automated with sophisticated cameras aiding the sorting into the various colours.

We found the visit to be really interesting and worthwhile. If you are an SBC resident they conduct free tours periodically, see the link above for details, or maybe your own council offer similar tours if you are not from the borough. I took various pictures of rubbish, but thought that the best to use was the start of the process and the end.

An Oasis of calm in the city - RSPB Saltholme

2010-04-28T15:22:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we went out for the day to the RSPB reserve at Saltholme, Middlesboorough. The setting seems a little incongruous with backdrops of petro chemical tanks and burning off of fumes, scrap yards and cityscapes but all you hear is the sound of the birds. We decided to go via the Seaton Carew Road from Middlesborough which meant going across the famous transporter bridge which dominates the city's skyline. This is something that Julie had never done and I last did more years ago than I care to remember but at least 40. We didn't get many photos of the birds because they were too quick for me and my camera but it is a good day out for the princely sum of £3 to park the car. The cafe area offers very good coffee and reasonably priced meals and snacks. We were also pleased at the GTBS gold accreditation, something we have in common with the reserve, and the witty information signs around the place gave rise to a few smiles. Staff were all very friendly and helpful, particularly Helen Kipling who also has her hand in another pie as she designs and makes handmade quilts and has some good ideas about memory quilts, click here to see her blog. If you would like to see some other photos of the day in Saltholme click here and you will get an idea of the juxtaposition of the city with the site.

Whitby Goth Weekend April 2010

2010-04-23T14:51:00.000+01:00

We are sometimes asked "What is a Goth", a question we hardly feel qualified to answer. That is until this year as we have now received copies of the WGW Almanack in which Mark Smith, editor of Unscene, has given a potted history of the Goth movement together with his definition. In short it appears that it is different things to different people but in the main has grown out of Punk of the 80s. Nowadays the clothes are a big part of the scene for some, as can be seen here with David and Sue from Hertfordshire. Although there are still people who find themselves intimidated by some of the Goths we have to say that we find them to be a harmless and friendly bunch and we regularly see our first "Goth" guest Joz who calls in to see us whenever he is in Whitby, even just for the day. We will never forget his comment on the booking site, "Arrived as a guest, left as a friend". Others of our regular guests come each year as "Goth watchers" - not really to take part but simply to see the spectacle.

40s Weekend

2010-04-18T12:16:00.000+01:00

Paddy, one of our guests, enjoying himself at the 40s weekend. Each year the event gets slightly larger and a bit better than the previous one, althogh there is still a long way to go to be on a par with Pickering's "War Weekend" each October. Ideally the Whitby event could be a bit better supported and attract a few more participants but we hope that it never becomes as big as the Pickering event. Well done to those organising things and congratulations to Dolly's Deli for scooping the best dressed window accolade.

Updated Website

2010-04-16T11:54:00.003+01:00

Our Website

We have just updated our website and would be delighted to hear what you think. There are one or two tweaks that have been suggested but we will wait a week or so before changing anything so that we can consider any other comments. We liked the clean green and white of the last site but didn't like that it was a bit "left heavy", i.e. there was a lot of white space down the right. if you have any comments please email us.

Fancy some Tapas in Malton?

2010-04-14T18:15:00.001+01:00

http://www.ambiente-tapas.co.uk/

On our way home from Charlie our grandson's 4th birthday party we were debating what to do for dinner. As we weren't going to be home before 7:00 p.m. we thought that we would drop off into Malton to try out the Tapas bar that we had seen previously, we're glad that we did. On Tuesday evenings they have an all you can eat buffet for the princely sum of £9.95 and we tried a little of everything on offer, more than 20 separate items. Although it is designated a tapas bar the food is Mediterranean rather than purely Spanish.

We will certainly call again when we journey back from visiting family, particularly on a Tuesday when we can have such variety at a good price.

2010 Scooter Rally

2010-04-04T19:18:00.003+01:00

Easter weekend resounded to the sound of hundreds of scooters in every shape and size. This one belongs to Bob, one of our guests, and very authentically reproduces the image of the scooters that I remember from the 60s and 70s. The difference is that in the 60s and 70s the riders of the scooters would wreak havoc wherever they went but now the majority are ridden by middle aged men who can afford the many thousands needed to buy an original Lambretta SX200 such as Bob's. The style is there but thankfully the violence originally associated with the riders is now a thing of the past.

Read Whitby Gazette's article on the rally.

Apologies to all for email delays - Broadband Down

2010-04-02T11:52:00.000+01:00

We were off on Monday and Tuesday celebrating our wedding anniversary and so hadn't been able to respond to emails. When I sat down at the computer on Wednesday morning to send my mails our internet went down because of a flood and fire in Paddington. Initially the downtime was expected to be much longer but fortunately we werre back online in a little over 24 hours.To read a bit more about the problem see this link. Paddington Flood. We use Pipex (now a part of Tiscali).

Our Daughter is doing a skydive for Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign

2010-03-25T18:55:00.005Z

Jessica has volunteered to do a skydive on 8th May in aid of Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-23T16:22:00.004Z

Why not join us once again in supporting Earth Hour 2010 on Saturday 27 March 2010 from 20:30

Farewell to the Turk

2010-03-16T09:15:00.007Z

Farewell to the Turk

This image of the Grand Turk returning to its home port of Whitby is unlikely to be seen again as the ship has been sold to French company Etoile Marine based in St Malo. She sailed from Whitby at 4:00 am today leaving a gap down at the harbour side, many are sorry to see her go as she has been berthed her for the last 7 years. For more information read the article in today's Yorkshire Post

Great effort by Rochdale Golf Club Ladies

2010-01-22T11:27:00.003Z

Yesterday we went to Rochdale to collect a magnificent cheque of £4000 from Rochdale Golf Club for Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign. The Ladies originally had a target of £1000 for the charity selected by Jan Cavanah as the outgoing captain.

Jan chose the charity as her daughter Jeni has now survived 5 years since her original diagnosis and treatment after having a routine check up because of a family history of bowel cancer.

Photo from left to right.

Liz Barker Secretary
Judith Hoyle Vice Captain (New Captain)
Edna Babbs Lady President
Jan Cavanah Captain and Jeni's mum
Stephen
Julie

Jeni Clapper 5 year survivor

For more information about bowel cancer visit www.bowelcancer.tv

Number 13 in Trip Advisor top 25

2010-01-20T11:27:00.004Z

We are delighted that we have been listed in Trip Advisor's awards as number 13 in the UK based on our guest reviews. There has also been an article in the Yorkshire Post in which we get a mention as well as being interviewed on BBC Radio Tees. If you would like to listen it will be on Listen Again for the next week, drag the slider to 2:48:00.

Thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to leave a review.

Winter News

2010-01-11T19:31:00.003Z

Before we went on holiday we were nominated for the sustainable award in the Yorkshire Moors & Coast Tourism Awards. Unfortunately we lost out to The Crown Spa in Scarborough, nontheless we are happy that we were one of the finalists. We didn't realise at the time that we were in line for another award from Whitby Hospitality Association, and we are delighted to have received our certificate today.

Season's Greetings

2009-12-01T19:02:00.001Z

Click on the card to open

Can't believe that it's 4 years

2009-11-04T16:22:00.002Z

We have come to the end of another season and closed our doors until February, except for a few days over New Year (for which we still have a couple of vacancies). Now is the time that we will get those maintenance jobs done and, of course, take some rest and go on holiday ourselves.

Working for Toyota and The British Library now seem like light years away and a different lifetime.

Unkle Joz at The Whitby Bookshop

2009-10-30T15:23:00.005Z

Jonathan Rhodes aka Joz or Unkle Joz was the first Goth to stay at The Waverley in many years as the previous owners wouldn't accept them after an incident with some black hair dye and stained grout in a shower.

Joz's first stay was in April 2006 since when he has become a regular guest and a friend who calls to see us whenever he is in Whitby.

Today he was at The Whitby Bookshop signing copies of his new book Distended Reason which was a follow up to his first book The Dark Alternative. Both books are collections of tales with an appeal to those who like supernatural or as the latest book's strapline indicates "A disturbing miscellany."

Hopefully when Joz becomes the male J K Rowling he will still remember his friends and call in for the odd tea or coffee. Joz can be found at www.myspace.com/unklejoz and if you would like to buy a copy of his first book click on this link The Dark Alternative - GOOD LUCK JOZ

Captain of Queen Mary 2 shows his respect

2009-10-16T16:15:00.005+01:00

Today's Whitby Gazette reminded us that Cunard's flagship liner Queen Mary 2 was passing within 1 mile of our shoreline today and we could hardly believe that the liner would be passing Scarborough at 2:45 pm and Whitby at 3:00 pm, but it must be true as it was printed in the paper. Having been buffeted by the very cold wind coming in from the sea we decided to have a coffee at the Pavilion while we waited for the ship's eventual arrival at 3:30 pm, passing the harbour 10 minutes later.

It was hard to believe that something afloat a mile offshore could look so big, very impressive. It is also hard to believe that you could actually see the bows of this giant moving up and down ever so slightly on the North Sea swell, no good at all for Julie who feels seasick in the harbour.

The captain sounded the ship's horn as a mark of respect to Roy Weatherill, a Whitby lifeboat volunteer who died in June. The captain of QM2 was a friend of Roy. There is an online report in the Gazette and selection of photos will appear in Tuesday's edition which you should be able to find from the same link.

Falling Foss & Midge Hall

2009-10-07T16:22:00.002+01:00

Several guests have told us about the tearooms at Falling Foss and as we had nobody arriving today we had time to check it out for ourselves. What a lovely place to live and make a living. The house is aptly named "Midge Hall" but we weren't really bothered by the little blighters (we don't know if this is the reason for the name though).

There is a 7 mile circular walk starting at Littlebeck which we will try to do in the not too distant future. Even if you don't fancy the walk take a look at the site for some fabulous photos.

The tearooms are open from early March until late October and then on some weekends or by arrangement. A large cafetière of coffee (enough for 2 mugs each), a lovely homemade scone with jam and cream plus an Italian chocolate slice only cost £5.60.

Wake Up, Freak Out – then Get a Grip

2009-10-05T17:13:00.003+01:00

One of our friends involved with Friends of the Earth and Plastic Bag Free Whitby has sent us a link to an interesting and thought provoking film Wake Up, Freak Out – then Get a Grip. Worth taking 11 minutes and 35 seconds out of your day to watch!

Malton Food Lovers Festival

2009-10-04T08:27:00.005+01:00

Yesterday we went to the Malton Food Lovers Festival where we sampled various local delicacies ranging from Whitby scampi to funeral cakes, no we'd never heard of them either. We later called in at Malton Relish in the Market Square and ordered figgy pudding for Christmas, a very large one! If it doesn't all get eaten at Christmas we freeze it and then have a second helping around July - yummee!!

After looking around we called into St Michael's church off Market Sq and had a coffee, no set prices just donate as you feel. There was a lovely lady in the entrance to the church selling her large variety of homemade preserves and we were discussing the difference, or lack of, between lemon curd and lemon cheese. As many of you who have stayed will know, Julie makes her lemon cheese/curd for breakfast and we tried to find a way of differentiating the two terms only to find that most commentators say that they are the same and it is a regional variation. Not so according to our lady at St Michaels, Lemon Curd has grated rind and therefore is "with bits" whereas Lemon Cheese is sieved and therefore smoother and is often used in pastries such as lemon meringue. You live and learn...

Here's looking forward to next year's festival.

See in 2010 at The Waverley

2009-09-30T20:10:00.001+01:00

What a fabulous house

2009-09-16T20:26:00.002+01:00

Last weekend was Heritage weekend and we visited this Georgian house on Upgang Lane. It has been brought back to life by its current owners who have done a great job. You couldn't claim that it had been restored to its former glory as some areas were modern. Many of the original features have been saved and it is now a beautiful house which operates as both a family home and B&B. It is a gem in the area as most similar properties have unfortunately been converted into several flats. We didn't visit other Heritage properties this year as we have already seen the others in town in previous years. It is an interesting time to visit a favourite area to see inside properties from a bygone era, many of which are still in daily use.

International Plastic Bag Free day

2009-09-08T07:58:00.006+01:00

Those of you who know us will be aware that we are involved in the Plastic Bag Free Whitby campaign, and by default we obviously support International PBF day on 12th Sep.

Please try to remember your alternative bags, not just this Saturday but as a routine. The start of PBF in UK followed Message in the Waves, a BBC film by Rebecca Hosking, click on the link to see more about the film.

While we are on Green Issues why not take a look at the the 10:10 site.

WHAT IS 10:10?

10:10 is an ambitious project to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.

Being a Green Tourism Business Scheme member we have already done most of the things suggested, but we continue to look at ways of improving.

The row goes on

2009-09-05T13:26:00.002+01:00

Sadly the clash of Regatta and Folk Week has developed into an unfortunate public debate/argument. You can read about it in yesterday's Whitby Gazette. If you have an opinion you can either add your views to those already expressed or cast your vote about whether the two events should coincide.

Coastal Flavours of Whitby

2009-08-30T17:03:00.004+01:00

We are lucky to live in such a vibrant and busy town and we were pleased to see a new event come to Whitby, particularly as it involves food!! Irene Myers has done a fantastic job at organising this event which hopefully will become an annual one, or better still twice a year. We bought some fabulous chocolates from Lauden Chocolate of Leeds and some very tasty extra virgin rape seed oil from Gold from the Wold. The mugshot on the right is Graham Collinson who was manfully looking after an information stall at the event. Graham owns Discovery Accommodation but has sneakily started competing with B&Bs by offering a breakfast option as well, just goes to show that you can't trust anybody!! (Only joking Graham). For more information about the Coastal Flavours of Whitby, see the article in Whitby Gazette. Can't wait for next year...

Folk Week

2009-08-29T07:38:00.001+01:00

We were fortunate to have Pete Morton, one of this year's performers, staying with us. Having obtained tickets we had been to see Pete earlier in the week at a small venue but he was also part of the final 4 hour concert in the Pavilion. One of our regular guests told us about a particular song of Pete's called "Another Train" which had been an inspiration to him whilst undergoing treatment for throat cancer. This is obviously a popular song as when Pete asked for requests it was by far the most called for, if you would like to hear it, or see the lyrics, click on the link above. All in all it was a good concert and Folk Week, many said their favourite yet.

It is a shame that the Folk Week and Regatta clashed and it would be a bigger shame if this caused the organisers to shift Folk Week to another town. Without any doubt Folk Week is the biggest single event in the Whitby calendar, rivaling Goth Weekend for popularity but unlike the gothic event it is a full week of activity that takes place all around town. It isn't viable to have two major attractions on at the same time.

Christmas in August

2009-08-27T17:05:00.000+01:00

What a strange way to spend a sunny August afternoon! This year is our fourth in Whitby and we haven't been to any of the Folk Festival events until this week, but on Tuesday we broke our duck when we went to the Conservative Club to see Pete Morton (more of him in tomorrow's blog). As we had the tickets and we'd enjoyed Tuesday we thought why not see what else is on. That is why Christmas came early as today we went to see John Kirkpatrick in his concert "Christmas and Crumpets". John is a former member of the 70s band Steeleye Span. It was certainly a different way to spend an afternoon, listening to a Christmas concert while the sun shone outside, surreal but fun!!

Regatta

2009-08-24T22:17:00.006+01:00

Once again the Red Arrows were the stars of the Regatta closely followed by the finale of the usual firework display from the East Pier, it was a shame about the light pollution from the fair though. Undoubtedly most people enjoyed themselves and as ever the Arrows were amazing, although we cannot help but consider the environmental impact of the event with the air display, fireworks, electricity used for the fairground etc...This year, and apparently next, the event clashes with the annual Folk Week causing problems both for businesses and visitors. It would be nice to think that for 2010 the organisers would not stubbornly stick to a conflict of dates which benefits nobody other than the Regatta who gain extra revenue from the large influx of Folkies and their followers. There is no need for the dates to clash and it is far easier to move the Regatta than Folk Week. Hopefully Scarborough Borough Council, Whitby Town Council and other authorities will see sense and not allow the same situation next year. Rant over, later this week we will write about the Folk Week.

Bridge Centenary

2009-08-08T20:58:00.003+01:00

There have been no postings to the blog for a while, that is because people in Yorkshire say "If tha's nowt to say, say nowt" we've had nowt to say recently.

On Saturday, however, Whitby's swing bridge centenary was celebrated in style with a splendid event being organised by WDTA who must be congratulated on their efforts. The Cleveland police band and Marske fishermen's choir entertained and many of the organisers and other locals turned out in their Victorian regalia.

John Freeman, one of the main organisers, has a great art gallery in the old town which is well worth a visit.

Click here for more photos.

Whitby Gazette coverage

Guests see air ambulance rescue

2009-07-22T15:50:00.002+01:00

Our guests Mark and Sue witnessed a rescue of a 58 year old man who had fallen into the harbour on Sunday evening. A local man who works on the local speedboat went into the harbour to help save a man who had fallen off of the quayside. His colleague called the emergency services and the air ambulance took the unfortunate man to Scarborough hospital. Sue always has her camera to hand and some of her photos are online in our images section from a previous visit earlier this year.

The report of the rescue is in the Whitby Gazette.

World Champion milkman!

2009-07-13T15:13:00.001+01:00

Paul Mendelsohn, our milkman, teamed up with his brother Mike to win the World Quoits Championship pairs at Beamish museum. Mike also won the singles. A full report is in the Whitby Gazette.

Quoits is a traditional sport played in most of the villages around Whitby and can be a pleasant way of spending a Monday or Thursday evening watching one of the league matches at local pubs.

Quoits appears to be an easy game and the rules are quite simple but the precision with which these guys throw a 6lb ring of steel is amazing to watch.

Street Choirs Festival comes to Whitby

2009-07-11T16:00:00.003+01:00

The "Street Choirs Festival" has come to town and, despite the weather forecast, the sun has been shining. Singers from around the UK have descended on Whitby to sing at various points around town and to compete at the Pavilion this evening. Tomorrow there will be a farewell picnic on the beach, weather permitting. We enjoyed walking around and stopping off at the various places to get some free entertainment. An interesting and new event for Whitby, but sadly the festival has a new venue each year.

http://streetchoirwhitby.org.uk/

Waiting for a kiss?

2009-07-09T17:55:00.002+01:00

Our guests having arrived earlier than expected meant that we could go out for an afternoon walk rather than the usual evening stroll along the clifftop or into town. We walked along the old Scarborough - Whitby railway line and down into Ruswarp. We are real cheesy and always kiss as we go through a "kissing gate" so Julie was waiting for me which gave me a chance to take a photo. Even though it was lovely and sunny it was not as warm as last week which made it perfect for walking. As we came home past Pannett Park I realised that I had never taken a picture of the floral clock, ideally I should have been about 10 foot taller to get the best image, but here it is anyway.

Whitby Soul Weekender

2009-07-03T16:04:00.002+01:00

Another music weekend in Whitby - the annual "Soul Weekender". We are full for the weekend as everyone here booked as they left last year. Much as we like soul music, our days of partying until 04:00 one day and 06:00 the next are long gone, not that they were ever there for Julie!! (She likes her sleep, beauty or otherwise)

Lifeboat weekend

2009-06-20T16:49:00.004+01:00

Heather, a friend from Leeds, sat in the front seat of a 1959 Morris Minor on West Pier today at the first day of Whitby's Lifeboat Weekend. There were various other cars there including 4 Jowetts a few Triumphs and various others. It was a shame that the weather wasn't brilliant, but there were plenty of people around who seemed to be enjoying themselves. The car to the right is an Austin Healey 3000, a car I have always liked - this one has only done 18000 miles!

The end of the rainbow

2009-06-18T21:38:00.004+01:00

Who cares about the rain when you get photo opportunities like this. The Abbey is Whitby's gold at the end of the rainbow and to be able to get a shot like this from the bedroom window is great.

We must like it to do 2 posts in one day!

The Land Girls of Yorkshire

2009-06-18T11:50:00.006+01:00

Last night we went to Suddaby's in Malton to see "The Land Girls of Yorkshire" because we couldn't get tickets for Whitby Coliseum - we're glad we couldn't.

Suddaby's is a great find, particularly for those of you who like traditional local beers as it is a small family brewery with many awards. The theatre area is something else, little more than an old barn with I guess 80 seats, but absolutely perfect for the play. They even served free cheese and biscuits at the interval (and they say Yorkshire folk are tight!) We will certainly keep our eyes out for future events here and plays by Badapple or Kate Bramley. It was a good job that we rang and reserved tickets, some people were being turned away. If it is on somewhere near you go to see it, you won't be disappointed.

Crab fishing in Whitby

2009-06-15T11:13:00.002+01:00

A couple of photos just received from the Cook family who stayed last week. Crab fishing is enjoyed by young and old alike, particularly dads. Most people go crab fishing down by the swing bridge, but the other good spot is from the bottom of the steps on Tate Hill Pier, our grandchildren caught over 30 in half an hour one time.

Strange way to spend a day off?

2009-06-10T21:52:00.004+01:00

Nobody coming in today - a rare opportunity of taking some time out. Where did we choose to spend it? At the Harrogate Exhibition Centre where there was a coloproctology conference, not everyone's first choice!! Not as strange as it may seem though - we had gone to meet Siobhán who we had known for 6 years but never met. Siobhán (the one on the right without a pointy head) has worked for Lynn’s Bowel Cancer Campaign since 2003 a charity dear to us. We have had a great deal of involvement with the Lynn’s charity since I (Stephen) had bowel cancer in 1997.

We already had a face to the name, having seen each other’s photos over the years, but we have met at long last. We had already met Caroline, the other person in the photo without a pointy head, when we organised an entry into the Great Manchester Run several years ago - she ran, we didn't!

For more information on the charity, their work to raise awareness of this insidious disease and symptoms advice please visit www.bowelcancer.tv

Back to the 60s

2009-06-07T11:46:00.007+01:00

Twice a year Whitby Pavilion hosts a 60s Spectacular with many bands and artistes from the era as well as tribute acts. A great bunch of people come each year, sometimes to both events, and they obviously have a great time as more often than not book for the following year as they leave. The Pavilion is packed with enthusiasts of every age, many dress in 60s outfits. We still have a couple of rooms left for September, but we're sure not for long. The photo here was taken by Malcolm Jones, one of our 60s regulars in June.

Who needs the Med?

2009-06-01T20:52:00.004+01:00

When we get the weather that we have had for the last few days who needs the Med? We have wonderful beaches and spectacular countryside as well as beautiful villages. These photos were taken at about 6:30 today and it was still warm enough for people to be in the sea! Let's hope that this is a prelude to the summer. The picture to the left is from Sandsend towards Whitby and the picture on the right is along the pathway into Mulgrave estate at Sandsend, a place most visitors never go to see.

Against The Law! - Our Rant.

2009-05-26T10:38:00.004+01:00

What part of this do some people find hard to understand. We appreciate that some people do smoke and there is no problem with more than 99% of them, but every so often you get an inconsiderate and selfish person who thinks that it is acceptable to break the law and abuse our home. You may have gathered that we are annoyed, just having had a group of 4 people in 2 rooms. On the first couple of mornings we were suspicious that one couple had smoked in their room, but had no evidence other than the smell. This could have been on their clothes, so we didn't challenge them. When they checked out, they simply left without saying goodbye which is most unusual. We always like to say farewell and have a chat as people go but didn't get the opportunity. Fortunately there was nobody going into the room on the day they departed as there was distinct evidence of smoking and the smell was stronger than ever. We have no problem with smokers as long as they are considerate to others and neither smoke indoors nor leave their smoking litter around. Rant over.

Another "Whitby Christening"

2009-05-14T18:42:00.002+01:00

3 years in Whitby and our car has had its best christening ever from the seagulls!! There aren't many downsides to living in our lovely town, but the seagulls, or more what they do, is certainly one of them. The car had been parked for 5 days and became a target - other cars round about were untouched! Eh ho.

Updated website launched

2009-05-13T20:05:00.002+01:00

After reviewing our website we decided that it needed a bit of an update and today we have just launched the new improved formula!

Tell us what you think.

We've also included a link at the top left of this blog to a diary of events in Whitby, hope it's useful.

European Blue Flag for Whitby's beaches

2009-05-08T21:41:00.006+01:00

Once again Whitby has been awarded the European Blue Flag which is the most prestigious beach award available, as reported in today's Whitby Gazette. This is particularly pleasing after some of last year's problems in the harbour.

Bank Holiday

2009-05-03T20:33:00.002+01:00

As everyone had checked in and we had no better plans we decided to go to Whitby Abbey to learn a bit about the worst jobs in mediaeval times. A bit corny really, but OK for the kids. Despite the clear blue skies on the photo on the left we ended up dashing back into the visitor centre to escape the rain - typical bank holiday weekend!! Town has quietened a bit now the weekend has gone, but we're expecting another busy time as this coming weekend is Line Dance Weekend with all the usual suspects coming once again. Looking at the diary we have probably had our last day off until towards the end of the season in October. No rest for the wicked! As soon as there is a day when we can get up to the Abbey for opening time we will do as I would love to get photos with nobody around, not easy with breakfasts and rooms to do!

Another great find

2009-04-30T20:54:00.002+01:00

We seem to be blessed with good places to eat within easy travelling distance of Whitby. Today we ate at The White Swan in Pickering, our only regret is that it has taken us three years to discover it. Julie had a veal T-bone and I chose venison haunch followed by a Trio of puddings - Sticky toffee pudding, glazed lemon tart & sauce of raspberries & classic crème brulee and an espresso. If you want something lighter there is also a great selection of light meals and sandwiches. It was our first visit there today - it certainly won't be our last.

Whitby Goth Weekend April 09

2009-04-25T15:32:00.006+01:00

Well it's the first Goth Weekend of 2009 and once again we have a good crowd in and the weather is holding up, we can't ask for more. Many people (like my mum) feel intimidated by the Goths, but we find them to be a very friendly and sociable group.

There were plenty of people queueing to go on the bungee jump which has become a regular feature at WGW, we don't have the bottle for it - neither of us fancy having our brains rattling around our heads.

There are a few more photos from around town on our web album if you'd like to look. WGW album

Other images on You Tube

Bread & muffins - and a lot more besides

2009-04-21T15:32:00.001+01:00

Many times when we have driven down to Scarborough we have seen a blackboard sign for a small bakery near Burniston, but every time we have been there the Eco Bakery has been closed, and nowadays we are interested in the "eco" aspect more than ever. Today, after 3 years of regularly passing, we found Boundary Cottage Bakery open for the first time. They only open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2:00 p.m. We were greeted by Jo who had just boiled the kettle, so very kindly offered us a coffee while we sampled her delicious muffins and bread. This is a true cottage industry business as samples of Trevor's (Jo's husband) rustic furniture were also on display as were some socks made from Angorra wool. Outside the small shop, which is a converted garage, there were various jars of produce and local organic vegetables. The next time we go to Scarborough we will have to make it a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday so we can have some more muffins and a pleasant chat.

40s' weekend

2009-04-19T17:14:00.004+01:00

This weekend was the annual 40s' weekend with events throughout such as various militeria exhibits, displays of vehicles, flea market, dog show etc....

The weather was good and everyone appeared to be having fun. If you like this sort of thing, then think about Whitby as an alternative to staying in Pickering for their fantastic war weekend in October - it is unlikely that you would be able to get accommodation in Pickering then and you can always get the atmospheric steam train through via Grosmont and Goathland, which are both involved.

"Wot no Fog"

2009-04-16T08:01:00.006+01:00

When we looked out of the window this morning WE COULD SEE THE ABBEY! The last three days have been misty and murky and the Abbey, which we can normally see from all of our rear rooms, was invisible. What made this worse is when we called Selby at 7:00pm last night, our daughter was sitting in the garden having a drink! This is a normal view of the Abbey.

Wall to wall people - Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T16:47:00.007+01:00

Strange old day - one couple had to check out early due to a problem at home which meant we had a room to do, unusual on a bank holiday. As they didn't come down for breakfast they also missed their Easter eggs and hot cross buns which were appreciated by all. After lunch we decided to go down town, we can't understand why people go away for the day on a bank holiday Sunday, it was bedlam. Bumped into someone I worked with at Toyota who had only arrived in town at about 14:30 for a day trip!! Seems as though I had a lucky escape when I left 3 years ago as there are going to be lots of redundancies. We walked the West Pier and then the East Pier after we had battled our way along Church St. At the end of East Pier I had a "Whitby Christening" from one of the seagulls - whoever said that it is Lucky!! When we got back home the doorbell kept ringing as we now had a vacancy, but despite the notice in our entrance indicating a minimum stay of 2 nights everybody just wanted one! The photo is wall to wall people in Church Street, most of whom never stray off the beaten track and see the real Whitby.

Done it at last!

2009-04-09T19:39:00.004+01:00

I wondered lonely as a cloud - NOT!!!

3 years after moving to Whitby and about 5 years after originally planning to go, we have finally done the Farndale Daffodil Walk. Since we moved here we either haven't had the time when the daffs have been about or we haven't had the weather when we've had the time, but today everyone checked out and nobody was checking in until midnight tonight so we decided to do the walk. Old Bill Wordsworth wouldn't find inspiration in his solitude at Farndale, there are around 40000 visitors when the flowers are out in spring. The walk is a very easy footpath alongside the river Dove, although it is a bit muddy in places. Click on an image to see photo gallery from our day in Farndale.

In Farndale there are a couple of ghoulish stories about queer happenings, one of which is about Sarkless Kitty whose spirit reputedly claimed many lives in Farndale until Whit Sunday 1809 when Sarkless Kitty Gartwaite's soul was laid to rest.

3 years down.

2009-04-06T08:00:00.001+01:00

As of today we are in our fourth year at The Waverley and we are as busy as ever. We have refurbished every bedroom and the hall, stairs and landing plus our own living area. All that is left to tackle now are the lounge and dining room. Original plan was for five years and retire, but who knows?

Have started writing a lighthearted book about experiences of running a guest house but never have time to add to it, don't know if it will ever get published - or finished for that matter. Hectic times around the corner as we're fully booked over Easter.

What a beautiful day

2009-04-03T16:45:00.005+01:00

A fairly quiet week, the lull before the storm?? At least we had opportunity to visit the gym a couple of times. Just had a walk down town in the glorious sunshine, hope this keeps up for Easter.

Today we designed and ordered a postcard which is a sepia collage of Whitby images, we love the old sepia prints of Frank Meadows Sutcliffe, not that I have a hope of emulating his prowess and that was well over 100 years ago! His large camera was made of mahogany with brass fittings and took 'whole plate' glass negatives (6.5"x8.5").

Eco Button saving since 11 March £2.05/Kg of CO2 5.98

Earth Hour

2009-03-29T12:08:00.004+01:00

Well Earth Hour as been and gone. We switched off lights where possible, excluding hall lights for safety reasons for the guests and we're sure that nobody knows we did except for ourselves and you now as you're reading this!! We were disappointed that the lights at Whitby Abbey were left on, it wouldn't have harmed for them to go off and would have had some people talking about why, but we are pleased about the general media coverage which has been more than we expected.

We hit the Gazette again on Friday because of our nomination for "GTBS Best Performer Shortlist". They still manage to misinform about the napkin issue, but nevertheless it can't do us any harm. We're off to Harry's Bar tonight, one of our favourite places to eat in town, to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.

Haven't we had a busy day?

2009-03-25T16:57:00.004Z

We started out by going to Botton to buy some jam & dried fruit for breakfasts. If you've not been it is a great place to go, very spiritual. Botton was the subject of a C4 documentary a few years ago, The Strangest Village in Britain. We go several times a year, the bakery does fantastic bread.

After that we went to The Moors Centre having received an invitation sent to tourism businesses in the area. Had a lovely lunch in their tea room and picked up the "Out and about in the North York Moors" guide which has lots of events in the diary - will try to add the interesting ones to our online diary. Picked up information on deliciouslyorkshire breakfast which we are going to join as we already meet the criteria.

On the way back we stopped at St Oswald's church Lythe (top of Lythe Bank past Sandsend). Not quite on a par with St Mary's up by the Abbey, but still worth a visit.

Earth Hour

2009-03-25T08:20:00.004Z

8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. Saturday 28 March 2009

We will be supporting Earth Hour

VOTE EARTH

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

Whitby Archive Closed

2009-03-20T17:48:00.003Z

Whitby Archive has unfortunately closed due to lack of funding. This is sad for both the residents and visitors to Whitby, many who come and use the Archive resources to research family roots. Hopefully some more funding will be found to keep this local facility running. Here is a link to the article in the Gazette which broke the news.

Whitby Archive centre is shut down

Who's been a silly boy then?

2009-03-16T19:34:00.000Z

Fairly quiet at the moment so we decided to go out for the day. Lovely meal in Dalby Forest at the Treetops Cafe and then on to Scarborough to go to the cash and carry. About half a mile from the C&C we got a phone call from Sue, one of our guests - " we can't get in, somebody has dropped the latch" - guess who? When I had left the laundry out in the porch to be collected I totally forgot that we had guests in and dropped the latch on the inner door. Won't do that again as we had to turn around and come back without ever getting to Booker C&C.

Red Nose Day

2009-03-14T04:00:00.000Z

Just Donated the money we saved by sending e-cards at Christmas to Red Nose Day. We didn't think that the show was very good, not very funny - maybe we're just getting old!!

We aim to be Whitby's Premier Guest House

2009-03-07T17:57:00.004Z

Our "Strap Line" is We aim to be Whitby's Premier Guest House - Well we've made Number 1 on Trip Advisor. Quite daunting really as we now want to stay there and there are some good places to stay in Whitby. Check out the reviews on the link below.

The Waverley

Green Advantage

2009-03-03T17:25:00.000Z

We have both just been to a training course run by the Yorkshire Moors & Coast Tourism Partnership. One thing that we learned was about the "Eco button" - an auto hibernation device for the PC which puts the whole system in standby and restarts quickly, great idea. It also shows how much you have saved on screen when you restart. Click on the globe if you want to know more.

Double Green

2009-02-26T19:16:00.001Z

Two things have happened today. We have been to the annual tourism conference for the region and, along with other businesses who have GTBS accreditation or are in the process, have been involved in a photo shoot. It was down at the Spa in Scarborough, but the photographer took us all outside so, because of the cold, blue would be a more appropriate colour than green!!

Don't know if anything will come of the shoot, but can't do any harm.

When we got home though we had a different surprise. We had an email from Green Business Tourism to say that we had been selected for "GTBS Best Performer Shortlist" should know result next month. We are very happy to be selected as there are over 2000 GTBS business in the country.

Valentine's weekend

2009-02-13T12:00:00.001Z

We reopen today, what a day to pick - my (Stephen) birthday! Not too bad though, only one room today and a couple tomorrow. We still haven't opened up 9 & 10 as we need to finish them off with new furniture. It gives us a steady start to the year.

Colonoscopy

2009-02-04T18:57:00.002Z

Those of you who know me will be aware that I (Stephen) had bowel cancer in 1997. I am one of the lucky ones and now only get checked up once a year and have a colonoscopy every 5 years - today's the day!! As expected I was "all clear", but it is nice to be told so.

Any of you out there with concerns on that front should visit Lynn's Bowel Cancer Campaign website. You can always phone them (or me) if you feel it would help.

Back from France

2009-01-26T18:40:00.002Z

We're home again after our foreign adventure.

After spending 10 days in Spain we travelled to Narbonne by train - 9 hours with some moronic "businessman" spending lots of time on the phone, he must have been very important!! Other than that the train journey was enjoyable. Chris and Carol live in the middle of Narbonne so we didn't hire a car until the day before coming home. The day with the car was the windiest day in the region for over 10 years with winds of 158kph, we nearly got stranded. Fortunately Chris knew routes that got us back to their place avoiding the fallen trees and collapsed fences etc..

Well that's it for another year.

We're off again

2009-01-09T18:31:00.001Z

Nearly time to open, but we are going for 2 weeks tomorrow to see friends in Spain and France. It's good to have friends living abroad, nice cheap holiday after all we have spent back home!!

New boiler

2009-01-07T18:34:00.000Z

Just had a new condensing boiler fitted. When Billy came to do the GTBS audit he said that we could be wasting money (and energy) with our boiler which must have been 25 years old or more. It has been very reliable, but apparently it was only around 50% - 60% efficient. The new one is guaranteed at 93% and when installed measured 96%. OK, it was a big outlay, but it should pay for itself well before we sell up and move on from The Waverley.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T14:13:00.003Z

Happy New Year

Everybody seems to have had a good time & some have booked for 2009/10 if we do it again. Depends on whether we decide to go away but probably won't until later in January.

Opening for New Year for first time

2008-12-30T08:14:00.000Z

We decided to open for New Year and have brunch instead of breakfast on New Year's Day. Rooms 9 & 10 still not sorted with the plumbing, problem with the shower, so just got 4 rooms out. We know everyone coming and it should be a great weekend. First guests arrive today.

Back home

2008-12-10T17:49:00.000Z

It's amazing how quickly 3 weeks can go when you're having fun. Plumber still not finished the bathrooms and decorator has cut up the wrong carpet!! He's paying for a replacement though. We're going to have to get back to the gym to get rid of the weight we must have put on.

Mexico here we come

2008-11-25T09:25:00.000Z

One thing we miss about running The Waverley is our summer holidays to Italy. To get the sun now we need to travel further and Mel (Julie's daughter) asked us to go with her and her family to Mexico. We couldn't turn down the opportunity of 10 days with 3 grandchildren (Lucy, Jacob and Charlie) and sun as well. Photo uploaded later. After 9 solid months 10 days isn't enough holiday so we are going out via Washington for 6 days and back via Philadelphia for 5 days.

Off with the woodchip

2008-11-10T17:33:00.000Z

James and Mark arrived today, James still complaining about stripping the woodchip!! When they started it wasn't half as bad as they anticipated because it came off in sheets like cardboard. Surprise surprise it didn't rip half of the Victorian plaster off either. It appears that the paper was originally put on in 1955 (before Julie was born) and has had so many layers of paint applied in the last 53 years that it just pulled off in stiff sheets - a nightmare to bag up though.

We've done it!!

2008-11-04T18:10:00.001Z

Just had email from Billy at GTBS to let us know that we have got GOLD!!
We're really chuffed, particularly as we are not only the first (and currently only) accredited business in Whitby, but that we have gone straight in at their highest grading of gold.

Feet up time - ha ha!!

2008-11-02T17:29:00.004Z

The last guests have gone home today and we are now closed until New Year brunch. We're off on holiday in 3 weeks and the decorators and plumbers are coming 10th Nov to refurb 2 bedrooms and decorate the hall, stairs and landings. James, the decorator has been moaning since last year because he has 3 floors of woodchip paper to remove.

Whitby Goth Weekend

2008-10-31T19:20:00.000Z

Just had another good weekend, don't know why Ian and Adrienne weren't happy to have Goths here. I don't suppose we get many though, mainly spectators. I will have to go out with my camera next time, but here are some pictures on You Tube. Goth Weekend photos