We went to Sandsend last Saturday. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s an old-fashioned sort of place just north of Whitby, with a couple of cafes, some car parks, hotels, toilets and probably some pubs (though I’ve never really noticed as I’m usually too busy looking at the road and avoiding caravans). It also has a small river, cliffs, a great beach and wonderful views.
Yes,I know what you are thinking, as a reviewer of travel destinations I leave something to be desired.
It wasn’t originally part of the plan, but Whitby had been rammed with cars when we tried to find a parking space so we drove north. That’s the problem with travelling to the coast on the first nice Saturday in Spring – everyone else decides to do the same thing. We’d known that when we set off, and the queues around York (which seems to be at least 50% retail outlets these days) had confirmed the presence of large numbers of cars.
We weren’t able to get into the cafe by the beach, where I used to eat Yorkshire Curd tart. We haven’t been for a few years, and the cafe has been done up, so they might not even serve curd tart any more. That’s the trouble with time – you look back at something you used to do regularly and find it was ten years ago. I like curd tart, but as with liver and bread and butter pudding, which I also like, I find out I can live without it for years at a time.
It’s not that I go short of food (far from it!) but there’s so much food and so little time.
People were fishing from one of the car parks, which seemed a good way of securing a supply of fresh fish, though experience with a rod suggests it’s actually a good way of wasting a day. Even without fish, it’s a good way to get out into the open air.
There seemed to be a camera club about, as small groups of people with cameras were wandering about taking pictures of an ancient mounting block. I took photographs of Herring Gulls, Starlings and Pied Wagtails on the chimney pots of the hotel. Each to his own I suppose.
Finally, there was a microlight that flew across the bay a couple of times, even landing on the beach after the first pass, which seemed a bit dangerous. The engine note had sounded a bit ropey as he approached, but I’m not sure why he needed to land as he didn’t seem to have any time to fix anything whilst on the ground. Maybe he just wanted to expose beach users to heavy machinery and a moving propellor.
After ice creams we looped back to Whitby, but I’ll leave that until later.
Wow! Truly spectacular! “Old castles” like this are very reason why I love to travel to GB and France.
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Such beautiful scenery😊
Yes, it’s just like a coast should be.
The curd tart sounds tasty, although I can longer eat dairy. Enjoy them for me. 🙂
Sorry to hear that. I will make sure I have one now I’m eating for two!
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My mother makes mini curd tarts – heavenly and moreish. I’ve visited many of the resorts along the Yorkshire coast but never Sandsend – looks a nice place. I wouldn’t want to be on the beach when a microlight landed though!
I really need to start making them myself – I’m missing them now I’ve started writing about them.
As one does 😉
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Excellent post, Quercus. I’ve been up on a microlite. Never again. My Lancashire grandmother made a splendid curd tart – but then my grandfather was a Yorkshireman.
Congratulations on such fine ancestors! 😉
I’ve often thought of going up in a microlight, but I’ve often thought of plummeting to a grisly death. The two thoughts seem to cancel each other out. 😉
This one describes my experience: https://derrickjknight.com/2012/11/23/teacups/
Sounds like an interesting time Derrick. 🙂
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Hmmm, bread and butter pudding, now you’re talking.
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P.S. Can’t wait to see those Whitby pictures!
They are from the top end round the Captain Cook statue. There will be more later in the year. 🙂
Yay!!!!
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Great pictures! I’ve been to Whitby. For three weeks, I stayed with friends just outside Whitby, and that’s when I fell in love with England. Haven’t been back since, but the memories are still so vivid. Oh, the countryside!
Glad to hear it. It is lovely round there.