Round Two
Godzuki! Rides Again
After two days of hitting the van with a selection of hammers to get a balljoint to separate, it was job done and Godzuki! was presented with a fresh MOT certificate.
We headed north again to continue our search for a new expensive address and storage container home. Being out and about would be better than being sat amongst our collection of boxes and perhaps we could pretend to be travelling. It would at least give me something to write about, before I resorted to telling poor quality jokes just to keep the site alive (Yes, I suppose I could tell good quality jokes but apparently I don’t know any).
County Durham
Ensconced in Durham’s handy Park and Ride facility, allowing vans to overnight for a small fee, we took the opportunity to explore both the city and the surrounding areas. A few interesting looking properties popped up at local agencies, but nothing really felt like it met our needs once we viewed them. The city was more rewarding and a great place to wander – the centre vibrant and busy, the UNESCO cathedral and university areas enthralling, while the river offered tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle above. Snowdrops covered the steeply sloped banks below the cathedral and birds made themselves busy in trees that lined the water’s edge. Spring was approaching quickly.
Expanding our search eastwards, we settled for a few days with a sea view, only farmland and a nature reserve between us and the North Sea. Hoping for some dolphin sightings, we walked the beach to the caves at Blackhall Rocks which were were interesting, but keeping an eye on the tide at all times as no one likes to be the idiot tourist that has to be rescued and there didn’t seem to be many routes off the beach.
Alerted by the barking of a dog and the shouts of its panicked owner we noticed a seal pup resting up on the beach. Perfectly camouflaged, it blended in effortlessly. We must have walked straight past it on the way to the caves and would have done the same on the return journey if not for an excitable hound. The seal didn’t seem particularly bothered. There was no sign of it’s mother out to sea, nor of any dolphins for that matter.
The cleanliness of the beach is surprising given the history of the area. When Blackhall Colliery was operational spoil from the mine would be dumped straight onto the beach. Following the closure of the mine a lot of effort has gone into restoring the beach and the results are obvious, a testament to what us humans can achieve if we put our minds to it. Following the beach south it become increasingly sandy. Sanderlings accompanied us along the shoreline, darting in and out with the tide, their legs moving at comedic high speed while Oyster Catchers darted past with their distinctive cries.
The Steetly Pier was an obvious landmark to head for, jutting out a little over 600 metres into the sea. Not accessible, it is a reminder of the north east’s industrial heritage – in its working life it supplied seawater to the nearby magnesia plant. The industrial area is long gone now, replaced by a housing estate perched precariously upon the sandy banks lining the beach. The pier remains, a focal point for dog walkers, photographers and arsonists.
Yorkshire
Exhausting our housing search we headed south to Whitby. We felt a little holiday was warranted (again, from what I am not sure) and we wanted to take the coastal walk towards Robin Hood Bay to stretch the legs. The walk did not disappoint, with a spectacular rugged clifftop walk. No dolphin sightings, but plenty of seabirds entertained us. The bay was busy with visitors and we rewarded ourselves with fish and chips before making the return journey along the Cinder path, a disused railway line now converted for recreational use.
Not much more can be said about Whitby than I’ve written previously, it’s a lovely place full of character and consequently, tourists like us. Taking the coastal path in from our camp spot in the village of Hawsker, the sun was trying its best to shine and we were warming up in spite of the wind. Resisting the urge for more fish and chips, which is hard when everyone around you is munching their way through a crispy coated haddock, we wandered the town’s narrow streets, the beach and watched for dolphins from the harbour arms. Still they remained elusive.
I’ve banged this particular drum before, but I am still amazed that Whitby chooses to miss out on the winter tourism boom of Motorhomes. With the massive number of empty holiday lets in the more quaint parts of town, the place must be pretty empty at night. This includes the huge parking area next to the marina, which clearly has facilities that can be offered to motorhomes. People parked up overnight means people contributing to the evening economy. Not everyone, but some. Instead, people head to Scarborough and that included us.
Despite being midweek in February, Scarborough’s north beach was busy with motorhomes and camper vans. Overnight parking allowed and a CDP installed to get rid of waste, it’s parking with a sea view and it is great to feel welcome. Granted, there are a few people with no sense dumping their grey waste onto the road and sometimes you think that places like Whitby have a point, but the overall benefit must be positive? I hope so. We spent a good amount of money across a couple of nights stay, including food and fuel in the local area. It’s not all positive, there are a few boy racers about late in the evening, but we’ve learned to counter that by watching one of the Fast and Furious films. It really doesn’t matter which one.
We took a clifftop wander out to the Long Nab Bird Observatory following the Cleveland coastal path there and back, always one eye open for dolphin action, but they continued to hold their breath and remain beneath the glittering waves. The observatory is nothing special and it looked very much like an old Coastguard lookout point. It’s not open to the public so it’s just a landmark to head for really, and somewhere to get some shelter from the wind for a while and watch the birds. So I guess that’s mission accomplished then?
Still Yorkshire
With a severe weather warning for wind we thought it best to head inland, but first wanted to stop at Flamborough Head. The modern lighthouse sits upon the rocky cliff while the older chalk lighthouse sits further back. The old lighthouse is one of those great ideas that probably wasn’t entirely thought through. Grateful sailors were expected to pay a toll for passing the lighthouse safely, though I’m not sure how they were expected to pay it. Lighthouses are also generally good indicators of interesting coastline and that often means sealife. Still no dolphins but instead a colony of seals was hauled up on the stoney beach below us, barking at one another and generally being all blubbery and cutesy. Luck, and wind direction, meant we couldn’t smell them and ruin the moment.
Heading inland to sit out the weather, we settled for a while near Selby. An unassuming place on the outskirts, but we discovered beautiful canal side walks, lined with snowdrops and and spring flowers that had started to burst into life. The abbey was magnificent and nearly a thousand years of history surrounded it. I find it interesting that the abbey was founded because someone had a vision of three swans on the river. Madness. The only thing I do when I see three swans is to warn Rosana about the risk of a broken arm. As an Englishman, I’m duty sworn to warn people of the dangers of swans, not that I’ve ever seen a swan inflict bodily damage on anyone. It’s probably all the warnings keeping people safe. You’re welcome.
Which reminds me. A swan walks into a pub and the landlord says, “I named my pub after you!” and the swan says, “What? You’ve called your pub ‘Dave’?”