Help: Whitby 2002

Subject: Whitby 2002
From: vectis
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 10:21 AM

I am thinking of going up to Yorkshire for a bit of a "being a tourist" session this August. I have never been to Whitby festival because I always go to Broadstairs which finishes on the first Friday of Whitby. I thought I could maybe catch the end of Whitby but don't know where to stay. I have a caravan and a husband in tow. I also have a dicky knee which restricts how much walking I can do. Can someone out there tell me the best place to pitch up so I can see what the festival is all about? Can I stay on the festival site without a season ticket and just pay for camping? Is it possible to park in the town during festival week? If you can't stay on the festival site where is the nearest caravan site to the town? Where are the sessions (I sing and play)? Which Catters will be there and where can I find you all? Any info would be gratefully received? Mary

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: GUEST,smallpiper
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 10:34 AM

You can usually buy a ticket for camping only and day tickets for the festival. The camp site is at the community college (i think) this year and its the nearest to the centre of town and it is fairly easy to park around the town. Session happen everywhere, especially at the Plough, The Tap and Spile, the ship and the Middle Earth, but they also happen at a lot of other places. I for one will be ther eand I suspect there will be a good showing of Hull catters (there always is)the best plaec to meet them is the Tap and Spile I guess - wear your Mudcat T- Shirt if you havn't got one get in touch with Bill Sables. See you there John

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: GUEST,ossonflags
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 11:43 AM

Some of the 'ull lot (well four) will be there the week before, and lots on the festival week.We always camp on the "Stoop Cross farm" site that is Abbey side on the coast road way out of whitby. £3 in a taxi from the Endeavour pub where we seem to spend a lot of our time.John and Rosie (from 'ull) are very good hosts, well receptive to Folk people and have been known to give the odd song or six.There is always something going on in there over the festival week, whether workshops, music sessions or good old singarounds. If you cannot get on there the Avon site is just a little way past stoop cross and like them does take caravans.

If you get on stoop cross come and see us,I have a dark blue Volkswagon camper and always camp near the toilets.

Another good pub,a favourite of mine just down from the Endevour is the Black Horse, a lovely old unspoilt locals pub but good singarounds and music sessions in there,so come along,fill your boots and enjoy!!!!!!!!!

ps.one of the best places for eating out in Whitby is the Duke of York pub (bottom of the steps) good food reasonably priced and with an excellant view of the harbour.

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Willa
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 03:03 PM

Hi, Vectis. The main campsite at the Community Colege is for season ticket holders only. The secondary campsite is at Eskdale School, which is not near to the main events. Day tickets are £20 from Monday to Friday & the combined ticket for Saturday/Sunday is £32. There are plenty of singarounds/sessions, in fact the problem is fitting in all that you want to do. Try the website www.folkwhitby.freeserve.co.uk for more details.
I stay in Argyle Road, which is fairly central, and usually find a parking space quite easily. The afternoon ballads sessions and music sessions are in the Conservative Club, which is across the road. Hope to meet you during the week.

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 04:26 PM

Hi Vectis

Last year I bought a ticket but spent most of my time in the Endeavour (Jim Mageean's maritime sessions), the Plough (there are official singarounds upstairs lunchtime and evening but bar sessions downstairs as well) and Tap and Spile.

Your knee might have a bit of trouble with all the ups and downs (as McGrath has pointed out in Kippers by Post Whitby is that sort of a town). The Plough and Tap and Spile are close together on the West cliff side of the river, and the Endeavour is on the East cliff side near a car park. It's reasonably flat crossing from the east to the west over the swing bridge.

Parking was awful last year because the festival coincided with the regatta - but not this year.

I think I might have a lift up to Whitby, but not back to London again.....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Susan of DT
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 06:47 PM

Hello Vectis - I hope your knee holds out. We describe Whitby as a town where everything is uphill from everything else. The camping area from 2000 had the dubious honor of being partway down the hill, but UP a different hill.
Dick and I and Joe Offer will be around somewhere. I will definately be at the ballad sessions. We will try to look in at the sites mentioned above, but with 50 things going on at once all over town, it is hard to say when we will be where. I have not seen the schedule yet (wasn't posted last I looked - is Dick's digital tradition session on the schedule?)

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 07:11 PM

I once nearly got run down by a mate of mine in a wheelchair freewheeling down Khyber Pass (as it's called), a hill going down near the harbour.

It's up and down all right, but once you get the shape of the place it's possible to have a great time staying on the level. It's the kind of festival where if you stay in the same place long enough you'll see everything. Well, almost.

For a festival which has a lot of similarities to Whitby, but on the flat, ironed out so to speak, Fylde Festival in Fleetwood near Blackpoool is really enjoyable. If I can I try to get to both.

(And here is a link to that song of mine about Whitby that Kitty mentioned just there.

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 02 - 07:49 PM

Thanks all. More info always welcome.
Kitty
If I get there you are welcome to grab a seat on the way back. The only snag is that I'm going the scenic route and will take about a week to get there.

hey nonny no.....
Mary

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 27 Jul 02 - 07:42 PM

Thanks Mary - I can afford to take the scenic route getting to Whitby, because I'm not going back to work between Sidmouth and Whitby, but I can't really afford to take a week getting back... however, it depends what you mean by scenic.

I got to my first Whitby 3 years ago via various shopping centres in Loughborough and York, and home via Meadowhall, because my lift was combining Whitby with a work trip to do surveys for shop rent appeals - the lift provisionally offered for this year involves shopping centres in York (again) and Selby. Last year I got a lift from Tim Edwards from London to Macclesfield, and was picked up in Macclesfield by Bob Hawkes en route from Hereford to Whitby, (and then returned by Bob to London on his way to Towersey). The other complication is that I'm only booked into the B&B until the morning of Friday 23 August, so need to find someone heading south on the Friday (eg for Towersey) or a bed for Friday night in Whitby. Or a reliable train service.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: vectis
Date: 27 Jul 02 - 08:40 PM

Sorry Kitty, not going near Towersey. Hope you get a decent lift though.

Fol de rol de ray
Mary

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 28 Jul 02 - 05:02 AM

I'll be trying to get back to London/ Harrow, not to Towersey .... (might try a day trip to Towersey if I get home in time though).

Kitty

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 28 Jul 02 - 11:07 AM

Unless the Towersey audience has dropped I would't bother going on spec. The year before last all the day tickets were sold several days before the festival started.

The train service from Whitby is a joke but there is a regular bus to York for GNER trains to London.

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 28 Jul 02 - 02:28 PM

But Towersey is still within an hour's commuting by car distance from Harrow, which I think my car will manage - if I go to Towersey it'll be for one of the singarounds in the barn of the 3 Horseshoes. Thanks,Peter for the info about GNER trains - Tim Brooks, who wrote "So far from home" and "The devil and York Minster" also penned "Steam again in Goathland", so I should have been warned, really.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: Dorrie
Date: 28 Jul 02 - 06:36 PM

if its easier to get the train to scarborough then the buses to whitby are regular

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: vectis
Date: 29 Jul 02 - 07:55 PM

Thanks for the info folks. Hope to see some of you there. Watch out for the "beer towels".

Fol de rol de ray
Mary

Subject: RE: Help: Whitby 2002
From: brid widder
Date: 29 Jul 02 - 08:30 PM

hiya Mary.... I'll be at Whitby so will look out for you...

don't buy a ticket at least until you see the programme and know what you want to see & do..there's lots going on for free ...

If you want to see official stuff it's often cheaper to pay on the door...although the concerts might be £10 or so workshops are only about £3...you could do a week of accordian workshops for £15 a season ticket would cost £100 with an extra £24 to camp... you can get camping only tickets for £30 for adults ....I assume that's per head not per unit... so still would be £60... Stakesby School isn't available this year so camping space will be at a premium...

I think I'd be inclined to go for Stoop cross and commute by taxi... if your knee can manage steps you'll be OK coming in.

You'll usually find catter's in theTap & Spile..see you there!