DRACULA IN WHITBY

Tuesday 1st December 2009

For some time I have wanted to visit Whitby to photograph the Dracula associations for addition to my Brit/Lit group on Flickr. Today's the day. From home it's a 15 minute bus trip to Middlesbrough where I catch a connection for the 40 miles to Whitby this takes an hour and ten minutes or so - on the quick service. I got to the town about 11.30am. A short visit to the TIC to enquire about the "Dracula Trail" proved fruitless as they had run out of leaflets! I picked up a brochure the usual overpriced local publication with six pages for a scandelous £2.50 but it helped by directing me to Royal Crescent where Bram Stoker, the author of Count Dracula originally developed the ideas for his novel. He could never have forseen either the success it would have nor the impact on Whitby. The town now has a twice-a-year "Goth Festival" and you can't book a bed for miles so successful and well attended they are. Next year I'll be giving it a try.

From Royal Crescent I made my way through the harbour area and picked up useful pictures of a restaurant called The Moon and Sixpence, a tribute to W. Somerset Maugham, and in Church Street the delightful "The Owl And The Pusseycat" filched from Edward Lear. From here Its up the famous 199 steps to reach the parish church of St. Mary's, I photographed Caedmans Cross (again), and the tombstones and views that Bram Stoker so vividly describes in his novel. I fitted in a quick tour round the church which is a rather ugly functional place of worship but has very interesting doored and lockable pews and an ancient piped stove in the center of the naive still in use today.

After that; back to the town for a round of the second hand bookshops, but found nothing compelling then a slow bus return via Sandsend and Staithes etc. to Middlesbrough and home for tea. A good day out.