Whitby, and the 199 steps!

Evening Strumpets,

Apologies for lack of posts recently, but my computer upped and died in front of my eyes, just after posting the Nephrons songs. Seem`s everyones a critic these days!

Yesterday I thought why not combine a bit of training with a bit of "Family Time", and we decided to go to Whitby. For those not in the know, Whitby is a Coastal Town in North Yorkshire, which is mired in Seafaring History. It`s also (as far as I`m aware) the main mining area for Jet, and as such attracts an awful lot of Goth`s and Emo`s.

One of Grace`s home made "Eye Spys" was to see a vampire walking amongst the living wearing nothing but black. Worth 75 points, it took about five minutes of being there before she got those points in the bag(Or rather unnervingly pounds, as she took to calling them!)

What a fantastic place to be at this time of the year. We visited the top of the Lighthouse, and man alive it was windy, but what a view. Or at least I`m guessing that, as within two seconds of reaching the top and looking out, the old fear kicked in, and Daddy watched from the chair at the top.

Haddock and Chips by the harbour, laughing with the kids about the Gulls "mine, mine, mine, mine" (Visit Mr Chips, not the Magpie, top tip) was followed by a mooch through the streets until we finally reached the beginning of the 199 steps!

These are the steps which lead to the Abbey, where Dracula`s boat was docked. 199 doesn`t seem too big a number when you say it quickly. It doesn`t seem too big a number when you`re walking through the streets telling the kids about the Abbey, and how on Halloween the ghosts have a party in the graveyard at the top.

199 IS a BIG number. It is a step for every year since 1810. It is a step for every day since the 2nd of April. It is a step for every minute in nearly three and a half hours. And here`s the fun part, you walk up there, have a walk around, look in the Church, visit the abbey, and then it`s time to walk back down them.

Which is where Harry decides he wants a "Harry Carry". because he`s tired, and unsure of the higgledy piggledy steps. The same higgledy piggledy steps he ran up at a canter, with his Dad puffing away behind him. He had a "Harry Carry" all the way down the 199 steps. Every one of them. EVERY ONE OF THEM.

Loved every minute of it.

Keep smiling and learn something new,

Mark.