The seaside holiday is still alive in Scarborough…

It’s strange the way sheep like to congregate outside houses – perhaps it’s the warmth of the walls?

Perhaps it’s as strange as the magnet that draws people to visit the scene of their favourite TV show in droves?  As we turned the corner in Goathland we were met with a tsunami of people who had arrived in coaches and were descending on this previously sleepy village.  Before, that is, ITV made it famous as Aidensfield in ‘Heartbeat’.

I’ve been told that it’s not just the British who love this series – all over Europe it was a big hit.  Several coaches were parked in the substantial car park and the fans were savouring the dubious delights of the various gift shops available to them.

Maybe we have been in the peace and tranquility of the Outer Hebrides for too long but we felt a pang for what seemed a simpler and less commercial life out there in the Atlantic…

All of which may make our decision to check out Scarborough a bit odd.  Peter was convinced we had been there and I was just as convinced we hadn’t so… there was nothing for it but to find out.

The countryside around was laid out before us in a patchwork of fields…

… but we had a few scary encounters with very steep hills on narrow roads as we attempted them so we decided to stick with the main road.

Scarborough hit us like a brick.

Although there were plenty of small yachts to offset the gaudiness…

… the solid Victorian loos brought us back down to earth with a bump…

There were still donkeys on the beach but business didn’t seem to be brisk.

However bright and breezy, Scarborough still maintains a Yorkshire comfortability about it and somehow I was glad to see that some traditions are still alive and kicking in 21^st century England – even if it isn’t really our thing.

From Scarborough (and in case you’re wondering, Peter had to concede that he had never been there in his life) we drove down to Pickering, passing a traveller camp on the way.

All the villages are attractive in this part of the world and feature solid stone houses with red pantiled rooves, almost without exception.  I hadn’t remembered this.

Pickering was no different and we bought a few bits of shopping there, although we found that most shops were already closed by 5pm.

Returning to the campsite we settled down for a quiet evening of Scrabble.  No sunset this evening but a pretty play of light amongst the clouds.