Whitby's 2014 Folk Week
Following on from Whitby's wonderful 2014 Regatta, Whitby Folk week ensured the town was as busy and bustling as ever with brightly coloured folk dancers and talented musicians from all over the country (and perhaps the world!).
Next year will be Whitby Folk Week's 50th Birthday - it truly is another permanent fixture in Whitby's cultural calendar. The organisers are looking for feedback, so if you attended this year, head over to the Whitby Folk Week blog and download the feedback pack.
Despite some mixed weather over the summer holidays (including Whitby receiving a bit of a battering when the tail-end of Hurricane Bertha hit land a couple of weekends before) Folk Week enjoyed plenty of blue skies and sunshine - what else would you expect at one of the country's top seaside resorts?!
The bright costumes of the dancers made for an even more vibrant atmosphere and performances were enjoyed throughout the town by visitors and locals, young and old alike.
Many of the town's pubs were turned into impromptu music venues and, as seen in this photo, with bands playing amongst those enjoying a meal or a drink the festival feeling spread throughout the town.
It is fantastic that Whitby offers so much to the regional music and arts scene - particularly for what is actually quite a small town.
Coming soon... Musicport!
The world-famous Musicport festival is back in Whitby again this year - at the Spa Pavillion over the weekend of 17-19 October. With yet another fantastic lineup of world-class musicians from around the globe, Musicport looks set to be yet another wonderfully enjoyable musical experience. Click Here for more information.
Summer's over - or is it?
It's 1st September today - rather marking the end of the Summer season, as the children return to their classrooms this week. The weather's been particularly indecisive over the weekend - rain, wind, hot, cold, sunny, cloudy. And today looks fairly damp. However, September has been a wonderful month in recent years - the first colours of autumn beginning to show but the sun remaining and warm (if shorter) days heralding the change of seasons.
The holidays may be over, but there are still a couple of weeks (at least) until autumn officially begins - so let's make the most of it and get out and about, enjoying all that Whitby and surrounding area has to offer whether that be cultural events, countryside or attractions of other kinds.
I have to say though... I'm quite looking forward to the glow of the wood burning stove, the crunch of fallen leaves under foot and the view of the Esk Valley from Aislaby Lodge on a crisp autumn morning!