For most of us, a trip to the coast is a treat and a rarity. When the weather gets warmer we tend to travel to exotic locations, forgetting that the Yorkshire coast has some stunningly beautiful scenery, traditional fish and chips and of course, plenty of sand (although hopefully not in my mushy peas).
The general consensus on television is that Christmas is fast approaching, which had me thinking, why do we only visit the Yorkshire coast in the summer months? Why don’t we head to the sea in the winter months too?
……… OK I know the obvious answer – it’s cold. Very cold!
But us Brits are made of stronger stuff than that. This year things are going to be different for m and my family. We’re going to be selecting a weekend to pack in as much seaside stuff as possible: kite flying, ice cream eating, chip dipping, coat wearing and most importantly of all, some much needed time together. If we stay in the Travelodge St Nicholas Hotel we’ll easily be able to flit between the coastal places we love best (Whitby, Scarborough and Filey) and will for the most part be able to walk directly into town to the Scarborough Spa for some fantastic festive family fun with super family acts such as the Cinderella Pantomime and the Festive Spectacular.
With family in tow, we intend to make the most of the fresh crisp sea air and spend a weekend visiting some of the fantastic festive family activities that are happening all over the Yorkshire coast area. Start by jumping aboard the Santa Express Shuttle service, part of the Santa Specials from North Yorkshire Moors Railway (departing Pickering, Grosmont and Whitby stations). We have a Thomas Tank fan who just can’t wait to join Mr Cringle on the tracks.
For those of you that fancy something a little more active there is always the Santa Dash and Reindeer Run at Filey Beach. A colourful fund-raising event, this fun race will see hundreds of santas and reindeers make a one a half mile jog around Filey seafront. Don’t worry if you’ve overindulged on the mince pies, the event welcomes runners of all abilities and ages and you can go at any pace you wish.
Personally, I might be persuaded to skip the physical exertion in order to make the most of my time at the coast by visiting the traditional sweetie shops to pick up some good stocking fillers for Christmas. If it’s Christmas presents that you need then it might be worth visiting Whitby for some of the beautiful Whitby jet gifts.
