A Trip to Scarborough

At the end of August some of our Service Users enjoyed a day trip to Scarborough. Renata was so inspired by her day, and the adventures she got up as she explored Scarborough that she kindly wrote us a review!

“I had a difficult start to the day, just didn’t wanted to wake up and stayed in bed far, far too long. I even contemplated going back to bed and forget about the day out.

I’m so very glad I didn’t, as I had a most enjoyable and rewarding day, even though the early part was a jumble as I was so scatterbrained and still tired, but I woke up fully when I realised that my walking stick was left in the just departing coach in grey-skyed Scarborough.

To orientate myself I intended to find a map, and happily I spotted an automated box selling such items, not so happily it ate my pound and kept the map. The given telephone number was an answering machine with no space left. Quality service!

I swallowed my disappointment, took a photo of the accompanying map enticing more people to loose their coinage, and set of to find steps, steep ones, and many thereof to get me away from the seafront noise and crowds. Soon I was nicely enveloped in greenery and was grateful that I had picked up enough painkillers to last me the day and get me through the exertions. It was soothing and quiet, only a few melodies drifting up from the ‘Luna Park’ near the harbour, which lend a certain dichotomy to the place, as the music was so far removed from the woodland like locations I found myself in.

Soon I found a nice wild looking gravel path inviting me to explore rather than ramble on smooth tarmacked paths. I found myself surrounded by hawthorn and sloes, the latter sadly had fruit which needed another week or two before picking. I continued to climb, hopeful to reach the possible east end of the castle at the end of this path which the further I went along the more steps appeared and became steeper and steeper. It reminded me greatly of the ‘walk’ at the Ingleton Waterfalls!

Suddenly the path split in two, one path with fewer steps but going down, and the other path all steps going up. Up I went, up and more up, and more. And then I spotted a gate. An arching span with a dark opening. I clambered the last few steps, bypassed a few shrubs pushing into the path and confronted a black-painted board. End of the road! No, this cannot be it, there must be..  But there wasn’t, the only thing that was, the steep steps back to that point where the path had split! Shooks!

Following this, easier, path down returned me to the same tarmacked path about hundred, two hundred meters along, and nearer the the official Castle entrance. Fine! Ok, let’s go the ‘official’ route! I was getting quite thirsty by now and was hoping to find a café before venturing much further.

I didn’t find a café by or in the castle, nor in the Castle Shop. The castle itself I didn’t see fully close-up, as it’s now English Heritage, and they were asking for an Adult ticket £12.50, no concessions offered. Children and Families too had prices listed, but pensioners had to cough up full price! The £12.50 safely stayed in my purse.

Sadly the nearby small café in St Mary and the Holy Apostles too was a small disappointment , it was closed, I wanted to go there as I’d been given a recommendation by a local lady walking her dog that the best pots of tea brewed in Scarborough can be found there. Instead I then looked at Anne Brontë’s grave in their graveyard, then set out to catch a view over North Bay, a lovely view aided much by the sunshine.

I forgot to mention, the church had a huge collection of the most beautiful and varied tapestry/needlepoint kneelers I have seen. Anyone with a craft interest ought to go and marvel.

Back to the beautiful view over North Bay. I had lunch on a bench there, enjoying the moment and the sunshine. This might also be a great place to watch a storm lash the coast with big waves, as that stretch of Scarborough is always the section that gets heavily battered in the winter storms. At least as long as the railing is strong enough to hold, as the drop from there down to the road and shore is vertical, literally!

Afterwards I just wandered through the town, first down along Castle Road, passing the sweet little church in an ordinary house, ‘The Grotto of Or Lady of the Miraculous Medal’. Honest, I do not make this up, I have photographic evidence! After that as I felt a little bit tired a just drifted along some streets and then, without intention, stumbled over a lovely esoteric shop, where I purchased a few items for use at home in my practice.

After that lucky experience I found a small café, treated myself to a cup of coffee and a small portion of carrot cake, in spite of the diet! As I had been a good girl clambering all over Castle Hill I thought I earned a reward. It was a small piece, a fairly small reward!

I followed the downhill roads to get me back to the seafront, and the last part involved a long, twisting footpath through lovely greenery to reach the foreshore. I found a quiet spot just away from the road and only just on the beach, sitting on the sand wasn’t an option as it had rained briefly but heavily, yet missed by me for having popped into a charity shop up in the town.

There, sitting on my nice sun-dried rock I waited the last half hour for the coach. About two hours later I found a very happy Konni Cat waiting patiently for my return by the front door in expectation for her evening dinner.

Beverley, as you can read here I had the most marvellous day, and I want to thank you, and Shabana, and everyone else involved in organising this great day out!

With my very best and grateful wishes.”

We are delighted you enjoyed the trip Renata and thank you for sharing your exploits!