Day trip to Whitby - Whitby Fish and Ships Festival

The Whitby Fish and Ships Festival took place on May 17-18, 2025, featuring live cookery demonstrations, local seafood, and family-friendly activities. It's a vibrant celebration of Whitby's rich fishing heritage, showcasing local seafood and maritime culture. 

I went there on a coach trip on May 17th.

The first thing I encountered there were the street performers. They were gathered around the area near the war memorial. I'm not sure what the actual theme was but it seemed to involve some sort of monsters and dragons. There's a Goth vibe happening in Whitby, inspired no doubt by the appearance in the town by none other than Count Dracula, according to Bram Stoker's novel.

Sitting on a bed of rusty nails is not something that immediately springs to mind when thinking of Whitby.

Of course, the other main attraction in Whitby is the abbey. Whitby Abbey was a 7th-century Christian monastery that later became a Benedictine abbey. It was destroyed by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. All that remains are the ruins, but there is also an active church, St. Mary's, nearby.

Something that struck me was the number of graves around the church. There's hundreds of them.

I mean, there's generally graves in a churchyard, but I've never seen so many in one place.

Anyway, that was my day out at Whitby. I enjoyed some fish and chips, and of course a pint.