Hallowe'en in Whitby

[cessna152towser]

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula was partly set in Whitby, where Dracula's coffin first came ashore in England at Whitby harbour so where better to spend Hallowe'en Sunday 31st October.

It is said that Bram Stoker was inspired to write his novel when he saw pall bearers carrying a coffin up the 199 steps to the cemetery at Whitby

So here I am at Whitby Abbey on Sunday morning clad in black with a few splashes of blood red.

I encountered my first vampire of the day and she was wearing a tartan skirt!

Then I met a kiltie and his lass

You meet all kinds of interesting people in the cemetery at Hallowe'en!

Purple lady

Gothic Glamour

The pangs of hunger, the wafting smell of fish and chips and the haunting sound of Uillean Pipes soon brought me down the steps into town.
Town scenes to follow shortly:-

[cessna152towser]

Plenty of "kilts" to be seen in town, though traditionalists might call them hallowe'en horrors

The guy in the leather kilt was being pursued by the devil!

More to follow shortly

[cessna152towser]

I met another guy wearing a Dead Threads kilt (Tripp kilt in USA)

Modern kilt with a brightly coloured satin inner lining, the second one I had seen during the day. I think the corsetted style waistband could be uncomfortable.

Smart looking happy couple, guy in black kilt

Family group, man in Black Watch kilt.
More to follow shortly.

[cessna152towser]

Bonnie lass in a tartan skirt

Bloodstained bride and groom

"Captain Cook" in a black goth kilt

Captain Cook's monument.
It was from Whitby that Captain Cook set sail on Endeavour

So I was inspired to follow his explorations by sailing out of Whitby Harbour

I went to sea on board a pirate ship

Well, on a modern yacht actually, which became a pirate ship for Hallowe'en!

Out in the North Sea we encountered Captain Cook's bark, the "Endeavour"
(Actually only a few hundred yards out to sea and this Endeavour is a scaled down replica of the original. Captain Cook would not have had the luxury of electric lights strung between the masts!)

Back at Whitby harbour a nurse had rescued a sea serpent!!

The dracula connection ensured that black Victorian goth costumes were a popular Hallowe'en choice here.
And so...

[cessna152towser]

Time to leave Whitby on an appropriate train and no the train's destination was not Hogwarts Castle, but the park and ride facility at Grosmont, a few miles along the line from Whitby.
Lots more photos of a zany Hallowe'en on my Flickr album.

[NewEnglander]

More to follow shortly

"Shortly"
I don't know if that was intentional, Alex, but I found it hilarious.
Thanks for sharing, as always...

[Chas]

Fantastic, Alex. Who would have thought that such things went on in Whitby of all places?

Regards

Chas

[McClef]

Whitby is a lovely town so thanks for sharing your pictures Alex.

When I was last there a couple of years ago there was no sign of tartans or kilts.

You also managed to capture the James Cook statue without a seagull perched on top! My photos of it suffered from what is for me regular occurrence!

Wherever I go they are always where I don't want them to be!

[JerseyLawyer]

Back at Whitby harbour a nurse had rescued a sea serpent!!

That's actually a Predator, from the movie series of the same name.

Not sure if you were just going with the nautical theme there or not, so forgive me if I'm being presumptuous.

Great pictures as always.

[Irish Jack O'Brian]

Wonderful photos! How interesting to see the variety of costumes and the creative makeup.