Working in Whitby

October 2023 - August 2024
  • Happy Days Travel
  • Mark Wade
A working sojourn in the beautiful North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby. Read more
  • Happy Days Travel
  • Mark Wade

List of countries

  • Scotland Scotland
  • England England
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Camper, Camping, Couple, Culture, Home, Photography, Sightseeing, Work & Travel
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  • 201footprints
  • 329days
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  • New beginnings!

    October 4, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    On the flight back from Nairobi on September 7th, I started looking for work to earn the money for our next big trip starting in June 2024. Our intention was to stay at home and work locally. We were quite looking forward to a winter spent walking on the beach, visiting the cinema around the corner, and watching the sand racing. However, best-laid plans and all that …

    During a whistlestop tour of the UK catching up with friends and family in Surrey, Cornwall, Devon, and Lincoln, we had no joy from the job applications we put in for positions in Mablethorpe. We needed a rethink. So, we started looking for winter work on a campsite. It wasn’t ideal as most winter seasons end in March which would leave us with a two- or three-month gap before our trip. However, I saw a job advertised in Whitby and put an application in. We got a positive response straight away from Chris, the owner, asking us to have a phone interview. Ahead of the phone call, I did some research on his site, York House Caravan Park. As I was reading, something was ringing a bell. I had a thought that our friends, Imelda and Phil, who we worked with briefly in the South of France for Venue, had some connection with York House. So, I messaged Imelda and it turned out that they still work there! The job we had applied for was to replace them when they went off on their winter travels!! What a coincidence!!

    After that, things moved quickly. Imelda and Phil sang our praises to Chris. By the time we had our interview with him, it was a done deal and he offered us the job on the spot. The position had been advertised to end at the end of March. When we told him we were available until the end of May, Chris said he was happy for us to stay on until then. Perfect!! We had a start date of October 6th with an invitation to arrive a couple of days earlier to get set up. Imelda and Phil weren't leaving until October 31st, so we would have a good handover period.

    So, after an unexpectedly short stay at home, we were heading for Whitby in Bertha! It’s a place I have visited several times, mainly during my childhood. Mark has been once before. We went with my Mum and Dad a few years ago. It’s a lovely seaside town with a long and interesting history. We were looking forward to exploring more of the place.

    We had our big awning with us as we would be staying in Bertha for a few weeks before moving into the apartment that goes with the job.

    The photos attached to this footprint are of our setup and York House Caravan Park. The site has 81 privately owned static caravans, around 40 hardstanding touring pitches, many grass camping pitches, 8 camping pods, and a bar and restaurant. There is also a six-room hotel. All of the hotel rooms are let out to contractors for the next couple of years.
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  • An eventful first working day!

    October 6, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today was our first working day. It’s been lovely catching up with Imelda and Phil. They know the way we work and the systems here are very similar to those at Naburn Lock, so little training is needed. The transition is sure to be smooth. We are working together today and tomorrow. After that, we settle in to a three-day on, three-day off pattern until they leave at the end of the month. This is also how we will work it when they come back on March 1st. It seems like the perfect arrangement. We will earn enough to pay for our trip and have plenty of time off. It’s a win-win!!

    So, everything was going very well today until things took a sinister turn! Chris, the site owner, went off around the park to try out the new buggy he had just acquired. It was the first time he’d driven it. Phil had tried it out and warned Chris that it felt a bit lightweight and could topple over. Undeterred, Chris set off to the top of the park. Unfortunately, in the car park at the very top of the site, the vehicle overturned and pinned Chris underneath it! Mark and Phil dashed up there to lift the buggy off him. It was clear that he had broken his leg and that he had sustained a head injury. Because it would take too long for an ambulance to arrive by road, the Air Ambulance was scrambled and, after assessing him, Chris was airlifted to hospital in Middlesborough. We had barely met him and now he was away from the site!

    Chris was to be in hospital for the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, the four of us kept the site running.
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  • A bus tour around Whitby

    October 12, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Today was our first day off. Luckily for us, it was a beautiful sunny day! We made the most of it by catching a bus from the village into Whitby. Once there, we hopped on the sightseeing bus which took us on a tour of the town.

    These are some of the photos taken from the top deck.
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  • Visiting Whitby Abbey ruins

    October 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We hopped off the sightseeing bus to visit Whitby Abbey. We are members of English Heritage so it didn't cost us anything to go in.

    This great Benedictine monastery was founded in the late 11th century. It dominated the headland and the town below until 1539 when it was surrendered to Henry VIII's commissioners as part of his 'Dissolution of the Monasteries' programme. Sir Richard Cholmley, aka 'The Black Knight of the North', bought the freehold to the abbey land in 1555. He dismantled the monastic buildings of the abbey for their materials, though the shell of the great church remained standing.Read more

  • St. Mary's Parish Church

    October 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Whilst we were on the headland, we visited St. Mary's church. The views from there down into the town are stunning!

    Whitby's parish church stands on the headland above the town, very close to the Abbey ruins. Built in the early 12th century, nobody knows why it was sited on the headland rather than in the town itself.

    The church has the most extraordinary interior. It is probably unique amongst English churches in that every space is crammed full of 17th- and 18th-century box pews and galleries.
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  • A boat trip out into the North Sea

    October 12, 2023 in England

    We decided to take advantage of the good weather and go on a short boat trip. There are several boats 🚢 that run 20-minute cruises around the harbour and out into the North Sea 🌊. It only costs £5 per person. It's lovely to see the town from a different viewpoint!Read more