Hazel and Chris taste some musical treats in Yorkshire and Lancashire
Words & pictures ❚ Hazel Hutchinson
One of the joys of owning a campervan is the freedom it gives us to be able to attend outdoor gigs and festivals.
Our summer of music began at the Open Air Theatre in Scarborough, where Paul Heaton (formerly of the Beautiful South and Housemartins) was performing. As we wanted to make the most of the opportunity to explore more of this scenic resort, we decided to make a weekend of it. We arrived at the Camping and Caravanning Club site, within walking distance of the theatre, on the Friday evening, when there was ample daylight left for us to walk along the clifftop to the Old Scalby Mills pub. As the sun set, we admired the view of the nearby Sea Life centre and across the North Bay to the castle.
On the Saturday morning, we caught a bus from the stop just outside the campsite to the South Bay. At least we thought that was where it was taking us. When the bus emptied out all its other passengers at the railway station, we realised that it had reached its destination. Still, it was a good excuse to explore more of the resort as we walked through Valley Gardens and down to the sea.
There was plenty of room for bathers, families playing games, and dog walkers on the wide South Bay Beach, which gave panoramic views back towards the town, its harbour and castle. It was sunny but windy and Chris had left his hat in the campervan, so we set off in search of a new one. Next to the hat stall, the historic funicular railway provided an exertion-free ride to the clifftop. Here we found a network of paths weaving through the rose gardens, wildflower meadows and the magnificent Italian gardens, back to the Spa theatre complex.
The beach closer to the town was occupied by the bucket and spade brigade enjoying all the traditional seaside attractions: ice creams, donkey rides and amusements. We walked past the tempting seafood stalls along the harbourside and then met up with friends on board the MV Southern Star. The licensed café on this sailing ship sells beer flavoured with seaweed from the SeaGrown Centre, an offshore farm. Much tastier than it sounds!
It wouldn’t be the seaside without fish and chips, so after a stroll around the old town with its alleyways, cobbled streets and flights of steps, we feasted on fish and chips at the Golden Grid restaurant, before catching the open-top bus back to the North Bay.
By the time we reached the Open-Air Theatre, the support band was
