Whitby Abbey!
Last weekend, my boyfriend decided that he wanted to have a trip to Whitby since I wasn’t working. Since I only live one and a half hours away, I have visited Whitby many times, but since my comes from Skegness, he has only visited it once, and had never been to the Abbey.
So we set out on Saturday morning and the sun was even shining as we made or way over the moors to Whitby! Once we had arrived (and finally found somewhere to park!) we wandered through the old town in the direction of the Abbey.
One stop that I simply had to make on the way was a trip to Bobbins, whose sign claims it to be ‘a knitters paradise’ and it certainly is! Located inside an old hall, the room is crammed full of baskets of luxurious wool. Be prepared for an expensive visit though, they don’t stock any cheap yarns!
I did (or rather my boyfriend) manage to get a bargain however, as they had a clearance basket full of neglected looking balls. After raking around, I managed to find a ball of Rico Designs Essential Cotton DK in a rich plum colour, which was reduced to £2 as the ball was becoming unravelled and was quite dusty. Not to pass up a bargain however, I decided to invest in it and cheer it up with a bit of care, as me and my mum are going to be using this brand of yarn to make this stunning cushion. We chose this yarn because of the fantastic bright colour that are available!
The first ball of yarn towards my cushion! Sadly mine looks slightly more battered than this!
Once my boyfriend had finally managed to drag me out of Bobbins, we began the climb up the 199 steps (no easy feat when it is hot) up to the Abbey!
While buying our tickets, the member of staff mentioned that a play of ‘Dracula’ was due to be performed in 45 minutes, if we were interested in watching it. Of course, being a literary geek, and the fact that I had just finished reading Dracula, I was bubbling with excitement as I eagerly awaited the start of the play.
After wandering around the exhibits and the Abbey grounds a loud bell was rung and a bumbling actor stumbled around asking us to crowd around him. The fact that the play itself was going to be performed with the Abbey as its backdrop got me even more excited, and the actors, were already in character as they tried to assemble the crowd…it was a promising start!
The play itself consisted of three actors (two male and one female) playing all of the main characters in the plot. My local theatre, Hull Truck, often puts on performances like this, so I was eager to see how they achieved this seamlessly in an outdoor setting. What was also unique about the play was the way in which the cast and audience moved around the Abbey and grounds as the play progressed, so that each different setting, took part in a different part of the Abbey, which also offered a wonderful tour at the same time!
Jonathan Harker being seduced by the Count’s bride
The play itself lasted an hour, and was suitable for both adults and children. While the story was adapted slightly to suit the purpose, and comic scenes were added for the benefit of the children, it made a fantastic and enthralling watch, which was only dampened by the fact that it was pretty breezy on the top of the cliff and I got a bit chilly! The actors did a fantastic job of portraying all of the characters in a unique way, and as they stood to take their final bow, I was awaiting the arrival of the other characters, as they were all so unique I had forgotten that there were only three actors!
The play is running every weekend during the summer holidays, at 11.30, 1.30 and 3.30, with an extra three performances on the bank holiday Monday. Although we weren’t expecting to see a play on our trip, it was a wonderful and entertaining surprise, and as it is included in the ticket price, you don’t have anything to lose!
The cast of ‘Dracula’
So my day to Whitby was lovely, the sun was shining, I came home with a ball of yarn and I got to see a fantastic play to top it all off! I do love Whitby 🙂
A final pic of the Abbey!
Handmade by Hannah 
Hannah,
I love all the cool pictures of the scenery and play. I especially love that you are going to make that fun cushion out of some lovely cotton yarn. I can’t wait to see the finished product and I’ll be waiting to see how you find the pattern. I wonder if they sell to the US? Thanks so much for sharing.
Hugs,
Tamara
Thank you 🙂 They should do, it is a digital download from Germany and I didn’t have any problems, I just paid through paypal. You just select the ‘englisches Ebook’ option to download the English version as a pdf file 🙂
Great, thanks for letting me know. Now I have to get online and pay with paypal. Hugs, Tamara
I hope you enjoy it! The ebook is worth the money because it has all the templates and it shows you how to do the round and flower-shaped cushions! I can’t wait to see how it comes out!
Sounds like a pretty fantastic day. The Dracula play sounds awesome, I’m more than a little jealous!
It was brilliant and the play was an added surprise! It was hilarious!
I’m so jealous! I love Dracula and Whitby has been on my ‘must-visit’ list for ages. The yarn shop sounds lovely too, we found an amazing one down in Bath last week but I was banned from buying since I’d asked for so much for my birthday (not a mistake I’ll make again!)
Glad you enjoyed it and you’ve inspired me to bump Whitby up the list (we’re hoping to visit later in the year)
x
Ooh you should definitely go! It is lovely 🙂
Living just the other side of the moors from Whitby it is one of my favourite places to visit. Bobbins is fabulous- I can endorse that recommendation. Next time also visit the church next to the Abbey- well worth a visit for its interior. I won’t say why cos it will spoil the surprise. PS the tearoom at the Abbey is nice too!
Ooh someone else that lives nearby! Bobbins is brilliant! strangely enough, even though I have visited Whitby hundreds of times, I have never been in the church! I must remember that for the next visit! Oooh I will definitely have to try the tea room!