Descending to Boulby

Cancelled holidays and disappointment at not seeing our family in the US have been hanging over us for weeks, so we took the decision to have a weekend away.  Today we drove to Staithes on the east coast and had a circular walk from the village through Dalehouse plantation  to Twizziegill Farm (love that name!) and then uphill through fields to the top of Boulby Cliff where, apparently, we were the highest people on the East Coast for the short while we were there.  The sky had been pretty watery on the outward leg, but as we descended on the cliff path it turned blue and, on reaching Staithes, we had lovely late afternoon light.  The cliff path invoked two thoughts:  Friend Helen and I would have walked along here on our planned holiday walking the Cleveland Way, which had to be cancelled two years ago when Tony had his cancer diagnosis.  We were going to rebook it but then other stuff and now Covid got in the way.  We will do it Helen!  

My other thought was a very old memory.  Before we had children, our orienteering club staged the Cleveland Way Relay with a number of club members running stages of different lengths.  Tony began his leg inland and ran to the delightfully named Skinningrove, further up the coast, where I took over the baton and climbed up to the top of the cliff before running this path to Staithes where I handed over to the next team member.  Great fun!

Back in Staithes, we explored the narrow, steep streets of the fishing village before returning to the car.  I rang the fish and chip shop and booked a takeaway when they re-opened at four o'clock and Tony went to a small café to pick up hot drinks, then we retired to the car to enjoy what were delicious fish and chips.  It's probably a sad reflection on the state of holiday villages that both the café and fish and chip shop are up for sale.  

We are now cosily settled in our converted hayloft in Glaisdale.  We were due to stay here for BnB at Easter when our international orienteering festival was planned on the North Yorkshire Moors but that went the way of all other such events and we had to cancel.  When we decided to come away, I rang to see if they had self catering accommodation and yes, so here we are.

Time to run the bath methinks!