Fangtastic Trip!! (sorry, cheesy I know, just couldn't resist!)

Friday saw us dissapear north for the weekend.  I decided I wasn't going to take any wire or tools with me, just to prove to myself I could.  As excited as I was to be getting away I was also a little sad to be leaving my tools behind - Is that normal?!  Several hours into the journey we crossed the Humber bridge.

Work began to construct this bridge in 1973 and was completed in 1981 and spans 1,410 metres.  It took 71,000km of wire!! All that wire!!

It didn't take me long to find some local wildlife!!!  All the food scraps went out of the caravan window for the Seagulls and Ducks!

With Halloween fast approaching the birthplace of Bram Stokers 'Dracula' was a must.  We headed to Whitby.  I was still fighting cravings for my pliers and wire!!

Founded by St Hilda in the year 657 this enormous ruin is oozing history.  So much so that you can almost feel it in the air.

Whilst walking around taking in the scenery every now and again we would become surrounded in people in various costumes.  From Traditional Victorian dress to Vampires and slayers to the eccentric who had taken the opportunity to dress up - or wear very little!  It really was quite an eye opener.

After wandering around the Abbey and church we descended the 199 steps. (although my daughter swears blind there were 204!!)  How ever many there were I had a minor attack of the eebie jeebie jelly legs on the way down.  I dislike heights emmensely!

The harbour waited for us below along with lots more fantastically dressed people - and cars....

Unfortunately this picture didn't come out too well but you get the gist!! This is the bonnet of a very ellaborately decorated car.  Further along we had fresh fish and chips. After lunch we turned around to head back up the steps and back to the car before our parking ticket expired.  The cobbled streets on the way back were tiny - only big enough for one car.    My favourite costumes were the traditional Victorian dress.  Surrounded by the 'victorians' on the cobbled Streets with Whitby's Olde Worlde Shops it was sooo easy to lose yourself in another time................  It felt so good you almost wished you were there!

It was around this time I had a relapse, I suddenly realised I was surrounded by Whitby Jet Jewellery shops!!! In I shot like a rabbit in it's burrow!

I didn't have my pliers as I had set myself a challenge but I never said anything about buying!
  The shop I ventured into was called 'Robinson's Jet'.  I chose this one because I could see the mans workshop in the back - Complete with all his tools!!!  There before me were several tubs of Whitby jet.  As I was looking through them trying to find some shapes that I liked he began to talk.  He told me that Whitby jet is infact fossilised wood.  He showed me some of his pieces he was working on, how to polish it, the difference between the hard stuff and the soft - which can crack and crumble at any time!  I'm glad he did or I may have purchased the soft, only for it to break up!!!  After choosing the pieces I would like he dissapeared off and came back with six extra pieces for free for me!!  I haven't had time to photograph it yet but I will.  I have it in various states from raw through to finished

By the time we had climbed the steps on the way back to the car the sun was setting.

It was a really awesome trip and I  hope to return next year for Halloween.

That said it's good to be home....with new 'stones' to work on.....

You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it. - Albert Einstein