A Voyage to Yorkshire and the Great Piratical Wedding!

Blackbeard's Tea Party are having a hell of a year - a trip to Spain for the Costa Del Folk festival already under their piratical belts, there's appearances at Cropredy and Glastonbury Festivals in the offing, plus the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo.  On Saturday, however, it was  ... 

... and being band auntie and cousins, off we went to Filey for the weekend.

Up to this point, my experience of the Yorkshire coast had been confined to a day trip travelling from Staithes to Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay to Scarborough about 35 years ago, so I was keen to spend a little more time in this beautiful part of the world.  Arriving on Friday night at our guest house, we dumped our glad rags and went straight onto the beach.

Oh, and it was lovely.

We walked along the beach as far as a World War II pillbox, sat rather incongruously on the sand near Hunmanby Gap. (Apparently, lots of pillboxes have fallen from the cliffs along the east coast of England due to coastal erosion - this one is pretty intact if that's the case here.)

On our return we admired the local birds ... 

... and met up with the final two members of our party.

All present and correct, we could proceed to the wedding at Wold Top Brewery the following day. 

This was never going to be a run-of-the-mill occasion and whilst there were some traditional bits, there were also stilt-walking drummers, the rest of the band all being best men, a toast in the groom's own, specially brewed beer ...

... sword dancing by Black Swan Rapper ... 

... pirate-themed eats ... 

... a galleon wedding cake ... 

... and a first dance that was actually playing the violin with bow and drumsticks.  (Yes, marterteral tears were shed.)

I knew the bride when she used to rock and roll ... (well, not quite)

Congratulations to my favourite nephew and his lovely bride.  I know you'll continue to be astounding together.

Back in Filey, a new day and another walk on the beach, this time in the opposite direction to Filey Brigg.

 

It was exciting to get to the end and see a whole new part of the coast come into view, over to Scarborough. 

It reminded me a bit of Worm's Head at Rhossili on the Gower, only on a smaller scale.

 

  

Yorkshire, as far as beauty goes, you are up there with my beloved West Country, almost.  Hope to be back before long.