Bridlington

1. No real seaside holiday is complete without a ride on a pirate ship - this was its first trip of the day.  2. The toddler wanted to go the other way from the rest of the family.  3. Beach huts and occupants.  4. Ann on the Yorkshire Belle (red coat, fifth from the bow).  5. Boat watchers at the harbour.  6. Bridlington is a major port for lobsters, which are exported all over Europe.

Large and Small

One of Britain's largest birds, the Northern Gannet, and one of the smallest, the Tree Sparrow, which is the size of a hummingbird.  Both species were at RSPB Bempton. 

Sunny Scarborough

From the top:  South Bay from the Esplanade.  Crabbing at the harbour, a very popular kids' game, and there were lots of crabs to be caught with bacon!   The Twister at the fair and a typical gift shop, looking almost Mediterranean in the sunshine.

Scarborough at Night

The Grand Hotel (top) makes a good silhouette.  Scarborough stays alive in the evening, where Bridlington seems to close down.

Bempton's Better Behaved Birds

Despite having only a 200mm lens, some of the birds came close enough for good photos, especially this fulmar.  The gannets rarely came up to the top of the cliff.  The puffins had gone and there was only one kittiwake.

Squabbling Seagulls

This bunch of birds were having a barney about some chips on the sea wall in Bridlington.  I don't know if this woman had left them there, but she disliked the commotion and snatched the bag away.

Scarborough Sunrise, Filey Fret

The view from our Travelodge window of the Grand Hotel opposite and the lighthouse on the harbour wall.  The two gulls on the lamppost were quite quiet!  Off to Filey and its sea mist, called 'fret'.  Bottom picture looks south to Bempton, the one above north to Filey Brigg.

The Reeth Show 3

There was a splendid brass band, but the organisers had clearly not expected so many visitors, who were still arriving at half-past three.  Parking and getting in was slow, stalls ran out of food, there were long queues for the portaloos and the bins could not cope.  

The Reeth Show 2

There's nowt as varied as folk (except their dogs) but I was told that the incidence of babies born complete with flat hats is declining in the Dales.  

The Reeth Show 1

The early mist cleared from Swaledale (you can see the big marquee just right of centre) and traffic jammed the narrow roads.  The 101st Reeth Show was being held on a bank holiday for the first time, it was hot and sunny, and folk came from miles around.

The Living Museum of the North

At Beamish.  With trams and motor coaches and mining gear, plus old buildings reassembled on site.  300 acres.  

Yorkshire Life

Ann on the moors near Reeth (HDR), an eagle owl and a peregrine/merlin hybrid at Bolton Castle and a red grouse strutting his stuff.