What better way to blow away some winter cobwebs than to visit one of our most famous east coast seaside resorts-Scarborough! I have never been to this part of the country before and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is not all seafront amusement arcades, casinos, “Goth” shops and takeaways. Of course, there are still some parts of the town which favour these outlets, but they are mainly centered around the South Bay area, leaving the award-winning North Bay much quieter and Victorian traditional.

We were blessed with gorgeous warm sunshine and pale blue skies that typify early Spring which meant that we could enjoy being outdoors without being dressed up like a Michelin Man and weighted down by umbrellas and waterproofs and we enjoyed this unlikely freedom by taking a relaxed stroll along the cliffs, taking in Scarborough Castle, St Mary’s Church, the working harbour and lifeboat station along the way.

Scarborough Castle has a 2,500 year history and the ruins sit imperiously on the cliffs overlooking both Bays and further beyond. The coastal scenery is amazing and was well worth the effort of climbing copious steps and steep inclines to get there. On the way down from the castle we found that Anne Bronte is buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s and after a quick diversion to view the original tombstone and Anne Bronte memorial stone, we then continued our walk downhill through Paradise until we came to the harbour.

Unfortunately, I was coming down with a nasty cough as the morning progressed and by lunchtime my breathing was severely impaired. So, after a quick coffee stop, back to Sunningdale we went (slowly) where I had a couple of hours sleep before deciding that a visit to Whitby, 16 miles up the caost, would be a nice way to spend the afternoon…….