Busking

It is S's birthday today but my special plans for it were abandoned due to our unscheduled trip to the UK. When we woke this morning, it was pouring with rain -- a bit of a contrast to yesterday. But we went to Whitby anyway. A good decision since it wasn't actually raining there, though it was cool and overcast.

The weather meant there weren't many people about, so we didn't have to queue for lunch at the Magpie. In fact despite the claim on their website that there's "a queue outside in all weathers and seasons", there wasn't a queue at all, and plenty of empty tables. S and his mum had excellent fish and chips, and since we've had the opportunity to eat fish and chips twice recently, I had mussels (and some of their chips) -- so I felt justified in topping up with a delicious rhubarb and ginger Eton mess. I'll definitely try that at home.

Afterwards, we went for an amble around Whitby, including a visit to the Magpie kitchen shop where I just had to buy something (a nice stainless steel bench scraper). I took quite a few photos but the conditions really weren't good. The main reason I chose this photo was because it marks one of the very rare occasions that I actually ask a stranger if I can take their photo! But I then snatched it very quickly when I saw the child run up, so it's not very sharp.

Alternatives: a classic view of Whitby. And a typical local resident.