Staithes

Ahhhhh the little village of Staithes, so impossibly picturesque! It's hard to believe I was here beside the sea only five days ago, it was the last place we visited before coming home on Friday. Staithes is a true gem of a place on the north east coast of Yorkshire, roughly between Whitby and Saltburn. It's one of those places that kind of tiptoes into your soul and takes root, leaves a lasting impression and a strong desire to return.

On Friday I was trying to recall the last time we were here :: we stayed here a couple of times when the Little People were teenytiny, renting a teenytiny little fisherman's cottage right down by the sea. I remember that it was my Birthday (so October then) and Little Lady was still teenytiny enough to be sleeping in a moses basket and carried around in a sling (so ooo mmm errrrr about 5.5yrs ago then)...and I have so so so wanted to return ever since.

It's a very quiet, quaint and quirky place, similar in many ways to Robins Hood Bay. You can't go rushing around when you visit Staithes, no no, you have to slow right down and take it easy. Park your car at the top of the hill and descend on foot. Take your time, enjoy a little bit of light meandering and pootling and pottering and pondering. Slowly slowly, down we go, down through the higgledy piggeldy jumble of houses and rooftops.

Ahhhhhh these beautiful, charming little houses and rooftops are hugely inspiring and heart-expanding for the likes of me. Aren't they just delightful?? I mean, you do know how very very much I just adore little houses, don't you? So you can imagine me in Staithes can't you, feeling like my heart is about to grow so big and wide with pleasure and happiness that it'll p:o:p. I am soooo delighted with being here that I involuntarily start to skip (yes truly) and luckily I am holding Little Lady's hand at the time so we end up skipping together. Yiippppeeeee, such fun!!

Descending down through the steep narrow street there are little glimpses of the sea here and there, it is indescribably beautiful, especially on such a glorious morning. These pictures were taken at about 9.30am ish so it was still quite early in the day. We peeked down little side streets, oohed and ahhed at the beauty of it all.

This is the main street in Staithes, the High Street. There are only a handful of shops on the High Street and at this early hour it's wonderfully peaceful.

It really is the cutest little place.

We are almost at the bottom of the hill now and to the right is this pretty little side street :: heart-skippy stuff for sure. Down a little bit further, around the corner beside the weatherbeaten old Crab and Lobster pub and there it is....................

..............the sun dappled sea, the dinky little beach, just exactly as I remember it from before. Nothing has changed, all is good. Breathe it all in mmmm-mmmm.

We stroll a little along the seafront and the Little Peeps run down onto the beach below to do what Little Peeps do best next to the sea :: messin around in the sand. Soon be time for Seadrift Cafe to open, it's almost ten o'clock. There are tables and chairs all set out ready on the pavement in front of the cafe and I am dreaming of a large cup of Very Good Coffee with something sweet to the side. My dream does indeed come true, and I get my v.g. coffee and cake with sea views, and enjoy it enormously.

Ahhhhhhhh I've gone all dreamy and seasidey now after writing this post! As you have no doubt gathered we enjoyed an amazing time at the coast last week and it makes me so happy to sit and write about it. Thank you as always for sharing my memories with me, I appreciate your company more than I am able to say xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[christa]

ahh ~ you so love life! ~ you're a joy!

[Jennifer]

We always spend October half term in Yorkshire, where my Mum was born, and our favourite place is Runswick Bay. My Mum and Dad went on their honeymoon there and we have photos thru the generations of us sitting on the wall outside their cottage.

[Anna-Karin, Sweden]

Oh, how beautiful! I just love these small "picturesque" English towns. It's so "not swedish".
Thanks for sharing it with us!!
Love from Anna xxx

[driftwood]

oh just my favourite place on the Yorkshire coast, so so looking forward to our annual visit xxxx

[Jerilynn Lijewski]

It is always a good day when I see a new blog from attic24! Love the pictures and the words...you have a gift!

[MsPremiseConclusion]

These photos are so lovely. Each one looks just like a postcard! That place IS impossibly beautiful - what a fantastic vacation!

[Jane Argall]

Hi Lucy ... thank you for sharing these gentle, dreamy lifescapes from 'over there'. I am in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, S.Africa. I chanced on your blog cos I love crochet, and am soon to start work on your bag pattern.Your colour work, inventiveness and industriousness (and your pootling around) just never fail to inspire!Jane

[Lisa S.]

It's looks like a wonderland over there; keep the pictures coming. Makes our USA look so blah! With your blog, I can pretend that I'm there.

[alisonb2]

We are so lucky to live on a little island that has lots of little places to visit. We take so much for granted. Thank you thank you for sharing too!

[Pati]

Hello Lucy! The town looks lovely. It reminds me of Hastings Old town, with its little streets and cute cottages...
xxx Pati from London

[emma]

Hi
I've just been browsing Etsy and found this reference to Attic24
Take a looky here::
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48439121/crochet-queen-rainbow-colourful-keyring?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=attic24&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=1&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

I think you've become famous Lucy!

[emma]

Hello
I've just been browsing Etsy and found reference to Attic24 ... take a looky here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48439121/crochet-queen-rainbow-colourful-keyring?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=attic24&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=1&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title
I think you have become famous!!

[Tine]

superbes paysages, quelle belle région ! je comprends ton goût des belles couleurs

[Citronyella]

Lucy, the bench in the seventh picture (in front of the cream house with the red door) needs one of your bright stripy or granny pillows! Many of your colors are present in that picture. Its such a lovely place, I so want to visit it one day. thank you for sharing this with us.

[Lisa Ferguson]

Lucy-

What a beautiful place. I can't explain it, but the way you describe your adventures and the things that speak to your soul are also the things that make my heart sing! I am so glad that I found your blog!!!! Thank you for your inspiration!

[Dee Cox]

Your pictures are so beautiful! I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now. After seeing these pictures I really want to visit these places!! Lovely!!

[Sandy]

Oh Lucy dear, you make me want to sell all I have, pack my bags and move to England. What a wonderfully perfect life you live, much to my envy. Live...love...laugh.

[Susan Mills]

I've never been to the UK, never even been out of the US. I have so enjoyed your posts about connievan and your camping experiences with the family. Thank you for giving these glimpses of your life - now I definitely have to visit the UK. It all looks so lovely. And thank you for inspiring me to pick up a crochet hook again!

[Jaymee]

Just wanted to tell you I have included you in Greenkiddie.co.uk's challenge of 3 blogs I love! Hope you don't mind :D xxx

[Rebecca]

I love Staithes so much. Runswick Bay is worth a visit too.

[Rachel]

Oh my god.....I absolutely love Staithes too, I go every year but we used to stay in Robin Hoods Bay but now get a cottage in Sandsend. The cafe in Staithes is fab, a must visit for me every year, the girl in there even knows my name!!!! Every time I look at your blog there is something that we have in common... I was at Runswick Bay last week, in a tent. I would so love to go and live by the sea.....one day perhaps!?!
Thanks Lucy for sharing your Staithes with me xx

[Dawn]

Thank you for sharing this gem.
*sigh*....a place I would not have seen if you hadn't given me this lovely glimpse.

[katja]

oh, I think there is nothing better than coffee cake and sea view.Thank you for this beautiful post!

[Emma Angel]

Ah a little trip down memory lane. I love Staithes, it is so lovely and quaint.
Thanks for sharing.
x

[Rachel D.]

Thank you Lucy for this wonderful post: I can almost hear the seegulls ! ;-)