Day: 224 27/5/00 Easington to Tunstall

Weather:  Windy & cool

Distance:  15.5 km (9.6 miles)    Total Distance:   2893 miles

This was the start of a 4-day family holiday in Scarborough Youth Hostel.  Unfortunately, I had not progressed quite as far up the coast as I thought I would so the four days was spent walking the coastline south of Scarborough,  all rather flat and not too interesting for Margaret. 

We drove through Hull and had our picnic lunch overlooking the sea at Easington where I was to start walking. It was pretty blustery there.  I asked a man if I has access along the beach past the gas terminal and he said it was OK.  Margaret and the boys then went off the Spurn Head and had a great time on the dunes at the tip of the headland. 

The weather improved slowly and as the wind was from the south-west I was sheltered on the beach.  The cliffs were low and pretty muddy.  The weather had been wet and there was water pouring straight off the fields and over the cliffs.  One river I passed was in full torrent and I had trouble getting over it.  For the final third of the walk I walked on the cliff top by which time the wind had died down. 

All weekend I was to see evidence that recent cliff falls were claiming more of the land and houses had been abandoned.

At Withernsea there was a crowd of people on the beach gathered around what I think were two porpoises.  They were black and had three tail fins.  I think they were too small to be whales.  One of them had beached itself and people were trying to keep it moist and cool by wrapping it in damp towels.  The other was still in the water and two people in the water were trying to stop it also beaching itself.  I guess the idea was to wait for the next high tide and refloat them. 

I got to Tunstall where I was to meet Margaret and had to hide in the gents public convenience whilst a heavy shower passed overhead.  I was just sitting down to a box of Pringles when Margaret and the boys arrived.

We drove to the Youth Hostel and were pleased to find we had a modern en-suite room and a kitchen to ourselves the first night.  It was good fun.  After tea we went for a walk along the river bank.