Welcome to 'Kelly's Guide'...
A sort of Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island", from a lovely Goathland Guest House instead!
Here you'll find local information, news from the house, short tales and observations and anything else which springs to mind as I type.
Well, February 2012 heralded the first snow of winter 2011/12 and has dusted the area a pretty healthy covering! Though as I type, it appears the thaw is kicking in as temperature creep back into positive figures and our hydrangeas and the lilac tree on the driveway have started to bud, with new shoots popping up daily. Roll on Spring!
And to mum’s delight – as it means better weather and lighter nights are starting to feel a little bit closer – yesterday we heard the first steam trains of February half-terms. The occasional horn and the sight of steam rising over the moors over the first school holidays of the year, is a sure sign that the railway’s main timetable will soon be up and running – from 24th March this year! February half-term… that means that you have just 17 days left to sneak in a ‘Winter Warmer’ break with us - the link from the homepage will show you sample menus and the tariff.
Goodness, 17 days until March – when did that happen? Perhaps the days have slipped by unnoticed whilst we’ve been busy installing new en-suites in Rooms 1, 8 and 9? Or whilst Rooms 2 and 4 (our lovely superior rooms) were getting themselves equally lovely new double-glazed windows? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps!
Though our hard work continues to pay dividends, as our efforts were, (somewhat wonderfully), recognised with a very unexpected ‘Traveller’s Choice’ Award from Trip Advisor. And in the words of Trip Advisor, “… Traveller’s Choice Award is the highest honour a hotel can receive from the Trip Advisor community. It’s based on the reviews and opinions of millions of travellers, and is awarded only to a very select and distinguished group of hotels.” So we’d like to say thank you very much to those who have stayed with us and then reviewed your stay on the site. Long may it continue!
Local best-kept-secrets
You might like to know, for example, that if you've had a leisurely Saturday hopping on and off the NYM Steam Railway, eaten an ice-cream or two and whiled away an hour watching the sheep nibble their way up The Common, that you won't need to drive down to Whitby to enjoy fish and chips... you can sit on picnic benches in the village and enjoy your supper courtesy of the "Funky Fryer" who visits Goathland on Saturday evenings.
Ever heard about the little pub you just have to visit in Beck Hole? Just a mile from Goathland by car and little less to walk down the Rail Trail... The Birch Hall is one of the best and smallest pubs in Britain, complete with sweet shop and beer garden. Enjoy a 'Beck Hole Butty' and a pint of 'Beck Watter'! Our little dog, Bailey, does so every visit!
Sandsend... glorious beaches, good coffee and cake at both 'Sandside' and 'Wit's End', art gallery, pub, a 'foodies' shop and just a couple of miles north of Whitby town centre. Perfect. But don't tell anyone else about it!
For fish and chips, 'The Magpie' is rightly famous. Cue the queues! Alternatively head over the swing bridge into the old town and keep to the right... you'll find Hadley's. It's good. And Fortune's own-smoked kippers (find them on Henrietta Street), can even be posted home for you.
For a walk from our doorstep, follow the Rail Trail down to Grosmont - head to the Geill's Art Cafe for coffee and cake to set you up for the walk back. Or cheat and catch the train back to Goathland Station.
What's happening now?
What else? Well, as we scoot around the area walking the dogs and riding the horse, we’re noticing that the abundance of sheep for which Goathland is renowned, are looking more than a little rotund! Another sure sign that Spring can’t be far away is the imminent arrival of thousands of lambs… a time of year in the area when we find our guests spend much longer over breakfast - watching playful lambs on The Common from the dining room window and forget that there’s such a thing as TV as the new additions provide far more entertainment, causing all manner of mischief!
Hopefully, that’s whet your appetite. If you’d like to see off the winter in style and like a quick reminder that spring is on its way, come and join us. There are wonderful views, glorious walks, empty beaches and miles of un-chartered heather moors right outside the front door and within a few miles in each direction. Inside, there are 15-tog quilts, an open fire, a well-stocked bar, a kettle that’s rarely off the boil and more books, films and cds than you could shake a stick at. I can think of few things better than a few days away doing nothing more taxing than planning the next walk, via which pub and tea room and working up a healthy appetite for dinner after a hearty breakfast. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Kelly.
