Fish and Ships: 'It's one of the best events because it's Whitby's culture' says tourism boss

Dogwood Productions' The Saved - a play about Mary Roberts, who survived the sinking of the Titanic and the Rohilla (off Whitby).

Whitby’s Fish and Ships Festival reeled in the visitors who made the most of two days of warm weather to enjoy everything the event had to offer.

The annual event, which celebrates the town’s maritime heritage, went way beyond being just a food fair for seafood, with people offered the chance to explore boat building, while the sound of folk music and sea shanties filled the air.

The Dock End area was busy with people with the seafood kitchen tents packed to capacity for the various demonstrations taking place, similarly with the fish craft tent and music marquee.

Tours of Parkol proved popular on the Saturday while people also enjoyed being taken for a look round Whitby’s Trent class lifeboat, the George and Mary Webb, with coxswain Howard Fields giving an informative commentary.

A youngster meets a giant lobster on Whitby quayside.
picture: Richard Ponter — A youngster meets a giant lobster on Whitby quayside. picture: Richard Ponter

33 photos from Yorkshire coast weekend events, including Fish and Ships Festival

Three plays were also staged as part of a trilogy – The Sea, The Saved and The Shore – by Whitby’s Dogwood Productions, which is an official theatre partner of the RNLI nationally.

Janet Deacon, North Yorkshire Council’s Head of Tourism and Culture, said: "People were saying they loved it and were wanting dates for next year so they can book accommodation.

"There was a mixture of people who had come specifically for the event – even some from London who’d seen it advertised – and people who had come across it as part of their trip to Whitby on coaches, and all in all, we’ve had really positive feedback.

"It’s one of the best events because it’s Whitby’s culture and the town’s community delivering it.

"Businesses are already planning what they want to do next year.”