Latest news with #Whitby
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'Rock Showman' uncovers sandstone stegosaur near Whitby
A geology tour guide has discovered a fossilised dinosaur footprint believed to be 170m years old along the coast near Cousins, aka the "Rock Showman", was taking a school trip on an educational fossil walk at Saltwick Bay when he noticed the imprint in a sandstone said: "The kids were all very excited. It was great to have this find shared with others, and to have it as such an authentic learning experience."The fossil, believed to be a stegosaur footprint, is now on display at nearby Whitby Holiday Park's Jet Bistro and is free for the public to visit. The fossil was located next to one of the regular footprints Mr Cousins visits with his tour groups, but had previously been buried out of sight under the verify his discovery, Mr Cousins contacted his friend, the palaeontologist Dr Liam Herringshaw, who used an app to take a 3D scan of the Herringshaw explained: "Middle Jurassic footprint-bearing sandstones are found in rocks across the North York Moors and along the tops of many of the cliffs along the North Yorkshire coast."The thing that I think surprises people is that they're really quite common - in the world they're not but in Yorkshire we've got rocks that are just the right age, just the right type and they happen to pop out on the beaches of Whitby, Scarborough - quite a few places up and down the coast." Explaining how these fossils continued to appear, he said: "Almost all the dinosaur footprints we find on the Yorkshire coast come from sandstones that were formed in the middle of the Jurassic period."In the last few million years, the pressure of Africa and Europe colliding and building mountains like the Alps and Pyrenees, that stress has caused tectonic forces to push our crust back up again."Although still awaiting official confirmation, Mr Cousins believes the footprint came from the back foot of a stegosaur, dating back around 170m years."It's always really special when I find something like this along the coast, particularly when it's clear enough to be able to say 'I'm pretty sure this is that'," he said."With dinosaur footprints it's most likely you're not going to be able to say it's this creature or that creature, it's a front leg or back leg but then you'll get some prints which are just a textbook case."Mr Cousins and Dr Herringshaw work together at Earth Science Outreach UK, a charity they jointly founded with the aim of engaging the public with local geology and palaeontology events and men are passionate that any finds are accessible to the public, to further knowledge and understanding of the prehistoric his background in both geology and the performing arts, Mr Cousins can often be seen performing as 'Mr Rock Showman' at science fairs, museums and festivals, as well as leading educational walking tours to spot fossils along the beaches of North Yorkshire."To me, all of the North Yorkshire stretch of coast is an outdoor museum," Mr Cousins added."One of the pleasures of my life is that I get to take people out to this coastline, and help them understand what they're looking for." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Outrage in popular UK seaside town over plans to transform historic former ironmongers into Viking-themed bar
One of Britain's most charming coastal towns is under siege from throngs of stag and hen parties - amid plans to transform a historic ironmongers into a Viking-themed rock bar. The cobbled charm of Whitby's Grape Lane, once steeped in seafaring history, is now the site of a brewing battle between tourists and townsfolk over the Norse-inspired drinking den. A Grade-II listed 19th-century former ironmongers is set to be transformed into the latest outpost of Valhalla Ltd, whose themed ale bar in York boasts of 'mead aplenty' and 'rock 'n metal music day and night'. Locals set to live in its shadow - across an 600-year-old thoroughfare just 12 feet wide - say they fear an invasion, not of longboats but of marauding visitors. Gillian Blessed and her husband Keith, both 72, have lived opposite the proposed bar for 25 years and fear noise from the planned rock den could force them to sell-up. She said: 'I just hope we don't have to move. I worry that the noise will force us out of our home. I know other people are already thinking of selling up because they can't face what is coming. They don't want to live next to a themed bar. 'I've got nothing against people making a living but they got to be considerate of us. From my door to theirs is only 12 feet. I don't want to have stag and hen parties rolling out onto the street. 'People are going to come out smoking and it'll go through my door and up into our flat, and I have asthma. 'My husband is not well and he's in bed by 9pm. If he doesn't get his rest, then he's going to be worse. 'Our house was built in 1640 - it's not built to repel noise. We have single-glazed windows, so the noise from the bar will bounce straight in. 'It's just not something Whitby needs, is it? There's not a shortage of places to go for a drink.' The controversial scheme includes a themed pub on the ground floor. The first and second floors will become three one-bedroom flats and a two-bedroom holiday accommodation will be on the third floor. In objections to the planning application, residents warned of worsening noise, antisocial behaviour, and 'inappropriate use on a narrow street'. Richard Peake, 50, who will look across at the bar's smoking shelter from his rear patio, also denounced the project. He said: 'Our outside space will be shared with their smoking area, which is not ideal. 'I just don't understand why the council feels there is a need for another bar or pub in Whitby. We've already got more than 40. 'Around the corner, there's The Quirky Den. Over the road is The Endeavour. There's not a shortage of places to go if you want to. 'We may not be invaded by Vikings, but we'll be invaded by stag parties basically. 'People come here for a boozy weekend and then they're out of here. It's just another bar to add to their list.' Mark Gregg, 63, stormed: 'How many pubs do we need in Whitby? It's just ridiculous. We've gone from being a wonderful family holiday destination to somewhere where people go because they can't afford a booze cruise. 'It's a terrible place to open a themed bar. You'll have stag and hen parties pouring onto the street, while people are trying to sleep. 'How would you even get a fire engine down here?' David Wharton, 80, said the coastal town's transformation into a mecca for day drinkers had gone too far, and warned Whitby was at risk of 'turning into Benidorm'. He told how just two of 17 cottages on his road are occupied by residents full-time. Mr Wharton said: 'It's turning into a real problem. It can be the middle of the day and you'll see drunks staggering across the street, people waving inflatable penises among the crowds. 'Many people who live here have frankly had enough. We don't want that kind of tourism. 'We want the families and their buckets and spades, coming for fish and chips, but I'm fed up of seeing middle-aged men lying unconscious in the road. 'At quarter past five on Sunday afternoon, I look out from my yard and there was a man standing there, urinating all over his trousers and all over the yard. 'It's becoming a familiar sight and it's just so unfair on the people who live here. 'They are being persecuted.' Whitby - where Bram Stoker found inspiration for his horror novel Dracula - has been flooded by second home owners and holiday lets, with one in three properties now having no permanent residents. The frustration is so great that North Yorkshire Council has doubled council tax for second home owners. Despite the protestations from locals over the lack of housing for residents, councillors also this month approved plans to carve up a former five-star hotel into a dozen more holiday flats. The Langley Hotel, a six-storey Victorian landmark, will now be converted into 12 self-contained flats aimed squarely at short-term visitors. Martin Evans, 66, who has lived in Whitby for 10 years, said the town's charm as a bucket-and-spade resort had changed irreparably. He said: 'The number of pubs and bars, and holiday lets, has rather become part of its identity. I think that boat has already sailed. 'It's got noisier here and the tourist season is much longer than it used to be. Now there might only be a month or so where it gets quieter. 'I just do not think this is the right place to open a themed bar. 'There are plenty of empty properties that could be converted in on the high street.' The council approved planning permission for the themed craft ale pub, with permitted opening hours of 11am to 11pm from Sunday to Friday, and 11am to 11.30pm on Saturdays. Vincent Roberts and Matthew Beddingham, co-owners and founders of Valhalla York, recently said: 'Valhalla York has been a real success story and we always dreamed of one day having another venue. 'We love the town, its people, its history and feel of the place and it'll be a very similar recipe to what makes Valhalla York tick but not quite the same.' They added: 'We've got a concept. It's a historical concept as opposed to a historical theme. We don't imagine many people will quite see it coming. 'But if you like what makes Valhalla tick – good craft beer, a friendly place with an alternative vibe, rock and metal music, then you'll love what we're going to deliver in Whitby.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
From fab-factor flip-flops to new-wave boat shoes – shop summer's hottest new shoes, from £14
Just a whiff of their plastic takes me back to childhood holidays on Yorkshire's Whitby beach. But now, thanks to the Olsen twins' hit New York brand The Row, which sent jelly shoes down its runway, this novelty footwear has been pegged as cool. Unlike the budget fisherman styles we wore as kids, The Row's iteration will set you back £860 – luckily, the high street got the memo.
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Guyana: All-party delegation led by Shashi Tharoor interacts with business community
Georgetown [Guyana], May 27 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor interacted with prominent members of the business community in Guyana. Earlier in the day, the all-party delegation had met the President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on Monday (local time). The Indian delegation met the President of Guyana at the State House in Georgetown. They also met the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir. Describing his meeting with the Speaker of Guyana's National Assembly, Tharoor told ANI, 'It was terrific. We had a very good visit to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Manzoor showed a great deal of understanding for our position and our concerns. And, each MP had a chance to contribute to the appreciation of the was very effective and we all complemented each other in conveying the concerns and determination of the Indian nation to the speaker of the Assembly.' During their visit to the National Assembly, the all-party delegation also participated in the signing of the book of National Assembly of the Parliament in Guyana. All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and the bronze replica of the Whitby ship in Guyana. The all-party delegation paid floral tributes to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Promenade Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana. The Indian delegation also offered floral tributes at the base of the bronze replica of the Whitby Ship. The Whitby Ship was the ship that brought the first Indians to Guyana in 1838. In a diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, the Modi government has formed seven multi-party delegations to inform nations about Pakistan's links to terrorism and India's strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pak-sponsored terrorists, in which 26 people were brutally killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Guyana: All-party delegation led by Shashi Tharoor pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Whitby Ship
Georgetown [Guyana], May 27 (ANI): All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and the bronze replica of the Whitby ship in Guyana. The all-party delegation paid floral tributes to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Promenade Gardens in Georgetown, Guyana. The Indian delegation also offered floral tributes to the bronze replica of the Whitby Ship, a historic ship that brought the first Indians to Guyana in 1838. Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Shashank Mani paid his respects to the people who first came to settle in Guyana, praising their role in the country's development. Mani highlighted the success of Operation Sindoor, saying, 'The message of our Operation Sindoor has been conveyed very successfully along with the message of friendship.' Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, 'The MP's delegation was very proud to come here to this historic monument. It's a monument of a ship, called the Whitby, in 1838, the ship that brought the first load of Indian indentured servants'. He added that the vast majority of the people were from UP and Bihar, and their descendants have managed to keep a cultural affinity with India. Tharoor stated that the delegation's primary objective was to raise awareness about India's stance on terrorism and recent events in the subcontinent, at the same time the mission is an opportunity to strengthen India-Guyana relations where 40% of the population is of Indian descent. Tharoor said, 'So as we have come here to raise consciousness and promote understanding about our position on the issue of terrorism and the recent events in the subcontinent. At the same time, the mission has acquired a broader resonance. It has also become a mission of friendship, of strengthening relations with Guyana, where 40 per cent of the population is of Indian descent. And at the same time, at a time when Guyana is booming with oil and gas reserves and a lot of economic growth and development, 30 per cent economic growth today, that is a country that also offers a lot of opportunities which India, Indian businesses, Indian students, and Indian labour should seize. So we see this as an exciting and important time in India-Guyana relations as well.' Describing his meeting with the Speaker of Guyana's National Assembly, Tharoor told ANI, 'It was terrific. We had a very good visit to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Manzoor showed a great deal of understanding for our position and our concerns. And, each MP had a chance to contribute to the appreciation of the was very effective and we all complemented each other in conveying the concerns and determination of the Indian nation to the speaker of the Assembly.' In a diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, the Modi government has formed seven multi-party delegations to inform nations about Pakistan's links to terrorism and India's strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pak-sponsored terrorists, in which 26 people were brutally killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
