May 20
Whitby Goth Weekend April 09 - Photos
No Comments »Forgot I hadn’t already posted these!
Apr 28
Whitby April 09
No Comments »In October last year, I dipped my toe into the Whitby Goth Weekend waters, as it were, just to see what it was all about - I enjoyed what I saw, so decided I would pay for the whole weekend in April (as the weather was bound to be better!) and experience the complete package.
The first difference between November and April, other than the weather, was the B&B. As I booked in plenty of time this time I managed to get a room in a B&B actually in Whitby to save the driving backwards and forwards that we had to do in November. As it turned out the one I picked was in a pretty good location and I left the car parked all weekend. It also meant we had a base in the town to return to whenever we wanted.
We went on Thursday afternoon so that we could attend the “Whitby Virgins’ Welcome” meeting on Friday morning where I thought we would pick up some info about what was going on. Someone had taken the trouble to produce a map with places of interest, places to eat, and goth friendly pubs marked and we then got the rundown of the do’s and don’ts of the weekends, liberally sprinkled with stories of previous years exploits/experiences of the guy holding the meeting. One thing which has really stuck in my mind, and I’ll also share this on the Plus forum at some point as it has particular relevance there, is the talk about safety of valuables/drinks during the evenings. In Plus it is pretty much taken for granted that you can leave your handbags/cameras etc., on your table unattended without any worries, and there is definitely no reason to think that if you leave your drink unattended it will have been spiked by the time you return - Loki (the guy holding the meeting) quite forcibly pointed out the stupidity of doing this in the “real world”, and it made me think how much people in Plus probably undervalue this aspect of their events.
Welcome meeting over, it was time for some window shopping (because I wasn’t actually going to spend much money this year, right?!) in the various locations where the “Bizzarre Bazaar” (excuse the spelling, not sure if that is correct!) was being held. There are always a wide variety of stalls selling clothes (including some amazing corsets….drool….!!), jewellery, hairpieces, CDs, etc..
By mid-afternoon we had just about worked off the good sized breakfast provided by the B&B, and by recommendation found what must be the best fish restaurant in Whitby and had the most amazing fish and chips, made up of a selection of four types of fish in batter - I’ve never thought of trying salmon in batter before, but have now found how good it is! We had been warned that we may have to queue to get a table but were lucky this time - other times during the weekend the queues were out along the pavement in front of the building!
We watched six bands in all over the weekend, three on each of Friday and Saturday nights. I think I can safely say that my enjoyment of goth music is limited….I didn’t hate any of it, but at the same time it didn’t really grab my interest particularly either. I had been wanting to see one of the bands after hearing some recorded tracks by them on a goth networking site, but despite really liking what I had previously heard, the live band itself was a bit of a disappointment. The other band I particularly liked was of a particular genre of goth called “Steam Punk”. Apparently inspired by Jules Verne and the Victorian engineering, particularly the steam era - the outfits are quite unusual, but the band (including a singing belly dancer - or is that a belly dancing singer?) proved to be enjoyable and a pleasant change from what we had been listening to previously.
A walk round Whitby and up to the Abbey on Saturday saw the town absolutely over-run with every type of goth imaginable (there are so many different styles/genres all included under the one umbrella of “goth”), and where there were goths, there were photographers, particularly in the churchyard where apparently earlier in the day there had actually been a goth wedding.
I managed to hold out until Sunday before I actually bought much, which proved a good move as I got at least 10% off the price of what I did buy - including a choker necklace that I have been wanting for some time. Despite the fact I had decided not to spend much, I just didn’t feel like the weekend was complete until I had managed to buy some clothes.
The thing I noticed (and no-one could fail to) is the fact that at this weekend as far as clothes are concerned, “anything goes”. People get the chance to dress as they want to, and be accepted as they are, not feeling they are being judged. The goth community appears to be a very open minded one, and people feel comfortable within it. There were a large number of cross-dressers, people with multiple piercings and tattoos, and clothes that may have been classed as outrageous in “normal” society. There is no one goth “look” as such, but still a sort of dress code. Stephen did say he was a little disconcerted when he went into the toilets but had trouble getting to the sinks because of the number of people using the mirrors for applying make-up - and yes, he did go to the gents loos!
So, general conclusion? Well the music may not be entirely for me, but the general atmostphere I enjoyed. I may not spend the money to attend the main events next time, the fringe events are probably enough for me in any case, but the B&B is already booked for November and I have started a clothes buying fund…..
Photos to follow as soon as I get around to choosing the best ones out of the many we took, and putting them on Flickr!
One last observation…….Whitby is a town full of steps - I’ve never seen so many in one town! I’m sure I’d be a lot fitter if I lived there, but would also eat a lot more fish and chips than I do now!
Related Post
Nov 10
To Whitby and beyond
No Comments »A very cold and windy Whitby was awaiting us when we arrived on Friday evening. I couldn’t take the day off work, but did manage to get all my stuff done and be able to leave a couple of hours early, so once we’d booked into the B&B, got changed, and driven the 20 miles or so to Whitby, it was nearly 9pm and the first act of the evening was almost over.
The evenings entertainment for us was at “The Met”, one of the “fringe” events of WGW. The first act, from what we saw, had quite a bluesy feel to the music and sounded pretty good. They were followed by a group called The Savages who turned out to be quite unusual. The rock and roll music, with a bit of a goth theme…..”murder in the graveyard…” was very easy to dance to, and the floor show at times quite spectacular with illusions, gunshots, fire, a guillotine and a huge helping of blood! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it!
Saturday, for me, was shopping day - hoping to pick up some ideas if not actual items of clothing. There were several indoor markets, in The Met, the Spa, the Leisure Centre and a couple of other places. There were corsets, coats, top hats, all sorts of things to look at, and after some deliberation, I came away having parted with more money than I am used to with an amazing new full length leather coat and a hand made crystal headband.
I spent most of Saturday in my platform boots (the lower ones), but following a walk down to Whitby town itself (the Spa and The Met are both up on West Cliff) and back, managed to develop sore feet and even a blister - think those boots have a way to go before they are properly worn in!
One thing I really noticed about Whitby this weekend was that the predominant style of “goth” fashion seemed to be Victoriana, corsets and bustles everywhere! Lovely to look at, probably quite difficult to wear and negotiate the steep steps and lanes of Whitby, probably very expensive to buy too. The prices of the clothing at the event were generally quite high, but when you appreciate that a lot of the clothing is hand made, you understand why. We even saw one stall where the stallholder handmade every one of her corsets, and was actually busy sewing one as we browsed - they sell at around £200 or more and are made to your specifications.
Saturday evening I had booked tickets for a Burlesque evening. We arrived in plenty of time, and spent quite a lot of time waiting before the show started. What I thought was the headlining act (Miss Sakura Tsui) was actually the first one, which surprised me, followed by a couple of other acts, one of which (Hells Belle and the Velvet Burlesque) actually performed three routines, extremely well I thought. Miss Tsui did one more just before the end of the evening involving balloons full of glitter and feathers which she gradually popped during the act……you can guess the rest! All in all, I thought Miss Tsui was excellent, but her routines were very short. There were very long gaps between each act, with no initial explanation, but following some hecking from members of the audience we were informed that some of the nights acts had pulled out and The Velvet Burlesque had actually agred to perform at very short notice. Had they explained this at the start, there may have been much less hecking, and I, for one, would have been more inclined to stay later at the end when they put on some music for people to dance to.
Sunday saw us attempting a walk down to Whitby town once more, mainly in search of a fish and chips lunch before setting off home, but not before spending most of the morning taking shelter in the Met and the Spa from the coldest, most horizontal rain, you have ever seen! We did eventually make it down to the town by car, had a good look around (yep - more goth clothes shops!) and had a very late lunch/early tea in a cafe, followed up with a couple of huge pieces of Tiffin, which we ate in the car whilst driving home.
Quote of the weekend…..overhead from a goth….”I don’t get this mask thing?”
Photos? ok, yes I did take a few…..
Related Post
Oct 26
Whitby
No Comments »I have toyed with dressing in a goth style for a while - in fact when I was at college I never wore anything that wasn’t black, but dismissed that as a phase I was going through….it seems the phase is coming back again! There is just something about this area of “fashion” that really appeals to be once again, particularly when you look at the number of different styles that get grouped together as the label “Goth”.
Last year I bought my first corset, granted it wasn’t a hugely expensive specially fitted piece of clothing like the ones you can get in London, but it was a properly boned, lace-up job, and did wonders for my waist, and posture! Since then I’ve been experimenting with different looks, the “rock chick” style, the “glam” style, etc, and find I like the individuality it gives me, and the confidence.
I’ve just booked up to spend next weekend in Whitby at the Whitby Goth Weekend. While I am still undecided about the music, I am keeping an open mind as I know that the music style is as varied as the fashion. I’ve booked tickets to a Burlesque evening during the weekend. A while ago I watched a programme on burlesque on the TV and was so impressed by the glamourous style and confidence of the ladies performing, I was a little envious of them. The dress code for the evening is quite wide but decidedly glam too and after a little thought I’ve decided to try for a 50’s style. I already have a 50’s style dress with a pencil skirt and sweetheart neckline - with a wide belt I think it looks reasonably authentic - and have been researching hair, make-up and jewellery online. I’m now a bit nervous as I know that there are probably people going who take this thing very seriously and I worry that I will be looked down on for being a poor copy, but its the best I can do at short notice and little budget.
All in all, I am quite excited about attending an event that is different to anything else I would normally get involved with, and to see how other people dress and get ideas. I’m not intending to totally embrace a goth outlook and style in my daily life (its going to be odd wearing make-up during the day over the weekend!), but something I am keen to learn more about.