Once lovely town of Whitby 'losing sight of its proud heritage'

I have lived here in Whitby for all my 74 years and for the life of me I cannot recall of Whitby ever being quite the rundown place he describes.

I can certainly remember when Whitby was a community and its population shared a common interest, when the regatta was actually about the rowing clubs and each Sunday evening the clergy would bless the fleet.

There was a time when the pubs were used and each pub would have its own darts and dominoes teams, and how the holiday season would end in September and the town would return to normal.

This town is completely lacking in character.

The houses and estates that are being created have houses priced at way above the realistic reach of the local young people who aspire to get on the property ladder and are caught in an employment market where wages are artificially kept at a low level.

If the recent lockdowns showed anything it showed how many of the town’s houses are second homes with owners who are not contributing anything of substance to any community.

My own view is that I wish that someone had told me how this once lovely town with a proud heritage of fishermen and seamen would turn into what is here now, I would have even considered moving to Lancashire (alas too late for me).

Mike Readman

Whitby