The 60s saw a big surge in Folk music and a group of us decided to start a Folk Club in Whitby. We secured an upstairs room at the Plough Inn every Wednesday evening and it wasn't long before we had quite a large membership.
There were about 10 of us who were resident singers and 6 of us formed a group. We were 2 housewives (me and another) a teacher, the manager of Hepworth's Tailors and 2 RAF officers and we called ourselves The Ploughshares. We used to go to the Seamen's Mission (a bit like a Youth Club) to rehearse on a Monday. One of the RAF men, Will, and I also formed a duo where I sang and he played guitar. We used to give concerts around the place.
At the same time as this I also joined the Operatic Society. I had a decent mezzo-soprano voice in those days and played 2nd principal in several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. I sang as a choir with them too, again doing the odd concert.
I had always been interested in theatre and after a couple of years I joined a group of players at the Spa Theatre (now, I believe, called the Pavillion). We put on several plays each season and a pantomime in January. I was Prince Charming in Red Riding Hood and, the next year, Aladdin.
Colin, meanwhile, was playing rugby (union) with Whitby's 2nd 15. He tried playing cricket in the Summer but he wasn't the world's best and ended up being the scorer.
Whitby has a regatta every August and teams of rowers compete, rowing on the sea. There were 2 rowing clubs, Fishermen's and Friendship, and one year I was asked by some of the women from the Patch if I'd like to join them in a team rowing for Fishermen's Ladies. I agreed and every week we used to go down to the boathouse on the harbour and take our boat out, down to the harbour-mouth and out on the sea as far as Upgang beach and back. My son was over 40 before he told me that, on the occasions he came to the harbour to watch us rowing, he used to burst into tears as soon as we were out of sight. All those years and I never knew I had traumatised my children.
They were 4 oar boats and I was always no.1, in other words - at the sharp end. When we got back to the steeply shelving little beach in the harbour it was my job to jump out first and grab the boat to stop it shooting up the beach. Oh, the number of times I jumped out a fraction of a second too soon - and disappeared under the water.
That was in a blissfully warm Summer. Winters in Whitby could be very, very harsh.....
There were about 10 of us who were resident singers and 6 of us formed a group. We were 2 housewives (me and another) a teacher, the manager of Hepworth's Tailors and 2 RAF officers and we called ourselves The Ploughshares. We used to go to the Seamen's Mission (a bit like a Youth Club) to rehearse on a Monday. One of the RAF men, Will, and I also formed a duo where I sang and he played guitar. We used to give concerts around the place.
At the same time as this I also joined the Operatic Society. I had a decent mezzo-soprano voice in those days and played 2nd principal in several Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. I sang as a choir with them too, again doing the odd concert.
I had always been interested in theatre and after a couple of years I joined a group of players at the Spa Theatre (now, I believe, called the Pavillion). We put on several plays each season and a pantomime in January. I was Prince Charming in Red Riding Hood and, the next year, Aladdin.
Colin, meanwhile, was playing rugby (union) with Whitby's 2nd 15. He tried playing cricket in the Summer but he wasn't the world's best and ended up being the scorer.
Whitby has a regatta every August and teams of rowers compete, rowing on the sea. There were 2 rowing clubs, Fishermen's and Friendship, and one year I was asked by some of the women from the Patch if I'd like to join them in a team rowing for Fishermen's Ladies. I agreed and every week we used to go down to the boathouse on the harbour and take our boat out, down to the harbour-mouth and out on the sea as far as Upgang beach and back. My son was over 40 before he told me that, on the occasions he came to the harbour to watch us rowing, he used to burst into tears as soon as we were out of sight. All those years and I never knew I had traumatised my children.
They were 4 oar boats and I was always no.1, in other words - at the sharp end. When we got back to the steeply shelving little beach in the harbour it was my job to jump out first and grab the boat to stop it shooting up the beach. Oh, the number of times I jumped out a fraction of a second too soon - and disappeared under the water.
That was in a blissfully warm Summer. Winters in Whitby could be very, very harsh.....