6 August 2003
Reighton Sands to Filey
Yorkshire Coast
Map:OS Explorer 301 Map of Scarborough, Bridlington & Flamborough Head at 1:25000

Ever since the weekend the weather forecasters have been hyping up the 'heatwave' and the probability of record temperatures to-day, so my neighbour, Jim, and I decided to have a nice day at the seaside. We drove to a rough car park at Reighton Sands, a few kilometres south of Filey at map ref. TA 139763. From there we simply strolled along the beach, paddling in the edge of the sea to Filey about 5km by the beach. It was around high water so the many holiday-makers were squashed on to a narrow strip of beach up against the clay cliffs. It was very hot or at least it would have been too hot but for the lovey breeze blowing in from the south east. It was very pleasant indeed. We got to Filey at about 11.30 and stopped at the first cafe on the promenade for a coffee, then we strolled around the promenade to Cobble Landing, just in time for the lunch time opening of the fish and chip shop. We sat on the slipway wall to eat our fish and chips and very obligingly the inshore lifeboat was towed down the slipway and launched to entertain us. It sped away round Filey Brigg as we finished our last few chips - very tasty they were too. We made our way slowly back along the promenade and had another coffee in a different cafe on the sea front, before setting off back along the receding water's edge. There was a lot more beach now and the pony rides had started from the slipway at the southern end of the promenade. It was so good just paddling along in the edge of the surf. When we reached Hunmanby Moor we climbed up the path to the cafe on stilts for a final coffee before completing our stroll back to the car for about 3.00pm. On the way back we called at Reighton Nurseries - a huge plant nursery on the Hunmanby road out of Reighton village - for a quick look round. As we drove home the heat became quite oppressive and we were smug in the knowledge that we had had a very pleasant day strolling in the surf with a cooling sea breeze.