LOCALS living in the UK’s scariest town has been invaded by hundreds of goths who feast on black ice cream and dress up as Dracula.
Whitby, in Yorkshire, where Bram Stoker found inspiration for his horror novel Dracula, is home to the UK’s most popular goth festival.
NB PRESS LTDGoths have dressed up and taken over the town of Whitby[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDRomany Yates tucks into a black ice cream[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDCapricia, 14, with her brother Ewand and mum and dad, Tracey and Duncan[/caption]
Thousands of black-clad revellers today began descending on the resort for the three-day shindig, packing out its harbour pubs and bars.
Skeletons and masked molls were seen walking the streets of the town, named as one of Britain’s most haunted.
Among visitors was tradesman Andy Walker who swapped his hard hat for steampunk goggles and wife, Mel, a care home manager.
Andy, 56, said: “Normally through the day I’ve got work boots and trousers on. My customers don’t see me wearing daft hats.
“I’ve brought a leather kilt to wear. Some of my clients wouldn’t believe it.
“But that’s the great thing about the festival – everyone dresses how they want to and no-one bats an eyelid.
“Everyone’s so like-minded and basically anything goes. There’s no barriers – it doesn’t matter what you look like.
“There’s clowns, there’s Dracula – anything goes – there was a woman whose modesty was being covered up by three balloons.
“Some people call it fancy dress. If they want to call it that, I’m not bothered. I love the diversity of it all.”
Mel, from South Hetton, near Peterlee, added: “We get to wear stuff we would never normally wear. Every year we’ve been a bit more daring.
“You wouldn’t catch me wearing this stuff at home.”
Twice a year Whitby is packed with followers of Gothic and Victorian fashion – with hotels booked up two years in advance.
During the three-day festival there are club nights, a modelling contest and the Bizarre Bazaar – a market featuring more than 100 stalls.
Ice cream sellers do a roaring trade in “Goth ice-cream” – black-coloured vanilla flavour.
The festival – held twice-yearly since 1997 – is reported to bring in £1m to local business coffers.
Shop worker Andrew Stephenson, 43, said: “Every pub is packed out and it’s brilliant for the town. We call it the velvet pound.
“It’s not only the Goths coming for the festival – but they also attract lots of tourists who want to see all the different costumes and looks.
“The pub order extra kegs of beer knowing just how busy it will be. It’s not just blood that Goths like, it’s ale too.”
The festival is a hit with Goths because of the horrible history harboured amongst Whitby’s cobbled streets.
The ruins of its abbey are said to be under the watch of an apparition of its founder St Hilda.
Sam Moore, 54, from Filey, North Yorks, said: “Goth weekend is special. I do dress a bit weird anyway but if I went to the shop looking like this, I’d probably get some strange looks.
“No-one judges us here and everyone is really friendly.
“I do believe in ghosts and I feel like I’m at home wherever I visit.
“Whitby’s a really spiritual place and I find it really calming.
“I just feel relaxed here, like all the pressures have gone.”
Also visiting Whitby was Elizabeth Caprica, 14, with her brother Ewan, 11, and biker mum and dad Tracey, 47, and Duncan, 50.
Dressed in her gothic attire, Elizabeth, from Woodhill Spa, Lincs, said: “At school, I’ve been called Wednesday Addams.
“I quite like it. I think they mean it as an insult but I don’t take it that way.
“I own it. I am what I am.”
Dad Duncan added: “They’re very brave calling her that – she’s a 2nd dan black belt in taekwondo,” and Ewan, dressed in a bowler hat and bow-tie, added: “It’s boring being normal.”
Purple-bearded Dave and Jeanette Galloway, from Immingham, Lincs, visited the festival every year to meet up with pals.
Jeanette said: “We don’t like to look run of the mill, we like to look different.
“You get used to people giving you side-eye – you just learn to brush it off.
“I’ll be getting some looks this weekend because I’ve got a black PVC corset. It’s all about enjoying yourself. Who cares what other people think?
“You get used to it by our age”.
Bram Stoker drew inspiration from Whitby after a stay in 1890. The 199 steps up to the abbey also feature.
NB PRESS LTDMel and Andy Walker take in the sights at Whitby[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDDave and Janet Galloway are attending the Goth weekender[/caption]
NB PRESS LTDBram Stoker used Whitby as a setting for his famous horror novel Dracula[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
