It was a blustery day on the south bay in Scarborough, but needless to say, there is something quite comforting about the sting of the bitter sea air when you live on the Yorkshire Coast!
This day was a little different, though, because I was excited about trying out a new walk, which promised to capture my imagination…and be easy on the limbs.
I had decided to add a bit of variety to the dog walk by downloading a new Echoes App where I could listen to The Odyssey, which had been voiced by people living on the coast.
It has to be said; it was many a year since I had read the epic tale, which, admittedly, I had taken many a break from over the years before finishing, so I was intrigued to hear how such an iconic Grecian tale could work on the Yorkshire Coast.
Initially, I was expecting to be transported from the bitter sea air into an oasis of calm, Mediterranean weather….spoiler alert…that didn’t happen. BUT something I didn’t expect did.
I started the trail by the Central Tramway. All very straightforward, I started walking with the app on my phone and headphones in, and it started the story straight away.
Despite being dragged through the gardens to the bottom of the hill by the dog and the cold air stinging my face, the story captured my attention. It didn’t feel forced; it also didn’t feel greek! Instead, I felt as if I was listening to my friends and neighbours talk about something that had taken place on the very shores in front of my eyes.
I had thought that I’d probably only listen to the first one, but I started moving from chapter to chapter along the seafront, and before I knew it, I was at the harbour.
Like when reading a good book and you know you are going to get distracted, so I took a break to grab a coffee by Luna Park before taking a seat by the lighthouse.
It felt quite special listening to the story, overlooking South Bay and watching the waves crashing… somehow, it all seemed to fit.
I have walked that route many a time, but it always had a purpose…dog…food….friends… But, today, I enjoyed it in a whole new light, as if I had tapped into a secret story and experience, and I was the only one.
I have since done the walk again, but this time at sunset and like all good stories, I didn’t tire of it. In fact, even though I know how this love story ends, I can’t wait till they release the next instalment so I can lose myself again in now what I think of as Yorkshires Odyssey, told by our people our history.
